World News

Rebuilding Iraq one book at a time

Etuti Institute builds library in Nineveh Plains October 2018 | By Joe Snell | Photos contributed Nineveh Plains, Iraq – The Etuti Youth Center’s new library in Northern Iraq is not your typical local library. Nearly empty shelves surround a single wooden table and a couch, built into the far edge of…

Martyr’s Day celebrated around the world

Assyrians around the world come together to honor victims August 2018 | By Yasmeen Altaji | Contributions by Rema Shamon, Robina Lajin, Anthony Narsi and Atorina Samuel Tarzana, CA – Spectators in Chicago previewed an original film entitled “The Assyrian Journey.” On the opposite side of the world, others in Wiesbaden,…

Russian Assyrians host AJM for youth exchange

German youth association joins Russians for international collaboration to promote dialogue, unity June 2018 | Photos contributed | By Robina Lajin Correction: This youth exchange was not the first ever Assyrian youth exchange between Germany and Russia, as previously reported. RUSSIA – Nine members of the Assyrian Youth Association of Germany (AJM…

Christmas Spirit spreads in Northern Iraq

The Assyrian Journal | December 2017 | Photos contributed | By Joe Snell Erbil, Iraq – They may not have been home for the holidays, but for thousands of displaced children in Northern Iraq, Christmas spirit remains thanks to an annual gift giving campaign that all began when a girl, recently…

Etuti Institute inspires youth with new leadership program

Dooreh, Iraq – After hiking the jagged mountains of Hakkari in northern Iraq, once an area serving as the north Assyrian frontier, and visiting an ancient Saint George church that dates back to the early years A.D., participants of the inaugural Etuti Institute’s Leadership Program were greeted by one of…

: Chicago, IL – “I never get tired of traveling because I travel for my people and enjoy accomplishing something for my nation. I also love people watching. That’s why I go to the airport an hour earlier, just to sit around and watch everyone and listen to my podcasts. I love people and I get joyful when I hear them laughing. We need more happiness in the world. We don’t see it anymore. Everyone’s head is down, everyone is looking at their phones, everyone is so intense. There is so much conflict in the world, you don’t see anyone laugh anymore. So when I do see those glimpses of joy and happiness, it makes me so happy.”

: Chicago, IL – “I started vlogging to have a more highly produced version of an archive of my life. This year’s vlog of the Assyrian convention is footage from a lot of different things. It’s both the pool parties and something more in-depth and cultural, so a mix of both. I also did a lot of things that doing a vlog for wouldn’t do justice, like the youth summit. You have to be there for that, it’s not the same to see it, you have to be there and interact with people. One day I’m going to look back and have all of these memories nicely produced of what I did at this convention. I encourage everyone to do it.”

: Dallas, TX – “Having grown up in the West, one of the positives is that my girls have the ability to empower themselves. For me, raising girls here is similar to raising boys. I’m going to teach them what I know, whether it’s science, engineering, you name it, it doesn’t make a difference to me their gender. There is no glass ceiling from my perspective, I want them to be as successful as they can be.”

: Dallas, TX – “With motherhood, you first think of all of those happy times of sitting down and playing and going out. But it’s more about giving all of who you are, everything you have, plus more. When you think to yourself, ‘I’ve given everything I have,’ and then they wake up at night one more time and you say, ‘I have to do this again, I have to give more after I’ve already given everything.’ It’s the hardest job and it takes everything out of you, but it’s worth it and you would do it all over again when you see them happy.”

: Dallas, TX – “I started playing soccer in my village. It was a reason to get together as Assyrians every week. We would play soccer and then go eat or hang out. I eventually played for the Assyrian club in Urmi. When I moved to San Jose, I helped found the Infinite Sports Association. Now in Dallas, it’s funny that there are a lot of empty soccer fields that you don’t get elsewhere. We used to pay a lot of money to get a couple hours to play on this type of field. In San Jose, for two hours we would pay almost $250 and here in Dallas this field is free with beautiful grass, free goals, everything free.”

: Chicago, IL – “I grew up in a bad country and couldn’t talk about anything, even our flag because you were always scared of the government. A lot of people don’t know how this flag is special for people. That’s why we do this in our yard, because we want people to recognize that if we didn’t have this American flag then we wouldn’t be sitting in this house today. People fought for this flag, for this freedom so we can sit here together and talk about being both Assyrian and American. You lose one of your identities if you don’t.”