Category: 2023

ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian at the ANCA SF-Bay Area Hye Tad Evening, March 11, 2023

Editor’s Note: The following keynote remarks were offered by Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) executive director Aram Hamparian at the ANCA San Francisco-Bay Area Hye Tahd evening on March 11, 2023. 

Forgive me today for starting with some philosophy. A favorite quote: “If you have a ‘why’ in your life, you can bear almost any ‘how.’” Friedrich Nietzsche – Twilight of the Gods.

From 130 years ago. Still true today. Certainly for us Armenians. Facing realities that are almost too much to bear.

Thankfully, each of us has a “why.” Why we are who we are. Why we do what we do. Why we are here today.

Each of us has a story. Some you have shared, well-known to family and friends. Others you’ve kept in your heart. Let me tell you part of mine, one that I have never shared.

About three years ago, I got a call from Bege Koroghlian – a dear family friend – asking if I was going to the AYF Olympics in Providence. I said I was.

Her husband was my AYF “Arsen” chapter advisor – a humble and selfless servant, a respected mentor to a generation of New Jersey youth. A good man. Good father. Good Armenian. An inspirational leader – through his work, his example. I remember him driving us to countless meetings, games and seminars. A dozen kids bouncing around his Lincoln Continental like marbles in a cigar box.

He arrived early, stayed late – and in the days before cell phones – never left our hall, our church, our practices until each and every junior was safely on their way home. He died at 41, leaving behind his wife and their four children.

At AYF Olympics, Bege came to me and said: “Aram, I’ve kept something for 40 years, and I want to give it to you.” 

And she took from her pocket this ring – her husband’s ring, with the seal of the Tashnagtsoutioun – a party both Vaghinag and I swore our lives to – and she handed it to me. It’s been with me ever since. That’s part of my “why.”

All of our “whys” – in this room, this community, this country, our diaspora, and our homeland – add up to who we are. Why you are here tonight and present in the life of our people. Not just as consumers of Armenian culture, but producers of Armenian identity. Not just in the wagon, enjoying the ride. But out front – charting our path – shoulder to the wheel.

Authors of Armenia’s future.

This is true today – here, around the world and across generations. As a second army of the Armenian nation. Now – in many ways – as a foreign ministry for the Armenian people. For diplomacy is more than accepting terms of surrender.

We must forthrightly tackle the concrete realities of our situation, but NOT from our back foot – relentlessly appeasing and conceding. Playing the transactional “game” when our enemies are waging existential war against our very place on the planet.

If “land for peace” worked, the loss of Western Armenia, Nakhichevan, three-quarters of Artsakh, and now sovereign Armenian soil would surely have met this test. Delivered peace for our time – for all time. But it hasn’t. Because each loss – each surrender – has only encouraged our enemies to press for more.

In this dangerous environment, our North Star remains the survival, the security and viability of our nation.

All our actions align with this single purpose. With our dedication to the proposition that our generation will not witness, will not permit the loss of Artsakh. Of Syunik. Of Armenia.

For it is a fiction to believe Artsakh can be surrendered to save Armenia. That Syunik can be ceded to save Yerevan. Today, the frontlines of the Armenian Cause stretch around the world.

A few weeks ago in LA, I gave a thematic speech about the inner struggle for the soul of our nation. Today, I will offer more programmatic remarks about the political battles we are waging to protect our homeland and heritage.

In Washington, the “how” is as challenging as it’s ever been. We are facing the fundamental fact that US policymakers, all their talk aside, are losing no sleep over our loss of Artsakh.

In the context of the Ukraine war – Russia, Iran, NATO, Caspian oil and all the rest – the general direction of developments in the South Caucasus align with the interests and ambitions, however misguided, of our foreign policy establishment, in government, think tanks and among their media allies. We see this, most fundamentally, in America’s artificial parity, which is, in actuality,  a pro-Azerbaijani policy

This is nothing new to us. In many ways it mirrors our Armenian Genocide struggle. Outright hostility disguised as neutrality. Pro-Turkish apologists and Caspian oil profiteers parading as honest brokers. This flawed policy cascades down, informing practices across American government agencies, from diplomacy and defense to humanitarian aid.

The evidence is clear: Countless Azerbaijani acts of aggression over a quarter century that have been answered with generic US calls on all sides to refrain from violence. It’s a free pass for Azerbaijani aggression. Worse, it’s a green light for Azerbaijani escalation.

We are swimming upstream against policies that need to be fundamentally reversed. This is not a time for fine-tuning. What we need is a turning of the tide.

On all of these fronts – from stopping US military aid to Azerbaijan to sending US humanitarian aid to Artsakh – we may not get everything we work for, but we will surely have to work for everything we get.

What we do get will be earned – out in the open. Not in the shadows – behind closed doors at State, NSC, Defense. But under the bright light of public scrutiny.

Working with our community, Congress and our coalition partners.

