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2006
Articles
LACC Event report
5-29-06
From: American Lebanese National Movement (ALNM) pio@alnm.net
Houston, Texas –Few short months after releasing the “Lebanese Monthly”
magazine, Councilman John Akouri of Michigan launched the Lebanese American
Chamber of Commerce (LACC) with an impressive “2006 Golden Cedar Awards” Night
of a Hundred Stars Gala that was sold out before the announcements were even
out. On Friday, May 19th, a crowd of Lebanese and non-Lebanese alike merged into
the luxurious Wyndham Garden Hotel with great anticipation, judges, congressman,
local celebrities and citizens alike, to celebrate Lebanese Leadership in
America.
LACC presented the Golden Cedar honoring great Lebanese men and women:
· Christa McAuliffe, Teacher and Astronaut
· Bobby Rahal, Legendary Racecar Champion
· Octavia Nasr, CNN Anchor and Reporter
· Samuel Saad III, Esq, United States Dept. of Labor
LACC also recognized the Business Achievements of:
· James LaHood- Sarkis, Businessman of the Year.
· Hayat (Heidi) Ghafari-Stein, Businesswoman of the year.
· Michigan Food and Beverage Association & Michigan Business and Professional
Association, 2006 business Association of the Year.
LACC Honorary Host Committee Members included
· Former Ford CEO Mr. Jacques Nasser, Chairman
· Casey Kasem, Dr. Donna Shalala, US Rep. Charles Boustany, Co-Chairs
LACC’s keynote speaker and distinguished honoree was Alex Michael Azar, Deputy
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human services, the highest ranking
Lebanese American official serving under the Bush Administration today.
Akouri, speaking to the maximum capacity audience said, “As Lebanese Americans,
we share not only pride in our heritage, but a successful history of business,
trade and commerce handed down to us by our Phoenician ancestors – the world’s
first merchants. The United States and Lebanon have long shared both diplomatic
and cultural ties forging a relationship built on mutual respect. So then, on
this historic evening, let us remember the words of Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran
when he wrote in his message to young Americans of Lebanese descent:
‘It is to stand before the towers of New York, Washington, Chicago and San
Francisco saying in your heart, "I am the descendant of a people that built…Byblos,
and Tyre and Sidon, and Antioch, and now I am here to build with you, and with a
will.’
Together we shall echo these same sentiments and collectively build an economic
powerhouse that benefits all those who draw on the leadership of the national
Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce.”
Representing the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), Dr. Hamid
Kantara, ALNM chairman presented the “LACC Special Tribute to Astronaut Christa
McAuliffe” to her beautiful mother Ms. Grace George Corrigan after talking about
the importance of NASA’s mission and the impact the Space Program has on our
daily lives.
“If you want a First Class event, you want John Akouri. No one puts an event
together the way John does, it is as simple as that,” stated Dr. Hamid Kantara,
ALNM Chairman. “A Former Press Secretary to a U.S. Senator and elected official
himself, John’s commitment and devotion to Lebanon is to be envied. We look
forward to establishing a board of director for LACC-Houston very soon. ALNM is
currently negotiating with LACC to have its 2007 Golden Cedar Awards Gala here
in Houston.”
“ALNM continues to build its network of Lebanese organizations who are working
hard to promote a positive image of our culture and heritage,” stated Dr.
Kantara. “Where we see hard working people or individuals working for Lebanon
and the future of our children, there we will also be to offer our support and
encouragement. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. When one of us fails, we
all fail. The sooner we all come together, the sooner we can ensure a Lebanon
that our children can be proud of.”
For more information on the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce, visit
www.lebanesechamber.org ; for information on ALNM, visit
www.alnm.net
or email us
pio@alnm.net
Los Angeles-Beirut Sister City Historic
Project
The purpose of the Los Angeles- Beirut Sister City project is to enhance the
relationship between the people of Los Angeles and the people of Lebanon. This
project will foster friendship, knowledge, commerce, and understanding between
these two people through exchange of culture, education, public works, health
services, arts, science, sports and industry.
On June 28 2006 an official delegation, headed by Council President Garcetti and
Councilmember Zine, is heading to Beirut to sign this historic agreement.
