AGBU Celebrates 120 Years of Legacy and Unity at 94th General Assembly in Montréal

Continuing a longstanding General Assembly tradition, AGBU recognized individuals and groups for their exceptional service to the organization and the Armenian people. The highest honor in this regard is the Boghos Nubar Award. This year’s recipient was announced and introduced by Central Board member and Co-President of AGBU France Nadia Gortzounian and bestowed by President Sam Simonian to Minister Mélanie Joly. In her remarks, Minister Joly recalled her October 2023 visit to Armenia as Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the wake of the forced displacement of as many as 120,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. “There’s nothing like going to meet people affected by crises, affected by war,” she reflected. “It was important for me to visit the southern borders of Armenia, to sit down with strong Armenian women refugees and hear their stories.” Minister Joly was joined by Annie Koutrakis, Member of Parliament for Vimy and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families, who delivered a congratulatory message from the Right Honorable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada.

Central Board Secretary Ani Manoukian announced and introduced the remaining awardees, first reflecting on how the Montréal community exemplifies what AGBU offers at every stage of life. She recalled her own connections to the city across generations, from childhood visits to family and friends at the AGBU school to AGBU FOCUS in Montréal in 2003. “You see different touchpoints of our lives, different generations,” she said. “It is a beautiful community.” The AGBU Alex Manoogian Award for Leadership was presented to Aram Yacoubian, benefactor, former Chair of the AGBU Montreal Chapter and former Vice Chair of the AGBU Alex Manoogian School Board. The AGBU President’s Award for Outstanding Service was given to Hagop Arslanian, Secretary of AGBU Montreal; Boris Adjemian, Director of the AGBU Nubar Library in Paris; Takouhi Lepedjian, Coordinator of the AGBU District Committee of Lebanon; and Maroush Yeramian Nahhas, Archivist of the AGBU District Committee of Egypt, whose award was accepted on her behalf by District Chair, Dr. Kevork Erzingatzian. The AGBU Outstanding Service Award was presented jointly to the AGBU District Committee of Egypt and the AGBU Cairo Chapter, as well as to AGBU YP Nice.

Guided by Its North Star

In his address, President Sam Simonian reflected on his first two years as AGBU’s eighth president, and on his duty to ensure that the founding principles that made AGBU the world’s largest Armenian nonprofit organization remain its North Star. “That North Star is the theme of our GA weekend,” he said. “It’s called Legacy.” He also spoke about his Touchpoints Tour, which since 2024 has taken him to AGBU communities around the world, giving him a firsthand understanding of each community. “There are more miles to go,” he added, “but I have already gained a greater appreciation for the essential value that our local communities bring to the Armenian Experience.” He reaffirmed the founders’ commitment to non-partisanship and political neutrality and supporting all Armenian national institutions.

Looking ahead, Simonian shared his vision for two educational initiatives for the younger generation: bringing AI education to Armenian schools, with an emphasis on critical thinking and academic independence, and offering young people in Armenia online extracurricular education in financial literacy. He promised to report on their progress at the next General Assembly in 2028.

Ara Balikian, Chair of the Committee of Resolutions, then presented the Assembly’s resolution, through which the General Assembly reaffirmed AGBU’s commitment to the Armenian Church, the Armenian State and the Diaspora. To close the proceedings, AGBU youth joined President Simonian, Ambassador Harutyunyan, Honorary President Setrakian and members of the Central Board and Council of Trustees to cut a 120th anniversary cake, before leading the room in a rousing rendition of the AGBU anthem. Delegates and guests then gathered for lunch at the adjacent AGBU Alex Manoogian School.

LEGACY: Celebrating the Power of Global Unity

That evening, the weekend reached its inspirational peak at Montréal’s landmark Théâtre Outremont with the world premiere of LEGACY: Celebrating the Power of Global Unity–a spectacular multimedia event, organized by AGBU Arts in collaboration with People of Ar Productions and generously sponsored by longtime AGBU Montréal benefactor Ani Yacoubian.

AGBU Montréal Chapter Chair Chahé Tanachian welcomed the audience, noting that through the darkest chapters of Armenian history and its brightest achievements, AGBU has remained “a source of hope, opportunity, and resilience.” “As we celebrate 120 years of legacy, let us remember that a legacy is not only what we inherit,” he remarked. “It is what we choose to build and what we leave for those who follow.”

Featuring acclaimed Armenian musicians, fan-favorite vocalists, accomplished dance troupes and artistic producers, the collaborative all-encompassing concert and dazzling motion graphic artistry paid tribute to the Armenian Experience through time, intertwined with the telling of AGBU’s 120-year history in an overture, five acts and coda: Shelter, Memory, Opportunity, Community and Continuity.

Headliner Sebu Simonian, one-half of the Grammy-nominated duo Capital Cities, performed works by Komitas alongside his hit Safe and Sound. He was joined by Emmanuel Hovhannisyan, first duduk player of the Armenian State Orchestra of National Instruments; pop singer and Eurovision alumna Inga Arshakyan; soprano Armine Vardanyan; oboist Hayk Hekekyan; the Serouj Kradjian Band; the Quatuor Rhapsodie String Quartet; and the Navasard Folk Project. Throughout the night, New York–based painter and video artist Kevork Mourad brought the music to life with live animated visuals.

