ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION

Recognizing the importance of the Matenadaran - Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts - as well as the preparation of highly qualified young scientists, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) launched a new project, providing scholarships to the Matenadaran’s researchers, as part of the doctorate program initiated jointly by the RA Minis-try of Education and Science and the Matenadaran. As part of this project, considered to be of high priority for the Institute, eight young research-ers in the areas of Historiography, Historical Source Research, Art History and Theory as well as World History were granted AGBU scholarships. These young researchers work in the Dig-itization, Art History and Writing, Research of Arabic Manuscripts, International Relations, Archive Documents Preservation and Scientific Development Departments of the Matenada-ran. This initiative is the continuation of AGBU's support to the Ancients Manuscripts Institute. During the energy crisis in the first years of Armenia’s independence, AGBU and its benefac-tors provided the Matenadaran with the funds to obtain air conditioning, fire and security sys-tems vital for the preservation of the institute’s archive. AGBU has also sponsored a number

of Matenadaran’s publications. The official ceremony took place at the Matenada-ran. The event was attended by Matenadaran Direc-tor Hrachya Tamrazyan, RA Education and Science Deputy Minister Manuk Mkrtchyan, AGBU Arme-nia Interim Director Hovik Eordekian and former di-rector and current AUA Vice-President Ashot Gha-zaryan as well as many guests and employees of the Institute. “AGBU’s assistance is not just financial. It once again shows that our research is not only limited to the Matenadaran but goes beyond it and is more significant in terms of global Armenian studies re-search. This is truly a great investment in the future of these scientists,” said Hrant Ohanyan, one of the eight recipients of an AGBU scholarship. Hrachya Tamrazyan, Head of the Matenadaran International Relations Department Vardi Qeshishian, former Am-bassador and head of the Arabic manuscripts research department of the Matenadaran Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan, Manuk Mkrtchyan, and Hovik Eordekian spoke about the significance of this project and the lasting cooperation between the Institute and the AGBU. The ceremony concluded with Hovik Eordekian awarding scholarship certificates to the researchers.

For videos, please visit Matenadaran (ArmNews), Matenadaran (Yerkir Media), Matenadaran (Shoghakat TV)

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTERAGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER Yerevan, Armenia

Issue 29, February - March, 2014 IN THIS ISSUE

AGBU Launches New Project (p. 1)

AGBU to Support Tourism Development in Armenia (p. 2)

Dr. Yervant Zorian Receives RA State Award (p. 3)

Hovik Eordekian Appointed AGBU Armenia Interim Direc-tor (p. 3)

25 UFAR Students Receive AGBU Scholarship (p. 4)

8th Republican Interschool Chess Tournament (p. 5)

AUA Hosts RA Prime Minister (p. 6)

AUA President Announces Departure (p. 6)

AGBU Papazian Library (p. 7)

AGBU Armenian Virtual College (p. 7-8)

Calouste Gulbenkian’s 145th

Anniversary Celebrated (p. 9)

AGBU Continues Relief Ef-forts to Syrian-Armenians (p.9)

My Unfamiliar Fatherland (p. 10)

Haykyan Award to AGBU Scholarship Recipient (p. 10)

DEPOP Concludes International Tour (p. 11)

AGBU Youth Programs (p. 12)

Page 1

Hovik Eordekian Awards Scholarship Certificates to the Researchers

AGBU LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT Scholarships for Matenadaran’s Young Researchers

On September 20th, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was present at the signing of a memorandum of endowment by the RA Government to develop Armenia’s national brand.

The memorandum was signed by Republic of Armenia’s Minister of Economy Vahram Avanesyan, Executive Director of the Armenian National Competitiveness Foundation (NCFA) Arman Khachaturian and Director of USAID Yerevan Office Karen

Hilliard.

According to the agreement, USAID and the Armenian Government will provide financial support to the Foun-dation to create a country brand for Armenia. With the purposes of developing Armenia’s national brand and presenting it to world, the RA Government allocated 62 million drams (approx. $150. 000) to the RA Ministry of Economy. To carry out the project the Minister was in-structed to sign a grant contract with the National Com-petitiveness Foundation on the condition that the remain-ing $225.000 of the required funding be provided by another source.

Soon after, a contract was signed between the Armenian National Competitiveness Foundation and US GK Brand Company to develop Armenia’s national brand. As part of the agreement, the parties will cooperate in the devel-

opment of a branding strategy for Armenia. Taking into consideration the importance of branding in RA tourism, investment and economic development, as well as raising Armenia’s international reputation, GK Brand will introduce a competitive strategic project to create a country brand for Armenia.

