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By Robert BrielMarch 1, 2012

CABSAT 2012 – DUBAI. Al Jazeera has signed a new capacity contract with Eutelsat to expand its coverage over Africa.

The broadcaster is leasing capacity on the Eutelsat 7 West A satellite (formerly Atlantic Bird 7) located at 7 degrees West. It enables Al Jazeera to extend coverage across North West Africa to Morocco and as far as Nigeria.

Broadcasts have already begun, with nine channels operational, including the flagship Al Jazeera news channels in Arabic and English, as well as documentary, children’s and sports channels.

In service since October 2011, the Eutelsat 7 West A satellite has strengthened Eutelsat’s commercial response to broadcasters operating across the Middle East and North Africa. The satellite’s widebeam delivers unmatched performance and coverage into over 30 million homes, while the new North-West Africa footprint opens the opportunity for channels to further consolidate their reach.

The 7 degrees West neighbourhood assembles the largest community of satellite TV channels in the Middle East and North Africa. Channels grew by 35% in 2011, reflecting the dynamic of free-to-air and pay-TV, which represent 80% and 20% of the 822 Arab and international channels broadcast by the five satellites operated at 7 degrees West by Eutelsat and Nilesat.

Previuosly published by broadband tv news

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What is “Community Outreach?”

Simply defined, community outreach is the practice of conducting local public awareness activities through targeted community interaction. It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air community outreach activities are those efforts that can directly affect the behavior of the driving public through local interaction. They are designed to educate the public about a particular issue using respected and locally relevant channels of communication.

Focus groups conducted for your initiative find, among other things, that friends and family are the most credible sources for delivering messages, followed by employers, businesses, and the media. Other local channels of communication range from civic organizations to environmental groups to other organizations and associations. Successful community outreach focuses on the issue’s relevance to the community and acknowledges the community’s challenges in addressing your issue.

Samples of Innovative Community Outreach Activities

There are a wide range of activities that could increase visibility of your issues in the community, from media-based outreach to outreach targeted to specific organizations and audiences.

Note: Your community outreach activities should be guided by a local needs assessment. The fact that an activity has been effective in one community does not guarantee it will be successful in other sites.

Activities that Provide Direct Interaction with the Public

Information booths at state and county fairs, parades, and other community events

Strategy: Distribute promotional items, relay key messages,

Suggestions: Offer prizes for correct answers on quiz.

Fund raising events

Strategy: Meet and educate the public; raise funds.

Suggestions: American Lung Association, Washington State “Trek for Clean Air,” “Climb for Clean Air”; fundraising cycling and mountain climbing events.

Volunteer-Based Initiatives

Strategy: Mobilization of volunteers and youth groups to implement strategies/further goals.

Suggestions: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District created the “Smog Squad,” a volunteer-based, door-to-door initiative.

Give-Aways

Strategy: Distribute pamphlets and innovative marketing materials to increase visibility and reinforce messages.

Mobilizing Local Business

Strategy: Create and promote opportunities for local business involvement.

Town Hall Meetings

Strategy: Speak directly to the community and receive valuable feedback.

Suggestions: Most valuable in small town settings.

Hot Lines/Toll free numbers

Strategy: Provide accessible, timely information.

Street Signage

Strategy: Present brief, simple facts to the traveling public.

Suggestions: Variable message signs.

Pledge Cards

Strategy: Document individuals’ pledge to actively participate in the initiative by taking specific actions.

World Wide Web Sites

Strategy: Reach the general public and link to other relevant sites.

