Los Angeles, CA — The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) has launched a project to bring prominent political, academic, and other civic leaders from across the United States face-to-face with the Armenian-American community.

Steven J. Dadaian, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ANCA-WR, on March 5, 2002 announced the creation of the ANC-WR Leadership Institute, which will host a distinguished lecture series for invited guests starting this month. The gatherings will be limited in size, with invitations being sent to community leaders, rising young Armenians, and others with a track record of civic and community involvement, in order to give the participants maximum exposure to the invited speakers.

“For years there has been a strong demand to bring America’s foremost leaders, from all walks of life, in touch with our community,” commented Dadaian. “The ANC Leadership Institute will bring Members of Congress, prominent intellectuals, and other outstanding personalities to our offices and put them in touch with leaders in our community. In this way, we can begin a productive dialogue that benefits both the speakers we bring to the Institute and the Armenian-Americans who are invited to attend,” added the ANCA-WR Chairman.

The first speaker at the ANC Leadership Institute will be Richard Giragosian, who will address issues facing the current 107th Session of the U.S. Congress regarding the three states of the TransCaucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. His remarks will be delivered on Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 8 p.m. in the Map Room at the ANCA-WR headquarters at 104 North Belmont Street in Glendale.

Richard Giragosian writes extensively on economic and political developments in the former Soviet Union and the Caucasus, including publications of Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute of the Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the Soros Foundation’s Eurasia Insight, and the Harvard International Review. He has also contributed chapters to three books dealing with the Caucasus.

Currently, Giragosian is the author of the monthly publication, “TransCaucasus: A Chronology,” published by the national headquarters of the ANCA based in Washington, DC. Giragosian served for eight years as a Professional Staff Member of a committee of the U.S. Senate and is one of the accredited representatives of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) at the United Nations.

Giragosian has also written and lectured on developments in international affairs and has participated in select research and consulting projects for the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, NATO, the CIA and the DIA, the U.S. Army War College, the OSCE and for the foreign ministries of France, Greece, Russia and Cyprus. He is a member of the Academy of Political Science, the Society for the Study of Caucasia, the Armenian-American Democratic Leadership Council, and has also served as a member of the National Steering Committee of the Gore 2000Presidential Campaign Committee, and the National Steering Committee of the Clinton-Gore Reelection Campaign (1996). In 2001, Giragosian was appointed as a State Commissioner on the Gubernatorial Armenian Advisory Commission formed by Virginia Governor James Gilmore.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.