The Friendship Caravan
(By Hazel Heyer) Monday, August 18, 2003

NOT PREMATURE at all, but perhaps the time has come. Unprecedented thus far, here is one unique and unusual play-out of world events - Americans and Arabs coming together to have dialogue. Finally things seem to move forward to a direction - toward that which this caravan stands for. Friendship is about to be born. A first-of-its-kind, The Friendship Caravan is a States-wide pilgrimage seeking to foster cooperation towards mutual understanding, esteem and peace. Its statement reads: most Arabs do not hate Westerners; and most Westerners do not hate Arabs. Its mission, to promote cross-cultural communication and mutual respect through high-profile media events, progresses into a premier event next year consisting of a year-long caravan across the United States of people, camels, Arabian horses, festivities, educational and cultural programs, and specially-conceived trucks transporting cultural exhibits about the Arab and Muslim world. Its members (the Caravaneers) will come from diverse backgrounds representing a variety of cultures and religions spanning the globe. This celebration, preceded by a pilot Caravan in October of this year, will be an itinerant forum of ideas, spirituality, and cultural exchange to promote fellowship among Americans and Arabs and Muslims.

The Ambassador of the League of Arab States to the United Nations Hussein Hassouna spoke exclusively to eTurbo News on the importance of the Caravan. Asked about his role in the event and its relevance to such sensitive time in our history, Ambassador Hassouna said: "I have been involved since the [inception] of the Friendship Caravan upon finding it an excellent idea. There is a real need today to find better understanding between the US and the Arab world, not only on the official level but also on the personal level. There are things that have divided us over differences in policies and the events of September 11. There are a lot of misconceptions we have about each other. I thought this Caravan is a way to get to know and understand each other through people-to-people contact. This is extremely important in the world today. I urge all concerned to strongly support this event. The League of Arab States strongly supports this project. Bahrain, now the chair of the Arab Summit, also supports the idea."

If at all, how can cultural exchange narrow the current and obvious American-Arab divide? Ambassador Hassouna said: "First of all, at the level of the people involved, it will change the perception. It will show them that Arab and Americans are the same people with the same conservative values, so there is really nothing to divide us. The media will focus on this event - on the need for both worlds to understand each other. Roundtable discussions will focus on issues of culture and politics which will definitely create a great impact, apart from the business meetings and networking.

There are so many important economic common concerns which are to our benefit. Business sometimes is a way to get people together owing to interests with dealing with each other." Is this an activity Secretary General for the Arab League Amre Moussa and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak endorse? He replied, "Very strongly indeed." According to the Friendship Caravan president Michael Kirtley, the idea was formed after Sept 11. "The question was what can be done in the face of such a terrible act? One way to counter the negative effects of such a big event as 9-11 is to match it with an equally big but positive event. September 11 did nothing but create a veil of misunderstanding. The negativity, the suspicion, and the resultant misconceptions were encompassed largely by the media -- not because they wanted to increase tension but plainly because they were covering a very negative incident. Therefore, the Caravan is aimed at attracting media toward the positive values in order to create a more optimistic approach to communication," said Kirtley. The event is non-political, tailored to developing themes such as common humanity, mutual respect and optimism in a world full of paranoia today, according to him. It is being received very positively. "I have been extremely pleased that here in the US, cities are offering their venues, their auditoriums, their gymnasiums and their fairgrounds for the caravans." The pilot caravan in October will take place in Gaithersburg, the third largest and most affluent city in Maryland. The Rotary Club is behind this cause one hundred percent. There is a college wanting to put a town meeting about understanding Arab women. "I think America is tired of paranoia about the outside world," explained Michael. "When there is an opportunity for understanding with others, they embrace it." Although Kirtley delivers all the niceties, one can remain skeptical however about the reaction from the other end, in view of Arabs' growing intolerance for American intervention in the Middle East. On the Arab reaction, he affirmed it was positive. Kirtley, an American who has lived several years in Arabia, working as photojournalist for prominent US magazines such as National Geographic and Life, knows his subject quite well. For his project, he approached his former host country of Morocco, which he considers his "second home". He said, "I took trips to Morocco and Bahrain where my idea has been well-received. The Arabs have been living in many ways with the perception that Americans are very prejudiced against them. When they find Americans coming to a dialogue with them, they are touched and respond in kind. More importantly, they truly understand it is important to build bridges, not barriers."

Asked about the recent attacks against Western interests in Morocco, where a string of bombings rocked Casablanca, how can the Caravan deal with the brutal reality? "The terrorism in Casablanca was a indeed wake-up call," Kirtley commented. "On the other hand, I have felt no anti-Americanism in Morocco over the many years I lived in and visited there. For years, I raised a family there in Casablanca and Marrakech and attest to the warmth and hospitality of the people. My children have many fond memories of the Arab world. In Morocco I have always been treated with an amazing amount of respect. When I went back there in June this year, the main newspaper immediately wrote a big article about the Caravan, and the representatives of the royal palace received me well. I was very sad about the terrorist attack, especially in my adopted home of Casablanca, but I have not felt antagonism towards the US towards me personally." To Kirtley, Morocco was second home from 1970 to 1990. He admitted that there might be people who feel one way towards the US government, but do not feel the same way towards the American people. "I found people have questions about us. There is a huge wall of ignorance among the people on both sides."

Out of such experiences the Friendship Caravan got started. An outreach to children and adults to create the basis for long-lasting attitude change, "The Friendship Caravan is not just an event, it is a movement," Kirtley declared. "We will indeed change attitudes. Such an undertaking will be unique in the annals of history, the most prominent event ever to promote friendship among cultures that today seem poised on the brink of endless civilization conflict."

More on the Friendship Caravan

MORE THAN a tourism spectacular, the project will offspring hope for peace. The Friendship Caravan is programmed to start in spring 2004, symbolically proposing a time of renewal and conciliation between the West and the Arab and Muslim World, after two years of international trauma post 9-11. In advance of the yearlong event, the "pilot" is scheduled and ready for take-off from October 21 to 26, 2003 in the D.C. suburb of Gaithersburg, Maryland.

After a Friendship Festival in an Arab nation, the caravan starts in San Francisco, then heads eastward across the Southwest, Texas, the Deep South, the Midwest, and onto the East Coast, concluding in Washington, DC after a loop through Boston and New York.

Eight Permanent Caravaneers, scores of Guest Caravaneers (5-8 Guests at all times, including 2-3 Arab specialists), 2 animal handlers, 8-10 dromedary camels, 5-6 Arabian horses, one or two trucks carrying walk-in exhibits and rooftop satellite transmission equipment.

Half of the Caravaneers will come from the USA and other western nations, half from the Muslim world outside America. Half will be women, and a special emphasis will be on the importance and accomplishments of women in the Arab World.

Updated: September 8, 2003