Author: Kalantarian Kevo

FAMILIES ESCAPING SYRIAN BATTLE RAISE TENSION IN OIL REGION (1)

Businessweek / Bloomberg
Oct 16 2013

By Sara Khojoyan

Gorge Mardyan and his family of four have lost most of their
possessions. Gorge left his job as a printer and they have fled their
large home in Aleppo, Syria, for a cramped one-room apartment in the
disputed South Caucasus region. Yet they feel lucky. They hope they
are out of danger.

The Mardyans are among 10,000 war refugees in the area. A century
after finding refuge in Syria from massacres and persecution by the
Ottoman Empire, Armenians are on the move again. More than 2 million
people have left Syria since the conflict there flared in 2011. So far,
the fighting has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

“This is the best for us,” mother of three Nelli says. “I took them
away from the war to let them just be children.”

While the number of Syrian refugees in Armenia is a fraction of the two
million who poured mainly into Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, their arrival
threatens to intensify tension in the energy-rich South Caucasus
region. As the Soviet Union collapsed two decades ago, Armenia and
Azerbaijan fought a war in the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region
and border skirmishes continue since a 1994 cease-fire.

The South Caucasus is the only non-Russian route toward Europe for
oil and gas produced in the Caspian region, where BP Plc (BP/) and
partners have invested more than $40 billion in the past 20 years.

Azerbaijan, the third largest oil producer in the former Soviet Union,
has threatened military action over the Nagorno-Karabakh assisted
settlements, which it says are illegal.

Bullet Escape “Me and my daughter Anna were on the balcony of our
Aleppo home,” says Nelli, 49. “We came inside to answer the phone. On
our return, we found bullets right at the place we had been sitting.”

Their escape in June almost ended in disaster when their Mercedes
taxi driver had to swerve to avoid another car and they plunged into
the flooded Arpa river outside Armenia’s capital.

“We escaped the war to fall into the river,” Gorge, 51, says. The
family was unhurt, though losing more possessions in the crash.

They are now settled in the Lachin district of Nagorno-Karabakh. Gorge
has temporary work as a plumber while his wife works as a janitor
for only $100 a month each.

“I can’t open a printing house because I can’t find materials we were
using in Aleppo,” says Georg. “At least we don’t pay for utilities,
because the Nagorno-Karabakh government covers this.”

School Welcome Nelli says she doesn’t mind the 30-minute walk to school
or nearest town and they have been made welcome. The school has allowed
her children to attend without uniform because they can’t afford them.

They share a kitchen and bathroom with five other Syrian Armenian
families. Their Aleppo fifth-floor home is shuttered and closed,
with no return in sight. Tensions have escalated to over a Aug. 21
poison-gas attack near Damascus that the U.S. says killed 1,400 people.

“I am happy that we are at least far from shootings and missiles,”
says Nelli.

Still, Azerbaijan has warned that it may even start military operations
over some of the settlements.

“It’s a big concern to us as it aims to change the demographic balance
in the region,” Elman Abdullayev, a spokesman for the Azeri Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, says by telephone from Baku, the Azeri capital.

“With this illegal settlement, the Republic of Armenia is also damaging
the peace process.”

Tax Breaks Hundreds of ethnic Armenian families are being granted
aid and tax breaks as the government in Yerevan is resettling them
in some of the districts flanking the disputed enclave, which were
taken into the Armenian control during a war with Azerbaijan after
the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

About 700,000 Azeris were forced to leave the areas in what Azerbaijan
describes as ethnic cleansing. Brushing off four United Nations
Security Council resolutions demanding a withdrawal from the districts,
Armenia has defended their conquest by the need to create a security
buffer zone.

Azerbaijan has forged closer ties with Israel and NATO-member Turkey
and increased defense spending 27-fold to $3.7 billion a year in the
past decade, outlays that exceed Armenia’s annual budget. Armenia
hosts a Russian military base in its second-biggest town of Gyumri,
near the Turkish border, and Russian troops guard Armenia’s borders
with Iran and Turkey.

Resettlement Aid “We can’t leave them without attention,”
Nagorno-Karabakh president Bako Sahakyan says in an interview in the
capital Stepanakert. While he doesn’t have a specific resettlement
program for Syrian-Armenians, he is applying the resettlement policy
of adjacent districts to them as well.

“Despite the fact that we also are facing difficulties economically,
we try to soften their problems and give them some opportunities,”
he says.

Hovhannes Asmaryan, 43, who moved to Stepanakert from Aleppo a year
ago, was granted those opportunities in form of tax privileges for
$600,000 investments into kiwi and olive gardening in the disputed
region.

“We don’t worry about conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the businessman
says. “We had some income in Syria, but because of the military
situation, businesses simply stopped operating.”

About 50,000 Armenians are still in Syria, while more than 70 have been
killed and 150 wounded, according to the Diaspora Ministry of Armenia.

Legal Help The Aleppo law firm of Meghri has helped 4,000 Syrian
Armenians gain Armenian citizenship in the past two years, according
to its director Boghos Aghababian, 57.

Armenia is seeking assistance from European, U.S. and Russian
businesses for a district estimated to cost $10 million, designed
for 150 Syrian families called “New Aleppo.”

Syrian-Armenians have been given free entry visas, taxation
privileges and free education. By contrast, the state did little for
Iraqi-Armenian refugees who came to Armenia during the Iraq war in
2003, according to Hranush Hakobyan, the diaspora minister.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sara Khojoyan in Yerevan at
[email protected]

FULLER CENTER AIMS TO HONOR 100 YEARS BY SAVING 100 FAMILIES

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia

YEREVAN-The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia (FCHA) announced that
it will build and renovate 100 homes between now and December 2015
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The
project, called “Honoring 100 Years by Saving 100 Families,” will be
driven by charitable contributions to give low-income and homeless
families a safe and decent home, while emphasizing the importance of
families remaining in Armenia on a permanent basis.

Armenians worldwide are welcomed to support this project and honor
the memories of their loved ones who were martyrs or survivors of
the Armenian Genocide. A donation of $10,500 will sponsor a single,
completed home. The beneficiary family will receive a personalized,
commemorative plaque inscribed with the donor’s choice of message or
dedication. When a donation is less than a single home sponsorship,
FCHA will combine the contributions it receives with other gifts and
assign a beneficiary family when $10,500 has been collected. All donors
will receive a profile of the beneficiary family with photos showing
their current living conditions. When construction is completed,
all donors will receive a certificate from FCHA and photos of the
new house.

“We are reaching out to our compatriots around the world to partner
with us on this new campaign. We hope that families in the Diaspora
will come together and support the construction of homes in the names
of their loved ones. Our objective is to commemorate the Armenian
Genocide in a respectful and positive way by addressing the needs of
Armenia’s most vulnerable population, namely our homeless,” stated
Ashot Yeghiazaryan, president of the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia.

“Since 2000, the FCHA team has been working in Armenia to eliminate
poverty housing; so far we have assisted over 650 families. However,
the housing need in Armenia is still high. Over 64,000 families
(about 8% of population) need to either build or renovate their homes.

We have seen that helping one family at a time is making a difference
for a lifetime, and impacting more than one generation. We have
established the campaign, ‘Honoring 100 Years by Saving 100 Families,’
to allow us to share our love and dedication with more people who
need simple and affordable housing,” Yeghiazaryan concluded.

In June 2013, the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia celebrated its
5th anniversary. On this occasion, many longtime and new partners
participated in the construction of homes, including Armenia Marriott
Hotel Yerevan, KPMG, U.S. Embassy, Armenian General Benevolent Union
(AGBU), and Christian Youth Mission for Armenia (CYMA).

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is a non-government, charitable
organization that supports community development in the Republic
of Armenia by assisting in building and renovating simple, decent
and affordable homes, as well as advocating the right to decent
shelter as a matter of conscience and action. FCHA provides long-term,
interest-free loans to low-income families. The monthly repayments flow
into a Revolving Fund, which is used to help more families make the
transition out of poverty housing. This system provides a financial
structure for sustainable community development.

To Honor 100 Years by Saving 100 Families, please send donations to
The Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., PO Box 523, Americus, Georgia
31709. Please write “Armenia-100” in the memo line of your check.

