JEDDAH, 14 February 2006 — American and Saudi non-governmental organization must break the long-distance and cultural barriers in order to change stereotypes. This was the topic of the session entitled “Terrorism: The Human Toll” yesterday at the 7th Jeddah Economic Forum.
The session was chaired by Gregory Payne, general director of the Boston-based Saudi-American Exchange, and Sonia “Tita” Puopolo, the daughter of a family member who died on 9-11.
“There is a perception that Islamic societies are very closed and very restrictive one thing that really surprised me upon coming here is a lot of the openness,” said Payne, addressing a group of Saudi students in a documentary film.
A student and a teacher who were discussing the perceived misunderstandings of Saudis in the eyes of the American public following the 9/11 attacks inspired the Saudi-American Exchange.
The student, Prince Faisal Al-Saud, and the teacher, Payne, who is also the director of the Center for Ethics in Political & Health Communications, launched the Saudi-American Exchange, making it possible for American students to visit Saudi Arabia and get a first-hand view of the country and its people.
During the session yesterday, the group showed a film made in 2002 by one of the first students to benefit from the program.
The documentary showed a delegation of US students from different parts of the US and how their views changed after being exposed to Saudi culture.
“The documentary was shown at more than 200 schools all around the US and there are more than 100 students on the waiting list for visiting the Kingdom,” said Payne. “The objective is to keep the communication between the two countries going.”