Category: 2019

The Armenian National Committee of America – Eastern and Western Regions, in partnership with 17 leading national anti-genocide, advocacy, and human rights organizations, led a successful letter campaign. The movement called on more than 120 leading media outlets in all 50 U.S. states to take a zero tolerance policy for the denial of mass atrocities and crimes against humanity in general, and the Armenian Genocide in particular.

The letter encouraged editorial boards to be vigilant in ensuring that their publications do not become a platform for genocide denial through the adoption of a formal policy that would not accept advertising that denies or trivializes great human tragedies, such as the World Trade Center bombings, the Holocaust, slavery in the United States, the Armenian Genocide, or Irish Famine.

The coalition letter campaign, which started in 2016, has not only raised awareness about the Armenian Genocide, but successfully prevented the publication of new Armenian Genocide denial advertisements in the media.

“We are grateful to all of our coalition partners for standing united against genocide denial,” remarked ANCA-WR Chairperson Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “While we fully support freedom of speech and _expression_, genocide denial cannot be dismissed as simply ‘provocative’ speech or ‘scholarly debate,’ but as deeply offensive hate speech. We are glad to see the effectiveness of this campaign and look forward to further expanding it with every year.”

“This coalition allows us to speak out against every instance of genocide denial with a forceful and unified voice. Our organizations are stronger together and this partnership furthers our efforts in ensuring truth and justice for the millions of victims who can no longer speak for themselves,” said Aram Balian, Executive Director, ANCA-ER.

This year’s coalition includes the following organizations (in alphabetical order):

• A Demand for Action
• American Hellenic Council
• AJC – Global Jewish Advocacy
• ANCA Eastern Region
• ANCA Western Region
• Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, USA
• Darfur And Beyond
• Darfur Interfaith Network
• Greek Genocide Resource Center
• Hellenic American Leadership Council
• iACT
• In Defense of Christians
• International Association of Genocide Scholars
• Justice for Cyprus, PSEKA
• Jewish World Watch
• The Genocide Education Project
• The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation
• The Philos Project
• Together We Remember

The Armenian National Committee of America-Eastern Region and the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region are the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organizations in the Eastern and Western United States respectively. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States, the ANCA-ER and ANCA-WR advance the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

COSTA MESA, Calif.,—The Armenian community in Orange County supported the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day resolution at the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Vice Michelle Steel spearheaded the introduction of the resolution. Each year, Vice Chair Steel has led the efforts to put the resolution on the Board Agenda. This is the fourth year that the Board of Supervisors has recognized this day dedicated to commemorating those who perished during the Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1923.and will be officially placed on the “Recurring List of Resolutions.”

“Orange County needs to continue leading the way to ensure that this historic tragedy is never forgotten and the victims of genocide continue to be honored,” said Vice Chair Steel. “Orange County needs to continue leading the way to ensure that this historic tragedy is never forgotten and the victims of genocide continue to be honored,” she continued.

Both Orange County Armenian church leaders, Father Moushegh Tashjian of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church and Father Karekin Bedourian of Forty Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church, led the audience in the “Lord’s Prayer,” in Santa Ana. Father Moushegh reflected on the tragedies his family experienced, touched upon the background of the history, and the importance of recognizing the genocide. Father Karekin spoke about the canonizing the martyrs in 2015 when it was the 100 anniversary of the genocide. He led a prayer for the martyrs.

This year, new language included the recognition of University of Irvine’s Meghrouni Chair in Armenian Studies Program, and its director, Dr. Houri Berberian. The resolution recognizes the UCI Armenian Student’s Association and Chapman University Armenian Students Association.

Christopher Khachadour, a history and political science graduating senior at UCI and chairman of the Armenian Students Association accepted the resolutions on behalf of the Meghrouni family, Dr. Berberian, UCI ASA and Chapman ASA.

He gave his remarks reminding the audience after 100 years, the Turkish government continues to deny perpetrating the Armenian Genocide and continues to undermine it—at all levels of government. He talked about Azerbaijan continuously waging a policy of aggression against Armenians around the world, but most prominently in the region of Artsakh.

