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In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

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  • #61
    Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

    Austria


    THOUSANDS OF ARMENIANS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD WAR I ERA MASS KILLINGS

    PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria
    April 23 2008

    YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Thousands of Armenians are marking the
    anniversary of the mass killings in the waning days of World War I.

    Armenia say up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Turks in what
    was then the Ottoman Empire. It has long sought to gain international
    recognition of the killings as genocide.

    Turkey says the killings occurred at a time of civil conflict and
    that the casualty figures are inflated.

    About 10,000 people marked the killings' 93rd anniversary Wednesday
    with a torch and candle procession through Yerevan.

    Some people burned Turkish flags and carried placards reading "Keep
    Turkey Out of Europe

    Turkey's foreign minister said this week he was seeking dialogue with
    Armenia's new government to try to normalize ties. (AP)


    What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

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    • #62
      Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

      A Brief Summary of Some of the Sceduled Events




      Scheduled Events in Armenia
      April 24 2007
      At 17:00 Commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915 Through the Spirit of Art Exhibition /paintings, sculpture, photography.
      Where: AUA Hall 40 Bagramyan Ave.
      Contact: 512526

      April 24, 2007
      When: 18:00
      What: Concert Dedicated to the Victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide - Arto Tunchboyaciyan “Speghani” Choir “Kantegh” Children Choir “Luys” Vocal Quintet “Sharakan” Ensemble “Paros” Choir John Hodian & Bet Williams /USA/ “Dle Yaman” Quartet /France/
      Where: AUA Hall 40 Bagramyan Ave.
      Contact: 512526

      April 24, 2007
      When: 19:00
      What: Concert Dedicated to the Victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia Artistic Director and Principal Conductor: Eduard Topchjan
      Where: Aram Khachatryan Concert Hall
      Where: 46 Mashtots Ave.
      Contact: 560645, 545742, 561460

      April 24, 2007
      When: 20:00
      What: March with torches
      Where: Azatutyan Square to Tsitsrnakabert

      April 24, 2007
      “No One and Nothing is Forgotten” Youth Orchestra Artistic Director: Yuri Davtyan Conductor: Sergey Smbatyan Armenian State Academic Choir Artistic Director: Ohannes Tchekidjian
      Where: Alexander Spendiaryan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre 54 Tumanyan St.
      Contact: 586311, 520241





      Scheduled Events in Canada
      April 21, 2007

      Hamilton and St. Catharines Joint Commemoration:
      7:00 pm, evening
      Hamilton Armenian Community Centre

      April 22, 2007
      Montreal and Laval Joint Commemoration:
      7:00 pm, evening
      Montreal Armenian Community Centre

      April 22, 2007
      Cambridge Commemoration:
      3:00 pm, afternoon
      Armenian Community Centre

      April 22, 2007
      Toronto Commemoration:
      3:00 pm, afternoon
      Armenian Community Centre

      April 22, 2007
      Ottawa Commemoration:
      Parliament Hill
      1:00 pm, afternoon

      April 23, 2007
      Armenian Cultural Association of Ottawa
      A Commemoration Ceremony
      at 7:30 at St. George Anglican Church located at 125 Metcalf Street.

      April 24, 2007
      Ottawa Book Reading:
      Sossi by Linda Ghan
      7:30pm, evening
      Ottawa Public Library

      April 24, 2007
      Vancouver Commemoration:
      7:00 pm, evening
      Armenian Community Centre




      Scheduled Events in Cyprus
      April 18, 2007

      Press conference at the Journalist's Association at 10:00 am

      April 23, 2007
      Vigil and Memorial Service at Genocide Monument on Armenia street followed by keynote speaker by the Commemoration Committee

      April 24, 2007
      Youth commemoration at Eleftherias Square starting from 7:00 pm

      April 25, 2007
      Blood giving at Nareg School from 3-6 pm

      Political Commemoration at the Conference Center at 8:00 pm
      SPEAKER OF THE DAY: Member of Parliament and former President of the Greek Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis




      Scheduled Events in France
      21 & 22 avril 2007

      12 h 00 à 19 h 00 : D'un génocide à l'autre : 1915 mains pour le Darfour.
      Sur le Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris, les stèles de la vigilance arménienne contre le négationnisme et la stèle en hommage à Hrant Dink feront face à une immense toile dressée pour témoigner votre solidarité aux Darfouris en y apposant l'empreinte de vos mains.

      22 avril 2007
      15 h 00 : Messe de Requiem en la Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, sous la présidence de son Eminence le Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, Archevêque émérite de Paris.

      23 avril 2007
      17 h 00 à 23 h 00 : Veillée organisée par les organisations de jeunesse arménienne sur le Parvis de Notre Dame de Paris. Quatre stands (culture, génocide, négationnisme, stand participatif) et animation artistique ; prises de paroles.

      18 h 00 : Ravivage de la Flamme au Soldat Inconnu Arc de Triomphe, Place Charles de Gaulle Etoile - 75008 Paris.

      24 avril 2007
      11 h 30 : Cérémonie à l'Hôtel de Ville : Monsieur Bertrand Delanoë, Maire de Paris, rendra hommage aux victimes du génocide arménien de 1915, dans les salons de l'Hôtel de Ville (sur invitation uniquement).

      15 h 00 : Messe de Requiem en la Cathédrale Apostolique Arménienne, 15 rue Jean Goujon - 75008 Paris.

      17 h 00 : Rassemblement devant la Statue de Komitas,
      Place du Canada - Cours Albert 1er - 75008 Paris.

      A l'occasion de ce rassemblement dédié au million et demi de victimes du génocide arménien de 1915, le CCAF rendra hommage à Hrant Dink, journaliste arménien de citoyenneté turque, assassiné par les ultranationalistes à Istanbul le 19 janvier 2007. Seront également dénoncés le racisme dont fait preuve l'Etat turc à l'égard de sa minorité arménienne sur son propre sol, et le négationnisme qui en est le corollaire, qu'il tente de développer sur le sol français et européen. Le CCAF rappellera, en outre, que toute candidature à l'Union européenne doit être examinée à la lumière des valeurs européennes fondamentales et dans la reconnaissance et le respect que les nations se doivent entre elles.




      Scheduled Events in Georgia
      April 23, 2007

      At 8:00 PM a peaceful protest with torches entitled “Flames of remembrance and struggle”. The protest will be held at the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. Organized by Armenian Cooperation Center of Georgia (ACCG)

      April 24, 2007
      At 11.00 a.m., the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia will hold ecumenical memorial service in honor of the victims of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire in 1915 – 1923.
      April 24, 2007
      At 2.00 p.m., by the initiative of ACCG a peaceful demonstration at the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi will demand recognition of Armenian Genocide.

      April 24, 2007
      At 4.00 p.m., in Tbilisi State Armenian Drama Theater after Petros Adamyan, a mourning evening dedicated to the memory of the victims of Armenian Genocide will be organized by the administration of the theater and the Union of Armenians of Georgia. During this event ACCG will hold an exhibition of documentary photos on Armenian Genocide. Also, an exhibition of children paintings entitled “We remember and we fight for peace” with participation of all Armenian and some Russian schools of Tbilisi will be displayed.




      Scheduled Events in Holland
      April 24, 2007

      Time: 1 p.m.
      Place: Cemetery "De Boskamp" in Assen ( www.boskamp.nl)
      Boskamp 5 - Assen
      Programme: Laying of wreaths at the Armenian Genocide monument, Commemorative
      Ceremony followed by a meeting in the auditorium of the cemetery
      with artistic performances and speeches by, among others, Mr. Joel
      Voordewind, Dutch MP of Christian Union Faction, Prof. Jan van der
      Dussen, author of several publications on the Armenian Genocide,
      Mr. Eildert Mulder, journalist of Dutch daily newspaper Trouw,
      Mr. Viguen Tchitetchian, the ambassador of Armenia and Mr. Agit
      Queyner, the chairman of Kurdish Federation in the Netherlands.




      Scheduled Events in Spain
      April 24, 2007

      At 7:30 pm: Commemoration of the 92nd Aniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Conferences in charge of Prof. Agustí Colomines i Companys, UNESCO Centre of Catalonia, Prof. David Bondia García, Human Rights Institute of Catalonia, and Mr. José Antonio Gurriarán, journalist and author of the book “La Bomba”, 1980.

      April 24th to May 24th
      From 10am to 10pm: Commemorative exhibition about the Armenian Genocide.

      The whole event will take place at the Ateneu Barcelonès (Carrer de la Canuda 6, 08002, Barcelona, Spain) and is free and open to the public.

      Organised by the Associació Cultural Armènia de Barcelona




      Scheduled Events in United States
      April 24, 2007

      At 7:30 PM Armenian Cultural and Educational Center
      47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown
      Event Open to the Public
      Program to Include: Ecumenical Memorial Service by the Armenian Clergy of the Greater Boston Area
      Video Presentation: "Voices" (Short Version) by Apo Torosyan
      Panel Discussion: "The Armenian Genocide: Intersections of Scholarship, Human Rights, and Politics"

      Panelists: Dr. Eric Weitz, University of Minnesota Ragip Zarakolu, Owner, Belge Publishing House Dr. Henry Theriault, Worcester State College Discussant: Steve Kurkjian, The Boston Globe Moderator: Khatchig Mouradian, The Armenian Weekly
      Organized by: The Greater Boston Committee to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide For more information, please visit www.weremember1915.org


      What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

      Comment


      • #63
        Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

        Ukraine

        ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MARTYRS COMMEMORATED IN KYIV

        PanARMENIAN.Net
        24.04.2008 17:34 GMT+04:00

        /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian community of Kyiv gathered at the
        Armenian Church to mourn over 1.5 million victims of the Armenian
        Genocide.

        Head of the AAC Ukrainian Diocese, Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian held
        a service for commemoration of the martyrs.

        The event was attended by heads of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine
        as well as public and political figures.

        In the evening, the Academic Chorus of the Ukrainian National Radio &
        TV Company and Ukrainian State Variety and Symphonic Orchestra directed
        by renowned Armenian art worker Sergey Matsoyan will give a concert
        in commemoration of the Genocide victims, www.analitika.at.ua reports.

        What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

        Comment


        • #64
          Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

          Michigan (US)

          A BITTER REMEMBRANCE: ARMENIANS HONOR LIVES LOST LONG AGO
          By Niraj Warikoo

          Detroit Free Press, MI
          April 24 2008

          On a church lawn in Southfield just off Northwestern Highway, a sea
          of white crosses catches the eye.

          Planted last week, they're a striking reminder of the 1 million-plus
          Armenian Christians who died under the Ottoman Empire in the early
          20th Century.

          "Never Again!" reads a banner that flutters near the rows of crosses
          outside St. John Armenian Church.

          "If we don't remember, the world will forget," said the Rev. Garabed
          Kochakian, pastor of the church. "If we forget, the crimes of the
          past will be repeated."

          The church's youth group planted more than 1,000 crosses, each
          representing roughly 1,000 people who died under Turkish rule. The
          commemorations this year come just months after Congress failed to
          pass a nonbinding resolution that would have labeled the mass killings
          by the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

          Supported by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the resolution
          passed a committee but was stalled after pressure from the Bush
          administration and lobbyists who argued that Turkey is an important
          Muslim ally and would be offended by the resolution. The Turkish
          government maintains the deaths were not genocide.

          And so it becomes even more important, say local Armenians, to remember
          the killings.

          "When Washington doesn't proceed to acknowledge what happened for
          political reasons, that motivates us further," said Harry Derderian of
          Farmington Hills, whose relatives were killed. At his church tonight
          in Dearborn, St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenians will
          walk around the church in a symbolic representation of the Armenians
          who wandered the desert after being forced from their homes.

          Marty Shoushanian, a member of St. John Armenian Church, said the
          crosses are a reminder to the general public, but also to young
          Armenians.

          "Our children will remember," he said. "It has not been forgotten."

          Last edited by Siamanto; 04-27-2008, 07:54 PM.
          What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

            Florida (US)

            GENOCIDE IS SUBJECT OF HOLOCAUST EXHIBIT

            Tampa Bay Newspapers
            April 21 2008
            FL

            ST. PETERSBURG - The Florida Holocaust Museum will present the exhibit
            The Greatest Crime of the War: The Armenian Genocide during World
            War I, opening on Saturday, April 19, at 55 Fifth St. S.

