PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
15 October, 2009
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund establishes affiliate in Greece
Number of worldwide affiliates grows to 17
Yerevan, October 15, 2009 – Greece has become home to the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund’s newest local committee. On October 6, the fund’s Greek
affiliate was officially launched when its founding assembly convened in
Athens. With this latest addition, the fund now boasts 17 affiliates in 15
countries.
Participants of the founding assembly included Vahram Kazhoyan, former
ambassador of Armenia in Greece, representatives of Armenian political
parties, and other Greek-Armenian community leaders. Hrach Hovhannisyan,
advisor to the executive director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund,
familiarized attendees with the particulars of the fund’s organizational
structure, current programs, and methodology. Also discussed were various
fundraising measures and mechanisms as well as the coordination of the Greek
affiliate’s day-to-day activities. Subsequently the attendees examined the
new affiliate’s scope of upcoming activities and determined the relevant
next steps.
Meeting participants were further familiarized with the fund’s objectives as
they watched a documentary film on Shushi. The reconstruction and
development of Shushi, along with the ongoing development of rural
communities in Armenia and Artsakh, are at the heart of the fund’s current
goals. The Shushi documentary will have its public debut on November 26,
during the Telethon 2009 broadcast.
"I salute the Greek-Armenian community for joining the worldwide ranks of
the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund," said Hrach Hovhannisyan in his remarks at
the founding meeting. "Due to historical circumstances, today we Armenians
live and work in various countries of the world, yet we’re united by our
overarching mission to develop our homeland and help it become prosperous."
The founding assembly unanimously elected Vatche Der-Garabedian as chair of
the Greek affiliate. Der-Garabedian is an ophthalmologist and a highly
respected member of the Greek-Armenian community. The assembly also elected
Vahan Bzdikian and Bedros Kassardjian as deputy chairs.
Plans for the establishment of the Greek affiliate have been underway since
April of this year, when the fund’s executive director, Ara Vardanyan, who
at that time was acting executive director, met with prominent members of
the Greek-Armenian community and discussed the possibility of founding a
local affiliate.