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AGBU Recognizes Service at 87th General Assembly
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/12/07/agbu-recognizes-service-at-87th-general-assembly/
December 7, 2012
For well over a century, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU)
has enjoyed the support of tens of thousands of members and volunteers
in carrying out its mission. Eight of its members, along with three
individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service to Armenia, were
honored during the AGBU's 87th General Assembly, which took place in
Armenia on Sat., Oct. 20. In attendance were Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan, and His Holiness
Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as the AGBU's
leadership and delegates from around the world.
Honored for their service to the AGBU during the 87th General Assembly
in Yerevan were (Top row, L-R): Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian, Roupen
Chavoushian, Jacques and Florine Deyirmendjian, Gabriel Djambardji,
and Denis Ketchedjian; (Bottom row, L-R): Smpad Lpudyan, Panos
Titizian, Sona Yacoubian, Ralph Yirikian, and Gustavo Zulamian.
AGBU Medal
For their outstanding services rendered to the homeland, Gabriel
Djambardji, Smpad Lpudyan, and Ralph Yirikian were recognized with the
AGBU Medal.
As a noted philanthropist and the president of the Pyunik Foundation,
which focuses on education in Armenia, Gabriel Djambardji has
contributed generously to various projects in the homeland, including
financial assistance to schools to modernize their facilities and to
the recent refurbishment of the Matenadaran. He and his wife Kohar,
who are Syrian diasporans, have also been generous patrons of their
local community, as well as of various religious endeavors within the
Armenian Apostolic Church.
Smpad Lpudyan, who holds the world's highest chess title of
Grandmaster, has used his expertise for years to cultivate the talents
of Armenian youth and ensure that Armenia maintains its strong
foothold in the world of chess. As the vice-president of the Armenian
Chess Federation, which is headed by President Serge Sarkisian, he
cooperates closely with AGBU to organize the annual Interschool
Republican Chess Tournament, which brings together over 5,000 students
from Armenia, Karabakh, and the Armenian schools in the Javakhk region
of Georgia, many of whom have followed in his footsteps, rising to the
professional level.
Ralph Yirikian, a Lebanese diasporan and General Manager of one of
Armenia's largest companies, Viva-Cell-MTS, is dedicated to advancing
Armenia's wellbeing through corporate social responsibility
initiatives. Viva-Cell is often recognized as a leader in sponsoring
social and educational programs and events. Yirikian has received
numerous awards, including the Presidential Shield from the president
of Lebanon, the Movses Khorenatsi Medal from the president of the
Republic of Armenia, and the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Medal from
His Holiness Karekin II.
AGBU Honor Membership
The Central Board also bestowed upon five of its longstanding members
the status of the AGBU Honor Member for their staunch dedication in
perpetuating the organization's mission: Jacques and Florine
Deyirmendjian, Denis Ketchedjian, Panos Titizian, and Sona Yacoubian.
For four decades, Mr. and Mrs. Jacques and Florine Deyirmendjian of
Paris, France, have worked tirelessly in the French-Armenian community
and have committed themselves to serving the AGBU. Deyirmendjian holds
degrees from France's most important grandes écoles, the Ecole
Polytechnique, the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de
l'Administration Economique, and the Ecole Normale Supérieure de
Musique de Paris. He has held important leadership posts at Gaz de
France SA, one of the country's top energy companies, and currently
serves as president of Deynergies, a joint stock company, which he
founded. He has served the AGBU in various positions. When he first
joined, he was the chair of UGAB Jeunes, the organization's French
youth group. He later went on to become the Paris Chapter chair and
also served on the France District Committee. In addition,
Deyirmendjian has been bestowed with the order of knighthood in both
France and Germany. Mrs. Deyirmendjian, a CPA and a graduate of the
School of Management of Lyon, serves on the Paris Chapter Committee
and has been active within the local AGBU Alex Manoogian Center, which
offers courses in language and culture to scores of youth and adults.
Another French-Armenian to receive the honorary membership was Denis
Ketchedjian, who served as the France District chairman from 2002-08.
Most notably, he oversaw in 2006 the four-day AGBU Centennial
Celebrations, which culminated with a gala at Versailles. A prominent
lawyer who, for decades, also contributed his services as the
organization's counsel in France, he is currently the secretary
general of the AGBU France District.
Panos Titizian, a noted community leader and activist, who is a
pharmacist by profession and a graduate of the American University of
Beirut, was bestowed with the AGBU Honor Membership, as well as the
Outstanding AGBU Volunteer Medal. Titizian has been an AGBU member for
more than eight decades, over the course of which he has used his
talents as a strategist to benefit the organization, particularly
throughout Lebanon's civil war. He served for many years on both the
Education and District Committees of Lebanon, and continues today to
serve the organization from Southern California, attending to special
assignments.
Sona Yacoubian is the founder of AGBU Hye Geen, an initiative
established in 1994 and dedicated to the promotion of the rights and
wellbeing of Armenian women. In 2002, under her leadership, Hye Geen
established the first of its five Pregnant Women's Centers in response
to Armenia's rising infant mortality rates and the country's general
decline in maternal health.
To date, the AGBU Hye Geen Pregnant Women's Centers have helped
deliver over 800 healthy babies. In addition to its Armenia-based
initiatives, Hye Geen's activities in California raise awareness of a
host on issues that affect the broader Armenian community, including
its annual Interdisciplinary Conference, which is organized in
collaboration with local universities.
AGBU President's Award
AGBU President Berge Setrakian also granted the AGBU President's Award
to three current and former AGBU chairs who have demonstrated distinct
leadership and have dedicated many years to the organization: Sofia
Chapter Chair Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian, Plovdiv Chapter Chair Roupen
Chavoushian, and former Montevideo Chapter Chair Gustavo Zulamian.
Instrumental in reviving the AGBU's activities in Sofia in the
post-Communism years, Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian has been the chapter
chair for over a decade. A true leader with a creative mind and a
vision to attract the new generation, she energized the chapter's base
through various activities and programs, in particular the Mothers'
Committee and the Nur Dance Ensemble. She was also responsible for
initiating Camp Unger, a chapter program designed to bond AGBU Sofia's
youngest members, and most recently, in collaboration with the AGBU
Plovdiv Chapter, for initiating Camp Hayler, which unites youth from
across Bulgaria. In 2007, she established the AGBU Sofia Chamber
Orchestra, which consistently draws scores of Armenian and
non-Armenian music lovers alike to several concerts each year, and in
2004 organized the XVII AGBU World Games, which brought together over
250 young Armenian athletes from five continents to the Bulgarian
seaside town of Albena for a week of sports competitions and social
events.
Roupen Chavoushian was one of the key individuals who re-established
the Plovdiv Chapter after the fall of communism. He has played a great
role in perpetuating the Armenian heritage in the city, which is home
to the country's largest Armenian population. As the current and
longtime chair of the AGBU Plovdiv Chapter, he administers a number of
associated chapters in Burgas, Dobrich, Haskovo, Russe, Silistra,
Sliven, and Yambol, and initiated AGBU Saturday Schools in each of
these towns, ensuring the organization's strong presence across the
country. He also established the Plovdiv Chapter's Saturday School
Theater Group, which won first place in Yerevan's 2011 Pomegranate
Seed Theater Festival. On a bimonthly basis, over 800 readers receive
the publication `AGBU Voice,' which Chavoushian founded. His numerous
contributions to the town's community were recently acknowledged with
a medal awarded by the mayor of Plovdiv.
Dr. Gustavo Zulamian is considered one of the AGBU's most talented
young leaders in South America. He has served as the general secretary
of the AGBU Montevideo board and as both the chair of the Montevideo
Chapter and the AGBU Nubarian-Manoogian School, of which he is an
alumnus, all while maintaining a dentistry practice. He has been
involved with the organization since childhood; as a young athlete, he
brought his active involvement to the chapter's Liga de Jóvenes (Youth
League) and South American Regional Games. More recently, he has
dedicated himself to the arts and media, serving as editor of the
monthly magazine `Hai Endanik' (Armenian Family), which covers
Armenian issues. He continues to assume special assignments on behalf
of the organization.
For more information about the AGBU and its worldwide programs, visit
www.agbu.org.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/12/07/agbu-recognizes-service-at-87th-general-assembly/
December 7, 2012
For well over a century, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU)
has enjoyed the support of tens of thousands of members and volunteers
in carrying out its mission. Eight of its members, along with three
individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service to Armenia, were
honored during the AGBU's 87th General Assembly, which took place in
Armenia on Sat., Oct. 20. In attendance were Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan, and His Holiness
Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as the AGBU's
leadership and delegates from around the world.
Honored for their service to the AGBU during the 87th General Assembly
in Yerevan were (Top row, L-R): Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian, Roupen
Chavoushian, Jacques and Florine Deyirmendjian, Gabriel Djambardji,
and Denis Ketchedjian; (Bottom row, L-R): Smpad Lpudyan, Panos
Titizian, Sona Yacoubian, Ralph Yirikian, and Gustavo Zulamian.
AGBU Medal
For their outstanding services rendered to the homeland, Gabriel
Djambardji, Smpad Lpudyan, and Ralph Yirikian were recognized with the
AGBU Medal.
As a noted philanthropist and the president of the Pyunik Foundation,
which focuses on education in Armenia, Gabriel Djambardji has
contributed generously to various projects in the homeland, including
financial assistance to schools to modernize their facilities and to
the recent refurbishment of the Matenadaran. He and his wife Kohar,
who are Syrian diasporans, have also been generous patrons of their
local community, as well as of various religious endeavors within the
Armenian Apostolic Church.
Smpad Lpudyan, who holds the world's highest chess title of
Grandmaster, has used his expertise for years to cultivate the talents
of Armenian youth and ensure that Armenia maintains its strong
foothold in the world of chess. As the vice-president of the Armenian
Chess Federation, which is headed by President Serge Sarkisian, he
cooperates closely with AGBU to organize the annual Interschool
Republican Chess Tournament, which brings together over 5,000 students
from Armenia, Karabakh, and the Armenian schools in the Javakhk region
of Georgia, many of whom have followed in his footsteps, rising to the
professional level.
Ralph Yirikian, a Lebanese diasporan and General Manager of one of
Armenia's largest companies, Viva-Cell-MTS, is dedicated to advancing
Armenia's wellbeing through corporate social responsibility
initiatives. Viva-Cell is often recognized as a leader in sponsoring
social and educational programs and events. Yirikian has received
numerous awards, including the Presidential Shield from the president
of Lebanon, the Movses Khorenatsi Medal from the president of the
Republic of Armenia, and the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Medal from
His Holiness Karekin II.
AGBU Honor Membership
The Central Board also bestowed upon five of its longstanding members
the status of the AGBU Honor Member for their staunch dedication in
perpetuating the organization's mission: Jacques and Florine
Deyirmendjian, Denis Ketchedjian, Panos Titizian, and Sona Yacoubian.
For four decades, Mr. and Mrs. Jacques and Florine Deyirmendjian of
Paris, France, have worked tirelessly in the French-Armenian community
and have committed themselves to serving the AGBU. Deyirmendjian holds
degrees from France's most important grandes écoles, the Ecole
Polytechnique, the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de
l'Administration Economique, and the Ecole Normale Supérieure de
Musique de Paris. He has held important leadership posts at Gaz de
France SA, one of the country's top energy companies, and currently
serves as president of Deynergies, a joint stock company, which he
founded. He has served the AGBU in various positions. When he first
joined, he was the chair of UGAB Jeunes, the organization's French
youth group. He later went on to become the Paris Chapter chair and
also served on the France District Committee. In addition,
Deyirmendjian has been bestowed with the order of knighthood in both
France and Germany. Mrs. Deyirmendjian, a CPA and a graduate of the
School of Management of Lyon, serves on the Paris Chapter Committee
and has been active within the local AGBU Alex Manoogian Center, which
offers courses in language and culture to scores of youth and adults.
Another French-Armenian to receive the honorary membership was Denis
Ketchedjian, who served as the France District chairman from 2002-08.
Most notably, he oversaw in 2006 the four-day AGBU Centennial
Celebrations, which culminated with a gala at Versailles. A prominent
lawyer who, for decades, also contributed his services as the
organization's counsel in France, he is currently the secretary
general of the AGBU France District.
