A Balanced Media

We do it despite the stereotypes and negative influence of those who continue to craft a biased picture of the Middle East—those who often celebrate the antagonists while putting the protagonists in the villain's role. ALO and a few select media in the US attempt to showcase the best of both worlds. But maintaining a balanced position is not an easy task.

Western ideals are not being blended with the thousands of years of culture in the Middle East. We are doing our best to further our mission of showcasing a side of the Middle East―and its citizens in diaspora―that most of the West never sees.

Celebrating our diversity and remaining true to our commitment to draw a real image of the culture remains the focus in every issue. However I must admit I feel somewhat trapped in my own world at times. Like many others, sometimes I am reluctant to stay silenced from the political scene, given how misconstrued and mangled the truth can become.

There is a significant constituency in this world that still oozes favoritism toward one culture versus the other and one religion vs. the other because that pleases the people in power and fills deep pockets. It seems that justice no longer exists because the majority rules.

We all want a voice. Middle Easterners in general lack the true voice with the massive campaign of negativity that always surrounds it. And we hope that with every article, we help you experience this journey; for this is the reason that ALO magazine exists. We tell it the way we see it.

Free of bias and challenging those who think of others as insignificant. The truth is that the Middle East can never be ignored. It must never be misunderstood. It should never be treated as the only culture of terror because terror can always come from any religion, government and faction―and it does.

With that in mind, we embarked on an ambitious survey, where we hoped to take the pulse of the public. The results, in my humble opinion, are pretty amazing. While all of the data is still being compiled, I felt it was important to give you the overview and to share a couple of the most important findings.

We hope that by bringing our findings to light will foster more love and understanding. For only these qualities can patch wounds and heal centuries of conflict and manipulation. ALO will continue to be that little voice that whispers "What if?”

• What if you explore a little bit of the culture during a visit to learn about the people at first hand?
• What if you shut your eyes and stop seeing colors, or boundaries or language barriers?
• What if you just look and observe and stop listening to what others tell you?
• Wouldn’t that change the way you think?

Now in ALO we begin a journey of healing and open dialogue. We welcome you as our partner, reader, explorer, friend and family. We are reaching out, and we trust you are listening.

Sounding Off

A public survey sounds off on how the mainstream media treats the Middle East and what Middle Easterners need to overcome it.

We’ve recently concluded our first extended public survey since 2010. Putting a finger on the pulse of the customer is always a good idea in business, and our business is no exception. We drafted the questions with the help and input of numerous community leaders, who took advantage of the opportunity to ask some of their most burning questions.

The survey was conducted from June 1 to August 20, 2013, via Survey Monkey and disseminated e-mailings, and 1,442 people replied to most of the 21 questions. ALO will present the full survey online, but we couldn’t wait to summarize some of the most interesting results.

On Media Bias

Respondents, mostly Caucasian, nearly universally agreed there is typically a mainstream U.S. media bias when the Middle East is portrayed.

BIASED ... 74%

UNBIASED ... 19%

NEUTRAL ... 7%

Some Comments:

“…different media sources will give a different slant on news and events regarding the Middle East depending on their political affiliation, or what corporation runs that media institution. It’s difficult to trust the mainstream media to portray a complete, well-rounded, and unbiased image of the Middle East.”

“I find it difficult to believe that we are all terrorists.”

“It’s always negative for men; guys are terrorists and the girls are exotic beauties.”

Overcoming the Bias

Readers and the public alike were asked what they think Middle Easterners need to overcome to achieve a positive media slant. Here are the numbers for the top five responses (more than one response could be given):

STEREOTYPES/UNFAIR JUDGMENTS ... 43%

POLITICS ... 20%

AMERICAN BIGOTRY ... 17%

RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM ... 11%

Responses:

“We do not need to overcome anything. We need to accept the culture here. If we choose to live here, we need to adapt to the culture and not the other way around.”

“I don’t know if Middle Easterners need to overcome negativity or the media does. That’s part of the problem, given that we don’t know if there is another side to the story.”

