BURBANK—Green Armenia kicked off its activities with a very successful wine-and-cheese event at Shoghart Gallery on Friday, July 27. Proceeds will go towards supporting the efforts of our compatriots hard at work bringing attention to environmental problems that affect Armenians’ daily lives and supporting projects that promote wise stewardship and sustainable use of the country’s natural resources.
Some 200 people crowded the artistic space in Burbank to learn about ecological conditions in the homeland. With various speakers, one having just recently returned from the Republic of Armenia, participants were able to get a sense of the extent to which the landscape and people’s livelihood is threatened by the mining industry. Rob Davidian’s ten minute video was presented as a brief, yet comprehensive overview of the issues faced by the Armenian nation when it comes to extractive industries and the consequences of their activity.
Angineh Shahnazarian, one of the evening’s organizers observed, “Turnout was well above what we anticipated, a clear indication that this is an area of Armenian life that has received far less attention than it should.”
Guests signed in as they entered and will receive notifications of future events and opportunities to support those on the field who are working to prevent illegal and destructive practices. If interested, www.greenarmenia.net and the group’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/GreenArmenia) are sources of information, and a way to contact the organizers.
Participants complimented the presentation and called it informative. Over $3,500 was raised through everyone’s generosity.
Special thanks were given to Shoghart Gallery, which donated a significant portion of the proceeds from that night’s sales to Green Armenia. In addition, in kind contributions were received from Remedy Liquor, Hermineh’s Catering, Itsmyseat.com, Zankou Chicken, Mathew Karanian, Abril Bookstore, Anoush Restaurant, and L&L Hawaiian BBQ Restaurant.
Green Armenia will be organizing a walkathon next, scheduled for September 22, to raise awareness and funds for environmental activities. The organization will be releasing more details over the next few weeks via the media and their Facebook page.
Green Armenia is committed to raising awareness for environmental issues related to the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh. Green Armenia is part of the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA), which is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. AESA was established in 1983 and is based in Glendale with chapters in other major cities. AESA is a non-partisan and non-sectarian philanthropic organization focused primarily on addressing professional, technical, and scientific issues.
I always believe, that “green” will bring wealth and health, for Armenia!!