1. “This Is Where The New Renaissance Begins”
The Arab World is more than Arabs, it is Arabs, Amazighs, Kurds, Armenians and Circassians…etc. The Arab World is Muslims, Christians and Jews…Together let us make the future outshine the past

2. The America I know

3. The Arab Peace Corps
We give youths reasons to live for, not causes to die for.

4. The Rise of Jihadist Ideology
Causes:
The Arab and Muslim worlds are experiencing turmoil and conflicts they’ve not witnessed since colonial times and their nation states are threatened from within and without. With the rise of military dictatorship in the 50’s, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the birthplace of the “jihadist” movement, the First and Second Gulf War, together, these events forming a watershed in the Arab and Muslim world with trillions in fortunes and livelihoods been diverted from society building to regional, “religious” and “sectarian” war mongering and nation’s destruction. Promoted and well funded by international powers.

5. Failed Leadership
Military and “nationalistic” “secular” dictatorship and “jihadist” ideology, combined with corruption, looting of states, people’s assets and wealth, nepotism, lack of transparency and accountability, lack of fairness and equal opportunities, lack of mentoring, inept abusive humiliating bureaucracy, all are responsible for the failure of many Arab and Muslim states. The investment in wars and conflict has resulted in dire, unintended consequences.  Much like Mary Shelly’s fictional monster Frankenstein, “jihadists” and “secular” dictatorships are now injuring and threatening the very states and institutions that created and nurtured them. The world is now witnessing the negative, self-perpetuating spiral of the monster. This is most recently evidenced in ease with which organizations like ISIS and al-Shabaab acquire sophisticated weapons and thousands of recruits from Europe, the US and the Middle East, putting the entire Arab if not Muslim worlds at risk.

6. The Opportunity
Our vision is to break the negative, self-reinforcing spiral of vulnerable youth, being mobilized by “religious actors” or “terrorists”, fighting what they are told is the cause of their suffering (i.e., secular, sectarian opponents and “infidels”), and as a result are often killed in the fight, which is used to reinvigorate the negative spiral.  We break this otherwise indestructible force by redirecting the very energy that fuels it (the power of youth) into a positive, self-reinforcing contribution to the greater good. Our efforts positively self-reinforce through each person’s achievement of a sense of belonging to the greater community and an increased sense of self-worth.

7. The Opportunity
Our vision is to break the negative, self-reinforcing spiral of vulnerable youth, being mobilized by “religious actors” or “terrorists”, fighting what they are told is the cause of their suffering (i.e., secular, sectarian opponents and “infidels”), causes to die for.
 We give them reasons to live, self-reinforcing contribution to the greater good. Our efforts positively self-reinforce through each person’s achievement of a sense of belonging to the greater community and an increased sense of self-worth.

8. US Peace Corps as Model
We know from successful models and similar programs like the US Peace Corps that young college graduates and other skilled professionals always rise up to the challenge of doing good and are willing to take time out for couple years not only to serve but learn and venture as well. An experience that makes them better citizens and better employees back home in countries of their citizenship and residency.
The Arab Peace Corps will also offer graduate students in the master and PhD programs an opportunity to study and serve contributing valuable experience and know how, making them outstanding candidates for employers and will seek future and preferential employments for veterans of the Arab Peace Corps with government and private sector.

9. Arab Peace Corps Recruits
 Our philosophy aligns with the motto of the New Arab Foundation: the Arab world is more than Arabs. We will recruit college graduates with degrees in education, health care, nutrition, agriculture, environmental protection, engineering and business, community building, conflict resolution, peace building and, put them together in teams with a senior mentor/leader and match their skills with a particular project or community. The teams receive a month of training together, which includes skill building in teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, planning, community organization and development.

10. Family Support Centers