Soliya's Connect Program is a cross-cultural education initiative designed to bridge gaps between the 'west' and the 'arab & muslim world' through social media technologies. It facilitates dialogue among university students from diverse backgrounds, addressing global tensions and fostering understanding by developing communication skills and relationships. The program has engaged numerous universities since its inception in 2003, aiming to empower young adults to collaboratively tackle 21st-century challenges.

1. THE
PROGRAM
A cross-cultural education program
using the latest in social media
technologies to bridge the “West”
and the “Arab and Muslim World”
Powered by

2. Soliya | 2
Message from the President
All of us at Soliya have had cross-cultural experiences that have profoundly affected our
lives. They have changed the way we think about other people in the world, the way we
look at ourselves, and the way we understand the issues that divide us.
As our world becomes more and more interconnected, the challenges we face are
increasingly global in nature, and the solutions to those challenges will require people
around the world to work together better than ever before–to understand diverse
viewpoints and communicate effectively across cultural divides.
We feel that having a cross-cultural experience is an essential component of preparing
the next generation of leaders to address those challenges. Traditional constraints
associated with international travel, however, need not limit those experiences to the privileged elite. New information
and communication technologies present opportunities for young people to have intensive cross-cultural experiences
without leaving their home environments.
The Connect Program is a unique educational initiative that does just that in a rigorous academic setting.
After several years of conducting the Connect Program at some of the world’s most prestigious universities, we
are as inspired as ever by its potential. Through the program we are building a network of young adults around
the world who are empowered to collaboratively address the global challenges of the 21st century.
Please join us.
Lucas Welch
President and Founder

3. 3 | The Connect Program
The Need Tensions between the “West” and the “Arab & Muslim World” have
reached unprecedented heights. These tensions have far-reaching
effects, whether manifested by political unrest, economic instability
and inequality, or violence. These issues are by no means based
on a lack of communication alone, but improved communication will
certainly play a critical role in addressing them. Soliya contends that
at the root of the misunderstanding between these groups there are
“conflicting narratives” about the relationship between the “West”
and the “Arab & Muslim World” that often lead to misguided policies
and acts of violence against the “other.” These conflicting narratives
derive from:
1. Ignorance and Stereotypes – There is a lack of knowledge
regarding the historical, political and cultural context of many of
today’s most divisive issues. This ignorance can result in negative
stereotypes and lead to actions that further exacerbate the tension.
2. Lack of Meaningful Relationships – The vast majority of people
on the various sides of these issues simply do not have the
opportunity to directly interact with each other and discuss their
differences. Without such opportunities, it is easy to dehumanize
the “other” and believe that they have few common values.
3. Deficiency of skills to effectively communicate and think
critically – Many people lack the necessary communication skills
to effectively convey their viewpoints and hear those of others.
In addition, the average individual does not have the skills to
critically assess the flood of information he/she is exposed to via
mainstream media today.
These issues are exacerbated because there are few opportunities
or tools to constructively influence relations between the “West” and
the “Arab & Muslim World.” This can lead to a pervasive sense of
powerlessness and frustration which can promote disengagement
from the political process or engagement in less constructive ways,
such as through acts of violence or support for such acts.
Soliya is developing a global network of young adults and empowering them to bridge
the divide between the “West” and the “Arab & Muslim World.” Using the latest in “social
media” technologies and cutting-edge methodologies, Soliya is providing a new intercultural
generation of young adults with the skills, knowledge and relationships they need to develop
a nuanced understanding of the issues that divide them. By offering unique training, tools
and opportunities to convey this understanding to their broader communities, Soliya is
empowering these young adults to play a constructive role in creating a more informed, just
and peaceful global society.

4. Soliya | 4
THE
Soliya’s flagship initiative, the Connect Program, is a unique
cross-cultural education program that uses the latest in Internet
PROGRAM and communication technologies to bridge the gap between
university students in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Europe
and the United States.
Through the Connect Program students engage in intensive
dialogue and collaborative media production, as they explore
the issues currently dividing the “Arab & Muslim World” and the
“West.” The program is usually offered as part of an accredited
course in university departments such as International Relations,
Media Studies, Communications, and Conflict Resolution. The
active and dynamic learning process is designed to complement
students’ coursework and develop the skills, knowledge and
relationships tomorrow’s leaders will need to address the
challenges they will face.
Soliya Develops:
Relationships
Relationships
Means to interact
Connections
Empathy
Knowledge Skills
“It is fine to talk about theories about “engaging
the other” or “increasing understanding across Issues Critical Thinking
cultures”, but Soliya puts the students on the
front lines of intercultural relations. They will
Cultures Communication
learn more about themselves and their place Perspectives Media
in the world in the Soliya sessions than in a
semester of international relations classes.”
Ambassador Cynthia Schneider
Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy
School of Foreign Service
Georgetown University = Empowerment

