Congressional Record: September 20, 2005 (Extensions)]
RECOGNIZING RITA BALIAN
HON. JAMES P. MORAN
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the
exceptional contributions of Rita Balian, a humanitarian activist and
community leader who has worked tirelessly on behalf of women and
children in the United States and Armenia.
Ever since the earthquake in Armenia in 1988, Ms. Balian has
dedicated her time, talent and expertise to help the people of Armenia.
She has realized many projects in support of women, schools, and
universities. Since 1996, she has concentrated her efforts on women’s
health, taking American technology, management skills and medical
expertise to Armenia.
She is the founder, president and chief executive officer of the
Armenian American Cultural Association (AACA), a non-profit charitable
organization incorporated in 1995 in Arlington, Virginia. Through AACA,
Ms. Balian established the Armenian American Wellness Center in
Yerevan, a humanitarian project dedicated to saving, prolonging, and
improving the lives of women through the early and accurate detection
of breast and cervical cancer and to providing primary health care
services to ensure the good health and well-being of families in
Armenia. To facilitate the Wellness Center’s work, Ms. Balian partnered
the Center with seven major U.S. medical institutions. Since the
Wellness Center’s establishment in 1997, it has screened over 60,000
women and saved the lives of over 1,500 through the early detection of
life-threatening illnesses.
Ms. Balian has dedicated herself to expanding the services offered at
the Wellness Center and providing increased access to those services.
The Center has added protocols in gynecology, family medicine, and
pathology and reaches out to Armenians living in rural areas through
monthly outreach missions and the establishment of two satellite
clinics.
Along with her work on behalf of the Wellness Center, Ms. Balian’s
accomplishments also include the establishment of a sister-city program
between the cities of Gyumri, Armenia and Alexandria, Virginia. She co-
chaired the Alexandria/Gyumri Sister City Committee for six years,
organized several municipal, cultural and educational exchanges and
established the Alexandria Armenian Day Festival, which is now an
annual celebration.
Through her work with the Armenian General Benevolence Union (AGBU),
the largest and oldest Armenian philanthropic organization in the
world, Mrs. Balian and her husband cofounded the AGBU New York Summer
Intern Program for Armenian college students from around the world. She
continues to manage the intern program, which is now in its nineteenth
year.
She has received many awards in recognition of her work with the
Wellness Center; most notably the “Spirit of Life Cancer Advocacy
Award” in September 2003 from the International Spirit of Life
Foundation and the Washington Cancer Institute, the “Outstanding
Citizen Achievement A ward” from the United States Agency for
International Development in January 2003, and the Armenian Church’s
highest medal of honor, the St. Nersess Shnorhali Medal, bestowed upon
her through a Pontifical Encyclical by His Holiness, the Catholicos
Karekin II, in October 2001.
The Armenian people have acknowledged Ms. Balian’s humanitarian work
as well. She has received honorary doctoral degrees from three
different universities in Armenia, and in April 1996, Rita and her
husband, Vartkess Balian, became honorary citizens of the Republic of
Armenia through a special presidential decree presented to them at the
Armenian Embassy in Washington, DC.
She has also been honored by the United Nations for her advocacy on
behalf of women’s and children’s rights and by the American Red Cross
for her leadership in obtaining humanitarian assistance for the victims
of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia.
Since March of 2004, Ms. Balian has served as a member of Governor
Warner’s Virginia/Armenia Advisory Commission.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the numerous accomplishments of
Rita Balian. Her dedication to the people of Armenia and her efforts to
increase international understanding reflect a deep sense of purpose
and remarkable ability to achieve difficult and worthy goals. Her work
serves as an inspiration to us all.