Tweet
EDITORIAL: IMPERATIVE FOR A NATIONAL AGENDA
http://asbarez.com/109622/editorial-imperative-for-a-national-agenda/
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
Armenian protest at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles in 2012
The imperative to demonstrate collective strength as a nation to attain
international recognition for the Armenian Genocide and advance our
demands for reparations was highlighted last year in the editorial
published in our annual Genocide Commemorative Issue.
Yet due to political expediency or individual interests, the voices
hoping to advance the Armenian Cause were fragmented both within and
outside of the community, posing an obstacle to decades-long efforts
and achievement in the pursuit of Hai-Tahd.
There was that now infamous statement by President Serzh Sarkisian,
during his re-election campaign, that equated the words Genocide
and "Medz Yeghern" and went on to announce that President Obama has
effectively recognized the Genocide. There were also those who declared
that the Diaspora was so infatuated with this "semantics game" that it
failed to recognize the decline in democratic norms in Armenia ahead
of the presidential elections-a naive comparison of apples to oranges.
On the other hand, the shameful infighting between attorneys
representing survivor families in Genocide-era insurance claims reached
a crescendo that included courtroom finger pointing and accusations,
none of which served the ultimate interest of pursuing the Armenian
Cause.
Then there are the community-wide committees formed to plan centennial
commemorations that have not gotten off the ground because the
organizations represented in the effort are unable to cede their
petty issues and come together for the common cause.
Meanwhile, Turkey has advanced in Genocide denial machine and is
actively preparing to confront 2015. It's foreign minister unveiled an
policy that dangerously redefines its Diaspora-if it can be called
that-to include all races that were once living in Turkey. The
Turkish state is using all efforts, including the enlistment of
attention-hungry spineless Armenians to advance their policy of
establishing "friendly dialogue between Turks and Armenians."
The missteps of authorities or selfish actions of individuals should
not deter us, the Armenian nation, to fully engage in the pursuit of
our national aspirations and to press for justice for the victims of
the Armenian Genocide.
It is time to recalibrate our efforts and come together as a nation
to pursue the international recognition of the Genocide on all
fronts, including a persistent approach to the issue of reparations
and restitution for the victims through a national agenda that is
formulated through sincere dialogue and with the aim of advancing
and winning the Armenian Cause.
While proposals to stage concerts, organize exhibits, publish books
and other such benign endeavors can fulfill a certain aspect of the
centennial challenge, the time to accelerate our effort as a nation
is NOW. It begins with Armenia's authorities, who have embraced an
illogical trajectory and ends with the individual Armenian who has,
in one way or another, been impacted by the Armenian Genocide even
100 years later.
From: A. Papazian
http://asbarez.com/109622/editorial-imperative-for-a-national-agenda/
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
Armenian protest at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles in 2012
The imperative to demonstrate collective strength as a nation to attain
international recognition for the Armenian Genocide and advance our
demands for reparations was highlighted last year in the editorial
published in our annual Genocide Commemorative Issue.
Yet due to political expediency or individual interests, the voices
hoping to advance the Armenian Cause were fragmented both within and
outside of the community, posing an obstacle to decades-long efforts
and achievement in the pursuit of Hai-Tahd.
There was that now infamous statement by President Serzh Sarkisian,
during his re-election campaign, that equated the words Genocide
and "Medz Yeghern" and went on to announce that President Obama has
effectively recognized the Genocide. There were also those who declared
that the Diaspora was so infatuated with this "semantics game" that it
failed to recognize the decline in democratic norms in Armenia ahead
of the presidential elections-a naive comparison of apples to oranges.
On the other hand, the shameful infighting between attorneys
representing survivor families in Genocide-era insurance claims reached
a crescendo that included courtroom finger pointing and accusations,
none of which served the ultimate interest of pursuing the Armenian
Cause.
Then there are the community-wide committees formed to plan centennial
commemorations that have not gotten off the ground because the
organizations represented in the effort are unable to cede their
petty issues and come together for the common cause.
Meanwhile, Turkey has advanced in Genocide denial machine and is
actively preparing to confront 2015. It's foreign minister unveiled an
policy that dangerously redefines its Diaspora-if it can be called
that-to include all races that were once living in Turkey. The
Turkish state is using all efforts, including the enlistment of
attention-hungry spineless Armenians to advance their policy of
establishing "friendly dialogue between Turks and Armenians."
The missteps of authorities or selfish actions of individuals should
not deter us, the Armenian nation, to fully engage in the pursuit of
our national aspirations and to press for justice for the victims of
the Armenian Genocide.
It is time to recalibrate our efforts and come together as a nation
to pursue the international recognition of the Genocide on all
fronts, including a persistent approach to the issue of reparations
and restitution for the victims through a national agenda that is
formulated through sincere dialogue and with the aim of advancing
and winning the Armenian Cause.
While proposals to stage concerts, organize exhibits, publish books
and other such benign endeavors can fulfill a certain aspect of the
centennial challenge, the time to accelerate our effort as a nation
is NOW. It begins with Armenia's authorities, who have embraced an
illogical trajectory and ends with the individual Armenian who has,
in one way or another, been impacted by the Armenian Genocide even
100 years later.
From: A. Papazian