Armenian Genocide Commemorations List and related articles

[Yervant1]

AN EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OPENS IN RIGA

14.03.2015
http://www.parliament.am/news.php?cat_id=2&NewsID=7298&year=2015&month=03&day=14&lang=eng

On March 13 in the National Library of Latvia an exhibition dedicated
to the Armenian Genocide Centennial, the exhibits of which were
provided by the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, opened.

The RA NA Deputy Speaker, the Head of Armenia-Latvia, Lithuania,
Estonia Parliamentary Friendship Group Eduard Sharmazanov, the RA
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Baltic countries
Ara Ayvazyan, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church
in the Baltic States, Father Khosrov Stepanyan, the Saeima Secretary
Andrejs Klementjevs, the member of Latvia-Armenia Friendship Group
Ivans Klementjevs, the Head of Latvia-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship
Group Sergejs Potapkins, the representatives of the Armenian, Jewish,
Russian and Belarusian communities attended the exhibition. The
spiritual leader of the Baltic States, Nor Nakhijevan and Russia
Diocese Father Khosrov Stepanyan supported the opening of the
exhibition.

The RA NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov, the RA Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Baltic countries Ara Ayvazyan,
the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Baltic
States, Father Khosrov Stepanyan and the Head of Latvia-Armenia
Parliamentary Friendship Group Sergejs Potapkins delivered speeches at
the opening of the exhibition. The speakers have noted in particular
that the opening of the exhibition dedicated to the Armenian Genocide
in Riga is an important step in the protection of human rights. They
have underlined that the Armenian Genocide is one of the greatest
genocides of the 20th century.

The Head of Latvia-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Sergejs
Potapkins has noted that as the Armenian Genocide has not been
condemned the repetition of such crimes cannot be ruled out in future.

[Yervant1]

'SILENCE THE LIES, ROCK THE TRUTH! VII' TO COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ON APRIL 24

10:47, 16 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The social justice concert "Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth! VII"
is slated to be held on Friday, April 24 at The Troubadour in West
Hollywood. The annual show's line-up includes Sebu Simonian of Capital
Cities, Bei Ru, String Harmonies, K'noup, R-mean, Red Snow, and Tulips,
Asbarez reports.

"The most important thing about this day is to celebrate and cultivate
what our culture has given to us, despite the attempts to wipe it out,"
said performer Bei Ru about the show commemorating the centennial of
the Armenian Genocide. "We continue to grow regardless.

We are the future and we're still here."

The evening will be hosted by Shahane Martirosyan and Gayane
Khechoomian of Armenian Chronicles and feature a speaker from
the Armenian Youth Federation. Sponsors of the event comprise a
cross-section of Armenian organizations including the Armenian National
Committee of America- Western Region, Armenian Youth Federation, Alpha
Gamma Alpha of UCLA, and the Armenian Students Association of UCLA.

"The show is a culmination of the months leading up to April 24, which
are typically filled with events surrounding the Armenian Genocide,"
said K'noup Tomopoulous, one of the concert's main orchestrators. "It
allows for a creative outlet to reflect on progress towards recognition
and to celebrate the survival and talent of a people."

The concert is dedicated to raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide
in a showcase of music, activism, and commemoration by socially
conscious artists in the Los Angeles area. Now in its seventh year,
the show draws over 500 audience members as it unites human rights
advocates in calling for an end to the perpetration of genocide
globally.

Proceeds from the concert will be donated to two needy organizational
projects, the AYF Youth Corps and the Orran Chairty. The Armenian
Youth Federation's 6-week Youth Corps program provides a memorable
and productive opportunity for youth to establish and strengthen ties
with the homeland, consisting of 4 weeks of volunteer work and 2 weeks
of touring. Beginning in 1994, volunteers first went to Artsakh to
help rebuild war-torn villages after the cease-fire. In 2008, the
AYF opened a summer camp in Gyumri, Armenia's second largest city,
and continues to empower Diaspora Armenians with more direct roles
in nation-building. This is a chance for some to make a direct impact
on the lives of Gyumri's most impoverished children and families.

The Orran Charity provides vital support and assistance to needy
Armenian children in Yerevan. Established in 2000, Orran, meaning
"haven" in Armenian, works to decrease the disparity between the needs
of at-risk groups and the availability of essential services. Orran
provides food services, academic assistance, cultural enrichment
opportunities and medical, psychological and social services for
vulnerable communities in Yerevan.

http://asbarez.com/132980/%E2%80%98silence-the-lies-rock-the-truth-vii%E2%80%99-to-commemorating-armenian-genocide-on-april-24/

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/16/silence-the-lies-rock-the-truth-vii-to-commemorate-armenian-genocide-on-april-24/

[Yervant1]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE COMMEMORATED IN A CANYON IN DERSIM

10:41, 16 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. It becomes more and more difficult
for Turkey to continue its denialist policy advancing the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Dersim-Armenian Miran Prkich
stated this in a conversation with â~@~\Armenpressâ~@~].

Among other things, Miran Prkich stated that the Union of Dersim
Armenians and Alawites will commemorate the Armenian Genocide
victimsâ~@~Y memory on April 24 this year in the KayıÅ~_oÄ~_lu
Canyon. In addition, Miran Prkich underscored that the canyon has
not been chosen as the site for the commemoration accidentally. The
Armenians were thrown into that very canyon and murdered in 1915.

