ARS
Members Worldwide Join Together to Commemorate
ARS Armenia’s 15-th Anniversary
Event
Coincides with Republic’s Anniversary Celebrations
Members and supporters of the Armenian Relief Society
recently concluded a two-week celebration of the ARS Armenia
region’s 15th anniversary of operation within the Homeland
and joined their compatriots to commemorate the coinciding
15th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia.
Commemorative tours, celebrations, and visitations and a
day-long conference dominated the Sept. 15-27 celebration.
Activities were based in Yerevan and included visits to
Artsakh and Javakhk.
Months
in the planning, the tour and anniversary celebration was
held under the auspices of the ARS, Inc. international
Central Executive Board. ARS members and friends attended
from the United States, Canada, France, Argentina,
Australia, Italy, Germany, Lebanon, Syria, England, Cyprus,
Greece, Javakhk, Artsakh, and Armenia.
At the
same time, the nine-member ARS Central Executive Board (CEB)
held a full Board meeting, focusing particularly on its
programs within Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk. The ARS CEB
and ARS members and supporters were also present at the
Sept. 18-20 Third Armenia-Diaspora Conference sponsored by
the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs where
CEB Chairwoman Hasmig Derderian presented the ARS’s message
to the hundreds of attending representatives and observers.
The
ARS Armenia 15th anniversary commemorative activities were
organized by the ARS Armenia Regional Executive Board. A
description of the highlights of the two-week ARS
celebration follows.
Tour
of Armenia’s Historical Sites and Special Events
Members of the ARS’s 15th anniversary celebration tour were
treated to visits around Armenia, giving the first-time
visitor a superb overall view of the country and keeping the
repeat visitor interested and awed. The tour was organized
by Menua Tours of Yerevan.
The
tour began on Sept. 15 with a visit to Yerablour, Sosseh
Mayrik’s tomb, Erebouni, and a driving tour of Yerevan. On
Sept. 17, tourists visited Etchmiadzin cathedral and
monastery in the morning and Sardarabad and its museum in
the afternoon. The day concluded at the Sundukian Theater
with the performance of “Yes Me Dzar Em Dzirani,” by former
ARS CEB member and ARS Armenian Regional Executive
Chairwoman Alvard Petrosyan. Garni’s 2nd century pagan
temple and Geghart’s ancient monastery were on the agenda
for Sept. 18, along with visits to three schools sponsored
by the ARS for children with developmental disabilities.
On
Sept. 20, the ARS tour group visited Ashtarak, Mughni,
Saghmosavank, and Amberd, marveling at the ancient
architecture. From Sept. 24-27, tourists were able to visit
Artsakh, taking in the ancient historical sites and visiting
ARS-sponsored Sosseh kindergartens in the various villages
throughout the country. The Artsakh trip was followed by a
two-day visit to Javakhk, where the ARS group was able to
see the fruits of the Society’s labors in bringing
educational, medical, and social stability to Javakhk’s
population in the form of a clinic, offices, and educational
facilities. ARS members were also present for a
ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Sept. 25 upon the opening of
a long-awaited youth center in Javakhk.
Ribbon
Cutting Ceremony Unveils New CAT Scan Machine at ARS Mother
and Child Clinic and Birthing Wing
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ARS CEB CHAIRWOMAN HASMIG DERDERIAN
SHAKES HANDS WITH DR. SAMSON O.Z. ARARAT AFTER
RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY UNVEILING NEW CAT SCAN
MACHINE DONATED TO THE ARS MOTHER AND CHILD CLINIC
AND BIRTHING WING
|
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(L-R) ARS CEB CHAIRWOMAN HASMIG DERDERIAN, DR. SEVAG
AVAGYAN, AND ARS CEB MEMBER GARINE HOVHANISSYAN WITH
THE NEW ARS AMBULANCE SERVING THE GYUMRI AREA
|
On
September 16, the ARS group visited the ARS Mother and Child
Clinic and Birthing Wing, as well as the ARS Nigol Aghbalian
School, both in Gyumri. ARS CEB members recessed their
meeting to visit the former earthquake-stricken area with
the group.
The
ARS Nigol Aghbalian School was the first stop, where tour
buses were waved in by students holding bright red, blue and
orange papers in the spirit of the impending Sept. 21 15th
anniversary Independence Day celebrations. School Principal
Khanum Babigian greeted the visitors and directed students
in singing and recitations for the crowd. ARS, Inc. CEB
member Shakeh Basmajian offered greetings from the CEB and
praised the schoolteachers and their 300 students for their
dedication to learning and educational improvement.
The
next stop was the nearby ARS Mother and Child Clinic and
Birthing Wing, where the group toured the birthing facility
which opened in April 2005. The state-of-the-art facility
has now overseen the births of nearly 1,500 babies,
including one premature week-old child in an incubator who
was born at 1 kilo and needed to gain a normal weight of 2.5
kilos before going home.