To donate online, please visit
weblink.donorperfect.com/FCH_Armenia100. If a donor or group of donors
wishes to sponsor a single, completed home at $10,500, please email
FCHA at [email protected] to provide your message or
dedication for the plaque for the beneficiary family.

For more information and to learn about summer volunteer
opportunities with FCHA’s 2014 Global Builders program, please visit
or email [email protected].

CONCERT MARKING ARAM KHACHATURYAN’S 110TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY TAKES PLACE IN TOKYO

21:25 ~U 16.10.13

A concert marking the 110th anniversary of the great Armenian composer
Aram Khachaturyan took place at the Oji Hall, Ginza area, Tokyo, Japan,
on Tuesday, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia reports.

Armenian Ambassador to Japan Hrant Poghosyan spoke of the composer’s
contribution to world musical heritage.

The well-known pianist Armen Babakhanyan, cellist Aram Talanyan and
pianist Julieta ardanyan performed compositions by Aram Khachaturyan
and Karen Khachaturyan.

Attending the concert were Japanese officials, diplomats, members of
the Armenian-Japanese friendship union, lecturers and journalists.

Armenian News – Tert.am

NKR PRESIDENT MEETS BELGIAN SENATORS

17:56 16.10.2013

On 16 October Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan met with a group
of Senator at the Belgium Senate, Central Information Department of
the Office of the Artsakh Republic President reported.

Issues related to Belgium-Artsakh relationship, particularly the
development of inter-parliamentary ties were discussed during the
meeting.

The sides mentioned the existence of necessary conditions for
cooperation.

RA NA PRESIDENT DELIVERS A SPEECH IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

15.10.2013

On October 15 in the European Parliament the Third Congress of the
Armenians of Europe continued the work, where members of the European
Parliament, representatives of the Armenian community of Europe,
the RA diplomatic missions and high ranking guests were taking part.

In the Congress the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan delivered
a speech.

During the Congress the NKR President Bako Sahakyan, His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, the Chairman of
the EPP faction of the European Parliament Joseph Daul, the Chair
of the European Union-Armenia Friendship Group Eleni Theocharous,
the Chairman of the Hay Dat/Armenian Cause Office Gaspar Karapetyan,
the Coordinator of the Armenian Cause Committees Hakob Ter-Khachaturyan
and others delivered speeches.

On the same day in the European Parliament the RA NA President Hovik
Abrahamyan met with the Vice President of the European Parliament
Jacek Protasiewicz.

In the course of the meeting the sides discussed issues relating to
Armenia-EU cooperation, touched upon regional problems, the peaceful
settlement of the NK conflict and the Armenian-Turkish relations. Both
sides highlighted the stability and security of the region.

Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that the European Union has been and remains
one of the most important partners of Armenia, and our country is
aimed at continuing the cooperation. In his word, the decision of
Armenia to join the Customs Union does not mean at all suspension
of the political dialogue with the European Union. The NA President
noted that the European Union has been and remains one of the most
important partners of Armenia, and within the framework of the Eastern
Partnership the European rapprochement is one of the priorities of
our foreign policy. Hovik Abrahamyan has stressed that Armenia will
continue the process of deepening of democratic reforms. “We are
ready to more deepen and expand our cooperation with the European
Union in different directions and in all possible dimensions,”
the NA President noted. In this context the political dialogue
going on within the framework of the parliamentary cooperation was
emphasized. Mr Abrahamyan invited the Vice President of the European
Parliament to Armenia.

Thanking for the meeting and the invitation the Vice President of the
European Parliament Jacek Protasiewicz highlighted the development
of the European-Union-Armenia relations and expressed hope that
the decision of Armenia to join the Customs Union will not impede
Armenia-European Union further cooperation.

During the meeting the sides discussed other issues of bilateral
interest, too.

AZERBAIJANI EXPERT: FOR RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN IS AN IMPORTANT, NON-DEMOCRATIC AND CORRUPTED COUNTRY

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, October 16, 16:34

Azerbaijan has very much important key geo-political potential to
conduct the balanced policy in the region. Sometimes this helps
Ilham Aliyev to well maneuver between the superpowers, the head
of the Centre for Monitoring of Election and Teaching Democracy,
Anar Mamedli, said at the on-line interview when replying to Arminfo
correspondent’s question about negative assessment of the presidential
election in Azerbaijan.

