Hrant Dink Memorial this Sunday‏

Memorial Service to be Held Commemorating Hrant Dink's Assassination A memorial service commemorating the fourth anniversary of Hrank Dink's assassination will be held on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at St Mary Armenian Apostolic Church. Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, was assassinated in Istanbul on January 19, 2007 by a radical Turkish nationalist. Hrant Dink was one of Turkey's most prominent Armenian voices and, despite threats on his life, refused to remain silent on matters of concern to the community. Hrant Dink emphasized the need for democratization in Turkey and focused on the issues of free speech, minority and civic rights. In his public speeches, he never refrained from using the word genocide when referring to the Armenian Genocide, a term fiercely rejected by Turkey. Tragically, that cost him his life. Hrant Dink's outspokenness on rights and freedoms was considered to be insulting "Turkishness". He was therefore prosecuted under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, and received a six month suspended sentence. This arbitrary law turned Hrant Dink into a target for death threats, intimidation and eventually assassination. Although the suspected killer and his accomplices have been put on trial, the investigation for the case has been stalled and many important records and files have gone missing. The Turkish justice system continues to fail the memory of Hrant Dink by dragging out the trial process and by failing to provide his family the closure it so desperately needs. It is essential for the Turkish Government to acknowledge the influential role of its institutions in shaping public perception and should use them to teach tolerance rather than hate. This is primarily true when it comes to justice and education. The Turkish government needs to acknowledge the country's past history of genocide and the current violations of human rights in order to allow the emancipation of today's Turkish society from the weight of a troubled history. Consequently, serious modifications need to be made in the educational and legal realms to encourage Turkish society to practice respect and compassion towards religious and cultural differences. The Memorial Service will be held at: St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, 45 Hallcrown Place, Toronto, ON, M2J 4Y4, on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at: 11:00 am "I challenge the accepted version of history because I do not write about things in black and white. People here are used to black and white; that's why they are astonished that there are other shades, too."- Hrant Dink ANCT Hosts Town Hall Meeting Featuring MP Rob Oliphant On Friday, January 14, 2011 the Armenian National Committee of Toronto (ANCT) hosted a Town Hall Meeting for the Armenian community of Toronto and its members. Billed as "an interactive meeting to discuss ANCT issues and initiatives with community members", it served as an opportunity to create dialogue and strengthen bonds between the community members and the ANCT executive. There were reports on past activities and upcoming initiatives as well as an opportunity for audience members to provide direct feedback. The meeting was also attended by Multiculturalism Critic for the Liberal Party of Canada and MP for Don Valley West, Mr. Rob Oliphant, who also served as guest speaker for the evening. Mr. Oliphant took the opportunity to address the audience and provided some insight on his trip to Armenia in September 2010. Mr. Oliphant provided a short picture presentation, sharing some of his favourite memories from the trip. He also spoke about the issues that affect not only Armenians living in Armenia but also those of Armenian descent living in Canada. One of the projects that Mr. Oliphant stressed was the establishment of a Canadian Embassy in Yerevan. An embassy would not only aid Canadian travellers to Armenia, but would also help facilitate trade between Canada and Armenia. Mr. Oliphant noted how Canadian-owned businesses in Armenia were becoming rare, and how an embassy would help make it easier for Canadians to open up businesses in Armenia. Following Mr. Oliphant's presentation, ANCT Chair Vahan Ajamian, took to the stage, to speak about the work ANCT undertook during 2010, and what the community has to look forward to for 2011. He also encouraged the Toronto Armenian community to become increasingly involved in the work the ANCT is doing. "It is with your help that the Armenian National Committee of Toronto continues to thrive in the Canadian political landscape", said Mr. Ajamian. He also invited Mr. Boghos Boghossian on stage, to give a brief presentation about the ANCT Frequent Donor Program (FDP), and its success over the course of the past year. To sign up to the FDP, please visit www.anctoronto.org/donations. Following the event, Mr. Ajamian said, "Our Town Hall meeting served as an excellent opportunity to re-energize our community on our issues, and our challenges for the future. Also, those present found Rob's presentation and ideas very positive. We look forward to working with him in the future." Subscribe to ANCT's Frequent Donor Program! We need your help to help advance the Armenian Cause. While we may never win the "money war" against our opponents, every little bit helps to increase our resources and ability to leverage the activism of our community members. Please consider making a lasting relationship with ANCT by signing up for recurring donations through our safe and secure Frequent Donor Program. To sign up please visit www.anctoronto.org/donations or contact us at anct@anctoronto.org Follow Us on Twitter Like Our Page on Facebook Watch our videos on YouTube
This newsletter was sent by: Armenian National Committee of Toronto 45 Hallcrown Place Willowdale, Ontario M2J 4Y4 www.anctoronto.org
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