The Armenian General Benevolent Union celebrates its centenary this week. Inas Mazhar consults with the institution's Egypt President Berdj Terzian, finding out about history, culture and lifestyle Founded on 15 April 1906, in Cairo, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) -- an international organisation headquartered in New York -- had the aim of preserving and promoting Armenian identity and heritage, by endorsing, whether morally or materially, Armenian culture and initiative. According to Berdj Terzian, AGBU Egypt president, the decisive factor was the personality of the founder, Boghos Nubar: "Boghos Nubar's father, the celebrated Nubar Pasha, served as prime minister of Egypt for three terms and for a period was also regent. He was criticised for founding the later reviled 'mixed courts', but I want to argue, on this occasion, that he had his reasons. At the time, when disputes occurred between foreigners and Egyptians, the trial took place in a foreign court -- and the Egyptian party was invariably at a disadvantage; so he thought of having a more fair system, where a representative of each country took part in issuing a verdict." Fortunately for the Armenian community, the Pasha's son was even more eloquent and charismatic, Terzian goes on; he could have followed in his father's footsteps, but he opted instead for agricultural engineering -- which he studied in France and Switzerland. Later he spent months in the company of relevant parties, notably the celebrated lawyer Salazar Adda, drafting the AGBU laws. But it wasn't until Easter of 1906 that the 10 founders met at the Boghos Nubar mansion in Cairo to bring the organisation into being. "Associated with the magic name of Boghos Nubar," Terzian explained, news of the organisation's founding was received with enthusiasm, particularly by the Mother Church and the Protestant and Catholic Armenian Churches. The positive response, and the incumbent growth of the union, amazed even Boghos Nubar himself." In its first few years the AGBU was dedicated to developing organisational and logistical machinery. Later, when grants and subsidies flooded in, they started founding schools and orphanages; various forms of aid were extended to Armenian farmers stricken with famine. The board of directors moved to Paris only in 1922, for no more reason than the fact that Boghos Nubar, now the head of the Armenian National Delegation to the Versailles Conference, was obliged to be there. Six years later Boghos Nubar was already old and ill enough to resign; immediately he was named honourary president for life. In Cairo, and the AGBU has continued uninterrupted since then, even despite Boghos Nubar's widely mourned death in 1930. Today the organisation, catering to 10,000 Armenians in Egypt, provides retired and disabled community members with a pension, cover the medical expenses of the needy -- a special medicare programme covers 50 per cent of expenses of subscribers as well -- and makes financial contributions to the Aydzeming old people's home. The organisation also has funds for education, covering the tuition of many school and university students, pensioning retired teachers and extends postgraduate support for Egyptians working on Armenian subjects. AGBU has also preserved all extant issues of the two Armenian dailies, Arev and Housaper, as well as the bi-weekly Chahakir, on microfilm; a new project, "Armenia and Armenians in the Egyptian press, 1878-1923", will bring together an enormous record of this period; the cultural fund covers the purchase of relevant books and their donation to public libraries, as well as the publication of new titles on Armenian culture and history, the production of the Cairo chapter of the AGBU's periodical Deghegadou and 90 per cent of the expenses of the monthly Arabic Arev. All of which is not to mention sports: Homenetmen Nubar club players who participate in world games receive travel expenses, so do those representing Egypt in the pan-Armenian games that takes place in Yerevan; even young scouts, so long as they are Armenian, are supported.
