PRESS RELEASE
ARPA Institute
18106 Miranda St.
Tarzana, CA 91356
Contact: Hagop Panossian
Tel: (818) 586-9660
E-mail: hpanossian@hotmail.com
Web:

ARPA Institute presents the Lecture/Seminar:”The Importance of the
Diaspora in shaping the Armenian National Identity,” by Razmik
Panossian, Ph.D., on Friday, May 5, 2006 at 7:30 PM in the Merdinian
school auditorium.

The Address is 13330 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
Directions: on the 101 FWY exit on Woodman, go north and turn right on
Riverside Dr.

Abstract: The Armenian diaspora has played a crucial role in the
construction of Armenian national identity. This lecture will analyze
this process, and argue that Armenian identity has historically
evolved in a multi-local manner, often far away from the
homeland. Consequently, deep divisions exist within the Armenian
nation, and yet the subjective sense of belonging unites people around
the notion of `Armenianness.’ The lecture is based on Panossian’s
newly published book, The Armenians: From Kings and Priests to
Merchants and Commissars (Columbia University Press, 2006. The book
will be available after the lecture).

Razmik Panossian has published numerous articles including, `The Past
as Nation: The Evolution of Armenian Identity,’ Geopolitics, 7:2,
2002; `The Irony of Nagorno-Karabakh: Formal Institutions versus
Informal Politics,’ Regional and Federal Studies, 11: 3, 2001; `The
Diaspora and the Karabagh Movement’ in L. Chorbajian (ed.), The Making
of Nagorno-Karabagh, 2001; `Between Ambivalence and Intrusion:
Politics and Identity in Armenia-Diaspora Relations.’ Diaspora: A
Journal of Transnational Studies, 7:2, 1998 (1999). His previous book
was a co-edited volume entitled Nationalism and History: The Politics
of Nation Building in Post-Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
(Toronto, 1994). Panossian has taught at the Department of Government,
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he also
defended his PhD dissertation in 2000. The thesis won the Lord Bryce
Prize for Best Dissertation in Comparative and International Politics
in the UK (granted by UK Political Studies Association). He is
currently based in Canada and working in the field of human rights and
international democratic development.

For Information Please call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)586-9660