Lebanese Canadian, Remi kahwaji, a mechanical Engineer student from Quebec, want to join Captain Philip Beale in the ship Phoenicia that plans to cross from the old world to America in May 2014.
CV Eng Remi kahwaji
He is submitting an application to join the expedition, to be accepted he needs two sponsors, after endorsing the support of Salim Khalaf the founder of the Encyclopedia phoeniciana, and the executive director of the Phoenician international research center,
Remi send the following letter to Professor Frank Salameh and Dr Nick kahwaji:
“Dear Dr. Salameh and Dr. Kahwaji,
My name is Remi Kahwaji, I am a 4th year mechanical engineering student at McGill University, in Montreal Canada, in the honors stream of my program. I will be applying for an engineering master’s program at the university of Oxford in September 2014 with the hopes of pursuing courses at the faculty of Oriental Studies in parallel, in order to learn the Syriac language, which as you know was spoken by the Canaanite people not so far ago before Arabic.
I have immense interest in the cultural heritage of our country Lebanon and it has been a great pleasure to meet Salim Khalaf, to which I hold immense respect for building the online encyclopedia Phoenicia.org. I have also heard of your book (6000 years of peaceful contributions to mankind) before Dr. Salameh, and I am very honored to finally be in touch with you. Not to mention the role of Dr.Nick at the WLCU, and the UN-DPI.
I am still young and hope to achieve some day the same level of contribution to our culture that all of you have, and I really have the feeling that I am speaking with giants.
As you might already know, there is this expedition by Philip Beale to cross the Atlantic using a replica of a Phoenician ship. I am finishing my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in December 2013 and I am extremely interested by an opportunity they have of joining the crew of the expedition which will happen in May 2014.
I also noticed they had not a single Lebanese crew member in their latest expedition, and this is where I see a great chance to contribute to the promotion of our culture if I am able to participate. This is where I asked Salim to support my application. Being a friend of Mr. Beale he had the kindness to accept and also to forward to you my request of finding a second referee.
I am greatly motivated over this opportunity and this has long been a dream of mine. Both in the sailing part but especially in the sense that I believe it would be a great contribution to bringing the culture of the Phoenicians into the Lebanese society again.
I am currently carefully writing the application to submit to Philip Beale and hoping for the best. You will find attached my current CV, and I would love to hear any suggestion you might have so that I really represent Lebanon as fully as possible if I get selected for the journey.
To answer your question Dr. Salameh, I believe that simple support through an email sent to Mr. Beale would be great, but I believe more will follow later, as perhaps I will need your advice on which Lebanese associations in the world can support such a project financially as sponsors.
I am available any time for any question or request that you may have.
Thank you very much for your time and interest and I am greatly pleased to meet you.
Best Regards,
Remi Kahwaji
CV Eng Remi kahwajiSupporting letter of Mr Salim khalaf sent to Captain Philip Beale
Dear Philip,
Congratulations on your new planned crossing of the Atlantic in the Phoenicia. We are so proud that brilliant person as yourself continue to support Phoenician research through your superlative work.
I am writing to sponsor Rémi Kahwaji who is Canadian of Lebanese origin and who is very enthusiastic about your work and this new planned crossing. Please let me know, if there is anything in particular that I can do to support him in his endeavor to be one of your crew. I am sure he will be sending you the necessary application and CV. I highly recommend him as a young man of exceptional character, academic achievement and team player.
Please accept my sincere admiration and respect for your new project, as I hope you would look with favor on Mr. Kahwaji’s application per this recommendation.
Kind regards,
Salim* George Khalaf, B.A., M.A.
Author of “A Bequest Unearthed, Phoenicia” — Encyclopedia Phoeniciana
http://phoenicia.org
CEO of Phoenician International Research Center, Inc. (PIRC)
http://phoenicia.org/PIRC/index.html
Chapel Hill, NC
USA