The Armenian Assembly of America
In the early 70's, Armenian-Americans decided to create an organization, headquartered in our nation's capital, to represent and promote Armenian interests. With Armenian-American community members across the country, they launched the Armenian Assembly in 1972. Ultimately, the coalition did not hold, but in its place was born a non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues.
The Assembly would go on to launch a broad array of programs and initiatives and firmly establish itself as an Armenian voice within U.S. public policy circles. It would pioneer initiatives to commemorate and reaffirm the Armenian Genocide. And as early as 1977, the Assembly would introduce a summer intern program in Washington, DC that, some 32 years later, could claim more than 900 graduates.
Beginning in 1988 and thereafter, the Assembly addressed the unprecedented challenges of Armenia’s earthquake, Nagorno Karabakh’s struggle for self-determination and Armenia’s independence movement.
Reaching out in Washington to the Administration, Congress, the national media and think tanks, the Assembly sought appreciation of and support for Armenia's plight. With Administration support, Congress mandated first-ever earthquake relief funding to then Soviet Armenia. Annual U.S. assistance became the norm, the next ten years totaling more than $1.4 billion. The Assembly was also instrumental in encouraging our friends in Congress to form a Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. It would become one of the largest caucuses, working side-by-side with the Assembly in supporting Armenian-American interests. To further our organization's objectives in Armenia, to better promote the evolving U.S./Armenia relationship, and to encourage other Armenian and non-Armenian organizations to follow, the Assembly opened the first permanent Western office in Yerevan in 1988.
Advocacy for Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia led to executive actions and congressional legislation that unequivocally supported Nagorno Karabakh's right to self-determination and Armenia's statehood. Simultaneous efforts with Congress to confront Azerbaijan's and Turkey's blockades resulted in landmark legislation that remain the law of the land - Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act.
During this same period, the Assembly promoted U.S. delegations to Armenia and Karabakh, and supported return visits by senior Armenian officials. To further advance Armenia's and Nagorno Karabakh’s representation in the United States, the Assembly was honored to serve as the host for Armenia's first, temporary embassy in our suite of Washington offices - and the organization is equally honored today to be the standing host of Nagorno Karabakh's representatives to North America.
The Armenia Tree Project (ATP) was established in 1993 to assist the Armenian people in using trees to advance their social, economic and environmental recovery. Some 300,000 plantings later, ATP's vision continues to bloom throughout Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Efforts also continued unabated to secure universal reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide, enhanced significantly in 1997 with the launch of the Assembly's Armenian National Institute (ANI). ANI is at the forefront of efforts to affirm the Armenian Genocide, responding to denial and advance knowledge and understanding of the Genocide and its consequences.
To begin the current century with a commitment to the past unprecedented in the Diaspora, benefactors made possible in the year 2000 the acquisition of a marquee historic property two blocks from the White House for the future site of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial.
Completing three decades of non-partisan service, the Assembly family of organizations remains in the forefront of strengthening the U.S./Armenia and U.S./Karabakh relationships.