The fact of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman government has
been documented, recognized, and affirmed in the form of media
and eyewitness reports, laws, resolutions, and statements by many
states and international organizations. The complete catalogue
of all documents categorizing the 1915 wholesale massacre of the
Armenian population in Ottoman Empire as a premeditated and thoroughly
executed act of genocide, is extensive. Uruguay was the first country
to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965. The massacres
of the Armenian people were officially condemned and recognized as
genocide in accordance with the international law by France, Germany,
Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Poland,
Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Uruguay, Argentina,
Venezuela, Chile, Canada, Vatican and Australia.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/797736/armenian-genocide-to-be-commemorated-in-a-canyon-in-dersim.html

[Yervant1]

DOCUMENTARY ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE SHOWN IN RACINE

16:17, 16 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. A film being shown at Racine's Golden
Rondelle Theater on Thursday tells a powerful story that will be new
to many, yet all too familiar to others.

"Orphans of the Genocide" tells part of a larger story of the Armenian
genocide of 1915, through the eyes of some of its more than 130,000
orphaned children. The documentary, by Emmy Award-winning director
Bared Maronian, focuses on one orphanage where 1,000 Armenian genocide
orphans lived and were forcefully converted to Turkish beliefs and
culture during World War I.

As reports "Armenpress" citing The Journal Times, he 90-minute film
features never-before-seen archival footage, as well as discovered
memoirs of orphans. And, while it is an Armenian story, it is also
truly an American story, according to Maronian, whose career includes
21 years working for PBS television.

"Americans were the first ones who went through a lot of effort and
raised a lot of money to make sure that at least 132,000 orphans
were saved," the director said during a phone interview from his
Florida home.

Many members of Racine's two Armenian churches - Saint Hagop and
Saint Mesrob - know similar stories because they are children of
genocide orphans. Some know only bits and pieces, as their parents
were reluctant to talk about the atrocities that occurred when the
Ottoman Turkish government attempted to exterminate the indigenous
Armenian population.

More than 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1923,
and the entire population was uprooted from its homeland, which it
had inhabited for more than 3,000 years, according to the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America. As of today, the Turkish government
has yet to acknowledge the atrocities.

"There has never been a place where the people responsible were brought
to justice by a court of law," said Leon Saryan, a member of Racine's
St. Hagop Church, 4100 N. Newman Road, who lives in Greenfield and
serves as commissioner of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.

Maronian, who is a third-generation genocide survivor, said that
while the orphans' story is a very sad one, it is also bittersweet in
that they not only survived but went on to create whole new nation of
Armenians after the genocide. It is also a story that many audience
members -- Armenian and not -- are shocked or surprised to learn,
he said.

"About 80 percent of the history I learned in making the film was
new to me," said Maronian, who also published a companion book to
help tell the many stories he couldn't fit in the film.

The film screening is one of a series of area events scheduled
throughout 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the genocide.

Saryan and other members of St. Hagop and St. Mesrob serve on
a committee with members of Milwaukee's two Armenian churches -
St. John the Baptist and Holy Resurrection - that is planning special
services, concerts and other programs here as part of a worldwide
100th anniversary movement.

The yearlong commemoration is not only about remembering the victims of
the genocide, but about telling their story in hopes of preventing such
atrocities from happening again, said the Rev. Yeprem Kelegian, pastor
at St. Mesrob Church, 4605 Erie St., and the son of a genocide orphan.

Its goal is to create a better understanding of what happened, not
just for Armenians but for everyone, Saryan said.

"We're seeing other instances of man's inhumanity to man playing out
right now in other parts of the world," said Saryan, whose father
was also a genocide orphan. "Raising awareness of what happened to
Armenians will, hopefully, give people the opportunity to reflect on
where this kind of thing goes when you step off the edge."

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/797826/documentary-on-armenian-genocide-to-be-shown-in-racine.html

[MosJan]

 

Armenian Bikers Pilgrimage

brigademap-la2dc2ny

Mission & Vision Statement

To pay tribute to the innocent souls lost to world atrocities

To support the vision of LA2DC.org as all Americans unite across the states to raise Genocide awareness on a global level upon the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

As descendants of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide the Armenian Brigade MC Club will join the world-wide effort to raise consciousness about man’s inhumanity to man and prevent future genocides.

We would like to unite bikers across the United States of all backgrounds to join the LA2DC movement from Los Angeles to the District of Columbia.

Genocide concerns all nations and all people and it is our intention to ensure that no such atrocities take place in the future by creating constant dialogue with the use of social media to end world genocide.

We would like to show our appreciation to the American people for the decades of unconditional support for this humanitarian concern through the efforts of the Near East Relief.

Staring on 05-01-2015 Armenian Brigade Riders Will ride 650 mils a day, equivalent of 1.5 million foot steps, on the forth day riders will join LA2DC cyclists and runners that are on a coast-to-coast relay marathon.

Join us on our pilgrimage to pay tribute to the innocent souls lost to world atrocities
Time Capsule

To honor the stories of each participant and their family, we will carry with us a digital time capsule on our journey across the states.

During the systematic deportations, some of our predecessors managed to save their family relics, such as their prayer books and family documents, on the long and deadly walk through the desert, passing them from hand to hand to ensure their stories live on as they perished.

