Learn more at www.unofficialambassadors.org
America’s Unofficial Ambassadors (AUA) is a citizen diplomacy initiative dedicated to increasing the number of Americans who volunteer in the Muslim World. From archaeologists to engineers, Unofficial Ambassadors volunteer with grassroots organizations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to meet some of the Muslim World’s most urgent development needs in areas such as education, youth services, and civil society.
As volunteers, Unofficial Ambassadors form people-to-people partnerships through their service that build cooperation between America and the Muslim World. Upon their return, volunteers work to foster cross-cultural understanding at home by sharing their experiences with the public through blogs and community presentations. AUA is a strategic initiative of Creative Learning, a Washington, DC-based not-for-profit organization.
AUA empowers people to reach across cultural divides through:
Development Assistance– Many corners of the Muslim World suffer from critical education, health, and economic development needs. In the 21stcentury, we cannot consider these challenges isolated to remote villages or refugee camps. We are all connected.
People-to-people Partnerships – There is no better way to move beyond harmful stereotypes than for people from different places and cultures to build partnerships and work together to help communities in need. At AUA, we make this happen.
Building Peace – There is a growing problem with the way the American public views Muslims, including Muslim-Americans. By sharing their volunteer experiences, Unofficial Ambassadors help to dispel rumors and stereotypes.
To accomplish its mission, AUA has launched its own summer volunteer programs in Indonesia, Morocco and Tanzania. We also work to raise awareness about ways Americans can volunteer in the Muslim World and to improve access to safe and credible volunteer opportunities through our AUA Directory of Recommended Organizations©.
Additionally, our AUA Network provides resources and support to ensure volunteers can serve as effective citizen diplomats and get the most out of their experience abroad.
More details on AUA’s organizational structure and funding can be found here.
America’s Unofficial Ambassadors is a citizens’ initiative – its success relies upon the actions and efforts of private citizens like you. Think about what you can do to help build mutual understanding between America and the Muslim World. We have a couple of ideas about how you can get involved, take a look here.