Panos Titizian, a noted community leader and activist, who is a
pharmacist by profession and a graduate of the American University of
Beirut, was bestowed with the AGBU Honor Membership, as well as the
Outstanding AGBU Volunteer Medal. Titizian has been an AGBU member for
more than eight decades, over the course of which he has used his
talents as a strategist to benefit the organization, particularly
throughout Lebanon's civil war. He served for many years on both the
Education and District Committees of Lebanon, and continues today to
serve the organization from Southern California, attending to special
assignments.
Sona Yacoubian is the founder of AGBU Hye Geen, an initiative
established in 1994 and dedicated to the promotion of the rights and
wellbeing of Armenian women. In 2002, under her leadership, Hye Geen
established the first of its five Pregnant Women's Centers in response
to Armenia's rising infant mortality rates and the country's general
decline in maternal health.
To date, the AGBU Hye Geen Pregnant Women's Centers have helped
deliver over 800 healthy babies. In addition to its Armenia-based
initiatives, Hye Geen's activities in California raise awareness of a
host on issues that affect the broader Armenian community, including
its annual Interdisciplinary Conference, which is organized in
collaboration with local universities.
AGBU President's Award
AGBU President Berge Setrakian also granted the AGBU President's Award
to three current and former AGBU chairs who have demonstrated distinct
leadership and have dedicated many years to the organization: Sofia
Chapter Chair Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian, Plovdiv Chapter Chair Roupen
Chavoushian, and former Montevideo Chapter Chair Gustavo Zulamian.
Instrumental in reviving the AGBU's activities in Sofia in the
post-Communism years, Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian has been the chapter
chair for over a decade. A true leader with a creative mind and a
vision to attract the new generation, she energized the chapter's base
through various activities and programs, in particular the Mothers'
Committee and the Nur Dance Ensemble. She was also responsible for
initiating Camp Unger, a chapter program designed to bond AGBU Sofia's
youngest members, and most recently, in collaboration with the AGBU
Plovdiv Chapter, for initiating Camp Hayler, which unites youth from
across Bulgaria. In 2007, she established the AGBU Sofia Chamber
Orchestra, which consistently draws scores of Armenian and
non-Armenian music lovers alike to several concerts each year, and in
2004 organized the XVII AGBU World Games, which brought together over
250 young Armenian athletes from five continents to the Bulgarian
seaside town of Albena for a week of sports competitions and social
events.
Roupen Chavoushian was one of the key individuals who re-established
the Plovdiv Chapter after the fall of communism. He has played a great
role in perpetuating the Armenian heritage in the city, which is home
to the country's largest Armenian population. As the current and
longtime chair of the AGBU Plovdiv Chapter, he administers a number of
associated chapters in Burgas, Dobrich, Haskovo, Russe, Silistra,
Sliven, and Yambol, and initiated AGBU Saturday Schools in each of
these towns, ensuring the organization's strong presence across the
country. He also established the Plovdiv Chapter's Saturday School
Theater Group, which won first place in Yerevan's 2011 Pomegranate
Seed Theater Festival. On a bimonthly basis, over 800 readers receive
the publication `AGBU Voice,' which Chavoushian founded. His numerous
contributions to the town's community were recently acknowledged with
a medal awarded by the mayor of Plovdiv.
Dr. Gustavo Zulamian is considered one of the AGBU's most talented
young leaders in South America. He has served as the general secretary
of the AGBU Montevideo board and as both the chair of the Montevideo
Chapter and the AGBU Nubarian-Manoogian School, of which he is an
alumnus, all while maintaining a dentistry practice. He has been
involved with the organization since childhood; as a young athlete, he
brought his active involvement to the chapter's Liga de Jóvenes (Youth
League) and South American Regional Games. More recently, he has
dedicated himself to the arts and media, serving as editor of the
monthly magazine `Hai Endanik' (Armenian Family), which covers
Armenian issues. He continues to assume special assignments on behalf
of the organization.
For more information about the AGBU and its worldwide programs, visit
www.agbu.org.