Armenia News Bulletin 08-29-08

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MDS Starts 2008-2009 School Year

Via the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian school website:

Principal Hagopian began the brief ceremony that launched the new school year with a short speech. He emphasised the positiveness with which we are to approach the new school year. Archpriest Father Shnork Demirdjian blessed the students, parents and faculty wishing them a blessed school year. Mr. Sinan Sinanian, Chairman of the School Board, gave a short speech welcoming all back to school, he mentioned the ongoing improvements at the school as to the gym and the pre-school area and declared the school year officially open. The student council president, PTO chairlady and Booster Club representative as well mad eshort speeches on the occasion.

PTO was present too. The scheduled events organized by our PTO are posted on the PTO section of the website.

Good luck to all.

Armenia News Bulletin 08-27-08

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Armenia News Bulletin 08-25-08

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Armenia News Bulletin 08-22-08

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Armenia News Bulletin 08-20-08

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Armenia News Bulletin 08-18-08

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Armenia News Bulletin 08-15-08

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AGBU Youth Delegation to Attend 61st Annual UN Conference in Paris Dedicated to Human Rights

From the AGBU-UN SIG:

August 13, 2008

AGBU Youth Delegation to Attend 61st Annual UN Conference in Paris Dedicated to Human Rights

Members of the AGBU Paris Youth Group and AGBU Young Professionals of Paris will be
representing the largest Armenian non-profit in the world this year at the upcoming 61st Annual
United Nations Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organization (UN
DPI/NGO) Conference “Reaffirming Human Rights: The Universal Declaration at 60” from
September 3-5, 2008 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris, France. AGBU has been associated as an NGO through UN

DPI since 1989 and has actively participated in its annual conferences for several years.
In recognition of the 60th Anniversary of the issuance of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR), which, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the most
translated document in the world, the three-day gathering is being symbolically held in Paris
where the document was adopted in 1948 and represents the first global expression of rights to
which all human beings are inherently entitled.

A meeting which annually takes place on the eve of the opening of the UN General Assembly,
the conference will gather more than 2000 NGO representatives, human rights activists and civil
society partners from around the world to discuss ways of strengthening collaboration between
local communities and global institutions, and to enhance awareness of the meaning of human
rights today as set forth in the UDHR 60 years ago.

An established forum for networking and exchanging views, expertise and best practices, the
conference, which for the first time in its longstanding history is being held outside New York,
has a robust agenda featuring two plenary sessions, five roundtables, and dozens of workshops
dedicated to the overarching theme of human rights. The conference will provide NGOs, such as
AGBU, with a greater knowledge of measures and goals that can be achieved by working
together with the United Nations and its partners to understand and reaffirm human rights for all.

For a comprehensive collection of translations of the UDHR, please visit www.unhchr.ch/udhr/.

For more information on the conference, please visit www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference.

Established in October 2007, the AGBU-UN Special Interest Group represents AGBU at the
United Nations where it is committed to promoting its mission of preserving and promoting the
Armenian identity and heritage. For more information about the group and its work, please visit
www.agbu.org/un. For more information about AGBU and its other worldwide programs, please
visit www.agbu.org.

AGBU Around the World Wide Web

Here are some interesting AGBU-related tidbits from the last few weeks via the web:

• Via AGBU Armenia Bulletin (08/13/08):

CATHOLICOS ARAM I RECEIVES AGBU PRESIDENT BERGE SETRAKIAN [NOYAN TAPAN, 08/12/08]

Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I on August 10 received the President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Berge Setrakian in St. Astvatsatsin Monastery.

During the meeting, the interlocutors spoke about issues of great importance to the Armenian people, a number of programs being implemented within the framework of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, and about the AGBU’s work in Armenia and the Diaspora.

His Holiness was appreciative of the above-mentioned activities beneficial to the nation, which the AGBU carries out, especially in the spheres of education and culture.

• Toros Shnorhavorian, a senior at AGBU High School in Pasadena, CA, has been selected as the “student senator” and will represent the 21st Senatorial District at the August 2008 session of the Sacramento Leadership Experience. The Leadership Experience is a four-day event at which high school students from throughout the state learn what it’s like to be a real state senator (source Pasadena Star News);
• Buenos Aire’s Liga de Jovenes (Youth League) has a new YouTube channel, check it out here–their latest short video (00:15) from the AGBU World Games is posted below;

• There are a number of videos on YouTube from various participants in the World Games last month; and
  
• The AGBU-United Nations SIG thanks everyone for helping to make their Thursday, July 24th benefit successful.