12 CHALDEAN NEWS
12 CHALDEAN NEWS MAY 2011
NOTEWORTHY Chaldeans Gather at California Conference More than 300 Chaldean leaders from around the world met in California March 30-April 1 to launch an organization to address challenges facing refugees and press for changes in Iraq. Participants said the three-day conference in Rancho San Diego underscored the prominent role that area Chaldeans play in their Christian-based culture worldwide. More than 35,000 Chaldeans, many of them refugees from war-torn Iraq, call the El Cajon area of Southern California home. The region has the second-largest concentration of the group in the United States, behind Detroit. San Diego attorney Steven Yonan, who helped organize the gathering, said it included Chaldeans from at least 15 countries including Australia, Canada and Norway. “This is the first time the community has united in a single place to form an organization that can speak for Chaldeans worldwide,” he told the San Diego Union Tribute. During the event, centered at St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral, participants voted to create the Chaldean International Congress. The 15-member body will represent Chaldean interests and lobby the U.S. government and other entities worldwide. The group also celebrated the Chaldean New Year and the year 7311. Organizations Elect Officers Seven candidates recently ran for four open seats on the board of directors for the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity. Elected to two-year terms are Ann Antone, Lillian McKay Shallal, Rita Foumia and Linda Roye Mikhail. They join current board members LeeAnn Kirma (president), Gloria Kass (vice president), Julie Garmo (secretary), Suhair Kallabat and Margaret Butti. In Glendale, California, the Assyrian Aid Society of America elected Ashur Yoseph as its third president in the organization’s 20-year history. Narsai M. David, who had served as president for 18 years, was elected chairman of the board. Award Winning The Chaldean News and the Jewish News (JN) received first-place honors at the Excellence in Journalism Awards last month by the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Chaldean News’ Vanessa Denha Garmo and Jewish News’ Bob Sklar shared an award for their joint piece, “A Well-Rooted Friendship.” It was the opening story of the Building Community project, the collaboration between the Chaldean News and Jewish News. Sklar also received a lifetime achievement award and a second award. Look for the Building Community insert in this month’s edition. Iraq Bars Street Protests Iraqi officials have barred street protests in Baghdad, and restricted approved demonstration sites to three football stadiums in the capital. The decision last month comes after regular rallies in the city against government corruption, unemployment and poor basic services, among protests across the country following uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. “We have specified Al-Shaab, Kashafa and Zawraa stadiums as permitted sites for demonstrations in Baghdad instead of Ferdus or Tahrir squares,” the capital’s security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta said at a news conference. “Many shop owners and street vendors have called us and complained to us because demonstrations have affected their work and the movement of traffic.” Iraqis have been regularly protesting since late February around the country, from the Kurdish north to the Shiite south, as demonstrations have swept across the Middle East. On April 17, Iraqi police opened fire on stonethrowing crowds protesting government corruption in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. At least 35 people were wounded, some of them by gunfire. It was the latest protest to turn violent in Sulaimaniyah, a city in the normally peaceful Kurdish region where demonstrations calling for political and economic reforms have been held nearly every day over the last several months. More than eight years after the US-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, most Iraqis subsist on around three hours of main power per day, filling the gap with expensive generators, and most lack clean water. – Associated Press and Assyrian International News Agency, aina.org Meet the Sheriff Close to 100 people attended a meet-and-greet with Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon at Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield last month. The Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers helped coordinate the evening with Chaldeans employed with Wayne County, including Stephen Yatooma, IT director for the Sheriff’s Department. The intent was to strengthen the relationship between Chaldean business owners, Napoleon and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. Men Welcome on Retreat Feeling tired and need time for unwinding and reflection, or overwhelmed by the challenges of life and seeking the meaning and purpose of it all? Dave Nona says to consider making a retreat at Manresa Jesuit Retreat House with fellow seekers June 3-5. “A retreat is a time of quiet rest when you get away from the ordinary demands of life, a time to get a better perspective on the deeper meaning of your life, a time to come into closer contact with God, a time for reconciliation and peace,” he said. This retreat is for men only; there are other weekend retreats for women. For more information call Nona at (248) 932-9333 or Andrew Kassab at (248) 865-7227. Blessed Event Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit was packed with Chaldeans on April 15 to not only view but actively participate in the Live Stations of the Cross. This musical drama was originally produced at Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington but since its debut 10 years ago, it has expanded. Nearly 800 people filled the pews for the 90-minute production; ECRC sponsored the April 15 performance. Karam Bahnam helped organize the ticket sales with Neran Karmo and also portrayed Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry Jesus’ cross. MAY 2011 CHALDEAN NEWS 13
