In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

New York Area

Commemoration of The Armenian Genocide - Times Square NYC
Date: Sunday April 27th 2008
Time: 2:00 P.M.
Contact: See Details
Sponsored by the Knights & Daughters of Vartan Co-sponsored by AGBU, Armenian Assembly of America, ArmenPac, ANCA, ADL - RAG and S. D. Hunchagians With the participation of the Diocese of the Armenian Church, Prelacy of the Armenian Church, AMAA, Armenian Presbyterian

WE CAN NOT F O R G E T !
W E D E M A N D J U S T I C E

Commemoration of The Armenian Genocide
Sponsored by the Knights & Daughters of Vartan
Co-sponsored by AGBU, Armenian Assembly of America,
ArmenPac, ANCA, ADL - RAG and S. D. Hunchagians
With the participation of the Diocese of the Armenian Church,
Prelacy of the Armenian Church, AMAA, Armenian Presbyterian
Church, Armenian Evangelical Church and Armenian Catholic
Eparchy for US and Canada and Armenian Youth Organizations

TIMES SQUARE
43rd St. & Broadway

Sunday Afternoon
April 27, 2008 at 2:00 P.M.

FREE BUS TRANSPORTATION to & from TIMES SQUARE
• All Armenian New York & New Jersey Churches
• Baruyr’s, 40th street & Queens Boulevard
• Hovnanian School, New Milford, NJ

For Bus and general information call:
SAM: 516-352-2587 ........... LEO: 201-746-0409 ...... ARA: 973-759-7518
HARUT: 718-316-3430 ......... RUBEN: 718-445-6474 ..,,,JOHN: 718-631--2247

http://www.asainc.org/common/events/ny_armeniangenocidetimessquarenyc_03012008.html

NJ Armenian Genocide Commemoration
Date: Thursday April 24th 2008
Time: 8:00 PM
Contact: See Details
The Armenian National Committee of New Jersey invites you to the 93rd annual ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION with KHATCHIG MOURADIAN Editor, Armenian Weekly

The Armenian National Committee of New Jersey invites you to the
93rd annualARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION

with KHATCHIG MOURADIAN Editor, Armenian Weekly and a display
of Genocide paintings by Artist MHER KHACHATRYAN
Thursday April 24, 2008
7:00PM – Requiem Service
8:00PM – Program

Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church
461 Bergen Blvd, Ridgefield NJ

For additional information, please contact 201-945-0011
- For more information about ASA please visit us online at www.asainc.org.
- You may send a message to the NY ASA with any questions at [email protected]

http://www.asainc.org/common/events/nj_commemoration_04202008.html

Rutgers, Armenian Genocide Commemoration
Date: Thursday April 24th 2008
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Contact: See Details
This Thursday, April 24, 2008 the Rutgers University Armenian Club will be holding its annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration. This event is FREE and does NOT require tickets or reservations

This Thursday, April 24, 2008 the Rutgers University Armenian Club will be holding its annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration. The event will include speeches by students and by two keynote speakers, including Dr. Dennis Papazian, followed by a candlelight vigil and a screening of the System of a Down movie "Screamers."

The event will start at 5pm at the Brower Commons front steps (145 College Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901) and will continue at the Students Activities Center (SAC, 613 George St,New Brunswick, NJ 08901) for the movie screening, where refreshments will be served.

This event is FREE and does NOT require tickets or reservations. It is OPEN to the entire community, including non-RU students.

For more information, please see the Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=12040841663

RU Armenian Genocide Commemoration
Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 5pm

Brower Commons Steps
145 College Ave,
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

"Screamers" Movie Screening after the commemoration, starting around 7pm
SAC, 613 George St,
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Contact: Yelena AT [email protected] or (862) 205-9631
- For more information about ASA please visit us online at www.asainc.org.
- You may send a message to the NY ASA with any questions at [email protected]

http://www.asainc.org/common/events/nj_nocidecommemoration_04242008.html

March Toward Justice
Date: Saturday April 26th 2008
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Contact: www.AYF.org
JOIN THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION MARCH FROM ST. ILLUMINATORS ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH TO THE DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA.

APRIL 26, 2008
1PM-7PM

JOIN THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION MARCH FROM ST. ILLUMINATORS ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH TO THE DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA.

