Noor Matti was raised in Ankawa, Erbil until his family was forced to flee in 1992 due to deuterating situation in Iraq. He spent two years in Greece as a refugee, until his family was allowed to reach Detroit. A stranger in the US, Noor looked to music as a way to escape the confusing new land, as he rode the MP3 wave and began to create mix CDs for classmates. In 2012, the media opportunity finally came, as Noor was hired by Babylon Media in Ankawa to establish the country’s first ever all-English radio station. By 2018, Noor was tapped to also host a weekly international Arabic show on Babylon TV. Since 2014, Noor has held the operations manager position for the Shlama Foundation, where he has coordinated 200 projects to be implemented. ​Not only is Evette Kassab proficient in Surath, but she can read and write in Surath as well.

Evette Kassab – Volunteerism has played a major role in Evette’s life. She co-founded the non-profit, E’rootha, in 2008 to preserve the identity of the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac diaspora and to inspire a cultural awakening within the youth of Michigan. From dance classes, language classes, a mentoring program for refugees, and a sports camp to genocide awareness events and art shows, she has actively worked to develop these initiatives for the past decade.

To learn more about Shlama, visit https://www.shlama.org/