The development of a national brand is part of a grander tourism development project to for Armenia. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) will also participate in this project. The involvement was announced at the last session of the NCFA, where Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian presented AGBU’s tourism development program drafted to support tourism development in Armenia. Information Offices (AIOs) will be created in all of the cities/countries where AGBU operates. These AIOs will provide information on Armenian history, culture, places of interest, cuisine and anything else that is important for a tourist to know. It’s crucial to remember that AGBU has a presence in 70 cities in 26 countries.

On February 26, Arman Khachaturian, Executive Director of NCFA and Director of GK Brand, Vasken Kalayjian presented Strategy for National Brand: Tasks and Perspectives at the Armenia Marriott Hotel in Yerevan.

“With the help of a powerful national brand, Armenia will gain access to a global market, thus providing investment flows and rousing interest in exporting local goods and services. Brand development is also important for tourism development; this field has always been a guaranty for sustainable growth,” said Arman Khachaturian. He also thanked the US Government for sup-porting this initiative.

Vasken Kalayjian says that he gladly takes over his mission directed at presenting Armenia on the international global market. ”Our aim is to make Armenia presentable in the world with its unique production and culture,” he said during the press confer-ence.

The parties are not confident that the previously well-known symbols, such as the biblical mount Ararat, apricots, pomegranates, duduk or lavash best present Armenia to the world in the 21st century. And with in mind aim to find a new national brand, GK Brand Director Vasken Kalayjian questions everyone he talks to in Armenia.

The main purpose of the project is to make Armenia recognizable in the world. National branding will help ensure Armenia’s entry into the global market, increase the amount of investments made in the country, and generate interest in goods manufac-tured in and exported from Armenia, as well as develop tourism and the country’s economy.

GK Brand, which was founded in the United States in 1980, has been engaged in the branding of a number of well-known com-panies, such as Canon, Sony, Shell, and Siemens. It has also worked for several South American countries, Canada and Mexico. The company has partner offices in 25 countries. In the world country branding index Armenia currently holds 137th place, and the leader of the rankings is Switzerland, which much like Armenia is small in size.

“To be the first one does not necessarily mean to be a large country, have oil or sea-ports. My vision is that at least in five years’ time Armenia will be the leader in the South Caucasus in terms of its national brand,” says Kalayjian.   

 For videos, please visit NCFA and GK Brand Press Conference or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

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AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

NEW AGREEMENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RA NATIONAL BRAND AGBU will Contribute to Tourism Development in Armenia

Press Conference at Armenia Marriott Hotel

By the decree of President Serzh Sargsyan and based on the recommendations of the State Award Commissions the RA State Awards for 2013 were conferred in the fields of literature and arts, architecture and urban development, sciences, as well as in the area of humanitarian and social sciences during the official awards ceremony at the Presidential Palace on March 21.

Among this year's State Award recipients was Chief Architect at Synopsys, Inc. (San Francisco, USA) and Member of the Central Board of Directors of the Armenian General Benevolent Union Dr. Yervant Zorian (Canada). For their work called Test Solu-tions for systems on the nanometric crystal, algo-rithms, methods and test structure, Dr. Zorian and Dr. Samvel Shoukourian received RA State Awards in the field of Sciences.

“I wish everyone, in the Diaspora, could do the same in their field of specialty and I am really happy that we’re being encouraged by the State for this to become an example for others and to build bridges and cooperation,” said Dr. Zorian receiving the award.

The following awards were also conferred: Literature and Journalism: Eduard Militonyan for the collection of poems E; Music: Tigran Mansuryan for the composition Requiem; Painting: Ashot Avagyan for the fresco Mashtots (Matenadaran, the symposium hall of the newly built subsidiary building of Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Old Manuscripts); Film: Serge Avedikian (France, leading actor and director), Elena Fetisova (Ukraine, director and producer), Martun Adoyan (producer), and Taguhi Karapetyan (producer) for the movie Parajanov (Armenia, Ukraine, France, Georgia); Humanitarian and Social Sciences: Hrachik Simonyan for the work On the Roads of Liberating Struggle. Architecture and Urban Development: Artur Meschyan (architect) for the Matenadaran complex; the new scientific sub-sidiary building of M. Mashtots Research Institute of Old Manuscripts, the reconstructed main subsidiary building and the

reconstructed road from Mashtots Avenue to Matena-daran, and Artak Ghulyan (architect) for the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Matenadaran at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

During the ceremony, President of Armenia under-scored that he had acted with his hand upon his heart and that he was confident that both the artists and our people would understand and would fully comprehend the attitude toward our temples.

