Tea lamps, fabric on walls, and pillows and rugs decorated Waves Cafe on Friday, when the Middle Eastern Peace and Awareness (MEPA) club hosted their annual charity event, “Clubbing in the Sahara.”
MEPA president Adrian Aurrecoechea, senior, said the main idea behind the event was “to bring the Pepperdine community to celebrate an unfamiliar culture, in this case North African, in a way that’s digestible but promotes familiarity to combat the fear that comes with unfamiliarity, which leads to ‘us versus them’ prejudices.”
The club also wished to raise funds and awareness about the Parents Circle and the International Rescue Committee.
Parents Circle is an Israeli nonprofit organization that hosts events for Jewish and Arab families who have lost immediate family members due to the pending violence in Israel and the West Bank. The events are a way to bring people from both sides of the conflict together.
“The individuals of different ethnic background sit with one another and discuss ways they can promote non-violence in their communities,” Aurrecoechea explained.
Although in the past MEPA has given students the chance to hear about conflict in the Middle East through convo events and guest speakers, Aurrecoechea believes that “this event gave students the opportunity to make a difference by giving some of their financial resources to support a charity that is trying to make a peaceful difference in that region, and is successful in doing so.”
The event also raised money for the International Rescue Committee, an organization that provides food and aid to Northeastern Africa to help fight famine and drought.
The event featured international house DJ Mikey Gallagher playing music with Middle Eastern and North African influences, as well as a performance by Layla and the Lotus Belly Dancers.
For the price of $10, or $15 at the door, students also got to enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine.
