The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) was founded in the USA in New York in 1910 by a young intellectual public and social figure Khachatur Malumyan (the nickname is Aknuni) and has been formally recognized as an independent, non-governmental and non-sectarian humanitarian organization having its own charter, and was known at the time as the Armenian Red Cross, which afterwards was recognized as the Armenian Relief Society (ARS).
Among Western Armenia, Iran and the USA, the ARS becomes the first women’s organization being the most spread in the world in the Armenian reality. In 1919 the number of the ARS branches reached to 54. The Armenian woman and mother became its essence, a woman who experienced the first Genocide in the 20th century and made her biggest contribution to the preservation of Armenian people.
In 1920 the Armenian Red Cross (today’s ARS) was founded, and after a short period of time it created its own branches in Kars, Gyumri, Vagharshapat, Djalaloghli, Gharaqilisa and Igdir. During those tough and hard years together with Polis, Western Europe, America and Georgia units they start to support Armenia opening hospitals, numerous foodstands, innumerable vital means to cover refugees’ needs.
But the Unit stopped its scope of activities because of international political unfavorable events and inner problems. The declaration of independence of Armenia, the 1988 tragic earthquake and Artsakh liberation war made Armenia the center stage for ARS family and in 1991 on the 7 th of January the Armenian Relief Society was established in Armenia and on the 22nd of July in 1991 it was officially registered. Today with a number of volunteers it is active in 49 cities and villages of the Republic of Armenia having a mission to promote the formation of legal and democratic state in the Republic of Armenia and creating a civic society, and implement social, educational, public health and humanitarian projects.
As an independent, humanitarian union together with its Entities in 27 different countries and thousands of members, the ARS has been carrying out a number of charitable programs in education, culture, public health, social and economic spheres for more than a century.
From 1970 the ARS is cooperating with the United Nations and as a member of UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and as an international non-governmental organization continues to support human rights, social justice and civilized society. By its birth and orientation, its scope of activities and purposes, the ARS became nationwide and turned into a strengthening, developing and strong link between motherland and Diaspora.
