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Read about our 2009 AABF Fellowship program

Arab & American Business Fellowship Program

October 6-27, 2008

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Mission

The Arab American Business Fellowship (AABF) is a partnership between the Young Arab Leaders (YAL), Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD), and the National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) designed to foster foster mutual understanding and respect between the American and Arab business communities.

By developing a dialogue between the cultures of two critical and different regions of the world, participants hope to create an environment in which information, opinions and knowledge flow both directions, ultimately helping to shape the future of the economic relations between the U.S. and the Arab world. As such, AABF is not an internship program for students or entry-level employees; instead, it is structured for high-potential executives from participating Arab countries and the U.S. who are between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five.

The fundamental objectives of the AABF Program are:

• Improve the strategic planning process of participating companies with better knowledge and understanding of the Arab and American cultures, which will be transferred to other employees and company training programs.
• Gain insights regarding two critical different regions of the world, which will ultimately help shape the future of the national economies of the United States and countries in the Arab world.
• Expose more Arab and American communities to each others leaders, culture, etc through presentations and discussions with local business organizations, schools, universities, non-profit organizations and the media outlets.

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2008 Program Schedule

Due to the success of the first-ever Arab American Business Fellowship conducted in 2007, the pilot program is being expanded this fall to include a reciprocal exchange for ten U.S. fellows in Dubai/United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Fellows selected from both the American and Arab regions of the world will take part in the three-week business exchange simultaneously from October 6-27, 2008.

12 Arab Fellows representing seven different countries have been selected for the program. During the first week, Fellows will be hosted by numerous companies in NYC. Three teams of four or five fellows will spend the second week with Mid-American Energy, Wells Fargo, Pioneer, and Kemin Industries in Des Moines, Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan, and Boeing and Microsoft in Seattle. A final third week will be hosted by NUSACC in DC for all 12 participants. YAL will host 10 Americans over the same three week period in Kuwait and Dubai.

The final forum event in Dubai will include debriefing and presentations on program experiences and insights by both Arab and American Fellows, hosted by YAL. Companies from throughout the region and the U.S. will be invited to attend.

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Fellowship Selection Process

The American Business Fellow nominations were reviewed by staff from BDA, USCCD, and NUSACC.  Final interviews were held by phone with YAL, BDA, USCCD, and NUSACC via conference call.

Deadline: The 2008 Nominations must be postmarked by September 1, 2008.

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Finalists

The Young Arab Leaders in Dubai(YAL) received 150 applicants this year for fellows to visit the United States, and the partners selected 12 Fellows to participate in the exchange.

Ten U.S. Fellows were selected from 25 applicants:

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Photos

To view photos of the fellows' activities, please click here.

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Videos

To view videos of this program, please click here.

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Quotes from Arab Fellows

Mohamed Al Borno		Alaa M. Zayed		Alaa Qattan
“The AABF was a life changing experience for all of us! It was great chance to experience corporate America first-hand, to share professional know-how and best practices. Last but not least the AABF was an amazing chance to break the stereotypes between Arabs & Americans.”		“AABF is very important programme and badly needed because it depends on communication and accepting others’ differences, lately there is a lot of misperception between USA and Arab Nations, and I believe the only solution to get over all of these obstacles will be through building trust between each other and it will never happen without positive communications.”		"My experience on the Arab American Fellowship was enriching on a personal and professional level. Not only have we demonstrated to the U.S. that Islam and the Arab world is peaceful, modern and progressive, but we also established friendships with the American sponsor companies who have generously supported this very important program."
Khaled Khalil		Khawla Farah		Reem Ismail
"Getting to know my dear Arab fellows as well as our friends in every company and home we visited in the US was a tremendous addition to both personal and professional level. We learned a lot as we had the chance to look from the other end of the Telescope. Our visit helped to see a clearer picture of the US as well as providing the Americans with a clearer picture of our world. I am sure we have now a better understanding, and a mutual respect from both sides. "		“I believe this program has opened and widened my views in many aspects of the Business world and has taught me many valuable ideas which are going to allow me and aid me in my course to Professional Development and growth. I was pleased that I changed the views of many in regards to our culture, the Islamic religion and a woman’s role and high achievements within them. I am happy that I have gained the respect of many and made some long lasting friendships and hopefully placed a brick on the road to bridging the gap between both cultures. "		“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand”, this Chinese proverb so aptly describes what I think  happenned at the Young Arab Leaders – Arab American Business Fellowship.The expereince was phenomenal , and surley provided the platform for exchanging ideas and bridging the gap, i see it as a reciprocal where both Arabs and Americans stand to gain."
Helmi Natto		Raghda Shaheen
"I did NOT like the program..!! I Loved it..!! We were extremely lucky to visit USA in the worst economy crisis ever & the most controversial elections ever. Because we witnessed first hand how such a great country works to remain great. We spoke to politicians, CEO's, executives, employees & normal people from the street. We were surprised to see & feel the positivity & confidence they had. We discovered the secret of USA's success & it is 'Yes We Can'".		"The AABF has been a spectacular experience both on the career and the personal sides for many reasons. First and foremost because of the efforts the program makes to bridge cultural gaps in business environments within the international community. The second is the amazing opportunity the program gives to individuals to attain an experience which otherwise would not be possible. Last but not least is the treasure of the friendships, network and the experience itself; all that gives the power to overcome life great challenges. It’s definitely a life changing experience! "

