NEWTON, Mass.—Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra opens its season at First Baptist Church of Newton on Sat., Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. Principal conductor Kevin Rhodes conducts the program, which includes two works by Armenian composers in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra

The orchestra is honored to present the East Coast premiere of Tigran Mansurian’s “Concerto for Violin and Cello” with guest soloists Ruggero Allifranchini, violin, and Suren Bagratuni, cello. Allifranchini, a native of Milan, serves as associate concertmaster of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and as concertmaster of the Mostly Mozart Festival, and was a founding member of the Borromeo String Quartet. The Mansurian piece is close to the heart of Armenian-born Bagratuni, a past silver medal winner of the Tchaikovsky competition and a former student and faculty member at New England Conservatory. He has enjoyed a distinguished international career and is currently an artist-in-residence and professor of cello at Michigan State University.

The duo serves as two-thirds of the trio Nobilis and has previously performed this particular work to great acclaim. Hovhannes’ “Prayer of St. Gregory” is a powerful prayer and features Pro Arte principal trumpet Dana Russian. Composed in 1946, this elegiac piece for trumpet and strings pays homage to Gregory the Illuminator, the first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and patron saint of Armenia.

To complement these profoundly moving pieces, the orchestra will perform the emotionally charged “Eroica Symphony.” With this groundbreaking piece, Beethoven launched the “heroic” middle period of his career; as music historian Christopher H. Gibbs writes, “Its unprecedented length, technical challenges, and uncompromising aesthetic stance seemed to aim beyond entertainment, forcing Beethoven’s contemporaries to rethink what a symphony should be and do.”

LANCASTER, Pa. (Fandm.edu)—Genocide never fully succeeds in eradicating a people, no matter how much its perpetrators destroy. They always leave behind evidence—documents, memories, and human remains—to inform future generations of their atrocities, Armenian Genocide scholar Khatchig Mouradian said.

Genocide does not end when the killing stops, Armenian Genocide scholar Khatchig Mouradian said. ‘[It] casts a very long shadow that keeps affecting the victims and the perpetrators, through years and decades, and often through generations.’ (Photo: Eric Forberger)

“The 21st century is already known as a century of turbulence, as a century of refugees, especially in the Middle East,” said Mouradian, the program coordinator of the Armenian Genocide Program at Rutgers University’s Center for the Study of Genocide, Conflict Resolution, and Human Rights.

Mouradian, who teaches history and sociology at Rutgers, said that to understand what genocide means for the future generations of the victims—those who were not murdered but were exiled from their homelands—and what it means for the perpetrators, who not only murdered but stole from the victims, is almost incomprehensible.

‘The 21st century is already known as a century of turbulence, as a century of refugees, especially in the Middle East,’ said Mouradian (Photo: Eric Forberger)

“It’s really difficult to think about the long-term challenges that this particular problem presents,” he said. “Violence, genocide, and mass atrocities…do not end when the killing stops, when the violence stops. [The violence] casts a very long shadow that keeps affecting the victims and the perpetrators, through years and decades, and often through generations.”

Mouradian suggested looking to the past to try to understand today’s atrocities perpetrated by ISIS, the militant Islamic group of Sunnis who have slaughtered Shiites, Kurds, members of other ethnic groups, and westerners in Syria and Iraq.

Specifically, he pointed to the plights of the Armenians in that same region in 1915, when the Ottoman government began the systematic extermination of Armenians from their homeland in what is today the Republic of Turkey.

To distill further the history, to allow the audience to relate to the larger issue of the Armenian Genocide, Mouradian told the story of two young Armenian women, sisters Siphora and Nurista, who were midwives in their hometown from the late 19th century until 1922, when they were exiled.

“The two sisters together delivered most of the babies in that city,” Mouradian said. “One sister, Siphora, delivered 4,271 children.”

An Armenian refugee camp in Syria 1915. (Photo: American Committee for Relief in the Near East)

The sisters left behind journals, which Mouradian recently obtained, that tell their story. They were exiled to Aleppo, Syria, where ISIS commits atrocities today. When they arrived in Aleppo, the sisters continued their midwifery.

“This was a period when they were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, and they were delivering their children,” Mouradian said.

Cecilia Plaza, a junior sociology major, welcomed Mouradian’s discussion as “right down my alley” because her field of study is human rights. “I thought his perspective was really interesting,” Plaza said. “He told stories with photographs and made it personal.”

FRANKLIN, Mass. (A.W.)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern Region (ARF-ER) held its regional Panagoum retreat on Oct. 9-11 at AYF Camp Haiastan in Franklin. The weekend attracted around 40 ARF members from across the Eastern United States. The Panagoum weekend was planned by the ARF-ER Central Committee.

Participants of the ARF Panagoum

The weekend program featured in-depth presentations on Western Armenia, the work of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Armenia’s proposed constitutional reforms, and the work of the ARF-ER, and provided participants a chance to discuss important issues on the party’s political agenda.

On Saturday morning, ARF-ER Central Committee chair Haig Oshagan provided participants an overall look at the work the Central Committee has done thus far and discussed its future plans for the region; these included initiatives on a local, regional, and international level.

Following lunch, ARF-ER Central Committee member Greg Bedian introduced ANCA Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) board member Steve Mesrobian, who presented the work of the ANCA-ER to participants, including a look into the ANCA’s new website. ANCA-ER board member Dikran Kaligian then gave a presentation about the ANCA’s work on genocide education, including its collaboration with the Genocide Education Project (GenEd).

Participants were given the unique opportunity to hear from Levon Mkrtchyan, a former member of the ARF Bureau and former minister of education and sciences of the Republic of Armenia, who spoke to participants about Armenia’s proposed constitutional reforms. Mkrtchyan, who is visiting Armenian communities of the Eastern United States to speak about the reforms, detailed the upcoming referendum in Armenia, which looks to overhaul the country’s current constitution and shift the country to a parliamentary system of government. Mkrtchyan explained how the ARF has always advocated for a parliamentary system of government in Armenia, which would limit the authority of the president and help create a better balance of power.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the ARF oath-taking ceremony, which was held in the traditional manner at Camp Haiastan’s Recreation Hall; one ARF novice joined the party’s ranks. After the ceremony, participants were given a chance to congregate and socialize around a bonfire, where they sang revolutionary and patriotic songs and told stories.

