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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, November 15, 2010
AGBU Young Professionals Have Round-Table Discussion with U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia Marie L. Yovanovitch
On October 11, 2010, six executive members of the AGBU Young
Professionals (YP) of Los Angeles Steering Committee were called to an
exclusive round-table discussion with United States Ambassador to the
Republic of Armenia, Marie L. Yovanovitch. The round-table discussion
was initiated by the Ambassador in an effort to meet with young AGBU
leadership and exchange views on current issues, including developments
in Armenia, United States relations with the Republic of Armenia, U.S.
assistance to Armenia, and the work AGBU carries out locally and abroad.
Publicist and executive member of AGBU YPLA, Aleen L. Khanjian, said,
“This was a tremendously satisfying experience. The Ambassador’s
candidness in sharing her encounters with locals in Armenia, as well as
the needs of the people in our homeland, was beyond educational. I
commend her efforts to meet with young Armenians, such as ourselves. I
especially appreciate the sympathetic ear she lent when I expressed my
frustrations as a young diasporan. The self-imposed pressure to preserve
my heritage and culture while living in the United States can be
emotionally arduous at times. She provided that ‘light at the end of the
tunnel’ that I often so desperately struggle to see.” The young
professionals thoroughly enjoyed the open discussion the Ambassador
invited. “All in all, this meeting provided a unique opportunity to
discuss Armenian issues with a non-Armenian diplomat who is genuinely
invested in matters relating to Armenia and its future,” added Khanjian.
Marie L. Yovanovitch is the present Ambassador from the United States to
Armenia. Her term of appointment commenced in August of 2008; she
previously served as ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. Ambassador Yovanovitch
traveled through the United States, visiting Armenians in Philadelphia,
Detroit, as well as San Francisco. The Ambassador also met with senior
AGBU leadership during this trip to Los Angeles. This was her second
visit with Southern California AGBU members since June of 2009, when she
visited the AGBU Alex Manoogian Center in Pasadena, CA.
YPLA is the Los Angeles Chapter of the AGBU Young Professionals–a
growing network of individuals, between the ages of 22 and 40, who
individually and collectively mirror the AGBU’s mission to preserve and
promote Armenian identity and heritage by adding dimensions to the lives
of young professional Armenians through educational, cultural, social
and humanitarian programs. YPLA puts on monthly activities including
social-networking and professional career-building events, signature
weekend getaways, hiking and camping trips, international
video-conferences, service-oriented activities targeted toward Armenian
youth, benefit events, as well as casual get-togethers, where up to 250
young Armenians can come together to exchange ideas and get to know each
other better. YPLA is always looking for individuals who would like to
volunteer their time either as a board member or on an event-by-event
basis. For more information on how to get involved with YPLA, please
visit:
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
From: A. Papazian