“I have not awarded the persons, I have awarded the structures The Matenadaran. Matenadaran is a tem-ple for us, and I am confident that the two structures will be greatly appreciated over time. You are older than I, you are more experienced, you know the his-tory of all the monuments very well, and you know, that though being previously criticized, there are monuments which we today consider a vital compo-

nent of our lives. I am confident and I have exercised my right. Please be tolerant,” said President Sargsyan.

The President of Armenia also sent his congratulatory message to all the prize winners.

For videos, please visit 2013 RA State Awards or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

DR. YERVANT ZORIAN RECEIVES RA STATE AWARD Republic of Armenia’s State Awards for 2013

President Serzh Sargsyan and Dr. Yervant Zorian

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AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

Dr. Zorian at the Award Ceremony

For years now the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the French University of Armenia (UFAR) have been co-operating on a number of programs. AGBU sponsors the internship of UFAR’s best and brightest students in France. Over the years more than 75 UFAR students have spent their month-long internships in some of France’s most prestigious companies. In 2012, the UFAR Library, renovated through funding by AGBU, re-opened its doors for the students of the University. Every year since 2007, AGBU has paid the tuition of UFAR’s top 25 students, so far providing this financial assistance to more than 180 students of the University.

UFAR administration, faculty and personnel, 2012-2013 UFAR graduates, their parents and friends gathered at G. Sundukyan State Academy Theater on February 6 for a festive commencement ceremony. The evening started with the national anthems of Armenia and France as a symbol of lasting friendship between the two countries. Opening remarks were delivered by France’s Ambassador to Armenia H.E. Henry Reynaud and UFAR Rector Jean-Jacques Montois, who announced that the University would usher in the new academic year with a new department - Banking and Insurance.

An AGBU delegation was also present at the ceremony including AGBU Central Board member Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Armenia Director Arpi Vartanian and AGBU Special Projects Coordinator Inessa Margaryan. The graduates were presented with their degrees and the evening continued with the presentation of AGBU scholarship certificates to the best 25 students. Vasken Yacoubian was invited to the stage after the opening remarks to hand out the scholarship certificates. As the students reiterated this is truly a huge burden that AGBU is carrying on its shoulders, helping students concentrate only on education and not think about their tuition fees.

“Cooperation with educational establishments is a pleas-ant obligation for us. We strongly believe that individuals are the strongest potential of our nation. That is why, for the past seven years, we’ve been granting scholarships to the best students of the French University,” said Mr. Yacoubian.

The UFAR students had also prepared musical entertain-ment especially for the event.

UFAR Board of Trustees is headed by Artur Bagh-dasaryan, Head of the RA National Security Council. Administrative and academic management of the Univer-sity is carried out by a professional team of Armenian and French specialists under the leadership of UFAR Rector Jean-Jacques Montois. Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University is the first academic partner of UFAR. Another major part-ner of the University is ACBA Credit Agricole Bank. Over 900 students are currently enrolled at UFAR. Since it opened its doors, the University has seen 1262 graduates, 80% of whom work in Armenia, 12% have continued their education through UFAR’s Master’s Degree Programs, and only 6-7% study or work abroad.

For videos, please visit AGBU Scholarship to 25 UFAR Students (ArmNews) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

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Vasken Yacoubian Awards Scholarship Certificates to UFAR Students

25 UFAR STUDENTS RECEIVE AGBU SCHOLARSHIPS

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

ARMENIA’S FUTURE GRAND MASTERS 8th Republican Interschool Chess Championship Semi-Finals

Chess as the most popular and beloved sport continues to reach new heights in Armenia. In recent years, thanks to the Republi-can Interschool Chess Tournament, organized by the Chess Academy of Armenia and RA Education Ministry, and sponsored by AGBU, chess has become one of the most popular games in Armenia, especially among children and young people. In 2012 Chess became part of the official curriculum in secondary schools which is yet another reason for the popularity of the game among this age group.

The 8th Chess Republican Interschool Tournament started in September 2013. Winners of the first two rounds went on to the regional semi-finals, which took place in Yerevan, Ste-panakert and all the regional centers between March 25 and April 10.

