Spring and Summer Opportunities Available for Study and Travel

By Betsy Barlow

Despite the snow and ice, it’s time to plan for summer getaways. What could be more enjoyable than an educational opportunity in the beautiful setting of Ghost Ranch in New Mexico?

Audrey Shabbas, president of Arab World and Islamic Resources (AWAIR), announces a June 28 to July 5, 1999 program on “Understanding the Islamic Paradigm: A Summer Program.” Designed for educators, the program is also open to religious leaders, journalists or others who wish to learn about Islam through its texts, history, poetry, art and storytelling.

Instructors are experienced American Muslim teachers. Ghost Ranch is run by the Presbyterian Church, which will host other programs simultaneously with AWAIR’s event, which should make for a stimulating mix.

Registration can be made through Ghost Ranch (phone [505] 685-4333). The cost for this program is $150 (space limited to 30 people). Room and board for the week is $300 (half-price for children, if you want to make this a family event). Or you could camp on the grounds for a lower price. If you have questions about the program, contact AWAIR by e-mail: <awair@igc.apc.org> or phone: (510) 704-0517.

NCUSAR Programs

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR) is sponsoring through its Malone Fellowship Program two trips to Saudi Arabia, one Feb. 3-21 and the second May 1-16. There are still a few openings in the May tour.

The NCUSAR is also organizing a trip to Tunisia March 1-10 for art museum professionals. The Malone Fellowship Study Program is designed for Americans with careers in education, business or government who have only limited knowledge of the Arab world.

NCUSAR also sponsors programs for Malone alumni and Model Arab League faculty advisers. One educational tour will travel June 11-July 3 to Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and a second trip will leave July 7-23 for Yemen. A special “Passage to Morocco” Program, offered June 3 for undergraduate and graduate students, will offer intensive modern standard Arabic language study, home stays, lectures on Morocco and related North African issues, as well as visits to historical and cultural attractions. Orientation in Washington, round-trip air fare to Morocco, tuition fees, in-country transportation, accommodations and two meals per day for three weeks are included in the program for a cost of $2,200. Students may extend their study to six weeks for an additional fee.

Model Arab Leagues expose students to some of the problems in the Arab world.

Yet another program to be offered is the Summer in Syria, a six-week study visit planned for June 25 to Aug. 10. The program will offer a one-day orientation in Washington, DC, intensive Arabic instruction taught by University of Aleppo faculty, and a course on the history of Syria and the Middle East taught by an American scholar-escort.

The language course is available at two different levels. The history course will cover the Roman and Hellenistic eras, the Arab period, the Arab world today and the Syrian Republic. Modern Syrian politics and contemporary regional and international issues will comprise a major part of the course. A focus will be the long history of human habitation of geographic Syria and its connections with neighboring countries and various ethnic, tribal and religious groups in Syria.

Participants will visit the major Roman and Palmyrene monuments, Byzantine churches and monasteries, early Arab palaces and mosques, medieval Islamic fortresses, academies and hospitals, Crusader castles and churches, and Ottoman public buildings and mosques.

The program is $3,000 for participants in the Model Arab League, and $3,200 for others. The fee includes an overnight stay in Washington prior to departure, the round-trip air travel, tuition, in-country transportation, accommodations, and two meals per day for the length of the program.

NCUSAR’s Model Arab Leagues, with 8 scheduled at the high school level and 12 at the university level this year, are considered the “Gateway” programs for all other opportunities. Participating schools send teams which represent one of the 22 countries in the Arab League. Representatives from each country serve on the economic, Palestinian, political, security, social or other special committees, where the major work of the League takes place. It gives students an excellent chance to develop their talents for leadership, and exposes them to some of the problems in the Arab world.

The schedule for the 12 college Arab Leagues follow, each with its dates and the coordinator’s name:

Feb. 25-27 ROCKY MOUNTAINS: Metro State College, Denver, CO; Robert Hazan (303) 556-3220

Feb. 25-27 MICHIGAN: Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI; Jim Goode (616) 895-3184

March 4-6 OHIO: Miami University, Oxford, OH; Matthew Gordon (513) 529-5128

March 4-6 NEW ENGLAND: Northeastern University, Boston, MA; Denis Sullivan (781) 646-0982

March 25-27 SOUTHEAST: Savannah Tech, Savannah, GA; Karen Pennick (912) 351-4506

March 25-27 NORTHWEST: Portland State Unviersity, Portland, OR; Jean Campbell, (503) 725-8566

March 25-27 CALIFORNIA: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA; Jonathan Friedlander (310) 825-8631

April 7-10 NATIONAL: Washington, DC; Brenda Pierce (202) 293-0801

April 8-10 GREAT PLAINS: Northwestern College, Orange City, IA; Ray Weiss (712) 737-7079

April 8-10 SOUTHWEST: University of North Texas, Denton, TX; Emile Sahliyeh (940) 565-2314

April 15-17 NORTHERN ROCKIES: Montana State University, Missoula, MT; Merhdad Kia (406) 243-2979

April 23-25 WEST COAST: UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA ; Larry Michalak (510) 643-8198

The New England, Northwest and California programs are still open for additional participating teams. If you think that your college or university might be interested in joining these activities, give the local organizer a call. If you want to check out the program for possible future participation, observers are welcome at the opening and committee sessions. For further information about any of the NCUSAR programs, contact them at (202) 293-0801.

Workshops and Conferences

Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies plans two workshops in the coming weeks. On Feb. 20 it offers a program for elementary and middle school educators on Islam and the Arab world, with particular emphasis on how to be inclusive and respectful of Muslim and Arab students. The speakers are Lobna Luby Ismail, founder and executive director of Connecting Cultures, Inc. and a specialist in the areas of cross-cultural communication, and Alexander Kronemer, a frequent writer and lecturer on religious diversity, Islamic awareness, and cross-cultural communication. The seminar is limited to 25 participants. To register, contact by Feb. 10 the outreach coordinator, Zeina Azzam Seikaly, at phone (202) 687-6176.

A second workshop, planned on Wednesday, March 10 for high school social studies teachers, will focus on “Water Issues in the Middle East.” Speakers will tackle the political ramifications of water scarcity, pollution, food security and environmental problems. They will examine the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile and Jordan river valleys, and relate the water crises in the Middle East to global issues and water concerns. The deadline for registration is March 1. For further information, or to register, contact Zeina Azzam Seikaly at the phone number above.

The Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University will cosponsor with the Middle East Institute a conference on “The 20th Anniversary of the Iranian Revolution” on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in the ICC Auditorium at Georgetown. Speakers are Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Syracuse University; Haleh Esfandiari, Woodrow Wilson International Center; John Esposito, Georgetown University; Fred Halliday, London School of Economics; Bijan Khajehpour, Iran Focus; Mohammad Malhallati, Middle East Institute; Mohsen Milani, University of South Florida; R.K. Ramazani, University of Virginia; Abdulaziz Sachedina, University of Virginia; and Gary Sick, Gulf 2000.

Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies will sponsor a workshop Saturday, March 27 from 9:00 to 3:30 pm on “Reading Campaign Experience within Palestinian Society.” Dr. Munir Jamil Fasheh from the Tumer Institute for Community Education in Jerusalem will talk about his work in the occupied Palestinian territories. His innovative reading and writing program is a model for what can, and sometimes is, being done to engage students, teachers and parents in the process of improving literacy and building community among the disadvantaged.

The all-day workshop will include a well-known Palestinian storyteller and a workshop on writing and performing shadow puppet plays. A Middle Eastern lunch is included in the cost of the $25 registration. Reserve early by sending your check to CMES, Teaching Resource Center, Harvard University, 1737 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02138. For more information, call (617) 495-4078 or e-mail <shedd@fas.harvard.edu>.

The student chapter of ADC at the University of Michigan, with the support of other groups and departments, presented a conference Jan. 29-31 on “Arab-American Student Activism: Bridges to the 21st Century.” The keynote speaker was Prof. Rashid Khalidi, president of the American Committee on Jerusalem and director of the Center for International Studies at the University of Chicago. Other speakers included Professors Fadwa El Guindi, USC; Nabeel Abraham, director of the Honors Program at Henry Ford Community College; Rosina Hassoun, Michigan State University; Hussein Ibish, media director at the ADC; and Sam Husseini, communications director at the Institute for Public Accuracy.

The Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Michigan will offer a one-day workshop for middle and high school and community college teachers on “Global Security and Interdependence” on Saturday, March 13. The cost is $25. Deadline for registration is March 8. For questions or to register, contact Betsy Barlow, (734) 647-4142. The center will also co-sponsor with Michigan State University’s African Studies Center a workshop for community college teachers on the Arab world on April 9 and l0 in East Lansing. For more information, contact Betsy Barlow at the number above.

Resources Available

Barbara Brown, outreach coordinator of Boston University’s African Studies Center, announced the availability of a full-color poster-sized map of Africa entitled “How Big is Africa?” It comes with a l0-page curriculum guide for K-12, and is available from Barbara Brown, African Studies Center at Boston University, phone: (617) 353-7303.

An exhibit of Saudi art by both men and women will be travelling in the U.S. this April and May. The sponsor is the House of Saudi Art in Jeddah. Some of the artists have government funding to accompany the exhibit, so the cost for the hosts would be minimal, limited to publicity and the costs of mounting the exhibit. Short-term exhibits of l-2 weeks, with an opportunity to dialogue with American teachers, artists, and students, are particularly welcome. Interested hosts should contact Anita Allen, a NCUSAR Malone Fellow and a docent at the Columbus Museum of Art, who is well aware of the power of art to expand horizons. Contact her at (614) 864-3659. If April-May is not possible, contact her anyway to see if there may be other times to host the exhibit.

Betsy Barlow is the program coordinator for the University of Michigan’s Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies in Ann Arbor.