MEET AT ST ILLUMINATORS CHURCH FOR A MEMORIAL SERVICE - 1PM
227 E. 27th Street

MARCH TO DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA FOR A SPECIAL PROGRAM (SPEAKERS CEREMONY / VIGIL/ VIDEO LAUNCH)
E. 47th Street B/W 1st and 2nd Avenue

For more information pls call Isabel Ohanian 518 542 5233 or Anthony Deese 267 249 1232

Please visit www.AYF.org for additional information
SEE YOU THERE !! MARCH TOWARD JUSTICE !! APRIL 26th 1PM !!!

http://www.asainc.org/common/events/ny__04142008.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 22, 2008
Armenian National Committee of Albany
6 Grace Street, Albany NY 12205
Contact: Antranig Karageozian
Tel: 518-331-8559
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY-21) to Address Community at ANC of
Albany Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide

Troy, NY--- On Friday, April 25, 2008, the Armenian National Committee
of Albany (ANC of Albany), will host the 93rd annual commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide at Troy City Hall at One Monument Square at 6:45
pm.

"Every year, Armenian communities throughout the nation and the world
join together in remembering those that perished during the genocide.
Having lost a survivor, Enza Mategian who was just short of her 95th
birthday in July 2007, the time for recognition is now," commented
Antranig Karaegozian, ANC of Albany Chairman.

Cong. Michael McNulty (D-NY-21), Mayor Harry Tutunjian of Troy, and
Mayor Michael Manning of Watervliet will be in attendance at the
event, and will speak and reflect on the importance of genocide
recognition and local activism. Also present will be Democratic
candidate for New York's 21st congressional district, Darius
Shahinfar, who is seeking to replace the retiring Cong. McNulty.

Cong. Mike McNulty has served in the House of Representatives since
first being elected in 1988. Throughout his twenty years of dedicated
service to his constituents, he has been a staunch supporter of issues
of concern to the Armenian American community in upstate New York. He
has traveled to the Republic of Armenia, and has consistently received
an A+ rating from the Armenian National Committee of America for his
ardent support for genocide recognition and the self-determination of
Nagorno Karabagh.

Following the ceremony, a "Madagh" dinner sponsored by the Homenetmen
of Albany and a lecture by David Kherdian, an Armenian American poet
and novelist, will be held at the Armenian Community Center in
Watervliet. For more information on this event, please contact
Antranig Karageozian at 518-331-8559.

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 Captions #1: Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY-21)
Photo Captions #2: Mayor Harry Tutunjian of Troy
Photo Caption # 3: Mayor Michael Manning of Watervliet

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg229579.html

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

Glendale News Press, CA
April 18 2008

FROM THE MARGINS:
Grandfather lived through genocide

By Patrick Azadian
Published: Last Updated Friday, April 18, 2008 11:05 PM PDT

April is a special month. After an indecisive March, spring is finally
in full bloom. Maybe here in Southern California we don't get much
of March's madness, and April feels very much like any other month,
but it hasn't always been that way for me.

I enjoyed experiencing the changes in distinct seasons throughout
my childhood. As a youngster I was always in awe of the big pile of
snow gathered at the end of our downhill, dead-end street. I could
not imagine it ever melting even beyond the winter months.

The big icy mass looked solid and permanent during winter. But every
year, it did melt, little, by little. And finally, the last layers
of snow disappeared from the surface of our narrow asphalt road.

It was a small miracle, and for me, it signaled the beginning of
spring. Within a few weeks from the meltdown, the dry tree branches
would begin to bloom. When I was about 8 years old, during class,
I had a habit of randomly turning my head around to see the green
leaves through the window. It probably annoyed my teachers, but they
tolerated me. Year after year, I had a hard time believing that spring
had finally arrived, and that summer -- and freedom from school --
were just around the corner.

As a child, small things can fill you with joy. Whether it's the change
in season, a cone of vanilla ice cream or a short trip out of town,
the small stuff can keep you happy for days.

I had a great childhood.

April is special in more ways than one.

My mom's birthday is in April. And memories of my paternal grandfather,
Sahak, also occupy my thoughts during April.

Although he lived with us for a while, I did not spend much time with
him. He was a grim man, but never violent or loud.

Sahak came from another world, physically and spiritually. He was a
man of Old World traditions. He was also from a land that was truly
foreign to me.

He was born in Hayots Dzor (The Valley of the Armenians) in the
historic province of Vaspurakan (now eastern Turkey). He probably
spent his childhood observing the nature around him, just like I did
when I was 8.

