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The Armenian Weekly; Volume 74, No. 7; Feb. 23, 2008
AYF Section:
1. 20 years Ago
2. Washington Ani Chapter Swears in 8 New Members
3. Junior Seminar Committee Seeks to Empower Youth
4. Glendale AYF Rocks Out for Ghapan
***
20 Years Ago
This week marks the 20th anniversary of a very monumental episode in modern
Armenian history. Of course, I am referring to the emergence of the Artsakh
liberation movement in 1988.
On Feb. 20 of that year, the national assembly of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Autonomous Oblast passed a resolution, with a vote of 110 to 17, petitioning
Soviet authorities to have Karabakh transferred from Azerbaijani control
over to unification with Armenia. Three days later, the Soviet Communist
Party’s Central Committee rejected these democratic demands of the people of
Karabakh.
What followed were a series of public demonstrations that spread from
Artsakh to Yerevan and all the way to cities such as Los Angeles and New
York. These lawful, peaceful expressions of self-determination were soon
answered by savage violence and shocking brutality. On Feb. 29, the
Azerbaijani authorities unleashed the first of a series of mass pogroms
against their Armenian citizens, beginning in the town of Sumgait.
Armenians throughout the world were horrified at what they saw and rushed to
lend assistance to the people of Karabakh, as they took up arms to defend
themselves and liberate their territory from foreign oppression. The ARF
played a particularly significant role in these efforts, with many of its
most courageous and dedicated youth going to the front lines and
participating directly in the armed struggle for the liberation of Karabakh.
Modern-day ARF fedayees such as Tatoul, Vartan Pakhshian, Bedo Ghevontian,
Mher Chouladjian, Aram Boghossian, Vahe Baghdasarian, Doushman and countless
others-many of whom would have been of AYF-age if they had lived in the
U.S.-all gave their lives on the battlefield for their nation.
Meanwhile, AYF members throughout the world mobilized fund drives, relief
efforts and political campaigns in the name of the Karabakh struggle. From
its very inception, the youth in the diaspora played a galvanizing role in
generating support for the Karabakh movement and doing all they could to
support Armenia’s defense from a far.
Today, as Baku continues to threaten a military strike on the people of
Karabakh and the region struggles to develop its beleaguered economy, it is
time for a new generation of Armenian youth to once again stand up and come
to the aid of this historically pivotal part of our homeland.
—————————————- ——————————————
2. Washington Ani Chapter Swears in 8 New Members
WASHINGTON-Eight new members joined the ranks of the Washington Ani AYF
Chapter on the evening of Feb. 15 at a special oath ceremony held at the
ANCA National Headquarters. Following the oath, the chapter held its first
regular meeting of the year and received a series of educationals on the
elections in both the U.S. and Armenia.
The "godfather" of the oath ceremony was ARF Eastern Region Central
Committee and ANCA National Board member Onnik Petrossian. After offering
some inspiring words in Armenian regarding the importance of education and
involvement in the community, Petrossian issued the new members their
organizational oath and congratulated them on their induction into the ranks
of the AYF.
Of the eight new members, seven were transfers from the Washington Sevan
Junior Chapter, while one was a novice applicant. Prior to taking their
oath, each completed a rigorous educational program covering AYF/ARF history
and activities, and successfully passed an AYF novice exam.
"Taking my oath with seven fellow members made me realize that I am becoming
a part of an organization that is about unity and the great things that
could be done if all Armenians unite for one cause," said Anna Yayloyan, one
of the newest editions to the Ani AYF. "I am happy that I made the
commitment and I hope to be able to fulfill my dream of doing great things
for Armenia."
The meeting went on to hear a lecture by Raffi Karakashian, legislative
affairs director for the ANCA, on the current U.S. presidential race and the
various positions of the leading candidates on Armenian issues. He was
followed by another presentation by Washington Ani member Serouj Aprahamian,
who gave a brief overview of the presidential elections in Armenia and the
innovative democratic campaign being waged by ARF candidate Vahan
Hovhannesian.
Finally, ANC of Greater Washington member Paul Jamushian spoke about the
local political races coming up in the November elections and encouraged
members to get involved in the various campaigns taking place in their
districts.
"I can’t think of a better way to have started our fiscal year," said Sevan
Simonian, the newly elected chair of the Ani chapter. "We welcomed eight
very bright and promising new members, heard important updates on current
political issues, and discussed plans for upcoming chapter activities. We
plan on using this meeting as a springboard for making 2008 one of the
strongest for our chapter in recent memory."
———————————— ————————————————– –
3. Junior Seminar Committee Seeks to Empower Youth
The AYF-YOARF Junior Seminar stands alone as one of the most educational and
enjoyable gatherings of Armenian youth in the eastern United States. Now in
its 37th year, over 350 junior participants are expected to once again flock
to Camp Lutherlyn in Prospect, Pa., this Memorial Day weekend for a series
of thought-provoking educationals, exciting activities and unforgettable
memories.