Please complete and submit the form on ArmenianBikers.com, so that we can preserve the history of your predecessors and families as we carry it with us on our journey from LA to DC to NY. At the end of our journey, two time capsules will be placed with identical information, one in Armenia and the other in Los Angeles.

[Yervant1]

12:43 17/03/2015 » POLITICS

Spain’s Betera recognizes Armenian Genocide

The plenary council of the City Hall of Betera, Spain, has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry wrote on Facebook.
The decision states that massacres and deportations took place in 1915-1921 on the territory of present-day Turkey, particularly under the Young Turks rule, during which 1.5 million Armenians were killed, and another two million were forced to leave their homes and find refuge all over the world, creating the Armenian Diaspora. The City Hall of Betera officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, and condemns the crimes against humanity that were perpetrated during that period.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

DENIALIST HISTORIANS DENY THE GENOCIDE BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW THE LAW: GEOFFREY ROBERTSON

18:59, 16 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 16 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. In the heart of Manhattan in Times
Square's Marriot Marquis Hotel, a long-awaited international conference
marking the centennial of the Armenian Genocide opened last Friday
with a presentation by UK human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson,
counsel in a case referring to the Armenian Genocide that went to
the European Court of Human Rights in January.

In his opening presentation, entitled "Responsibility: 100 years of
Human Rights Violations," Robertson called on Turkey to recognise
the crimes carried out against the Armenians under Ottoman rule as
genocide, in other words intended to target the continuing existence
of the Armenians.

In his book "An Inconvenient Genocide: Who now Remembers the
Armenians," Robertson argued that the crimes by which more than a
million Armenians lost their lives under Ottoman rule in 1915 be
defined as genocide.

"As historians don't know the law, it's quite clear that a number of
denialist historians deny the Genocide. They don't understand what
genocide means, and they profess no understanding of the law or have
no experience in applying it, so they are not qualified to answer
the legal question" of whether or not these crimes were genocide,
Robertson commented to the Weekly.

He added that denialist historians think that genocide requires proof
of a written order from the central government at the time such crimes
take place to eliminate all members of a particular group or people
professing a particular religion. They may think there must always
be an intention to kill everyone in the group, rather than part of
the group or to create conditions where such killing is inevitable,
he said.

Robertson noted that annihilating a racial or religious group becomes
a matter of international concern if a country like Turkey seeks to
cover up such crimes by blotting them out of school textbooks or by
prosecuting those who allege them, or, worse, if denial takes the
form of an insistence that they were justified in the first place.

"There can never be justification for genocide, even on the
shoulder-shrugging grounds that it occurred during World War I when
life was cheap and 'military necessity' or 'national security' required
it. Any state that takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of women,
of old men and young children, on the grounds of their race must,
in the absence at least of confession and apology, pay a price,
as long as a century later," Robertson said.

The Conference includes panels on Armenian Genocide Scholarship,
Building Solidarity, Armenian Genocide in US Policy Circles, Attitudes
in Turkey, Individual and Group Reparations, Islamised Armenians,
Denial, Gender and Genocide, and Genocide and Education.

Among the speakers are well-known figures such as Bilgin Ayata,
David Barsamian, David Gaunt, Guillaume Perrier, Israel Charny, Nancy
Krikorian, Richard Hovannissian, Sarah Leah Whitson, Ruken Sengul,
Khatchig Mouradian and others.

The closing panel, on Art and Expression, will include Alexander
Dinelaris, co-writer and winner of an Academy Award for Best Original
Screenplay for the filmBirdman, Chris Bohjalian, author of 17 books
including ten New York Times bestsellers, Eric Boghossian, author
and actor, and Scout Tufankjian, a photojournalist whose work has
been featured inNewsweek, Le Monde, theNew York Times and other
publications.

It had earlier been announced that British writer and Middle East
correspondent for theIndependent newspaper Robert Fisk would be
among the speakers at the Conference. But Fisk, known for his strong
support for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, had cancelled
his previously scheduled appearance as a speaker at a luncheon only
a day before the Conference started, citing unforeseen circumstances
according to Conference organisers.

However, some said that Fisk had cancelled his participation owing to
objections to the Dashnak Party, the Lebanese chapter of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, which is a member of the March 8 Coalition
led by the Shiite Hizbullah Party.

The Conference was organised by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Eastern US Centennial Committee. "It is about the responsibility of
everybody, whether it's the Turkish state, whether it's Armenia, or
whether it's the international community, to acknowledge past crimes
and to intervene when current crimes are still being committed by the
Islamic State, for example, and to prevent future crimes," commented
Khatchig Mouradian, head of the Conference organising committee and
editor of The Armenian Weekly.

Committee co-chair Haig Oshagan said that "responsibility extends
to individuals and nations to know their past and their history
and how to understand the present and figure out the future, so the
historical work is a responsibility to explain the Genocide to the
current generation. It's our duty to understand what happened to our
ancestors and pass it on to the new generations."

"Our demands for reparations are based on the notion of responsibility;
a nation cannot claim impunity for a criminal, and the opposite of
impunity is accountability or responsibility. This has to do with
everything from recognition to reparations, and the foundation is that
Turkey is responsible for these crimes and we will demand reparations
for them."

