“We are shaped by our ancestors even if we don’t realize it”, Varoujan Avedikian

Varoujan Avedikian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about his understanding of leadership and the role that leaders should take during times of challenges and change. Born in Yerevan, and having lived in Lebanon during the civil war, in Cyprus, and later in the US, Varoujan speaks about the role that his forefathers and their stories from Artsakh, Armenia and the Diaspora have played in his professional journey, and his motivation to live a life with purpose.

About Varoujan Avedikian

Varoujan Avedikian is Director, Managing Partner and Attorney-at-Law at TK & Partners in Armenia, with experience in banking, capital markets, insurance law, financial regulation, and public policy. Prior to this, he served as General Counsel at Armenia’s Central Bank for over 12 years. He developed and led the Insurance Foundation for Servicemen in Armenia (1000plus). He has authored and co-authored numerous laws to help increase the quality of financial regulation and private transactions in Armenia. Mr. Avedikian holds degrees from Harvard Kennedy School (MPA), Boston University (LL.M.), University of Leicester (LL.M.) and the University of Nicosia (BA).

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

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“A nation’s culture is vital for its existence, and we must do everything to develop it”, Simon Abkarian

Simon Abkarian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about the latest project he has undertaken with Serge Avédikian and several artists to share and exchange knowledge with local artists in Armenia. He reveals his concerns and the challenges that Armenia’s art sector is facing.

Abkarian alsoreflects on the impact that his memories of the Armenian Genocide stories have had on him - from Musa Dagh, Cesaria, and Erzurum – and explains how the those memories have helped him develop as an actor, director and writer. Finally, he shares his hope and vision for a more collective nation whereby Armenia and the Diaspora collaborate and work efficiently together.

About Simon Abkarian

Simon Abkarian is an actor, director and writer. He was born in France, grew up in Lebanon, then later settled in France again. Simon has gained international success as an actor in both theatre and feature films. He rose to fame by joining Ariane Mnouchkine’s Théatre du Soleil. In 2001, he starred in Kalinoski’s Beast on the Moon which won him his first Molière. He has been featured in more than 60 international films, including Sally Potter’s Yes , and the James Bond film, Casino Royale. He also appeared in Atom Egoyan’s Ararat as Arshile Gorky, in Robert Guediguian’s The Army of Crime as Missak Manouchian, and Robert Kechichian’s Aram, as Aram, to name a few. In 2020, Abkarian was awarded with 3 Molière awards for his play “Electre des bas-fonds”.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

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#armenia #mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish

‘The people of Artsakh embody will and determination’, Gérard Guerguerian

Gérard Guergerian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about his career journey as a psychologist, political scientist and as an international lawyer. He shares some of his inherited traits and values that have helped him in the realization of his professional successes. He explains the relevance of having a clear vision, objective and strategy in any project or institutional achievement in order to ensure strategic and long-term success. Guergerian gives the example of how the Centre de Francophonie in Stepanakert was conceived, developed and opened even after the 44-day Artsakh War. Finally, he discusses his personal visions for the people of Artsakh and the components required to ensure that Artsakh remains vibrant in spite of its current challenges.

About Gérard Guerguerian

Gérard Guerguerian is an international corporate lawyer, author, and Advisor to the Artsakh Ombudsman. For numerous years, he worked as Executive Director and Executive Senior Vice President of major multinational European and US-based corporations. Born in Beirut, he has been living in France since 1970. Guergerian holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Paris, International Law degree from the University of Panthéon Assas in Paris, and a Political Science degree from the Institute of Political Sciences of Paris. He is the author of 3 novels: Le Nagorny Karabakh - entre sécession et autodétermination; Les différends arméno-turcs ou La quête de justice au regard des principes du droit international (VIE POLITIQUE) ; Artsakh, le Haut-Karabakh - au service de la paix et de la sécurité régionale.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

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#mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish #andreflectonthelessonslearntfrominheritedcollectivetraumaandintrospectiveleadership #armenianleadersshareinheritedculturalandhistoricalnarratives #authenticandmindfulconversationspreservethestoriesandlegaciesoffamilies #lifelearningsandexperiencesdowntoearth #memories

“The consequences of the genocide have shaped the decisions I have made in life”, Vahe Keushguerian

Vahe Keushguerian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about the qualities and importance of good leadership, the various factors that shape us as individuals, and the consequences of historical traumas. He shares the story of his ancestors (from the region of Kilis and Sasun) who survived the Armenian Genocide, and reflects on the ways in which his inherited history may have impacted his drive, courage, perseverance, and agility. He explains how adversities and traumas can be overcome by identifying important meanings in life and by contributing to humanity in a productive and meaningful way.

