ANNOUNCING OUR RESIDENT ORGANISATIONS
The Arab British Centre houses and supports a number of organisations whose work relates to the Arab world. Current resident organisations are:
Caspian Arts Foundation was founded in 2011 with the intention to open the doors to students of the Middle East and North Africa, regardless of their nationality, religious or cultural background within the region; helping to build a platform for students to express themselves through their art and further their talent and skill. A scholarship programme has been set up at University of the Arts London dedicated to these students to pursue their postgraduate studies in the fine arts, film, photography and fashion.
The Peace & Prosperity Trust's fundraising activities work towards creating a better understanding by Western Communities of cultures in the Middle East. The Trust is embarking on a series of arts-led projects through music, opera and the performing arts.
www.peaceandprosperitytrust.co.uk
Caabu (The Council for Arab-British Understanding) promotes an enlightened and positive approach to Arab-British relations by providing a forum for politicians, journalists, opinion formers and members of the public to co-operate on issues relating to the Arab world. Founded in 1967, its achievements include organising parliamentary delegations to the Arab world, engaging with the media for fair and informed reporting and reaching out to the next generation by working with young people and teachers in schools. Its mission is to influence, inform and inspire in the fields of politics, media and education in Britain.
Friends of Birzeit University (fobzu) seeks to support education for Palestinian students at Birzeit University and to uphold their right to academic freedom. It assists Birzeit by securing grants from British and European funding agencies for key development projects. It actively supports Birzeit's Right to Education campaign by raising awareness in the UK and lobbying the British Government. It also helps to provide academic opportunities through the provision of student scholarships and a hardship fund, and facilitates educational exchange by linking Birzeit University with academic institutions in the UK to create opportunities for research.
Banipal is in independent literary magazine publishing contemporary Arab authors and poets in English translation, presenting both established and emerging Arab writers in English for the first time. The three issues a year include poems, short stories and excerpts from novels as well as author interviews, profiles and book reviews. Banipal Books was established to strengthen and expand the work of the magazine by publishing the works of these authors in book form. Banipal is also involved in live literature events that include Arab authors. The Arab-British Centre is collaborating with Banipal on the establishment of our library of modern Arab literature (BALMAL).
Zaytoun is a Community Interest Company founded in 2004 to create and develop a UK market for artisan Palestinian produce. Zaytoun is a Fair Trade company and a member of WFTO. In 2009 it launched the world’s first ever Fairtrade olive oil, a tribute to the hard work of the Palestinian producers and processors with whom it works. Zaytoun runs two trips a year to Palestine, taking consumers to meet producers and processors, to work alongside them in the groves and to meet groups in the area working on peace and justice. It also bring producers to the UK every year for Fairtrade Fortnight. Zaytoun is supported countrywide by very many wonderful volunteers and distributors, as well as selling Palestinian produce direct to retail outlets and through wholesalers.