FRIENDSHIP CARAVAN-RELATED LINKS

Arab world

National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) is pleased to announce the publication of an extensive on-line curricular resource on the Arab world called “Arab Culture and Civilization”. This site was conceived in the days following last September 11, as the liberal arts colleges in NITLE's network struggled to help their students and faculty make sense of and respond constructively to the tragedy.  The web site offers “Special thanks to Michael Toler for his excellent, diligent work in developing content for this site over the past year. His organization of diverse materials, scholars, disciplines, and areas has been both indispensable and exemplary.”.  Michael Toler is a Morocco RPCV serving 90-94 in El Jadida and Tangier

   The Arab American Institute (AAI) is a nonprofit organization committed to the civic and political empowerment of Americans of Arab descent. AAI provides policy, research and public affairs services to support a broad range of community activities.

   The Middle East Institute's principal objective has been to increase Americans' knowledge and understanding of the region. In support of this mission, MEI offers program activities, language courses, scholars-in-residence and an academic journal. With these resources, MEI can provide members, the media and policymakers in-depth analysis of breaking events as well as an expert perspective on their genesis.  The site includes the 1988 book Introduction to Islam by M. Cherif Bassiouni

   AWAIR (Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services) Recognizing that no work is of greater importance than the preparation of our young people for their roles as thoughtful and informed citizens of the twenty-first century, and recognizing too that U.S. involvement with the Arab World and with the wider world of Islam is certain to remain close for many years, AWAIR's goal is to increase awareness and understanding of this world region and this world faith through educational outreach at the pre-collegiate level. At the same time, recognizing that equipping students at all levels to function and contribute within our own diverse society presents a challenge to democracy, AWAIR seeks to increase the larger society's understanding of Arab Americans and of American Muslims as contributors to this society and as citizens with their own unique roles to play as part of a pluralistic America. In this regard, AWAIR shares with critical pedagogists the goal of encouraging voices of students and adults to be nurtured and heard.

   The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) is the only academic institution in the United States devoted solely to the study of the modern Arab world. It was established in 1975 as an integral part of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, which is the oldest and largest school of international affairs in the United States.  Links for the Arab World and the Middle East are very good.

   
Like all people, Arab Americans are too often described in simplistic terms. Although the Arab culture is one of the oldest on Earth, it is, in many parts of the United States, misunderstood. There are no easy, one-size-fits-all answers. Culture, language and religion are distinct qualities that act in different ways to connect Arabs, and to distinguish them from one another.

The differences that seem to separate Arab Americans from non-Arabs can be much smaller than the variations that at times differentiate them from one another. It takes time to learn the issues and to understand them, but it is essential and rewarding for us to do that. Misunderstanding ultimately hurts each one of us.

   American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is a civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage.” Sources of information on discrimination against Arab-Americans is available on this website.

   Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) ACCESS strives to be the premier Arab human services organization in America. It has established a Cultural Arts Program that serves to mainstream Arabic culture. It has formed a national arts network as well as advocates on national questions like welfare reform and anti-immigration regulations. ACCESS continues to struggle to establish further stability and independence in the area of managed care and cost cutting.

   The Mosaic Foundation is a charitable and educational organization founded by the spouses of Arab Ambassadors to the United States. The Mosaic Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children, while fostering cultural, educational, and professional dialogues between the peoples of the Arab world and the United States.

   WomenGateway was established in 2002 as a joint venture project between the Bahrain Business Women Society and Al-Nadeem Information Technology. The site was developed to aid the Arab women of today in their daily business activities. It is designed to be a woman's best friend, right there next to the diamond. And it is envisioned to revolutionize the woman’s sector of the work force and industry by storm. The site caters to everything business related, from start to finish, from A to Z.

   Maps of the Arab World is a collection of over 300 maps organized by country drawaing mostly from the Unniversity of Texas Map collection

Islamic world

   US Department of State International Information Services Islam in the United States

    (Re)embracing Diversity in NYC Schools: Educational Outreach for Muslim Sensitivity The curriculum (Re)embracing Diversity combines a wealth of information about Islam and Muslims with interactive classroom activities that foster the critical importance of tolerance and respect for ethnic and religious diversity. For the convenience of teachers, the curriculum is downloadable either in its entirety or as individual lesson plans depending on students' needs or interests. Also, most lessons include one or more handouts, but these must be downloaded separately from the instructor's guide. Lou Cristillo, Project Coordinator is a Morocco RPCV Ouarzazate 78-81.

