Category Archives: Model Arab League

Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations Spring 2024 “NEWSLINES”

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Cover of the Spring 2024 NEWSLINES newsletterThe Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations (CCUSAR), with Dr. Joe P. Dunn serving as Director, is an initiative of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Dr. Dunn is an alumnus of the Council’s Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the coordinator of the Southeast Model Arab League conference, and the faculty advisor heading the Converse College Youth Leadership Development / Model Arab League program.

CCUSAR recently published its Spring 2024 “NEWSLINES” newsletter, available for download through the link below.

The issue features:

  • Powerful illustrations and testimonials from participants in the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League, sharing how the program impacted them; along with
  • Highlights from the 2024 National University and Southeast Regional Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League conferences; and also
  • A story about interfaith dialogue in Spartanburg, South Carolina; together with
  • A book review of Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict by Oren Kessler.

DOWNLOAD “CCUSAR NEWSLINES (Spring 2024)” [PDF]

Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations Spring 2023 “NEWSLINES”

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Cover of the Spring 2023 NEWSLINES newsletterThe Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations (CCUSAR), with Dr. Joe P. Dunn serving as Director, is an initiative of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Dr. Dunn is an alumnus of the Council’s Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the coordinator of the Southeast Model Arab League conference, and the faculty advisor heading the Converse College Youth Leadership Development / Model Arab League program.

CCUSAR recently published its Spring 2023 “NEWSLINES” newsletter, available for download through the link below.

The issue features:

  • Powerful illustrations and testimonials from participants in the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League, sharing how the program impacted them; along with
  • Highlights from the 2023 National University and Southeast Regional Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League conferences; and also
  • A story about interfaith dialogue in Spartanburg, South Carolina; together with
  • A book review of They Call Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight for Freedom by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri.

DOWNLOAD “CCUSAR NEWSLINES (Spring 2023)” [PDF]

Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League Spring 2023 Conferences

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A listing of Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League Spring 2023 Conferences is available on the program’s website.

National Council Administers Summer Arab-U.S. Relations Student Educational and Career Development Program

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Washington, D.C., U.S.A.: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ (“National Council” or “Council”) Annual 10-week University Student Summer Internship Program is successfully underway for 2022. It includes professional development opportunities, an academic seminar on the Arab region, and visits to central policymaking institutions in Washington, D.C. The program has resumed its in-person meetings and visits this summer after being administered exclusively online for the past two years. Serving as the lead lecturer and resource specialist for the program is the Council’s Founding President and CEO, Dr. John Duke Anthony.

Students gathered together at George Washington University with National Council President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony

Participants in the National Council’s 2022 University Student Summer Internship Program together with Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony (center front) following a lecture at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. In addition to professional development opportunities, the program includes an academic seminar heavily focused on Arabia and the Gulf as well as visits to a variety of Washington, D.C., institutions with international portfolios.

Twenty-one students and young professionals from as many schools across the United States are taking part in the National Council’s Summer Internship Program. Their backgrounds and areas of study are diverse, representing majors and minors from Mechanical Engineering to Political Science to Economics, Marketing, International Relations, and beyond. Four of the participants are alumni of the Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League. Council Student Programs Coordinator Katie Grandelli is herself an alumna of that educational activity.

Throughout his presentations, Dr. Anthony has placed a special emphasis on empathy with the Arab and Islamic countries and peoples analyzed and examined. He has simultaneously stressed the need for the development of leadership skills that are vital to success in whatever path the students’ futures take.

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National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and Adalah Foundation Collaborate to Bring Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League to Yemen

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United States Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States His Excellency Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, Ambassador (Ret.) Richard Schmierer, and Distinguished Guests Attend Signing Ceremony To Celebrate Cooperation Between American and Yemen Non-Profit NGOs

Washington, D.C., U.S.A. & Mukalla, Hadhramout, Yemen: The Washington, D.C.-based National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (“National Council” or “Council”) recently executed a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic cooperation on educational programs for students with the Mukalla-based Adalah Foundation For Legal Development (“Adalah Foundation”). The agreement will expand the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League in the Arab region to include secondary and university students from the Republic of Yemen. Under the Memorandum of Understanding each party will maintain its independent status.

The National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League is an experiential learning exercise where students have the opportunity to practice representing the needs, concerns, interests, and objectives of someone other than themselves during the course of simulating a diplomatic summit. The program has been educating and training leaders of tomorrow since its inception in the early 1980s. There are over 55,000 program alumni, and conferences in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia augment the roughly 20 conferences with 2,000 total students who participate in the activity in the United States each year.

Individuals stand together after signing an agreement

The cooperation agreement between the National Council and the Adalah Foundation was celebrated at a signing ceremony this week at the office of the National Council. In attendance were United States Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States His Excellency Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, and guests from the Adalah Foundation, the National Council, and the Embassy of Yemen in Washington, D.C., including Council Chairman John Pratt and Council International Advisory Committee Member and Middle East Policy Council President & Chairman of the Board Ambassador (Ret.) Richard Schmierer (not pictured).

With educational resources and support made available to the Yemeni participants by the National Council, the Adalah Foundation will implement the Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League’s educational components of diplomatic simulations, workshops, and conferences to provide learning and training opportunities for Yemeni youth. The Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League helps young individuals develop professional skills that will be vital to their success in whatever path their future takes. Through the Adalah Foundation’s efforts and with the Council’s support, the Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League will provide opportunities for Yemen’s emerging leaders to grow intellectually and professionally to prepare them to address challenges confronting their country, region, and the global community.

National Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony praised the collaboration between the Council and the Adalah Foundation to further learning and leadership training in Yemen. He remarked, “Involvement in Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League could hardly be more essential. Few programs are as effective in introducing and exploring the complexities facing the people and nations of the world. Just imagine what happens as young leaders of tomorrow analyze and address issues from a perspective different from their own. Not only does it dramatically improve their ability to think critically and empathetically, it also enhances their ability to address the multifaceted range of challenges facing our shared future.”

Student raise placards in the air to vote on a motion during a meeting

Students utilize parliamentary procedure during Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League sessions. Understanding and utilizing basic rules of meetings helps to train future leaders how to consider viewpoints and make decisions in a fair, consistent, and effective manner.

At a signing ceremony celebrating the cooperation agreement, Founder and Chairman of the Adalah Foundation Mr. Mohammed Bin Hamdeen shared his passion for youth leadership development education, remarking that “this invaluable collaboration with the National Council will train, educate, and uplift Yemen students who are eager to promote diplomacy and peace for the benefit of a peaceful and prosperous Yemen. Youth represent a large percentage of the population and we must engage our future leaders in programs and projects that will prepare them for opportunities and meaningful lives.”

About the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations: Founded in 1983 and based in Washington, D.C., the National Council is an American non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American knowledge and understanding of the Arab region. Information about the Council’s program, projects, events, and activities can be found at ncusar.org.

About the Adalah Foundation: Founded in 2012 and based in Mukalla, Yemen, Adalah (meaning ‘Justice’ in Arabic) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to enhancing effective community participation and youth capabilities toward promoting peace and building the state of law responsive to Yemen’s needs and aspirations. Information about the Adalah Foundation can be found at www.adalah-ye.org.

Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations Spring 2022 “NEWSLINES”

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Cover of the Spring 2022 NEWSLINES newsletterThe Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations (CCUSAR), with Dr. Joe P. Dunn serving as Director, is an initiative of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Dr. Dunn is an alumnus of the Council’s Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the coordinator of the Southeast Model Arab League conference, and the faculty advisor heading the Converse College Youth Leadership Development / Model Arab League program.

CCUSAR recently published its Spring 2022 “NEWSLINES” newsletter, available for download through the link below.

The issue features:

DOWNLOAD “CCUSAR NEWSLINES (Spring 2022)” [PDF]

2022 National University Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League Conference Held in Washington, D.C.

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Last month, the National Council brought together nearly 300 students from more than 20 universities for the 39th National University Model Arab League in Washington, D.C. Meeting at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, only blocks from the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building, these students spent three days role playing as Arab diplomats—taking part in an experiential learning exercise and representing the needs, concerns, interests, and objectives of someone other than themselves.

As part of their participation in the National University Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League, some of the school delegations arrived in Washington a day early so they could visit the embassy of the country they would be representing at the conference. During their embassy visits, students and faculty had the privilege of receiving a briefing by diplomats posted at the missions and had the opportunity to ask questions to deepen their understanding of the countries’ policies and positions. Students and faculty received briefings at the embassies of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (the U.S. government closed the Palestinian Mission to the United States in 2018 so the briefing was provided by a specialist on Palestinian issues), and Sudan.

The Model Arab League Youth Leadership Development Program enables students to expand their horizons, and harness and practice empathy as they explore others’ cultures, economies, societies, and systems of governance. The National Council’s flagship student educational initiative encourages emerging American leaders to explore the Arab region, and its opportunities and challenges, while simultaneously developing professional skills that will serve them in whatever path their future takes.

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Kicks Off Its One-Of-A-Kind Summer Educational and Career Exploration Program for Students

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Washington, D.C.: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations‘ (“National Council”) Annual 10-week University Student Internship and Summer Scholars Program began on May 24, 2021. Keynoting the inaugural session – and serving as the lead lecturer and resource specialist for the duration of the program – was Dr. John Duke Anthony, the National Council’s Founding President and CEO.

Dr. Anthony provided background, context, and perspective regarding the National Council’s vision and educational mission. In addition, he highlighted the Council’s achievements over the course of its 38-year history. This year, 26 students from academic institutions around the globe are participating in the program. A special emphasis and benefit for the participants is the program’s emphasis on leadership development.

The National Council’s 2021 Summer Internship and Scholars Program is being administered entirely online. The rigorous, digitally-driven program and agenda provide a range of rich, beneficial, and career-enhancing opportunities for the participants. This Council initiative provides a fertile educational and training environment for the students. It is an invaluable experience for young leaders interested in pursuits devoted to bridging divides and enhancing the U.S.-Arab relationship.

Academic Seminar

A core component of the summer’s program is a twice-weekly academic seminar. This feature of the experience has the participants interacting with Dr. Anthony and National Council staff plus an array of internationally renowned scholars on the Arab region, the Middle East, and the Islamic world.

In keeping with previous years, the seminar’s substantive focus is mainly on Arabia and the Gulf. Each session examines one or more facets of this sub-region’s governments and politics in addition to its people’s respective needs, concerns, and continuing quests for modernization and development.

The seminar’s emphasis on reading and writing is an integral part of the curriculum. According to Dr. Anthony, “The goal of improving any facet of the Arab-U.S. relationship, and vice versa, cannot be achieved by accident or coincidence. Rather, the demonstration of various skills is required. Among them, three in particular are beneficial: (1) a mastery of the relevant issues, challenges, and opportunities; (2) a capacity to analyze critically; and (3) the talent for effective oral and written communication. One among the benefits that this seminar provides the students is an opportunity to practice and strengthen these skills.”

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