Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and the American University of Armenia (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment are proud to announce plans for an upcoming conference which will bring global leaders in forest conservation and restoration to Yerevan, Armenia this October.

Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia will be held from October 20 to 23 at the AUA and will feature three days of discussion and collaborative dialogue on the conservation and reforestation efforts much needed in countries across the world. 

The inaugural conference will showcase successful conservation and reforestation projects and their respective champions, bringing together the world’s best minds to collaborate on effective practices and industry innovations that help save trees and forests around the globe.

ATP has helped protect Armenia’s environment, empower its citizens, and invigorate local economies since its establishment in 1994. Since the group’s inception, more than 5.7 million trees have been planted across the country and hundreds of jobs have been created through tree-related programming.

“While we are very proud of our work in Armenia over the past 25 years, we recognize that our next 25 years are equally important,” says Jeanmarie Papelian, ATP’s Executive Director. “This summit with reforestation leaders from around the world will provide us the platform to share our best practices, learn from other nations and continue to make the planet a more verdant place.” 

The October conference will provide a first-hand look at the success of reforestation accomplished to date and the work that lies ahead in Armenia and other countries around the world. While success stories like the one in Armenia are gradually becoming more universal, efforts must be sustained to combat deforestation that continues to plague so many areas globally. The conference will offer sightseeing tours to Dilijan National Forest and ATP’s Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery in Margahovit Village, where attendees can observe reforestation work in action. 

“There have been many conservation and restoration initiatives in Armenia and the wider region for decades, and this Summit will enable us to review this experience, learn from mistakes and successes and plan for the future,” says Alen Amirkhanian, Director of the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment. “The AUA Acopian Center has been on the forefront of organizing such policy discussions and debates. The Summit is an example of our deep commitment to open and multi-stakeholder deliberations on critical environmental issues.”

Further details on speakers and programming will be announced in the weeks ahead. In addition to hosting the conference in October, ATP will celebrate the planting of its six millionth tree in Armenia this fall.

About the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment
The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, a research center of the American University of Armenia (AUA), promotes the protection and restoration of the natural environment through research, education, and community outreach. The AUA Acopian Center’s focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity and conservation, greening the built environment, clean energy, and energy efficiency, as well as information technology and the environment. Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

About Armenia Tree Project
Armenia Tree Project (ATP), a non-profit program based in Woburn and Yerevan, conducts vitally important environmental projects in Armenia’s cities and villages. Since 1994, ATP has made enormous strides in combating desertification in the biologically diverse but threatened Caucasus region. More than 5,700,000 trees have been planted and restored, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians in seasonal tree-related programs. ATP works to further Armenia’s economic and social development by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation. These vital new trees provide food, wood, environmental benefits, and opportunities for economic growth. ATP has a full time staff of over 80 in Armenia. The Yerevan office manages four state-of-the-art tree nurseries and two environmental education centers, partners with villagers to create tree-based micro-enterprise opportunities, creates urban green belts for public use, restores degraded forest lands, and employs hundreds of part-time workers to plant new forests.

This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.

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Armenia Tree Project

Armenia Tree Project (ATP) is a non-profit program based in Woburn and Yerevan conducting vitally important environmental projects in Armenia's cities and villages and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since 1994, ATP has planted and restored more than 5,300,000 trees, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians in seasonal tree-related programs. Visit their website for more info: armeniatree.org.

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YEREVAN—On July 9, the Republic of Armenia’s Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan and the Head of the Office of the High Commissioner Sara Anjargolian received 17 interns of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA). The interns represented eight countries – United States, Canada, Australia, Lebanon, Syria, Switzerland, France and Argentina. During their 15 days in Armenia, the youth have not only been getting acquainted with their homeland, but also performing humanitarian services. In Vanadzor, they will minister to single elderly people, care for them, help them in everyday jobs and clean their homes.

After welcoming the youth, Sinanyan and Anjargolian spoke about their repatriation stories, their motivation to return to Armenia, and what it’s like to live and work in the homeland. Sinanyan described how he lived in the US for 31 years, but after the Velvet Revolution in Armenia last year, he decided to return to his homeland, to live here and to work for the Armenian government. Anjargolian has been living in Armenia for the past seven years. She founded the Impact Hub in Yerevan and began helping young people get established in Armenia. 

Rev. Serop Megerdithcian, Senior Pastor of the Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church in Pasadena, California, spoke about the AMAA’s 2019 Vision for Mission initiative.

“If you link your future with Armenia, then we have succeeded,” said Sinanyan. “The role of the Diaspora is not just to help Armenia. The Diaspora should also participate in the future of the Homeland.” Anjargolian urged them to come to Armenia for volunteer work, to work, to establish a business, to tour, or even work for the government, because the door is already open, she said. 

Interns also had the opportunity to ask questions to the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs. In his response to a question about the goal of Diasporan relations, Sinanyan said that it is necessary first to improve and restore these relations and to use the potential of the Diaspora for Armenia. One of the interns asked how important the work of the Armenian government with the Diaspora is. Sinanyan said that the immediate goal is to link Diaspora Armenians to Armenia as much as possible, and the ministry’s reshuffling of the Prime Minister’s office has given a higher status to Armenia-Diaspora relations.

Interns were also interested in the Commissioner’s opinion on the Diasporan-Armenian dividing line. “These divisions are the result of historical events,” said Sinanyan. “In reality, we are not different. The moment when we understand that we are Armenians and our homeland is Armenia, the differences will disappear.” 

This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.

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Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.

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Two original portraits by Weekly illustrator William Terian have been hand delivered to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Armenian President Armen Sarkissian. In a moment captured by the Prime Minister’s office last month, Pashinyan is visibly beaming as he is presented with his likeness on canvas by the Detroit-based artist.

“You can tell by the expression on his face, he was quite happy,” said Terian in an interview with the Armenian Weekly. “To see him smile made me smile. It feels like he appreciated my work.”

Terian, whose drawings of Pashinyan have been featured from time to time in the pages of the Armenian Weekly since last summer, wanted to pay tribute to the leader of the Velvet Revolution in a more elaborate way on oil and canvas. “I’m proud of this new prime minister,” said Terian. “I think he’s taking the country in a new direction.”

He showed the paintings to his minister Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian of the Armenian Evangelical World Council, who insisted that they somehow be delivered to the Armenian leaders. During a break at the Hayastan All Armenia Fund board meeting, a member of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) presented the painting to Pashinyan. 

Humbled, Terian says he feels his portrait is an accurate depiction of Pashinyan’s character. “He looks like a person who is good-hearted. He loves the country, and he wants the country to succeed.” 

Attached to the painting was a personal letter from Terian in which he introduced himself and expressed his gratitude from afar. “I wanted you to know how much we, Armenians living in the United States, appreciate the sacrifices you have personally made to improve the geo-political climate and quality of life for Armenians living in Armenia,” he wrote. Terian says he hopes to travel to Armenia again in the future to visit relatives and hopefully meet Pashinyan and Sarkissian. 

Until then, he is working on several other likenesses including those of William Saroyan and Alex Manoogian in his hometown of Milford Village in southeastern Michigan, where he lives with his wife of 30 years, Araxie. His portrait of slain Agos journalist Hrant Dink is expected to go on display at Watertown’s Armenian Museum of America. “I’m trying to stay relevant,” explained Terian. “I like to feel as though I got something to contribute.”

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Leeza Arakelian

Assistant Editor

Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.

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Translator’s note: This article was first published in Agos in 2011 by Funda Tosun and later in the Gazete Demokrat on April 14, 2015. It really touched me deeply on many levels when I discovered it. So I decided to translate it from Turkish. To offer some more context, in the 1970’s, right and left wing armed terrorist groups had been engaged in increasing violence. In 1980 General Kenan Evren carried out a coup in Turkey and instituted military rule with a general purge of all suspected subversive groups. A vast majority of Turks welcomed the coup at the time. After the coup, many men went to prison. In 1982 a new constitution was proclaimed and was implemented in 1983. In 1984 the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) launched guerrilla warfare in the east of Turkey, leading to more repression and imprisonment. General Evren stayed in power from 1980 to 1989, including holding the 7th Turkish presidency in 1982. He was convicted of crimes against the state and sentenced to life imprisonment later. Too fragile to attend the trial, Evren testified from his hospital bed. He defended the constitution, saying it was designed to avoid the mistakes that had led to the civil strife of the 1970s. He died at age 97 on May 9, 2015. The text below is the testimony of a lone Armenian prisoner of the post-coup regime, held in Diyarbakir from 1980 to 1987 and again for a year in 1990.

The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office recently launched an investigation of the criminal complaints filed by 700 people imprisoned in the Diyarbakir Prison, where a most terrible torture in human history was suffered. While the Prosecutor’s Office started taking statements from those who filed a criminal complaint and applied to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of National Defense asked for information about the whereabouts of the torturers mentioned in the petition. The Prosecutor’s Office responded to the request by giving the names of the torturers at a press conference organized by the Diyarbakır Prison Research, Truth and Justice Commission. The list included General Kenan Evren as commander-in-chief and officers working in prison, as well as military prosecutors and judges.

In Diyarbakir No. 5 Prison, where 34 people were killed and hundreds of people were disabled between 1981 to 1984, ‘strappado’ (Palestine hanging), electric shocks, ‘falaka’ (beating the soles of the feet), rape, batons impaled anally, feeding feces were among the common deeds.

There was one Armenian among the prisoners in the government’s systematic application of torture and ‘Turkification’ processes. Garabed Demircioğlu always received special attention, a ‘worthy one!’ by Capt. Esat Oktay Yıldıran. Capt. Yıldıran tried out the most unimaginable tortures that come to human mind. He always wore a commando uniform and toured with his dog named “Jo.” During that era Demircioğlu’s image was carved in many prisoners’ minds with a circumcision dress and a banner that read Maşallah (how magnificent). Later after his forced circumcision and Islamization, they changed Garabed’s name to Ahmet.

After being imprisoned from 1980 to 1987, on May 1, 1990, this ‘lucky’(!) lone Armenian prisoner was released, only to be arrested again on May 1, 1990 for attending celebrations for International Workers Day. He was again subjected to special treatment and sentenced to one year in prison. He got this sentence exclusively, while his comrades were subjected to three months. He left the country with heavy injuries from a military operation against prisoners in Sağmacılar Prison, Istanbul. He resides in Europe now and receives medical treatment for his heavy torture. During this interview, he described the circumstances of being a revolutionary Armenian in Diyarbakir Prison. 

