Press Room

Press Releases

Arab American Civic Education Program Launches in Paterson on Sunday

Posted on Thursday June 20, 2002

PATERSON, NJ—The first in a national series of Civic Education Workshops for Arab Americans will be held in Paterson’s City Hall this Sunday.

Sponsored by the Arab American Institute Foundation, the workshop will serve as a forum to educate Arab Americans about the basics of government and public service. It will also be a chance for them to ask questions and voice their concerns to state and federal officials.

Paterson’s Mayor-Elect José Torres will open up the workshop.

Sherine El-Abd of the New Jersey Civil Rights Commission will moderate the event, which will kick off with an introduction to civic participation by Sharon Lopez of the Center for Civic Education. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division’s Joe Zogby will address the civil rights concerns of Arab Americans, particularly following the recent loosening of FBI guidelines for monitoring individuals and organizations. It is expected that Arab and Muslim organizations will be most affected by these changes. Andrea Quarantillo, the Newark district director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), will address the concerns of immigrants.

Speaking on behalf of the Governor’s office, Director for Ethnic and Minority Affairs Terence McIntyre will advise the audience on how to strengthen ties to state leadership.

Dale Caldwell of the New Jersey State Democratic Party and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Doug Forrester will speak about the need for Arab Americans to participate in campaigns, elections, and run for office.

An action plan will be drawn up at the end of the day so that the community can outline steps to successfully implement the lessons learned and attain set goals.

The AAIF workshop series is aimed at further strengthening civic values and political participation among Arab Americans.

Media coverage is welcome but members of the media will not be allowed to pose questions during the workshop, which includes the question and answer period. Members of the media are encouraged to seek one-on-one interviews with panelists and participants before or after the workshop.

WHAT: Arab American Civic Education Workshop
WHEN: Sunday, June 23, 2-5 PM
WHERE: Council Chambers, Paterson City Hall, 3rd Floor, 155 Market St. Paterson, NJ
CONTACT: Yasmin Hamidi (973) 253-6100 or yasminaai@hotmail.com