Ruben Vardanyan: Aurora aims to uproot indifference

ArmInfo.The purpose of the humanitarian award "Aurora" is to uproot indifference. The businessman and patron of arts, co-founder of the Armenian Development Initiative (IDeA) and the Aurora humanitarian initiative Ruben Vardanyan said this on April 24 presenting the finalists of the Aurora-2017 prize.

He noted that the five finalists were elected by a commission of 550  applications with the names of 254 candidates nominated by residents  of 66 countries. This time the finalists of the award were the  founders of the Center for Peace and Human Rights Elman in Somalia  Fartun Adan and Ilvad Elman, the chairman of the Organization for  Capacity Building and Education Development Nur Jamil Afghanistan,  the doctor of the field hospital in Syrian Maday Muhammad Darvish,  the gynecologist and the founder of the Panzi hospital in the DRC,  Denis Mukvege, and the surgeon of the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the  Nuba Mountains of Sudan, Tom Catena," the patron said.

Vardanyan noted that only 20% of the candidates were repeatedly  nominated, among them Dr. Tom Catena. "We cannot help all those in  need, we also cannot become doctors or other specialists who directly  help people, but we can do our bit to help those who do it, and they,  in turn, help others," Vardanyan said.  At the request of ArmInfo, he  also commented on why Artur Sargsyan, who brought bread to the  members of the Sasna Tsrer group, was not nominated and died after a  long-term arrest. In particular, Vardanyan noted that among the  candidates there were both Dr. Elizabeth Glinka (Dr. Liza) and  Sargsyan, but they could not be nominated for the award, because,  according to the rules of the award, it is awarded only to the alive  laureate.

The co-founder of the award also noted that this time more than 150  people expressed a desire to finance the prize, 30% of which are not  Armenians. "This shows that our initiative is growing and is turning  into a humanitarian movement," Vardanyan said.

He also commented on the rumors in the media that he intended to  enter politics with his initiatives. "I try to help my country in the  best, implementing a variety of programs. The world is changing, and  in order to do good deeds and help people, one does not need to  occupy any position or become a politician," Vardanyan said,  reminding that he is not a citizen of Armenia.

To note, the ceremony of awarding Aurora-2017 will be held on May 28.  The laureate will receive a grant of $ 100,000 for his own  humanitarian activities and a $ 1 million reward, which will give him  a unique opportunity to continue the baton of good and support the  organizations that inspired him.

On April 24, 2016, Marguerite Barankits from the Shalom Home and the  REMA Hospital in Burundi was named the first winner of the Aurora  Prize in Yerevan. Having witnessed the monstrous murder of 72 Hutu  neighbors, whom she had vainly tried to save from destruction,  Marguerite, a Tutsi by nationality, dedicated her last 20 years of  life to helping children and orphans. In the devastated civil war,  the country provides shelter and support to those in need. Marguerite  saved nearly 30,000 children, who were given shelter and education,  and in the hospital opened by her, more than 80,000 patients received  medical treatment.