Author: Emil Lazarian

ANCA-WR Summer 2022 Interns

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region welcomed this summer’s interns who are determined to mark their place in the Armenian Cause. With six students and recent graduates coming from various academic backgrounds, they will be exposed to the organizational inner workings and gain skills that will serve crucial to their Armenian American advocacy efforts. Throughout the journey, interns will also connect with several professionals who will provide great mentorship and quality lectures on their specific fields of expertise.

“This summer, we are very honored to welcome our new interns that are deeply committed to advocating for the Armenian Cause and representing the Armenian American community,” said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “We are optimistic to see the various goals these young activists want to accomplish in advancing the Armenian Cause and ready to support them in the realization of their initiatives.”

With the 2022 Midterm Elections around the corner, the interns will have a unique opportunity to develop projects that showcase their talents and inspire civic engagement to support pro-Armenian policies. Different areas of focus also include government affairs, community outreach, education, and media relations.

Five of six new ANCA-WR Summer 2022 Interns

The ANCA-WR Summer 2022 interns are:

Maria Akhverdyan—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Political Science.

Mary Bejanyan—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), History.

Sarah Kibarian—Pepperdine University, Economics and Philosophy.

Mary Kouyumjian—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Political Science.

Tony Ordoukhanian— Pasadena City College, Political Science

Christina Sorfazian—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Sociology

Maria Akhverdyan

Maria Akhverdyan is a second-year student at UCLA majoring in Political Science. She has immersed herself in governmental proceedings at a local and national level with the objective of enforcing positive change throughout a larger scope. Maria will continue her education by attending law school, and later pursuing a career as an attorney. She hopes to continue implementing change in the political field through multi-faceted means that will become the building blocks and a precedent for greater change.

“If I am asked where is the place on the earth that one can come across many miracles, I would name Armenia. Involuntarily you are surprised in such a small place on the earth it is possible to meet such monuments and such people, who can be the ornaments and pride of the whole world.” – Rockwell Kent

Mary Bejanyan

Mary Bejanyan is excited to work for the ANCA-WR this summer. Since she had already participated in the ANCA Summer Academy in DC last year, she wanted to further her contributions to Hye Tahd by completing the ANCA-WR internship and taking local and statewide steps in order to benefit the Armenian Cause.

“It was in Armenia that the flood first abated, and the dove alighted.” -Lord Byron

Sarah Kibarian

Sarah Kibarian is a junior studying Economics and Philosophy at Pepperdine University. She plans to earn her Ph.D. in economics and apply her knowledge of economics and finance to drafting public policy. She is passionate about social change, funding education, and improving the lives and circumstances of Armenians in Armenia.

“To serve Armenia is to serve civilization” – William E. Gladstone

Mary Kouyumjian

Mary Kouyumjian graduated from UCLA this year with a bachelors in Political Science. She plans on going to law school to study international law and human rights. She joined ANCA-WR to explore opportunities diaspora Armenians have to help Armenia and expand on her current knowledge of the political situation in Armenia. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, painting, drawing, and watching movies.

“It is simply in the nature of Armenian to study, to learn, to question, to speculate, to discover, to invent, to revise, to restore, to preserve, to make, and to give.” – William Saroyan

Tony Ordoukhanian

Tony Ordoukhanian currently attends Pasadena City College. He is majoring in Political Science and serves as the President of the school’s Armenian Students Association. His favorite hobbies are reading books, watching movies or TV shows, doing photography, and playing ping pong with friends! His experience in public service and political activism have continued to grow over the years, especially while interning at ANCA-WR. After participating in last year’s ANCA Inaugural Summer Academy, he was deeply motivated to find his unique role in Armenian American advocacy.

This summer, he hopes to accomplish goals that will greatly contribute to advancing the Armenian-American Cause. By focusing on youth engagement projects and lobbying for pro-Armenian policies, he believes in bridging the gap between Armenian Americans and the greater community. A valuable lesson he was taught in Washington, DC was to never leave an ounce of potential on the table. Democracy is no spectator sport as we’re all merely specimens to this great experiment. Thus, he promises to commit every ounce of passion in order to educate the American public, motivate rising youth, and activate new solutions to achieve victory in a shared cause.

“Silence in the face of atrocity is not neutrality; silence in the face of atrocity is Acquiescence.” – Samantha Power, Former US Ambassador to the UN

Christina Sorfazian

Christina Sorfazian recently graduated from UCLA with a degree in Sociology and is currently on a pre-law track. She has been actively involved in various organizations and was on the board of the Armenian Pre-Law Student Association for the last two years. She is excited to be an intern at the ANCA-WR, and looks forward to the many projects that she will be working on during her tenure with the organization. In the future, she hopes to utilize her law degree to wage the legal battles of the Armenian Cause, whether that be advocating for genocide victims or through service in public office.

“The eyes of the Armenians speak long before the lips move and long after they cease to.” – Arshille Gorky

The ANCA Western Region Internship Program was established in 2006 in order to select students who aspire to advance the Armenian Cause through American politics, youth engagement, and project development. The 2022 Summer Session began in June; interested students can find more information on their website.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

The Armenia-Turkey border

The State Department voiced its “strong support” for the ongoing normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“The United States strongly supports the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations which will positively affect the entire region. The Armenian-Turkish dialogue has a potential to increase regional stability, curb adverse impact and lead to a greater economic development that is beneficial to all”, the State Department said in response to an inquiry by Voice of America about the telephone conversation on Monday between the leaders of Turkey and Armenia.

“The dialogue between Armenia and Turkey is important especially today, given the developments happening in Ukraine. It added that “the United States is ready to support this important dialogue in a way that both parties consider appropriate,” added the State Department.

On Monday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey held a telephone conversation—their first since the normalization process began in earnest earlier this year.

According to a statement by Pashinyan’s office, the two “emphasized the importance the bilateral normalization process between their respective countries which will also contribute to the strengthening of peace and stability in the region.”

The special envoys appointed by Yerevan and Ankara for this process, Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kilic, met in Vienna on July 1, after which it was announced that Armenia and Turkey had agreed to open the border to citizens of third countries and begin air cargo transportation.

Rubinyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Tuesday that Yerevan expected that Ankara will “honor its initial agreements” and would, in the coming months, begin the process of implementing the July 1 agreements.

A scene from the opening ceremony of SOAR’s “I Can” Special Olympics

Founded in 2005, the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief provides humanitarian relief to orphaned children and adults with disabilities in Armenia. During the past 17 years, SOAR has remained vigilant by spearheading child protection issues and satisfying the needs of Armenia’s most vulnerable populations.

Growing to meet these needs while keeping true to its mission, SOAR has expanded to prevent institutionalization by providing financial, educational, and humanitarian assistance to at-risk children, youth, and families. Today, SOAR has more than 600 volunteers in 145 Chapters worldwide, supports 34 care institutions in four countries, and has distributed more than $11.5 million in humanitarian aid since its inception.

In May 2018, SOAR’s “I Can” Special Olympics launched a movement in Armenia to break down barriers and end discrimination against people with physical and intellectual disabilities by organizing a national sports festival. Fashioned after the Special Olympics, the games were held in Tsaghgadzor spanning three days, with 150 special needs children and adults participating in a variety of athletic and social activities.

In June, SOAR’s quadrennial “I Can” festival was held in Shirakatsy Lyceum International Scientific-Educational Complex (June 24 to 25) and along Lake Sevan (June 26). More than 120 participants from seven child and adult care centers participated in boccia, table tennis, relay, soccer, and rafting. Raffi Jehanian, Vice-Chairman attended on behalf of SOAR’s Executive Board.

Special guest attendees included the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Narek Mkrtchyan; Vakhtang “Vic” Darchinyan, an Armenian-Australian boxer who held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF flyweight title from 2004 to 2007 and the WBA, WBC, IBF, and lineal super-flyweight titles between 2008 and 2010; Ashot Adamyan, Arm Wrestling World Champion; Arshak Hovhannisyan, Smbat Karapetyan, and Taron Umroyan, surviving soldiers of the 2020 Artsakh War; Hakob Abrahamyan, President of the Armenian National Paralympic Committee; and Tigran Martirosyan, Armenian Weightlifting Champion.

SOAR’s “I Can” Special Olympics empowers people with physical and intellectual disabilities by providing them opportunities to learn skills that transcend the playing field. Our athletes can hold jobs, go to school, and be active members in their communities. SOAR’s hope is to give the “I Can” participants the chance to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, become self-sufficient, and participate in community activities that foster inclusivity throughout Armenia.

SOAR extends its sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the Harold and Josephine Gulamerian Armenian Orphan Fund; SOAR Kentucky, London, Maine, Ventura County, and particularly Rocky Mountains, which provided one-third of the funding; Jur.am and Coca-Cola for supplying water and juice; and all of our financial supporters and in-country volunteers who made our 2022 “I Can” Special Olympics possible. Headquartered in Philadelphia, SOAR is the world’s only charitable organization devoted exclusively to providing humanitarian relief to orphaned Armenian children.

To learn more about SOAR and view the gallery of Special Olympics photos and videos, visit the SOAR website.