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    Categories: 2021

A Look Back at 2020

AGBU Press Office
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PRESS RELEASE
  
Friday, January 1, 2021
  

Message from AGBU President Berge Setrakian

My compatriots, both in Armenia and around the world, we are ending a year that 
has been dramatically different from any other in living memory. A century after 
the 1918 Spanish Flu, the world has lost nearly two million souls to the 
Covid-19 pandemic. For Lebanese-Armenians, 2020 saw the devastating Beirut Port 
Explosion and a collapse of confidence in the government - ironically, during 
the same year that marked Lebanon's hundredth anniversary as an independent 
state. In Armenia, we witnessed the devastating Artsakh War of 2020, which posed 
a military and socio-political defeat for our people. While the war united our 
people across the globe and mobilized many people of goodwill to help the 
country get back on its feet, its profound moral and material impact have left 
Armenians reeling.
 
For almost an entire year, our world has been confined to a socially-distant 
lifestyle, with families and friends unable to freely greet and embrace one 
another. Some have lost loved ones overnight; others have lost livelihoods or 
vital sources of income, as the pandemic devastated the global economy and 
touched almost everyone, regardless of wealth, age or cultural background. With 
the hope of widely-available vaccines on the horizon, we can begin to feel 
optimistic about overcoming this enormous challenge.
 
Even in looking back on a dark year, there are moments of light, unity and 
strength. While our in-person activities ceased, technology was creatively 
deployed and put to the test. AGBU volunteers and staff raised the bar to 
connect and engage people of all ages from every continent. We hosted compelling 
forums for much-needed conversations, and educated tens of thousands, including 
those outside our Armenian world. I am proud of AGBU's ability to pivot its 
approaches and activities. We have displayed agility, innovative thinking, and 
execution, all with genuine compassion. Above all, we have provided critical 
support when it was needed most, and I am grateful to those who so effectively 
made this important work possible. 
 
This year, the primary theme of our AGBU efforts was truly that of humanitarian 
response. With the global food insecurity crisis confronting so many, our 
communities in all corners rose to the challenge, providing sustenance and care 
to those around them. All of this was thanks to the enormous generosity of our 
donors and the tireless commitment of our volunteers. 
 
Just as we all seemed to acclimate to a new way of life, our community was 
rocked by the Beirut Port explosion on August 4. It painfully impacted the 
city's Armenian population, which already faced a traumatic year given Lebanon's 
economic collapse. When lives were shattered, AGBU once again stepped up to 
help. Thanks to our members, friends and supporters, we secured the funds 
necessary to clean up the destruction, rebuild homes, provide meals and medical 
supplies to the needy, and offer countless other acts of philanthropic aid. Our 
scouts and volunteers were exemplary in demonstrating the true spirit of unity, 
service and civic engagement in this time of great need. 
 
The following month, Armenians everywhere were blindsided by the outbreak of war 
in Artsakh. Our Republic of Armenia, which had been on a bright path toward 
prosperity and stability, suffered a massive setback. The offensive launched by 
Turkish-Azeri forces on September 27 resulted in the loss of a large portion of 
Artsakh and the destruction of much of its infrastructure. Even more 
devastating, it took the lives of more than 5,000 soldiers in less than six 
weeks, left 10,000 injured and nearly 70,000 civilians displaced. The full scope 
of the escalating humanitarian crisis becomes clearer by the week. All of this 
has resulted in a depressed and demoralized nation, locked in political strife. 
 
We ended the year struck by the darkness of confusion and mourning, but we know 
that Armenia and Armenians will bounce back, as we always have, by applying our 
unmatched resilience, intelligence and hard work to tackle the challenges of the 
day. Using all our individual and collective force, we will overcome whatever 
difficulties come our way. We can never forget that we survived 
near-annihilation as a people, followed by decades of political uncertainty, 
dispersion across the diaspora and dramatic upheaval across the Middle East. We 
are still standing because Armenians have never let darkness overcome our spirit 
of service and resilience. This is no small feat.
 
The end of this tumultuous year is a time of deep reflection. We are rightly 
examining all that we have done in nearly thirty years since Armenia's 
independence and across the broader history of more than a century since our 
first republic. It is important to look back and take stock of every assumption, 
every strategy, every project, even of the dynamics between the state and the 
diaspora. This is how we will understand what we could have done better and what 
we need to be doing next. This is how we will evolve and grow stronger, as 
individuals and as an institution.  
 
Soon enough, this solemn introspection will lead us to new, innovative models of 
state-building and community building, and strategies to build a brighter 
future. As a people, we have the skill, talents and commitment to improve our 
fortunes and fortify our defenses. We also enjoy advantages we have never before 
had, like access to cutting edge technologies and the capacity to stay connected 
to each other in real time. The 21st century is the reign of the knowledge 
economy. This is an era in which we can truly excel, as we design smarter 
systems and bring out our greatest strengths as a people. We must use these 
assets and define a bold new vision to build the future we want to see. 
 
May this dark moment be our transformation that leads us to a brighter future, 
one in which our unity will build new and even greater strength. Each one of us 
has a role to play and a contribution to make to our national renewal.  AGBU 
commits itself to the important task of nation-building and development.  We are 
here to stand with Armenians everywhere and work with all those who wish to 
collaborate and coordinate for the greater good. There is space for everyone to 
give of their time, their expertise, and their goodwill. 
 
Thank you for your profound care and ongoing engagement in Armenian life. I wish 
you and your families, peace, prosperity and good health in 2021.

Sincerely,

Berge Setrakian
President of AGBU

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS