New Ethiopian Search Engine

New and Truly Ethiopian Search Engine

http://www.YahooNoo.com has the answer


Discover Ethiopian websites, Ethiopian videos, photos and news updated
every hour!!

The new Ethiopian YahooNoo which in Amharic means "The Latest", currently has over 8000 Ethiopian website links, 190300 keywords and is still growing.

ECAC 25th Anniversary Celebration

Please Join the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago for an evening of
celebration in honor of its 25th Anniversary.

Saturday, October 17, 2009
White Eagle Banquet Hall, Niles, IL

We will be celebrating their 25 years of service to the Ethiopian and greater
African immigrant, greater refuge and adoption communities!

Tickets are $100 each.

Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Additional details will follow.

An Ad book is being designed, if you would like to thank the ECAC for their
support of our children or to simply advertise your business by taking out an
ad, please see the add form under attachments here.

Please let Carol know if you are interested in sitting at an EAKC group table.
carol@ethiopiankids.net

Enkutatash Celebrations Sept. 11,12

Celebrate Enkutatash with the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago.

Ethiopian Day - Friday September 11 including a flag raising, dancers and music
from 12:00pm to 1:00pm- under the Picasso at the Daley Center.
FREE and open to the public.

Ethiopian New Year Party Saturday, September 12, 2009
Croation Cultural Center 2845 W. Devon Ave. Door opens at 8:00pm and the party
lasts until the wee hours. $25.00 (adults) $10.00 (14-18, ID required) Free (13
& under, ID required). Buy your tickets at the door.

Heritage Camp Slideshow

"Know Ethiopia" - Announcing Upcoming Culture Classes

ECAC “KNOW ETHIOPIA”
Culture Class Series designed for Adoptive Families

Ethiopia is fascinating…
Ethiopia is more than 7,000 years old. It is a land of striking natural beauty, rich history, diverse cultures and powerful traditions. Scholars believe Ethiopia is where humankind originated, and that it was one of the first established nations on earth—its people worshipped gods, established law, and began one of the earliest Christian communities. Few nations, if any, can claim the longevity and historical splendor of Ethiopia. It is a nation of amazing diversity and contrast, from the ancient to the modern.  Its glorious past is visible today in obelisks, rock-hewn churches, established civic and religious systems and thriving, intermingling cultures.

Culture Class Series

The Ethiopia educational program shares enough historical and cultural highlights to inspire students to further explore this extraordinary country: its dramatic past, rich culture, and commanding position in Africa and the global community. This lecture series also helps reaffirm some positions held in Afro-centric educational circles. Ethiopia’s extraordinary past can teach us a lot about how to live now and in the future.

This educational program is specifically designed for the adoptive community. It addresses their desire to enhance their knowledge and to connect more closely with their adopted children and the Ethiopian diaspora. When adopted children reach the age of six or seven, adoptive parents know they must deepen their understanding of their children’s culture, honor their heritage and in the process enrich their families.

We hope this educational program will address the needs of the parents as well as connect adopted children to the Ethiopian community here in the Chicago area. The program also includes practical training in three other wonderful aspects of Ethiopian culture: cooking, music and dancing!

Cultural History

Amazing diversity – ethnic, linguistic and cultural
The cradle of civilization – humankind was born here
The Calendar – New Year’s Day is September 11 and the current year is 2001

Religious History

The world’s major religions and Ethiopia
The Ark of the Covenant is in Axum
Christianity – 63% of the population
Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church presence in Jerusalem
The “Miracle of Mary”
The Book of Enoch
Saint Yared: Founder of the sacred music tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Gragne and the spread of Islam

Political History and Current Affairs

What is the nation state?
Axum, civilization and the Solomonid Dynasty
Lalibella
The Gragne Invasion
The Anti-Colonialist Wars – Adwoa and Michew
Establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU)
The 1973 Famine and the February 1974 Revolution
The fall of Mengistu and the present regime
What the future holds for Ethiopia

Food and Cooking

How to make injera and ambasha (bread)
How to make stews – chicken, lamb, beef, vegetarian and others
The wonderful spices of Ethiopia
The intriguing cookware and equipment needed to make Ethiopian food

Music and Dance

Amharic
Oromigna
Tigrinya
Wolaita
Guragigna

Dates & Fees

The series of classes will be held on Saturdays; September 26, October 10, October 24, November 7 and November 21, 2009 from 10-12.

