Leena Al Olaimy
on Compassionate Counterterrorism and Planetary Regeneration
Have you ever seen the words “compassionate” and “terrorism” in the same sentence?
Not only Leena Al Olaimy dares to pair them in the title of her book, but she beautifully blends them in practice, moving us from non-violent resistance to non-violent resilience. Leena is a systems alchemist, serial social entrepreneur, and founder of Symbaiosys, a data platform for nature-based solutions with a mission to unlock the unpriced value of our planet’s ecosystems. She is also the co-founder of 3BL Associates, Public Planet Partnerships, and Diversity On Board.
Her deep questioning of what drives people to extreme violence in the name of religion began while studying in New York during 9/11. Years later, after returning to Bahrain, that question took on new urgency. “A group of US Navy SEALs I was friends with lost half their platoon during an ambush in Afghanistan. You can imagine the heated conversations that ensued. Only one managed to escape, and his story was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster: Lone Survivor. The question of ‘why’ possessed me.”
A Fulbright scholarship helped her explore that question, but theory wasn’t enough: “I wanted to discover the ‘what’ we could do instead. Military interventions have, in many ways, killed terrorists but not terrorism. I don’t argue for the absence of a hard security approach, but I believe many instances of force prove to be directly counterproductive to long-term efforts to fight the root conditions that fuel violent extremism.”
Her book, Compassionate Counterterrorism: The Power of Inclusion in Fighting Fundamentalism, brings an overwhelming topic to mainstream audiences with clarity and optimism: “Most wars stem from territorial disputes, and climate change is set to intensify that conflict. Planetary regeneration offers another way. With Earth as sovereign, we belong to the land rather than own it.” It’s an invitation to transcend artificial borders, build shared identities grounded in place, and foster peace through ecological stewardship: “We are the work. Regeneration isn’t a destination, but a daily practice of evolving our consciousness, relationships, and connection with all life.”
Regeneration starts by listening deeply to both human and more-than-human stakeholders. It takes humility and curiosity to learn from the “ultimate master practitioner”: Nature. So, let’s ponder: “What natural systems of governance have endured across billions of years? What can we learn from how nature manages risk, transparency, and resilience?”
It all begins within: “You can either search for the light or be the light. Never underestimate the power of your actions and your presence to spark transformation.”
Read Leena Al Olaimy’s answers for Inspirators and tap into resilient activism, one that is for, not against.
Thank you, Leena, for being a Compassionate Advocate for Peace and the Planet!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Leena Al Olaimy
Company / Institution: Symbaiosys, Public-Planet Partnerships, Diversity on Board, 3BL Associates
Title: Founder/ Cofounder
Website: leenaolaimy.com, symbaiosys.ai, publicplanetpartnerships.com, 3blassociates.com, diversityonboard.org
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaalolaimy/
Country of origin: Bahrain
Country you currently live in: Bahrain
Your definition of Regeneration: The conscious design of interdependent systems — ecological, economic, social — that restore, heal, and amplify the capacity of all life to thrive in reciprocity.
Main business challenge you face: Acting as though the planet were my client — redesigning economic and governance frameworks so they partner with life rather than commodify it, while navigating the constraints of the very systems I’m trying to transform.
Main driver that keeps you going: Knowing that regeneration isn’t a destination, but a daily practice of evolving our consciousness, relationships, and connection with all life. We are the work.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: The ability to self-author my life.
The trait you most value in others: Wisdom.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Nature (obviously), but especially lions, music, singing, dancing, surrealist art, and imagination.
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
John Elkington was my earliest and first guidepost into the sustainability path. I came across his book, The Power of Unreasonable People, while researching social entrepreneurship and nonviolent approaches to counterterrorism in graduate school. I am fortunate to count him as a dear friend and mentor.
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey: Start by listening — deeply — to your human and more-than-human stakeholders. Build reciprocal relationships that restore rather than extract. Have the humility and curiosity to learn from the ultimate master practitioner: Nature.
Ask:
- What natural systems of governance have endured across billions of years?
- What can we learn from how nature manages risk, transparency, and resilience?
- What interspecies leadership models could inspire your business?
- What principles of ecological economics create true surplus?
Then, align your capital, incentives, and decisions with regenerative outcomes. And remember: regeneration starts within. Don’t fall into the paradox of exhausting yourself while trying to restore the world.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you: The word sustainability often bypasses the deeper work we need, not just sustaining the status quo, but designing systems that generate ecological and social surplus.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: You can either search for the light or “be the light”. Never underestimate the power of your actions and your presence to spark transformation.
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
· Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M Benyus
· Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
· The Power of Unreasonable People by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan
· The Dream of the Earth by Thomas Berry
· Thus Spoke The Plant by Monica Gagliano
Connection between your work on planetary regeneration and peace: Most wars are rooted in territorial disputes, and climate change will only intensify this, driving conflict over food, water, and habitable land as scarcity grows.
Planetary regeneration offers a different path: with Earth as sovereign, we belong to the land rather than own it. This invites us to transcend artificial, post-colonial borders, build shared identities grounded in place, and foster peace through ecological stewardship.
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again: I rarely watch anything twice.
Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently: Outrage + Optimism by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: I LOVE music! It’s the soundtrack to life.
I appreciate most genres, but jazz and soul make my heart sing. Growing up, I wanted to be a singer, and I studied the vocal acrobatics of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan religiously! I also love contemporary jazz artists like Esperanza Spalding, Jane Monheit, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Theo Croker, and Afropop/ jazz like Miriam Makeba, Soweto Gospel choir and Ndlovu Youth Choir. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with plant music — interpreting plant frequencies into sound through a special interface.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: I attended an interspecies communication retreat at a white lion conservation in South Africa, which was transformative in reframing my respect for nature, not as something weak to save or protect, but as a mentor, healer, co-founder, and shareholder.
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow: I really enjoy Satish Kumar and Ernesto van Peborgh’s works. They both excel at bringing a deep wisdom and metaphor that reframes one’s thinking about finance, capital, and markets from an ecological perspective.
Trends in Regeneration we should keep an eye on: Any trend that reconnects ancient wisdom with modern systems — from scaling regenerative agriculture to creating bioregional currencies, or giving nature a board seat and forming interspecies councils for decision-making.
Events we should attend / Best places for networking (online or offline): I've found that my most meaningful networking opportunities emerge from aligned intention first, followed by physical or online manifestations
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: The convergence of human, ecological, and artificial intelligence is opening up new ways to repair our relationship with nature and redesign systems that serve life.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: The gap between what we know and what we do keeps widening. We have the science and solutions, but our systems remain locked in extraction and short-term thinking.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Compassion, wisdom, humility, love, courage, connection, collaboration.
The Inspirator(s) you are endorsing for a future edition:
Dr. Reem Al Mealla: Bahrain’s first marine biologist!
The quote that inspires you:
"The universe, earth, life, and consciousness are all violent processes...While we reflect on the turmoil of the universe in its emergent process, we must also understand the splendor that finds expression amid this sequence of catastrophic events." (Thomas Berry)
Your quote that will inspire us:
