On March 22, the Syriac Federation of Sweden (SRF) held its annual meeting, electing a new board to lead the organization into the future. The meeting was attended by 11 associations and 24 association representatives and was organized by the Syriac Association in Södertälje at Suryoyo Center, where chairman Syros Melkemichel warmly welcomed all participants. The meeting went through the operational plan step by step, and a strategy for the future was established. The plan will soon be presented to all members across Sweden.
The newly elected board consists of:
Chairman: Habib Dilmac
Treasurer: Samuel Oktay
Secretary: Jakop Yildiz
Board Members: Edouard Khalaf, Georg Barsom, Mourad Pano, Peter Chammas, Ibrahim Akgul, Umit Dag, and Gina Hanna
The board has already begun working on several projects that will be announced shortly. Many of these initiatives are carried out in collaboration with the Syriac-Aramaic Youth Federation (SAUF), a crucial partner as the youth federation has long been a key organization in Sweden. This partnership is essential for strengthening future generations and developing our community.
Chairman Habib Dilmac emphasizes the importance of strengthening local associations, which have struggled for some time due to a lack of support from a functioning national federation.
“Everything we do must be in collaboration or consultation with local associations. Strong associations contribute to a strong federation. We cannot operate as a board and organization without a solid foundation, and that foundation is our local associations.”
Furthermore, Secretary Jakop Yildiz states that direct communication with the associations through a direct web-based program allows the federation to quickly gain insight into their opinions and needs.
“However, it is crucial that the associations themselves respond and have active representatives so that their voices are truly heard.”
Chairman Habib Dilmac also stresses that SRF will be more visible, more vocal, and actively work to strengthen the federation. The launch of the online newspaper Bahro is already a significant step, but it is just one of many initiatives planned for the coming year. The federation also plans to visit local associations to strengthen cooperation and support their development.
In addition, there are still places and cities where Syriacs lack representation or an organized association. The new board is eager to help establish associations or give a voice to those without representation. We encourage anyone interested to contact us so we can explore how to support this process.
The new board is committed to reestablishing the Syriac National Federation as a strong voice for Syriacs both in Sweden and internationally. There is much work ahead, but with joint efforts, we can achieve success.
We encourage everyone who wants to get involved to reach out. Whether you wish to contribute with ideas, work with language, media, integration, finance, youth issues, or support in other ways – your participation is valuable.
Contact the Syriac Federation:
kansli@syrianska-rf.se or +46 707-398 097
