Cyprus Alumni opt for drastic action

 The Alumni meeting in Nicosia on Saturday afternoon seems to have gone well, though within a heated and sometimes tense atmosphere, focusing on two issues: report of the three that visited New York and next plan of action, with a protest to take place on or about March 15, when the AGBU Central Board should announce its “future direction” for the Melkonian.

After a long presentation by Bedros Kalaydjian (MP), Hratch Manoogian (Melkonian Commercial Centre) and Dr. Akabi Ekmekjian (historian, former MEI Principal) it was made clear that the trip to the Big Apple was futile, as the whole show was run by Louise Simone and all other board members cowered in front of her.

Most of the discussion between the three and the ten AGBU officials was directed by Berge Setrakian, while some other board members also spoke and Benon Sevan defended the Melkonian struggle.
Carol Aslanian acted as secretary and took the minutes, hence was too busy to speak or express an opinion during the meeting, even though she is in fact the 'educationalist' on the board.

“They have taken their decision and it is clear they will close the boarding section,” Kalaydjian told almost a  hundred Melkoniantsis and friends. “They want to keep one of the two buildings as a day school, to which we said it is not sustainable with 60 children (48 present day Armenian Cypriots and a dozen others).”

“They also talked of transforming it into a research centre, a Camp Nubar-type retreat near the sea, or even starting a school in Armenia offering a three-month intensive course for overseas Armenians. Louise Simone is utterly convinced on these.”

“We told them to give us another chance, but some board member over the intercom [eds. Probably Michael Ansour] said ‘we’ve given you too many chances since 1975’ without elaborating or explaining. We said this was the first we ever heard of being ‘given chances’ and that if there was a problem why wasn’t this made clear years ago.”
“As if they were negative about the survival of the Melkonian,” Mrs Ekmekjian said, as she explained fervently how she argued in favour of an Armenian-oriented secondary education. “We were the only ones who were sensitised at the meeting.”

Hratch Manoogian said that the reigning force during the whole meeting was Louise Simone, as he argued the fallout effect this would have on the AGBU membership.

“What was sent officially from here was believed fully by the Central Board,” added Manoogian, who asked how the  AGBU’s centenary would be celebrated two years from now when its most important school was being shut down.
 

The three then came under criticism from many present for not arguing enough in favour of the Melkonian and not being able to respond to such statements as Louise Simone’s “The Armenians of Cyprus don’t send their children either” or that “there is a waiting list at Manoogian-Demirjian in Los Angeles” or that “1600 students are well accommodated in the school in Aleppo.”
At that point, one of those present, himself hailing from Syria, said that the argument about Syria was a total lie. “We know that AGBU has abandoned us in Syria, who are they kidding? Even the Syrian government knows it.”

The meeting decided to proceed with legal action, to which Alumni President Shavasb Bohdjalian said that two firms in Nicosia were investigating all the prospects. A suggestion was also made to embark on a media blitz, after the President explained that the AGBU’s local rep had made statements in advertorials that the boarding section would be shut down, the school would be closed and Cypriot students and others accommodated elsewhere.
“The AGBU Central Board has wasted about CYP 5000 (USD 12000) in advertisements and PR costs, which could have been allocated to give education to one more child from Bulgaria. But boosting their image seems to be more important than providing education to an Armenian child”

Finally, the meeting approved a decision whereby a protest would be held on or around the 15^th of May, somewhere in Nicosia or even in front of the House of Parliament, depending on the announcement from the Central Board of New York, based on the timing in the statement made by AGBU rep Gordon Anderson in the paid advertorial. However, Manoogian argued that the protest should not be aimed at the AGBU, whereby many present raised their voice that the whole demonstration should ONLY be aimed at the AGBU and its Central Board. At this rate, the next paid advertorial in the local press is expected to be the “interview” with Carol Aslanian.
 

Members will be notified at “short notice” on the next plan of action in order to spring a surprise on the AGBU rep and his associates in Cyprus.