On Sunday morning, participants were given a chance to hear from Ani Haroian, George Aghjayan, and ARF-ER Central Committee member Khajag Mgrdichian, who presented Turkey’s Kurdish issue, Islamicized Armenians, and the ARF’s and Armenia’s role in Western Armenia today.

The weekend proved to be another in a series of successes for the ARF-ER and its supporters, who are already looking forward to next year’s Panagoum.

Fiction Novelist Abie Alexander to Appear at Book Signing Ceremony at the Armenian Center in Queens

Cover of For the Love of Armine

New York, N.Y.—The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York is pleased to announce a unique book signing ceremony featuring Indian-American fiction novelist Abie Alexander’s latest book For the Love of Armine dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

“With this heart-touching story Abie enters the hearts of everybody, including ordinary American citizens who might otherwise have little opportunity to learn about the Armenian Genocide and other atrocities committed by the Ottoman Turkish government against the Armenians and other Christian minorities,” said ANCA Eastern Region’s Community Outreach and Communications Director Artur Martirosyan.

For the Love of Armine is a love story like no other—a story of enduring love that will warm the coldest heart. But in many ways this is more than just a love story. Although set only 40 years ago, in the 1970’s, the novel weaves a tapestry of the history and culture of the Armenian people going back in time to their very beginnings as a nation and down to the traumatic genocide a hundred years ago at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish empire. Now a land-locked country, Armenia in its heydays was a seafaring nation whose adventurous citizens journeyed to the farthest corners of the globe and settled down in the distant lands they reached. They were a hardworking, industrious lot who overcame adversities and calamities to maintain flourishing businesses as far away as Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

With this novel, author Alexander amplifies the voice of many who call for a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide as an international crime as well as sheds light on other episodes of the Armenian history. Alexander was born in Kerala, India and moved to the United States for career advancement. Now living in Maryland, he is a good friend of the Armenian community committed to the Armenian Genocide recognition by the US and other governments as well as working on campaigns pursued by the ANCA and the Armenian-American community at large.

The event is organized in partnership with other organizations, such as the St. Illuminator Cathedral of the Eastern Prelacy, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of New York, Armenian Relief Society’s New York “Mayr” Chapter as well as the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations.

The event will take place on Fri., Nov. 6 at the Armenian National Center in Woodside, N.Y. (6923 47th Ave, Flushing, N.Y. 11377) starting at 8 p.m.

The book signing ceremony will begin with opening remarks by special guest H.E. Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, the head of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations, as well as a presentation by the author followed by readings of book excerpts by young community representatives. The event will conclude with a Q&A session with the author, social hour with light refreshments, and musical performance by violin player Diana Vasilyan.

English and Armenian language copies of the book will be available for a purchase during the event for $25 per copy. All proceeds and donations, including U.S.-based sales of the book through Nov. 30, will go towards supporting the activities of ANCA Eastern Region. To make reservations or in case of questions, please, contact Artur Martirosyan, ANCA-ER Community Outreach and Communications Director at artur@anca.org.

NORTH GRAFTON, Mass.—On Oct. 24, from 1-4 p.m., the Assyrian American Association of Massachusetts (AAAM) will commemorate the Centennial of the Assyrian Genocide at the Assyrian Cultural Center, at 10 Overlook St. in North Grafton. United States Congressman James McGovern (D-MA 2nd District) will deliver the keynote address. Other speakers include Mary Jane Rein, the executive director at the Strassler Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies, Clark University; and Marc Mamigonian, the director of academic affairs at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) in Belmont. Sabri Atman, the founder and director of the Assyrian Genocide and Research Center (Seyfo Center), will deliver his message through a video.

A monument dedicated to the Centennial of the Assyrian Genocide will also be unveiled at the commemoration. The monument, entitled “HOPE,” is the work of Assyrian artist Ninos Chammo.

Below is AAAM’s statement on the Centennial of the Assyrian Genocide.

***

In the aftermath of the first genocide of the 20th century, Assyrian survivors began to arrive in Massachusetts, now one of the oldest Assyrian communities in the United States. They found work in Lowell, Watertown, and Worcester in the many factories producing textiles. They came following the persecution of non-Muslims that escalated during the 1890’s in Ottoman Turkey but culminated in a protracted struggle in which Turks, Kurds, Circassians, and other Muslim groups nearly succeeded in removing all Christians from eastern Turkey.

By 1915, persecution had turned into full-blown genocide. Few recognized the early warning signs that led to the direct and indirect murder of about two-thirds of the entire remaining Assyrian population that had managed to exist for nearly 2,000 years as Christians in isolated plateau villages and high mountain terrain in southeast Turkey. Together with Armenians and Greeks, the Assyrians lost everything, often even the shoes on their feet and the clothes on their bodies.

Because this genocide between 1914-23 has become known and increasingly well documented from the Ottoman archives, in particular, especially at one of Massachusetts’ leading educational institutions—Clark University’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies—it is appropriate that the Assyrians of Massachusetts remember, in the company of their American and multi-ethnic friends, the Centennial of this genocide that encouraged the evil that followed, 20 years later, in Europe.

In dedicating this monument to the Assyrian Genocide, at the site of an Assyrian church and cultural center, we honor the lives that were lost and the memories of horror that haunted the girls and boys, men and women, who witnessed their families tortured, their children sold as slaves, their women raped, and their men murdered, 100 years ago.

Today we witness, with anguish, a recurrence of similar events in Syria and Iraq. Because extremist crimes have been denied for 100 years, the violence extends to Americans and local Muslims: Journalist James Foley, aid worker Kayla Mueller, and the elderly Muslim archeologist Khaled Al-Asaad are victims, too.

We cannot forget that the evil that spawned genocide 100 years ago has been justified for a century, and therefore is occurring again.

Join us to learn what can be done.

CHELMSFORD, Mass—The Saints Vartanantz Armenian Church of Chelmsford will host its Annual Bazaar and Foods Festival on Fri., Nov. 20 and Sat., Nov. 21, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Lunch and dinner will be served all day from noon until 7 p.m., and will feature lamb shish kebab, chicken kebab, and losh kebab dinners. Also available will be yalanchi, tourshi, and kufteh, along with many baked goods such as choreg, paklava, cheese boreg, and ghadaeef.