[Yervant1]

ARMENIA HOLDS EXHIBITIONS TO MARK CENTENNIAL OF GENOCIDE

Global Times, China
March 16 2015

Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-3-16 22:40:30

Armenia started exhibitions in a number of countries earlier this
month to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a genocide allegedly
committed by the Ottoman Empire, organizers say.

The exhibitions were held in capital cities of countries including
Georgia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway,
according to the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute and Diaspora
Unions.

Armenia says about 1.5 million Armenians were killed by forces of
the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923, and that the survivors were expelled
and found refuge in different parts of the world.

More than 20 countries have officially recognized the fact of the
mass killing.

Armenians across the world will mark the 100th anniversary of the
genocide on April 24, 2015.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/912323.shtml

[Yervant1]

PRES RELEASE
Armenia Fund USA
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 2205
New York, NY, 10038
Tel: 212-689-5307
Fax: 212-689-5317
Email: info@armeniafundusa.org
Web: http://www.armeniafundusa.org/


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As you may be aware, this April 24th marks the 100th Anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1923, two million Christian
Armenians were forcibly uprooted from their homeland with 1.5 million
of that number systematically slaughtered by the Ottoman Turkish
government under the cover of World War I, effectively eliminating the
5,000-year presence of Armenians in our historic homeland. This mass
murder is considered the first documented genocide of modern times.

As someone of Armenian ancestry, the commemoration of the 100th
Anniversary of the genocide is bittersweet: it is an opportunity to
remember our ancestors and those lost, but also celebrate the survival
of our people.

What you might be shocked to learn is that Turkey not only denies the
Armenian Genocide occurred - they pay DC lobbyists millions each year
to make sure America doesn't join the 22 countries (including France,
Germany, and Canada), the Holy See, and former U.S. President Ronald
Reagan who recognized the Armenian Genocide as `genocide.'

We are asking you to join us and the Armenian Genocide Centennial
Committee of America - Eastern Region in signing a petition at
Change.org (http://chn.ge/1L7G1tn) to demand President Obama and
Congress reaffirm former U.S. policy of labeling the Armenian Genocide
as a `genocide.'

If you would like to join us, you can find this petition at:
http://chn.ge/1L7G1tn. When you have added your voice to the growing
chorus of those who demand recognition of this genocide, we kindly ask
you to forward this email to at least 10 friends and encourage them to
do the same. Together, we can demand our elected officials stand on
the right side of justice and morality, and put America on the right
side of history.

You can also post on Twitter:

Sign the @Change petition today to demand #ArmenianGenocide
recognition & justice. Spread the word. #NeverForget1915
http://chn.ge/1L7G1tn

Or on Facebook:

April 24 marks the 100th anniversary of the #ArmenianGenocide. Honor
the victims by signing the @Change.org petition for a #socialchange
and demand our country recognize our past. #NeverForget1915
http://chn.ge/1L7G1tn

It's worth noting that we're simply asking President Obama to keep a
promise he made to our community when running for President in 2008.
That promise has been thwarted by the Turkish government, which has
built a powerful coalition of lobbyists in the United States who use
their political influence to prevent international recognition of the
genocide. But we are convinced that together our voices can speak
louder than their lobbyist's dollars.

Armenia Fund USA, Inc.
Member of Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America, Eastern Region

Together we can tell the world our story and ensure it's never forgotten.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA - EASTERN REGION
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
Armenian Catholic Eparchy of United States & Canada
Armenian Evangelical Union of North America
Armenian Missionary Association of America
Armenia Fund USA, Inc.
Armenian Assembly of America
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
Armenian General Benevolent Union
Armenian National Committee of America
Armenian Relief Society
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Knights & Daughters of Vartan
Social Democratic Hunchakian Party
Armenian Bar Association
Armenian Network of America, Inc.
Armenian Youth Federation
AGBU Young Professionals
Armenian Church Youth Organization of America
Armenian Students Association

[Yervant1]

CHARLES AZNAVOUR TO MEET POPE FRANCIS AHEAD OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL

16:41, 17 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Charles Aznavour will be at St. Peter's Square Wednesday for the
General Audience of Pope Francis.

Adnkronos.com reports, citing its sources in Vatican, that the
French-Armenian artist will meet the Pope at the end of the Audience.

A meeting between the Pope and the world's most popular Armenian takes
even greater significance given that 2015 marks the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide.

On this occasion, Aznavour will propose Pope Francis to hold a concert
in the Vatican to commemorate the centenary of the genocide.

Remind that Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass at Basilica of San
Pietro in April 12 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The Catholcios
of All Armenians is expected to attend the Mass.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/17/charles-aznavour-to-meet-pope-francis-ahead-of-armenian-genocide-centennial/

http://www.adnkronos.com/fatti/cronaca/2015/03/14/armenia-charles-aznavour-udienza-dal-papa-mercoledi-anni-genocidio_FnwBRnrF8PxtEAPTr5E0AP.html?refresh_ce

[Yervant1]

TURKEY WILL NEVER MATURE AS NATION IF IT REFUSES TO ADMIT TO EVIL: NUSAN PORTER IN BOSTON GLOBE

14:25, 17 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. It would take a psychiatrist schooled
in political psychology to understand Turkey's motives. As reports
"Armenpress", Jack Nusan Porter stated this in his recent article
published in The Boston Globe.

Nusan Porter is a writer, a research associate at the Davis Center
for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, is former
treasurer and vice president of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars and the author of a number of books, including
"Genocide and Human Rights" and "The Genocidal Mind."

Among other things, the author stated: "Sadly, Turkey has a deep
inferiority complex, especially its leaders, who have brainwashed
their people into believing all this. Germany is a strong country
that knows that you first have to admit an evil to yourself in order
for you to mature as a nation.

Turkey, in short, needs to grow up. Sadly, as it becomes more and more
fundamentally Islamic, it will be less likely to recognize someone
else's pain.

Worse, the United States and Israel also do not recognize the genocide
because of Turkish pressure. So, in a way, those nations also have
to mature."

"America and Israel do not need Turkey. They must stand up to Turkey
and put pressure on the country to recognize the genocide. But first
and foremost, they must recognize it themselves.

I feel that, in time, the Turkish people, who I love dearly, will rise
up and get the leaders they deserve, as will all Muslim countries,"
the author concluded.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/797965/turkey-will-never-mature-as-nation-if-it-refuses-to-admit-to-evil-nusan-porter-in-boston-globe.html

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2015/03/15/turkey-will-never-mature-nation-refuses-admit-evil/FiDZaHRG8dACd6tZtvmZ0O/story.html

[Yervant1]

PARLIAMENT OF POLAND HAS DRAFTED NEW RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

16:58, 17 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 17 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of the Centennial
of the Armenian Genocide, the Parliament of Poland has drafted a
new resolution that will be put up for a vote in the week preceding
April 24, 2015. This is what Vice-President of the European Parliament
Richard Charneski said during the 4th plenary session of the Euronest
Parliamentary Assembly. "This year Armenians will be commemorating
the victims of the tragedy that took place 100 years ago. As a
Member of the Parliament of Poland, I take pride in the fact that
the Parliament of Poland was one of the world's first parliaments to
condemn and recognize the Armenian Genocide,"Charneski mentioned, as
"Armenpress" reports.

Charneski informed with joy that the Parliament of Poland has drafted
a new resolution on the Armenian Genocide that the parliament will
put up for a vote in the week preceding April 24th.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/798008/parliament-of-poland-has-drafted-new-resolution-on-armenian-genocide.html

[Yervant1]

16:20 18/03/2015 » SOCIETY

Romanian people have no doubt that what happened in 1915 was genocide – journalist

The Romanian people know very well what happened to the Armenian nation at the beginning of the 20th century, and no one doubts that it was genocide, Karen Shebeshi, Romanian journalist of Armenian descent, commentator of Romanian National Television, told Panorama.am on the sidelines of “At the Foot of Mount Ararat” media forum in Yerevan.
“Regrettably, Romania has not officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, but no one whom I have spoken to has any doubt about what happened to the Armenian nation. We all know that it was genocide,” he said.
Referring to Ankara’s decision to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, 2015, when the Armenian Genocide centenary will be commemorated, Mr Shebeshi said, “This is a clownery. Every conscious person understands that this day has nothing to do with the Battle of Gallipoli.”

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

15:04 18/03/2015 » SOCIETY

Russian journalist: The sooner Turkey confronts its history the sooner it will get rid of burden of past

Acknowledgement of the historical truth is one of the guarantees of development, Russian historian, journalist, TV presenter and writer Leonid Mlechin told Panorama.am on the on the sidelines of the “At the Foot of Mount Ararat” media forum in Yerevan, commenting on Turkey’s policy of Armenian Genocide denial.
Mr Mlechin noted that Turkey’s propaganda does not have any serious significance in serious professional and public circles, adding that it is beyond any doubt that what happened in 1915 is genocide.
Commenting about Turkey’s decision to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, 2015, the Russian historian said that the sooner Turkey confronts its history the sooner it will get rid of the burden of the past.
First of all, the state that perpetrated the tragic events needs the acknowledgment of these events, he concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

13:46 18/03/2015 » SOCIETY

If Turkey felt it was a strong state, it would have courage to acknowledge truth – Greek journalist

Turkey’s denialist position in the Armenian Genocide issue demonstrates the weakness of the Turkish state, Dimitris Konstantakopoulos, a Greek journalist and expert, told Panorama.am on the sidelines of the “At the Foot of Mount Ararat” media forum in Yerevan.
Commenting on the coverage of the Armenian Genocide in Greece, Mr Konstantakopoulos said that the issue of Armenian Genocide is very important for the Greek people for several reasons.
First of all, he said, the Greek people know very well what genocide is as the Pontic Greeks have also experienced genocide.
Referring to Turkey’s policy of denial, the Greek expert noted that this demonstrates the weakness of Turkey.
“If Turkey felt that it was a strong state, it would have the courage to acknowledge the truth,” Mr Konstantakopoulos concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

12:21 18/03/2015 » POLITICS

People's Council of Syria holds session dedicated to Armenian Genocide Centennial

