Assyrian Academic Society

The Assyrian Academic Society (AAS) was established in 1983, as an academic, educational and minority organization of Assyrians in the United States. From its foundation, AAS was based in Chicago, a city with one of the largest communities of Assyrian Americans. It was established as a non-governmental organization dedicated to promotion of Assyrian cultural and historical heritage. Its activities included organization of lectures and seminars, promotion of Assyrian literature and native language, and cooperation with other Assyrian organizations, both in the United States and worldwide. Its goal was to serve as a center for advancement and promotion of cultural developments within the Assyrian diaspora and to introduce Assyrian heritage to the outside world. The organization was a registered 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, without political affiliations.[1][2][3][4]

Assyrian Academic Society
AbbreviationAAS
Formation1983
Founded atChicago
TypeNon-governmental organization
Official language
English and Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
AffiliationsMESA
Websitehttp://www.aas.net

Activities
Since 2019, traditional roles of AAS among Assyrians in the USA were continued by the Assyrian Studies Association

Since 1986, ASS was associated with the publishing of the Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society, but in 1997 several disputes arose, resulting in the creation of two editorial boards. The one under the jurisdiction of ASS continued to publish the journal under its original name, until 2000, while the other initiated publishing of separate editions under a new name: Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies. The latest issue of the journal appeared in 2015.[5][6]

In 1996, the "Assyrian Dictionary Project" was initiated by AAS, aimed to create new editions of English-Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) and Assyrian-English dictionaries,[7] also engaging in other linguistic projects, aimed to popularize native languages.[8]

In 1999, AAS joined a series of discussions, initiated by the United States Census Bureau in relation to complex questions of ethnic designations, that would be used in the forthcoming 2000 United States census. As a result of those discussions, AAS supported a compromise solution, proposed by the Census Bureau, that was based on the use of a compound "Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac" designation for all communities that self-identify with those appellations.[9][10]

Since 2003, AAS joined efforts of Assyrian diaspora aimed to support Assyrians in Iraq in their endeavors to secure national, religious and other minority rights, and achieve constitutional recognition in Iraq.[11][12]

In 2005, AAS initiated a new project, known as the "Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project", headed by Michael Youash, and aimed to secure and improve collective rights of Assyrians and other minority communities in Iraq.[13][14][15] The project received support from various Assyrian organizations, and from several USA institutions and politicians, including Congressman Mark Kirk.[16][17]

Within the field of Middle Eastern studies, AAS cooperated with the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA),[18] participating in activities and programs that received acknowledgment by scholars working in the field.[19][20]

Since 2014, collective efforts in the fields of organization and promotion of academic and educational activities among Assyrian Americans were regrouped and restructured, and in 2019 new organization was created: the "Assyrian Studies Association",[21] that continued traditional cooperation with MESA,[22] previously established and conducted by AAS over the course of two decades.[23]

See also

References
  1. Assyrian Academic Society (2001): About the AAS
  2. Bylaws of the Assyrian Academic Society
  3. Odisho, Edward (1988). "Why the Assyrian Academic Sociaty?" (PDF). iass.org. pp. 2–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-02-17. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  4. Donabed, Sargon; Donabed, Ninos (2006). Assyrians of Eastern Massachusetts. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 9, 123. ISBN 978-0-7385-4480-9.
  5. "Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society". zindamagazine.com. 1998. Archived from the original on 2001-04-11. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  6. Paulissian, Robert (1997). "Forging On" (PDF). Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-02-28. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  7. Brock, Sebastian P.; Taylor, David G. K. (2001). The Hidden Pearl: At the turn of the third millennium; the Syrian Orthodox witness. Trans World Film Italia. pp. 45–55.
  8. Mesquita, Bruce Bueno De; Joseph, Professor Brian D. (2003). When Languages Collide: Perspectives on Language Conflict, Language Competition, and Language Coexistence. Ohio State University Press. pp. 222–234. ISBN 978-0-8142-0913-4.
  9. US Census 2000 Classification: Assyrian Academic Society's Official Statement (1999)
  10. Zenda Magazine (1999): Assyrian Academic Society on the Census 2000 issue
  11. "RIGHTS: Assyrians Face Escalating Abuses in "New Iraq"". Inter Press Service. 2006-05-03. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  12. "Position Paper (II): ChaldoAssyrian Churches In Iraq" (PDF). The Assyrian Academic Society. 2004-05-01. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2006-01-09. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  13. "Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project". www.iraqdemocracyproject.org. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  14. Donabed, Sargon (2015-02-01). Reforging a Forgotten History: Iraq and the Assyrians in the Twentieth Century. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-8605-6.
  15. Bocheńska, Joanna (2018-10-26). Rediscovering Kurdistan's Cultures and Identities: The Call of the Cricket. Springer. pp. 213–257. ISBN 978-3-319-93088-6.
  16. "Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project". www.iraqdemocracyproject.org. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  17. Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations for 2006: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress: First Session, Washington: 2005, p. 459, 463.
  18. Zenda Magazine (2002): Assyrians at the MESA Conference in November 2002
  19. Travis 2010, p. XXV: "The Assyrian Academic Society and the Middle East Studies Association, during their annual meetings and in their publications, have provided excellent fora to share research and ideas about the Middle East and its history."
  20. Boháč 2019, p. 69: "An important institution for these activities is the AAS (Assyrian Academic Society) in Chicago."
  21. Assyrian Studies Association (ASA)
  22. MESA Partner Organizations: Assyrian Studies Association
  23. Zenda Magazine (1997): The Assyrian Academic Society in Chicago

Sources
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