Aram goes to the Holy Land
WCA, its Member Federations and Aram Tours invite you to this unforgettable trip! From 25 September till 5 October, we offer 50 Arameans the exclusive opportunity to join us on a 10-day spiritual and cultural journey to the land of the Bible.
Genocide of religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East perpetrated by ISIS: Music as the Bridge to Peace
ADF International and the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”) are inviting you for a side event on Thursday, 17 March 2016, at the United Nations Office in Geneva that aims at raising awareness about the threat of extinction of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, including Yezidis and Aramean Christians, who are victims of genocide.
Genocide constitutes the most horrific of human rights violations, leading to the total or partial destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. The European Parliament already reacted and approved a resolution on 4 February 2016, condemning the ongoing atrocities in the aforementioned countries and recognizing them as genocide.
The investigations, reports and conclusions from the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and other efforts are also important steps. Resolutions by the Human Rights Council and the Security Council recognizing the acts committed by ISIS as genocide are of urgent importance in order to end the violence. Therefore, your participation and support would be greatly appreciated.
Speakers:
• Ms. Mariela Shaker, Syrian Refugee and professional classical violinist
• Ms. Jacqueline Isaac, Lawyer, Vice President of Roads of Success
Moderator:
• Mr. Johny Messo, President, World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)
Conclusion and Geneva Declaration on Genocide of Religious and Ethnic Minorities:
• Mr. Rubén Navarro, Senior UN Counsel, ADF International
In addition, Ms. Mariela Shaker will give a 15-minute violin concert. Ms. Shaker is an Aramean Christian refugee from Aleppo, Syria, who was named a “Champion of Change” by President Barack Obama and honored at the White House on World Refugee Day last year. A DePaul University graduate student working toward a master’s degree in musical performance, she also is the WCA Ambassador of Peace, using the power of music to highlight the plight of refugees from her homeland and to provide inspiring ways to healing and reconciliation in Syria.
Ms. Mariela Shaker (center)
RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 March, if you do not have an entry badge to the UN.
Refreshments will be provided. French interpretation will be available.
Click here to download the Press Release in PDF
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WE WILL NOT REST UNTIL YOU ARE BACK HOME! (abducted on Monday 22 April 2013)
SYRIA’S KIDNAPPED CHURCH LEADERS STILL MISSING AFTER ONE YEAR
Over one year ago, on 22 April 2013, the Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, H.E. Gregorius Hanna Ibrahim, and H.E. Boulos al-Yazigi, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo and Iskenderun, were abducted by a rebel group near the Turkish-Syrian border. Their car was intercepted and the Aramean driver was shot dead, during or after the attack.
Documentary screening: The Wait
On Wednesday 28 March 2018, a special screening of the documentary The Wait will be organised in London. The documentary, by Susie Attwood, follows several Aramean families from Syria, who have found temporary refuge at the Syriac Orthodox Saint Gabriel Monastery in Beirut, Lebanon. Many of these refugees are awaiting visa approvals for, what they hope, will be a chance at a better life in the West.
CHRISTIANS FROM SYRIA SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE: HISTORIC CONFERENCE IN GENEVA ON 8 MAY 2014
Click here to download the Press Release in PDF
Tomorrow, on 8 May 2014, a historic conference will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, where seven senior religious and secular leaders from Syria’s largest Christian churches will speak in a unified voice on the situation in their homeland, which is the cradle of civilization and Christianity. In addition, significant meetings at the United Nations are scheduled for Friday.
Tomorrow’s conference, titled “Christians in Syria: The Challenge of Speaking with One Voice,” will start at 8 pm at the Espace Fusterie (18, Place de la Fusterie) in Geneva and is open to the public.
