PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon
Haigazian University hosts Prof. Peter Balakian
In the line with Haigazian University’s 50th Anniversary celebratory
events, and with the cooperation of the United States Embassy in Beirut,
prize-winning memoirist, poet and scholar , Peter Balakian was the host of
Haigazian University for four memorable days in Beirut.
This long planned visit and Balakian’s participation in the University’s
50th Anniversary unfolded on Monday the 23rd and Tuesday the 24th of May,
2005, where Balakian delivered his two public speeches in the hall of the
First Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut.
The caliber of the lectures- highlighted by their focus on Balakian’s
childhood, and the Armenian Genocide, the enraptured capacity audience, and
the effective interaction- had tremendous positive echoes in the Lebanese
society.
In his first lecture, “A Memoir about Growing up in the New Jersey Suburbs
and the Armenian Genocide”, Prof. Balakian read some passages of his book
Black Dog of Fate, and shared with the audience some of his experiences on
growing up as an American in a typical New Jersey suburb, and later
learning of his family’s terrible suffering during the Armenian Genocide.
Balakian emphasized the role his grandmother, a genocide survivor, played
in delivering encoded messages about her experience, which he was later
able to decipher and develop.
The second lecture, entitled “The Armenian Genocide and America’s First
International Human Rights Movement” was even a greater success. The hall
was filled with an overflow of people, many attending the lecture twice, in
order to grasp the maximum opportunity of benefiting from Balakian’s
presence in Beirut.
Balakian considered the Armenian Genocide as an important part in history
of the 20th century, insisting the issue should be incorporated in school
and university curricula worldwide. He added that it’s impossible to
narrate the 1st World War without pausing to consider the Armenian
Genocide, a paradigm for subsequent twentieth century genocides.
Dr. Balakian also read passages from The Burning Tigris, his book which
appeared on the best-seller lists of the New York Times, the Los Angeles
Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. This book was the
existential answer to Hitler’s statement: “Who today, after all, speaks of
the annihilation of the Armenians?”
Towards the end of his speech, Dr. Peter Balakian, expressed his deepest
gratitude to Haigazian University, represented by its President, Rev. Paul
Haidostian, and the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Arda Ekmekji.
Upon the completion of the lecture, Prof. Balakian received a token of
appreciation from President Haidostian, representing Haigazian University,
and went to the Arthur Matossian hall, to sign his books.
It is worth noting that while here, Balakian met with the students of
Haigazian, at an event organized by the Debate Club. The students enjoyed
this rich exposure with the author of Black Dog Of Fate an Intercultural
Studies course requirement.
Besides his lectures, Balakian had the chance to discover the Armenian and
Lebanese heritage by visiting Radio Van, and recording an interesting
interview, exploring the Armenian Museum at the Armenian Catholicossate in
Antelias, and finally enjoying Lebanese food and discovering the ancient
heritage of the city of Byblos.
Dr. Peter Balakian is a Professor of the Humanities and Professor of
English at Colgate University in New York state. He was the first director
of Colgate’s Center of Ethics and World Societies. He lives in Hamilton,
New York with his wife and two children Sophia and James.