I was born in Diyarbakir (Kurds’ Amed, Armenians’ Dikranagerd). I was one of six children—two older sisters and three brothers. I’m the oldest among my brothers. My parents were illiterate, but like many, they were devoted to their children’s education. They knew the value of labor and work and were therefore honorable people. My father used to buy newspapers so we would read and take us to Yılmaz Güney movies. I can’t say he did this consciously.

As a typical Anatolian Armenian, all of our grandparents were kılıçartığı (left-over or spared by the sword). Some were exiled and the rest were migrants. My grandmother used to tell me how her brother was killed before her eyes, and how her entire family escaped to Qamishli, Syria and then to Aleppo. My aunts remained there. We used to meet them behind the wired border-fences like many Kurds do today. My uncle lived in France.

We would go to church of Saint Giragos. Our mother used to hold our hands firmly on the way there. It was always noisy during church as people would throw stones at the wooden door. It broke one day. They replaced it with an iron door.

We would never speak Armenian anywhere outside the house, nor would we say our name. I always thought that if I were successful doing so, they wouldn’t notice that I was Armenian. I always thought everything depended on concealing that I was. But it wasn’t successful. They understood, or rather, they knew who was gavour (infidel) and who was fılle.

I went to Süleyman Nazif Primary School. Every day, other neighborhood children trapped me and other Armenian children in a desolate place. They would lift up their index fingers of both hands asking “Are you Muslim?” and making a cross “Or are you fılle?” Most of the time, without waiting to hear that ominous answer, they would spit on our faces, slap and kick us. We most frequently heard of getting sacrificed, promising them heaven. “If I kill seven fılle, I go to heaven.” Every day I lived through as one of the potential seven fılle to be sacrificed so that they could reach paradise and happiness.

I will never forget Diyarbakir train station. I was nine years old. I was sent to Istanbul to study like many Armenian kids. My mother never gave consent. Today she still sees Istanbul as the perpetrator of all the disasters that have happened to me today. Maybe it is. I don’t know. Every summer we would fill up the train to return to our country. The trains were operated with coal then. We would arrive with our hands and faces all blackened. When the time came to be sent back, our mothers would fill our hands and mouths with içli köfte, sarmas, dolmas and breads for the road. We would fill up the train. We would leave behind crying mothers wiping their tears with a white handkerchief. Maybe my mother was right. If I hadn’t left Diyarbakir like other hundreds of Armenian kids to be sent for education… maybe. I don’t know…

When I was released from prison to be sent off to do my ‘country-duty’ with chains on my hands and feet, between two soldiers, again in the same train station, this time Kurdish mothers were seeing me off. They resembled ours. But they were louder, walked taller, more resilient, unflinching. Maybe because they didn’t live to see, as we did, the short life we lived because of the atrocities. Maybe they were dying out slower, or were stronger, more enduring. Maybe there were more of them. I didn’t know why they were there. But I’m sure they were there because of one of the events, like our forced deportations. Or, were they simply they sending me off? I was trying to walk with chains, the soles of my feet beaten from falaka, obliged to carry me, crushed under such a difficult task… I was trying to step up. Suddenly these women attacked the soldiers. They were asking why my feet had the chains. Others were assaulting the soldiers asking for me to be unchained. But the interest of one of them was different. She was forcing food into my mouth and stuffing my pockets. Sarmas, dolmas, homemade bread…

A poverty-stricken child’s world opens to leftist and revolutionary ideas when he grows up attending elementary school with a pair of shoes, pants and a jacket. He also feels a nationalistic and religious pressure to assimilate. Having lived through all kinds of heartbreaks, listening to stories of swords and massacres, what could be more natural than becoming a revolutionist?

After graduating from Nersesyan Primary School, I attended Soorp Khatch Tibrevank Boarding School. Our library was rich and varied. It was possible to find Russian, English, American, Turkish and Armenian classics. Most of the students were interested in reading. We read Yaşar Kemal, Orhan Kemal, Kemal Tahir, Sabahattin Ali, Fakir Baykurt and memorized the poems of Nazim Hikmet, Enver Gökçe, Hasan Hüseyin and Ahmet Arif. But unfortunately, we couldn’t read enough Armenian poets and writers books then. I didn’t know about the famous poet, born in Kars, Yeghishe Charents, until much later in life.

I became a revolutionary like Misak Manushyan, Armenak Bakır, Manuel Demir, Nubar Yalim, Hayrabet Honca in my high school years. Armenak (Bakır) first brought us the first revolutionary socialist books to read. I began to sympathize with İbrahim Kaypakkaya’s revolutionary ideas. I found Kaypakkaya’s approach to the Armenian question and massacres scholarly and realistic. Come to think of it, about 40 years ago he had a short, concise, unbiased and scholarly point of view. He was breaking all the common molds. This affected me quite deeply.

I was detained for making communist propaganda on September 12, 1980. I endured excruciating torture. I spent a year in prison. Immediately after the coup, I was again taken into custody in Siverek for being a member of an illegal leftist organization and making communist propaganda. Because I refused to testify, they used the crudest, most primitive methods of torture. I was taken to Urfa Central Command.

They were bringing in people from Siverek, Halfeti, Suruç, Bilecik, Hilvan, Viranşehir and Ceylanpınar. The majority of them were poor, innocent villagers. They gathered hundreds of thousands of people. They implemented the most abhorrent tortures.

I was tortured an entire season. All kinds of torture. They tried a number of methods on me: Palestinian hanging from my ankles upside down, falaka, electricity, sleep deprivation, hunger, standing on one leg, getting electric shocks in water, naked. Often I experienced torture just for the sake being seen as “an Armenian” being tortured. Because my eyes were blindfolded, I couldn’t see the torturer. During hanging, the officer would blow cigarette smoke on my face. Because I wasn’t cooperating, the intensity was increasing every day, and they were getting more wild. I stayed so long in Urfa Central Command that the soldiers who went for leave, upon their return, saw me again. They couldn’t hide their astonishment.

A dog was trained to bark when the session began, and then he would also start barking when he heard the call to prayer. During the sessions, they would play Orhan Gencebay’s ‘Offer Me Solace’ piece continuously. I don’t know if Gencebay would have composed this song if he knew it would be played as a ‘consolation’…I’m sure he would be grieving. 

The people who were tortured were mostly Kurds—revolutionaries, intellectuals, peasants. I met hundreds of old and young, innocent people. They once took Abdullah Öcalan’s brother Mehmet Öcalan into custody. I don’t know whether by chance or intentionally, they put him by my side. As we were sitting on the floor leaning our heads against the wall, an officer kicked me in the back and asked for my name. When I said my name he raised hell. Then he asked the name of the man sitting on the floor next to me, and he said the name. The torturer’s anger became unrestrained. He was shouting ‘Who put those two Armenians together?’ He was kicking us and swearing. We encountered a heavy session of torture because of me or him that day.

When your name was called, the torture would start. The officers’ voices, the way they talked, the methods they used were very similar. They were all like one person. I couldn’t see their faces, but I believed their faces were the same. I always wondered how the torturers could say I love you to their children… Could someone who is inflicting this much pain have the capacity to love? 

Sometimes once or twice a week, groups were taken to Diyarbakir. Those who were taken from Urfa to Diyarbakir would travel, thinking that the torture was over. They would take a deep, comfortable breath without any torture. I went to Diyarbakir in such peace of mind.

If God would send such rain of tyranny from above, he would probably not think that it could reach such intensity and ferocity. It will be a grand mistake to say it was a prison. It was a full-fledged torture center with physical and psychological equipment and specialized torture officers. It was a torture lab. Imagine being taken to the Diyarbakir Corps Command and being tortured there. It was a great blessing for us. We didn’t want to go back to the dungeon. Every narrative story of No. 5 is a bit lacking, because it is not possible to put such abominations into words.

From the moment the first step was taken, it was a place where everything belonging to the individual’s history was extorted by bullying, force—completely torn apart.

While we queued for identity check, we took off everything and waited naked. This was the first moment of discovery for the torturers. They figured out I was not Muslim. From that moment on, I received special attention. 

Capt. Esat Oktay Yıldıran said that he would circumcise me on the first day and make me a Muslim. He said it with such a relaxed, smiling face, as if it was like a normal, natural job that needed to be done. Your name will be ‘Ahmet’ from now on, he said. My religion would be Islam, and I would be a ‘true Turk.’ In addition to the Turkification ritual, there was circumcision and prayer in my program.

There were many high-ranking military officers who wanted to see me. It was as if they had caught a monster, staring at me with astonishment, cursing at me, as if they hadn’t seen anyone like me. It was like there was a creature in front of them. Almost everyone knew of the existence of the Armenian. There were some who were interested in me exclusively. They spit on my face, cursed me, mounted my back. Several urinated on me.

Death seemed imminent, but I wasn’t able to die no matter what. Getting killed by a bullet would have been a luxury and a blessing.

In our very first torture session we were forced to clean out our bags of soap, margarine, toothpaste, papers –– in other words, eat them up. The ones who resisted were subjected to mass military beating, run the gauntlet. When I was tortured in custody, I didn’t have the strength to carry a sack. But they still tortured me. In Number 5 cell there was always a reason to torture. Our existence was a reason to torture. In this case, I didn’t have a sack.

There was a horse thief from Cizre. His opponents had denounced him for being a bad Kurd. He didn’t resemble any of us. I can’t tell you how agile and athletic he was. When soldiers tried to put him on the counter, he would whirl away and get chased down in the corridor. His demeanor was an undeclared victory for us who couldn’t open their eyes from torture.

All the walls and ceilings were painted in the form of Turkish flags. Everywhere was red, and everybody was wearing khaki. Either we were tortured or we were listening to the screams of someone who was being tortured. The time of day didn’t matter. If I were lucky enough to choose, I would choose torture myself, because listening to the voices of my friends was the greatest pain. I still hear those cries today. They haven’t left my ears. 

Every time we went to court and returned in a dark airless ring-truck, feet chained, hands behind back, the intensity of torture would increase. To speak out and defend yourself was a venture. One had to pay a heavy price. Because we did speak out in court, we paid the price in the truck with what were called special ‘five-ten’ planks. They would beat us. One day the plank broke on my back. The penalty was grand of course.

One day, Amnesty International delegates came to investigate the allegations of death for friends like Mehdi Zana, Mazlum Doğan and some others their names I can’t recall right now, and myself. They showed us before the eyes of the delegation that we were alive. They made a lot of effort to prevent any visible wounds and torture marks on our bodies, and we couldn’t say to the delegation that we were being tortured. The status of lawyers was no different than ours. They took them out in front of the delegation. They denied any torture. There were some former deputies like Serafettin Kaya, Hüseyin Yıldırım among them. Some were quite a lot older than us, brothers like Ahmet Türk, Nurettin Yılmaz, Celal Paydaş. They faced heavy torture from soldiers as young as their children.

During this time, militants of ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia) were acting up. I was somehow responsible for their actions since I was Armenian. My punishment was severe. I became a respected legendary hero among the prisoners. Dozens of friends who were fortunate to know me, when they got released, mentioned to their friends that I would surely be tortured to death. They thought it would be a miracle I would stay alive. 

In 1983, collective resistance started in the dungeon. It was our happiest day. It was defying slavery and torture, challenging improbity. It was a day to be human, the start of emancipation. I can say it was the most beautiful day of my life.

The self-sacrificing Mazlum Doğan and the four who threw their bodies into the middle of the fire, are unforgettable. Kemal Pir, Hayri Durmuş, Akif Ali, Cemal Arat, Orhan Keski, our friends who lost their lives through hunger strike are the most worthy of respect and love. I always remember them with respect and gratitude. They ignited the first spark of resistance with their bodies. But the torture did not stop.

In 1984, the second collective resistance began. I took part in the first group of the hunger strike. We started with 20 friends. It lasted 49 days. Two of our friends died. We were under threatening conditions.

In the first days of the hunger strike I came across officers who said, ‘We understood the others. What are you doing here as an Armenian in the hunger strike?’ However, I needed the most energy to resist, not to accept this villainous, dishonorable life. I had to resist for more reasons than any other. My fate was the fate of my people.

They had brought a hodja from a mosque to dissuade and discourage the strike. “God only takes the life he has given to his own servant, and you cannot kill yourself. This belongs to God” was the type of a speech he was giving. A friend named Bişar Akbaş told the hodja ‘There is an Armenian among us. Go and get a priest.’ Of course, the hodja left, but the priest didn’t come.

Today I would have liked to be among the ones who submit criminal complaint against the torturers. Those who tortured us should be tried. However, it should not be forgotten that torture was a state policy. As it is the official policy of the state, not only those who tortured them physically, but also those who accept, accept and implement this practice as official state policy should be accounted and judged. On the other hand, No. 5 must be a museum. 

Today, I suffer from unbearable pain. I have serious balance and vision problems. Every time the subject of Dungeon No. 5 comes up or related memories, news and names, my eyes are filled unwittingly. In medical terms, it is called post-traumatic stress disorder. I call it an internal earthquake. I am living abroad and on heavy medication. On top of this, I’m also suffering from the malady of migration. In other words, I’m longing for my country.

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Levon Mardikyan

Levon Mardikyan was born in Istanbul and has lived in Los Angeles since 1981. He has traveled and worked as a photographer, contributing to his partner’s work in ethnography, particularly in Latin America. His ongoing work in photography includes an interest in portraiture and tabletop photography. He is a collector of Ottoman-Armenian postcards and photos.

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When I go to Armenia they treat me as if I were from the Diaspora and when I go abroad they treat me as if I were a Turk. Here they see me as an Armenian. I’ve never been able to figure this out. (The Sounds of Silence oral history series by the Hrant Dink Foundation)

The Armenian experience is as diverse as the realities in each location in our widespread dispersion. Unfortunately, too often we lack the compassion to appreciate the experience of others who have grown up in a different reality from our own.

It is not simply a Diaspora versus Hayastan “thing.” Even within the Diaspora, at different times and in different places, sympathy was often lacking for our fellow Armenians’ circumstances. The above quote from an Armenian who has grown up in the Republic of Turkey is an example of the oftentimes insensitive reaction we can receive when drifting away from the geographic location where our Armenian identity developed.

It has been almost a month since I returned from my most recent trip to Turkey and the lands of my people. Throughout my travels, one word kept coming to the fore: resilience. I am in awe of the resilience our people have shown wherever the winds of destiny have taken them.

The primary purpose of my journey was to spend time with my cousin—the grandchild of my great-grandmother’s sister—taken during the genocide and unknown to my family until DNA testing led to the reconnection of our families.

While there were a number of places I wanted to see, Armenian cultural sites I wanted to explore and document, this was fundamentally the opportunity to meet cousins, cousins of cousins, friends of cousins—all Armenians who still live in our ancestral homeland. As I was introduced to more people, the thought of resilience was molded and hardened into a foundation of stone, so symbolic of the Armenian highlands.

I think of an Armenian from Diyarbakir who, at a gathering of friends, was asked to sing some songs. As he performed songs of the land, songs with an undeniable Armenian essence, the others sang along. Their love for this man has led to a love of Armenians in general and an awareness of their own previously dormant Armenian ancestry. Around the table, several of them indicated that they had an Armenian grandparent. 

Over his lifetime, I imagine he has impacted countless people this way, similar to many of us who, in our daily lives, unabashedly proclaim our pride in being Armenian. Except, as we know, Turkey is not the Diaspora and Armenian is not so envious a moniker there. 

My father told me, “They’re going to call you infidel, let them beat you, don’t say anything and just come home. Don’t say anything even if they break your bones.” That’s what my father taught me. I grew up getting beaten all the time. There was a cliff close to where we lived. They had thrown our people down that cliff, their bones were piled up there. They would take me to that cliff and threaten, “Your grandfathers’ bones are there, that’s where we’re going to throw you too.” (The Sounds of Silence oral history series by the Hrant Dink Foundation)

Visiting the dead

While one has to be flexible on such a trip, I would not be denied one pilgrimage. I had to visit the grave of my great-grandmother’s sister, Vazkanoush, with my cousin. 

Vazkanoush, a name my family had not heard, was a person lost to us during the genocide. Yet, four months ago, as I read a book about their hometown of Maden, from the section on the farriers (nalbands), Vazkanoush’s name jolted me.

Mother, son Khachadour and little sister Vazkanoush were thrown in the Euphrates River with many others. (Bakr Maden by Yeznig Mardiros Berberian, New York, 1984)

So we headed to Chungush, where she is buried. The town rests along the hillside above a deep ravine halfway between Diyarbakir and Kharpert. Before entering the town, one can stop at the new school in the small village of Yenikoy to see the Doudan gorge, where thousands of Armenians were murdered in 1915. 

It is a miserable place, worsened by the sounds of school children today, with the playground running directly over the crime scene. The echoes from the screams of the murdered drown out the modern sounds of cheerful, oblivious children. Excavating equipment lay dormant nearby, for what purpose, I do not know. New homes do however now dot the landscape where none had been just a few short years ago.

As we drove on, I recalled an episode from seven years ago when some locals had hoped we could turn their copper pots back into gold by reading an Armenian inscription. I pointed out the place, as I recalled it, to my cousin and he said the location had been their family’s land previously. They had hired migrants to farm the land many years ago. There had been problems, and eventually they had sold the land to them.

As we entered Chungush, we stopped at the Muslim cemetery adjacent to the new offices of the mayor and other town officials. I did not get far before seeing the relatively fresh grave of our dear friend, Recai Altay, which only served to enhance my melancholy mood. Then I saw the grave of my cousin Ahmet, gone too soon at the age of 48 and not long after we had met for the first time in Bolis.

Finally, as we kneel at the grave of Vazkanoush, her Islamized name of Muslimeh written on the tombstone, I thought: Our family is reunited! 

I know that I have Armenian origins. A part of me is Armenian. While my Turkish part feels embarrassed, my Armenian part feels terrible anger. This is a great dilemma for someone in my situation. And those two clashing parts within me, the person feeling guilty and the person feeling anger began to change, one stopped feeling guilty and began to feel responsible, while the other calmed its anger and tried to transform it into something useful. And finally those two began to live as one in peace in the same person. (The Sounds of Silence oral history series by the Hrant Dink Foundation)

Visiting the living

In Chungush, I also wanted to see Recai’s mother-in-law, Asiya, who we had met that fateful day in 2013. As we approached the house, my cousin commented that his aunt and uncle live in the adjacent home. Six years ago, we met Asiya and little did I know that my own family was living next door! During some of these visits, they would sometimes appear wondering why this group of Armenian Americans would travel each year to see their unassuming neighbor. However, they never spoke of their Armenian ancestry. 

My cousin greeted Asiya, taking her hand as he knelt. She softly said to him, “Money and wealth may fade away suddenly. Spiritual wealth is the one you will have in the end. That will lead us the way to the other side.”

Searching for the lost ones 

When I first learned of my cousins in 2015, Recai was the first to write to me, imploringly, “You have found your family, how can we find ours?” 

Asiya’s government papers state that her maternal grandparents, Garabed and Anna, were from Kharpert. After Recai’s death, I traveled to Chungush in an attempt to fulfill a promise I made to him to learn of Asiya’s Armenian family. On that trip in 2017, I DNA tested Asiya.

For two years, she has had only distant matches, all confirming roots in the Kharpert region. But none of the matches were close enough to clearly identify the family. When I returned from Turkey a few weeks ago, I found there was a new, much closer match to Asiya, one that may lead to the eventual identification of her grandparents. It is now clear that one of them was part of the Aslanian family from Hoghe. Additional family members are now DNA testing to help narrow the search down.

Vazkanoush had a sister-in-law, Nazire, who was also an Armenian taken during the genocide. We do not know her Armenian first name, but up until the 1930s, she was exchanging letters with her brothers in New York City. She was a Vosganian from the village of Havav in the Palu district. I met her son on this trip; his one request of me was to locate his family in the United States so that he might obtain a photograph of them to see what they have become. Fortunately, I have been in contact with one of the family members, and hopefully we can fulfill this old Armenian’s wish as well.

The DNA passed through us to our descendants dissipates rapidly; within a few generations the shared DNA between relatives becomes negligible. We are in the last years of being able to reconnect, through DNA testing, with the descendants of those separated from us during the genocide. Whatever the concerns and limitations, we owe it to our people to do what we can, while we can. These are our people, and many are still clinging to their Armenian identity, hoping we have not forgotten them.

Author information

George Aghjayan

George Aghjayan is the Director of the Armenian Historical Archives and the chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Central Committee of the Eastern United States. Aghjayan graduated with honors from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Mathematics. He achieved Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries in 1996. After a career in both insurance and structured finance, Aghjayan retired in 2014 to concentrate on Armenian related research and projects. His primary area of focus is the demographics and geography of western Armenia as well as a keen interest in the hidden Armenians living there today. Other topics he has written and lectured on include Armenian genealogy and genocide denial. He is a board member of the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), a frequent contributor to the Armenian Weekly and Houshamadyan.org, and the creator and curator westernarmenia.weebly.com, a website dedicated to the preservation of Armenian culture in Western Armenia.

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Letters referring to a decision to “annihilate” all Armenians are the authentic work of Bahaettin Shakir, one of the architects of the Armenian Genocide, according to signature analysis carried out by a leading Turkish historian, published in the Journal of Genocide Research.

Prof. Taner Akçam of Clark University, Massachusetts, who has studied the genocide for decades, says the signatures on the two letters, dated 3 March and 7 April 1915, match those of Shakir on other documents. Prof. Akçam also says he has unearthed new documents from the Ottoman Archives which show initial decisions to exterminate groups of Armenians were taken by a local branch of para-military organization Te?kilat-? Mahsusa (Special Organization) led by provincial governors in 1st December 1914.

The Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, was carried out during and after World War I. While present day Turkey accepts that many Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during the war, it continues to contest the 1.5 million figure and denies that the killings were systematically orchestrated and constitute a genocide. This denial – which continues despite the UN demanding in a recent Joint Allegation Letter that the Turkish government investigate the treatment of Armenians from 1915 to 1923, establish the truth and make reparations – has hinged on the patchy archival record.

The first letter studied by Prof. Akçam states that the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) “has decided to annihilate all of Armenians living within Turkey, not to allow a single one to remain, and has given the government broad authority in this regard”. The second letter reiterates this message. Previously, the letters’ authenticity was questioned but, according to Prof. Akçam, signature comparison indicates they were authored by Shakir who, as head of the para-military Special Organization, helped to plan and carry out the genocide.

“These letters indicate there was an actual, conscious decision taken to annihilate the empire’s Armenian population and that it was taken before 3 March 1915,” says Prof. Akçam. “Moreover, there were other related decisions which preceded this final one, as a series of documents we discovered in the Ottoman Archives shows.”

These documents suggest that initial decisions to eliminate groups of Armenians were not taken by the Central Committee of the CUP and/or by central government, but by governors in the provinces of Van and Bitlis.

“In their communications – both with Istanbul and with one another – the governors did not see the need to use vague language or euphemisms in referring to the annihilation of the Armenians, but spoke of it openly, even offering a number of tangible ideas regarding how such an extermination could or should be carried out,” says Prof. Akçam.

Policy decisions regarding the elimination of Armenians, while initially made at the regional level, would eventually serve to pressure the central government in Istanbul to adopt a more radical overall policy, he concludes.

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Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.

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BELMONT, Mass.—Rare books from the 1800s published by Armenian presses around the world, as well as precious bound volumes of Armenian newspapers from the early 1900s and other hard-to-find treasures, have been donated to the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) by the Hairenik Association. This collection represents a significant addition to NAASR’s Mardigian Library and will become accessible to the public after NAASR’s new Vartan Gregorian Building opens on November 1, 2019, in Belmont, MA.

George Aghjayan, a member of NAASR’s Board of Directors as well as chairman of the ARF Eastern Region Central Committee, was key to making this donation possible. “I have been a member of NAASR for over 20 years and well understand NAASR’s importance and value to the Armenian community. As a library and beacon of Armenian studies, NAASR is the natural place for this special collection of works,” said Aghjayan.

“These rare books and periodicals are an incredible addition to NAASR’s rare book library,” commented NAASR’s Director of Academic Affairs Marc Mamigonian. “We are truly fortunate to be on the receiving end of such a rich and diverse collection and now have the privilege and responsibility of taking care of these materials and making them accessible to researchers.”

NAASR’s Library Curator Ani Babaian spent many days this summer at the Hairenik with Mamigonian, examining the collection and selecting materials that would augment existing holdings. She has now started to catalogue this significant donation according to Library of Congress standards for inclusion in NAASR’s catalog of over 29,000 rare volumes, accessible online.

The Hairenik’s donation contains 28 boxes of books dating from the 19^th century to the present, mostly in Armenian (Classical, Western and Eastern), English, Turkish and Armeno-Turkish. The donation includes books published by Armenian presses around the world in places such as Boston, New York, Constantinople (Istanbul), Tehran, New Julfa, Tiflis (Tbilisi), Cairo, Geneva, Vienna, Athens, Yerevan, Echmiadzin, Venice, Jerusalem, Smyrna, Aleppo, Providence, Fresno and more—nearly all of them new to NAASR’s Mardigian Library.

Of special significance are the 48 over-sized, bound volumes of Armenian newspapers and periodicals from the early part of the 20^th century, including Azk and Paykar published in Boston; Pahak, published in Providence, RI; Razmik, published in Philippopolis (Plovdiv), Bulgaria; Hayastan, published in Sofia, Bulgaria; Azatamart, published in Constantinople (Istanbul); Husaber, published in Cairo; Horizon, published in Tiflis (Tbilis); and others.

The donated collection is especially strong in titles published by and about the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF/Dashnaktsutiun) and other Armenian political groups, but also contains large numbers of historical and literary works, including titles by the 20^th century women diasporan writers Rima Garone, Zaruhi Galemkearean, Ewgine Shahnazar and Eliz Gampurean.

Another notable part of the collection are a number of hard-to-find pamphlets, most dating from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, preserved in good condition due to being bound together in single volumes. Such publications otherwise often fail to survive.

“The Hairenik Association is celebrating its 120^th anniversary this year and retains all of the materials we have published,” said Aghjayan, “but this particular collection will be more accessible and much better preserved at NAASR, especially as we look forward to the grand opening of NAASR’s new climate-controlled headquarters in the fall.”  He added, “we greatly value our partnership with NAASR and are honored to be able to make a donation that will benefit researchers, scholars, and the Armenian community at large for many years to come.”

About NAASR’s Mardigian Library

NAASR’s Edward and Helen Mardigian Library at NAASR, one of the largest publicly accessible Armenian libraries outside of Armenia, consists of nearly 30,000 books, pamphlets, periodicals, maps, and documents, primarily in Armenian and English, dating as far back as the 1600s. The collection encompasses a broad range of topics, including history, literature, art, architecture, linguistics, poetry, as well as law, anthropology, cooking and natural sciences. The library is named in honor of the late Edward and Helen Mardigian in recognition of their decades of generous support of NAASR and its initiatives to advance Armenian Studies, and the continued support of the Mardigian family.

NAASR continues to expand its holdings through the generous donations of materials, as donations form the core of NAASR’s Mardigian Library. Due to limitations of space, however, NAASR cannot accept all donations. Those interested in donating materials to NAASR should contact Mamigonian before doing so at 617-489-1610 or hq@naasr.org.

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NAASR

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.

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YEREVAN — The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has announced the #AraratChallenge, a new crowdfunding campaign aimed at supporting those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid around the world. 

The #AraratChallenge is a video-based crowdfunding campaign set to increase the impact and reach of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, whose projects combat poverty, improve healthcare and provide education to those in need. This call-to-donate seeks to inspire and engage people to embrace Aurora’s mission of empowering successive generations of humanitarians. 

At the core of the campaign is Mount Ararat, a universal symbol of renewal and second chances. Just as the 100,000 Armenian orphans who survived the Genocide had a chance to start a new life, the #AraratChallenge provides an exceptional opportunity for everyone to join this movement and give a second chance to those who need it most.

“Mount Ararat is the Biblical mountain where Noah’s ark is said to have landed and a crucial part of the story about humanity’s second chance. As we know, a century ago our ancestors were also given a second chance to survive the Armenian Genocide. Many people, including my grandfather, owed their survival to the generosity of others. One hundred years later, we founded the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity on behalf of the survivors and in gratitude to their saviors. We are committed to giving a second chance to those who are in need today. The #AraratChallenge is a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of Gratitude in Action together,” said Noubar Afeyan, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founder.  

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has kicked off the #AraratChallenge crowdfunding campaign, inviting people from all over the world to take part in this movement and donate any sum, even $1 per month, to give a second chance to the vulnerable and destitute. All funds received in the form of donations will be directed to the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative’s programs that directly benefit those in need. 

“Everyone deserves a second chance, and the #AraratChallenge is a call to help us give that chance to people around the world,” said Ruben Vardanyan, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founder. “I myself and many other Armenians are alive today only because some courageous and compassionate people saved our grandparents one hundred years ago. Today, we continue to see victims of violence, war and genocide around the world. Most often, children are the first victims of these heinous atrocities. And just as we sought help a century ago, today we can be those that help; we can make a difference. Today, we are fortunate to have a turn at making the world a safer place for generations to come. Join the #AraratChallenge and put your gratitude into action.”

About the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative

Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to empower modern-day saviors to offer life and hope to those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid anywhere in the world and thus continue the cycle of giving internationally. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is Gratitude in Action. It is an eight-year commitment (2015 to 2023, in remembrance of the eight years of the Armenian Genocide 1915-1923) to support people and promote global projects that tackle the needs of the most helpless and destitute and do so at great risk. This is achieved through the Initiative’s various programs: The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, the Aurora Dialogues, the Aurora Humanitarian Index, the Gratitude Projects and the 100 LIVES Initiative. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have been joined by more than 440 new supporters and partners. Our Chair, Dr. Tom Catena, draws on his experience is a surgeon, veteran, humanitarian and the 2017 Aurora Prize laureate to spread the message of Gratitude in Action to a global audience. The Initiative welcomes all who embrace a commitment to our shared humanity. 

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three organizations – Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (New York, USA), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the IDeA Foundation (Yerevan, Armenia). 

This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.

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Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.

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WASHINGTON, DC –The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joined with Eastern and Western US leaders of the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and In Defense of Christians last week on Capitol Hill to focus on the plight of Christians in the Middle East that coincided with the US State Department’s Second Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.

“As Armenian Americans, we were proud to bring our contribution to last week’s religious freedom initiatives in Washington, DC – including through the lessons that can and must be drawn from our own Armenian experience in surviving genocide and challenging Turkey’s ongoing denials and obstruction of justice for this crime,” noted ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, who was invited to the Ministerial. “It’s clear that we diminish U.S. credibility – profoundly undermining American global leadership on core atrocities prevention and religious freedom priorities – when, under heavy-handed public pressure, we grant a foreign power a high-profile veto over what the US government can and cannot say about a known case of genocide. Turkey’s undemocratic and openly anti-American leaders revel in the public spectacle of having bullied and bribed the US into silence over its sins for more than a century. It’s time to end Turkey’s gag-rule against honest American remembrance of the WWI-era genocide and exile of Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Aramean, Maronite and other Christian nations.”

His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern U.S., initiated the week-long spotlight by delivering the opening prayer at the US House of Representatives session on Monday, July 15 at the invitation of Armenian American Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) and US House Chaplain Patrick Conroy. “Heavenly Father, your children gathered here in this sanctuary of democracy and freedom thank thee for your providential care, full of visible and invisible blessings,” prayed Archbishop Tanielian. “Grant your wisdom and love upon the members of this assembly to follow thy will and fulfill their awesome responsibility toward the land of the free and the world at large.”

Following the prayer, Archbishop Tanielian, Hamparian and Chaplain Conroy reminisced about the Chaplain’s inspirational 2012 trip to Armenia and visit to Etchmiadzin. Later, Archbishop Tanielian was greeted by the ANCA Leo Sarkisian interns, who were in the House gallery to witness the prayer.

Ecumenical Prayer Service in the Rotunda in the Christian Languages of the Middle East

Later that day, the ANCA joined members of Congress and clergy including Archbishop Tanielian, His Eminence Moushegh Mardirossian—Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Western US—and Christian leaders from the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of the East, Evangelical Protestant tradition, Greek Orthodox Church, Mainline Protestant tradition, Maronite Catholic Church and Roman Catholic Church for a press conference and first-ever prayer service in the US Capitol by Middle Eastern Christians.

Organized by In Defense of Christians, press conference and prayer service speakers stressed the importance of a commitment to truth and decisive action to ensure religious freedom for all, including Christians and other persecuted minorities of the Middle East.

“The right to worship must be protected throughout the globe,” explained House International Religious Freedom Caucus co-chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) in his opening remarks. Rep. Bilirakis, who also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, noted the difficult plight of the Greek community and other Christians in Turkey. “There are only approximately 1,200 Greek Orthodox Christians left in Constantinople (and it will always be Constantinople to me) … a place where the Turkish government refuses to recognize the ecumenical nature of Patriarch Bartholomew,” said Rep. Bilirakis, who noted that Halki’s theological school has been closed down by the Turkish government since 1971.

During her formal remarks, Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair Speier thanked all clergy present “for reminding us that every day we should be spending our waking moments thinking about those who don’t have the privilege of practicing their Christian faith in public.” “I am of Armenian descent,” she continued. “One and a half million Armenians in the early 1900s were killed because of their religion. We see the potential of that happening even now.”

Rep. Ann Eshoo (D-CA) explained that the work of In Defense of Christians and efforts for international religious tolerance are very personal to her. “There is representation here from my father’s side of the family – the Assyrians and Chaldeans – and my mother’s side – the Armenians. I am first-generation American. I would not be a member of Congress unless they were able to flee and survive. And so, I see and have seen history repeating itself. It is a repeat of what they endured, of the family that they lost, and we need to always learn and have the lessons of history speak to us.” Rep. Eshoo noted the historic Congressional vote characterizing the attacks on Christians and other minorities in the Middle East as ‘genocide,’ but noted that success has been elusive given the great need and the slow U.S. response over multiple U.S. administrations. 

Other members of Congress offering remarks included Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Ron Estes (R-KS), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), French Hill (R-AR), Mike Johnson (R-LA), David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Randy Weber (R-TX).

In regards to US policy on the Armenian Genocide, Hamparian explained, “When we can get the US on the right side of the Armenian Genocide issue, certainly it’s going to be good for Armenians because denial will be challenged, but more importantly, it will be a tipping point in US policy where we finally say that fighting against a genocide against any people – Armenians, Rwanda, Cambodia, Darfur or the Holocaust – is a moral imperative and not a political commodity.”

Christian leaders offered prayers in the English following the traditions of their various faiths and then proceeded to the Rotunda of the US Capitol to offer prayers in their native languages of Arabic, Aramaic, Assyrian, Greek, Syriac and Armenian. The historic presentation of hymns included a moving rendition of Der Voghormia (Lord Have Mercy) sung by Archbishop Mardirossian, Archbishop Tanielian, Very Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishian, Vicar of the Eastern Prelacy, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, pastor of Soorp Khatch Armenian Church of Bethesda, MD, and Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian, pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church of Philadelphia, Penn

State Department’s Religious Freedom Ministerial Largest in History

Later in the week, the ANCA took part in the State Department’s Second Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, joining over 1,000 civil society and religious leaders and more than 80 foreign delegations. Hamparian participated in sessions outlining successes from the first Ministerial in 2018, including funding for emergency assistance to victims of religiously motivated discrimination and abuse around the world. Participants agreed that much more needed to be done to address growing religious intolerance worldwide.

During the conference, Armenia Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan highlighted the country’s commitment to religious tolerance, noting that in the face of recurring violence against the Yezidis and Christians in the Middle East, Armenia has served as a safe-haven for over 20,000 refugees. “Armenia stands ready to cooperate with all interested parties to recover ancestral presence of Christians in the Middle East by rebuilding their lives, communities and churches,” stated Mnatsakanyan. “The Armenian people historically have been significant contributors to diversity, harmony and prosperity of the countries and societies of the Middle East. This conference provides an excellent platform to initiate partnerships to this end.”

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ANCA

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. To learn more, visit www.anca.org.

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Last year, I spent the summer in Hayastan, researching the effects of the Velvet Revolution. With a borrowed video camera, I took taxis, marshrutkas and back alleys to the unmarked offices of NGOs not used to the freedom to exist in public. I talked to journalists, youth activists, teachers and organizers, asking them about their participation in the revolution and what they saw in the future. Almost all of them mentioned the idea of a new Armenia, coming not necessarily from the change in government, but from the fact that participating in the protests made people realize that they had the power to affect change. Some were already skeptical of the new government but believed fully in this newfound energy. Even sleepy towns like the border town of Berd had come alive during the protests and were looking towards the future. One year later, now that this government has disappointed many, as most governments do, I return to that idea of a new Armenia. Is it larger than governmental change? What does it mean for our communities?  

During my two and a half months, I saw the spirit of a new Armenia outside my workplace as well. Strolling up Northern Avenue and around the Opera, I talked to my friend Diana about her consulting internship, and to my friend Emily about her volunteer work at a hospital. We shared our desires to move to Armenia some day. Over dinner, my host-sister’s husband talked about his repatriation from Canada, and his newest project of an app mapping out Yerevan’s water fountains. Through a Facebook connection, I was invited to go hiking with a group of young women in the tiny village of Aygedzor. There, Astghik, in her last year of studying tourism and hospitality, showed me the site where she was planning the Berry House, a guesthouse where tourists would be able to explore the natural wonders of her village and learn about the region’s food, arts and culture. By the end of the summer, I noticed that even the non-Armenians in my internship group were falling in love with the country and making plans for their return.

In the fall we all dispersed, but our dreams and networks followed us home. Emily pulled me into the AYF, which gave me a space to meet other Armenians my age while I immersed myself in my Armenian identity, learning the language, doing research and writing. I was introduced to a different Armenia than I’d seen in Hayastan, one that was both Armenian and American, an embodiment of the “hye-brid” identity I was cultivating. It was an Armenia that didn’t need a place, one that could materialize even at Junior Seminar in rural Pennsylvania, as long as there was an oud, a doumbeg and enough people to dance. Attending Junior Seminar as a newcomer to the community, I had the unique opportunity to see everything for the first time, and to be awed and fascinated by the strength, structure and continuity of this organization. I especially thought about this during Unger Greg Bedian’s lecture on the history of Armenian immigration to the U.S. He described the way that new waves of immigration gave the community an essential opportunity to revitalize and reshape itself. But now, he pointed out, it’s unlikely there will be another major wave of Armenian immigrants to America. Without another wave, will we manage to keep the strength of our community? His lecture echoed a fear I have often heard in the community: will we continue to lose people to the pressures of assimilation?

As I thought more about these ideas, I began to wonder if our next revitalization will come not from another wave of immigrants, but from new ways of pulling people into our community. This especially struck me during Unger Ara Khachaturian’s lecture on revolution, where he talked about how the ideas of the Armenian Revolutionary Movement of the late 1800s, the Velvet Revolution and others can be used to spark different kinds of change. At the end of the lecture he asked everyone to think about what kinds of movements they could be a part of. I joined a group of 14 and 15 year old girls from my cabin, and before I could ask, one of them started telling me excitedly about their idea for a massive social media campaign to spread awareness of the continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. Soon we were all fired up, brainstorming hashtags, types of posts and groups we could connect with. The idea followed me back home to Chicago, where I began to think about how it paralleled the ways I had used social media to tell Armenian stories and make friends in Armenia and the diaspora.

This, I thought, could be our new wave. The internet and increasing globalization of societies give our already global diaspora opportunities to form closer connections and pull in new people. Programs like Birthright, the AYF internship and the Armenian Volunteer Corps bring people to Armenia and even start repatriation journeys for some. In my own life, my work in Armenia and the people I have met through online and in-person networks have led me to collaborations with magazines, artists and leaders. I’m even part of a three-year project documenting nonviolent resistance in Armenia’s areas under military threat. In my observation and experience, this new wave does not mean leaving all traditions behind, but rather embracing Armenia’s historical identity as a crossroads for exchanging goods, ideas and experiences. It means building on old traditions, bonding over our ancient language and music and connecting and building the Armenia we want to see through old and new organizations. It means building on the work of our elders in social activism, science, arts and business. To me, it also means embracing new tools, new projects and new ideas, as well as embracing my own identity as a mixed-ethnicity Armenian American, and what that allows me to bring to, and gain from the community. It is not simply social media, but a growing movement to create a global community that embraces Armenians and non-Armenians—one that is open to a wide range of Armenian people, ideas and experiences, and does not disenfranchise people for their diversity. Through opening our communities in this way, we can pull in new people, giving them a reason to resist the pressure to conform and give up their Armenian identity by creating a strong and welcoming community where we can all grow and belong.

This community, along with the tools of the internet, allowed me to reconnect with a friend from my internship last summer over lunch while I was visiting Washington, D.C. As we talked over lunch, I thought about the way our friendship embodies my experience of this new Armenia. She is not Armenian, but she was deeply influenced by her experience doing social work there, which led her to the job she has in the State Department now, as well as lasting connections with her coworkers and her host sister, who she still talks to frequently. We talked about her new life, people she’s met through Armenian connections, and my work writing for the online feminist platform Kooyrigs and collaborating with Armenians as far as LA and Australia. We reminisced about OST lahmajoon and trips to Tatev and discussed our burning desire and still-vague plans to go back. As I left, I felt energized—the same spark I had felt after talking to revolutionary leaders in Armenia, coming home from Junior Seminar and after ending a video call with Kooyrigs team members. This role of creating and connecting, I felt, was the one I want to take in building a new Armenia, and shaping the next wave in our communities.            

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Araxie Cass

Araxie Cass is a member of the AYF Chicago Ararat Chapter, as well as a student of Creative Writing and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Her work includes creative non-fiction and short stories, focusing on Armenian topics, as well as social justice, culture and community.

