Berge Setrakian, President of AGBU: Erasing the Damage Caused by the Genocide

Translator’s Note: The following article was originally published in French by the Lebanese newspaper L’Orient Le Jour and translated by the AGBU Press Office.

Berge Setrakian, President of AGBU Worldwide: Erasing the Damage Caused by the Genocide

Published Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Written by Maria Chakhtoura

“I am Lebanese to the core, attached to the land where I was born, where I grew up and lived, and I have Armenia as my heritage.” These are the words of Berge Setrakian, president of AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union), the world’s largest Armenian NGO headquartered in New York.

Our chance meeting, the result of a happy coincidence, took place in a hotel in Yerevan. Berge Setrakian was visiting the Armenian capital to attend two important meetings: the Special Commission of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, and the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund.

TV Reports on the Grand Opening of TUMO (in Arm.)

Two television news segments from Armenian TV report on the opening of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies.

Some More From This Year’s NY Summer Intern Program

In case you missed it, here are some events during this year’s New York Summer Intern Program you may have missed, including:

• Interns Visit New York Armenian Nursing Home
• St. Vartan Cathedral Hosts New York Interns for Dinner
• New York Interns Honor Supervisors
• New York Interns Recieve Armenian Dance Lessons from AGBU’s Antranig Dance Ensemble

Interns Visit New York Armenian Nursing Home

On Sunday, July 10, NYSIP interns completed their first community service project of the summer as they put on a talent show at the New York Armenian Home in Flushing, Queens. The annual event, called “Sunshine for Seniors,” is a group effort where all of the interns get together to perform a wide variety of acts geared towards cheering up the residents of the old age home.

Some of this year’s acts included singing, dancing, a violin performance, Armenian stand-up comedy, and an Eastern vs. Western Armenian rap competition.

AYA Lebanon Dance Group Perform During “Baabdat Cultural Week”

On Tuesday, August 16, the AGBU-AYA Dance group of Lebanon performed 12 dances at “Baabdat Cultural Week” in front of an audience of over 600 people.

California High School Students Spend Summer Making a Film

AGBU students working on the feature film. (image via agbumds.org)

Under the direction of the AGBU Manoogian Demirdjian School English Department chair Jason Strouse, dozens of AGBU high students took part in an exciting summer project, making a feature film titled Teacher of the Year.

The film tells the story of an award-winning teacher who receives a lucrative job offer that would mean leaving the classroom forever. The film was financed by a generous loan from the school’s alumni association. Screenings in the school auditorium are scheduled for November 4 and 5, 2011.

For more information, visit agbumds.org.

Armenia News Bulletin 08-24-11

IN THIS ISSUE

1. President Serzh Sargsyan says today Azerbaijan not able to have military superiority over Armenia
2. Armenian-Turkish protocols withdrawn from agenda of Turkish parliament
3. Ruben Safrastyan: Turkey showed it has no wish to regulate Armenian-Turkish relations
4. On August 20 Armenian president will meet the participants of “Ari Tun” program
5. About 270 applications for participation in all-Armenian conference received
6. Harut Sassounyan: Senators Should Reject President Obamas Appointee as Ambassador to Turkey
7. Harut Sassounian: Amb. Ricciardone Finally Admits Most Churches not operating in Turkey By Harut Sassounian, Publisher, The California Courier
8. Leader of US Eastern Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church addresses a letter to Hilary Clinton
9. Armine Grigoryan: We must not blame young people for being uninterested in classical music and art
10. Yerevan summer music song festival in Freedom Square
11. Yanni to arrive in Armenia
12. Artsakh Republic President sent a congratulatory letter to Catholicos of All Armenians
13. Serzh Sargsyan congratulates Karekin II on 60th anniversary
14. 450 out of 650 churches of Iran are Armenian
15. 98% of Armenia’s schools to be connected to internet by the end of the year
16. Baze-2011 pan-Armenian youth assembly launches in Tsakhkadzor
17. Serzh Sargsyan: Pan-Armenian Games became a bridge uniting all Armenians

Click here to download the PDF (73KB) of the latest AGBU Armenia News Bulletin.

