Poisonous politics, conflicting interests and struggles for power, at many different levels, harm the image of the Arabs so much in the rest of the world. At such times, when we travel our main preoccupation as Arab men and women has become to convince suspicious immigration and security officers that we are neither criminals nor terrorists.

In this context, seizing the opportunity to introduce the very best of Arab culture, old and new, to a public that knows this part of the world mainly through the lens of a mass media which loves to stereotype us has therefore become a must.

It should go without saying that we badly need to improve existing channels of communication between these two parts of the world. And that is where I believe The Arab British Centre has a key role to play in promoting a better understanding of the Arab world and its people.

People like me who have a deep knowledge of both the Arab and Western cultures, and who have one foot in each world, can – hopefully – play a part in its work, to help ensure that genuine communication takes place and the realities of the region are conveyed in all their varied hues and shades.

Why am I so delighted to have become a trustee of the Centre?

The fact that I have spent my entire life travelling back and forth between the Arab world and the West has put me in a position where I am continuously having to explain it, talk about its culture and traditions, and explain it to those who either know little, or else have a completely wrong understanding of this fascinating, but complex, region from where I originally came. All that was long before the term “intercultural dialogue” became fashionable.

I grew up in an Arab family living in Brazil, immersed in an atmosphere in which a love of Arab arts was in the air. At a very early age, I was privileged to learn to appreciate the very best of Arab music and poetry. My parents were keen to introduce their children to all aspects of Arab culture.

The consequence of such a childhood was that later, when I became a journalist in Cairo, I naturally gravitated towards those who represent today the core of the Egyptian intelligentsia and arts scene. I have interviewed and written about numerous Arab writers, poets, composers, painters, sculptors and so on… and consider myself fortunate to count many of them as my friends. Through journalism I found myself, once again, immersed in the beauty of this culture.

This rich experience has allowed me to understand, from a privileged insider’s perspective, the dynamics of the Arab cultural scene, how to approach the individuals belonging to this group and appreciate their (sometimes contradictory) relationship to the outside world.

At a time when the UN itself has recognized the importance of promoting what it called  “Dialogue of Cultures,” by creating the Alliance of Civilizations Forum, all initiatives and organisations prepared to work for the realization of these same objectives should not only be welcome; they became a necessity.

So let me repeat my enthusiasm at joining this remarkable organisation. Not only does it fully reflect my ambitions for a better world, it strongly reflects who I am.

Randa Achmawi

Randa Achmawi joined the Arab British Centre Board of Trustees in March 2014, you can read more about her here.