The ‘keufteh crew’ at Sts. Vartanantz in hye gear for the Annual Church Bazaar

In addition to the food fair items, the bazaar will feature a wide range of arts and craft, jewelry, and white elephant booths as well as raffles, silent auctions, and games for the kids.

Special highlights of this year’s bazaar will a Backgammon Tournament on Saturday, from 2-4 p.m., with a cash prize for the winner, and live Armenian music and dancing featuring the Jason Naroian Ensemble, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

The bazaar will take place at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Kazanjian Memorial Pavilion, 180 Old Westford Rd. in Chelmsford. For more information, call (978) 256-7234, or email lori.kayajanian@gmail.com.

Through the centuries, artists have grappled with the portrayal of human suffering. For Armenian-American artist Michael Aram, who set out to make a sculpture to commemorate the Centennial year of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the central question was this: “How would I start telling the story of my family, and the millions like them, who found no words to tell their own story?”

‘Migrations’ on the plaza of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York

Inspiration alighted in the form of a bird—hundreds of birds, actually. They rise up in jagged journeys from a stainless steel vertical slab, leaving behind a cavity in the shape of the historic Armenian regions lost during the genocide a century ago. The base itself is a nod to the Armenian stone crosses, or khatchkars, which dot the ancestral Armenian homeland to this day.

The sculpture, titled “Migrations,” was unveiled and blessed in an outdoor ceremony on the plaza of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York, on the evening of Tues., Oct. 6. Close to 400 people—including clergy, artists, and other dignitaries—gathered for the blessing service and program of remarks and musical performances.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), presided over the event. He was joined in the blessing service by the Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan vicar; the Very Rev. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral; Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary; and seminarians.

Aram, a descendant of genocide survivors, spoke about the experience of absorbing the trauma of his grandparents, and of the need to express that which has gone unuttered.
“There was this incredibly heavy, unspoken sadness that defined the Armenian identity for so long,” he said. “In making the piece, I was really feeling connected to that anguish.”

Michael Aram explains his vision at the sculpture unveiling and blessing ceremony.

The pain is conveyed in the physical appearance of the bronze birds, each of which was uniquely handcrafted by Aram. Some of them are shrieking in agony. Others, the artist said, were sculpted with wings outstretched, a reference to Christ’s suffering on the cross. Their maddened flight tells the story of a people violently uprooted and scattered across the globe.

But there is also something hopeful in the birds’ migration—the chance to start a new journey, the promise of a new life in the New World.

“The piece has been a heavy one to create, but at the same time, I look around tonight, and my heart is full of emotion that we are here,” Aram said. “We are seeds who have grown from those buried souls.”

Aram—an award-winning designer of beautiful, distinctive objects for the home, whose artworks are sold at his flagship gallery in New York City and in more than 50 countries through fine department stores and specialty retailers—is known for his active involvement in the Armenian community. Among his other tributes to his heritage are the interior metalwork and the dome cross he designed for St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, N.Y.

Manhattan’s St. Vartan Cathedral—built half-a-century after the genocide—is a fitting setting for vision. The majestic spiritual center for Armenians across the country is arguably the most ambitious undertaking of the Armenian-American community: an enduring monument to the Armenian presence in the United States, and its survival through times of persecution, cultural destruction, and death. Aram’s 10-foot-tall sculpture will be permanently exhibited on the cathedral plaza.

As Archbishop Barsamian blessed the piece, reflections from his handcross were thrown across the faces of onlookers mirrored in the stainless steel.

“The story of the Armenian people’s survival—our victory and vindication in the aftermath of tragedy—is eternally relevant, and a source of moral and creative inspiration for us all,” \ Barsamian said.

He went on to speak about the “incredible outpouring of support for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide” that the Armenian community has received in this Centennial year.

“It is a sign to me that the events of 100 years ago are still relevant to us today—perhaps more relevant today than they have ever been in the past,” he said. “As we stand before ‘Migrations,’ and view our own reflections in its surface, let us show our loving concern for one another, and our solidarity with all others who have suffered—and who are still suffering today.”

Mistress of ceremonies Sandra Shahinian Leitner gave a brief historical overview of the Armenian Genocide. From 1915-22, more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire. Last April, in a ceremony at Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia, the Armenian Church canonized as saints the Holy Martyrs of that cataclysm.

“Now we’ve reached the autumn of this Centennial year, and today’s ceremony helps draw our observances to a close,” Shahinian Leitner said. “But it also heralds the next chapter: continuing the legacy of our martyrs.”

A concert featuring selections by Komitas and Khachaturian, performed by master pianist Şahan Arzruni and acclaimed tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan, concluded the evening.

“The journey of ‘Migrations’ for me has been a very personal one and a very meaningful one,” Aram said. “In the reflective surface of this piece, we can see ourselves as living proof of our existence and the ultimate victory in our ancestors’ struggle to survive.”

Armen G. Tamakian, 58, passed away on Tues., Oct. 6, 2015, after a courageous battle with ALS. He was born Oct. 12, 1956, in Detroit, Mich., to James (Jimmy) Kourken Tamakian and Madeleine (Aram) Tamakian.

Armen Tamakian

Armen was an active AYF Junior and Senior member in the Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter. He was also an ordained sub-deacon at St. Sarkis Church in Dearborn. After graduating with a degree in criminal justice from University of Michigan Dearborn, and then from the police academy, he moved to Hobbs, N.M., to accept a position in that police department. He then moved to the Dallas, Texas area, where he continued his education, receiving a master’s degree in public administration from University of Texas-Arlington. He was a master certified law enforcement officer with more than 30 years experience, working in the Crowley, Arlington, and Cedar Hill police departments.

Armen was always known for his kindness, his ever-ready smile, and especially for his honesty and integrity. These characteristics followed him throughout his life, both as a youth and into adulthood. His friends and colleagues had the highest respect for him.

Armen retired as assistant chief of police of the Cedar Hill Police Department when he was no longer able to continue working because of his health.

Police officers from many different police departments, who had originally served under Armen, were present at his visitation and funeral and spoke in testament to the high regard they all had for him. A full honor guard stood at attention at his side throughout the wake and funeral.

He was preceded in death by his parents. His survivors include his wife, Kay; sons James and Matthew; daughter Kasie Rohde and husband Shawn; grandchildren Emily and William Rohde; sisters Adreena Harley and Siran Tamakian; nieces and nephews Erin and Greg Harley, and Kaiane, Sevan, and Garin Habeshian.

