Layalina Productions Celebrates 10 Years of Television Diplomacy in the Middle East

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, Layalina Productions will celebrate a decade of television diplomacy in the Middle East at its 10th Anniversary Gala, being held at the Newseum in Washington, DC.  At the Gala, internationally acclaimed three time Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist Thomas L. Friedman and The Honorable Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, will provide remarks and highlight Layalina's efforts to strengthen U.S.-Arab relations. 

The organization enjoys strong bipartisan support, and its Board of Counselors reads like a who's who of American foreign policy experts from both parties.  Layalina's Honorary Chairman is former President George H.W. Bush, and its Counselors include The Honorables James A. Baker III, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Lee H. Hamilton, Henry A. Kissinger, Sam Nunn, George P. Shultz and Robert S. Strauss. Gala attendees will include a host of diplomats, government officials, members of congress, and business leaders.

Layalina's mission is to educate, inform, and inspire audiences across the Middle East and North Africa, with special emphasis on youth. Ambassador Richard Fairbanks, Layalina's Founder and Chairman, in discussing the organization's goals stated, "Young people are our best hope to bridge the cultural gap that currently exists between the United States and the Arab world. Layalina is dedicated to fostering better understanding among cultures, and our hope is to substantially increase the prospects of long term peace in the Middle East." 

The organization's efforts focus on promoting greater cultural understanding through award winning television shows, publications and educational exchanges.  Layalina's Arabic and English language reality series, documentaries, and children's animated shows are broadcast in primetime throughout the Arab world as well as in the United States and reach millions of viewers.  Academy Award ® nominated directors and multiple Emmy ® award winning producers work to ensure that Layalina's shows are culturally appropriate for the Arab market.

Layalina's dozen credits include the award-winning documentary Life After Death, which serves as an indictment against terrorism and the barbaric targeting of civilians, and the recently completed Back from the Brink, a documentary about the efforts of three dissimilar communities around the world to counter the spread of violent extremism.

On the Road in America, a hit series whose third season will soon air in primetime in the Middle East and North Africa region on MBC -- the most watched Arab network -- follows four Arab university students traveling across the United States. The series focuses on Arab and American attitudes toward each other as seen through the eyes of the Arab visitors and the Americans whom they encounter on their journeys. Over the past two seasons, the show has more than doubled its viewing audience – from 4.5 million viewers to 9 million viewers per episode.  American Caravan, the reverse of On the Road, features six young Americans discovering the Arab world in the footsteps of the Arab Spring. American Caravan is currently in post-production.

The Layalina 10th anniversary celebration week included a luncheon on May 17th featuring Layalina Counselor Dr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

Layalina is a Washington, DC based 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, funded through tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations, and through grants by foundations based in the U.S. and the Arab world.

SOURCE Layalina Productions, Inc.