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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Montreal Hosts AGBU Nubarian Library Director Raymond Kevorkian from
France
The last week of November 2007 in Montreal, Canada was made memorable
through the special visit of Raymond Kevorkian from Paris, France.
Kevorkian, instructor of political science at the University of Paris
and director of the AGBU Nubarian Library, presented his two-volume "The
Armenian General Benevolent Union – One Hundred Years of History" and
delivered two well-received lectures at McGill University and the city’s
AGBU Center during his weeklong visit.
On November 25, 2007, a book launch event took place in the Jirair and
Eliz Dervishian Hall of the AGBU Alex Manoogian Center. Organized by the
AGBU Montreal Executive Committee with the cooperation of the chapter’s
Cultural Committee, the book event attracted a capacity crowd and the
visiting author was introduced by Armen Buchakjian, Montreal executive
committee chairman.
Kevorkian began by first screening part of a special AGBU Centennial
DVD, "An Armenian Destiny," prepared by French filmmaker Manuel
Toulajian, and followed up with an explanation of the over-arching idea
for the two-volume history. He explained that the goal of the books were
to reflect the history of the Armenian people during the last hundred
years through the evolving story of AGBU. Both the film and the history
books were commissioned by the AGBU Central Board of Directors as part
of the organization’s centennial celebrations in 2006-2007. Available in
three languages (Armenian, English and French), the expansive AGBU
history was edited jointly by Kevorkian and French historian Vahe
Tachjian. Arshavir Gunjian, vice president of AGBU Central Board of
Directors, also spoke on this occasion.
On November 27 and 28, 2007 Kevorkian delivered two lectures for
Armenian Canadian audiences. Entitled "Turkey in the Geopolitical
Environment of Armenia," his November 27 lecture took place at McGill
University and was organized by the Association of Armenians Students of
three of the city’s major universities (McGill, Concordia and Montreal).
The second lecture, held at the AGBU Center the following evening, was
entitled "Ani: The Inimitable Medieval Capital" and attracted a
cross-section of AGBU members from the French-Canadian city.
For more information on AGBU Montreal and its activities, please phone
(514) 748-2428, e-mail [email protected] or visit
For more information on AGBU and its worldwide chapters and programs,
please visit