The Cafesjian Family Foundation, Inc.
15 South Fifth Street, Suite 900
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Contact: John Waters
Tel. (612) 359-8991
Fax (612) 359-8994
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
November 27, 2007
New motion filed in lawsuit against Hirair Hovnanian and
others over Genocide Museum
CFF seeks to protect AGMM from irreparable harm and lost opportunity
Minneapolis, MN, Nov. 27, 2007 ` The Cafesjian Family Foundation
(CFF), on behalf of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial,
Inc. (AGMM), filed a motion today in an ongoing lawsuit in the United
States District Court for the District of Columbia. The court is being
asked to enjoin the Armenian Assembly of America, Inc. (Assembly), and
AGMM rogue trustees Hirair Hovnanian, Van Krikorian and Anoush
Mathevosian from attempting to develop the AGMM in contravention of
the organization’s charter documents and the agreements that made the
undertaking possible in the first place.
`By this action, CFF seeks to protect AGMM from irreparable harm,’
said CFF Vice President and CFF-designated AGMM trustee John
Waters. `On November 3, 2007, the Assembly announced plans to develop
a museum on part of a site owned by the AGMM. It was a baffling
announcement, since the Assembly neither owns nor controls AGMM. The
Assembly-announced plan would diminish the project by confining the
development to a renovated bank building. According to an attorney
representing the Assembly, the rogue trustees apparently intended to
pay for the bank building renovation by selling off the adjoining
properties in disregard of fiduciary and contractual duties. The
injunction would enforce those obligations.’
`The AGMM should have a commanding presence,’ said CFF Founder and
President Gerard Cafesjian. `We realized early on that a renovated
bank building would simply not do justice to the institution that the
community deserves and that the tragedy suffered by the Armenian
people warrants. We worked hard to acquire additional property so that
this project could be done right.’
Unfortunately the other trustees have blocked nearly every plan that
has been proposed. Assembly obdurance ultimately brought AGMM
development to a standstill.
Realizing that personality clashes were deadlocking AGMM governance,
Mr. Cafesjian resigned his position as Chair of the Board of Trustees
in September 2003 in hopes that the project could be
revived. Mr. Cafesjian removed himself >From the board in order that
AGMM Trustees could move the project forward without the distraction
of Cafesjian’s presence.
Unfortunately, Mr. Cafesjian’s gesture did not produce the desired
result. Rather than committing to an appropriate project, the
dissident trustees lashed out at Mr. Cafesjian. At a meeting from
which the Cafesjian representative was virtually expelled, the
remaining trustees highjacked the project by delegating all board
responsibility regarding AGMM development to a committee that is
answerable to no one. Thereafter, a seven-year-old study, which had
previously been rejected, was passed off at the L.A. Assembly gala as
the new vision for AGMM. The rump group apparently intends to proceed
with this plan while excluding CFF from participation in the
development.
`Mr. Cafesjian has proposed a strong vision for AGMM,’ said
Mr. Waters. `And he has contributed property, money and other
significant resources to move that vision forward. Other trustees,
apparently led by Mr. Hovnanian, oppose a bold vision. If they get
their way, the real estate would be dismantled, and over half the site
that we worked so hard to assemble would be sold, depriving the
community of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have the benefit of a
truly remarkable project.
`Mr. Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family Foundation are unwilling to
stand by and let the AGMM’s dream be downsized and the assets
squandered,’ said Mr. Waters. `On behalf of those that have
sacrificed so much, the Cafesjian Family Foundation will continue to
fight for a proper development to commemorate the Armenian people and
their suffering.’