This week Manana Center hosted students of College Preperatory School, Oakland, California. On the
first day students visited Manana Center, watched several films, animations and photos by our students.

The next day after traveling to Saghmosavanq, all the students went to Nork orphanage and helped with cleaning the area for the future playgro
und, which is one of the projects of The Paros 100 Projects for Prosperity Program launched by Paros Foundation.
Later Manana’s students visited the house where CPS’s students stay in, made a pixelation and shooted a short film. For the next two days students visited Garni, Geghard, Sevan and Dilijan.

Beverly Hills, CA—Imelda Marcos, Philippine President Ferdinand Marco’s widow, refuted her reputation of excess by saying “I did not have 3,000 pairs of shoes, I had 1,060.”

While some dream of having that many pairs of shoes to choose from each day, many children in Armenia lack the basic necessity of a simple pair of sturdy shoes. The Share-a-Pair project of The Paros Foundation (www.parosfoundation.org) recently completed the distribution of 500 pairs of shoes to children in need in Armenia.

“This trip we focused our distributions on school shoes and winter boots for children at four of Armenia’s orphanages in and around Yerevan, Gavar and Vanadzor,” said Kristen Abajian. “It was really fulfilling to see the end result of our efforts. These children will now have a decent pair of shoes to wear to school. Early next year, we hope to have secured enough support to begin distributing shoes to needy children in the villages and other regions of Armenia.”

“The need for shoes for children is pretty much never ending, both because of the extreme change of seasons and the fact that these children are growing.” Said Bridget Abajian.

South Bay Chapter Founder Sofia Dilsizian commented, “The donors and supporters that met our request for funding and shoes made this effort possible and deserve a lot of thanks.”

“No one needs 1,060 pairs of shoes,” said Kristen Abajian, “but every kid needs a single pair of dependable shoes or boots. My goal is to make sure that no child goes to school without a decent pair of shoes on their feet.”

Share-a-Pair is able to purchase one quality pair of shoes for $10. Donations are welcomed in any amount. 100% of the proceeds will be spent buying new shoes. Donations of new practical shoes in all sizes are also appreciated and welcomed. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

For more information, please visit “http://www.paros-foundation.org/shareapair” or look for us and follow us on Facebook, search for “share a pair”.

Kristen and Bridget Abajian founded share-a-pair as a direct result of their experience living in Armenia and their subsequent visits seeing the difficult conditions of many of Armenia’s needy children and orphans. Sofia Dilsizian immediately joined the effort and founded the first
Share-a-Pair chapter in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Kristen, Bridget and Sofia have been friends since they were each three years old. All are currently high school seniors.

Yerevan, Armenia – The Paros Foundation, based in Berkeley, California, has launched a bold initiative called the Paros 100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity. Paros 100 for 100 will lead the implementation of 100 charitable projects in Armenia funded primarily by the Diaspora community working with local non-governmental organization (NGO) partners.

‘As the international community mobilizes to solemnly commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the staff and volunteers of The Paros Foundation, along with our NGO partners, stand ready to implement 100 projects over the next three and a half years to help strengthen the Armenian Republic and improve the lives of our brothers and sisters in Armenia.’ Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. ‘Our people annually remember what we lost, this effort aims to memorialize those losses by empowering those who live.’

The Paros 100 for 100 is focused in four broad categories:

• Development — projects providing people the opportunity to work and care for their families and to the development of civil society, transparency and a stronger democracy in Armenia.
• Education — Ensure the intellectual development of future generations with new technology assistance to students and their schools.
• Cultural — Preserve and promote Armenia’s rich heritage and culture.
• Humanitarian — Improve the lives of the elderly, children and people with disabilities.

Individuals, families, groups and organizations are invited to participate by sponsoring a project, submitting a proposal for a project, and volunteering. To facilitate the sponsorship of the Paros 100 for 100, a new section on The Paros Foundation website was launched today detailing projects that are available for sponsorship, and inviting the community and NGOs in Armenia to submit their own projects or ideas. The website address is www.paros-foundation.org/paros100. The site will be continuously updated with newly accepted and completed projects.

‘Directly supporting a project that contributes to the development of Armenia, and helps improve the lives of its citizens has never been easier. People can quickly identify a project area, obtain additional information and determine the benefits of the specific project all within a matter of a few clicks on the website. I encourage the community to visit the website frequently to view newly listed projects and progress on existing projects.’ Said Abajian. ‘All project sponsors will be invited to participate on Paros Foundation led trip to Armenia in April, 2015 to commemorate the centennial of the Armenia Genocide and to visit several of the Paros 100 for 100 projects.’

