Sassounian on the Hye Seas with Armenian Heritage Cruise XIV

By Maria Tavitian

Organizers of the Armenian Heritage Cruise recently announced that Harut Sassounian, a well-known Armenian American journalist and political commentator, and a leader in humanitarian causes, will join them in the January 2011 Cruise XIV.

“We are proud and honored to have such a prominent Armenian American join us on the Armenian Heritage Cruise XIV, participate in town hall-style meetings, and talk about current events,” said a spokesman for the Organizing Committee.

Sassounian is the publisher of the California Courier newspaper. His weekly editorials, translated into several languages, are published in scores of newspapers around the world and posted on numerous websites. He has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

As president of the United Armenian Fund, Sassounian has managed the procurement and delivery of $600 million of humanitarian aid to Armenia during the past 20 years. As senior vice president of Kirk Kerkorian’s Lincy Foundation, he has overseen $240 million of infrastructure projects in Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh).

From 1978-82, Sassounian worked as an international marketing executive for Procter & Gamble in Geneva, Switzerland. He was a human rights delegate at the United Nations for 10 years and played a leading role in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by a UN committee in 1985.

He is author of The Armenian Genocide: The World Speaks Out, Documents and Declarations, 1915-2005, published in English and Arabic. He is also the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and has been decorated by the president and prime minister of the Republic of Armenia, the president of Artsakh, and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches.

The cruise is a reputable and highly popular annual maritime event that attracts hundreds of Armenians and friends from over 30 countries. Participants enjoy a week-long festival of Armenian heritage and culture by way of quality entertainment, enticing performances by renowned singers, comedians, dancers, and musicians. They also take part in highly insightful and educational town hall meetings and panel discussions by well-informed leaders in their respective fields.

For more information or to reserve a cabin, contact TravelGroup International by calling 1-866-447-0750 ext #103, emailing AHC@travelgroupint.com, or visiting www.ArmenianHeritageCruise.com.