Culture of Peace

"As defined by the United Nations, the Culture of Peace is a set of values, attitudes, modes of behaviour and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations..."

So far, the "Culture of Peace" has obtained 225 signatures from 14 organizations in Saudi Arabia.

There is some potentially useful information on the UNESCO site- including contact information of 3 active private individuals, as well as the Saudi National Commission for UNESCO (in Riyadh), and the UNESCO office in Doha.

Thoughts on how we could do a "Culture of Peace" event in Jeddah?

Bridging stereotypes- Obama's latest appointee

Dalia Mogahed, a veiled Egyptian American, was appointed this month to Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, where she will advise President Obama on prejudices and problems faced by Muslims.

Dalia Mogahed is a senior analyst and executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.

A commentator on Al Masry al Youm website said: "Dalia Mogahed is the best example of a successful Muslim woman. She proves that the Muslim should be successful in all fields, at least in [her] area of specialization."

Al Arabiya satellite news channel quoted the Ms. Mogahed as saying:

"... I should tell the president about their problems and needs, especially that lately Muslims have been perceived as a source of problems and as incapable of taking part in solving international problems and that they should work on themselves. Now we want to say that Muslims are capable of providing solutions."

Image courtesy of: LA Times