Donations to The Paros Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The Paros Foundation is a 501(c)3 Private Foundation.

To learn more about the Paros 100 for 100 please visit www.paros-foundation.org/ or contact The Paros Foundation at (310) 400-9061 US or (091) 426 120 Armenia, or via email at peter@paros-foundation.org.

During Golden Apricot International Film Festival the Armenian premiere screening of Neighbors, a documentary film made by Manana Films studio took place. 

The international premiere screening of the film took place in Istanbul International Film Festival in April.

Neighbors is a feature-length documentary tell about two villages situated on both sides of Armenian-Turkish border. The film is made with the support of Royal Norwegian Embassy and Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform.

The European premiere screening of the film will take place in Fall.

Naregatsi Art Institute, Yerevan, Armenia

Today the Paros Chamber Choir was featured at a concert organized by the Naregatsi Art Institute to commemorate the Armenian Genocide and Easter.  Paros closed the concert with five a capella songs: Tebe Poyom by D.Bortnyansky, Quando Corpus from Stabat Mater by G.Rossini, Norahrash by Komitas, Echmiadzin by K.Meykhanajyan, and Hayr Mer (The Lord’s Prayer) by Komitas.

The Paros Chamber Choir performs Non ti scordar di me with the world-renowned tenor Placido Domingo and a Grammy award winning operatic soprano from Puerto Rico Ana Maria Martinez during Domingo’s Yerevan, Armenia concert at the Karen Demirchyan Sport & Concert Complex.  Domingo invited the Choir to perform alongside him the day before when they welcomed him to the National Assembly.

On December 2, Chairman of the RA National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan received world-renowned singer Placido Domingo.

In honor of the famous tenor’s visit, before the meeting, the “Paros” chamber choir of the disabled performed songs by Komitas at the patio of the National Assembly. The Spanish tenor thanked the choir members and mentioned that he was impressed by the reception.
“This was a surprise for me,” said Mr. Domingo. Hovik Abrahamyan surprised the choir members by inviting them to take part in the tenor’s concert tomorrow, while Placido Domingo offered the choir to perform with him on stage.
After the performance, NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan and Placido Domingo held private talks.
Greeting the talented artist, Hovik Abrahamyan said the maestro’s visit is an exclusive event in Armenia’s culture. The NA Chairman mentioned that the great singer has many fans in Armenia and this is the best opportunity for them to hear high-quality classical music. Hovik Abrahamyan offered Placido Domingo to visit Armenia again and give a joint concert with his colleagues, including Charles Aznavour.
Placido Domingo expressed gratitude for the reception and mentioned that it was a great honor for him to be in a country with a centuries-old history and traditions and perform in front of an Armenian audience. He accepted the NA Chairman’s invitation to visit Armenia again and perform with Charles Aznavour with pleasure. The world-famous tenor also mentioned that he heads the “Our Europe” Association, which is involved in restoring and preserving world cultural heritage and expressed willingness to include the best historical-cultural values in the list of the association.

Source: A1plus.am

Paros Chamber Choir Awarded Gold Medal

On May 18th, the Paros Chamber Choir performed a well attended concert organized at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.  Among the capacity crowd were several representatives of the Republic of Armenia government including the Chairman of National Assembly, Minister and Vice-Minister of Culture, Vice-Minister of Labor and Social Issues and several Members of Parliament.  Prior to the concert, the Vice-Minister of Culture made a special presentation of a Gold Medal to Mr. Armen Alaverdyan, Executive Director of Unison, NGO and Director of the Paros Chamber Choir, “for great contribution in spreading choral art throughout Armenia and effective public activities.”  Alaverdyan graciously accepted this award and encouraged the Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamian to consider granting the Paros Choir with official State status. Abrahamian positively responded to this request and invited the choir to perform at the National Assembly Park a month later.  The concert and award presentation was covered by all major Armenian media.

Paros Chamber Choir and Maestro Mikaelian Perform Vivaldi’s Gloria

At three major performances around Yerevan, The Paros Chamber Choir and the Yerevan Komitas Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, both conducted by Maestro Raffi Mikaelian, impressed audiences with an inspiring performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria.

The May 18th Concert at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts was “standing room only” and the enthusiastic audience was treated to beautiful music in an incredibly beautiful gallery of world renowned glass art.  The concert was organized as part of the International Day of Museums.

On May 24th, Maestro Raffi Mikaelian impressed the audience of more than 1,200 people at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, conducting both Choir and Orchestra in this combination Gala Concert and Graduation Ceremony.  Mikaelian led the Orchestra through Beethoven’s Coriolan, then led both the Paros Choir and the Orchestra through Vivaldi’s Gloria and concluded the second part of the Concert with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.

On June 21st, the grounds of the National Assembly provided a beautiful setting for another performance by the Choir and Orchestra.  Hovik Abrahamian, Chairman of the National Assembly again thanked the Choir and upheld his pledge to grant State status to the Choir.  The Concert was well attended by both members of the Parliament, staff members and the public at large.

Ghoghanj Children’s Center Benefits from Paros Volunteers

For the last six months, the students at the Ghoghanj Children’s Center have benefited from the volunteer efforts of several volunteers that were connected with the Center through Paros Foundation efforts. During the school year, husband and wife team, Mathew and Annie Ash volunteered regularly working with the children on design, English and computer classes. In July, Corey and Stephanie Dolik and Jennifer Tosoian volunteered working with the students in theater and design class. The children truly benefited from this experience and are looking forward to return visits.

The Paros Foundation stands ready to assist other individuals who are searching for a meaning volunteer experience working with one of the six Paros supported projects in Armenia.

Ghoghanj Children’s Center Successfully Launches Computer Classes

Thanks to a generous donation by the Goshtigian Family from Los Angeles, Ghoghanj successfully launched an introductory computer class for students this spring. This inaugural class consisted of seven students ages 12 to 16, and was taught by Dn. Matthew Ash, a seminarian of the Gevorkian Seminary and former IT specialist. The students have covered topics beginning with introductory computer concepts and reached Internet communication and research tools. It is continuing with a review of online learning resources and an introduction to Microsoft Office.

“It’s amazing how much information we can find on the Internet,” said Anahid Ghalumyan (Age 15), “this is going to change the way I learn.”

Ghoghanj’s computer classes are giving students an important advantage that will increase their opportunities for success and provide them with valuable skills.

Special Note: The Ghoghanj computer class is in need of good quality new or used laptop computers. If you would like to donate one, please contact peter@paros-foundation.org.

Government of Norway Grants Support 

Thanks to the Government of Norway and Mr. Timothy Straight, the Honorary Consul of the  Royal Norwegian Consulate, projects from the Manana Youth Center and Unison NGOs have received needed funding for their implementation.

The Manana Youth Films studio received a grant to go to Turkey and film on the Turkish side of the border for its work on the “Neighbor’s” film project. The film is being produced with the support of Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform organized by Golden Apricot International Film Festival and Anadolu Kultur. The Manana Youth Center also received funding to help operate its film studio classes for students.

The Unison, NGO, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities in Armenia, won a grant to organize a regional conference on disabilities. The Conference will include partner organizations in Iran and Georgia. The Virtual Conference will take place via the internet and link the three conference locations together providing access and maximizing participation. The conference goals are to begin developing regional relationships to address, compare and contrast the situation of people with disabilities in these neighboring countries. As part of the project grant, relevant conference materials will be translated and posted to a common website accessible by all.

Manana Youth Film Crew Hits a Hurdle

In an unexpected and frustrating twist to the production of the “Neighbors” film project, the Manana Youth Film Crew was prohibited from filming in the Turkish Border area despite already having received relevant permissions from the Turkish authorities. “Neighbors” is focused on two border villages—one on the Armenian side and one on the Turkish side of the border. Filming has progressed well in the Armenian village, and the film and its premise has already won accolades. Thanks to recent funding for the film (see previous story) the four member crew departed with permissions in hand to Turkey only to arrive and be told that the permissions they were issued were not the required ones. After a couple of days of trying to obtain the final permission to film, the crew decided to return to Yerevan and return to film at a later date.

About The Paros Foundation

The Paros Foundation works with six organizations in Armenia involving the arts, children and people with disabilities. These organizations are recognized as leaders in their respective fields. Our support comes in the form of organizational operating funds, office space and operational resources and mentoring.

The mission is help these modest size projects manage their growth and attract more financial, human, and physical resources to their respective causes.
We have built a staff of travelling and in-country resources that other individuals or organizations may choose to utilize to implement their project and support their efforts to improve the quality of life and culture in Armenia.

The Foundation welcomes the involvement of our friends around the world.

Donations to The Paros Foundation, a 501(c)3 private foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.