Author: Bedik Zaminian

GLENDALE—The All-Armenian Student Association is appalled and dismayed at the appointment of Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, to the Selection Committee for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. As a notable scholar with expertise in human rights, Power continuously failed to use her high-level position in the Obama administration to hold President Obama to his campaign promise regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Samantha Power began her career as a war correspondent in Bosnia during the civil war, where she became critical of the Clinton administration’s near-paralysis in the face of ethnic cleansing of the Bosnian population. Her observations were summarily collected in her Pulitzer-Prize winning book, “A Problem from Hell: America in the Age of Genocide,” in which she firmly concludes that despite the outcry of “never again” following the Holocaust, the international community, particularly the United States, remains idle and ineffective in putting an end to mass atrocities.

Nevertheless, her ardent advocacy for human rights became stymied upon her appointment as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Power joined Obama’s campaign in 2008. A week before the presidential election, she released a video directed specifically to the Armenian-American community, urging them to vote for Obama because of his firm promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide once he is elected. During his eight years in office, President Obama dishonored his campaign pledge and Samantha Power – a person who knew all too well the gravity of this decision for the international community – did nothing to reverse his course.

In April 2017, Power took to social media to express regret for her failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during her time on Obama’s cabinet. “I am very sorry, that, during our time in office, we in the Obama Administration did not recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Power said on Twitter. During her tenure, Power clearly prioritized political expediency over properly advocating for the issues she believes in. An _expression_ of regret, stated at a time when she has seemingly less power, is nothing but a missed opportunity. It is a disappointment not only for the Armenian community, but for the international community as a whole.

Further, it is even more disappointing that the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, which was “founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors,” would reward Samantha Power with a seat on their Selection Committee. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is designed to raise public awareness and address some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues. At the forefront of these issues should be the need to hold public officials accountable for the decisions they make in protecting vulnerable communities.

The founders of the Initiative – Noubar Afeyan, Vartan Gregorian, and Ruben Vardanyan – have made a misguided decision in appointing Samantha Power to the Selection Committee. They have selectively praised her unparalleled expertise on human rights, while not recognizing that expertise alone does not justify her silence and inaction. We cannot merely praise her influential work in the past, while ignoring the fact that she fell extremely short at a time and stage that mattered the most. The All-ASA condemns the appointment of Samantha Power to the Selection Committee of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. We urge the Founders of the Aurora Prize, Noubar Afeyan, Vartan Gregorian, and Ruben Vardanyan, to reverse this decision.

The All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA) works to unite various Armenian-American college student organizations and serve the greater Armenian-American community through cultural, social, educational, and activist programming. As the largest confederation of Armenian student organizations in the nation, All-ASA is dedicated to collaboration among its constituent organizations, leadership development of its members, and community service.

STEPANAKERT—In an interview with the Iranian “Shargh” daily newspaper, Artsakh Foreign Minister Masis Mayilian praised Iran’s balanced position on the Karabakh conflict and expressed hope that one day the common border shared by Iran and Artsakh can be opened.

“The fact that Iran acted as a mediator in this conflict in the first half of 1992 is a testament to the fact that the country is interested in maintaining peace in the region. This is further supported by Tehran’s willingness to again take up a mediating role in the settlement process,” said Mayilian.

He voiced regret that the border between Artsakh and Iran remains closed and pledged his country’s willingness to have open borders and good-neighborly relations with all countries in the region. “I think will be in the best interests of all stakeholders in the region,” he said.

Speaking of his experience as Foreign Minister of an unrecognized country, Mayilian said the country, which proclaimed independence in 1991, has all the features of state, primarily aimed at creating conditions conducive to secure development.

He added that while there is not international recognition of Artsakh, the republic is “an important military-political factor in the region,” saying the efforts to attain that recognition were already underway.

Asked about the possibility of “giving away certain territories” in case of signing a deal with Baku, Mayilian said, “Our current state borders do not exceed those of historic Artsakh. Furthermore, some territories of the Artsakh Republic, including the Shahumyan region, parts of Martakert and Martuni, which form 15 percent of the republic, are still under Azerbaijani occupation.”

“The areas under Artsakh jurisdiction are secured by the Artsakh Republic Constitution adopted by a popular referendum, which expresses the will of our people,” he added.

Speaking about the negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Foreign Minister said “today there is no negotiation process in its classical sense. Since 1997 the mediators have been using shuttle diplomacy to work with parties to ensure consensus on certain issues, which will form the basis for continuing the talks.”

Minister Mayilian said the war unleashed by Azerbaijan in 2016 was a blow to the peace process, which further postponed the prospects of reaching a final solution to the conflict.

“The main objective today is to reinforce peace and stability in the region, and this is what the mediating efforts are targeted at,” he said.

The Foreign Minister said Artsakh is interested in the soonest settlement of the issue” and believes that it will allow to ensure stability and prosperity for all peoples in the region.