PRESS RELEASE
Date: March 10, 2015
KNIGHTS OF VARTAN
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Email: kovanilodge@gmail.com
Web:
KNIGHTS OF VARTAN ANI LODGE TO HOLD FINAL LECTURE MARKING THE 100th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Final Lecture to take place at George Washington University Law School on
March 19, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC – As previously reported, the Knights of Vartan-Ani Lodge
in Washington, DC has begun a three-part academic series of lectures
touching upon different aspects of the Armenian Genocide. The first and
second lectures featured Professor Christopher Simpson, a professor of
Journalism from the School of Communications at American University, who
discussed `Oil, Politics, and the Genocide in Armenia: The First World War
Retrospect,’ on January 29, 2015 at American University in Washington, DC,
and on February 26, 2015, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia,
respectively.
The third and final lecture will feature Dr. Gregory Stanton, Research
Professor in Genocide Studies and Prevention, George Mason University, for
a presentation on `Why Denial Violates the Genocide Convention: The
Genocides of Armenians, Native Americans, and Tutsis in Rwanda.’ The
lecture will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at The George
Washington University Law School, Michael K Young Faculty Conference
Center, 2000 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20052 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
`The Knights of Vartan and the entire Washington, DC Armenian American
community is grateful to Professor Simpson, Dr. Stanton and these esteemed
universities for advancing genocide and holocaust education in our nation’s
capital,’ stated Ani Lodge Commander Jake Bournazian. `Engaging the
American public is a critical part of genocide education efforts. It is
important to show the relationship of the Armenian Genocide to other
genocides so that we can prevent future crimes against humanity in the 21st
century,’ Bournazian said.
Professor Stanton served as a Foreign Service Officer in the State
Department from 1992 to 1999, where he drafted the UN Security Council
Resolutions (955 and 978) that created the International Criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda. In 1992, he also drafted the UN Peacekeeping Resolutions that
helped end the Mozambique civil war from 1977 to 1992
After the U.S. voted against the International Criminal Court in Rome in
July, 1998, Stanton decided to create Genocide Watch, the International
Campaign to End Genocide, the first international anti-genocide coalition,
which was launched in 1999 at the Hague Appeal for Peace. After resigning
from the State Department, Stanton served as co-chair of the Washington
Working Group for the International Criminal Court, which successfully
lobbied President Clinton to sign the Rome Treaty of the International
Criminal Court. Stanton has been deeply involved in the U.N.-Cambodian
government negotiations that have brought about creation of the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal, for which he has drafted internal rules of procedure and
evidence. Stanton served as the President of the International Association
of Genocide Scholars from 2007 to 2009 and Vice President from 2005 to 2007.
All three lectures are produced by the Knights of Vartan Ani Lodge, in
cooperation with American University, George Mason University School of
Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Washington University Law School,
and with the support of our sponsors, the Armenian Assembly of America,
Armenian Bar Association, the National Association for Armenian Studies and
Research, and Genocide Watch. Historical and archival material provided by
the Armenian National Institute.
Space is limited and RSVP is required. Online registration is available
through Eventbrite: Live webcasting will be
available online: For media inquiries please contact
Knights of Vartan Ani Lodge at kovanilodge@gmail.com.
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PR#: 2015-03