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One thing that is striking about the recent revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain is the absence of any anti-American slogans or denunciations of the Great Satan, as the Iranian regime refers to Uncle Sam. On the contrary: signs of pro-American sensibilities abound. Democracy protesters carried homemade placards displaying slogans and statements (sometimes translated into French) of fundamental American rights. The United States’ republican culture, founded in the late eighteenth century, and given a brief burst of energy during the early days of the Obama administration, walked side by side with the protesters. President Obama expressed support for the demonstrators, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cautioned Arab leaders that they were sinking in the sand the day before Ben Ali fled Tunisia. One should not forget also that the Tunisian revolt was sparked by the dispatches of U.S. diplomats revealed by WikiLeaks. For many, WikiLeaks was proof that the United States was an imperial power whose consuls never ceased to keep an eye on the world’s nations and their doings; to Arabs and Muslims, however, the leaks were further proof that their regimes had no credibility whatsoever and that they were, indeed, sinking. That’s because the consular reports reflected America’s belief in freedom and equal opportunity; they expressed contempt for palace corruption even as they did business with Ben Ali and other rulers to safeguard their nation’s interests. And then, of course, the United States helped dislodge Libya’s Moammar Qaddafi from power through its military intervention.

This is a great moment for both the United States and Muslims around the world to reassess their relations and change negative perceptions that hinder a better dialogue. Americans should try to get out of the crusading mindset that they had inherited from Christian Europe. We may think that the old clashes between Christianity and Islam are things of an ancient past, but all anyone has to do is listen to what many evangelical leaders today say about Islam and its prophet to get a sense of this legacy. Islam, in such speeches and sermons, is portrayed as evil, whereas the Judeo-Christian tradition is considered God’s truth. This religious attitude has a lot to do with the stalemate in Israel and Palestine, for the belief that God has promised Palestinians to Jews and, ultimately, Christians, is well entrenched in these evangelical circles and informs a lot of U.S. policy making. One way to temper such prejudices is to highlight the positive contributions of Arabs and Muslims to American culture, whether through the scientific and commercial advances that were introduced to the West in the Middle Ages, or though the work of Arab or Muslim immigrants. To be sure, American presidents never fail to express pride in America’s Islamic component, but Americans need to do more to show that they care about Muslims in their midst. Maybe Hollywood could help change attitudes.

Muslims, on the other hand, have a lot more work to do. One problem in American-Muslim relations is the old American conviction that Islam fosters tyranny. This view was widely shared by America’s Founding Fathers as they saw, righty or wrongly, that the Muslim world, with its despotic sultans and caliphs, was antithetical to the republican spirit of liberty. No sooner was the United States created than it had to contend with the harassment of U.S vessels on trade missions by Muslim corsairs in the Mediterranean. The so-called Barbary states of North Africa demanded tribute for safe passage, but leaders like Thomas Jefferson were at a loss to understand why his newly liberated nation had to pay protection money. This encounter, with its ransoms, skirmishes, and eventual defeat of the Muslims in Tripoli, further strengthened America’s belief in the superiority of its system and worsened its prejudice against Muslims. American missionaries would later flock to the Middle East to convert the locals and, in the process, introduce modern education and health care systems. Americans praised Muslim civilization when warranted, modernized Egypt’s army, and laid the foundations for a new Arab nationalism. The United States was so highly admired during the late 19th century that some Arabs didn’t mind being part of an American mandate. This is one of the glorious moments in American-Muslim relations, one that needs to be widely known. The discovery of oil and the establishment of Israel, however, affected this relationship negatively, and things have spiraled out of control since then.

For relations to be restored to a level of high trust and mutual respect, Muslims need to face the facts and realize that old perception of their societies as despotic had some basis in truth. They need to understand that they have only themselves to blame now for their backwardness in almost every cultural and scientific endeavor and that their future rests on rethinking their approach to religion. Sunni Muslims must speak out against the wanton murders of Shiites and Christians in their midst, not just complain about Westerners. They also must accommodate themselves to the historical reality of Israel and realize that all nations—including many Muslim ones today—were born out of violence against native populations. (Many Berbers in my native Morocco still resent Arab invasions to this day.) The history of nation-making is a bloody one, but we can still turn tragedy into an opportunity. Israel has a lot to teach Muslims with its know-how and democratic spirit, while Israelis need to temper their biblical prejudices and break out of their quarantine and tap into the huge Arab market to grow stronger and more stable.

