Black March Movement – Detroit
blackmarchdetroit@gmail.com
19. Januar 2011
Assyrische Jugend-Delegierte treffen sich zur ersten internationalen Konferenz der Black March Movement
DETROIT, MICHIGAN- Am 8. Und 9. Januar 2011 kamen zum ersten Mal Jugend-Delegierte aus den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, Kanada und Europa zusammen um an der globalen Konferenz der Black March Movement teilzunehmen. Die Konferenz stellte einen revolutionären und bisher beispiellosen Schritt für die assyrische Diaspora dar, dadurch das Jugendliche von verschiedenen Diaspora-Gemeinschaften, Organisationen und Konfessionen [u.a. die Kirche des Ostens, die Alte Kirche des Ostens, die Chaldäisch-Katholische Kirche, die Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kirche und die Syrisch-Katholische Kirche] zusammen kamen um die Diaspora zu vernetzen und die Ziele der Bewegung zu beschließen, wobei das Thema „Einheit“, ausgedrückt durch das Abkommen der assyrischen Politischen Parteien in Erbil (Irak), betont und bekräftigt wird.
Die Konferenz beinhaltete Vorträge von Experten in verschiedenen Themenfeldern, Debatten über diverse Themen, wie zum Beispiel die aktuelle politische Situation im Irak, den gegenwärtige Status der christlichen Assyrer im Irak und ihre Gefahren, Interessensvertretung in der Diaspora, eine wirtschaftliche Lösung und die Wichtigkeit der Transparenz. André N. Anton’s Film, Defying Deletion, eine Dokumentation über die Verfolgung der Assyrer im Irak, welche sich auf ihre Notlage der Assyrer seit dem Einmarsch im Irak im Jahr 2003 konzentriert, wurde ebenso privat vorgestellt.
Darüber hinaus beinhaltete die Konferenz Workshops in denen die verschiedene vertretenen Diaspora-Gemeinschaften diskutiert wurden, sowie die Hindernisse der „Einheit“ und diverse andere Themen. Schließlich wurde die Konferenz mit einem Beschluss von fünf Zielen für die Black March Movement und die Jugend der assyrischen Diaspora beendet:
i. vernetzen und Stärken der internationalen Diaspora;
ii. entwickeln einer Lösung für wirtschaftliche Investitionen und Wachstum in der Ninive-Ebene;
iii. Schaffung eines Rahmen um weltweite Lobbyarbeit zu leisten;
iv. Erhalten unserer Kultur und Sprache in der Diaspora; und
v. Schaffung von dauerhaften Bindung zur angestammten Heimat.
„Die Konferenz war ein Erfolg und ein bemerkenswerter Schritt vorwärts für die assyrische Diaspora, während wir dunkle und turbulente Zeiten in unserer Heimat gegenübertreten. Es ist unerlässlich das die Diaspora anfängt sich zu organisieren und zusammen zu arbeiten, unabhängig der Konfession, um nicht nur unser Überleben zu sichern, sondern auch unseren Wohlstand, zugleich in der Diaspora und der angestammten Heimat. Diese Bürde fällt auf die Schultern unserer Jugend und diese Konferenz hat gezeigt das die Jugend diese Herausforderung mit offenen Armen akzeptiert,“ sagte Wisam Naoum, Leiter einer Jugendgemeinschaft in Detroit und Jura-Student an der Universität von Michigan.
Mit einem Pakt weiter zusammen zu arbeiten, vereinbarten die Delegierten in einer weiteren Konferenz teilzunehmen, welche voraussichtlich im spät Sommer 2011 in Deutschland stattfinden wird und mehrere Telefonkonferenz im Vorfeld abzuhalten. In der Zwischenzeit werden die Delegierten die Ergebnisse dieser Konferenz ihren Gemeinschaften vorstellen und debattieren und mit Vorfreude anfangen die nächste Konferenz zu organisieren. Ein Video der Konferenz und wichtige Argumentationen werden in naher Zukunft veröffentlicht.
Das assyrische Volk steht dem Verlust ihrer angestammten Heimat gegenüber, ein Land welches seit den großartigen Sumerischen- und Aramäischen Stadt-Staaten, und den Akkadischen, Babylonischen und Assyrischen Reichen, besetzt ist. Dieses und in Verbindung mit dem Assimilationsprozess und der Verbreitung der religiösen Spaltungen, droht das Aussterben der ältesten Zivilisation der Welt. Es müssen Schritte unternommen werden, um diesen Trend aufzuhalten und der erste Schritt ist getan.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Press Release - English
The Black March Movement – Detroit
blackmarchdetroit@gmail.com
Date: January 19th, 2011
Assyrian Youth Delegates Meet for First International Black March Movement Conference
DETROIT, MI – On January 8th and 9th, 2011, youth delegates from across the United States, Canada, and Europe met in Detroit for the Black March Movement’s Inaugural Global Youth Conference. The Conference represented a revolutionary and unprecedented step for the Assyrian diaspora as youths representing various diaspora communities, organizations, and religious sects [including the Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Catholic Church] came together to begin connecting the diaspora and to outline the Movement’s goals while stressing and reiterating the theme of unity expressed by the agreement of the Assyrian political parties in Erbil, Iraq.