“We have to strictly distinguish between the geo-political interests
of Russia and the Western countries. For Russia, Azerbaijan is an
important, non-democratic and corrupted country. In such conditions
it is very much easy to push the policy of the Baku government. But
the Western countries, which prefer to take Azerbaijan as a country
of oil and gas transit, ignore human rights abuse. Unfortunately,
for his part, Aliyev uses these relations very well”, – he emphasized.

Asked if the Azerbaijani society links any expectations with a new/old
president, Mamedli replied that the level of the true voting turnout
showed that activeness of voters in Azerbaijan reduced very much. The
true voting turnout was 30-40%. “First, it is linked with distrust
in the electoral process as a functional democratic institution.

Secondly, this is evidence of the fact that the people in the country
have no expectations from Aliyev’s government and the policy conducted
by him”, – Mamedli concluded.

To note, 84,55% of voters voted for Aliyev during the presidential
election in Azerbaijan on 9 October. The voters turnout was more
than 72%.

ARMENIAN CLERGYMAN CRITICAL OF GENDER LAW (VIDEO)

16:45 ~U 16.10.13

An Armenian clergyman, who attended Wednesday the procession against
the gender perversion in Armenia, has described the controversial
gender legislation as “the labor pains of those whose purpose is to
spoil nations”.

“This is a decision not conforming to any moral standard as it
runs contrary to not only the will of God and the principles of
Christianity, but also the will of nature, because every creature is
in nature is supposed to have his or her own set of values within it,”
Komitas Vardapet Hovnanyan told a news conference on Wednesday.

“By yielding to the gender law, we pave way to the eradication of our
national values. We are here to say only that three thousand people
have signed it, with the rest disagreeing to the idea. We are here
to raise the entire Armenian nation’s voice because all this has to
do with the future of an Armenian.”

The clergyman said the church will never be tolerant to same-sex
unions and will never wed such couples even if the families approve
of their relations or marriage.

ITALY VS. ARMENIA: FINAL SCORE 2-2 IN A MATCH THAT ULTIMATELY HAS NO IMPORTANCE

Philly.com
Oct 15 2013

Italy, already qualified for the World Cup, had nothing to play for
but pride (and a seed, I suppose) in Naples, while Armenia still had
a chance of slipping in to Brazil via the playoffs. They sat fifth in
Group B, but even on points with the Czech Republic, and both sides
just a point behind Bulgaria and Denmark. Of course, due to UEFA’s
quirky playoff qualification rules, there was still a chance that
no side from Group B would make the playoffs, but Armenia certainly
weren’t going to take that risk.

That’s why it wasn’t all surprising that Armenia scored the first
goal, in the fifth minute. Yura Movsisya got on the end of a ball from
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who stole it from a poor back pass from Alberto
Aquilani. Defender Davide Astori tried to slide in to make the save,
but Yura easily went around him to put the ball in the bottom corner
from about 12 yards out.

Italy’s defense was exposed once again 10 minutes later, when Aras
Ozbiliz and Karlen Lazarian paired up to split apart the azzurri.

Fortunately for the home side, Lazarian blasted his shot well high.

The azzurri were back in it before 30 minutes were up. Pablo Osvaldo
got the ball and sent it out to Lorenzo Insigne on the right. The
hometown boy, who proved a brilliant spark in Italy’s attack, chipped
his cross over to Alessandro Florenzi, lurking just beside the post.

His header flew past Roman Berezovskiy for the equalizer.

Insigne himself very nearly scored a fantastic goal to put Italy ahead,
executing a lovely little backheel to escape his defender, but his shot
went inches wide of the post. The Napoli forward, clearly thrilled to
be representing his country in his hometown, then attempted a volleyed
shot, before ending the half with a ball straight at Berezovski.

Armenia regained the lead in the second half, but it no longer
mattered. Bulgaria fell to Czech Republic and Denmark beat Malta,
but as it turned out, no side from Group B would be headed to the
playoffs. Still, a goal’s a goal. This one came from a corner from
Gevorg Ghazaryan, with Mkhitaryan rising to head on.

The lead didn’t last very long, however — not with Mario Balotelli
on the pitch. Just six minutes later, the scoreline was squared
once again. Andrea Pirlo sent forward a lovely ball from midfield,
perfectly placed for Balotelli. SuperMario dinked it over Berezovski
for the equalizer.