Armenian community supporters included Anahid Arakelian and Bianka Asik, advocates of Armenian affairs in Orange County, Taline Jermakian of ANCA Orange County Chapter, Garo Kilejian of ARF O.C. Armen Karo Gomideh, Yrtsgn Sevan Bedourian, Pastors wife of Forty Martyrs Armenian Church and Hratch Hintlian Church office administration of St. Mary Armenian church board Dr. Levon Keleshian and Tony Markarian.

All Orange County Board of Supervisors meetings are archived and accessed on-demand.

Below is the resolution:

WHEREAS, in 1890 the Sultan Abdul Hamid II declared he would solve the “Armenian Question” in the Ottoman Empire, beginning violent actions that led to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians throughout the Empire; and
WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out from 1915 to 1923, resulting in, the death of Christians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Armenian men, women, and children who were murdered or marched to their deaths; and

WHEREAS, these crimes against humanity also had the consequence of the deportation of nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, removing all traces of Armenians and other targeted people from their historic homelands, and enriching the opposing side with the lands and property of the victims; and

WHEREAS, the United States is on record as having officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, when on April 22, 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, in Proclamation 4838 said, “Like the genocide of the Armenian’s before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it—and like too many other such persecutions of too many other peoples—the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten”; and

WHEREAS, the State of California officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, and includes the teaching of the Armenian Genocide as part of the State’s model curriculum for 10th grade history students; and

WHEREAS, in 1986 the Armenian Students’ Association was established at the University of California, Irvine; and in 2007 the Armenian Studies Program was established, where in 2016 Dr. Houri Berberian was chosen to be the Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies with a $2 million-dollar endowment; and

WHEREAS, in 2018 the Armenian Students’ Association was established at Chapman University; and

WHEREAS, every student and person, regardless of ethnicity or national origin, should be made aware of and educated about the Armenian Genocide so that it and other state-sanctioned forms of ethnic cleansing may never happen again;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Supervisors does hereby designate April 24, as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in the County of Orange and encourages community groups, non-profit organizations, schools, and residents to appropriately commemorate these tragic events so that the victims may never be forgotten and the perpetrators be held to account.

GLENDALE— Over 40 prospective coaches attended the Homenetmen “Hrashq” Chapter’s first day-long training seminar. The session was held at the Homenetmen Western USA Region’s Kevork Andonian Hall, on Sunday, December 16.

Organized by the Homenetmen Hrashq Special Events Subcommittee, the seminar was dedicated to ensuring that volunteer coaches were well-equipped to administer basketball, soccer, and track and field activities for Armenian American youth with special needs.

The Homenetmen Western Region’s Executive Committee established the “Homenetmen Hrashq” Chapter in March 2018 to enable special needs adults and children to participate in the greater organization’s athletic programs, thereby becoming an all-inclusive institution. This important step serves to promote inclusion and acceptance of the special needs population within the greater Armenian American community.

Homenetmen “Hrashq” (“miracle” in English) was established in March 2018 in order for Armenian youth with special needs to participate in sporting activities, and address the stigmatization often associated with awareness of special needs in the Armenian community.

“Hrashq” made its grand debut at the 43rd Annual Navasartian Games on July 4th, 2018, with 20 athletes participating in organized soccer, basketball, and track and field activities, as well as the iconic closing ceremony.

Volunteers with vast experience in working with the special needs community— including occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and adaptive physical education teachers—provided one-on-one support to the athletes on the day of the event. Subsequently, Homenetmen “Hrashq” participated in the Homenetmen Centennial Street Festival as well as the Homenetmen Kaham Games earlier this year. There are currently 38 athletes registered under the program.

In 2014, the AYF-WUS’ San Fernando Valley “Sardarabad” Chapter initiated the first-of-its kind “Pyunik” (“phoenix” in English) Basketball Program, which is based on volunteer-run, bi-weekly basketball practices for Armenian American athletes of varying ages and special needs, held at Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School and begun with careful planning and coordination with the Armenian Autism Outreach Project, which has been instrumental in informing families about the program and recruiting athletes.

