Armenia, About 200,000 tourists expected in Yerevan on 24 April 100th Genocide centennial

February 19, 2015 By administrator

Armenian
Genocide memorial

Next April to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Yerevan will host hundreds of thousands of tourists with a large majority of Diaspora Armenians. The hotels in the Armenian capital full display. This is the statement Hrach Hagopian, founder of the polling company and market research “Oliver Group”. Hrach Hagopian says “According to our estimates, 24 April, nearly 200 000 tourists will be present in Armenia with many Armenians from the diaspora. Yerevan is ready to welcome them but during more than a month hotels and apartments for rent in Yerevan will be overwhelmed by this mass of tourists. And even though the number of tourists is only 100,000, anyway, the sector of the Republic of services and Yerevan will be the big beneficiary of this arrival of visitors, “concludes H. Hagopian.

Krikor Amirzayan

Boston, Billboards Commemorate #armeniangenocide Centennial

February 12, 2015 By administrator

By Rosario Teixeira

billboards were displayed in Foxboro, Mass., on Route 1 South, about a quarter mile from Gillette Stadium.

BOSTON, Mass.—In January 2015, Peace of Art, Inc., began to display digital billboards that commemorate the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide and pay tribute to all victims of genocides over the past 100 years. This project will continue through the end of the 2015, with electronic billboards displayed throughout the United States.

The first billboards were displayed in Foxboro, on Route 1 South, about a quarter mile from Gillette Stadium. Another digital billboard measuring 14’x48′ is located in Peabody, on I-95/128 facing south, approximately one mile from Market St. in Lynnfield. In Seattle, Wash., a large digital billboard is located in Bothel, on Highway 527 facing north. More locations and images will follow.

In reference to the first billboards, the president of Peace of Art, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, said, “We are sending a message of peace to the world, to condemn the past crimes of genocide and resolve that no other nation be the next target of genocide. With the electronic billboards, Peace of Art’s message is that genocide continues to be a threat to humanity. It urges viewers to condemn the crime of genocide, to be alert…and put an end to this crime against humanity once and for all.”

The first of the billboards reads, “Condemn the Past, Don’t Be the Next Victim. Remember 1915 the Armenian Genocide.” Within the word “genocide,” the letter “o” is a target. The second of the electronic billboards reads, “In Remembrance of All Genocide Victims 1915-2015. The Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.” The letter “o” in “genocide” includes the flags of those countries that have recognized the Armenian Genocide, as well as a dove symbolizing peace.

The next billboard will read, “1915-2015 the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.” The letter “o” will have a heart (representing the heart of a nation) with a bite (representing the loss of 1.5 million people).

Since 1996, Hejinian, an artist, has been displaying large billboards in Massachusetts to inform the community at large to the reality of the Armenian Genocide. In 2003, Hejinian founded Peace of Art, a nonprofit organization that uses art as an educational tool to bring awareness to the universal human condition, and promote peaceful solutions to conflict. The organization is not associated with political or religious organizations, and its focus is on the global human condition.

Since the Armenian Genocide took place, millions of people have been the target of genocide, torture, rape, dispossession, and murder. These are only some of the genocides and mass atrocities that followed the Armenian Genocide of 1915: the Holocaust (1933-1945); Cambodian Genocide (1975-1979); ethnic cleansing in Bosnia (1992-1995); Rwandan Genocide (1994); and
Darfur Genocide (2003). Refugee camps are just a footnote to this ongoing tragedy. The general indifference of the international community is dangerous, allowing the crimes to be repeated without impunity.

A century ago in the Ottoman Empire, genocide was carried out against the Armenians, while reporters and foreign dignitaries, ambassadors and consuls, alerted the leadership of their respective countries. Henry Morgenthau Sr., the U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, sent several appeals and protests to Ottoman officials as well as to the State Department. In 1915, the New York Times published 150 articles, one just about every other day, reporting on the ongoing atrocities. Governments remained indifferent, and proceeded with non-action according to their political interests. “Our only goal is to keep Turkey by our side until the end of the war, regardless of whether Armenians perish in the process or not,” the German imperial adviser Bethmann Hollweg said.

One hundred years have passed but many nations continue to ignore the crime of genocide taking place around the world. The international community has the power to put an end to these atrocities, and it should begin by recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.

For more information on Peace of Art, Inc., visit www.PeaceofArt.org.

