17.04.2010

In 2009 the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute obtained newly found unique materials concerning the humanitarian activities of American Near East Relief organization.

In early September, 1915 the American Ambassador in the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau urged US State Department the formation of a committee to raise funds and provide ways and means for saving the Armenians.

Since October 1915 Armenian Relief Committee started the organization of fundraising. In November, 1915, two more committees operating in the Near East united with Armenian Relief Committee and formed the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, which later was incorporated as the Near East Relief by the Charter of the U.S. Congress, on August 6, 1919.

Founded as a temporary committee, Near East Relief became a large organization which initially was aimed at raising $100.000, but within 15 years from its formation it raised $110 million for refugees and orphans in the Near East. The much wondered humanitarian aid was contributed by American missionaries and relief workers in many locations of Caucasus, the Middle East and Balkans.

One of these rare materials obtained by AGMI in 2009 is the Proclamation of the American president Woodrow Wilson based on the resolution of the US Congress of July 10, 1916. The Congress suggested President Wilson to designate a day on which the citizens of the USA might make contributions for the aid of the stricken Syrian and Armenian peoples. According to this proclamation Saturday, October 21, and Sunday, October 22, 1916, were proclaimed as fundraising days.

Another document represents the appeal of President Wilson to the American people on October 29, 1917. The president calls upon the people of the United States to continue contributions for the aid of the suffering peoples. The appeal shows that according to the reports of the American representatives there are more than 400.000 orphans in the Near East and as the situation is distressing the need of relief is urgent again.

Other three documents are posters designed for collection of clothes and funds for humanitarian aid in the Near East.

The efforts of the Near East Relief and humanitarian aid of American government and American people saved tens of thousands of Armenians and thousands of other nationalities of the Near East from perishing.

Haykazn Mihrdat was born in 1864 in Constantinople (Ottoman Empire), social-political figure, national deputy, president of the “Aharonyan akumb” (Aharonyan club) in Peshiqtash. He was a victim of the Armenian genocide.

November 10, 2011On November 9, 2011, the granddaughter of Fridtjof Nansen Marit Greve, with the Norwegian delegation, visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex ...

November 10, 2011On November 7, 2011, Asya Darbinyan, a graduate research fellow at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, recently spent four days at the Armenian Research Center conducting research for her dissertation on Near East Relief orphanages ...

November 9, 2011On November 6, 2011, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Head of the Russian Imperial House visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, put flowers at the eternal fire and honored the memory of the innocent victims with a minute of silence ...

October 25, 2011On October 25, 2011, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John A. Heffern accompanied by his spouse Mrs. Libby Dowling Heffern, visited ...

October 13, 2011 On October 13, 2011, Secretary General of Interpol Ronald Noble visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and put flowers at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims ...

August 31, 2011 On August 30, 2011, the regular meeting of the MFA senior staff and the heads of the diplomatic missions started in the Conference Hall of the K. Demirjian Sports and Concert Complex ...

August 27, 2011 Dr. Hayk Demoyan, director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, has become a new member of the Genocide Education Project’s (GenEd) advisory board ...

July 11, 2011 Fanny Ardant, the world known French actress, who visited Yerevan in the framework of the 8th edition of “Golden Apricot” Yerevan International Film Festival, visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial ...

June 30, 2011 Director of AGMI H.Demoyan and Deputy Director of AGMI S.Manukyan had a meeting with ambassador of RA in Russia Oleg Yesayan in Moscow. During the meeting the projects and cooperation ...

June 17, 2011 Minister of French Cooperation Henri de Raincourt visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, within the framework of his official visit to Armenia on June 16-17, and put a wreath at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims ...

June 17, 2011 The delegation headed by President of Brest Regional Executive Committee in Belarus Konstantin Sumar visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex. Mr. Konstantin Sumar put a wreath at the memorial of the Armenian Genocide victims ...

June 10, 2011 Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of USA, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, put flowers at the eternal fire ...

June 09, 2011 Dr. Ara Sanjian, the Associate Professor in Armenian and Middle Eastern History from University of Michigan - Dearborn had a meeting in the Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute with the staff of AGMI ...

June 01, 2011 The deputy-director of AGMI Suren Manukyan participated on conference dedicated to 150th anniversary of Fridtjof Nansens held in a city of Kharkiv, Ukraine ...