Armenian Assembly of America

The Armenian Assembly of America is a nonpartisan Armenian-American advocacy and public education organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices in Glendale, California, and Yerevan, Armenia. It describes its work as combining research, education, and advocacy to strengthen relations between the United States and Armenia, support Armenia’s democratic development and economic prosperity, and promote broad recognition of the Armenian genocide. The organization is one of the principal Armenian-American policy groups operating in Washington and has worked with members of Congress, executive-branch officials, civil-society organizations, educators, and diaspora institutions. The Assembly emerged in Washington during the early 1970s as an alternative to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-aligned Armenian National Committee of America, which had been the dominant Armenian-American advocacy organization in the United States. Its early supporters were associated with the Armenian General Benevolent Union and other Armenian-American institutions outside the ARF political structure. From the beginning, the Assembly emphasized a national, nonpartisan approach to Armenian issues and sought to build relationships across the U.S. political system rather than operate as a party organization. A central part of its work has been legislative advocacy. The Assembly helped encourage congressional support for Armenian-related assistance and contributed to the development of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. Following the 1988 Armenian earthquake, it advocated for U.S. relief assistance to Soviet Armenia, helping secure congressional action that established unprecedented American earthquake-relief funding. During the early years of Armenia’s independence, the organization supported continuing U.S. assistance, democratic institution-building, and economic development. In 1992, it advocated for Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricted most direct U.S. government assistance to Azerbaijan until specified conditions concerning Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh were met. The organization’s programs have also extended beyond Washington lobbying. In 1977, it established the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program, giving participants practical exposure to federal policymaking. In 1993, it created the Armenia Tree Project, an environmental and economic development initiative intended to help communities in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh use tree planting to support ecological recovery and local livelihoods. The Assembly later developed an NGO Training and Resource Center in Armenia, with support connected to the U.S. Agency for International Development and Save the Children, to strengthen the management, communications, and civic capacity of local nongovernmental organizations. Its Armenia Internship Program, launched in 1999, provided students of Armenian descent with opportunities to work with organizations in Armenia. Historical memory and genocide education are another defining area of activity. The Armenian National Institute, established by the Assembly in 1997, conducts and disseminates research on the Armenian genocide, responds to denial, and promotes public understanding of the genocide and its consequences. The Assembly has organized hearings, conferences, exhibitions, educational initiatives, and media-related discussions, particularly around the centennial of the genocide in 2015. In 2017, it joined other Armenian-American and church organizations in The Promise to Educate, which distributed copies of the film The Promise and related curriculum resources to American educational institutions. The Assembly has maintained a presence in international civil society as well. It received consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1999. Its activities have addressed Armenia’s relations with the United States, the status and security of Armenians in the region, humanitarian crises affecting Armenian communities, and the protection of Armenian cultural and political interests. It also advocated for the public display of the Armenian Orphan Rug, which had been held in long-term storage, and participated in responses to humanitarian issues including the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut explosion. In 2016, the Assembly moved to a Washington headquarters that also housed several related Armenian institutions, including the Armenian National Institute and the Armenian Genocide Museum of America. The organization marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2022 through events in Los Angeles and Washington, honoring academic, civic, and political figures for humanitarian work and support for Armenian genocide affirmation. Its continuing role is that of a U.S.-based advocacy, research, and public education institution connecting Armenian-American constituencies with policymakers, educators, scholars, and civil-society partners.

The Armenian Assembly of America was formed in Washington, D.C., in the early 1970s, when Armenian-American political advocacy was strongly associated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-aligned Armenian National Committee of America. The Assembly developed as a nonpartisan alternative. Many of its early supporters were connected with the Armenian General Benevolent Union and other Armenian-American institutions outside the ARF political network. Its purpose was to represent Armenian interests through research, education, and engagement with the U.S. government and broader public. In 1977, the organization introduced the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program. The program was designed to familiarize participants with federal policymaking and to develop a future generation of Armenian-American civic advocates. The Assembly’s Washington presence became increasingly important after the 1988 Armenian earthquake, the rise of the Armenian independence movement, and the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. It helped mobilize congressional and administrative support for earthquake relief, including legislation that produced the first U.S. government earthquake assistance directed to Soviet Armenia. Following Armenia’s independence, the Assembly supported continued American assistance, democratic development, and economic growth. It also encouraged the creation and expansion of a Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. In 1992, it advocated for Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricted most forms of U.S. aid to Azerbaijan. The organization’s activities during this period combined lobbying in Washington with programming in Armenia and among diaspora communities. The Assembly broadened its development work in 1993 by establishing the Armenia Tree Project. The initiative used tree planting and related environmental work to contribute to ecological rehabilitation, community development, and economic recovery in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1994, the Assembly established an NGO Training and Resource Center in Armenia with assistance associated with USAID and Save the Children. The center provided organizational-management training, technical assistance, communications support, and seminars intended to strengthen local civic organizations and encourage participation in democratic processes. The program reportedly served more than 300 registered Armenian NGOs. Genocide research and public education became another major institutional focus. In 1997, the Assembly created the Armenian National Institute, which conducts research and supports educational work on the Armenian genocide, its documentation, its consequences, and the history of denial. In 1999, it launched the Armenia Internship Program, giving college students of Armenian descent opportunities to volunteer with organizations in Armenia. The same year, it received consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. During the 2000s and 2010s, the Assembly continued its national conferences, congressional advocacy, educational initiatives, and work on Armenia-related policy. In 2014, it worked with members of Congress to encourage President Barack Obama to display the Armenian Orphan Rug, which had remained in storage. In 2015, it organized events associated with the centennial of the Armenian genocide, including a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing and a panel concerning the genocide’s treatment in American media. In 2016, the Assembly moved to a new Washington headquarters that also accommodated the Armenian National Institute, the Armenian Genocide Museum of America, the Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church of America, and the Washington office of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. That year, the president of Nagorno-Karabakh awarded the Assembly a Medal of Gratitude for its stated contributions to economic, scientific, cultural, and social development and to international advocacy. The political status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains disputed, and the Assembly’s work on the issue has formed part of its broader regional advocacy. In 2017, the Assembly joined the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Children of Armenia Fund, and the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Diocese and Prelacy in The Promise to Educate campaign. The initiative distributed copies of the film The Promise, together with Armenian genocide educational materials, to public schools and other educational institutions across the United States. The organization also responded to humanitarian issues affecting Armenian communities outside Armenia. After the 2020 Beirut explosion, it called for additional U.S. support for Lebanon and emphasized the role of Lebanese religious, educational, cultural, and social institutions in serving Armenians and the wider population. In 2022, the Assembly marked its fiftieth anniversary with events in Los Angeles and Washington. The celebrations recognized scholars Richard Hovannisian and Dennis Papazian, Los Angeles public official Nina Hachigian, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for contributions connected with humanitarian service, public service, and recognition of the Armenian genocide. In 2025, actor Joe Manganiello participated in the Assembly’s Washington Advocacy Summit and spoke at a congressional Armenian genocide commemoration. The Assembly remains a U.S.-based organization focused on policy advocacy, public education, Armenian-American civic engagement, and support for democratic and economic development in Armenia.

• 2022

  Fiftieth anniversary

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The organization commemorated five decades of advocacy and public education through events in Los Angeles and Washington.

• 2016

  New Washington headquarters

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The Assembly moved into a Washington facility shared with several Armenian institutions.

• 1999

  ECOSOC consultative status and Armenia Internship Program

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The organization received United Nations ECOSOC consultative status and began an internship program placing students with organizations in Armenia.

• 1997

  Armenian National Institute established

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The Assembly established a research and education institution focused on the Armenian genocide and its historical consequences.

• 1993

  Armenia Tree Project established

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The Assembly launched an environmental and community-development initiative centered on tree planting in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

• 1992

  Section 907 advocacy

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The organization lobbied for Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act concerning U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.

• 1988

  Earthquake-relief advocacy

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The Assembly responded to the Armenian earthquake and supported congressional action leading to U.S. relief funding for Soviet Armenia.

• 1977

  Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program introduced

  [1]Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The Assembly created a Washington internship program to expose participants to the federal policymaking process.

A nonpartisan Armenian-American advocacy and research organization that combines federal lobbying, genocide education, democracy and development programming, and diaspora engagement.

• Civic education and professional development · 1977

  Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program

  A Washington-based internship program established in 1977 that gives participants practical exposure to federal policymaking, congressional affairs, and public advocacy related to Armenian-American issues.

• Environmental and community development · 1993

  Armenia Tree Project

  An initiative established in 1993 to use tree planting and environmental rehabilitation to support social, economic, and ecological recovery in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The project later operated as a substantial planting and community-development program.

• Historical research and education · 1997

  Armenian National Institute

  A research and public-education institution founded by the Assembly in 1997. It documents and interprets the Armenian genocide, promotes understanding of its consequences, and responds to denial through scholarship and educational resources.

• Civil-society capacity building · 1994

  NGO Training and Resource Center

  A center created in Armenia in 1994 to strengthen local nongovernmental organizations through management training, technical assistance, communications support, and workshops intended to broaden civic participation.

• Internship and diaspora engagement · 1999

  Armenia Internship Program

  A program launched in 1999 that offered college students of Armenian descent opportunities to volunteer with organizations in Armenia and gain practical experience in Armenian civic and development work.

• 2017The Promise to Educate

  United States

  In partnership with Armenian-American organizations, churches, and humanitarian groups, the Assembly distributed the film The Promise and related genocide curriculum materials to public educational institutions.

  Outcome. The initiative increased access to classroom and public-education resources concerning the Armenian genocide.

  Source
• 2015Armenian Genocide Centennial Programs

  United States

  The Assembly organized hearings, panels, and public events marking the centennial of the Armenian genocide, including programming on historical recognition and the genocide’s portrayal in American media.

  Outcome. The campaign expanded public and policy discussion of genocide recognition and education.

  Source

• 2016

  Relocate Washington headquartersOther

  Background

  The Assembly sought a facility that could support its advocacy, research, and institutional partnerships in the U.S. capital.

  Action taken

  It moved to a new Washington headquarters that also housed several related Armenian institutions.

  Aftermath

  The shared location strengthened the physical connection among Armenian research, museum, church, and political organizations in Washington.

  Source

• 1992

  Lobby for Section 907 of the Freedom Support ActStrategy

  Background

  The Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict created pressure for the United States to condition its assistance policy toward Azerbaijan.

  Action taken

  The Assembly advocated the adoption of Section 907, which restricted most direct U.S. government assistance to Azerbaijan subject to statutory conditions.

  Aftermath

  Section 907 became a longstanding element of U.S. policy toward Azerbaijan and a recurring issue in Armenian-American advocacy.

  Source

1. 1Armenian Assembly of Americaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Armenian Assembly of America official websiteaaainc.org