THRIVE is an AIWA-SF April project dedicated to highlighting Armenians who are doing amazing things in their personal and professional lives to better themselves and those around them. Today on April 24, we honor our rich heritage. There are approximately 11 million Armenians worldwide. The culture, history and essence of Armenian’s is not only to survive but THRIVE. The past few weeks have been particularly significant for Armenia as the country came together in peaceful demonstration, which showed what is possible when people are united and peaceful. Armenians came together to in peaceful protest against former prime minister, Serge Sargsyan who ultimately resigned on April 23. This is a stark contrast to April 24, a day when Armenians worldwide pay homage to their heritage and honor the Armenian Genocide, a painful reminder that over 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. It is an emotional time as we reflect, honor and pay homage to our painful history while celebrating the future.
Armenians have always been a strong people who stick together, this is why in William Saroyan’s famous words, are timeless ” For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
We are still here
We are a global community
We are strong
We survive and WE THRIVE
As we honor our past and celebrate our future, here are 10 of our favorite facts and about Armenia & Armenians:
1) A small country but a big nation, Armenia is an ancient nation with about 11 million Armenians worldwide. Upholding the culture, language and traditions of Armenians worldwide is sentiment all Armenians embrace.
2) Community is of critical importance for Armenians. Every year, Armenians come together on April 24, a day where the global community remembers the harsh realties of its history. Yesterday, April 23 marks another day of historic importance, when again the global Armenian community, carried out a velvet revolution resulting in the resignation of prime minister Serge Sargsyan, which turned into country-wide celebration. This 2 week movement, showed the world what can be done when you stand together!
3) Armenia’s are among the earliest Christian civilization and the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in the early 4th century. The Bible references Armenia, “…and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:4
4) The World’s oldest wine was discovered in Armenia in 2011, found in the village of Areni, Armenia.
5) History of Yerevan, Armenia’s capital city, dates back to the 8th century B.C with the founding of Erebuni in 782 B.C.
6) The tiny country of Armenia (29,743 share kilometers or 11,483 square miles) has seven (7) protected UNESCO sites:
- Inscribed on World Heritage List:
- Tentative UNESCO List:
7) Venice, Italy has about 20 million tourists that visit yearly. The next time you visit Venice make sure to go to San Lazzaro deli Armenia, an amazing island about 1.2 miles away from Venice proper.
8) Armenia’s love chess! Since 2011, chess has been a mandatory part of the curriculum in every public school in Armenia. Armenian’s have enjoyed many international chess championships. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) ranks statistics for Armenian chess players who compete globally.
9) Armenian is a unique language. Take a look at many language trees and you likely won’t find Armenian. If you do, it’s likely a stand alone language off the Indo-european languages in general.
10) Armenia was the hub of tech innovation under the Soviet Union. Today, Armenia is home to a thriving tech industry, growing at an annual rate of 20% (much higher than the country’s annual 2% economic growth). Armenia’s high-tech industry is no doubt driving wealth for the developing economy.
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About AIWA-SF:
The Armenian International Women’s Association is a dynamic global 501(c)3 dedicated to empowerment, education and enrichment. Through many projects and initiatives, AIWA is dedicated to inspiring, empowering and connecting Armenian women worldwide.
AIWA-SF is an affiliate chapter of the Armenian International Women’s Association, the EIN #: 04-3113182. Donations marked for AIWA-SF are routed to the affiliate chapter.
To get involved with the AIWA-SF affiliate, please visit http://www.aiwasanfrancisco.com or send an email to aiwasanfrancisco@gmail.com. We are grateful for all donations. To help us promote progress, contributions can be mailed to: AIWA-SF 15559 Union Ave #227 Los Gatos CA 95032
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