AGBU Cairo Concludes a Busy Calendar of Philanthropy and Events

AGBU Cairo retired the year 2007 with some promising philanthropy, aiding in the funding of two very important and meaningful programs that will continue to prosper into 2008 and beyond. December 13, 2007 marked the inauguration of the Armenian Studies Center at Cairo University's Faculty of the Arts. To show their appreciation for the efforts of the faculty in the establishment and oversight of the Armenian Studies Center, AGBU Cairo Chairman Viken Djizmedjian and board member George Simonian paid a visit to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Ahmed Abdallah Zayed. The Armenian Studies Center will offer Armenian language courses, as well as courses on Armenian literature and history, and will organize conferences and lectures on Armenian culture and heritage.

The first lecture took place that very day: Professor Nicolai Hovhanessian from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia was invited to give a lecture on Armenian-Arab relations, which was attended by professors, students, and members of the Egyptian-Armenian community. The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Egypt, Ruben Karapetian, was among those in attendance, and has had a significant role in the creation of the Center. AGBU Cairo contributed 30,000 LE (approx. $5,500 USD) to defray the center's expenses.

Even the youngest members at AGBU Cairo gave of themselves, and for a great cause. On December 14, 2007, AGBU Cairo's Dziadzan children's choir performed for the children at the Cairo Children's Cancer Hospital in honor of "Armenian Day," along with Housaper's Dzaghgastan choir and members of the Sardarabad and Zankezour Armenian dance troupes. The children were delighted by the groups' cheerful songs and dances. "Armenian Day" was first initiated by the First Ladies of Armenia and Egypt in April 2007 during the President of the Republic of Armenia's first official visit to Egypt. The Armenian Embassy in Egypt and the Egyptian-Armenian community sponsored this cultural initiative in an effort to provide moral and material support to the Egyptian government's work in building this state-of-the-art hospital for the treatment of children with cancer. AGBU Cairo has donated 10,000 LE (approx. 2,000 USD) to the Cairo Children's Cancer Hospital.

And now, as 2008 progresses, AGBU Cairo has continued its efforts in education and the promotion of Armenian culture, with a very exciting lecture, another performance by the Dziadzan children's choir and a presentation about AGBU's growing list of youth programs in Armenia.

AGBU Cairo invited Hamlet Petrosyan, Professor of Archaeology and Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, to present the findings of ongoing archaeological excavations of the historical city of Tigranakert in Karabakh, built during the reign of King Tigran the Great, who ruled 95–55 BC. Petrosyan gave two lectures: the first was held in Cairo on February 22 at the Belekdanian Hall, and the second in Alexandria at the Boghossian School on February 24.

Petrosyan's riveting lectures were complete with comprehensive photographs and a DVD video presentation, affording the audience a sense of the magnitude of this long-term project. The massive excavations are being conducted by a group of archaeologists and scientists, and have thus far uncovered the ruins of the fortifying walls of the ancient city, as well as a cemetery, a church from a later period, and several housing compounds. Everyone in attendance was impressed and awed by the dedication and rigor shown by Petrosyan and his fellow scientists in their ongoing efforts to complete this project, despite practical and financial difficulties that have arisen.

On March 13, the Dziadzan and Dzgaghgastan choirs joined voices at the Belekdanian Hall in Cairo in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Karabakh liberation movement. Their performance was part of a cultural event organized by the local Armenian political parties. The program included a lecture on the history of the conflict by the director of the Armenian Institute of History at the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Ashod Melkonian, a flute and piano recital by Maestro Zakar Keshishian and Gamila Keshishian, a dance performance from the Zankezour troupe, and a poetry recitation by Nora Koehnelian.

Later, on March 30, AGBU Armenian Youth Program coordinator, Hermine Duzian, traveled to Cairo to speak about the menu of youth programs offered by the organization in the homeland. In addition to the established Yerevan Summer Intern Program and the annual Youth Trip to Armenia and Karabakh, this year will witness the launch of the AGBU Scout Camp and the AGBU Study Abroad program in coordination with the American University of Armenia (AUA). For more information about these summer programs, visit www.agbu.org/summer2008. The following day, Duzian traveled to Alexandria to speak to parents and youth about the Armenia programs.