Aurora Humanitarian Initiative

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative was launched on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors. The initiative is rooted in inspiring stories of courage and survival that emerged during the Armenian Genocide, when 1.5 million Armenians perished. Those fortunate few who survived were saved by the courageous and heroic acts of institutions and individuals who intervened, at great risk. A century later, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to express gratitude, share remarkable stories of survivors and their saviors, and celebrate the strength of the human spirit.

Goals

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative creates and supports projects designed to raise public awareness and address the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues.

Aurora’s projects

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative spans a number of projects:

• The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity: the philanthropic vision of Noubar Afeyan, Vartan Gregorian, and Ruben Vardanyan, the co-founders of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. Together, they seek to build a humanitarian movement by drawing attention to the issues faced by the world’s most vulnerable and recognizing those individuals and organizations who intervene for good.
• The Aurora Dialogues: a series of thoughtful discussions between leading members of the political, humanitarian, and business communities to raise awareness and address some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues.
• The Aurora Humanitarian Index: an international survey exploring the causes and trends behind the “compassion gap” that exists between what the general public says they feel about humanitarian issues and how they actually engage with these crises.
• The Aurora Gratitude Scholarships: a series of international projects aimed at shaping a better future for generations to come, with a special focus on education and social development – from the Gratitude Scholarships to partnerships with NGOs that are advancing humanitarian causes.
• 100 LIVES: a global media and content creation project aimed at preserving the memory of the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide, as well as those who intervened on their behalf a century ago. It is also a platform to present the stories of the Armenian diaspora and its connections to the Armenian heritage, culture and values.

All projects are designed to honor and support deserving individuals and organizations as an expression of gratitude to the saviors who intervened on behalf of Armenians a century ago.