ADVISORY: Developing a sharper image of Middle Eastern Americans

***ADVISORY***

ALO Cultural Foundation presents
Expanding Perspectives
Developing a sharper image of Middle Eastern Americans

Co-hosted by
Hon. LeRoy D. Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff
and
ALO Magazine, America’s Top Middle Eastern Lifestyle Magazine

Who:
LeRoy D. Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff
Wafa Kanan, Publisher of ALO Magazine and Founder, ALO Cultural Foundation (www.alofoundation.org)

Invited Guests: Hon. Governor Jerry Brown of California, Octavia Nasr, CNN's Chief Middle East correspondent for 20 years; Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010; Joseph Hayek, Publisher of the Arab-American Almanac.

What:
“EXPANDING PERSPECTIVES: Developing a sharper image of Middle Eastern Americans”, a unique symposium brings together corporations, media, government agencies, educational institutions, and social agencies to unify cultures and promote tolerance to become a world class citizens .

Where:
Sheriff's Department Headquarters
Media Conference Room
4700 West Ramona Boulevard
Monterey Park, CA 91754
RSVPs: ALO Cultural Foundation 818/727-7785

When:
Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 1:00 P.M.–3:00 P.M.

Why:
The ever growing population of Middle Easterners is often misunderstood. As a nation still holding onto negative stereotypes, this symposium seeks to illustrate our similarities, facilitate diversity issues through healthy and authentic cross cultural relationships. It will seek a change for misconceptions perpetuated by the media as we present opportunities to shape public policy decision-making in an emerging community while asking “How do we shorten cultural distance and promote diversity, inclusion and understanding?”

How:
A panel of experts from the diverse landscape of the United States will be assembled for cross-cultural collaboration. Along with Sheriff Baca, Kanan—one of the foremost experts in cross-cultural tolerance and education—opens a frank and diverse discussion between an intimate gathering of cultural, media, and business leaders, and educators that will ultimately lead to a greater understanding of Middle Easterners in America.

An open letter to women-owned businesses in California:

On June 27th, I had the honor to co-host and organize –- in seven short days no less -- the “Women Partnering for Economic Growth in Afghanistan conference in Sen. Curren Price’s office at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

We assembled a coalition of business leaders to hear the Hon. Muhammad Younus Naw Andaish, the Mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan discuss how he is looking forward to work with United States businesses on a multi-billion dollar infrastructure procurement projects.

The Mayor of Kabul shared valuable insight and vision he has for his country and in particular advancing women’s position and her role in society and the importance of partnering with women-owned businesses in California.

I was impressed to learn of his amazing accomplishments for the short period since he has been appointed mayor by President Karkai. Only a true leader would be able to embark such change and make an impact for his city and community.

As Afghanistan rebuilds their country, Mayor Naw Andish feels contracting in Afghanistan has emerged as a force multiplier, front and center in achieving strategic economic development.

To many this is a great business opportunity and while this is true, I believe we need to unite in solidarity for other reasons. We have sisters around the world who need champions. Women champions who are willing to understand their culture and guide their entrepreneurial spirit while maintaining their cultural values.

I speak from experience as a young woman that endured a war in her country. I lived in a war zone from age eight to 23, cheating death by running from shelter to shelter avoiding the showers of bombs. As a child I played with bullets much like children play with marbles here. My interests were great but the culture was suppressed by the law of men. At 16, I insisted to continue my education despite the social pressure for marriage. As a grownup I lost my business during the civil war. As an activist for democracy and peace I was abducted by warlords. I was saved not by the bell, but by the strength of my own will.

Many Afghan women share the same story. They are deprived from the many essentials of life. Water, electricity, income, health, stability, peace, home ... but most importantly they are unsure if there is a hopeful tomorrow.

Although I spoke no English, I was fortunate to immigrate to the United States and live the American dream. That dream has not been available to the women of Afghanistan. Women play a major role for improving the quality of life in our society and we can instill the entrepreneurial spirit in Afghan women while maintaining her cultural values.

For this purpose, I pledge my support to the WAVE Partnership Initiative,

Women
Achieving
Value
and
Empowerment for economic growth in Afghanistan.

Join me as we form the advisory council. This advisory council will set the stage to develop the future of empowered Afghan women.

Through WAVE we can help Afghan women rebuild their lives and provide a window of opportunity for women-owned businesses in California.

Contact me at 818-727-7785 or wafa@uniqueimageinc.com as I invite you to ride the WAVE. This is the importance of today. We can make a difference. Women partnering for economic growth in Afghanistan can craft new stories, her success stories; our success stories.

