armenian general benevolent union agbu armenia newsletter · agbu armenia newsletter issue 34, july...

On September 26th, 2015, the 6th session of the State Commission on the Coordination of Events for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial took place at the RA Presidential Residence, presided over by the RA President Serzh Sargsyan, Chairman of the Commission.

At the beginning of the session, the Chief of Staff to the RA President, Vigen Sargsyan, Chief Coordinator of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, presented an intermediate report on Centennial events, followed by an awards ceremony.

Upon the RA President’s decree, AGBU President Berge Setrakian was awarded a second degree medal For services to the Homeland for his productive contribution in the organi-zation and implementation of the events dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial.

As well as the AGBU President Berge Setrakian, a number of Armenian and Diaspora-based benefactors and businessmen were awarded RA high state decorations and received

letters of acknowledgement for sup-porting, organizing and holding the events marking the Armenian Geno-cide Centennial.

President Serzh Sargsyan handed over the decorations to the awardees, congratulated them and wished them success.

The 6th session of the State Com-mission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial continued at the RA Government Reception House.

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER Yerevan, Armenia

Issue 34, July - December, 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

AGBU President Awarded (p. 1)

AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center Inaugurated in Yerevan (p. 2-3)

TUMOxAGBU Stepanakert (p. 4)

Nazarian Family Donates MRI Unit to Heratsi Hospital (p. 5)

Global Teaching Labs (p. 6)

E-Governance Armenia (p. 7)

Mr. and Mrs. Setrakian Host Re-ception for AUA President (p. 8)

AGBU Scholarship of Excellence to UFAR Students (p. 9)

10th Republican Chess Tourna-ment (p. 10)

Gyumri Project Hope (p. 11)

AGBU Holds Debate on RA Constitutional Reforms (p. 11)

AGBU Continues to Help Syrian-Armenians (p. 12-13)

AGBU Summer Youth Programs in Armenia (p. 14-24)

6th Pan-Armenian Games (p. 25)

Yerevan Half Marathon (p. 25)

AGBU Armenian Virtual College (p. 26-28)

American University of Armenia(p. 29)

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (p. 30)

Exhibitions at AGMI (p. 31)

Stitched With Love (p. 32)

AGBU Yerevan Scouts (p. 32-33)

AGBU Schools in Armenia (p. 34)

Seeing the Unseen (p. 35)

Belgian Minister Visits Syrian-Armenian Relief NGO (p. 35)

AGBU PRESIDENT BERGE SETRAKIAN AWARDED MEDAL “FOR SERVICES TO THE HOMELAND”

ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION

AGBU ARMENIA NEWSLETTER ISSUE 34, JULY - DECEMBER, 2015

The official opening ceremony of the AGBU Vahe-Karapetian Center took place in Yerevan on September 24th attended by RA President Serzh Sargsyan, RA Diaspora Minister Hranoush Hakobyan, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan, AGBU President Berge Setrakian, US-based Armenian benefactor Vahe Karapetian, Member of AGBU Board of Trustees Karnig Yacoubian, AGBU Vice President Sinan Sinanian, AGBU Central Board Members Vasken Yacoubian and Yer-

vant Zorian, as well as more than 200 guests.

American-Armenian benefactor Vahe Karapetian donated the building at 1 Zakaria Kanakertsi Street in Yerevan to the Armenian General Benevolent Union in 2014. It is now called the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center and occu-pies an area of 5500 sq. m.

“This center will serve to strengthen ties between the youth of Armenia and the Diaspora. Our main purpose is to bring students from various communities around the Diaspora to their Homeland, show them what it is like to live in Armenia and ensure their future ties and friend-

ship with their Armenia-based peers. To serve this pur-pose we intend to hold various educational, cultural and networking initiatives inside the walls of this center”, AGBU President Berge Setrakian said. Opening speeches were made by AGBU President Berge Setrakian and benefactor Vahe Karapetian. The blessing words of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was delivered by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the Tavoush Diocese of the Ar-menian Apostolic Church. (Continued on page 3)

AGBU VAHE KARAPETIAN CENTER INAUGURATED IN YEREVAN

(continued from page 2) During the opening ceremony, Vahe Karapetian was awarded the AGBU Gold medal and AGBU Benefactor Member certificate in appreciation of his benevolence.

Accompanied by Berge Setrakian, Vahe Karapetian, Vasken Yacoubian and others, RA President Serzh Sargsyan toured the center, saw the facilities, as well as the programs to be implemented in the cen-ter.

Serzh Sargsyan also visited the office of the Syrian-Armenian Relief Coordination Center NGO, which already operates in the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center.

AGBU Central Board Member Vasken Yacoubian presented the interior design concept of the 3rd building of the center, developed by Storaket Archi-tectural Studio.

The AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center is expected to become an important hub and bridge in the fulfillment of the Union’s mission of strengthening ties between Armenia and the Diaspora, the expansion of AGBU’s presence and activities in Armenia, as well as the im-plementation of Armenia-centered programs aimed to build a larger and stronger network of Armenian youth.

The center will also be home to hundreds of Diaspora students and young people from different countries par-ticipating in AGBU’s annual summer programs, as well as host various conferences, meetings, cultural and edu-cational events.

For videos please visit: AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center Opening (Armenia TV)

AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center Opening (H1 TV) AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center Opening (Ararat TV) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

AGBU VAHE KARAPETIAN CENTER INAUGURATED IN YEREVAN

Accompanied by AGBU President and Board Members, RA President toured the building

American-Armenian benefactor Vahe Karapetian with his wife

“I have never been an AGBU member, but this union has always been very close to my heart. For years, in the United States, whether on TV or elsewhere, I have followed the activities carried out by AGBU, as an organization with a distinct policy and mecha-nism of national unity. I am familiar with the biography and activi-ties of Boghos Nubar Pasha. We didn’t intend to build this into such a center. We worked very hard and I was very meticulous about this building. And then, when everything was ready, we sim-ply realized we didn't want to use it, neither did we want to rent it our or sell it. And I thought that I can only hand it over to AGBU - the organization that has always thought about the unity of our nation" Vahe Karapetian


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On September 2nd 2015, the Republic day celebrations in Nagorno Karabakh were compounded with the opening of a new center for learning, creativity and technology in Stepanakert. The recent TUMOxAGBU partnership between the Simonian Educational Foundation and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, has, for the first time, brought the Tumo Center for Creative Tech-nologies program to the region. The opening of the center played host to a large number of dignitaries and VIP guests including the President of NKR, Bako Sahakyan, the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Simonian Educational Foundation and AGBU Vice President Sam Simonian, members of the AGBU Central Board Joseph Oughourlian and Vasken Yacoubian, Director of Tumo Marie Lou Papazian, and Ralph Yirikian, General Manager of Karabakh Telecom.

The eagerly anticipated registration began on September 14th followed by orientation sessions for students and parents on September 16, 19, 21, and 23. Students embarked on their ad-venture on October 5th when the doors of Tumo opened to hun-dreds of 12-18 year olds from throughout the city and neighboring areas. Today, the new Stepanakert center already has close to 1,000 students, who learn with seasoned profes-sionals and experts in animation, filmmaking, web develop-ment and game development as well as complementary fields such as 3D modeling, computer programming, music, photog-raphy and graphic design.

The operational and startup costs for the center is covered by AGBU through the generosity of founding supporters Avedis and Arsho Baghsarian, Joseph and Jenny Oughourlian, and Victor Zarougian and Judith Saryan. The government of Na-gorno-Karabakh provided a historic building in the heart of the city for the new center which was renovated through the gener-ous contribution of Karabakh Telecom. The first Tumo center was opened in Yerevan in 2011, with a subsequent center opening in Dilijan in 2013 in partnership with the Central Bank of Armenia. The TUMOxAGBU partnership has already opened a center in Gyumri with a long term goal of bringing Tumo to more locations throughout Armenia.

For videos please visit: TUMOxAGBU Stepanakert (ArmNews), TUMOxAGBU Stepanakert (ATV) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

TUMOxAGBU PARTNERSHIP BRINGS THE TUMO PROGRAM TO STEPANAKERT


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On September 23rd, a new MRI unit was inaugurated at the Heratsi Hospital in Yerevan thanks to a $1.4 million donation by AGBU Board of Trustees Member Nazar Nazarian, his wife Artemis and their son, AGBU Central Board Member Dr. Levon Nazarian. The ceremony was attended by AGBU President Berge Setrakian, Minister of Education of the Republic of Armenia Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia Armen Muradyan and Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) Rector Mikayel Narimanyan. The MRI unit is an addition to the AGBU-YSMU Levon and Claudia Nazarian Radiology Center, founded in 2010, which will allow the center to perform medical tests not available at other hospitals in Armenia. The new device provides high quality images that enable accurate diagnoses. According to Narimanyan, the new MRI unit will enable doctors to see car-diovascular pathologies at an earlier stage, observing changes, without endovascular interventions, which may ultimately lead to heart attack and stroke. “The machine is a 1.5 Tesla ‘high-field’ which will expand the range of MRI services offered to patients,” said Dr. Levon Nazarian, a radiologist and vice chairman of the Department of Radiology at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. “State-of-the-art imaging is essential if Armenia is to be seen as a center of medical excellence.” During the inauguration, Muradyan highlighted the importance of introducing mod-ern equipment at YSMU, allowing young doctors to get hands on experience on the types of technologies available at the best

hospitals around the world, early on in their careers: “These technologies also allow specialists to send digital images to reference hospitals, which means that [Armenians] will be saved the trouble of traveling to other countries for the purpose of diagnosis and will be able to receive the highest quality medical care in their home country, in particular at the diagnosis stage.” He added that in the coming months YSMU expects to re-ceive two more similar devices that will meet the needs of Armenia’s healthcare sector. Before the start of the cere-mony, Setrakian and Narimanyan signed a cooperation agreement to continue the partnership between AGBU and YSMU.

For videos please visit: MRI Unit (Armenia TV),

MRI Unit (AraratTV), MRI Unit (ShantTV), MRI Unit (ATV)

or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

NAZARIAN FAMILY DONATES MRI UNIT TO HERATSI HOSPITAL IN YEREVAN


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On July 17th, 2015, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the Ayb Educational Foundation and the Luys Foundation held a joint press conference at the Ayb School in Yerevan to discuss the MIT Global Teaching Lab program. Global Teaching Labs is a pilot summer program designed to shape a new culture of learn-ing in Armenia by introducing a different method of instruction. The press conference is part of MIT’s International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) program, a bridge between cen-ters of excellence in Armenia and around the world. Speakers included Serenella Sferza, MISTI program director; Fr. Mesrop Aramian, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ayb School, advisor to the President of the Republic of Armenia and mem-ber of the Luys Education Board; and Vasken Yacoubian, member of the AGBU Central Board of Directors. “MISTI is designed to expose MIT faculty and students to excellence worldwide. We started with MIT Japan and now we have 15 country-based programs. We also have programs that cut across countries and the Global Teaching Labs and our collabora-

tion with Armenia is one of these programs,” said Sferza. The Global Teaching Lab course began on June 22nd and ended on July 31st. The classes - held at the Ayb School - introduce students to emerging disciplines, such as neuro-computing, machine learning, and electricity and magnetism, and encourage hand-on learning to bring theory into practice. “Our methods are a bit different,” said MIT student and program lecturer Armen Samurkashian. “We lead the class in a more interactive way. We approach each issue in a more profound specialized way.” During the course, the 110 stu-dents from across Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh were hosted by AGBU at the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center where extracurricular activities were organized each day.

Through the Global Teaching Labs, MIT students are matched with foreign high schools and prepare tailored courses on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects that complement the school's curriculum and highlight MIT's hands-on approach to education. MISTI operates through country programs that create opportunities for students and faculty to work with partners abroad. The 19 country programs cover most of the world’s large economies, as well as smaller countries with particularly dynamic tech-nology sectors and administer several innovative cross-regional programs that enable MIT students to learn through teaching STEM and entrepreneurship. “We must gather our resources around the best programs: Ayb, Luys, American University of Armenia and UWC Dilijan. They all have their own directions, but all of them are working towards enriching education in Armenia and turning Armenia into an international center of excellence in education,” said AGBU Central Board member Vasken Yacoubian.

For videos please visit: GTL (Armenia TV), GTL (Ararat TV), GTL (H1) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo


AGBU PARTNERS WITH MIT, AYB EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION AND LUYS FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN ARMENIA

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On September 29th, AGBU Yerevan hosted the “E-Governance Armenia” conference organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Tumo Center for Creative Technologies and the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia to Armenia. The main goal of this conference was to raise public awareness about electronic governance, discussing further steps in making information and services as user friendly and accessible as possible by consolidating various systems, as well as finding ways to involve the Diaspora in a more active and effective way in the electronic governance system of our country in a mutually beneficial way.

“First of all, electronic governance makes life easier for people, and it makes it a lot easier to govern the country. It also delivers a positive message to the whole world that Armenia is improving, it’s modernizing. Armenia has built up a lot of digital resources and now is the time to start using them. This is not only the Armenian govern-ment’s position, this is also my personal conviction as an independent expert”, said Ivar Tallo, Founder of e-Governance Academy, Estonia.

Opening remarks at the conference were delivered by Vache Gabrielyan, Republic of Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms, Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Central Board Member, Priit Turk, Ambassador of Estonia to Armenia, and Piotr Switalski, Ambassador, Head of EU Delegation to Armenia. The con-ference focused on the results of the e-Governance initiatives implemented in Armenia and the key steps in the future de-

velopment of the field including the creation of trust.

Emphasizing the importance of the conference in raising public awareness about electronic governance, AGBU Cen-tral Board Member Vasken Yacoubian spoke about the Di-aspora’s involvement in the system, “The capabilities of this platform are huge and we should think about how we can use these capabilities, how we can consolidate and co-ordinate our resources both in Armenia and the Diaspora, to strengthen the nation, as well as how we can make this platform accessible to those in the Diaspora, involve the Diaspora in e-Governance and ultimately help Armenia”.

Among the panelists of the conference were David Ha-rutyunyan, RA Government’s Chief of Staff, Stepan Pet-rosyan, Advisor to the RA Diaspora Minister, Kristi Raidma, Program Manager at EU Delegation to Arme-nia, Raffi Kassarjian, Chairman of Repat Armenia, Artak Melkonian, Senior Advisor at UNDP Armenia, Sergey Tantushian, Deputy CEO at IDeA Foundation, Pegor Papazian, Board Member of Tumo Center for Creative Technologies, Vahe Keushguerian, Chairman of the Im-pact Hub Board of Trustees, Karen Gharslyan, President of Haik-AGBU Germany, and Aram Orbelyan, Senior Partner at Concern Dialog. Hoa-Binh Adjemian, Head of Cooperation at EU Delegation to Armenia, was the host of the conference. The conference was attended by gov-ernment officials, representatives of international organizations, IT experts, representatives of Diasporan organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. Q&A sessions followed each panel discussion.

For videos please visit: E-Governance Armenia (ATV), E-Governance Armenia (ArmeniaTV), E-Governance Armenia (H3TV) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

AGBU YEREVAN HOSTS “E-GOVERNANCE ARMENIA” CONFERENCE


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On October 10th, 2015, AGBU President Berge Setrakian and his wife Vera hosted a luncheon in honor of AUA President Armen Der Kiureghian at the Waterside Restaurant in North Bergen, New Jersey. The event provided an opportunity to meet Dr. Der Kiureghian and learn about the university. Among the guests were members of the AGBU Central Board and Council of Trustees, AUA Board of Trustees and alumni along with members of the Greater New York Armenian community.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Setrakian emphasized the partnership between AGBU and AUA: “From its inception, AGBU believed that AUA could be in the best interest of Armenia to bring a Western-oriented educational institution to a country that was coming out of the Soviet era. It’s an institution that needs our continued support.”

At the luncheon, Der Kiureghian spoke at length about the university and its impact on the Republic of Armenia: “AUA is the only US-accredited university in all of the former So-viet republics. 90% of our students are citizens of Arme-nia…but we have students from more than 20 different coun-tries.”

Lorraine Alexander, AUA vice president of development and external relations, and Dr. Larry Pitts, chairman of the AUA Board of Directors, also addressed the audience: “Education is investment. When you invest in education, you are moving things forward for the future to take care of the overall needs of society,” said Dr. Pitts.

Der Kiureghian is one of the founding members of AUA, founding dean of AUA’s College of Science and Engineering, former interim provost and currently the president of the uni-versity. He is also a noted scholar of international fame and is the Taisei Chair in Civil Engineering Emeritus at the Univer-sity of California, Berkeley. Der Kiureghian is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the highest honor for an American engineer and an elected for-eign member of the National Academy of Sciences of Arme-nia. He has served as Visiting Professor in universities in Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Japan and Slovenia.

As one of the founding organizations of AUA, AGBU has been involved in the university since its establishment in 1991. AGBU has proven to be a champion for AUA through

financial assistance in the launch of academic programs and scholarships, the establishment of the AGBU Papazian Li-brary and the start of the AUA Extension-AGBU NKR Program to help reignite the workforce in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic through various training courses. AUA is a private, independent university in Yere-van, Armenia established through a partnership with the government of Armenia, AGBU and the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement and promoting public service and democratic values.

BERGE AND VERA SETRAKIAN HOST RECEPTION FOR AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA PRESIDENT

ARMEN DER KIUREGHIAN


On December 4th 2015, the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall in Yerevan played host to over 300 students of the French Uni-versity of Armenia’s (UFAR) Management, Law, Economics and Marketing Department. Parents, faculty, administration and various guests looked on as these students received their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

For the 9th consecutive year, the University’s top 24 stu-dents from years 2-4 received AGBU scholarships of Ex-cellence making the day all the more memorable for all concerned.

“I would like to thank the Armenian General Benevolent Union for their support. It helps us concentrate on our studies. It’s not simply financial assistance; it applies di-rectly to our professional skills and to the creation of healthy competition among the students”, said UFAR stu-dent Stephania Ghazaryan, receiving the AGBU scholar-ship for the second time.

The ceremony was attended and congratulatory speeches were made by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipo-tentiary of France in Armenia Jean-Froncois Charpentier, Rector of the French University of Armenia Jean-Marc Lavest, representative of the Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University Robert Cheratt and AGBU Yerevan Interim Director Hovig Eordekian.