So much could be done with the right attitude, but hanging on to the dysfunctional methods of the last five decades would be a colossal waste of opportunity at this historical juncture. Belligerence will help no one—not Americans, not Muslims, and not Israelis. Americans can still teach Muslims how to build nations that keep religion and politics safely apart and how to unleash the creative spirit of enterprise, but the United States must also get its house in order, too, and fix its fast deteriorating social structures without delay. When a nation is a city upon a hill it can’t afford to neglect its affairs. As President Obama would say, this is the time for change. We can’t afford to wait.”

Anouar Majid is the author of Islam and America: Building a Future Without Prejudice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2012)
He is director of the Center for Global Humanities at the University of New England in Maine.
Article previously published by Informed comment

When Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook, he was not necessarily thinking of providing a platform for Arab protestors to express their frustration with hunger, unemployment and corruption. Nor was he planning for his website to become the battlefield between Tunisian authorities and web activists. This, however, is exactly what has happened, resulting in the largest and most violent demonstration in Tunisia in decades.

Tunisians on Facebook are not declaring their “relationship status” or uploading family photos. Rather, they are constantly uploading videos and up-to-the-minute Twitter feeds of street demonstrations. Some of the images of alleged police brutality are very gruesome, serving only to outrage people even further.

Social media has become the main platform for the marginalized Arab masses, because it enables them to express their frustration and send their message to the world in defiance against censorship, which is widespread in the Arab world.

And it’s not just Facebook. Thanks to YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter, the Tunisian street demonstrations, which have so far claimed the lives of 25 people (according to Amnesty International), are now widespread not only throughout Tunisia but also in neighboring countries. If anything, these social networking websites have shown that courage is contagious in Northern Africa.

The protests first flared in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid on December 17 after Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old unemployed university graduate, set himself on fire outside a government building. Demonstrations then spread throughout the country. Ordinary Tunisians who were fed up with unemployment and corruption took to the streets and were later joined by labor unions and a group of 300 lawyers. Students, professionals and youths were also quick to follow.

Tunisian state television reported that the protests were “isolated events.” This narrative, however, was completely shattered when Al Jazeera satellite television aired Facebook and YouTube videos, as well as Flickr images showing that the demonstrations were anything but isolated. Ironically, Al Jazeera and other Arab television networks were forced to turn to social media videos because non-state media were banned from reporting from Tunisia.

The activism also spread globally, through the Internet, and gained further ground when it joined forces with the now infamous global “hactivist” group “Anonymous,” which recently attacked the servers of Visa, Mastercard and PayPal when the companies started blocking donations to WikiLeaks. In fact, the group told Al Jazeera, “The thing that did it for us was initially [Tunisian authorities’] censoring of WikiLeaks.”

“Anonymous” hackers temporarily shut down at least eight Tunisian government websites, including those for the president, prime minister, ministry of foreign affairs and the stock exchange, reports Al Jazeera.

With such powerful and far-reaching effects, the Tunisian social media activism has quickly caught the ire of the Tunisian government. Authorities have hijacked and deleted the Facebook pages of some of the most vocal activists in the Tunisian cyber-community such as Sofiene Chourabi, a journalist for Al-Tariq al-Jadid magazine and a strong critic of the government.

Recent WikiLeaks documents, which show various governments demanding user information from Facebook, Google and Twitter, highlight the additional dilemmas faced by protestors. As cyber-activism grows worldwide, social networking sites must decide their role in state censorship.

Although Chourabi and others do not accuse Facebook or YouTube of collaborating with the Tunisian government, they feel that more could have been done to protect Internet independence. “I think it is high time for Facebook and Google to take serious steps to protect Tunisian activists and journalists,” Chourabi told an Al Jazeera journalist.

Not Just in Tunisia

In the Arab world, it is not just Tunisia that has taking political advantage of social networking websites. Social media has become the main platform for activism for Algerians, Palestinians and Egyptians, as well.

Case in point: Facebook and Gaza. Electronic media expert Ashraf Mushtahi told Al Jazeera that as many as 45-50% of Gaza’s youth use Facebook as their window to the world. A quick search for the word “Gaza” on Facebook yields hundreds of pages dedicated to Gaza in English, Arabic and other languages, some of which have hundreds of thousands of fans.

However, as with the Tunisian authorities, Palestinian and Egyptian Gaza web activists have had to contend with page closures and other forms of internet censorship. In June 2010, the Facebook pages of Egyptian groups that were campaigning against the wall being constructed between Gaza and Egypt were shut down. This left many Arab activists wondering which pages or even which sites would be closed next.

New America Media, News Analysis, Jalal Ghazi, Posted: Jan 14, 2011

Many consider her not only the first Muslim American, but also the first Arab American to win the pageant. Miss USA 1983’s winner, Julie Hayek, technically has Lebanese roots from her father, but Fakih is the first to publically identify.

The sensitivities after 9/11 make Fakih’s win a win for all Muslim and Arab Americans; many feel that it symbolizes a step in the right direction.

“The fear that people had implanted since 9/11, maybe what I did can show people that, you know what, who cares what ethnicity you are,” Fakih states.

Not only did the residents of her hometown celebrate Monday, but Arab Americans nationwide, from pockets of New York City to Little Arabia in Anaheim, CA. They are celebrating national recognition and acceptance of Arab American beauty and culture.

“This sends a signal that we’re part and parcel of this great country … this is a part of being American,” Mohamad Dbouk, a Dearborn restaurant manager said.

The fact that this ethnic group, which is consistently stereotyped and constantly in political talks, finds itself in the commercial spotlight of Miss USA is outstanding and refreshing. It shows that The American Dream still exists; you can be an immigrant of this country and come out successful.

Fakih says it best, “Everyone should be proud of who they are and where they come from because America is a big melting pot of diverse ethnicities. It’s great to be part of this wonderful country.”

For more info, check out the articles below:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/17/miss.usa.lebanese/index.html

http://www.ocregister.com/news/fakih-249301-arab-miss.html

http://www.freep.com/article/20100520/NEWS05/5200520/1372/Features/Miss-USA-Rima-Fakih-My-victory-means-anyone-can-make-it-in-America

Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010

Alec Brook-Krasny, Andrew Golota and James Zogby — are the newest additions to a growing list of well-known Americans who have recorded public service announcements (PSAs) in support of the 2010 Census.

The list of endorsements includes President Obama, Miss America Caressa Cameron, Donny Osmond, Karl Rove, Olympic athletes, major league baseball players, mayors, Members of Congress and the late Dorothy Height. The PSAs featuring Brook-Krasny, Andrew Golota and James Zogby released today to remind Russian, Polish and Arab American residents that it is not too late to be counted in the 2010 census — just open your door to the local census taker and answer the 10 easy questions.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s PSA campaign is meant to raise public awareness about the 2010 Census and motivate people to participate. There is no cost to the taxpayers for each speaker’s time or for the airtime to broadcast the PSAs over television or radio. The involvement of these trusted voices extends the reach of paid, earned and social media.

In their PSAs, community leaders urge residents from ethnic communities to fill out their census forms. “If you have not been counted in the 2010 Census, it is not too late,” says Alec Brook-Krasny. He encourages residents to open their doors to census takers and answer the 10 easy questions. “This will help your community to get what it needs for the next 10 years,” states Dr. Zogby. “Your information is confidential and your privacy is protected,” added Andrew Golota.

WHERE TO FIND PSAs

2010 Census PSAs can be seen, heard, and downloaded, at the following sites:

2010census.gov — Official site for the 2010 Census. The Multimedia Center is a one-stop shop for information and media resources, including PSAs, videos and photos. <2010census.gov>

U.S. Census Bureau’s YouTube Channel — Home to PSAs, TV ads, partnership testimonials and how to “Fill Out Your Form” videos in dozens of languages. <uscensusbureau>

2010 Census PSA Spot Source — The place for everyone to download or order hard copies from a wide selection of PSAs in English and en Español. <spotsource.census.gov>

NAB Spot Center — The place for broadcasters to preview and download national PSAs in English and en Español. <http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/SpotCenter/campaign.asp?id=68>

ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form will be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.