For those interested in helping or learning more please contact Mr. Wehbe at
323-465-6591 or email him at
ferris@hlrsh.com.
Please visit the website
www.labeirut.org
and share with friends.
Lebanese ingenuity can get you to the Olympics-
From MIT Alumni News
http://alum.mit.edu/ne/noteworthy/news-features/antaki.html?tr=y&auid=144554
Alumni Home >
News & Events >
Noteworthy > News & Features
 Patrick Antaki '84 competes in Nagano, Japan at the 2003 World Championships. |
Patrick Antaki '84, a self-employed engineer and entrepreneur living in Texas, is not your typical Olympian. He's never even been much of an athlete, except for some recreational rugby. So how did he end up competing in the Winter Olympics in Torino? He decided to make it happen.
Antaki saw televised coverage of the sled racing sport called skeleton four years ago during the Salt Lake City Olympics, when the sport reappeared after a 54-year hiatus. He's never had visions of Olympic glory, but Antaki was looking for something different to do. Different turned out to be a sport involving one person on a sled careening down a slick bobsled/luge track at speeds up to 80 mph. There are no brakes, and subtle weight shifts serve for steering.
 Patrick Antaki '84 represented his birth country of Lebanon in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. |
Some 12 international competitions and nearly 500 runs later, Antaki secured a coveted spot at the Torino Games representing his birth country of Lebanon, where he has dual citizenship. He's the first non-skier to represent the Middle Eastern nation in the games and joined two skiers to form the 2006 team.
How did he do it? "Nothing was for sure, of course, but I did my homework, read everything I could about the sport, talked to a bunch of people, and actually tried it. And even though I was really terrible at it for the first year, I had a pretty good idea of what it would take to get up to the level where I could get into the Olympics," Antaki says. "The message is simple: if you're smart, and you study, even though this is an athletic thing, using your brain actually does help."
Antaki qualified for the Olympics in January at the Challenge Cup in Germany, securing the last of eight spots in the level of worldwide competition one tier below the World Cup circuit. He beat out 21 other competitors for the slot.
The Olympic competition played out according to Antaki's expectations, although he was slightly unnerved at the media spectacle. "It's the first time I actually was in the same race with the world's best in the sport," he says. "My goal was just to get there and to finish and that was it, fully expecting to be last." His last place finish, eight and a half seconds behind the gold medal winner, however, was encouraging enough to set his sights on Vancouver in 2010.
The trick to skeleton, Antaki says, is negotiating the many variables: a slider's weight and speed, the weather, ice quality, how well the sled's runners are polished, how one enters turns. "This is very much a skill sport, and it just takes time to get good at it." And, of course, Antaki puts his MIT degree in electrical engineering to good use.
"I very quickly realized that there was no science developed in this sport," he says, noting the contradictory advice he received from fellow racers. "Over time, I've figured out that people don't really know what works. It's just a lot of trial and error." As a result, Antaki souped up his training sled with accelerometers, gyroscopes, and a camera to record data and compare runs to discern useful tactics.
"I think I'm at the point now where this is really going to help," he says. "My theory is that it will help me to get better faster." Next year, he'll spend time in Calgary and perhaps Lake Placid, training at two of the handful of tracks in North America. And next time he competes with the world's best, he vows that he won't be last. "I know exactly what I have to do to get to that level, and it's going to take time," he says. Time and a little science and engineering.
By Amy Marcott February 27, 2006
About Turning Point Publishing House
Are you planning a trip to visit relatives in Lebanon, or simply nostalgic for the homeland and wanting to find out a bit more about daily life in the country? Search no further …. Turning Point, an independent publishing house, based in Beirut, Lebanon, produces quality guides and books about Lebanon or on a Lebanese theme. We got started in 2000 and have been busy ever since, with several interesting book projects in the pipeline.
To date we have produced three different guides ‘At Home in Beirut’ – third edition to be released in October, ‘Family Fun in Lebanon’ and ‘Map ‘n Lebanon – Beirut’. Detailed, informative and colorful, they are a vital resource for any visitor to Lebanon and take the headache out of planning what to do during your precious vacation time.
