Grand Junction Sentinel, CO
Nov 13 2004
Family buys time i n asylum attempt
By GARY HARMON
The Daily Sentinel
Four members of an Armenian family hoping to avoid deportation have
filed for visas as victims of trafficking, a move that forestalled
any immediate action to return them to their native country.
The four, however, remain in custody in a federal holding center in
Aurora, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau.
The four members of the Sargsyan family — Hayk, a senior at Ridgway
High School; his brother, Gevork, a chemical-engineering student at
the University of Colorado; their sister Meri; and father, Ruben —
were taken into custody last week after an immigration hearing in
Denver.
The eldest sister of the family, Nvart Indinyan, said she feared that
her brothers were due to be deported immediately because their
photographs had been taken while they have been in custody.
The applications for so-called “T visas” freezes the process until a
decision is made, said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for Immigration and
Customs Enforcement.
Decisions on T visas are made out of the agency’s Vermont service
center, said Sharon Rummery of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, another Homeland Security agency, and there is no deadline
for them to act.
T visas were established in 2000 for victims of human trafficking;
they allow victims to remain in the United States if they are deemed
to be in danger of extreme hardship or severe harm if they’re
returned to their home countries.
They also are expected to cooperate with investigations into the
trafficking that resulted in their arrival in the United States.
Victims of human trafficking may apply for permanent residency after
three years.
Indinyan said she feared her family would be harmed in Armenia by
people there who were defrauded by her ex-husband.
Other avenues for the Sargsyan family have been exhausted, Kice said.
They arrived in the United States on student visas and no longer have
the right to remain in the country, she said.
Taking the family members into custody was necessary, she said. There
are 350,000 to 400,000 people in the country who simply ignored their
final-removal orders, Kice said.
“It’s a serious problem,” she said.
The Sargsyan family’s popularity in Ouray County is admirable, but
not a factor in whether they should be allowed to remain, Kice said.
“This is not a popularity contest,” she said. “No one is above the
law. Everyone wants to see the law enforced, except when it comes to
someone they know.”
Other Armenians have waited a long time to get to the United States
by legal means, Kice said, and those cases also should be remembered,
she said.
Ridgway High School students planned to demonstrate today in Denver
in support of the their classmate and his family.

Boutique lets you shop for goodies, help Balkan kids
San Ramon Valley Times, CA
Nov 13 2004
CANDY CANE BOUTIQUE TODAY. It’s never too early to shop for the
holidays … so, while you’re out and about today, stop by the
Creekside Community Church in Alamo and stock up on collectibles,
gift baskets, dolls, toys, jewelry and more.
You’ll find lots of wonderful items at the Candy Cane Boutique and
leave knowing that you’ve also helped the people in the Balkans.
Baked goods will also be available for purchase along with raffle
prizes. I spoke with Dee Thompson, who explained that the boutique
will benefit the Macedonian Outreach, a nonprofit Christian charitable
organization to help the children of the Balkans.
Vula and Haig Rushdoony head up the Macedonian Outreach. They started
it 15 years ago after their children were grown and they were ready
to retire. The Rushdoonys live on the Alamo and Danville border and
run the program out of their home, stocking up on supplies to send
to the children of Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece and Macedonia. They
have family, and other personal ties, in Greece.
I spoke with Vula, who came to America from Greece at the age of 16.
She recalls what it was like to be cold and hungry.
“My father was killed in the war when I was 5 and my mother had no
income. We barely survived,” Vula said. “However, there were days when
we had a slice of raisin bread and a cup of hot chocolate provided
to us through the Marshall Plan the United States set up after World
War II,” Vula said.
She explained that the civil war continued in Greece, and America
continued to help the Greek people. She sent her mother money and
finally sent for her seven years later to join her in America.
Haig’s family survived the massacre of Armenia at the turn of the
century and fled to America, where Haig was born.
When the Rushdoonys retired, they decided to reach out and help,
just as America had helped their countries.
“We felt that America had done so much for us and Haig and I wanted
to give back some of the blessing this country had given us,” Vula
told me. “The greatest thing for Haig and me is freedom. When I hear
people talk against this country I become a lioness. I earned the
right to be an American. We are lucky to live here.”
She said the Outreach has been highly successful, and that people
from all over the community participate in gathering supplies for
Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and the former Yugoslavian states
of Bosnia, Croatia, the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia and
Serbia-Montenegro. Vula and Haig travel each year, along with other
volunteers, to deliver the much-needed goods to the Balkan Peninsula.
