Arab Ambassadorsí Wives Help Keep Mosaic Together by Carolyn Chapman Itís only mid-October, but Rim Abboud and Nermin Fahmy are already discussing possible menu items for the Mosaic Foundationís annual benefit dinner in May. This yearís theme will be Al Andalus, the heavily Arab-influenced region of Andalucia in southern Spain. ìWe chose the Andalus theme to showcase the influence that the Arabs have spread throughout Europe,î said Abboud. It is a rich region in culture and history, but gastronomy is what concerns Abboud and Fahmy at the moment. During their reign of nearly eight centuries, the Moors changed the flavor of Spanish cooking by introducing citrus groves, pomegranates, almond trees, pistachios, eggplants, asparagus and rice. They created the basis of modern Spanish cuisine, from which Abboud and Fahmy are tossing menu possibilities back and forth for the dinner. But this is not just an ordinary dinner, the Mosaic Foundation is not just an ordinary charitable foundation, and Abboud and Fahmy are not ordinary women. Abboud is the wife of the Lebanese ambassador and Fahmy, host of this yearís benefit dinner, is the wife of the Egyptian ambassador. And the Mosai c Foundation is a powerful charitable organization made up of the spouses of Arab ambassadors that, since its creation in 1998, has donated more than $5 million to a number of charities and educational institutions, primarily those dedicated to improving the lives of women and children. The dinner, which marks Mosaicís seventh annual benefit gala, is the organizationís major fundraising event of the year and offers the women of Mosaic a chance to jump into the spotlight from their mostly low-profile fundraising activities. At the dinner, the women also award a major beneficiary grant to a lucky recipient after months of poring over applications and interviewing potential candidates. At the past dinner, which was attended by more than 700 guests, Mosaic awarded a grant of $800,000 to the Grameen Foundation USA to support their micro-lending programs in the Arab world. Next year, the recipient of the grant will be the Academy for Educational Development, a Washington-based organization that works in more than 100 countriesóincluding Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordanóto solve critical problems in health, education, youth development and the environment. ìMosaic is unique,î said Heidi Shoup, the groupís executive director. ìI donít think there is any other subset of ambassadorsí wives who have done this sort of thing.î In addition, the women who make up Mosaicówhich includes ambassadorsí wives from Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemenóare very good at what they do. ìAs individuals and representatives of their countries, they show the world the positive things that their countries have to offer,î said Shoup. ìAnd as trustees, they work toward Mosaicís two goals: improving the lives of women and children and improving understanding between people of the Arabic world and the U.S.î One of the keys to Mosaicís success has been the cultivation of a broad base of contributors who make annual donations. Supporters include dozens of the worldís largest companies, including Exxon Mobil, Lockheed Martin, Shell International, Northrop Grumman, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Boeing and Citibank/Citigroup, among others. ìWe have a core of donors who are the same every year, but we try to increase our donor base by showing them the work we do and making them interested in our program,î said Fahmy. ìWe diversify every year.î So what is Mosaicís fundraising secret? Their success is partially due to the fact that the women donít go out of their way to bring attention to their activities. ìItís because Arab women are so good,î said Abboud laughing. ìWe have different ways of thinking, so when we come here, we get the best of the ways of the Americans, and we put them together. ìI think Mosaic is a true example of the image of what an Arab woman is: hardworking, persuasive, concentrating on issues that are important to her, and low profile,î Abboud continued. ìWhen you have a high profile, people tend to look at you and wait for you to make a mistake, and you become distracted from your main objective because you are on the defense. Keeping a low profile in order to get what you want is actually how women in the Arab world are.î ìHow women in the Arab world areî is a topic that both Abboud and Fahmy say has been misrepresented in this country. The two go to great lengths to provide clarification and shatter the widespread stereotype that Arab women are passive and oppressed. ìIf people in a country choose to dress in a certain way and behave in a certain way, it doesnít mean that they are oppressed,î Fahmy said. ìYou have women in Saudi Arabia who are doctors, teachers [and more], but maybe they are not visible, they are not high profile. Maybe the West is not showing it and is concentrating on certain other parts. They have their own rules that suit them.î ìI have never met a Saudi woman who was not happy,î added Abboud to the discussion on Saudi Arabian women, who play the smallest public roles of all Arabic women. ìThe Saudi women know what they want, they do what they want, and they do a lot of traveling. Whatís the big deal about driving? I donít drive here not because Iím not allowed, but because itís very convenient to have a driver.î The discussion illustrates Mosaicís other role: fostering a deeper understanding between Americans and Arabs. ìAfter Sept. 11, 2001, we grew bigger because we felt a need for deeper understanding,î said Abboud. Last year, for example, Mosaic began a cultural series that includes lectures and symposiums on different themes. Recent topics have featured the evolving status of women and Hollywoodís misperceptions of Arabs. Mosaic members also think of their upcoming annual Arabic Bazaar as a light educational activityóalthough it doesnít bring in a tremendous amount of money, it does showcase Arab culture through the arts, handmade crafts and food. This yearís bazaar will feature films from each country, Arab-American artists and a henna artist. Besides the large beneficiary grant, Mosaic awards smaller grants in amounts that range from $1,000 to $50,000 through their World Emergency Fund Program and Trustees Grants Program. These types of grants have been awarded to organizations such as the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the International and American Red Cross, the Washington Family Relief Fund, Marthaís Table of Washington, D.C., and the Columbia Hospital for Women. Between now and May, Mosaicís trustees will be busy preparing for their benefit dinner, which will be more elaborate this year than it has been in the past. The gala will feature a week of related events leading up to the dinner, as well as a six-month exhibition of more than 100 pieces from the Hispanic Society of New York at the Freer and Sackler art galleries. The exhibition is special for several reasons: It commemorates the Hispanic Society of New Yorkís 100th anniversary. The society has never before lent its pieces to other institutions, and the pieces highlight five centuries of Arab influence on Hispanic art. Most important, it will help further Mosaicís goal of bringing in as much money as possible for the recipient of next yearís beneficiary grant. The Seventh Annual Arabic Bazaar will be held on Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Admission is $5. For more information, please call (703) 288-4500 or visit www.mosaicfound.org. Carolyn Chapman is an arts writer for The Washington Diplomat.