About Vahe Keushguerian

Vahe Keushguerian is Advisor to the President of Artsakh for Development Programs. He is Founder and CEO of WineWorks, a winery incubator that offers winemaking and viticulture services, as well as strategic winery and marketing management support. Vahe permanently moved to Armenia in 2009 after which he founded Impact Hub, Co-Founded the EVN Wine Academy, and became a board member of EVN Report Magazine. He has over 30 years of experience in wine production and wine business brokering in the US, Italy (Tuscany and Puglia), and Armenia.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post “The consequences of the genocide have shaped the decisions I have made in life”, Vahe Keushguerian appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish #2020artsakhwar #ancestraltrauma #armeniangenocide #azaz #collectivememory #courage #familyhistory #familystories #historicalimprint #homs #humanity #italy #kilis #laratcholakian #leadership #lebanon #resilience #sasun #strength #syria #transgenerationaltransmissionofcollectivetrauma #vahekeushguerian

“We need collective healing to address our generational traumas”, Dr. Mariam Manoukian

Mariam Manoukian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about her family history and the adversities her ancestors faced during and after the Armenian Genocide. She reflects on the ways in which her inherited history may have impacted her sense of positivity, energy, drive and courage. She shares her thoughts on the need for collective healing to resolve the mental and physical health impacts that generational traumas have had, and continue to have, on Armenians today. Finally, Mariam discusses how her and her family’s focus on education has strengthened her commitment to develop educational programs for Armenian children through her own eActs foundation.

About Mariam Manoukian

Dr. Mariam Manoukian is board certified in Internal Medicine with a special interest in Endocrinology. She earned her medical degree from Yerevan State Medical Institute, and then completed a residency and fellowship in endocrinology at All Union Institute of Endocrinology in Moscow, Russia from 1983-1988. She defended her PhD thesis in 1988 in neuroendocrinology, and has authored several books including Alpha Plan: Healthy Eating in College and Beyond , Metabolic Syndrome Survival Guide , The Second Life , and On the Other Side of Mt Ararat. Dr. Manoukian currently serves as the Vice President of the Armenian Health Care Association of the Bay Area (AHABA), is a board member of the Armenian Medical International Committee (AMIC), and is the founder of eActs, through which she develops educational programs for Armenian children.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post “We need collective healing to address our generational traumas”, Dr. Mariam Manoukian appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish

“Stories of the Armenian genocide continue to have a lasting imprint in my life”, Yervant Chekijian

Yervant Chekijian, in a conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about his journey as a senior executive and his successes in the hotel industry subsequent to his move to the US from Jerusalem at the age of 16. He reflects upon his leader values of perserverance, determination and drive in connection with his memories of his family history and narratives as survivors of the Armenian genocide. He shares his vision to help advance education through Armenian studies to globally promote the knowledge and preservation of Armenian culture, history, identity, and to connect scholars of Armenian studies worldwide.

About Yervant Chekijian

Yervant Chekijian is Chairman of the Board of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) in Belmont, MA. Born in Jerusalem to genocide survivors (Mary and Youhanna Chekijian), he moved to the US with his family at the age of 16. After his degree from Boston University, he served in the US Army for two years as lieutenant, followed by his international business management studies at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix Arizona. His career was launched in the hotel industry where he held senior executive positions, including General Manager of the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, General Manager of the Parker House in Boston, MA, and President of Omni International Hotels.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post “Stories of the Armenian genocide continue to have a lasting imprint in my life”, Yervant Chekijian appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish #aintab #aleppo #armeniangenocide #armenianidentity #collectivememory #collectivetrauma #education #familyhistory #familynarratives #israel #jerusalem #laratcholakian #leadervalues #leadership #lebanon #marash #palestine #transgenerationaltransmissionofcollectivetrauma #yervantchekijian #zeytun

“We have to do everything to ensure that the new generation succeeds”, Marie Lou Papazian

Marie Lou Papazian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about her source of energy and optimism, as well as her sense of perseverance and grit. She touches upon the memories of her family history and family narratives, and how her grandparents helped shape her successful journey. She reflects on the perspectives required for a viable Armenia and Artsakh, and shares her vision for a hopeful future for Armenia’s children.

