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NEF President Featured Speaker at Capitol Hill - Commemoration of
Armenian Genocide - posted Wednesday, April 27, 2005
"Something of a long term benefit has come from the terrible malice
perpetrated in the Armenian Genocide," Near East Foundation President
Ryan A. LaHurd, Ph.D. noted during his keynote address at the
Congressional Armenian Genocide Commemoration held in Washington D.C.
"The work of the Near East Foundation argues that humanity can respond
to evil with good, to despair with hope, and to destruction with
rebuilding," the NEF President continued. "Perhaps more than anything,
the Near East Foundation's continuity recalls that while human beings
are capable of extreme self-interest, we are also capable of great
generosity--and we celebrate the choice of generosity," he told the
assembly of 200 distinguished guests attending the April 20th
reception and remarks.
They included the second keynote speaker, Henry Morgenthau III, who
shares the name of his grandfather, then U.S. Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire whose urgent telegram to President Wilson about "the
destruction of the Armenian race in Turkey" prompted the founding of
the Near East Foundation (originally called Near East Relief).
Consequently the Near East Foundation also celebrates its 90th
anniversary this year as America's first nationwide international
relief and development effort.
Quoting an early NEF leader's comment--"everything we know we learned
from the orphans"--Dr. LaHurd spoke about the 100,000-plus orphans
among the million refugees who were fed, clothed housed and cared for
in NEF camps and orphanages: "What these philanthropists learned is
that if we are to truly help those in need, we must move beyond relief
into development, building their capacity through education and
supplying technical assistance and resources. In this way they can
build their own better future in independence and self-reliance."
Near East Foundation's work with the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide became the model for the Marshall Plan of post-World War II
recovery, Truman's Point IV Program, the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), he continued, emphasizing, "Good has come from evil;
hope, from despair."
In his comments the NEF President also called attention to the Near
East Foundation's operative philosophy in consonance with "American
commitment to investment rather than spending, understanding the time
and energy needed to help people learn new ways and change old
approaches in a manner that preserves what is most valuable in their
culture. Ironically, this very approach which gave birth to the
U.S. Agency for International Development has largely been abandoned,"
he took this opportunity to tell assembled congresspersons.
"In an effort to streamline their approach and supposedly become more
cost-effective, USAID and other government agencies which fund
international development, now fund almost entirely short term, very
large, tens-of-million dollar projects," Dr. LaHurd stated, adding,
"This approach has given birth to large contractors whose sole purpose
is to manage such grants, often leaving organizations like ours--with
our hands-on, people orientation--out in the cold."
Congressional leaders attending included Senators John Kerry and Paul
Sarbanes and from the House, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and
Congresswomen Anna Ashoo of California and Nita Lowey of New
York. Masters of ceremonies were co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus
on Armenian Issues, Congressmen Joe Knollenberg of Michigan and Frank
Pallone, Jr. of New Jersey. Armenian American representatives from
around the country included Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan of the Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States and
Canada, Mary Ann Kibarian of the Children of Armenia Fund, also the
Armenian Ambassador to the United States Tatoul Makarian.
Over the past decade, Members of Congress have joined with civic,
religious and human rights leaders and Armenian-Americans nationally
to solemnly mark the systematic annihilation of over 1.5 million
Armenian men, women and children during the first genocide of the 20th
century. This year's remembrances were held in the historic Cannon
Caucus Room in the U.S. Capitol. They highlighted the unprecedented
U.S. diplomatic, political and humanitarian response to the Armenian
Genocide and focused on efforts today to properly reaffirm this crime
against humanity.
The introduction of the Near East Foundation was greeted by
particularly enthusiastic and sustained applause. Last year NEF
received the 2004 Freedom Award granted by the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western Region--their most prestigious--"for
your organization's longstanding history of aiding the Armenian people
and others in their darkest hours." In February NEF was honored at the
"International Relief, Refuge, and Recognition Tribute" held in Los
Angeles, where Dr. LaHurd also delivered the keynote address. That
event was sponsored by the Armenian Assembly, Armenian General
Benevolent Union and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Armenian Genocide - posted Wednesday, April 27, 2005
"Something of a long term benefit has come from the terrible malice
perpetrated in the Armenian Genocide," Near East Foundation President
Ryan A. LaHurd, Ph.D. noted during his keynote address at the
Congressional Armenian Genocide Commemoration held in Washington D.C.
