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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, January 25, 2010
AGBU Young Professionals of Buenos Aires Concludes Their Successful
"What Did I Do For Armenia?" Lecture Series
On November 27, 2009, the AGBU Young Professionals of Buenos Aires (YP
Buenos Aires) closed out the year by hosting their final in a series of
four highly successful talks titled "What Did I Do For Armenia?." All
events were organized as a forum for young Armenians to speak about, and
discuss as a group, their experiences volunteering in Armenia. The
four-part lecture and discussion series started in May, and during each
event different volunteers gathered to share stories and discuss topics
of relevance to young Armenians. While three of the events were set up
as more formal panel discussions, one of the events was organized more
informally as a social gathering, where young professionals came
together to share stories, play games, and get to know one another.
The lectures and gatherings were appealing because they were directly
related to the experiences that young professionals had in Armenia.
Besides gaining personal and professional growth, individuals learned a
great deal about Armenia’s current status, its people and its culture.
Many young professionals were eager to volunteer their time and get
involved in the lecture series to share their experiences and thoughts.
Interaction between the audience and the speakers was informal,
seamless, and very interactive. Moreover, there was an overall incentive
for the young people attending each of the discussions to go out and do
something similar to their peers.
The November 27 event included a panel of volunteers, Anabela Avedisian,
Geraldine Guner Eretzian, Dalila Eujanian, and Juan Baptist
Karagueuzian, all of whom participated in the Birthright Armenia
program. Avedisian traveled to Yerevan in October 2008 for two months to
work as a volunteer English teacher in the local schools. She discussed
the vastly different teaching model used in Armenia in comparison to the
model used in Argentina and elsewhere around the world. Despite
differences and some disadvantages to the system applied in the Yerevan
schools, Avedisian emphasized the remarkable capacity and willingness to
learn by the children at the local schools.
Industrial engineer Geraldine Eretzian, who stayed in Gyumri for two
months, spoke about his experience working with local Armenians at
Kevork & Vahagn Textile Factory and Shirak Competitiveness Center, as
well as offering specialized classes in graphic design. Eretzian spent
an extra month in Yeravan, settling in at the Arti Garassi Furniture
Factory, and initiating a management quality project.
The third speaker was Dalila Eujanian, who volunteered in Armenia in
2008. She worked in the phonoaudiology departments at the Pediatric
Rehabilitation Clinic and Erebouni Hospital, both located in Yerevan.
She spoke at great length about patient care in the hospitals and the
patient-doctor relationship.
The fourth and final speaker was Juan Baptist Karagueuzian, a graduate
student in history. In the summer of 2009, he volunteered for Birthright
Armenia and the Armenian Volunteers Corps. He spent his time at the
Children’s Home in Gyumri. During his presentation, he discussed the
needs of the children in Armenia and the great impact that volunteering
has on the lives of individuals in places like Armenia.
The unique Armenia series, organized by YP Buenos Aires, was well
received by Argentine-Armenian young professionals. All the featured
panelists communicated their great enthusiasm for volunteerism and
expressed a deep gratitude for having the opportunity to spend time in
Armenia. The organizers hope that the positive feedback they received
from the events will lead to similar events in the near future.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit