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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, August 15, 2005

AGBU Organizes Workshop at 58th UN DPI/NGO Conference in New York

For the second consecutive year, AGBU will jointly sponsor a
workshop with the International Council of Nurses and Felician
College at the United Nation’s Annual DPI/NGO (Department of Public
Information/Non-Governmental Organizations) Conference from September
7 – 9, 2005 at UN Headquarters in New York City. The topic of this
year’s conference, “Our Challenge: Voice for Peace, Partnerships and
Renewal,” advances the UN’s commitment to the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) that outline a strategy to alleviate extreme poverty,
provide universal education, ensure gender equality, combat AIDS and
other diseases, encourage environmental sustainability and develop
global partnerships for development.

The Wednesday, September 7th workshop, established and organized
by AGBU UN Representative Adrienne Alexanian, is entitled,
“Successful Development Programmes in Education and Healthcare through
Partnerships.” It will focus on the interrelated issues of technology
and education in advancing development in healthcare.

Alexanian will serve as moderator for the workshop and the three
featured speakers will be: Mary Norton, Professor and Associate Dean
at Felician College (USA); Rita Balian, Founder of Armenian American
Wellness Center (Armenia); and Micaela Iovine, Senior Programme
Officer, Global Programme, Council for International Exchange of
Scholars. Featured speakers will discuss existing partnerships with
governments, educational institutions, the private sector and the
World Bank.

The UN DPI/NGO Conference is the largest annual gathering of
NGOs. This year over 2,700 representatives of 1,000 NGOs from 120
countries will attend the three-day event. Jean Ping, President of
the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, will address
the delegates during Wednesday’s opening session. Kofi Annan, United
Nations Secretary-General, Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer
(UK) and Shirin Ebadi, President, Human Rights Defence Centre (Iran)
are some of the other confirmed speakers for the conference. For
more up-to-date information about the 58th UN DPI/NGO Conference,
pleases visit:

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City
with an annual budget of $26 million, AGBU preserves and promotes
the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and
humanitarian programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians in
35 countries. AGBU has been a registered NGO at the United Nations
since 1989.