BY APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
November 22, 2019
It’s encouraging that Armenia Fund started cleaning house fueling growing public confidence. Now, those Diaspora organizations that are being led by corrupted leaders, should follow Armenia Fund’s example and dethrone their nepotistic autocrats. Afterall, what moral right these corrupted diaspora elements have to criticize corruption and nepotism in Armenia when they themselves have drowned in corruption and nepotism?
Getting rid of the rot heals an individual, family, organization, society and nation, and helps them prosper.
Back in July 2018, Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was right when he wrote on his Facebook page: “The developments surrounding Armenia Fund are not going to weaken but they’re going to increase Diaspora’s confidence toward the all-Armenian fund.”
Later, PM Pashinyan shared a link on a video document broadcasting his remarks that he had delivered during a May 25 Armenia Fund Board of Trustees meeting in Yerevan, underlining
“We’re going to prove that we’re not going to tolerate the manifestation of any aspects of abuse.”
Diaspora Armenians should follow PM Pashinyan’s example saying “”We, The Diaspora Armenians, are going to prove that we’re not going to tolerate the manifestation of any aspects of abuse within any of the Diaspora faith-based and community-based organization or structure.”
As a longtime supporter of Armenia Fund, I joined thousands of other supporters in applauding PM Pashinyan’s and his administration’s efforts to bring transparency not just to citizens of Armenia but also the entire Diaspora.
There is no doubt that world Armenian donors in Diaspora, Armenia and Artsakh will continue giving to worthwhile causes and humanitarian projects in Armenia and Artsakh managed by Armenia Fund as long as the Fund strives for perpetual and complete transparency and accountability.
In July 2018, pointing to corrupted elements that still existed in the organization and their nepotistic practices, prominent American Armenian attorney Mark Geragos courageously wrote in an email addressed to heads of Armenian state, church and civic organizations: “Apparently Armenia Fund thinks that appointing one of our own is a solution to its complete abdication of our sworn duty. … Shame on us and me for being complicit in the theft from our people and this complete cover up.”
By speaking out loud and clear against organizational corruption and nepotism Geragos set a great example for those key players in the so-called ‘high society’ within the Western U.S. Armenian American community not to keep silent but to speak out in favor of fairness and transparency.
Geragos’ concerns have not fallen on deaf ears — at least not within the larger American Armenian community. Now it’s inspiring to see four distinct yet inter-related reform movements: Save Armenian Revolutionary Federation-WR/ANCA-WR from Vicken and Nora Hovsepian; Save Western Diocese of Armenian Church from Arch. Hovnan Derderian; and Save AGBU-Armenian General Benevolent Union from Berge Setrakian, Sinan Sinanian, Yervant Demirdjian and co.; and Save Tekeyan Cultural Association from Edmond Azadian and Haroutiun Arzoumanian. These reform movements are gaining momentum on a daily basis and are worthy of massive participation and active support.
Speaking of the present and the future of Armenia Fund, as a way of exponentially increasing world Armenian donors’ confidence toward the Fund, PM Pashinyan may consider empowering Armenia Fund branches in the Diaspora and the world headquarters in Armenia to democratize the process of formation of its Board of Trustees or Governors by way of voting by thousands of donors.
When donors of any amount elect trustworthy, respected and reputable candidates to represent them on the board of governors or trustees, the public trust and confidence can markedly increase fueling sustainable annual growth in the number of donors and funds. Democratic representation backed by foolproof system of perpetual transparency and accountability can serve as the bedrock of a healthy Armenian state and s vibrant Diaspora. Armenia without a healthy Armenian Diaspora can become as vulnerable as the 1918-1920 Democratic Republic of Armenia. The First Armenian Republic was not as blessed and lucky as today’s Armenia.
Armenian Fund has a providential role to play in the destiny of the Armenian Nation. It should be nurtured and protected at all cost in order to ensure its speedy growth.
A burning issue relating to Armenia Fund’s wellbeing begs a swift answer: Should Armenia Fund steer clear from associating itself with widely discredited individuals – oligarchs in various community-based and faith-based organizations in the Diaspora and more specifically Western U.S.? Absolutely YES!
Why? Armenia Fund cannot afford to associate itself with such discredited elements as the embattled ARF-WR/ ANCA-WR (Armenian Revolutionary Federation-WR/Armenian National Committee WR) autocrats Vicken and Nora Hovsepian; Western Diocese soft-spoken and deceitful occupier and abuser of power Archbishop Hovnan Derderian who is ‘assisted’ by attorneys Joseph Kanimian and Adrienne Krikorian; Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) ‘junta’ led by autocrats Berge Setrakian, Sinan Sinanian, Yervant Demirdjian, Vazken Yacoubian; and monopolists of Tekeyan Cultural Association Central Board led by Edmond Azadian and Haroutiun Arzoumanian.
These above-mentioned individuals with questionable motives and dismal public service records should not be trusted and allowed to tarnish Armenia Fund’s name and reputation. Armenia Fund needs all the positive influence and impact it can get and cannot afford public relation liability or blunders.
It’s true that Hovsepian, Derderian, Setrakian, Sinanian, Demirdjian, Yacoubian, Azadian and their close allies can boast to raise some funds, but the level of public distrust that they can illicit within the Armenian American community and Diaspora as a whole, can discourage thousands of potential donors from giving, resulting in potential loss of millions of dollars for Armenia Fund.
By allowing the Hovsepian, Derderian, Setrakian, Sinanian, Demirdjian, Yacoubian, Azadian and their cronies hijack Armenia Fund and blocking its healthy growth, the Fund’s present leadership can cause irreparable damage not only to Armenia Fund but also to the Armenian Nation. We shall and must do away with the counterproductive elements who — in reality, are our nation’s enemies from within.
Once a Diaspora-based Armenian faith-based and community-based organization receives a ‘health certificate’ in the Armenian public opinion arena, of being totally free from corruption and nepotism, it is only then that such an organization should be allowed to be associated with Armenia Fund.
Other organizations that are negatively impacted by corruption can only be allowed to be associated with Armenia Fund only after they come clean and dethrone their corrupted organizational leaders.
There shouldn’t be any barriers against personal participation by good-hearted members of any organizations.
For several years, during all annual telethons the question — whether I should contribute, has been answered through the practice of an age-old principle of “Donate and demand transparency and accountability.”
My participation in this year’s Armenia Fund Telethon will be guided again with the same principle. I will donate and demand accountability.
Even though there has always been a set of concerns, it’s applaudable that thousands of people — 15,000 donors have participated as of 2018 Armenia Fund Telethon making Armenia Fund the single-most popular charitable Armenian structure in the world!
If we can collectively encourage more Armenians and friends of Armenian Nation participate, the number of annual donors can easily double in the near future. And if we really get organized and clean our national house from internal destructive elements, public confidence can skyrocket and the annual funds raised can reach unimaginable heights in the foreseeable future fostering pan-national economic development.
During past decades Armenia Fund Board of Trustees members were appointed. In my opinion, it would be highly appreciated by thousands of Armenia Fund donors throughout the world if they are entrusted in electing directly each and every member of Armenia Fund Board of Trustees as opposed to having them appointed to their positions without democratic process.
Of course, there can be several options worthy of being considered in democratically restructuring Armenia Fund Board of Trustees. And one of the ways is through the implementation of the following option: Members of Board of Trustees can be elected for 2-, 4-, or 6-year terms with a term limit.
Armenia Fund is a national treasure that deserves to be supported en mass, and most importantly, governed with absolute transparency and accountability.