Italy: Marchetti; Abate, Astori, Bonucci, Pasqual; Aquilani (Rossi
73), Pirlo, Montolivo; Florenzi (Candreva 61), Osvaldo (Balotelli
54), Insigne

Goals: Florenzi 24′, Balotelli 76′

Armenia: Berezovski; Arzumanyan, Hayrapetyan (Hovhannisyan 63), Mkoyan,
Haroyan; K Lazarian, Ozbiliz (Sarkisov), Ghazaryan, Mkhitaryan;
Yedigaryan (Pizzelli 90), Movsisyan

Goals: Movsisyan 5′, Mkhitaryan 70′

AT LEAST 3 FACE CHARGES IN MOSCOW’S ANTI-MIGRANT RIOTS

October 15, 2013 – 12:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Authorities in Moscow have detained at least three
people suspected of involvement in anti-migrant riots that targeted
a vegetable warehouse in the city’s south over the weekend, police
said Tuesday, October 15, according to RIA Novosti.

Deputy city police chief Oleg Baranov said at a City Hall meeting
that police are holding two Moscow residents and one person from the
surrounding region.

He gave no information about what role the individuals may have had
in the unrest, which injured dozens, including six police officers.

Hundreds of people were detained by police overnight Sunday and on
Monday in response to the violence that erupted after protests over
the fatal stabbing of a 25-year-old man on Saturday spiraled out
of control.

The killer, who police identified Tuesday as being from the former
Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, remains at large.

Police said Tuesday morning that around 70 people are facing minor
administrative charges over the clashes in the neighborhood of
Biryulyovo.

RIA Novosti’s Rapsi legal news agency cited a local court as saying
23 people have been ordered to pay fines ranging from 500 rubles
($15) to 3,000 rubles ($93).

Baranov blamed the violence on an unidentified group of young men,
who he said were joined by discontented members of the public from
the neighborhood.

“These were separate groups,” he said. “So far, we can’t say which
district they came from.”

USC SHOAH HONORS GEORGE CLOONEY WITH AMBASSADOR FOR HUMANITY AWARD

ByStaff
– Posted on October 12, 2013Posted in: Appo Jabarian

By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine

October 12, 2013

George Clooney was honored by film director and USC Shoah Foundation’s
founder Steven Spielberg, his co-star in the new movie “Gravity,”
Sandra Bullock, and Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” in New York city
last week.

Clooney’s humanitarian work around the globe, especially in the Darfur
region of Sudan brought the Hollywood heavyweights together at a
major fundraising gala in the expansive “Whale Room” at New York’s
Museum of Natural History.

Clooney was presented with Ambassador for Humanity Award by USC
Shoah Foundation.

Spielberg who gave Clooney his big break on the TV show “ER,” said:
“George is the best kind of humanitarian … The humble humanitarian,”
calling Clooney “an unparalleled example of action over apathy.”

Clooney told the audience members that “Our job is to make it hard
for the bad guys to do what they’re doing, and for the good guys
to ignore it. … We have to be able to keep a record of what the
powerful can do to the powerless”

The actor also praised Spielberg for his foundation’s work in creating
and preserving video testimonies of Holocaust victims for future
generations to learn from.

The gala marked the 20th anniversary of Spielberg’s Oscar Award-winning
Holocaust movie “Schindler’s List,” that according to Spielberg,
gave him the idea to start a foundation that would record interviews
with Holocaust survivors. To date, the foundation, founded in 1994
and based since 2006 at the University of Southern California, has
collected nearly 52,000 eyewitness testimonies on video – reportedly
the largest digital collection of its kind in the world.

In an Associated Press interview before the gala, Spielberg explained
that a new, broader phase of the foundation’s work, begun recently,
involves collecting video testimonies from survivors of genocide
in places like Rwanda, Cambodia, and Armenia. “The origins of hatred
haven’t gone away,” the director said. The foundation has already begun
its work with testimony from Rwanda. The other countries will follow.

Spielberg said the only obstacle to further broadening the foundation’s
work is funding. It was announced during the event of around 800
guests that nearly $3.7 million were raised.