People's Council of Syria on Tuesday held a special session dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports.
Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Jihad al-Laham opened the session. In his remarks, he noted, “Looming days coincide with Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, that was committed by the Ottomans against the friendly Armenian people. In this regard, we express our absolute solidarity with the friendly Armenian people, as well as our Syrian Armenian compatriots, who fell victims to the heinous genocide by the Ottoman authorities. Today we recall the most horrible and tragic remembrance known to the history. We call on the international community and all the peoples in the world to be side by side against the murderers, executioners and terrorism that pose threat to the Middle East – in order to prevent further crimes against humanity, civilization and history.”
Afterwards, Mohammad Jihad al-Laham requested the parliamentarians of the People's Council of Syria to observe one minute’s silence in memory of more than 1.5 million innocent victims.
During the session, more than 20 parliamentarians representing different factions and chairpersons of the permanent commissions delivered speeches, in which they strongly condemned the grave crime committed against the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire, at the same time, calling on the international community to condemn the first genocide against humanity perpetrated in the 20th century.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

10:48 18/03/2015 » SOCIETY

Events in Mexico commemorate Genocide centennial

An event organized by Armenian communities of Mexico and the US West Coast marked the start of commemorations of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide in Mexico, Asbarezreports.
Mexican intellectuals, scholars, politicians and public figures, diplomats and journalists participated in the event.
During the event, the Ambassador of Armenia to Mexico Gregor Hovhannisian presented the program of events to be held from March through November, 2015, in Mexico.
On March 15, holy liturgy, dedicated to the memory of innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide was served at the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral by Archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera. Archbishop of Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church Hovnan Derderian and Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church in Latin America, Bishop Vardan Poghosyan attended at the liturgy.
At the end of the liturgy, on the behalf of the Armenian community of Mexico an Armenian cross-stone was given as a gift to Mexico City, that will become one of the exponents at Mexico’s National Museum of Civilizations from now on. Ambassador Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Director of the National Museum of Mexican Culture Carlos Vasquez, as well as member of the Los Angeles City Council Paul Krekorian, who specially arrived from California, took part in the ceremony of cross-stone installation.
The liturgy was widely covered by the Mexican media.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

10:18 18/03/2015 » DAILY PRESS

Zhoghovurd: Polish President to come to Armenia on April 24

Vice-President of the European Parliament Ryszard Czarnecki, who is participating in the Fourth Ordinary Session of Euronest PA ongoing in Yerevan, has told Zhoghovurd that he hopes he will represent the European Parliament and will be in Yerevan on April 24.
Asked whether Poland’s President will come to Yerevan to attend commemoration events dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, Mr Czarnecki said that Serzh Sargsyan has invited him to visit Yerevan on April 24 and the President will be in Armenia on that day.
French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin have announced that they will come to Yerevan on April 24.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

A big black eye for Norway! Shame on you Norway!

RUBEN MELKONYAN. "NORWAY MADE A STEP BACKWARDS IN TERMS OF MORAL STANDARDS."

March 17 2015

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced that she will not be
present at the ceremony commemorating the centennial of the Armenian
Genocide, highlighting that Norway puts value on relations with
Turkey, only the ambassador will be able to participate. Aravot.am
talked with turkologist Ruben Melkonyan on this matter. He said
that for several times we became convinced that in the context of
the Armenian Genocide issue, true political interests and universal
ethical standards encounter each other.

However, often the true political interests dominate or come out as
winners. "It is natural that ahead to the 100th anniversary and the
April 24 events, Turkey will try to further emphasize its geopolitical
importance by different styles, especially followed by the western
style, bribing and rousing the interest for different states and
international organizations not to attend the events hosted in
Armenia or attend the 100th anniversary of the Dardanelles battle,
it is common. It is sad that a prosperous and neutral country like
Norway can be given to Turkey's intrigues. In this case, the true
political interests won for Norway, and, unfortunately, a pretty bad
stigma was put to the Norwegian democracy, because in fact they made
a step backwards in terms of moral standards," he said.

Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/03/17/169297/

 

 

[Yervant1]

DANISH GENOCIDE EXPERT GIVES LECTURE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN COPENHAGEN

19:53, 17 March, 2015

COPENHAGEN, 17 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. A festival-exhibition was held at
the Oxenhallen Gallery of Copenhagen on 15-17 with the title "Days of
History". The main purpose of the event was to provide the public at
large with information about significant events that have taken place
in different periods of history and also touch upon the innovations
and historical developments in those periods. As "Armenpress" reports,
the exhibition also showcased the history of those times and sparked
people's interest in the historic events.

The festival-exhibition included lectures devoted to different topics
by experts in the relevant areas, as well as discussions and screenings
of cognitive films. Danish historian, genocide expert Matthias
Bjornlund also participated in the festival and delivered a lecture
on the Armenian Genocide in which he presented details such as when
and where the Armenian Genocide took place and under what conditions,
how the Scandinavian countries responded to the Armenian Genocide,
the motives behind the responses and several other major issues.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/798049/danish-genocide-expert-gives-lecture-on-armenian-genocide-in-copenhagen.html

[Yervant1]

There is no other word for it and there is no other word that will do it, it is GENOCIDE plain and simple!

 

THE DEAD BODY IN THE WARDROBE

Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 17 2015

JOOST LAGENDIJK
March 17, 2015, Tuesday

With April 24 clearly on the horizon, there is no escape anymore.

That day, people all around the world will remember the Armenian
Genocide. The Turkish government has made a shameless and
all-too-transparent effort to try and distract attention from this
centennial by shifting the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign
from April 25 to the same day. It won't work and it will unnecessarily
discredit Turkey.

