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The Armenian Weekly; Volume 74, No. 10; March 15, 2008
AYF Section:
1. Chicago AYF Celebrates Artsakh Anniversary
2. NAT’s Brings Together AYF Community
3. Being More than a Tourist in Armenia
4. Tsitsernakaberd
By Karina Bastajian
***
1. Chicago AYF Celebrates Artsakh Anniversary
As part of the AYF’s ongoing commitment to celebrate the 20th anniversary of
the Artsakh (Karabagh) liberation movement, the Chicago "Ararat" Chapter
held an event on March 2 in commemoration of Artsakh’s struggle. Over 200
members of the Chicago community came out to mark the anniversary and honor
the achievements made by those involved in the movement.
Hrag Arakelian of the "Ararat" Chapter took to the floor first and gave a
presentation tracing the early history of the Artsakh movement as it spread
>From Stepanakert to Yerevan and the rest of the world. He discussed the
early demonstrations and subsequent self-defense efforts while using a
visual presentation to show the audience images of those days.
Nora Najarian, chair of the "Chicago" Chapter, followed Arakelian and gave
the audience her reflections from a recent trip she took to Karabagh with
the AYF internship program. "Having the chance to meet former soldiers in
the war and visit places like Gandzasar monastery, which miraculously went
untouched despite being in the middle of combat between Azeri and Armenian
forces, put the Artsakh movement in a different perspective for me," says
Najarian. "I was moved and better able to appreciate Karabagh’s importance
for Armenians."
The event concluded with the screening of a 30-minute documentary on the
Karabagh war from 1991-94.
Local AYF chapters throughout the country are expected to continue holding
similar programs honoring the 20th anniversary of the Artsakh movement in
the coming months.
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2. NAT’s Brings Together AYF Community
Over 10 AYF chapters from across the eastern United States came out in
strength this weekend in Philadelphia for the 2008 AYF-YOARF National
Athletic Tournament (NAT’s). This year’s tournament was organized by the
Philadelphia "Sebouh" Chapter and succeeded in attracting over 200
attendees, one of the largest turnouts in recent memory.
As an integral component of the AYF’s annual athletic activities, NAT’s
offer participants a chance to come together and compete in sports not
regularly offered at other AYF events. Members are also given the
opportunity to interact during the weekend’s various nighttime social
gatherings.
"The heart of the AYF is what we do for the community and to preserve
Armenian culture in America," says Angela Deese, treasurer for the "Sebouh"
chapter and one of the lead organizers of this year’s tournament. "Events
like this are nice because they give us a chance to get together every once
in a while and have a good time."
The weekend kicked off with Cafe Ararat, a special Friday evening dinner at
the St. Gregory’s Church community center. Philly cheeseteaks were served as
DJ Serop Buldukian entertained the crowd and members of the local AYF got a
chance to greet their friends coming into town from across the country.
The next day, the athletic games began with basketball and volleyball being
the main attractions. The New York "Hyortik" Chapter ended up winning the
volleyball competition, while Philadelphia and Providence took the trophy
home for women’s and men’s basketball, respectively.
On Saturday night, Philly’s own DJ Harout Khatchadourian and the Artsakh
Band moved the crowd with traditional Armenian melodies and lively music at
an all ages dance held at the Doubletree Plymouth Meeting Ballroom. Two AYF
members in attendance, Justin Kaladjian from New York and Tamar Kanarian
>From Boston, even celebrated their birthday during the dance, with a cake
cutting ceremony and singing of happy birthday.
"Over the last few years, me and Justin started a tradition to celebrate our
birthday’s at NAT’s since all of our friends happen to attend the event to
support the games and the weekend’s activities," says Kanarian. "This is a
testament to how special the AYF is as it continues to bring together youth
and foster relationships that last a lifetime."
Such relationships and traditions are what NAT’s are all about. With
chapters focused on local activities and so distant from each other, "it is
these types of events which really bring people together in the fraternal
spirit of the AYF," explains "Sebouh" chairwoman Nora Keomurjian. "In the
end, it all really comes down to one word: togetherness."
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3. Being More than a Tourist in Armenia
As soon Armenia gained independence in 1991, the AYF responded by
establishing its annual summer internship program. This program has been
sending young volunteers to Armenia every summer for over 17 years, making
it one of the most popular and longest-running internships of its kind.
While the internship’s initial intent was on providing humanitarian
assistance aimed at helping Armenia get on its feet as a newly independent
state, today it serves more as a professional exchange for college students
who want to gain experience in their field and make a contribution to
Armenia. In this way, the program has proven to be well adapted to changing
conditions in Armenia and focused on providing what the country needs the
most.
In addition to providing participants with housing in the heart of Yerevan
and placing them in eight-week internships in their desired field of
interest, the program also allows volunteers the opportunity to explore the
cultural wealth of their homeland. Every weekend, interns go on excursions
to historic landmarks such as Sardarabad, Garni Temple, Dzidzernagapert,
Etchmiadzin, Lake Sevan and Khor Virap, just to name a few. They also take a
four-day trip to Karabagh (Artsakh), where they visit places such as Shushi,
Marduni, Stepanakert and Gandzasar, and learn first-hand about Karabagh’s
national liberation struggle.
These visits are accompanied by a series of educational lectures and social
gatherings with local AYF members in Armenia. Interacting with fellow youth
and examining some of the critical issues the country faces is an important
part of the overall program. Interns are encouraged to be aware of the
challenges confronting Armenia and think about ways they can help play a
role in alleviating them. They are also given the opportunity to step beyond
the confines of being a "tourist" and get acquainted with life in the
country.
The cultural, educational and spiritual learning experience one gains from
directly connecting with the homeland is truly invaluable. Since its
inception, the AYF internship program in Armenia has sought to harness this
connection and make it a reality for countless motivated young Armenians.
Whether you have or have not yet been to your homeland, this program is the
perfect opportunity to truly experience what Armenia has to offer and build
relationships that will last a lifetime.
For more information about the AYF’s summer internship in Armenia or to
download an application, visit or email ce@ayf.org. The deadline
for applications is March 20.
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4. Tsitsernakaberd
By Karina Bastajian
Memorials are places of home. They remind us of our pasts and allow us to
move on. For many, "home" is the place where one lives, eats, sleeps, raises
a family, etc.
However, for me, home has dual meanings. Yes, it is this place where one
lives, eats, sleeps and raises a family, but it is also our origins. How,
you might ask? Home is always said to have been where the heart is, and our
cultures are where our hearts lie. It is what makes us alive. Without
culture, origins and heritage, we die.
For many Armenians, Tsitsernakaberd holds this idea of home. It is a place
where its swallows come back to even when destroyed.
Located on a hill overlooking Yerevan, the capital city of a small country
known as Armenia, stands Tsitsernakaberd. This "fortress of small swallows"
(literally translated) is both a memorial and a dedication to the systematic
killings of Armenians from 1915-23. The 44-meter stele stands as a
dedication to the 1.5 million lives lost due to massacre. Its 12 slabs are
all positioned in a circle, signifying its 12 lost provinces, and in the
circle lies an eternal flame.
Every April 24th, hundreds of Armenians gather at the memorial to pay
tribute to the lives lost by laying flowers where the eternal flame
flickers. This memorial has always held a special place in my heart. For as
long as I can remember, recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 has
always been "our cause" and has always driven us home.
I visited Tsitsernakaberd during the summer of 2002 with the Armenian Boy
Scouts of America. Its enormity captivated me. Once inside, you feel as
though its 12 slabs are reaching for the heavens, praying for the lives lost
to genocide, and celebrating their rebirth. As you continue to walk out of
Tsitsernakaberd and down the long path, you come to a museum. This museum is
dedicated to the people of the genocide and many artifacts can be found
there.
While walking up to the memorial with our scouting group for the very first
time, a sudden tingling feeling came over me. It is then that I realized, as
I looked up at the massive stele, that I had finally reached home, that this
is where all of my ancestors and our cause for recognition lie. It is the
only place where I was able to truly connect with my people on a more
intimate level. Armenia is a part of who I am, and I am attached to her
because she has made me who I am.
So what in fact is our cause? Any why should you, the reader, care about
such an issue that does not affect your life whatsoever? Tsitsernakaberd is
a memorial of remembrance. It stands where it does everyday to remind not
only the citizens of Armenian, but both its diaspora and its tourists what
happened in 1915. The Armenian genocide occurred in 1915, when the Ottoman
Empire premeditatedly killed over 1.5 million Armenians. Here comes the
reason for Tsitsernakaberd. For years we have been persecuted and denied our
rights by the Turkish government and for years we have demanded recognition.
Our cause continues to be this: Recognition for all of my ancestors who lost
their lives to persecution and denial of their human rights. As I stood
there in front of our eternal flame, flickering in its red light, I remember
thinking that as long as this flame continues to flicker, so will the
ongoing determination in our hearts.
Tsitsernakaberd is a representation of our past and of out country’s lost
ancestors. Their souls will forever be with us and remembered by the symbol
of the eternal flame.
The translation and meaning of this memorial, "fortress of small swallows,"
has great significance. It is named for the swallow bird because they are
the birds that will always return to their nests, even if their homes are
destroyed. Like the swallows, Armenians everywhere continue to come back to
their destroyed homeland in support of both their cause and their beliefs.
It is a memorial that brings together all Armenians, from its citizens to
its diaspora.