"The work of the Near East Foundation argues that humanity can respond
to evil with good, to despair with hope, and to destruction with
rebuilding," the NEF President continued. "Perhaps more than anything,
the Near East Foundation's continuity recalls that while human beings
are capable of extreme self-interest, we are also capable of great
generosity--and we celebrate the choice of generosity," he told the
assembly of 200 distinguished guests attending the April 20th
reception and remarks.
They included the second keynote speaker, Henry Morgenthau III, who
shares the name of his grandfather, then U.S. Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire whose urgent telegram to President Wilson about "the
destruction of the Armenian race in Turkey" prompted the founding of
the Near East Foundation (originally called Near East Relief).
Consequently the Near East Foundation also celebrates its 90th
anniversary this year as America's first nationwide international
relief and development effort.
Quoting an early NEF leader's comment--"everything we know we learned
from the orphans"--Dr. LaHurd spoke about the 100,000-plus orphans
among the million refugees who were fed, clothed housed and cared for
in NEF camps and orphanages: "What these philanthropists learned is
that if we are to truly help those in need, we must move beyond relief
into development, building their capacity through education and
supplying technical assistance and resources. In this way they can
build their own better future in independence and self-reliance."
Near East Foundation's work with the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide became the model for the Marshall Plan of post-World War II
recovery, Truman's Point IV Program, the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), he continued, emphasizing, "Good has come from evil;
hope, from despair."
In his comments the NEF President also called attention to the Near
East Foundation's operative philosophy in consonance with "American
commitment to investment rather than spending, understanding the time
and energy needed to help people learn new ways and change old
approaches in a manner that preserves what is most valuable in their
culture. Ironically, this very approach which gave birth to the
U.S. Agency for International Development has largely been abandoned,"
he took this opportunity to tell assembled congresspersons.
"In an effort to streamline their approach and supposedly become more
cost-effective, USAID and other government agencies which fund
international development, now fund almost entirely short term, very
large, tens-of-million dollar projects," Dr. LaHurd stated, adding,
"This approach has given birth to large contractors whose sole purpose
is to manage such grants, often leaving organizations like ours--with
our hands-on, people orientation--out in the cold."
Congressional leaders attending included Senators John Kerry and Paul
Sarbanes and from the House, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and
Congresswomen Anna Ashoo of California and Nita Lowey of New
York. Masters of ceremonies were co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus
on Armenian Issues, Congressmen Joe Knollenberg of Michigan and Frank
Pallone, Jr. of New Jersey. Armenian American representatives from
around the country included Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan of the Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States and
Canada, Mary Ann Kibarian of the Children of Armenia Fund, also the
Armenian Ambassador to the United States Tatoul Makarian.
Over the past decade, Members of Congress have joined with civic,
religious and human rights leaders and Armenian-Americans nationally
to solemnly mark the systematic annihilation of over 1.5 million
Armenian men, women and children during the first genocide of the 20th
century. This year's remembrances were held in the historic Cannon
Caucus Room in the U.S. Capitol. They highlighted the unprecedented
U.S. diplomatic, political and humanitarian response to the Armenian
Genocide and focused on efforts today to properly reaffirm this crime
against humanity.
The introduction of the Near East Foundation was greeted by
particularly enthusiastic and sustained applause. Last year NEF
received the 2004 Freedom Award granted by the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western Region--their most prestigious--"for
your organization's longstanding history of aiding the Armenian people
and others in their darkest hours." In February NEF was honored at the
"International Relief, Refuge, and Recognition Tribute" held in Los
Angeles, where Dr. LaHurd also delivered the keynote address. That
event was sponsored by the Armenian Assembly, Armenian General
Benevolent Union and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress