About Us
In 2004 Sawsan Gabra and Kees Hulsman, sociologist and journalist, founders of the
well known electronic journal Arab West Report, and a group of prominent individuals
committed to improving intercultural awareness between Arab-West
communities, applied to the Egyptian government to establish a
non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the name of the Center for
Arab West Understanding.The
aim of CAWU is to foster better understanding between the Arab world
and other cultures by encouraging students, journalists, academics,
religious leaders and politicians to change the ways that they speak
and write about people belonging to other cultures or religions, and
helping them refrain from polemics, exaggerations and other
distortions. CAWU's goal is to achieve this purpose by: Helping to provide access to accurate, credible and reliable information; Improving the public's understanding of the contemporary Islamic world in non-Muslim
countries and vice versa. Encouraging the accurate reporting and analyses of Arab-West cultural,
religious and other key issues involving civil society, both in the
Arab world and in the West.
CAWU is extremely grateful for the
support received from many Egyptian dignatories and overseas
supporters (both individuals and organisations) for our application,
in particular:
- the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in February 2005,
- former Dutch Prime Minister Andreas van
Agt, and for his visit in May 2006,
- the Minister for Endowments, and
- the Secretary General of the Arab
League
In February 2007 the Egyptian Council
of State ruled that that CAWU should be recognized as an NGO under
Egyptian law. The procedure continued and on January 28, 2008 we were
advised by the Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity that CAWU has
been recognized under Egyptian law, number 6985 for the year 2007.
The remaining formal step needed to
finalise the process is publication of CAWU's details in the Egyptian
Official Gazette. We hope that you enjoy visiting our site and we encourage you to visit all the links and in particular explore the Arab West Group and our partners around the world.
If you require any further information please don't hesitate to contact us.
Kees Hulsman & Sawsan Gabra
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