   The US State Department, meeting its responsibility to reflect all stripes of the American people to overseas audiences, has an excellent site on Muslim life in America. For the English site, go to http://www.usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/   For Arabic, click on http://usinfo.state.gov/arabic/muslimlife/homepage.htm The French version is available at http://usinfo.state.gov/francais/pubs/frmuslimlife/ 

Countries

    Al-Bawaba (‘The Gateway’ in Arabic) is an Arabic internet portal  ( based in Jordan) offering a unique range of Middle-East oriented channels and services. Al-Bawaba provides independent coverage of news events in all Middle Eastern and North African countries from a regional perspective and produces original contents for news, business, travel, web guide, entertainment, sports, childrens, health and other programs. In addition to Arabic, many of the channels are also provided in English and French

Yahoo country pages

Embassies of Washington, DC: The Electronic Embassy provides information on each of the embassies in Washington D.C., with links to Web-based resources where availableThe Electronic Embassy provides information on each of the embassies in Washington D.C., with links to Web-based resources where available

Arabiata was developed especially for Arab Internet users located in the Middle East, Africa and the rest of the world. The Arabiata website is available in Arabic and English to accomodate our users all over the world.

Kid's Links

Welcome to CyberSleuth-Kids.Com, an online search engine and guide for the K-12 student. The goal of CyberSleuth-Kids is to provide a safe educational online database of links to help the student sift through the maze of information.

First Gov for Kids. links to the kid's pages for each of the US 50 states

"Crossing cultures"

   Tolerance.org is a principal online destination for people interested in dismantling bigotry and creating, in hate's stead, communities that value diversity. If you want to know how to transform yourself, your home, your school, your workplace or your community, Tolerance.org is a place to start — and continue — the journey. Through its online well of resources and ideas, its expanding collection of print materials and its burgeoning outreach efforts, Tolerance.org promotes and supports anti-bias activism in every venue of American life. Winner of the Webby Award for Activism and Electronic Multimedia Awards for both Education and Public Service.

The "Third Goal" of the Peace Corps is to bring a global perspective back to the United States. The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) - the network of alumni, family and friends of the Peace Corps - launched Global TeachNet (GTN) to directly implement that global perspective in U.S. classrooms. The objective of Global TeachNet is to promote students' knowledge of, understanding of and respect for the people, cultures and nations of the world.

Culture Shock!: Morocco by Orin Hargraves Paperback (June 1995) Graphic Arts Center Pub Co; ISBN: 1558682414. Orin Hargraves, author of Culture Shock! Morocco knows whereof he speaks. As a Peace Corps volunteer to that North African country in the early 1980s, he learned firsthand about the customs and culture in the Maghreb. Hargraves covers the bases with a basic but thorough overview of Moroccan history, geography, and politics. He delves into the psychological and cultural mores of the Moroccan people, from their attitudes about men, women, and family to their views on homosexuality, hospitality, and religion. The areas for potential misunderstanding between western visitors and Moroccans soon become clear, and Hargraves does his best to offer clear explanations of Moroccan thought and behavior.

Camel links

"In appreciation for what the camel has provided our forefathers and us, we take great care in protecting and honoring this creature, for all that it has done for us in the past. Our whole life depended on it including all our traveling. It was after all our first means of transportation, something we must never forget." Quote by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, leader of United Arab Emirates

   A-Z of Camels
   Scientific Information
   Ships of the Desert
   Camels in US History
   Camels in Australia
   Camels Treks in the Sinai, Egypt
   Trips On Camelback: - Owned and operated by Advisory Board member Doug Baum, Texas Camel Corps takes adventurers on exotic treks into the Big Bend area of Texas and other desert locales.
  A Comprehensive Camel Resource Site: - For owners, students, and enthusiasts of dromedary and bactrian camels world-wide. Articles, active discussion forums, a camel saddle museum, the largest camel resource database in the world, an online store, free classifieds, an events calendar, and much more!

Updated: September 27, 2004