– Breaking Azerbaijan’s 90-day blockade of Artsakh.
– Enforcing Section 907 and stopping all US military assistance to Azerbaijan.
– Sending desperately needed US humanitarian and development assistance to Artsakh.
– Blocking US rifle sales to Azerbaijan, rejecting F-16 transfers to Turkey and investigating Azerbaijani war crimes.
– Elevating Armenia’s security to the very top of the US-Armenia bilateral agenda.

These are our hard challenges – there are no shortcuts or quick fixes. That work takes place here – in the Bay Area – and across America. City by city, district by district, state by state. We must act with confidence and courage, passion and persistence.

I told the KZV Armenian School kids yesterday. We are hosts, not guests in this house. Owners, not tenants, of America. Fully American. Fully Armenian.

And we follow our own moral compass. Consistent with our Armenian national aspirations and the very best of our American democratic traditions. No one – foreign or domestic – sets a ceiling on our advocacy. No one waters down, or walks back our aspirations.

There were times when Yerevan backed off of Armenian Genocide recognition, baited by false Turkish promises, but we never did. And we were right.

Today, Artsakh’s independent status is not at the top of Yerevan’s agenda – but it remains on ours. And this will never change. For we are not asking America for favors. We’re Americans exercising our Constitutional rights.

Folks ask, what side are you on? East or West? Left or right? Democratic or Republican? I confess. We do take sides: the Armenian side. We’re not the DNC or the RNC. We are the ANC.

It took far too long, but we finally put America on the right side of the Armenian Genocide. We must now do the same on Artsakh. This is a battle for our time and for coming generations.

And so, as I close, I want to underscore for you how seriously we take our many investments in that future. The trees we plant, knowing we will not be around to sit in their shade.

– Rising Leaders
– Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship
– Haroutioun & Elizabeth Kasparian Summer Academy
– Year-round fellowships
– Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway

The Aramian House – our landmark eight-bedroom property – which houses all these programs – a second home for young Armenians in our nation’s capital.

We make these long-term investments because the battles we wage today, as urgent as they are, will not be our last.

I started with a quote, and I’ll end with one by one of my favorite Americans – A. Philip Randolph:

“At the banquet table of nature, there are no reserved seats.
You get what you can take, and you keep what you can hold.
If you can’t take anything, you won’t get anything, and if you can’t hold anything, you won’t keep anything.
And you can’t take anything without organization.”

For us – as Armenians – that organization is the Armenian National Committee of America.

In sports, performance is driven by talent and what many refer to as the “intangibles.” Some athletes are winners because of their physical skills and how they approach the challenge. Focusing on the objective and being confident are self-disciplines that separate individual and collective performance. Coaches motivate their teams to new heights by painting a vision where each player can see themselves. Limits in results are often self-imposed. This past week, I was honored to be invited to speak to a parish community in Hartford, CT on the subject of Artsakh. The audience was informed, engaged and insightful. This is always a thrill for a presenter – to witness such a participation level. At one point in the discussion, we discussed the underperformance of Armenia in many areas of nation building. During these times of crisis, it is particularly easy to blame our problems on the current government—our first instinct, but perhaps not totally accurate. Led by the audience commentary, the tone evolved to our psyche as a people. How often have you heard fellow Armenians rationalize our situation as a result of being a “small nation?” The context is often in the form of using “small” and “weak” interchangeably. There is much truth in defining us as a small nation. The territory of our homeland sits on less than 30,000 square kilometers, which is the smallest of any country in the adjacent region. The population of Armenia is estimated to be slightly less than three million, sending the population density into the lower bracket. The economy is improving but struggles with a population poverty level estimated to be about one third of the total. We’ve heard all of this and more. Factually correct until we associate it with weakness. Weakness is more a state of mind and defines how we approach the challenges of life. Do we have a vision that unites our people or are we saddled with the burden of simply surviving? Is our foreign policy motivated truly by our interests, or is it defined by the intimidation of others who we deem more powerful? It is obvious that a smaller nation has to maneuver the tricky waters of geopolitics carefully, but operating with a clear vision and the will to go with it have nothing to do with being a “small nation.” I am tired of the standard Armenian commentary that we are weak and therefore we must accept our fate.

Buried deep in our culture is a victim mentality. During my corporate life, I had a boss who refused to let his staff think as victims when adverse business conditions or other challenges occurred. He insisted that we focus on a solution and not waste time rationalizing the circumstances. It is human nature to complain and make excuses. It is a winning formula to jump into the future. For centuries, our people have been subjected to unthinkable oppression; deceit, dispossession, murder and expulsion are some of the atrocities. The Genocide created a victim mentality in our global life where we have obsessed over our misfortune. Some of that mentality has been replaced with our advocacy work for recognition and our investment in a homeland. But many Armenians are full of negative thoughts and hopelessness. Our people are kind and generous, but as a global nation we lack the self-esteem necessary to overcome these burdens. We have been lacking in a global vision, unity and confidence in international relations. We are always asking others to support us when we have at times failed to act ourselves. The result has often led to disappointment and a furthering of the victim mentality.

