The year 2023 had several achievements and we’d love to share them with you.
In January, we launched the WE- the World Initiative, introducing the expansion of the Royal House of Ghassan from being an NGO- Nongovernmental Organization to an IGO – Intergovernmental Organization, a process already in motion.
In March, we received the auspicious news that the Maronite Patriarch Estephen Douaihy, considered one of the greatest Middle Eastern historians of the 17th century is about to be beatified!!! He wrote about the El Chemor family 300 years ago in his book “History of the Times; The origins of the Maronites”
Also in March, we published an extensive and detailed account of where the donations’ money goes.
We also launched our podcast, “The Critical Thinker”.
On April 8th, The sovereign prince of Ghassan Gharios El Chemor got married to Miss Cristin Beavers in an intimate ceremony in Houston, Texas. Miss Beavers, a real state agent and interior designer, became the Her Imperial and Royal Highness the princess consort of Ghassan.
The leader of the second-largest Christian organization in the world, His Grace Archbishop Thomas Schirrmacher sent congratulations on the occasion of the royal wedding:
Also in April, it was announced that The Prince of Ghassan was included in the prestigious Marquis Who’s Who 2023-2024:
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 14, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ — His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Gharios El Chemor of Ghassan Al-Nu’man has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected based on current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all considered during the selection process.
In May, the Official Coat of arms and Royal cipher for Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Princess Consort of Ghassan Cristin Al-Numan Gharios El-Chemor was publicly presented. The Royal Cipher was designed by heraldic artist Guilherme Rocha
Also in May. The Prince of Ghassan sent greetings on the coronation of HM King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camila.
In June, the One Voice Foundation donated, to the children of the orphanage of the Fathers Antonins- Mrouj, a special trip with a barbecue to the beautiful Dhour el Choueir, celebrating the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer. The One Voice Foundation was represented by its PR Director Dr. Marie-Claire Melki.
Also in June, the Italian Commandery of the Order of Michael Archangel announced some of the humanitarian projects in development.
Founded in June 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commandery of Italy has persevered under its valiant Commander, Sir Alessio Tommasi Baldi. The Commandery even has an Italian website https://www.oe-michelearcangelo.it/
Even still in its infancy, the Commandery is already actively helping humanitarian projects both in Italy and Lebanon.
In July, we were honored and proud to announce that our Grand Marshal Duke Christian D. Boyd has accepted the position as Grand Chancellor of the Royal House of Ghassan and Orders. He has been helping us for a long time and we’re very glad to count on his expertise to reach the next level of our work.
In the same month, the Royal House of Ghassan announced the new medals for The Royal Order of Merit with the effigy of HRH Prince Sheikh Antonios El Chemor (1910-1971) and the Royal Ghassanid Academy of Arts and Sciences with the effigy of HRH Prince Sheikh Nassif El Chemor (1945-2017)
Also in July, His Majesty King Charles III sent a “thank you card” to the Prince of Ghassan.
At the end of the month, The Royal House of Ghassan and The Prince Gharios Foundation signed a partnership with ISAT Football (soccer) Academy to support 600 at-risk children in Syria.
ISAT Football Academy is a sports entity specializing in Professional Football Coaching Programs accredited by FIFA – International Federation of Association Football (Soccer’s world governing body), officially licensed by the Syrian Government and the Syrian Football Federation. Its founders are experts in Professional Football Coaching, Football Fitness, Nutrition, Academic Education, and Social-Emotional Learning capacitation. The institution is always officially registered by the concerned authorities/ies of the country of work, and they collaborate with other Institutions who share one or more of its objectives. This is reflected in their Vision: To prepare, build, and coach athletes, children, and youth, boys, and girls, without discrimination of social condition or religious cred, who will represent their country, their cities, and communities, through Professional Football (soccer), on and off the field.
In August, His Holiness Sri Sri Gurudev Ravi Shankar, the spiritual leader of 370 million people in 155 countries, received the Order of Michael Archangel.
In the same month, almost as predicting the upcoming war, The Royal House of Ghassan released “The Sons of Abraham/Ibrahim” initiative.
Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews and God; in Christianity, he is the spiritual progenitor of all believers, whether Jewish or non-Jewish; and in Islam, he is a link in the chain of Islamic prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Muhammad.
“The Sons of Abraham/Ibrahim initiative” has the scope of uniting Jews, Christians, and Muslims for peaceful coexistence. The song was composed by HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor
Also in August, The Sovereign Prince of Ghassan was officially invited to the WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL – US edition, from Sept. 29th – Oct. 1st, 2023 at the National Mall in Washington DC. In its last three editions, the event reached over six million people in person and drove hundreds of millions of views online, making it the most successful recurring global artistic event in human history. Unfortunately, the prince had a scheduling conflict and didn’t attend.
At the end of August, we got the great news that five players and one coach from ISAT (Football/Soccer organization that we support in Syria) were chosen for the Syrian National Team!
In October, HIRH Prince Gharios joined forces with Anna’s House to Combat Domestic Violence in Dallas, Texas for the 12th Annual Gala. Anna’s House Shelter is a partnership program of A Way Out Project, which is an administrative, programmatic, and fiscally sound proactive institution, taking leadership on a local, state, and national level. In doing so, the entity serves as a major anchor for supporting and developing initiatives for funding that facilitate the positive growth and development of the Black community.
Also in October, we received the wonderful news that was announced by the Official Hierarchy of the Greek Orthodox Church that our Orthodox Grand Chaplain since 2009, Archimandrite Ignatios Sotiriadis was elected Bishop of Salona.
The bishop was educated in Rome and served as a diplomat for the Greek Orthodox Church in the Vatican and in the European Parliament in Brussels. He is an expert in ecumenical dialogue and Byzantine history. Currently, he serves as the Secretary of the Synodal Committee of Orthodox and Inter-Christian Relations and is one of the “right hands” of the Metropolitan of Greece Ieronymos II of Athens, and very close to his All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I.
In November, The Royal House of Ghassan hosted the 2023 Royal Summit.
The members and collaborators of the Royal House from several places flew to California for the 2023 Royal Summit in a private estate in Calabasas, on 11/11/2023.
During the summit, the Royal House of Ghassan had the premiere of the documentary “The Royal Legacy”, a lecture by HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor, and investiture ceremonies.
Also in November, we received fantastic news that, after years of study, The Augustan Society, Inc. has recognized the Royal House of Ghassan, as well as its honors and orders.
The Augustan Society is an International Chivalric, Genealogical, Heraldic, Nobiliary, and Historical Society, founded in 1957 which promotes the study and traditions of chivalry, genealogy, heraldry, history before AD 1700, and nobility by providing unique, high-quality resources, including a library, publications, and services for members and the public.
At the end of the month, HRH Princess Viviane attended UN sessions representing the Royal House of Ghassan. The princess was married to HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor from 2002 until 2021. Due to the amicable nature of the divorce, the princess continued to hold the Royal title and manifested the desire to continue to serve the Royal House of Ghassan as a goodwill ambassador.
The princess, accompanied by her new husband, the producer Mark Keizer, represented the Royal House at two important UN sessions in NY: the Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the UN Security Council meeting on the war in Gaza.
In December, HIRH Prince Gharios El Chemor was invited to speak at the prestigious Princeton University.
The Prince of Ghassan spoke at the event “The Future of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Towards a Global Consensus that the UDHR Embodies a Civilizational Vision that the World’s Diverse Peoples, Faiths, and Nations Should Strive to Fulfill – An International Consultation among Senior Religious and Academic Leaders” at the prestigious Princeton University, sponsored by the James Madison Program of the Princeton University. The high-level event gathered only religious and academic leaders debating contemporary challenges while commemorating the 75th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
The event was part of the G20 Religious Forum (R20). It was promoted by the Nahdltual Ulama, the world’s largest Muslim organization, the Center for Shared Civilizational Values. It was supported by relevant international organizations like the WEA – World Evangelical Alliance, the world’s second-largest Christian organization, second only to the Catholic Church.
At the opening of the event, HIRH Prince Gharios bestowed the Order of Saint Sergius to the leader of the world’s largest Muslim organization.
The Nahdlatul Ulama (Indonesian pronunciation: [nahˈdatʊlʊˈlama], lit. ’ Revival of the Ulama‘, NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership numbered over 100 million in 2023, making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU is also a charitable body funding schools and hospitals as well as organizing communities to help alleviate poverty.
Nahdlatul Ulama’s leader, Dr. Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf, received the Equestrian Order of Saint Sergius during the event “The Future of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Towards a Global Consensus that the UDHR Embodies a Civilizational Vision that the World’s Diverse Peoples, Faiths, and Nations Should Strive to Fulfill – An International Consultation among Senior Religious and Academic Leaders” at the prestigious Princeton University, sponsored by the James Madison Program of the Princeton University. The high-level event gathered only religious and academic leaders debating contemporary challenges while commemorating the 75th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
Dr. Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf , nicknamed Gus Yahya, is an Indonesian politician and Islamic cleric who has served as the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama(NU) since December 2021.
On the 14th of December, the world-famous Buddhist Master Acharavadee Wongsakon received the Grand Collar of the Order of Saint Sergius in Las Vegas during the A4M World Congress of Anti-aging Medicine.
Acharavadee Wongsakon is a notorious Thai lay Buddhist teacher and former entrepreneur who teaches a form of Vipassana meditation called Techo Vipassana Meditation. She is the founder of the Knowing Buddha Organization, which campaigns against disrespectful uses of Buddha imagery and the general decline of morality in society. Acharvadee and the Knowing Buddha Foundation have been endorsed by the National Office of Buddhism.
At the end of the month, The Royal House of Ghassan launched the new website RoyalHonors.Org congregating all the Chivalric Orders and Honors bestowed by the House. https://royalhonors.org/
Recently, the House also launched the Grand Chancellery website GhassanChancellery.Org to facilitate communication with the members, donors, sponsors, etc. https://www.ghassanchancellery.org/
Official Statements of 2023:
Articles published in 2023:
Podcasts of 2023:
Below, you may check our donations, campaigns, initiatives, and recent achievements organized by year:
Here are our 2022 achievements https://royalblog.org/2022/12/31/a-2022s-retrospective/
Here are our 2021 achievements https://royalblog.org/2022/01/08/a-2021s-retrospective/
Here are our 2020 achievements https://royalblog.org/2021/01/03/a-2020s-retrospective/
Here are our 2019 achievements https://royalblog.org/2020/01/01/a-2019s-retrospective/
Here are our 2018 achievements https://royalblog.org/2018/12/18/a-2018s-retrospective/
Here are our 2017 achievements https://royalblog.org/2017/12/31/a-2017s-retrospective/
Here are our 2016 achievements https://royalblog.org/2016/
Here are our 2015 achievements https://royalheraldsite.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/royal-herald-number-0-january-2016.pdf
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THE ROYAL HERALD 