ARLINGTON, Mass.—From the highest positions in government to various professions, including arts and architecture, Armenians made major contributions to the growth and development of the Ottoman Empire. Among the least known and overlooked aspects are sports and physical education prior to the Armenian Genocide. These will be the topic of discussion on Tues., Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in a lecture entitled, “Armenian sports and physical education in the Ottoman Empire: Between Patriotism and Competitive Nationalism,” by Dr. Hayk Demoyan, the director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI) in Armenia.

The Armenian Genocide: Frontpage Coverage in the World Press

The presentation is based on the Demoyan’s extensive research and most recent publication on the subject, entitled Haykakan sporte Osmanean Kaysrut’yunum (Armenian Sport in Ottoman Empire), a revised second edition of the 2009 publication that includes newly discovered materials. This important publication, rich in historical documents, contains about 600 original photographs, including images of medals and decorations bestowed upon Armenian athletes.

Born in Gyumri (formerly Leninakan), Armenia, Demoyan is a graduate of Yerevan State University. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences and served on the faculty of the history department of Yerevan State University from 2000-05. Demoyan is the author of several books on the Armenian Genocide, Turkish foreign policy, and Turkey’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict of 1991-94. He has been the director of the AGMI since 2006. In conjunction with this position, over the past two years he has also served as the secretary of the state commission tasked with planning and implementing the worldwide commemorations of the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide. He regularly gives lectures on the AGMI’s activities and related topics in Armenia and other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Slovenia, Russia, Iran, and Cyprus.

Armenian sportsmen in the Ottoman Empire

In addition to his work on sports, Demoyan recently published a major bilingual (Armenian and English) work entitled, Hayots’ Ts’eghaspanut’ean lusabanume hamashkharhayin mamuli arajin ejerin (The Armenian Genocide: Frontpage Coverage in the World Press). This 266-page book contains about 500 images, photographs, and texts, in color and black and white, of selections from English, French, Italian American, German, Austrian, Russian, Polish, and Norwegian publications from 1856 to 1926. The launching of this major project in October 2014 at AGMI included an exhibit of the posters, and received rave reviews.

Demoyan’s presentation will take place in John Mirak Hall of the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF), 441 Mystic St. in Arlington. In addition to the presentation of the above topic, Demoyan will share his thoughts on the Armenian Genocide Centenary events worldwide. Autographed copies of both titles mentioned above will also be available for sale. For more information, contact the ACF during office hours (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) or check your local Armenian news outlets.

WATERTOWN, Mass.—A program entitled, “Hearing the Lost Voices: Armenian Writers and the Legacy of the Genocide,” will take on Sun., Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Armenian Museum of America, Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries (3^rd floor), 65 Main St. in Watertown. The event is co-sponsored by the Armenian Museum of America, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), and PEN New England.

A program entitled, ‘Hearing the Lost Voices: Armenian Writers and the Legacy of the Genocide,’ will take place on Nov. 8, at AMA in Watertown

Armenian writers and intellectuals were among the first victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915, with such prominent figures as Krikor Zohrab, Daniel Varoujan, Rupen Sevag, and Siamanto arrested on April 24, 1915, and later murdered as part of the Ottoman Empire’s effort to annihilate the Armenians and their culture. Join us to hear leading writers and scholars bring back these lost voices, whose words and works endure to speak to new generations.

The participants in the program will include Eric Bogosian reading Siamanto; Dr. Gerard J. Libaridian reading Daniel Varoujan; Dr. Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy reading Zabel Yessayan; Dr. Herand Markarian reading Roupen Sevag; Dr. James R. Russell reading Misak Medzarents; and Danila Terpanjian and Judy Saryan reading Zabel Yessayan.

For more information about this program, contact NAASR by calling (617) 489-1610 or e-mailing hq@naasr.org, or ALMA by calling (617) 926-2562 or e-mailing info@armenianmuseum.org.

In spring 2015, ONEArmenia (1A), a non­profit organization focused on stimulating positive social and economic change in Armenia, created a guide that helped thousands of people—both tourists and locals—get “I​nside Yerevan.” ​Now, as its upcoming/current campaign reveals, the organization demonstrates that it’s ready to get o​utside. ​1A’s latest crowdfunding campaign is called “H​IKEArmenia,” ​and its main goal is to drive travelers’ activity outside Yerevan to the landscape and local communities beyond Armenia’s industrial capital.

1A created a guide that helped thousands of people—both tourists and locals—get ‘Inside Yerevan’

HIKEArmenia is an initiative that has been on the organization’s backburner for the last several years, according to Patrick Sarkissian, 1A’s founder and digital marketing specialist. He says 1A will be collaborating with experts across multiple industries to develop the hiking industry from the inside­out.

The idea stems from the sad truth that thousands of hiking trails exist in Armenia, yet only a handful of them are marked; even then, the country lacks a standard procedure for doing so, making some of Armenia’s most beautiful regions inaccessible to most people visiting the country for the first time. Few networks exist to connect Armenia’s countryside to the outside world. Even worse, the people living in villages throughout these regions have, for decades, suffered the social and economic consequences of the poor exposure.

But these areas have so much to offer the rest of the world. Outside of breathtaking landscapes and natural beauty, scattered throughout Armenia’s countryside lie hundreds of relics from an ancient history that goes back thousands of years. All this remains largely undiscovered by international travelers, who have trouble finding this small, post­Soviet republic on a map, let alone finding the hidden treasures within its borders.

That’s why the first step in the HIKEArmenia campaign will see 1A teaming up with local hiking experts to crowdfund for the marking of several trails in Armenia according to international standards, voted on by the community of hikers living in Armenia today.

The second phase of the project will create a platform via a mobile application that will incorporate the following features: (1) interactive maps of key hikes throughout Armenia, featuring important background information, historical significance, and logistical information about the hike (altitude, length, difficulty); and (2) the ability for users to track and upload their own hikes, leave feedback on hikes (pictorial as well as written), and access recommendations of local hiking guides, restaurants, local places to stay, villages to stop in, and community organizations doing great things in Armenia’s more remote regions.

