https://youtu.be/ILD6lZmz0HE Food doesn’t just nourish us — it connects us. Across cultures, perspectives and generations, preparing and sharing meals is a powerful way to strengthen bonds and keep traditions alive. This holiday season, join CoGenerate for an...
Purpose Prize
The Latest from CoGenerate
An end-of-year message from our Co-CEOs: Help us double down on cogeneration
Of all the things that divide us, we see intergenerational connection as the ultimate “short bridge,” in the words of UC Berkeley professor john a. powell. Crossing it brings opportunities to transcend the more difficult divides of race, culture and politics. In the...
In Alaskan Villages, Keeping Musical Traditions Alive Across Generations
We’re partnering with The Eisner Foundation on a new program called Music Across Generations, which explores and celebrates how music brings generations together to bridge divides, create connection, and strengthen communities. This Q&A series shines a light on...
*
Emira Habiby Browne
Purpose Prize Fellow 2009
Browne provides culturally sensitive support services to help new immigrants integrate without fear of losing their identity.
At age 51, Browne – a Palestinian immigrant and social services professional – founded a social service agency in New York to address the needs of the growing Arabic-speaking immigrant community, offering a range of family-focused, culturally competent services to help families successfully integrate into American society. After 9/11, Browne became a leading community advocate for those traumatized by the backlash of discrimination, racial profiling, detentions, and deportations. In 2006, Browne founded a second organization, the Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans, or CIANA, which utilizes integration services designed specifically for immigrants and refugees from the largely Muslim societies of the Middle East and its neighboring countries in Africa and South Asia. Browne recognized the need for a more proactive approach to bridging the culture gap between the American and more traditional Eastern cultures. Rather than waiting for integration to take place through second and third generations, CIANA serves as a welcome center for newcomers, providing them with the appropriate services to help them gain economic independence and integrate into mainstream society without having to relinquish their cultural and religious identities. “We are never too old to effect change and to use our life experiences to fight for what we believe in,” Browne says.