The "BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS"
AWARD
has been granted to
Melineh Kano
on October 18, 2005





Melineh Kano grew up hearing the horrific stories of the 1915 genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians were killed, among them her grandfather and his friends and family members. As a young girl growing up in Iran, she cried when her grandmothers retold these stories in hoarse voices. In her own words, she said, "I would always ask why, although l realized that there was nothing different but that we were vulnerable and there was nobody to defend us." Still she lived a good life in Iran, filled with memories of kind neighbors, weekly visits to the local church and the delicious smells from her mother's kitchen. This all changed when the country was plunged into chaos by the revolution and Melineh fled to the safety of her brother's attic in Rome.


The family was resettled in Chicago in 1984 by Interchurch Refugee and Immigration Ministries (IRIM) where she and her family soon learned English and obtained the job skills they needed to become self-sufficient. Fluent in five languages, Melineh was invited to join the staff of IRIM, first, as their administrative assistant; a series of promotions resulted in her becoming a case manager, a program coordinator and in 1985, the Program Director.

Among her accomplishments were the development of IRIM's Women's Empowerment Program, Senior Services Initiative Program and Youth Program. Founded before state funding was widely available for such programs, Melineh ensured private donations were secured so that all members of refugee families-not just the primary wage earner-could resettle in their new homes. In the 1990's she also helped found the Amerasian Mother's Program, a first-of-a-kind for the region, providing mutual assistance for refugee parents of Amerasian children.

Today Melineh, a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church, continues her work with IRIM whose name is now Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries of Illinois. After reflecting on her work with top political leaders, whether in non-governmental coalitions or Capitol Hill, she added, "But, I really think everything I do is a form of advocacy, whether it's calling a landlord to say that a client is cold, or meeting personally with a child's teachers so that they can understand the traumas she's endured. It's all about fairness and justice, and I can't think of anything I would rather do."

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