From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
P.O.Box: 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: 01-349230/1
01-353010/1/2
Haigazian University Commemorates the 92nd Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide
Missak Keleshian on "the Armenian Genocide and an Unprecedented
Global Relief Response to it"
On the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
Haigazian University hosted Mr. Missak Keleshian, a popular name in
the Armenian community for his surveys of Armenian historical facts,
photos, monuments and heritage sites, who presented an inspiring
lecture on the global relief response which took place on the eve of
the genocide.
The lecture took place on Wednesday the 25th of April, 2007 in the
hall of the First Armenian Evangelical Church, next to Haigazian
University, among a capacity audience, which included many
dignitaries, such as the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Francis Guy,
the Swiss Ambassador, Francois Barras, the Public Affairs officer of
the US embassy, Juliet Wurr, in addition to representatives of other
embassies, the President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical
Churches of the Near East, Rev. Megrditch Karagoezian, Chairman of
the Haigazian University Board of Trustees, Hrair Mouradian and the
University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian.
The program opened with a welcome speech by the Haigazian University
Public Relations Director, Mira Yardemian, who explained that the
lecture "will not focus on the tragic side of the Genocide story, but
rather on the positive relief response to the victims carried out in
an unprecedented way by the Near East Relief". Yardemian also
acknowledged that among those present in the audience, certainly
there are families who have survived as a result of these relief
efforts, and others whose countries have been instrumental in that
relief.
Then, Mr. Keleshian, presentated his illustrated lecture by focusing
on the tremendous relief support the Near East Relief had carried out
on the eve of the Armenian Genocide, in April 1915. This global
welfare organization was led by the United States, and included many
offices in countries like Australia, Great Britain, Denmark,
Switzerland, Greece and many others.
"Between 1915 and 1930, the Near East Relief had administered
117,000,000 USD of assistance, which is the equivalent of 1.25
billion USD in today’s dollar value", stated Keleshian.
He also showed some touching photos of Armenian orphans, deported on
their way to the Near East. "Near East Relief is credited for having
rescued 132,556 Armenian orphans, who were housed, fed, taught and
provided medical care", note Keleshian.
The audience had the chance to see many campaign posters for
fundraising at the time, which read slogans like, "Clear your
plate-remember the starving Armenians", "Adopt a Child like Shushan"
and many others.
As a fitting conclusion to this inspiring presentation, the program
ended by Stevie Wonder’s "Visions", performed by Scott Johnson,
accompanied by former Haigazian students, Arek Karagoezian on the
keyboard, and Shahan Kilaghbian on the base guitar.