Serj Tankian: We are looking at televising #ArmeniaGenocide concert worldwide

February 7, 2015 By administrator

Last November, the Grammy Award-winning group System of a Down announced plans for a tour to mark the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

The tour, called “Wake Up the Souls” will kick off in Los Angeles on April 6 and after stops in London, Cologne, Germany, Lyon, France, Brussels, Amsterdam and Moscow the band will land at Yerevan’s Republic Square for a free concert on April 23.

System of a Down’s lead singer Serj Tankian told Asbarez that the tour culminating with a large free concert in Yerevan, where System of a Down has never performed, would be an appropriate commemoration of the centennial.

“We are also looking at televising the show in Armenia for free on the Internet worldwide so everyone can be with us in Republic Square in Yerevan,” he added.

Tankian asserted that “Wake Up the Souls,” is not meant to “just raise awareness [about the Genocide], but to be a conduit for justice.” The call to action, he explained, begins before the tour kicks off on an online community where people have already begun connecting to advance the message of the Genocide and universal justice around the world.

He has been encouraged by the signs of change among certain segments of Turkish society that “are doing amazing work trying to get recognition for the Armenian Genocide.”

“You’re well aware that as of a few weeks ago there was a resolution going through the Turkish parliament to recognize all past crimes from a female Kurdish member of parliament. Even though the AKP [Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party] controls the parliament and it will probably not pass, but that [the introduction of the resolution] is a good sign. I think we’ve come to expect little from the Turkish government, but I can say it’s up to us as well. There is an organization called ‘Project 2015’ that is encouraging people to go to Istanbul for 2015. I think that’s very interesting to go back to where it all started,” said Tankian.

While neither System of a Down nor Tankian have performed in Turkey, due to the Turkish government policy of Genocide denial, as well as its restrictions on freedom of speech, Tankian says that a large fan base in Turkey is active and whenever there are statements or misinformation in the local Turkish press, the fans have actively defended the musicians.

Tankian points out that official recognition of the Genocide has already happened in US with the passage of various congressional resolutions in the 1970s and 1980s and with President Ronald Reagan acknowledging the Genocide during his presidency.

He believes, however that, “it’s important to keep on the US State Department to correctly identify our relationship—US’s relationship with Turkey.”

Western US Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee Outlines Upcoming Programs

January 16, 2015 By administrator

GLENDALE—The Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of the Western United States (AGCC-WUSA) during a press conference it hosted on Wednesday announced five major events its body is organizing in Los Angeles to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and published a list of events that will take place throughout the Western United States.

During a press conference held at Phoenicia Restaurant, Co-Chairs Garo Ghazarian, Esq., and Taline Yacoubian, Esq., announced the committee’s active preparations to commemorate the souls of the 1.5 million massacred Armenians and to duly honor the lives of both Genocide survivors and heroes who facilitated the sacred mission of rescue and relief.

With the motto of “We Remember. We Demand,” Ghazarian kicked off the press conference and in a moving presentation pledged the Armenian-American community’s commitment to commemorate the Armenian Genocide centennial in a dignified manner befitting the memory of the martyrs.

He also highlighted the community’s commitment to the pursuit of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the necessary territorial and monetary reparations and restitution that have been the cornerstone of the struggle for justice for the Armenian Genocide.

“It is an honor to work with 19 organizations and religious leaders in a joint effort to honor the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide,” remarks Co-chair Ghazarian. “A Century later, we continue to prove our people’s resilience and strength as evidenced across our Diasporan communities worldwide. Through our collaborative and dynamic events we will feature the robust and thriving spirit of our Armenian-American communities in the Western United States.”

In her remarks, Yacoubian focused on the committee’s plans to establish an Armenian-American museum in Glendale, explaining that a sub-committee under the auspices of the AGCC has been hard at work in realizing this effort. She added that the parcel of land has already been allocated by the City of Glendale and requests for proposal on architectural bids have already been publicized.

Yacoubian also announced that the committee has been consultation with the New York-based Lord Cultural Resource Inc. for the curatorial aspect of the museum. The company, she said, is a renowned entity that has worked with several well-known museums in the country.

“This not a pipe dream as some people may say,” said Ghazarian about the plans for the museum. “It is a reality and it will be a great accomplishment.

On April 14, 23, 24 and 26, 2015, tens of thousands will gather in Los Angeles to commemorate the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. While honoring the lives of martyred ancestors, communities will also give thanks for the creation of a new Armenia and for the flourishing Armenian communities around the world forged by the will and heroism of Genocide survivors.

