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Opening the Mountain: Creative Writing Workshop

Event Details
Date/Time: 
Jan 21 2012 10:00am - 2:00pm
Price: 
$40 general public, $20 students; sliding scale available.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Where: 
Levantine Cultural Center
5998 W Pico Blvd

Los Angeles CA 90035-2657
Between La Cienega and Fairfax
ample street parking or in the underground CVS lot
Subtitle: 
Armenians, Turks and their friends writing together...

Levantine Cultural Center's best-loved creative writing teacher, Elana Golden, leads a special one-of-a-kind  creative writing workshop for Armenians and Turks, and their friends. In an atmosphere of respect for our common humanity, this workshop will offer a safe space and guidance for Armenians and Turks to write their stories and those of their families and ancestors, and listen to each other's work from the heart. Says Elana, "It is my greatest honor and life purpose to help people heal and grow from war and trauma, and to turn atrocities into works of art so we remember them and not repeat them."

The Budding of Islamic Democracies

Subtitle: 
America, wake-up and smell the roses
By Dana Siegelman


Much of what Americans think of the Middle East and our foreign policy toward it over the past ten years has been a response to 9/11. This is understandable. President Bush's neoconservative approach to the "War on Terror" was advocated by those who believed spreading democracy was essentially spreading peace. In a 2003 speech, Bush assessed that "Stability at the expense of freedom, has brought us neither stability nor freedom."  In other words, supporting corrupt dictators in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) did not create friendlier or stronger economic partners (except when that partnership centered around oil.)

MENA-X: A Turkish Model for the Arab Spring?

Event Details
Date/Time: 
Nov 17 2011 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Price: 
Free to the public. Donations welcome ($10 general, $5 students suggested) includes light refreshments
Where: 
Levantine Cultural Center
5998 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90035
between La Cienega and Fairfax
ample street parking or in the CVS underground lot
Subtitle: 
Asli Bâli gives a legal and historical perspective
Over the last five years, Turkey has developed a much more active set of policies towards the Middle East.

Niyaz with Azam Ali Live at the El Rey

Event Details
Date/Time: 
Sep 25 2011 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Price: 
General Admission: $35.00 VIP $65.00
(unreserved seating & post-concert reception with artists)
Click here to buy tickets
Doors open 7 pm, show 8 pm
Where: 
El Rey Theatre
5515 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
Subtitle: 
the world fusion vocalist performs with a bevy of the best musicians

By any measure, Niyaz has come very far, very fast. In 2005, along with vocalist Azam Ali and programmer/producer Carmen Rizzo, Loga Ramin Torkian founded the best-selling world music group Niyaz. Drawing on medieval Persian poetry and 300-year old Persian folk songs, Niyaz created a 21st century global trance tradition and quickly became a standout ensemble in a very crowded world music field.

Armo Greco Music & Comedy Festival at the Ford Amphitheatre

Event Details
Date/Time: 
Sep 4 2011 6:00pm - 10:30pm
Price: 
Where: 
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd East
Los Angeles CA 90068
Subtitle: 
an evening hosted by Angelo Tsarouchas featuring the Element Band
Armo-Greco Music & Comedy FestivalArmo-Greco Music & Comedy Festival

The first Armo-Greco Music and Comedy Festival promises to be a high energy, memorable evening of song, dance and humor. 

Heavyweight of hilarity Angelo Tsarouchas hosts the festival. Local favorite Element Band headlines a star-studded musical line-up that includes world-renowned guitarist Pavlo and Italian singing sensation Giovanna Gattuso.

Completing the line-up are comedy favorites Lory Tatoulian and Ara Basil.

Tickets available at Ticketweb.

Café Fez! Every Saturday, 10 am-6 pm

Subtitle: 
a new Middle Eastern café at the Levantine Center every Saturday

Menu for August 20, 2001

Coffee:                                                                             Tea:
Cafe Americain                                                                  Moroccan Mint Tea
Cafe Cassé                                                                        Persian Tea
Café Fez (Turkish Coffee)                                                    Sage Tea                                          
Café Beiruti (w/ cardamom and orange blossom water)         Anise Tea
Espresso                                                                            Chai Tea

Cold Drinks:                                                                      Snacks:
Mint Lemonade                                                                  Labneh Plate
Qamar al-Deen (Apricot drink)                                            Zaatar and Zeit (olive oil) Plate
Ayran (Yogurt drink)                                                           Zaytoun (olives) and Feta Plate
Iced Tea                                                                            Hummus

Café Fez at the Levantine Cultural Center, 5998 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90035 (east of La Cienega, west of Fairfax). 310.657.5511.

The Gaza Flotilla: International Activists in L.A. Public Forum

Event Details
Date/Time: 
Aug 7 2011 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Price: 
Free to the public, suggested donation $5/10
RSVPs strongly advised as space is limited
Call the Levantine Center, 310.657.5511
Where: 
Westside Pavilion
Community Room B
10800 West Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064

adjacent to indoor entrance of Barnes & Noble and Landmark Theatres
at Pico and Westwood in West Los Angeles
Subtitle: 
"Progressive Conversations" presents Yonatan Shapira & Mary Hughes-Thompson back from Greece

Progressive Conversations on Israel/Palestine and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East, the monthly series organized by LA Jews for Peace and the Levantine Cultural Center, with support from the national organization Jewish Voice for Peace, presents Mary Hughes-Thompson and Yonatan Shapira on their experiences with the Gaza Flotilla in July. Despite failing to land any boats on the shores of Gaza, was the flotilla a success—as many international observers argued, because of all the media coverage?

After 9/11, A Community Roundtable

Event Details
Date/Time: 
Sep 11 2011 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Price: 
Suggested donation $11 (students $5) includes light refreshments (no-one turned away for lack of funds) to benefit the center
Where: 
Levantine Cultural Center
5998 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90035
ample street parking
between La Cienega and Fairfax
Subtitle: 
artists, activists and general public gather for an open dialogue on our lives since 9/11

Activists, artists, writers and members of the general public are invited to participate in a community roundtable discussion on the events of 9/11, including the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, the passing of the USA Patriot Act, the "war on terror," Islamophobia, the Green Movement in Iran in 2009, and this year's Arab Spring and just what we can look forward to in the months and years ahead.

Magical (Musical) Carpet Ride

Subtitle: 
Levantine Center presents "Carpet Concert"

Aslan Media (Staff Writer)

As summer quickly approaches, many of us will inevitably reminisce about years gone by. The end of school brought about warm evenings huddled with friends beneath a blanket of stars, singing folk tunes like "Cumbaya" or even Disney classics like "Hakuna Matata". At some point in between the campfire smores and gossip about the latest high school "crush," childhood delivered one of life's most poignant messages: the similarities we share are stronger than the differences that separate us.

Carpet Concert features Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Music