ARMENIANS of COLORADO
P.O. Box 13854
Denver, Colorado 80201
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Kim Christianian
Telephone: (303) 588-5524
E-mail: [email protected]
Denver, Colorado
March 13, 2012
Workshop With Award Winning Author Peter Balakian
A Huge Success at Denver’s Facing History And Ourselves
Over seventy educators and students spent the day learning how
to bring the Armenian Genocide curriculum into schools across
Colorado. The workshop was a collaboration between FHAO and Armenians
of Colorado Inc, (AOC). `This has been in the works for over a year’,
say Kim Christianian, chair of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration
committee for AOC. `We didn’t know what to expect and we were
thrilled to see how enthusiastic the teachers were about teaching the
subject in their history classes’, says Christianian. The workshop
was overflowing with participants. `Professor Balakian really fed our
teachers well’, say Regional Director of FHAO, Dave Fulton. `We’re
anxious to have him back!’ The workshop concluded with the showing of
a ten minute documentary entitled The Armenian Genocide and the Treaty
of Sevre, made by Alik Christianian for the 2011 History Day, where
she was awarded first place in the state of Colorado and competed in
Washington DC in the middle school category.
The Saturday workshop, entitled Why Studying The Armenian
Genocide Matters Today, was part of a series of educational events in
Colorado. Balakian started the weekend at Colorado State University in
Fort Collins where he read from his latest book of poems Ziggurat for
the Creative Writing Program Reading Series.
On Sunday, Armenians of Colorado Inc., hosted a talk and book
signing with Balakian entitled Literary Memory and Catastrophe: From
the Armenian Genocide to 9/11… The event was held at the Tattered
Cover Bookstore and drew a large crowd from both the Denver and
Boulder area.
The weekend lectures are part of the Armenian Genocide
Commemorations organized by the Armenian Genocide Commemoration
committee for AOC. April events include the annual resolution
designating April 24 as Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide. `This is will be the eleventh year that we have had this
resolution in place’ says, Kim Christianian, who spearheaded the
initiative with the help of committee members, Ken Allikian and Simon
Maghakyan. `We have seen the effect of these grass root efforts on our
congressional delegation and believe that it is only a matter of time
that the Armenian Genocide will get its proper recognition at the
national level’ says Christianian.
Armenians of Colorado will host the annual commemoration
program on Sunday, April 22, 2012, 1:30PM at the State Capitol’s
Armenian Genocide Memorial Plaque dedicated in 1982, and located in
the Armenian Garden at the State Capitol.
The Armenian Genocide was carried out by the Ottoman Turks
during and after WWI. It resulted in the complete extermination of
modern Turkey’s indigenous Armenian population (1.5 million), and in
the annihilation of Armenian cultural artifacts dating back thousands
of years. The Turkish government to this day denies that the Armenian
Genocide ever happened despite scholars’, historians’, and most
western governments’ published reports and archives affirming the
facts. You may view the Alik Christianian’s History Day 2011
documentary at
Armenians of Colorado, Inc. (AOC) was established in June
1982. It is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, cultural organization charged
with a purpose to create a cohesive Armenian community and to further
the understanding of Armenian history, culture, and heritage. AOC
actively supports issues and concerns of the Armenian-American
community here in Colorado as well as those identified within the
Armenian Diaspora throughout the world. For more information about
Armenians of Colorado go to