NUMBER 024-0811
DATE April 11, 2010
SUBJECT Renewing its vow "From the People, To the People", the ARS
receives the "Mesrop Mashtots"
Medal of the Holy See of Cilicia
CONTACT Hamesd Beugekian, tel: 1-617-926-5892, email:
[email protected]
ARS CEB International Office PR # 24
RENEWAL OF THE ARS VOW: "FROM THE PEOPLE, TO THE PEOPLE"
DURING A GATHERING IN BEIRUT
The ARS receives the Mesrop Mashtots Medal during the celebration of the
Centennial of the ARS
and the 80-th Anniversary of the ARS in Lebanon
A splendid event was held at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, under the
auspices of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, to
celebrate the Centennial of the ARS and the 80th Anniversary of the Armenian
Relief Cross of Lebanon (ARCL – ARS Lebanon). The Chairperson of the ARS
Central Executive Board, Vicky Marashlian, was in Lebanon to participate in
this and subsequent events. The gathering was assisted by Bishop Kegham
Khacherian, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Lebanon,
representing Catholicos Aram I; the spiritual leaders of the Armenian
Catholic and Evangelical churches in Lebanon; Parliament member, Hagop
Pakradouni, representing the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon; Lebanese
Minister of Industry, Abraham Dedeyan; Science and Education Minister of
NKR, Mr. Vlatik Khachatryan; Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in
Lebanon, Ashot Kocharian; Chairperson of the ARF Central Committee of
Lebanon, Hovig Mkhitarian; Chairperson of the ADL in Lebanon, Avo
Dakessian; parliament members, representatives of the Japanese and Iranian
embassies and the UN Population Fund in Lebanon, representatives of state
and Armenian institutions and bodies, benefactors and a vast number of ARS
members and supporters.
Following the anthems of Lebanon, Armenia and the ARS, opening remarks were
offered by Maral Harboyan, who mentioned that the Centennial of the ARS and
the 80th Anniversary are landmarks in the awakening of Armenian women and,
as such, they enrich the Armenian nation. She underlined that the ARS
succeeded in keeping pace with changing times and serve its nation on
different levels and in various fields. She also emphasized the fact that
the strength of the ARCL lies within its volunteer membership, serving the
goals of the organization.
Taline Kelbashian, Chairperson of the Regional Executive Board of the ARCL,
delivered her message in Arabic, noting, that during its early years, the
main goal of the ARCL was service and support of the Armenian deportees
reaching Lebanon. Eventually Armenians settled in Lebanon, which led the
ARCL to embark on organizational work and the establishment of its various
chapters. The ARCL embarked on educational and health projects and programs,
working toward raising the social and intellectual level of Armenian women.
In 1987, with the establishment of the Araxie Boulghourdjian Socio-Medical
Center, a host of new fields of activity presented themselves to the ARCL
and the organization spared no effort to serve the needs of the local
population for 80 years. Kelbashian underlined the fact, that future efforts
must be concentrated on educating the needy on how to become
self-sufficient.
The keynote speaker of the evening, Seta Khdeshian, Director of the Social
Justice Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, started by
noting, that following the 1915 disaster, efforts of deported Armenians to
get on their feet and develop their communal lives, lead to the formation of
organizational and national awareness factors — and the ARS was one of
them.
After a brief historic overview, Khdeshian said that the ARS and ARCL
responded to the calls of the liberation movement of Artsakh, the
destruction following the earthquake in Leninakan and the independence of
Armenia, and returned to Homeland to serve their compatriots. She also
talked about the role of the ARCL during the civil war of Lebanon and the
establishment of the Araxie Boulghourdjian Socio-Medical Center that was
first established to care for the wounded in the Bourdj Hammoud district of
Beirut, later to become a center providing a variety of medical and social
services. Khdeshian confirmed, that the ARS and ARCL owe a good part of
their success to the Armenian nation, to the party that gave birth to it,
and to the church; she emphasized that all three continue to support the
efforts of the ARS in serving its humanitarian goals.
Khdeshian concluded by underlining that, in the pursuit of our nation’s big
dream of a united Armenia, the ARS cannot despair or retreat in the face of
difficulties but must strive to safeguard the Armenian language and culture,
which was the call passed to all of us by the women of 1915.
The ARS Central Executive Board’s message was delivered in English by
Chairperson Vicky Marachelian, who mentioned that the ARS is a unique
organization that pursues pan-Armenian and humanitarian goals. She said that
the ARS survived for an entire century because it has the trust of the
societies it serves because of the volunteerism of its membership. She
assured that the ARS will continue to serve, based on its slogan "From the
people, to the people", by making additional efforts to establish
cooperation with international organizations in order to reach new heights
in the service of our nation.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Lebanon, Ashod Kocharian,
congratulated the ARS and ARCL on their 100th and 80 th anniversaries, then
read the congratulatory message sent by the ROA Minister of Diaspora,
Hranoush Hagopian, in which the minister confirmed that the ARS was
successful in realizing numerous educational, cultural, social and
benevolent programs in Armenia aiming to safeguard the moral and spiritual
values of the Armenian nation. Kocharian also read the Diaspora Minister’s
Order 194, offering the ARS an official Honorary Message, recognizing the
services rendered by the organization to the Armenian nation.
Following the showing of a documentary about the ARS and ARCL activities and
before the conclusion of the event, Bishop Kegham Khacherian, Prelate of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Lebanon and representative of His Holiness
Catholicos Aram I, took the podium and started by mentioning the fact that
the establishment of the ARS and ARCL was in response to the countless needs
created by the Armenian Genocide. He underlined the fact, that the ARS
succeeded in raising the role of Armenian women within our communities and
society in general. After reading the Encyclical of Catholicos Aram I,
addressed to the ARS, Inc. Central Executive Board, he bestowed the "Mesrop
Mashtots" Medal of the Catholicosate of Cilicia on the Armenian Relief
Society, in the name of His Holiness.
Photo 1.- Bishop Kegham Khacherian offering the "Mesrop Mashtots" Medal to
the ARS, Inc. Chairperson Vicky Marashlian.
Photo 2.- ROA Ambassador Ashot Kocharian delivering the congratulatory
message of the Armenian Minister of the Diaspora to the ARCL Chairperson
Talin Kelbashian.