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WATERTOWN, Mass.—Armenia’s National Assembly Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan just wrapped up his three day visit to the Greater Boston area this week. His time spent with the Armenian community in Watertown and Boston was part of a larger working visit to the eastern region with scheduled meetings in Washington, DC and New York. Mirzoyan was accompanied by other delegates including Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan.

On Friday, Mirzoyan met with the Chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Eastern Region Central Committee George Aghjayan and ARF Eastern Region Central Committee member Ani Tchaghlasian at the Hairenik building, where he was taken on a tour of the archives of the ARF and the First Republic. 

Mirzoyan, who has a PhD in history, reflected on his experience at the Hairenik building with members of the community that night during a scheduled town hall at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC). “I was reminded once more of the history of our people. But most importantly, it was a reminder and a lesson for me so that we can create a better future for our people, for Armenia—a future that we have dreamed about for many years.” 

Democracy has been a significant part of that dream, continued Mirzoyan, as well as free and fair elections. He elaborated on this matter in Washington, DC during his formal remarks at the House Democracy Partnership Leaders’ Forum to which Armenia was invited for the first time. His speech was entitled, “Reasserting the Independence of the Legislature in the Face of Rising Authoritarianism.” Mirzoyan drew upon American history and the Federalist Papers; he argued that the root of authoritarianism is the inability of democratic leaders to stay connected with their citizens. “In Armenia, we are currently pursuing this through reforming and strengthening the democratic institutions, where reversal of the democratic breakthrough will be unattainable,” said Mirzoyan to a room full of DC lawmakers and international leaders.

It wasn’t until 2014 when Mirzoyan started paying closer attention to the disenfranchised. “Armenia’s problems require complex solutions,” he told editors of the Armenian Weekly and the Armenian Mirror Spectator on Saturday afternoon. “It became clear to me that if you want a change, you have to do it yourself, especially if you are against the government.” Mirzoyan has been in his post since last May; the Civil Contract party member has been leading 132 members of the legislative branch—a noticeably young demographic. “It was the youth that was the manpower of the revolution. It’s been mostly the youth fighting for all these years. Why wouldn’t they be in parliament after all that work?” he said.  

During that interview, Mirzoyan covered a variety of topics with the Diasporan newspaper editors, including the United States’ newly imposed sanctions on Iran, an issue that Mirzoyan vehemently opposed at the Atlantic Council in Washington the previous week. “We have been neighbors with Iran for centuries,” he explained in Cambridge, Mass. “The Armenian economy has already suffered because of the sanctions. We cannot lose the privilege of getting gas from Iran.”

Closer to home in Artsakh, Mirzoyan spoke about the situation at the border. He says Armenia and Artsakh must continue working towards peaceful negotiations. While death rates at the border have decreased over time, Mirzoyan says that is not enough. “One death at the border is significant for us. We don’t want a single death at the border,” said Mirzoyan before asserting Armenia’s increased efforts in the negotiation process in partnership with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

As for Turkey’s latest controversial purchase from Armenia’s strategic partner—Russia, Mirzoyan says the arrangement might serve as a diplomatic opportunity for Armenia-Turkey relations. “The world is not black and white,” he said. “You can’t rule anything out in politics.”

Mirzoyan also visited Armenian Heritage Park in Boston to pay his respects at the Armenian Genocide memorial. In the final leg of their journey to the eastern region, Mirzoyan and his delegates traveled to New York. All in all, Mirzoyan says this was an important trip to the United States. “Every now and then, Armenian government leaders should have meetings with members of the Diaspora to keep the relationship dynamic and maintain open lines of communication.”

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Leeza Arakelian

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Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.

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Zoravik stands in solidarity with the refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers currently being targeted by the Trump administration. As a community of refugees and descendants of refugees, we condemn all forms of identity-based persecution and racism.  

No child should ever be separated from their parents, guardians or family. We are sickened by the abusive and unsanitary conditions that children and adults are being subjected to in so-called detention centers across the southern border. Furthermore, we condemn the use of raids to their homes and places of work and worship.  

As a people who have experienced the trauma of displacement and the need to seek asylum, we as Armenians condemn the escalating terror and dehumanizing treatment of Latin American migrants at the hands of CBP and ICE agents. We know the impact of deportations. We know from our own history the emotional harm and the devastation inflicted upon children who are forcefully and violently separated from their families. We know that state violence on such a scale causes psychological trauma that is passed on for generations to come.  

As a collective dedicated to fighting for justice for all peoples, we condemn the President and his administration for their virulently racist, anti-immigrant, xenophobic policies. We condemn all those who continue to terrorize and perpetrate violence at the border and across the country in their name. We call for ICE to be abolished, for the camps to be closed and for all children to be reunited with their families. We call on Congress to make meaningful immigration reform a priority. 

We ask all Armenians to reflect on our own traumatic history, and urge you, and your church or organizations, to take action now to help those who are fleeing oppression and seeking refuge and a safe haven in this country. 

As an Armenian collective, we say: 

No more raids! No more deportations! Close the camps and abolish ICE now! 

In Solidarity,
Զօրավիգ
Zoravik – Armenian Activist Collective

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Zoravik

Zoravik (“in solidarity”) is a Boston-based Armenian activist collective that promotes new avenues for political and grassroots organizing and project-based engagement for progressives.

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GLENVIEW, Ill.—The Chicago Armenian community marked the 36th anniversary of the Lisbon Five on Sunday during an event organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Chicago “Christapor” Gomideh.

In his opening remarks, Armen Papazian described how at 10:30 in the morning on July 27, 1983, five young Armenians stormed the Turkish Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal demanding justice from Turkey for its 1915 genocide of Armenians.  The young group, now known as the Lisbon Five, set off an explosion, killing themselves and destroying the building. Papazian referred to a statement released by the group to media at the time, “This is not a suicide nor an expression of insanity, but rather our sacrifice to the altar of freedom.”

Areni Artinian, a member of the Chicago “Ararat” AYF-YOARF, was then invited to read the full text of the statement issued by the Armenian Revolutionary Army regarding the attack on the Turkish Embassy in Lisbon.  

Then Papazian provided some background on the period of armed struggle, giving context about the significance of the Lisbon act. He described how the modern armed struggle began when a genocide survivor from Garin named Kourken Yanikian assassinated two Turkish diplomats in 1973. In the subsequent decade, dozens of other Turkish diplomats would be assassinated worldwide by Armenian youth who were frustrated by the world’s inaction and silence in the face of Armenian calls for justice and by Turkey’s aggressive campaign of denial of the Armenian Genocide. 

“However, the Lisbon operation was of a completely different nature,” said Papazian. “They went without planning to return, անոնք գացին անվերադարձ. They had gone not as assassins, but as martyrs,” he continued.

A brief video about the Lisbon attack and the subsequent funeral of the Lisbon Five in Beirut was then presented, concluding with a moving segment of the five martyrs singing Verkerov Li. After the video presentation, five members of the Chicago “Ararat” AYF-YOARF read individual statements made by the members of the Lisbon Five. The messages of Simon Yahneian (age 21), Ara Kurjulian (20), Setrak Ajemian (19), Sarkis Aprahamian (21) and Vatché Daghlian (19) were read by Raffi Sarrafian, Armen Surenian, Talar Panossian, Aleena Surenian and Aleen Soulakian, respectively, in Armenian.

In his concluding remarks, Papazian described how, after more than three decades, the dedication and sacrifice of the Lisbon Five “continues to be an inspiration and an example not only for our youth but for all Armenians as we continue to pursue our just demands for the return of our lands and for reparations for the Armenian Genocide.”

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Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.

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The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) UN Summer Internship program has begun with the arrival of two of the four interns to the United Nations (UN). Alec Mesropian and Anoosh Kouyoumdjian will be based in New York City during the summer, representing the ARS at the UN Headquarters during meetings and projects initiated by various UN missions, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations in affiliation. Azniv Khaligian and Arev Ebrimian will begin their internship in August 2019. 

Mesropian is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. He is pursuing a B.A. in Global Studies with a special concentration in Global Development and a regional specialization in Asia; he is also studying Japanese at Berkeley. Kouyoumdjian is an undergraduate student at Fordham University. She is pursuing a B.A. in Natural Sciences on the Pre-Health Track. Khaligian is an undergraduate student at Carthage College, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Music. Ebrimian is an undergraduate student at St. John’s University, pursuing a B.S. in Advertising Communication. 

“The ARS is overjoyed to have such high-achieving undergraduate students joining us at the United Nations in New York this summer” said ARS UN Coordinator Christina Mehranbod. “We hope that this internship opportunity gives them insight on the relevance of the UN in all Armenian issues: be it women’s rights, domestic and foreign policy, health advocacy, humanitarian relief and more” she added. 

As interns, both Mesropian and Kouyoumdjian will also be working on individual projects for implementation by ARS. Kouyoumdjian will be researching the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 in order to prepare and plan for the 25th anniversary commemoration, as well as preparing for the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. For his project, Mesropian will focus on the incorporation of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into ARS’s participation in Geneva Peace Week and how the themes of Geneva Peace Week and the UN’s SDGS relate to the concerns of both Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.

“It is an honor for me to be interning at the United Nations this summer, especially with the ARS, an organization that values human rights, gender equality, and more for the Armenian people and for others,” said Kouyoumdjian. “For pre-health students, it is essential to gain exposure to the way people live and how best we can help them. This opportunity allows for greater Armenian presence and voices at the UN, to show the role of Armenian youth in promoting a better future for all.”

“Walking the halls of the United Nations has been a dream of mine ever since I became interested in international affairs and global issues at a young age,” said Mesropian. “In an increasingly turbulent world, a diligent and careful understanding of world issues and global forces has become a necessity, and I am grateful to the Armenian Relief Society for providing me with the opportunity to participate in the salient dialogue fostered by the United Nations. I look forward to using my time interning this summer to both further develop my professional skills as well as contribute to the Armenian cause.

The public can follow their journey online. 

Established in 1910, the ARS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates in 28 countries serving the humanitarian needs of Armenians and non-Armenians alike. The organization was admitted into the ranks of the UN’s Economic and Social Commission (ECOSOC) in 1998. Through its active participation in various committees, the ARS remains a champion of human rights, social justice and universally endorsed values and principles. 

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Armenian Relief Society International Inc.

Armenian Relief Society, Inc. (ARS) is an independent, non-governmental and non-sectarian organization which serves the humanitarian needs of the Armenian people and seeks to preserve the cultural identity of the Armenian nation. It mobilizes communities to advance the goals of all sectors of humanity. For well over a century, it has pioneered solutions to address the challenges that impact our society.

