Diaspora Youth Visiting Armenia

[gamavor]

Diaspora

 

A LIFE-CHANGING TRIP TO ARMENIA AND KARABAGH FOR 30 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

BY THE FUND FOR ARMENIAN RELIEF

 

NEW YORK, NY -- "I'd never actually gone somewhere that felt more like

'home' than home does! To arrive in a country you've never set foot in,

yet feel such an amazing 'sense of belonging' is simply overwhelming.

 

You walk around and you feel like you are from there - you literally

feel like you belong there."

 

This heartfelt appraisal is from 25-year old Los Angeles lawyer Aleen

Khanjian, one of 30 young professionals who traveled under the auspices

of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) to Armenia and Karabagh for 14

days in June 2005. Organized by FAR Projects Director Arto Vorperian,

the group (ages 23 - 45), met their professional colleagues in the

Motherland, visited many aspects of life there, including schools,

senior centers, soup kitchens, orphanages, historic monuments,

cultural programs, and had a special meeting with Foreign Minister

Vartan Oskanian to discuss political issues.

 

Vorperian, who has led these pilgrimages for the last nine years,

enthusiastically relates that the FAR Young Professionals Trip

"keeps the youth Armenian-oriented, close to their Armenian roots,

and prepares them as FAR's next volunteer generation. Invited to

participate are young professionals from every different Armenian

church, political organization, and social association. Almost all

who made the trip - many for the first time, go to their Motherland

as Armenians assimilated in the American way of life. They come back

as full and active Armenians," he declares with understandable pride.

 

For Karoun Charkoudian, a 26-year old geologist from Houston, Texas,

the trip changed her perspective on her life, career and goals. "I

was surprised that I could connect to the Armenian people," says

Karoun whose family is from Eastern Anatolia. "As a result of this

connection, I could really appreciate their way of life. They enjoy

every day, every meal. They really value friends, family, and social

connectedness. Their value system turns our value system upside down,"

she says with emphasis. "It was tough to come back. I wanted to drop

everything, and move there."

 

Twenty eight-year old Karni Baghdikian is also thinking of relocating

there eventually. Karni who works in both advertising and media

development in Hermosa Beach, California, called the experience

"mind-blowing. It was very emotional, overwhelming," especially his

visit to the Genocide Memorial Dzidzernagaberd, and the historic

monument after which he is named.

 

UNIQUE QUALITIES OF VISITING ARMENIA WITH FAR

 

He is especially appreciative that he took the trip with the Fund for

Armenian Relief. "We not only saw the beautiful monuments, buildings,

and cultural centers of Yerevan, but we also visited the schools,

orphanages, and senior centers of the country where FAR is so heavily

involved with assisting. Their work in helping those who are in need

was inspiring. And seeing first hand the work of FAR for those in need

made you think how you can be of help to this amazing country." He

has advised his father who owns day care centers and nurseries in

New Jersey, to go and see how he can bring his expertise there.

 

The question of how to help her Motherland has also been on the mind of

Maral Najarian, a 28-year old pharmacist from New Jersey who took the

trip with her husband, James. "For people in our age group, it's easy

to get lost in the American culture," she says reflectively. "Seeing

the old monasteries in Armenia, and the Yerablur cemetery where

many freedom fighters are buried, made me discover who I am, where

my people came from, and the price they had to pay for their faith,

their land and their culture."

 

Maral's visit to Hripsime's tomb in the confines of the magnificent

church which bears the martyred saint's name "connected" her even more

as a woman. She pays tribute to the role that women played in Armenian

history, especially the saintly figures. The natural beauty of Armenia,

and the "simple life of its farmers who live with basic necessities"

also deeply impressed her. "We get so lost in the American society,

and take so much for granted. It's crucial to see where we came from."

 

As with Maral, thoughts about the cumulative history of Armenians

around the world stayed with Aleen Khanjian long after she returned

home.

 

Seeing both the bustling city of Yerevan with its modern cafes,

shops and buildings, as well as the obvious poverty of villagers

in the rural areas proved a bittersweet experience for her. "And

just like me, those individuals who are simply 'surviving,' know

and understand that Armenians have always struggled, perished,

bled and persevered through battle after battle over their culture,

their religion, and their language. My ancestors gave the ultimate

sacrifice, over and over and over again, so I could be, feel, speak,

remain, and call myself 'ARMENIAN!'"

 

The FAR trip "is definitely a life-changing experience," gushes Aleen.

 

"Traveling with the FAR organizers made the entire experience so

worthwhile. I'm looking forward to seeing my traveling companions

again and again so we can relive the exhilarating emotion of our

unique experience."

 

The tenth Young Professionals Trip to Armenia and Karabagh will take

place in June 2006. Currently, FAR with all trip participants is

forming an alumni organization so that they can not only relive the

feelings of their extraordinary trip, but also inspire others to join

this unique family of friends visiting Armenia and Karabagh with FAR.

