Falling back into the swing of things, AGBU inaugurated a new school in the village of Norashen in Karabakh's southeast Hadrut region. The institution will serve dozens of young families that have returned to the previously war-torn area and settled in AGBU-sponsored villages.

Plans are finalized for AGBU's General Assembly and Convention in Paris from December 8-11, 2006. Those interested in learning more about the special celebrations, including a Gala at Versailles, please visit www.ugab.info/100/eng.

Late last month, the Third Armenia-Diaspora Conference took place in Yerevan, Armenia, and AGBU, along with a slew of other Armenian organizations, joined the dialogue to bridge differences and ensure a united future for all Armenians.

More recently, the YEAR OF ARMENIA kicked off in France and an AGBU delegation was asked to join French President Jacques Chirac on the presidential plane that traveled to Armenia for an official visit.

Stateside, the Southern California District Committee (SCDC) joined with the University of Southern California's Armenian Studies department to present a special Centennial symposium "AGBU in its Second Century: Tribute to the Past - Pathway to the Future." For more information, call 626-794-7942.

KARABAKH REPOPULATION PROJECT OPENS SCHOOL IN NORASHEN AND BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF JRAKN VILLAGE

On September 11, 2006, the opening ceremony of the new Norashen School took place in Karabakh's Hadrut region. With 32 pupils enrolled, the elementary school, designed to accommodate 80 students, has eight classrooms, one event hall, a teacher's lounge and a principal's office. The official ribbon cutting was followed by the groundbreaking ceremony of the nearby village of Jrakn, which was destroyed during the war and is situated 200 meters away from Norashen. Both initiatives are part of AGBU's Karabakh Repopulation Project, which was initiated in 2002 and has been helping to rebuild the war-torn villages that remain abandoned following the 1988 to 1994 conflict with Azerbaijan.

Among the honored guests were AGBU representatives and Karabakh authorities, including: Karabakh President, Arkady Ghoukassian; Deputy Prime Minister, Ararat Danielian; Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Kamo Atayan; Minister of Territorial Administration and Development of Industrial Infrastructures, Armo Tsaturian; Migration, Refugees and Repopulation Department Head, Pavel Nadjarian; Head of Hadrut Administration, Valery Gevorkian; AGBU Central Board Member, Levon Kebabdjian; and AGBU Armenia Representation Director, Ashot Ghazarian....

AGBU Participates in Dialogue at Third Armenia-Diaspora Conference in Yerevan
On September 18, 2006, the third Armenia-Diaspora Conference opened at Karen Demirjian Sport and Concert Complex in Yerevan, Armenia, with the participation of leading Armenian organizations from around the world, including AGBU. Republic of Armenia President Robert Kocharian spoke at the opening event, stating: "The past four years, after the second conference, have been filled with developments both for Armenia and countries with large Armenian communities. I believe that this conference gives everyone a chance to discuss the new realities and outline our future actions for the next several years."...

34 AGBU New York Summer Interns Take on Manhattan with Great Success
A group of 34 AGBU interns from seven countries including Argentina, Canada, England, Egypt, France, Lebanon, and the United States immersed themselves in New York City's culture, business, nightlife and daily excitement as participants of the 20th season of AGBU's New York Summer Intern Program (NYSIP). After a rigorous application process, these talented young men and women showed promise in their academic achievements and diverse extracurricular interests. Through the Program's unique opportunities, each student not only interned at a company related to his or her field of study, but also took on all the challenges and excitement New York City has to offer...

OCT/NOV CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Fall is the beginning of a new surge of AGBU activities, from Sofia's Centennial concert to Southern California's Centennial symposium, people the world over continue to toast the organization's acheivements. Visit this month's online calendar for a complete listing of events.

Treasured Armenian Recipes
By AGBU Detroit Women's Chapter

Arranged according to categories, from appetizers to desserts, these recipes will conjure up memories to many and awaken others to the pleasures of Armenian cooking. 126 pages. A popular classic.