Our humorous guide to the Lebanese called ‘Life’s Like That! – your guide to the Lebanese’ with fifty entertaining character illustrations accompanied by witty texts are certain to have you and your family doubled up with laughter. A fantastic gift idea for a Lebanese relative.
An activity book, Play and Learn about Lebanon, has been produced with 6-11 age group in mind with. Kids will have fun doing the puzzles, dot-to-dots, word searches, mazes and at the same time learn about Lebanon. This is a great resource for a school project about the country.
Our books are available at www.Lebanesebooks.com
Or please contact us at turningpoint@sodetel.net.lb
Michael DeBakey does not need an introduction in America, and particularly not to an audience of medical professionals. However, his name brings to memory a young Lebanese poet who, some 100 years ago, stood before the towers of New York and said, “I am the descendant of a people who built Damascus, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon and Antioch, and I am now here in America to build with you and with a will”. In a speech he made to young Americans of Syrian origin, Gibran Khalil Gibran added, “I believe that even as your fathers came to this land to produce material riches, you were born here to produce riches by intelligence and labor”. Ladies and Gentlemen, our guest of honor who, himself is a son of a Lebanese immigrant, did indeed “build, and with a will”; did indeed produce “riches by intelligence and labor”; “riches” that have shaped the future of American medicine and have defined the greatness of America. There is no other American who has contributed more to modern medicine, and I have no doubt that one day, he will go down in history as the “Surgeon of the 20th Century”. What a source of pride to be a contemporary of this man; what an even greater honor, that he is one of us.
Both Gibran and Michael DeBakey are universal in their messages. The message of Gibran is the power of love; the message of Michael DeBakey is the power of knowledge. Bertrand Russell, the renowned British philosopher, and the Nobel Laureate, described the combination of love and knowledge as “the greatest force in the world”. It is this kind of combined force, and not physical force, which is needed to save the world and mankind.
Ladies and Gentlemen; there is a myth that surrounds every great man; and in almost every instance, the myth is bigger than the real man, but in the case of Michael DeBakey, the reverse is true; the man is bigger than the myth. To students of science and medicine, he is known for his genius in heart surgery, but those who have known him well, do not only appreciate his genius in medicine, but also his genius in using medicine as a tool of diplomacy, and as a tool for building bridges between people and nations. His “riches” were not only for America. He went beyond geography and politics, to extend the fruition of medicine even to America’s adversaries. He was in Moscow long before the Berlin Wall collapsed. He has just returned from a trip to Libya. He went where no American politician dared to go. He was always there, somewhere there, in the service of man, any man, and all men.
In this age where we witness the assault of bureaucracy, government, and insurance companies on the quality of medical care, and on the very essence of the nature of medicine; none had the courage to challenge these forces more than Michael DeBakey. Of all the “products” that America has produced, the very best, in my opinion, has been American medicine; and he was not only instrumental in the making of this “product”, but also in preserving its sanctity. In this era of materialism, mechanization, and the decline in human values, Michael DeBakey stands as a monument to character, integrity, courage, and above all, humanness. It is indeed a great privilege for me to have known him, and a unique honor to be his friend. He has made each one of us a little taller, a little prouder. This man is from our beloved land, but we should always remember, that he does not belong only to us, but he belongs to the whole world.
The world knows him by the name of Michael DeBakey, but to his very intimate friends and family, he is known as Michel Dabaghi. Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise and join me in wishing our guest of honor, Michel Dabaghi of Marjioun, Lebanon, fast recovery, as he now lies in a hospital bed in Houston recovering from heart surgery.
INTRODUCTION OF DR. SALEM BY Dr. SHAMMAS
Dear friends,
It is indeed a pleasure to introduce our honoree, Dr. Philip Salem, and I want to thank our President, Dr. Paul Wakim and the Organizing Committee for entrusting me with this privilege.
I am proud to say that I have known Dr. Salem for over 30 years. I first met him in 1972 when I started my residency at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Salem was then a young Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine with one distinction. He was also the Director of the Cancer Program at the Hospital.
As a matter of fact, he had established the Cancer program one year earlier, after completing three years of research fellowship at the two greatest institutions in the U.S., mainly Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York and MD Anderson in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Salem immediately became one of my role models. What fascinated me the most about him was his dedication and his commitment to excel. In my eyes, he is the ultimate physician that all doctors aspire to become.
He has 4 major qualities that are essential for any doctor to be exceptional:
Now my friends, these are the qualities of an exceptional physician.
In the late 70s, the civil war in Lebanon prevented many of us from returning to Lebanon, and ultimately forced many others to immigrate back to the U.S. Dr. Salem and I reconnected in this beautiful country, and I got to know him better as a colleague and as a friend. His dedication and his commitment to what I like to call “Excellence in Medicine” never wavered.
He worked his way to become a Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He is widely published and serves on the editorial Board of several national and international cancer medicine publications. He is the Director of the Salem Oncology Center and the Director of the Cancer Research Program at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston.
Through the years, we got to know Dr. Salem not only as “the doctor” but also as the “thinker”. He writes extensively about Lebanese and Arab immigration to the United States both in Arabic and in English. Like all of us, as we say in Arabic, he maintains a foot in Lebanon and a foot in the U.S. His achievements have brought him multiple awards, too numerous to enumerate. Most importantly, he has raised the bar and he elevated the name of “Lebanese American” to a higher standard.
Please help me in welcoming the one and only, Dr. Philip Salem.
DR. SALEM’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF THE ALMA AWARD
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA- February 25, 2006
I would like to start by thanking the president of the American Lebanese Medical Association, Dr. Paul Wakim, the organizing committee of this convention, and the board of the association, for bestowing upon me tonight this great honor. I am not sure that I deserve it, but I happily accept it, and I will certainly work hard to earn it. What is dear to my heart in this honor is the fact that it comes from people who are the descendants of a sacred land, Lebanon. I am here in America and America has been extremely generous to me. I am grateful, thankful, and I acknowledge allegiance to it. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do to promote its prosperity and greatness, but at the same time, when I look into my own deeper self, I realize that my identity is Lebanese. There is no contradiction whatsoever in being a devoted Lebanese and a grateful citizen of the United States of America. In fact, people like me who came from distant lands appreciate America and American values more than those who were born and raised here. In my office in Houston, I have a branch of an olive tree from my land in Lebanon and on my desk, there is a bottle of oil from El-Koura, and a vessel that contains soil from my village, Bterram. Also, the license plate on my car is Lubnan. This is not to remind me from where I came, but to remind me of who I am. Khalil Gibran said that “if Lebanon where not my country, I would have made it mine.” I say “that if Lebanon were not my country, I would not know who I am.” Let us all pray for a quick resurrection of Lebanon from Death.
One of the big challenges for the American Lebanese Medical Association is to contribute to Lebanon. We should try to reverse the brain drain and put our talents and our resources in the service of Lebanon, not only in the area of medicine and medical care, but also in areas that would eventually shape the new Lebanon we aspire for. It is not true that the Lebanese talents in diaspora go to waste. The Lebanese in diaspora should be a major resource to the new Lebanon that we want to build. Also, they should be an integral component of the Lebanese population and should not only contribute in finance, medicine, engineering, science, and in arts, but they should also have the right to contribute to the new political formula that should emerge.
Also, I would like to remind you that our major commitment to America is to contribute to it. In medicine, we can contribute enormously. In the area of quality of medical care, we should infuse the American medical culture with the values that we brought with us from Lebanon: mercifulness, compassion, caring, loving, and humaneness. These are values which are unfortunately fading away in the everyday practice of medicine in America. Only when the patient is considered sacred to us, are we worthy of taking care of him. Medicine is not a business. The patient is not a client. Medicine is a mission and the patient is a sacred human being who deserves our best care and our utmost love. Also, we need to contribute to the science of medicine and to expand the frontiers of medical knowledge. This cannot be done without research. Only research leads to knowledge and I would like to encourage every one of you, whether you are in private practice or in academia, to be involved and engaged in one way or the other in research. The objective of research is not only to expand human knowledge, but also to expand the mind. I want you to remember that when you contribute to research and you bring about new knowledge, this new knowledge is not only a gift to America, but it is also a gift to the whole world. The great Lebanese who contributed to America indeed did not contribute to this country alone, but to the whole world. The writings of Gibran, the innovations of Michael DeBakey, the mission of St. Jude’s Hospital of Danny Thomas, are all gifts to all mankind.
