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FOCUS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
by Patricia Alex, Staff Writer
Herald News (Passaic County, NJ)
AE Edition
December 20, 2010 Monday
Bergen Community College's new Center for Peace, Justice and
Reconciliation is launching a series of initiatives to bring to the
fore "the forgotten genocide" -- the systematic massacre of Armenians
during World War I and its aftermath.
The center, begun with a $1 million anonymous donation, is developing
curriculum centered on the genocide that it hopes will be used by
middle and high schools throughout the county. The center also will
host exhibits, workshops and seminars.
Holocaust education is mandated by the state, but its application
varies by district. The Armenian genocide -- considered the first of
the modern era -- is often ignored, said David Eichenholtz, who is
working on the curriculum.
He said the coursework would span the 20th century, including the
Holocaust and later genocides, such as the Khmer Rouge's reign of
terror in Cambodia and the ongoing crisis in Darfur. The curriculum
will tie into discussions on bullying as well, Eichenholtz said.
Many historians believe the mass deportation and extermination of
more than 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire
provided a roadmap for atrocities to come, particularly the Holocaust.
Armenians are still lobbying for an apology from the modern-day
Turkish government.
"The Armenian genocide is an important focus for us," said Tom
LaPointe, the center's director. "It was almost a prototype for other
genocides that went on in the 20th century. ... It reveals patterns of
bullying and repression that lead to other currents of mass violence."
Eichenholtz said the center will provide a valuable resource for
teachers dealing with Holocaust education. There is much material
out there but very few focused, organized curricula, he said.
"We want to give them the tools so that it will be easier for them,"
Eichenholtz said.
The center will partner with Rutgers University-Newark to sponsor
a March conference on the "forgotten genocide." A second conference
is being planned on cultural genocide -- the wiping out of an ethnic
group's history and culture, LaPointe said
And Bergen Community plans to host an exhibit of artwork by Bou Meng,
a survivor of Cambodia's killing fields.
Joseph Basralian and Seta Albrecht, members of the BCC foundation
board, are heading efforts to match the $1 million gift that launched
the Center for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation.
From: A. Papazian
by Patricia Alex, Staff Writer
Herald News (Passaic County, NJ)
AE Edition
December 20, 2010 Monday
Bergen Community College's new Center for Peace, Justice and
Reconciliation is launching a series of initiatives to bring to the
fore "the forgotten genocide" -- the systematic massacre of Armenians
during World War I and its aftermath.
The center, begun with a $1 million anonymous donation, is developing
curriculum centered on the genocide that it hopes will be used by
middle and high schools throughout the county. The center also will
host exhibits, workshops and seminars.
Holocaust education is mandated by the state, but its application
varies by district. The Armenian genocide -- considered the first of
the modern era -- is often ignored, said David Eichenholtz, who is
working on the curriculum.
He said the coursework would span the 20th century, including the
Holocaust and later genocides, such as the Khmer Rouge's reign of
terror in Cambodia and the ongoing crisis in Darfur. The curriculum
will tie into discussions on bullying as well, Eichenholtz said.
Many historians believe the mass deportation and extermination of
more than 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire
provided a roadmap for atrocities to come, particularly the Holocaust.
Armenians are still lobbying for an apology from the modern-day
Turkish government.
"The Armenian genocide is an important focus for us," said Tom
LaPointe, the center's director. "It was almost a prototype for other
genocides that went on in the 20th century. ... It reveals patterns of
bullying and repression that lead to other currents of mass violence."
Eichenholtz said the center will provide a valuable resource for
teachers dealing with Holocaust education. There is much material
out there but very few focused, organized curricula, he said.
"We want to give them the tools so that it will be easier for them,"
Eichenholtz said.
The center will partner with Rutgers University-Newark to sponsor
a March conference on the "forgotten genocide." A second conference
is being planned on cultural genocide -- the wiping out of an ethnic
group's history and culture, LaPointe said
And Bergen Community plans to host an exhibit of artwork by Bou Meng,
a survivor of Cambodia's killing fields.
Joseph Basralian and Seta Albrecht, members of the BCC foundation
board, are heading efforts to match the $1 million gift that launched
the Center for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation.
From: A. Papazian