The Syriac Heritage Museum in Ankawa District Centre witnessed the launching ceremony of the second phase of the project “Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Minority Communities in Iraq” in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Antiquities Coalition, on the morning of Sunday 15 October 2023. This took place in the presence of Kurdistan Regional Government Minister of Transport and Communications Anu Johar, US Consul General in Erbil Mark Straw, District Commissioner of Ankawa Rami Nuri, as well as a number of current and former parliamentarians, administrative and government officials, and department directors in Ankawa.
The ceremony began with a speech by Bernard Youssef, Director of Syriac Heritage and the Museum, during which he welcomed the attendees and praised what the project had accomplished in its first phase, as well as the modernisations that affected the Syriac Heritage Museum. He expressed his happiness for the continuation of work in its second phase, rejoicing in its success and services.
This was followed with a speech by the American Consul General, at the beginning of which he praised “the amazing leadership and vision of our hosts Kaldo Ramzi, General Director of Syriac Culture and Arts, and Bernard Youssef, Director of the Syriac Heritage Museum,” expressing pride in supporting the work in this important museum.
He pointed to the pioneering role played by the Christian community in the history of Iraq and in Iraqi society in general, and in enriching the country’s religious and cultural heritage, in addition to its diversity. He added, “It is my pleasure to join you here today, to celebrate another grant of one million dollars in funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to preserve the diverse cultural heritage in Iraq.
Following this was a speech by the Director General of Syriac Culture and Arts, Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, in which he discussed the fruits of the first phase of cooperation with the aforementioned partners and its wonderful results, “aspects of which we can see today in the museum’s halls, and otherwise on its official website, which is presented in four languages: Syriac, Kurdish, Arabic and English.”
He touched on the launch of the second phase of this project, through which “we will be on the verge of a new link in the chain of cooperation and success with our partners and friends, with all the training and educational activities and events it entails, through qualifying cadres capable of introducing the coming generations of our people to the heritage of our ancestors, and equipping them to be more attached to it.”
On behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts, and on behalf of all partners, he thanked the American people for their generous support, the American mission in Iraq, which through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) continues its interest in the cultural heritage of minorities in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as all those who have contributed to the project’s success. He also thanked the regional government, especially Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, for their constant support and assistance.
Then came a speech by Peter Herdrich, founding partner of the Antiquities Alliance, in which he thanked all partners and friends who cooperated with the Alliance in making this project a success. While Dr. Alda Benjamin from the University of Dayton, Ohio, and the project’s research director, touched in her speech on the importance of education in the second phase of the project, and its connection to preserving the rich heritage and authentic culture of the people of this country who have faced marginalisation, displacement and genocide, but seek to preserve the legacy of their ancestors and pass it on to their children.
In conclusion, the guests visited a mini-exhibition depicting stages of the project as an expression of thanks and appreciation for the efforts of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Antiquities Coalition, and other partners in the American mission.
