On February 1st the Embassy of Armenia to the United States hosted a reception and conversation with Dr. Tom Catena, laureate of the 2017 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity and newly-elected Chair of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. The event was part of a series of discussions and lectures featuring Dr. Catena, organized by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative throughout the United States. The event was attended by benefactors, representatives of humanitarian organizations, community leaders and civil activists, Armenian and American doctors, scientists and genocide scholars.

In his opening remarks Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan emphasized the importance of global humanitarian projects in conflict zones and the role of the Armenian people, as survivors of the Armenian Genocide, in raising awareness about those issues.

Dr. Catena spoke about his experience at the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains in Southern Sudan as the sole surgeon serving a population of 750.000, as well as the current activities and impending worldwide projects of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.

The conversation was followed by a Q&A session, during which Dr. Catena addressed the possible ways to support Aurora’s projects.