Paul Kerkorian, a member of the City Council of Los Angeles (California) announced that on the occasion of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide April 24, 2015, a competition was launched to address all artists, painters and photographers so that they participate in the development of a painting or picture on the Armenian genocide. The work selected following the competition would be posted for one month on all buses in the city of Los Angeles. The final date for the submission of works is 15 February. Paul Kerkorian called that “all artists interested in Human rights and help the struggle of the Armenian people.”

Krikor Amirzayan

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm, Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.