I remember old family friends teasing him about the fact that his
village had only one apple tree. The villagers' favorite pastime was
to admire this single tree in bloom during spring. He always remained
serious when teased. I don't ever remember seeing a smile.

Sahak's probable admiration of the apple tree came to an abrupt end at
age 8 when the news came that his entire village was being deported,
an act that ended up as a death sentence for many in 1915. I often
wonder what he was doing when the news came.

It's hard to imagine: One minute, sitting under the shade of the apple
tree, enjoying the fresh breeze from Lake Van, and a few weeks later,
witnessing the death of your family members, one by one.

Sahak lost eight members of his family during the death march.

He had good reason to be grim, but sometimes he was less grim than
other times. Once he pulled me aside and whispered in my ear. He said:
"Dznoghnerit shat chem siroom, bayts kez shat em siroom." ("I don't
like your parents much, but I do love you.")

That was his version of humor. I had mixed feelings about his show
of affection. At the time, his statement did not do much to endear
him to me.

I shared the story with my dad. He understood my disappointment. And
within a few days, he came home with a gift. It was a fountain pen.

He said: "This is a gift from your grandfather."

I was still skeptical. I wasn't sure if the gesture was a kind ploy
from my dad in my grandfather's name, or he was actually telling the
truth. I did not ask; in my mind the gift was from my dad.

Sahak passed away long ago. I understand him better now than I ever
did. I have inherited some of his grimness.

Being witness to so much suffering, Sahak would have probably liked
my generation to forgive and forget.

We can't. We remember.

PATRICK AZADIAN is a writer and the creative director of a local
marketing and graphic design studio living in Glendale. He may be
reached at respond@ fromthemargins.net.

http://glendalenewspress.com/articles/2008/04/21/columns/gnp-margins19.txt

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

PHOTO EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OPENS IN TARTU, ESTONIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.04.2008 14:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ April 21-May 11, the Tartu University, Estonia,
will host an exhibition "First Genocide of 20th Century".

The exhibition is dated to April 24, the Day of Commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide victims, reported the Armenian portal of Estonia.

The exposition includes photocopies of archives, recollections of
witnesses and photographs depicting mass murder and persecution of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

The Armenian Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide provided historical
data on number of Armenian population, parishes and schools in
1914-1922.

The exhibition was organized by Baltic Armenian House NGO.

http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=25808&sub=2

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

SEVERAL EVENTS TO BE HELD IN TBILISI ON APRIL 23 AND 24 DEDICATED TO 93RD ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

arminfo
2008-04-21 10:59:00

ArmInfo. A number of events will be held in Tbilisi on April 23 and
24 dedicated to the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The event have been organized by the Armenian Cooperation Center
of Georgia.

As the press service of ACCG reports, torches will be lighted on April
23 at 8:30 PM near Turkey's Embassy in Georgia, where a large-scale
meeting has been scheduled on April 24 at 1:30 PM. A photo-exhibition
and first performance of an artificial film will be held the same
day. To note, it is the 4th year the ACCG has been holding different
events within the frames of the campaign on activation of the Armenian
Genocide issue. In order to attract more number of people to such
events, every year, members of the organization conduct an active
work with wide strata of the Armenian community of Tbilisi, namely,
they hold preparatory meetings with schoolchildren, students and the
older generation, as well as distribute booklets, leaflets and other
agitation materials.

http://www.arminfo.info/index.php?show=archive&number=20080421_105900_eng_8274

.....

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONFERENCE IN TBILISI

Panorama.am
16:01 18/04/2008

On 19 April a conference devoted to Armenian Genocide will be held
in Tbilisi. The conference is named "Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923;
View from Tbilisi, Istanbul, Yerevan". In the frameworks of the
conference the historians and politicians from Georgia, Turkey and
Armenia will make speeches.

The representatives of Georgian Government and scientific
institutions, free experts, priests and intellectuals are invited to
the conference. The event is devoted to the 93 anniversary of Armenian
Genocide in Osman Turkey.

Remind that 20 countries recognized Armenian Genocide: Uruguay,
Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 40 states of the USA, Greece,
Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland,
and other international organizations.

http://www.panorama.am/en/society/2008/04/18/tbilisi/

CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE HELD IN TBILISI WITH PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN AND TURKISH HISTORIANS AND POLITICAL SCIENTISTS

Noyan Tapan
April 19, 2008

TBILISI, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The international
conference "The 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide: View from Tbilisi,
Isnabul and Yerevan" will be held at Tbilisi's French cultural center
after A. Dumas on April 19.

