ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Megan Swan
DATE: February 13, 2009 Tel: 416-250-9807
Zoryan Institute Launches Pilot Program of High School Essay Contest on
Genocide
Toronto, Canada-The Zoryan Institute is pleased to announce the "Aram
Aivazian High School Essay Contest on Genocide." In this program, grade 11
students are asked to give written answers to broad and thought-provoking
questions about genocide. Prizes for the best essays will be awarded as
follows: 1st $1,500, 2nd $1,250, 3rd $1,000. The prize money is intended to
help students with their university tuition.
The essay is in two parts. The first part contains a series of questions
about genocide, its definition, and several case studies, that every
contestant must answer. In the second part, students can choose one of
several subjects to answer in depth. The entire submission is expected to be
approximately 4,000 words. The deadline for submitting essays is the end of
April 2009. Essays will be graded by a team of the Zoryan Institute’s
specialists. Prizes will be awarded at the end of May in a special ceremony.
Every contestant will receive a gift from the Institute for their efforts.
In August 2007, the Ontario Ministry of Education approved a grade 11
curriculum for the teaching of Genocide and Human Rights (CHG38M). As a
result, the Toronto District School Board adopted its own curriculum in June
2008, and the A.R.S. Armenian School in Toronto was one of the first schools
in Ontario to teach the approved curriculum in the fall of 2008. With this
in mind, the Zoryan Institute decided to run the competition as a pilot
project. The Institute’s objective is to test the program at the A.R.S.
School, with a view to expanding it to Armenian schools across North
America, once financial sponsors for the program in each locale are secured.
Zoryan welcomes inquiries from educators, parents and sponsors about
bringing this program to other schools.
"We are especially pleased to name this program in memory of Aram Aivazian,
a successful businessman, author of a book and numerous articles, and ardent
campaigner against denial, who believed firmly in the importance of
education and raising awareness of human rights in youth," stated K.M. Greg
Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan Institute. "It is therefore very
appropriate to name this program in his honour," Sarkissian concluded.
Armen Martirossian, Principal of the A.R.S. Armenian School, expressed his
appreciation for the program this way. "We are very pleased to have the
Zoryan Institute launch their pilot program here. This program will
facilitate students engaging themselves in this challenging subject.
Zoryan’s comparative approach demonstrates how the Armenian Genocide is part
of the larger story of genocide in human history, and helps students be more
aware of its universal lessons. This comparative study of genocide helps our
youth understand not only their history and identity, but also the
connections they have to their fellow human beings."
Roger Smith, Chairman of Zoryan’s Academic Board of Directors, commented, "I
see that the issue of human rights has become global in scope, and the
challenge of understanding these rights has never been greater. I am very
pleased that the A.R.S. School has adopted this curriculum and this pilot
project, whose objective is to encourage students in grade 11 across Canada
and the US to take a deeper interest in genocide and human rights studies.
It is my hope that the program will help sensitize and motivate Armenian
students to make these subjects a lifelong pursuit."
The Zoryan Institute is the parent organization of the International
Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which runs an annual,
accredited university program on the subject and is co-publisher of Genocide
Studies and Prevention: An International Journal in partnership with the
International Association of Genocide Scholars and the University of Toronto
Press. It is the first non-profit, international center devoted to the
research and documentation of contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide,
Diaspora and Armenia. For more information please contact the Zoryan
Institute by email [email protected] or telephone (416) 250-9807.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
