Author: Samvel Nahapetian

Three months after Armenia Fund’s 2019 Telethon, the flow of donations continues, with the total reaching $11,155,985 as of February 12. Since the beginning of December, the pledges have increased by $920,138․ A number of these funds have already been transferred into the bank accounts of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund and its affiliate organizations.

This year, an unprecedented number of people participated in the All Armenian fundraising, with 10,000 individuals and organizations from Armenia and Artsakh alone. Given the number of individuals involved in these organizations, the actual participation rate is much higher. Around 25,000 people from the Diaspora contributed to the Fund. According to the Fund’s new mission, emphasis is placed on participation, hence this year’s encouraging numbers. We are grateful to each and every donor. Together, we will create a stronger homeland.

As for online donations, the global network of the Armenian Fund has 5,000 online donors – 1,550 of them are registered on the website of Armenia Fund, Inc. Los Angeles – with $560,000 annual total donations. In total, around 1,938 of these individuals joined our innovative recurring donation system, supporting the idea of #OneCupofCoffee.”

Incidentally, several public figures from both Armenia and the Diaspora joined the #ArmeniaFundChallenge, among them Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, RA National Assembly Speaker, National Assembly Deputy Speakers, Serge Tankian, Alexis Ohanian, Erik Esrailian, Vahe Berberian, Iveta Mukuchyan, Khoren Levonyan, and others. The slogan of the 22nd annual Telethon was “To my beloved Armenia … Water and Sun for Communities.” Consequently, the funds raised will primarily be spent on the installation of potable water systems and solar panels in Artsakh and some regions of Armenia.

Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s mission is to create an all-Armenian network for the sole purpose of ensuring the proportional and sustainable development of Armenia, Artsakh, as well as Armenian communities worldwide, based on common identity.

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Cuisine is perhaps one of the best ways of reflecting the hospitality and culture of any nation, and Armenia boasts some of the finest traditional cooking in the world.

Derian, a cozy Syrian-Armenian restaurant located in Downtown Yerevan, hosted two very special patrons on February 10. President Armen Sarkissian and King Abdullah II of Jordan dined at the restaurant on the first day of the King’s first-ever visit to Armenia.

In an interview with Armenpress’ Norayr Shoghikyan, Hakob Azelyan, the Syrian-Armenian owner of Derian, reflected on how it felt to host King Abdullah II, and revealed what was on the menu.

“We were informed that the President will be hosting a guest at our restaurant, but we didn’t know who that guest would be. It was kept a secret due to security reasons,” Azelyan said. Hakob and his wife Mirey run the restaurant as a family. On the day of King Abdullah II and President Sarkissian’s visit, the entire Azelyan family took part in the special occasion.

“We were quite anxious in the beginning, but King Abdullah II was warm and welcoming. President Sarkissian introduced us to King Abdullah II, explaining that our family migrated from Syria. After shaking hands with the king, our anxiousness subsided. He created a warm atmosphere,” remarked Mirey.

When asked about the menu, Hakob noted that there was nothing extraordinary served. The dinner comprised of Armenian and Arabic cuisine.

“We served our entire menu. There was nothing unusual. The menu consisted of veal and chicken barbeque, ghaurma, ishli kofte, manti, Armenian cheeses, strained matzoon, olives, tabbouleh, dolma, hummus, and mutabal. We served caramel cake, a fruit assortment, and Arabic kanafeh for dessert,” he said.

Mirey Hamalyan said King Abdullah II thoroughly enjoyed the food and thanked the staff for their hospitality.

The owners of Derian were pleased with their high-profile guests, which also included celebrities Elton John and Michael Caine, as well as government officials.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is holding two scholarship contests for the 2020 commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. California high school students in 9th through 12th grades are invited to participate in an essay contest and/or a visual arts contest to increase greater awareness of the Armenian Genocide on its anniversary.

All winners will be contacted directly and announced to mainstream and Armenian media by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus on Friday, April 16. Winners will be awarded scholarships and a trip to the State Capitol in Sacramento to be acknowledged at the California Armenian Legislative Caucus’ annual Armenian Advocacy Day during a press conference on April 27. They will also receive special recognition from the members of the Armenian Caucus. Original artwork will be requested from visual arts applicants if they are selected as a finalist, for display in the California State Capitol.

Criteria for each contest are detailed below. Students may enter both contests, but submissions must be entered separately.

