Sovereign Prince of the Arab Dynasty Turned Climate Advocate

Dylan Welch

4 years ago

It takes people from all backgrounds and walks of life to stand up and make a difference in this world. We are huge advocates at Green Success Stories that the average person can make a difference by applying small changes to their lives that can have drastic impacts on the world. In other situations, people are born into special circumstances, and it is up to them to use that opportunity for good. Fortunately, Al-Numan Gharios El Chemor, Sovereign Prince of the Arab Dynasty of the Ghassanids, has spent his life dedicated to promoting sustainability. We had the opportunity to sit down with Al-Numan Gharios El Chemor, Sovereign Prince of the Arab Dynasty of the Ghassanids, and learn more about how the Sovereign Prince of the Arab Dynasty turned into a climate advocate.

Tell us a little bit about you and your background:

I am Al-Numan Gharios El Chemor (nee. Ahnume Guerios, the Portuguese transliteration of “Al-Nu’Man Gharios”) I was born in exile in Brazil on 29 September 1973. My ancestors had to escape the Middle East for being Christians and ended up in Brazil.

I am the Sovereign Prince of the Arab Dynasty of the Ghassanids, also a writer, scholar, humanitarian, artist and master of martial arts. I am the heir of the Ghassanid Dynasty, the Christian Arab Kings, the Byzantine Emperors of the Phocid Dynasty and from the Sheiks El Chemor.

But I am above all, a normal human being. I pay for Netflix and HBO like everybody else. I have studied 10 years of my education at the Franciscan Catholic School in Brazil called Bom Jesus. Since my 11 years old I became interested in extracurricular subjects, becoming knowledgeable in many areas, having already made national and international conferences on various topics such as culture and Eastern philosophy, anthropology and comparative religion, history, unexplained phenomena, etc. in other words, I am a nerd.

I was invited as visiting professor in several institutions, including the Catholic University of Parana State. Also attended College at FATEC International / IBEPEX studying Marketing and Propaganda. I wrote the only specific book about Dynastic and Nobility Law in English today, “The End of a Myth”, with forewords by eminent jurists and diplomats. However, it is probably the most boring book of all times if you are not passionate about the subject. I also wrote the book “Middle East – The secret History and Possible solutions” awarded in Italy in 2014. Being about history and geopolitics it is definitely more interesting for the general public.

I am Roman Catholic but in the end of the 80’s I had his first contact with Buddhism. Initially I have studied Zen and later became involved with the Order of Tibetan Buddhism Nyingma-pa (red hats). I consider as my guru (teacher), His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, from whom I have received many teachings and initiations. I consider Buddhism as a philosophy, not a religion. I was always a terrible athlete but for the past four decades I have been a martial arts practitioner holding the 5th degree of black belt in Aikido and also holding black belts in Karate and Kobudo (ancient Japanese weapons). I also practiced Judo, Kung fu, Jiu-jitsu, Fencing and Silat. But throw me any kind of ball and you will clearly see the nerd.

In 2013 I was appointed as a Board Member for the Monaco Film Festival. Since 2015, I am Member of the Board of the Asian World Film Festival, one of the largest in the world. In 2014, I have received the United States Special Congressional Recognition and I was invested as a Knight of the Pope (Vatican) in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. One of the oldest, most respected and recognized Orders of Chivalry in the world. In 2017, I have received the US Presidential Award for Volunteer Service and his second United States Special Congressional Recognition and also the title of Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Arkansas-USA (Arkansas Traveler).

In 2019, I was promoted to “Knight Commander” in the Papal Chivalric Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. In the same year, the Royal House of Ghassan was officially recognized by the Government of the Lebanese Republic by Presidential Decree. The Royal House of Ghassan is in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations and I try to be on the top of all the humanitarian and environmental debates.

What is a fun fact about you?

I do not know if being a nerd qualifies as a fun fact.

One thing that many people do not know about me is that I am also a director and actor. One of my activities in Brazil was being one of the pioneers of the stand-up comedy in the beginning of the 2000’s. I have hosted, wrote, directed and produced many successful live, TV and radio shows. I had a “Saturday Night Live like” show in Brazil and I have directed the largest comedy festival of Latin America, the Risorama. I do not presume I am funny, but I think I’ve a good sense of humor. I also graduated in the famous improv school Groundlings in LA. One thing definitely funny about me: I love Japanese Pop music. I can even sing in Japanese.

Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?

As said, I was born and raised in Curitiba, southern Brazil. We were lucky enough to have a visionary as a mayor and later governor, the architect /urbanist genius Jaime Lerner. Unfortunately, he passed away this year. He started almost forty years ago, an environmental mentality to all the citizens with large areas of green spaces, an internationally awarded recycling program for garbage, a strong and efficient public transportation stimulating the people to use less and less the automobiles. He did that way before it was trendy.

Speaking at the Persecuted Christians Congress in Germany

The subject is not important but crucial for the simple reason that if we do not pay attention to that right now, we will be definitely dooming the future of our children.

What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?

I am definitely a capitalist since I believe socialism goes against human nature and it was tried to exhaustion many times failing miserably. However, I am afraid that we lost the original purpose of capitalism, production. Our companies are no longer interested in making quality products but to make profit. That compromises not only the quality of the product but also the wellbeing of the workers and in the end, also the environment. That “religion” worshiping the profit makes us forget about the human being desensitizing us. I hope that 10 years from now, we go back to prioritizing the human being and the product. Profit? Obviously, but based on the product’s quality and ingenuity. Sadly, countries like China, with very low-cost labor, are working way beyond the environmental limits and that will soon become a huge social problem since the country’s pollution is growing exponentially.

As I always say, there is not much difference in the lifestyle of someone with 100 million dollars and someone with 100 billion. We must ask ourselves; how much money is enough to compromise our own souls and our planet?

At the launching of the Lebanese Branch of the Royal House of Ghassan

What can the average person do to make a difference?

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama always say: “if you think you cannot make the difference because you’re small, try to sleep in a room with a mosquito”. Maybe not all of us can save the world, but we can save our country, our community or even our own home. Organically we can transform the world especially by educating ourselves and our children about the infinite beauty of nature and that every single small life matter and it is part of this amazing creation. To illustrate that, I love the hummingbird tale.

One day a terrible fire broke out in a forest – a huge woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wildfire. Frightened, all the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream, they stopped to watch the fire and they were feeling very discouraged and powerless. They were all bemoaning the destruction of their homes. Every one of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire, except for one little hummingbird. This particular hummingbird decided it would do something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water and went into the forest and put them on the fire. Then it went back to the stream and did it again, and it kept going back, again and again and again.

All the other animals watched in disbelief; some tried to discourage the hummingbird with comments like, “Don’t bother, it is too much, you are too little, your wings will burn, your beak is too tiny, it’s only a drop, you can’t put out this fire.” And as the animals stood around disparaging the little bird’s efforts, the bird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they looked. Then one of the animals shouted out and challenged the hummingbird in a mocking voice, “What do you think you are doing?” And the hummingbird, without wasting time or losing a beat, looked back and said, “I am doing my share.”