He noted that Holocaust survivors are fast dying out, an even more
important reason to preserve their life stories on video – video that
can be catalogued and indexed for easy access, which now makes up for
much of the foundation’s work. “The survivor community is vanishing,”
he said. “Soon, it will only exist in cyberspace. But it’s a powerful
community. We hope that through these testimonies, the survivors can
live forever,” reported AP.

As for the survivors of Armenian Genocide, they have all but vanished.

But thanks to few dedicated filmmakers their testimonies have been
recorded. 400 of those were successfully and single-handedly done by
Armenian Film Foundation’s founder J. Michael Hagopian.

In April 2010, Dr. Hagopian and his wife, Antoinette, entered into an
agreement with the USC Shoah Foundation to license the 400 testimonies
to Shoah’s Visual History Archive. Next month, Shoah will receive the
digitized interviews from The Armenian Film Foundation. Upon delivery,
these eyewitness accounts will be incorporated into the USC Shoah
Foundation’s Visual History Archive.

In accepting the award, Clooney said the USC Shoah Foundation is
doing an important job in keeping global atrocities in the spotlight.

“Our job is to try to make it hard for the bad guys to deny they
are doing what they’re doing. … It’s really hard for bad things
to happen in bright light. … “It would be nice to make what we’re
doing here obsolete,” he said.

During a private pre-event conversation with Clooney and Spielberg I
said: “Mr. Clooney, I’m a lifelong fan of your artistic achievements
but most importantly, as an anti-genocide activist, I’m eternally
grateful for and empowered by your contributions to the cause of all
genocide victims.”

Turning to Spielberg, I said: “Mr. Spielberg, I applaud your
groundbreaking work on behalf of survivors through USC Shoah
Foundation; and as an Armenian American, I would like to thank you
for the unique opportunity for cooperation between the USC Shoah
Foundation and Armenian Film Foundation.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jabarian,” kindly answered Spielberg.

In his remarks to the audience, Clooney stressed that while the work
Shoah does is important, the world would be a better place if such
organizations didn’t need to exist.

Sadly humanity still hasn’t eliminated the scourge of genocide. Even
though 98 years have passed since the 1915 Armenian Genocide at the
hands of Turkey; another 69 years since the Jewish Holocaust; another
38 years since the 1975 Genocide in Cambodia; another 19 since the
Rwanda Genocide, the international community still witnesses crimes
against humanity – Genocide in Darfur.

Spielberg also talked about the need to fight against the lull that
can occur when time passes. “We’ve all heard the expression, ‘Time
heals all wounds,'” he said. “I don’t like that expression. Time
can sometimes let us forget that some people are slower to heal,
they have sadness, still grieve and still have incredible loss.”

Sadness, grief and incredible loss, the survivors have – generation
after generation.

During several public appearances as a speaker or a panelist, I have
asked members of second, third and even fourth (millennial) generation
survivors of the genocide: “Who amongst you remembers the fact of
being a child of victim people without experiencing grief and anger?

Please raise your hands.” Nobody does!

I know firsthand that among Armenian Americans, the pain and suffering
of being a child, a grandchild or a great grandchild of genocide
survivors is omnipresent.

Shoah is actively engaged in an international fund-raising campaign
to ensure completion of the integration of the Armenian testimonies so
that they can be presented to the world in time for the commemoration
of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in April 2015.

“It’s crucial that we take the vital and precious words of those
who went through the Armenian Genocide and make their testimonies
available for students, educators and scholars so that they can learn
directly from these eyewitnesses of history,” said Stephen Smith,
executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation who this week was
named the inaugural holder of the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education.

USC President C. L. Max Nikias noted that “[The testimonies] teach
us that when vigilance fades, intolerance follows … My university
will forever safeguard the precious, life-affirming testimonies of
the Visual History Archive. We shall not fail. We shall not falter. We
shall not forget.”

During my conversation with Clooney and Spielberg, I added: “By the
way, I’m a third generation survivor of the Armenian Genocide.”

Clooney responded: “So you know exactly what’s going on!”

“Absolutely!” was my answer.

Of course my response could not be any different than literally
millions of my Armenian peers worldwide – and for that matter, any
peoples that have been struck by the calamity of genocide.