Every year AGBU chapters and groups from around the world send holiday cards and emails celebrating this festive season. This year, AGBU Montevideo created one of the most unique designs that demonstrated not only their Christmas spirit but their enthusiasm for the AGBU World Games next year which will take place in Uruguay…enjoy….and Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!
Continuing their winning streak, the unbeatable AGBU Antranik Girls Team trumped the competition to capture the Annual Ousama Hariri Basketball Championship in Lebanon on December 13, 2007.
Congratulations to the Antranik team!
Last weekend, AGBU Paris hosted a unique exhibition of art by Italian Armenian artist, Vahram Aghazarian.
Included in AGBU’s FOCUS 2007 event in New York last summer, Aghazarian had a chance to stage a three-day solo show at the Manoogian Center in Paris. Attended by local French Armenians and other art admirers, the unusual panels depicted figures, icons and abstract images composed of screws, nails and other metal objects that came together to create panels that were clever, ingenious and playful.
For photos from the Dec. 14 – 16 event, click here.
Photo caption: Artist Vahram Aghazarian (left) with AGBU Paris Chairman, Sam Nazarian (right) and friends.
Via the AGBU Yerevan office:
110 THOUSAND CHILDREN TAKE PART IN JOINT EVENTS OF LOS ANGELES CHRISTMAS FUND AND PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF ARMENIA IN EIGHT YEARS [Noyan Tapan, 12/19/07]
It’s been already 8 years now since the Christmas charitable fund for parentless and disabled children of Los Angeles jointly with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra has been organizing charitable events. Up to now 110 thousand children have taken part in those events.
According to the information provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, this year the charitable New Year ceremonies will start on December 27 in the Aram Khachatrian concert hall. Before January 10, New Year ceremonies will be organized in all the orphanages of Armenia and in the Boarding House for the Elderly of Nork. In general, 22,000-25,000 children will take part in those events.
A telethon was also held in Los Angeles on December 16, the sums raised during which will be given for the organization of the above-mentioned events. The partial repair of the orphanage of Kharberd is currently being conducted by the financing of the fund.
Just almost half a year following our 5-week internship program in Armenia, I recently spent some time to look through all the pictures again I have from my second trip to Armenia. It seems as if these priceless memories were just yesterday. My first visit to Armenia in the summer of 2003 was part of an intense 2-week touring program, but was rushed and short-lived. I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the exposure to the day-to-day Armenian lifestyle because everything happened so quickly. Four years later, I’m very grateful to be sitting here typing about my second trip to the motherland.
Many people were astonished when I told them I would be going on a 5-week visit to Armenia. I definitely think 5 weeks is barely enough to create a well-balanced program. AGBU’s hospitality was certainly felt from day one. We had a great group and awesome coordinators who made sure we were well looked after throughout the trip, but we still had plenty of personal time to enjoy for ourselves. Between the weekend excursions and our trip to Karabakh, we were able to cover a good portion of things to see and do.
I’m glad I made the decision to apply to the program earlier this year. In addition to creating lifelong friendships with other Armenians from different parts of the world, the program definitely strengthened my passion and involvement in the Armenian community. Just recently, a good friend of mine (who also participated in YSIP this past summer) and I volunteered our time on Thanksgiving Day for the Armenian telethon. It was nice to see our dance instructor from the YSIP program and recognize a lot of the performers from the Hayortats dance group, who were on tour here in the United States.
This program seriously gave a lot to all of us. Even though there were some rough times, I honestly can remember only the good things. This is certainly a sign of the program’s success. AGBU’s YSIP is a great opportunity and experience for all you prospective applicants, even for those who have been to Armenia before.
Earlier this week we reported on the new YP group in Washington, DC and today we are happy to report that on November 26, 2007, the Steering Committee of a new Young Professionals (YP) Group in Sydney, Australia met for the first time at the local AGBU Center and, as a result, expanding the growing, global YP Network from four to five continents.
The establishment of the new group would not have taken place without the support and initiative of AGBU representative Haig Messerlian, AGBU Sydney Chairman Vahe Artinian, and the local Chapter Board.
A kickoff event is planned for March 2008. For more information, please email YP Sydney.
On December 1, the newest Young Professionals (YP) Group, the Young Professionals of Washington DC (YPDC), joined their worldwide counterparts with a kickoff party in Bethesda, MD at Café Peju with 45 YPs from the greater DC metro area in attendance.
Leana Movsessian, who organized the group’s inaugural event, was thrilled with the impressive turnout and heartfelt support from those in the DC-Metropolitan area for establishing YPDC.
There are now 20 AGBU YP groups in 11 countries.
To learn more about AGBU YPDC, email Leana.
NYSIP 2006 and Manoogian School (Southfield, MI) alumna Galine Torossian was featured in this year’s Central Michigan University (CMU) annual report. She spoke about the contribution both AGBU entities made on her life including giving her professional experience and a solid foundation for a bright future.
In the article she says:
“Sometimes, I look back and wonder what it would have been like to go to a traditional public high school, because I know it would have been a completely different experience…If I hadn’t gone to Manoogian, I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today.”
And added:
“Learning how to read and write Armenian was of huge importance. As an Armenian, I was very lucky to learn the language and history at school. Also, my parents liked that it was a safe, tight-knit school with a lot of family and parental involvement.”
Check out the full article (PDF) here.
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