The cost will be $100 per couple for the entire series or $30 per couple for one class. Childcare will be provided at an additional cost, if the majority of people need it.

The classes will be held at ECAC, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago. Contact Bridget Grady Couture at bridget@ethiopiankids.net for further details or to register.

Heritage Camp July 30-August 1, 2010

Wow! Our Camp this year was enjoyed by 300 members of our community of Ethiopian adoptive families and Ethiopian families from the ECAC. Thank you to all of the volunteers who made such a difference! We hope to see and meet many of you next year! Save the Date- July 30-August 1.

Information on next year's Camp will be posted here in early 2010.

5th Annual
2009 Ethiopian Heritage Camp

Friday, July 31st, 3:00 PM to
Sunday, August 2nd, 12 Noon

Wesley Woods Conference Center, William’s Bay, WI
90 miles northwest of Chicago on beautiful Lake Geneva

Families bound by love of Ethiopia and its children
celebrate Ethiopian culture and forge lifelong friendships

Please join the Ethiopian American Kids Community (EAKC) for our 5th Annual Heritage Camp weekend celebration of Ethiopian culture, Friday, July 31, 2009 through Sunday, August 2, 2009 . The event will be held at Wesley Woods Conference Center in William’s Bay, Wisconsin, only 2 hours from Chicago on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva.

EAKC is a charitable organization of nearly 200 Ethiopian-American adoptive families located in the Midwest with members across the country. Our children range in age from infants to college students. Learn more about us at www.ethiopiankids.net.

Heritage Camp is a wonderful opportunity for Ethiopian and Ethiopian adoptive families to build lasting bonds of friendship and further strengthen your children’s connection to Ethiopia.

For American families touched by Ethiopian adoption, it’s an opportunity to learn more about Ethiopian culture, build a personal support network and give your children an invaluable chance to connect with their heritage.

For Ethiopian families, it’s an opportunity to meet new friends, share your knowledge and passion for Ethiopian culture and connect with other people who are striving to raise their children with cultural understanding and love for Ethiopia.

Kids of all ages will have a wonderful time learning about Ethiopian traditions, build pride in their heritage and just have fun being kids! They will leave the camp with new friends and renewed excitement about their Ethiopian roots.

Registration is now open. Questions? amy@ethiopiankids.net

Stop The Film "Orphan"

"Orphan" - the movie

Help stop this film from being released!

EAKC felt it necessary to forward this notice to all of our adoptive familes. We hope that you will take the time to speak out against this film and the message it sends. EAKC has already expressed their stance, that this film should not be released, to the companies listed below.

As posted on JCICS.org
There is a horror film being released on July 24, called Orphan, about a family who adopts an older girl who "is not what she appears to be." The film is currently being promoted, and the trailer is available at http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com . The adoption message is extremely negative, and plays into the stereotypes of adopted children, particularly older children, as damaged.
Though we have not been able to preview the entire movie, the trailer leads us to believe the movie will send a horrific message about adoption. The adoption community is protesting the release of the film. We urge you to contact the makers of the film, as well as your local movie theater chains, with your concerns. Feel free to copy or adapt the sample letter below.

To whom it may concern:
I want to express my outrage about the release of the movie Orphan. The film plays into the stereotype of adopted children as damaged and dangerous. It discourages families from pursuing adoption, particularly adoption of older children, who are especially in need of loving homes. As an adoptive parent, I am horrified by the line in the trailer that "it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own." Adoption has often been misrepresented in the media, but the previews for this film are unbelievably offensive. I urge you to change the promotional materials, and to consider holding the release of the film altogether.
Contact information:

Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91522
818-954-6000

Silver Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd. 90
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
818-954-4490

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000

In addition, for those of you that have children old enough to understand, this is a great opportunity to open up a dialog regarding adoption.

Solomon Belay and Carol Deely