When they began this mission, Vula decided to sell some of her china
and jewelry, and urged friends and neighbors to do the same. Thus
the Candy Cane Boutique was born.
Each year the boutique offers lots of interesting “vintage” items,
as well as numerous new gifts for the holidays. Vula said the gift
baskets and baked goods are “over the top” fabulous.
The boutique is located at 1350 Danville Blvd., and runs from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Dee told me that the boutique is a success because of the
generosity of the community and efforts of the volunteers.
Since 1992, the Macedonian Outreach has also brought more than 50
children with life-threatening medical problems to the United States
or Europe for treatment. The organization also provides food, clothing,
monetary aid and spiritual guidance.
Vula explained that although the unemployment rate is high, and people
are cold and hungry, she has been told time and again that they would
rather be in this condition because it means they are free.
For more information about the Macedonian Outreach, visit their
Web site at or call Vula and Haig at
925-820-4107. See you at the boutique.
Have a great week!

An Amaras Art Alliance program
Hovanness Badalian Music Fund
P.O.Box 733,
Watertown, MA 02471
Phone: 617-331-0426
Email: [email protected]
For immediate release
November 11, 2004
Contact person:
Tatoul Badalian, Program Director
The first annual banquet of the Hovanness Badalian Music Fund (HBMF)
will be held on December 4, 2004 at the Hellenic Cultural Center,
Watertown, MA. H. E. Arman Kirakossian, Armeniaâ~@~Ys ambassador to US,
will be in attendance and composer Konstantin Petrosian of Providence,
RI will be the MC. Among the highlights of the evening: first US
appearance of young and talented folk singer Artur Anushavanian;
soprano Nune Karapetian performing with pianist Nune Hakopian and
recognizing Bostonâ~@~Ys own Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble with an
Appreciation Award.
HBMF was established in early 2004 to celebrate the life of the
singer who made songs such as Hayastani Karmir Ginin, Yes Im Anoosh
Hayastani and Mayres Mahes Chimana famous. The goal of the Fund is
to provide merit-based scholarships, worldwide, to children enrolled
in Armenian music education programs. The Fund will also provide
assistance to individuals and organizations that create material and
training programs for children.
Beloved singer Hovanness Badalian played a significant role in
educating Armenian children and young adults. Through his songs he
spread the spirit of the Armenian culture around the world, helping
bond the Diaspora and Armenia. Upon his passing in 2001 composer
Vardan Ajemian said, â~@~We lost a great artist. He was the father
of Armenian folk songs. We lost a very honest man. I am shocked.â~@~]
In October of this year Armenia celebrated Badalianâ~@~Ys 80th birthday
at the National Opera in Yerevan with the participation of prominent
artists including his daughter, opera singer Nuneh Badalian. Fifty
of his students led by pedagogue Arsen Grigorian came on stage
singing together and watching the great Maestro sing â~@~Yes Im
Anoush Hayastaniâ~@~] on the screen, representing not only the past,
but inspiring hope for the future. â~@~Badalianâ~@~Ys dedication and
unrelenting work will always be an enduring reminder to his devotion
to his art and ultimately to his people,â~@~] said Aram Gharabegian,
Artistic director and conductor of the National Chamber Orchestra of
Armenia, and a key organizer of the event.
HBMF is organized under the charter of Amaras Art Alliance, a not for
profit organization. For the past ten years Amaras has been an active
member of the Boston, MA cultural scene, presenting jazz concerts,
solo performances, art exhibits and organizing student trips to
Armenia. Amaras has co-organized major events such as the multi-venue
celebration of composer Aram Khachaturianâ~@~Ys Centennial in 2003.
The December 4th banquet promises to be a memorable event for all those
who love Hovanness. For information and to make a contribution to the
Fund please call 617 331-0426, send an email to [email protected]_
(mailto:[email protected]) or write to HBMF, P O Box 733,
Watertown, MA 02471. HBMF programs will be available on the Fundâ~@~Ys
website to be launched in early 2005.