 

Founded in response to the disastrous 1988 earthquake in Armenia,

the Fund for Armenian Relief, headquartered in New York City,

has benefited several million people in both Armenia and Karabagh,

channeling more than $265 million through a wide range of projects

in emergency relief, medical aid, economic and social development,

education, construction, agriculture, and the arts. FAR, one of the

preeminent relief and development organization operating there, is

dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic, prosperous,

and culturally rich Armenia.

 

For more information on the upcoming Young Professionals Trip or to

send donations, contact FAR at 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016;

telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212) 889-4849; web www.farusa.org;

e-mail far@farusa.org

 

By Florence Avakian

 

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg131630.html

[phantom22]

It is always good to find someone who speaks Armenian. I haven't been face to face with someone who speaks it for years, until the other day I overheard an Armenian couple and spoke with them. I didn't think that I still retained the ability to speak it. Such is the problem when your own people send you into exile hundreds of miles away from any Armenians.

 

When I visited Armenia it was like being at a huge Armenain affair, everyone was speaking Armenian, but I had difficulty understanding the Eastern dialect.

 

Diaspora

 

A LIFE-CHANGING TRIP TO ARMENIA AND KARABAGH FOR 30 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

BY THE FUND FOR ARMENIAN RELIEF

 

NEW YORK, NY -- "I'd never actually gone somewhere that felt more like

'home' than home does! To arrive in a country you've never set foot in,

yet feel such an amazing 'sense of belonging' is simply overwhelming.

 

You walk around and you feel like you are from there - you literally

feel like you belong there."

 

This heartfelt appraisal is from 25-year old Los Angeles lawyer Aleen

Khanjian, one of 30 young professionals who traveled under the auspices

of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) to Armenia and Karabagh for 14

days in June 2005. Organized by FAR Projects Director Arto Vorperian,

the group (ages 23 - 45), met their professional colleagues in the

Motherland, visited many aspects of life there, including schools,

senior centers, soup kitchens, orphanages, historic monuments,

cultural programs, and had a special meeting with Foreign Minister

Vartan Oskanian to discuss political issues.

 

Vorperian, who has led these pilgrimages for the last nine years,

enthusiastically relates that the FAR Young Professionals Trip

"keeps the youth Armenian-oriented, close to their Armenian roots,

and prepares them as FAR's next volunteer generation. Invited to

participate are young professionals from every different Armenian

church, political organization, and social association. Almost all

who made the trip - many for the first time, go to their Motherland

as Armenians assimilated in the American way of life. They come back

as full and active Armenians," he declares with understandable pride.

 

For Karoun Charkoudian, a 26-year old geologist from Houston, Texas,

the trip changed her perspective on her life, career and goals. "I

was surprised that I could connect to the Armenian people," says

Karoun whose family is from Eastern Anatolia. "As a result of this

connection, I could really appreciate their way of life. They enjoy

every day, every meal. They really value friends, family, and social

connectedness. Their value system turns our value system upside down,"

she says with emphasis. "It was tough to come back. I wanted to drop

everything, and move there."

 

Twenty eight-year old Karni Baghdikian is also thinking of relocating

there eventually. Karni who works in both advertising and media

development in Hermosa Beach, California, called the experience

"mind-blowing. It was very emotional, overwhelming," especially his

visit to the Genocide Memorial Dzidzernagaberd, and the historic

monument after which he is named.

 

UNIQUE QUALITIES OF VISITING ARMENIA WITH FAR

 

He is especially appreciative that he took the trip with the Fund for

Armenian Relief. "We not only saw the beautiful monuments, buildings,

and cultural centers of Yerevan, but we also visited the schools,

orphanages, and senior centers of the country where FAR is so heavily

involved with assisting. Their work in helping those who are in need

was inspiring. And seeing first hand the work of FAR for those in need

made you think how you can be of help to this amazing country." He

has advised his father who owns day care centers and nurseries in

New Jersey, to go and see how he can bring his expertise there.

 

The question of how to help her Motherland has also been on the mind of

Maral Najarian, a 28-year old pharmacist from New Jersey who took the

trip with her husband, James. "For people in our age group, it's easy

to get lost in the American culture," she says reflectively. "Seeing

the old monasteries in Armenia, and the Yerablur cemetery where

many freedom fighters are buried, made me discover who I am, where

my people came from, and the price they had to pay for their faith,

their land and their culture."

 

Maral's visit to Hripsime's tomb in the confines of the magnificent

church which bears the martyred saint's name "connected" her even more

as a woman. She pays tribute to the role that women played in Armenian

history, especially the saintly figures. The natural beauty of Armenia,

and the "simple life of its farmers who live with basic necessities"

also deeply impressed her. "We get so lost in the American society,

and take so much for granted. It's crucial to see where we came from."

 

As with Maral, thoughts about the cumulative history of Armenians

around the world stayed with Aleen Khanjian long after she returned

home.

 

Seeing both the bustling city of Yerevan with its modern cafes,

shops and buildings, as well as the obvious poverty of villagers

in the rural areas proved a bittersweet experience for her. "And

just like me, those individuals who are simply 'surviving,' know

and understand that Armenians have always struggled, perished,

bled and persevered through battle after battle over their culture,

their religion, and their language. My ancestors gave the ultimate

sacrifice, over and over and over again, so I could be, feel, speak,

remain, and call myself 'ARMENIAN!'"

