Armenian Fellow Invited to Participate Discussion on the Importance of Philanthropy

On June 26, 2006, Grigori Nazaryan, an Armenian economics fellow at Old Dominion University, participated in town-hall style conversation at the New York Public Library about the importance of philanthropy. Speakers included Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet. Mr. Nazaryan was invited to participate in the event by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a result of his internship position with the United Nations. According to Mr. Nazaryan, the focus of the conversation was how to help solve existing and emerging problems, through actions as well as financial contributions. Mr. Nazaryan was profoundly impacted by his participation in the town-hall conversation. "I was impressed by Bill and Melinda and Warren's speeches and the influence was so huge that I will try to live my life with the same values. I am thankful to Gates Foundation founders and CEO for inviting me to this conversation which completely has changed my way of thinking."

Video streaming of the meeting is available at www.visualwebcaster.com.