–Boundary_(ID_0f+Wsd1XCyaVDN6WKMjxhA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Manifestazione degli armeni di Francia
La Padania, Italia
Nov 12 2004
PARIGI – Gli armeni di Francia manifesteranno il prossimo 17 novembre
per richiedere il riconoscimento del genocidio armeno da parte della
Turchia. Per 18 ore saranno a Marsiglia, al porto vecchio, e a Parigi,
davanti all’Assemblea nazionale (la camera dei deputati francese). Nel
corso della manifestazione i deputati francesi saranno invitati a
esprimere un proprio voto, simbolico, per dire sì o no all’entrata
della Turchia nell’Unione Europea.
–Boundary_(ID_eHKWKPMX8xzNJvnEvk9UzA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Dutch Raid Kurdish Training Camp, Arrest 38
By Christopher Borowski
2T171259Z_01_L1268271
6_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-TURKEY-DUTC H-PKK-DC.html
Nov 12, 12:12 PM (ET)
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch authorities on Friday raided a camp
suspected of training Kurdish guerrillas for “terrorist attacks”
in Turkey and arrested 38 people, prosecutors said.
Around 200 police swooped on locations across the south of the
Netherlands, including a farmyard campsite in the village of Liempde
where they seized night vision equipment, instructions, passports
and a gun, prosecutors said in a statement.
“In the farmyard campsite in Liempde it appeared around 20 people
were receiving training to prepare them for the armed struggle of
the PKK in Turkey, including terrorist attacks,” prosecutors said.
The PKK, or Kurdistan Workers Party, has been fighting for 20 years
for a Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey, a conflict that has killed
more than 30,000 people, mostly ethnic Kurds.
Prosecutors said the recruits were learning about “waging a special
war” in training that was “dedicated to PKK martyrs.” They added
there were indications the group would be sent to join PKK militants
in Armenia. The European Union classifies the PKK as a “terrorist
organization.”
A prosecutors’ spokesman said there was no connection between the
raid and investigations into suspected Islamic militants following
last week’s murder of outspoken Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh.
“This was a result of a year-long investigation,” the prosecution
spokesman said.
The 29 arrested at the campsite included 23 suspected PKK members,
aged 15 to 33, among them five women. Police detained a further eight
people elsewhere and searched 10 homes. Another suspect was arrested
at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport late on Thursday.
Prosecutors said the suspects had given their nationality as Kurdish,
but were probably Turkish nationals.
FIGHT FOR KURDISH HOMELAND
Prosecutors also said three men and a woman, bound for the Middle
East after training at the camp, had been arrested at Schiphol two
weeks ago. A local mayor told Dutch television the suspected camp was
used for “theory training” and likely did not involve weapons training.
“The arrests were made for endangering society,” said Jan van Homelen,
mayor of Boxtel district.
Earlier this week, a Dutch court blocked the extradition of Nuriye
Kesbir, a PKK leader, accused by Turkey of organizing and taking part
in attacks between 1993 and 1995.
It ruled that it was not certain she would receive a fair trial
in Turkey.
The violence in southeastern Turkey dropped off sharply with the
capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999 and most guerrillas
withdrew to northern Iraq.
The Turkish community is the largest minority community in the
Netherlands, numbering about 350,000. Dutch news agency ANP said the
number of Kurds living in the country is estimated at between 40,000
and 100,000, but the figure is difficult to calculate because they
hold various nationalities.

KARABAK’S RUSSIAN COMMUNITY CALLS FOR MOSCOW NOT TO YIELD BAKU’S PROVOCATIONS
Azg/arm
13 Nov 04
Galina Somova, leader of Karabakhâ~@~Ys Russian community, expressed
her bewilderment concerning the statement made by Yuri Kaplun,
employee of Moscow City Administration. He said that “no one invited
the Karabakhâ~@~Ys separatists” to the Regional Forum of the Russian
Communities in Caucasus held on November 11-13 in Krasnodar. In
the interview to Regnum agency Somova expressed bewilderment with
the position of the Russian embassies that yield the provocations
of Azeri official circles instead of defending the interest of their
compatriots abroad according to “Protection of the Rights and Interests
of the Compatriots Abroad” program signed by RF President.
“Russians remain Russians everywhere, notwithstanding the status of
the state they live in. At least, it is not correct to call brothers
“separatists,” Somova said. She said emphasizing that it is not
the first case when their community wasnâ~@~Yt invited to such
regional forums. Somova said that the Russian community of Nagorno
Karabakh got strengthened thanks to the support of Karabakhâ~@~Ys
and Armeniaâ~@~Ys state and public structures, particularly, thanks
to NKR Foreign Ministry. At present, the community has 300 members
from all the five regions of the republic. The community includes not
only Russians but also representatives of other Slavonic nationalities.
