Arab American History Month brings meaningful conversations, opportunities for educators to campus this April

Campus groups will host a diverse lineup of events for the campus community during Arab American Heritage Month, including a cultural festival and in-person discussions sponsored by the Bedari Kindness Institute, UCLA Library and others.

This calendar is just a sample of the programming the Bruin community has to offer throughout the year. Be sure to check out campus units such as the Middle Eastern Student Association at UCLA and the Center for Near Eastern Studies, as well as their affiliated faculty, for even more research, events and opportunities.

April 16, 6:00 p.m.

Flavors of the World: Arab American Heritage Month

Join the Undergraduate Students Association Council for a special portion of "WorldFest," campus' annual weeklong cultural festival hosted by the Cultural Affairs Commission.

The event will take place on the Wescom Terrace outside Ackerman Student Union.

April 18, 10:30 a.m.

Sites of Encounter: Teaching about medieval Damascus

Join members of UCLA's Islamic Studies Program for the second lecture in a series for K-12 educators discussing the history and relevance of cities of the premodern Middle East as sites of cross-cultural encounter. In this webinar, UCLA Library's Mohsin Ali will discuss the history and significance of Damascus, the world's oldest continually inhabited city, with a special focus on intercultural exchange from the seventh to the 12th centuries.

This program has been developed in partnership with UCLA's Center for Near Eastern Studies and is co-sponsored by the UCLA History-Geography project.

Register here to receive a Zoom link in advance.

April 21, 3:30 p.m.

A conversation for students, with Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon

UCLA students are invited to join the Bedari Kindness Institute in conversation with Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon, lifelong peace activists and co-authors of the book, "The Future is Peace." Aziz, a Palestinian, and Maoz, an Israeli Jew, both experienced extreme personal losses at the hands of opposing forces in the Gaza Strip following Oct. 7, 2023. In the wake of their personal tragedies, they have joined forces to speak of both loss and hope.

Registration is required. This event is restricted to UCLA students only.

April 29, 9:00 a.m.

The Visual Culture of Algeria Through Exchange, Circulation, and Global Networks

This one-day hybrid graduate student colloquium will bring together early-career scholars working on the visual culture of Algeria from the Ottoman period to the present. It focuses on the movement of artists, artworks, materials and ideas across local, regional and global networks, situating Algerian visual culture as a site of innovation, negotiation and exchange.

Register for this in-person and online event.