AGBU Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Armenian Representation Interim Director Hovik Eordekian, members of the AGBU Armenia Representation staff were present at all the semi-final matches of the tournament together with Smbat Lputyan, President of the Armenian Chess Acad-

emy and Vice-Chairman of the Armenian Chess Federation. Also present at the Yerevan semi-finals were Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan and Deputy Mayor and Head of the Yerevan Municipality Culture Department Aram Sukiasyan.

The top three Yerevan teams were: school #187 (3rd place), school #119 (2nd place) and school #2 (1st place). These three teams from Yerevan together with 15 other winning teams from the regions will continue their struggle for the title of the overall win-ner at the Stepanakert finals in May.

“The first three teams will go on to the next round. We have almost secured our place among the top three and we will work harder during the finals to bring honour to our school and our city,” said Mariam from Yerevan school #119.

“We have always been willing to support the development of chess in Armenia and when the opportunity presented itself to sponsor this tournament we gladly accepted and have been funding this interschool tournament for the past seven years,” said Vasken Yacoubian.

AGBU presented trophies to all the teams, MP3 players to all the participants of the semi-finals, and ASUS tablets to the winners. AGBU has also prepared gifts for the final stage of the tournament scheduled for May 2014.

Since its inception in 2008, the Republican Interschool Chess Tournament has produced many players who have graduated to the profes-sional level and have taken home prestigious awards from Armenia's Youth Chess Champi-onship, the Republic of Armenia Chess Cham-pionship and the international Vladimir Dvorkovich Cup in Moscow. AGBU has been a tournament sponsor for the last six con-secutive years. Every year close to 15,000 students, ages 7-17, between grades 1-12 and representing over 1,000 schools, partici-pate in this tournament.

For videos, please visit Chess Yerevan (ArmNews), Yerevan (h1), Gegharquniq, Syuniq or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

Determined to Get Through to the Next Stage

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Yerevan Schools Compete for the Final Stage

Participants of the Semi-Finals with Organizers and Sponsors of the Tournament

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

AUA HOSTS RA PRIME MINISTER, PRESENTS STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

On February 25, 2014, the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Tigran Sargsyan for a meeting at the AUA Business Center on the subject of AUA’s recent and upcoming initiatives in the edu-

cation sector. Prime Minister Sargsyan, Republic of Armenia Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, Republic of Arme-nia Deputy Minister of Education and Science Karine Ha-rutyunyan, and representatives of the Bologna Follow-Up Group were welcomed by AUA Provost Dr. N. Dennis Leavens, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ms. Maral Chalian, Vice President of Operations Mr. Ashot Ghazaryan, and Vice President of Finance Mr. Gevorg Goyunyan. AUA President Dr. Bruce M. Boghosian was unable to attend as he was out of the country. Representatives from AUA gave a brief presentation about the history of AUA and its current and future educational and research initiatives, such as the recent launch of the un-dergraduate programs, aid for Syrian-Armenian students, and the expansion of their education programs in the regions of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

AUA’S PRESIDENT DR. BRUCE BOGHOSIAN ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE

Bruce M. Boghosian, PhD, president of the American University of Armenia (AUA), announced his plans to resign this summer 2014, after the completion of his fourth year in the position.

Dr. Boghosian was appointed president of AUA in 2010 as the University’s first resident president. Under his leadership, the University has undergone rapid expansion and has become more integrated into the landscape of Armenian higher education. Most notably, the University successfully launched the undergraduate program in 2013, doubling student enrollment and setting it on course to double again by 2016. The past year has also seen his-toric highs in graduate enrollment, including the addition of a new master’s program in Economics. During Dr. Boghosian’s tenure, the University’s Extension program has also undergone rapid ex-pansion, including the opening of new and modern classroom facilities in Gyumri, Dilijan, and Stepanakert. Over the past two years, AUA has also developed cooperative agreements with the Central Bank of Armenia, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice, the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the

Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan, the Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construc-tion, the Mkhitar Sebastatsi School, and the Ayb High School. U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia John A. Heffern shared his appreciation for Dr. Boghosian’s work at AUA, stat-ing, “My team at the U.S. Embassy and I value and appreciate the strong cooperation we have had with AUA, under Bruce’s solid leadership, over the past several years on a broad range of initiatives, including our women’s mentoring project and sup-port for the Fulbright exchange program. We wish only the best for Bruce in his future personal and professional endeavors either here in Armenia, back in the United States or in some other corner of the globe.” Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Lawrence Pitts shares, “I am proud of AUA’s accomplishments under President Bogho-sian’s leadership; they are the stepping stones from which AUA will continue to move forward in the coming years.” Dr. Yuri Sargsyan, member of the Board of Trustees and former rector of the State Engineering University of Armenia, also ref-lected on Dr. Boghosian’s impact on AUA, stating, “Dr. Boghosian’s period of presidency is a turning point in the history of AUA. Many plans envisioned long before have been realized in this period. We have become a full-fledged university with the opening of the undergraduate program. Dr. Boghosian is a visionary. I think he leaves his position but not the University. I am sure he will do what he can for the University for the realization of the plans he outlined in the strategic plan.” In addition to his role as president, Dr. Boghosian taught in AUA’s College of Science and Engineering. “It has been a privi-lege for me to lead this fabulous institution, which I regard as the most significant and successful project that the U.S. Diaspora has ever undertaken in Armenia,” Dr. Boghosian noted. ”I have thoroughly enjoyed working here alongside a world-class uni-versity community to bring U.S.-accredited higher education to the students of Armenia. As I conclude my tenure at AUA, I am confident that the future looks bright for the students, faculty and staff of this remarkable university.” Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian will be appointed the interim president for one year.

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Dr. Bruce Boghosian

AUA Hosts RA Government Delegation Headed by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

AGBU AND DIASPORA MINISTRY PRESENT A NEW VIRTUAL ‘TV SCHOOL’ FOR ARMENIAN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

On February 18, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received AGBU Central Board member Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC) Administrative Director Anna Yengibaryan, and AVC Academic Director Dr. Hasmik

Khalapyan.

Discussing the challenges facing the Armenian Diaspora, Minister Hranush Hakobyan prioritized instruction, preserva-tion and dissemination of the Armenian language as the only guarantee for the preservation of the Armenian identity. The guests were also introduced to the language instruction and teacher training programs carried out by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the joint creation of a virtual ‘TV school’ for instruction of our native language with the plan to help different communities in the Armenian Diaspora gain access to Armenian language instruction through distance learning. Armenian will be taught through a foreign language. The program is designed for Armenian children of 10 and above and with different levels of Arme-nian language proficiency, taking into account the demand for instruction in different countries. The course will be held

through interactive exercises and provide students of the ‘TV school’ with the opportunity to receive answers, communicate, exchange thoughts and ideas and hold debates online. Similar classes in Western Armenian will be held in the future.

Other technical and organizational issues were also discussed with the representatives of AGBU.

The American University of Armenia’s (AUA) AGBU Pa-pazian Library regularly opens its doors to host delegations, representatives of other universities, libraries and various organizations. The visit of librarians from Armenia’s univer-sities, as well as from the NGO Bridge of Hope, to the AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library was among the recent simi-lar events as part of the EU Tempus IV project, enti-tled Access to Society for People with Individual Require-ments. Library Director Satenik Avagyan and Head of Ref-erence Hasmik Galstyan gave a tour of the Library facilities and presented the services available to patrons and students with special needs.

More recently AGBU Papazian Library also hosted col-leagues from the National Library of Armenia for a tour of the Library facilities, giving both parties the opportunity to share their experiences in library management and to learn from each other.

AGBU Papazian Library staff greeted Lilit Adamyan and Narine Gevorkyan from the Circulation Department of the National Library of Armenia. Ms. Adamyan and Ms. Gevorkyan learned about the technology used in the AGBU Papazian Library and observed how AUA reaches out to patrons in the AUA community and throughout Armenia.

Satenik Avagyan, director of the AGBU Papazian Library, explains, “This kind of visit is very important for both sides, as we learn from each other’s experiences. Ongoing education, trainings, and webinars are very important for professional develop-ment. The AGBU Papazian Library is always ready to open its doors so that we can learn from our colleagues at other librar-ies.”

The AGBU Papazian Library recently launched a new service to allow currently enrolled students to check out laptops. Five new laptops are available to students for use within the library for up to 90 minutes at a time.