Five major events will carry these themes forward:
On April 14, a special ecumenical service at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, will take place with the participation of representatives and interfaith leaders from various churches and religious denominations. Civic officials from the City of Los Angeles will also be in attendance. Prayers of remembrance, respect, and unity will signal a powerful message of solidarity to mark the commencement of the commemorative events taking place in the following weeks.

On April 23, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church and His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America will host a solemn celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral with the participation of all Armenian churches.

On April 24, The March for Justice is the largest in the series of AGCC-WUSA hosted events. Participants will gather at 10AM in Little Armenia and will march in solidarity for 6 miles to the Turkish Consulate in the Wilshire District to protest the Turkish government’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. This Pan-Armenian March will unite, without exception, the Armenian community in its quest for justice while demonstrating collective strength and spirit. Protesters will thank those who have helped to spread awareness of the Armenian Genocide, and those who work tirelessly to prevent genocide elsewhere in the world.

On April 25, mourners will gather at the Armenian Genocide Monument at Bicknell Park, 910 Via San Clemente in Montebello for a solemn gathering to honor the lives of the 1.5 million Armenians massacred in the Armenian Genocide. This annual commemoration includes a candle light vigil at the helm of the Martyrs monument.

On April 26, the City of Glendale hosts an annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. This year they will partner with the AGCC to host a joint event commemorating the 100th anniversary at the Alex Theater. This event will include screening of documentaries, musical performances, and a key note speaker. Further details will be announced.

“Our goal is to bring the entire Armenian-American community together on the solemn occasion of the Genocide’s Centennial,” commented Co-Chair Yacoubian. “As we gather in remembrance to honor the lives and memories of our martyred grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents, we will pay tribute to those individuals and organizations who rescued and rehabilitated the survivors of the Genocide for whom we are, and will remain, eternally grateful.”

The AGCC-WUSA was established to steer and coordinate the multifaceted commemorative activities in the Western United States and is composed of nineteen (19) Armenian organizations, including religious institutions.

The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide signifies a global demand for justice by Armenians worldwide and all people of good will. The Centennial marks one of the 20th century’s greatest crimes against humanity. In 1915, the Turkish Government began a premeditated and systematic campaign to uproot the Armenian population from its ancestral homeland and slaughter 1.5 million defenseless men, women and children. Turkey must finally acknowledge its responsibility for the Genocide and make appropriate moral, financial and territorial restitution, as mandated by the fundamental norms of international law and civilized society.

Robertson, Fisk & Geoffrey Robertson to Speak at Genocide Centennial Conference in New York

December 10, 2014 By administrator

Journalist Robert Fisk (left) and jurist Geoffrey Robertson
NEW YORK (Armenian Weekly)–Jurist Geoffrey Robertson and journalist Robert Fisk are among the confirmed speakers at “Responsibility 2015,” the international conference marking the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, to be held on March 13-15, 2015, at New York’s Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Geoffrey Robertson is an international jurist, human rights lawyer, and academic. His latest book is An Inconvenient Genocide: Who Remembers the Armenians? In recent years, he has been particularly prominent in the defense of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. He has also represented author Salman Rushdie, and prosecuted General Augusto Pinochet. In 2008, he was appointed by United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as a “distinguished jurist” member of the UN’s Justice Council, which nominates and supervises UN judges. His memoir, The Justice Game, has sold over 150,000 copies.

Robert Fisk is the Middle East correspondent of the Independent newspaper. He holds numerous awards for journalism, including two Amnesty International UK Press Awards and seven British International Journalist of the Year awards. During the 30 years he has been reporting on the Middle East, he has covered every major event in the region, from the Algerian Civil War to the Iranian Revolution, from the hostage crisis in Beirut to the Iran-Iraq War, from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan to Israel’s invasions of Lebanon, and from the Gulf War to the invasion and ongoing war in Iraq. His books include The Great War for Civilization: the Conquest of the Middle East.

The three-day conference will feature a lineup of prominent historians, policymakers, authors, and artists from around the globe. The program will consist of concurrent morning and afternoon panels and discussions focusing on justice and reparations for cases of genocide, the responsibility to protect (R2P), genocide research, activism for justice and accountability, building solidarity, and artistic responses to genocide and mass violence.

The “Responsibility 2015” conference is being organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Eastern U.S. Centennial Committee, under the auspices of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America, Eastern Region.

