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NCWA CHAIRMAN ADDRESSES TORONTO ARMENIANS
Jirair Tutunjian, Toronto, 26 January 2014
TORONTO--The chairman of the Paris-based National Congress of Western
Armenians (NCWA) outlined the aims and recent projects at a private
gathering here on January 25.
Addressing a cross section of the Toronto Armenian community,
Souren Seraydarian said the NCWA mission is to initiate and carry
out activities related to the defense of the interests and rights of
Western Armenian descendants of the former Armenian citizens of the
Ottoman Empire. He added that the NCWA mission is also to define or
assist in defining the individual and collective losses and damages
suffered in the territory of the Republic of Turkey since 1915.
Safeguarding the Armenian cultural heritage in Turkey is also part
of the NCWA mission, he said.
Since its foundation at Sevres, outside Paris, in 2011, the NCWA
has pursued a proactive agenda to engage progressive Turkish groups
and individuals and to build bridges with the Kurdish leadership,
especially in eastern Turkey (Western Armenia). The NCWA is an
international NGO with members in Argentina, Armenia, Canada, Lebanon,
France, the Russian Federation, the United States and half-a-dozen
other countries. Like Armenians from the Middle East and the western
world, NCWA members in Armenia and in the Russian Federation are
descendants of Genocide survivors. Among the members are judges,
lawyers, engineers, businessmen, authors, journalists, politicians from
the RoA parliament, military personnel including a retired general who
helped organize the Armenian Army during the Armenian-Azerbaijan War in
the early '90s. Seraydarian stressed that to expand its work,the NCWA
"needs further human and financial resources". He invited attendees
to look up the NCWA website and become members of his organization.
In a frank, informal and wide-ranging talk, Seraydarian cautioned
attendees not expect dramatic or breakthrough developments on the part
of the Turkish government as a result of the centenary of the Genocide
next year. "April 24, 2015 is an important date, but it's just a date.
What's more important is the day after. What do we do after that date?
We have no illusions; we intend to continue on the long trail our
campaign for Turkey's recognition of the Genocide and for compensation
re the losses the Armenian nation suffered," he said.
Outlining the recent work of the NCWA, Seraydarian said that his
organization is seeking an observer status at UN's Economic and Social
Council, in addition to the UN Human Rights Commission. It's also
organizing nine Armenian compatriotic associations in Turkey into a
single entity, and registering the NCWA as a national NGO in Turkey.
He said the NCWA would soon start legal action in national courts as
well as the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Genocide
and Armenian rights. Meanwhile the organization will continue the
dissemination of information in the Turkish media and strengthen
NCWA's co-operation with Turkish institutions and individuals who
already recognize the Genocide.
During six trips to Turkey in the past three years, the NCWA leadership
has met Armenian community leaders, compatriotic organizations,
Islamized/Hamshen Armenians, Turkish lawyers, Freedom of Thought
in Ankara, the Human Rights Association in Ankara and Istanbul, the
Ismael Beskci Foundation, andthe BDP Kurdish party representatives
in the Turkish parliament. During its dialogue with civil society
organizations in Turkey, the NCWA leaders have put restitution and or
compensation to Armenians at the top of their agenda, said Seraydarian.
The NCWA leaders have also met representatives of the recently-created
HCP Kurdish party in Turkey, the mayors of Diyarbekir and Van,
members of the Hrant Dink Foundation in Istanbul and delegates from
the European Union of Turks.
Seraydarian said the NCWA leaders have also made three trips to
Armenia and met its president and the Catholicos of All Armenians. He
said the latter was less than enthusiastic about the organization's
mission. Catholicos Aram I of the Cilicia See in Lebanon was far more
enthusiastic, he said. During the Lebanese trip, the NCWA leaders
also met the catholicos of the Catholic Cilicia See.
The NCWA leader's informal and frank address, which included a
power-point presentation, was followed by a question-and-answer
session. The consensus among the more than 30 attendees was that the
NCWA is doing important work which all Armenians should support. A
number of people enrolled NCWA members while others said they would
look up the group's website and most probably become members.
http://www.keghart.com/Report-NCWA-Toronto
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Jirair Tutunjian, Toronto, 26 January 2014
TORONTO--The chairman of the Paris-based National Congress of Western
Armenians (NCWA) outlined the aims and recent projects at a private
gathering here on January 25.
Addressing a cross section of the Toronto Armenian community,
Souren Seraydarian said the NCWA mission is to initiate and carry
out activities related to the defense of the interests and rights of
Western Armenian descendants of the former Armenian citizens of the
Ottoman Empire. He added that the NCWA mission is also to define or
assist in defining the individual and collective losses and damages
suffered in the territory of the Republic of Turkey since 1915.
Safeguarding the Armenian cultural heritage in Turkey is also part
of the NCWA mission, he said.
Since its foundation at Sevres, outside Paris, in 2011, the NCWA
has pursued a proactive agenda to engage progressive Turkish groups
and individuals and to build bridges with the Kurdish leadership,
especially in eastern Turkey (Western Armenia). The NCWA is an
international NGO with members in Argentina, Armenia, Canada, Lebanon,
France, the Russian Federation, the United States and half-a-dozen
other countries. Like Armenians from the Middle East and the western
world, NCWA members in Armenia and in the Russian Federation are
descendants of Genocide survivors. Among the members are judges,
lawyers, engineers, businessmen, authors, journalists, politicians from
the RoA parliament, military personnel including a retired general who
helped organize the Armenian Army during the Armenian-Azerbaijan War in
the early '90s. Seraydarian stressed that to expand its work,the NCWA
"needs further human and financial resources". He invited attendees
to look up the NCWA website and become members of his organization.
In a frank, informal and wide-ranging talk, Seraydarian cautioned
attendees not expect dramatic or breakthrough developments on the part
of the Turkish government as a result of the centenary of the Genocide
next year. "April 24, 2015 is an important date, but it's just a date.
What's more important is the day after. What do we do after that date?
We have no illusions; we intend to continue on the long trail our
campaign for Turkey's recognition of the Genocide and for compensation
re the losses the Armenian nation suffered," he said.
Outlining the recent work of the NCWA, Seraydarian said that his
organization is seeking an observer status at UN's Economic and Social
Council, in addition to the UN Human Rights Commission. It's also
organizing nine Armenian compatriotic associations in Turkey into a
single entity, and registering the NCWA as a national NGO in Turkey.
He said the NCWA would soon start legal action in national courts as
well as the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Genocide
and Armenian rights. Meanwhile the organization will continue the
dissemination of information in the Turkish media and strengthen
NCWA's co-operation with Turkish institutions and individuals who
already recognize the Genocide.
During six trips to Turkey in the past three years, the NCWA leadership
has met Armenian community leaders, compatriotic organizations,
Islamized/Hamshen Armenians, Turkish lawyers, Freedom of Thought
in Ankara, the Human Rights Association in Ankara and Istanbul, the
Ismael Beskci Foundation, andthe BDP Kurdish party representatives
in the Turkish parliament. During its dialogue with civil society
organizations in Turkey, the NCWA leaders have put restitution and or
compensation to Armenians at the top of their agenda, said Seraydarian.
The NCWA leaders have also met representatives of the recently-created
HCP Kurdish party in Turkey, the mayors of Diyarbekir and Van,
members of the Hrant Dink Foundation in Istanbul and delegates from
the European Union of Turks.
Seraydarian said the NCWA leaders have also made three trips to
Armenia and met its president and the Catholicos of All Armenians. He
said the latter was less than enthusiastic about the organization's
mission. Catholicos Aram I of the Cilicia See in Lebanon was far more
enthusiastic, he said. During the Lebanese trip, the NCWA leaders
also met the catholicos of the Catholic Cilicia See.
The NCWA leader's informal and frank address, which included a
power-point presentation, was followed by a question-and-answer
session. The consensus among the more than 30 attendees was that the
NCWA is doing important work which all Armenians should support. A
number of people enrolled NCWA members while others said they would
look up the group's website and most probably become members.
http://www.keghart.com/Report-NCWA-Toronto
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress