موقع مؤسسة الوارف

http://www.alwaref.org
Al Waref Institute
“In the beginning was the Word”
Our Mission
The core target of Al Waref Institute is to bridge the gap between East and West by emphasizing the importance of the cultures and arts as a platform for engagement, enhancing inter-cultural understanding, and encouraging dialogue between the citizens of the Muslim and Arab world and the United States.
Al Waref Institute, headquartered in Washington DC, with two supporting offices in Beirut and Casablanca, is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-sectarian and non-governmental organization. It is committed to promoting the achievements of writers, scholars, activists, and artists who believe in the concepts of freedom, justice, and individual rights as the fundamental elements to the eradication of fear, extremism, and war.
Al Waref Institute will act a podium for these thinkers who are overcoming obstacles and making contributions to further advance the Arab world, their host countries, and humanity. The Institute will support their efforts to make it possible for constructive values to become more prevalent in the future, changing the dominant orientation in the years to come, especially in the Arab world.
Shaping the Future
The success of some extremist trends to reach out and monopolize the political decision-making centers has led to conflicts, wars, and struggles. All of this was taking place in light of a remarkable retreat of the intellectual elites’ role across the world.
In the aftermath of this vacuum, the escalation of violence and revenge attitude could be catastrophic unless wise voices congregate to establish an Arab Renaissance aimed to defeat the destructive trends.
Al Waref Institute promotes alternatives to the warmongering “solutions.” Searching for better ways has always been the human’s obsession in the pursuit of advancing civilization. He created fire to defeat cold weather, invented agriculture to defeat hunger, and language to defeat lack of communication within his community.
Today, as humanity continues to face the danger of wars, conflicts, and tensions that threaten the environment, peace, and prosperity, everyone is invited to search for policies that cherish life, make just peace, and promote deserving recognition.
Al Waref Institute is a step ahead in the direction of making a better future for humanity – a future where reason and conscience prevail over extremist tendencies. One way to achieve this goal is to strengthen a common ground of respect, acknowledgement, and appreciation between people of all cultures, races, and nationalities.
Aims and Tools

Al Waref Institute is committed to adopting all available media, technology, and communication tools that help to bridge the gap between cultures and civilizations.
The Institute will hold a semi annual conference in the United States and Morocco where scholars, note speakers, and researchers would meet to present studies on the development of cultural coexistence, integration and dialogue between the Arab and Muslim societies and the whole humanity. The conference’s publications will be available in English and Arabic.
In August 2008, a web-based portal, www.alwaref.org, designed to support the Institute was launched. The portal components will be a virtual ongoing conference, whereon articles, studies and research are set to be published in the fields of  individual rights, civil society, energy and economics, sustainable development, culture and art, meaningful dialogue, war and peace, science and technology, environment and climate change, and U.S. foreign policy. Constant technical development on the portal will be established to ensure the largest possible degree of interaction with researchers and writers, and with the portal visitors.
The Institute will Contact the Arab and American universities to encourage researchers to engage in this project, and to advance partnerships among universities at this level.

Marah Bukai*
Founder & Chairperson
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www.alwaref.org
*Marah Bukai is a Syrian American poet, academic researcher and journalist who spent her professional life to bridge understanding and cultural dialogue between the United States and the Arab and Muslim worlds.
Bukai have always been passionate about teaching and writing in Arabic language, and exploring the beauty and eloquence of her mother tongue.
Born in Syria, educated in France, and currently living in the United States, Marah Bukai has worked to build bridges across cultures. As a professor, a writer, and an advocate for change, Bukai strives to build cross-cultural understanding through her work and her poetry.
Bukai received her BA of Arts, Department of Languages and French Literature, from Damascus University in Syria, and Her MA in Arabic and Islamic Civilization Studies from University of Strasbourg in France.
Bukai has five publications of poetry, and her most recent book of poetry “O” was published by Waref Publishing House in DC.
“O” is a unique collection of poignant poems, delving into the infinite anomalies of the world. Tackling issues of religion, sexuality, and self identity, Bukai accentuates the injustice and hypocrisy plaguing today’s humanity.

Fighting the corruption of politics and power, Marah Bukai shouts attention to the deceit of fundamentalism, extremism, and nationalism. Using images of love and war, Bukai paints a masterpiece of emotion; highlighting the pain she feels for the suffering of humanity and the anger she feels towards the causes of such suffering.
Marah Bukai’s global vision sends a message to the world. Recognizing the lack of tolerance on all levels of society, Bukai confronts the growing disparity between differing ideologies with a voice of reason and understanding. Her ability to synthesize the complexities of the socio-political situation in the Middle East into poetry allows the reader to become acquainted with the rugged emotionality of conflict.
Bukai is a journalist who writes on cultural, political, and contemporary Islamic issues in Arabic and English newspapers, journals and websites. She  worked for the last four years as the Senior Editor of “Hi” magazine, which is a cultural magazine that addresses American culture topic, written in Arabic language, with more than 300.000 readers all over 23 Arab countries.
Bukai has recently selected by the publisher of the “Best of DC” book to be featured among the celebrities and prominent figures of Washington DC, through “Honorable Mention” pages of the book. The selection “is based to her remarkable achievement in academic, cultural, and media research, and as recognition of her distinguished role, through her professional life, to bridge understanding and dialogue between the United and the Arab and Muslim worlds”.
Bukai has nominated by the CAMPUS WATCH project of the Middle East Forum as one of the most thoughtful and balanced scholars among the Middle East Studies faculties in North America.
Bukai is the Senior Media Adviser at Vital Voices Global Partnership, and the Senior Editor at The Business Women’s Network, MENA BWN, in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Bukai is a Member of Honor and the Senior Media Adviser at CATO institute’s Arabic project Minbar Al Hurriyya.
Bukai has taught Arabic and French language at DLS institute in Arlington VA, and Berlitz School in DC. Currently, she is a part time professor of Arabic Language, a Faculty researcher, and an occasionally lecturer on Arabic culture and politic at the University of Maryland , College Park (UMCP).
In 2008 she had the honor to establish the “Contemporary Islam” class at the Georgetown University (CCPE). “Contemporary Islam is a controversial term that often stirs deep passions among Muslims. However, a significant number of Muslim reformers use the term to signify a necessary evolution in Muslim thinking that is long overdue and in particular in the post 9/11 terrorist attacks. This course is an intensive and comprehensive introduction to the voice of these Muslim reformers who fearlessly challenge Muslim extremists and those who justify terrorism”  she said.  The course aims to increase the level of knowledge and understanding between the people of the Muslim world and the West.