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Quotes from U.S. Fellows

Jeff Forsythe		David Amis
“To truly understand the people, culture and insights of the Gulf, you MUST be on the ground touching, tasting, feeling – there is no substitute. The AABF was an absolutely remarkable and transforming opportunity that has changed the trajectory of my life, both professionally and personally.”		"My time in the Mideast has changed my views on the Arab world more than I could have imagined. I wish every American could have this experience. To say my view of Arabia changed like night and day would be an understatement. It was six months of learning about the Middle East packed into three weeks. Azeem! I made many great friends and AABF has certainly started a relationship that I'll have with the Middle East for the rest of my life.”

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Expectations

The Fellows are expected to share their ideas, insights and business experience as well as receive information during their participation in the AABF program.  Since a key objective of the program is to foster a meaningful dialogue between Arab and American cultures, the U.S. Fellows must be prepared to make at least one presentation and/or lead one roundtable discussion at each of the two host companies at which he/she will spend a week on-site. 

Additional opportunities for constructive engagement with the Kuwait and Dubai host company staff, as well as members of the local communities in which they will be located, will also be planned. 

The host companies will host Fellows over a one-week period each at their headquarters or another office/location in Dubai and Kuwait.  During those periods of on-site interaction with the Fellows, the host companies will designate senior executives to meet with the Fellows and expose them to company operations, decision-making processes, and management philosophy in as broad a manner as possible. 

It is also expected that the host companies will provide an internal forum for the Fellows to discuss their experiences and perspectives as managers in the United States, with a larger group of employees throughout the company. 

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Expenses

Fellows will be responsible for all airfare to and from the United States and airfare within the Arab World and any personal expenses.  All other expenses will be paid for by the sponsoring organizations in Dubai and Kuwait including housing, meals, and ground transportation.  AABF is fully funded by American and Arab corporations, foundations, and individuals in the private sector.

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Sponsoring Organizations

U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy is a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the many U.S. organizations active in citizen diplomacy through development of resources which will enable the establishment of best-practices in citizen diplomacy and recruitment of persons to serve as U.S. citizen ambassadors to the world.  www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org
	Contact Information for the USCCD Ann Schodde, Executive Director 525 SW 5th Street, Suite A ,Des Moines, IA 50309 aschodde@uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org 515-243-4535
Business for Diplomatic Action is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve the standing and reputation of America in the world.  Business for Diplomatic Action is leading the private sector effort to provide constructive business solutions for public diplomacy programs and initiatives.  www.businessfordiplomaticaction.com
	Contact Information for BDA Tom Miller, Vice President   437 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022   thomas.miller@ddb.com  212-415-2185
National US Arab Chamber of Commerce is America’s longest serving organization dedicated to U.S.-Arab business.  NUSACC works closely with top business leaders and high-level policymakers in the United States and throughout the Arab world.  As the only entity in the United States with official recognition conferred by the League of Arab States and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, NUSACC serves as the U.S. point of contact for the national chambers of commerce in the 22 Arab nations.  www.nusacc.org	Contact Information for NUSACC Marleine Davis, Director, Operations 1023 15th Street, N.W., Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20005 mdavis@nusacc.org 202-289-5920
The Young Arab Leadersis a network of Arab men and women eager to trigger change in the world around them.  The group believes that leadership is not measured by an official title or by how many people follow you, leadership is an attitude that stems out of a belief in one’s own abilities, no matter where one stands in a professional hierarchy.  The values the group support and follow are: Excellence, Meritocracy, Accountability, Entrepreneurship, Tolerance and Candor.  www.yaleaders.org
	Contact Information for YAL Nathalie Nakad, Strategy and Programs Coordinator nathalie.nakad@yaleaders.org (+971) 4 365-0522

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History

2007 Arab Pilot The first Arab pilot exchange took place in fall of 2007 and included seven young Arab leaders from five different countries – Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who were hosted by businesses in the U.S. cities of New York, Des Moines, IA and Washington, DC. The program was so successful that it is being expanded upon this year with an increase in the number of Arab participants from seven to 20, as well as addition of this first reciprocal pilot exchange for ten American fellows. Post-program evaluations submitted by the Arab fellows reported an overall program score of 4.6 out possible five points. Scores measured the satisfaction of the program with regard to its usefulness in their work in their own country and company.

The Fellows were mentored by senior executives from the host companies in New York and Des Moines for a week in each city, learning about many aspects of American business and management across multiple corporate functions. The host companies provided a forum for the Fellows to share their insights and experiences about doing business in the Middle East, which facilitated a broader dialogue between the Fellows and employees of the host company. After normal business hours, the Fellows were included in social and cultural activities in the local communities, organized by the host companies and other participating organizations. Following the two-week, on-site fellowship experience, the Fellows traveled to Washington DC for a week to engage in discussions with representatives in the US government, think tanks, and the diplomatic community.

To read more about 2007 AABF program, please click here.

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To download a printable copy of the call-for-nomination announcement, click here.

*For detailed calendar, download the pdf version of this application

To download a printable copy of the Nomination form. click here.