10th Annual Youth Summit 2025

The Assyrian American National Federation (AANF) recently celebrated its 10th Annual Youth Summit, hosted by the Assyrian Youth Federation of America (AYFA) in Anaheim, California. This year's theme was Exploring Indigenous Identity and Uniting Assyrian Youth Globally.

The weekend kicked off with a social mixer on Friday night, uniting participants from all corners of the country and globe! Everyone connected, danced, and enjoyed a fun game of Find the Guest Bingo. This mixer set the tone for the weekend, creating friendships and networks that are sure to thrive long after the summit ends.

Saturday began with "speed dating" icebreakers, where participants answered questions such as, "How would you describe your Assyrian culture to someone who doesn't know?" and "What is something about you that would surprise most people?".  

The day continued with a series of introductions and a special presentation by the World Assyrian Assembly Youth (WAAY), of which AYFA is a proud member. WAAY board members from various regions shared how their local chapters work to unite Assyrian youth globally. This year’s summit was particularly significant, as it marked the second time Assyrian youth from Germany (AJM) participated in the event, demonstrating the growing global unity among Assyrian youth.

The day continued with impactful workshops and lectures focused on exploring Assyrian indigenous identity through uniting the youth globally through organizational  involvement. 

Indigenous identity is complex and deeply rooted in various interconnected elements, including land, culture, language, community, and ancestry. We explored these elements through various activities during the summit. One central aspect of Indigenous identity is the connection to land, viewed not just as a place to live, but as a source of spiritual and cultural belonging. Participants engaged in an Assyria Map Activity to explore their ancestral connections, learning about their ancestral villages, districts, and regions. Language also plays a vital role in Indigenous identity. This was explored in a dialect exercise led by AJM, where participants learned and practiced Eastern and Western dialects of the Assyrian language. 

The summit concluded with a discussion on how to embrace further and strengthen the core components of Indigenous identity. These elements can be strengthened through involvement in community organizations, such as our youth groups. We broke into small groups to discuss the organizations we are part of, what has worked, what hasn’t, potential changes, initiatives to focus on, and steps for moving forward.Particpants brainstormed and shared with the larger group their findings and thoughts. We hope our participants take some of the tools they have learned at the summit and bring them back to their local organizations to continue to grow.  

The success of the summit was made possible by the efforts of our planning committee. We are so grateful for each member’s contributions and commitment to making this event a reality.

Our amazing team, pictured from left to right:

Ramsin Youkana (Youth Summit Chair, AYFA Treasurer, CCASYA President)

Maureen Khoshaba (ASAC President )

Nyree Khamo (AYFA President)

Orianna Narso (CCASYA Secretary)

Ramail Nissan (AYFA secretary, ASA of AZ Vice President)

Lastly, we extend our sincere thanks to the AANF for allowing us to host another successful youth summit. Your continued support empowers Assyrian youth and provides a platform for growth, unity, and leadership development.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. We look forward to many more in the future! See ya in Chicago!

Written by: Maureen Khoshaba