By Hagop Vartivarian

This year, our community and most all of its organizations commemorated the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in their own unique way. Among them was New Jersey’s Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble of the Armenian American Support and Education Center (AASEC). In August, Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble traveled to Armenia and Karabagh (Artsakh), and performed in Gyumri, Stepanakert, and Yerevan, dedicating their performances to the Centennial. Following the success of their trip, the members treated the New Jersey community to a full two-hour program in October dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with guest performers Kevork Artinian, Ara Dinkjian, and Vicken Makoushian. The dance group is made up of 70 dancers, boys and girls, young ladies and gentlemen, performing gracefully together to present an array of traditional, popular, and new dances.

The Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble

The ensemble’s director and choreographer, Sylva Asadourian, was a dancer herself and has successfully passed on the love of Armenian dance to her 70-plus dancers. Her hard work and dedication was rewarded by the almost to capacity crowd at Felician College, which holds more than 1,000 spectators, on Sun., Oct. 4, despite our community being overscheduled this month.

The program, entitled “Rebirth and Triumph,” presented a nationalistic picture, mirroring the community’s feelings and emotions. It was with pride that we watched this young generation, of mostly Istanbul-Armenian parents, present a love of their culture and heritage through Armenian dance and song. It was beautiful to see that our culture and traditions are being preserved so strongly at a time when assimilation has become the norm.

The Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble

The program included traditional favorites such as “Moush,” “Akh’tamar,” “Housher,” and some more popular ones such as “Menk Enk Mer Sarere” and “Hayastani Yerke.” These gracefully choreographed dances and songs all played beautifully to our emotions. And, in the second half, our “Triumph” was evident with dances like “Zartir Lao” and “Celebration.”

The program also included three non-Armenian folk dances, all from regions and cultures that are close to ours: Russian, Georgian, and Greek. These three dances added to the versatility and agility of the group.

Performing with the ensemble was singer Kevork Artinian, with Ara Dinkjian on oud and Vicken Makoushian on keyboards. They presented an array of nationalistic, traditional, and popular songs to the delight of the audience. The selection of songs stirred feelings of nostalgia among the audience, with favorites like “Yerevan Erepouni,” “Kele Lao,” “Azk Parabants” and “Hzor Hayastan.” These classics have become part of our national repertoire and are known by all. This was evident when the audience started to sing with Artinian and dance in the aisles, creating a very festive and joyous atmosphere.

The Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble

Congratulations to the entire Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble committee, under the leadership of Zivart Gulian and with the participation of Nivart Arslan, Talin Cinar, Rita Ghichlian, Maral Kilerciyan Kalishian, Jenny Korogluyan, Talin Purut, and Talar Sesetyan Sarafian.

It is also noteworthy that the program remembered and honored the memory of Sylva Asadourian’s mom, Marie Kantardjian, who passed away recently. Marie Kantardjian had a tremendous effect on the group. Her countless hours of dedication to the ensemble and especially to the creation of the costumes over the years was remembered and honored in the booklet.

The audience left Felician College with a renewed sense of Armenian nationalism and pride. Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble will certainly continue its mission of preserving and teaching the love of Armenian culture and heritage among our youth.

WARWICK, R.I.—At its annual convention in June 2015, the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Students’ Association of America, Inc. (ASA Inc.) announced it is again sponsoring two journalism internships in partnership with the Armenian Weekly and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

In making the announcement, Brian Assadourian, chairman of the ASA Inc. Board of Trustees, remarked that “The ASA is proud to once again make these internships available and to continue our mission begun 105 years ago of providing financial assistance and professional mentoring to qualified students of Armenian heritage.”

Participants in the six-week internship program will receive a weekly stipend of $150. Interns will work either under the supervision of Nanore Barsoumian, the editor of the Armenian Weekly, or Alin K. Gregorian, the editor of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator. The offices of both newspapers are located in Watertown, Mass.

“The Internship provides a valuable opportunity for students of Armenian heritage to have hands-on experience as a member of the editorial staff,” noted Dr. Michael G. Mensoian, a member of the ASA Inc. Board of Trustees who oversees the program.

“The Armenian Weekly and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator are two of the leading English-language newspapers in the United States and Canada keeping our community informed of developments locally as well as in Armenia and the diaspora through their print and online editions.”

Applications for the ASA Inc. Journalism Internship are now available and may be downloaded at http://www.asainc.org. Applications must be submitted no later than Fri., May 20, 2016. Candidates must have completed at least their sophomore year of college by May 2016. Currently enrolled graduate students are also eligible.

Since its establishment 105 years ago, the Armenian Students’ Association of America, Inc. has encouraged the educational pursuits of Armenians in the United States by providing financial assistance in the form of scholarship grants, professional opportunities through internships, and fellowship through social and educational activities.

Introduced at the NEF’s Centennial Gala, the Philanthropic Scholarship Program Will Offer Aid to 100 Middle Eastern Students

NEW YORK, N.Y.—A new eight-year educational scholarship has been established to benefit 100 at-risk children from the Arab Middle East. The 100 LIVES initiative announced the new program at the Near East Foundation’s (NEF) Centennial Gala before an audience of humanitarian aid leaders and members of the Armenian community on Oct. 28. 100 LIVES and NEF developed the program together as a way to express gratitude on behalf of the Armenian community to the people of the Middle East who offered shelter and food to refugees of the Armenian Genocide a century ago.

A new eight-year educational scholarship has been established to benefit 100 at-risk children from the Arab Middle East.

Valued at nearly $7 million, the 100 LIVES and NEF Gratitude Scholarship Program will provide children affected by conflict, displacement, and poverty the opportunity to study at UWC Dilijan, an international co-educational boarding school currently hosting students from more than 60 countries, or other UWC network schools around the world. The program will be administered through the Scholae Mundi Foundation, which aims to provide students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to contribute to the international community and catalyze social change.

The 100 LIVES initiative was founded this year to celebrate those who helped destitute Armenians 100 years ago, allowing their descendants to survive and thrive. This scholarship is one of the many ways 100 LIVES seeks to continue in their spirit by supporting people and organizations working to keep the legacy of gratitude alive today.

“We are proud to be able to help parents experiencing great hardship and uncertainty to secure a better future for their children, as our parents and grandparents were able to do for us,” said Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of 100 LIVES. “It is with great pride that we announce our partnership with the Near East Foundation, and with eager anticipation that we look to identify the scholarship recipients.”

Armine Afeyan—the daughter of 100 LIVES co-founder Noubar Afeyan—announced the scholarship program to a crowded room at the NEF Centennial event.

