Armenian Genocide Commemorations List and related articles

[Yervant1]

France to host Armenian Genocide centennial event

16:15 * 07.03.15


A commemoration event dedicated Armenian Genocide is going to be held
in France as part of the ceremonies to mark the tragic crime's
centennial.

>From March 25 to 28, the Sorbonne University will host a debate
entitled, "The Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire in the World War I
Period".

An opening speech at the international event will be delivered by
French President Francois Hollande.

Citing it sources, the German publication Deutsche Welle reports that
the key event in Europe to commemorate the tragic anniversary will be
held in the French capital Paris. The City's Holocaust Center will
open an exhibition featuring the Genocide history.


http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/03/07/french-hollande/1610713

[Yervant1]

12:15 09/03/2015 » SOCIETY

Memorial to women victims of Armenian Genocide unveiled in Paris

On March 8, on the initiative of La Croix Bleue des Arméniens de France, as part of the events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide and on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, 100 roses were planted in Yerevan Park in Paris in commemoration of women victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and Ambassador of Armenia to France Vigen Chitechian headed the unveiling of the memorial, near the Statue of Komitas, the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

Numerous members of the Council of Paris, politicians, public figures and officials, representatives of cultural and media circles, hundreds of French Armenians and Paris residents participated in the event.

In his remarks, Ambassador Chitechian expressed gratitude to the authorities of Paris and France for their stressed caring and constant attitude to the commemoration of the predecessors of their citizens of Armenian origin.

The Ambassador’s speech was followed by the unveiling ceremony.

The inscription of the memorial reads: “In commemoration of the women victims of the Armenian Genocide, those who disappeared without a trace, as well as those who survived and conveyed the memory.”

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

WHY DOES TURKEY CONTINUE TO DENY ARMENIAN GENOCIDE?

13:00, 09 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Boston Globe has published an articpel by Armenian novelist
Chris Bohjalian:

One night in November, 2009, I heard Gerda Weissmann Klein speak at
the University of Texas. A Holocaust survivor, Gerda's 1957 memoir,
"All But My Life," chronicles her harrowing ordeal in labor camps and
death marches during World War II. During the question and answer
period, someone asked, "What do you say to Holocaust deniers?" She
shrugged and said, "I really don't have to say much. I simply tell
them to ask Germany. Germany doesn't deny it."

I recalled that exchange last month when President Recep Erdogan
of Turkey was asked about the Armenian genocide. He responded,
"Let's remove the 1915 events from the area of politics and refer
to science and scientists." He then chastised the Armenian president
Serzh Sargsyan for rejecting his invitation to visit Turkey on April
24 for the centennial commemoration of the Battle of Gallipoli,
saying the rebuff "violated protocols of courtesy."

Why did the Armenian president pass on the chance to join Erdogan on
the site of the battle? Because April 24 is also the centennial of
the start of the Armenian genocide, and he will be at the Armenian
Genocide Memorial that day. It was the night of April 24, 1915, when
the Armenian intellectuals, professionals, editors, and religious
leaders in Constantinople were rounded up by the Ottoman authorities,
and almost all of them were executed. In the years that followed,
three out of every four Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were
systematically annihilated by their own government: 1.5 million
people. The majority of Armenians alive today are descendants of
those few who survived.

But Turkey denies the facts -- as does oil-rich Azerbaijan. (Moreover,
some of Turkey's allies, including the United States, find euphemisms
for the word "genocide.") And while there are many thousands of Turkish
citizens who want their country to face its past and acknowledge
the crimes of its World War I leaders, no one expects Ankara to
follow Berlin's lead anytime soon and build -- to use the name of the
poignant and powerful Holocaust monument near the Brandenburg Gate --
a Memorial to the Murdered Armenians of the Ottoman Empire.

The reality is that for nearly a century, Turkish leaders have worked
fanatically to falsify the historical record. President Erdogan asking
scientists or historians to weigh in on the genocide is rather like
asking scientists to weigh on global climate change. They have. The
International Association of Genocide Scholars unanimously considers
the cataclysmic ethnic cleansing of the Anatolian Plains genocide.

Just last month, a Kurdish member of the Turkish Parliament, Ahmet
Turk, acknowledged his Kurdish ancestors' role in the nightmare and
apologized to the Armenians for the "blood on our hands." Even the
first postwar Turkish government convicted the three architects of
the genocide of "crimes against humanity" in 1919 and sentenced them
to death in absentia. It was not until the second postwar government
took over in 1924 -- the government led by Gallipoli hero Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk -- that Turkey began to rewrite history and sweep under
the rug the death of 1.5 million people.

And why do they get away with it? It's not merely that our memories
are short and news cycles move on; it's the political reality that
so many Western nations viewed Turkey as the last stop against Soviet
expansion during the Cold War.

Holding the Gallipoli commemoration on the very day that is
acknowledged by Armenians around the world as Genocide Memorial Day
is too offensive and obvious to be Machiavellian. It's appalling. It
is emblematic of the Turkish government's aggressive and insulting
approach to reconciliation with Armenia.

But it does raise a question: Where will our American leaders be on
April 24? Will they be in Armenia, standing in memory for those whose
stories were silenced in Der-el-Zor and Ras-el-Ain and the Dudan
Crevasse? Or will they be in Turkey, at a commemoration designed
specifically to keep those Armenian voices forever stilled?

Chris Bohjalian is the author of 17 novels, including one about the
Armenian genocide, "The Sandcastle Girls."

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/09/why-does-turkey-continue-to-deny-armenian-genocide/

[Yervant1]

LA COUNCILMEMBER O'FARRELL INTRODUCES "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL SQUARE"

10:13, 09 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell introduced a motion
in the Los Angeles City Council last week, directing the Los Angeles
Department of Transportation to name the "Little Armenia" intersection
of Hollywood Blvd and Western Ave 'Armenian Genocide Memorial Square'
and to erect memorial signs in the area. The item will return to
council for a vote in the next couple of weeks, Massis Post reports.

The following is the motion as introduced:

The City of Los Angeles is home to one of the largest communities of
the Armenian Diaspora. The vast Armenian Diaspora can be primarily
attributed to the Armenian Genocide in 1915, perpetrated by Ottoman
Turkey, during which one and a half million Armenians were massacred
and many more forced to flee their ancestral homeland.

One hundred years later, there is still no recognition of these
historical facts by the Turkish government, the successor state
of the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian community in Los Angeles works
tirelessly to achieve this recognition from the Turkish government
and from governments throughout the world in order to raise awareness
of this heinous crime against humanity.