The program moved from the haunting melodies of Komitas and Barsegh Kanachyan to the works of Arno Babajanian, Georges Garvarentz and Astor Piazzolla, with playful moments such as Kradjian’s Vivaldi Eats Ghapama. AGBU Montréal’s Garni Dance Ensemble performed Uzun Dara and Qochari and the AGBU Stars Children’s Choir singing Bari Aragil. In the closing coda, The Next 120, the full company united for Garvarentz and Aznavour’s Pour toi Arménie, a fitting finale to an evening built around a message: what survives is what we pass on.

Pre-Assembly Events 

Leading up to the official GA meeting, four substantive events were organized by AGBU Global in conjunction with the AGBU Montréal community, each appealing to different interests of attendees.

YP Global Executive Meeting and YP Welcome Night: The weekend opened on Thursday, October 15, at the Montréal Marriott Château Champlain with the AGBU Young Professionals (YP) Global Executive Meeting, which convened 28 YP leaders from 11 countries, representing a network that now counts 50 groups worldwide. The program included a dance workshop led by Loussiné Khachadourian, chair of AGBU London; a presentation by Central Board member and President of AGBU Europe Camilio Azzouz on new professional development initiatives for the YP Network; and a content creation workshop led by Rouben Koulaksezian, author and founder of Little Armenias.

A highlight of the meeting was a fireside chat on community leadership with Central Board Secretary Ani Manoukian, moderated by Natasha Nouri, Vice Chair of AGBU YP Greater New York. Drawing on more than two decades in the YP Network, Manoukian offered practical advice on balancing a demanding career with volunteer life and on keeping teams motivated and spoke to the value of gatherings like this one. “There’s nothing that can replicate the energy when you’re sitting together with people who are like-minded and want to make a difference,” she said.

She closed by asking the room to remember what first drew them to AGBU. “You signed up for this because something in you wants to give more,” she said. “Reconnect with what that something is.”

That evening, more than 200 young professionals kicked off the weekend in festive style at the YP Welcome Night hosted at Auberge Saint-Gabriel in Old Montréal.

Delegates Workshop: On Friday, October 16, more than 150 delegates from AGBU districts, chapters, and YP groups took part in the Delegates Workshop at the Marriott, led by Ani Manoukian and Camilio Azzouz. The day opened with a look back at 120 years of service guided by a simple principle: where there was need, AGBU responded. Presenters noted that AGBU’s support for Armenia has remained unconditional and non-partisan for more than a century. Through its Artsakh Heritage Grants, AGBU continues to ensure that Artsakh is not forgotten. Delegates then turned to the organization’s priorities in Armenia from 2026 onward: adult education and job training, youth engagement, a scalable curriculum and digital literacy for public schools, and programs that keep the Diaspora connected to the homeland. In breakout sessions, delegates discussed how their communities engage with Armenia today and how to grow their own, from scaling successful programs to reaching new generations.

APRI Montréal Meeting: Immediately following the Delegates workshop, the APRI Armenia Montreal Meeting themed Armenia at the Crossroads: Geopolitics, Connectivity, and the Tech Frontier, offered an insightful discussion among international experts in related disciplines. APRI Armenia President Lara Setrakian opened with an overview of the think tank’s mission and impact, followed by remarks from Board Chair Dr. Yervant Zorian and Board Member Arda Haratunian and an interview with former Canadian Ambassador to Armenia Andrew Turner.

Moderated by Setrakian, three panels examined The Economic and Strategic Acceleration of a High-Tech Armenia, US Policy in the South Caucasus and the Implementation of TRIPP, and US-Iran Tensions and the Future of the South Caucasus. Speakers included Raffi Krikorian, Chief Technology Officer of Mozilla; Garo Paylan, Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Dr. Hriar Cabayan, Visiting Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, among other leading experts.

120th Anniversary Cocktail Dînatoire:  On Friday evening, 420 guests filled Crew Collective, the grand former banking hall of the Royal Bank of Canada’s historic headquarters in Old Montréal, for a 120th Anniversary Cocktail Dînatoire. Beneath soaring vaulted ceilings, members of the AGBU community celebrated 120 years of impact, connection and community. The evening was generously sponsored by longtime AGBU benefactors Aram and Bellinda Yacoubian. Event chair Bellinda Yacoubian welcomed guests with remarks, after which the program featured duduk player Emmanuel Hovhannisyan, DJ Crowna and visual artist Kevork Mourad.

Divine Liturgy

On Sunday, October 18, the Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral, celebrated by Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanyan, was attended by past and present members of the AGBU Central Board and dozens of delegates from abroad. Before the sermon, Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan warmly welcomed his fellow Primate from Egypt who offered words of praise in recognition of AGBU’s 120 years of legacy. A reception followed in the Diocese’s reception hall.

Over four days in Montréal, AGBU members honored 120 years of service and looked ahead to the next, in the same spirit of unity that has put AGBU in the forefront of Armenian life since 1906.

Relive the 94th General Assembly weekend through photos, videos and highlights at General Assembly Gallery 2026 | AGBU