ANN ARBOR — It’s being billed as the Arab Community Summit 2007, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  Sponsored by the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA), the conference is taking place Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the Trotter Multi-Cultural Center, 1443 Washtenaw.

Questions up for discussion include what does it mean to be an Arab?

Want to do what you want without hiding? Why do we have to build ties with other communities? What does the Israeli occupation of Palestine have to do with us here? What can MESA do for us? How can I make a difference?

Registration begins at 11:00 a.m.

An introductory session will be held from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.

The first session, 1:30-2:45 p.m.  is titled “Identity: Min Enta?” Facilitators are Evelyn Shakir and Dalia Petrus.

The promotional literature: “What does it mean to be Arab? In order to confront society’s continued attempt to define our people, it is imperative that we own and become comfortable with our identity. This session will deal specifically with the myriad of topics relevant to Arab identity, including religious plurality and sectarianism, nationalism and its discontents, the construction of the Arab American, and the influence geopolitical issues have on the collective Arab experience. Participants will get the opportunity to discuss whether or not there is such a thing as “Arab unity,” and what exactly classifies a person as Arab. ”

Two concurrent sessions will  take place from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. and repeat from 5:10-5:45 p.m.

The first is entitled “Taboo: Sex, Drugs, and Hummus.”  Facilitators are Randa Jarrar and Thomas Abowd.

 “Tired of having to hide your boyfriend or girlfriend from your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts? Have you ever felt that the Arab community is ripe with homophobia, racism and sexism? Have you ever dressed up for a party only to have your grandmother call you a “sharmuta?” This session will provide participants an opportunity to discuss how tradition, both cultural and religious, affects the Arab community.  Specifically, discussion will revolve around taboo issues such as homosexuality, premarital sex, children out of wedlock, atheism, traditional gender roles and controversial political allegiances.”

The second concurrent session  is entitled “One Struggle, Many Faces.” Facilitator is Rima Meroueh.

The promotional literature: “The struggles of the collective Arab community are shared with many other communities of color. Instead of isolating other struggling, multi-ethnic communities, we must strengthen old alliances and create new ones. On campus, coalition building is more important than it has ever been. Everywhere we go, from the Diag to the Duderstadt, our Arab identity is criminalized and misunderstood. We cannot afford to let racism prevent us from making progress and from exercising our rights as individuals. In this session, participants will get a chance to voice their concerns regarding inter-group coalitions. The facilitators will guide these conversations, providing profound insight when it comes to building and sustaining alliances. In addition, we will discuss how racism and sexism within the Arab community affects our ability to create meaningful relationships with other students of color.”

The second major session will be held from 5:10-5:45 p.m. It is entitled “Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs Workshop” and will be facilitated by  Mark Villacorta.

The promotional literature: “The Arab community consists of people from diverse religious, political, and regional backgrounds. In order for our community to forge relationships and alliances with other multi-ethnic communities, it is important for us to work out our own intrapersonal differences. Dr. Mark Villacorta will discuss how our community can contribute to the struggle for social justice and equality. Dr. Villacorta will address the different ways the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs can help the Arab community in forming ties with university administrators, university departments and other multi-ethnic student organizations. Realizing that the Arab community has received comparatively little support from the university in the past, Dr. Villacorta will work directly with the participants of this session to create new ways for the Arab community to forge relationships with the general campus community.”

Dinner will be held from 5:45 – 6:45 p.m.

The final session, from 6:45 – 8:00 p.m., is entitled “Sticks and Stones: Anti-Arab Sentiment on Campus,” and will be facilitated by Will Youmans and Matt Stiffler.

The promotional literature: “Last year’s “Three Ex-Terrorists” event demonstrated to us all that anti-Arab racism was alive and well on our campus. In order for us to confront racism proactively, we need to have a better understanding of how and why people seem so dedicated to attacking and demonizing our identity. This session will explore incidents of discrimination on campus, ways to combat institutionalized racism, the effects of the occupation of Palestine on our Arab identity  and the role Zionist students and organizations play in silencing the collective Arab voice on campus. This session will also deal with why we are classified as “white” when we are not treated nor do we look like our Anglo-Saxon, European counterparts.”

The last segment of the evening will feature a performance by the Arab Summit – an aptly named coalition of Arab hip hop artists whose lyrics address many of the social, cultural, identity and social justice issues discussed within the summit sessions. The artists performing are Omar Chakaki, Nizar Wattad, and Tarik Kazaleh. Following the performance, the remainder of the night will feature Arabic music, creating a relaxing party atmosphere for the attendees to wind down.

For information contact mesasummit@umich.edu.