CANADIAN-ARMENIAN STUDENT CONVENTION HELD IN TORONTO
Armenian Weekly
Wed, Jun 15 2011
TORONTO, Canada-From May 14-15, the Armen Karo Student Association
hosted its third annual Armenian-Canadian Student Convention at the
University of Toronto’s Victoria College, with 74 students from across
Canada in attendance.
>From May 14-15, the Armen Karo Student Association hosted its third
annual Armenian-Canadian Student Convention at the University of
Toronto’s Victoria College, with 74 students from across Canada
in attendance.
The association first began thinking about the need for an Armenian
student conference in 2008. “It was our feeling that in this age of
increasing globalization and digitization, our communities were in
need of a central forum where young members of the Armenian-Canadian
mosaic could meet to discuss their views, share their experiences,
and bring about concrete plans for furthering their goals,” wrote
one organizer. With these thoughts in mind, nine Armenian Students’
Associations (ASAs) from universities in Ontario and Quebec were
invited to the first Convention in March 2009, held over the course
of one day in Kingston, Ontario. With 40 university students in
attendance, the event was deemed successful and important enough to
organize a repeat performance in May 2010. This second convention
was again held in Kingston and attended by 40 youth.
These two preliminary successes laid the foundation necessary for the
major expansion that participants were witness to in May 2011. Placing
special emphasis on reaching out to universities where recognized
ASAs do not exist and to university students not involved in the
Armenian community, the association was successful in attracting
young Armenians from Vancouver, Cambridge, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal,
and Laval, representing a total of 19 colleges and universities.
Recognized speakers were invited to speak on a wide range of topics.
In being the first to speak, Aram Hamparian, the executive director
of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), laid down an
important framework for the convention: He highlighted the need for
continued youth activism and political involvement, making note of
the historically significant place individuals in their 20s and early
30s have had in our nation’s history.
Dr. Alan Whitehorn, professor of political science at the Royal
Military College of Canada since 1978, followed with a comparative
analysis of political participation and elections in Canada and
Armenia. Participants explored a wide range of questions, including
the legitimacy of various forms of political participation (e.g.
votes, running for office, protests, and boycott campaigns), the
importance of national unity, the right to self-rule, and whether
support for a political party should be based primarily on how much
they recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Musician, composer, and producer Ara Gevorgyan facilitated a transition
into a hitherto unexplored topic: the role of art and culture in
the Armenian Cause. Gevorgyan has gained international acclaim
for his modern takes on traditional Armenian sounds and melodies,
while regularly using his music to draw attention to matters such as
the genocide.
As a founding member of the Women’s Coalition of Armenia and
director of the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation, Maria Titizian was in
a key position to speak to participants about the social, economic,
and environmental realities in Armenia. She presented her report
directly from Armenia via webcam. Her presentation was followed by
an engaging and interactive discussion on topics such as corruption
and immigration policy.
Roupen Kouyoumdjian’s experiences as executive director of the
Armenian National Committee of Canada and an Armenian from Istanbul
were presented in his talk on the second day of the convention. He
provided insights into the political framework that directs the
decision-making of Armenia’s powerful neighbor to the west.
In addition to these thought-provoking speakers, the convention placed
special emphasis on the work of university student associations. Each
ASA had been asked to prepare a presentation on their work over
the past year, giving those present an opportunity to share in
one another’s concerns and successes, and propose solutions to
the challenges all seemed to face. Furthermore, the students were
engaged in a strategy development workshop. The workshop identified
priorities such as closer engagement with students in Armenia and
remaining unwavering in the call for Turkey to turn the corner from
its track record of hindering freedom of expression.
The expansion of the conference to two days also created an opportunity
for participants to network and build new relationships. Through a
Saturday night social event at Libra Lounge, attendees were given the
opportunity to get better acquainted with their fellow convention
participants, hopefully creating meaningful and long-lasting
relationships.
With students from universities spanning the distance from Vancouver
to Montreal, the Armen Karo Student Association, this year more
than ever, came closer to their goal of creating a truly national
meeting between students of common heritage with common interests
and concerns. As this tradition continues year to year, they hope
to expand and strengthen the Canada-wide network of Armenian youth,
ensuring that the generation of up-and-coming professionals and
academics receives solid training for the leadership positions they
will occupy in community organizations and public life.
From: A. Papazian