            The exhibition's opening event will include a requiem ceremony
            by St. Hagop Armenian Church, a curator talk by Mary Johnson and a
            presentation by Eileen Barsamian Jennings, a child of Armenian Genocide
            survivors, on April 24, 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the
            public but seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. Call
            820-0100, ext. 234.

            The mass murder of the Armenian people in Anatolia, now referred to
            by most historians and human rights organizations as The Armenian
            Genocide, destroyed a civilization that had resided in Anatolia for
            thousands of years. The killing of between 1 million and 1.5 million
            Armenians occurred mostly in 1915-16 during World War I, but continued
            sporadically after the war until 1923.

            Article published on Monday, April 21, 2008


            Tampa Tribune, FL
            April 27 2008

            Before The Holocaust

            By KURT LOFT
            The Tampa Tribune
            Published: April 27, 2008


            ST. PETERSBURG - The systematic murder of European xxxs by the Nazis
            forms what may be the darkest chapter in human history, but it by no
            means exhausted mankind's capacity for genocide.

            >From the massacre of American Indians to the Boer War to Darfur,
            governments have shown not just malevolence, but also a penchant for
            evil that often escapes description, much less our ability to
            understand it. This is why social historians focus on the message of
            these terrible events and why each new generation must look it in the
            eye.

            So it is with "The Greatest Crime of the War: The Armenian Genocide
            During World War I," a new exhibition at the Florida Holocaust
            Museum. Often overshadowed by the Holocaust of World War II, the fate
            of the Armenians at the hands of the Turkish government remains
            central to man's inhumanity to man, says Erin Blankenship, the
            museum's curator of exhibitions and collections.

            "For so long, Armenians have been struggling to have this recognized,"
            she says. "It's important for an institution like ours to say, 'Yes,
            this happened before the Holocaust, and we can learn from it.'"

            Human rights groups around the world each year honor the victims of
            genocide on April 24, when, in 1915, more than 200 Armenian
            intellectuals were arrested by the Committee of Union and Progress, a
            reformist political power within the Ottoman Empire. Also known as the
            Young Turks, the group labeled the Armenians a threat to the empire's
            security and began the planned expulsion of an entire people from
            their 2,500-year-old homeland.

            An estimated 2 million Armenians were forced to march southwest into
            what is now the Syrian desert, where most succumbed to thirst, hunger
            and exposure. The horrors and indignities suffered by the fleeing
            population -- torture and rape were common -- underscore the vehemence
            of the perpetrators. Many others died within their own borders,
            bringing the estimated total number of deaths to about 1.5 million.

            The exhibit begins with the history of the Armenian people and follows
            the political and international events leading up to World War I and
            tensions in the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey). The exhibit makes strong
            use of photos -- families being deported, stoic orphans -- to explain
            the scale of human suffering.

            It ends with panels discussing the denial and lack of justice
            surrounding the mass deaths, how the event prompted an international
            outcry of "crimes against humanity," and its legacy today.

            Turkey does not deny that many Armenians died but says that most of
            the deaths were part of the general unrest during the collapse of the
            Ottoman Empire. Some countries are sympathetic to Turkey's position.

            The United States, which was aligned with Turkey during the Cold War,
            has not officially recognized the events as a genocide. Last year, the
            House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution labeling it a
            genocide. Turkey reacted by warning that the action threatens its
            strategic partnership with the United States.

            By recognizing the Armenians' plight as a planned destruction of a
            nation's people, societies can better understand similar events that
            followed -- and those that wait to unfold, says Carolyn Bass, the
            museum's director.

            "Hitler himself said, 'Who remembers the Armenians?' but he was able
            to build his own philosophy on it," she says. "Nothing happens in a
            vacuum. You need to study all holocausts and what could have been done
            to stop them."

            ON VIEW

            The Greatest Crime

            of the War

            WHEN: Through Oct. 19; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

            WHERE: Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 Fifth St. S., St. Petersburg

            HOW MUCH: $12; $6 for students, free for ages 6 and younger; (727) 820-0100


            PRESS RELEASE
            Date: April 28, 2008
            Armenian National Committee of S. Florida
            931 NE 48th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33334
            Contact: Albert Mazmanian
            Tel: 954-565-0462

            SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY MARKS 93rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

            Miami, FL - The Armenian National Committee of South Florida (ANC
            of S. FL) joined with Armenian Americans ` and all Armenians around
            the world ` in commemorating the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian
            Genocide of 1915-1923.

            The commemoration, held at St. Mary's Davitian Hall in Hollywood,
            was co-sponsored by St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, St. David
            Armenian Church, the Armenian National Committee of South Florida,
            the Knights of Vartan Hayasdan Lodge, and the Armenian Assembly of
            America.

            In addition to the strong community turnout, the program featured
            the representatives of Armenian Church leaders, leading community
            figures in South Florida, and a broad range of ethnic and human
            rights activists.

            Among the major steps taken this year by the South Florida Armenian
            community was the first screening of the documentary titled, "The
            Women of 1915," produced by the Telly award winning Team (The Wall
            of The Genocide) Bedo Der-Bedrossian and Baret Maronian of Armenoid
            Productions, a division of Ayasa Video Productions Inc. of Coconut
            Creek, Florida.

            Additionally, ANC of S. FL youth activists setup laptops as members
            of the audience web-faxed their respective US Representatives to
            end Turkey's "gag rule" on Armenian Genocide recognition and pass
            H.Res.106 & S.Res.106 "We are tremendously proud of the
            increasingly active, vocal, and effective Armenian community of
            South Florida, and are committed to making our unique contribution
            to, once and for all, ending U.S. complicity in Turkey's shameful
            campaign of genocide denial," added ANC of S. Florida Chairman
            Albert Mazmanian.

            The Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman
            Empire from 1915-1923, resulting in the deportation of nearly
            2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men women, and children were
            killed, 500,000 survivors were expelled from their homes, and which
            succeeded in the elimination of the over 2,500 year presence of
            Armenians in their historic homelands.

            The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest
            and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
            organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
            chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
            organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
            concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
            issues.
            ####

            Photo Caption #1: ANC of South Florida team
            Photo Caption #2: Members from the Armenian community in South

            Floridahttp://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1473
            Last edited by Siamanto; 05-04-2008, 07:48 PM.
            What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

            Comment


            • #66
              Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

              Northern California (US)


              The Office of Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill
              MaryAlice Kaloostian, District Director
              4974 East Clinton Way, Suite 100
              Fresno, CA 93727
              Tel: 559.253.7122
              Fax: 559.253.7127
              Email: [email protected]


              Ninety-Three Years of Waiting

              By Senator Dave Cogdill
              Senate Republican Leader
              District 14


              In a few days, Armenians all over the world will once again come
              together in observance of April 24th. This year marks the 93rd
              anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which was perpetrated by the
              rulers of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. It is a melancholy commemoration
              that is made even more painful by the ongoing denial of history by the
              Republic of Turkey and those who are complicit in its revisionism.

              The Armenian people lived in their 3,000-year historic homeland in Asia
              Minor. They became the first Christian nation-state in 301 A.D.
              Throughout their rich history, including a period with a thriving
              empire, Armenians were subjects of successive conquerors. Yet they
              prospered as a people - adding abundantly to the economic, political,
              academic, religious and cultural life of the governments under which
              they lived and successfully survived. That all changed under the
              oppression of state-sponsored atrocities by the Ottomans in the late
              1890s and into the turn of the 20th Century. The culmination of the
              Ottoman's plan of ethnic cleansing began a few years later.

              On hideous orders from the "Young Turk" regime, as the rulers of the
              Ottoman government were known, the entire Armenian population of
              Anatolia was at risk and came under systematic, brutal assault. On
              April 24, 1915, hundreds of Armenian intellectual, political, religious
              and business leaders were rousted from their homes at dawn and arrested,
              exiled, and murdered. Thus began what would become known to historians
              around the world as the "First Genocide of the Twentieth Century."

              Armenians were subjected to torture, starvation, death marches in the
              Syrian Desert and other unspeakable atrocities that resulted in the
              murder of 1,500,000 Armenian men, women and children over a period of
              eight long years ending in 1923. Hundreds of thousands of young
              Armenian orphans spent the remainder of their lives haunted by the
              memory of the torture and mayhem inflicted on their loved ones before
              their eyes.

              Adolph Hitler, in persuading his army commanders on the eve of World War
              II that the merciless persecution and killing of Poles, xxxs, and other
              peoples would bring no retribution, asked, "Who, after all, speaks today
              of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

              I hope that we will soon reach the point where the denials of
              revisionists will be universally repudiated. I look forward to a time
              of reconciliation that can only occur when the Republic of Turkey finds
              it futile to spend millions of dollars scheming to distort history and
              threatening American political, military and business leaders with
              reprisals. As stated by John Evans, who served as U.S. Ambassador to
              Armenia a few years ago: "...When an official policy diverges wildly
              from what the broad public believes is self-evident, that policy ceases
              to command respect." These words express a challenge to all who would
              cede ideals to the wretched whims of a foreign power.

              Public service offers wonderful opportunities to forge positive
              relationships, work on issues of importance to constituents, and gain
              knowledge. I am so honored to have become well-acquainted with so many
              Californians of Armenian heritage (as well as Assyrians, Greeks and
              others whose forebears were also victims of massacres) who make such a
              great contribution to our state's economic and cultural vitality and
              civic leadership. I strongly align myself with the cause of justice for
              the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. I stand with them
              because it is simply the right thing to do.

              Contact: MaryAlice Kaloostian - (559) 253-7122

              What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

                Glendale, California (US)


                CITY GEARS UP FOR GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIONS
                By Jason Wells

                Glendale News Press
                April 18 2008
                CA

                Glendale's Week of Remembrance schedule addresses worldwide crimes
                against humanity.

                GLENDALE -- The proliferation of Armenian flags hanging off car windows
                and apartment balconies as the weekend wears on can only mean one thing
                -- the annual hearkening of Glendale's Week of Remembrance, culminating
                in the citywide commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on Thursday.

                In a city that is home to the largest Armenian community outside of
                Armenia, the event at the Alex Theatre Thursday commemorating the
                93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is expected to be the week's
                biggest draw, city officials said.

                "It will be sold out and we're going to have a standby line," said
                Councilman Ara Najarian, who is chairman of the events committee.

                Attendees snatched up all 1,381 seats last year, and are expected to
                do the same, theater officials said.

                The city-sponsored event schedule kicks off Sunday with a blood
                drive at St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church and continues with
                public events addressing worldwide crimes against humanity throughout
                the week.

                This year's genocide commemoration comes at time when the Armenian
                community is working overtime to have the U.S. Congress recognize
                the killings of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1918 in the
                former Ottoman Empire, as it has the Holocaust.

                A genocide resolution introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff, whose district
                includes Glendale, received an unprecedented amount of Congressional
                support last year when 235 House members signed on as co-sponsors. But
                lobbying from opponents, who say such a bill would soil crucial
                U.S. military relations with Turkey, whittled that down to 211,
                pushing it to the back burner.

                Turkey's government has refused to acknowledge the mass killings
                as genocide, instead arguing they were the result of an internal
                civil war, and has threatened to pull back from the United States
                diplomatically if the resolution is passed.

                Still, the political strength of the resolution is sure to lift spirits
                of those attending commemorative events this year, said Andrew Kzirian,
                executive director of Armenian National Committee Western Region.

                "Overall I think the mood is very positive, there's no shortage of
                energy," he said. "I think they're willing to channel that energy
                into the commemorations."

                While the Armenian Genocide certainly gets the lion's share of
                attention in a city in which Armenians make up 40% of the population,
                other crimes against humanity will also be recognized during the
                week's events.

                Speakers at the Central Library Auditorium on Monday evening will
                discuss other issues related to massive human suffering, past and
                present in a forum called "Man's Inhumanity to Man."

                The Rev. Berdj Djambazian will discuss the trips he's made to the
                Darfur region of Sudan, where the United Nations estimates 200,000
                people have died, mostly due to hunger and disease.