“By providing crucial access to education, we truly hope to be able to provide these children opportunities to have the successful future they deserve—much like the extraordinary work the NEF has been committed to these past hundred years,” she said.

NEF will facilitate this scholarship as a part of its larger mission to deliver education, community organization, and economic development throughout the Middle East and Africa. Originally founded in 1915 as the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief and later incorporated as the Near East Relief through an act of Congress, NEF has played a crucial role over the past 100 years in assisting the world’s most vulnerable populations.

“The Near East Foundation is proud to celebrate its centennial anniversary by enabling a hundred driven and in-need students to receive a world-class education,” said NEF President Dr. Charles Benjamin. “We are excited to join 100 LIVES in rewarding talented students and future leaders the opportunity to excel and succeed.”

The first recipients of the scholarship will be enrolled in UWC schools in 2016.

About 100 LIVES
100 LIVES is a new global initiative rooted in the events of the Armenian Genocide, during which hundreds of thousands of Armenians were saved by the courageous and heroic acts of intervening individuals and institutions. A century later, 100 LIVES seeks to express gratitude, to share remarkable stories of survivors and their saviors, and to celebrate the strength of the human spirit. To that end, 100 LIVES developed and launched the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, a new international humanitarian award seeking to recognize those who risk themselves so that others may survive and thrive. For more information, visit https://100lives.com.

BOSTON, Mass.—The Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) has established the Olga Proudian Scholarship to encourage young women to enter the field of diplomacy and international relations. A reception on Fri., Nov. 6, from 7-9 p.m. at the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF) in Arlington will benefit the scholarship.

Rouben Shougarian

Special guests at the reception will be Rouben Shougarian, Armenia’s first ambassador to the United States, Elizabeth Prodromou, professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and pianist Lilit Karapetian-Shougarian, who will provide a musical interlude.

Olga Proudian, one of AIWA’s founders, is a native of Bucharest, Romania, and grew up in Europe and the Middle East before coming to the United States, where she has been active in both Armenian and non-Armenian community organizations. With her international and cosmopolitan background, she is particularly aware of the advantages of having women play a more active role in diplomacy and international relations.

With an extensive background in diplomacy, Ambassador Shougarian served as Armenia’s deputy foreign minister and as ambassador to Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Now on the faculty of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, he is the author of West of Eden, East of the Chessboard.

Elizabeth Prodromou

Prodromou teaches in the Program on International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Fletcher School. A graduate of Tufts University (B.A.) and MIT (Ph.D.), she has held various diplomatic appointments (including as vice-chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom) and publishes widely on the rights of religious minorities under secularist and non-secularist regimes, with particular focus on comparative religious-political regimes in the Near East.

Karapetian-Shougarian is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music and has performed extensively abroad as well as in the United States.

AIWA has previously focused on Armenian women in diplomacy. Several years ago, the association, along with Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives and the Armenian Cultural Foundation, sponsored an exhibit about the pioneering Armenian diplomat Diana Apcar. A native of Burma (Myanmar), Apcar was living in Yokohama, Japan, during the Armenian Genocide, and helped hundreds of genocide survivors escape to the United States. A prominent author, she pleaded the cause of Armenia in publications and in correspondence with leading political and religious figures. The First Armenian Republic named her honorary consul.

The Olga Proudian Scholarship in Diplomacy will be added to a number of grants that AIWA makes annually to female students of Armenian descent enrolled as undergraduates or graduate students in various academic fields in higher educational institutions in the United States and around the world.

For more information or to make reservations for the Nov. 6, contact AIWA by calling (617) 926-0171 or e-mailing info@aiwainternational.org.

Fethiye Cetin

MAHWAH, N.J.—The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies of Ramapo College and the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New Jersey will co-sponsor a talk by Turkish-Armenian lawyer and author Fethiye Cetin on “‘Hidden’ No More: Challenges Facing Islamized Armenians in Turkey.” The event will take place on Thurs., Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Ramapo College, at the Robert A. Scott Student Center, Alumni Lounges-SC156-158.

Cetin is a Turkish-Armenian lawyer, writer, and human rights activist. She has authored stories about the impact of her ancestral roots, including My Grandmother, a memoir highly regarded within higher education in Turkey. Cetin’s grandmother, Seher, was an Armenian Christian taken during the genocide and adopted by a Turkish military official. The impact of her grandmother’s roots has inspired Cetin’s work and will be discussed at the presentation.

Her words will be translated by Nurhan Becidyan, a member of the board of the National Association for Armenian Studies & Research (NAASR).

The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) will be honoring Cetin with its highest honor, the prestigious ANCA Freedom Award, at the 9th Annual ANCA Eastern Region Banquet on Sat., Nov. 14, in Detroit, Mich.

The ANCA-ER Freedom Award is presented to individuals who have made tremendous contributions toward recognition of the genocide and who have pursued other issues of importance to the Armenian-American community. Earlier recipients have included renowned lawyer Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Samantha Power, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, the late U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, former U.S. Senator Robert Dole, former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole, and Baroness Caroline Cox.

Sayat Tekir

BELMONT, Mass.—Some of the most dynamic examples of Armenian resistance in the last decade have arisen in Istanbul. Most recently, protestors standing down bulldozers at Camp Armen, and Turkish parliamentarian Garo Paylan speaking truth to power—these will be topics of discussion in Boston this month when Sayat Tekir speaks on Armenian advocacy and activism in Istanbul.

Tekir is a spokesman for the Nor Zartonk Armenian activist movement of Istanbul, and will give a talk on Thurs., Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Armenian Church of Belmont, 380 Concord Ave., Belmont.

Tekir has been invited by a group of Boston-area organizations to discuss the Nor Zartonk movement, the alliance of progressive parties in today’s Turkey, and the rise of the HDP Party that has helped break the stranglehold on power that President Erdogan’s AKP has had on Turkey for the last decade.

“The Nor Zartonk movement is a great inspiration for all of us in the diaspora,” said Aram Kaligian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts. “At a time of absolute chaos in the Middle East, economic stagnation in Europe, and political stalemate and cynicism here in the U.S., it brings new hope to see the actions of such a courageous group of activists in the face of such an authoritarian, and oftentimes brutal, Turkish government.”

The Nor Zartonk movement will be honored with the Activist Award at the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) Annual Banquet in Detroit on Nov. 14. Tekir will be in Detroit to accept the award on behalf of the Nor Zartonk movement. He will also speak in Los Angeles and New York City earlier in the week.

