Parev,
If you thought this year was unpredictable, get ready for 2017!
We’re going to face new threats, and, very likely, new opportunities as well.
And we’ll surely need your financial support to be able protect our Armenian homeland and promote our proud heritage.
Giving online just takes a moment, but the pride you’ll feel will last the season and all through the coming year. (Plus donating over the internet helps the environment and saves us paperwork).
It’s easy for me to ask because I know you care.
It’s who we are. It’s what we do. We’re Armenians! We are givers.
From the times of our grandparents all the way back to the earliest days of our nation, Armenians have had big hearts, sharp minds and generous spirits.
We are known worldwide for caring for one another, and for our our commitment to our ancient homeland. In the words of scripture, we truly are “Our brother’s keeper.”
Always proud of our past, but focused today on making smart investments in our future.
That’s our story. Our living Armenian legacy. Every generation serving and sacrificing for the next. Honoring our past by fighting for what’s next.
From Avarayr to Artsakh, we’ve fiercely defended our faith and freedom.
Today Armenia and Artsakh are at risk. Under blockade and under attack.
Courageous young Armenians stand guard today on the frontiers of Armenian freedom.
Here in America we are not called on to make these such sacrifices. Our battles are fought in the political arena. We do not risk life or limb, but the stakes in Washington are high and our political enemies as relentless as they are powerful. As a “Second Army” of the Armenian nation, we have a solemn obligation to serve as our homeland’s first line of Diasporan defense.
The reasons are clear. Aliyev and Erdogan want to finish the work of 1915. They boast of crushing Armenia , starting with Artsakh. That’s because they know that destroying Artsakh would be the beginning of the end for our people. It’s no exaggeration. Just look at the map (below) that they’ve started using on Turkish and Azerbaijani TV.
Here in DC, we’re all that stands in their way. We have no choice but to be strong. To fight. To win.
This hotly contested election and the divisions in the American electorate underscore the value of every vote, placing a premium on well-organized, highly motivated groups like ours. You leverage this asset when you invest in the ANCA.
That’s why I’m turning to you to include the ANCA on your online Christmas list.
Your year-end financial support will help us fight back. A gift of $15, $35, $75, $100, $250 or more will go directly to providing a 360 degree defense of our homeland, our rights, and our interests:
— Strengthening Armenia as a secure, prosperous, democratic homeland, through, among other initiatives, new U.S. education partnerships, the elimination of double taxation, and direct Los Angeles to Yerevan flights;
— Defending Artsakh’s right to security and self-determination, challenging Baku’s aggression, investigating Azerbaijani war crimes, and strengthening the 1994 ceasefire, including through the deployment of gunfire locator systems;
— Securing a just international resolution of the Armenian Genocide, and, more broadly, facilitating a fundamental review of U.S.-Turkey ties that assesses an array of concerns, including the risk of continuing to position nuclear weapons at Incirlik air base.
— With Syria at a turning point, pressing the new Administration to protect Armenians, our fellow Christian brothers and sisters, and other at-risk Middle East ethnic and religious minorities;
— Supporting Armenia as a safe haven for Syrian Armenians through increased U.S. and interventional transition assistance for those seeking to mark Armenia their home;
— Securing continued Congressional Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations for Nagorno Karabakh, including for HALO Trust’s de-mining and the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center .
— Educating U.S. policymakers and the American public about the increasingly the aggressive and increasingly anti-American dictatorships in Ankara and Baku;
These are among today’s most pressing battles. They’re fought in the halls of Congress. At the White House and State Department. In the media.
We have plenty of courage and a great team, but need more financial resources. Your gift before our December 31st deadline will help us understand how much funding we will have to implement our aggressive 2017 agenda with the new Trump White House and the two Republican houses of Congress.
This is a pivotal moment. Big shifts here in DC give us a chance to break Turkey and Azerbaijan’s corrupt grip on U.S. policymakers.
Others might turn away from this fight but that’s not our way.
Leaving our battles for tomorrow will only add to the burden carried by future generations. I’m reminded of the words of American patriot Thomas Paine, who wrote in 1776: “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” Paine was right then and his message remains true today.
Whether you support the educational efforts of the ANCA Endowment Fund (tax-deductible) or the political advocacy work of the ANCA (not tax-deductible), you’ll be proud of the difference you’re making for our community and cause.
We don’t need to match all that Ankara and Baku spend, but we do rely upon your end-of-year gift.
And we can’t afford to wait. With a new Administration ready to take office, Ankara and Baku are already hard at work, planning their anti-Armenian attacks for the new year. The sooner you send your contribution, the quicker we can leverage your Christmas donation.
I want to close by sharing – from my heart – how very blessed we are to count you as friends, and how very empowered we are by your generous financial support for our community and our cause.
With warmest Christmas greetings, from our family to yours.
Sirov / Sincerely,
Aram S. Hamparian
Executive Director
PS – Please support the ANCA by making a secure online donation, and always feel free to share your ideas on our social media channels or by writing to ideas@anca.org.