Armenian General Benevolent Union

The Armenian General Benevolent Union ( _hy. Հայկական Բարեգործական Ընդհանուր Միութիւն), abbreviated as AGBU, established in 1906, is a non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an annual international budget of $36 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians in 35 countries. AGBU operates 18 day schools (such as the Manoogian-Demirdjian school in Canoga Park, California, the AGBU High School, Pasadena, the Manoogian School in Southfield, Michigan and the Alex Manoogian school in Montreal, Quebec) and 15 saturday schools. It awards scholarship grants and loans to over 500 students worldwide and supports the American University of Armenia and Yerevan State University. Through its extensive global network of 75 chapters, young professionals groups, centers and offices, the organization sponsors numerous worthwhile cultural and humanitarian programs, including children’s centers, soup kitchens, summer camps, athletics and scouts, internship and mentoring programs and the performing arts. It claims to be the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. [cite news
url=http://www.agbu.org/pressoffice/article.asp?ID=491
title=AGBU promotes the Armenian heritage around the world.
work=AGBU Press Office
publisher=Armenian General Benevolent Union
date=2008-03-18
accessdate=2008-08-12]

In 2006, the AGBU celebrated its centenary in its headquarters in New York City.cite web|url=http://www.agbu.org/aboutagbu/default.asp
accessdate=2008-08-12
title=About AGBU
publisher=Armenian General Benevolent Union]

The Union has funded a number of benevolent causes including supporting the Lord Byron School which was donated by the British government following the eartquake in 1988. The school has continued to twin with the Holgate School in Nottingham. The support of the Lord Byron School in Armenia and the twinning have enjoyed the AGBU's support. [ [http://www.agbu.org/pressoffice/article.asp?ID=238 Obituary for George S. Kurkjian] , 2005]

Presidents

*Boghos Nubar (1906-1928) - Founder
*Calouste Gulbenkian (1930-1932)
*Zareh Nubar (1932-1943)
*Arshag Karagheusian (1943-1953)
*Alex Manoogian (1953-1989) - Honorary Life President.
*Louise Manoogian Simone (1989-2002)
*Berge Setrakian (2002-present)

Publications

* Ararat Quarterly (1959–) A quarterly of literature, history, popular culture and the arts.

See also

*Pan-Armenian Games
*Holgate School (Hucknall)

References

External links

* [http://www.agbu.org AGBU official site]
* [http://agbublog.wordpress.com/ AGBU Blog]
* [http://www.youtube.com/agbuvideo AGBU YouTube channel]

AGBU Regional:

*Armenia
** [http://www.agbu.am/ AGBU Armenia]

*Canada
** [http://www.agbumontreal.org/ AGBU Montreal]

*Europe
* [http://www.ugab.info/ UGAB - AGBU Europe (France)]
** [http://fr.agbueurope.org/ UGAB Europe in French]
* [http://www.agbu.org.uk/ AGBU UK]

*Middle East
** [http://agbuegypt.com AGBU-Egypt Official Site]
** [http://www.agbu-lb.org/ AGBU Lebanon]

*South America
** [http://www.ugab.org.ar/ AGBU Argentina]
** [http://www.ugab.com.br/ AGBU Sao Paulo, Brazil]
** [http://www.ugab.org.uy/ AGBU Uruguay]

*USA
** [http://www.agbuchicago.org/ AGBU Chicago]
** [http://www.agbuypla.org/ AGBU YP Los Angeles]
** [http://www.agbuypnc.org/ AGBU YP North Carolina]
** [http://www.agbugennext.org/ AGBU Generation Next, Southern California]

AGBU Schools:
* [http://www.manoogian.org/ AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian School, Southfield, Michigan]
* [http://www.alexmanoogian.qc.ca/ Ecole Alex Manoogian, Montreal, Canada]
* [http://www.agbumds.org/ Manoogian-Demirdjian Scool, Canoga Park, CA]
* [http://www.agbutorontoschool.com/ AGBU Zarookian School, Scarborough, Toronto, Canada]

Others:
* [http://www.antranig.org/ AGBU Antranig Danse Ensemble]
* [http://www.usnubar.org/ US Nubar (camp)]