The Armenian Assembly’s May 22, 1999 Regional Leadership Conference held at the 
Park Ridge at Valley Forge, was well attended by members and nonmembers, both young 
and old.


Van Krikorian, Chairman of the Armenian Assembly Board of Directors, kicked off the 
proceedings by telling the attendees that the conference was experimental and its main 
purpose was to emphasize the importance of individually letting your state and federal 
representatives know where you stand on current U.S. policies regarding Armenia.  And 
more important, we should suggest what the Assembly might be doing to be even more 
effective in the future.


Ross Vartian, Armenian Assembly’s Executive Director of Government Affairs, took 
over where Van Krikorian left off and went on to describe what the Armenian Assembly 
was all about.  He told us that if our Regional Leadership Conference was successful, 
there would be similar follow up conferences held throughout the country.  And in this 
regard, he went on to say that the ideas that come out of these conferences could very 
well determine how the Armenian Assembly would proceed in the future.   Mr. Vartian 
went on to explain that U.S. financial support to Armenia is now reaching the one 
billion-dollar mark and how strong grassroots support from the diaspora at large is needed 
to keep this support going.  He also explained how strongly the Armenian Assembly has 
been addressing the genocide issue and how effective the Assembly was in getting 
economic support from our U.S. government for Karabagh.


After Mr. Vartian finished his presentation, we were broken up into four brainstorming 
groups followed by two general reviews of the ideas expressed by these four groups.  In 
general, our Assembly hosts felt that it was a very successful conference but before 
formulating a general consensus, they would wait until future conferences were held.   
And in that regard, we were also assured that all findings would be made public. 


In its twenty-seven-year history, the Armenian Assembly of America has led the way in 
defining the most effective way of bringing the plight of our people to the attention of the 
world at large.  And since September 21, 1991, with the Republic of Armenia being the 
first to declare their independence from the USSR, the Armenian Assembly of America 
has successfully lent the full strength of its entire organization toward making Armenia’s 
rebirth a permanent reality.


I am certain that more details regarding the Armenian Assembly’s historic Regional 
Leadership Conference will be forthcoming.  And I would urge the public at large to join, 
if not the organization itself, then by all means, the grassroots voice of our entire diaspora 
at large.


Former President Bush once said that if everyone took the time to light one candle, we 
could light up the world.  Similarly speaking, if the Armenian Assembly’s initiative is 
followed and all Diaspora Armenians raise their voices toward enlightening our world of 
our Armenian past and for the continued support by our U.S. Government for our newest 
Republic of Armenia and Karabagh, we could also help light up our Armenian world.


Joseph Vosbikian