After making a welcome speech Hovig Eordekian presented certificates of Excellence to the students. “Our cooperation with the French University of Armenia doesn’t end with the scholarships’ program. AGBU also finances the annual summer internship program of the university's best students

in France. For one month they work in the most sought after positions in France obtaining skills otherwise unavailable to them in Armenia. Upon their return they put these newfound skills to great use in the development and empowerment of our Homeland”, said AGBU Yerevan Interim Director Hovig Eordekian.

Cooperation between AGBU and UFAR began in 2004 with over 100 UFAR students having interned in leading organiza-tions in France since then and over 250 students receiving AGBU Scholarships of Excellence. In 2012, thanks to AGBU’s support, the university library was also renovated.

“AGBU scholarships are provided based on two crite-ria: academic performance and social status”, men-tioned UFAR newly appointed rector Jean-Marc Lavest.

The French University of Armenia was founded in 2003. The administrative and educational management of the university is carried out by staff consisting of Armenian and French specialists headed by the Rector of the uni-versity Jean-Marc Lavest. Jean Moulin Lyon 3 Univer-sity is UFAR’s first educational partner. Among the long-term partners of UFAR is the ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank. At present more than 1000 students are enrolled at the university. It has had more than 2000 graduates, 80% of whom work in Armenia, 12% continue their education in the University’s Master’s Degree Program and only 6-7% study and/or work abroad.

For videos please visit: AGBU scholarship to UFAR Students (ATV) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

UFAR’S BRIGHTEST STUDENTS RECEIVE AGBU SCHOLARSHIPS OF EXCELLENCE


AGBU Deputy Director Hovik Eordekian Presenting the Certificates

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The 2nd round of the 10th Republican Interschool Chess Olympiad got under way at Armenia’s Chess Academy on No-vember 10th, 2015. The Republican Interschool Chess Tournament is organized by Armenia’s Chess Academy and the RA Ministry of Education and Science. For 9 consecutive years, the Armenian General Benevolent Union sponsors the tourna-ment, which annually brings together more than 10,000 students from Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk.

The ceremony was attended by Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, President of Armenia’s Acad-emy of Chess Smbat Lputyan, AGBU Ar-menia Special Projects Coordinator Inessa Margaryan, parents, journalists and guests.

“Five years ago chess was officially in-cluded in the secondary school curriculum of the Republic of Armenia. Today, I am proud to announce that during these five years our students have demonstrated bril-liant results in chess and have secured a number of victories at international tour-naments” said RA Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan.

In his opening speech Smbat Lputyan, President of Armenia’s Chess Academy, said, “I am extremely glad that for the last nine years we have cooperated with the Armenian General Benevolent Union, as general sponsor of the tournament. We will continue to improve the Championship by making it more captivating and interesting every year.

The tense competition to select the best team and individual players will last 8 months. This year the Championship is held for the 10th time. The winners of the first round will go on to represent their schools in the consequent rounds. The second round will continue for two more weeks and the win-ners will represent their community then their region in the third round and the finals, scheduled for spring 2016.

“During these years AGBU has invested more than 200.000 US dollars in chess, and today we can proudly state that we have educated a new generation of highly qualified chess-players hoping that one day these new giants of chess will make all Armenians both in Armenian and the Diaspora proud”, said AGBU Armenia Special Projects Coordinator Inessa Margaryan.

Over the past nine years, AGBU has provided chess boards, chess clocks, chess literature, demonstration chess boards and projectors to more than 1000 schools around Armenia. The winning teams and individuals have received laptop computers, MP3 players, mobile telephones, USB sticks, tablets, monetary prizes and medals. Thanks to the Republi-can Interschool Chess Olympiad children have shown a sig-nificant interest towards this game over the last number of years. This tournament has already paved the way for a num-ber of children into professional chess. Over 10.000 students, aged 7-17, from over 1000 schools around Armenia partici-pate in this tournament every year.

For videos please visit: AGBU Sponsors Interschool Chess Tournament or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

ARMENIA’S CHESS ACADEMY HOSTS 10TH REPUBLICAN INTERSCHOOL CHESS TOURNAMENT

AGBU and Chess Academy Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Partnership


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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Armenia, IDeA Foundation and Gyumri Project Hope held a joint forum in Gyumri on December 8th to discuss the current issues and prospects for the development of the city. Government represen-tatives, local authorities, international and local experts, diplomatic missions, international and non-governmental organi-zations, among them AGBU and other stakeholders, partici-pated in the forum and discussed the economic, educa-tional, social and business development of Gyumri, as well as offered solutions for the development of city’s infra-structures. Gyumri Project Hope (GPH) was a result of the Depopula-tion research conducted by the Kololian Foundation, which revealed that Gyumri had the highest level of depopulation of any city in the Republic of Armenia.

Gyumri Project Hope is a non-profit urban planning founda-tion, focused on the improvement of Gyumri in various sec-tors to curb, or eliminate, the depopulation crisis in the city. Among the partners of the project are Vahan Kololian, Arme-nian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), IDeA Foundation and Armenian Relief Society (ARS). In the coming months, the Gyumri Project Hope will be working with various research groups to develop a long-term Master Plan for the city of Gyumri focusing on infrastructure development, housing issues and perspectives, educational/

cultural development, tourism, agriculture, industry regeneration and restoration and the perspectives of its further devel-opment as well as other fields. The project will bring together various organizations to outline their activities for the next decade.

GYUMRI PROJECT HOPE


AGBU ARMENIA HOLDS A DEBATE ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

On November 24th, the Armenian General Benevolent Un-ion (AGBU) and LegalLab Law Boutique held a debate on Constitutional reforms in the Republic of Armenia at AGBU Armenia headquarters. The main goal of the event was to provide a platform for both parties to openly express their standing, to raise awareness of the Constitutional re-forms and underscore the role and meaning of the supreme law in regulating public, political, social-economic and legal relations in the country.

The debate was moderated by Stepan Khzrtyan, Found-ing Partner at LegalLab Law Boutique and Director of the Center for Excellence in Negotiation. Guest speak-ers from opposing sides were lawyer Aram Vardevan-yan and political scientist, member of “No Pasaran” civic movement Armen Grigoryan.

The lively debate was followed by a Q&A session.

Over the past three years, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) has supported Syrian-Armenians who have found themselves in difficult circumstances. Since the beginning of the Civil War in Syria, AGBU has been among the first organiza-tions lening a helping a hand to our compatriots in Syria, Lebanon and Armenia. During this time, the AGBU has contributed over 2.5 million US dollars to Syrian-Armenian relief programs. On October 22nd, 2015, as part of its Syrian-Armenian relief programs, AGBU organized a charity exhibition and sale of works by RA national artist and painter Zulum Grigoryan and his son painter Mushegh Grigoryan. The 85 years-old painter and his son, also a painter, presented over 57 works to art lovers in Yerevan. All proceeds from the exhibition and sale entitled “Bridge” went to AGBU’s relief efforts in support of Syrian-Armenians. “The idea had come to me a long time ago. I was in two minds about which organization to collaborate with and a friend referred me to the Armenian General Benevolent Union. I spoke with then and was very pleased that our discussions ended with this type of cooperation. I would like to thank the AGBU Yerevan office administration and staff, who organized such a professional exhibition and helped my idea become reality”, said Mushegh Grigoryan. It’s important to note the significance of the title of the exhibi-tion “Bridge”. It is a bridge between Armenia and the Dias-pora, with one side lending a helping hand to the other in dire circumstances. The Diaspora has constantly helped Armenia

in its times of hardship and it’s now Armenia’s turn to help our compatriots living in the Diaspora. It’s also a bridge between two generations of father and son. “AGBU has been carrying out large scale assistance pro-grams for Syrian-Armenians both in Syria and Armenia. These are mainly humanitarian projects but we also organize various cultural activities to assist Syrian-Armenians. Combining art with charity produces very interesting results. I hope that our cooperation will continue”, said AGBU Armenia Interim Di-rector Hovig Eordekian.

For videos please visit: Charity Exhibition (ATV), Charity Exhibition (H3TV) or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

AGBU ARMENIA ORGANIZES “BRIDGE” CHARITY EXHIBITION AND SALE OF PAINTINGS BY ZULUM AND MUSHEGH GRIGORYANS

An exhibition shouldn’t be demonstrative; it should not be a shout of self realization, an exhibition should be a show of human kindness. Zulum Grigoryan


Father and son Zulum and Mushegh Grigoryan

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On the eve of the holidays, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) prepared a pleasant surprise for 1,200 pen-sioners and children. For two days on December 28th and 29th AGBU Yerevan staff and AGBU Yerevan Scout Movement members delivered packages of food and drinks for Christmas to more than 600 pensioners in need visiting the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s three dining centers in Yerevan. Those who were not able to visit the centers them-

selves also received Christmas packages. The AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s Nor Nork, Arabkir and Malatya senior dining centers have been providing daily meals to more than 600 pensioners in need for over 20 years. On December 29th, AGBU also prepared a New Year surprise for 600 Syrian-Armenian children, aged 6-13, at the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center, where the “Syrian-Armenian Relief Coordination Center” NGO has been operating for several months. A festive celebration was organized at the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center, with the participation of clowns, various cartoon characters and of course Santa Clause

and the Snow Fairy. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu-gees (UNHCR) had also prepared gifts for the children.

For videos please visit: Gifts from AGBU (ArmeniaTV), Gifts from AGBU (ArmeniaTV), Gifts from AGBU (AraratTV)

HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR PENSIONERS AND SYRIAN-ARMENIAN CHILDREN

Strongly believing in the power of education, AGBU, in cooperation with the Calouste Gulbenkian Founda-tion and the Ministries of Diaspora and Education of Armenia continues the joint program of providing tui-tion assistance to Syrian-Armenians studying at Ar-menia’s higher educational institutions. The program was launched in 2013 providing tuition assistance to 380 Syrian-Armenians eager to receive university education. In 2014-2015, 420 students re-ceived such assistance and in 2015-2016 academic year the program will help 460 students, bringing the total allocation to nearly $1 Million and the number of students receiving aid to 1260. This initiative gives Syrian-Armenians access to education in the universi-ties of Armenia and ensures that Syrian-Armenian youth has a way to enhance its potential and make its contribution to the development of our homeland.

AGBU CONTINUES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO SYRIAN-ARMENIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Close to 1 Million US Dollars Allocated to Cover Tuition Expenses


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This year, AGBU Yerevan Summer Intern Program hosted 16 students from the USA, Russia, France and Lebanon as part of a large and united family. The interns spent six weeks working in leading local and international organizations to not only enhance their own knowledge but share their expertise with their Armenian colleagues. This year, the program participants were hosted by such renowned organizations as the United Nations (UN), RA Human Rights Defender office, Women’s Resource Center, Malayan’s Eye Care Center, “Arabkir” Medical Center, Deem Communications, Jinishian Memorial Foundation, Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, PicsArt, Wi-Castr and ICARE companies, “ImageMan” Architectural and Interior Design Studio,” Orran” Charitable Non-Governmental Organization, Paris Hotel.

“I learnt about this program from one of my friends. She recommended it as the best summer of his life and I knew I had to apply. Now I work at the Arabkir Medical Center with children with epilepsy, take notes, and follow the course of their treatment. Honestly, my internship is very informative and important. The diagnostic process, discus-sions and talks with the specialists help me gain a deeper understanding of my chosen field. The applied methods are different in Armenia compared to the US, which allows me to compare the two different approaches, and get a better handle on the issues at hand. I came here with an eagerness to help and I am trying to find the best way to do that. I love Armenia very much and I can now also say that this was my best summer ever”, said Rita Shehiryan from Cali-fornia, the USA. (Continued on page 15)


SIX WEEKS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND HERITAGE REDISCOVERY Diasporan Armenian Students at Armenia’s Leading Organizations and Companies

“This is the 9th year of the AGBU Yere-van Summer Intern Program (YSIP). The program allows the participants to see the real Armenia, its traditions and cul-ture and everyday life. During the 6 weeks, we travel around the country, visit orphanages, take Armenian Language and traditional dance classes, prepare Armenian traditional dishes, as well as visit Artaskh. Sightseeing and cultural trips are certainly an inseparable part of the program. The schedule of the pro-gram is rather full and we spare neither effort nor expense to allow for our stu-dents to get to know Armenia, love and contribute to the welfare of their Home-land”, said Gayane Manukyan, AGBU YSIP coordinator.

(continued from page 14) As part of the program, the group also visited Artsakh, learned about its history and culture, and met the Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs Armine Aleksanyan who introduced them to the current process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. Participants also visited Shushi, Gandzasar and Tigranakert. This year’s tours throughout Armenia also included Lake Sevan, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery and Sardarapat. The group also trav-elled to the Armenian-Turkish border in Gyumri, from where they could admire the ruins of our historic lands in Ani.

“Deem Communications has hosted AGBU interns for the last six years from different parts of the US, and with vari-ous backgrounds and areas of interest. We give the in-terns an authentic Armenian experience and in return they give us international experiences and an alternative ap-proach. We had an AGBU intern last year who returned to Armenia and asked to work with us again for another

two months because he felt that he had become a part of our Deem family. When they come to Armenia with a pro-gram such as this, they realize just how unique and amazing their Homeland really is and if the right bonds are es-tablished they always return”, said the founder of Deem Communications Raffi Niziblian.

During the program, the participants also visited the American University of Armenia, AGBU Armenian Vir-tual College, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Ayb School, Tsitsernakaberd Memorial and the Genocide Museum. The interns spent a day with children of “Orran” Charitable Non-Governmental Organization. They also took a course in traditional Armenian cuisine, at the end of which they were able to prepare traditional Armenian dishes such as dolma and manti. They also had the chance to take part in an Armenian Wines tasting session organ-ized by ICARE and the EVN Wine Academy.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan hosted the interns at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. While touring the grounds he spoke at length about their spiritual journeys and Armenian identity concluding with a visit to the Ruben Sevak museum. Climbing to the top of Mount Aragats was another highlight of the 6 week program along with a visit to the AGBU Antranik Scout Camp in the Lori region of Armenia. The program also allowed the participants to get in touch with their roots through Armenian language and traditional dance classes. After six weeks, the participants showcased their talents during their final performance at the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s Nork Children’s Center. The program ended with a formal reception at the Yerevan Folk Arts Museum with the interns, their supervisors and colleagues and AGBU representatives.

For videos please visit: AGBU YSIP 2015, AGBU YSIP 2015, AGBU YSIP 2015 or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

SIX WEEKS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND HERITAGE REDISCOVERY


A Day with “Orran” Kids

With Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan at Holy Etchmiadzin

Visiting Artsakh

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Yukinori Kinoshita, a young Japanese pianist, studying in the United States, had learnt about the legacy of Komitas only three months before deciding to visit the Master’s homeland. Following extensive research he realized that the best way to discover Armenia and Armenian culture for a beginner musician was to participate in the AGBU’s Musical Armenia Pro-

gram (MAP). He registered immediately and together with the other nine participants of this year’s Musical Armenia program arrived in Yerevan in June, thus breaking with tradition and becoming the first non-Armenian participant in the history of the program. Since the inception of the program, AGBU’s aim was to provide an opportunity for Armenians and foreign musi-cals and artists alike to discover one of the world’s most ancient cultures and its music.

“I learnt about this program through my Armenian friend. This is a unique opportunity to understand Arme-nian culture. The program offers highly qualified teach-ing materials and a number of interesting lectures. I am planning to present this program to my friends living in the United States and Japan. I am sure that a great num-ber of people will be interested in participating. Yerevan is a unique city and if the opportunity arises I will defi-nitely return one day.”, said Yukinori. The 4th Musical Armenia Program brought together 10 talented musicians from the USA, Canada, France, Syria and Leba-non. The three-week program included individual master classes and group lectures given by renowned professionals, various cultural events and sightseeing. This year’s program took place between July 14- August 3, 2015 with participants playing the violin, flute, piano, trumpet, alt, as well as specializing in vocals and conducting skills. Joint classes and individual master classes were given by such renowned artists as Karen Durgaryan, Armen Tutunjyan, Yervand Margaryan, Never Navoyan, Bagrat Vardanyan, Tovmas Poghosyan, Lusine Grigoryan, Arusyak Sahakyan, Ar-thur Shahnazaryan, Arman Abrahamyan, Hayk Arsenyan. “This is not an ordinary, traditional school, where students only strive to excel at their instrument. This is the type of mu-sical education that builds character, personality and self improvement and maybe even allows for solutions to personal problems through music. I’m inspired when teaching these students and very much appreciate the significance of this par-ticular program. If only one or two students return to their roots, their identity and feel a closer connection to their home-land then I would consider this a successful program.”, said RA honored artist, Mher Navoyan. The aims of MAP are to develop performance skills of the young musicians, knowledge of the history of the Armenian music, as well as allowing them to learn and promulgate Armenian music. Participants of the program also had the profoundly im-pressive experience of sitting in on the rehearsals of the “Sayat Nova” Ashough (troubadour) song ensemble, headed by Tovmas Poghosyan. Most had never heard a live performance of the kamancha, tar and saz (traditional Armenian instruments). Among the most memorable events was the concert and presentation of a new CD, entitled “Citizen” by cellist Artyom Manukyan, from the United States. (Continued on page 17)


AGBU MUSICAL ARMENIA PROGRAM NOW INCLUDES NON-ARMENIAN STUDENTS

AUA Akean Gallery Hosted a Lecture by Mher Navoyan

With Anna Mayilyan at Komitas Museum in Yerevan

(continued from page 16) Trumpet player, Raffi Elmajian from Lebanon had last visited Armenian 15 years ago. However he didn’t’ have to wait as long for his next trip as only two weeks after the completion of the program he returned to Arme-nian bringing with him 14 members of his family. “I travel a lot, but I always miss Lebanon. I love Leba-non very much. This is my first visit that made me think of leaving Lebanon and settling here or at least having our little place in Armenia” said Raffi. Jasper Moss, Gaspar Musakhanyan from Canada as-pires to become a renowned conductor and thanks to the AGBU Musical Armenia Program he had the unique opportunity to work with Karen Durgaryan and even led the Symphonic Orchestra of Armenia during his time with MAP.

“We’ve had this experience in sport where with the help of a similar program we now have very successful athletes that we can be proud of and now thanks to the AGBU, we have a comparable program for our young musicians. They are able to come to Armenia, attend lectures and master classes, visit the Opera and probably most beautifully unique and memorable for them, give their own concern to both the general public and their teachers”, said Bagrat Vardanyan, professor at Yerevan State Conservatory. A Gala Concert by the participants of MAP at the Aram

Khachaturian House-Museum on August 1st brought the Musical Armenia Program to a close. The program included pieces by Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, Haydn, Chopin, Bize, Max Reger and Kenny Dorham. Following the concert, Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Central Board Member and the initiator of MAP awarded certificates to each participant.

