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PRESS RELEASE
Friday, September 28, 2007
George Soros Meets With Armenian Non-Profits in New York
On Wednesday, September 19, 2007, world-renowned philanthropist and
financier George Soros met with six leading Armenian American non-profit
organizations to exchange opinions on new innovative ways to build civil
society in Armenia. The roundtable luncheon and discussion was organized
by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and was hosted by AGBU
President Berge Setrakian. The event took place at Manhattan’s
University Club and included representatives from the Armenian American
Wellness Center, Armenia Fund USA, Children of Armenia Fund, Fund for
Armenian Relief, the Izmirlian Fund, and philanthropist Jeffrey Acopian.
After brief introductions, George Soros spoke candidly about his hope
that the roundtable would aid in the free exchange of ideas about what
can be done in Armenia to strengthen civil society, an overarching goal
for Soros’ non-profit organization, the Open Society Institute (OSI).
Soros underlined his belief that establishing good cooperation with
diasporan Armenian organizations was important for OSI to accomplish its
work in Armenia. "Our constituency is Armenia’s society in general, and
I know the diaspora has influence in this regard," he said.
OSI and the Soros foundations network–which began in 1984–spent more
than $400 million worldwide in 2006 on improving policy and helping
people to live in open, democratic societies. OSI works on issues
ranging from human rights, to access to education, to freedom of
information. Since 1997, OSI Assistance Foundation-Armenia, the
Armenia-based Soros foundation, has spent $20 million in developing
grassroots programs for Armenians.
Soros introduced the Executive Director of OSI Armenia, Larisa Minasyan,
who elaborated on the media, arts, education and justice programs that
the organization has been able to successfully implement. She explained
that the organization received funding from the British and Dutch
governments, in addition to annual funds from Soros’ Armenian
foundation. "Our goal is to establish democracy in a diverse way,"
Minasian said. "We are trying to bring systematic change in the various
fields and we are achieving success in different ways."
OSI Armenia board member, Lucig Danielian outlined some of the
objectives of the organization and their approach to the problems facing
Armenia, "We feel it is about empowering people and giving them the
skills and the jumpstart, and the funding when required, encouraging
change from below."
Vigen Sargsyan, Board member of OSI Armenia and the World Bank Yerevan,
explained the barriers to democratic reform in Armenia via the media,
"The media [in Armenia] today, suffers from homogeneity and it is
state-dominated, which doesn’t allow for alternatives."
Various individuals spoke about the interconnection of democracy and
economic development, and how the role of each could contribute to a
sustainable and strong Armenia.
The frank discussion touched upon the problems of migration from
Armenia, the sensitivity of Armenia’s relationships with its neighbors,
the continuing economic blockade of Armenia’s borders, and the question
of corruption in Armenia’s public and private sectors.
Soros acknowledged that the Armenian scenario is unique, since a strong,
diverse diaspora can contribute to reform in Armenia, which is not the
case in other Eurasian nations. He concluded on a hopeful note, sharing
a personal anecdote about his own native country of Hungary, which
experienced a short period of freedom in the 1950’s only to be quickly
suppressed by Soviet forces. "I will tell you that the 1956 Hungarian
Revolution came into fruition in 1989. No one could have imagined that,"
Soros said.
AGBU President Berge Setrakian thanked Soros for his participation in
the exchange and shared some of his personal thoughts. "This process is
only beginning and we will certainly continue this dialogue. Hearing
about the successes of the Soros foundation in its efforts to build
civil society in Armenia, we are encouraged to explore new
possibilities. As the world’s leading Armenian non-profit organization,
it is AGBU’s responsibility to seek out effective ways to help Armenians
and Armenia become a strong and stable nation," Setrakian said.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an
annual budget of $36 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around
the world.