This is a topic that has captured our community for decades. We have debated it, discussed it, and argued over it extensively. At times the conversations have been meaningful, but too often they have led nowhere.

Perhaps it is time to accept a simple reality:

There are Assyrians, there are Chaldeans, and there are Syriacs. These identities exist today, and that reality cannot be ignored or wished away.

Regardless of the historical debates, who came first, who originated from whom, or which name is the oldest—the fact remains that these identities are part of who we are today.

It is highly unlikely that genuine unity will ever be achieved by expecting one group to abandon its identity and adopt another. History offers very few examples of a people willingly giving up their name to merge completely under a different one.

So perhaps it is time to put the question of a single unified name behind us, once and for all.

Instead, let us focus on something far more important:

We are one nation.

We can work together.
We can stand together.
We can unite our efforts without having to unite our names.

Because while a common name may be impossible to achieve, unity of purpose and cooperation are both possible—and necessary.

Enough division.
Enough denying each other’s identity.

No one can be forced to change how they identify, because identity is deeply personal. It is not simply a label; it is a matter of conviction, belonging, and lived experience.

Let us respect our differences.
Let us recognise what we share.
And let us build on the foundations that unite us rather than the issues that divide us.

Let us stand together, not against one another.

And let us finally close this chapter and move forward.

Socio-Cultural Syriac In Association- Australia