ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736
E-mail: zoryan@zoryaninstitute.org

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: George Shirinian

DATE: October, 16 2006
Tel: 416-250-9807

The United Nations’ University for Peace Partners with Zoryan Institute
in Major International Conference

A major, international High Level Expert’s Forum, titled "Capacity
Building for Peace and Development: Roles of Diaspora," is taking place
in Toronto on October 19 and 20, 2006, sponsored by the University for
Peace, a United Nations-mandated agency, in partnership with the Zoryan
Institute. The Forum will assemble over 70 international experts and
leaders to reflect on the potential of diasporas to support, engage
in and mobilize towards peace-building and development.

The keynote speaker at the opening plenary session will be
H.E. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, President, UN General Assembly
61st Session. The Foreign Minister for Armenia, H.E. Vartan Oskanian,
will speak at the Second Plenary Session. The opening speeches
will be followed by five concurrent workshops, which will examine
in depth the roles played and strategies used by various diasporan
groups to strengthen peace-building and promote development in their
countries of origin. The case studies focus on Afghanistan, Armenia,
China, Colombia, and Ethiopia. The participants in the Armenian
workshop will include Prof. Khachig Tololyan of Wesleyan University,
who is the editor of Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies
co-published by the Zoryan Institute, and Dr. Razmik Panossian,
who is Director of Policy, Programs and Planning at Rights and
Democracy in Montreal. Also participating in the conference will be
senior representatives of the Canadian government, policy-makers,
representatives of NGO’s and scholars.

As communities worldwide have begun to focus more systematically
on how to harness diversity as an asset rather than a liability,
there has been increased interest from many quarters in tapping the
creativity, energy and resources of diasporas to build peace and
promote development.

"Not only is there a growing recognition of Diasporas as effective
agents of peace and development in their home countries, but also a
nuanced understanding of Diaspora is increasingly being recognized
as fundamental to comprehending the multicultural fabric of Canada,
the United States and other host countries," stated Torrey Swan,
the Zoryan Institute’s Project Manger for the conference, "as today
there are over 190 million migrants worldwide."

The Chair of the conference, Ambassador Mohamed Sahnoun, who is Special
Advisor to the Secretary-General of the UN on Africa and Vice-President
of the Council of the University, has stated, "The role of diasporas
in peace-building, good governance, and economic development processes
is an issue that I regard as significant, timely, and warranting more
global attention. We are delighted to be convening this expert forum
in Canada, which has played a pivotal role historically in fostering
open debate on critical issues of international peace and development."

"We are very pleased to be working with the University for Peace in
the realization of this conference," stated K.M. (Greg) Sarkissian,
President of the Zoryan Institute. For twenty-five years we have
operated with the conviction that the potential of the Armenian
Diaspora would be greatly enhanced though comparative study and
dialogue with other diasporas. This high level expert’s forum is
an excellent opportunity for Zoryan to continue to expand its reach
beyond academia and share information and knowledge with many other
experts and policy-makers."

The Zoryan Institute, parent organization of the International
Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, and co-publisher of
Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies and Genocide Studies and
Prevention: An International Journal. It is the first non-profit,
international center devoted to the research and documentation of
contemporary issues with a focus on Armenian social, political and
cultural life, but with the concern for the human rights of all.