The Conference included speeches by experts in various fields, discussing topics such as the current political situation in Iraq, the current status of Christian Assyrians in Iraq and their perils, diaspora advocacy, an economic solution, and the importance of transparency. André N. Anton’s film, Defying Deletion, a documentary about Assyrian persecution in Iraq that focuses on their plight since the U.S. led invasion in 2003, was also privately screened.
Furthermore, the Conference included workshops discussing the diaspora communities represented, obstacles to unity, and various other themes. Finally, the Conference concluded with the outlining of five goals for the Black March Movement and the youth of the Assyrian diaspora:
i. to connect and strengthen the international diaspora;
ii. to develop a vehicle for economic investment and growth in the Nineveh Plains;
iii. to create a framework to collaborate on advocacy efforts worldwide;
iv. to preserve our culture and language in the diaspora; and
v. to create lasting ties to our ancestral homeland.
“The Conference was a success and a remarkable step forward for the Assyrian Diaspora as we face dark and turbulent times in our homeland. It is imperative that the diaspora begin to organize and work together, regardless of religious sect, in order to not only ensure our survival, but our prosperity, both in the diaspora and in our ancestral homeland. This onus falls on the shoulders of our youth and this conference saw the youth accept this challenge with open arms,” said Wisam Naoum, a youth community leader in Detroit and student at the University of Michigan Law School.
Leaving Detroit with a pact to continue to work together, the delegates agreed to participate in another conference which would take place tentatively in the late summer of 2011 in Germany with multiple teleconferences to occur in the run-up to this conference. In the interim, the delegates will present the results of the conference to their communities for discussion and begin to organize in anticipation of the next conference. Video of the Conference and major talking points will be released soon.
The Assyrian people are facing the loss of their ancestral homeland, a land they have occupied since the great Sumerian and Aramaean city-states, and the Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires. This, in conjunction with the assimilation process in the diaspora and the pervasiveness of religious divisions, threatens to drive the world’s oldest civilization to extinction. Steps must be taken to reverse this trend and the first step has been taken.
blackmarchdetroit@gmail.com
Date: January 19th, 2011
Assyrian Youth Delegates Meet for First International Black March Movement Conference
DETROIT, MI – On January 8th and 9th, 2011, youth delegates from across the United States, Canada, and Europe met in Detroit for the Black March Movement’s Inaugural Global Youth Conference. The Conference represented a revolutionary and unprecedented step for the Assyrian diaspora as youths representing various diaspora communities, organizations, and religious sects [including the Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Catholic Church] came together to begin connecting the diaspora and to outline the Movement’s goals while stressing and reiterating the theme of unity expressed by the agreement of the Assyrian political parties in Erbil, Iraq.
The Conference included speeches by experts in various fields, discussing topics such as the current political situation in Iraq, the current status of Christian Assyrians in Iraq and their perils, diaspora advocacy, an economic solution, and the importance of transparency. André N. Anton’s film, Defying Deletion, a documentary about Assyrian persecution in Iraq that focuses on their plight since the U.S. led invasion in 2003, was also privately screened.
Furthermore, the Conference included workshops discussing the diaspora communities represented, obstacles to unity, and various other themes. Finally, the Conference concluded with the outlining of five goals for the Black March Movement and the youth of the Assyrian diaspora:
i. to connect and strengthen the international diaspora;
ii. to develop a vehicle for economic investment and growth in the Nineveh Plains;
iii. to create a framework to collaborate on advocacy efforts worldwide;
iv. to preserve our culture and language in the diaspora; and
v. to create lasting ties to our ancestral homeland.
“The Conference was a success and a remarkable step forward for the Assyrian Diaspora as we face dark and turbulent times in our homeland. It is imperative that the diaspora begin to organize and work together, regardless of religious sect, in order to not only ensure our survival, but our prosperity, both in the diaspora and in our ancestral homeland. This onus falls on the shoulders of our youth and this conference saw the youth accept this challenge with open arms,” said Wisam Naoum, a youth community leader in Detroit and student at the University of Michigan Law School.
Leaving Detroit with a pact to continue to work together, the delegates agreed to participate in another conference which would take place tentatively in the late summer of 2011 in Germany with multiple teleconferences to occur in the run-up to this conference. In the interim, the delegates will present the results of the conference to their communities for discussion and begin to organize in anticipation of the next conference. Video of the Conference and major talking points will be released soon.
The Assyrian people are facing the loss of their ancestral homeland, a land they have occupied since the great Sumerian and Aramaean city-states, and the Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires. This, in conjunction with the assimilation process in the diaspora and the pervasiveness of religious divisions, threatens to drive the world’s oldest civilization to extinction. Steps must be taken to reverse this trend and the first step has been taken.
L-R: (front row) Basil Bacall, Robert Ablahad, Wisam Naoum, Ranna Abro, Waleeta Canon, Margaret Khamoo, Sanharib Simsek, Nadia Younan, Bianca Golani (back row) Elmer Abbo, Andre Halabu, Michael Youash, Nesrine Ide, Rob Yalda Esha, Martin Youmaran, Christopher Sesi, Riva Gewarges, Sherly Kyorkis, Audi Shlimon, Lara Georgis, Mariam Georgis, Peter Putros, Arbela Baba, Joseph Danavi, Nahrain S. Rasho, Lawrence Mansour, Alex David, Aneki Nissan, Evette Shahara, André N. Anton
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