Copts in Michigan

Appendix 5. Coptic Ethnic Organizations

73 Appendix 5 CopticEthnicOrganizations ■ The American Coptic Association offers all manner of news related to the Coptic Diaspora. For more information, contact the American Coptic Association, P.O. Box 55, Saddle River, N.J. 07458; www.amcoptic.com, and amcoptic@usa.com. ■ The American Coptic Union (ACU) is a nonprofit organization originally established in 1992 in Jersey City, New Jersey, in response to the massacre of twelve Copts in Diarut in Upper Egypt. According to its Web site, the ACU speaks for both American and Egyptian Copts, in particular for women and children. It can be reached by fax at (201) 798–1451, and by e-mail at freedom@copts4freedom.com. ■ The Coptic Assembly of America (CAA) is dedicated to promoting human rights and democracy in Egypt. It aims to work with American Copts and to lobby American politicians to improve the conditions of Copts in Egypt. Its stated goals are to build capacity in the Coptic diaspora, network with other human rights organizations, provide a voice for Coptic concerns, and meet with decision makers in Washington, D.C. The CAA can be visited online at http://copticassembly.com, and reached by mail at The Coptic Assembly of America, P.O. Box 452, Wilmette, Ill. 60091. ■ Coptic Orphans seeks to help orphans and vulnerable children in Egypt. Its emphasis is on renewing hope and promoting children’s education, 74 Eliot Dickinson health, and equality, including the empowerment of girls and young women. Those interested in helping can sponsor a child for $50 a month. For more information, contact Coptic Orphans: United States, P.O. Box 2881, Merrifield, Va. 22116; phone (703) 641–8910 or (800) 499–2989; fax (703) 641–8787; e-mail info@copticorphans.org. The Copts United advances the interests of Copts in Egypt. Its Web site offers newspaper articles on the Copts, promotes Coptic art and culture, and posts the published proceedings of conferences held on the “Coptic Question.” It can be reached at www.coptsunited.com, and info@coptsunited .com. The Free Copts call for a secular Egypt and publish a magazine in English called The Independent Copt, available online at http://freecopts.net/ english. St. Mina Retreat Center, 743 W. Kneeland Road, Mio, Mich. 48647; phone (989) 826–6923; fax (989) 826–1204; e-mail info@stminaretreatcenter.org; Internet address www.stminaretreatcenter.org. The University of Michigan Coptic Christian Student Association (CCSA) consists of about thirty students who meet twice weekly for dinner and prayer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The CCSA can be contacted at 402 Hill St., Apt 1, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104; phone (248) 227–1016; e-mail mmegally@ umich.edu. The U.S. Copts Association, founded in 1996, seeks to educate the global Coptic community on such issues as human rights, tolerance, and democracy . The group publishes the Daily Coptic Digest, an e-mail filled with calls for prayer, and hosts a Coptic discussion board on its Web site at www.copts.com. The U.S. Copts Association, 529 14th Street NW, Suite 1081, Washington, D.C. 20045; phone (202) 737–3660; fax: (202) 737–3661; e-mail copts@copts.com. ...