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See the event advisory I posted on 6/23/11: click here
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Special Thank You's: click here
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Click on the form to join the WAVE Partnership Initiative Advisory Council and upcoming Trade Delegations/Cultural Explorations to Kabul.



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Pictured above with Hon. Muhammad Younus Naw Andaish, the Mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan

Developing Effective Corporate and Non-profit Partnerships

Those who commit their lives to humanitarian causes are indeed deserving of such a title. They shine like stars in people’s darkest moments, providing hope, smiles, future and life.

I am excited to share with you the heart and soul of what Unique Image represents. A journey of determination, perseverance and making a difference in everything we touch.

Being rebellious myself and an advocate for human rights and social change, I can tell you first hand that my number one rule in life is that: never take anything for granted and never give up, no matter how difficult the road or path for success is or how high the mountain might seem to be. A philosophy I live by and instill in my professional environment and a characteristic I demand of my team to embrace this simple mantra: Will do, Can do and Want to attitude. Of course they should love me first, but that’s beside the point.

This is how we approach projects, seek partnerships, and develop collaboration. We simply do not take “No” or good enough as an answer but rather focus on core values for establishing successful results for our clients, relationships and the community.

To give you some background: Back in 1999, Unique Image initiated its corporate giving U&I Vision Program and devoted some of its gross profits to help non-profit organizations. We established effective corporate and non-profit partnerships that allowed us to focus on strategic partnerships and set the expectations with our potential partners. These are key elements for a successful working relationship.

For us to ensure the success of the program, we partnered with non-profit organizations so we can provide them with the value and end results of our services. Unique Image provided turnkey solutions to a roster of 100 non-profits who benefited from our diverse services. We were able to use our resources to deliver some of the most successful campaigns from those who partnered with us. A testimonial for the importance of the value and resource development that we bring that can sustain you overtime.

How did we do it?

We use our expertise and knowledge and craft innovative campaigns for our selective clients. We ask questions, we set goals and expectations, and we draft a road map and strategy for sponsorship partnerships and the size of our immediate benefits and values. The results are to develop a strong brand that carries our clients throughout their entire journey.

When we partner with non-profit organizations to develop their humanitarian campaigns, we look into their challenges and previous successes; their outreach programs and their strategic goals. Most of the time, these non profits have not devoted energy, money or resources to build their brand in the community or spread awareness of their mission throughout their geographic and demographic target audience.

Our work to assess, evaluate and draft a cohesive focused strategy will then begin and not only have we helped our clients with fund raising and awareness but:

* we raised their brand
* standards
* image
* their name
* their reach
* and most importantly, we bring the whole community together to help them reach their goals.

Effective collaboration and communications begin with social responsibilities, identifying problems and having open and honest discussions about them. Agree on shared goals. When business needs intersect with a non-profit’s mission, cross sector collaboration can be a powerful tool for change. We use our creative with our approach and cause-related marketing and joint programs.

And sometimes with our client permission, we take a leadership role to deliver successful results.

Of course, when you carry persistence, position the foundation with a strong brand, it pays off.

That isn’t enough, we go beyond.

Taking on challenging tasks are our best quality and most rewarding journeys we take pride in.

As a valued partner, what can we do to help you build a strong brand?

1- Differentiate yourself from the rest.

2- Develop a clear brand and message

3- Create collaborations that help you gain resources and visibility

4- Focus on strategic partnerships that share common values or interests

5- Research, assess, and evaluate who you are, what you stand for, what you want and how you wish to achieve your goals.

6- Keep you with recent trends and updates that are pertinent to your mission.

7- Tell your story. Once you’ve identified your targets, will stay in front of them.

8- The benefit of having an expert to help you through the process.

It doesn’t matter how small or large your organization is right now. The largest olive trees were once little seeds. Be the seed that can grow with the energy of people that care.

Partners must help you water your seed and maintain it, so you can harvest the fruits of your labor. Like a breath of air, we consider ourselves the change that can breathe new energies into your environment and make you powerful to stand against the winds.

Are you the next corporation with commitment to implement a strong and powerful citizenship program? Are you the next non-profit ready to climb the brand latter? If so we look forward to our business partnership!