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: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

Watch the recorded video of the message of His Holiness Aram I on the
occasion of the 3rd Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference held in Antelias here:

Re ad the message of His Holiness Aram I in Armenian here:
Messages/messages5.htm

COMMUNIQUÉ

THE THIRD PAN-ARMENIAN WRITERS’ CONFERENCE:
THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION AND
THE ARMENIAN LITERATURE

6-9 April 2006
CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA
ANTELIAS, LEBANON

Under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the House of
Cilicia and on the initiative of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, the Third
Pan-Armenian Conference was held in the Antelias headquarters of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia with more than 130 participants from Armenia and
the Diaspora.

Greeting letters were sent by H.E. Robert Kotcharian, president of the
Republic of Armenia, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians,
Artuir Baghdasarian, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Prime Minister
Antranig Markarian and Dr. Zaven Yegavian, Director of the Department of
Armenian Affairs of the Gulbenkian Foundation.

The president of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, Levon Ananian, delivered the
opening remarks, which were followed by the heart spoken words of welcome of
the most senior participant, poet Jack. S. Hagopian. Representatives from
the community organizations, political and national circles attended the
ceremonial opening of the conference.

His Holiness Aram I shared his visionary viewpoints with the attendants. He
stressed the imperative of an Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Diaspora that
strengthen the nation and the motherland. The Pontiff highlighted the
nation-building role of the Pontifical See of Cilicia, particularly after
the Genocide, by assembling the children of the Armenian nation, providing
them with spiritual-intellectual nourishment, moral values and national
dreams, leading them from death to life, because the Armenian culture,
Armenian schools, the struggle for violated rights have been at the core of
the Catholicosate’s mission.

“.For me a writer is the missionary of truth above and more than anything
else,” said His Holiness. The Pontiff said that the wave of globalization is
strong and pointed out that the most secure path for Armenians is positive
dialogue in which an important role is reserved to Armenian culture and
literature. He advised opening up to the future, establishing useful and
mutual relations with the surrounding environment and approaching pan
humanitarian with self confidence.

“True literature is the echo of truth. Let the Armenian literature, enriched
with quality and strengthened by the truth, reinforced by the Armenian and
beautified by the pan humanitarian, spread further, develop and persevere,
eternalizing with it Armenians with their faith, culture, identity, dreams
and motherland,” the Pontiff preached.

During the following 10 sessions, the participants discussed various issues
related to the general theme “The challenges of globalization and the
Armenian literature”:

1-Globalization and modern Armenian literature
2-A new life experience and a new literature
3-The conflict of identity in Armenian Diaspora literature
4-The Armenian Diaspora literature assessed by the literary criticism of
Armenia
5-Modern thinking in the Armenian Diaspora literature
6-The Armenian Genocide and modern Armenian literature
7-The internationalization of Armenian literature
8-Modern children’s literature and national schools

Based on issues related to globalization, the participants made proposals
that will be presented to the fourth Pan-Armenian writers’ conference:

– Strengthening the ties between writers, both individuals and
unions
– Preparing a collection of works written during the last two years
before each conference
– Approaching the people in order to increase the number of readers
– Establish a fund for publications and for presenting the Armenian
literature on the internet
– Creating greater opportunity for young writers to participate in
such conferences
– Establishing special committees that would read and select the
works of Armenian authors that would be translated into foreign languages
for the purpose of introducing Armenian literature to the international
public. Having the translation read by another committee before publication.

The participants expressed concern about the issue of a single dictation,
the purity of the Armenian language and many other problems that could be
included in the next conference’s agenda. Apart from the specific
discussions, attendants also made proposals of interest to Armenian writers.

The conference could not have thoroughly examined all the complex issues it
faced. Participants, however, became conscious of the fact that the Armenian
literature can’t be detached from the national-political and survival
struggle and that it should play an important role in this struggle because
culture is politics.

The attendant writers truly thought together, emphasized the importance of
quality both in national circles and the international arena, so that
literature can be enriched by moving ahead towards the world. They talked
about introducing Armenian literature to global readers by
internationalizing it, a task they considered to be a precondition for
dialogue.

The conference became an opportunity for Armenian writers to get to know one
another, become aware of each others’ difficulties and conflicts, which can
create the possibility for unity in a field of diversity.

The participants expressed their gratitude for the success of the conference
to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the support and contribution of its
Pontiff, His Holiness Aram I.

THIRD PAN-ARMENIAN WRITERS’ CONFERENCE

Antelias, 9 April 2006
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.