The event is organized by the Armenian Cooperation Center of Georgia
with the assistance of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute of the
RA National Academy of Sciences.

Speeches will be made by historians and political scientists from
Armenia, Georgia and Turkey. The conference will be attended by
representatives of the Georgian government and scientific circles,
independent experts, religious figures and intellectuals.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg229381.html

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

Greece

AKCAM'S BOOK ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PRESENTED IN ATHENS

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.04.2008 15:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Presentation of "A shameful Act: Armenian Genocide
and the Question of Turkish Responsibility" book by Turkish scholar
Taner Akcam took place in Athens on April 16, the RA MFA press office
reported.

"I am often asked why Turkey keeps up its policy of denial. I
think that it's conditioned by moral reasons. Each nation has its
heroes. It's hard to accept the shortcomings of these heroes and it's
even harder to realize that they were criminals and liars.

Degradation of heroes is pregnant with grave consequences and can
deliver a serious blow on national dignity. That is why Turkey should
be a developing democracy and its people should learn to face up the
history," Akcam said.

Armenia's Ambassador to Greece Vahram Kazhoyan, Greece parliament
vice speaker Anastasios Nerandzis, MPs, university lecturers and
representatives of the Armenian community also attended the ceremony.

On April 15, the book was presented in Thessaloniki.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg229280.html

1915 Armenian genocide remembered in Athens, Thessaloniki events

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos today said that Greeks were better aware than any other western peoples of the price paid by the Armenians and its historic significance, addressing an event in Athens marking the 83rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide by Turkey.

He said Greek-Armenian relations were developing rapidly, were of a defence- oriented nature, and were not aimed against any third country, while at the same time they covered a broad raange of activities and sectors, including economic cooperation, which focussed on the materialisation of Greek investments in Armenia.

Tsohatzopoulos called on Greek businessmen to invest in and cooperate with Armenia, following the example set by various state agencies.

"Today, in the wake of globalisation of the economy and the effort of international organisations to create an environment of security and peace, Greeks and Armenians all over the world have a duty to develop and cooperate closely," the minister said.

Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis, speaking at the same event, held under the aegis of the Municipality of Athens, outlined the ties of friendship between the two peoples and their common struggles for freedom, democracy and protection of human rights.

"We believe in peace, and are fighting for the smooth and peaceful coexistence of all nations," Kaklamanis said.

He added, however, that "as long there is a threat and that threat is manifested in a violent and unprovoked manner, as long as Turkey continues its barbaric occupation of northern Cyprus and refuses to comply with the rules of international law and act like a civilised country, we are obliged to be vigilant and reinforce our defence shielding".

In a similar event in Thessaloniki, the Armenian National Committee of Greece called on the international community to recognise the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians on April 24, 1915 by Turkish troops in Asia Minor.

The Greek parliament recognised the genocide two years ago.

Armenian National Committee speakers also called for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from and lifting of the blockade on Armenia and Karabakh, and also for the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from Cyprus.

http://www.hri.org/news/greek/apeen/1998/98-04-26.apeen.html

[07] Armenian Committee to commemorate 1915 genocide
Athens 14/04/1998 (ANA)
The Armenian National Committee in Greece will schedule a series of events in Thessaloniki to mark the 83rd anniversary of the genocide by the Ottoman Turk regime.

The official service in memory of the approximately 1.5 million Armenians who were slaughtered in the genocide will be held on Friday, Arpil 24, while the main political rally will be held on the following Sunday, April 26.

Former transport minister Haris Kastanidis will speak on the subject of "The Armenian Genocide and the International Legal Order".

A statement issued by the Committee yesterday said the Armenian people demanded "acknowled-gement of the genocide and the return of the Armenian ancestral lands occupied by Turkey".

It also calls for an end to "the systematic destruction of the monuments of Armenian civilisation in Turkish-occupied Armenia, an end to the blockade of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the end of the arming of Azerbaijan by Turkey and the under mining of peace initiatives for a just and viable solution to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh."

The statement also stresses that "this year's 83rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide is officially commemorated for the first time in Greece, and for this reason acquires historic significance".

http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/1998/98-04-14.ana.html

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBERED

Athens News Agency
April 21 2008
Greece

Events marking the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide were
held in the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Sunday, organised
by the Armenian National Committee and the Thessaloniki Prefecture.

The keynote speaker at the event, held at the Vellidis Conference
Centre, was former parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis, while
greetings were also addressed by Macedonia-Thrace Minister Margaritis
Tzimas, representatives of the Armenian ambassador in Greece, of
Thessaloniki Prefect Panayiotis Psomiadis, by Thessaloniki Mayor
Vassilis Papageorgopoulos and representatives of the Armenian Youth
of Greece.

The speakers noted the efforts being made for recognition of the
Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government, and on ways of averting
other genocides from taking place in the future.

Caption: A scene from a wreath-laying ceremony in Thessaloniki on
Sunday, 20 April, 2008.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg229506.html

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

'GEORGETOWN BOYS' COMMEMORATES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
by Rosemary Ford

The Eagle-Tribune
April 17, 2008 Thursday
North Andover, Massachusetts

Apr. 17--It was the first genocide of the 20th century.

More than 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks between
1915 and 1923.

Thousands of children were orphaned. A group of 109 were sent to
Georgetown, Canada, to learn to be farmers.

What happened to that group will be explored in "The Georgetown Boys"
by renowned Armenian playwright Dr. Herand Markarian.

The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of the Merrimack Valley
will bring this original play to North Andover Sunday for its New
England premiere, before it heads on a tour of the United States.

"We heard it was excellent, excellent," said chairwoman Sossy
Jeknavorian of Chelmsford.

The committee honors survivors of the genocide every year -- a dozen
still live in the Merrimack Valley. The group previously brought
another play by Markarian, "Mirrors," here to great acclaim.

"We never forget -- we have to honor the survivors," Jeknavorian said.

Markarian's bilingual (English and Armenian) play will be staged by the
24 children and adults of the Hamazkayin of New Jersey Youth Theater
Group. The Hamazkayin is a worldwide organization that bolsters the
Armenian culture among those who left the country after the genocide.

The story follows the boys -- all between the ages of 8 and 12 --
who worked on farms in the suburb of Toronto and eventually became
farmers in their own right.

"We are very fortunate to be staging this production," said committee
member Tom Vartabedian of Haverhill, who is also a columnist for the
Haverhill Gazette, a sister publication of The Eagle-Tribune.

A service for the victims of the genocide will precede the play,
accompanied by the Armenian Choral Group of the Merrimack Valley.

If You Go

What: "The Georgetown Boys"

When: Sunday, April 20, at 3 p.m.

Where: North Andover Middle School

How: Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. For advance
tickets, please call either 978-373-1654 or 978-256-2538.

http://www.eagletribune.com/pulife/local_story_108074008.html

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

PEABODY REMEMBERS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Jenny Amaral

The Daily Item of Lynn
April 18 2008
MA

PEABODY - The deep red, blue, and orange colors of the Armenian flag
stood out against the cloudless sky as it was raised in front of
City Hall Thursday afternoon in remembrance of the 93rd anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide.

The ceremony has become a meaningful tradition in Peabody since
former Mayor Peter Torigian, whose father was a Genocide survivor,
first organized the event 30 years ago.

"Pete was not only a great mayor, he was someone who had a great love
for Armenian people," said Mayor Michael Bonfanti. "He made me see
the light."

The day began with the raising of the flag by the only Genocide
survivor able to attend this year's event, 98-year-old Carl Mootafian
of Salem. All of 4-foot-11 and dressed for the occasion in a black pea
coat, slacks, and dress shoes, topped with a scally cap, he proudly
and loudly led the singing of the Armenian national anthem in his
native tongue.

Moving inside to Wiggin Auditorium, Bonfanti addressed the dozens
of supporters in attendance. He said that he was proud of the city's
religious, ethnic, and cultural tolerance, as well as their support
in recognizing what many parts of the world deny ever happened.

"Let us not forget," he said. From 1915-1923, the Turkish Ottoman
Empire organized the brutal killing of over 1.5 million Armenians
living in Turkey. Many were slaughtered and others were forced out
into the ocean to drown or sent to the dessert to die beneath the
hot sun. To this day, the Turkish government remains in denial of
any such massacre.

"We must never forget atrocities that were and are still being
committed by man to his fellow man," Bonfanti said, adding that he is
both "horrified and repulsed" by what he's seen and "can't comprehend
the inhumanity."