In his speech, Mr. Yacoubian thanked all the professors who spared neither effort nor time to make these three weeks memorable for MAP students. “Musical Armenia Program” joined AGBU’s Diaspora youth programs in 2012. This annual program is open for students aged 18 and above, who play a musical instrument or have vocal abilities, with primary musical education and who desire to gain new experience and knowledge in the Homeland. Since its establishment the AGBU Musical Armenia Program has hosted over 40 talented young men and

women from around the world. Some of them have returned to Armenia and continue to work in their creative fields.

For videos please visit: AGBU MAP 2015, AGBU MAP 2015,

AGBU MAP 2015, AGBU MAP 2015 or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

AGBU MUSICAL ARMENIA PROGRAM NOW INCLUDES...


Gaspar from Canada with Armenian Symphony Orchestra

Unforgettable evening with Tigran Mansouryan

MAP Participants with Their Teachers and AGBU Representatives

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AGBU SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA 2015

This year the AGBU scouts’ outfits differed from those of previous years, thanks to the addition of the forget-me-not pin symbolizing the Armenian Genocide Centennial. The pin was not a requirement of the uniform however the international participant of the annual “Antranik” Scout Camp wore it with pride. For the 8th consecutive year Lori hosted the AGBU scouts from all around the world. Over 150 participants from the USA, Lebanon, Georgia, UAE, Syria and Armenia gathered at their favorite Antranik Camp. Archbishop Sepouh Chuljyan, Primate of the Gugark Dio-cese, addressed the Scouts during the opening ceremony, “It is amazing that you can now see your Homeland with your own eyes. The best way to understand your Homeland is not only through history books but through real experiences. You must walk through its lands, its villages and cities, feel it’s breath and get to know it’s people and it’s culture. I bless you all and wish you a successful camping experience.”

Opening speeches were also made by AGBU An-tranik Scout Camp Director Kevork Santourian and AGBU Yerevan Interim Director Hovig Eordekian. “Friendship which begins in the Homeland among the participants during the program, is important and irreplaceable. Our hard work and devotion is justified when we hear one or two important sen-tences from our participants: I loved my Homeland or I am going to return to my Homeland again”, said Kevork Santourian. Taking into consideration the significance of the year 2015, a series of meetings and discussions were or-ganized dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Cen-tennial and plans for the future.

All of the program participants shared a single opinion; they will not rest until justice prevails and the Genocide is recog-nized. (Continued on page 21)


“I LOVED ARMENIA AND I AM GOING TO RETURN TO MY HOMELAND” AGBU’S Antranik Scout Camp Welcomes Over 150 Scouts

(continued from page 20) As part of the program, the participants also visited Etchmiadzin, the Garni Temple, Geghard Mon-astery, Lake Sevan, Haghpat, Goshavank, Lake Gosh, Gyumri, Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, Matenadaran Institute of An-cient Manuscripts and the Komitas Museum. Visits to the AGBU Yerevan office, AGBU Armenian Virtual College, as well as the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin’s Nork Children’s Center were also organized.

For the second year running, during their trip to Gyumri, the AGBU scouts had the unique opportunity to be present at the “Kohar” Ensemble’s rehearsals and savor their beautiful music.

An unforgettable day was spent at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies, which, as always, is one of the most impressive and memorable days in their calendar of events. At the center the scouts met students and staff, saw the many innovative activities that the center carries out, and partici-pated in various interested lectures. At the Tumo Center, all volunteers had the unique opportunity to find something that they were interested in ranging from computer games, animation and computer graphics, music, robotics to web design.

Each of the two sessions of the AGBU Antranik Scout Camp traditionally ends with a Fire Ceremony during which the camp hosts a number of AGBU members and friends, Diaspora-Armenian youth in Armenia as part of the various AGBU summer programs, AGBU Yerevan staff, scouts’ parents, friends and other guests.

“I can’t express what I feel right now. I am more than sure that each one of us feels the same as I do at this moment. This is my fourth visit to the Homeland, but each time I am as emotional and impressed as the first time,”, said one of the scouts.

This was a great opportunity for Diaspora-Armenian youth from various countries and backgrounds to get to know each other, share their impressions and spend another memorable summer in the Homeland.

Annual scout gatherings serve a unique opportunity for the Diaspora-Armenian youth to see the Homeland, its historic monuments and sites with their own eyes, as well as get to know their peers from around the world. Days spent in the outdoors strengthen their discipline and teamwork, as well as active involvement in community services.

After the end of the AGBU Antranik Scout Camp participants returned to their countries, promiseing each other and themselves to return to the Home-land as soon as possible.

Over the past 8 years the AGBU An-tranik Scout Camp hosted over 2500 scouts from all over the world.

For videos please visit: Opening, Debate, Scouts at Tumo,

Tsitsernakabert and Komitas Museum, Fire Ceremony, With Kohar or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

“I LOVED ARMENIA AND I AM GOING TO RETURN TO MY HOMELAND”...


A Day at TUMO

With Archbishop Sepouh Chuldjian

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The best way to discover Armenia in all its glory, its everyday life and traditions is, perhaps, participating in the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) various summer youth programs, one of which is simply called “Discover Arme-nia”. This year 50 young men and women participated in the 12th Discover Armenia (DA) Youth Program from the USA, France, United Kingdom, Lebanon, Canada, Dominican Republic and Turkey. As part of the three-week program, partici-pants stayed at the newly-opened AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center. The AGBU Discover Armenia program is open to stu-

dents, aged 15-18. Participation in voluntary community pro-jects is one of the key components of the program. As part of the community projects the AGBU Discover Armenia Youth Program has cooperated with Fuller Armenia, reaching out to disadvantaged families with housing issues. This year support was offered to the Hayrapetyan family living in Khor Virap village. The family had dreamed of having their own home for 20 over years. “I have been dreaming about this day for years. Now even my grandson has joined the volunteers in building our house, our own house. I have waited so long to have my own house. I am very grateful to everyone, all the organizers, sponsors, and of course, these young people”, says Raya Hayrapetyan, the new homeowner.

One young man, 14-year-old Isahak Karadanayan, will be remembered for a long time to come. Isahak’s parents had given him some pocket money, and during the construction, he decided to give the money to the Hayrapetyan family. He wanted to help. “I noticed that the family needed money, so I decided to give them some to make them happy. It’s so sad to see Ar-menian families in need. We should help each other, so that they become happy and enjoy their lives as well”, said Isa-hak. Melanie Ekizyan, one of the program participants from the USA, “I have never worked in construction before. This is a wonderful initiative and a very good test of teamwork, communication and it allows us to get to know each other better, find new friends and of course, help these people. We feel happy with what we do. We learn a lot both from the program and each other. This is my second trip to Ar-menia, which completely differs from the first, when I was accompanied by my parents”. (Continued on page 23)


12TH SEASON OF AGBU’S DISCOVER ARMENIA PROGRAM WELCOMES 50 PARTICIPANTS FROM 8 COUNTRIES

(continued from page 22) Between August 15-17, program participants visited Artsakh. During their trip they visited historic monuments, Shushi and Gandzasar, as well as presented new books to the foreign language literature stand of Stepanakert Children’s Library, which has become a wonderful tradition. The stand was established by Discover Armenia participants in 2009, since then, it has expanded with the addition of new foreign language literature each year. As part of their trip, the group also participated in the Grape Blessing Ceremony.

They returned from Artsakh and left for Vanadzor the fol-lowing morning to visit the children of one of the orphan-ages in the city. The group brought stationery, clothes and other presents with them. Two of the program participants, Victor and Catherine from the USA had fundraised before coming to Armenia. The 3850 US dollars donated will be allocated to new bedding for the children of the orphanage.

This visit of Diaspora-Armenian young men and women to the Shirak region of Armenia, was an unforgettable experi-ence where they had the chance to admire the ruins of Ani and our historic lands that remained in Western Armenia. The program curriculum also included Armenian traditional dance classes, songs and pottery. At the end of the program participants showed what they had learned during the con-cert at the AGBU and Mother See’s Nork Children’s Center. The group also visited Etchmiadzin, Tsaghkadzor, Sardara-pat, Tsitsernakaberd, Khor Virap, Geghard, Garni, Sevan and the Vazgenian Seminary, Noravank, Matenadaran, AGBU Yerevan office and Armenian Virtual College. The group was also present at the 6th pan-Armenian games in Ar-menia which coincided with the program dates, to support Diaspora-Armenian athletes from various countries. Like all the other AGBU youth programs, the Discover Armenia program aims to provide a unique opportunity to our Di-aspora-Armenian youth to discover their Homland and their roots, face difficulties and overcome them. It also serves as an excellent opportunity for these young men and women from around the world to get to know with each other and discover new cultures and traditions. AGBU Discover Armenia Pro-gram was first launched in 2003. Thanks to AGBU Dis-cover Armenia Program almost 400 Diaspora- Armenians from more than 25 countries have discovered Armenia and all that it has to offer. The program is headed by Hermine Duzian, who is the AGBU Diaspora-Armenian Youth Programs Co-ordinator.

For videos please visit: AGBU DAP 2015, AGBU DAP 2015, AGBU DAP 2015 or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

12TH SEASON OF AGBU’S DISCOVER ARMENIA PROGRAM WELCOMES 50 PARTICIPANTS FROM 8 COUNTRIES


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ARMENIA, LAND OF LIFE

For the third consecutive year French Simon Londre, has participated in the UGAB Jeunes’ (AGBU Youth of France) Ar-ménie, Terre de Vie (Armenia, Land of Life) project. He spent his third summer in Armenia, helping to carry out a num-ber of voluntary projects. This time he participated in the program as a veteran and was entrusted to lead this year’s Arménie, Terre de Vie team. We met Simon in the AGBU Yerevan office. In answer to our “bonjour”, we heard his “μ³ñ¨” in wonderfully pronounced Armenian. He was a little tired, but very happy. He came to the office directly from the construction site. Simon’s third visit to Armenia was a turning point for him. Being a son of catholic Jewish parents, Simon decided to be baptized in the Armenian church. “I found a spiritual aura here, in Armenia, which I think every faith should have. I have never noticed such a thing in France. Church is not just a place for prayer for Armenians”, said Simon. The holy christening had taken place the day before at the Geghard Monastery. Simon was christened and received his new holy name: Azat, and in his own words he felt much freer. Before leaving AGBU he said “goodbye” to everyone in Armenian.

Arménie, Terre de Vie by AGBU Youth, France takes place once every two years. The first two programs took place in 2011 and 2013 respectively, during which, the program participants volunteered their time and service in construction, education, environmental and health pro-grams around Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh (NKR),

including the renovation of a two-storey Berdzor Youth Center in Artsakh, the partial renovation of AGBU and Mother See’s Malatya Children’s Center, solving part of the water supply and heating system issues, etc. 40 young people from Paris and the neighboring districts spent several weeks at the Malatya Children’s Center and renovated the cloakroom, sports hall and the painting room at a total cost 10.000 EUR t as part of their returning mission in 2015.

“I have a friend, with whom we play American football. He told me about this program. When he said that he was going to come to Armenia to participate in a humanitarian project, I decided to join him. I am very impressed with the Armenian people who survived the Genocide. It’s a historical fact that we all know. And, although, we came here to help people, we benefit from this project as well. I can’t find words to de-scribe it. I learn a lot of things in Armenia. I am very happy that this program is also open to non-Armenians. I would like to thank several companies and individuals, especially the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Hermine Duzian, Simon, Tigris, Dannie and one of the founders of this project,

Raffi; all of them do a great job to realise the project. I am sure I’ll return to Armenia someday, although probably not as part of this project, as my age doesn’t allow for it.”, said Endie.

For videos please visit: Armenie Terre de Vie, Armenie Terre de Vie, Armenie Terre de Vie or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo


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6215 athletes from 165 cities in 36 countries congregated in Armenia for the 6th Armenian Summer Games from August 2-13 as part of the program of Events for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. The unprecedented number of athletes representing 17 varieties of sport, including representatives of AGBU centers from around the world, took part in events organized in Yerevan, Abovyan, Vand-zor and Steanakert.

Upon the decree of the President of the Republic of Arme-nia, a number of individuals received the President’s let-

ters of acknowledgement for their active participation in the preparation and undertaking of the 6th Pan-Armenian games, among them Hermine Duzian, Member of the International Committee of Pan-Armenian Games and AGBU Diaspora Youth Programs Coordinator.

6TH PAN-ARMENIAN SUMMER GAMES HELD IN ARMENIA


The first Yerevan international half marathon took palace on October 4th 2015. “Yerevan Half-Marathon” initiative, Repat Armenia Fund and the Yerevan Municipality were the organizers of this superb race offering four different distances. 21km & 10 km for professional runners and 2 km & 1 km for beginners and kids. The separation of the routes allowed for the maximum number of participants, irrespective of age or ability.

The first Yerevan Half-Marathon was organized as part of the Erebuni-Yerevan celebrations. Its overall aim being to attract sport tourism and encourage a healthier lifestyle. Participants from various countries took part in the Half-Marathon.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) Yerevan team, including staff and Scouts took part in the Marathon in the central streets of Yerevan which

eventually became a real festival not only for the par-ticipants themselves but for Yerevan’s general popu-lation.

Many individual runners, representatives of various companies, organizations, non-profits and founda-tions, educational institutions and firms, families and people with disabilities participated in this charity event.

AGBU ARMENIA PARTICIPATES IN THE FIRST YEREVAN HALF MARATHON

On October 2nd to 4th, 2015, the AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC) participated in the DigiTec Expo 2015, held at the Yerevan Expo Exhibition Complex. AVC showcased its achievements in e-learning with an emphasis on its online Chess Program developed in collaboration with the Armenian Chess Federation.

On October 3rd, a state delegation headed by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan toured the exhibition and stopped at the AVC pavilion. The President was introduced to the advanced learning tools in online chess, multimedia features and innovative teaching methods of the program. The AVC pavilion was also visited by prominent chess masters Tigran Petrosyan and Rafayel Vahanyan. The visitors expressed genuine interest in the program and considered it a brilliant supplement to the state’s mandatory chess classes in the country’s elementary schools.

During the three-day event, the AVC pavilion attracted a great number of young professionals, students, and parents of young students who were interested in the courses for their children. The multimedia features, interactive puzzles and exercises used in the teaching material, and presented through a user-friendly inter-face, were tremendously attractive to the visitors, and many signed up for the courses on site. Around 170 local and international technology compa-nies, including those specializing in networking sys-tems, telecommunications, IT services, Internet applica-tions, technology and software, participated in the Expo.

AGBU ARMENIAN VIRTUAL COLLEGE AT DIGITEC EXPO 2015

The AGBU Armenian Virtual College was among the participants of the ArmTech Congress 2015 held in Yerevan on October 12 and 13, 2015. A non profit-global network, ArmTech aims to further the success of Armenia’s high-tech in-dustry in a dynamic global free-market economy. AVC Academic Director, Dr. Hasmik Khalapyan, presented the College at the event with her talk entitled “Technology in Arme-nian Classrooms: The Case of AGBU Armenian Virtual College.”

Describing the idea behind the creation of the Armenian Virtual College, Khalapyan argued that the younger ge-nerations of Armenians have become increasingly less interested in studying the language and history of the nation through traditional learning methods. On the other hand, despite the rapid advancements in e-learning worldwide, Armenian Studies programs have failed to fully take advantage of the potential benefits.

AVC was launched in order to address these challenges of education and social engagement on a global scale. Khalapyan suggested, that AVC, with its more than six years of experience in e-learning, could be the solution to this ever-evolving problem.


AGBU ARMENIAN VIRTUAL COLLEGE AT ARMTECH CONGRESS 2015

On August 5th, 2015, AVC hosted a group of 80 hidden Armenians from Turkey who were visiting Armenia as part of the Ari Tun project carried out by the Ministry of the Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia. By revealing their national iden-tity, the group sought to rediscover the language, culture, and history of their ancestors. AVC is a unique tool allowing for such discoveries.

Raffi Bedrosyan, a dedicated Armenian and the founder of Project Rebirth, led the group in Armenia. Bedrosyan helped the group reconnect with their Armenian roots, as well as their language and culture.

The group included orphaned descendants of the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide forced to take on the Islamic faith by both Turks as well as Kurds. Over the course of their lives, they discovered their hidden Armenian origins and found the courage to speak about their ordeals and visit their ancestral Homeland. The group members aged 15 to 70, with various social-economic backgrounds – including teachers, lawyers, housewives and pensioners came from different

parts of modern day Turkey, including Hamshen, Diyarbakir, Dersim, etc.,. The knowledge of the Armenian language also varied from member to member; the participants from the Hamshen region spoke a dialect of Armenian, while others spoke only Turkish and some knew only a few words of Western Armenian.

Turkish was added to the instructional languages at AVC specifically with this population in mind so that hidden Armeni-ans in Turkey and elsewhere else could finally have access to an Armenian education. A significant number of this group has since enrolled in AVC courses.

HIDDEN ARMENIANS OF TURKEY PARTNER WITH AVC

GULBENKIAN AND INALCO CONFERENCE INCLUDES AGBU ARMENIAN VIRTUAL COLLEGE


AVC Academic Director Dr. Hasmik Khalapyan presented AVC at the international “Innovations in Education: Chal-lenges in Teaching Western Armenian in the 21st Century” Conference. It was organized by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and INALCO (National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures) in Paris, France.

Held on September 21st and 22nd in Paris, the event brought together educators and aca-demics from around the world in an effort to revive and ensure the survival of the Western Armenian language.

In her talk entitled “Information and Com-munication Technologies in Teaching West-ern Armenian: The Case of AGBU Armenian Virtual College,” Hasmik Khalapyan spoke about the urgent need to accept the genera-tional discontinuity in learning styles and approach today’s students “on their own terms.” She blended her theoretical findings and statistical information on online learning worldwide, with AVC's experience and practice to argue that technology was the only solution to revive Western Armenian and prevent its extinction.

During his trip to Jerusalem, AVC Founder Dr. Yervant Zorian visited the Ar-menian Quarter to meet with Armenian community representatives and present AVC’s activities and mission.

Yervant Zorian had a productive meeting with Patriarch Nourhan Manougian of Jerusalem. The Patriarch expressed his appreciation for the work AVC has car-ried out and noted its significance for Armenian communities worldwide.

Zorian also met with members of the Armenian Youth Society and students of the Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School. The participants showed a keen inter-est in the programs—especially the younger generation. Setrag Balian, a dedi-cated young Armenian student from Jerusalem, pointed out the need for AVC programs in his community and school.

