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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, March 1, 2021
On February 27, 2021, and for first time in its more than a century-old history,
the biennial AGBU General Assembly broke tradition by taking its proceedings
entirely online. Given the lingering presence of Covid-19, now in its second
year and still persisting in hotspots across the globe, the AGBU Central Board
agreed to harness the power of virtual technology to unite its worldwide
membership remotely.
Thanks to the expertise of the organization's AGBU Armenian Virtual College
(AVC), hundreds of participants from 32 countries were able to connect through
Zoom with the benefit of simultaneous translation from English to Armenian,
French and Spanish.
"Ever since the Coronavirus outbreak last year, AGBU has proven itself an agile
and inventive force online. Since then, we learned that we not only could
continue our mission but also extend our reach to ever larger segments of the
communities we serve," said Central Board Member and Secretary Sarkis Jebejian,
who served as the meeting's Master of Ceremonies.
Following the welcome remarks, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians, conveyed his blessing wishing the Assembly a successful meeting and
emphasized the important role of the AGBU in the life of the Armenian Nation.
As usual, the official agenda included a report of the consolidated financials
for the period 2018 and 2019 by AGBU Central Board Treasurer Nazareth Festekjian
and an activities report for the same cycle by Central Board member and
Assistant Secretary Arda Haratunian. A report highlighting AGBU's work in
education, in particular the immense contributions of AVC to Armenian education
over the past ten years since its inception, was presented by Central Board
member Lena Sarkissian. A brief question and answer session followed addressing
issues raised by the membership in advance of the meeting.
There were also salutes to three AGBU groups, for which AGBU President Berge
Setrakian took pride in recognizing for their extraordinary sacrifices of time
and expertise during critical moments in 2020. This included District Committee
and its Chairman Gerard Tufenkjian, and entire AGBU Lebanon community who
redefined the meaning of civic engagement in Lebanon after the explosion at the
Port in Beirut last August. In addition, Setrakian thanked AGBU scouts across
the globe for their hard work and community service throughout an incredibly
challenging time locally and globally. "We are lucky to have them wear the badge
of AGBU and represent us so well," Setrakian, a former AGBU scout leader
himself, remarked. Finally, the AGBU Young Professionals were singled out for
their display of leadership when the pandemic hit, proactively finding ways to
keep connected, as well as provide forums for important exchanges on timely
topics.
In his official biennial address, Setrakian acknowledged straightaway that the
impressive gains and achievements by AGBU in the 2018-2019 cycle were soon
overshadowed by the crises that ensued in 2020. He acknowledged how these
calamities necessitated a major shift in priorities to intensive humanitarian
relief, an area for which AGBU has long burnished an impressive and trusted
reputation.
Setrakian took this time to remind participants of the numerous historical
turning points in Armenian history that catapulted AGBU into greater involvement
in developing the modern Armenian state, starting with the foundational work of
AGBU visionary founder Boghos Noubar in educating impoverished and oppressed
Armenian communities in Hamidian Turkey at the turn of the 20th century as well
as the repatriation of Armenians to the newly established soviet Armenia. He
referenced key decisions made by his predecessors such as Alex Manoogian's call
to support the establishment of Holy Etchmiadzin as the seat of the Armenian
Church and Louise Simone's efforts to establish the American University of
Armenia (AUA) shortly after Armenia won its independence in 1991.
Cognizant of the immediate concerns of those in attendance, Setrakian outlined
what he envisions for AGBU and for Armenia going forward. "AGBU's leadership,
out of serious concern for the dangers facing our nation, has called on all
Armenian people to unite and bring their expertise, their engagement and their
formidable will to build the future in the aftermath of the events of the past
year," he stated.
He concluded his remarks with an optimistic but tempered vision of the years
ahead. "We are confident of the important role that AGBU can fulfill in the
mission of strengthening the core of our nation which is global, with its
homeland and its Diaspora. This will require the participation of each and every
one of you, as only together can we achieve the national prosperity and
stability we profoundly wish to see."
*The full text of President Setrakian's speech as well as the resolutions
adopted by the General Assembly may be found at
.
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational,
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a
difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the
Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal:
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit
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