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| NAAP team up in conference on political, social challenge |
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| Society 11/19/2007 9:43:00 AM |
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NEW YORK, Nov 19 (KUNA) -- The Network of Arab-American Professionals
(NAAP) concluded here late Sunday their two-day national conference, the
fourth since its inception, with the theme "Envisioning and Embracing our
Arabicity for the Future."
Arabicity, explained NAAP spokesperson Yasmin Hamidi to KUNA, is "a word we
made up. The idea behind it is to think about where you fit within the
landscape of the Arab-American community and where you can make a difference
in putting that community on the map of the US."
The NAAP mission is to promote professional networking and social
interaction among Arab-American and Arab professionals in the US and abroad
and educate both the Arab-American and non-Arab communities about Arab
culture, identity, and concerns.
It is also to advance the Arab-American community by empowering,
protecting, and promoting its political causes and interests in the US and
abroad within all levels of society, support the Arab student movement in the
US, and serve society through volunteerism and community service efforts.
Some 600 NAAP members from throughout the US gathered in a New York hotel
to debate various issues in a number of panels concerning their professional,
cultural, and political lives as Arab-Americans.
The discussions dealt with a wide spectrum of topics, including "Competing
desires to assimilate and preserve an Arab identity", "When Identity becomes a
problem on the job", "Collaborators or Patriots: Debate on cooperation and
participation in the war on terror", and "Changing the portrayal of Arabs in
Media and entertainment."
The political topics dealt with Palestine, Iraq, Iran, and Darfur.
Hamidi admitted that since NAAP is a diverse organization whose
participants come from all different parts of the Arab world, from all
religions and professions, there are issues that are not agreed on easily.
She cited the crisis in Lebanon and the split among Palestinians as
examples that divide NAAP members. "Actually, it happens a lot," she said,
adding that the organization "tries to play a constructive role as a community
by raising money for Lebanese and Palestinian children rather than highlight
our differences."
NAAP member Sarab Al-Jijakli, a young Arab-American of Syrian origin who is
co-founder of NAAP New York Chapter, told KUNA his chapter created a "massive
election outreach campaign" that focuses on registration drives throughout New
York where Arab-Americans are concentrated and on information regarding where
candidates stand on Arab-oriented issues.
He said "we've seen during the last five years (when his chapter was
founded) an amazing growth" in the number of Arab-Americans registered to
vote. "We educate them. We make sure everybody understands the importance of
voting, its impact, and how we have to vote as a community."
He noted that there is now a "greater recognition among the powers across
the country as to the role of the Arab-American vote and the growth and
maturity of the Arab-American political institution."
He said a commissioner representing New York Mayor is attending the NAAP
conference "because they recognize the importance of the Arab-American
community, our growth potential ... because we're upwardly mobile and highly
affluent."
"We're cracking the code as to the American system, in a sense. In many
cases, it makes a lot of people nervous, but for us, it's a good situation to
be in," he said proudly.
He acknowledged that he or his parents will probably not see the change,
but his children will.(end)
sj.wsa
KUNA 190943 Nov 07NNNN
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مجلس الوزراء
اللجنة العليا للتحضير للاحتفال بالذكرى
الـ(50)
لاستقلال دولة الكويت و الذكرى الـ (20)
لعيد التحرير
اعـــــــــــــــــــلان
فى إطار الاستعدادات و الترتيبات الجارية للإعداد و التحضير للاحتفال
باليوبيل الذهبي للاستقلال و مرور
(20) عاما على تحرير دولة الكويت و انطلاقا من
حرص اللجنة العليا على إشراك كافة قطاعات الدولة فى الاحتفال بهاتين المناسبتين
الوطنيتين
يسر اللجنة الإعلامية المنبثقة عن اللجنة العليا دعوة من يرغب من مؤسسات و
شركات القطاع الخاص و الاتحادات التجارية و الاستثمارية للمشاركة في الأنشطة و
الفعاليات المقرر تنظيمها فى شهر فبراير من العام القادم 2011م
للاستفسار والتنسيق ومزيد من التفاصيل :
1- مكتب مقرر اللجنة الإعلامية:
هاتف: 22462289
فاكس: 22462296
2- البريد الإلكتروني:
kuwait5020@media.gov.kw
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