Engaging and Building Relationships with Arab American Communities

Engaging and Building Relationships with Arab American Communities is a four-hour, in-person training course led by subject matter experts that is designed to familiarize community members with customs and cultural aspects of the Arab American community, including their beliefs, practices, and civil rights-related issues that impact the community.

Our nation is enriched by its diversity. Understanding the cultures and customs of diverse communities can be challenging and complex at times. Community members can strengthen their relationships with their local Arab American communities by learning about cultural sensitivities, best practices on how to engage, and better methods of communication. This training can support community members in working to prevent and respond to bias incidents, hate crimes and discrimination toward Arab Americans by sharing best practices for positive interaction and engagement with the Arab American community.

The Benefits of Training

• Build a network of reliable community resources
• Improve respect and understanding between communities
• Develop trust and rapport with diverse communities in neighborhoods

Training Overview

The Importance of Cultural Awareness
This lesson builds understanding of the Arab American experience, addressing misconceptions and fostering improved engagement. Cultural awareness allows individuals to interact with Arab American community members in an informed manner.

Building Awareness and Understanding
This lesson provides basic knowledge of the Arab American community and highlight some aspects of what influences their daily interactions, including acceptable terms and community-wide issues. This information is important to avoid stereotyping 
and help better address and prevent potential hate crimes.

Planning Community Engagement
This lesson identifies community engagement strategies for cultivating and strengthening relations with Arab American communities and highlights the benefits of engaging and creating partnerships with the Arab American organizations and individuals.