 

The FAR trip "is definitely a life-changing experience," gushes Aleen.

 

"Traveling with the FAR organizers made the entire experience so

worthwhile. I'm looking forward to seeing my traveling companions

again and again so we can relive the exhilarating emotion of our

unique experience."

 

The tenth Young Professionals Trip to Armenia and Karabagh will take

place in June 2006. Currently, FAR with all trip participants is

forming an alumni organization so that they can not only relive the

feelings of their extraordinary trip, but also inspire others to join

this unique family of friends visiting Armenia and Karabagh with FAR.

 

Founded in response to the disastrous 1988 earthquake in Armenia,

the Fund for Armenian Relief, headquartered in New York City,

has benefited several million people in both Armenia and Karabagh,

channeling more than $265 million through a wide range of projects

in emergency relief, medical aid, economic and social development,

education, construction, agriculture, and the arts. FAR, one of the

preeminent relief and development organization operating there, is

dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic, prosperous,

and culturally rich Armenia.

 

For more information on the upcoming Young Professionals Trip or to

send donations, contact FAR at 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016;

telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212) 889-4849; web www.farusa.org;

e-mail far@farusa.org

 

By Florence Avakian

 

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg131630.html

[Arpa]

It is always good to find someone who speaks Armenian. I haven't been face to face with

=====

When I visited Armenia it was like being at a huge Armenain affair, everyone was speaking Armenian, but I had difficulty understanding the Eastern dialect.

Hagarag you are such a con artist , yet you cannot con anyone but yourself.

 

When you say you could not understand the “eastern dialect” that only means one thing, that your knowledge of Armenian is very limited. My native Armenian is western, I can speak eastern as well, not as fluently maybe yet I have no problem understanding THEM and neither do THEY have a problem understanding me. And when you say you have not come “face to face “, that is another a big lie that only you will believe. I am not a glendaler but I have been there. More Armenian is spoken on the streets of Glendale than many average towns of Armenia, not only that, all the “dialects“ you can think of are spoken there, even “subdialects“, like that of Musa ler, as at this juncture they seem to have preserved their’s.

Nobody banishes anybody but ourselves. You seem to have banished yourself with your “ottoman “ attitude towards your fellow Armenians, it is no secret that you are still hoping to receive an official invitation from Ankara, on a silver platter to move back to bosom of your benevolent oppressors and reclaim your ancestors ’Kilika‘” assets. Speaking of “more Catholic than the Pope”. To me you sound more “ottoman” than Hamid and Mehmet. I’m sure you are familiar with the “Patty Hearst syndrome”. I already said this today under another thread as I have said it on several occasions, singing “Kilikia” and hoping, “Yerb vor batsvin drnern huso, yev mer yerkren pakh at tsmer, Tsankam tesnel zim Kilikia”, (When the gates of hope [re]open, and winter is banished from our Land… I yearn to see my Kilikia…)

 

Yeah, right!

 

Mot e garoun@ shutov k@ hasni (Spring is around the corner , it will soon arrive. Which “corner? The corner of Atatuk Ave and Hamid/Talaat Street?). Or as your kin the Turks would crudely say, as only they can; (Oh, how I hate to do this!) “Oelme eshekim yaz geliyor(Don’t die my eshek, summer is near).

If you are still hoping to receive an invitation to repatriate to Kilikia or any part of the so called Western Armenia, with the exception, perhaps of Ani and Ararat, I will repeat what I said a few hours ago, "only when you see your nape, the back of your neck". We cannot enter/invade Anatolia, neither from the sea, nor through Syria, Iraq etc. Only via Yerevan. Let us invest our energies to promote and strengthen her. That is if we wish to remain Armenian and not revert back to our Ottoman “paradise”, like the “paradise” that Kilikia was. Let us once again join in singing; Tsankam tesnel zim Kilikia, Ashkharh vor indz yetou arev (The land that gives me the sun, I.e paradise).

Let us stop this charade and concentrate on how we can bolster and strengthen Yerevan Province, only then we can talk about repossession and repatriation. Besides we need to be at least 70 million to repopulate our ancestral lands. How many million did you say in Yerevan Province?? Three? Two? Or even less?

 

You keep saying that you were “banished” because you were Catholic, Protestant ,or having unorthodox personal habits. That is another lie. You do know that there are others here who may fit that mold, yet nobody banishes anybody but oneself. Could it be that you are more “ottoman” than Armenian??

Like our legal eagle Gamavor put, stop shedding those crocodile tears.

Nobody believes you.

 

PS. And, please don’t you ever compare me to that misanthropic misfit AB. We are worlds apart. I thought you may have gathered that by now, as I never read his garbage neither do I respond to it. In my judgment, when he speaks about “ottomanism” he cannot hide the fact he is the most “ottoman” of them all, and just like you he yearns and aches for those “ good old Ottoman days”, whatever the f.. that may mean.

 

PPS. Please refrain from requoting the entire article as we can already see it above.

Edited December 12, 2005 by Arpa