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    Categories: 2018

Series of Events Mark the 110th Anniversary of the AGBU New England District

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org

PRESS RELEASE

Friday, 

SERIES OF EVENTS MARK THE 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AGBU NEW ENGLAND DISTRICT

With an overarching theme of Excellence in Action, an inspiring celebration of 
the 110th anniversary of the AGBU New England District was held in Greater 
Boston from June 1 to 2. The weekend brought together over 300 guests, 
including the AGBU leadership, a considerable number of young professionals, 
clergy, representatives of local Armenian organizations, friends and 
supporters. 

This anniversary gave the perfect pretext for the AGBU New England District 
Committee to reflect on the past and mark the beginning of a new era. "This 
started the momentum for the AGBU New England District to focus on progressive 
and meaningful programs, especially those geared toward students and young 
professionals," explains Ara Balikian, chair of the AGBU New England District. 

The celebration began with a meaningful dialogue between the AGBU global 
leadership and members of the community.  Close to 50 young professionals from 
across New England met with members of the AGBU Central Board at Boston's 
District Hall for a town hall forum which allowed for a candid and direct 
conversation about a broad range of issues, including the Velvet Revolution in 
Armenia, opportunities for engagement and the needs and challenges of our 
global nation.

Arda Haratunian, a member of the AGBU Central Board, began the discussion with 
a brief presentation on AGBU's longstanding efforts in the areas of education, 
culture and identity, humanitarian and human rights work as well as the 
socio-economic development of Armenia. She went on explaining the concept of 
global Armenian nation which defines AGBU's vision for the future of Armenia 
and the diaspora. Haratunian also emphasized that AGBU keeps building on its 
trusted reputation as, throughout the years, it continued adapting new 
strategies to serve the emerging needs of Armenians. Over the past several 
years, AGBU has particularly expanded its approach to programming to create 
stronger ties between the diaspora and Armenia.  

AGBU President Berge Setrakian underscored this prevailing theme as he 
addressed the young professionals. He drew their attention to the significance 
of the development of Armenia, conveying one of the fundamental beliefs of the 
AGBU leadership that there is no future for the diaspora without Armenia. The 
discourse continued with an open forum discussion with members of the AGBU 
Central Board Noubar Afeyan, Ani Manoukian and Vasken Yacoubian, who took the 
stage with Haratunian to address the pressing questions of the crowd.

"It is a unique opportunity to have the AGBU board members convene in one 
location from across the globe and be willing to have an open discussion with 
young professionals from New England," said Vrej Pilavdjian, YP Boston chair. 
"The AGBU leadership wanted to hear from us and connect with us. This was a 
chance for our YP community to engage directly with our leaders and learn about 
the past of AGBU, ask about their vision for future and become motivated for 
the present."

The weekend's celebration culminated in the gala which took place at the 
Samberg Conference Center at MIT. Gala co-chairs Lindsey Hagopian and Houry 
Youssoufian welcomed guests after a video showcasing the early start of New 
England Armenians was screened. With personal touches, they set the tone for a 
series of speeches and presentations. Master of ceremonies Lia Oganesyan kept 
the crowd engaged by also sharing her family's historic involvement with AGBU. 
Keeping the mood light and inspiring, Balikian took the stage to announce the 
launch of the AGBU Boston Summer Internship Program which will start serving 
students in 2019. He also motivated the crowd promising a series of new 
programs - including an entrepreneurship incubator - to accommodate the needs 
of New England youth and help them succeed in their fields.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the AGBU New England 
District's Global Excellence Awards. Prominent entrepreneur Dr. Noubar Afeyan, 
founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, and renown heart surgeon Dr. Kristine 
J. Guleserian, senior director of the Heart Failure and Transplantation Program 
at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, were honored for their achievements and their 
significant support for their communities. Dr. Afeyan spoke of his journey 
connecting to his roots and took the opportunity to encourage the crowd to 
activate their "Armenianness." "I urge you to stop thinking in terms of 
Armenians by blood, but rather be Armenians by choice. To choose to be Armenian 
and serve the nation is an active notion. In making this choice, we welcome 
others to our community to truly engage and increase our overall potential." 
Dr. Guleserian captivated the crowd as she shared her inspiring stories about 
saving the lives of young patients in the most critical conditions. Her 
presentation ended in great applause as she vowed to apply her knowledge to 
treat patients across the globe, including Armenia.

The event also served as a fundraiser helping to collect 1.22 million dollars 
for local and global AGBU youth programs. During a poignant moment in the 
evening, Ara Balikian invited members of the Cpl. Paul Marsoubian AMVETs Post 
41, an Armenian American war veterans group, to come up for a special tribute. 
"These individuals, along with their colleagues made a great sacrifice for the 
United States and instilled pride in us all. We are honored to be able to thank 
them in this way," stated Balikian. "Furthermore, they believe in the promise 
of the future and we are touched to announce a donation of one million dollars 
from the veterans group to be directed to AGBU Scholarships. Their investment 
in the next generation will ensure their legacy continues for generations to 
come."

President Setrakian concluded the evening, saying, "Now more than ever, we need 
positive role models. Kristine and Noubar tonight are symbols of the new 
generation. The new generation will come and see how successful Armenians can 
be and value their identity. AGBU remains committed to excellence and will 
continue to invest in creating role models and motivating the youth." He 
invited all in attendance to join the efforts of the AGBU New England District 
as well as the global movement, "AGBU is ready to collaborate with all 
individuals and organizations in the room to continue enhancing local programs 
and ensure the existence of a prosperous, independent, democratic and free 
Armenia."

The success of the celebration and the fundraising proved the AGBU New 
District's ability to mobilize and bring the community together and showed 
people's trust in the organization.  "I was delighted that almost every major 
Armenian organization regardless of cause or affiliation was represented at the 
gala," said Balikian. "It was significant because it symbolized our local 
community's support to AGBU and the New England District, as well as their 
willingness to work collaboratively for the betterment of our local community 
and Armenia."

Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) 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 programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians 
around the world.
 
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit 
www.agbu.org.

Jhanna Virabian: