The Shlama Foundation is a non-governmental organization and registered non-profit aimed at preserving and bettering the lives of

Assyrians Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesopotamia. While they are distinct from ot ...

in Iraq. The organization was created in 2014 in the wake of

ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

taking over swathes of the

Nineveh Plains Nineveh Plains (, Modern ; ; ) is a region in Nineveh Governorate in Iraq. Located to the north and east of the city Mosul, it is the only Christian-majority region in Iraq and have been a gathering point for Iraqi Christians since 2003. Control o ...

, and was founded by activists of the

Assyrian diaspora The Assyrian diaspora ( Syriac: ܓܠܘܬܐ, ''Galuta'', "exile") refers to ethnic Assyrians living in communities outside their ancestral homeland. The Eastern Aramaic-speaking Assyrians claim descent from the ancient Assyrians and are one of t ...

Metro Detroit Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the officia ...

, including Assyrian radio and television host Noor Matti. The operations of the non-profit primarily occur in these diaspora communities, including in Canada and Australia, while most rebuilding and direct involvement occurs in the north of Iraq. The organization is registered as a federal nonprofit in the United States, while it's also registered as a non-governmental organization in the

Republic of Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to th ...

Origins

The Shlama Foundation was originally founded in 2014, in response to the activities of ISIS and the

Fall of Mosul The Fall Of Mosul in Iraq occurred between 4 and 10 June 2014, when Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) insurgents, initially led by Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi, captured Mosul from the Iraqi Army, led by Lieutenant General Mahdi Al-Gha ...

. The activists who had founded the organization felt that the Assyrian community was overshadowed by other events surrounding ISIS, and so the Shlama Foundation was formed to deliver aid as fast as possible. In an interview with

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...

, Noor stated, "When ISIS took over Mosul in 2014, they displaced 120,000 people from their houses...So almost every weekend, I do humanitarian work for the displaced Chaldeans." Former board member John David stated that an additional goal of the Shlama Foundation was to bridge the gap between the Assyrian diaspora and those still living in the

Assyrian homeland The Assyrian homeland is Assyria ( or ), the homeland of the Assyrian people within which Assyrian civilisation developed, located in their indigenous Upper Mesopotamia. The territory that forms the Assyrian homeland is, similarly to the rest ...

, as they believe that immigration and permanent residence outside of the region to be an infeasible solution for the prospects of Assyrian survival and autonomy. By 2017, the group had been able to amass $90,000 with the help of donations. In addition, the Shlama Foundation has collaborated with

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

, American Women for International Understanding, and other organizations to pursue further development of the community post-ISIS.

Missions and Values

The goals and values of the Shlama Foundation are as follows: *Community: To maximize community impact by fostering cooperation and building sustainable relations with churches, NGOs, community leaders and other organizations. *Unity: To embrace the cultural richness of the shared history, language, customs, traditions and beliefs of the Assyrian people (who may also be known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) *Quality: To improve the quality of life by treating people with compassion, respect and dignity. *Teamwork: To create supportive environments and work together to achieve common goals. *Altruism: To act in the best interest of others and promote a culture of volunteerism. *Connectedness: To bridge the gap between the diaspora and the homeland. *Transparency: To provide full financial transparency for all projects with videos, pictures, and receipts for all donations.

Projects

The Shlama Foundation has engaged in a multitude of projects since its initial foundation. As of May 2024, the group has successfully completed 271 projects across the north of Iraq, with an estimated budget of more than $2 million. Many of these projects include the repair of churches and homes, providing medical aid to those in need, creating solar energy panels for farms, delivering Christmas gifts to young children, and many more. The projects cover various aspects of Assyrian life in the country, including emergency cases, cultural preservation, housing, economic initiatives, community building, education, and infrastructure. Other projects that the Shlama Foundation has taken a part of include the ''Population Database'', which keeps track of the number of Assyrians still living in Iraq. As of October 2022, the project estimates that upwards of 140,000 Assyrians remain in Iraq today. Additionally, the organization has started the ''Shlama Football League'', which aims to connect Assyrian youth across their homeland and restore social activities after the impact of ISIS.

References

{{reflist Non-profit organizations based in Iraq Organizations established in 2014 2014 establishments in Iraq Assyrians in Iraq Christianity in Iraq Assyrian organizations Assyrian-American organizations

Origins

Missions and Values

Projects

See also

References