AUA’S AGBU PAPAZIAN LIBRARY HOSTS COLLEAGUES FROM ALL OVER ARMENIA

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RA Diaspora Minister Receives AGBU and AVC Delegation

Librarians and NGO Representatives at AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

LEARNING WESTERN AND EASTERN ARMENIAN SIMULTANEOUSLY

Henry Israelyan is a third generation Armenian living in Russia. He was born in 1987, in the town of Vologda, which is 500 km from Moscow. His grandfather, Grigor Henry Israelyan, comes from Mardakert in Karabakh. His father's family moved from Artsakh to Elizavetpol (Kirovabad), while his mother's family are native Russians from Vologda. Growing up in the Soviet Union, Russian language hegemony definitely had a presence in their home, and as a result, Henry was never able to speak or hear Armenian in his home. Moreover, his family experienced some estrangement towards the Armenian cul-ture, language and traditions. "It was a sort of denial", says Henry, which had began with his great-grandfather, as a result of the problems that he suffered when he was a new-comer to Armenia at a young age. Henry grew up with no access to Armenian life, culture or language. There were no Ar-menian schools in his hometown of Vologda. He attended Russian schools like all the kids in his town, and studied Electronic Engineering at Saint Petersburg University's regional branch. Despite the difficult circumstances, Henry never gave up hope on learning Armenian. He always searched the internet for information on the Armenian language and one day, by chance, he found the Armenian Virtual College (AVC). That was almost a year and a half ago. Henry immediately registered for Armenian language courses, but surprisingly, he de-cided to begin with Western Armenian courses. Since his family was from Karabakh, it was more likely of him to start with the more common Eastern Armenian, but Henry had another priority in his mind. "I know that my family used to speak Eastern Armenian before coming to Russia, but I want to learn Western Armenian first, because it is endangered. It will be lost if we stop learning and using it," says Henry. Henry has, since, completed five Western Armenian courses, following which, he also took three courses of Eastern Armenian, and two courses focused on Armenian music. Every time Henry mentions AVC, he recalls his online instructors Gohar, Maral, and Isabella with the utmost respect and com-pliments. He commends the good relationship between AVC and its students. "AVC's personal treatment with each individual student is very important and very encouraging," says Henry. Learning Armenian is not merely about learning a language for Henry, but also about rebuilding a lost identity by self-learning. He believes it is also a way to preserve our culture, especially the Western Armenian language, culture, and traditions. The latter is a very important issue for Henry, about which he has read several articles and research papers. Henry's other choices for AVC courses also had a huge impact on his experience: "I have learned and understood more about the Armenian culture by studying and discovering more about Armenian music," says Henry. Learning Armenian from scratch, with its two branches, was indeed a challenge for Henry, but he was able to overcome it, of course with the unique opportunities and help provided by the Armenian Virtual College.

Henry Israelyan

The AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC) is pleased to announce the opening of its enrollment period for Spring Term 2014. The following courses are offered in multiple languages (including Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, English, French, Russian, Spanish and Turkish) and on multiple lev-els:

Eastern Armenian; Western Armenian; History of Armenia; Introduction to Armenian Architecture; Introduction to Armenian Music; Chess Program.

The classes start on April 21, and end on June 24.

For enrollment, please visit the AVC portal at www.avc-agbu.org, create your log-in and submit your enrollment application.

You can check your knowledge of Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian by completing the tests.

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AGBU AVC ANNOUNCES ENROLLMENT FOR SPRING TERM 2014

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

RELIEF EFFORTS TO SYRIAN-ARMENIANS CONTINUE

CELEBRATING CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN’S 145TH BIRTHDAY

On March 21, on the occasion of Calouste Gulbenkian’s 145th birthday anniversary, the RA Ministry of Diaspora held an event dedicated to the great Armenian benefactor at the Alley of Armenian Benefactors.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, member of the AGBU Central Board Vasken Yacoubian, representative of France’s Sciences Po Institute of Political Science Gilbert Derderian, Director of the Institute of History of the NAS RA Ashot Melkonyan, Dean of the Faculty of History at Yerevan State University Edik Minasyan and other attendees laid flow-ers at the bust of Calouste Gulbenkian and of other great benefactors. Greeting the guests, students and schoolchildren, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan emphasized the role of knowledge and education in the life of Calouste Gulbenkian and his achievements as a great economist and financier who had studied at Europe’s best universities and was fluent in eight languages. The great benefactor knew the geology and geography of various regions leading to potential petroleum locations. “I believe that Armenian entrepreneurs of today have a lot to

learn from our great compatriot,” said the Minister, characterizing Gulbenkian as a devoted, hard-working and straight-forward individual, a true advocate for knowledge and a real patriot dedicated to his nation and homeland. Minister Hakobyan also spoke about Calouste Gulbenkian assuming the leadership of the Armenian General Benevolent Union following the death of the organization’s founder Boghos Nubar Pasha in 1930. However, the great benefactor’s dream of set-tling down in his homeland and leaving all his wealth to Armenia did not come true during the Soviet regime. Gulbenkian viewed the Armenian Church as a cornerstone of the preservation of the Armenian identity, and his greatest invest-ments were linked to the Church. Since the Soviet era, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has provided assistance to the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) in Yerevan and has granted the Calouste Gulbenkian Scholarships to hundreds of Armenian students around the world. Armenia has always appreciated and paid homage to the world renowned compatriot. There are both a school and a street named after him in Yerevan. Expressing gratitude to the RA Ministry of Diaspora for remembering and celebrating the lives and careers of renowned Dias-pora Armenians and keeping them at the forefront of our minds, AGBU Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian praised the great benefactor for helping the survivors of the Armenian Genocide settle in Lebanon’s Aynchar village and in the Bourj Ham-moud district of Beirut. Among other speakers were Nareg Chaghlasian and Noushig Tutundjian, Syrian-Armenian students who moved to Armenia as a result of the civil war in Syria. Their tuitions have also been paid through the combined efforts of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the RA Ministry of Diaspora. During the event, students of Yerevan’s Calouste Gulbenkian High School #190 presented interesting episodes from the life and career of the great benefactor.

Calouste Gulbenkian’s 145th Birthday Marked at the Armenian Benefactors’ Alley

As part of the assistance program to Syrian-Armenians forced to relocate to Armenia, AGBU Hye Geen Committee of Southern California initiated the donation of the next set of warm clothes to Syrian-Armenian families in need. Packages of clothes for people of all ages were sent to the AGBU Ar-menia, which, in turn, gave them to the Syrian-Armenian Relief Coordination Center NGO to organize and control the distribution process. For two weeks, at the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Youth Centers, the staff of the Syrian-Armenian Relief Coordination Center distributed the clothes to more than 500 Syrian-Armenian families. For many years, AGBU Hye Geen has carried out hu-manitarian programs in Armenia. In 2002, to improve the health conditions of pregnant women and raise the birth rate in Armenia, the AGBU Hye Geen Southern Califor-nia Committee initiated Hye Geen Pregnant Women’s Centers in Yerevan and other cities in Armenia.

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Syrian-Armenians Receiving Warm Clothes

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

AGBU YP Yerevan and Repat Armenian Fund co-hosted their first joint event on March 15th at the AGBU Yerevan Center. The artistic team behind My Unfamiliar Fatherland presented their documentary followed by a discussion with the standing room only audience consisting mainly of recent repats from around the world.

My Unfamiliar Fatherland told the story of the Great Repatriation of 1945-49, the falsified propaganda of the Soviet Union and the enthusiasm of Armenians, who repatriated from around the world, as well as their ultimate disappointment and despair in the difference between their expectations and the reality of their homeland. The film was produced in Armenia, Lebanon and the United States and is based on true and detailed histori-cal facts. The director Tigran Paskevichyan explained that My Unfamiliar Fatherland is part one of the Back to the Roots Project, which will consist of three films. Filming of part one began in 2011. By 2012 it had al-ready been shown in Armenia and the United States. Part two is currently in post production. The screening was attended by the Screenwriter of the

film Tigran Paskevichyan, Director Ara Shirinyan, historian Edward Melkonyan, as well as participants of the docu-mentary: Emilia Ohanyan and Sevada Devejyan, AGBU Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Interim Director Hovig Eordekian, Executive Director of Repat Armenia Foundation, Vartan Marashlyan. “AGBU, during its history, has always been among the main organizers of the projects aimed at supporting the homeland and repatriation was no exception. Thanks to AGBU’s means, tens of thousands of Armenians repatriated to Armenia in the 1940’s. This film focuses on the Great Repatriation of that period, its positive and negative as-pects. And the youth department of our Union decided to organize the screening of this documentary to learn more about the repatriation of that period, as well as to think over the new perspectives of repatriation,” said Hovig Eor-dekian. After the screening of the film, the audience received an opportunity to express their opinion about the film itself and ask questions to the team behind the film and the organizers of the screening.