–Boundary_(ID_TKp2NMxID+GfpYq2Bnd5cA)–

YASSER ARAFAT: WE STRUGGLE FOR THE WORLD NOT TO FORGET US AS IT FORGOT ARMENIANS
Azg/arm
13 Nov 04
In 1965 while the Armenians all over the world were calling for
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Genocide, the Palestine
Liberation Organization started in Egypt and Jordan, and the son of one
of the most respected Palestinian families, Yasser Arafat, became its
head till his demise. In fact, he became the successor of Palestinian
hero and eventually martyr Abd Al-Qadir Hussein, whose movement broke
off in 1948, when the latter died in the first Arab-Israeli war.
Yasser Arafat was well acquainted with the Armenians who have their
shrines and churches in Palestine, most famous one of which is the
church of St. Jacob in Jerusalem, on the Mount Zionâ~@¦ Armenians
were among those who suffered great losses during the war of
1946-1948. Most of them left Haifa, Jaffa and Jerusalem for Lebanon,
Syria and Armenia. The second flow of Armenians left Palestine after
the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 but this time for Canada and America.
As a result of defeat (not without the help of the West and
Arab states) in the wars of 1947-48 and 1967, millions of
Palestinians turned into homeless refugees in Lebanon, Palestine
and Syria. Recalling Armenian Genocide of 1915 and Sanjag-Alexandret
tragedy of 1937-38, Yasser Arafat stated in 1967 explaining why they
took the path of armed struggle: “We struggle for the world not to
forget us as it forgot Armeniansâ~@¦”
In 1968 Petros Terzian and Hakob Garayan, editorial staff members of
Yeritasard Hye (young Armenian) magazine of Beirut, visited the centers
of Palestinian revolution in Jordan where they met with Arafat, George
Habash, Najef Havatme, Abu Ali Iyyad and other leaders. Later on papers
were published and stuck on the streets of Beirut. They were depicting
Armenian and Palestinian freedom fighters with a banner above reading
“Long Live Scarred Fidayi” (freedom fighter).
A year later, in 1969, when Jordan king Husseinâ~@~Ys troops together
with Israeli army attacked Palestinian refugees, Abu Ali Iyyad, the
right hand of Arafat was killed. Death of one of the great supporters
of the Arabian national movement, Egyptâ~@~Ys President Gamal Abd
Naser, was the second heavy blow for Palestinians.
After the Arab-Israeli war in 1973 and the civil war in Lebanon,
the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and
the Front of Liberation of Western Armenia started by the help of
the PLO. Soon after Kurdish, Arab, Greek, Assyrian and Turkish left
movements (PKK, TAKP, Isinin Sesi, TKP-Leninçiler, Devrimi Yol)
who found refuge in Turkey and Syria in 1980 joined them. They were
agitating against Kenan Evrenâ~@~Ys junta in Lebanon, Turkey, France,
England, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere. Agitating literature, films,
newspapers pulled off Turkish “democracyâ~@~Ys” false mask that had
organized genocides of Armenians, Kurds, Greeks and Assyrians and had
executed its own progressive intelligentsia. Without the military,
financial, moral support of Yasser Arafat, Abu Jihad, Abu Ajad,
Abu Shaker Bsiso, Abu Al-Hol, George Habash, Najef Havatme, Abu-Al
Abbas, Dalad Yagub and others it would be impossible to put before
the international community all the just requests of all the nations
suffered under Turkeyâ~@~Ys yoke.
Decades after, when Yasser Arafat changed his armed struggle for
diplomatic one, USAâ~@~Ys and Israelâ~@~Ys attempts to isolate and
to discredit the Palestinian figurehead ended up in Islamic extremism
which had turned from left Marxist ideology to medieval fundamentalism
in the person of bin Laden, the “savior”. Those terrorists today use
the same means of manslaughter that were once used by their enemies.
The man who passed through inconceivable trials of life is no
more. Death of the father of 9-year-old Zahwa and all the Palestinian
orphans leaves the Middle East in uncertainty heaped up with unsolved
issues. As he put it once: “Where to be born – is a big issue for a
Palestinian but even bigger is â~@~S where to be buriedâ~@¦”
By Hamo Moskofian
–Boundary_(ID_nd3tyAxGwpQavHoTJAJhkQ)–

PRESS RELEASE/NEWS REVIEW
MELKONIAN ALUMNI CYPRUS
Contact: Masis der Parthogh
P.O. Box 16077, CY 2085
Nicosia, Cyprus.
Tel. +357 22 678666
Fax. +357 22 678664
Email: [email protected]
____________________________
Melkonian relative returns to help save school
Financial Mirror – November 10, 2004
Jack R. Melkonian, a grand nephew of the founders of the Armenian
high school in Nicosia, was in Cyprus to judge for himself the fate of
the historical school and lend a hand to the campaign to keep it open.
He addressed a fund-raising banquet on Sunday organised by the school’s
local alumni where more than 300 graduates and friends attended.
“A financial institution sitting 5,000 kilometres away cannot be the
owners of this school — you are the owners of the school,” he said
to a wild applause from the crowd.
Jack Melkonian hailed the importance of maintaining such an important
school for the rapidly changing Armenian diaspora and added that
opportunities were missed to transform the Melkonian Educational
Institute into a school of excellence.
On March 16, the New York-based AGBU charity organisation announced
that it would close the 78-year old Melkonian Education Institute
next June, claiming that the school no longer fulfilled its purpose.
The argument has been strongly contested by the alumni, parents and
friends in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and North America,
who have embarked on fund raising events to finance the struggle to
overturn the decision.
Members of the House of Representatives and Ministry of Education
officials have debated the closure extensively, with Education
Committee Chairman Prodromos Prodromou declaring on March 24 that
“in a multicultural society we should be opening new schools, not
closing them. This decision will be considered a hostile act against
the people and government of Cyprus.”
The House plenary session also voted through a unanimous resolution
on March 26 calling on the New York-based group to reconsider its
decision and start a dialogue with all parties concerned, including
the Armenian community of Cyprus and the worldwide alumni associations.
In April, a large part of the school’s estate including the historic
buildings and the wooded strip along Limassol Road were declared
a national heritage site. The protection order is widely seen as
depriving the U.S.-based organisation from selling the land, valued
at tens of millions of pounds.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Birthright Armenia
P.O. Box 8221
Radnor, PA 19087
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Tel/Fax: (610)642-6633
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
November 12, 2004
———————————-
BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA SPONSORS LOCAL NGO INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA
Programs available to young diasporans around the world interested in
experiencing Armenia are now broader and deeper in scope than ever
before. In addition to the many youth-oriented opportunities offered by
diasporan organizations, young Armenian adults will soon have even more
volunteer options from which to choose how they gain valuable work
experience while offering worthwhile assistance to the homeland. There
is now a whole host of Yerevan-based NGOs that are developing their own
internship programs, geared specifically to attract young diasporans
interested in making a difference in Armenia-leaving the doors wide open
for increased bridge-building and collaboration amongst 18-32 year olds.
With Birthright Armenia as the impetus, twelve local NGOs, covering the
range of arts through social welfare, are getting ready to pilot test
internship programs of their own. How these locally initiated programs
work is simple. The local NGOs are responsible for recruitment,
processing applications, placing volunteers in a valuable community
service position within their organization, and assigning each young
diasporan to a project that is quality in purpose and measurably doable
within an 8-week period of time. Birthright Armenia will provide the
infrastructural back-up support necessary for any quality internship
program to be all that it can be, namely, offering services of home stay
living arrangements, Eastern Armenian language instruction, weekly
forums, weekly excursions, and regular “havak” tie-in meetings with
other diasporan volunteers from the whole spectrum of organizations.
Once the volunteer completes their required minimum eight-week long
community service assignment or internship in Armenia, Birthright
Armenia provides each one with a full reimbursement of their roundtrip
airfare in the form of a travel fellowship.
“Having these new options for volunteer work in Armenia is a true
testament to the amount of progress achieved in the non-profit sector in
Armenia since the republic’s independence, combined with the pure and
keen interests on the part of local NGO representatives to be working
side-by-side with diasporans from around the world” said Linda Yepoyan,
Executive Director of Birthright Armenia. “NGO leaders and their
employees are quick to provide a long list of projects in which young,
educated and energetic diasporans can greatly assist their groups. Some
samples of volunteer work they can offer includes translations, editing
of grant proposals, creation of brochures and newsletters, giving
English lessons, Web site development, research, outreach with outside
organizations, conference preparation, and much more”, Yepoyan added.