Recently, Bonfanti announced that Peabody would no longer associate
with the Anti Defamation League's No Place For Hate Program because
they do not recognize the Armenian Genocide as a historical fact.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," said Bonfanti, who earned
the title of "honorary Armenian."

After the Rev. Stepan Baljian of St. Stephen's Church in Watertown
gave a blessing and requiem, local Armenian filmmaker Apo Torosyan
showed his short documentary "Witnesses."

"It's not a wonderful story, but it's something that'll remain
forever," he said. The film told the horrific stories of two women
who experienced the Armenian Genocide at the tender ages of 8 and 11.

Several others spoke, including Patrice Tierney, wife of state
Rep. John Tierney; the daughters of former Mayor Torigian; and Tom
Vartabedian of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of the
Merrimack Valley.

"We as Armenians have recovered from a terrible blow," said
Vartabedian, who urged audience members to spread their message to
today's youth. "This is not a persecution of a race, but a preservation
of a nation."

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg229250.html

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Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

EDITORIAL: We must never forget Armenian Genocide

Burbank Leader, CA
April 19 2008

On the face of it, the Armenian Genocide is about Armenians. But it
must serve as a lesson to all mankind, so that the tragic events of
the past never become the fate of new generations.

The annual Week of Remembrance, starting Sunday, offers a chance to
solemnly look back.

It is a week devoted to remembering the Armenian Genocide, when the
Ottoman-Turkish Empire killed 1.5 million Armenians.

For many, it is just history -- easy to bury in the days when
it happened, more than 90 years ago in a land far away from the
neighborhoods of Glendale and Burbank. But this must not happen.

It is that kind of attitude that allows such things to occur again. It
is that attitude that Adolf Hitler counted on when planning the
extermination of millions of xxxs. "Who today still speaks of the
massacre of the Armenians?" he asked. advertisement

Well, we all must.

That was in 1939, only 24 years after the genocide.

Genocide survivors are becoming fewer and farther between and taking
with them the memories, which as terrible as they may be, give us a
vital link to history and the lessons that we can learn from it.

With war and genocide ravaging nations all around the world today,
we can't let documented examples of war's consequences die with the
people who lived through it.

Because when the memories go, we miss out on the knowledge that can
turn killing into peace, and help us better understand those with
whom we work and live.

Hitler wanted us to forget the Armenian Genocide, and the Turkish
government denies it happened.

But we must speak of the massacre, especially in a political climate
in the United States, where recognizing the atrocities committed
against Armenians is a political issue that gets talked about but
never officially done for political reasons.

Thankfully, there are places like Glendale and Burbank, where Armenians
and many others work to remind the world that they have a story to
tell about a terrible time in their nation's history.

All of next week, that story will be told through a series of events
in Glendale and Burbank.

Whether you attend all the events, or just find one that speaks to you,
it is crucial that we put these atrocities in the light and understand
what man is capable of, and what can happen if we forget.

It should be taught in school as the Holocaust is, but since it
isn't we all must raise a social consciousness about it and the other
atrocities of mankind, such as the genocide in Darfur.

Only by doing this can we hope to prevent such slaughter and mayhem
in the future.

So take time this week to reflect on the Armenian Genocide. But
remember, it's really about all human beings.

That's a thought that should unite us all in remembrance, so that we
can look forward to an even better community.

http://www.burbankleader.com/articles/2008/04/19/opinion/blr-editorial20419.txt

[Siamanto]

Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

WATERTOWN CENTER HELPS SURVIVORS TELL THEIR STORIES TO FOLLOWING GENERATIONS
By Erica Noonan

Boston Globe
April 20 2008
MA

WATERTOWN - The way survivors see it, the tragedy of genocide is
magnified when the history remains untold. If more had been done
to recognize the Armenian genocide, which killed the family of
98-year-old Asdghig Alemian, perhaps Edgar Krasa, 87, would have
been spared the horrors of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Had the
history been better remembered, they believe, there's a chance that
21-year-old Marie Carine Gakuba would not have had to suffer through
an ugly chapter of her own national history - the Rwandan genocide.

Alemian, Krasa, and Gakuba were brought together last Sunday to share
their stories of survival. The program, called "Genocide Committed,
Genocide Denied, and Genocide Repeated," was hosted by the Armenian
Library and Museum of America in Watertown, North America's only
permanent memorial to the Armenian genocide.

