ANCA Western Region Allocates $25,000 from the Proceeds of the 2023 Annual Gala to Support University Students and Freelance Journalists from Artsakh

(Los Angeles, California) – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
(ANCA WR) allocates $20,000 to the Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) to distribute
university scholarships to forcibly displaced students from Artsakh who found refuge in Armenia
following Azerbaijan’s illegal military assault on September 19, 2023, and an additional $5,000 to
provide rental and utility subsidies to freelance journalists who documented the resilience and
suffering of Artsakh Armenians during Azerbaijan’s 280-plus day long genocidal blockade, and who
continue to shed light on the plight of Artsakh refugees in Armenia.

The funds allocated by ANCA Western Region were raised thanks to the generous contributions of
ANCA WR supporters during the 2023 Annual Awards Gala which was held in Los Angeles on
November 12, 2023.

“In the lead up to our annual awards banquet in November 2023, ANCA WR’s board unanimously
decided to allocate a portion of its Gala proceeds to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide in
Artsakh,” said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “After a careful review of the needs of
displaced Artsakh Armenians, we decided to direct a portion of the funds to the Armenian
Educational Foundation to ensure the education of Artsakh’s new generation, and another portion to
the ReArmenia online campaign launched by Scout Tufankjian and Simon Maghakyan in support of
the heroic journalists who continue to report about the suffering of Armenians during and after
Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade.”

Since its establishment in 1950, the Armenian Educational Foundation has been instrumental in
fostering educational development in the diaspora and the homeland. With over 73 years of service,
AEF has consistently provided financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions and students
of Armenian descent. Since 2000, AEF has disbursed $5 million to renovate over 200 schools in the
villages of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk, and $3 million in scholarships, including $1 million in
full tuition scholarships to 1,000 students in Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk during the 2021
academic year. Their programs also include advancing IT education through Armath Labs,
supporting schools in the diaspora, and supporting Artsakh war veterans with scholarships, laptops,
and other essential educational resources.

In the coming months, with ANCA Western Region’s $20,000 contribution, AEF will increase the
number of scholarships for Artsakh students from 105, which was the number of scholarships
awarded to Artsakh students since September 19 of 2023, to 138.

“We, at the Armenian Educational Foundation, believe that the best way to help Armenia is through
education. We are glad and thankful to see that the ANCA WR shares our vision and are joining us in
this mission. Thanks to their generous donation we will be able to give the gift of education to 33
displaced students from Artsakh,” said AEF President Serop Beylerian.

The initiative to “Support Displaced Artsakh Freelance Journalists,” spearheaded by Scout
Tufankjian and Simon Maghakyan, addresses the urgent needs of freelance journalists who have been
uprooted from their homes. This campaign does not only aim to provide them with financial
assistance, but it sustains the voice of Artsakh Armenians through the articles and investigative
research work of freelance journalists, enabling them to continue their vital work under challenging
circumstances. The journalists’ reporting plays an essential role in bringing to light the experiences
and stories of the over 100,000 Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh, ensuring that their voices
are heard and their experiences are not forgotten in the larger global discourse.

“The journalists of Artsakh were our eyes and our ears throughout the illegal Azerbaijani blockade,
working tirelessly to provide a window through which the world could see the strength, resilience,
humor, love, and humanity of the Artsakhtsi people. They did this while suffering from the effects of
the blockade—filing stories while queuing for bread and water, charging camera batteries with scraps
of electricity, conducting interviews while trying to make sure that their children in their lives could
still laugh and play. And finally, horrifyingly, reporting on the One Day War, the Fuel Depot
Explosion, and then their own forced exile,” said Scout Tufankjian, renowned documentary
photographer and co-creator of the online fundraising campaign.

“These are hard-working professionals, but they have lost everything. We owe these journalists so much and we (and Artsakh) will continue to need their work in the future. I am so grateful that while the world may have turned its eyes to other stories, the ANCA-WR has not turned away and has stepped in to help support them in their time of great need. Thank you for supporting these amazing men and women.”
The “Support Displaced Artsakh Freelance Journalists” fundraiser is organized by U.S.-based writer
and researcher Simon Maghakyan, best known for his pioneering investigative exposé of
Azerbaijan’s covert erasure of Armenian heritage, and U.S.-based photographer Scout Tufankjian,
best known for her photographs of Barack Obama, the Armenian Diaspora, and Artsakh. 100% of the
donations to the campaign will go directly to displaced freelance journalists from Artsakh
(reArmenia doesn’t charge processing fees for fundraisers).

This online fundraising campaign has a target amount of $23,822. As of today, the organizers have been able to raise $11,801.78 (49% of the target amount). With ANCA Western Region’s $5,000 contribution, the organizers will reach 71% of their target amount with the online campaign active for another 37 Days. Anyone interested in contributing to the online fundraiser can do so at the following ReArmenia campaign page.

“I am grateful to ANCA-WR for the generous contribution in support of displaced freelance Artsakh
journalists. We have all read the work of these journalists, seen their photographs, and heard their
voices during the 2023 siege, the invasion, and the exodus in every major media outlet. But now, the
people who became the global voice for Artsakh are unhoused. Being a freelance journalist is a
tremendous sacrifice, one that refugees cannot sustainably afford in expensive Yerevan,” said writer
and researcher Simon Maghakyan. “It is, therefore, encouraging that one of the largest Diaspora
organizations is supporting displaced freelance Artsakh journalists so that they can continue their
work. Helping displaced refugee journalists with housing expenses is not only a humanitarian act: it’s
an investment in ensuring that the plight of Artsakh has credible spokespersons. I hope that
community members and other organizations will be inspired by ANCA-WR’s generous contribution
and likewise participate in this fundraising effort.”

About ANCA Western Region

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential
Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in
coordination with a network of of ices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United
States and af iliated organizations around the country, ANCA WR advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

About Armenian Educational Foundation

The Armenian Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1950. Their goal is
to provide financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions and support students of
Armenian descent. Currently, AEF is of ering over 1500 scholarships in Armenia and the Diaspora.
Moreover, they have successfully renovated more than 200 village schools in Armenia, contributing
to the improvement of educational infrastructure. Their programs also encompass various initiatives
catering to Diaspora students.

About Simon Maghakyan’s & Scout Tufankjian’s Campaign

Following Azerbaijan’s Sep. 2023 ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), many freelance
journalists became homeless refugees in Armenia. This fundraiser will help ease their hardships and
continue their freelance work.