HACHIKIAN: POLITICAL POWER
By Kenneth V. Hachikian
April 17, 2012
You deserve political power.
Kenneth V. Hachikian Armenia needs it.
Artsahkh depends on it.
Our homeland’s enemies fear it.
And the Armenian Cause depends on it.
Armenian American political power is surely vital for our future,
but, as we all know, it sure doesn’t come free.
Especially in Washington, D.C.
Some buy it. Others rent it. A few steal it.
We earn it.
Family by family, community by community, chapter by chapter.
For more than a century, we’ve invested in our greatest national
treasure: Our people.
Education.
Inspiration.
Mobilization.
Through experience and example, we’ve trained generations of Armenian
Americans to give voice to the spirit in their hearts. To translate
their feelings into action, and their actions into results. To instill
a rock-solid ethic of teamwork toward our shared aims.
Bank-accounts and buildings are important, but it’s people – boys and
girls, who become the men and women who serve and lead our community
and cause – who make the real difference.
Our people – working through, with, and for the ANCA – have built
a powerful culture – envied around the world – of civic grassroots
activism. Add world-class, highly-sophisticated advocacy operations
and non-stop hard-work, and you’ve got a powerful combination.
We have, during the hard-earned progress on our long national journey,
been blessed by the deep well-spring of devotion of our community.
The proud ethic of service. The selfless love of justice. The
willingness to serve. These are all a great tribute to our families,
our churches, and youth groups. And they are the source of our
greatest strengths.
We have, as well, been fortunate to have a community supporting us
that has a sophisticated understanding of the challenges we face
and a real-world appreciation of the practical steps we need to take
within the American political process to address and overcome these
obstacles to our shared aims. The success of our Capital Gateway
Program in placing young Armenians in career-track jobs in Washington
is a testament, first and foremost, the talented, highly-educated
Armenian men and women being raised in families across America.
And, most importantly, we wield power today because our community
has pride in itself and the faith that, together, we can make a real
difference for our cause.
– Fighting for justice for the Genocide, a stronger Armenia, a free
and secure Artsakh, and a safe and sustainable Javakhk.
– Assisting a new wave of young Armenian Americans to start careers
in government, foreign policy, and the media.
– Dramatically increasing Armenian American grassroots civic
participation, as informed voters and effective community activists.
– Generating expanded U.S. and international media coverage of Armenian
issues, from CNN to the front pages of the New York Times.
We’re using technology, new media, and social networking to push back
against the forces of assimilation and dispersion, and to foster
new and powerful ways for our increasingly diverse but also deeply
devoted community to communicate and cooperate on the things that
really matter.
We’re already doing all this, and more, but we need your financial
help to take our results to next level. That’s why I’m asking you today
for your generous gift for the ANCA Telethon. Here’s the secure link:
Each dollar you give represents a personal
vote of confidence in the Armenian Cause.
Every dollar you donate, an enduring investment in our future.
With your generous support, we can continue: – Fighting denial,
advocating recognition, and promoting broader American public awareness
of the Armenian Genocide through schools, coalitions, and the media.
– Pressing for progress in developing mutually beneficial U.S.-Armenia
economic ties.
– Educating the general public and our elected leaders about the
independent Nagorno-Karabagh Republic and the Javakhk region of
Georgia.
In each of these areas, we are facing new and increasingly powerful
opposition. On every front, Turkey and Azerbaijan are pushing back
hard, as are their allies here in Washington.
Our will is being tested, as is our strength.
We have the smart solutions in place to meet these tests, but need your
funds to put them into practice and take our cause to the next level.
Please invest today in Armenian American political power by making a
secure on-line donation right now in support of ANCA Telethon 2012:
Kenneth V. Hachikian is the chairman of
the ANCA.