Mawtini SLO

In December 2024, the City of San Luis Obispo Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offered DEI High Impact grants to local nonprofit organizations, the largest of which was awarded to Mawtini, a project administered and produced in partnerships with the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts, cultural nonprofit Our Roots/Our Routes, and San Luis Obispo community leaders. 

Mawtini: Arab American Narratives of Home and Belonging, is a community-led oral history project documenting the lived experiences of local Arab Americans. Mawtini, which means “my homeland” in Arabic, features audio recordings of interviews with local Arab Americans reflecting on themes of home and belonging.  Interviews are conducted with people from a variety of ages, backgrounds, and countries of origin.

Mawtini connects deeply to the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts through a shared commitment to peacebuilding, cultural understanding, and the power of storytelling as a tool for learning and healing. By centering personal and community narratives, Mawtini amplifies voices that are often marginalized and invites critical reflection on identity, belonging, and history—values that align with Peace Academy’s holistic approach to education across the sciences and the arts. In our efforts to emphasize dialogue, empathy, and interdisciplinary learning, Mawtini aims to foster understanding and compassion amongst our communities. In this way, Mawtini complements the Peace Academy’s mission by using oral history as a living practice that bridges academic inquiry with real-world experiences, strengthening connections between knowledge, humanity, and peace.