ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Members of the Monmouth Dialogue Project are grateful to Monmouth University and to the Peace Development Fund for their generous funding and support.
Monmouth Dialogue Project
Saliba Sarsar, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
Associate Vice President for Academic Program Initiatives
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Phone: 732-571-4474
Fax: 732-263-5464
Background
In the post-9/11 world where understanding, respect, and tolerance are at a premium, mutual misconceptions and stereotyping of “the other” continue unabated. Opportunities for dialogue between and among national and religious groups are lacking. A zero-sum game or “we vs. them” mentality typifies relations between many communities in the United States and around the world.
A prime example relates to Arab Americans and Jewish Americans, who number 3.5 and 6 million, respectively. While often neighbors, they live worlds apart. Historically, the Arab American and Jewish American communities have stood on opposite sides of the ideological-political divide, with each community advancing its particular values and interests. Their relationships have often been influenced by Arab-Israeli relations.
The past two decades, however, have witnessed the formation of Arab-Jewish dialogue groups and coexistence camps. There is a minimum of 40 such groups, in addition to camps for Arab and Jewish youths in the United States. When added to others around the world, including Israel and Palestine, the number reaches 100.
Monmouth Dialogue Project—Who We Are
We are a group of Arab Americans (Christian and Muslim), American Jews, and friends of both communities who work to promote Arab-Jewish understanding in Monmouth County of New Jersey in particular and elsewhere around the world in general. The group, initiated in fall 2007, uses Monmouth University as base. It consists of approximately 25 individuals, with 20 of them Arabs and Jews, representing varied professionals, including academic administrators, accountants, artists, consultants, dentists, engineers, medical doctors, professors, psychologists, religious leaders, and students.
The group meets on a regular basis to examine issues of mutual concern, discuss relevant books, attend multicultural events, visit Arab and Jewish cultural and religious sites, and use its voice and touch to generate positive change in community. Such activities are crucial for creating group cohesion and for enriching the group’s outlook and repertoire. The group hold forums, open to the public at large, to hear speakers and panelists and to show and discuss relevant movies in support of dialogue themes.
A Special Project in Support of Arab-Jewish
Understanding
In addition to promoting Arab-Jewish understanding, the group will attempt to create an international association focused on Arab-Jewish/Palestinian-Israeli dialogue groups. This will be accomplished by developing a comprehensive directory of dialogue groups and camps for easy access and networking; generating public awareness of the work of dialogue groups and camps via a dedicated web site, newsletter, and media outreach; and applying for grants and fund raising in support of the above work.
