IN THE WAKE OF LEBANON CATASTROPHE, ARMENIA’S 3-DAY WAR: Miracles Are not enough. Armenians Must Excel
Posted on August. 15. 2020
BY APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine (English-language print edition)
USA Armenian Life E-Newsletter (Electronic Distribution — e-blast)
Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly (Armenian-language print edition)
USA Armenian LifeFACEBOOK
www.armenianlif.com
World Armenians are confronting several challenges at the same time.
As Armenia continues facing aggression from Azerbaijan in the wake of the 3-day July 2020 war, Lebanon is reeling from massive devastation resulting from the August 4 omnipotent blast at Port of Beirut.
World media is constantly focusing its reporting on the cataclysmic explosion or bombing that obliterated the port of Beirut. But in reality, the silo building that supposedly “exlpoded by ‘accident’ because of high volume of ammonium nitrate,” did not blast in all directions damaging East and West Beirut. The catastrophic explosion/bombing interestingly targeted predominantly Christian East Beirut starting from Gemmayzeh all the way to the Lebanese Armenian municipality of Bourj Hammoud.
As a result of the August 4 disaster in the Port of Beirut, the largest number of Armenian victims was registered in the Jemeyze and Mar Mikhail districts of the capital Beirut. It is in this district that the apartments of the Armenian population are almost in ruins. These apartments are in dire need of renovation. In the Ashrafieh and Khalil Bedevi districts, the windows and doors of apartments, as well as electrical appliances and household furniture, were mostly destroyed.
Damage to homes is relatively low in West Beirut and Hadas quarters.
Immediately after the disaster, the youth of the region already began engaging in rescue work. In the following days, the destruction caused by the cleanup and demolition was carried out with the support of Lebanese-Armenian youth unions. Once the first stage of cleaning has been completed, the windows and doors are being temporarily repaired. The homeless families have been temporarily relocated to hotels, and a large number of families have taken refuge in their relatives’ homes in other areas. The food supply is made available through the joint efforts of foreign organizations and the organizational leaders of the local Armenian community. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as canned foods are provided. Youth service groups combine their fundraising and support activities to meet the immediate needs of all families.
The Armenian Relief Society of America, in partnership with the Lebanese-Armenian Relief Cross-ACS, is also working with psychologists to provide medical care to children traumatized by the horrors of the disaster.
Relatives of many families living abroad are reaching out to help their relatives. The local committee is also providing financial assistance to needy families so that they can provide for their immediate and other necessities aside from food. It should be added that the churches, clubs and educational institutions in the region have been severely demolished.
Renovation of residential quarters in the Beirut region and reconstruction of some apartments are part of the overall work for recovery of all Lebanese including Lebanese-Armenians. Several humanitarian entities are organizing fundraisers.
This great blow to the Lebanese and Lebanese Armenians of the capital needs full pan-Armenian support, for which the work has already passed from planning to implementation, according to various organizational leaders.
In addition to all this, it is necessary to rapidly restore the Lebanese industrial base, which has been systematically liquidated for decades. Their restoration is vital to alleviate the high level of unemployment in the country. Lebanon needs massive help in returning to its pre-civil war of 1975-1990 self-sufficiency and not be forced to make unaffordable imports triggering foreign trade imbalance. Lebanon has the capacity to revitalize a variety of local industries in addition to emerging high tech industries.
Armenian Relief Society, Armenia Fund USA, Code 3 Angels, Pax Pharmacy and Mepha teamed up together to send a special airlift of 2.05 tons of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, wound management supplies from LAX to Beirut. Shipment is expected to arrive Monday early morning to reach the medical centers and hospitals. Armenia Fund USA organized and coordinated all air cargo logistics and operations from Los Angeles to Beirut.
It’s commendable to see two trustworthy American Armenian organizations actively cooperate to alleviate the pain and suffering of our brethren and sisters in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Our community needs to be vigilant and not fall victim to unreliable elements and non-transparent organizations that seek to abuse the goodwill of our people.
As noted in ARMENIAN LIFE last week, it is desirable for community members to listen carefully to the legitimate concerns of many other readers about unreliable and fraudulent individuals.
Several American Armenians are urging that “No funds should be entrusted to individuals with shadowy characters and entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by questionable individuals.”
Recently, several readers alerted the editorial team about an email they have received from Western Diocese Arch. Hovnan Derderian and Karekin II soliciting donations. Many expressed their indignation stating that “in the light of numerous nefarious acts of gross mismanagement and massive misappropriation by both Derderian and Karekin II, they’ll decline to donate through them but through credible and trustworthy entities.” A number of them urged USA Armenian Life to publish “a list of TRUSTWORTHY ENTITIES vs. UNTRUSTWORTHY/ILLEGITIMATE ENTITIES that are raising funds to help Lebanon.”
It is the fiduciary duty of the Free Press in general and specifically investigative reporters to alert their readers/viewers/listeners on entities that misrepresent themselves or operate under a shadow – away from accountability and in total absence of transparency.
The editorial team at USA Armenian Life Magazine reporters and journalists uphold the practice of transparency and considers it critically important to pursue accountability and transparency on all levels of community life locally and globally.
Therefore, in cooperation with a network of investigative reporters in the United States, Canada, France, Armenia, Lebanon, and other countries, USA Armenian Life Magazine, Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly, armenianlife.com, USA Armenian Life Facebook’s editorial staff has identified a list of reliable entities.
Here’s a list:
TRUSTWORTHY-TRANSPARENT ORGANIZATIONS
TRUSTWORTHY Armenian Missionary Association of America
The Armenian Missionary Association of America has been active in the Armenian communities in Middle East, Armenia-Artsakh, and the United States for decades, by providing humanitarian service to all without discrimination. The organization’s educational and charitable contributions have been widely acknowledged by all Armenians.
RELIABLE. Armenian Relief Society of Western America.
RELIABLE. Eastern Armenian Relief Society of the United States.
Founded in 1910, the Armenian Relief Society continues to contribute with a worldwide army of Armenian women volunteers.
RELIABLE. The “ARMENIA FUND USA continues its mission in the Western and Eastern United States under a shield of transparency.
The above-mentioned organizations have earned the trust and support of American-Armenians.
What can be said about organizations controlled by untrustworthy elements?
This list was compiled by a committee of American Armenians in the USA. The list was updated and published in Western U.S.A., August 14, 2020, 2:08 PM PDT. It will be updated periodically and published for public knowledge and in service of the collective interests of the community. (See Page 3).
Why this self-criticism?
Our people deserve better. No outside force will enable them to achieve according to their potential, except the Armenians, themselves.
A French classical literary giant, Victor Hugo said. “Help you and the sky will come to your aid.” The mission of national salvation of the Armenian people is primarily reserved for the Armenian people themselves.
The pages of history are full of episodes when our people had no choice but to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously. They have prevailed through miracles with the empowerment of Providence. It’s true that our faith is strong and God is great, and that miracles are always possible. But we too have to do our best continuously.
Now we live in an age where miracles alone are not enough to help us survive. Those who are best organized will survive and thrive.
Nothing should be left to chance.
Very nice article and thanks for including the list of reliable charitable organizations. Especially AMAA