California State University to hot Armenian Genocide Conference

10:15, 05 Jan 2015

The Armenian Studies Program at the California State University,
Northridge (CSUN) on Saturday, January 31, 2015 will host a one-day
conference from 9:30 am-4:30 pm on the theme of “The Armenian
Genocide: Accounting and Accountability.” Held at CSUN’s Grand Salon,
it will constitute a part of the United Armenian Council of Los
Angeles’ Armenian Genocide Centennial events, and will be dedicated to
the generations of 1915 and 2015, Massis Post reports.

The morning session will include two panels. Entitled “Language as a
Victim,” the first panel will be moderated by Dr. Hagop Gulludjian and
will feature the following speakers and topics: Dr. Vartan Matiossian,
“Pleading no Context: On Uses and Abuses of the Word Yeghern”; Prof.
Barlow Der Mugrdechian, “Western Armenian Language and Literature in
Exile: Genocide and Its Consequences”; Dr. Shushan Karapetian, “The
Burden of Language as a Moral Obligation.”

The second morning panel will deal with “Teaching Genocide,” with Dr.
Rubina Peroomian moderating. Dr. Hasmig Baran will talk about “Content
and Pedagogy of Genocide Education in the 21st Century: The Armenian
Case”; Ms. Roxanne Makasjian about “Armenian Genocide Education in
Secondary Schools Today”; Dr. Kori Street about “Educating for Change:
Using Testimonies in Teaching about Genocide.”

The third and fourth panels will be held in the afternoon session. Dr.
Levon Marashlian will moderate the third panel, entitled “Those Who
Were Forced to Assimilate.” It will feature the following speakers and
subjects: Prof. Khatchig Mouradian, “Un-Hiding the Past: Myth-Making
and the ‘Hidden Armenians’ of Turkey”; Dr. Elyse Semerdjian, “‘The
Girl with the Cross Tattoo’: Field Notes on Crypto-Armenians”; Dr.
Vahram Shemmassian, “The Fate of Captive Armenian Genocide Survivors
in Syria.”

The fourth panel, entitled “Legal Responses to Genocide-Related
Liabilities,” will be conducted by the Armenian Bar Association (ABA).
Garo Ghazarian, Esq., will introduce the ABA and its panelists, and
Armen K. Hovannisian, Esq., will moderate the panel. The speakers and
their topics will be: Saro Kerkonian, Esq., “Justice for Genocide and
Challenges in United States Courts”; Edvin Minassian, Esq., “Justice
for Genocide and Challenges in Turkey’s Courts”; and Karnig Kerkonian,
Esq., “Justice for Genocide: Opportunities and Challenges in
International Courts.” The conference will conclude with a commentary
by Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian.

The conference is generously co-sponsored by the United Armenian
Council of Los Angeles, the National Association of Armenian Studies
and Research, the Knights of Vartan – Los Angeles County Chapters, the
Armenian Bar Association, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the
Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures at CSUN,
and the Mousa Ler Association of California. Near East Relief posters
will be exhibited during the conference by the Ararat-Eskijian Museum
of Mission Hills, CA.

From: A. Papazian