Rising Maghreb leaders bring home new skills and impressions from the US

20/06/2008

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the conflict in the Middle East and the media have all deepened the rift between the United States and the Arab-Muslim world. To bridge the divide, a unique people-to-people exchange programme brings young leaders from Arab countries to the United States to travel and learn alongside their American peers.

Achira Mammeri in Algiers and Sarah Touahri in Rabat contributed to this report for Magharebia - 20/06/08

C[Achira Mammeri] Groups of rising leaders from the Maghreb have returned from the US with new skills and impressions of the country. "Direct contact enabled us to understand American society a little bit," says Algerian Linda Messous.

Local politician Linda Messous recently returned to Algeria after 50 days in the United States as part of a special US-operated programme entitled "Young Leaders: Effecting Social, Political and Economic Change". The trip allowed her to "to rectify some misconceptions" about American citizens and, as she puts it, "see the USA’s other face".

"This country, which fascinates the world because of its strength, has strangely become a source of fear and concern. How far will the country of Uncle Sam go? Will the politicians' ambitions lead to divorce between this country and the rest of the world?" These are some of the questions which intrigued the 39-year-old politician before she set off on her adventure to see the United States firsthand as part of a unique cultural exchange initiative.

Since 1961, the International Visitor Leadership Program has invited foreign nationals who are recognised as potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields to come to the United States for conferences, tours, travel and professional meetings with their American peers. The programme aims to develop and strengthen professional and personal ties between young leaders from other countries and Americans.

"I expected to find a society which was individualised, turned in on itself. This is the picture painted by the media, but also by American politicians. I was very surprised to find that this society is very open to the outside world," she says.

But more importantly, she tells Magharebia, the American citizen aspires to live in peace like any other citizen around the world: "I think it’s important to draw a distinction between the politicians, who have their world vision, and the citizens who would give anything to change the image with which their country has been saddled – that of the world’s policeman."

Linda, like other members of her group from Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon and Sudan, stayed with American families. "We had no intermediaries, and that was so much better for us. Direct contact enabled us to understand American society a little bit," she explains.

"Among those things which struck me the most was this strong conviction, shared by everyone with whom we had the opportunity to speak, that the American citizen is there to do good," she says.

A dyed-in-the-wool politician, she points out that unlike its leaders, the American public is not very interested in external policy. "This surprised me immensely. The American’s preoccupations are local ones. He dreams of improving his standard of living, and that of his immediate family and friends. He works for the development of his country. These efforts are not wasted, because over there, such skills are recognised and rewarded," Linda says.

But what touched this Algerian woman the most was the involvement of a whole nation in charity work: "They give themselves wholeheartedly to it, which creates tremendous self-satisfaction."

Linda does not deny that in the USA there are people who harbour hatred towards Muslims after the horrible events of 9/11, but she insists that this view should not be attributed to all. "I was astounded to learn that the day after the 9/11 attacks, American Christian women accompanied Muslim women as they went shopping to protect them against any violence. Is that not a sign of tolerance?" she asks Magharebia.

In the US, she says, "they fully respect differences". To illustrate this, she cites the example of a Bahraini woman in her exchange group who wore a Muslim veil. "When we were out and about, we had the impression that she aroused more interest than hatred. On several occasions, people greeted her, saying: 'Hello, Muslim girls.'"

"At no time," she adds, "did we feel like strangers in the country."

Linda says she is proud of having gotten to know the US, and maintains that she learned a real lesson on participative democracy which she hopes to apply during her five-year mandate as a local representative to the Central Algiers Popular Assembly.

[Sarah Touahri] "We felt the young Americans would be different from us," said Youssef Cheffoui, chairman of the Amal Salé association. "But when we met them, we saw that we had the same ideas and shared the same concerns."

Magharebia met with another Maghreb participant in the exchange programme. Youssef Cheffoui is the chairman of Amal Salé, a Moroccan association dedicated to young people in working-class districts. After his trip to the United States last year, he says, his views on the country are now very different.

Cheffoui's involvement in the visitor exchange began when, thanks to a partnership with the United States Embassy in Rabat, his development programmes received assistance from American volunteers. "As young people from a working-class district, we felt the young Americans would be different from us. But when we met them, we saw that we had the same ideas and shared the same concerns," he says. The experience led him to be selected for the international exchange programme.

In July of 2007, he came to the US for a three-week trip with other young leaders from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Lebanon and other Arab countries. "We spent the first week in Washington, where we met officials and had theory lessons about the federal system, the civil society, the press... Basically, they wanted to explain to us exactly what the United States is."

"We visited a great number of associations," he says, "including one involved in intercultural dialogue, and whose members have been trying since the tragic events of 9/11 to explain that religion has no links with fundamentalism, and to put forward a positive image of human beings".

"During our free time, Youssef adds, "we had opportunities to meet American people in the streets. We went off to other cities such as New York and visited a great number of associations. In Kentucky, we were honoured with an official reception, and they even gave us the city’s medal of honour."

Like Linda, Youssef's opinion of the United States changed significantly after he participated in the exchange programme. "I have to say that the impression I had before the trip had largely been influenced by the messages put out by the media. My view was rather negative."

He continues, "I was able to see that the American citizen is not very interested in international issues and sometimes he is even opposed to the foreign policy adopted by the decision-makers. To our surprise, we discovered that Americans are very straightforward people, whether they’re officials or simple citizens. In addition, the officials showed us how much the interests of the country come before their own. They were always saying: you are the guests of the American people."

The programme provided a long-term benefit to Youssef's work as well: "I've learned how to train and organise the volunteers. The visits to the different American associations enabled me to find out that it’s not enough just to get people involved in charity work, but they must be used according to their skills and know-how. This gives better results."

"Our association also managed to establish a number of links which will enable it to benefit from grants, gifts and exchange visits. We also set up contacts with Arab partners through those participating in the programme," he adds.

When asked about his most memorable experience in the United States, the Moroccan community organiser recounts a visit to an area of Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina: "Our group helped a woman who had lost her husband in this catastrophe to repair her house. This was a pleasure for us," he tells Magharebia.

"I left her a Moroccan flag, which she framed and put up on her living room wall."