Welcome to KARAMA
KARAMA is an independent, non-partisan organization seeking to promote understanding of the issues facing the Arab and Islamic world, and of the Palestinian issue in particular. KARAMA’s vision is that a fresh understanding of the hopes and aspirations of the area’s people will replace the stereotypes and distortions that dominate public discourse on the region. We are involved in several projects to help realize this vision. On this website you can find information about these projects and you can access resources that we have collected or created that speak to the vital issues of the Arab and Islamic World.
KARAMA introduces new video Arab and Islamic World: A New World View at 2013 CCSS Conference
KARAMA has produced a 20 minute video that sets a cultural and historical context for understanding the contemporary Arab and Islamic world. Over 100 copies were distributed at the 2013 conference of the California Council for the Social studies. Click here to view the video. If you would like a DVD that includes a sudy guide and a variety of supplemental materials, email us at info@karamanow.org. The DVD is free, but we request a $5 donation for shipping and handling. Go to our Resources page to view or download PDF files of all of the supplemental materials included on the DVD.
First Arab Film Festival in San Diego
a Great Success;
Second Annual Festival in Planning!
On November 16 and 17, 2012, KARAMA co-sponsored the Arab Film Festival's inaugural screening in San Diego. The Festival was a great success, selling out all three screenings and laying the foundation for the Festival to become an annual event.
The Festival featured three award winning feature films and 5 short subjects. Director Abdallah Omeish (The War Around Us and Occupation 101) and Associate Producer Mike Chaanine (Bahiya & Mahmoud) were special guests. Click here to see photos from the Festival.
We have begun planning for the second annual festival which will take place at the Museum of Photographic Arts on November 15, 16 and 17. There will be more screenings and more films as we continue to grow the festival into a major cultural event in San Diego. Check back for more information.
Upcoming Events
KARAMA Fundraiser April 13
On April 13, KARAMA will be hosting a fundraiser at the home of Nadia and Nabil Keilani. Please join us as we report on our work over the past year and our plans for 2013 and 2014. For more information, click here.
Special Film Screening May 4:
An Evening with Zaid Abu Hamdan
On May 4, KARAMA and ADC San Diego will be co-sponsoring a special screening of three films by Zaid Abu Hamdan, including his award-winning Bahiya and Mahmoud, Baram and Hamza, and Love Older...Hiroshi and Kiyoko. Zaid and actors from the films will be present to share their experiences and insights. The evening will include a reception with complimentary appetizers. The screening will take place at the Museum of Photographgic Arts in Balboa Park. For information, click here.
The piece below is KARAMA's overview of the issues of the region.
The Modern History of the Arab and Islamic World is Inseparable From Colonialism
From the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, the 1917 Balfour Declaration, and the 1920's League of Nations Mandates to the contemporary occupation of Palestine and calls for "regime change," major features of the region have been imposed by the West with little regard for the rights and hopes of the people living there.
Recent KARAMA Events
On March 9 and 10, KARAMA exhibited at the California Council for the Social Studies Conference in Burlingame. We distributed our new video Arab and Islamic World: A New World View together with a study guide, a lesson plan addressing Islamophobia in the context of September 11 remembrance activities, and other supplementary materials.
In June, KARAMA exhibited at the American Library Association conference in Anaheim. We distributed lists of recommended books on the Arab and Islamic world, and we had a drawing for Salman Abu-Sitta's Atlas of Palestine. The Atlas was won by a librarian from the Boulder, Colorado, library system. To view photos from the conference, click on the photo at the left. To see the booklists, go to our 'For Librarians' page.
