A bridge between Armenia and Diaspora- Armen Sarkissian visits AGBU Yerevan office

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Armen Sarkissian, the potential candidate of the ruling party for the upcoming presidential election in Armenia, toured the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Armenia Office in Yerevan today and participated in a consultation with the executives of the office.

Speaking to reporters after the tour, Sarkissian said there is much to do in Armenia in terms of benevolent structures and programs.

He mentioned that compared to the previous years the charitable programs are more practical and effective in Armenia. “But a while ago we were discussing with colleagues that even this structure needs improvement, it needs to look at charity in a new way, it needs the support of the state and the society. The purpose of my today’s visit is charity – as a national and state institution, how we must treat charity, how the state should support charity and how to coordinate so that charity programs don’t repeat one another”, Sarkissian said.

Vazgen Yakubyan, head of the AGBU Armenia office, told reporters they had a healthy discussion with Sarkissian on how benevolent organizations can have a great role in linking the abilities of the diaspora with Armenia.

“We expressed our idea that we want to bridge our organization between Armenia and the Diaspora, and this bridge must work in two-ways”, he said.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian diaspora.

Through the vision of its leaders and the generous support of devoted donors and members over the years, AGBU has played a significant role in upholding Armenian traditions and values by adapting to the needs of the worldwide community and the demands of the times. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians.

AGBU currently operates with an annual budget of over $46 million, made possible by our countless benefactors. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU has an active presence in 31 countries and 74 cities and addresses the needs of Armenians with traditional and progressive programs worldwide —from schools, scouts, camps and support for the arts to internships, virtual learning and young professional networks.

Description from agbu.org