At the SAWA Center, we value:
- Care (Inayah/ عِناية) – We commit to treating our collaborators, participants, and communities with compassion, patience, and respect. We intentionally cultivate joy in our work, celebrating MENA American cultures, resilience, and collective achievements.
- Wisdom (Hikma/ حكمة)– We recognize the immense wisdom, strength, and persistent that our ancestors and community members possess and will aim to honor their efforts and struggles through our work. We challenge deficit-based narratives about MENA American health and highlighting resilience, strengths, and assets.
- Belonging (Intimaa/ انتماء )– We create spaces where MENA American voices feel seen, heard, and valued.
- Community partnership (Mujtama/ المجتمع )– We conduct research and programming guided by the voices and needs of MENA American communities, not just academic priorities. We build and maintain trust with communities through openness about data use, research goals, and outcomes.
- Structural thinking (Haykali/ هيكلي )- We will work to dismantle the structural and historical systems that have led to unequal outcomes for MENA American populations. We approach our research and partnerships as opportunities to promote healing from structural harms and to build futures of hope.
- Representation (Tamaththul/ تمثّل )– Recognition of the diversity within MENA American populations and avoiding one-size-fits-all approaches in research, data, and policy conversations.
- Solidarity (Tadamun/ تضامن )– We support MENA American students, trainees, and community-based organizations to build long-term leadership in public health.We partner with other marginalized groups and public health practitioners to advance collective well-being.
Research Area