April 24th, 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Every year, Armenian communities in Southern California organize
events to raise awareness of the Genocide and to honor those who lost
their lives in 1915. The largest of these events is an annual march
by thousands of people, which takes place in Little Armenia. This
year, for the 100th year without recognition, the march will have a
different design and is expected to draw the largest turnout to date.

This year's event is called "The March for Justice." It will begin in
Little Armenia and end six miles away at the Turkish Consulate. This
annual march raises awareness for not only the Armenian Genocide,
but also promotes the importance of working together to prevent
genocides elsewhere in the world.

The centennial of the Armenian Genocide marks 100 years of the Armenian
community living without recognition of their past.

Considering that the march takes place in Little Armenia, the symbolism
of naming a square in honor of Armenian Genocide Remembrance would be
overwhelmingly appreciated by the Armenian community in Los Angeles
and throughout the world. Little Armenia, located in the 13th Council
District, is the only designated Armenian neighborhood in the nation;
and naming a square, in Little Armenia, that honors the one and
half million lives lost 100 years ago would be cherished by all
Armenians. The City can assist in creating this tangible space of
commemoration for a community that deserves a physical landmark in
honor of their continued struggle.

I THEREFORE MOVE that the intersection at Hollywood Boulevard and
Western Avenue be named as "Armenian Genocide Memorial Square" and
that the Department of Transportation be directed to erect permanent
ceremonial sign(s) to this effect at this location.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/09/la-councilmember-ofarrell-introduces-armenian-genocide-memorial-square/

[Yervant1]

SPECIAL PROJECT. SURVIVORS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. MKHITAR TER-SEROBYAN ABOUT MASSACRES OF THE VILLAGE OF YERITSU

Aysor.am is launching the third series of project "Armenian Genocide:
Breaking the Silence." Under the headline "Survivors" we will regularly
present the testimonies of survivors of the 1915 Armenian massacres
in the Ottoman Turkey.

Testimony of survivor Mkhitar Ter-Serobyan about deportations
and massacres of Armenians of the village of Yeritsu, Alashkert,
Karakilisa region, Bayazet province.

"The previous conditions in the village: After the all-European war,
the village of Yeritsu had 60 houses with Armenian residents. The
village had 1,000 sheep, 3,000 head of cattle, 200 ploughs, 3 mills,
two orchards with 600 trees. The village had a newly-built church -
Saint Hovhannes Church and priest Ter Mesrop Gasparyan (he died during
deportation). One of the villagers, Mkho Nhoeyan, had a wonderful
Gospel, and Ghukas Ter-Kirakosyan had an ancient handwritten Narek.

They took along those books when they left the village, but lost
them en route. The village school had 40 pupils and a teacher with
a budget of 15 Ottoman liras.

The current state of the village: The village is now completely ruined,
Russian soldiers live in it, all the houses were destroyed and all
firewood burned.

Draft: When Turkey started the draft, 30 men from Yeritsu village were
conscripted. 20 of them fled at the first opportunity, ten others
served in another army. Another nine men also fled, and nothing is
known about the fate of the remaining man - Misak Khlghatyan. As a
wartime tax, the government took 100 khalvars (30 poods) of wheat
and barley from our village, 4 khalvars of cracked wheat, 200 carts
of grass, 150 poods of oil, 300 pairs of shoes, socks, gloves, 200
blankets, think felt, 300 carts of seeds, 300 sheep, 250 head of
cattle, 1000 hens, and so on. Villagers in 30 carts and on120 oxen
were driven away to do labor. Turkish policemen seized those carts
and oxen in Dutagh.

In November 1914 the Russians entered Alashkert. Rich Turks and
military of Garakilisa came into Yeritsu village and then fled, taking
along the local residents' carts and oxen. The Russians stayed in
the area for six weeks and then retreated in December 1914, together
with villagers. Some villagers - 40 men, 8 women, two children -
died en route to Etchmiadzin . Most of them froze to death."

The project was prepared with the assistance of the Information and
Analytical Center of the Armenian Government Staff.

09.03.15, 10:00

Related news

Special Project. Survivors of Armenian Genocide. Aleksan Susyan's
testimony on massacres in village of Molla Suleyman Special
Project. Survivors of Armenian Genocide. Grigor Sargsyan's testimony
on massacres in Saghtun village Special Project. Survivors of Armenian
Genocide. Andranik Khcheyan's evidence about massacres in Alashkert
region Special Project. Survivors of Armenian Genocide. Evidence of
Haykanush Hloyants about massacres in Khnus Special Project. Survivors
of Armenian Genocide. Misak Aghbalyan on deportation of Karin
population

http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2015/03/09/Special-Project-Survivors-of-Armenian-Genocide/916052

[Yervant1]

ISRAELI PRESIDENT TO ATTEND PRAYER DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS MEMORY

10:18, 9 March, 2015

JERUSALEM, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS: The main event in Jerusalem, devoted to
the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, will take place on April 24
at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, where a liturgy of
commemoration will be held. The Head of the Armenian National Committee
of Israel Georgette Avagian told Armenpress that an agreement was
reached and the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin promised to attend
the Church on that day and commemorate the innocent victims of the
Armenian Genocide.

"He is the friend of the Armenian people. He talked about the Armenian
Genocide a lot and condemned it. Recently he has delivered a speech on
the Genocide at the UN. He promised to visit the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem on April 24 to pay tribute to the innocent
victims of the Genocide", - said Georgette Avagian, adding that the
participation of other authorities of Israel in the events is being
clarified.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/796853/israeli-president-to-attend-prayer-dedicated-to-armenian-genocide-victims-memory.html

[Yervant1]

GEORGE CLOONEY JOINS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL EFFORTS

10:44, 10 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Leaders in the Armenian diaspora, preparing to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide, have collaborated with Hollywood
celebrities and human rights advocates to create a prize to be awarded
annually to those who put themselves at risk to ensure that others
survive, The New York Timesreports.

The humanitarian prize, to be announced on Tuesday in New York, is
part of an expansive effort by prominent Armenians to ensure that
the history of the genocide by Turkish Ottoman troops, which is still
disputed by Turkey's government, is documented and archived through
the stories of survivors and their saviors, in ways similar to the
chronicling of the Jews' suffering in the Holocaust.

The effort, the Armenian sponsors said, will emphasize how survivors of
the genocide -- people who in some cases were protected by sympathetic
Turks -- went on to lead successful lives as they and their descendants
spread throughout the world, many of them relocating to Russia and
the United States.

