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At the Mahmoud Darwish cultural center in Nazareth recently, American music from as far back as the 1850s and as recent as 2012 was performed by Arab and Jewish students from all over the country. This concert was a part of the culmination of the Embassy sponsored FocUS program which teaches about U.S. history and society and values through the prism of music.For six months high school and college students studied, sang, and performed music that was born in and out of American social movements. Students performed songs from the CIvil Rights and Women's Rights movements as well as songs that demonstrated American values, such as freedom of speech, religion, and democracy. Songs by Pete Seeger, Ben Harper, Janis Ian, and Ani DiFranco were just a few of the examples of music performed that illustrated how music can promote social justice.On stage the students were joined by professional musicians to create an unforgettable evening of song and spirit in English, Hebrew and Arabic. As a result of the FocUS Music concerts and workshops, students have a deeper understanding of American society, culture, and values, current issues affecting their own communities, and most importantly, the power of music to create positive social change. See the photos at: