2024, Year of Human Resources Preparation: A letter
Catholicos Aram has designated 2024 as the “year of human resources preparation”. Before the Armenian Diaspora youth wanting to intern in Washington, D.C., or in Armenia, it is imperative they first intern locally and in other Armenian Diaspora communities. Attached is my letter I wrote to ANCA in that regard.
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Aram Souren Hamparian
Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of America,
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Re: 2024, “year of human resources preparation
Sireli Aram Hamparian
In his most recent pontifical message, Catholicos Aram I designated 2024 as the “year of human resources preparation” and addressed his pontifical message “to the prelate, the clergy, the community authorities of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, and to the daughters and sons of our people.”
It is natural to expect that ANCA will play a definite and a constructive role to that affect
I am particularly drawn to the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program since the year it was launched. The Saghedjian family is a prominent Kessabtsi dynastic family. The Kessabtsis have endearingly named the family’s prominent son Ovsia, “Daye”, a Turkish word the Kessabtsis have adopted in their dialect for a caring uncle. I have read about the good work the program does, but I also associate to its founding and relate to the program more than the good work outlined. Apo Saghdejian and I were contemporary students during our days in Beirut.
Driven by the Catholicos’ massage I have the following suggestion for your consideration. In order for an Armenian young man or woman to qualify for Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program, that young man or the young woman, should have interned at least a year in his or her local Armenian organization be it the Board of Trustees of a local Armenian church, or central committees of Hamazkayin or HMEM, or the Armenian Relief Society; or for that matter with a local Armenian church’s Men’s Club or the Ladies Guild who do so much to balance a church budget year after year. Thus, the candidate for the program would have a record of having made an effort to improve the local Armenian community and would have understood the community’s needs better. The idea is to have the young man or woman, first be involved and interned locally and made an effort to contribute for the well-being of the local Armenian community to have the privilege of interning in Washington, DC, to bring greater good for the Armenian community whose needs the young man or the young woman would have thus experienced and understood better, than otherwise.
I have already briefly talked to Apo Saghdjian about my concerns. He rightfully suggested that I address my concern and suggestion to you for your consideration.
I wish you and ANCA well and look forward to have the year 2024 a year of reflection of our state in the Diaspora.
Thank you.
Serov
Vahe H. Apelian
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Boylston, MA 01505
cc: Apraham Saghdejian
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Fresno, CA 93711
Note
Human Resources preparation: what will be its measure?