What ADC and AAI Will Celebrate
By James Zogby (AAI President)

This year, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the Arab American Institute (AAI) celebrate their 25th and 20th respective anniversaries.

The ADC is, of course, the Arab American community’s pioneer rights organization. It has, over the years, won significant court decisions in defense of civil rights, challenged and won battles against media giants who defamed Arabs and distorted Arab culture, and it has defended a countless number of Arab Americans who suffered discrimination at work, in their schools or in their communities. AAI has been Arab Americans’ political engine, utilizing voter registration, organization and mobilization to move the community into the US’s political mainstream. During the past two decades, AAI has won recognition for Arab Americans in both political parties, provided support for Arab Americans seeking elected or appointed political office, trained a generation of young political activists and brought the community’s issue concerns into the center of the national political debates.

Witnessing leaders from both organizations working together during the past few weeks in meetings with both the new Attorney General and the new Secretary of Homeland Security brought home the progress their collective efforts have made possible. But as important as their work has been, the real story written by these national organizations is told on another level. Their most significant contributions can be found in the establishment of an Arab American identity, the creation of a community and its transformation into an empowered political constituency, and the opportunities both ADC and AAI have provided for hundreds of young Arab Americans to find fulfilling careers in service of their community and their country. To understand how far Arab Americans have come, it is only necessary to recall where they were 30 years ago. There was, back then, no broadly shared sense of community, nor was there any grassroots Arab American community organization. During the past three decades, a significant national effort succeeded in bringing together Arab Americans, both immigrants and the descendants of immigrants from the many countries of the Arabic speaking world. The community that was built was based, not on ideology, but on a shared cultural heritage. Significant challenges were faced down. There were those who sought to exclude newly organized Arab Americans from US politics or to stereotype and defame them. There were also challenges from within, coming principally from the divisive ideologies of “exile” groups who sought to import their religious, factional or national identities and establish them here.

Despite these challenges, Arab Americans succeeded in efforts to create a unified American ethnic community that has become established and recognized as a mainstream component in the political and cultural life of the US. Polling now shows that not only nine in ten Arab Americans feel pride in their heritage (registering the highest among all the ethnic groups surveyed), but that “Arab Americans” is their preferred self-definition of ethnic identity, winning out over country or religion. Today, Arab Americans are recognized in both parties. In the 2004 Presidential campaign, every Democratic candidate and President Bush’s campaign made an effort to court the community’s support, with all of them addressing the October 2003 AAI National Leadership Conference in Michigan. It is also significant to note that every one of the 2004 campaigns had Arab Americans in staff or advisory roles. Twenty-eight years ago, when I came to Washington to run the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, there were only a handful of Arab Americans working in community related politics, and most organizations that addressed our domestic and foreign policy concerns had no Arab Americans on staff. Some actually shunned the community’s involvement.

Today, Arab Americans are working in senior positions in major civil and human rights and political organizations and, this summer, when our organization’s internship programs are in full swing, scores of Arab Americans will be working in Washington DC, serving their community and gaining valuable experience that will assist their career development. It is also important to note the impressive numbers of Arab Americans who received their start at AAI or ADC and are now working in government or major US public interest and political organizations. Real challenges remain, both in terms of the issues that must be addressed and the obstacles presented by those who still seek to turn back the community’s progress. There are, for example, individuals and groups, some coming from within the Arab American community, who seek to divide Arab Americans on the basis of religious identity or country of origin. And, there are groups who have never stopped pressing politicians to exclude Arab Americans from full participation in campaigns and the debate over critical policy issues. But through it all, Arab Americans have retained an impressive commitment to sustain the momentum they’ve achieved in the past three decades. This year, for example, in critical gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia and municipal contests in dozens of cities with strong Arab American concentrations, the community will be involved. Voter turnout continues to grow and, as we saw in 2004, Arab American participation in fundraising and organizing (keys to political power) also continues to grow. In many ways, this story of Arab American identity, community development and empowerment is even more impressive when seen against the backdrop of the pressures shaping contemporary American life. Because of growing alienation from politics in general, too few Americans vote or get involved in campaigns. In contrast, Arab Americans are voting in numbers higher than the national average and in many locales, are among the most organized and involved communities in political campaigns. In three decades, Arab Americans faced down discrimination and threats to their civil rights, backlash and exclusion, and continued to make real progress as an American ethnic community. In addition to their respective anniversaries, this is what ADC and AAI will celebrate this year.

Faculty and staff of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University

Hoda Kotb & H.E. Lakhdar Brahimi

Hoda Kotb and Brahimi with Award

Mr., Brahimi speaking

Mr. John Zoghby and Mr. Brahimi take a moment to converse

2005 Khalil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards

On May 3, 2005 The Arab American Institute in Washington DC, held their annual Khalil Gibran Awards. A successful evening which gave due gratitude and honored the following;

H.E. Lakhdar Brahimi, (Award for Individual Achievement)

His Excellency Lakhdar Brahimi was appointed Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General in January 2004 on a range of issues including conflict prevention and conflict resolution, most recently as Special UN Envoy to Iraq’s provisional government to assist with elections. Ambassador Brahimi chaired an independent panel established by Kofi Annan to review United Nations peace operations and released findings, known as the "Brahimi Report," that assessed the shortcomings of the existing system of peacekeeping and made recommendations for change. His peace making assignments included South Africa and Haiti, and he has undertaken special missions on behalf of the Secretary-General to Zaire, Yemen, Liberia, Nigeria and Sudan. Before joining the United Nations, Ambassador Brahimi served as Algeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University (Award for Institutional Achievement)
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) is the only academic center in the United States focusing essentially on the Arab world. It has been doing so with distinction for 30 years. The Center's Washington, DC location on the campus of Georgetown University provides access to government, the non-governmental policy-studies community, the media, and business as well as academia. Attendance at its public events and applications to its distinguished Masters Degree Program in Arab Studies (MAAS) has more than doubled since 2001. In addition to publishing research papers on a wide variety of topics related to the Arab world, CCAS conducts an active educational outreach program to help teachers convey the nuances and reality of Arab society, Islam and Arabs in America.

Save the Children International Alliance (Award for International Commitment)
Save the Children was founded in 1919 as a nonprofit child-assistance organization to make lasting positive change in the lives of children in need. Today it works in over 110 other countries around the world including 17 states across the United States to help children and families improve their health, education, and economic opportunities. It also mobilizes rapid life-support assistance for children and families caught in the tragedies of natural and man-made disasters. Save the Children has an active presence in the West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. In Lebanon their program is directed to 13-18 year-old kids throughout the country to encourage them to take active and responsible roles in their communities and to develop marketable job skills. With 151 workers, they are one of the largest private relief organizations working in Iraq and have established an "Iraq Children in Crisis" fund with a goal of raising $3 million.

Hon. Spencer Abraham, (The Najeeb Halaby Award for Public Service)
The Honorable Spencer Abraham has served with distinction his country, his home state, his party and his ethnic community for more than two decades. During his tenure at the Department of Energy during the first term of President George W. Bush, Secretary Abraham led the Administration’s efforts to increase energy supply and conservation and energy efficiency. Prior to his cabinet position, Mr. Abraham served as U.S. Senator from Michigan from 1995-2001 where he authored 22 pieces of legislation signed into law, and was credited with providing national leadership and visibility to issues of concern to Americans of Arab descent. Prior to his congressional term he served as co-chair of the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee and was chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. Mr. Abraham also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle from 1990 to 1991.

And in observance of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, a special recognition plaque went to the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation for its service to the memory of those interned and solidarity with the rights and freedoms of Arab Americans since September 11.

* The Arab American Institute Foundation believes there is an urgent need to focus attention on leadership and actions that promote our common humanity.

The Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award was launched in 1999 to recognize individuals, corporations, organizations and communities whose work, commitment and support make a difference in promoting coexistence and inclusion in all walks of life. The awards aim to promote the positive effects of diversity and cultural interaction, and to showcase programs that foster democratic and humanitarian values across racial, ethnic and religious lines. The award is named for the author of "The Prophet," whose message of human endurance and triumph was so evident in his life and work. The award further symbolizes Gibran¹s pride in his Arab heritage, respect for the freedom he found in the United States and his universal love of humanity.

Founded by the Arab American Institute in 1995, the AAI Foundation supports a broad range of public information and education programs that encourage Arab American participation in American civic life. Specific AAIF projects supported by proceeds of this event include Washington internships for Arab American college students and recent graduates; ethnic awareness campaigns; pride in heritage materials; projects that highlight the achievements of Americans of Arab descent; demographic research and publications about the national characteristics of Arabs in America; technical and research support to community groups serving the civic and social needs of Arab immigrants; support of Arab American participation in inter-community coalitions and programs that encourage communication between immigrant, ethnic, racial and religious groups in American society; international exchange programs; and scholarship programs for community and public service. For more information on AAI, please call their Washington D.C. office: (202) 429-9210

AAI Reception - May 3, 2005 - Sherif Farah Atassi Ambassador of Yemen, Fatina Salaheddine and Philippe Reines - Mrs. Clinton's Press Secretary

Fatina Salaheddine with the Ambassador of Yemen

Hoda Kotbi & Fatina Salaheddine

AAI Reception - May 3, 2005 - Hoda Kotbi, Raghida Dergham, Fatina Salaheddine and Najwa Ali

AAI Reception - May 3, 2005 - Mr. Gene Hoots, Khadija AlSalami, Ambassador of Yemen, H.E. Abdulwahab AlHajri and Fatina Salaheddine