The chapter created the program with the aim of creating a safe space where children with special needs could experience the thrill of playing basketball while building motor skills and bonding with members of the Armenian community. Drills usually include passing, defense, shot-taking, and various on-court movements.

Since many of the “Pyunik” athletes are also part of Homenetmen Hrashq, the two organizations agreed that in achieving their common goal of serving the community, it would be in the best interest of the athletes to join forces, therefore, increasing the number of available volunteers, securing ample and appropriate sports equipment and facilities, and providing one-on-one support to athletes where appropriate.

Specifically, the AYF-WUS “Sardarabad” Chapter’s vast experience of working with special needs athletes would be of great benefit to the Homenetmen Hrashq Program.

In order to expand and improve Homenetmen “Hrashq,” the following steps were taken:

1- Homenetmen Hrashq and AYF Sardarabad Pyunic Committee Joined forces: Given the common goals of the organizations, Homenetmen and the AYF-WUS took this step to administer the sports program. Specifically, representatives of both organizations will head multiple organizing sub-committees.
2- Facilities: The Pacific Community Center and Park was secured for basketball, soccer, and track-and-field practices. It offers state-of-the art facilities and easy access via ample parking.
3- Equipment: Sporting equipment for practices and competition events was purchased, tailored to the unique needs of the athletes.
4- Volunteers: Volunteer coaches were recruited to provide one-on-one support to the athletes. These include AYF-WUS and Homenetmen members.
5- Training: A day-long seminar was organized to prepare prospective coaches to help administer the Homenetmen “Hrashq” sporting activities.

The coaches’ training seminar opened with Aram Bekarian, chairperson of Homenetmen “Hrashq”, who welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their commitment to the Homenetmen Hrashq program. Nora Tchaparian, the Homenetmen Western USA Region Board member representative for “Homenetmen Hrashq” reaffirmed the organization’s pledge to continue making the development and expansion of this program a priority.

Homenetmen “Hrashq” member Nanor Kabakian gave a brief overview of the Homenetmen “Hrashq” Program, from the time of its inception to present day, and discussed where the program is headed in the future. A video showcasing Homenetmen “Hrashq’s first participation in the 43rd Annual Navasartian Games. Subsequently, Kabakian introduced the first speakers of the day.

The first topic entitled “Coaching/Teaching Strategies for Kids with Special Needs”, featured adaptive physical education teachers Anahid Magdesyan and Ayline Amirayan.

Anahid Magdesian has a Bachelor’s degree in General Education Physical Education with a specialization in Adaptive P.E. from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a Master’s degree in Administration from Walden University. She has 30 years of experience in the field.

Ayline Amirayan holds a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, where she specialized in Adaptive P.E. She has been working with special needs students in public schools for the past 20 years.

In the first part of their presentation, Magdesian and Amirayan discussed how to communicate effectively with the athletes through consistent and predictable routines and directions. They reviewed coaching strategies that are suitable for the special needs population. In the second part of the presentation, 6 Homenetmen“Hrashq” athletes of various ages and abilities participated in a hands-on training in order to incorporate the principles taught in the first part of the presentation into an actual practice session.

Following the educational, Manuel Marselian, former chairman of the Homenetmen Western USA Region’s Board, gave an overview of the history of Homenetmen, its structure, as well as the values that guide the organization.

Following a brief intermission, Hayley Peck, M.A, BCBA, and Rosaura Espinoza, BA from Autism Spectrum Therapies were the last speakers of the day.

Hayley Peck is currently the assistant clinical director at Autism Spectrum Therapies. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Subsequently she earned her Master’s degree from the Chicago School of Psychology.

AST was founded in 2001, on the principles of integrating the latest applied behavior analysis research and technology to provide a family-focused approach in serving special needs populations.

The presentation was titled “Minimizing and Preventing Challenging Behaviors”, and summarized how to identify particular behaviors, what causes them to occur, and what to do to decrease the occurrence of maladaptive behavior. Several hypothetical scenarios that can arise during practices and how to address specific behaviors using various techniques were discussed. Subsequently, the presenters demonstrated techniques on how to shield themselves should aggressive behaviors arise.