According to the recent article titled “State and Federal Advertising Dollars” published in Voices that Must be Heard, NYC currently holds more community media institutions than at any time of the city’s history, many of them catering to ethnic communities. John Liu, New York City’s Chief Fiscal Officer hopes to increase the presence of the city’s advertising dollars in these local ethnic media outlets.

Liu, the city’s first Asian American comptroller, often referred to as a “Trailblazer” and “Pioneer,” criticizes various public service agencies “for not spending more of their advertising dollars with those media outlets that penetrate the immigrant and other ethnic communities.”

Liu justifies these concerns by pointing out that these public agencies are using his ethnic constituents’ taxpayer money in ways that don’t directly reach them. “I think that both the MTA and the City can do a better job of doing that because the reality is that the so-called daily papers are not read by a large percentage of people living in this City.”

Liu indicates that reaching out to ethnic and immigrant communities presents a wealth of benefits. Utilizing advertisements in ethnic media outlets is a powerful tool because the content they provide appeals more to the readers.

“Unlike the mainstream publications which emphasize crime and periodic ethnic festivals when covering immigrant neighborhoods, community papers are driven by issues such as the interpretation of American life and they focus on the challenges confronting immigrants.” Furthermore, these media outlets “highlight the burning social, economic and political issues back in the respective home countries or regions,” which make them even more relevant to their readers.

Sandy Close, executive director of New American Media adds that “ethnic media play a critical role in the economic utility of communities they serve.” In other words, these media outlets offer vital opportunities for advertisers to get in front of their potential customers.

And with the downturn of the economy still in effect, knowing where to spend your money is critical. Many mainstream media outlets, particularly print, are on the decline, whereas ethnic papers remain strong and widely read. When there is an estimated 3 million ethnic and immigrant residents in New York City, it’s hard not to justify that bang for your buck.

-Efrata Yitbarek

President Obama speaking at Summit Photo: Morocco Board News

Often times putting words into action can take a long time. However, President Obama and several senior Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, hosted the first Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship less than a year after the President delivered his speech in Cairo last June. The two-day conference, co-hosted by the department of Commerce and State in Washington, included close to 250 foreign delegates from more than 50 nations around the world. Among the attendees were entrepreneurs, investors, academics and many more distinguished individuals from nations such as Kuwait, Morocco, India and Cameroon, to name a few.

During the opening ceremony, President Obama commented on how “the United States and Muslim communities around the world too often fell victim to mutual mistrust” in spite of the common beliefs shared between the two communities. According to the President, now is time to change the course of the future that is plagued with past divisions, destructive actions, and the mentality of the past. Instead, the President hopes for greater cooperation in order to build “confidence and conviction in a future of justice and progress and the dignity of all human beings regardless of their race, regardless of their religion.”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at summit: Photo courtesy of Morocco Board News

The first summit found its focus within the discussion of entrepreneurship. “We believe entrepreneurship is a fundamental American value; it’s also a force that has the ability to unlock opportunity for people around the world,” said Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser for strategic communications. The President also added that entrepreneurship as a whole, “is in our mutual economic interest, fosters opportunity and prosperity in all our nations” as well as continuously fosters partnerships.

Among several objectives behind the summit, a large one is to forge concrete steps toward mutually beneficial partnerships among America and nations around the world, primarily those with vast Muslim populations.