The event is co-sponsored by a coalition of Boston area organizations, including the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts, the Armenian Missionary Association of America, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, the Friends of Hrant Dink, Bostonbul, the Boston chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation, and the ANC of Central Massachusetts.

Tekir’s presentation will be in Armenian, with English translation provided by Armenian Weekly editor Nanore Barsoumian. The event is free and open to the public.

By Dr. Roubina Yeghoyan

Hamazkayin’s 10^th annual Pomegranate Film Festival (POM) will take place in Toronto, Canada, from Nov. 16-22. In honor of the festival’s 10th anniversary and the Centennial commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, POM will present a week-long program featuring a diverse range of films, performances, and artistic exhibitions. One particularly noteworthy presentation is “Operation Nemesis,” showcasing films that pose moral and intellectual questions related to the genocide. More specifically, each film grapples with an ethical dilemma, one that presents complex situations for both victim and perpetrator, as each face the harsh reality of the genocide.

The first, “Straw Dolls,” by New Jersey resident Jon Milano, tells the story of how a father and daughter make unbelievable sacrifices out of their compassion for a mother and her young daughter who are facing grave danger. “Immersion into the Fire,” directed by Hamlet Dulyan, delves right into the horrific violence that destroyed the homes of the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian citizens. The plot deals with the pressures on a Turkish soldier who is forced to enter a home that has been a familiar one to him for many years. Memories of his exchanges with the family become a heavy burden and he must decide whether to become a predator or fall prey to the wrath of his army superiors. The film does not justify his actions, but rather explores the triggers and pressures that impact the course of events. “Homo Politicus” was produced by Turkish director Haci Orman. A ground-breaking film in Turkey, it focuses on a meeting of two prominent historical figures: German missionary Johannes Lepsius and Enver Pasha. While the conversation is diplomatic, the film offers a powerful, intense dialogue between two different worldviews, perceptions, and aspirations, as one strives for compassion towards humanity, and another is fueled by a bleak political vision that reduces humans to mere chess pieces. Orman recently gained critical acclaim for his film, which has been screened at festivals in Yerevan and Istanbul.

Eric Bogosian

Following the screening, an exclusive panel discussion will take place involving actor/author Eric Bogosian and Prof. Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy. Bogosian, a celebrated director and playwright, has recently explored “Operation Nemesis,” named after the Greek goddess of divine retribution, in his new book. The covert name was for a series of assassinations carried out by a secret group under the leadership of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation; the targets were the Ottoman perpetrators for their role in the genocide. MacCurdy, an eminent academic with an expertise in composition theory and for her poetry, has recently written Sacred Justice: The Voices and Legacy of the Armenian Operation Nemesis, an astounding multi-faceted work that provides in-depth documentation and memoirs to shed light on the group of Armenians who supported vengeance as a result of their traumatized experiences following the genocide. Her analysis reveals how her grandfather Aaron Sachaklian, along with Armen Karo, organized the assassinations in the 1920’s. Both authors will be available to sign copies of their books following the panel.

Prof. Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy

Complementing the short films related to “Operation Nemesis” is French-Armenian director Robert Guediguian’s new feature film, “Don’t Tell Me the Boy was Mad.” The film is a thought-provoking historical action/drama that commences with a re-enactment of Soghomon Tehlirian’s assassination of Talaat Pasha in Berlin in 1921 and then traces a series of bombings of Turkish embassies and consulates throughout Europe. This star-studded epic was filmed in Armenia, France, and Lebanon, and is loosely based on a book written by Spanish journalist Jose Antonio Gurriaran. After being accidentally injured following an explosion in Madrid in 1980, Gurriaran decided to research the Armenian cause and eventually became a spokesperson for genocide recognition, and has written several books about the topic. Gurriaran ultimately found and met members of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) near Beirut, where he provided them with a gift, a book by Martin Luther King, to think about the path they have chosen.

The “Operation Nemesis” presentation is co-sponsored by the Armen Karo Student Association.

More than 50 films from 20 countries will be presented at POM 2015. Tickets are available by visiting www.pomegranatefilmfestival.com, where out-of-town guests can also take advantage of a special rate of $99/night at Radisson Toronto East, located next to Toronto’s Hamazkayin Theatre.

After deciding to turn back from my hike up a wooded dirt road to the Teghenyats Monastery in the village of Bujhakan, we asked some villagers if someone with a WAZ (a Russian jeep-like vehicle) would be willing to take us to the monastery. We, of course, would pay for fuel expenses. A couple of cell phone calls later a driver with what resembled a World War II U.S. Jeep showed up. After a 20-minute rough drive we arrived at the monastery. On a hill surrounded by trees, the monastery dates from the 6-7^th centuries and operated through the 12^th century. On site are the remains of various structures including remnants of the church, a bakery, a dining hall, and a large number of intricately carved stones. Our driver indicated that there are other monasteries nearby. But, he added, the most practical way to get to them is on horseback.

Village of Bujhakan

Back in the village of Bujhakan, with fields of bright green cabbage, I asked if there were any historic sites within the village. “Just remnants of an old church” was the dismissive reply. “I like old churches.” “But there’s just one wall standing and one khatchkar,” to which I answered, “I like walls, and old khatchkars.” The dirt road through the village, though flat, was too rutted for our car, so I walked. Showing me the way was a 14-year-old young man, Abas. Abas spoke beautiful Armenian with no English or Russian words mixed in, which is not what one usually hears in Yerevan. We talked of many things during our 20-minute walk to the church.

Abas explained how each year some of the crops thrive, while others do not. This was a great year for cabbage. He explained how one could tell of impending weather by viewing the clouds over the mountains, and paying attention to the birds. He was very familiar with the surrounding mountains, often taking animals up there to graze. He also expressed the importance of history, his village’s history, and of Armenian traditions. When I asked him, given his interest in Armenian history, if he had seen much of Armenia, he replied that he had not. But, he added, he and his school class would shortly be visiting the Garni Temple and Geghart. He was quite excited about this. When we got back to our car he disappeared; I did not get a chance to thank this inspiring young man.