May God bless you, bless our sacred land of Lebanon, and bless America.
Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals
(TOKTEN)
The TOKTEN concept is a global UNDP mechanism for tapping on expatriate
nationals, who had migrated to other countries and achieved professional success
abroad, and mobilizing them to undertake short-term consultancies in their
countries of origin, under UN aegis.
UNDP Lebanon is relaunching the "Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriates
Nationals" (TOKTEN) project. The objective of this project is to obtain the
expertise of Lebanese expatriates who are motivated by a desire to contribute in
the development process of their country of origin, to reinforce national
development efforts and transfer of skills and know-how.
The project mechanism is to ask professional expatriate nationals, to volunteer
for short terms consultancy missions in Lebanon at a modest cost (i.e. round
trip air fair and around $152 perdiem). These UN missions will be implemented in
Lebanese ministries and public institutions.
If interested in implementing UN missions and contributing in the development of
Lebanon please send back your resume to ariane@toktenlebanon.org . For further
information please visit
www.undp.org.lb/tokten.
House of Lebanon Update
Dear Friends and Supporters of the House of Lebanon,
We Would like to share with you an update about the events and activities of
the last few weeks and the coming few months.
1. The Lebanese American Foundation elected a new Board of Directors, and
Officers for a two year term starting January 1, 2006. They are:
Honorary - Dr. Ray R. Irani, Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury, Mr. George
Hage
Directors
| Mr. Mohammad Al Ahmar | Mr. Salim Israwi | Dr. Emad Ammar |
| Hon. Judge James Kaddo | Dr. Saeid Beydoun | Mr. Joseph Karaki |
| Mr. Talal S. Beydoun | Mr. Elie Kawkabani | Dr. Jason Boutros |
| Mr. Hadi Khalil | Mr. Jack Chammas, Esq. | Mr. Ahmad Khatib (Nominee) |
| Mr. Rachid Eletel | Dr. Lina Kriedie | Mr. Fouad El Abd |
| Mr. John Koudsi | Mr. Hassan Essayli | Mrs. Amira Matar |
| Dr. Nabil Feghali | Mr. Ihsan Nizam | Mr. Azar Ghazarosian |
| Mrs. Maha Salaymeh | Mr. George Schwary | Mr. Kanan Hamzeh |
| Mr. Emil Haddad | Dr. Hanna Shammas | Mr. William Hanna |
| Mr. Bassam Raslan | Mr. Pierre Harika | Dr. Paul Wakim |
| Ms. Wafa Hoballah, Esq. | Mr. Ferris Wehbe |
Officers
| Chairman | Dr. Hanna Shammas |
| President | Mr. Mohammad Ahmar |
| Vice President | Mr. Kanan Hamzeh |
| Vice President | Mr. Ihsan Nizam |
| Vice President | Dr. Paul Wakim |
| Vice President | Mr. Mohammad Ahmar |
| Vice President | Mr. Joseph Karaki |
| Vice President | Mr. Fouad El Abd |
| Chief Financial Officer | Mr. Richard Eletel |
| Legal Counsel /Secretary | Mr. Jack Chammas, Esq. |
2. Thanks to the generosity of our great community, the LAF fund to build the
House of Lebanon at this time exceed $2 Million. We have been very actively
looking for a suitable land that is centrally located, but the hot real-estate
market has stymied us so far. We continue to look and are optimistic that we
will find the right location in the near future.
3. Our first Get-Together dinner of the year will be held at Byblos restaurant
(310 475-9558), 1964 Westwood Bl. Los Angeles, CA 90025 on Friday March 10,
2006 at 8:00pm. As many of you know, these informal dinners are held around 5
or 6 times a year. They create an opportunity to see old friends and make new
ones. We will have great food and entertainment. Buffet dinner, soft drinks,
tax and tips, only $40 cash per person. Please come early, as the place may
fill fast.
During this dinner, we are fortunate to have with us Mr. Sanford Holst, the
author of the acclaimed book "Phoenicians: Lebanon's Epic Heritage". Mr.
Sanford will have the book available for sale and will autograph each copy.
Please let us know if you want a copy to make sure we have enough.
4. The Annual banquet for this year is scheduled for Saturday May 6, 2006 at
7:30 pm, at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. The recipient for this year's "House
of Lebanon, Ray R. Irani Pride of Heritage Award" is the prominent
industrialist, and LAF Honorary Director, Mr. George C. Hage. Mr. Hage is the
CEO of Hitron USA, started in 1990 to become one of the fastest growing
companies as ranked by Forbes Magazine in 2004. Mr. Hage is also a board
member in many public and private companies as well as non profit
organizations.
The program for the evening is under preparation. Please save the day, and we
will be sending you more details very soon.
Please do not hesitate to share with us your opinions or suggestions.
Best regards, Kanan
A child of
life: Gibran Mono-drama
The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) will be hosting dramatist
Michel El-Ashkar in his internationally acclaimed play, “A Child of Life,” a
theatrical dramatic interpretation (in English) of 2 acts that chronicles many
of the highlights of Lebanese-American poet and artist Kahlil Gibran’s life.
This will be a one-night event at 8:00 PM on Friday, February 24, at the
Northwest Auditorium at UCLA. Tickets are free for UCLA students and $8 for
non-UCLA students. The flyer and UCLA map are attached, and directions and
parking information are located below.
Kahlil Gibran was a man whose fame and influence spread far beyond the Middle
East. His poetry has been translated into more than thirty languages and his
drawings and paintings have been exhibited in major world capitals. His
masterpiece, The Prophet became an American classic and inspired generations
around the world.
Michel El-Ashkar, much like Lebanon's artist and poet laureate, Kahlil Gibran,
left his roots in Lebanon which was torn by the tragedy of war and economic
strife. Both men wanted desperately to forge a new beginning and so--decades
apart--they each chose to settle in Boston, Massachusetts, noted for its
artistic and cultural sophistication as well as its appreciation for freedom and
education. El-Ashkar hails from an artistic family that embodies the utmost
respect for literature, music and the performing arts. No newcomer to the
artistic scene, he was a child actor in his native city Zahlé, and received his
early formal training in drama there. After immigrating to the United States and
while completing a college degree in civil engineering, he continued to hone his
acting skills in the Boston area where he had appeared in a variety of
theatrical productions.
A Child of Life has been performed to standing ovations in many US cities, in
London as well as in other major world capitals, most recently this past summer
in Amman, Jordan at the International Annual Jerash Festival and under the
personal auspices of her Majesty Queen Noor. Also a performance was held this
past fall in Cambridge, MA in Kresge Theatre under the auspices of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since its debut, this play has received
very positive reviews and “Kahlil Gibran Day” proclamations from the mayors of
nine cities in the United States of America.
The primary purpose and mission of the dramatist in writing and performing his
play"A Child of Life" is to forge a spiritual bridge highlighting Gibran's
message of love and peace to humanity and also to
seek a closer understanding amongst people and cultures as well as to
acknowledge the contribution of Lebanese immigrants and the significance of
Kahlil Gibran's legacy to our Lebanese literary
heritage.
ALNM congratulates John Akouri and
Lebanese Monthly Magazine
Houston, Texas – The American Lebanese National Movement (ALNM) congratulates
former Capitol Hill Advisor John Akouri for the impressive launch of his new
magazine, Lebanese Monthly. A mid-western native of Detroit, former
Congressional Press Secretary, national Award-winning TV personality and
accomplished civic leader, John Akouri has made his mark in local, national and
international affairs. Last week, over 500 people attended the inaugural launch
party for Lebanese Monthly in Michigan. Elected officials, diplomats,
celebrities, and delegations from different States and Canada flew in to be part
of this historical moment. A similar event is planned for Washington, DC.
As Detroit and its suburbs are truly a multicultural mosaic of various
traditions and ethnicity's woven into the fabric of one community, John Akouri &
the Lebanese American News Agency (LANA-USA) were pleased to present the birth
of their newest publication – a contemporary and dynamic newsmagazine. Lebanese
Monthly is a new and unique feature-oriented newsmagazine offering readers
engaging articles while celebrating Lebanese Americans and their lifestyles,
work, travels, attitudes, history and culture. LANA-USA is dedicated to the
advancement of publishing innovative resources for the Lebanese American
community in Michigan and beyond.
