Ruben Hakhverdyan Evokes Nostalgia for Homeland at LA Performance

LOS ANGELES—Legendary poet, Ruben Hakhverdyan, returned to Los Angeles after seven years on Sunday to perform in one of the oldest theaters in Downtown for an audience of nearly 2,000.

The United State’s largest Armenian community crowded into the Orpheum Theatre’s majestic halls on Valentine’s Eve to pay homage to the bard of Armenia’s Independence movement, whose passionate prose inspired a generation to question injustice and demand freedom. The event was organized by the Armenian Youth Federation, which rallied its resources to help make the one-time performance a truly unforgettable one.

“The AYF is very honored to have presented the music of our beloved troubadour, Ruben Hakhverdyan, and his wonderful band to our community in Southern California,” said David Arakelyan, a member of the AYF’s Central Executive body. “Armenian-Americans of all generations admire Ruben Hakhverdyan’s talent and have been looking forward to this event for a very long time.”

In addition to being a performer, Ruben Hakhverdyan is a storyteller, making him all the more unique. On Sunday, he captivated his audience not only with his beautiful music but also with the memories and stories that lie beneath his lyrics.

Performing both old and new songs, Hakhverdyan’s verses dealt with everything from fatherhood to societal ills, all the while awakening a yearning for Armenia for all those in attendance.

Just as he explained to his fans when he began his show with “This is Yerevan,” Hakhverdyan described any place inhabited by Armenians as Yerevan, giving the feel that one could walk out of the Orpheum theatre onto the streets of Armenia at any second. “I have given concerts for Czech, Serbian, and French audiences, and those performances are not very different from one another. The reception everywhere has been very warm,” Hakhverdyan said after the concert.

Given his much anticipated return to Los Angeles, the diverse audience that filled the nearly sold out theatre was composed of both old fans and new fans of Hakhverdyan, eager to experience his timeless music first-hand.

Accompanied by his four-member band, the performance took the crowd through an emotional musical journey that reverberated in the hearts and minds of everyone who packed the halls. On the heels of his 60th birthday, Hakhverdyan’s concert was not only a celebration of his contributions to Armenian music, but of the modern day Armenian experience itself.

“Promoting Armenian culture within the Diaspora is a responsibility of the Armenian Youth Federation and we hope that we were able to achieve that through this concert,” remarked AYF Central Executive member Caspar Jivalagian. “Ruben is a truly amazing artist as evidenced by his exquisite performance on Sunday and we hope to keep working with him to organize future events.”

The legendary singer, composer, and poet promised another concert to his fans in September of this year, which will feature his repertoire of new songs.

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GLENDALE, CA—Members of the Armenian Youth Federation on Saturday packaged thousands of pounds of clothing, bedding and household supplies into more than 100 boxes to be shipped to villages throughout Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk.

The items were collected over a two-month period last year, from 9 drop-off locations throughout California, and in Las Vegas. The boxes, each weighing 50 pounds, were transported Saturday to the Long-Beach warehouse of the Paros Lighthouse Armenian Charitable Foundation. Paros will then send the boxes to warehouses in Armenia, where they will be sorted and distributed based on individual family needs, village by village.

“Here in the United States, we often take many of our daily comforts and luxuries for granted, including the abundance of clothing,” said Patil Aslanian, a member of the AYF’s Central Executive. “We want to thank the community for the overwhelming support given to this project and, particularly, the Paros Foundation for shipping and distributing the clothes to villages in Armenia, Javakhk, and Karabakh,”

The Paros Lighthouse Charitable Foundation, established by Zuhrab and Seta Ghazarian in 2000, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that gives donors and sponsors in the US and around the world an opportunity and vehicle to assist in the support of the needy and fallen families in Armenia.

The foundation also maintains a school in the Bdghounk village of Armavir province, sponsors surgeries for underprivileged children throughout Armenia, collects and distributes food products to poor villages, and helps families in need furnish their homes. For more information on its activities and public service initiatives visit,http://www.parosfoundation.org/

The Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the United States, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

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Hundreds march in honor of murdered 20 year-old Zaruhi Petrosyan

HOLLYWOOD, CA—Over two hundred men and women gathered in Little Armenia on Sunday, January 30, 2010, for a march to end violence against women, organized by the United Human Rights Council of the Armenian Youth Federation.

Activists marched in memory of Zaruhi Petrosyan, a twenty year old mother who was brutally murdered by her husband and mother-in-law in October and to demand the just prosecution of all responsible parties.

The march took place despite incessant morning rain, just hours before a solidarity protest was scheduled to take place in front of the Armenian Prosecutor-General’s office in Yerevan. Angered Armenians in the Diaspora and within Armenia demand that the government pass comprehensive domestic violence legislation and work to prevent and punish familial violence.

“Unfortunately it took this terrible incident to truly wake us up and acknowledge the magnitude effects of domestic violence on our people,” stated UHRC Chairperson Sanan Shirinian. “While the death of Zaruhi Petrosyan is a great tragedy, we must see her life and her suffering as a desperate call to bring about change within our social structures, change within our mindsets and change within Armenia’s legal system.”

Narine Jallatyan, a representative of the UHRC, spoke about the lessons Armenians can learn from women’s movements throughout history. She stressed that any problems plaguing Armenia are also problems of the Diaspora. Jallatyan urged the communities to take action to address domestic violence in the homeland and locally as well.

Representing the Armenian Relief Society – Western Region, Nyree Derderian highlighted the importance of empowering women. She commended the AYF for their efforts in bringing attention to one of the most critical social issues facing Armenian women. Linda Qassabian of the YWCA of Glendale spoke about her emotional experiences counseling victims of domestic violence for the past 3 years. She stated that she continues to be saddened by the number of Armenian women that enter the shelter.

During the march, activists paused to read aloud testimonials from victims of domestic violence in Armenia. These emotionally charged stories conveyed the message that the violent behavior against women can no longer be overlooked and no longer tolerated.

“Many refuse to confront the issue because they don’t want to break up the strong family unit,” explained UHRC member Nora Kayserian. “What they fail to realize, however, is the psychological consequences that violence causes in families. When violence becomes part of the daily lives of families, children begin to view it as normal behavior. Growing up in such a hostile environment is likely to cause a child to resort to violent behavior during their adult years, thus resulting in a cycle of violence.”

“This is a small step that we have made together to ensure justice for one innocent victim, Zaruhi, who will remain in our hearts. This is also a small step to raise awareness and bring change in our communities here and in our homeland,” said marcher Gev Iskajyan.

The United Human Rights Council (UHRC) is a committee of the Armenian Youth Federation. By means of action on a grassroots level, the UHRC works toward exposing and correcting human rights violations of governments worldwide, and aims to foster dialogue and collaboration between peoples who share this common vision.

Visit: www.UnitedHumanRights.org, Follow: Facebook.com/unitedhumanrights, Twitter.com/uhrc

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