The Young Assyrians Deliver Advocacy Workshop at 2026 Assyrian National Convention
The Young Assyrians (TYA) were honoured to participate in the Youth Summit hosted by the Assyrian Youth Federation of America (AYFA) as part of the 93rd Assyrian National Convention in Chicago, delivering an interactive workshop focused on strengthening the next generation of Assyrian advocates.
Representing TYA, Dennis Suro, Ramsin Edward and Rozell Hamou led the session, sharing the organisation’s approach to cultural and political advocacy in Australia and, importantly, translating that experience into practical strategies that young Assyrians can apply within their own communities.
Strategic Advocacy
At the heart of the workshop was a simple principle: effective advocacy requires more than passion for a cause. It requires strategy, preparation, organisation and a clear objective.
Drawing on TYA’s advocacy experience in Australia, the presentation explored the process behind an effective campaign — from researching an issue and developing a compelling message, to identifying decision-makers, organising meetings and ensuring meaningful follow-up.
Participants were encouraged to think critically about several fundamental questions: What are we advocating for? Who has the power to make a difference? Why should they care? And, ultimately, what are we asking them to do?
The workshop also examined the importance of understanding an audience and tailoring a message accordingly. Advocacy, participants heard, is not simply about presenting information; it is about communicating that information in a way that gives the audience a reason to act.
Putting Advocacy into Practice
Rather than delivering a traditional presentation alone, TYA designed the session to be practical and interactive.
Participants worked through advocacy scenarios requiring them to identify an issue, determine who held the power to influence it, develop their message and formulate a clear and achievable “ask”.
One exercise challenged participants to develop an advocacy pitch on the Assyrian archaeological site of Khinnis, considering four key elements: What is it? Why is it important? Why does it matter now? And why should the person listening care?
The exercise demonstrated how even complex cultural heritage issues can be transformed into concise and persuasive messages when approached strategically.
Participants were also introduced to power mapping; identifying the governments, institutions, organisations and individuals capable of influencing an issue, while considering their interests, limitations and responsiveness.
The objective was to move beyond simply raising awareness and instead encourage young Assyrians to think about advocacy as a deliberate process: research, develop, engage and follow up.
Sharing the Australian Experience
The workshop also provided an opportunity for TYA to share lessons from its advocacy work within the Australian political system.
Over the past two years, The Young Assyrians has worked to develop a more structured approach to Assyrian advocacy, engaging elected representatives and policymakers across Australia and bringing issues affecting Assyrians — both in the homeland and diaspora; into political and institutional spaces.
TYA representatives discussed the importance of preparation before meetings, establishing relationships with decision-makers, maintaining accurate records, producing credible research and ensuring that engagement does not end when a meeting concludes.
The message to participants was clear: a successful meeting is not the end of an advocacy campaign. It is often only the beginning.
Building a More Capable Generation of Assyrian Advocates
For TYA, participating in the Youth Summit was also an opportunity to exchange ideas with young Assyrians from across the United States and strengthen relationships between youth organisations across the diaspora.
The session generated encouraging feedback from participants, including those who had followed TYA’s work online but had not previously been familiar with the people, planning and methodology behind its advocacy efforts.
Attendees particularly reflected on the strategic nature of TYA’s approach and the value of breaking advocacy down into practical steps that could be replicated by young people in their own organisations and communities.
These conversations reinforced the importance of creating spaces where young Assyrians are not simply encouraged to become involved, but are also given the skills, frameworks and confidence necessary to become effective advocates.
Across Borders, Towards a Common Purpose
Although the political systems and circumstances facing Assyrian communities differ across Australia, the United States and elsewhere in the diaspora, the underlying challenge remains shared: ensuring that Assyrian voices are organised, credible and heard in the institutions where decisions are made.
TYA extends its sincere appreciation to the Assyrian Youth Federation of America (AYFA) for the invitation to contribute to the 2026 Youth Summit and for creating a platform that brings young Assyrians together to learn, collaborate and exchange ideas.
The opportunity to work alongside our counterparts in the United States demonstrated the enormous potential that exists when Assyrian youth organisations across the diaspora share their experiences and learn from one another.
For The Young Assyrians, the workshop was ultimately about more than presenting what we have done in Australia.
It was about sharing what we have learned; and helping equip more young Assyrians to turn ideas into strategy, strategy into action, and action into meaningful outcomes for our nation.