Dear AGBU Members and Friends:
The year marks the end of a decade of significant activity for AGBU as we adapted to a rapidly changing world driven by the digital revolution and globalization. As an organization, AGBU boldly responded to these deep and widespread societal shifts that fundamentally impacted us all.
We stand at the beginning of a new era that will no doubt demand ever more innovative ways to serve the needs of the Armenian Nation. As I noted during our 90th General Assembly this past February, we have proven with our activities over the last century, reinforced by our actions in our most recent years, that our organization remains integral and relevant in contributing to our local communities, to the Armenian nation and to society at large. Last year we witnessed a pivotal moment in our history with a peaceful revolution, yet the countries where many of us live face many uncertainties. The world is changing. Armenian communities are changing. But as we have seen for over a century, AGBU’s commitment and impact remains steadfast.
Among our many highlights and programmatic achievements, we are particularly proud of our progress in the sphere of socio-economic development, key to our nation-building strategy for Armenia and Artsakh. For example, through our AGBU Women Entrepreneurs (W.E.) initiative and AGBU Learn to Earn Artsakh Program (LEAP), we are providing meaningful opportunities on the ground. W.E. is built on the fundamental belief that integrating women into the equation of economic success is a priority and unleashes a wealth of talent and ingenuity within our country. Similarly, LEAP supports adults learners in Artsakh, expanding their potential with exposure to language skills and industry training.
Read also
Recognizing the impressive effect technology has had on all our lives, AGBU emerged as an effective facilitator for promoting Armenia’s national brand in the tech marketplace. Earlier this year we leveraged our impressive network in Silicon Valley to organize a visit of the official delegation from Armenia, led by its Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, arranging meetings and forums with corporate CEOs and industry representatives. A highlight of the visit was the signing of an MOU between AGBU and the Armenian government to pursue the AGBU Virtual Bridge initiative, designed to give Armenia’s start-ups an affordable base of operations in Silicon Valley. We are also working in partnership with the American University of Armenia (AUA) on a research study commissioned by the Prime Minister on tech education reform in Armenia. Finally, after having initiated the very first ARMENIA Pavilion at VivaTech in Paris, exposing Armenia to international industry players, we were proud to be a major partner of the World Congress of Information Technology conference hosted in Yerevan last October.
AGBU has always worked with our homeland as a key connector between the diaspora and Armenia. Many of our local communities hosted Armenia’s leadership, from meetings and dinners with President Armen Sarkissian, the Prime Minister, deputy ministers, and the newly appointed High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs, where diaspora engagement and re-engagement with Armenia was always the focus of discussions.
In addition to our many nation-building initiatives, diverse community-building events and programs remained at the core of our local activities. We remain dedicated to the arts, offering remarkable platforms to promote our culture to new audiences through concerts, exhibitions and performances in all regions. Similarly, I am pleased that our Chapters and Young Professionals continue to find ways to provide novel and engaging events that encourage people to come together and exchange ideas, enhancing our collective identity and exposing our beautiful culture to the non-Armenian world.
Of course, AGBU continues to cultivate and enhance youth engagement and leadership efforts. From our Global Leadership Program (formerly known as the AGBU Summer Internship Program) to the relaunched Goriz initiative in Europe, we strive to provide unique opportunities for professional and personal development. In addition, our popular summer programs and flourishing scout troupes continue to underscore the importance of community and service, truly molding the journey of identity formation for thousands in the diaspora.
But our work is not done. In fact, it is never done. Armenians have always been a diasporic people, and it is imperative that AGBU looks forward and outward. We have lost many who have once identified as Armenian and we see a continued emergence of new diasporas in Europe, Asia and South America. It is imperative to work to find these individuals and engage them with their heritage.
In this realm, I am proud of the success of our YP network, which added five new international groups, and this year attracted the most diversely attended biennial AGBU FOCUS to date. Attendees from as many as 26 countries, including Lithuania, Chile and South Korea, convened in São Paulo, Brazil to connect with one another and maintain an open dialogue on many topics of interest.
As always, AGBU continually seeks ways to make the greatest impact on the largest number of people. This sometimes requires a shift in priorities and resources as the practical realities of the times suggest. A recent example was our decision to combine the AGBU Vatche & Tamar Manoukian High School (MHS) in Pasadena, CA and the AGBU Manoogian Demirdjian School (MDS) in Canoga Park, CA. Such decisions are made with careful deliberation in an effort to engage more Armenians and provide enriching outlets for cultural promotion and identity formation.
Finally, it is my pleasure to note that this year AGBU received the prestigious and hard won four-star rating by Charity Navigator, the most authoritative non-profit monitoring agency in the United States, in recognition of our perfect score on key measures of transparency and accountability. Surely, Louise Manoogian Simone, AGBU’s revered fifth president who passed away this February, would be proud of this distinction, having always emphasized these core values throughout her tenure. Serving from 1989 to 2002 during a time of dramatic changes in the Armenian world, her vision and compassion as a leader are now cemented in AGBU’s proud legacy.
With so many ways to be and feel Armenian in the 21st century, AGBU is the ideal place to start one’s Armenian journey with an array of opportunities to grow, flourish and prosper, and ultimately give back to one’s community, homeland and the world. That is the lifecycle of engagement that AGBU offers to every person who wishes to connect with, explore and nurture their Armenian identity, regardless of age, background, language, or country of origin.
It is with this spirit of unity, and on behalf of the AGBU global family, I thank all those who have supported us this year. Our volunteers, donors and staff have come together in countless ways to make immeasurable impact. I wish you and your loved ones a healthy, happy and prosperous year ahead.
Sincerely,
Berge Setrakian
President of AGBU