Ruins of church at Teghenyats Monastery

Some time after we were in the village of Hnaberd (which translates to “old fort”). I had read of the remnants of an Urartian fortress on the top of one of the foothills nearby, between the village and the slopes of Mt. Aragats. When asking a number of villagers how to get there, they would point to one of the hilltops in the distance and explain in rather vague terms the best way to get there. Finally someone volunteered to find a couple of boys to take me there. Two boys, good friends, Antranig and Hampartsoum, volunteered to lead the way. They were 12 and 14 years old. Again, their Armenian was beautiful, devoid of foreign words or slang. As we began, it was obvious that they were ready to sprint up the hill. These hills are their backyard and their playground. They are accustomed to traipsing all over this beautiful landscape. Of course, they slowed down for me! Their consideration for my welfare was constant, always asking if they could carry my water bottle or cameras, or if I was OK.

Half-way up the hill I heard a loud roar. About half-way between the village and us a jet from the nearby Russian base near the Turkish border was practicing maneuvers in the valley below. By the time I readied my camera it was gone. I waited another five minutes or so for an opportunity to get a truly unique photograph, but the pilot was already maneuvering in another valley.

Ruins of church at Teghenyats Monastery

At the top of the hill were concentric walls of what archeologists call a cyclopean fort—crude undressed stones arranged for defense. The fort was interesting though not spectacular. But the view was great and my two guides were wonderful.

Heading back down, the older boy indicated that the first house we passed was his, and he introduced me to his father who was cutting hay or wheat with a scythe. I got the impression that his father, though not a large man and despite the heat, could continue this strenuous work for days upon end. The boy’s mother invited me to stay for supper, but that was impossible. I had to meet my wife elsewhere in the village and we were already late to meet friends in Gyumri. But the boy’s parents insisted, and of course they wanted to know who this stranger was who spent the last couple of hours with their son. I politely declined dinner but indicated a cup of coffee would be great.

Sitting at the table with the boy’s father, he lamented the fact that so many people are leaving Armenia. “What will become of our country?” he asked. Despite all the other hardships, economic and otherwise, this was his primary worry. “The government doesn’t even know we exist, other organizations don’t know we’re here either, we are forgotten,” he said. Unfortunately I’ve heard this too many times. I replied, “I have friends, and though they have not met you personally, they know that you and people like you exist, and they have not forgotten.” I added that I can’t speak for the government or any other organization, but “I shall not forget you.”

My hiking guides, Antranig and Hampartsoum, Hnaberd village (near Aparan, Gegharkunik province)

We talked a bit more, then I excused myself—I had to get going. Our talk lasted 5 minutes, 10 at the most. We got up to walk out of the house together. I said, “I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again; we probably won’t.” But, I added, “Be assured that I will not forget.” We looked each other in the eyes. I’d known him for 5-10 minutes, and we understood each other perfectly; we were on the same wavelength. He approached me and we hugged each other, with tears in our eyes. We said goodbye. I walked away with a complex mix of emotions: upset that these wonderful people are forgotten, sad that I had to leave, and frustrated that I was unable to be of much help. This was not the first time this had happened.

I think of these people constantly—hoping they are well, hoping that their children can achieve their ambitions and realize their full potential without having to leave Armenia.

LOS ANGELES—The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) recently announced that its biennial $10,000 prize for playwriting is now named the Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize for Human Rights/Social Justice, and will begin accepting submissions in January 2016.

The inaugural sponsor and longtime supporter of the prize, the William Saroyan Foundation, has been joined by the Lillian and Varnum Paul Fund, longtime supporter of ADAA’s Paul Screenwriting Award, to complete the funding of the biennial playwriting prize, which has become known as one of the world’s most reputable playwriting awards.

ADAA’s board decided to merge the competitions and focus solely on playwriting, which was ADAA’s original programming focus, and which has given ADAA writers their most far-reaching success and opportunities at theaters and arts institutions around the world.

In the prize’s last cycle in 2014, ADAA launched a human rights/social justice focus, opening the competition to plays that engage the audience with social and political issues or promote peace, social justice, and human rights, not only Armenian themes. This has enhanced the outreach of the prize even further around the world.

In continuing with the work of previous years to support Armenian stories and artists, a special $2,500 prize, the Kondazian Playwriting Award for Armenian Stories, will be awarded to an outstanding play on an Armenian theme. Actress Karen Kondazian, an ADAA board member and daughter of Lillian and Varnum Paul, is the sponsor of this special prize within the competition:

“I am extremely happy to have my parents’ Paul Award join hands with the extraordinary Saroyan Foundation, to inspire and encourage human justice and dignity through the eyes of the playwright with the Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize,” said Kondazian. “It is also my honor to present the Kondazian Playwriting Award for Armenian Stories (through my parents’ fund) to encourage playwrights of any nationality to explore the Armenian heart.”

The Saroyan/Paul Prize for Playwriting in Human Rights/Social Justice and the Kondazian Playwriting Award for Armenian Stories will be awarded in December 2016, in honor of Human Rights Day, at ADAA’s annual awards event in Los Angeles.

The contest administrator will be ADAA president Bianca Bagatourian; the contest manager will be Elizabeth Malone, MFA actor, comedian, and teaching artist committed to sharing stories that break down cultural barriers.

Scripts can tackle topics as diverse as homelessness, genocide, and human exploitation, whether the conflicts are international, among groups and individuals, or through political participation. Scripts can also seek to create understanding of how conflicts can be resolved nonviolently instead of violently. Other themes can include minority issues that focus on racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination both in the United States and abroad, with writers making real and relevant the impact of human rights issues on our everyday lives. ADAA hopes this widened scope of the competition will help shed new light on spiritual, political, and cultural differences and issues, and will help build respect for cultural expression and identity in a world that is experiencing rapid globalization and chaos.

Between Jan. 1, 2016 and Feb. 1, 2016, playwrights must submit a half-page synopsis of their play for the committee’s consideration—and to confirm that it is a play dealing with human rights/social justice, whether Armenian or non-Armenian themed. By March 1, 2016, writers will be invited to submit their full-length script and $20 entry fee for consideration (scripts on Armenian themes will automatically be considered for both prizes). Full scripts must be submitted by April 24, 2016.

The Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize for Human Rights/Social Justice is supported with grants from the William Saroyan Foundation, the Lillian and Varnum Paul Fund, Gagosian Galleries, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

For submission guidelines, visit www.armeniandrama.org. Submissions for the prize must be e-mailed to adaa@armeniandrama.org.