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The Armenian Weekly; Volume 74, No. 12; March 29, 2008
AYF Section:
1. ARF Youth Leaders Gather in Armenia
2. Orange County AYF Organizes Lecture on Kurdish Issues
3. AYF Announces New Summer Internship Coordinator
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1. ARF Youth Leaders Gather in Armenia
>From March 20-23, an international conference of ARF youth, student and
junior organizations convened in the ARF Bureau’s "Krisdapor Mikaelian"
center in Yerevan. Close to 50 representatives took part in the conference,
including delegates from such regions as Armenia, Artsakh (Karabagh),
Russia, Germany, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Greece, South America, the
United States and Canada.
The main purpose of the conference was to evaluate the social and political
conditions of Armenians in the homeland and diaspora. More specifically, the
meeting sought to shed light on the current and future challenges
confronting Armenian youth throughout the world and to forge new strategies
for how to deal with them.
Some of the key issues discussed included the current internal and external
obstacles to Armenia’s development, the state of the traditional diaspora,
and the composition of more recent segments in the diaspora brought in by
the latest waves of Armenian emigration. These issues were discussed in the
context of what role young people can play to improve the conditions of
Armenian communities and how best to capture the progressive potential of
Armenian youth worldwide.
In order to realistically address these complex and multifaceted issues,
representatives attending the gathering each presented evaluations of the
most pressing issues affecting their respective regions, creating a broader
picture of the top-priority issues needing redress.
Caspar Jivalagian, chairman of the AYF-Western Region Central Executive,
served as the tivan of the meeting and facilitated much of the discussion.
"Although we were all gathered from different parts of the world, it was
interesting to find out how the general issues at the core for all of us
were so similar," said Jivalagian. "We all have to deal with many of the
same problems and coming together to exchange ideas on how to resolve them
proved to be extremely important."
As a means of resolving those issues deemed most critical, several proposals
were put forward by the conference. Some of the key decisions included
implementing new forms of news and information sharing, working and
expanding relations with other youth organizations around issues of common
concern, and reaching out to organize newer segments of each respective
community. Action plans for advancing these pan-Armenian issues and
timelines for their implementation were also adopted.
Although the delegates eventually returned to their respective locales, the
ties that were built throughout the four-day conference were another
indirect benefit of the gathering. "It was an amazing experience meeting
AYF-agans from all around the world and building such tight bonds with
them," said Jivalagian. "Although we had to part ways, I came back home
feeling truly inspired by the fact that we have such dedicated youth working
internationally for the same unified cause."
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2. Orange County AYF Organizes Lecture on Kurdish Issues
SANTA ANA, Calif.-On March 9, the AYF Orange County "Ashod Yergat" Chapter
hosted a lecture on Kurdish issues featuring the director of the American
Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) and Kurdish-American activist Kani Xulam.
Over 50 local youth and community members turned out for the talk held at
the Orange County Armenian Center.
"I am honored to be a guest speaker for the Armenian Youth Federation of
Orange County," said Xulam. "As a Kurd, I wanted to do my share to bring the
two communities together. Our estrangement is new; our peaceful co-existence
is historical. Our recent enmity was, unfortunately, imposed on us. As
Kurds, we must acknowledge it. I was glad I got the chance to do so."
As the director of AKIN, Xulam resides in Washington, D.C., where he works
to foster Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. His work was
recently featured in the documentary "Good Kurds, Bad Kurds: No Friends but
the Mountains."
The lecture was comprised of three passages from talks given by Xulam in the
United States Congress, Johns Hopkins University, and the Naples Council of
World Affairs, followed by a question and answer segment with the audience.
Xulam’s lecture encompassed the current situation of Kurds in Turkey and the
Middle East, the Kurdish peoples’ struggle to survive, as well as
Kurdish-Armenian issues.
Before beginning his lecture, Xulam bowed to the crowd stating, "eight years
ago I appeared before my first primarily Armenian audience. The day marked
the 84th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. I was asked to offer a
Kurdish perspective. I shared with the audience my thoughts on the difficult
topic. But before doing so, I did what came naturally, and that was I bowed
before the children of those who had met violent ends in the hands of the
Turks, and unfortunately, some Kurds. Today I want to repeat the gesture."
He went on to highlight the injustices committed towards the Kurdish people
by the Turkish government, outlining numerous examples of Turkish aggression
and acts of violence towards the Kurdish community. "They won’t let us count
ourselves, speak our language, raise our own flag, issue our own coin, or
call ourselves Kurds," Xulam explained. "They hate us, and in turn are hated
by us."
Xulam concluded by addressing the Kurdish role in the killing of Armenians
during the Armenian genocide. "We were wrong to do the bidding of our
masters who have now become our oppressors," he said. "We are not shy to ask
for forgiveness. We hope the Turks will do the same. Hopefully, our children
will have a brighter future than our grandfathers and grandmothers."
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3. AYF Announces New Summer Internship Coordinator
For over 16 years, the AYF Summer Internship in Armenia has been providing
diaspora youth with the opportunity to travel to their homeland and build
ties with their counterparts in Armenia. In many respects, the strength of
this enduring program-the longest running of its kind-lies in its youth-led
character. From its very inception, it has been young people who have
organized, participated and run the program.
This year, the AYF-YOARF Central Executive has chosen another qualified and
experienced young activist to head the internship. They recently announced
that Garine Palandjian, an AYF member with a long track-record of activism
in the community and experience in Armenia, will serve as the coordinator of
the 2008 AYF Internship in Yerevan.
Originally from the Providence "Varantian" AYF Chapter, Palandjian has been
an active member of the AYF since she was 10 years old. Throughout her years
in the organization, she has served in many capacities including both as a
junior and senior executive, a junior advisor, and an instructor at Camp
Haiastan. By the time she was 20, Palandjian had also decided to join the
ranks of the ARF. Today, she lives in southern California and serves on the
Glendale "Roupen" AYF executive.
Her activism and involvement in the community eventually led her on two
separate occasions to Armenia, where she has traveled as both a volunteer
and student. In 2003, she herself took part in the AYF Summer Internship in
Yerevan and worked as an instructor at a local orphanage.
She traveled there once again in 2005, this time as a participant in the
Glendale Community College’s study abroad program. When the other students
in the program went back home, Palandjian extended her stay and secured an
internship within the Ministry of Education.
With her experience as a volunteer and background in the AYF, she is
confident that she can rise to the challenge and ensure that this year’s
interns gain the most from their experience. Palandjian explains that her
goal is to have the participants "see the country, get beyond the
stereotypes and immerse themselves in the Armenian culture."
She goes on to say, "I believe they will gain memories that will last them a
lifetime and experiences that they are going to share with their families,
friends and with the next generation."
In addition, she hopes to provide participants with the opportunity to
explore the critical issues facing the country and encourage them to think
about ways they can be a part of Armenia’s future. "This country has a lot
of potential to grow and diasporan youth have the ability to share their
ideas with the younger generation in Armenia," says Palandjian. "Together we
can all better Armenia."
She also stresses what a vital role the program plays in forging a closer
bond among Armenians in the homeland and the diaspora. "The importance of
having this program lies in its ability to link the gap between the diaspora
and Armenia," she insists. "Traveling to Armenia is not like going to
France or Spain; it’s more like a duty that all diasporan Armenians must
fulfill at least once in their lifetime."
As a program that is built on the foundation of youth such as Garine, who
are striving to not only visit Armenia but to give back to their homeland,
the AYF program is truly one of a kind.
For more information about the AYF Summer Internship in Armenia or to
download an application, visit or email [email protected].