This year’s seminar will pay homage to the 75th anniversary of the AYF and
seek to set the stage for coming years with its theme of "Empowering the
Youth Movement." Lectures will focus on the strides made by grassroots
Armenian activists in the past and discuss ways to push our cause forward
even more effectively in the future-with a particular emphasis on the role
played by youth in such efforts.
"It’s very important for the juniors to realize that working for change is
not beyond them and that they play a big part in our cause," says Tsoler
Avedissian, a member of the AYF Junior Seminar Committee (JSC) and long-time
seminar participant. "Now is the perfect time to keep up the momentum and
educate our juniors so that a strong group emerges after this generation to
keep the fight going."
Although the main component of the four-day gathering is education, juniors
will also be provided adequate time to socialize and interact. The athletic
facilities of the camp will be utilized for various sporting activities and
a social event is planned for every night. Often, the most memorable part of
the weekend comes on Sunday night, when a special social is held featuring
traditional Armenian dancing and the singing of patriotic songs.
For the members of the JSC organizing this year’s event, the experiences of
past Seminars have clearly played a key role in shaping who they are.
"Seminar was the first AYF event I ever attended and it set the stage for my
involvement over the last 13 yrs," explains veteran JSC member Tamar
Kanarian. She is confident that this year’s Seminar experience will prove
just as influential on the next generation of participants.
Newer members to the committee, such as Chris Arabian, are just as eager to
ensure a successful Seminar for 2008. "My experience in Seminar is not as
extensive as some of the other members of the committee but I feel very
strongly in the importance of empowering our generation," insists Arabian.
"I’ve seen the positive results of past AYF members’ hard work and I want to
be a part of putting a smile on the face of this generation."
In all, Junior Seminar provides participants a truly unique opportunity to
meet with friends from across the country and gain invaluable knowledge
about their people and themselves. In the words of JSC member Ani Jerikian,
"I hope every attendee of Seminar this year leaves with excitement, whether
it be about new friends and relationships, or about sharing information they
just learned to their chapters."
For more information about Junior Seminar, visit or e-mail
seminar@ayf.org.
——————————– ————————————————– ——-
4. Glendale AYF Rocks Out for Ghapan
The AYF-YOARF Junior Seminar stands alone as one of the most educational and
enjoyable gatherings of Armenian youth in the eastern United States. Now in
its 37th year, over 350 junior participants are expected to once again flock
to Camp Lutherlyn in Prospect, Pa., this Memorial Day weekend for a series
of thought-provoking educationals, exciting activities and unforgettable
memories.
This year’s seminar will pay homage to the 75th anniversary of the AYF and
seek to set the stage for coming years with its theme of "Empowering the
Youth Movement." Lectures will focus on the strides made by grassroots
Armenian activists in the past and discuss ways to push our cause forward
even more effectively in the future-with a particular emphasis on the role
played by youth in such efforts.
"It’s very important for the juniors to realize that working for change is
not beyond them and that they play a big part in our cause," says Tsoler
Avedissian, a member of the AYF Junior Seminar Committee (JSC) and long-time
seminar participant. "Now is the perfect time to keep up the momentum and
educate our juniors so that a strong group emerges after this generation to
keep the fight going."
Although the main component of the four-day gathering is education, juniors
will also be provided adequate time to socialize and interact. The athletic
facilities of the camp will be utilized for various sporting activities and
a social event is planned for every night. Often, the most memorable part of
the weekend comes on Sunday night, when a special social is held featuring
traditional Armenian dancing and the singing of patriotic songs.
For the members of the JSC organizing this year’s event, the experiences of
past Seminars have clearly played a key role in shaping who they are.
"Seminar was the first AYF event I ever attended and it set the stage for my
involvement over the last 13 yrs," explains veteran JSC member Tamar
Kanarian. She is confident that this year’s Seminar experience will prove
just as influential on the next generation of participants.
Newer members to the committee, such as Chris Arabian, are just as eager to
ensure a successful Seminar for 2008. "My experience in Seminar is not as
extensive as some of the other members of the committee but I feel very
strongly in the importance of empowering our generation," insists Arabian.
"I’ve seen the positive results of past AYF members’ hard work and I want to
be a part of putting a smile on the face of this generation."
In all, Junior Seminar provides participants a truly unique opportunity to
meet with friends from across the country and gain invaluable knowledge
about their people and themselves. In the words of JSC member Ani Jerikian,
"I hope every attendee of Seminar this year leaves with excitement, whether
it be about new friends and relationships, or about sharing information they
just learned to their chapters."
For more information about Junior Seminar, visit or e-mail
seminar@ayf.org.