A
highlight of the visit was a red ribbon-cutting ceremony to
unveil a new CAT scan machine and newly renovated clinic
space dedicated to scanning and mammography. The CAT scan
machine was donated by the French S.O.S. and arranged by Dr.
Samson O.Z. Ararat of France. The machine is the only CAT
scan machine outside of Yerevan and will serve the entire
northern region of Armenia, reaching into Javakhk. There are
only six such machines in Yerevan, a 120 kilometer drive
from Gyumri.
“This
gift will increase the flow of patients and the quality of
care in the region,” said ARS Clinic Executive Director Dr.
Sevag Avagian. The donation will allow the ARS clinic to
expand its medical services and reach more patients in a
cost-effective manner.
ARS
CEB Chairwoman Hasmig Derderian and Dr. Ararat shared in the
ribbon-cutting duties and happily shook hands to commemorate
a new step in ARS-provided health care in Gyumri and beyond.
The
CAT scan machine joins another new addition to the ARS
clinic’s services: an ambulance. Complete with the ARS’s
logo, the new ambulance provides a unique and much-needed
service to the inhabitants of the former earthquake region
in an area which is second in population only to Yerevan.
The
day ended with a mandatory meeting between the ARS CEB and
executive board representatives from 15 ARS entities, where
information and ideas were exchanged in a spirit of
cooperation. A question and answer period followed between
the CEB and the regional and chapter representatives. The
evening concluded with a reception for members hosted by the
ARS Armenia Regional Executive.
The
ARS at the Third Armenia-Diaspora Conference
The
ARS CEB and ARS members from various entities attended the
opening ceremonies of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of
Foreign Affair’s Third Armenia-Diaspora Conference. The
conference was attended by hundreds of delegates and
observers from around the world and held at the Karen
Demirchian Sports-Concert Center, Yerevan.
Prominent political parties and non-profit organizations
were invited to sit at the round table and offer remarks in
the spirit of the conference topic at hand which focused on
revitalizing Armenia’s rural areas in the coming years to
begin a spread of prosperity and stability outside of
central Yerevan.
In her
well-received remarks, ARS CEB Chairwoman Hasmig Derderian
emphasized the ARS’s plan to contribute to rural
revitalization by replicating its premiere Artsakh Sosseh
Kindergarten program and bringing it to Armenia. Derderian
also noted that ARS entities and members will contribute to
the organized Armenia rural revitalization effort through
its participation in community projects around the world. (See
elsewhere in this publication for Derderian’s full remarks.)
Visit
to ARS Armenia’s New Dilijan Camp
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ONE OF THE TWO ARS DILIJAN CAMP BUILDINGS DONATED TO
THE ARS ARMENIA BY THE REPUBLIC OF
GREECE'S HELLENIC AID MINISTRY
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
|
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A BREATH TAKING VIEW FROM
ONE OF THE ARS ARMENIA DILIJAN CAMP BUILDINGS
|
The
ARS group stopped to enjoy Lake Sevan and her ancient
monasteries on the way to see the ARS Armenia’s new camp in
Dilijan. Dilijan is known for its restful atmosphere and
crystal clean air.
ARS
Armenia is planning for the camp to be used by ARS, youth,
and other groups in the coming months as renovations on the
camp’s two buildings are completed. The two buildings
include sleeping rooms, a cafeteria, kitchen, and meeting
rooms.
The
project was financed by the Republic of Greece’s Hellenic
Aid Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Reconstruction of the
sanatorium building was finance by the Greek
non-governmental organization Development Cooperation &
Solidarity (DCS).
The
ARS group also visited the 10th century St. Krikor
Lousavoritch Church in Dilijan, which is still active.
Father Sassoun Zunrooghian invited the group to partake of
the traditional offering of bread dipped in salt and
proceeded to conduct a short religious ceremony in the St.
Asdvadzadzin Church. Dilijan Mayor Armen Santrossian also
welcomed the ARS group and described some of the many
highpoints of Dilijan.
The
day concluded with a lavish lunch offered by the ARS Dilijan
Chapter, whose Chairwoman Esma Zargarian welcomed guests to
break bread with her chapter’s members.
“The
ARS in the Service of Armenians and Armenia”
To
commemorate the 15th anniversary of the ARS’s official
presence in Armenia, the ARS CEB organized a day-long
conference, “The ARS in the Service of Armenians and
Armenia.” The event was held on Sept. 22 at the Hotel
Marriott Armenia, Yerevan.
The
conference opened with remarks by ARS Armenia Regional
Executive Chairwoman Alvard Petrosyan, who is a former ARS
CEB member and a member of the Armenian National Assembly.
Petrosyan welcomed prominent guests who attended the
conference and invited ARS CEB Chairwoman Hasmig Derderian
to give the conference address. Welcoming remarks were
offered by Vice-Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly
Vahan Hovhannisyan and UN Children’s Fund Director, Rights
of the Child, Children of Special Needs Program Nayira
Avetisyan. Armenian National Assembly member and Chairman on
the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Rustamyan
spoke on “The World at Large and the ARS as a Pan-Armenian
Organization.”