About 1.5 million Armenians died from 1915 to 1923 in what is widely
acknowledged as the 20th century's first genocide. About 500,000
survived, many because of interventions by foreign individuals and
institutions. The official commemoration of the genocide in Armenia
begins next month.

"The humanity, generosity, strength and sacrifice shown by those who
saved so many Armenians compels us to tell these stories," said Ruben
Vardanyan, an Armenian investment banker and philanthropist who grew
up in Russia and is a co-sponsor of the commemoration effort, known
as the 100 Lives Initiative.

"My grandfather was saved by a missionary," Mr. Vardanyan said in an
interview, crediting his existence today to that event.

Along with commemorating the survivors and those who saved them, the
effort will establish a $1 million award, to be called the Aurora Prize
for Awakening Humanity, to be given starting next year. The winners
will not keep the money, instead presenting it to the organizations
that they identify as the inspirations for their work.

The award is named after a survivor of the genocide, Aurora
Mardiganian, who as a child was forced to witness the deaths of family
members. She devoted her life to raising awareness of the genocide
and starred in a 1919 film called "Ravished Armenia."

Mr. Vardanyan and his associates collaborated with Not On Our Watch,
an organization founded by George Clooney and other celebrities --
including Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt -- that seeks to
prevent mass atrocities. Its principal undertaking in the past few
years has been to document, through satellite imagery, evidence of
possible atrocities in parts of Africa; the effort is known as the
Satellite Sentinel Project.

In a statement, Mr. Clooney said his group shared a common goal with
the Armenian sponsors, "to focus global attention on the impact of
genocide as well as putting resources toward ending mass atrocities
around the world."

Members of the selection committee for the prize, which has yet to
be finalized, resembles a Who's Who of personalities in human rights
advocacy and Armenian success. They include Mr. Clooney as well as the
Nobel Peace Prize winners Elie Wiesel and Óscar Arias; Mary Robinson,
a former United Nations high commissioner for human rights; Gareth
Evans, an adviser to the United Nations on genocide prevention; and
Vartan Gregorian, an Iranian-born American academic who is president
of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Mr. Clooney is to award the inaugural prize at a ceremony to be held
in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, on April 24, 2016, the sponsors
said in a statement.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/10/george-clooney-joins-%e2%80%aaarmenian-genocide%e2%80%ac-centennial-efforts/

[Yervant1]

TREES PLANTED IN TEHRAN ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

13:13, 10 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 10 MARCH, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Genocide 100th Anniversary
Committee of the Diocese of Tehran has announced pan-community tree
planting on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide.

"Alik" newspaper informs "Armenpress" that the martyrs' memorial
alley will have its unique place in the corner of the "Sohanak"
beautiful garden.

During tree planting 100 trees were planted, which symbolize the
100 year of Armenian Genocide. Haghghani, the deputy director of
the Department of Natural Resources of Tehran, also attended the
event. He highly appreciated the idea of the event and stated that a
plaque could be posted in the alley, which will remind that the park
is dedicated to the memory of the Armenian victims.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/797061/trees-planted-in-tehran-on-100th-anniversary-of-armenian-genocide.html

[Yervant1]

GERMAN HISTORIAN ANNOUNCES DISCOVERY OF 2000 PAGES OF GENOCIDE DOCS

March 10, 2015 - 19:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Just before the world commemorates the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, well-known German historian
Michael Hesemann announced the discovery of 2000 pages of hitherto
unpublished documents on, what he calls "the greatest persecution of
Christians in history" in the Vatican Secret Archives, ZENIT reports.

In this in-depth analysis with ZENIT, the historian discusses his
findings, what's often not realized about the Armenian Genocide,
and its victims, items which he discusses in his new book.

He also speaks about the Holy Father's recent visit to Turkey, why
he didn't speak on the subject, and what people should realize about
the tragedy which happened then, and what's happening now.

"I was fascinated by the Armenian Genocide after reading a letter
written by the Cologne Archbishop--and I am from the Archdiocese of
Cologne--, Cardinal von Hartmann, who in 1913 wrote a letter to the
German Chancellor of the Reich requesting German support to prevent a
new Armenian Genocide after the withdrawal of the Russian troops from
Northeastern Turkey. And his words were very impressive. He confirmed
the Armenian Genocide of 1915/1916 and compared it with the early
persecutions of Christians like the Diocletian persecution of early
4th century.

He said because Germany was such a close ally to Turkey it would also
cause shame on the German name for future generations if it wouldn't
do anything to stop it. I immediately realized how right he was and
that he was a voice of justice in the middle of this horrible World
War I. And then I asked myself: What did Germany do after World War
I and even today to tell the world what it knew about these horrible
events, just to prevent that history repeats itself - nothing indeed!

Then in 1939, Adolf Hitler met with his leading generals in his
"Berghof" near Berchtesgaden, his headquarters in the mountains, and
announced his plans for Poland: the completely recklessly slaughter
of the Polish elite and all the other atrocities. He ordered to
proceed with the utmost, merciless brutality, since "history is
always written by the victors' and, anyway, "Who is talking about
the Armenian Genocide today?" So obviously the denial or the cover
up of the Armenian Genocide made Hitler's brutality in Poland and
eventually the Holocaust possible? It seems so. If you do not tell
the story, history will always repeat itself. So I thought it was my
responsibility as a historian who has access to the Vatican Secret
Archives since 2008 to look for more documents. I became curious
and in some way fascinated by the subject. I wanted to know what
really happened.

So I found documents and documents and documents, more than 2000
pages, most of them never before published, researched, or evaluated
by any historian. Of course, I educated myself on any aspect of the
Genocide, read the works of all the leading contemporary historians
in this field like Kevorkian, Dadrian and others and just realized
that I am entering a brand new territory, adding a new aspect to
their important work. The sources we have on the Armenian Genocide
are, of course, the German documents, both coming from the officers
and diplomats stationed in the Ottoman Empire, which we find in the
Archives of the German foreign office. Another important stock were
the American diplomat's reports and, of course, the brilliant report
by the American Ambassador in Constantinople, Henry Morgenthau. Of
course we also have intelligence reports from both the British and
the French and the reports of the Italian diplomats in Turkey. But
the Vatican documents are an excellent, first class new source of
information," Hesemann said.

"The massacres happened after the Turks searched the Armenian's homes
for weapons and used any weapon they found as an "evidence" for a
conspiracy or planned revolt, which, of course, was nonsense - people
on the countryside needed to have their guns for self-defense. Then
all men were arrested, tortured, lead outside the towns or villages
and were massacred. Well, how can you resettle the people if you
kill all the men? This is the end of future generations. Without men,
you can't have families.

