PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Marc Mamigonian
CONFLICT SPECIALIST TO SPEAK AT NAASR ON GENOCIDE, TRAUMA, AND HEALING
Dr. Pamela Steiner of Cambridge, Mass., will speak at the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center in Belmont
on Thursday evening, May 19, at 8 p.m., on “When a Traumatized People
Tries to Resolve Past Hurts.” The evening will be part of NAASR’s
ongoing efforts to present a variety of perspectives on understanding
the Armenian Genocide and its legacy.
Healing and resolution following the trauma of genocide may require
special kinds of dialogue and action, and in the case of the Armenian
Genocide this calls for engagement both within the Armenian and Turkish
communities and between them. Dr. Steiner will talk about different
types of Track Two work and other steps that the Armenian community
could consider to augment current efforts to gain recognition about
the Genocide and to achieve healing and resolution regarding the
past, in light of the history of Turkish/Armenian relations, the
controversial Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC),
and recent advances on how to heal from trauma.
Experienced Specialist in Conflict Resolution
As a member of the Program on International Conflict Analysis
and Resolution at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard
University, Dr. Steiner has been a member of interdisciplinary teams
working with traumatized communities. She has conducted workshops
and dialogues between Israeli Jews and Palestinians, Germans and
Jews, and Greeks and Turks, as well as written articles and given
presentations on a wide range of issues in conflict resolution, mass
trauma, and intergroup dynamics. As a psychotherapist, she has worked
with individuals who have been traumatized by a range of horrors.
Steiner is the great-granddaughter of Henry Morgenthau, the American
ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time when the Genocide began.
Special Exhibition of Photos of Genocide Memorials
In addition to the lecture by Dr. Steiner, NAASR will be featuring a
special exhibition of more than three dozen photographs of Armenian
Genocide memorials worldwide taken by renowned photographer Hrair
“Hawk” Khatcherian. The exhibit, which was featured last month at
the UCLA conference “After Nine Decades: The Enduring Legacy of the
Armenian Genocide” and subsequently at the California State House
and elsewhere, was mounted by Richard and Anne Elbrecht of Davis, CA.
The Elbrechts have loaned these impressive photographs to NAASR for
a limited time only. The photographs will also be on display during
NAASR’s usual business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
Bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m. The NAASR Center and Headquarters
is located opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S.
Post Office. Ample parking is available around the building and in
adjacent areas. The lecture will begin promptly at 8:00 p.m.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress