Toronto, Canada – For the fifth year in a row, the Levon Perouz Babayan Foundation continues to make a significant contribution in support of the Zoryan Institute. Over the course of the five years, the Babayan Foundation has provided over $40,000 to assist Zoryan in fulfilling its mission, with an emphasis on its innovative Genocide and Human Rights University Program.
Mr. Haig Selian, the President of the Babayan Foundation, said, “The Zoryan Institute goes beyond meeting our basic criteria of being a non-political Armenian cultural and educational organization in Ontario. The fundamental nature of their work, dealing with our modern history, especially the Genocide, its impact on our identity, and our experience in the Diaspora, are all conducted at the highest academic level. We see that they engage world-renowned scholars, specialized in their respective fields, to conduct their University Program. We are very happy to see a program such as this bring a unique perspective to the teaching of modern Armenian history to senior and talented students from around the world. This is what propels our board to support to continue its mission. In short, there is not another organization like it.”
The Levon Perouz Babayan Foundation was established in Toronto by Mrs. Perouz Babayan, in 1971. The Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support to Armenian religious, language, cultural and charitable organizations within the Province of Ontario.
Levon Babayan was born in Bursa, Turkey and arrived in Canada in the mid-1890s. He established himself in the rug business in Toronto and married Perouz Benlian, who came to Canada from England. She was born in Kayseri, Turkey. The business was very successful and the Babayan name was held in great esteem in Canadian high society, which was remarkable at a time when immigrants were not readily embraced by the establishment.
The Babayans could be described as the patriarch and matriarch of the early Armenian community in Toronto. They were always helpful towards those less fortunate than themselves by providing employment in their business. When the Genocide took place, they were instrumental in arranging the passage and admission into Canada of some 120 Armenian orphans, the Georgetown Boys, who were so named after the location of the orphanage in Ontario. Mr. Babayan kept close touch with the orphans and visited their foster homes periodically to make sure that the youngsters were well cared for. Mrs. Babayan was active in organizing, with the help of the Canadian Red Cross, fund raising in the streets of downtown Toronto to aid Armenian refugees in the various camps in Egypt, Greece, and other countries in the Middle East.
The Babayans prospered over the years and when Mrs. Babayan passed on in 1975, she bequeathed substantial assets to the Foundation. The Foundation is administered by a Board of Trustees: Haig Selian, Ani Eudemishlian, Gregory Kasparian, Mgrditch Meras, and Ara Selyan.
The Foundation began supporting Zoryan with general operating funds in 2000. However, in 2002, an additional sum was added specifically for the Genocide and Human Rights University Program, totaling to date $42,000.
Gregory Kasparian, Trustee, whose father was also associated with the Georgetown Boys, explained the motivation of the Trustees to begin their support of Zoryan. “We were regularly witnessing cases of denial of the Armenian Genocide and saw the need for an organization that could inform the public about what happened during the Genocide and why it happened. We saw in Zoryan an organization that is dedicated, scholarly, well researched, dispassionate, and sound, which gave it the expertise and credibility to confront denial.”
Mr. Barry Papazian, Legal Advisor to the Zoryan Institute, expressed his deep gratitude to the Trustees of the Babayan Foundation. “Apart from the financial boost, it gives tremendous encouragement and motivation to the directors, scholars, volunteers, and staff at Zoryan when a venerable organization like the Babayan Foundation provides such staunch support.”
The Zoryan Institute is the first diasporan center devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues related to the history, politics, society, and culture of Armenia, the Diaspora and the Armenian Genocide, with offices in Cambridge, MA and Toronto, Canada.
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