On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, its co-founder, philanthropist and humanitarian Ruben Vardanyan — who is currently being held illegally in Azerbaijani capital city of Baku — has shared a message with the Leadership and Friends of Aurora through his wife, Veronika Zonabend.
His message is presented below.
“Dear friends, supporters, and colleagues,
First and foremost — thank you. Your faith, generosity and trust have made possible what once seemed impossible.
On the eve of Aurora’s 10th anniversary, I would like to express my personal gratitude to all the friends and benefactors who believed in the vision — born in Armenia — of creating a global humanitarian initiative and who during all that period supported it through their generosity. It was their dedication that ignited the spark that grew into the Aurora movement.
When our family first envisioned the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity in 2014, we saw it as an eight-year journey — until 2023 — with the hope that Aurora would become an international movement with the mission of gratitude in action and would be carried forward by others. Due to the pandemic, this phase was extended through 2024, culminating in the unveiling of the Memorial to Aurora Mardiganian and the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan — as a symbol of gratitude and hope, and a milestone marking the completion of my active participation in Aurora.
