Guided Search: Cultural Exchange, Middle East

A paper by Dr. Ammar Azzouz brings the voices of Syrians to the debate on reconstruction and destruction of Syria in an attempt to link them to the fortunes of new architecture, and more broadly, the New Syria. The paper builds on a series of interviews with Syrians inside and outside Syria.

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is having FREE civic engagement block parties this fall in Northeast Philly. Join your community for Covid-safe outdoor activities, including art, music, food, and more for the whole family! Vaccines will be available on site.

There will also be opportunities to register to vote, ask questions, and learn about community resources (employment, education, immigration).

Block Party Dates

Saturday, August 21 Location: Rawnhurst

Saturday, August 28 Location: Lawncrest

Join us on Wednesday, March 3rd at Solas 2021 as we celebrate the important work that YOU have helped make possible!

This year will be the first virtual Solas Awards and while it will be different from past events, we are excited to be able to welcome everyone to join us in experiencing The Welcoming Center. During Solas 2021, you will have the opportunity to virtually network with others in The Welcoming Center community, learn more about the impact your support has on immigrants in Philadelphia, and watch a live conversation with our 2021 Solas Award honoree, Dr. José Ramón Fernández-Peña hosted by our friend and former colleague, Amanda Bergson-Shilcock.

The Middle East Center, co-sponsored by: Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures and Jewish Studies Program are hosting The Moral Triangle: Germans, Israelis, Palestinians. In The Moral Triangle, Sa’ed Atshan and Katharina Galor draw on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with Israelis, Palestinians, and Germans in Berlin to explore these asymmetric relationships in the context of official German policies, public discourse, and the private sphere.

John Ghazvinian charts the tangled relationship between America and Iran from the 18th century to the often icy diplomacy of today

About this Event

Can an immigrant’s story be universal in today’s America? To find out, Emmy-award winning performer Kayhan Irani excavates memory and experience to reconstruct a sense of belonging. Using video projections, live performance, and humor, Irani embodies characters from her journey and invites the audience to share their own stories. IJ curator Alex Shaw joins Irani as a guest artist.

This six-piece Brazilian jazz group of Philadelphia features vibraphone, electric and nylon string guitars, bass guitar, drums, percussion and saxophone. Inspired by the music of Brazil, the group creates a spacious, welcoming sound.