| Arab American Action Network |
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3148 W. 63rd St. Chicago, IL 60629
773-436-6060
773-436-6460
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| Join Our List |
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| Staff |
Youth Organizing Program Coordinator
Halima Bahri
Youth Services
Program Coordinator
Melissa Lukasick
Finance Assistant
Rania Shkairat
Family Empowerment Program Coordinator
Nina Shoman-Dajani
Family Literacy Project Coordinator
AmeriCorps Members
Samar Damra
Ramah Kudaimi
Besan Quran
Shorook Quran
Fatmah Tabally |
| Board |
Louise Cainkar-Mashrah
Treasurer
Ali Abunimah
Omar Bishtawi
Laila Farah
Ahlam Jbara
Mona Khalidi
Souzan Naser
Ora Schub
Lamees Talhami | |
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Upcoming Events
 Arabic-English Story Time5:00-5:30 pm
Thursday, April 23
Green Hills Public Library
Activity Room
8611 West 103rd Street
Palos Hills, IL
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Join us on Saturday, April 25 for Mayor Daley's Spring Clean & Green Day to clean the markaz and the area around it. The City is working with us to provide brooms, rakes, shovels, paint and bags needed to get the job done. Volunteer with us from 12:00-3:00 pm at 3148 West 63rd Street, Chicago, IL. Contact Halima Bahri to sign up and get more information.
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The AAAN Welcomes You to Attend
a Free Parenting Skills Workshop
Steps to Improve Your Child's Behavior
6:00-8:00 pm
Thursday, April 30
Green Hills Public Library
8611 West 103rd Street
Palos Hills, IL
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There Can't Be Equal Rights
Without Legalization!
Attention All Workers and Students!
Commemorate the International Day of the Working Class on May 1!
10:00 am: Rally in Union Park
Corner of Ashland and Washington
12:00 pm: March to Federal Plaza
This May 1st march for jobs and the right to unionize for all workers and the legalization of more than 12
million undocumented immigrant workers in the United States. Join us to stand up against the attempts to make immigrants and working families pay for the economic crisis and war. We demand greater and equal access to education, healthcare, affordable housing and jobs for all! We demand an end to raids and deportations! Email us to endorse the May Day March.
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You are invited to attend
Never Silent Cafe
6:00-9:00 pm
Saturday, May 2
Arab American Action Network
3148 West 63rd Street
Chicago, IL 60629
The night will include short film screenings by the youth of Silent Echoes, spoken word performances and an open mic. Suggested donation at the door $3-$5 to help raise funds for Silent Echoes to attend the Allied Media Conference this summer in Detroit.
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National
Arab-American Service Day
8:30am -1:30pm
Saturday, May 16
Washington Park
5531 South Martin Luther King Drive
Chicago, IL
Join the AAAN as we celebrate National AmeriCorps Week with a day of service. We will be improving the nature areas of Washington Park and workday activities will include invasive species removal, pruning trees and shrubs, trail maintenance, trash pick-up and planting native species. Transportation and lunch will be provided for those who sign-up. Check out our website for more information or contact Ramah Kudaimi. |
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AAAN Updates
You can now watch Toufic El Rassi's March 18th Arab in America discussion sponsored by the AAAN and the Green Hills Public Library. Also check out the performances by the youth of Silent Echoes.
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On March 19 the AAAN Domestic Violence Program conducted a workshop for the women in the ESL classes in both Arabic and English.
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The AAAN Family Literacy Project held another successful story time with activities at the Green Hills Public Library on March 26.
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 On March 27 the AAAN co-sponsored a screening of the film Slingshot Hip Hop. The film braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and inside the 1948 Palestinian territories as they discover hip hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. More than 40 people attended and joined in a discussion with director Jackie Saloum. "People who listen to these groups do not question what they are saying," Jackie said. "They take it as is because hip hop comes from the heart."
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 The Arab Women's Committee held its monthly breakfast discussion on March 31. More than 45 women attended a talk about women's rights in regards to marriage and divorce given by Ali Shkairat, a lawyer with expertise in Islamic law. "A woman must be aware of her rights so she can ask for them," he told the participants. Read More
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Youth Leadership Team |
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New initiative gives youth opportunity to develop skills
One day Gihad Ali arrived at the Arab American Action Network markaz for a planning meeting with the Youth Leadership Team of Silent Echoes, the hip hop and spoken word high school program at the AAAN. She searched all over the office for them.
 "To entertain themselves, they decided to explore the markaz building and discovered the roof," says Gihad, the Youth Organizing Program Coordinator. "They insisted I go up there, and though I worried we would fall through the ceiling, I took my chances and found that the youth had indeed struck gold. They found a beautiful, peaceful spot. Within one week they took cans of spray paint to the roof and tagged all of our names, various images and stencils all across the walls. They truly personalized the space." The Youth Leadership Team (YLT) is a new component of the Silent Echoes program, which has been running at the AAAN since the summer of 2006 and is funded by After School Matters (ASM), a Maggie Daley initiative. "The youth of our program learn spoken word and rap," Gihad says. "They also learn about different social and community issues and challenge each other in team building exercises and games while making new friends."
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Cultural Outreach Opportunities |
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At the AAAN our goal with cultural outreach is to raise awareness on issues pertaining to the Arab World and Arab Americans. We provide presentations for schools, faith institutions, corporations, universities and other community organizations on a range of topics including The Arab World, Arab Americans, Arab Culture, Islam and Communication between Cultures.
Please visit our website and contact Ramah Kudaimi for more information on topics, scheduling and fees. | |
 The Arab American Action Network (AAAN) strives to strengthen the Arab community in the Chicago area by building its capacity to be an active agent for positive social change. As a grassroots nonprofit, our strategies include community organizing, advocacy, education, providing social services, leadership development, cultural outreach and forging productive relationships with other communities. | |
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