For videos, please visit Screening of My Unfamiliar Fatherland Documentary (ArmNews TV) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

(from l.-r.) Emilia Ohanyan, Hovik Eordekian, Sevada Devejian, Tigran Paskevichyan, Eduard Melkonyan and Vartan Marashlyan

SCREENING OF MY UNFAMILIAR FATHERLAND DOCUMENTARY AT AGBU YEREVAN CENTER

President Serzh Sargsyan attended the Haykian Award ceremony or-ganized by the Armenian Youth Foundation on February 21st. This ini-tiative aims to honor the most active youth organizations of the year. This year, in more than ten nominations, student and youth organiza-tions, as well as best youth projects, outstanding in their field during 2013, were awarded various prizes.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan awarded special one-off prizes as well as those in the established categories. One of the recipients of a special prize was Arpine Kalinina for her series of concerts dedicated to Komi-tas. Ms. Kalinina is the founder and artistic director of the Armenian classical music ensemble, Kantegh. The ensemble was founded in 2007. Kantegh aims to involve the youth of today in Classical Arme-nian Music from Komitas to contemporary composers.

In 2013 Arpine received an AGBU Performing Arts Fellowship and now studies at the London Royal Academy of Music.

We sincerely congratulate Arpine as well as all the other winners.

AGBU SCHOLAR ARPINE KALININA HAS BEEN AWARDED

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Arpine Kalinina

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

The DEPOP Research Group, in partnership with AGBU and the Kololian Foundation, has just concluded a worldwide tour to present its report The Depopulation Crisis in Armenia. Drawing hundreds of attendees in Beirut, Paris, Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles, the events sparked a new dialogue about emigration, demographic and socioeconomic challenges in Armenia to-day and possibilities for building a stronger future for the republic.

The report, which was first introduced at a United Na-tions Population Fund conference in Yerevan in October 2013, is based on extensive fieldwork conducted across Armenia. For more than a year, four independent re-search teams, selected by the International Center for Human Development in Yerevan on behalf of the Kolo-lian Foundation, gathered data on the ground.

The researchers include Dr. Khatchik Der Ghougassian of the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation; Veronica Agha-janyan, Ani Avetisyan, Tatevik Hovhannisyan, Elena Kozhemyakina, Elena Muradyan, and Elina Sahakyan of the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University; Kristine Antonyan, Karlen Khachatryan, and Haik Sargsyan of Yerevan State University; and independent researchers Arshak Balayan, Armen Gakavian, and Avetik Mejlum-yan.

The DEPOP teams’ focus groups, interviews, media monitoring and surveys revealed startling statistics: a near 20% drop in Ar-menia’s population over the past two decades. Their research shows that although those numbers were initially tied to a lack of economic opportunities, in recent years, families with higher earnings are even more likely to leave the country.

In light of these findings, the DEPOP group proposed recommendations, which they shared at each stop on their global tour. Vahan Kololian, co-founder of the Toronto-based think tank the Mosaic Institute and the sponsor of the DEPOP project, pointed to the need for the Armenian diaspora to help reverse these demographic trends.

In his address to guests at the AGBU Central Office in New York, Kololian remarked that “the Armenian people have a history of uniting in the face of crises. The country’s readily declining population is yet another crisis that we must resolve together, whether it is by investing in local businesses and micro-lending or by engaging with the Ministry of Diaspora to support civic projects that lead to greater citizen involvement.” The first step to bringing about meaningful change, he continued, is to organ-ize robust public debates and discussions - which they were able to initiate with AGBU as a partner.

The DEPOP group also stressed the importance of strength-ening civic institutions across Armenia. Kamo Mailyan, the editor of www.depop.am, shared, “We believe that the de-velopment of economic, education and judicial systems, as well as civil society, will bring positive change in Armenia. By building the capacity of those institutions, we can strengthen the democratic process and create a prosperous future for our country and our people.”

With its first international tour complete, the DEPOP Re-search Group is now seeking to partner with local civic groups to encourage transparency and participatory deci-sion-making and to empower Armenian youth country-wide.

To learn more about the DEPOP group, and to download a copy of the report The Depopulation Crisis in Armenia, please visit www.depop.am.

Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.

DEPOP RESEARCH GROUP CONCLUDES INTERNATIONAL SPEAKING TOUR AGBU-Organized Events Reveal New Trends in Armenia’s Emigration

Ani Avetisian Discusses the Fieldwork Conducted Across Armenia for the DEPOP Research Project in New York

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Over 150 Guests Gather for the DEPOP Speaking Tour Event at the AGBU Demirdjian Center in Beirut.

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 29, FEBRUARY - MARCH, 2014

ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION

Please be advised that in the event of any full or partial reference or citation of the texts above, AGBU Armenia Newsletter must be mentioned. All rights reserved.

Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

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