User:Marahbukai

Marah Bukai

Marah Bukai is an Arab American poet, writer, and researcher who have always been passionate about teaching and writing in Arabic language, and exploring the beauty and eloquency of her mother tongue.

Bukai received her BA of Arts, Department of Languages & French Literature, from Damascus University in Syria, and her MA in Arabic & Islamic Civilization Studies from University of Strasbourg in France.

She has five publications of poetry, and her most recent volume of poetry “O” was published by “Waref Publishing House” in DC. She worldwide conducted her poetry reading, and has the privilege of reciting her poems at:

Russian Cultural Center, Beirut United Nations’ Arab Club, New York Alif Gallery, Washington DC Russian Cultural Center, Damascus Arab Cultural Center, Damascus University of Amman, Amman

She is a professor of Arabic Language, a Faculty researcher, and an occasional lecturer on Arabic culture and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), and professor of Contemporary Islam at Georgetown University, Center for Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE) and she has taught Arabic & French language at DLS institute in Arlington, VA, and Berlitz International School in DC.

She works as a Researcher & Consultant in Arabic linguist & Islamic Culture with:

University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) School of Languages, Literatures, & cultures www.languages.umd.edu, where she is currently leading the researchers and writer’s team to develop the “Undergraduate Flagship Arabic Learning Program”. Regis Learning Solutions (RLS), www.regislearning.com, where she developed an advanced simulation project to address the cultural differences among the peoples of Iraq, the cultural anthropology, and the social traditions & behaviors. Applied Media Analysis, Inc. www.appliedmediaanalysis.com, where she was contracted as a supervisor of “Optical Character Recognition (OCR), a project aims to develop a computer software designed to translate images of typewritten text into machine-editable text. She also provided a desktop and mobile vision solution for a variety of vertical and consumer markets that include healthcare, defense and private industry.

She worked for the last four years as the Senior Editor of “Hi” magazine, which is a cultural magazine that addresses American culture, written in Arabic, with more than 300,000 readers in 23 Arab countries.

She is a journalist who writes on cultural, political, & contemporary Islamic issues in Arabic and English newspapers, journals and websites.

She is the founder & president of the Center of Global Cultural Exchange (CGCX), a non-profit organization, headquarter in Washington DC, that is committed to bridge the gap between East & West through emphasizing the importance of the cultures & arts as a platform for engagement, enhancing inter-cultural understanding, and encouraging dialogue between the citizens of the Muslim & Arab world and the United States.

She has a distinguished experience in TV production, and talk show presentation. She established the Washington Bureau of Syrian Satellite Channel in USA. Acting as the Washington Bureau Chief, she wrote, hosted and produced Transatlantic’s talk show, a weekly political show and live discussion panel addressing American foreign policies, and topics of interest to Arab and American intellectuals, politicians, and activists.

She is the producer of TV documentary Series” Western Atmosphere” that addressing American culture vis-a-vis the Arabic one.

She established the International Bureau for “Primus Global Telecommunication”, a company that delivers high-quality communication solutions for more than 2.4 million consumers, including small & medium enterprises and multinational businesses.

Bukai is currently the Manager of Content & Communications for the MENA Businesswomen’s Network, where she is currently leading the efforts to develop the network portal’s content in three languages: English, Arabic, and French.

Under the slogan of:"In the beginning was the Word” Marah Bukai founded Al Waref Institute in Washington D.C.

About Al Waref:

Mission

The core target of Al Waref Institute is to bridge the gap between East and West by emphasizing the importance of the cultures and arts as a platform for engagement, enhancing inter-cultural understanding, and encouraging dialogue between the citizens of the Muslim and Arab world and the United States.

Al Waref Institute, headquartered in Washington DC, with two supporting offices in Beirut and Casablanca, is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-sectarian and non-governmental organization. It is committed to promoting the achievements of writers, scholars, activists, and artists who believe in the concepts of freedom, justice, and individual rights as the fundamental elements to the eradication of fear, extremism, and war.

Al Waref Institute will act a podium for these thinkers who are overcoming obstacles and making contributions to further advance the Arab world, their host countries, and humanity. The Institute will support their efforts to make it possible for constructive values to become more prevalent in the future, changing the dominant orientation in the years to come, especially in the Arab world.

Shaping the Future

The success of some extremist trends to reach out and monopolize the political decision-making centers has led to conflicts, wars, and struggles. All of this was taking place in light of a remarkable retreat of the intellectual elites’ role across the world.

In the aftermath of this vacuum, the escalation of violence and revenge attitude could be catastrophic unless wise voices congregate to establish an Arab Renaissance aimed to defeat the destructive trends.

Al Waref Institute promotes alternatives to the warmongering “solutions.” Searching for better ways has always been the human’s obsession in the pursuit of advancing civilization. He created fire to defeat cold weather, invented agriculture to defeat hunger, and language to defeat lack of communication within his community.

Today, as humanity continues to face the danger of wars, conflicts, and tensions that threaten the environment, peace, and prosperity, everyone is invited to search for policies that cherish life, make just peace, and promote deserving recognition.

Al Waref Institute is a step ahead in the direction of making a better future for humanity – a future where reason and conscience prevail over extremist tendencies. One way to achieve this goal is to strengthen a common ground of respect, acknowledgement, and appreciation between people of all cultures, races, and nationalities.

Aims and Tools

Al Waref Institute is committed to adopting all available media, technology, and communication tools that help to bridge the gap between cultures and civilizations.

The Institute will hold a semi annual conference in the United States and Morocco where scholars, note speakers, and researchers would meet to present studies on the development of cultural coexistence, integration and dialogue between the Arab and Muslim societies and the whole humanity. The conference’s publications will be available in English and Arabic.

In August 2008, a web-based portal, www.alwaref.org, designed to support the Institute was launched. The portal components will be a virtual ongoing conference, whereon articles, studies and research are set to be published in the fields of individual rights, civil society, energy and economics, sustainable development, culture and art, meaningful dialogue, war and peace, science and technology, environment and climate change, and U.S. foreign policy. Constant technical development on the portal will be established to ensure the largest possible degree of interaction with researchers and writers, and with the portal visitors.

The Institute will Contact the Arab and American universities to encourage researchers to engage in this project, and to advance partnerships among universities at this level.

www.alwaref.org