                Dennis Doyle, professor of English at Glendale Community College,
                will discuss the political and environmental underpinnings of The
                Great Famine in Ireland, which occurred between 1845 and 1852 and is
                estimated to have reduced the country's population between 20% to 25%.

                The mass killings of Native Americans, in which thousands of indigenous
                people died in the 1800s with the migration of settlers West across
                the plains, will be the topic of discussion for Roger Bowerman,
                professor of history at Glendale Community College.

                And Ramela Grigorian Abbamontian, assistant professor art history
                at Los Angeles Pierce College, will discuss how genocide affects the
                psyche of survivors and its manifestation in art.

                Admittance to all of the week's events are free, but the Armenian
                Genocide Commemoration event on Thursday, which will feature
                award-winning director and producer Carla Garapedian and several live
                performances, will require a ticket.

                Garapedian, who will deliver the keynote address, was the director and
                producer of the critically-acclaimed 2006 documentary "Screamers" of
                the band "System of a Down" that won the AFI Film Festival's Audience
                Award. She has worked to raise awareness about the current genocide
                in Darfur and on genocide prevention.

                Classical operatic singer Gegam Grigorian, together with the
                Mikael Avetisyan Chamber Orchestra, are among those scheduled to
                perform live. Jivan Gasparian Junior -- grandson and apprentice of
                the world-renowned Djivan Gasparian, a master of the traditional
                woodwind instrument used in traditional Armenian folk music -- will
                also perform.

                Those who want to attend that event can pick up their free tickets --
                four per person -- at the Alex Theatre box office in advance.


                UPCOMING EVENTS

                SUNDAY
                Commemorative Blood Drive takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
                St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church, 500 S. Central Ave. For more
                information, call (818) 243-3444.

                MONDAY
                "Man's Inhumanity to Humanity" starts at 6 p.m., Central Library
                Auditorium, 222 E. Harvard. For more information, call (818) 548-4844.

                TUESDAY
                Glendale High School hosts a genocide remembrance program in its
                auditorium, 1440 Broadway, at 6:30 p.m. The program will feature guest
                singers, poetry readings, video presentations and traditional dances
                by students from the four Glendale Unified high schools.

                WEDNESDAY
                A joint genocide commemoration among Armenian and Episcopal churches
                takes place at St. Peter Armenian Church, 632 W. Stocker Ave., at
                7 p.m.

                THURSDAY
                Armenian Genocide Commemoration, starts at 6 p.m., Alex Theatre, 216
                N. Brand Blvd. Free Parking at Orange Street parking garage. Doors
                to theater open at 5 p.m. Tickets available at the box office.

                The Armenian Genocide United Commemorative Committee will host guest
                speakers and cultural performances at the Glendale Civic Auditorium,
                1401 N. Verdugo Road, at 8 p.m.


                SINGING OUT AGAINST GENOCIDE
                By Angela Hokanson

                Glendale News Press, CA
                April 22 2008

                Armenian clubs from throughout the school district put on a
                performance at

                Published: Last Updated Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:33 PM PDT Armenian
                students celebrated their culture -- and remembered the tragedy of
                the Armenian Genocide -- through speeches, poems, music and dance
                during a genocide commemoration Tuesday night at Glendale High School.

                The program was one of several remembrance events taking place in
                Glendale this week to mark the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian
                Genocide, the killings of about 1.5 million Armenians that began in
                1915 in the then-Ottoman Empire.

                It was the eighth annual genocide commemoration event organized by
                student members of the Armenian clubs from high schools and middle
                schools within the Glendale Unified School District.

                "It just shows unity," Rubina Vartanians, 15, said about the various
                schools coming together to remember the genocide.

                In one performance, a group of girls from Glendale High, dressed in
                royal blue skirts and tops, performed a traditional Armenian dance.

                The slow, somber song is about an Armenian soldier who misses his
                homeland, said Christine Garibian, 15, one of the dancers.

                As the dance came to a close, the girls were joined on stage by
                three boys -- one pretending to be an Armenian soldier, the other
                two pretending to be Turkish soldiers. The teens acted out a scene
                in which the Armenian boy is beat up and carried off stage by the
                two Turks. A sound imitating a gunshot was heard as if from a distance.

                "It brings an element of tragedy to it," Christine said about the
                closing scene of the routine.

                Clark Magnet High School students Serli Nazarian, 14, and Meenely
                Nazarian, 15, played a piano duet of Aram Khachaturian's "Saber Dance,"
                and other students read poems and speeches.

                The show also featured a video filmed and edited by Crescenta Valley
                High student Edrick Sarkissian in which students and community members
                discussed what Armenians in Southern California could do to honor
                their past and respect the plight of their ancestors.

                Many of the participants said the event was as much about looking to
                the future -- and potentially altering the course of history still
                to come -- as it was about looking back.

                "If there is one genocide that is not recognized, there may be other
                genocides that are not recognized," said Vanui Barakezyan, 16.

                Vanui was participating in a skit that was expected to be performed
                later in the show about the importance of obtaining official
                recognition for the Armenian Genocide.

                "The message is we won't give up fighting for what we believe,"
                Vanui said about the skit.

                Several speakers, including school board President Joylene Wagner and
                Glendale schools Supt. Michael Escalante, affirmed the importance of
                recognizing historical events like genocides as a prerequisite for
                preventing similar events in the future.

                "Through the recognition process we begin the process of changing
                the future," Escalante said.


                A drive to remember victims

                Residents donate blood to kick off week commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
                By Ani Amirkhanian

                Published: Last Updated Sunday, April 20, 2008 10:05 PM PDT

                The city’s annual Week of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide kicked off with a blood drive Sunday at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church.

                The Armenian National Committee, Glendale chapter of the Armenian Relief Society, Glendale’s Week of Remembrance Committee and the American Red Cross hosted the blood drive as part of the events scheduled this week in commemoration of victims of the 1915 genocide.

                “I think with Week of Remembrance, we have many events that talk about education, but there is no event that gives back to the community like the blood drive,” said Elen Asatryan, executive director of the Glendale chapter of the Armenian National Committee.

                About 50 people signed up to give blood on Sunday, Asatryan said. The donated blood will be given to area hospitals, she added.

                Phlebotomists from the Red Cross set up a makeshift clinic in the church’s basement and drew one pint of blood from each donor.

                Glendale resident Masis Avartzairian lay with his arm extended as a phlebotomist wrapped it with a bandage after he gave blood.

                “I gave it to donate to someone who needs it,” Avartzairian said. “I think there are people who really need it.”

                Avartzairian gave blood every three months in his native Iran, he said, adding that it was the first time he had donated blood since coming to the United States.

                Red Cross charge nurse Viola Patak and her crew gave snacks and refreshments to donors.

                “What other better way can you remember a loved one and give back to the community?” Patak said. “It’s the best way to honor someone.”

                Glendale City Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian also participated in the blood drive on Sunday. Kassakhian, who had never given blood before, was nervous but looked forward to doing his part to help the cause.

                “Our legacy is to live our lives as a testimonial of the shattered lives,” Kassakhian said. “We are paying it forward, in other words.”

                Other blood donors, including 18-year-old Dika Karakashian of Glendale, were also nervous about donating.

                “They are giving blood for the people who lost their lives, and in a way it’s for a good cause,” she said.

                Karakashian talked her friend, Andy Ter-Nersesian, 18, into also giving blood.

                Ter-Nersesian said donating his blood in conjunction with the Week of Remembrance activities was symbolic.

                “It’s symbolic in that people lost their lives during genocide, and we are saving lives,” he said.

                What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

                  Moscow (Russia)

                  MOSCOW MAYOR'S OFFICE FRUSTRATING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIVE EVENT?

                  PanARMENIAN.Net
                  15.04.2008 14:17 GMT+04:00

                  /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Every year on April 24, marking the anniversary of
                  the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by Young Turks in 1915-1923, the
                  Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) organizes a rally at the Turkish
                  Embassy in Moscow.

                  Levon Mukunyan, head of the Youth Association of SAR Moscow
                  Organization told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that Moscow mayor's
                  office works to prevent the action this year.

                  "We petitioned for authorization. However, no response has come yet,"
                  he said.

                  Meanwhile, as PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from a source in Moscow,
                  the Turkish Embassy is giving a reception on April 24, 2008.

                  On the same day The Lark Farm will be for the first time screened
                  in Russia.

                  As adapted from the novel by Antonia Arslan and co-directed by
                  legendary Italian brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani in 2007, The
                  Lark Farm marks one of the few international features to tackle the
                  Armenian Genocide head-on.




                  MOSCOW OMON ARRESTS DOZENS OF PEOPLE FOR PASSING BY TURKISH EMBASSY

                  PanARMENIAN.Net
                  24.04.2008 19:03 GMT+04:00

                  /PanARMENIAN.Net/ A mourning ceremony dedicated to the 93rd anniversary
                  of the Armenian Genocide was held at the abuilding Armenian Cathedral
                  in Moscow, head of the Youth Association of the Union of Armenians
                  of Russia Levon Mukanyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

                  Some 3000 people gathered at the cathedral, according to him.

                  "Several days ago we petitioned the Moscow Mayor's Office to authorize
                  a demonstration but were rejected.

                  Nevertheless, Armenians of Moscow decided to pass by the Turkish
                  Embassy, thus protesting Turkey's policy of Genocide denial. The
                  Embassy and nearby streets were cordoned by OMON. Besides, several
                  dozens of people were arrested just because they were passing by
                  Turkish diplomatic representation in Bolshaya Nikitskaya," he said,
                  adding that the "Turkish Embassy has done a good job."

                  "Presently, the UAR leaders negotiate with Moscow law enforcement. We
                  are hopeful that all detained will be released, since they haven't done
                  anything illegal but just performed their civil duty," Mukanyan said.


                  What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

                    Lebanon

                    ARMENIAN-LEBANESE MARK 'GENOCIDE DAY'
                    By Anthony Elghossain

                    Daily Star - Lebanon
                    April 25 2008

                    Thousands attend vigil to remember massacres

                    BEIRUT: "History has not yet witnessed a more terrible crime - a crime
                    against humanity - than that of genocide," the Tashnak Party said
                    Thursday in a statement issued to commemorate the 93rd anniversary of
                    "Genocide Day," which marks the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman
                    Turkish forces during World War I.

                    Nerses Bedros XIX, the Armenian Catholic patriarch, in a ceremony
                    held at an Achrafieh cemetery for victims of the massacre, said that
                    "we are here today to plead the conscience of the global [community]
                    in hopes of bringing wider recognition of the massacre of Armenians."

                    The patriarch emphasized "our [the Armenian population's] commitment
                    to the Armenian struggle and to the active role we have played in
                    the Christian struggle in Lebanon and the world."

                    The Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church in Lebanon held
                    a Wednesday-evening gathering in the mountain town of Bikfaya to
                    remember the victims of the killings and reflect upon the meaning of
                    those events on the Armenian community today.

                    Aram I, archbishop of Cilicia, sought to convey the need for
                    remembrance and unity in the Armenian Lebanese experience, touching
                    upon memory, the assertion of rights and unity as a source of force.

                    "Memory is one of the more important facets of human existence -
                    indeed, human beings live in memory," the archbishop said. "The
                    Armenian genocide, organized and executed by the Ottoman state,
                    will forever remain etched in the Armenian memory."

                    The archbishop added that "peoples have, alongside their duties, rights
                    that must be asserted in case of marginalization [of those rights]."

                    Referring to divisions that have plagued the Armenian community and
                    stressing the need for communal unity, Aram I urged Armenians in
                    Lebanon to coalesce around their "national struggle," saying that
                    "a people can only grow strong through the unification of its sons
                    and placing common cause above all differences."

                    He also linked the Armenian and Lebanese "struggles" to one another,
                    stressing that "while Turkey oppressed the Armenian people, Lebanon
                    embraced [them] ... Turks butchered Armenians, but in Lebanon we
                    found a nation of renaissance, life, and continuity."

                    Despite an intensifying political standoff, both the Lebanese Forces
                    and the Free Patriotic Movement issued statements "on this painful
                    commemoration" condemning the "massacre of the Armenian people."