“Our youth have a fulfilling experience in Armenia, helping them define
their own Armenian identity, and local NGOs gain not only much needed
assistance, but also a gateway to the Diaspora and exposure to Western
thinking”, she concluded.
The list of local NGOs offering internship opportunities to diasporans
18-32 years old and their area of interest or specialty includes:
– ARTS/CULTURE Internships:
Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (NPAK)
– EDUCATION Internships:
Armenian School Fund
– ENVIRONMENTAL Internships:
Armenian Tree Project
Makur Yerevan
– HEALTH/MEDICINE Internships:
Armenian Medical Association
Mental Health Foundation
– HUMAN RIGHTS Internships:
Armenian Young Lawyers Union
– PUBLIC POLICY/RESEARCH Internships:
International Center for Human Development
– SOCIAL WELFARE Internships:
Mission Armenia
Pyunic Armenian Sport Association for Disabled
– YOUTH ISSUES Internships:
Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)
Youth for Achievements
Please visit the Birthright Armenia Web site at
and click on “Opportunities” to learn more
about these organizations and their missions.
Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen ties between the homeland
and diasporan youth by affording them an opportunity to be a part of
Armenia’s daily life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through
work, study and volunteer experiences, while developing a renewed sense
of Armenian identity. This is accomplished by supporting and
complementing the initiatives of existing diasporan organizations that
offer youth programs in Armenia, and encouraging them to expand their
offerings in depth and breath. Birthright Armenia assists with travel
fellowships, language instruction, in-country seminars, orientation and
excursions in exchange for community service in Armenia.
# # #

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY LEADERS CONVENE IN CALIFORNIA
Board Members Review Year, Lay Groundwork for 2005
San Francisco, CA – Led by Chairman Anthony Barsamian, the Armenian
Assembly Board of Directors convened on November 6 at the Sir Francis
Drake Hotel for a full day of business meetings that included an in
depth look at Assembly operations in the Washington, Los Angeles and
Yerevan offices.
“The San Francisco session was extremely productive and has reaffirmed
the Board’s commitment to the Assembly’s goals,” said Barsamian.
“During the meeting, Members raised key questions regarding the
Assembly’s current and long-term initiatives which we will continue
to look at in the month’s ahead.”
Looking at the year ahead, the Board approved the 2005 operating
budget and set a preliminary agenda for the coming year. To that end,
they also discussed the Assembly’s efforts to co-sponsor the 90th
anniversary and subsequent commemorations of the Armenian Genocide
in our nation’s capital under the auspices of the Armenian Caucus
and Armenian Embassy.
Meeting participants included Board of Trustees President Carolyn Mugar
and Board of Directors Members Murat Acemoglu, Bryan Ardouny, Berge
Ayvazian, Lisa Esayian, Edele Hovnanian, Lisa Kalustian, Van Krikorian,
Richard Mushegain, Gail O’Reilly, Annie Totah and Peter Vosbikian.
Executive Director Ross Vartian, along with Deputy Executive Director
Peter Abajian and Finance Director Colleen Clancy, were also on hand
to provide the group additional information on the following program
areas: Development and Membership, Finance, Government Affairs,
Grassroots, Internship and Public Affairs.
Prior to the weekend meeting, Board of Directors Treasurer Berge
Ayvazian on November 5 moderated a panel discussion on Armenia’s
Economic Development which was held at the hotel. Panelists
included Adam Kablanian of Virage Logic, Tony Moryoyan of Viasphere
International, Board Member Gail O’Reilly of Made in Armenia Direct
and Anahid Yeremian of CRD Support Committee. The event attracted a
high community turnout and was organized by the Assembly’s Northern
California Regional Council.
The Council also helped plan a Saturday night dinner for supporters,
which was hosted at the home of Development Co-Chair Suzanne Abnous
and her husband, Fellow Trustee Razmik Abnous. More than 50 people
attended the event in Danville, CA which welcomed more than two dozen
new members.
Barsamian and Mugar thanked the Abnous’ for opening their home to the
Assembly and presented the couple with a gift created by a child in
Armenia. “We’re extremely grateful to Suzanne and Razmik for hosting
such a lovely evening,” said Mugar. “We also thank members of the
Northern California Regional Council for their contributions to the
evening’s success.”
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
NR#2004-098
–Boundary_(ID_esSk5GBJaufLSkMrWjVdBA)–