Department of Homeland Security

The challenge:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties needed to open the lines of communication with thousands of Arab American and Muslim-American communities throughout the United States but lacked inroads necessary to begin this engagement.

Our role:

Strategic consultation
Over the course of several years, our consultants provided strategic advice for senior officials. We helped them determine which conferences, meetings and gatherings, both in the United States and in Europe, they should attend and with what leaders they needed to build relationships.

Media relations
We have one of the most comprehensive directories of Muslim and Arab media outlets. In addition, we were able to leverage our relationships and significant knowledge of ethnic and international media to assist the Department of Homeland Security in its efforts to communicate with the Arab and Muslim American community. Our efforts led to the first interview by an Arab satellite channel with a senior Department of Homeland Security official.

Engaging religious leaders and students
The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, understands that religious leaders are important stakeholders in order to successfully engage the Muslim-American community.

Our mission was to help each side-both at the DHS and within the Muslim leadership - to improve their understanding of and improve their relationship with one another.

We worked with the prestigious James A. Baker Institute to host a first-ever dialogue with U.S. law enforcement officials and religious leaders. The Religious Leaders Roundtable began the process of building mutual trust and open communication among these important groups.

Outreach Strategists also organized the Roundtable on Security and Liberty: Perspectives of Young Leaders Post-9/11, which took place on campus at Rice University. The discussion afforded an opportunity for federal officials to hear firsthand views of young community leaders. Department Secretary Michael Chertoff met with young American Arab, Muslim, Sikh, South Asian and Middle Eastern leaders to hear the concerns of young people from these communities.

The results:
While a great deal more needs to be done, we are proud of our groundbreaking work for the Department of Homeland Security. In an uncertain world, dialogue and active engagement are essential ingredients for lasting peace and security. And, while no solitary action can in and of itself improve our relationship with the Muslim world, every effort is a worthy endeavor.

Our task was to create relationships where none existed, to identify press outlets that the government had little knowledge of and to engage communities that were feeling increasingly isolated. We began a process that is critical for our country's long-term security.