LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Armenian Genocide Research Program at The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at LMU Loyola Law School, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) are presenting a conference pertaining to Armenian Genocide restitution.
Titled “What’s Next?: Armenian Genocide Restitution in the Post-Recognition Era,” this historic conference will be held in UCLA’s Mong Learning Center (Engineering VI Building) on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
“If every genocide has its own peculiar character and afterlife, the afterlife of the Armenian Genocide has been the long-standing denial of its existence by successive Turkish governments. It has been of great importance for Armenians worldwide that the great catastrophe they experienced during and after World War I be recognized as what it was: genocide,” stated Dr. Taner Akçam, director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) at the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA.
“Through our one-day conference, we will explore questions such as: what are the possibilities of creating an Armenian Genocide reparation movement post-recognition by President Biden and Congress in 2021? What opportunities does the American legal system offer for reparation? Can the Holocaust restitution movement serve as a model for the Armenian Genocide?” Dr. Akçam noted.
The first session will feature Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat as the opening keynote speaker, who will discuss his critical efforts during the Clinton administration and those of several successive US administrations in achieving some measure of justice for the post-Holocaust restitution movement.
The conference will then host panels examining past efforts at Armenian Genocide restitution through litigation and goodwill settlements, as well as the current landscape concerning looted art from the genocidal period and future avenues for redress.
Pre-registration is required for this hybrid event, which will offer remote online participation. The program starts at 8:45 a.m. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. PST. Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants.
This conference is co-sponsored by the Armenian Bar Association, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law and the Ararat-Eskijian Museum.
The (AGRP) was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Dr. Akçam, the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century.