Collective Liberation
Coalitions
A coalition is an alliance that creates combined action in support of a common goal or need. Given the diversity of SWANA people, this conference hopes to spark community building across all SWANA people while beginning or building upon coalitions.
This conference is being organized by campus departments serving Southwest Asian North African (SWANA) students across the University of California system: Berkeley, Davis, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Diego.
Furthermore, each of these campus departments uses different terms to describe and support the coalition of these diverse student communities as it relates to each campus’ individual history and advocacy. The following acronyms and their definitions are listed below.
SWANA: Southwest Asian and North African
SSWANA: South, Southwest Asian, and North African
MENASA: Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian
APIMEDA: Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi American
Organizers
UC Berkeley- South Asian, Southwest Asian and North African Initative
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sswana
The SSWANA Initiative was advocated for and created by student activists that felt this student population lacked representation and resources at the University of California at Berkeley. As such, students will always be the heart of this initiative with the support of staff. The SSWANA Initiative seeks to provide personalized access to resources on campus, accessible programming, promote cross-cultural community building, and advocate for social justice in SSWANA communities through education and empowerment.
UC Davis- Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian Student Resources
MENASA Student Resources aims to create spaces for MENASA students to come together to create community, celebrate their cultural /religious diversity, as well as provide academic and social support to students.
UC Riverside- Middle Eastern Student Center
The MESC is a place to unite in friendship, celebrate Middle Eastern culture with our campus community, and find common ground. Ultimately, it’s a place to serve the needs of Middle Eastern students and create an even more inclusive and respectful atmosphere at UCR. We look forward to welcoming you to #MESCUCR!
UC Santa Barbara- Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian Resource Center
https://eop.sa.ucsb.edu/cultural-centers/menasarc
The MENASARC promotes the cultural awareness and academic success of students of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) heritage. The center also serves as an organizing hub for our MENASA student communities and serves as a dedicated space to organize programming for the campus at large.
UC Santa Cruz - Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center
The Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC) co-creates engagement with students who identify as part of the Asian American, Pacific Islander, & Southwest Asian & North African (AA/PI/SWANA) diaspora at UC Santa Cruz; exploring the complexities of their holistic experiences, and individual and collective identities. AA/PIRC’s engagement includes leadership and holistic development, along with educational opportunities with, for, and in support of AA/PI/SWANA communities.
UC San Diego - Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Desi American Programs and Services
APIMEDA Programs & Services provides community and retention support for students who are part of our large and diverse APIMEDA communities. We encourage community development, enhance coalition building with and within the APIMEDA students, staff and faculty, fostering greater visibility for the diversity within the APIMEDA community, and help students gain skills for success in their future careers. APIMEDA Programs and Services serves students from a variety of ethnic and cultural groups that make up the Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Southwest Asian North African American communities.