The visit laid the foundation for future colllaboration with the community and the school around the diverse programs offered at AVC.

JERUSALEM ARMENIAN COMMUNITY EMBRACES AVC


On December 4th, Dr. Yervant Zorian, AGBU Central Board Member, Founder and Director of AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC) and Fellow and Chief Architect at Synopsys, Inc. was appointed President of Synopsys Armenia. Synopsys, Inc., the world's 16th largest software company, established a presence in Armenia in 2004 as Synopsys Armenia CJSC. With over 700 qualified specialists, Synopsys is one of the largest IT employers in Armenia. Synopsys Armenia is located in Yerevan. Dr. Zorian received an MS degree in Computer Engineering from University of South-ern California, a PhD in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, and an MBA from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. A recipient of the Na-tional Medal of Science of the Republic of Armenia, a Foreign Member of the Na-tional Academy of Sciences of Armenia, and an EDA and IP veteran with over 20 years of experience in leading R&D efforts in Armenia, Dr. Yervant Zorian is well-prepared to help take IT development and technological innovation in Armenia to the next level. We wholeheartedly congratulate Dr. Zorian on this appointment.

DR. YERVANT ZORIAN APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF SYNOPSYS ARMENIA

AGBU AVC ANNOUNCES ENROLLMENT FOR WINTER TERM 2016

On October 13th, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA) welcomed historian and author George Bournoutian for a public lecture. Bouroutian divided his presentation into two parts, with each focusing on a combination of Armenian, Iranian, and Russian history. Part one dealt with the murder of Russian diplomat Alexander Griboyedov in Tehran and the sending of an Iranian prince with a letter of apology and gifts to Tsar Nicholas. The Iranian mission traveled through Armenia, Georgia, and Russia. Bournoutian discussed how the travel journal (in Persian) is an important document of the geopolitical conditions of the Caucasus and Rus-sia in 1829, immediately following the Russia takeover of eastern Armenia from Iran. Part two concentrated on the very rare Russian surveys of the khanates of Sheki (1819), Shirvan (1820), Karabagh (1823) and Yerevan-Nakhichevan (1828-1832) in describing the population, land tenure and taxation of Tran-scaucasia during the Iranian domination. George Bournoutian was born in Iran in 1943 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1964. He received his Ph.D in Armenian, Iranian, and Russian history from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1976, after which he taught as a visiting professor at a series of institutions including Columbia University, New York University, Tufts University, UCLA, Rutgers Univer-sity, University of Connecticut, and California State University at Fresno. He is currently Senior Professor of History at Iona College in New York. He is the author and translator of 30 books and 3 dozen scholarly articles. His Concise History of the Armenian People (in its 6th edition) was the first comprehensive one-volume history in English and is used in many universities in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. It has been translated into Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, Armenian, and Russian. A Japanese edition is due at the end of this year and a Persian translation is in the works. Bournoutian’s doctoral research was conducted at the Matenadaran under the late Dr. Papazyan during an IREX Fellowship in Armenia from 1973-1974. He visited Armenia for the first time in 1968 and has continued to do so more than 20 times.

HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR GEORGE BOURNOUTIAN DISCUSSES ARMENIAN, IRANIAN AND RUSSIAN HISTORY AT AUA

More than 200 prospective students were present at the American University of Armenia (AUA) Graduate Programs Open House on November 14th. AUA Provost Randall Rhodes, as well as officials from the Office of Admissions and Office of the Registrar, welcomed the attendees in AUA’s Manoogian Hall and introduced them to AUA, its eight graduate programs, the require-ments for admission and financial aid information. The open house registered more than 22% growth in the number of attendees, in comparison to the number in November 2014. In his welcoming speech, Provost Rhodes underscored the benefits of an AUA education, in particular the advantages of studying at an accredited institution that enjoys international recognition. Karina Satamian, Admissions and Recruitment Officer, and Ed-mond Ghulyan, Operations Coordinator, both from the Admissions Office, provided a detailed overview of the graduate programs and their faculty, as well as the admissions process. Registrar Chaghig Arzrouni-Chahinian was on hand to talk about tuition assistance and the generous aid programs available to finance an AUA education. AUA policy is that no Armenian citizen admit-ted to AUA will be denied the opportunity to study there because of demon-strated financial need. The attendees were then invited to attend break-out sessions focusing on indi-vidual graduate programs at AUA. Faculty, alumni, and current students joined in to share their experiences at the university. A tour of the campus was also possible prior to the start of the day’s presentations. While the break-out sessions ran in two rounds, Satamian, Ghulyan, and Arz-rouni-Chahinian were available in Manoogian Hall to answer questions until 3 pm, at which time the open house concluded.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS OPEN HOUSE AT AUA REGISTERS GROWTH IN NUMBER OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ATTENDING


On World Teachers’ Day, October 5th, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received 140 teachers of the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Youth Centers at the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Library. They were accompanied by Rev. Fr. Komitas Hovnanyan, Dean of the Youth Centers. On behalf of the teachers, Fr. Komitas noted that they were gathered in Holy Echmiadzin to hear the message of His Holi-ness, and with his blessing, become rejuvenated and strength-ened in their mission. His Holiness Karekin II blessed the attendees and expressed his appreciation first to Father Komitas, then to the Directors and Teachers of the Youth Centers, for their dedicated and diligent service.

“We are constantly reviewing the activities of the Youth Cen-ters and are pleased with the achievements to date”, said the Catholicos, expressing hope that over time, there would be Youth Centers in all of Armenia's major regions, where, as a result of the diligent work of the priests and teachers, young Armenians would strengthen their gifts and talents, and re-ceive a spiritual education.

The Catholicos of All Armenians stressed that by its nature, the system of the Youth Centers of the Mother See is different from like institutions, he emphasized that the discovery and refinement of talent and abilities are just as important as education in the formation of a moral and upstanding character. His Holiness added, that the mission of the teachers of the Youth Centers is to create patriotic individuals and commendable children. In conclusion, His Holiness asked that the Holy Right Hand of God protect and bless the teachers, and the Youth Centers con-tinue on their path to prosperity and progress. Today, approximately five thousand children and teenagers attend eight Youth Centers in Yerevan, Gyumri, Etchmiadzin, Va-nadzor and Ashtarak.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS MEETS TEACHERS OF AGBU AND HOLY ETCHMIADZIN YOUTH CENTERS

AGBU AND MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN’S NORK CHILDREN CENTER STUDENTS IN MARSEIILE

Over a year ago AGBU Marseille Chairman Patrick Malakian and AGBU Nork Children’s Center planned a joint program dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial, to take place in Marseilles. Their continuous hard work and join efforts resulted in the creation of a performance entitled “Eternity” with the participation of 59 performers, including students of the Nork Children’s Center, and their teach-ers. Participants of the performance, were the students of the “Haykazunq” song and dance ensemble and Gevorg Ginosyan Circus and Dance school, aged 6-22.

The performance was made possible by Grigor Khachatryan, Actor and Director of the Hrachya Ghaplanyan Yerevan Drama Theatre after Hrachya Ghaplanyan, Ar-men Julhakyan, Artistic Director of Nork Children’s Center dance school and Narek Dance Ensemble, as well as AGBU Marseille Chairman Patrick Malakian.

A group of 67 left for France on November 26th and returned to Armenia on De-cember 1st. On November 28th, “Eternity” was performed at the Marseille Con-gress Center. The performance coincided with the tragic events in Paris and took on a second significance “No to Terrorism”.

Eternity received rave reviews both in Marseille and Yerevan.


November 12th, 2015, saw the opening of a unique photo exhibition entitled Western Armenia Through the Lens of Dildilians and Kevork Jerjian at the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute (AGMI) in Yerevan. The Dildilians were generations of photographers with a collection of more than 600 photographs taken between 1880-1923 in various settlements in Western Armenia and Minor Asia, including those depicting the horrifying episodes of the Arme-nian Genocide and its consequences. Present at the opening of the exhibition was Armen Marsubian, professor at the University of Connecticut, USA, and Tsolak Dildilian’s grandson, who has spared no effort in taking this exhibition to London and Ankara.

Kevork Jerjian was a doctor from Karin (Erzurum). In the early 1900s, traveling in Western Armenia with his camera, he took more than 240 photos of his homeland Arabkir and other

towns and villages, of which only 100 survived. In 2014, Kevork Jerjian’s grandson, George Jerjian from London, donated the collection, together with a number of other valuable documents, to the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute. George Jerjian himself was present at the open-ing of the exhibition at AGMI.

On December 17th, AGBU Armenia organized the screening of George Jerjian’s documentary film Daylight After a Century at AGBU Armenia headquarters. Winner of the Best Documen-tary at Los Angeles ARPA Film Festival and Best Short Film at the Toronto Pomegranate Film Festival, the film tells the story of the journey of the photo collection from house to house, from generation to generation and from continent to continent.

