Aurora pledges $200,000 for Beirut disaster reliefAugust 11, 2020 - 12:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Co-Founders of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Noubar Afeyan, Vartan Gregorian and Ruben Vardanyan, and the Chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee Lord Ara Darzi have announced that Aurora will donate $200.000 to support citizens of Beirut, Lebanon and will launch an online fundraising campaign for the Armenian Community of Beirut by #AraratChallenge, Aurora’s global humanitarian crowdfunding platform. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic explosion in Beirut and join the global effort to help Lebanon immediately. Just as Lebanon stood in solidarity with Armenians after the Armenian Genocide of 1915, we stand in solidarity with all the Lebanese people today. As the representatives of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, we call on all humanitarian organizations to do their utmost to support Lebanon and urge Armenians across the globe to assist all the people of Lebanon, as well as its Armenian community ,” the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Co-Founders and the Aurora Prize Selection Committee Chair stated. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative will urgently direct $100.000 for humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering from the immediate impact of the explosion through the Lebanese Red Cross and the Near East Foundation. In addition, the #AraratChallenge campaign will provide $50.000 to the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia to tend to the needs of Armenian community. Starting on August 10, 2020 and continuing for at least two months, #AraratChallenge will also help mobilize donations from the global Armenian community by leading an international fundraising campaign, with all the money received during that period to be directed to help the Armenian community in Beirut. Through this fundraising effort, an additional $50,000 is expected to be contributed to the reconstruction projects that will be selected later. Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to empower modern-day saviors to offer life and hope to those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid anywhere in the world and thus continue the cycle of giving internationally. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Armenia to participate in key EU meeting for the first time ever National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan has said that Armenia will for the first time participate in the Conference. U.S. reacts to Russia’s criticism of upcoming Armenia-EU-U.S. meeting Matthew Miller has weighed in on Russia’s criticism of an upcoming Armenia-EU-U.S. meeting. Lavrov sees ‘collapse’ of Russia’s ties with Armenia Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has underscored heightened tensions between Russia and Armenia. Russia clarifying reports on Baku’s alleged arms supply to Ukraine Russia says is carefully working to verify reports about alleged arms supplies from Azerbaijan to Ukraine |