AGBU 85th General Assembly in Aleppo Prepares for Its Second Century of Accomplishments

For the fifth consecutive year, AGBU's Discover Armenia organized an action-packed, 20-day trip to Armenia and neighboring Karabakh for diasporan youth ages 15 to 18, under the direction and guidance of Hermine Duzian, AGBU Diaspora Youth Programs Coordinator in Armenia. Along with sightseeing, the participants also learned the value of volunteerism by helping with the renovation of homes in the village of Khor Virap, which was sponsored by the Fuller organization, and in the cleaning of the Khosrov Forest State Preserve, coordinated by the World Wildlife Fund. The youths had a number of unique oncein-a-lifetime experiences, including climbing Armenia's highest mountain, Mount Aragats, and spending an unforgettable evening with renowned Armenian pop singers Shushan Petrossian and Arsen Grigorian at the AGBU Camp Antranik in the [Lori] region. In Karabakh, they became acquainted with local AGBU projects and visited the city of Shushi as well as the medieval monastic complex of Gandzasar. This summer, athletes and guests poured into Montevideo from Antwerp, Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Pasadena, Sao Paolo and Toronto to take part in the XVIII AGBU World Games. Organized by the local chapter, the weeklong event included numerous sporting competitions, cultural performances and social outings, all aimed at providing a platform for the organization's athletic groups to engage in friendly competitions and bringing together Armenian youth on a global level. At least 400 athletes participated in basketball, volleyball (men's and women's) and soccer (men's), as well as individual tournaments in swimming, table tennis, chess and backgammon. Cultural entertainment was provided by the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra, AGBU Montevideo Choir "Grung," AGBU Cordoba Dance Group "Ararat," Armenian National Center of Uruguay's "Gayane" Dance Group. The closing Gala banquet, which was sold out with 540 guests, signified the "start of many new friendships spanning the globe," according to AGBU President [Berge Setrakian]. AGBU Cairo's calendar this past year was quite a busy one, with some promising philanthropy aiding in the funding of two very important and meaningful programs that continue to prosper. The first was the inauguration of the Armenian Studies Center at Cairo University's Faculty of the Arts, on which occasion Professor Nicolai Hovhanessian of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (NASA) gave a lecture on Armenian-Arab rel