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Resolution For The New Decade
Dear friends and colleagues,
As 2005 draws to an end, I want to wish you all a new year that would be better for you than all the preceding ones. 2005 was a very important year for me because of the way it enabled our virtual community to grow and envelop us, and because of the actualization of the Istanbul conference on the Armenians in Turkey.
And it is in that spirit I want to share with you my resolution not for the New Year, but instead for the New Decade that has already started with the Istanbul Conference and will end in 2015. Before I do so, however, I need to tell you a Nasreddin Hoca story. One day the sultan was on the road with his retinue in full grandeur when he ran into the Hoca walking alone by the side of the road in the opposite direction. ‘Greetings, Hoca’ he called over, ‘what is your destination?’ ‘I am going to Mecca to become a haci,’ the Hoca replied. ‘But Mecca is so far away from here, you’ll never make it by walking,’ the sultan protested. The Hoca replied: ‘It does not matter if I make it or not, I’m on the right road, aren’t I?’
I realized when I read this Hoca story that the reason I have been claiming that Turkey will recognize 1915 by 2015 is based not only on my scholarly sociological insight, but also on the significance of setting a target to strive toward on an issue you care about. Even if the recognition does not come by that set target, I would know that I personally tried my best and I really believe it will eventually come because truth always prevails -- even if it does not, what makes and keeps us human is the belief that it does. So I am sure you have guessed by now that my resolution for the next decade is to get Turkey to recognize what happened in 1915 by 2015…
It is the academic scholarship of all of us that would pave the road to that recognition in 2015 and I know we will continue on that road, joined increasingly by brilliant young minds who are now our students but will soon be our colleagues. In addition to academic scholarship as well as journalism so crucial in interpreting and disseminating that produced knowledge, there is also art and literature the strength and impact of which needs to be appreciated more. It is in that spirit that I wanted to share with those of you who are artistically gifted or know people who are if you would be willing to help me launch an art project [1915/2015]:
[1915/2015]: An art project that creates the meaning of 1915 not only back then but all the way until now, and also into the future to 2015 through symbols alone, through art alone. No words and no numbers except 1915 and 2015. But everything the years 1915 and 2015, as well as the years in between bring to one’s mind’s eye… Such an art project can eventually lead to traveling art exhibits; students can get together print t-shirts and use the raised money to fund Turkish-Armenian student dialogue groups.
Having shamelessly taken up your time to share my decade resolution with you, I now end by thanking you once again for being there, for being a part of a virtual community comprising of those who seek knowledge and a fair world where that knowledge can be justly shared.
Muge
Associate Professor Fatma Muge Gocek
University of Michigan
Sociology Department
1225 S. University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 647-4228
Fax: (734) 763-6887
Dear friends and colleagues,
As 2005 draws to an end, I want to wish you all a new year that would be better for you than all the preceding ones. 2005 was a very important year for me because of the way it enabled our virtual community to grow and envelop us, and because of the actualization of the Istanbul conference on the Armenians in Turkey.
And it is in that spirit I want to share with you my resolution not for the New Year, but instead for the New Decade that has already started with the Istanbul Conference and will end in 2015. Before I do so, however, I need to tell you a Nasreddin Hoca story. One day the sultan was on the road with his retinue in full grandeur when he ran into the Hoca walking alone by the side of the road in the opposite direction. ‘Greetings, Hoca’ he called over, ‘what is your destination?’ ‘I am going to Mecca to become a haci,’ the Hoca replied. ‘But Mecca is so far away from here, you’ll never make it by walking,’ the sultan protested. The Hoca replied: ‘It does not matter if I make it or not, I’m on the right road, aren’t I?’
I realized when I read this Hoca story that the reason I have been claiming that Turkey will recognize 1915 by 2015 is based not only on my scholarly sociological insight, but also on the significance of setting a target to strive toward on an issue you care about. Even if the recognition does not come by that set target, I would know that I personally tried my best and I really believe it will eventually come because truth always prevails -- even if it does not, what makes and keeps us human is the belief that it does. So I am sure you have guessed by now that my resolution for the next decade is to get Turkey to recognize what happened in 1915 by 2015…
It is the academic scholarship of all of us that would pave the road to that recognition in 2015 and I know we will continue on that road, joined increasingly by brilliant young minds who are now our students but will soon be our colleagues. In addition to academic scholarship as well as journalism so crucial in interpreting and disseminating that produced knowledge, there is also art and literature the strength and impact of which needs to be appreciated more. It is in that spirit that I wanted to share with those of you who are artistically gifted or know people who are if you would be willing to help me launch an art project [1915/2015]:
[1915/2015]: An art project that creates the meaning of 1915 not only back then but all the way until now, and also into the future to 2015 through symbols alone, through art alone. No words and no numbers except 1915 and 2015. But everything the years 1915 and 2015, as well as the years in between bring to one’s mind’s eye… Such an art project can eventually lead to traveling art exhibits; students can get together print t-shirts and use the raised money to fund Turkish-Armenian student dialogue groups.
Having shamelessly taken up your time to share my decade resolution with you, I now end by thanking you once again for being there, for being a part of a virtual community comprising of those who seek knowledge and a fair world where that knowledge can be justly shared.
Muge
Associate Professor Fatma Muge Gocek
University of Michigan
Sociology Department
1225 S. University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 647-4228
Fax: (734) 763-6887
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