On October 7, 8, 9, and 10 the National Congress of the Argentine Lebanese Youth Cultural Union (JUCAL) was held, meeting that brings together young descendants from Lebanon in Argentina to live and share Lebanon in our country.
Leaders of “Union Cultural Argentina Libanesa” Hernan Echen, Ernesto Saliba, Nestor Hage, Sarah Abraham and Samia Abait organized the convention with the assistance of many volunteers from the community.
WLCU Latin American Region President Mr. Bechara Bechara from Mexico City attended the convention with WLCU Latin American Region General Secretary Mr. Juan Saliba and Mr. Joseph Hage, WLCU Commissioner of International Relations from Miami, USA.
Dimas Shantiri WLCU Youth President initiated the convention on Friday introducing and welcoming the delegates.
In the congress, the meeting of the National Council was held (committee of the institution and the presidents of each subsidiary) to make the annual balance and project into the future events and guidelines in a national level. Also the commissions of Education and Culture, Social Action, and Press and Diffusion met with delegates of each subsidiary and scheduled activities and projects for the next year.
Activities and games for young people were performed in a friendly and cheerful environment, with the purpose of deepening the knowledge of the cedar´s country.
The Lebanese spirit of festivities felt in every corner of the huge location hosting the convention, where the Lebanese music, Dabkeh course was performed by Professor Joel Hbaib, member of the Firqat Al Arz ballet, belly dance and arguileh a huge family gathering, brothers and sisters with one common factor Lebanese Ancestry and Heritage.
Sunday night the convention ended with a gala dance party, where this year the committee decided to recognize the trajectory and work of people that makes great this institution. Awards were given such as: revelation to Guillermo Tanos (actual president of JUCAL Bahia Blanca) for his tireless work to set his subsidiary in his city; to Rosario for his work as the best subsidiary; and the most emotional award called Julio Marun to Juan Saliba (JUCAL since 2001 and actual president of the Caribbean Latin and Hispano-American Bloc of the World Lebanese Cultural Union) for his trajectory and his dedication to maintain the integrity and the continuity of the institution.
Besides, people could enjoy artistic numbers that provided the subsidiaries during dinner: an argentine folkloric music band, from Yamil Gelené (member of Buenos Aires subsidiary), the Lebanese folkloric ballet Firqat Al Arz (Rosario), the belly dancer Agustina Córdoba with the live orchestra of Arabic music Khalil Gibral (Córdoba), monologues and jokes, short films, videos and works that were done in each subsidiary.
All the JUCALES that went to Villa Rumipal renewed their energies and were injected with enthusiasm and love for Lebanon to continue to grow this beautiful family.
WLCU Regional Council Meeting of Latin America:
The meeting took place on October 11th, 2011 in Argentina, at the headquarters of the Lebanese Club of the City of Buenos Aires, in the presence of:
Bechara Georges Bechara, President of the Spanish American and the Caribbean (Mexico)
John Saliba, Secretary General of the Latin American and the Caribbean (Argentina)
Hernán Echen, President of National Council UCAL-
Ernesto Saliba, president of Buenos Aires UCAL-Subsidiary
Luis Chem UCAL-Branch President of Posadas
Samia Abaitara, Vice-President 2 ° JUCAL
Fernando Helo, Representative of Colombia
Samira Helo, representative of Colombia
Salib Helo, representative of Colombia
José Gabriel Luela, representative of Colombia
Antoine Abisaab, president Lebanese Union of Uruguay
Martha Salem Bernasconi , representative of Uruguay
Joseph Hage, Commissioner of international relations WLCU
Antonio Arida, former President of UCAL Buenos Aires
Miriam Juaiek, assistant secretary for Latin America of the ULCM
The participants in this meeting discussed the affairs and the achievements of the WLCU in different countries of Latin America:
Uruguay: Cedar Road Publication by Jose Maria Almada is a success due to the widespread distribution.
Argentina: The participants valued the work of around 20 active chapters and 10 active youth chapters. The current President Hernan Echen explained about the activities of these chapters.
In Colombia: Fernando Helo explained the WLCU status in Colombia and reported the work of four active Chapters.
Mexico: The President of the Regional Council in Latin America Bechara Georges Bechara explained about the activities of 30 WLCU chapters which consist of associations and clubs and informed them about the preparations done by the WLCU National Council in Mexico to receive the WLCU 17th World Congress on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of March, 2012 to elect the new world council of the WLCU.
At the end of the meeting, the participants decided to hold the WLCU Regional Congress for Latin America on the 22nd of March 2012, before the 17th World Congress where the new executive committee will be elected.
The WLCU World President Eid chedrawi contacted The President of the Regional Council in Latin America Bechara Georges Bechara and congratulated him on their meeting, especially on the gathering organized annually by the Youth Chapter in Argentina, and asked him to convey his greetings to this Chapter and to encourage them to continue these activities, which serve to strengthen the relation between the young people of Lebanese descendent and with their homeland Lebanon.