ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION WAS HELD IN WORCESTER

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.04.2009 01:01 GMT+04:00

An Armenian Genocide commemoration was held at the Holy Trinity
Armenian Apostolic Church in Worcester, and featured speakers
Bilgin Ayata (Johns Hopkins University) and Dr. Dikran Kaligian
(Regis College). The event was sponsored by the Armenian Church of
the Martyrs, the Armenian National Committee, the Armenian Relief
Society, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian Youth
Federation, the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Worcester,
and the Surp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Apostolic Church of Whitinsville.

Arpi Aprahamian, the master of ceremonies, welcomed the audience–which
numbered 200–and talked about the importance of commemorating the
genocide. She said the number of survivors have dwindled over the
years, and acknowledged the presence of the only survivor in the
audience, Almas Boghosian. She then introduced Bilgin Ayata.

"A few days ago when I participated at a panel discussion at Bentley
College, I found out that among the Armenian community here in
Worcester, there are several families who are descendants from
Armenians of Chemisgezek of the Dersim region," said Ayata. "I was
born and raised in Germany, but my parents are from Dersim as well,
not from Chemisgezek but from Ovajik, a small town in the valley
of Dersim. After the genocide in 1915, the cultural diversity of
Dersim was extinguished and today, the population consists of mainly
Alevi-Kurds and Zazas," she said.

Worcester Mayor Konstantina Lukes spoke next. After talking about the
importance of genocide recognition by the current U.S. administration,
she read a declaration urging all Worcester residents to commemorate
the Armenian Genocide with their Armenian neighbors.

George Aghjayan from the ARF Worcester "Aram" Gomideh made a few
comments, urging the community to continue the struggle and, when
thinking about the failure of President Barack Obama to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, to not forget all the victories that have
been achieved.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress