November 16, 2005. Frankfurt Public Affairs Officer Scott Rauland participated in the Arab-American Dialogue at the German-American Institute (GAI) in Tübingen that takes place every month and is organized by the GAI and the Association of Arab Students and Academics. The goal is to bring together people from the Arab world and the U.S. as well as from Germany to talk with each other and clear the air of misperceptions that cloud the relationships of these groups. Over 40 participants from a wide variety of countries, ages and professions, engaged in an enthusiastic exchange of ideas and viewpoints on culture, society and the politics of Arab countries and the U.S.
One Iraqi student explained that she had had very negative impressions of Americans based on media reports in the Arab world, but that meeting Americans in person had helped her gain a better perspective on the role the U.S. is playing in her country (she is studying law in Germany, and hopes to return to assist in rebuilding Iraq).
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