On Monday, June 9, 2025, the Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts in Duhok — part of the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Kurdistan Region — organized a festival for children in Alqosh to celebrate World Children’s Day. The event was held in cooperation with the Chaldean Church of Alqosh and the Monastery of Our Lady Guardian of the Crops, which hosted the celebration in its inner courtyard in the center of Alqosh, Nineveh Plain.
The festival opened with a speech by Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, General Director of Syriac Culture and Arts, who emphasized the importance of caring for children, stating that they are a central focus of the Directorate and should also be a priority for other official and community institutions. He added that “our festivals and various activities provide a valuable space for children to develop their talents and intellectual abilities.”
Next came a speech from Father Rudi Al-Saffar, priest of the Alqosh Church, who also highlighted the importance of focusing on children, describing them as the new generation that the future depends on. He stressed the need to develop their mental and physical skills through social and group activities.
The festival featured a variety of activities, including games and competitions that the children joined with excitement and enthusiasm. There was also a short play titled Social Media, which shed light on how people today are often preoccupied with social media. Another play portrayed the first miracle of Jesus Christ at the Wedding at Cana.
The celebration was attended by Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, General Director of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Kurdistan Region; Father John Nicola, head of the Monastery of Our Lady Guardian of the Crops; Father Suleiman Hanna from the Chaldean Parish of Alqosh; a group of staff from the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts in Erbil and Duhok; as well as many local families and children.