In the run-up to April 24, much will be said and written about what
happened to the Ottoman Armenians in 1915. Thomas de Waal, a British
journalist and writer who works as a senior associate at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, decided to write a book titled
"Great Catastrophe: Armenians and Turks in the Shadow of Genocide" in
which he focuses on what came after 1915. De Waal is a specialist on
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and for good reasons he does not try
to write another history of the 1915-1916 events. The book starts with
a fair and balanced treatment of what has already been written about
the deportations and massacres that took place in those years. What
makes the book an invaluable contribution to the debate, however,
is his description of the long-term impact these traumatic events
have had on Turks but especially on Armenians, and his effort to go
beyond the question that has dominated the discussion for so long now:
Should these events be labeled as genocide or not?

De Waal makes his own position on this burning question clear at the
beginning of the book. He uses the term "Armenian Genocide" because,
after much reading, he "respectfully agreed with the scholarly
consensus that what happened to the Armenians in 1915-1916 did indeed
fit the 1948 United Nations definition of genocide. At the same time,
along with many others, I do so with mixed feelings, having also
reached the conclusion that the 'G-word' has become both legalistic
and over-emotional, and that it obstructs the understanding of the
historical rights and wrongs of the issue as much as it illuminates
them." That nuanced perspective sets the tone for the rest of the book.

De Waal underlines that for the first 50 years after 1915, the debate
among diaspora Armenians was not about 1915 but about the legitimacy
of Soviet Armenia. It was only after 1965 that genocide recognition
became crucial for identity-building among Armenians, especially
those living outside of the country. It took a long time for Turks
to understand this preoccupation but De Waal is optimistic that one
day Turkish society will come to terms with the issue of how up to 2
million Armenians "went missing" at the end of the Ottoman Empire. He
quotes Cengiz Aktar as saying that "the dead body is too heavy to
keep in the wardrobe."

But De Waal also highlights the problem of timing when he quotes an
Armenian from Diyarbakır, now living in New Jersey: "For the Turks,
100 years is too soon; for us, it is too late." As De Waal recognizes,
most Turks still reject the "genocide" label because they feel it
equates the actions of their grandfathers with those of the Nazis. For
the Armenians, there is simply no other term that can deliver justice
for the suffering of their own grandparents. De Waal tries to find a
way out of this trap, making it clear he personally prefers the term
"Great Catastrophe" but also accepting the fact that deleting the
word "genocide" from the debate or replacing it with, for instance,
"crimes against humanity," is unlikely to happen.

His conclusion: "Almost no one, it seems, admits to genocide. But
the only other way forward requires that Turkey shed its paranoia
about the implications of the word 'genocide'. This is a long-term
aspiration that is more likely to come about through enhanced
Armenian-Turkish dialogue than through confrontation. The word then
could become normalized and acceptable throughout Turkish society,
as it already has become for a small progressive group. Possibly,
the day when Turkish society as a whole accepts the word 'genocide'
in relation to the Armenians is the day when the Genocide can become
a Catastrophe again."

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists/columnist/joost-lagendijk/the-dead-body-in-the-wardrobe_375506.html

 

[Yervant1]

ACADEMIC CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE HELD IN ISTANBUL

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/133069/academic-conference-on-armenian-genocide-to-be-held-in-istanbul/

Bilgi University

ISTANBUL--Scholars from around the world will convene at Istanbul
Bilgi University on April 26, 2015, to participate in an international
conference entitled "The Armenian Genocide: Concepts and Comparative
Perspectives" and co-sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University, the
History Foundation in Turkey (Tarih Vakfı), and the Modern Armenian
History Chair at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The conference is part of the week-long series of activities
commemorating the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul
organized by DurDe, a Turkish human rights organization, and Project
2015, a US-based group helping to organize Armenians visiting Turkey
for the historic commemoration.

"This is a very important opportunity for scholars from around the
world to address critical aspects of the facts and history of the
Armenian Genocide here, in Istanbul, 100 years after it started," said
Bulent Bilmez, chair of Bilgi's history department and the History
Foundation in Turkey. "We hope that speaking openly about the shared
history of Armenians and the other peoples of Turkey--something that
has not always been possible--will help our society come to terms
with the past."

Among the scholars participating in the conference are Norman
Naimark, Jay Winter, Dirk Moses, Muge Göcek, Cathie Carmichael,
Keith Watenpaugh, Ugur Umit Ungör, and Mehmet Polatel. The gathering
will probe the concept of genocide from a comparative perspective,
explore the forced transfer of children, and examine how the genocide
has been mapped in historiography and memorialized and enshrined in
collective and historical memory.

"To those who have suggested that historians review the history of the
Armenian Genocide we say, 'We are coming to Istanbul to do just that,
with fellow historians in Turkey,' " said Sebouh Aslanian, Richard
Hovannisian Endowed Chair of Modern Armenian History at the History
Department of the University of California, Los Angeles. "A frank and
open discussion of the historical record is our way of contributing
to knowledge and education about the Armenian Genocide in Turkey."

Project 2015 will organize a bus service to the conference. It will
depart from the Intercontinental Hotel at 9:15 a.m. and will return by
7:30 p.m. An optional dinner may be organized at Bilgi after the event.