Krasa and Gakuba are sad witnesses to what happens when history is
ignored and forgotten, say the descendents of the first genocide of
the 20th century, in which more than 1.5 million Armenians died at
the hands of Turkish soldiers between 1915 and 1917.

"The question we are always asking ourselves is, 'What can I do
personally so that genocide never happens again to anyone?' " said
Mariam Stepanyan, the 32-year-old director of the Armenian Library.

Armenians "carry the memory of loss in their hearts," she said.

With only a handful of the Armenian genocide survivors still alive,
the responsibility for keeping that memory alive has fallen squarely on
the shoulders of Generation X. Stepanyan is among a small group of 30-
and 40-something Armenian-Americans at the core of a burgeoning local
genocide-awareness movement, one that has united them with victims of
the Nazi Holocaust, their descendants, and survivors of more recent
genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, and Rwanda.

Armenians have lived longest with the heavy cultural and moral
obligation to prevent genocide. The almost missionary zeal to educate
the public about the massacre is an unshakable part of their cultural
identity, said Ara Nazarian, a 36-year-old researcher at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

"We are an ancient people and this is a fresh wound because it is
only 93 years old," said Nazarian, who as a teenager growing up in
Iran helped collect oral histories of the survival stories of his
elderly Armenian neighbors.

"It doesn't define everything about being Armenian, but it's
ingrained. These are stories told at the most personal levels by your
grandma, and it is a human link that you can't forget," he said.

Young Armenian activists are the new faces pushing forward a
decades-old effort to get the US government to officially acknowledge
the massacre as a genocide, and also to seek an apology and reparations
from the Turkish government.

They are also increasingly reaching beyond their own cultural group
to join forces with people like 52-year-old Jewish community organizer
Susie Davidson, who pulled together last Sunday's program with Alemian,
Krasa, and Gakuba.

more stories like this"Reaching out to others alleviates the feeling
of suffering and aloneness. It's a natural emotional progression to
empathize with other victims of genocide," said Davidson, who became
interested in forming intercultural alliances with Armenians after
meeting some last year at a "Dream for Darfur" rally at Boston City
Hall. The event brought together a mix of genocide survivors to raise
attention to the ongoing massacre of an estimated 500,000 people in
western Sudan.

"There is a certain strength to be realized from coming together,"
said Davidson, author of "I Refused to Die," a collection of stories
from Boston-area Nazi Holocaust survivors. "The experience is similar,
and this can only lead to strength in numbers."

Armenians are eager to collaborate because they hope the suffering of
their ancestors can make a difference for the future, said Stepanyan.

Sharistan Melkonian, 39, who works for the Armenian National Committee
of Massachusetts, said she feels efforts among the next wave of
next-generation Armenian activists are beginning to bear fruit,
citing a bruising, high-profile philosophical battle last year with
the Anti-Defamation League over the national Jewish group's refusal
to formally recognize the Armenian genocide.

More than a dozen local communities dumped the Anti-Defamation
League's "No Place for Hate" antiprejudice program in protest of the
organization's reticence, and earlier this month the Massachusetts
Municipal Association broke off its sponsorship of the program.

"I do feel like we are making a difference," said Melkonian.

Beth Israel's Nazarian said he hopes he can raise his own infant son
in a country that has learned lessons from Armenia's painful history.

"I'm hopeful that when he's old enough to understand we won't still
be fighting for recognition," he said. "I can teach him about the
history and culture, and any time he sees injustice - especially of
such magnitude - he needs to do something about it."

One of the few Armenian survivors healthy enough to attend the
gathering on Sunday, Alemian was orphaned as a small child. Frail
and wheelchair-bound, her voice ringing with anguish, she showed
the crowd of more than 100 people a photograph of her late parents -
the only way she has to remember their faces.

Krasa, a Czech Jew, was imprisoned in the Terezin concentration camp
by German Nazis, who exterminated an estimated 6 million Jews between
1937 and 1945.

He survived the camp, but more than 90,000 Jews died there.

"Everybody says, 'Never again,' but we see how power-hungry men
can start a genocide," said Krasa, referring to post-World War II
genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, and Africa.

Gakuba was only 8 when her family was chased into hiding during
the 1994 genocide, in which 800,000 Rwandans were murdered over a
100-day period.

