Author: Emil Lazarian

FORT LEE and MONTVALE, NJ — On Saturday, April 15 at 2:00 pm, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New Jersey and the Armenian Youth Federation-Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter will host their annual Armenian flag raising ceremony at Fort Lee Borough Hall.

Fort Lee Mayor Mark J. Sokolich will present a proclamation.

The annual Armenian flag raising ceremony is held in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and in remembrance of the martyrs who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turks 108 years ago on April 24, 1915. The commemoration will also acknowledge that the Armenian people face a continual threat of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and honor those whose live were taken as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression and in 2020. 

There is, today, an immediate danger of genocide threatening the women, children, elderly and disabled Armenian population in Artsakh. Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has illegally blockaded the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, which is the only lifeline connecting Artsakh to the outside world. For over 90 days, the 120,000 indigenous Armenians of Artsakh have been held hostage with no access to food, medicine and other vital necessities. Azerbaijan cut off Artsakh’s access to gas and electricity for several days at a time, in sub-zero temperatures. These actions culminate to further the goal of unrepentant genocide perpetrators.

The event will include participation from the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA “Agnouni,” Bergen County “Armenouhi” and “Shakeh” Chapters, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of NJ, Homenetmen of New Jersey and Nareg Armenian School. 

The following week, on Saturday, April 22 at 4:00 pm, the ANC of NJ will host its annual Armenian Genocide commemoration event at the Genocide Memorial at Huff Pond in Montvale, New Jersey.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Armenian Genocide Research Program at The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at LMU Loyola Law School, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) are presenting a conference pertaining to Armenian Genocide restitution. 

Titled “What’s Next?: Armenian Genocide Restitution in the Post-Recognition Era,” this historic conference will be held in UCLA’s Mong Learning Center (Engineering VI Building) on Saturday, March 25, 2023. 

“If every genocide has its own peculiar character and afterlife, the afterlife of the Armenian Genocide has been the long-standing denial of its existence by successive Turkish governments. It has been of great importance for Armenians worldwide that the great catastrophe they experienced during and after World War I be recognized as what it was: genocide,” stated Dr. Taner Akçam, director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) at the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA. 

“Through our one-day conference, we will explore questions such as: what are the possibilities of creating an Armenian Genocide reparation movement post-recognition by President Biden and Congress in 2021? What opportunities does the American legal system offer for reparation? Can the Holocaust restitution movement serve as a model for the Armenian Genocide?” Dr. Akçam noted. 

The first session will feature Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat as the opening keynote speaker, who will discuss his critical efforts during the Clinton administration and those of several successive US administrations in achieving some measure of justice for the post-Holocaust restitution movement. 

The conference will then host panels examining past efforts at Armenian Genocide restitution through litigation and goodwill settlements, as well as the current landscape concerning looted art from the genocidal period and future avenues for redress. 

Pre-registration is required for this hybrid event, which will offer remote online participation. The program starts at 8:45 a.m. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. PST. Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants. 

This conference is co-sponsored by the Armenian Bar Association, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law and the Ararat-Eskijian Museum.  

The (AGRP) was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Dr. Akçam, the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century. 

WASHINGTON, DC — The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is proud to announce the annual launch of the Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship (LSI) and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship, with an application deadline of April 15, for university students interested in advancing Armenian American policy priorities and gaining firsthand experience in federal-level advocacy.

The six-week in-person program, which will run from June 12 to July 21, 2023, provides a unique opportunity for participants to learn all things advocacy, communications and public policy. The LSI program is an integral part of a growing effort to provide Armenian Americans greater opportunities to explore careers on Capitol Hill, in the US Foreign Service and key Washington, DC foreign policy think tanks. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by April 15, 2023.

“The ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship are more than just your average internships – they’re immersive and unique experiences that empower young Armenian Americans to grow personally and professionally. Through our program, participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to become leaders and make a real impact in their communities and beyond,” said ANCA Youth Programs associate director Tatevik Khachatryan.

The participants work on a wide variety of projects based on their individual interests while gaining hands-on experiences within the American political system. A bi-weekly lecture series features guest lecturers, including members of Congress, ambassadors and Armenian-American leaders. Not only are they presented with lectures, but they will also have the opportunity to engage and network with the ANCA’s vast network of Armenian American professionals from the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway alumni and LSI alumni still residing in the DC area.

During the six-week Washington, DC program, interns live at the Aramian House, named in honor of the late community leader and philanthropist Martha Aramian of Providence, Rhode Island, and located a short distance from the ANCA’s Washington, DC headquarters.

“For many, it is an essential leadership training experience preparing them to advance priorities on campuses and communities nationwide,” added Khachatryan.

The ANCA LSI and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan fellowship are an integral part of the ANCA’s youth empowerment and professional development efforts, including the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program, which helps university students and graduates find internships and permanent positions in Congressional offices, as well as a host of other government agencies and policy groups. The ANCA also hosts the Rising Leaders career development and civic engagement program for university students and the Haroutioun and Elizabeth Kasparian Summer academy for high school students. 

Established in 1986 and named after the ANCA Eastern US leader Leo Sarkisian, a pioneer of ANCA grassroots advocacy, the LSI program is a cornerstone of the ANCA’s nationwide efforts to educate, motivate and activate Armenian American youth to expand advocacy efforts in their hometowns and campuses. It was augmented in 2019 with the establishment of the Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship, established as a living legacy to a devoted youth leader whose community activism and commitment to the Armenian homeland continue to inspire new generations of young Armenian Americans.

In addition to opportunities in Washington, DC, the ANCA Western Region and ANCA Eastern Region offer internships and fellowships in Los Angeles, Sacramento and virtually throughout the East Coast.