The building were Odai and Salwa used to live in. We in ADFA and Syriac League meet and are in constant contact with refugees in need of help. The following is the story of one family. They live on the outskirts of Beirut in terrible conditions. And have lost hope. They are in limbo. They …
Refugees still in limbo after escape from Isis terror Read More »
– – – June 10, 2014. Botkyrka, Sweden. I am in bed sleeping heavily. The phone starts ringing over and over again, it just won’t stop. I look at the time, it’s way too early. Maybe it’s one of my employees calling in sick. I let him leave a message in my voicemail. The phone …
By: Steve Oshana Over the last couple weeks I have held calls with journalists regarding the planned Kurdish independence referendum. Some of those journalists will likely be covering the referendum as it approaches, but I thought I would share the main points that I have tried to reiterate to the media: 1) The referendum is …
10 Things Journalists Need To Hear About The Kurdish Referendum Read More »
I was in my classroom, setting up for the start of the new school year, which would begin the following week, when I took a quick break and checked my phone. After checking a couple of texts and a quick scroll through my Facebook feed, I saw her face. It looked familiar, so I scrolled …
Religious and ethnic intolerance is what it is. It’s not racism, as we all belong to the same race. Yes. Intolerance to religious beliefs and other ethnicities exists in the 21st century. The question remains, why? What is the root cause of it? It comes down to the inability to accept the beliefs of others …
I still remember my grandmother talking about Karrada when we’d visit my grandparents in Baghdad – the way the “R’s” would roll on her tongue as if to emphasize that it wasn’t another mere suburb but a main thread in the rich cultural tapestry of the city. It was the ‘80s. We slept on …
Just before Congress adjourned for the Easter Holiday, ADFA executive director Steve Oshana submitted powerful testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs outlining the foreign aid priorities for the Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac people. The areas of focus were: Direct aid to indigenous aid organizations and churches, support for local …
ADFA Outlines Foreign Aid Priorities In Testimony Submitted To Congress Read More »
It’s no secret that I love Washington, DC. It’s been my home for almost the past 8 years and I will gladly talk anyone’s ear off who is willing to listen to all the incredible things this town has to offer. The energy, the expansive beauty, the perfect harmony of …
Not a day goes by without A Demand For Action being contacted by people in Syria or Iraq. They may be journalists, activists, but also, for example, a woman whose two daughters have disappeared, or someone from a village where they have had no access to water for weeks. Many also contact us from …
In May 2009, Amme, my father’s sister, called from Chicago to say hello. We made small talk and caught up with one another. She asked how final exams were going and when I would be finished with by junior year of university. Of course she mentioned she was taking her annual trip back home, to …