Then all the women, the elderly and the children were sent on foot
to the new destination, hundreds of miles through the mountainous
highlands of Anatolia, often enough with no food and water at all.

Sometimes they were not even allowed to drink from the rivers they
passed. They were raped and robbed, by mountain tribes, released
prisoners and their own police guards, and of the few which survived
those death marches - often enough only 5 percent - many were left
completely nude, dirty and ashamed, under the hot Turkish sun and in
the cold of the nights.

Still some 350,000 who arrived in the Syrian Desert were put into
concentrations camps, with no food and very little water and deadly
epidemics going around. And those who survived for another half a year
were sent on new death marches deeper into the desert or were just
massacred.So at the end, maybe a couple tens of thousands survived.

Many of them orphans. Benedict XV later donated two orphanages to
give at least some of them shelter."

"Turkish government tries to do everything to suppress the treatment
of the Armenian Genocide in the schoolbooks of the free world, or to
prevent recognition of the Armenian Genocide as genocide.

Of course, the term genocide can be discussed, but according to
the definition by the United Nations any mass killing of a group or
population, also if it is a religious group, is termed "genocide".

Because in the end, Armenians weren't killed because they were
Armenian, but because they were Christians. Armenian women were even
offered to be spared if they convert to Islam. They were then married
into Turkish households or sold on slave markets or taken as sex
slaves into brothels for Turkish soldiers, but at least they survived.

A whole group of Islamized Crypto-Armenians was created by this offer
to embrace Islam. But at least it shows that the Armenians were not
killed because they were Armenians, but because they were Christians,
and for the same reason the Syrian Christians were killed too.

So it should be considered as both: A genocide by definition of the
United Nations and, at the same time, the greatest persecution of
Christians in history, when altogether 2.5 million were killed - 1.5
million Armenians and about one million Syrian and Greek Christians,"
Hesemann concludes.

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/189118/German_historian_announces_discovery_of_2000_pages_of_Genocide_docs

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/the-greatest-persecution-of-christians-in-history-part-i

[Yervant1]

CITY OF GLENDALE DESIGNATES APRIL 2015 AS "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION MONTH"

By MassisPost
Updated: March 10, 2015

GLENDALE - The Glendale City Council Tuesday presented a proclamation
designating the Month of April 2015 as "Armenian Genocide Commemoration
Month." Mayor Zareh Sinanyan presented the proclamation during
the regular session of the City Council to representatives of the
Armenian-Genocide Centennial Committee of Western United States.

The Glendale City Council also unanimously passed a Resolution
designating April 2015 as the "Month of Commemoration of Centennial
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide"; and Taking Actions Necessary
to Ensure the City and its Institutions Including Schools, Libraries
and Publicly Owned Museums Properly Commemorate, Inform and Provide
Education About the Genocide.

Below is the text of the Resolution:

RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE DESIGNATING APRIL
2015 AS THE "MONTH OF COMMEMORATION OF THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE"; AND TAKING ACTIONSNECESSARY TO ENSURE THE
CITY AND ITS INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES AND PUBLICLY
OWNED MUSEUMS PROPERLY COMMEMORATE, INFORM AND PROVIDE EDUCATION
ABOUT THE GENOCIDE

WHEREAS, the Armenian people were subjects of a systematic and
premeditated Genocidal campaign which began on April 24, 1915, at
the hands of the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire from
1915-1919, and which continued at the hands of the Kemalist Movement
of Turkey from 1920-1923 whereby over 1.5 million Armenian men, women
and children were slaughtered or marched to their deaths in an effort
to annihilate the Armenian Nation in the First modem Genocide of the
20th century, while thousands of surviving Armenian women and children
were forcibly converted and Islamized, and hundreds of thousands more
were subjected to ethnic cleansing during the period of the modern
Republic of Turkey from 1924-1937; and

WHEREAS, during the genocides of the Christians living in the Ottoman
Empire and surrounding regions which occurred during the first half
of the 20th Century, hundreds of thousands of Assyrians, Greeks
and other Christians, lost their lives at the hands of the Ottoman
Turkish Empire and the Republic of Turkey, and WHEREAS, these crimes
against humanity also had the consequence of permanently removing all
traces of the Armenians and other targeted people from their historic
homelands of more than four millennia, and enriching the perpetrators
with the lands and other property of the victims of these crimes,
including the usurpation of several thousand churches; and

WHEREAS, in response to the Genocide and at the behest of the
President Woodrow Wilson and the U.S. State Department, the
Near East Relief organization was founded, and became the first
Congressionally-sanctioned American philanthropic effort created
exclusively to provide humanitarian assistance and to rescue the
Armenian Nation and other Christian minorities from annihilation,
who went on to survive and thrive outside of their ancestral homeland
all over the world and specifically in the State of California; and

WHEREAS, the planning and implementation of Genocide is indisputably
recognized in international law as a Crime Against Humanity and is
punishable as such, yet has remained unpunished for nearly one hundred
years, as the government of Turkey is allowed with impunity to distort
history and to deny the Genocide and its consequences perpetrated
both by its Ottoman predecessor and its subsequent regimes despite
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by 23 countries,
including the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Turkey inexplicably and adamantly has
denied the occurrence of the crimes against humanity committed by
the Ottoman and Young Turk rulers for many years, and continues to
do so a full century since the first crimes constituting genocide
occurred despite the Turkish governments' earlier admissions and the
overwhelming proof of genocidal intent; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Turkey has escalated its international
campaign of Genocide denial; it maintains its illegal blockade of
humanitarian aid to the Republic of Armenia, and steadily increases its
pressure on any movement in Turkey acknowledging the Armenian Genocide
and seeking justice for its victims and other persecuted indigenous
minorities; and WHEREAS, this resolution declares that the Glendale
City Council deplores the persistent, ongoing efforts by any person,
in this country or abroad, to deny the historical fact of the Armenian
Genocide and its related atrocities; and WHEREAS, every person should
be made aware of and educated about the Armenian Genocide and other
crimes against humanity, and know that April 24, 1915 is globally
recognized as the commencement of the Armenian Genocide and that 2015
marks the centennial anniversary since its commencement.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE
AS FOLLOWS:

1. That April 2015 is hereby designated as the "City of Glendale Month
of Commemoration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915-1923â~@³, in order to ensure that the Armenian Genocide is
properly commemorated and taught to the community at large, to the
schools, their faculty and student body, and to visitors to Glendale
through educational and cultural events.

