Back Home

By now the internsip is over, all of the interns should be back home by now. I got home this past Saturday, and it felt like I haven't been back. I adjusted quite quickly, especially when compared with last year when I returned from interning in Armenia with the Assembly. I'll speak on behalf of all the interns in DC and say that we all had a great time, learned a lot, and will always remember the past two months. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this blog, I'm sure you did and I know that there are millions of you out there that were hooked ;). So where does this leave Levon?

Well, I'm a two time Assembly intern now, both in Armenia and DC, so I've been exposed to Armenian issues. Compared to two years ago, I know a lot more of what's going on concerning Armenia and the Diaspora. I'm very glad I embarked on these trips since I learned a lot and met a bunch of cool people, and the contacts I made with them will definitely last. I got to spend time with fellow interns from Armenia while I was on the East Coast, as well as reuniting with some good friends that I made last summer.

One night the Assembly briefed us on the internship in Armenia and had me describe my experience. Afterwards, a lot of the interns were talking about interning in Armenia. I hope they do, it will be a great experience, one that I wish I could repeat. I also would like to encourage the readers of this blog to spread the word about the Armenia Assembly of America Internships. The more young Armenians get exposed to these programs, the better off we will be in the future.

So from all the DC interns, thank you to those who made the internship program happen, we had a great time!

Embassy

I got sick last week so I couldn't post an update, so here it is. We went to the Armenian Embassy, which is coincidentally where I work. We had a briefing with the Ambassador and then took pictures, enjoy.

Keshishian Picnic

This past Sunday we went to the Farm of Harold Keshishian. I'm not too sure how many acres the farm is, but it is HUGE. It's an actual working farm, they make hay and sell it. In addition, the Keshishian family has a nice collection of horses and classic cars. We also took a wagon ride across the farm. Pictures speak louder than words, I'll do less chatting and more picture posting, enjoy!

Sarbanes

Hello to all the readers out there (I'm sure there are a lot by now since the Assembly is getting the name out... I feel so special), this will be a quick update on what's going on in DC. We spent the 4th of July at the dorms singing Michigan fight songs only to butcher them at the end by adding Michigan State chants (fyi, there is a good number of interns that are from Michigan so I'm just teasing them, you know who you are :P). I promise to give you guys a bigger one after this weekend as we head out to the Keshishian family farm/ranch which I'm sure will be fun.



Today we met with Senator Sarbanes from Maryland and took some photos. The Senator has long been an advocate on Armenian issues on the Hill, but is unfortunately set to retire after his current term ends. We asked him questions regarding the Armenian American community and the Armenian Diaspora in general, and he made an interesting point: Although the Genocide hasn't been recognized in the United States, the Armenian Americans are quite strong and have a powerful lobby. However, the Armenians in Europe should step up as Turkey's is entering the EU and put pressure on European governments to get Turkey to recognize the Genocide. Now I'm not saying that Armenians in Europe aren't pulling their weight, but the Senator's point got me thinking on how we take for granted the amount of lobbying power we have here in the United States. It can always be better, but for all the obstacles that are thrown at us we still strive and make an impact in Washington DC, and we deserve at least a pat on the back for it.

Nagorno Karabakh

So this week the Foreign Minister of Nagorno Karabakh came along with the Speaker of Parliament. A variety of events were lined up, so I'll give a quick run through:


First off there was a conference at the U.S. Institute of Peace where the delegation spoke. A lot of Azeris were present during this and did not hesitate to get up and voice their concerns. Unfortunately, they didn't ask too many questions and merely spread their propaganda, resulting in a less productive event. The delegation should have pushed their agenda more, which included: 1. Stressing the legitimacy of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh in accordance with international law. 2. Advocating parity in military aid. 3. Continual economic assistance from theUnited States.


















Next up was the reception of the NK delegation at the Capitol. Speakers included Congressmen Schiff, Pallone, Knollenberg, and Sherman, and of course the Speaker and Minister.


There was also a reception at the Embassy, so I'm sure the delegation from Karabakh enjoyed their week in the United States. What's more, their arrival educated us about the ongoing conflict and sparked numerous discussions among us back at the dorms. Their presence brought Armenians together regardless of politics or national origin in order to discuss an issue that is pertinent not only to all Armenians, but to the international community.

Intro

Hello to all the readers out there, my name is Levon and I will be blogging as an intern in the Armenian Assembly Summer Internship Program in Washington DC. I wouldn't want to waste a blog, so I'll give you a quick run down of my bio then post some pics:

Name:Levon Keushkerian
Origin: Los Angeles
School: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona)


We had our fisrt day trip to this barbecue festival yesterday, and on the way we took some group shots of us in front of the White House, I'm the guy wearing the extremely bright green T-shirt:

We're about 21 interns strong this summer at the Georgetown University dorms, which we have converted into our little community for these two months. There are students from west coast, east coast, and the midwest; ranging from first generation, third generation, and some newcomers from Armenia, so we have quite a wide scope of Armenians here. We are already learning a lot from each other and having fun in the nation's capital. Updates should come a couple of times a week, so be sure to read up on what's going on in DC along with the interns in Yerevan this summer.