“Exiled Excellence”
In a milestone development and a very first of its’ kind ceremony in the long history of our people, and in an environment full of harmony, togetherness and love, and in the spirit and ethics of appreciation, acknowledgment and care, we celebrated academic excellence, albeit in exile.
Assyrian Australian Medical Association (AAMA), and in line with its’ core establishing objectives, and jointly together with the presence of members of our diverse community from the Assyrian, Chaldean & Syriac people, along with guests from other minorities, celebrated the service of excellent high achievers in the different fields of science which included; Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacology, Psychology, Pathology, Radiology, Nursing & Chemistry
This was probably the first time ever, not that that was the goal or intent, in the history of our community that our academics have been recognised, acknowledged and rewarded for their achievements and services to our people in particular and to the humanity at large in such number and by their very own people represented by AAMA.
AAMA is a not-for-profit professional medical/health organization legally registered in NSW Australia which was established in November 2021 when medical doctors from different fields of medicine and from the Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac community in Sydney got together respectfully and harmoniously after becoming aware and concerned of the impact that COVID-19 had on our own people particularly which exposed the lack of real organizational entities of academic and professional background dedicated to providing education and special services to our people.
The founders of this professional and academic institution had nothing else in mind but getting together in spirit of community centred care to provide better services and elevate the health and intellectual standards of our people.
The president Dr. Mariam Joseph explained in her opening speech how AAMA was established with great objectives and vision in sight and that it is high time for the academics, medics, health professionals or others, to get together and organise to find support and strength and recognition in each other, to strengthen themselves as the intellectual unit in our own society, in the ultimate aim of better servicing our own people in the fields of expertise of each individual professional and beyond.
Also, she emphasized that AAMA acknowledges that for any community or society to prosper and succeed in aspiring and reaching great achievements, it requires and necessitates the active engagement and involvement of the academics, intellectuals and high achievers.
Moreover; AAMA envision empowering our women to be pivotal in this process and seeks to educate, advocate and elevate them to rise to the task and take more initiatives and leadership roles in all aspect of societal avenues, which is a message that was strongly echoed in the speech of AAMA president Dr. Mariam Joseph, a high achieving academic Assyrian woman herself.
During this event which took place on Sunday 16.04.2023 at Eden Venues, Nineveh Club in Sydney-Australia, and under the banner of “AAMA Awards & Future Vision Ceremony”, the biography of each celebrated award recipient were recited detailing their achievement during the long years of their services.
It was both humbling and proud moments to know about having such excellent individuals is our community who reached high levels of education and achievements and who also harbour complete sense of oneness and togetherness despite their different affiliation and irrespective of their countries of origin. We have award recipients who were originally from Iraq, Syria & Lebanon and we also have members from Iran & Egypt.
It was also an opportunity to remember and honour with grace the fallen colleagues who gave their utmost sacrifice while serving their people. It touched the heart and souls of everyone when Dr. Milad Youkhana (AAMA treasurer) told the story of the Late Dr. Hicham Batou & Late Dr. Abd Elmasih Nawaia who both were killed by the extremist barbaric group ISIS in Syria. They were both remembered and honoured for their service and sacrifice.
It was especially touching and humbling to know about the bravery of Dr. Nawaia who rejected the opportunity of being released from captivity with his ill mother in order to stay back with his people who were kept hostage so that he can look after their health, and in doing so and in objecting to the barbaric treatments of ISIS to the captives, he was later executed mercilessly.
It is stories and struggles and ordeals like these that give us more determination to come together in love and harmony for the sake of all.
Assyrian Australian Medical Association once again congratulates all award recipients.
However; the biggest congratulatory award really and deservedly goes to our community at large for producing and having such excellence and high standards of professionalism from within.
AAMA also works to reach out in particular to our youth to look up and aspire to higher education and high careers in any field of their interest and to be part of organizational entities for the sake of networking and strengthening the woven fabric of our uniquely diverse yet cohesive Omta.
AAMA will continue in staging such events and others like medical conferences, educational seminars/webinars, community projects and other initiative in line with our objectives and as it grows it will provide more and more.
May the soul of the fallen colleagues, our martyrs and all others rest in heavenly peace, and sincere condolences go to their families, relatives, friends and all our people.
For more details click on the link
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0uh6yTs7v4Jieq82HGZTAm3hmFUZQfRJQuScmVhnrWnCsmBdEx4atey9dZuVvk2FDl&id=100078247425101&mibextid=qC1gEa