2. That the Glendale City Council hereby commends the extraordinary
service which was delivered by Near East Relief to the survivors of
the Armenian Genocide and Assyrian Genocide, including thousands of
direct beneficiaries of American philanthropy who are the parents,
grandparents, and great-grandparents of many Californian residents,
and the City Council reaffirms its commitment to working with
community groups, nonprofit organizations, City personnel, and the
Glendale Unified School District to host campus wide educational
events dedicated specifically to these efforts as an important part
of American history.

3. That the Glendale City Council calls upon the President of
the United States to work toward equitable, constructive, stable,
and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of
Turkey's full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences
of the Armenian Genocide, and toward a fair, just, and comprehensive
international resolution of this crime against humanity, including
reparations to the Armenian nation.

4. That the Glendale City Council transmit copies of this Resolution to
the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker
of the United States House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader
of the United States Senate, to each United States Senator and Member
of Congress from California, to the Governor of California, and every
member of the California State Legislature, to the California State
Superintendent of Instruction, and to the Turkish Ambassador to the
United States.

http://massispost.com/2015/03/city-of-glendale-designates-april-2015-as-armenian-genocide-commemoration-month/

[Yervant1]

AMAL CLOONEY SUPPORTS HUSBAND GEORGE AS HE CHAMPIONS HUMAN RIGHTS

Hello! Magazine
March 11 2015

11 MARCH 2015

George Clooney may have been guest of honour at the 100 LIVES
initiative, but it was an event that held as much resonance with
his lawyer wife Amal. The couple stepped out on Tuesday to attend
the New York event, which was marking the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.

Amal, who specialises in human rights, international law, criminal
law and extradition, scored high in the style stakes as she joined
her husband for the poignant affair.

The Lebanese beauty flaunted her svelte figure in a quirky indigo
dress, which featured sheer panels and embroidered cut out sides.

Amal, 37, proudly watched on as her husband George took to the stage
to speak about the importance of getting involved with 100 LIVES. The
initiative expresses gratitude to individuals and institutions who
helped save Armenian lives by carrying out heroic deeds.

George reiterated the need to combat genocide and advance human
rights - a topic his wife is familiar with - as he said: "We really
want people to get involved with 100 LIVES, to celebrate those that
overcome adversity and give back to others, just as the Armenian
community is doing in this centenary year."

"The humanity, generosity, strength and sacrifice shown by those who
saved so many Armenians compel us to tell these stories."

George, 53, added: "Now is the time to shine a light on those most
extraordinary lives, to build on the lessons they teach us, and to
express our gratitude for what they did."

The night also marked the launch of the Aurora Prize for Awakening
Humanity, a new global humanitarian award that will be given to people
who put themselves at risk to enable others to survive and thrive.

George will award the inaugural prize at a ceremony in Yerevan,
Armenia on 24 April next year.

The Gravity star has previously said: "It should weigh heavily on
all of us that genocide still takes place today. We have to tackle
this head on, as individuals, as communities and as governments."

An estimated 1.5 million people died during the Armenian Genocide
between 1915 and 1923.

The 100 LIVES initiative was founded by philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan
and Noubar Afeyan and humanitarian Vartan Gregorian to demonstrate the
impact it had, and how many of its survivors went on to lead successful
lives in the worlds of culture, art, sports, science and business.

http://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2015031123943/amal-clooney-george-armenian-genocide-event/

[Yervant1]

GEORGE CLOONEY AND WIFE AMAL ALAMUDDIN ATTEND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INITIATIVE IN NYC

Design & Trend
March 11 2015

Peter Black , Design & Trend Staff Writer
Mar, 11, 2015, 01:16 PM

George Clooney attended the launch of the 100 LIVES Initiative, a human
rights group designed to honor those who died, and those who saved
lives, during the Armenian Genocide, in New York City Tuesday night.

"I am honored to be associated with 100 Lives, as it shares a common
mission with my foundation, Not On Our Watch, to focus global attention
on the impact of genocide as well as putting resources towards ending
mass atrocities around the world," Clooney, speaking alongside 100
LIVES founder Ruben Vardanyan, said at the event, according to PR
NewsWire.

Clooney, 53, attended the event with wife Amal Alamuddin, an
international civil rights lawyer who is currently fighting to get
Turkish politician Dogu Perincek thrown in jail for denying the
Armenian Genocide, which claimed over 1.5 million lives between 1915
and 1923.

In 2013, Perincek successfully argued on appeal that "his right to
free speech was violated when Swiss courts convicted him of denying
the genocide in 2005," according to the The New York Post. Amal wants
the appeal reversed.

Alamuddin's humankind contributions arguably dwarf her husband's,
a fact Tina Fey and Amy Poehler poked fun at at this year's Golden
Globes.

"George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year," said Fey. "Amal is
a human-rights lawyer, who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor
to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person U.N.

commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So
tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime-achievement award."

Upon taking the stage to receive the award, Clooney, choking back
tears, said of his new wife, "Listen: It's a humbling thing when you
find someone to love-even better when you've been waiting your whole
life. And when your whole life is 53 years, Amal, whatever alchemy
it is that brought us together, I couldn't be more proud to be your
husband."

http://www.designntrend.com/articles/43530/20150311/george-clooney-wife-amal-alamuddin-attend-armenian-genocide-initiative-nyc.htm

[Yervant1]

POWER COUPLE GEORGE AND AMAL CLOONEY ATTEND 100 LIVES BENEFIT IN NYC

X17.com
March 11 2015

George and Amal Clooney are more than just a picture-perfect couple --
they're actually making a difference in the world!

Last night the two attended the 100 Lives Initiative in New York,
which recognized the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Clooney took the stage with 100 Lives co-founder Ruben Vardanyan
and told the crowd, "I am honored to be associated with 100 LIVES as
it shares a common mission with my foundation, Not On Our Watch, to
focus global attention on the impact of genocide as well as putting
resources towards ending mass atrocities around the world. It should
weigh heavily on all of us that genocide still takes place today. We
have to tackle this head on - as individuals, as communities and
as governments."

Between 1915 and 1923 the genocide claimed over 1.5 million lives,
and only 500,000 Armenians survived. Amal let her hubby do the talking
last night, but in January she represented Armenia in an appeal case
and appeared before Europe's top human rights court. A man named Dogu
Perincek was convicted of racism by Swiss courts in 2013 for denying
that the genocide ever occurred, describing it as "an international
lie." Perincek then appeared before the human rights court in December
of 2013 and they ruled in his favor. Amal was subsequently tapped
to represent Armenia in the appeal, and a decision is expected to be
reached later this year.