Evening sessions bringing together policymakers, political leaders, artists, and celebrities known for their activism and humanitarian work will highlight the theme of responsibility to confront past injustices and struggle towards preventing new ones.

Photography and art exhibits with the theme of survival will be held at the same venue for the duration of the conference.

The organizing committee is comprised of the following scholars and activists: Khatchig Mouradian and Hayg Oshagan, co-chairs; George Aghjayan, Kim Hekimian, Antranig Kasbarian, and Henry Theriault.

Armenian Genocide centennial to be commemorated in Istanbul

December 8, 2014 By administrator

Turkish and Armenian-American organizations are working together to commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015 and to encourage Armenians from around the world to attend, DurDe and Project 2015 said.

While Turkish groups have organized memorial events in Istanbul for the past several years, DurDe and Project 2015, a U.S.-based organization, are working to ensure that a large contingent of Armenians come to Turkey for the historic centennial commemoration, a press release says.

“We encourage and welcome Armenians from around the globe to assemble with citizens of Turkey in Istanbul to participate in these memorial events,” said Levent Sensever of DurDe. “As Turks, we want to express our solidarity with Armenians as we pay our respects to the victims and survivors of this terrible crime, and press our government to recognize the genocide.” The events in Istanbul will include a public assembly in Taksim on the evening of April 24. It will also include a memorial service at Şișli Armenian Apostolic Cemetery, where Sevag Şahin Balikçi is buried. (Balikçi was an Armenian soldier serving in the Turkish military and murdered by a Turkish soldier on April 24, 2011.)

“As Armenians, we are going to Istanbul to memorialize the brutal massacre of our family members, and to remind the world that 100 years later, we are still seeking justice and accountability from the Turkish government,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, board member of Project 2015. “For many of us, this is a first return to the lands of our ancestors, who lived here for thousands of years before their murders and expulsions 100 years ago.” “We want to demonstrate to the world that while the Turkish government may not be ready to come to terms with this country’s past, we as citizens of Turkey are ready,” Sensever added.

DurDe is one of Turkey’s leading civil and human rights organizations, working to combat racism, nationalism and hate crimes. It is an activist network that in recent years has played an important role in organizing commemorations for the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul. Project 2015 is a US-based non-profit organization comprised of Armenians, Turks and Americans to encourage wide participation in the commemoration events in Istanbul.

“Commemorating the Armenian Genocide in the place where the crimes took place will be a deeply meaningful experience,” said Nancy Kricorian, Project 2015 board member. “Our presence in Istanbul will be a form of resistance to erasure and denial.”

Centennial anniversary of Armenian genocide to be launched in Greece

December 8, 2014 By administrator

The launch of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman government, will be held in Greece on January 18.

The Central Committee of Greece for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide informed “Armenpress” that an event will be held on the same day in Athens. The Greek-Armenian community will announce the annual program for 2015 at the course of the upcoming event.

The fact of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman government has been documented, recognized, and affirmed in the form of media and eyewitness reports, laws, resolutions, and statements by many states and international organizations.

The complete catalogue of all documents categorizing the 1915 wholesale massacre of the Armenian population in Ottoman Empire as a premeditated and thoroughly executed act of genocide, is extensive. Uruguay was the first country to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965.

The massacres of the Armenian people have been officially condemned and recognized as genocide in accordance with the international law by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Canada, Vatican and Australia.

Source: Armenian News Agency

Events to mark centennial of Armenian Genocide to take place in Cyprus

November 20, 2014 By administrator

Armenia and Cyprus are inextricably linked to each other due to common experiences and history, Yiannakis Omirou, President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, told a news conference held jointly with Speaker of Armenia’s Parliament Galust Sahakyan.

Given the hardships both nations have gone through, they are ready to continue their struggle. A number of events will take place in Cyprus to mark the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

Mr Omirou pointed out the fact that 37% of the territory of Cyprus has been occupied by the Turkish military for 40 years. Despite the UN resolutions, Turkey is ignoring them and intruded Cyprus’ economic zone thereby violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Speaking of the Armenian-Turkish border and Turkey’s preconditions for reopening it, Mr Omirou noted that Armenia and Cyprus must combine their efforts to make Turkey respect international law.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Galust Sahakyan told reporters that the sides had discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and issues related to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

“A large-scale event has been planned both as expositions and as conferences in Cyprus,” he said.