“We are very proud of John and his commitment to Lebanon and the Lebanese
American community,” said Dr. Hamid Kantara, ALNM Chairman. “John has been
working around the clock for years to promote Lebanon, as a culture, as a
society, as a heritage, as a community and as an identity. For that, we salute
him and commit ourselves to help Lebanese Monthly become a very successful
publication.”
John Akouri serves as Editor-in-chief of “lebanese” monthly magazine, with
dedicated columnists, contributing writers, exclusives and features. Next
month’s issue features former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser on the cover. For more
information please visit www.lebanesemonthly.com or email the publication at
info@lebanesemonthly.com
The American Lebanese National Movement (ALNM) is a civil, charitable and
independent association with no political or religious character. We represent
the entire Lebanese community. For more information, visit us on the web at
www.alnm.net or email pio@alnm.net
American-Lebanese National Movement (ALNM) year-end
report, accomplishments 2005.
1- A Proclamation from the City of Houston declaring November 22, 2005 as
“American Lebanese National Movement” Day.
2- A Proclamation from the City of Missouri City declaring November 22, 2005 as
“American Lebanese National Movement” Day.
3- We were appointed to the Houston City Council International Affairs and
Development to help better represent the Lebanese community in Houston.
4- We built a bridge with a local American civic organization in Houston that is
committed to reaching out to the Lebanese Community.
5- We created a partnership with CMM, a woman’s shelter that houses women of all
religions 24 hours a day, women who have been raped, abandoned, abused and have
faced some horrific type of oppression. – They are in dire need of our support,
something we are working around the clock to make happen. We raised $5000 for
them and working on plans to raise over $50,000 more this coming year.
6- We created the Woman’s committee under the leadership of Eliane Sfeir Marcos
to bring the Lebanese women of Houston together for cultural awareness and
support of various issues affecting them in Lebanon and here in the Diaspora.
7- We created the Youth Committee under the leadership of Miss Miriam Habib, to
work on bringing the youth together for cultural revival while also calling on
the parents to be mindful of their children’s heritage and sense of belonging.
8- We raised $1000 to support the restoration of Radio Charity, “Sawt Al-Mahabba”
after it sustained a terrorist attack.
9- We organized the Katrina Relief Fund under the leadership of Bassem Marcos to
provide clothing, medical assistance and monetary aids to those in need.
10- We sponsored twelve SOS orphans to bring more hope to the Lebanese
community.
11- We committed to bringing the community together through our monthly Happy
Hours & “Day3a Dinners”.
12- We created the Public Information division (PID) under the leadership of Dr.
Hamid Kantara, to bring ALNM to the center of the Lebanese cause.
13- We launched the Lebanese Business Network under the leadership of Mr. Fayez
Jreij, to promote Lebanese businesses to the Lebanese Community.
14- “No child should die in the dawn of life”; we created partnership with the
Lebanese Cancer Children Centre in Lebanon under the leadership of Dr. Maher
Youness.
15- We led a delegation to Lebanon back in September to meet with over 30
Members of the Parliament, Ministers, Bishops and leaders of major institutions
to raise awareness, share the concerns of the Lebanese in the Diaspora and
implement effective plans to begin REVERSE IMMIGRATION back to Lebanon.
16- We are currently working with the national leadership to launch a Houston
Chapter for the American Lebanese Medical Association.
17- We retained a reputable Board Certified Immigration Attorney to be ALNM’s
Immigration Legal Advisor. He has worked to help us resolve many immigration
issues and keep us informed of changes in immigration laws that could affect
many of us who are not U.S. Citizens.
18- We published the 2006 ALNM Calendars, a fundraising project to help women
shelters in Lebanon. The Calendars are currently on Sale.
19- We created the office of ALNM Ambassador in Lebanon to meet the growing need
for local representation and to maintain daily dialog with our local government
20- We also sponsored a Free Self Defense Clinic for Women to offer our
community a 6-hour easy going, fun yet life saving techniques they can use in
case they get attacked by predators.
www.alnm.net
