PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 22, 2009
Armenian National Committee of American
Eastern, US
122 W. 27th St., Floor 12, New York, NY
Contact: Karine Birazian
Tel: 917-428-1918
ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director
Recipient of 2009 Genocide Intervention Network
"Carl Wilkens Fellowship"
New York, NY- The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern
Region (ANCA-ER) is proud to announce that the ANCA-ER Executive
Director, Karine Birazian, is a recipient of the 2009 Genocide
Intervention Network "Carl Wilkens Fellowship." Birazian, selected
amongst hundreds of applicants, is one of twenty that was chosen to
participate in an ongoing initiative to build in their communities
sustained political will to end genocide.
"I am very honored and excited to be part of the first class of the
Carl Wilkens Fellows," commented Birazian. "Raising awareness on
consequence of genocide and the need to end mans inhumanity to man
is vital in today’s society, and I look forward to working with the
other fellows to achieve this common goal."
The program offered to young professionals is the first of its kind
where activists throughout the nation will gather to work together
in the creation of a permanent anti-genocide constituency. The
fellowship is named after Carl Wilkens who was the only American to
remain in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Wilkens did everything
in his power to save and protect civilians from harm and as a
result, hundreds of lives were saved. Since then, Wilkens has been
active in working to help empower others to make a difference.
Birazian has served as Executive Director of the ANCA Eastern
Region since September 2006. She previously was active with the
ANC of Illinois, working to educate students and teachers on
genocide. From 2003-2007, Birazian attended the National Council
for the Social Studies and also presented forums on how teachers
can incorporate genocide education in their classrooms. Birazian
was also active in passing a mandate in Illinois on teaching
genocide in 2005. Prior to working for the ANCA, Birazian worked
in the Intensive Care Unit as a Registered Nurse in Illinois.
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Photo Caption: ANCA ER Director Karine Birazian with New Jersey
Senator Bob Menendez at the 2008 Democratic National Convention