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Contact: Karine Abalyan
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June 26, 2009

Archbishop Aykazian, Diocesan Legate, Gives Talk at American University

Diocesan Legate and National Council of Churches President Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian gave a lecture titled "The Role of Christian Churches in Conflict
Resolution and Other Crises" at American University in Washington, D.C., on
Wednesday, April 22.

Stressing the importance of diplomacy, Archbishop Aykazian said it should be
the first option in resolving conflicts. He said that churches are not
called to be weak in the face of violence, but to be proactive in finding
ways to end it.

According to Archbishop Aykazian, Christians believe there is no just war,
and churches should always oppose the use of force. "The primary goal of
Christians is to achieve peace," said Archbishop Aykazian.

Archbishop Aykazian also spoke about the important role churches have in
ending genocide, and urging actions to end genocides. According to
Archbishop Aykazian, churches must affirm security and justice concerns of
both sides in every conflict, and not turn a blind eye to manipulation and
hostile rhetoric and actions. The primary tools to achieve this, Archbishop
Aykazian said, are advocacy, humanitarian assistance, and constituent
education.

"Christians should educate their members that faith compels action in
real-world situations," said Archbishop Aykazian. "The primary teaching
moment is to admit failures of the past and seek ways toward
reconciliation."

He said that the Germans had accepted their mistake of the Holocaust and
Turkey must now accept the atrocities of the 1.5 million Armenians who were
massacred in 1915, in the first genocide of the 20th century.

"Whether we are Christians, Jews, Hindus or Muslims, we are all human
beings," said Archbishop Aykazian.

Christians and other faith leaders can serve as mediators in conflicts
because they are called by Christ to love their neighbor and to seek peace,
according to Archbishop Aykazian. "Christians must be the voice of the
voiceless," he concluded.

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