[Mb-civic] BRIDGING THE ARAB-WEST CULTURAL DIVIDE:

[Michael Butler]

Written for Search for Common Ground
 
BRIDGING THE ARAB-WEST CULTURAL DIVIDE:
Forging cultural exchange, media reform and youth participation in
decision-making
Benjamin Quinto and Mohammed Al-Ghanim
October, 2004
            

A survey conducted by RoperASW for National Geographic in 2002 revealed that
only 13% of American youth could find Iraq on a map. It¹s not surprising
that young people in the US know little or nothing about Arab culture,
Middle Eastern philosophy or the religion of Islam. Adding to this gap, most
Arab youth get their understanding of American culture through the media and
entertainment industry, which paints an inaccurate picture of society in the
US today. Something must be done to bridge this chasm, and young people may
have the answer.
The United States and Arab World are deeply connected when you consider the
political and economic influences that come into play with the Arab Gulf and
oil producing states. Were it not for the USA¹s dependence on crude oil (the
United States being its largest consumer nation), perhaps the relationship
might not be as contentious. Although some countries in the region do have a
stable relationship with the United States, many other Arab states have had
a turbulent one dating back to 1948, with the declaration and unconditional
support of the State of Israel.
            For over half a century, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has
persisted, deeply affecting the country and occupied territory, as well as
the region, feeding the animosity that has only grown in that time between
the Muslim and western world. The underlying social issues, which may be
common to both Arabs and those in the western world, are obscured by the
level of misinformation and public apprehension each population has about
the other; and these widening misperceptions are perpetuated by the media.
            Those most directly affected by the conflicts in the region are,
as usual, women and children, but particularly youth, who suffer the
greatest impact on the front lines. Decades of conditioning have provided a
fertile ground to capitalize on the despair of young people with little hope
for the future, who can be recruited to fight for a cause that gives them a
greater sense of purpose and value in society‹as extremist groups have been
successful in doing. The fundamental question is how do we effectively move
a population from being the unwitting perpetrators of violence to becoming a
positive force of youth-led development and peace-building, when the
political culture does not encourage youth participation in the
decision-making process? The answer is simple: when youth are afforded such
opportunities, the likelihood of them making positive contributions
increases exponentially.
The tragic incidents of September 11th have perhaps been the most
significant turning point for the United States in examining‹or having the
chance to examine‹its foreign policy, as it relates specifically to the
region. When preliminary reports suspected that Al-Qaeda were the
terrorists, later confirmed through evidence, there was a measurable
increase in the purchase of books on the fundamentals of Islam and, most
importantly, the call for Jihad or a ŒHoly War¹.
It is not the type of information Americans began to seek, but rather the
fact that now, and unfortunately after such a horrific incident, America
wanted to learn about Arabs and Islam. The events of September 11 also
introduced a new thinking: ³Islamophobia.² Many Americans continue to be
under the perception that Islam is a religion that evokes hate and anger,
and that this is the claim for Jihad. On the other hand, few Arabs and
Muslims believe that September 11th was inevitable, that it represented the
ideals of their culture, or was congruous in any way with their political or
religious ideology. If anything, those in the Arab region may have believed
that the American people ought to have blamed their government¹s foreign
policy, which continues to support Israel politically and financially and
lately occupy strategic points in the Arab region.
The fact is that pointing fingers will lead us nowhere. This fear of Islam
and animosity towards America can only be avoided if Americans, Arabs and
Muslims are willing to build bridges between their cultures, and a common
vision for the future. Young people may be closer to possessing the answer
than anyone else. It is through their hope and idealism, their energy and
enthusiasm that we can have the greatest chance of creating peace between
the US and the Arab World.
Consider the successes achieved by programs such as Seeds of Peace
(www.seedsofpeace.org), which for decades has created safe spaces and camps
where small groups of Israelis and Palestinians live in close quarters for
an extended period of time. They share perspectives, concerns, and their
feelings with each other, argue or fight, and ultimately resolve their
differences through a facilitated process. Experiences like these, and
cultural exchanges between the western and Arab world, create a greater
level of respect among young people through dialogue and spaces for
learning. 
Pioneering projects today, notably Chat the Planet (www.chattheplanet.com),
through their Bridge to Baghdad and Baghdad 2-way television special
recently on MTV, have created a unique environment in today¹s mass media for
real, unscripted conversations that transcend borders of culture and
geography. Yet it remains critical that these diverse voices be more
accurately and positively represented in the media at large. With
unprecedented instant and global communication networks, opportunities to
connect abound, and are being exploited by young people. They provide a new
avenue for fresh dialogue and a tool for outreach and organizing.
International forums and summits, as well as organizations like
TakingITGlobal (www.takingitglobal.org), the Global Youth Action Network
(www.youthlink.org), the International Youth Parliament
(http://iyp.oxfam.org), and the International Education and Resource Network
(www.iearn.org), help young people from diverse backgrounds come together to
share ideas and move from conversation to positive action. Young people
should have greater access to such opportunities‹imagine the impact of high
level government officials going through a process such as the one offered
by Seeds of Peace‹that bridge cultures and find a common path to ending
hatred and violence.
Hundreds of organizations with thousands of members are working at the
grassroots level to build understanding among young people in the region and
across the world. By fostering and expanding these programs, organizing
broader cultural exchange programs and increasing the channels of honest
communication between youth and policy makers, young people today can become
key players in the process of ensuring peace. Our present commitment lays a
pathway to a future of non-violence.

 
 

Benjamin Quinto is founder and executive director of the Global Youth Action
Network, an alliance of thousands of organizations in over 180 countries. He
is a 26 year-old US citizen with 8 years of experience advocating for youth
participation, and currently resides in New York City. He acts as Strategy
Coordinator for Chat the Planet TV.
Mohammed Al-Ghanim is a 20 year-old Kuwaiti, studying Political Science at
the Lebanese American University, in Beirut. He is the Arab Regional
Coordinator of the Global Youth Action Network, an advisor to Grantmakers
Without Borders and sits on the Youth Advisory Board of the United Nations
Population Fund.