Clooney noted that the court's 2013 ruling was the "most important
error" and that it "cast doubt on the reality of the Armenian
genocide." We're glad these two are taking a stand -- they seem like
a pretty unbeatable team!

http://www.x17online.com/2015/03/amal_george_clooney_dinner_100_lives_armenian_genocide_nyc_photos_0311115

[Yervant1]

FLAGSHIP FOUNDER ENLISTS HELP OF GEORGE CLOONEY, OTHERS IN HUMANITARIAN EFFORT

Boston Business Journal
March 11 2015

Mar 11, 2015, 9:39am EDT
by Don Seiffert, BioFlash Editor

Noubar Afeyan is known locally as founder and head of Flagship
Ventures, one of the largest locally-based investors in early-stage
companies looking to save or improve lives by innovating heath care.

But Afeyan has also long been involved in philanthropic efforts to help
humanity, and he doesn't see the two activities as all that different.

"I actually do find a great deal of overlap between what I do in my
personal life and what I do professionally," Afeyan said.

This week, Afeyan is launching a new humanitarian effort with two
other internationally-known philanthropists, Russian entrepreneur Ruben
Vardanyan and Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corp., called
100 Lives. The initiative is rooted in next year's centennial of the
Armenian Genocide, in which 1.5 million people died at the hands of
the Ottoman government between 1915-1923, and one project will be to
uncover stories of survivors and people who saved lives during that
period. All three founders of 100 Lives are of Armenian descent.

But another project that is aimed at recognizing present day acts
of heroism has enlisted the help of George Clooney, founder of the
Not On Our Watch foundation which highlights genocide globally, as
well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, professor emeritus at
Boston University and survivor of the German Holocaust. That project,
called the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, will be given annually
by Clooney and Weisel to people who put themselves at risk to help
others starting next year.

It's a cause to which Afeyan owes his identity, in a sense. The
Armenian immigrant says his grandfather lived near Istanbul a
century ago, and twice was taken to be executed. He was saved,
in what Afeyan calls an "ironic" twist, by a German officer during
World War I. Since then, Armenians have "not only recovered, but have
struggled to survive" and now have strong communities in the U.S.,
including in Watertown, Massachusetts.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bioflash/2015/03/flagship-founder-enlists-help-of-george-clooney.html

[Yervant1]

Wow, so many articles about a nights event that no amount of money would be able to buy.

Thanks George and Amal Clooney for standing up for the truth.

 

LOCAL CEO JOINS GEORGE CLOONEY IN INITIATIVE

Boston Globe, MA
March 11 2015

Noubar Afeyan, CEO of the Cambridge-based biotech venture fund
Flagship Ventures, was in New York on Tuesday to launch 100 LIVES,
an initiative to oppose genocide and human rights abuses around the
world, and also celebrate the survivors and saviors of the Armenian
Genocide, which began 100 years ago. The charity has established the
Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, an annual grant of $1 million
to be awarded to a person who will then present the money to the
organization that inspired their action. The award committee includes
actor George Clooney, Nobel Peace Prize winners Elie Wiesel and Oscar
Arias, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson,
and human-rights activist Hina Jilani, among others. (Clooney will
award the inaugural prize in Armenia in April 2016.) We reached
Afeyan in New York, just as he and Clooney were about to announce the
initiative. "The prize is about modern acts of courage and humanity
through which lives of others are being saved," he said. "Acts of
courage and humanity that are taking place right now today."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2015/03/10/flagship-investments-ceo-joins-george-clooney-charity-inspired-survivors-and-saviors-armenian-genocide/V0AHd6OWxZ3Iu6lnnCk9MI/story.html

 

 

[Yervant1]

ROME, EXHIBITION ON 3000-YEAR HISTORY OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE

ANSA Med, Italy
March 6 2015

At the Vittoriano, to commemorate Genocide centenary

06 March, 11:39

(ANSA) - ROME - A land about which little is known, but rich in
history and culture. A people who suffered a lot throughout its
history but was always able to get up after falling. The ancient
Armenian civilization and resilience of its people are the focus of
the exhibition "Armenia. The People of the Ark", hosted from March
6 to May 3 by the Central Hall of the Vittoriano in Rome. This is a
tribute, Armenian Ambassador to Italy Sargis Ghazaryan underlined,
to the victims of the genocide - on the occasion of its centenary,
which will be commemorated on April 24 - but also "a great opportunity
to celebrate the 'rebirth' of the Armenian people". The exhibition,
the diplomat said during the presentation, "is a journey through the
3000-year history of the Armenian civilization, on the border between
the West and the East, through the metaphor of the Ark", (symbol of
strength against all odds and which, according to tradition, survived
the Flood, landing on Mount Ararat, ed). In the seven sections of
the exhibition, visitors will be able to see archaeological finds,
illuminated manuscripts, works of art, pictures, documents and
multimedia materials that help visitors discover the Armenian language
and its alphabet. Among the most valuable pieces, a stone cross dating
back to 6th-7th century, a cross with relics of St. George (1746)
and the Gospel of Queen Mlke, dating back to 862, usually held at the
Library of Mekhitarist Fathers in San Lazzaro Island, Venice. (ANSA).

http://www.ansamed.info/nuova_europa/en/news/sections/indepth/2015/03/06/rome-exhibition-on-3000-year-history-of-the-armenian-people_0777907a-34a6-426a-80ba-b5f5012fbd58.html

[Yervant1]

PRAGUE CONFERENCE TO REMEMBER 100 YEARS SINCE ARMENIANS GENOCIDE

CTK National News Wire, Czech Republic
March 10, 2015 Tuesday 10:07 AM (Central European Time)

Prague March 10 (CTK)

The genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey will be debated at a
conference staged by the Faculty of Law of Charles University in
Prague today and it will be attended by Eduard Sharmazanov, deputy
chairman of the Armenian parliament, among the guests.

On Monday, the 100th anniversary of the genocide, an exhibition
Genocide of Armenians - world press front pages was opened in Prague
to last until March 22.

The exhibition features the international period press that paid
great attention to the persecution of Armenians and their massacring.

Reporters from Britain, France, Russia and the United States wrote
about the Hamidian massacres in 1894-96, the atrocities in Adana
province of 1909 and the genocide in 1915-23.

Many reports dealt with the humanitarian consequences of the genocide,
including the fate of deported Armenians, care of the orphans and
the salvation of kidnapped women and children.

Another conference in Prague's Goethe Institute on Wednesday will
also discuss the genocide and the current Islamic fundamentalism.

