AAF participates in seminar under the auspices of the Swedish Foreign Ministry

February 23, 2006, Paterson, NJ: Members of American Arab Forum participated in a lively discussion on 'Conflict Prevention' held in the headquarters of the EastWest Institute in NYC.

EWI is an independent, not-for-profit, European-American institution working to address the most dangerous fault lines of the 21st Century and to help build fair, prosperous and peaceful civil societies in those areas.

Among the participants were AAF Executives Board member, Dr. Ghassan Shabaneh and AAF's President, Dr. Aref Assaf. The panel also included well-known researches and analysts who specialize in  conflict resolutions and prevention.

Dr. Ghassan Shabaneh emphasized the need for cultural sensitivities when dealing with Arabs and Muslims. The East West Institute is embarking on a new project for North America titled "Reframing Perceptions of Islam and Muslims". Members of AAF will participate in this new project. The keynote speech was made by King's College, London, Professor Robert Picciott, "From Global Development to Human Security: The Necessary Policy Transition". The study breaks the firewall that has long separated the aid community from the security establishment.

At a meeting with the leadership of EastWest Institute, President Aref expressed his desire to collaborate on mutual issues. He stated that "AAF is committed to expanding its reach and joint ventures with like-minded organizations. It is through such a venue that our vision of promoting Arab American issues can be furthered."

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