Recent Articles from The Armenian Weekly... Kasbarian: Building on the Totality of ARF’s Ideals​

Friday, December 27, 2013

Searching for 1915: Newspaper Coverage of the Armenian Genocide​ GenEd Trains Teachers at National Conference on ‘Psychology of Genocide’​ Rev. Haig Kherlopian Ordained at NY Evangelical Church​ A Homeless Christmas to Be Remembered​ Srpouhi Dussap: Women’s Inactivity​ ARS NY ‘Mayr’ Chapter Hosts Fundraiser to Benefit Syrian-Armenians​ Search Armenian Weekly​

Kasbarian: Building on the Totality of ARF’s Ideals With its rich history and diverse involvements, the ARF has played a unique and often vital role in the life of our nation. Indeed, if we look at the party’s resumé broadly, we find a remarkable versatility that is unusual for any one organization. Think, for a moment, of the different roles the party has played—across time and space—in pursuit of our national ideals: -          It has been a party of resistance, rebellion, even revolution. Think of the role it played in enlightening, organizing, and arming the Armenian masses of Eastern Anatolia, during the repressive final decades of Ottoman rule. More recently, think of the role it played as catalyst for the national self-determination movement in Mountainous Karabagh. -          It has been a party of state. The most prominent example, of course, is the formative role it played in the first Independent Republic of Armenia (1918-1920). -          It has been a community-builder. Think of the... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •

Searching for 1915: Newspaper Coverage of the Armenian Genocide Special to the Armenian Weekly As we approach the 100th memorial year of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, there is increasing global interest and attention to what happened to so many Armenians. There is also a desire to discover how much the world knew at that time. Armenians and non-Armenians alike are seeking to better understand the complex events of a century ago. The daily accounts from the leading foreign press at the time—such as the New York Times, the London Times, the Manchester Guardian, the Toronto Globe, and the Sydney Morning Herald—can give insight into how the phases of the genocide unfolded and how the world tried to describe the horrific sequence of events. This was a substantial challenge, as it was before the term “genocide” had been created to define the indescribable. Kloian’s ‘The Armenian Genocide: News Accounts From the American Press (1915-1922)’ In teaching my university courses on comparative studies of genocide, I have often... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •

GenEd Trains Teachers at National Conference on ‘Psychology of Genocide’ Meets St. Louis and Illinois Area Armenian-American Community ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Genocide Education Project (GenEd) presented a training workshop for high school history teachers at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference, held in St. Louis from Nov. 22-24.community-gened (1Y) GenEd representatives Sara Cohan (left of banner) and Roxanne Makasdjian (right) with St. Louis area community members GenEd’s education director, Sara Cohan, led a conference workshop titled, “The Psychology of Genocide,” which explored the social forces and personal psychology that can lead to extreme acts of cruelty, as well as to heroic acts of compassion, during a genocide. Approximately 50 social studies teachers participated in the workshop. They learned about the key psychological concepts that apply to the actions of individuals leading to and during genocide. Examples from the Armenian Genocide and other genocides were examined, and participants received... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •

Rev. Haig Kherlopian Ordained at NY Evangelical Church NEW YORK—On Sun., Dec. 15, Haig Kherlopian was ordained as the minister of the Armenian Evangelical Church of New York in an impressive and elegant service before more than 200 people in attendance, including family, friends, supporters, and clergy from sister churches. On Sun., Dec. 15, Haig Kherlopian was ordained as the minister of the Armenian Evangelical Church of New York. (Photo by Harry Koundakjian) Among the special guests in attendance were Rev. L. Nishan Bakalian, moderator of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, and pastor of the Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational Church in Havertown, Pa.; Rev. Dr. Peter Doghramji, former pastor (now retired) of the Armenian Evangelical Church, N.Y.; Rev. Berj Gulleyan, pastor of the Armenian Presbyterian Church, Paramus, N.J.; Rev. Mgrdich Melconian, interim executive director/CEO of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA); and. Rev. Kevin M. Fiedler, guest minister of the Armenian Evangelical Church,... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •

A Homeless Christmas to Be Remembered From time to time, people will ask what story has brought me the greatest joy and fulfillment. Armenian child in Yerevan anxiously awaits the arrival of Gaghant Baba (Santa Claus). We at The Armenian Weekly and Hairenik Weekly wish our readers a happy and prosperous Christmas and New Year. (Tom Vartabedian photo) After 50 years, it’s a lot like picking which grandchild you love most. There are favorites, but after giving it some thought, nothing could ever measure up to the time I went homeless one Christmas season. No, my parents didn’t kick me out of the house. If anything, they would have opened their door to a vagrant or a derelict. And, no, my wife didn’t point her finger to the outside and ask me to vacate the premises. Oh, we’ve had our share of arguments over the Christmas tree and what gifts to buy for whom. But in such cases, I have gamely deferred to the mistress of this house and let harmony take its place. Instead, I took to the streets during the Christmas... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •

Srpouhi Dussap: Women’s Inactivity Translated by Jennifer Manoukian The following is a translation of an article by Srpouhi Dussap, published in August 1882. Srpouhi Dussap (née Vahanian) was the first Armenian woman novelist and the first Armenian writer—male or female—to address the social struggles particular to Armenian women. Born in 1842 in Constantinople, Dussap came of age during a period of cultural reawakening for Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, during which women began to carve out a place for themselves in the public sphere. One of these pioneering women was Dussap’s mother, Nazli Vahan, a staunch advocate for women’s education and the founder of charitable and educational organizations to help Armenian girls. Srpouhi Dussap Nazli’s great concern for girls’ education drove her to give her own daughter an excellent education: Srpouhi was educated first at a local French school until the age of 10, and then at home with her older brother, who tutored her in French, Greek, Italian, classical... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •

ARS NY ‘Mayr’ Chapter Hosts Fundraiser to Benefit Syrian-Armenians By Anahid M. Ugurlayan On Dec. 8, a sold-out crowd gathered at Almayass Restaurant in New York City for a fundraiser luncheon hosted by the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) New York “Mayr” Chapter. More than $5,000 was raised in support of the ARS’s “Warm Home” Program, which provides fuel to help Syrian-Armenian families heat their homes during the winter months. A scene from the luncheon Anais Tcholakian, the chapter chairperson, welcomed the guests and thanked them for supporting the Society’s ongoing relief efforts to Syria’s Armenians. She also thanked chapter members for organizing the luncheon; Voice of Armenians TV for their coverage of the luncheon; and Almayass’s owner, Varak Alexanian, its manager, Mario Arakelian, and the entire staff for their gracious hospitality and support of the ARS. Guests observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Armenia that claimed more than 25,000 victims, as well as in... Read More »