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UCLA students react to Turkish diplomat's planned appearance
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-12-12-ucla-students-react-to-turkish-diplomat-s-planned-appearance-
Published: Wednesday December 12, 2012
A view of the UCLA Model UN conference.
LOS ANGELES - The collective efforts of the UCLA Armenian Students
Association (ASA) and Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), with the
support of the Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region
(ANCA-WR) caused Tolga Arslan, Turkish Vice Consul to cancel his
appearance at the Los Angeles Model United Nations Conference at UCLA
on November 18.
The Los Angeles Model UN Conference has been hosted by BruinMUN (Bruin
Model United Nations) for the past eight consecutive years and
attracts over 1,000 high school students from across Southern
California to gather at UCLA and participant in dialogues regarding
current events, international relations, and above all, the United
Nations principles.
"The United Nations is an international organization whose mission
includes the advancement of friendly international relations, thus
emphasizing regional peace and stability, the freedom of thought and
expression, and human rights in general." Explained Stepan Keshishian,
Executive Director of the AYF, "Many of Turkey's policies are in
direct violation of UN principles. It is therefore highly problematic
to invite the Vice Consul of Turkey to serve as the keynote speaker at
this conference, and to essentially present himself and his country as
a valid representation of UN principles."
Arslan was invited to be the keynote speaker at the BruinMUN
conference, and was supposed to deliver an introductory speech to the
conference participants. Just as the conference began, it was
announced that Arslan had made a last minute cancellation.
"When the Vice Consul of Turkey, a country notorious for its Human
rights violations, is invited to our campus to speak to thousand
impressionable high school students on human rights, we cannot stay
silent." said Knarik Gasparyan, Publicity Director for UCLA ASA. "It
was not only our right but also our responsibility to protest against
his presence and speech as well as to educate the students on what the
Consul and his country stand for and represent."
During the event, as students started filing into Ackerman Grand
Ballroom, the UCLA ASA the AYF combined forces, protesting outside and
passing out informative flyers about Turkey's complete disregard for
Human Rights and the United Nations Charter.
"It is not only important that the student participants are educated
about Turkey's blatant violations of human rights and the UN Charter,
but that the organizers of the event are abreast of these issues as
well," remarks ANCA-WR External Affairs Deputy, Tereza Yerimyan. "The
ANCA-WR is very pleased to have seen the youth organizations come
together on a college campus to highlight the facts of the situation."
The Armenian Youth Federation along with the UCLA ASA would like to
thank the ANCA for their continuous support of our activities and
commend them on their work for the Armenian Cause.
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-12-12-ucla-students-react-to-turkish-diplomat-s-planned-appearance-
Published: Wednesday December 12, 2012
A view of the UCLA Model UN conference.
LOS ANGELES - The collective efforts of the UCLA Armenian Students
Association (ASA) and Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), with the
support of the Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region
(ANCA-WR) caused Tolga Arslan, Turkish Vice Consul to cancel his
appearance at the Los Angeles Model United Nations Conference at UCLA
on November 18.
The Los Angeles Model UN Conference has been hosted by BruinMUN (Bruin
Model United Nations) for the past eight consecutive years and
attracts over 1,000 high school students from across Southern
California to gather at UCLA and participant in dialogues regarding
current events, international relations, and above all, the United
Nations principles.
"The United Nations is an international organization whose mission
includes the advancement of friendly international relations, thus
emphasizing regional peace and stability, the freedom of thought and
expression, and human rights in general." Explained Stepan Keshishian,
Executive Director of the AYF, "Many of Turkey's policies are in
direct violation of UN principles. It is therefore highly problematic
to invite the Vice Consul of Turkey to serve as the keynote speaker at
this conference, and to essentially present himself and his country as
a valid representation of UN principles."
Arslan was invited to be the keynote speaker at the BruinMUN
conference, and was supposed to deliver an introductory speech to the
conference participants. Just as the conference began, it was
announced that Arslan had made a last minute cancellation.
"When the Vice Consul of Turkey, a country notorious for its Human
rights violations, is invited to our campus to speak to thousand
impressionable high school students on human rights, we cannot stay
silent." said Knarik Gasparyan, Publicity Director for UCLA ASA. "It
was not only our right but also our responsibility to protest against
his presence and speech as well as to educate the students on what the
Consul and his country stand for and represent."
During the event, as students started filing into Ackerman Grand
Ballroom, the UCLA ASA the AYF combined forces, protesting outside and
passing out informative flyers about Turkey's complete disregard for
Human Rights and the United Nations Charter.
"It is not only important that the student participants are educated
about Turkey's blatant violations of human rights and the UN Charter,
but that the organizers of the event are abreast of these issues as
well," remarks ANCA-WR External Affairs Deputy, Tereza Yerimyan. "The
ANCA-WR is very pleased to have seen the youth organizations come
together on a college campus to highlight the facts of the situation."
The Armenian Youth Federation along with the UCLA ASA would like to
thank the ANCA for their continuous support of our activities and
commend them on their work for the Armenian Cause.