Armenia News Bulletin 08-17-11

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Tumo Center for Creative Technologies officially opened
2. Nur Plan launched in Nagorno Karabakh
3. The Washington Post: NK people say never to waive their self-determination right
4. Coalition and ANC release a joint statement
5. Gagik Minasyan: Large-scale works needed for NKR international recognition
6. Opening ceremony of Avan Shoushi Plaza hotel held in Shoushi
7. Certificates to be given to the first school-leavers of “Summer school of young leaders” program
8. American-Armenians call for apology from Ricciardone
9. Diaspora Ministry Hosts 5th Pan-Armenian Games Delegation of Argentine Committee
10. Harut Sassounian: Senators Should Reject Pres. Obama’s Appointee as Ambassador to Turkey By Harut Sassounian, Publisher, The California Courier
11. Armenian Cultural Events in Transylvania
12. Serzh Sargsyan: We have numerous sons who manage to bend oceans to their will
13. Armenia sailing vessel leaves Lebanon for Cyprus
14. UK to have two ambassadors in Armenia
15. International scientific conference of historians in Tsakhkadzor

Click here to download the PDF (104KB) of the latest AGBU Armenia News Bulletin.

One Laptop Per Child Getting Ready to Kick Off in Karabakh

There has been a number of articles in the Armenian media about the One Laptop Per Child program, which kicks off in Karabakh soon.

According to Times.am, next month the program begins when 160 teachers from the cities of Stepanakert and Shoushi will receive three-weeks of intensive training in the program’s educational software, followed by a six-week virtual course. After this period, 3,600 children will receive laptops that will allow them to integrate technology into their daily classrooms.

The program came about as a result of initiative of Argentinean-Armenian philanthropist Eduardo Eurnekian, who partnered with the Karabakh government and AGBU to implement the project.

It must be an exciting time to be a student in Karabakh.

More articles:

• Every School Student in Artsakh to Have Own Laptop [PanArmenian.net]
• “Computer to Every Child” Program Starts in Karabakh [News.am]

 

Some Results from the Pan-Armenian Games

The AGBU Cairo website has some of the basketball results from the current Pan-Armenian Games, which continues until August 21.

Armenia News Bulletin 08-12-11

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Sergey Shakaryants: Turkish response to RA presidents speech was manifestation of emotions
2. Coalition working group to respond to ANC next Tuesday
3. James Jeffrey: Armenian-Turkish protocols destiny to have the deepest influence on Turkish-American relations
4. Tigran Sargsyan meets with members of Heritage
5. Harut Sassounian: Obama’s Lack of Credibility Undermines His Initiative on Genocide Prevention By Harut Sassounian, Publisher, The California Courier
6. Cyprus Delegation Leaves for 5th Pan-Armenian Games on Thursday
7. Armenia Ship Arriving in Limassol Port on August 11
8. RA Diaspora Minister Receives Executive Director of Luys Education
9. US-Armenian Community to Back John Heffern in Case No Unpleasant Surprises Available in His Responses
10. Armenian Genocide Museum in Washington D.C. to open before 100th anniversary
11. Armenian volunteers arrived from abroad cooperate with Gyumri people
12. Diaspora Minister Says Luys Foundation Education Participants a Bridge between Homeland and Diaspora
13. Traveling Notes 2011 in Armenia
14. Jivan Gasparyan on Stage for 65 Years
15. Exhibition on International Youth Day Opens at UN Office in Armenia
16. St. Ripsime Church repaired
17. Eight Armenians in Guinness Book of Records
18. Aharon Adibekyan: The dialogue between coalition and ANC developing a new culture
19. Ombudsman concerned with dismantlement of booths in Yerevan
20. Islamic monuments preserved in Artsakh at state level
21. Today is International Youth Day

Click here to download the PDF (71KB) of the latest AGBU Armenia News Bulletin.