A Demand for Action: From a Social Media Campaign to International Advocacy and Aid Organization
A Demand for Action (ADFA) has its origins when the persecution of Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans and other Middle Eastern minorities had reached a crisis point. In 2014, ISIS extremists invaded the Plains of Nineveh in Northern Iraq and unleashed their reign of terror on the ancestral homelands of the indigenous people of the country. On June 10, when Mosul fell to the terrorist group, an estimated 500,000 civilians fled the city in a panic, among them 200,000 Christians and 200,000 Yazidis. It was time to act and to demand action from the world’s leaders. Led by investigative journalist and human rights activist, Nuri Kino, a group of 25 Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans from 12 different countries launched a massive international social media campaign on July 2, 2014, alerting hundreds of parliamentarians and other leading decision makers to the unfolding tragedy, and demanding that they take forceful action to stop the carnage, and protect these Middle Eastern minorities. The campaign was unique in that we did not represent any political or religious organization. We were, and are still acting as a free non-profit organization of concerned individuals. Following our social media blitz, it was no longer possible for the world’s political leaders to claim ignorance of the existential crisis facing Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs. We also expressed our solidarity with the other minority peoples of Iraq and Syria, including but not limited to Mandeans, Shabaks, Yazidis, and Turkomens, all of whom face similar struggles to safeguard their security and their right to freedom of religion or belief, also to ensure their continuing presence in their ancestral homeland. If we had not acted immediately to demand protection and support for the minorities of Iraq and Syria, they probably would have been exterminated—a tragedy that could still occur, given their declining numbers. And with the extermination of Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs, the legacy of one of the world’s oldest indigenous people—inheritors of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations— would disappear, leaving a stain on humanity’s conscience forever. We are aware that the danger of these minorities being driven from their homelands still persists. The number of Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs in the Middle East has greatly dwindled during the last 20 years. For the first time in history, there are more of them in the worldwide diaspora than in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey. Over the years, ADFA (A Demand For Action) grew into an international humanitarian aid organization in addition to maintaining its advocacy role and giving a voice to voiceless persecuted Middle Eastern minorities. We have coordinated refugee aid projects in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Armenia. Currently we are in Warsaw, engaged in the work of assisting thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have fled the Russian invasion and made their way to Poland. And we are still helping refugees in Lebanon and Syria. We invite you to follow our work on our social media channels. Facebook: www.facebook.com/DemandForAction
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DemandForAction
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ademandforaction
We welcome discussions on these channels, al though there are a few ground rules to keep in mind, in order to maintain a constructive and respectful dialogue. Commercial messages, spam (including unrelated links), po*******hy, and other obscene or unrelated material will be removed at the discretion of the administrators. Threats, harassment, personal attacks, or incendiary language based on race, religion, s*x, s*xual orientation, age, or disability are strictly prohibited. We are a human rights organization and believe in the dignity and worth of every human being, so we will ensure that this code of conduct is respected in all interactions on our social media spaces. If you believe a comment which didn’t violate our terms of use was removed, please send your request for reconsideration to [email protected]
