ZAWAYA IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT SEEKS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MULTICULTURAL DISCOURSE OF THE BAY AREA WITH THE ARAB ARTS. ZAWAYA MEANS %u201CASPECTS%u201D OR %u201CCORNERS%u201D, SUGGESTING THE MANY ART FORMS TO BE DISCOVERED AND ENJOYED IN ARAB CULTURE. IT WAS FOUNDED IN 2003 BY NABILA MANGO AND HAYA SHAWWA BEN HALIM, TWO ARAB-AMERICAN WOMEN WHO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE ARAB-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN THE BAY AREA REQUIRES A CREATIVE RESPONSE. WITH ZAWAYA, THEY SOUGHT TO GIVE THE ARAB COMMUNITY A VOICE, INCLUDING A MUSICAL ONE. AIMING TO ADDRESS STEREOTYPES AND MISCONCEPTIONS, ZAWAYA OFFERS A GENUINE IMAGE OF ARAB AMERICANS AND THEIR RICH CIVILIZATION, WHICH CAN ONLY BE A SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR AMERICAN SOCIETY.
