Americans for Informed Democracy is excited to be hosting its internationally celebrated Hope Not Hate program in Evanston, IL this Fall! We The one-day leadership retreat will include special guests and leadership workshops that will enable young leaders to take more proactive steps in improving US-Muslim World relations. Young people from across the region are invited to attend this event and learn from the special guests and peers on ways to improve the global society and affect US foreign policy. Thanks to generous support from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, the summit is free for selected participants, including registration and meals (although lodging and travel to the conference is at the participant's expense). 

One of the greatest challenges in global politics today is the dangerous tension that has grown between the United States and the world's predominantly Muslim states and communities. This deepening divide and view of the "other" is a critical impediment to cooperation on a breadth of vital issues of joint concern, ranging from terrorism and radicalism to human development and liberal freedoms. Recent polling found that 90% of citizens in Muslim states view the U.S. as the primary security threat to their country, while the number of Americans who have a negative view of the entire religion of Islam as a whole has grown each year since the 9-11 attacks, making up almost half the U.S. population. On the flip side, the vast majority of citizens in Muslim states have favorable views of Americans as people and, likewise, Americans are eager to open dialogue with these countries of great importance as cited in a recent poll by worldpublicopinion.org

We are working to ensure that young Muslims and non-Muslims see a more effective and harmonious vision for the future of U.S.-Islamic relations. We coordinate town halls and videoconferences, especially around the anniversary of September 11th, which raise awareness about how the U.S. and the Muslim world can work together to deter growing mutual hatred. The series has engaged more than 20,000 students and citizens in two hundred communities from Macon, Georgia and Vermillion, South Dakota to Amman, Jordan, and Jakarta, Indonesia. These events have facilitated broad, inclusive dialogue between young leaders and Congresspersons, Ambassadors, journalists, military officials, scholars and even a head of state. The events have also had a cultural component, including a conversation with MTV’s Gideon Yago and a concert performance by Salman Ahmad, the leader of South Asia's biggest rock band, Junoon. The Boston Globe editorial board has called our Hope Not Hate series on U.S.-Muslim world relations “a victory of knowledge and inquiry over fear and blind pledges of revenge.” The series also received Search for Common Ground’s Award for International Understanding in 2005 and our efforts to bridge the U.S.-Islamic world divide received special recognition from Madeleine Albright at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative.

REGISTER FOR THE RETREAT HERE!

Tentative Schedule:

Saturday, October 4th
9:00am-3:45pm

Breakfast

9:00-9:15AM - Introduction

9:15-10:15AM - Keynote Speaker - Leila Zand, Iran Program Director for the Fellowship Of Reconciliation, an interfaith organization committed to active nonviolence as a means of combatting war, racism, and economic injustice.

10:15AM-11:45AM - Panel

Speakers Include:

Ray Hanania - Award winning syndicated columnist and author, host of Radioland Chicago and 30 Minutes

Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah - Journalist with the Chicago Tribune and their correspondent for Afghanistan

Ahmed Rehab - Executive Director of the Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and CAIR's National Strategic Communications Director.

11:45AM-12:45PM - Lunch

12:45PM-2:00PM - Small Group Discussions - The Future Relations between the US and the Islamic World

2:00-3:30PM - Workshop

3:30-4:00PM - Presentations and Conclusion

Following the Hope Not Hate conference Americans for Informed Democracy presents:

"HOPING NOT HATING: A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR ACRASSICAUDA"

Acrassicauda is a heavy metal band that formed and practiced in Baghdad, Iraq during the height of the Iraq war. It's not easy being a Western influenced band, let alone a metal band in a Middle Eastern country. This band has received a slough of criticism from their fellow countrymen for a myriad of different reasons. If it wasn't the genre of music they were making it was the simple fact that people were headbanging at their concerts. This pressure coupled with the deteriorating state of Iraq's security forced Acrassicauda to seek refuge outside of Iraq's borders, not only to find a place to continue being creative, but also to seek out a place where danger is not a constant.

This benefit concert will be bringing together two bands from the Great Lakes region to stand in solidarity with Acrassicauda and raise some funds for them to continue their creative work in Turkey. This is an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that creativity spawns communities and no matter where you live the opportunity for connecting with a person from a different walk of life than you is a very big reality. The creative community in this country is extremely blessed to be able to have the luxury of opportunities to prepare, perfect, and perform their craft. These opportunities are almost non-existent. Please come and stand in solidarity with Acrassicauda at this concert. For more information on Acrassicauda and the benefit check out Heavy Metal In Baghdad

"HOPING NOT HATING: A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR ACRASSICAUDA"

WHO: AL-THAWRA (A fist pumping Islamic punk and hardcore band from Chicago)
ANCHORS (The healing sounds of ambient hope stemming from Indianapolis)

WHAT: A benefit concert for heavy metal band on the run, Acrassicauda

WHERE: Northwestern University 1881 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60208 Harris Room 107

WHEN: Saturday October 4th, 2008, following the Hope Not Hate conference at 5:30 pm

WHY: Demonstrating the power of creativity and art to build communities across borders

HOW (much): A suggested donation of $2 for Conference Attendees and $6 for Non-Conference Attendees

All proceeds from this event will go straight to Acrassicauda and their struggle to continue doing the thing they love most, making music.

For any questions regarding the concert please contact Arya Zarrinkelk, Program Associate for Global Peace and Security

Breakfast and Lunch will be provided.

Inquiries may be directed to Vicente Garcia, Program Director of Global Peace and Security.