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Generations educate students on Armenian Genocide
by Dro Kanayan
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-06-24-generations-educate-students-on-armenian-genocide-
Published: Sunday June 24, 2012
Wilmington students following the presentation.
For those people who feel that our elders and the youth cannot work
together, you may want to stop and read this article.
For 5 years, myself and two of my peers, Albert Movsesian and Tom
Vartabedian, have been working together to have the Armenian Genocide
included in the high school curriculums on Human Rights in the
Merrimack Valley. We are 41 years old, 71 years old, and 84 years old,
and we have continued pushing forward with our efforts. We work well
together as we have a mutual respect for our thoughts, actions, and
personal lives. We come from different churches, political
backgrounds, and age groups, yet have one mission - Teach students
about the Armenian Genocide and our culture. And we are succeeding.
We have been to over 10 schools, providing individual classroom
presentation and panel discussions on comparative genocides over the
last 100 years. If anyone questions if we're making a difference, here
are some highlights:
Wilmington High School -The students began a letter writing and stamp
designing campaign to the Postmaster General for a commemorative stamp
recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. They also
wrote their congressmen about supporting the Genocide resolution. Also
when the French bill on criminalizing the denial of the Genocide came
about, a former student who graduated 2 years ago and heard our
lecture, emailed her teacher, and said she hoped this would go through
for all Armenians throughout the world.
Chelmsford High School - Students were so moved about the presentation
we made, that they all made in donation to a charity in the name of
our cause.
Haverhill High School - A student was so moved by the panel discussion
on comparative genocides, that he asked his history professor to start
a Human Rights Club, and the club is going to a third world country to
build homes with Habitat for Humanity.
Newton High School - Deaf students learned about the Armenian Genocide
and our culture through sign language.
This is an endeavor that the entire Merrimack Valley has come together
to support. All three local clergy have attended and participated in
our events. Der Khachatur Kessablyan from St. Vartanantz spoke at
Chelmsford High School and as the high school was up the road from St.
Vartanantz church, invited the students to come to the school and view
the Khachkar and tour the church. The students were thrilled.
Der Karekin Bedourian from St. Illuminator's in North Andover spoke at
Austin Preparatory School, reinforcing the religious issues
surrounding the Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity,
and Der Vart Gyozalian from the Armenian church at Hye Point spoke at
Northern Essex Community College about the effects on our culture.
This year we have extended our educational process to universities,
colleges and middle schools.
Our efforts can only reach so far due to limited resources and
manpower. Genocide education should not be done in pockets of the
country. It should be a national movement. As Armenians, we have been
very fortunate to have organizations like the Armenian National
Committee and the Armenian Assembly pushing our issues through
Washington and governments. However, we all need to take ownership of
our cause. All it takes is a little sacrifice of our time, personal
lives and learning how to work together.
The development of Armenian Genocide teaching programs through Facing
History & Ourselves, and the GenEd project out of California, as well
as legislative rulings allowing the formalizing of a curriculum,
provides us the tools to push this through. However, tools are only
great if they are used, and we need to begin using them.
In some parts of the country the movement is greater than others. In
August 2011, the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
appointed Murad Minasian to serve as the office's liaison to the
Armenian American community.
We can all learn from each other. I am sure that Murad, myself, Tom,
Al and any other person who is working with the school districts would
be happy to provide a guiding hand to people who need help in starting
this endeavor. All that has to be done is to ask.
People will only know what they learn, and if our cause is to continue
to be moved in the right direction, then we all need to be out there
educating the students and public about our cause.
by Dro Kanayan
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-06-24-generations-educate-students-on-armenian-genocide-
Published: Sunday June 24, 2012
Wilmington students following the presentation.
For those people who feel that our elders and the youth cannot work
together, you may want to stop and read this article.
For 5 years, myself and two of my peers, Albert Movsesian and Tom
Vartabedian, have been working together to have the Armenian Genocide
included in the high school curriculums on Human Rights in the
Merrimack Valley. We are 41 years old, 71 years old, and 84 years old,
and we have continued pushing forward with our efforts. We work well
together as we have a mutual respect for our thoughts, actions, and
personal lives. We come from different churches, political
backgrounds, and age groups, yet have one mission - Teach students
about the Armenian Genocide and our culture. And we are succeeding.
We have been to over 10 schools, providing individual classroom
presentation and panel discussions on comparative genocides over the
last 100 years. If anyone questions if we're making a difference, here
are some highlights:
Wilmington High School -The students began a letter writing and stamp
designing campaign to the Postmaster General for a commemorative stamp
recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. They also
wrote their congressmen about supporting the Genocide resolution. Also
when the French bill on criminalizing the denial of the Genocide came
about, a former student who graduated 2 years ago and heard our
lecture, emailed her teacher, and said she hoped this would go through
for all Armenians throughout the world.
Chelmsford High School - Students were so moved about the presentation
we made, that they all made in donation to a charity in the name of
our cause.
Haverhill High School - A student was so moved by the panel discussion
on comparative genocides, that he asked his history professor to start
a Human Rights Club, and the club is going to a third world country to
build homes with Habitat for Humanity.
Newton High School - Deaf students learned about the Armenian Genocide
and our culture through sign language.
This is an endeavor that the entire Merrimack Valley has come together
to support. All three local clergy have attended and participated in
our events. Der Khachatur Kessablyan from St. Vartanantz spoke at
Chelmsford High School and as the high school was up the road from St.
Vartanantz church, invited the students to come to the school and view
the Khachkar and tour the church. The students were thrilled.
Der Karekin Bedourian from St. Illuminator's in North Andover spoke at
Austin Preparatory School, reinforcing the religious issues
surrounding the Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity,
and Der Vart Gyozalian from the Armenian church at Hye Point spoke at
Northern Essex Community College about the effects on our culture.
This year we have extended our educational process to universities,
colleges and middle schools.
Our efforts can only reach so far due to limited resources and
manpower. Genocide education should not be done in pockets of the
country. It should be a national movement. As Armenians, we have been
very fortunate to have organizations like the Armenian National
Committee and the Armenian Assembly pushing our issues through
Washington and governments. However, we all need to take ownership of
our cause. All it takes is a little sacrifice of our time, personal
lives and learning how to work together.
The development of Armenian Genocide teaching programs through Facing
History & Ourselves, and the GenEd project out of California, as well
as legislative rulings allowing the formalizing of a curriculum,
provides us the tools to push this through. However, tools are only
great if they are used, and we need to begin using them.
In some parts of the country the movement is greater than others. In
August 2011, the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
appointed Murad Minasian to serve as the office's liaison to the
Armenian American community.
We can all learn from each other. I am sure that Murad, myself, Tom,
Al and any other person who is working with the school districts would
be happy to provide a guiding hand to people who need help in starting
this endeavor. All that has to be done is to ask.
People will only know what they learn, and if our cause is to continue
to be moved in the right direction, then we all need to be out there
educating the students and public about our cause.