It will be held under the aegis of the Armenian embassy and the
Italian Culture Institute in Prague.

The major guests will be Armenian ambassador to the Czech Republic
Tigran Seyrajnyan and the former Czech foreign ministers, Cyril
Svoboda and Karel Schwarzenberg.

[Yervant1]

I WISH TO DIE SINGING - VOICES FROM THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Finborough Theatre, UK
March 2015

Devised by Neil McPherson
Tuesday, 21 April - Saturday, 16 May 2015
The world premiere

"Who, after all, today remembers the annihilation of the Armenians? "
- Adolf Hitler, 1939

Commemorating the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the world
premiere of a documentary drama.

"On the night of Saturday, April 24th 1915, the Armenians of
Constantinople were snoring in a calm sleep - exhausted from their
Easter celebrations - while in the Central Police Station a secret
project was in motion..."

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century,
perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish Government against the Armenians,
a Christian minority in a Muslim state. One and a half million
people died.

The word 'genocide' itself was invented by Raphael Lemkin in 1943 to
describe the events of 1915. Adolf Hitler used the Armenian Genocide
as a direct inspiration for the Holocaust during the Second World War.

To this day, the Turkish government refuses to admit that any genocide
ever took place.

Commemorating the exact centenary of the deportations that began the
Armenian Genocide, I Wish To Die Singing - Voices From The Armenian
Genocide is a controversial documentary drama uncovering the forgotten
secrets and atrocities of a denied genocide - featuring eye-witness
reportage, images, music, poetry from Armenia's greatest poets, and
verbatim survivors testimonies from one of the greatest historical
injustices of all time.

http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2015/i-wish-to-die-singing.php

[Yervant1]

NEVADA GOVERNOR ISSUES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PROCLAMATION

12:59, 12 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, issued a proclamation commemorating the
Armenian Genocide, declaring April 19-26 as the "Day of Remembrance of
The Armenian Genocide," reported the Armenian Council of America (ACA).

Spearheaded by the ACA Nevada Chapter, the proclamation condemns the
systematic murder and deportations of 1.5 million Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire, highlighting the plight of the Armenian people and the
refuge they sought in the U.S. during that time, Massis Post reports.

The proclamation also honors the Armenian-American community in Nevada,
citing that the "thriving community is a proud reminder of survival
and determination even in the face of extreme injustice."

Calling upon the House of Representatives and the President of the
U.S. to recognize the atrocities, the proclamation also reiterates
Turkey's responsibility "to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian
Genocide."

A full text of the proclamation can be found below.

WHEREAS, on the night of April 24, 1915, more than 200 leaders in
the Armenian community, in the city known today as Istanbul, were
arrested. Sent to prison, most were executed, beginning a horrible,
systemic killing and forced relocation of the Armenian people that
would last until 1923. During these years, the government of the
Ottoman Empire claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and forced
500,000 more from their homeland. The Armenian Genocide was a terrible
breach of human rights and an event that has outraged the world; and

WHEREAS, the atrocities carried out against the Armenian people
were grave and unimaginable, as they were subjected to deportation,
abduction, torture, starvation, and more. And as with any violent
conflict, Armenian women and children suffered the worst abuses. The
bulk of the Armenian population that was displaced from their homes
was forced to escape to neighboring as well as faraway countries. Many
fled to the United States; and

WHEREAS, today Nevada is honored to be home to a vibrant growing
Armenian-American population. This thriving community is a proud
reminder of survival and determination even in the face of extreme
injustice; and

WHEREAS, as Americans and Nevadans, it is our duty to raise awareness
of the Armenian Genocide and to participate in the remembrance and
mourning of the loss of innocent lives a century ago; and

WHEREAS, as Americans and Nevadans, we call upon Congress and the
President of the United States to recognize the atrocities committed
against the Armenian people, and call upon the Republic of Turkey
to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and work toward a
just resolution;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRIAN SANDOVAL, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA,
do hereby proclaim April 19-26, 2015, as

DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/12/nevada-governor-issues-armenian-genocide-proclamation/

[Yervant1]

EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OPENED IN ESTONIA

13:33, 12 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. On March 20 an exhibition titled
"Armenian Genocide: Front Page Coverage in the World Press" was
officially opened in the National Library of Estonia.

The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov, Armenia's Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to the Baltic countries Ara Ayvazyan, spiritual pastor
of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Baltic States, Father Khosrov
Stepanyan, Head of the Church Council of Estonia Anders Pyder, Head
of the Armenian Community in Estonisa Razmik Ivanian, Director General
of the National Library of Estonia Janne Andresoo, as well as several
political, public and cultural figures attended the opening ceremony
of the exhibition.

The Information and Public Relations Department of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia informed "Armenpress" that at the
opening ceremony of the exhibition delivering a speech, the Deputy
Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Eduard
Sharmazanov has particularly mentioned that Turkey unfortunately
continues its policy of denial: instead of facing its own history,
recognizing the Armenian Genocide and rapprochement with Armenia,
Turkey has illegally been blockading the Republic of Armenian for
more than two decades. According to the NA Deputy Speaker, Turkey
thwarted the ratification process of the Armenian-Turkish protocols,
unjustly linking the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement with the NK
conflict settlement process.

The RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Baltic
States Ara Ayvazyan, Head of the Church Council of Estonia Anders
Pyder, the Estonian MP Igor Gryazin and Estonian Historian Lembo
Tanning has also come up with speeches at the opening ceremony.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/797380/exhibition-devoted-to-armenian-genocide-opened-in-estonia.html

[Yervant1]

CANONIZATION CEREMONY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MARTYRS TO BE AIRED IN GREECE

09:16, 12 March, 2015

ATHENS, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The main ceremony of commemoration of
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Greece will be on
April 19 in Syntagma Square of Athens. An event will be held on that
very day, on the initiative of the Armenian community and the Greek
state. The representatives of the Greek parliament, government,
Ambassadors accredited to Greece, as well as cultural and public
figures will attend the event.

In a conversation with "Armenpress", the Chairman of the Armenian
National Committee of Greece Kerob Ekizyan stated that it is considered
that the Greek political figures will make speeches at the event.

"People in Greece will follow the satellite broadcasting of the
ceremony of canonization of the Armenian Genocide martyrs, which
will be held at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. This way the
Greek-Armenians and Greece will participate in the canonization
ceremony," Ekizyan concluded.

The Armenian Apostolic Church will be canonizing the victims of the
Armenian Genocide on April 23, 2015. This is the first time in 400
years, the Church will resume the rite of canonization.

