YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

This week I have had the opportunity to meet many people who seem to be really excited about what AAI and Yalla Vote are doing. I spent a few hours on Monday going around to a few Arab American businesses in the area asking them to keep copies of the National Petition in their stores and ask their customers to sign it. With the exception of one, all of the stores were glad to do it. (So if you live in the area and have not signed the Petition…just stop by your local Arabic store or restaurant to sign it)

The following day I attended a meeting of the Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission. I had met one of the councilmembers at the Lakewood Democratic Club Meeting the previous week. When she heard what I was doing, she invited me to their meeting this week. Although neither the meeting nor the commission focus on Arab Americans, the Lakewood community is made up of many cultures including a large number of Arab Americans. In fact one of the Commission members was an Arab American woman, Nahida Farunia. And not only does Nahida serve on this Commission she also runs the Arab American Women’s Organization of Lakewood in which she works to help local Arab American women in several capacities. The Commission has planned a Diversity Potluck for later this month (“The World lives in Lakewood”) and I hope to attend and encourage local Arab Americans to attend as well.

I also had the opportunity to attend the monthly meeting of the Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization (C.A.M.E.O.). Of all the people that I have met in the past two weeks they seemed to be the most excited that AAI is in the area and interested in working with us to increase involvement in the community. They have two events planned for the summer: their annual picnic and a Candidate’s Night. I hope to give AAI a strong presence at both of these events.

Coincidently my mom knew of a group of Arab American Lutherans who were taking English classes at her church. I called the church and was able to get a hold of Nick Abuamsha who is an Outreach Worker. Knowing what his own experience was as an immigrant to a new country and not being able to speak English he has developed a way to help those in his community by educating them in both English and anything else they may need. He was also very excited about what AAI and Yalla Vote are doing and said he would encourage those in the group to get involved.

It’s been a long week here in Cleveland, but I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people. And with each day I feel that I get to know the community even more.

-Nadia