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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, August 24, 2009
Yerevan Summer Intern Program Successfully Wraps Up 3rd Season
>From June 27 to August 1, 2009, 25 interns from Canada, Israel, Lebanon,
Russia, Syria and the United States were on Armenian soil for month-long
internships with the AGBU Yerevan Summer Intern Program (YSIP). For
three years now, YSIP has been the premiere venue which connects
diasporan Armenian college students with their cultural heritage while
providing them with hands-on work experience and a program of cultural,
social, and professional activities. Participants were encouraged to
interact with their peers in Armenia and develop a deeper understanding
of their background in an everyday setting.
Student internships this summer were comprised of positions at a number
of leading institutions and organizations in Yerevan: Academy for
Educational Development, American Bar Association/CEELI, Armenbrok
Company, Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS),
AUA Public Health Research Center, Deem Communications, The Future is
Yours NGO, Golden Apricot International Film Festival, HSBC Bank
America, Karagheusian Children’s Clinic, Medical University Hospital,
Ministry of Diaspora, the Republic of Armenia’s Ombudsman’s Office, Ter
Tajatian Law Firm, and the United Nations’ Yerevan Office.
In addition to their work and social experiences, interns participated
in a number of educational and cultural events. They attended Armenian
language, history and folk dance classes, and visited historical
monuments throughout Armenia and Karabakh. One of the many highlights
was their visit to Karabakh, where YSIP participants met with Karabakh
Parliamentary Speaker Ashot Ghulyan and discussed the diaspora’s role in
Armenia and Karabakh. Another memorable event took place when interns
were welcomed at the AGBU Antranik Scout Camp in the Lori region of
Armenia for an unforgettable bonfire event. AGBU Armenian Representation
Director Ashot Ghazarian spoke to the interns about the organization’s
long history in Armenia and discussed the projects it initiated and
supported during the first Republic, Soviet times and more recently
after independence.
The 2009 YSIP interns were full of observations about their valuable
summer experience in the ancestral land. Anna Abalyan from the United
States felt a deep connection to the land and its citizens, "The people
[of Armenia] are very positive despite the hardships they face. Their
hospitality and kindness is heartwarming. Thus far I have loved every
minute that I’ve spent in my homeland. I am extremely happy that I am
participating in the YSIP program because I know that this experience
will bring me closer to my roots."
Jeffery Berj Aris, also of the US, found the whole experience
transformative, and had this to say only halfway through his experience,
"Despite my affinity for all things Armenian, I had a difficult time
understanding why a mountain [Mt. Ararat] could mean so much to our
people. As the plane flew below the clouds, Mount Ararat was in full
view, and I stopped talking, I stopped thinking, and I began to absorb
everything before my eyes…Mount Ararat is symbolic of the Armenian
people, and it has been a great reminder of my experiences so far in
Armenia. Living in America my entire life, the very concept of Armenia
is almost magical, and I did not have any idea what to expect. The only
thing I wanted to bring to Armenia was an open mind, and even though I
have been here nearly two weeks, every day seems like a new gift."
Nanor Balabanian, who is originally from Lebanon but studies in the
United States, added, "I learned the importance of self-confidence,
patience, forgiveness, kindness, perseverance, friendship, respect and
pride in Armenian identity."
In addition to visits to historic sites and meetings with leading
figures in Armenia and Karabakh, students were treated to Armenian
language instruction and cultural workshop. This year’s YSIP program
administrators were Anna Aghajanian and Aleen Tovmasian.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.