The ANCA Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship program, now in its 25th year, provides student leaders and activists an opportunity to participate in an eight week intensive program designed to give them the tools necessary to effectively advance issues of concern to the Armenian American community on the federal, state and local level. This program requires a separate application process. Contact your ANCA regional office for more information or download an application at www.anca.org
Western USA ph. 818-500-1918 email: ancawr@anca.org
Eastern USA ph. 917-428-1918 email: ancaer@anca.org
From the category archives:
Leo Sarkisian Internship
By Nareg Aghjayan
California State University of Northridge, Class of 2011
Leo Sarkisian Interns at work in the Conference Room
Let me start off my piece with a disclaimer. I’ve heard for years that “grassroots makes the difference” – seen ANCA videos making the point, heard speeches on the topic – perhaps to the point of cliché. And, for the record, when I get that ANCA email that includes a link to an action alert urging us to contact our Representative in support of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, or self-determination for Karabagh, or aid to Armenia – I click it and send it. It only takes a minute.
But honestly, there is always that little question in the back of my mind. “Did my phone call REALLY make a difference? Does that ANCA WebFax I sent to Congress ACTUALLY get to my Congressman or Senator? And, frankly, do they pay attention?” [click to continue…]
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By Tamar Thomassian
UC Berkeley, Class of 2011
They say that time flies especially when you’re keeping busy. Never the same project – always a new challenge. And it’s just one thing – its fifty things.
Leo Sarkisian Interns at the Bethesda Chevron Station Protesting
Take for example last Friday. Our program coordinator Garo Manjikian had organized a trip to one of the most beautiful and historic buildings Washington DC has to offer, the Library of Congress. There, we met with Dr. Levon Avdoyan who is the Armenian and Georgian Area Specialist. Dr Avdoyan took us through the Library showing us a series of Armenian collections that the Library has collected over the years. There are over 26,000 items in the Armenian collection, which is housed in the Near East section of the African and Middle Eastern division. Dr. Avdoyan was kind to share a series of items from the collection. Ancient manuscripts, books written in Armeno-Turkish — a series of books written in Armenian lettering but Turkish text. Letters that were dated during the Armenian Genocide, including one sent by Talat Pasha to the American Ambassador Henry Morgenthau – thanking him for a lovely dinner together held on April 24th, 1915. We saw the first printed bible – the “Oskan” bible, Geographical maps during Wilsonian Armenia, important cartographic, visual, and legal materials many unpublished and some that have not, as yet, been studied. The Armenian collection in the Library of Congress is entering into the modern era of technology; many documents have been digitized and published on the website of the Library of Congress. [click to continue…]
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By Tatev Oganyan
University of California, Los Angeles Class of 2011
With the fourth week of our internship program coming to a close, we have grown accustomed to DC’s fast pace lifestyle, a city filled with thousands of interns and the inevitable possibilities of running into Members of Congress and government officials anywhere in the city.
Last week, for example, as we were headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the foreign aid bill, we ran into former Secretary of State and leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell. In true Washington DC fashion, we introduced ourselves as ANCA interns and chatted briefly. That encounter was captured on film by a photographer for Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, and promptly posted online (with appropriate ANCA caption). All in a day’s work.
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By Taleen Mekhjavakian
University of Central Florida, Class of 2010
Not all ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship work is done in Washington, DC. The summer offers the opportunity to spread the Hai Tahd message across the U.S.
Leo Sarkisian Interns at the Homenetment Olympics
Take, for example, our trip to Providence and Boston this past weekend. The intern team attended the Homenetmen Eastern Region Olympics — supporting the athletes and the organization and having a good time with the friends. But, our main purpose was to spread the word about our latest effort to battle Armenian Genocide denial.
As most people already know, the Associated Press recently reported that five major energy and defense contractors are currently lobbying against Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.252) – complicit in Turkey’s international campaign of genocide denial. We decided to focus on one of those companies – Chevron. Chevron CEO Dave O’Reilly brags about running his corporation “the Chevron Way: responsibly, ethically, and with respect for human rights”. How can a company have respect for human rights and yet lobby against Genocide Recognition. With this campaign we hope to bring awareness to the public on what Chevron and the other corporations – Goodrich, United Technologies, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman — are doing through a nationwide protest on July 22nd, 2009.
We knew that a group of seven interns in DC did not have the manpower alone to take on a corporation like Chevron. When hearing about Chevron’s lobbying, the Armenian Youth Federation was ready to take a joint leadership role. Our first step was to reach out to the Armenian American Community to educate them on the issue and activate them to make a difference. [click to continue…]
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Sosse Beugekian
Suffolk University, Class of 2012
Leo Sarkisian Interns with Amb. Yovanovitch following her Library of Congress presentation
United States Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch has been touring Armenian American communities throughout the U.S. – providing the State Department view on U.S.-Armenia relations, the situation in the Caucasus, and reasons for the Obama Administration’s NON-affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
Her Washington, DC stop took place at the Library of Congress on June 30th. And, like every other “town hall” she hosted – her remarks and responses were genial yet disappointing and frustrating. [click to continue…]
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