AGBU President Sam Simonian Visits South American Armenian Communities to Strengthen Ties and Inspire New Initiatives

On November 12, 2024, the newly installed president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Sam Simonian, completed a nine-day landmark tour of key cities in South America. The tour reinforced the organization’s mission to foster cultural, educational, and social development across the AGBU global network. It was the first leg of a year-long itinerary of in-person visits with select AGBU chapters and entities worldwide.?

Visits took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Montevideo, Uruguay, and S?o Paulo, Brazil, where Simonian met with a host of local and national leaders accompanied by his delegation, which included Sylva Simonian, new AGBU Council of Trustees member Elie Akilian, AGBU Central Board member Lena Sarkissian, AGBU Strategic Advisory Council member Sevahn Simonian, and AGBU Young Professionals (YP) Manager Christina Lalama.?

Before embarking on the trip, Simonian explained: “Following the best practices of AGBU leadership, I am eager to establish in-person touchpoints with our AGBU local communities—to listen, learn, and get to know them in their environment. This will help better acquaint me with the challenges and opportunities of this region as we look ahead to the future. I also want to reassure the local leaders that AGBU’s global leadership is in their corner to help them reach their local goals and fulfill our strategic vision for the organization worldwide. This is a good time to align ourselves with the broader movements and major societal trends and reset AGBU priorities accordingly.”

Full Recap - https://agbu.org/press-release/agbu-president-sam-simonian-visits-south-american-armenian-communities-strengthen