Essay Scholarship Awards include: $1,000 for First Place, $750 for Second Place, and $500 for Third Place.

Visual Art Scholarship Awards include: $1,000 for First Place, $750 for Second Place, and $500 for Third Place.

Submission Deadline for both contests is Monday, April 6.

Essay Criteria:
This year’s writing prompt will call upon students to assume that:

1. They have been asked to nominate a notable Armenian American to the California Hall of Fame, located at the California Museum in Sacramento CA.
2. The nominee must have lived in California or have a strong connection to California.
3. They are to share with the director, in the form of a memo, one person that should be featured in the Hall of Fame and the reason(s) that this person should so be honored.

The students’ nomination should be written using the template below (and accompanying instructions):

To: Amanda Meeker, Executive Director
California Museum

From: [Insert name]
[Grade] / [School Name]

Re: Nomination of a Notable Armenian American from California to the California Hall of Fame

Date: [Insert date]
________________________________________________________________
Name of Person Being Recommended:
(Insert here the name of the person you are recommending. Yes, it can be a relative or someone you know. It can also be someone you have only recently learned about. The person may be living or dead and must have lived in California or have a strong connection to California. Examples are William Saroyan, Kirk Kerkorian, Ana Kasparian, and Serj Tankian but there are many others.)

Do your research to find someone that you think will “motivate and inspire people to further their own dreams through your nominee’s unique story and accomplishments”.

Biographical Sketch (100 words max):
(Insert here a brief description of the life of the person you are recommending.)

Focused Sketch (500 words max):
(Insert here what you would want to have clearly presented in the exhibit about the person you are recommending. This is your chance to go into detail about this person, answering the question: What makes this Armenian American so notable?)

Personal Connection (100 words max):
(Insert here what caused you to want to recommend this person? Are you related to this person? Have they accomplished something that you too wish to accomplish? Does this person have a personal story that you somehow connect to? Share something about you that helps the museum exhibit visitor better understand why you recommended this person to be featured in the exhibit.)

Take Away (50 words max):
(Insert here either a thought or a question that you want the public to have in mind after learning about your nominee. In other words, what do you want the public saying to itself when it learns about the person you are recommending?)

Miscellaneous (50 words max):
(Insert here anything else you might like to add. This can include any photos, drawings, charts, book excerpts, etc., but no links to any video and/or audio clips or any webpages.)

All submissions must be received by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus electronically on or before the submission deadline of April 6 at [email protected]. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Please include your name, age, address, high school, and grade along with the teacher’s name, email address, and subject area at the top of the essay.

Please save submissions using your name as the document title and email as an attachment to [email protected]. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Visual Art Criteria:
This year’s theme is “Human to Human Interaction.” All applicants must develop their submission in keeping with this theme.

1. Personal statement (300-500 words) explaining the artwork and how it connects to the theme of human-to-human interaction. In the top left corner, applicant must include: name, age, primary address, high school, grade, teacher’s name and subject (if applicable), phone number, and email address (this information will not count as part of the total word count).
2. Only two-dimensional, visual art submissions will be accepted. Submission types are limited to drawings, paintings, photographs, digital illustrations, and graphic design.
3. Submissions may not exceed an 11×17 frame and must weigh less than 25 pounds.
4. Submissions may not include any nudity, excessive and/or graphic violence, racial slurs, derogatory and/or offensive language, profanity, and may not make use of or replicate existing artwork. All submissions must be original work created by the applicant.

Submission Contents:

1. Email subject, as well as titles of the attached document, must be formatted as follows: “CALC – Student Name – Title of Piece” (e.g. CALC – William Saroyan – The Time of Your Life).
2. Submissions must include the personal statement and meet the criteria listed.
3. Submissions must include a high-definition photograph of the artwork, be sure to take a close up picture with enough lighting for the reviewers to see the detail of the work. It is acceptable to submit up to five photos. Be aware of the lighting of the piece and provide different angles to showcase the depth of the artwork.
4. Submissions must include one recent high-definition photograph of the applicant, suitable for publication (e.g. cap and gown photos, professional headshots, or quality photographs/close-ups of the applicant).

All submissions must be received by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus electronically on or before the submission deadline of April 6, 2020 at [email protected]. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Please include your name, age, address, high school, and grade along with the teacher’s name, email address and subject area at the top of the essay.

Please save submissions using your name as the document title and email as an attachment to [email protected]. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.