ARMENIAN CLERGY ATTEND APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION AWARDS DINNER
29-armenian-clergy-attend-appeal-of-conscience-fou ndation-awards-dinner
September 29, 2009
New York – On Tuesday, September 22, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian,
Legate of the Eastern Diocese and president of the National Council of
Churches, represented the NCC at the annual awards dinner of the Appeal
of Conscience Foundation in New York City. The Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian
represented Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern). Archbishop Barsamian, who is a
long-serving vice president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation,
was in the midst of a working visit to Armenia.
More than 450 civic and religious leaders were present at the
gathering, including Archbishop Demetrios, leader of the Greek
Orthodox Church in the United States; Roman Catholic Cardinal
Theodore McCarrick; former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger;
media mogul Rupert Murdoch; Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barack;
and Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2.
Each year the Appeal of Conscience Foundation recognizes individuals
who have helped support programs and initiatives that promote religious
freedom and human rights. The 2009 honorees included Prime Minister
Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom; Bernard Arnault, CEO of Louis
Vuitton; and Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coca-Cola.
As he recognized Muhtar Kent, who was born to Turkish parents, Rabbi
Arthur Schneier, the founder of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation,
encouraged improved relations between Armenians and Turks. Mr. Kent
later approached Archbishop Aykazian and the two shared a cordial
conversation, both wishing the best for a peaceful future for Armenia
and Turkey.
Archbishop Aykazian was also able to speak with pop singer and human
rights activist Bono. "Our two peoples, the Armenians and the Irish,
have had similar stories of sufferings and challenges, but we have
survived," Archbishop Aykazian said. He then blessed Bono for the
good work he has done around the world, and prayed that God would
give him strength to continue his efforts. "He was truly grateful,
and I was very impressed," Archbishop Aykazian said of the artist
who has been recognized for his humanitarian efforts, and whose music
often deals with Christian themes.
The Appeal of Conscience Foundation, a coalition of business and
religious leaders established in 1965, promotes peace, tolerance,
and ethnic conflict resolution. The Eastern Diocese has been a strong
supporter of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation since its inception,
and both Archbishop Torkom Manoogian and Archbishop Barsamian have
been deeply involved with the foundation’s activities.