About Marie Lou Papazian

Marie Lou Papazian is TUMO’s founding CEO. As an engineer and education specialist, she has led the Education for Development Foundation linking Armenian students to their global peers through online educational activities. Previously, she was lead construction manager on prominent high-rise buildings in New York City. Marie Lou holds a Master’s Degree in Computing in Education from the Teachers College at Columbia University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s General Management Program. In 2019, she received the Ordre des Palmes académiques — a national order bestowed by the French Republic on distinguished academics and figures in the world of culture and education.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post “We have to do everything to ensure that the new generation succeeds”, Marie Lou Papazian appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #education #mindfulleaders #newsfeed #reportsinenglish

“We can foster a successful future by building a technological nation”, – Davit Baghdasaryan

Davit Baghdasaryan, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, reflects on the importance of leading a meaningful life in Armenia. He shares the role that his family has had in influencing his decisions, values and purpose in life. He explains how his historical narratives have positively influenced and inspired him to make conscious decisions to repatriate back to Armenia with his family, and to actively contribute to society by investing in science, technology and education. He provides insights on the factors that help him lead a meaningful life, professionally and personally.

About Davit Baghdasaryan

Davit Baghdasaryan is co-founder and CEO of Krisp, an AI-powered app that removes background noise and echo from meetings in real-time, leaving only the clean human voice. Krisp has been named one of the 20 rising stars as part of Forbes’ Cloud 100 list. It now has more than 1200 corporate clients, and the recent value of its investment round has recently more than 18 million USD. Prior to Krisp, Davit was the head of product security at Twilio in San Francisco and has been a tech expert and engineer with experiences in Silicon Valley and Yerevan.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post “We can foster a successful future by building a technological nation”, - Davit Baghdasaryan appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish

Genocide narratives greatly impacted our subconscious and shaped our identity. A conversation with Varuzhan Mouradian

Varuzhan Mouradian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, speaks about his memories of Armenian Genocide stories, his historical legacies from Van, Tigranakert and Kharpert, and the ways in which his identity has been shaped by his family history. He shares how Van, his family’s ancestral homeland, was an ancient capital of Armenia with a rich winemaking history. He reflects on why he repatriated back to Armenia to establish the Van Ardi Wine Estate, and the way he shares his passion and connection with the homeland.

About Varuzhan Mouradian

Varuzhan Mouradian is founder, director and winemaker for Van Ardi Winery. Born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia, Varuzhan moved to California with his wife Anahit in the 90s. In 2008, he decided to leave behind his accounting career and return back to Armenia with his family to follow his passion for wine. Van Ardi has grown to be a premiere award-winning winery in Armenia.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post Genocide narratives greatly impacted our subconscious and shaped our identity. A conversation with Varuzhan Mouradian appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #diaspora #mindfulleaders #reportsinenglish

“To make a new life, you must hope for the future and remember what has been”, Carol Edgarian

Carol Edgarian, in conversation with Lara Tcholakian, reflects on how the stories and the ‘shadows’ of the Armenian Genocide moved through her during her childhood, and the role that her family, culture, church and community have had in her life. She elaborates on some of the themes that emerge through her work, such as displacement (and sense of the ‘odar’), societal shifts, family dynamics, legacy and the perspective of the feminine. She shares insights on the meaning and importance of determination, generosity, and authenticity, all of which have guided her in her novels and publications, in her role as a wife and mother to three daughters, and in the foundation of Narrative.

About Carol Edgarian

Carol Edgarian is an award-winning novelist, essayist, teacher and editor. Her novels include Rise the Euphrates (an international bestseller and winner of the AMC Freedom Prize), Three Stages of Amazement (the New York Times bestseller), and the newly released Vera. Her articles and essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal , NPR and W. In 2003, together with her husband Tom Jenks, she co-founded the non-profit Narrative , an online literary magazine that publishes poetry, fiction, essays and art. Narrative publishes hundreds of authors and gives free access to a digital library that includes thousands of works of literature. She also co-founded Narrative in the Schools, which supports teachers and students from underserved communities around the world with free video tutorials, lesson plans and many other resources.

Program overview

Armenian leaders share inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life learnings and experiences. Down-to-earth, authentic and mindful conversations preserve the stories and legacies of families, and reflect on the lessons learnt from inherited collective trauma and introspective leadership.

#MindfulLeaders

#InheritedLegacies

The post “To make a new life, you must hope for the future and remember what has been”, Carol Edgarian appeared first on CIVILNET.

#armenia #diaspora #mindfulleaders #newsfeed #reportsinenglish