The Abdelkader Education Project (AEP), in collaboration with the city of Elkader, held its annual forum at the historic Elkader Opera House on Oct. 17. The forum brought together community members as well as guest speakers from around the country—and the world—around the theme “Building Bridges of Friendship and Collaborations.”
AEP is a network of individuals and organizations who develop educational resources and opportunities for engagement in the life story of Emir Abdelkader, Elkader’s namesake. The organization advocates for cultural understanding, educates future leaders and promotes the Emir as an ethical leader and model humanitarian.
Elkader resident Kathy Garms, co-founder and executive director of AEP, welcomed attendees to the “charming community with a unique name.”
“It’s always a joy to collaborate with locals and colleagues from afar. Today you’ll hear various voices built around building bridges of friendship and collaboration, focused on peace, ethics and decency,” she said.
Garms reflected on the long connection between Elkader and Algeria. Although she grew up in Elkader, she didn’t know much about its namesake until reading the book “Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader” by John W. Kiser, AEP co-founder, author and philanthropist.
“Then I realized Emir Abdelkader was revered around the world,” she said of the mid-19th century Algerian freedom fighter and holy man.
In 1846, Elkader was named after Emir Abdelkader, and in 1984, Elkader and Mascara, Algeria became sister cities. One part of the forum—the Abdelkader Stage Project—even featured David Beck, Dan Beck and Micah Gearhart portraying Timothy Davis, John Thompson and Chester Sage as they prepared to submit a plat of, and select a name for, the new town they were forming in the Midwest.
“Today, AEP continues to build relationships between our communities and countries. AEP has hosted almost every Algerian ambassador in Elkader since 2008, and Elkader itself has hosted before that,” Garms said.
It’s a connection city council member Tony Hauber said he and many Elkader citizens are proud of. He recalled how the Emir’s principles guided him in his younger years and still do today as an elected official.
“Welcome all as we work to deepen this unique international relationship that carries Abdelkader’s legacy forward,” Hauber said.
Algerian ambassador to the U.S., Sabri Boukadoum, values the connection too. Although he was not able to attend the forum in person, he sent a video message to be shared with attendees.
“Let me start by saying my immense pleasure to address you today from the bottom of my heart. My best wishes and my warmest encouragements and my deepest thanks to Elkader, the mayor and Kathy Garms, for all they do to retain the remembrance of Emir Abdelkader and celebrating his legacy—his values, friendship, humanity, openness to others,” Boukadoum said.
Abdelkader’s legacy is one people can still learn from today, said another speaker, Najeeba Sayeed, a peacemaker, healer and academic. Sayeed is an El-Hibri endowed professor of interfaith studies and executive director of the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minn.
“I think our country can really benefit from the notion of coming together, even in the most severe times of conflict, severe times of disagreement and polarization,” she said.
Sayeed cited three concepts—compassion, community and care—which she said reflect lessons from Abdelkader’s life and lessons from the sources of his Muslim tradition.
They are valuable through conflict, because “one of the things we learn from Emir Abdelkader’s example is that conflict is inevitable,” she explained. “To live in community is to live in conflict. If we don’t care about one another, we don’t have conflict. What we do with the conflict is the test of the moral character of the people who are at the table.”
She advocated changing the course of history not just through action, but by listening and “showing care for those who may not benefit me. Those lessons are more and more important right now.”
Garms and other AEP board members at the forum shared how AEP is supporting those goals through education, including the Abdelkader Global Citizenship Prize, as well as connection.
“The Abdelkader Education Project is a journey of discovery, connecting continents and cultures across centuries. It’s all about relationships, with lessons promoting cultural understanding and global citizenship,” Garms said. “AEP is developing strategies for globalizing Emir Abdelkader as a hero for humanity…from the classroom, to the boardroom and beyond. Our annual AEP forums celebrate Abdelkader’s legacy and value.”