Vehanoush Margaryan, Director of the ARS, Inc. Yerevan
Central Office and Sponsor a Child program and ARS Inc.’s
Coordinator of Special Programs in Armenia, Anna
Mnatsakanyan, presented “ARS Achievements in Armenia.”
Director of ARS Inc. Health Programs in Armenia, Dr. Sevag
Avagyan, discussed “ARS Health Programs.”
The
presentations were followed by lunch and a panel discussion
on “ARS Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” ARS CEB secretary
Mayda Melkonian introduced the panel topic and the
importance of having a realistic and open discussion on the
issue. ARS CEB member Tamar Der-Bedrossian introduced the
panelists and moderated the subsequent discussion. Former
ARS CEB Chairwoman Vanouhi Issadjanian spoke on “The ARS
Yesterday;” Nanor Hreshdakian of the ARS Syria region spoke
on “The ARS Today;” and Lilit Hovhanisyan of the ARS Armenia
region and Nyree Derderian of the ARS Western USA region
spoke on “The ARS Tomorrow.”
Issadjanian described the ARS’s role in the history of
Armenia and the Armenian people from its establishment in
1910. “It’s impossible to understand the present or future
without knowing the past,” she noted.
Hreshdakian added, “There are organizations that have
existed for a short time and organizations that are founded
and thrive in the community that last.” Reflecting on the
Third Armenia-Diaspora Conference held earlier in the week,
Hreshdakian observed, “The ARS is an excellent example of an
organization that works together in the Diaspora and in the
Homeland.”
Hovhanisyan focused on the important ARS work that young
people are fueling in Armenia today, including issues
focused on the human trafficking of women and children.
Derderian introduced bold ideas for shaking up the ARS,
including one set of uniform by-laws throughout the ARS’s
and consideration of an elected, but paid, chief executive
officer, similar to an organizational structure used by some
non-profit organizations in the West.
The
panel discussion was lively, as was the question and answer
discussion which followed. Conference attendees discussed
interaction among the generations, the process of
implementing new ideas to attract new members, and the
roadblocks members sometimes encounter when they propose
bold, but untested methods to the Society. The conference
was inspired by the testimonials of young ARS leaders in
Armenia. The conference ended with the presentation of gifts
from the ARS CEB to the four panelists.
15th
Anniversary Events Hosted by ARS Armenia
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ARS CEB CHAIRWOMAN HASMIG
DERDERIAN WITH ARMENIA'S FIRST LADY DR. BELLA
KOCHARIAN
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ARS ARMENIA REGIONAL EXECUTIVE CHAIRWOMAN ALVARD
PETROSYAN WELCOMES THE SUNDUKIAN THEATER CROWD TO
THE ARS'S 15-TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
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The
ARS Armenia Regional Executive hosted a 15th anniversary
gala dinner on Sept. 22 and 15th anniversary concert on
Sept. 23. The events were attended by political dignitaries
and guests.
The
gala dinner was held at Bellagio Restaurant and was an
evening filled with food, music, and dancing. A raffle was
held to benefit the ARS Armenia and the night concluded with
the singing of patriotic songs.
The
concert was held at Sundukian Theater and was hosted by ARS
Armenia Regional Executive Chairwoman Alvard Petrosyan.
Present were Armenia’s First Lady Dr. Bella Kocharian and
Baroness Caroline Cox.
Congratulatory remarks were offered by ARF Bureau Chairman
Hrand Margaryan, Armenian National Assembly President Dikran
Torosian, Armenia Fund Executive Director Naira Melcumyan,
ARS Artsakh Chapter Chairwoman Nelly Choulian, ARS Javakhk
Chapter Chairwoman Garineh Tatevosian; and ARS CEB
Chairwoman Hasmig Derderian.
A
powerful film was shown of the ARS Armenia’s tumultuous
first15 years, documenting the Society’s active role in
providing aid to the 1988 earthquake victims, giving medical
care to those who were wounded or fell in the battle for
Artsakh, donating resources for the building of medical and
educational facilities, and supporting social and
educational programs for the betterment of Armenia’s men,
women and children.
A
musical program followed, combining the joy of the ARS
Armenia’s 15th anniversary with the joy of the Republic of
Armenia’s same 15-year milestone. Singer Shoushan Bedrosian
and Aved Parseghyan introduced the entertainers who included
Petrosyan herself, as well as Mikayel Boghosyan, Armen
Movsissyan, Layla Saribekyan, Hasmig Garabedian, David
Amalyan, and Aida Sarksyan and dance group “Agoonk.” It was
an emotional and inspiring night of remembrance for the
ARS’s past contributions to the Republic’s first years and a
night of hope for all that the ARS plans to bring for
Armenia’s future.
The ARS is the oldest continuing
women’s organization in the world. Learn more about the ARS
or how to make a donation to help the Society continue its
important work by visiting
www.ars1910.org, calling (617)
926-5892, or emailing
publications@ars1910.org.