Photo courtesy of Morocco Board News

Summit Attendees: Photo courtesy of Morocco Board News

Concrete Steps Forward

In response to President Obama’s commitment to partner with Muslim communities worldwide based on mutual interest, mutual respect and the 2010 Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has already forged partnerships with Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA) and Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) to expand exchange programs and pursue new opportunities in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Photo courtesy of Morocco Board News

ECA’s International Visitor Leadership Program, New Beginning: Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, aims to bring 25 entrepreneurs each year to the United States “from countries with significant Muslim populations over the next four years for educational seminars, mentorship, and first-hand experience in the business place with American entrepreneurs.” To complement this exchange, ECA aims to cooperate with “private sector partners to send 100 American entrepreneurs abroad over the next four years.” The ultimate goal of this and future programs is to create long lasting partnerships and networks that are “mutually beneficial and will support job creation and economic opportunity” in the U.S. as well as abroad. In sum, the program will focus on developing a spirit of entrepreneurship and small business enterprise, and expand on the understanding and benefits.

Most importantly, programs like this and more of which will come in the future, sets a strong example of the success of President Obama’s summit and mission to connect and nourish healthy relationships with Muslim and non-Muslim countries abroad.

For more information visit:

www.exchangesppp@state.gov

www.entrepreneurship.gov

A significant number of U.S. states are known for their diversity, however few claim popularity based on that fact. New York City is that exception. The city’s residents come from all the nations of the world and speak languages such as Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Chechen and many more.

NYC Immigrant Heritage Week 2010 Celebration flyer

NYC is also known for celebrating its residents in many ways throughout the year. The 7^th annual Immigrant Heritage Week took place from April 15^th and to April 21^st, 2010 and gave tribute to the diverse cultural tapestry of the city’s inhabitants. The week-long celebration provided residents with “a rich collection of family friendly events, film screenings, art exhibits and walking tours.” The activities aimed to “promote and reflect the diversity of the immigrant communities in New York City.” Since 2004, the Immigrant Heritage Week is a yearly initiative supported in part by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

You should look to see if there are cultural heritage appreciation events in your own state—who knows, you may bear the same findings.

U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Susan Rice’s remarks before gala guests

“This year’s honorees remind us of the importance of some great American ideals: service, responsibility, inclusion, and equality. Citizenship grants us great blessings, and it demands great responsibility. Our limitless diversity and our founding commitment to equality are among our greatest strategic assets,” said Rice.

Ambassador Rice also congratulated AAI on its 25^th anniversary celebration. According to Rice, “Arab Americans have been making vital contributions to our country since at least the 1880s, but the establishment of the AAI in 1985 was a true milestone. Since then, AAI has been a key voice in the larger American chorus: speaking up about pressing needs and concerns, championing increased Arab American participation in our nation’s political and civic sphere, and fighting ignorance and intolerance.”

Ambassador Susan E. Rice with Jim Zogby director of AAI

Most notably, Ambassador Rice highlighted the shift in foreign policy, undertaken by the new U.S. administration, toward Arab and Muslim communities throughout the globe. Rice noted the administration’s efforts in “expanding exchanges, deepening our collaboration on science and technology, working together on global health issues such as H1N1, and partnering to expand the reach of economic prosperity.” Following President Obama’s New Beginning speech in Cairo last June, the President will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship next week, where more than 250 entrepreneurs from 50 countries, including many in the Arab world, will gather to advance opportunity in America and abroad.

Ambassador Rice’s full speech can be read found here.

Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award:

Launched in 1999 by the Arab American Institute Foundation, the awards focus attention on acts of leadership and dedication that promote the common good. The Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards recognize individuals, corporations, organizations and communities whose work, commitment and support make a difference in promoting co-existence and inclusion in all walks of life.The awards aim to promote the positive forces of diversity and cultural interaction, and to showcase programs that foster democratic and humanitarian values across racial, ethnic and religious lines.The award is named for the author of “The Prophet” whose message of human endurance and triumph was so evident in his life and work. The award further symbolizes Gibran’s pride in his Arab heritage, respect for the freedom he found in the United States and his universal love of humanity. The event is supported annually by a diverse group of corporate and individual donors and is organized by congressional, honorary and steering committees.

Photos courtesy of AAI.