Weddings in Syria are all about traditions and how the ceremony is carried out. The protocols that both the groom and bride must follow are well-taught and inherited, so there is no running away from it. When any man falls in love, he must consider how to arrange a...
Wheat harvest season in the Syrian countryside is more than an end stage in an agricultural cycle, it is the time when people strengthen their relationships and get to know each other very well. Back in the 1970s, before the introduction of combine harvesters, farmers...
The city of Damascus is famous for its unique type of fabric, called brocade, which Damascus was famous for three thousand years ago. It takes ten hours to make one meter of damask because of the delicate, complex patterns and attention to detail. Brocade is an...
I came out with 5 major takeaways from our meeting with Ms. Joumana Aljabri’s webinar In Harmony with the Moment: The words we say define us. Key words do not always mean the same thing. To say: “I am a refugee” is different from saying “I am in a refugee situation”....
Transforming loss to legacy: two years ago I reached out to pay my respects to Rasha, Ammar Al-Shami’s mother. A few days earlier, I had moved to Boulder Colorado and was looking forward to meeting Ammar. Instead, I found myself dogsitting Ayala, his golden retriever...
Second chances story: Ammar’s fund was created a year after his tragic death on January 11, 2017. The fund honors Ammar’s memory by providing help to refugee students whose lives were disrupted by conflicts in Syria and Palestine. But Ammar’s fund took a life unto its...
have the fondest memories of my parents. Both were social activists, passionate about education and helping others who are less fortunate. My mother taught at a school for the visually impaired in Damascus, Syria. At the time, a person having a physical disability...
2019 was the year we began living up to our vision of building a higher education community to support students impacted by conflict. Each month came with a flurry of activities that supported our mission and grew our community. Here are a few highlights of the year:...
After two decades of philanthropy and working with the most vulnerable youth populations, I have chosen refugee youth higher and continued education as a cause worthy of my attention and support. Here are the 10 reasons I believe refugee higher education is worthy of...