                    During World War I, beginning in 1915, Ottoman Turks executed over
                    1.5 million Armenians in present-day Turkey, and prompted thousands of
                    others to flee to neighboring areas in the region, including Lebanon.

                    Several states recognize the killings as genocide, but Turkey neither
                    recognizes the killings as genocide nor assumes legal responsibility
                    for their execution.


                    PRESENTATION OF TWO VOLUMES ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TAKES PLACE IN ANTELIAS

                    Noyan Tapan
                    April 24, 2008

                    ANTELIAS, APRIL 24, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The presentation of
                    two new volumes on the Armenian Genocide took place in the Gulbenkian
                    Hall of the Cilicia Museum in Antelias. This book is a republication of
                    the book "Voice of Sufferers" released in London in 1922. It contains
                    letters of the Genocide survivors to their distant relatives.

                    Speaking about the first volume, Lebanese Armenian intellectual
                    and lecturer Sargis Kirakosian said that it is a document of lines
                    written with blood and tears of Armenians who witnessed the Genocide,
                    it contains letters sent by survivors to their relatives scattered
                    all over the world, searching them and telling about the tragedy.

                    The presentation was attended by the Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I,
                    monks of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, the president of Haykazian
                    University Paul Haytostian, the head of the Armenian unit of Galust
                    Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon) Zaven Yekavian, intellectuals and
                    representatives of the society.


                    LEBANESE ARMENIAN STUDENTS MEET WITH ARA PAPIAN

                    Noyan Tapan
                    April 28, 2008

                    BEIRUT, APRIL 28, ARMENIANS TODAY - NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting between
                    Ara Papian, the former Ambassador of Armenia to Canada, and Lebanese
                    Armenian students took place on April 23 in the Gyulbenkian hall
                    of Cilicia museum of Catholicosate of the Great Cilician House. The
                    territorial request of the Armenians and the Treaty of Sevres were
                    spoken about during the meeting, in particular.

                    An opinion was voiced in one of the speeches, according to which the
                    lands under the rule of Turkey belong to our ancestors and to Armenia
                    and returning them is a historic right for us.

                    The meeting was organized by the Armenian club of Beirut's Lebanese
                    American University jointly with the Armenian clubs of Lebanon's
                    all universities.

                    Լուրեր Հայաստանից եւ Սփյուռքից, սպասվող իրադարձություններ, շուտով, տարեթվեր, նորություններ հայկական աշխարհից, Արցախից, The Noyan Tapan Highlights անգլերեն եւ ֆրանսերան շաբաթաթերթ, հրատարակչություն, գրքեր, հայ մամուլ, News from Armenia, Diaspora, Новости Армении и Диаспоры

                    EVENT DEDICATED TO GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY HELD IN HAYKAZIAN UNIVERSITY OF LEBANON

                    Noyan Tapan
                    April 28, 2008

                    BEIRUT, APRIL 28, ARMENIANS TODAY - NOYAN TAPAN. An event dedicated to
                    the 93rd anniversary of Armenian Genocide took place on April 23 at
                    Haykazian University. University Director Paul Haytosian, lecturers,
                    students, and guests took part in the event. After the art program
                    Katya Peltekian presented fragments from articles on Armenian Cause
                    published in Armenian press before and after World War I.

                    Լուրեր Հայաստանից եւ Սփյուռքից, սպասվող իրադարձություններ, շուտով, տարեթվեր, նորություններ հայկական աշխարհից, Արցախից, The Noyan Tapan Highlights անգլերեն եւ ֆրանսերան շաբաթաթերթ, հրատարակչություն, գրքեր, հայ մամուլ, News from Armenia, Diaspora, Новости Армении и Диаспоры

                    PRESS RELEASE
                    Catholicosate of Cilicia
                    Communication and Information Department
                    Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
                    Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
                    Fax: (04) 419724
                    E- mail: [email protected]
                    Web: http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/

                    PO Box 70 317
                    Antelias-Lebanon

                    Armenian version: http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.or...c/Armenian.htm

                    THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA COMMEMORATES THE 93RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE


                    Hundreds of Lebanese Armenians, young and old , renewed their pledge on
                    April 24 to continue their national struggle for justice and paid their
                    respects to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in front of the first ever
                    Genocide memorial in Antelias.

                    Archbishop Souren Kataroyian officiated the Holy Mass in the Saint Gregory
                    the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias. The procession headed by His Holiness
                    Aram I then moved to the chapel where the remains of Genocide victims are
                    displayed and a requiem service was held around the eternal flame dedicated
                    to their memory.

                    Lebanese Ministers and Members of Parliament, the director of the "Calouste
                    Gulbenkian" Foundation's Armenian Department Dr. Zaven Yegavian, the
                    Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon Vahan Der Ghevontian and a large crowd of
                    Armenians attended the mass.

                    Addressing the resolute Armenians gathered in Antelias His Holiness spoke
                    about three words and the messages embedded in them.

                    a. Memory: "Memory is one of the most fundamental factors of human life. It
                    is through memory that man lives, organizes himself, constructs his identity
                    and preserves his values and traditions. Memory is the source of history.
                    The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey is imprinted in the
                    memory of the Armenian nation in a way that can never be erased. It is not
                    only recorded in historic documents, but also rooted in the collective
                    memory, spirit and life of the Armenian nation. We should not forget our
                    collective memory; every Armenian, wherever he or she is, should live with
                    this memory. The memory of the Armenian Genocide will give us the faith to
                    live, the will to fight and the hope to acquire our nation's rights. To
                    forget our martyrs? It would mean the death of our nation," said the
                    Pontiff.

                    b. Struggle: "In addition to their obligations, people also have rights.
                    They should stand by those rights and demand them when they are violated.
                    The Genocide committed against the Armenian nation is an issue of justice, a
                    human rights issue. Therefore, the Armenian nation today demands justice
                    >From Turkey and the international community. This struggle is the right and
                    obligation of the Armenian nation. Our nation's children should demand the
                    rights of our 1.5 million victims wherever they are, in a civilized manner
                    and without recourse to violence," he continued.

                    c. Unity: "A nation becomes strong when it is united, when all its children
                    transcend their differences and gather around their collective values and
                    demands. The Armenian nation should unite around its national struggle, plan
                    together, and present its cause to the world together as the rightful owner
                    of the nation's rights. Armenia and the Diaspora should together pursue our
                    nation's rights with a clear division of labor," the Pontiff concluded.