5. 5 | The Connect Program
Soliya’s custom-built video-conferencing application enables
students to see and hear each other in real-time as they discuss
a range of different issues. The application is web-based and
does not require any special hardware beyond a standard
computer, a webcam and a high-speed internet connection.
Each student is assigned to a different multi-national group, with
other students from across the globe. Students login each week to
Soliya’s web-conferencing application for the two hour sessions
over the course of a semester. Two highly trained facilitators, one
from the US or Europe and one from the Middle East, North Africa or
Asia guide the discussions. The conversation is carefully facilitated,
ensuring that students directly address the difficult issues that divide
them in a way that enables genuine understanding of alternative
perspectives and reconsideration of previously held views. The
curriculum includes an activity plan for the online dialogue process,
as well as suggested activities, discussions and readings for the
in-class component of the course, and two assignments that
students complete. The first assignment is a video editing project,
in which they create their own short news-pieces using raw news
footage from major news networks. The second assignment is a
joint project, which allows students to work collaboratively with a
partner from a different region, get to know them better and jointly
explore one another’s perspectives and cultures.
Following their participation in the Connect Program, alumni have
the opportunity to continue developing their skills and working to “I felt that these discussions were very effective
in both learning about the views of others, as
bridge the divide between the “West” and the “Arab & Muslim World” well as forcing me to think and analyze my own
by participating in Soliya’s Continued Engagement Activities. perspectives by bringing them to the surface.”
Since the program began, approximately 35% of students have Mohammed El Fakhani
opted to continue their involvement with Soliya after finishing the Connect Program Alumni
American University of Beirut
Connect Program.

6. Soliya | 6
University Partners
Since our first program in 2003 we have worked with over 60 universities across the globe.
Please see the map below which indicates where we have worked and highlights a cross-section of our university partners.
Universitè Libre de Bruxelles
Brussels, Belgium
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
University of Jordan
Amman, Jordan
Gadjah Mada University
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Al Akhawayn University
Ifrane, Morocco
American University in Cairo
Cairo, Egypt
So·li·ya [so le yu] n.
About Us
1. The integration of the Latin word meaning sun (sol)
and a classical Arabic word from Lisan al Arab meaning
beam of light (iya).
2. A new organization that aims to shed light on the
relationship between the “West” and the “Arab & Muslim
World” in a way that promotes understanding, respect
and joint action.
Soliya is an international non-profit organization head-
quartered in New York with staff, volunteers and university
partners across the globe.
Since the first Connect Program in 2003, Soliya has
established a wide range of partnerships and affiliations
to expand the reach of the program. Soliya is affiliated
with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Initiative,
the World Economic Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders
Program and the Brookings Institution’s US-Islamic World
“The Connect Program enabled my students to become
independent thinkers and knowledge-seekers by Forum. Financially, Soliya is supported by a diverse group
encouraging active self-learning in an environment in of donors from across the Middle East, Europe and the
which they posed questions and searched for answers
on their own.”
United States.
Dr. Sahar Khamis If you would like to participate in Soliya’s Connect Program,
Former Professor, Department of Communications, Qatar University
Assistant Professor, Department of Communications, University of Maryland support our work or help spread the word, please contact
us at info@soliya.net.

7. “As I participated in the program, I came to realize that the ‘news’
we see or hear about the Middle East doesn’t tell half the story.
By meeting real people, and by hearing about their day-to-day
lives, the events and issues I read about became less abstract.
They have become something very real, and I can’t help but think
of the people who are affected by them.”
Margaret Poe
Connect Program Alumni
University of Iowa
25 Washington Street | Suite 414 15A Ibn Radwan Al-Tabeeb St. | 10th Fl.
Brooklyn | New York 11201 Giza 12211 | Cairo | Egypt
+1 718 701 5855 +20 2 3570 7948
• www.soliya.net • • info@soliya.net •