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WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump Administration – caving in to pressure from Azerbaijan’s authoritarian Aliyev regime – is targeting the humanitarian aid program in Artsakh, attempting to shut down the HALO Trust’s de-mining program that has saved countless lives across the Republic, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) and TJ Cox (D-CA) are leading a Congressional campaign – backed by the ANCA – encouraging USAID Administrator Mark Green to reverse course and preserve the Nagorno-Karabakh de-mining program.  Administrator Green testified before the Foreign Affairs Committee on April 9th of this year that USAID was committed to completing the clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnances within the traditional boundaries of Nagorno Karabakh.

“President Trump is wrong to bow to Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev’s reckless demand that America end U.S. humanitarian aid to Artsakh,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “A modest expenditure that represents a major investment in peace, this aid program has, since Fiscal Year 1998, delivered desperately needed maternal health care, provided families with clean drinking water, and cleared farms and villages of deadly mines. We thank each and every U.S. legislator who is seeking to advance U.S. interests and American values by continuing U.S. humanitarian aid to Artsakh in the face of foreign attempts to meddle in American decision-making.”

The ANCA has mounted a nationwide grassroots Congressional calling campaign in support of continued Artsakh aid.

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ANCA

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. To learn more, visit www.anca.org.

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Camp Haiastan has been the meeting grounds for countless marriages, lifelong friendships and memories. Looking back, never in a million years did I think camp would pave my path to becoming an entrepreneur.

Upon my return from camp in 2010, I resumed back to normal high school life. However, there was nothing normal about my high school experience. When all of my friends were going to proms, sporting events and college visits, I was going to doctors, specialists and hospitals.  As my high school years progressed, my health regressed. I missed over 250 days of school. My memory was waning. I was unable to walk and unable to be out of bed for more than 30 minutes a day. My speech was slurred, and the entire right side of my body became paralyzed. My debilitating health meant I could not go anywhere without a mobile aid; I was far from a normal life. 

I went to over 20 doctors, all of whom misdiagnosed me with Multiple Sclerosis, Celiac Disease, Leukemia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Depression. However, after three years, I was finally correctly diagnosed with Lyme Disease, an infection caused by a tick bite, which typically presents a bullseye rash. By the time I was diagnosed, I was left with a permanent disability. 

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Chronic Lyme disease. So when all of my friends went off to college, I stayed back to seek treatment. My friends updated me about their classes, internships and social lives, but I had nothing in common with them anymore as my life was put on hold. Since I was going to iv treatments on a weekly basis, I had to drop out of college. I was lonely and misunderstood. 

Disheartened but determined, I set out to change the status quo. After a hard fought battle, I was able to reach remission where I started to rebuild my life. I went to Northern Virginia Community College and then transferred to the University of Virginia. It was during this time I was bit by a different bug—the entrepreneurial bug. 

I read an article about the lack of innovation happening in the disability and chronic illness space, and an idea struck.

What was the worst part about my illness? Loneliness. None of my friends could understand this life-changing illness. And since many patients in these treatment centers were twice my age, I was unable to relate to anyone on a personal level. I wanted to know how Lyme was going to impact me long term, from work to having a family. But no one in my immediate circle could provide the answers I needed. 

That’s when Riley was born. Riley is a social network for people with disabilities and medical conditions. Patients and caretakers can meet each other on a one-on-one basis through a mobile application. People undergoing the same battles can build a profile with information about their condition, passions and interests. The social media platform will then curate unique matches that would allow you to meet people going through the same journey. 

It was named in memory of a 13 year old I met while volunteering in the pediatric department of a Washington, DC hospital. Riley passed away while waiting for her turn on a transplant list. She always dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star. 

At our core, we are on a mission to empower. Our community supports each other by making connections and sharing our stories. 

This fall, Riley is launching the app for people Lyme Disease, Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Depression and Anxiety. With a growing membership list, Riley also has a robust international ambassador program with influencers reaching 500,000 people across five continents. Riley’s team of changemakers is based out of the University of Virginia this summer, but the company will be moving closer to Washington, DC this fall.

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Elizabeth Tikoyan

Elizabeth Tikoyan is a social entrepreneur innovating in the disability and chronic illness space. She is the founder of Riley, a social network for the disabled, the ill and their caretakers that works to facilitate one-to-one connections between individuals with similar illnesses. She has also worked closely with medical professionals at the National Institutes of Health and volunteered in the pediatric department at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—The United States Navy has commissioned its newest, state-of-the-art destroyer—the USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), named after the esteemed Armenian-American World War II veteran and the 59th Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon Johnson, Paul Robert Ignatius.

Draped in red, white and blue bunting under a summer sky at Port Everglades on Saturday morning, the USS Paul Ignatius served as a stage before thousands of people for the time-honored Naval tradition of bringing a ship to life while celebrating Ignatius’ service to his country. 

“This is a major undertaking,” said Ignatius, as he marveled at the sophisticated upgrades from yore. “Today’s sailors, today’s chiefs, today’s naval personnel are skilled technicians. It isn’t like the old days of the navy when you sat around, chipping paint. Each of these men and women who man this ship are highly skilled experts in extremely complex systems to assure our safety, to assure victory in case of combat.”

The USS Paul Ignatius is the 67th ship of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Navy officials explain that the warship can sail up to 30 knots at sea and is armed with advanced RADAR and SONAR systems that enable the ship to engage targets in the air, on the sea and underwater. “This ship…was designed to prevent war,” said Rear Admiral William Galinis. “But if it does come to a fight…this ship…was also designed and built to ensure that it is an unfair fight.”

The USS Paul Ignatius was christened in Pascagoula, Mississippi in April 2017 by the ship’s sponsor, the late Nancy Ignatius, who passed away earlier this year. “I was so pleased that my wife Nancy was chosen as the sponsor of this ship. I’m pleased that she was able to swing the champagne bottle at the christening,” said Ignatius. “I wish she could have been with us today, but she’s here in spirit.”

Together, Secretary Ignatius and his wife had four children: David, a Washington Post columnist; Adi, editor-in-chief at Harvard Business Review; Amy, a Superior Court judge in New Hampshire; and Sarah, executive director of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), who told the Armenian Weekly, “I am extremely proud of my father for this tremendous honor. He has lived a life of integrity and service to this country with dedication and humility and still hasn’t slowed down at age 98.” The son of Armenian immigrants, Secretary Ignatius is the highest-ranking Armenian-American military official in US history.

The Ignatius’ eldest granddaughter Dr. Elisa Ignatius served as the ship sponsor representative on Saturday; she referred to her late grandmother as a humble warrior. “The spirit and memories that live on in us—her family—now rest with you, the crew of the USS Paul Ignatius and to all the crews to come. Let her rare character of dedication, humility, wonder and strength animate you and this magnificent ship.”

Then, in a rather exciting moment that signaled the commissioning crew of sailors standing at attention to break formation, Dr. Ignatius proudly exclaimed the first order, “Man our ship, and bring her to life!” Two by two, the officers jogged to their positions on the USS Paul Ignatius to thunderous applause.

The USS Paul Ignatius will be homeported in Mayport, Florida.

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Leeza Arakelian

Assistant Editor

Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.

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YEREVAN—Education has been called the bedrock for a country’s future. For Benjamin Franklin, it was “an investment in knowledge that pays the best interest.” And for Nelson Mandela, he wrote that it has been “the most powerful weapon which one can use to change the world.”

The wisdom of these legendary leaders has been incorporated in the ten scholarship programs of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) since the late 1990s.

“We give opportunities to pursue a dream of higher education to more than 460 young people annually,” said Margarit Piliposyan, FAR Armenia Programs Director. “No one comes closer to this record of giving this kind of opportunity than the Fund for Armenian Relief.” 

Generous philanthropists have donated up to $400,000 a year. Ninety percent of the scholarships have been given to students from families living below to, or close to the poverty level.

The goal has always been to provide education to the talented youth of Armenia to live a dignified life, and to influence them to live and contribute in their homeland.

Every year, 50 to 75 students are selected after a rigorous selection process, following widespread publicity in Armenia’s media, said Mane Khachatryan, the scholarship program’s Education and Science Program Coordinator.

Heading the FAR Scholarship Program is the tireless and dedicated Eduard Karapetyan, FAR Armenia Deputy Director who arrives daily at the FAR Armenia office in the early morning, and doesn’t leave until late at night.         

Applicants go through an intense selection process which includes an admission exam, the economic standing credits of the family and an interview. In just one of the multiple FAR’s Scholarship Programs, ten out of the final 25 candidates on the short list are selected for each scholarship. This whole process lasts two months.   

After each six-month semester, the Selection Committee comprised of FAR members and one or two alumni from previous years, evaluates the results for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Seventy-five percent of these scholarship recipients have found jobs in Armenia. In the Information Technology field, 100 percent of FAR’s Gyumri IT Center students have found positions. In the course of their studies and upon graduation, FAR scholars must engage in volunteer work in Armenia for the rest of their lives.

Students pursuing majors in international relations, political science, finance, management, economics, linguistics, journalism, law, engineering, public service and information technology are recipients of FAR Scholarships. They study at various state universities in Armenia, like Yerevan State University, Yerevan State Institute of Economics, Yerevan State Engineering Institute and the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia.

During a visit to the FAR headquarters in Yerevan, this writer spoke with four worthy recipients of different scholarship projects offered by FAR.

The first of these noteworthy programs has been the Matevosian Scholarship Program named after longtime FAR benefactor Anoosh Matevosian. It covers tuition costs on a need-basis throughout the four-year undergraduate curriculum for outstanding students admitted to a university.

Twenty-year old Julieta Hovhannisyan, a current Anush Matevosian scholarship student at Armenian State University of Economics, is in her third year studying accounting and auditing. She has always “loved dealing with numbers.”

Like her parents and grandparents, she was born in Armenia. “Thanks to the Matevosian scholarship, I got financial support (starting from her second student year), which would have caused many difficulties for my parents to afford. The program also afforded me to find new friends,” she said. “Together with them, I am engaged in different volunteer activities.”

Another Matevosian Scholarship recipient and alumna, 27 year old Anush Mkhitarian, who was born in Yerevan and was motivated by her family to study mathematics, shared her experiences at Yerevan State University where she studied mathematical methods of economics.

“During my two years of studying, 50 percent of my tuition was covered by the Anoush Matevosian scholarship.” Achieving excellent grades, she continued studying without fees, but she still received FAR grants for the next two years. The scholarship enabled her to complete her master’s program. Concurrent with her studies, she worked at the analytic center Amberd as a math modeler and researcher.

She now works as an administrative assistant in Yerevan’s FAR office. In the future, she hopes to find a position in an international organization.  

Besides the Matevosian Scholarship, the lists of grants include Ester Ajemian Scholarship Program, Armine and Garabed Zambak Scholarship Program, Jerar Matevosian Scholarship Program, Gulamerian Scholarship and Vocational Training Program, Antranig Berberian Scholarship Program, Edna Galo,  Scholarship Program, Avedis and Arsho Baghsarian Scholarship Program, Niksarli Scholarship, Halajian Scholarship and many more. 

Ani Minasyan graduated from Yerevan State University in journalism. In 2016, the 24 year-old started her master’s degree financed by the Esther Ajemian Scholarship Program. “Within the FAR framework, I have participated in several social programs, including the Vanadzor old age home, and participated in apricot harvesting in Yervandashat,” she said.

Currently, she works in the news department of Public Radio of Armenia. Her interests include new technologies, social and cultural events. “Since working in this field since I was 18, I conducted interviews for the Youth Foundation of Armenia relating to youth and student life. Later, I worked for the TV project Unknown Yerevan as a scriptwriter.”

Minasyan says she prefers radio over television because it “conveys what you want, what you see and feel since you have only one means on the radio – sound.”

In September, Minasyan will start teaching radio journalism to second year students at Yerevan State University. She hopes to improve her professional skills abroad and be an international journalist for a period of time, but that does not mean “migrating from Armenia.”

Eighteen-year old Mary Mkrtchyan, an Antranig Berberian Scholarship recipient, is in her first year studying informatics and applied mathematics at Yerevan State University.     

Originally gravitating towards the humanities, law and international relations, Mkrtchyan became attracted to the technologies when after attending the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies.

“In the 21st century, the tech sphere is becoming more and more important,” she explained. “Specialists in this sphere are in high demand.” But it was not the high demand or high salary that attracted Mkrtchyan. She wants to do her part in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and lend crucial information with the aid of technology.

“Because of the conflict with Azerbaijan, the Armenian soldiers who defend our state borders will probably need assistance from experts who are specialized in unmanned aerial vehicles.” Her future includes working either in the TUMO Creative Technologies Center or PicsArt Armenian organization.

“Without this scholarship, I would not be able to study and have the profession of my dreams. Besides the financial support, it has given me an opportunity to do good deeds,” she said.

In the future, she said she might explore new methods of teaching abroad with every intention of coming back home. “I love Armenia—its unique nature, culture, food and especially its courage in the struggle. I am so proud to be an Armenian!”

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Florence Avakian

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Musicologist Krikor Pidedjian died on July 30, 2019. Maestro Pidedjian was internationally recognized as a talented musicologist, whose long career contributed to furthering the quality of Armenian cultural life and depth of knowledge in Armenian music.

Krikor Pidedjian was born into a musical family in Alexandria, Egypt on August 17, 1935. His father Bedros had been a volunteer in the Armenian Legion. His mother Marie was a fountain of knowledge insofar as Armenian song was concerned. His love of music was further nurtured by his music teacher, Garbis Aprigian, at the Boghosian National School.

Years later, he studied at the Theological Seminary of the Holy See of the Great House of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon under the prominent hymnologist Knel Vardapet Jerejian and famed musicologist Hampartzoum Berberian. He subsequently studied at the Beirut Conservatory while he bore the dual responsibilities of teacher at the Seminary and musical director of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of the Catholicosate. In 1960, he formed a 30-member male chorus to sing the mass composed by Komitas Vardapet on solemn occasions. 

In 1962, he came to New York, and with the blessing of one of Komitas Vardapet’s famous students, ethnomusicologist and song collector Mihran Toumajan, he formed the Kousan Chorus. This group performed for about ten years, eventually forming the core of the Armenian Cultural Association, now known as Hamazkayin. Pidedjian was one of that association’s founders.  

In 1964, together with dance director Nvart Hamparian, he organized the first Armenian song and dance ensemble in America. The 120-member group showcased its talent on “Armenia day” at the World’s Fair in the same year to an audience of over 10,000. Pidedjian was recognized for his work by New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

In 1970, he received a BS degree in choral conducting from the Mannes School of Music, where in his senior year, he had been the assistant conductor of the choir of the Mannes College of Music. He received an MS from Hunter College thereafter. For many years he taught music in the New York City public school system.

In that same year, Pidedjian also established the professional choir at St. Vartan Cathedral in New York City and conducted it until 1981.

Pidedjian’s arrangements and original compositions of religious, patriotic and folk music have drawn audiences in Armenia, Argentina, Canada, Egypt, France, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the United States. His string orchestral and brass concerts were unique in their creativity and inspiration. He was always a generous source of information for all with an interest in Armenian music.

His music has appeared in the official publications of the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin (Etchmiadzin), the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia (Hask), as well as in many religious and secular publications in the United States. He regularly contributed essays and critiques of books and musical compositions to the Armenian press in both Armenia and the Diaspora. He continually gave lectures to the Armenian communities in the United States. A compact disc recording entitled Yergapsak (“Wreath of Song”) dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was made in Armenia under the directorship of Pidedjian.

His books in Armenian include Andzink Nviryalk (“Devoted Persons”); The Place of Armenian Revolutionary Songs in Armenian Music; Is Krikor Narekatzi a Hymnographer?; Kristapor Kara-Murza; and The Music of the Armenian Church (in Armenian and English).

On October 17, 2008, Pidedjian was made a member of Armenia’s prestigious Society of Composers and Musicologists. On October 23, 2010, a grandiose celebration marking Pidedjian’s 75th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his contribution to the world of Armenian music was organized by Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory Director Sergey Sarajian and Publication Department Director Gohar Shagoyan at the House-Museum of Aram Khatchaturian. On this occasion, Yerazhshtakan Hayastan (“Musical Armenia”) periodical director Gohar Shagoyan dedicated issue 2(37) to the Pidedjian’s life and contributions to Armenian music.

Krikor Pidedjian was the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including the St. Nerses Shnorhali medal from His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, a gold medal from the Central Committee of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society and an Honorary Professor Diploma from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. 

The Dahn Gark visitation took place on August 1 at St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, New York, followed by funeral services at the same church and interment at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Flushing, New York on August 2nd. Krikor Pidedjian is survived by his wife, Beatrice (Kachian); son Datev and wife Jeanne; son, Antovk and wife Ani; grandchildren, Alexandra, Adam, Stephen, Kyle and Daron; brother Boghos and wife Takouhie; and sister Haigouhie Ganimian.  

Memorial donations may be made to:

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
486 Bedford Road
Armonk, NY 10504

or

Hamazkayin Eastern United States
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472

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Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.

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WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives sent a swift and powerful rebuke to the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut U.S. aid for Artsakh de-mining efforts, with 89 members of Congress – many chairing key House committees – co-signing a letter, led by senior House Foreign Affairs Committee member Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Congressman TJ Cox (D-CA), defending this life-saving program, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Sherman-Cox letter, an initiative supported by the ANCA, encourages USAID Administrator Mark Green to reverse course and continue U.S. funding for the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) de-mining program. Administrator Green testified before the Foreign Affairs Committee on April 9th of this year that USAID was committed to completing the clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnances within the traditional boundaries of Nagorno Karabakh. 

“Within a week, during a Congressional recess, 89 U.S. Representatives from 24 states – including 10 full Committee chairs – joined with the ANCA in openly challenging the Trump Administration’s misguided attempt to end U.S. aid to Artsakh – a powerful response that speaks volumes about the scope and depth of American support for this life-saving program,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We thank Representatives Sherman and Cox for leading this effort on the House side, are actively supporting the efforts of Senator Menendez on the Senate side, and will continue our work to make Artsakh mine-free and expand the U.S. aid program to include vital rehabilitation services,” continued Hamparian.

Members of Congress received thousands of letters and calls from constituents through the ANCA Rapid Responder system and March to Justice platforms in support of continued aid to Artsakh, with the ANCA Leo Sarkisian and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan summer fellows meeting with hundreds of Capitol Hill staffers in support of the initiative. 

“The USAID-funded demining program in Artsakh, implemented by the well-respected HALO Trust, serves as a major American investment in the peace and stability of a strategically important region,” explained Congressman Sherman. “The HALO Trust has cleared thousands of mines to date, saving countless lives. Whether or not USAID previously expected HALO Trust to complete the clearance of mines in Artsakh by September 2019, Administrator Green seemed clear in stating to me on the record in April that USAID will work to completely clear Artsakh of landmines and unexploded ordnances. Thus, I hope USAID to follow through on its commitment and provide additional funding to HALO Trust as needed to complete this critically important project. I am glad to be joined by more than 80 of my colleagues in sending a follow-up letter to Administrator Green to urge USAID to reconsider its decision to stop funding for humanitarian landmine clearance in Artsakh at the end of this year.”

Rep. TJ Cox concurred, noting, “I’m deeply troubled by the recent decision that USAID had made to halt funding for humanitarian landmine clearance in Artsakh. This move would leave the people of the region with no hope, and fear of death or injury from landmines, with no local capacity in place to address the ongoing threat. USAID must follow through on its commitment to provide additional funding to The HALO Trust to complete this vital project, as promised by Administrator Green. I will continue working with my bipartisan colleagues in Congress, the Armenian National Committee of America, and The HALO Trust to secure federal funding, which will allow us to achieve a mine-free Artsakh.”  

Chris Whatley, Executive Director HALO USA explained, “With thousands of landmines still left in the ground, and families living daily in the shadow of death or devastating injury, this is no time for the United States to back away from its historic commitment to the people of Nagorno Karabakh.” HALO Trust has been de-mining in Artsakh for close to 20 years.

The members of Congress joining Representatives Sherman and Cox in co-signing the letter to USAID Administrator Mark Green are: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-NJ), Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Select Committee on Intelligence Chair and Ranking Republican Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Devin Nunes (R-CA), Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern (D-MA), Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA), Natural Resources Committee Chair Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Ethics Committee Chair Ted Deutch (D-FL), House Administration Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN),  and Representatives Karen Bass (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Joaquín Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Susan Davis (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Josh Harder (D-CA), Katie Hill (D-CA), Jim Himes (D-CT), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Joe Kennedy (D-MA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Steve King (R-IA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Chris Pappas (D-NH), William Pascrell (D-NJ), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Katie Porter (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Max Rose (D-NY), Harley Rouda (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Trone (D-MD) and Juan Vargas (D-CA).

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is circulating a similar letter to Senate colleagues in support of continued U.S. funding for Artsakh de-mining. Similar to the U.S. House initiative, the ANCA has issued a call to action to supporters of Artsakh assistance to call their U.S. Senators, with contact information available at anca.org/call.

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ANCA

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. To learn more, visit www.anca.org.

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