Unfortunately, unlike the Holocaust Memorial, remembrance for the Armenian
genocide is lacking. There are hundreds of other memorials in the world
today like Tsitsernakaberd dedicated to lives lost in wars, genocides,
natural disasters or accidents. These memorials hold a special place to
those families who lost their loved ones. It is their "home," where they can
go back whenever they like and reunite spiritually, while helping them cope
with such atrocities. The sculpture entitled "The Sculpture of Love and
Anguish" portrays several different meanings and lenses the Jews endured
during the Holocaust, such as hope, despair, the last grasp of life and the
questioning of the existence of God. Hope represents the families trying to
help one another escape; despair is represented by the individuals who are
struggling for survival; and the last grasp of life and the questioning of
God are represented by the hand and the protruding of the veins, reaching
and climbing out to the heavens, asking, Why?
After all this portrayal of suffering through memorials, how do they give
the meaning of home? The answer tems in the idea of closure. Memorials act
as closure by giving people a sense of comfort and security. They are what
bring cultures and communities together to make those lives lost immortal.
Like Tsitsernakaberd, it is a place of solitude, reflections, and most of
all, remembrance.
Remembrance plays a crucial role in memorials. Without it, there is no
justification in having them built. Since remembrance signifies home, then
identity is what easily relates the latter two. Without remembering where we
came from, especially our origins, then we are truly lost souls. It is what
holds home and memorials together.
The 44-meter stele reaching for the heavens symbolizes the survival and
rebirth of the Armenian people, which in turn signifies community and
family. Its location also signifies remembrance and family because Armenia
is our country and when every two Armenians meet a new family begins.
Throughout history, we have recognized that there was a genocide during
World War II against the Jews, and that tragically, millions of lives were
lost. However, unlike the Holocaust, we have yet to recognize that there was
a war on Armenia, as well as in Armenia: a war on our people, our culture
and our heritage. A never ending war, in fact, because it continues to go.
It has become a war within ourselves, without recognition, because we have
failed to accept the truth not only as a nation but as a society.
Home stands as a representation of pain in the past because it allows us to
remember the heart-aches we have endured, while allowing us to come together
as a community and as a people. Homes are not always represented as the
happiest places but they are always a part of who we are, where we have come
from, and one will almost always continue to go back and revisit it.
Memorials can represent painful memories with notions of community and home.
For many, Tsitsernakaberd and the Holocaust memorials are not always a happy
place. I took a photo of Tsitsernakaberd among a fire and flowers,
signifying the pain amongst some of God’s most beautiful creations. The fire
represents all the pain we have endured due to genocide. It represents our
ancestors who were brutally murdered, while the flowers represent sadness
and grief.
However, they both represent hope for the future. The flame will forever
burn and the flowers will forever keep us at ease.
People’s meanings of both home and memorials differ in terms of their
outlooks; however, we continue to go back and revisit homes of pain because
they are a part of our identity, and that we cannot forget. This remembrance
of pain makes us stronger and more prosperous individuals.
So how can we, as a people, continue to deny history? Will this history
forever be denied? These questions continue to be fought and debated over
today due to American-Turkish relations, 92 years later.
Genocide denial for 92 years! For this reason, Tsitsernakaberd is our home.
We go back every year and put flowers down to keep the chances of
recognition alive in order to keep the Armenian spirit alive. Genocide
commemoration is important because it not only prevents other nations from
such atrocities, but it illustrates to the rest of the world that we will
not stop fighting until justice is served.
Many activists continue to recognize the cause of the Armenian people. The
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, as well as the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink,
helped to gain recognition for the Armenian cause. Unfortunately, Dink, an
editor of a Turkish-Armenian newspaper, was tragically shot outside his
office in Turkey. Dink became known as "one of the heroes of the non-violent
movement for freedom of expression in Turkey.he began one of the most
significant human rights movements of our time." On Dink’s death, Pamuk
wrote: "We are all responsible for his death in a way. But above all, I
think it is still those who defend ‘the law’ who are responsible for his
death."
These are the heroes who try to recognize our cause. They put their lives in
both danger and exile to keep their "other home" and their "other people,"
who perished so long ago, alive. They are the individuals that forever keep
our eternal flame flickering inside Tsitsernakaberd.
If we do not recognize and come to terms with what happened in our past, we
can not thrive, nor can we prosper. Without this remembrance of our history
and ancestors, we have no future, no culture, no nation. For this reason,
memorials are places of home, already recognizing and coming to terms with
what happened in our past.
By recognizing our homes and our pasts, we will one day be able to thrive as
a society and act as a community towards one another. If not, we will lose a
sense of each other’s identities, as well as a sense of self. That fact that
Tsitsernakaberd stands while the genocide is still denied by several
countries including the Untied States of America poses a major problem for
me.
How can we deny innocent lives that were lost the recognition and honor they
deserve? For thousands of years, countries and ethnicities who have endured
such genocides continuously struggled for this recognition.
I and Armenia still wait.