The conference will be open to all Project 2015 participants who
register by sending their information to armenianproject2015@gmail.com
and completing the registration form. Others wishing to attend should
write to daniel.ohanian@bilgi.edu.tr.

The full agenda will be available through www.bilgi.edu.tr by the
end of March.

Project 2015 has made study grants available to students wishing to
travel to Turkey for the commemoration activities.

For more information about the conference, please contact: In
Istanbul, Daniel Ohanian (Armenian, French, Turkish, English):
daniel.ohanian@bilgi.edu.tr In Los Angeles, Sebouh Aslanian (English,
Armenian): sebouhaslanian@gmail.com

For more information about Bilgi and the History Foundation, visit
bilgi.edu.tr, tarihvakfi.org.tr andfacebook.com/tarihvakfi.

For more information about the Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair of
Modern Armenian History of the Department of History of the University
of California, visit modernarmenianhistory.history.ucla.edu.

For more information about Project 2015 and a full list of
planned commemoration events, visitarmenianproject2015.org and
facebook.com/ArmenianProject2015. You can also follow them on Twitter
through @2015_Project and write to armenianproject2015@gmail.com with
your questions.

For more information about DurDe, visit durde.org and
facebook.com/yuzyillik.yuzlesme and follow @DurDeTr on Twitter.

[Yervant1]

A LECTURE BY HILMAR KAISER: "THE EXTERMINATION OF ARMENIANS IN THE DIARBEKIR REGION"

By MassisPost
Updated: March 17, 2015

WATERTOWN -- The Armenian Museum of America presents a Lecture by
Hilmar Kaiser titled "The Extermination of Armenians in the Diarbekir
Region". The event will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2015 2:00 PM -
4:00 PM at Adele & Haig Der Manuelian Galleries of the museum.

The lecture and slide presentation will introduce a new study on
Diarbekir in 1915 and present substantial new findings from the
Ottoman archives in Istanbul. For the first time, an order authorizing
mass-murder of Armenians will be presented. Moreover, the research on
Diarbekir has authenticated two documents from the post-war Ottoman
courts martial which were believed to have been lost. New light will
shed on the resistance against the genocide and the murder of Abidin
Nesimi Bey who condemned the atrocities.

Hilmar Kaiser received his Ph. D. from the European University
Institute, Florence, Italy. His research focuses on late Ottoman social
and economic history. He has published numerous studies including
"Genocide at the Twilight of the Ottoman Empire", in, Donald Bloxham
and A. Dirk Moses (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Genocide Studies,
Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, NY, 2010; "Regional
resistance to central government policies: Ahmed Djemal *****, the
governors of Aleppo, and Armenian deportees in the spring and summer
of 1915."

http://massispost.com/2015/03/a-lecture-by-hilmar-kaiser-the-extermination-of-armenians-in-the-diarbekir-region/

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CZECH MP: USE THE RIGHT WORD - ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS GENOCIDE

20:28, 17.03.2015

YEREVAN. - One needs to use right terms to be specific about history.

This requires to call Armenian Genocide a Genocide, Jaromir Stetina, a
member of the EU Parliament from the Czech Republic, said on Tuesday at
the plenary session of the Euronest parliamentary assembly in Yerevan.

The MP said that he had recently visited Rwanda, where the necessity
to recognize crimes against humanity is particularly evident. Even a
brief glance at Holocaust or Rwandan Genocide urges a swift recognition
of Armenian Genocide, too.

"If we want to stop further genocide and ethnic cleansing, let
us use right terms, right words. Armenian genocide was genocide,"
he concluded.

http://news.am/eng/news/257503.html

[Yervant1]

PANEL AT HARVARD ON 'ARMENIA 1915-AUSCHWITZ 1945'

11:52, 18 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

A special program commemorating the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide
and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, entitled
"Armenia 1915-Auschwitz 1945: Small Nations and Great Powers," will
take place on March 25 at Harvard University's Kennedy School of
Government, the Armenian Weeklyreports.

The event is co-sponsored by the Harvard Kennedy School European
Club, the Harvard College Armenian Students Association, the Mashtots
Chair in Armenian Studies at Harvard, and the National Association
for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). It is free and open to
the public.

Participating in the program will be Dr. Simon Payaslian, Charles K.

and Elisabeth M. Kenosian Professor of Modern Armenian History and
Literature, Department of History, Boston University; Marc A.

Mamigonian, director of Academic Affairs, NAASR; and Dr. James R.

Russell, Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies, Department of Near
Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University. Hovhannes
Ghazaryan, a graduate student in the Mid-Career Master in Public
Administration at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, will serve
as the moderator. Fr. Arsen Barsamian of St. James Armenian Church
of Watertown will offer an opening prayer in Armenian, and Russell
will give a concluding prayer in Hebrew.

The panelists will explore interrelationships between the Armenian
Genocide and the Holocaust, with particular attention paid to the
direct ties between the two genocides, some of the similarities and
differences in the genocidal processes as well as the denial of both
genocides, the role of self-defense on the part of Armenians and
Jews against the Ottomans and Nazis, respectively, and the role of
the Great Powers in the genocides and their aftermath. Following the
panelists' presentations, there will be a discussion period followed
by a reception.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/18/panel-at-harvard-on-armenia-1915-auschwitz-1945/