There is no special number for Canonization, because it is not clear
how many genocide victims were followers of the Apostolic Church;
it will be a collective ritual.

The canonization will be an unprecedented event since the last saint
that was proclaimed and is remembered is St. Movses Tatevatsi, who
was canonized in the 18th century.

There are four conditions for Canonization, they are martyrdom for
the faith and the fatherland, pious life - pious behavior of an
individual or a collective, existence of miracles alive or dead,
and preaching the faith, spreading the belief.

The Armenian Church does not bestow sanctification, it merely
recognizes the saints or the sanctity of those people.

The ritual of canonization will be held at the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and will probably start at 16:00 and end at 19:15, which
will symbolize the year 1915. At the end, the bells of all Armenian
churches of the world will ring, after which there will be a moment
of silence and the Lord's Prayer.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/797321/canonization-ceremony-of-armenian-genocide-martyrs-to-be-aired-in-greece.html

[Yervant1]

ARMENIA PRESIDENT, KAREKIN II AND ARAM I TO VISIT WASHINGTON IN MAY

14:43, 12.03.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I will
visit the United States in May for the events dedicated to the Armenian
Genocide Centennial.

The events will commence in Washington on May 7 and will last three
days, the Voice of America Armenian service reported. The events
are organized by the committee set up by the Armenian community,
the church and Armenia's Embassy in Washington.

http://news.am/eng/news/256656.html

[Yervant1]

COPY OF PAN-ARMENIAN DECLARATION ON GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL HANDED OVER TO UN SECRETARY GENERAL

15:38, 12 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On March 11 Armenia's Permanent Representative to the UN Zohrab
Mnatsakanyan had a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

The UN Secretary General hailed Armenia's active involvement in
multinational international processes, as well as the support to the
activities of the UN Office.

Ambassador Mnatsakanyan handed over the text of the Pan-Armenian
Declaration on the Armenian Genocide Centennial translated into
all official languages of the UN to Ban Ki-Moon. He noted that the
Declaration targets the reinforcement and development of the universal
fight against genocide.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan briefed the UN Secretary General on the events
dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
emphasizing their importance for reinforcing the consistent efforts
targeted at the prevention of genocide and raising the issue of its
unacceptability. He praised the UN's key role in the processes of
preventing genocide and stressed its significance as an international
structure based on universal and moral values.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan informed Ban Ki-Moon about the humanitarian
"Aurora" Award officially launched in New York on March 10 within
the framework of the "100 LIVES" initiative.

During the meeting the interlocutors exchanged views on regional
issues and the ways of their resolution. Reference was made to the
negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The Secretary General reiterated the UN support to the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmanship and the proposals of the Co-Chairs.

Ambassador Mnatsakanyan stressed the importance of confidence-building
measures, namely the withdrawal of snipers from the line of contact,
and creation of mechanisms for investigating the border incidents.

The Ambassador voiced concern over Azerbaijan's failure to accept
the proposals of the Co-Chairs and recalled the targeted messages
included in the OSCE Minsk Group statement dated January 27.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/12/copy-of-pan-armenian-declaration-on-genocide-centennial-handed-over-to-un-secretary-general/

[Yervant1]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIONS TO BE HELD IN 4 DIRECTIONS

15:02, 12.03.2015

On the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the remembrance
of its victims will take place in four main directions.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, noted
the aforesaid in an interview with Delo daily of Slovenia.

"First, a tribute will be paid in memory of the Genocide victims. The
Armenian Apostolic Church is going to canonize the Armenian Genocide
victims.

"Second is our word of gratitude to all those who lend a hand to the
Armenian people at the times of our ordeals.

"Third is the efforts to prevent new genocides, new crimes against
humanity.

"And the fourth direction: rebirth. The Armenian people not only
survived the genocide, but they were able to born again," Nalbandian
stressed, in particular.

He added that Armenians across the world, and together with the
international community, will observe the Armenian Genocide centennial
under the slogan, "Never again!"

http://news.am/eng/news/256636.html

[Yervant1]

'1915': THE FIRST FILM OF THE CENTENNIAL

Lora Sarı 03.05.2015 10:24
CULTURE AND ARTS

'1915', a US-produced psychological thriller about the Genocide, will
be released across the USA on April 22. Co-written and co-directed
by Garin Hovannisian and Alec Mouhibian, the film features Simon
Abkarian, Angela Sarafyan, Sam Page, Nikolai Kinski and Jim Piddock
in its leading roles.

The film takes place within a single day, and its press release
summarizes its plot thus: "In 2015, exactly 100 years after the
Armenian Genocide, a theatre director named Simon is staging a play at
Los Angeles Theatre to honor the victims of that tragedy - a horrifying
crime forgotten and denied for an entire century. But as protesters
surround his theatre, and a series of mysterious accidents spread panic
among his actors, we realize that Simon's mission is more controversial
than we think - and the ghosts of the past are everywhere."

Garin Hovannisian, who co-wrote and co-produced '1915' with Alec
Mouhibian, also has a book of short stories titled 'Family of
Shadows' and his articles and short stories have been published in
the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. As for Alec Mouhibian,
in addition to writing for Slate and The Weekly Standard, he also
recently starred in the docudrama 'Heal America'. The duo founded
Bloodvine Media, the production company of '1915' and say the
following regarding their first feature film: "Our movie takes place
one hundred years after 1915, on the other side of the world. It is
about denial: what happens when the past is ignored; what happens when
it is confronted. With the centennial of the Armenian Genocide upon us,
we are ready to face the past together." The film is now preparing to
make its voice heard on social media with the hashtag #EndYourDenial
and adds that it aims to shed light not only on the Armenian Genocide,
but all the genocides of the previous century.

Soundtrack by Tankian

In the film, Simon Abkarian, an Armenian actor from France, plays
the Simon character. We most recently saw Abkarian in Fatih Akın's
'The Cut', and Abkarian's other roles include the 2006 James Bond film
'Casino Royale' and Atom Egoyan's 'Ararat'. The films other actors
include the Yerevan-born Angela Sarafyan of 'Twilight' fame and Sam
Page, who stars in the Golden Globe-winning series 'House of Cards'.

Serj Tankian, Grammy-Award winning musician and the vocalist of System
of a Down, composed the soundtrack of '1915'. Commenting on the film,
Tankian said, "This film has elements of trauma, ambiguity and magic,"
and added that he had created a musical score reflecting the spirit
of the film.

http://www.agos.com.tr/en/article/10784/1915-the-first-film-of-the-centennial