Each speaker was presented with a certificate of appreciation. Aram Bekarian and Nanor Kabakian thanked all the speakers for their respective contributions to the success of this maiden seminar, and the attendees, for their participation in the event. Koko Abounayan, chairperson of the AYF-WUS “Sardarabad” Chapter also contributed thoughts on the joining of forces between the two organizations.

Nanor Kabakian, from Homenetmen Hrashq, as well as facilitator of the Armenian Parents’ Support Group of the Lanterman Regional Center through which many of the Homenetmen Hrashq Chapter’s athletes were recruited, commented the following about the program: “As a parent of a special needs child, I am thrilled that my son is able to partake in an Armenian Organization’s activities such as Homenetmen.”

“I will never forget the tsunami of emotions that myself and the parents of the other Hrashq athletes experienced as we entered the stadium at Birmingham High School during the Navasartian Games closing ceremonies and received a standing ovation by the attendees. Homenetmen Hrashq provides my son the opportunity to socialize with other peers on a weekly basis, practice his communication skills and improve his gross motor skills and coordination. It also gives me the unique opportunity to connect with other parents sharing the same challenging journey of raising a child with special needs. It is, therefore, a win win situation for children and parents alike,” Kabakian stated.

“We initially created this program to serve young Armenians with developmental disorders in our community. We wanted to create a space where they could interact and socialize with their peers, as well as develop their motor skills and apply them to something they could enjoy,” said Garni Dadaian, a current AYF-WUS “Sardarabad” Chapter executive and “Hrashq” athletic and public relations subcommittee member. “While these goals have been achieved for the most part, AYF-WUS sees an opportunity to better serve our athletes and their families by utilizing the resources which Homenetmen provides. We are very excited that we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to give to our athletes these tools which will allow them to learn and grow even more,” she continued.

The first formal “Homenetmen Hrashq” practices began on February 24, 2019. Thanks to the dedication of the program administrators, parents, career special needs professionals, and volunteers – as well as the enthusiasm and energy of its participants – the group maintains a definite level of professionalism and care in order to best carry out its mission.

Those interested in participating in Homenetmen Hrashq Program as either a volunteer or athlete, or learning more about the program are welcome to send an email.

Since its establishment in 1918, Homenetmen has played an essential role in helping to shape the character and leadership capabilities of generations of Armenian youth. Through its robust scouting and athletic programs, Homenetmen has preserved the Armenian spirit and addressed the needs of Armenian communities in the diaspora.

Founded in 1933 with organizational structures in over 17 regions around the world and a legacy of over eighty years of community involvement, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.

Below is a poem written by a Hrashq athlete:

“Hrashq”

Hope is what everyone needs
Respect is what everyone deserves
Armenian is what we are
Special is what we feel
Human is how we should be treated
Quest for the best is what we seek

By Aren (9-year-old Hrashq athlete)

GLENDALE—The Homenetmen “Hrashq” chapter held its first official sports practice for Armenian-American athletes with special needs. The event took place on February 24, at the Pacific Community Center and Park in Glendale, California.

The games practiced included basketball, soccer, and track and field. Each practice was administered by trained volunteer coaches, headed by Aileen Amirayan, Adaptive Physical Education Teacher for the La Mirada School District.

Approximately 30 athletes of varying ages and abilities participated, matched on a one-on-one basis with 30 volunteer coaches comprised of Homenetmen members as well as members of the Armenian Youth Federation—Western United States San Fernando Valley “Sardarabad” chapter’s “Pyunik” program, which has organized bi-weekly basketball practices since 2014.

The facilities provide ample parking, state-of-the-art courts and fields, as well as easy access for all to participate in the practices. Following the first practice, athletes and their families enjoyed a pizza party to celebrate the start of the program.

For those interested in participating, volunteering or learning more, please email Homenetmen “Hrashq” organizing committee member Nanor Kabakian at [email protected].
Homenetmen Hrashq has organized a comedy night featuring Vahe Berberian to secure much needed funds to run the program.

The event will take place on May 10, at 8 p.m. at the Homenetmen Andonian Hall. Interested parties may contact the Homenetmen Western USA office (323)344-4300 or via email.