On this Independence Day 2024, we congratulate Georgian Service of Voice of America (ამერიკის ხმა) on their 73rd anniversary.
Voice of America began radio broadcasting on May 26, 1951 in New York, and has been working without interruption since.
Many early members and leaders of Georgian Association in the USA contributed to Voice of America Georgian service over the years – some of the early Georgian emigrants worked there as staff.
Several, such as Irakli Orbeliani, Petre Khvedelidze, Michel and Tina Dadiani, Merab Kvitashvili, and others also played important leadership roles in the history of Georgian Association in the USA. Their descendants, former Association president Elisabeth Kvitashvili and former Association treasurer Tsotne Dadiani, recount fond memories of this service being a critical part of their childhood, listening to the Georgian stories over short-wave radio in their homes. The community built around the service also helped maintain linguistic, cultural, and community ties among the early immigrants to the USA.
In 1958, Georgian Association in the USA issued an appeal for saving the Georgian language service and petitioned Georgian community around the country to mobilize and advocate for continuation of this important federal program.
Today, Georgian Service of Voice of America continues to play an important role in strengthening ties between the two countries. A goal that Georgian Association shares. VoA offers analytical insights and coverage of not only current events, and stories of Georgian community, coverage of Georgians practicing Georgian traditions in the USA, but also highlights and successes of Georgian immigrants living in the United States, including young generation, pursuing education and professional development that will undoubtedly benefit Georgia for years to come.
We thank the Voice of America for their service and wish them many more years of success and growth in service of Georgia and the United States.