Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
STAFF REPORT
“Genocide Awareness” was the focus at two Arizona colleges the week of April 11-16. Scottsdale Community College and Gateway Community College of Phoenix organized a series of activities that featured speakers on genocides of the 20th century, including the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian Studies Program Director Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian and Kazan Visiting Research Scholar Ümit Kurt were invited special guests at each venue.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian and Kurt spoke at three events at Gateway Community College on Wednesday, April 13. Students heard a presentation on Armenian/Kurdish topics at 12:30pm, followed by a panel discussion on the Armenian Genocide and the Armenians in the Middle East, hosted by Prof. Donald Hall, who is a member of the International Education Committee, which organized the day’s events. In the evening, the documentary “The Armenian Genocide” was screened followed by a discussion with students and community members.
On Thursday, April 14, Prof. Der Mugrdechian and Kurt were interviewed on radio by Assyrian radio personality Mona Oshana. The focus of the one-hour discussion was the Armenian Genocide and Dr. Nicholas Al-Jeloo from the University of Melbourne spoke about the Assyrian Seyfo (genocide).
Scottsdale Community College’s “Genocide Awareness Week,” organized by Prof. John Liffiton, featured speakers on the Assyrian case for Genocide, as well as speakers on American Americans, the Holocaust, and a legal panel on International Tribunals and Criminal Courts.
On Friday, April 15, Prof. Der Mugrdechian presented a paper on “The Armenian Genocide after 100 Years: Denial and Its Consequences,” and Kurt spoke on “The Spirit of the Laws: The Plunder of Wealth in the Armenian Genocide.”
The Armenian Studies Program loaned a poster exhibition on the Armenian Genocide that was displayed at Scottsdale College for the entire week. The exhibition featured text and photos detailing the history of the Genocide.
The Genocide was also featured at the Saturday “Workshop for Educators” conducted by Sarah Cohan, Educational Consultant for The Genocide Education Project, and by Prof. Der Mugrdechian who discussed video and online tools for the teaching of Genocide, and also spoke about the importance of oral histories as a way to engage students.
Cohan’s presentation enabled teachers to prepare lesson plans and to utilize diverse resources to teach about the Genocide. Local area middle and high school teachers from several local area school districts participated in the workshop.
The St. Apkar Armenian Church of Scottsdale was a generous supporter of the week’s activities and organized a thank-you luncheon for all of participants at the church on Sunday, April 17. Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan, pastor of St. Apkar, has played an integral role in the continuing inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in the “Genocide Awareness Week,” now in its fourth year.