World Council of Arameans

World Council of Arameans (Syriacs),[1] previously known as the Syriac Universal Alliance (Syriac: ܚܘܝܕܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܬܒܝܠܝܐ, romanized: Ḥuyōdō Suryōyō Tbelōyō), is an international non-government umbrella organization, whose membership consists of several national associations, representing Arameans (also known as Syriac) from various countries around the world.[2][3] Position of the SUA/WCA president is regarded as representative within Aramean/Syriac community.[4] Since 2009, the organization is presided by Johny Messo.[5]

World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)
AbbreviationWCA
PredecessorSyriac Universal Alliance
Formation1983
Founded atNew Jersey
TypeNon-governmental organization
Legal statusSpecial Consultative Status within the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Official language
Neo-Aramaic languages
President
Johny Messo
Websitewca-ngo.org

Activities
Arameans
Syro-Hittite states
Aramean kings
Aramean cities
Sources

The organization was founded in on 16 July 1983, in New Jersey, as the Syriac Universal Alliance (SUA), on the initiative of the American Aramaic Association and the Swedish Syriac Federation. It was later joined by several other Aramean organizations from various countries. In 1999, SUA was given a Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council.[6][7][8]

From 1999 to 2002, the organization was presided by Habib Afram (b. 1954), an Aramean/Syriac politician from Lebanon.[9] He was succeeded by Gabriel Marawgeh, an Aramean/Syriac politician from Sweden, who represented SUA at the conference on genocide against Aramean people, held on 6 November 2007 in Brussels, under auspices of the European Parliament.[10]

Under the presidency of Johny Messo (since 2009), the organization intensified its support for the notion of Aramean continuity, and also for the promotion of Arameandom (Oromoyutho),[11] primarily among those who self-identify as Arameans, but some wider concepts are also advocated. On several occasions, representatives of SUA/WCA stated that some other Aramaic-speaking communities of the Near East, such as modern Assyrians and modern Chaldeans, should also be viewed as Arameans,[12] thus advancing a pan-Aramean narrative, that provoked reactions from other communities.

Representatives of SUA/WCA have criticized the policy of Arabization, that was affecting both linguistic and ethnic identity of Arameans and other non-Arab communities in some Arab countries, particularly in Syria.[13]

In 2011, as a result of cooperation between SUA and the Council of Europe, an educational program was initiated, under the name: "1st Aramean Young Leadership Programme: The Road to the Future".[14]

In 2012, official name of the organization was changed to World Council of Arameans (Syriacs).[15] New name was adopted in order to emphasize and promote Aramean identity, but traditional Syriac designation was also kept, as a symbol of continuity.[16][17][18]

In 2015, WCA had an active role in manifestations commemorating centenary (1915-2015) of genocides committed by the Ottoman Empire against various Christian communities in the Near East.[19]

In 2016, representatives of WCA participated in conference "The Alarming Situation and Persecution of Aramean Christians" that was held on 25 May in Brussels, organized by the European People's Party group of the European Parliament.[20][21]

WCA delegation participated at the "Third International Conference on the victims of ethnic and religious violence in the Middle East", that was held in Brussels, on 14 May 2018, under auspices of Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[22][23]

In 2019, WCA representative Hala Naoum Néhmé, an Aramean politician from the Netherlands, was selected by the UN and appointed by Geir Otto Pedersen (UN Special Envoy for Syria) as one of 50 selected members of the Syrian Constitutional Committee.[24][25]

Mission
Aramean flag

"The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) is dedicated to answer the call to protect and secure the rights, liberty and equality of the Aramean people, safeguard and promote the cultural heritage of its ancestors, ensuring justice, and uniting all its people as a self-determined and internationally recognized Aramean nation."[26]

Members of the WCA
WCA Youth Academy

The current member-organizations of WCA are:[27]

See also

References
  1. "World Council of Arameans [Syriacs] - Home". wca-ngo.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  2. "Home". Soporte Completo. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  3. Dos Santos 2017, p. 22.
  4. Atto 2011b, p. 198: "Among the Syrianska elite, especially those individuals who are personally active in the Syrianska secular organizations tend to perceive the president of SUA (Syriac Universal Alliance) as the person in charge of the 'amo Suryoyo. Consequently, on the local level they identify with Syrianska organizations which are connected to SUA."
  5. "World Council of Arameans [Syriacs] - WCA Board". wca-ngo.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  6. Brock & Witakowski 2001, p. 124.
  7. Sengo 2002.
  8. Mutlu-Numansen & Ossewaarde 2019, p. 422.
  9. Gedeon 2005, p. 30.
  10. e.V, A. G. A. "News - Brüssel, 6. November 2007, 15:00 bis 18:00: Informations- veranstaltung im Europäischen Parlament über den Völkermord an den Aramäern". Arbeitsgruppe Anerkennung (AGA). Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  11. Atto 2011a, p. 349-350.
  12. Syriac Universal Alliance: 2011 Turkey Report: Recommendations for promoting and protecting the human rights of Syriac (Aramean) Christians
  13. Smyth 2012, p. 32-33.
  14. SUA Youth Academy 2011.
  15. "World Council of Arameans [Syriacs] - Name change: SUA to WCA". wca-ngo.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  16. Woźniak 2015.
  17. Bakker-Kellogg 2015, p. 440.
  18. Bakker-Kellogg 2019, p. 478.
  19. Mutlu-Numansen & Ossewaarde 2019, p. 414, 419, 422-424.
  20. "Annual Activity Report 2016 of the EPP Group in the European Parliament". Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  21. "EPP Group in the European Parliament". www.eppgroup.eu. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  22. "Third International Conference on the victims of ethnic and religious violence in the Middle East". Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  23. "World Council of Arameans [Syriacs] - WCA President speaks at 3rd International Conference on Victims of Religious and Ethnic Violence in the Middle East". wca-ngo.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  24. "Syria's Constitutional Committee: The Devil in the Detail". Middle East Institute. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  25. "World Council of Arameans [Syriacs] - Female Aramean Christian in Syria Constitutional Committee - one of five proposed WCA candidates has been selected by the UN". wca-ngo.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  26. The Mission of the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) | World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)
  27. "World Council of Arameans [Syriacs] - Member Federations". wca-ngo.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  28. "Syriac Association of Australia". Apr 30, 2013. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  29. "Over SAFN". aramesefederatie.org. Nov 14, 2015. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  30. "Syrianska Riksförbundet". syrianska.org. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  31. "MEMBRO WCA". www.fas-ev.ch. Retrieved Sep 14, 2022.
  32. Weaver & Kiraz 2016, p. 33.

Sources
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