She watched armed men shoot her 12-year-old brother to death while
she and her siblings huddled for safety in a swamp.

Now studying political science at the University of New Hampshire,
she speaks about her experiences at genocide-awareness events.

As a child, Gakuba believed the horror around her "was happening all
over the world, that's why nothing was being done to stop it. You
can imagine how disappointed I was when I found it wasn't," she
said ruefully.

As an adult, she is more sober and cynical about the cruelty she
witnessed, and about the world's indifference.

"I guess I am hopeful. I am crossing my fingers that something might
get done. But if nobody is going to do something to stop [genocide],
they should stop saying they will," said Gakuba.

"It gives people a false sense of security."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/04/20/watertown_center_helps_survivors_tell_their_stories_to_following_generations/

[Siamanto]

Re: In Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - 2008

INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCES BY PHOTOS

Panorama.am
16:20 21/04/2008

Today in the architectural museum-institute of Armenia photo exhibition
was organized to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The exhibition
was organized by "Shushi" charitable foundation.

More than 220 photos shot before 1914 were presented in the
exhibition. "We tried to provide as much information by photos as
possible," said Bakur Karapetyan, the chairman of the foundation.

The exhibition was a specific overview of the Western Armenia, its
economy, cultural life, Armenian politicians, their houses, monuments,
traditions and everything which could create the image of Armenia
and Armenians.

According to B. Karapetyan, those photos are the indisputable evidence
of the fact that once Van, Kars, Erzrum, Sebastia, Kharberd and
Diarbekir were part of Armenian land.

The deputy minister of culture Gagik Gyurjyan said that they are
intended to give people in the rural communities to see the exhibition
in their own cities.

http://www.panorama.am/en/society/2008/04/21/photos/?sw

......

"Western Armenia in Photos: 1860 - 1914" exhibit to open in Yerevan April 21

PanARMENIAN.Net

19.04.2008 16:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On April 21, the Armenian National Architecture
Museum will host "Western Armenia in Photos: 1860 - 1914" exhibition.

As a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter came to know from the Shushi Foundation,
the purpose of the exhibition is creation of a new approach to the
Armenian Genocide issue.

Bakur Karapetyan, chairman of the Shushi Foundation, said that
over 7 thousand photos telling us about everyday life of the people
inhabiting Western Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh were collected. "220
photos will be displayed. We want to show how our ancestors lived
in our homeland. The whole world knows about the Armenian Genocide
and our goal is to show not only the cultural monuments but also the
people who lived there. Organization of our exhibition abroad is also
very important. The Congressmen will know that they take the right
decision if they see these photographs," Mr Karapetyan said.

He also informed that the Shushi Foundation will arrange a photo
exhibition dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Sardarapat battle
celebrated on May 28.

http://www.armtown.com/news/en/pan/20080419/25806/

EXHIBITION "WESTERN ARMENIA IN PHOTOGRAPHS OF 1860-1914" OPENS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
April 21, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition under the title "Western
Armenia in Photographs of 1860-1914" opened on April 21 at the National
Museum-Institute of Architecture on the initiative of the RA Ministry
of Culture and Shoushi Charity Fund. The 220 photographs displayed at
the exhibition present economic, cultural life of Western Armenia,
its public figures, settlements, cult monuments in the period from
the 1860-s to 1914, national costumes peculiar of different regions.

As Bakur Karapetian, the Director of the Shoushi Charity Fund,
mentioned, the documents of Western Armenia are irrefutable evidence
that Armenians lived in Van, Kars, Erzrum, Sebastia, Kharberd, and
Diarbekir. According to him, their goal is to present that exhibition
also abroad, in particular, in the United States.

B. Karapetian said that for the purpose of founding a national gallery
of photography the Fund has created a collection of 7 thousand
antiquated photographs including different sides of Armenia's,
Artsakh's, Western Armenia's, and Diaspora's life, the most part of
which is shown at the www.avetis.org website.

The Fund's director also said that they intended to repair one of
the Shoushi's old schools and to turn it into a picture-gallery,
but the NKR authorities did not assist them and the program remained
unfinished.

According to B. Karapetian, unless the program of founding a
pictury-gallery in Shoushi receives assistance, they will apply to the
town authorities of Gyumri or Vanadzor. "This is a unique collection,
our history is presented in these photographs, and we are obliged to
make it accessible for everyone," B. Karapetian emphasized.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg229430.html