For 30 years under a variety of administrations, Armenia did not declare a political status with Artsakh. Whether that was recognizing the Republic or absorbing it into the RoA is secondary. The point is that we did nothing, yet we have been asking the Europeans and United States to recognize Artsakh. I am certain that these requests have always been accompanied by a sidebar explanation that Armenia can’t because it would cause a war with Azerbaijan. It did not serve as a deterrent for Azeri aggression or invite Western assistance as Artsakh has been continuously under attack for almost 30 years.

Armenia has always played by the rules of others and received little. What was our end game? Our vision? A defensive posture does not garner respect…only doubts. Recently, a meeting of Azerbaijan and Artsakh was sponsored by the Russian “peacekeepers” to discuss the blockade. Prior to the meeting, Aliyev demanded that he would meet with representatives of the Artsakh Armenians, but only with individuals born and raised there. This was, of course, a poorly veiled pre-condition to prevent Ruben Vardanyan, then-state minister of Artsakh, from participating. It was an audacious demand, even from Aliyev, that was only outdone by the Armenian side’s acquiescence. Vardanyan’s dismissal was ordered by Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, which prevented him from participating; Armenia was in silent agreement. This embarrassing display of subordination was produced out of fear, not conviction. If Aliyev can influence the government official and condition of engaging, then the negotiations are a mockery. The Armenian side offered this gesture in order to engage in serious discussions. They were rewarded with an opening statement by the Azeris that this meeting’s purpose was to discuss the “reintegration of the Karabakh Armenians” into Azerbaijan. The Armenian side was shocked, but they should not have been. Subordinating yourself will only embolden tyrants. Perhaps the Armenian side should have demanded that any Azeri participating should prove they do not have racist behavior toward Armenians?

Why is it so difficult for us to display the will and conviction of our rights? We are very defensive in our duplicitous relationship with Russia. Why can’t we equally comprehend that Russia needs Armenia also? They have lost Georgia, and Azerbaijan will play with them but will align as Turks in the end. Armenia is their only hope in the Caucasus. There are ways to leverage that reality. It is not by drifting to the West when it is not reciprocated.

The Convention of the Future Armenian, March 10-12, 2023

There is hope if we seize the opportunity. This past week, the Future Armenian Convention took place in Armenia. This pan-Armenian initiative gathered 200 participants selected through a transparent lottery. Armenians from our global nation deliberated on critical issues. The Future Armenian is another trailblazing idea co-founded by Noubar Afeyan and Vardanyan, who established the Aurora Initiative several years ago. The Future Armenian has stated more than a dozen goals; three of them were deliberated on during this Convention: historic responsibility, Armenia-Diaspora unity and population growth. Each goal area was led by experts who offered content and was interactive in nature. Participants voted on several priority initiatives. The results will lead to projects to further the stated objectives. By all accounts, this convention was diversely represented and professionally conducted. The co-founders are serious people with a deep commitment to strategic work. Many of you know Afeyan as a community member here on the east coast and his lifesaving leadership at Moderna. As Armenians, we have witnessed the unique and international impact of the Aurora programs. Vardanyan is continuing his leadership and will continue to apply his unique skills. Despite the blockade, he participated via video from Artsakh, which I am certain was an inspiring experience. We are not a weak nation. We are what I would refer to as “underutilized.”

The talent in the diaspora and within NGOs across Armenia and Artsakh is impressive. What has driven our underutilization has been a lack of global integration and a unifying vision. This initiative should give us hope because it directly addresses both matters. We are a unique nation with three million people in the homeland and over twice that amount scattered around the globe. This is the legacy of the Genocide, but it has become a powerful, although sub-optimized, capability. Without a unifying vision, the diverse global Armenian nation remains tragically less than its potential. Given our challenges, a much higher yield is essential. I would encourage all to review the results of the deliberations from the Future Armenian Convention. They are focused on what will enable prosperity in Armenia. They understand that a strong Armenia will have a positive impact on the diaspora. There is no victim mentality in their thinking. They are respectful and mindful of our past yet are committed to our future. There were many participants from the United States. We should all spend time with participants and come to our own conclusions. You will be pleased with the professionalism, inclusiveness and focus on the key indicators of our future as a global nation.

Small nations are not always weak. We are not weak. We have just been scattered in our thinking as we are geographically. Powerful and refreshing visions can dispel a victim mentality that drags down capability. We are not here simply to “keep the lights on.” We are the current gatekeepers of a remarkable civilization. It is our responsibility to build for the future just as previous generations accepted that role. Working together united by a magnetic vision is a powerful formula. The diverse inclusiveness of any initiative is critical to success. We all love Armenia, but sometimes we lack the humility to work together. Future Armenian seems unique in that regard with its open door and inclusive values. We cannot survive with self-imposed walls. We need examples of vision and strength to evolve our psyche from the past. Trailblazing examples can have a remarkable impact of adjacency with other areas of communities. It can bring light where there was darkness. Let’s shed our victim thinking that leads to fear and weakness. We have the capability in our inventory if we choose to build for our future.

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.