                    Wreaths and flowers were then placed around the chapel in memory of the
                    Armenian martyrs. Armenians of all ages lit candled and solemnly remembered
                    their victims.

                    The HMEM trumpet and drummers band then played national tunes, following
                    which His Holiness praised the Armenian youth from the balcony of the
                    Veharan.

                    On April 23, the students of Armenian national schools gathered in Antelias,
                    where a Requiem Service was performed by Primate Bishop Kegham Khatcherian.
                    The Director of the Department of Armenian Affairs of the Gulbenkian
                    Foundation, Dr. Zaven Yegavian, addressed the students, calling upon them to
                    pursue our nation's legitimate rights.

                    On the same evening, Antelias was once again became the gathering place of
                    hundreds of young Armenians, who pledged to remain loyal to the legacy of
                    their victims during an event organized by Armenian youth associations.

                    ##
                    View the photos here:



                    *****
                    The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
                    the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
                    the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
                    the Catholicosate, http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org The Cilician
                    Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
                    Antelias, Lebanon.
                    Last edited by Siamanto; 05-04-2008, 05:37 PM.
                    What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

                      HIP-HOP, RAP CONVEYS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO YOUNG
                      By Rick Coca

                      Los Angeles Daily News, CA
                      April 24 2008

                      101-year-old genocide survivor Ghazaros Kademian of Zeytoon,... (John
                      Lazar / Staff Photographer)"12"GLENDALE - As a woman's haunting
                      voice sings in Armenian about the need for hope and lost lands,
                      Armin Hariri raps:

                      We gather around/We light our candles in crowds/These tears land on
                      the ground/Each year standing so proud.

                      "We were taught about the genocide early on," said Hariri, who as
                      rap artist R-Mean penned "Open Wounds," a genocide-theme tune that
                      has become popular with Armenian young people.

                      "Hip-hop and rap have become the voice of the youth. ... It's more
                      interesting to them than long speeches by old people."

                      With bass-heavy rap and rock songs, YouTube videos and
                      social-networking Internet sites, a new generation of Armenians is
                      discovering unique ways of expressing the horrors they say their
                      ancestors endured during the Ottoman Empire's brutal reign.

                      And today, with Armenians all over the world commemorating the day in
                      1915 when roughly 300 Armenian leaders were killed by Turkish forces -
                      which they believe led to the extermination of 1.5million Armenian
                      men, women and children through 1922 - the stories of the Armenian
                      Genocide still resonate, they say.

                      "It gives you goose bumps because you go, `Wow, this really
                      happened. It was real,"' said Ramela Ohanian, 18, a Hoover High School
                      student, about Hariri's rap song. "It's very chilling."

                      Armenians and their supporters in Los Angeles will be out in force
                      today in front of the Turkish Consulate, demanding recognition of
                      the genocide and reparations.

                      For its part, the Turkish government has long denied that a genocide
                      occurred, saying that any lives lost, while "tragic," were part of
                      a civil war.

                      On Wednesday, an official with the Turkish Consulate would not say
                      how many Armenian people lost their lives during that conflict,
                      but he disputed the claims made by Armenians.

                      "One and a half million is a highly exaggerated number," said Batu
                      Kesmen, vice council of the Turkish consulate general.

                      Armenian-Americans had their hopes dashed in October, when after
                      the House of Representatives appeared poised to vote on condemning
                      Turkey for the genocide, the issue was abandoned after pressure from
                      the White House and Turkey, with Turkey's position as a key military
                      U.S. ally in the Middle East in jeopardy.

                      "Turkey is of the view that parliament, elected bodies and other
                      political institutions are not the appropriate forum to debate and
                      pass judgment on this disputed period of history," Kesmen said.

                      Like their parents and grandparents before them, for young Armenians,
                      the lack of progress on the recognition front is difficult to swallow.

                      Some have answered back through music, with artists such as R-Mean and,
                      to a larger extent, System of a Down, a Glendale-based rock band made
                      up of four Armenian-Americans who brought their people's plight to the
                      masses through songs, advocacy and the 2006 documentary "Screamers."

                      Vigen Sayadian, the founder of the fourth annual Armenian Genocide
                      Commemoration Concert - which is at 8 tonight at the Derby in Los
                      Feliz - said a bounty of artistic expression has come out of the
                      tragic events of 1915.

                      "There's just a plethora of talent now," he said. "It needs to be
                      recognized, just like the genocide needs to be recognized."

                      Besides artistic expression, some Armenians have gone to the Internet
                      to get the word out. At YouTube.com, there are more than 2,000 hits
                      for "Armenian Genocide," although some aim to debunk its existence.

                      With 4,000 "friends" on his MySpace page, Art Gazaian provides links to
                      events and rallies commemorating the genocide and other related events.

                      The 23-year-old Hollywood man also uses his page to highlight the work
                      of hip-hop songs that focus on that dark period in Armenian history.

                      "It's a better way to deliver your message," he said. "Kids nowadays
                      don't like to watch documentaries, so I think the best way to deliver
                      your message is music."

                      And while some young people of Armenian heritage are using newer
                      technologies and music to express their views, others are sticking
                      to more traditional means.

                      With about 500 people in attendance Tuesday at Glendale High School,
                      students from Armenian clubs throughout the school district read
                      poems, performed skits, danced and sang traditional songs at the
                      Eighth Annual Armenian Genocide Remembrance Program.

                      "If we forget, it's going to happen again and again," said Andranik
                      Ghevandyan, 18, a student at Glendale High who read an excerpt from
                      Armenian writer William Saroyan's work. "Like what's going on in
                      Darfur, it's not just for Armenians."

                      Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, 10-year-old Vagharshak Grigoryan
                      moved the crowd with a stirring performance in Armenian of a father
                      speaking to his child on his deathbed.

                      "I don't have anything to give you, so I'm going to give you Mount
                      Ararat," said Grigoryan, referring to what many consider the most
                      important geographic symbol of Armenian identity. "Keep it in your
                      heart for life - as you would keep your father's house, your homeland."


                      What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

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