For videos please visit: Film Screening, Film Screening or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

PHOTO EXHIBITION AT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM INSTITUTE Screening of George Jerjian’s “Daylight After a Century” Documentary Held at AGBU Armenia


INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION AT AGMI

On November 21st, as part of the International Philatelic Exhibition, two new stamps were introduced and put into circula-tion at the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute (AGMI), one of them depicting the AGMI building, while the other depict-

ing items from the museum’s permanent exhibition. The International Philatelic Exhibition opened at the AGMI conference hall dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centen-nial, with over 40 participants from Armenia, Artsakh, USA, Argentina, Russia, Lithuania and Ukraine exhibiting their col-lections. The exhibition was organized by the Union of Philatelists of Armenia, Armenia’s Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions, and “Haypost” CJSC. The Armenian General Benevo-lent Union (AGBU) was among the sponsors of the exhibi-tion. The aim of this exhibition was to raise awareness of genocides and the need for prevention throughout philately, and to intro-duce Armenians and those from around the world to this tragic page of history.

“This exhibition is a window to the history of the Ottoman Empire of the 1900s. This is more than a thousand words written on a piece of paper. It’s the mirror of history: photos tell much more than books. And finally, this is the reflection of the joint history of Armenians and Turks. We have shared the same land and water. And I urge you strongly, when you look at these photos, pay attention to the eyes of the people in the photos”. George Jerjian

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Currently, four pregnant women’s centers operate in Armenia through the funding of AGBU Hye Geen. Since 2002, the centers have provided consistent high-quality pre- and post-natal care and counseling free of charge to women in Arme-nia’s most impoverished regions. On December 5 and 10, AGBU Armenia representatives vis-ited the Talin and Yerevan Pregnant Womens’ Centers to distribute 92 packages of warm baby hats and blankets stitched with love by Betty Cherkezian and her friends from New Jersey. Future moms in both centers were pleasantly surprised by the gifts from the US. They extended their warm words of gratitude to Betty Cherkezian and all the women involved in the preparation of these beautiful baby blankets and hats. Women visit the Centers twice a week to speak to each other, share their concerns and consult with a doctor and a psy-chologist. “During my first pregnancy I was more concerned with health issues. Now I am more interested in the process of pregnancy, the development of my baby, issues related to the care and behavior of the baby”, says Hranush Yesayan. 75 of the 92 packages sent from New Jersey were distributed to the Pregnant Women’s Centers, while the other 17 were given to Syrian-Armenian pregnant women in Armenia.

STITCHED WITH LOVE


AGBU YEREVAN SCOUTS’ ANNUAL GALA DINNER

Over 100 friends, relatives and parents of AGBU Yerevan scout movement gathered at the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Cen-ter in Yerevan for the annual AGBU Yerevan scout gala dinner on November 28th. For the first time since the inaugural gala in 2009, the event was organized on the Union’s own premises. The building was fully decorated with scout accesso-ries and special scout pins were distributed to all the guests. A string quartet played beautiful classical music during the first half of the evening followed by popular songs by special guests Gagik Barseghian and Mher Minassian and DJ Shant had everyone on the dancefloor by the end of the night.

The gala dinner was organized by the Women’s Com-mittee headed by Hermine Duzian. All the proceeds from the gala dinner, raffle and do-nations went to the various programs implemented by the AGBU Yerevan Scout Movement.

AGBU YEREVAN SCOUTS’ SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

“I swear, upon my honor, to be true to God, my nation and my family”. Taking an oath is an important milestone in the life of every scout. It is one of the most exciting and responsible moments of a scout’s early career. On November 22nd, all the members of the AGBU Yerevan scout movement, from juniors to

seniors, gathered at the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center together with their family members, friends and rela-tives for an truly memorable scout oath ceremony.

It began with a fire ceremony, with every piece thrown on the pyre adding to the intensity of the flame symbol-izing each new scout taking their oath and making the Scout movement stronger and more impressive.

AGU Armenia Deputy Director Hovik Eordekian and AGBU Yerevan Scouts’ Chairperson Hermine Duzian delivered congratulatory speeches.

The oath ceremony was moderated by Saro Tatios. Members of the Scout Council were present at the ceremony, which was concluded with a performance by the AGBU Yerevan Scouts’ Marching Band.


AGBU YEREVAN SCOUTS HELPING FAMILIES IN NEED IN GYUMRI

One of the principles of Armenian scouts states: a scout always helps others. Bearing this in mind, AGBU Yerevan scouts regu-larly organize charity visits to Gyumri to help local families in need. The cold winter and upcoming Christmas holidays were another occasion for the scouts to initiate such a visit to Arme-nia’s second largest city. Clothes, food and toys were collected by the members of the scout movement and taken to Gyumri on December 13th.

The consequences of the terrible earthquake, unfortunately, still evident in Gyumri, 27 years later with most of the 70 families visited by the scouts still living in temporary housing “domiks”. Packages of wheat, sugar, oil, rice and pasta were distrib-uted to the families carefully prepared by the scouts.

AGBU scouts vow to continue their charity visits to Gyumri as long as the city still has families in need.

WORLDWIDE AGBU SCHOOLS AND YOUTH GROUPS VISIT ARMENIA

Every year, to enhance the Armenian education they provide, AGBU’s schools and youth groups from around the world visit Armenia and carry out various charity projects.

In 2015, more than 100 students together with their teachers and chaperons, from AGBU’s Vatche and Tamar Manoukian, Manoogian-Demirjian and Alex Manoogian Schools of USA, as well as Alex and Marie Manoogian School of Buenos Aires, spent time in Ar-menia, getting to know their homeland and creating closer bonds with their peers.

As well as sightseeing trips, the groups also visited the AGBU Armenian Virtual College, American Uni-versity of Armenia, the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and the recently opened AGBU Arme-nia Headquarters. They attended a concert by the AGBU and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Nork Youth Center Students.

The students of the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian School spent a day at one of three AGBU and Holy Etchmiadzin Senior Dining Centers serving

meals to the elderly, talking to them and listening to their stories, singing and reciting for them. They also spent a day at the Trchunyan Orphanage in Gyumri distributing gifts, playing with the kids and enjoying their performances.

35 members of AGBU Montreal’s scout group also spent their summer in Armenia in 2015. Together with Fuller Armenia, the Canadian-Armenian scouts built two houses in Armenia’s Kaqavadzor and Ma-yakovski villages.

In September 2015, Armenia hosted 40 members of AGBU AYA Scout Group’s Marching Band from Lebanon. Yerevan locals got to enjoy the band’s per-formance as they marched from North Avenue to the Opera House in the center of Armenia’s capital with another performance taking place at the Nork Youth Center.

AGBU Diaspora Youth Programs Chief Coordinator Hermine Duzian and her assistant Anzhelika Gyulum-yan have an important part to play in the organization and coordination of these groups’ visits to Armenia.

For videos please visit: AGBU-AYA Marching Band or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo


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BELGIAN POLITICIAN VISITS SYRIAN-ARMENIAN RELIEF COORDINATION CENTER


On September 29th, AGBU and Luys Foundation presented a modern installation at the AGBU Armenia headquarters exhibi-tion hall, by German-based Armenian designer Natalia Sookias, architect Avedik Vardanyan, his brother, painter Hrachya Var-danyan from Gyumri, and Alexander Harutyunyan. Yerevan’s art lovers explored the synergy between mystical symbols, technology and science, discovered the emerging sci-ence of projection design and experienced the presence of the legendary “Vishap” and the eruption of light and creative life source. Through a combination of musical symbols, lighting effects and projections, the exposition took the audience on a journey to the depths of Armenian mythology and history Projection mapping is a new creative technology allowing the audience to experience the presence of the vishap. We would like to thank Victoria Aslanian of ArMas Wines and Lithuanian photographer Darius Petrulaitis for their creative contribution to the evening. Welcoming speeches were made by Jacqueline Karaaslanian, Executive Director of Luys Foundation, and Vasken Yacoubian, AGBU Armenia President.

SEEING THE UNSEEN

On October 9th, Minister-President of Belgium’s Wallonia-Brussels Federation Rudy Demotte, in Armenia for the 31st Session of the Ministerial Conference of the International Organization of La Francophonie, visited the Syrian-Armenian Relief Coordi-nation Center NGO at the AGBU Vahe Karapetian Center in Yerevan. The purpose of the visit was to understand issues and challenges faced by refuges in Armenia and the strategies to overcome them. As the Minister stated, both countries face very similar challenges when it comes to refugees and these require immediate solutions. Today, there are over 16,000 Syrian-Armenians in Armenia, of whom 9,000 are beneficiaries of this Center, which has been providing various types of assistance over the years in-cluding apartment rental fees, medical and tuition assistance through generous allocations from AGBU and other organiza-

tions. Present at the meeting was RA Diaspora Ministry’s Chief of Staff Firdus Zakaryan, who gave a detailed presentation on the current situation with refugees in the country. The Belgian poli-tician asked several Syrian-Armenians, who were present at the Center during his visit, to tell their stories, difficulties and chal-lenges. “I think in about three years everything will get back to normal.

Those who had moved to Armenia three years ago have now fully integrated into life in Armenia. We try to help them solve every issue, of course with the help of AGBU and the RA Government”, said Nora Piliposyan, representative of the Syrian-Armenian Relief Coordination Center NGO. “Certainly, Armenia cannot solve this problem alone. It’s very important to start a dialogue with Europe and Russia, maybe also involve major organizations, like the International Organization of Francophonie, in coming up with solution to the issues of refugees.”, said Rudy Demotte. However, the long-term solution of refugee issues lies in politics. Once the war is over, the issue will find a final solution, the politician said.

For videos please visit: Belgian Politician at SARCC or www.youtube.com/AGBUvideo

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ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION

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