ARMENIAN ADVOCACY DISCUSSED IN JOINT AGBU-ARF EVENT
by Laura Michael
Published: Sunday May 22, 2011
Event speakers and organizers.
Watertown, Mass. – On May 12 the AGBU Young Professionals of Boston
and ARF “Sardarabad” Gomideh collaborated to co-sponsor a symposium
entitled, Genocide Recognition: The Road Ahead.
Chris Mensoian of AGBU YP Boston and Jirayr Beugekian of the ARF
“Sardarabad” Gomideh served as event chairs.
Together the groups organized a panel of four distinguished Armenians:
Aram Hamparian, ANCA executive director of the ANCA; Marc Mamigonian,
NAASR director of academic affairs; Dr. Michael G. Mensoian, Professor
Emeritus, Middle East and Political Geography, UMASS Boston; and
Khatchig Mouradian, editor of the Armenian Weekly and PhD student
in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University. Alin Gregorian,
editor of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, served as moderator.
At the beginning of the evening, YP Boston Chairwoman Nicole Meregian
gave opening remarks and introduced the participants. It was also
noted that Massachusetts State Representative Jonathan Hecht was
in attendance.
The panelists discussed and debated a wide range of topics within
the realm of genocide recognition including but not limited to:
reparations, the role of the Diaspora in genocide recognition,
the future security of Javakhk and Karabagh, and the importance of
genocide education in U.S. academic institutions.
Moderator Alin Gregorian posed various questions to the panelists and
each had ample time to respond to the questions and to each other. The
audience was also able to write their own questions, which Gregorian
utilized for the last half hour.
Speaking of the importance of the symposium, event co-chair Chris
Mensoian stated, “Discussions like this are very important and
necessary to engage and educate the community and avoid further
apathy, which results in less participation in, and donations to,
worthy Armenian organizations and causes. It’s a small victory —
but a victory nonetheless — each time an event like this takes place
and there is discussion and awareness of Armenian issues.”
Each speaker added something to the discussion from their own
perspective, which engaged the audience on so many levels.
In the context of Turkey, Mouradian highlighted the importance of
justice for the Armenian genocide, and noted that, often, calls
to being “realistic” in the quest for justice–and other attempts
to reject demands for more than symbolic recognition–are part and
parcel of the structural violence against Armenians. Mouradian also
emphasized the importance of genocide education in U.S. schools so
that children are taught correct history from a young age and so our
country’s future leaders can learn from past mistakes. According to
Mouradian, if genocide education is a part of the curriculum across
the U.S., it will be increasingly difficult for the U.S. government
to ignore historical facts.
Dr. Mensoian expressed his deep concern for the future of Javakhk and
Karabakh and that the Diaspora organizations need to invest more into
these lands so that they do not lose them.
Hamparian stressed the importance of a truthful and just resolution
of the Armenian Genocide, autonomy for Javakhk, security for the
independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, and a stronger Armenia. He
outlined the ANCA’s efforts in advancing these aims, and invited
the audience to become increasingly engaged in working with Armenian
advocacy groups in realizing the community’s shared goals.
Mamigonian added to this discussion from an academic perspective,
stating that Turks donate hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to
American universities in order to establish Turkish Studies programs,
which in turn employ American professors, who in turn teach and speak
publicly that the Armenian Genocide never occurred. There is a need
for more Genocide Studies and Armenian Studies programs to counteract
the detrimental effects of genocide denial, which also demonstrates
the extreme need for funding from the Armenian Diaspora.
AYF Greater Boston “Njdeh” Chapter Chairman, Stepanos Keshishian,
was in attendance and shared his thoughts on the event as well.
“Personally, I thought it was a great initiative to bring together
Armenians of different sub-communities for a discussion. Although we
may have differing political beliefs or ideologies, the important
thing is that we all work for the health of our nation and for the
well-being and comfort of all our brothers and sisters around the
world. We are an ancient and dispersed nation, and as such, we are
unquestionably dynamic in our beliefs and approaches as a result of the
various circumstances we’ve faced. But as long as we all agree on our
right as a nation to exist and to thrive, and as long as we have the
unrelenting dedication and passion to work for our collective cause,
we will be successful.
“Success, however, isn’t an overnight and definitive accomplishment.
As Aram [Hamparian] mentioned, it will come in small accomplishments
aimed at ensuring justice. Dialogue aimed at achieving these successes
is, in itself, a step in the right direction. That’s not to say that we
should all give up our individual beliefs and adapt to a centralized
ideology. The point is that we each, as individuals or as groups,
have the ability to make accomplishments, and dialogue will certainly
not hurt.”
AGBU YP Boston and ARF “Sardarabad” Gomideh were pleased with the
success of the event and felt that it was important to collaborate on
the symposium because Armenians are united in their goal of Genocide
recognition.