DISTINGUISHED HUMANITARIAN AWARD BESTOWED UPON DINK

armradio.am
13.11.2007 10:28

More than 400 Armenian Assembly supporters from across the country
gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to pay tribute to one of the most
prominent Armenian voices in Turkey, the late Hrant Dink. Dink’s widow
Rakel was on hand to accept the Assembly’s Distinguished Humanitarian
Award posthumously bestowed upon Dink.

Mrs. Dink, who traveled from Turkey to accept the award, delivered
a moving and thought-provoking speech, recalling that her husband
fought tirelessly for Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. He was searching
for a way to help both Armenians and Turks heal and move forward
while acknowledging the truths of history, Mrs. Dink said, speaking
in Armenian.

She then noted that past events or traumas can only be overcome
by understanding and forgiveness, and that her husband was always
"telling people to empathize with others, to try to understand and
share their pain.

He did this with "enormous courage, perseverance, excitement and love,"
she said.

Mrs. Dink also discussed efforts in the US to reaffirm the Armenian
Genocide. She noted that the US lawmakers who are considering the
Armenian Genocide resolution all know the truth, but that they are
simply putting politics before ethics.

Assembly Board of Trustees President Carolyn Mugar presented the
Assembly’s Distinguished Humanitarian Award to Mrs. Dink. Reflecting
on the life and work of the slain editor, Mugar noted that Hrant Dink
was: "an Armenian hero whose life inspired, and whose martyrdom shook
millions of people around the world."

"As a true intellectual, Hrant Dink believed in the innate goodness
of people and the ultimate power of that goodness over the darker
aspects of human character. He was a passionate believer in the power
of conviction and was an outspoken opponent of extremism and violence
in all forms," Mugar continued.

Prior to the award presentation, guests watched a touching video
which offered a glimpse into the private life Dink shared with his
loved ones.

Also that evening, information was provided regarding the
newly-established International Hrant Dink Foundation which, among
other things, seeks to advance dialogue between different cultures,
provide scholarships to students in need, and establish an Armenian
research institute in Turkey.