By Krikor Degirmendjian, Originally published in Zartonk, June 20, 2009
Q: Mr. Santourian, you recently made quite a few trips in connection with AGBU and AYA activity. What can you report about that?
A: If we consider AYA’s activity in a rather broad sense, it has different parts. My last visits and business trips coincide with the realm of activity of the new AGBU programs in Armenia. Of these, I’m involved with the [Antranik] Scout Camp and it is in that regard that I have visited Armenia often during the past two years. Last month, I was in South America and recently in Syria.
Q: Can you provide information about the various fields of AYA activity over the past year?
A: AYA’s overall activity is diverse; it includes cultural, athletic and scouting programs. Each has a separate organization, which is directed by its own executive committee. Besides these, we have chapters in Antilias, Sevan, Beirut and Zahle. At the present time, there are four active AYA chapters, which are directed by executive bodies. Starting with the cultural activity, all are familiar with the Vahram Papazian Theater Group, which has been in existence for 51 years without interruption, despite great difficulties. We are pleased to note that the drama group has reached an enviable position and level during the past decade, under the guidance of the veteran director from Armenia, People’s Artist Yervant Ghazanchian, and it presents quality theatrical productions annually.
During the same period, continuing past tradition, the dance group was reorganized, predominantly with young children and adolescent boys and girls. We had different dance instructors at different times, but dance instructor Gayane Madzunian has led the group for the past two years; it must be noted that it has become quite good. Organized by the dance group’s executive committee, the dance group presents its annual programs in the months of May and June. The Cultural Committee has its regular activity with various public programs. During the past two years, we focused largely on local forces. Previously, on many occasions, we used to invite choral groups, bands and other groups of artists especially from the homeland, as well as other communities, but the recent situation in Lebanon caused us to limit our outreach and extension.
Alongside our diverse athletic activity, scout troops operate in three of our chapters and, of course, the executive committees of the chapters have their programs.
A view of Antranik Scout Camp
Q: Can you provide details about the activity of the Cultural Committee?
A: As in past years, this year too, the Cultural Committee organized a series of six literary-artistic get-togethers. It also put together “Musical Spring,” which was an interesting program in which a large number of young Lebanese Armenian musicians offered high-quality renditions. Within the realm of April 24th commemorative programs, it invited the well-known Spanish journalist Jose Antonio Guriara, who also spoke in Aleppo and Damascus during the same period, at the invitation of AGBU-AYA.
The journalist and I also visited Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The executive committee of University Students organized a meeting with Katia Peltekian, who presented the research she had carried out in foreign archives involving the reflection of the Armenian Genocide in the American and British news media during the days of terror. Besides these , our university students also organized a series of lectures and other programs. Parallel with these activities, AGBU and AYA belong to the Central Committee of Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Lebanon and, this year too, they actively participated in the joint commemorative observances.
Incidentally, I wish to note here that the AYA Antranik cultural, athletic and scouting divisions, as well as the chapters, have their responsible administrative bodies, and the activity of all of these is synthesized and receives direction from the supreme body of AYA, the Central Committee, whose chairman is Garo Jeghelian. Continue reading →
