October 1, 2005

ARMENIA FUND USA’S FUNDRAISING PHONATHON 2005, RINGING SUCCESS FOR THE REBIRTH OF ARTSAKH

The date of Armenia Fund USA's annual fundraising Phonathon announced

NEW YORK, New York, October 1, 2005 – Armenia Fund USA, East Coast Affiliate of Hayastan Himnadram, is delighted to announce the date of its annual fundraising Phonathon 2005. On November 17-20, Armenia Fund USA will be hosting over 35 volunteers – Armenian and non-Armenian, to participate in this exciting event and assist in making the phonathon a success. Phonathon 2005 is one of many major fundraising initiatives launched by the organization and serves the purpose of raising funds for the support of Rebirth of Artsakh – a three-year, three-phase Regional Development Program aimed at providing large-scale infrastructure and economic development for Nagorno-Karabakh. The Program will entail the building of educational and healthcare institutions, housing, drinking water schemes, access roads and an agricultural initiative for three major regions in Nagorno-Karabakh starting with the Mardakert region.

The Fund will also be sponsoring various regional and special events that will give donors and other supporters an opportunity to learn more about the new focus of the organization’s mission.

Armenia Fund USA volunteers, an enthusiastic group of young people, will contact Armenia Fund USA’s donors and friends and ask for pledges and donations. They will answer their questions and spread the word about the new initiative undertaken by Armenia Fund USA. Volunteers participating in the Phonathon, especially some of whom have had experiences visiting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, are very passionate to be able to donate some of their time during those 4 days and support the Phonathon team.

All funds donated through the Phonathon this year will go directly towards the Agricultural Initiative, the economics underpinning of the Rebirth of Artsakh Regional Development Program. The Agricultural Initiative is a three-region project to develop the agricultural economy of Karabakh. Armenia Fund USA will share the agricultural component of the Regional Development Program – a strategic initiative that is expected to bring long-term sustainable development for the region. Funds raised during the Phonathon 2005 will go towards establishing Agricultural Development Associations (ADAs) throughout the Mardakert region. These ADAs will set up facilities to own, maintain and operate various types of appropriate farm equipment and provide mechanized services to farmers, to work the land at affordable rates. The ADAs will provide a technology package including access to farm equipment (tractors, harvesters, haying) along with other support elements such as fertilizer, plus training in farm management and animal husbandry. The Agricultural Initiative for the Mardakert region alone requires $2.5 million funding to serve the region’s 20,000 population.

Armenia Fund USA welcomes the opportunity the annual Telethon provides as a great way of communicating to our donors – past and present- about differences they have made as we share the success stories made possible by their generosity.

After secession from the USSR and its liberation, Nagorno-Karabakh has become an internationally unrecognized territory having no rights to official statehood. This considerably impacts the recovery efforts of an already war-torn region, as Karabakh cannot receive international aid from intergovernmental and regional organizations as the United Nations and the European Union, and receives no assistance from such specialized development programs as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Bank. Because of this, Nagorno-Karabakh has been left to fight for its survival alone in order to sustain the land that was liberated at great human cost. This is why the necessity of supporting the region has fallen on the shoulders of the newly independent Republic and the Armenian Diaspora.

The development support to Nagorno-Karabakh is critical and urgent. Thus, let us hope that such major fundraising initiatives as Phonathon 2005 will give us an opportunity to bring hope to people who await it. Pick up your phones when you hear a ring of hope for Artsakh and its people by one of our volunteers!

ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: ARMENIA FUND USA, founded in 1992, was the first of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 19 international affiliates and serves constituents in all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit, non-governmental, nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all Armenian constituents.

Armenia Fund USA is the largest contributor among the 19 international affiliates – supporting strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh, and having helped build 138 miles of roads, 100 miles of waterways, 36 schools, 3 electric transmission networks, 210 residential buildings and 15 healthcare institutions.

Armenia Fund USA’s Mission is the development of strategic socio-economic infrastructure in Armenia and Karabakh, focusing on major projects such as major highways, schools, drinking water to communities and humanitarian programs in education, training and medical facilities. The Fund has adopted a policy to go “Beyond Bricks and Mortar” to provide sustainability for projects it sponsors.

To learn more about Armenia Fund USA, please visit our website at
www.ArmeniaFundUSA.org or call us at 212-689-5307.

Armenia Fund USA
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 301
New York, NY 10038