Pluralism and Civil Society: The West Coast Experience

August 15-19, 2005, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California
Contact: Los Angeles Foreign Press Center
Telephone: 310-235-7693, Email: fpcla@cruznet.net

The Los Angeles Foreign Press Center organized a weeklong program in California that highlighted the role of civil society and pluralism in America for ten U.S.-based journalists including members of national media outlets from Pakistan, Indonesia, Benin, Guinea, Malaysia and Turkey.

The program began in San Francisco with a visit to Field Poll on an extended look at California's political landscape and demographics.  Participants then had the opportunity to meet with members of New California's Media, a coalition of ethnic newspapers, radio stations and TV networks.  The sheer number of languages and ethnicities that exist in this most populous state astounded the group.  The program in Northern California also included visits to Silicon Valley where the journalists listened to the success stories of immigrants from The Indus Enterprise (TIE) who came to this country with less than a few dollars and made their fortunes in the high tech industries.  Nowadays, these successful businessmen of various faiths and ethnicities donate their energy and resources to help other new entrepreneurs succeed in realizing the American dream.

During the second leg of the program, the journalists met with officials from the Los Angeles City Hall and City Council to discuss issues of diversity and multiculturalism in Southern California.  They were also able to meet with leaders of the Muslim community and discuss the topic of religious freedom with a strong emphasis on the successful assimilation of Muslims into the mainstream American society, and how they are free to practice their faith along with other religious communities without the fear of persecution and discrimination.  The program ended on August 19 with participation in an immigration swearing-in ceremony for new U.S. citizens.  The impressive event, at which 7,000 immigrants were sworn-in as U.S. citizens, provided a compelling and unprecedented picture of the American immigration mosaic for the journalists, who were all from countries where naturalization is not an option.