LAKEWOOD, CA–Hundreds of tenth and eleventh grade history students gathered in the Lakewood High School Library on Monday to participate in a discussion on genocide with members of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF).

The discussion covered a range of issues, from the basic history of the Armenian Genocide to how its denial put into motion a cycle of genocide that has characterized the 20th century, as the bloodiest in history. The recurrence of that cycle today in the 21st century was underscored as the root cause of the genocide currently taking place in Darfur.

Lakewood High teacher Angela Wood, who had taken the lead on teaching the Armenian Genocide in her history classes, reached out to the AYF to organize the discussion with class. “We’ve been teaching WWI History to our students for many years and seeing as the Armenian Genocide occurred at this time, we’ve always wanted our students to be aware of this issue,” she explained.

Vache Thomassian, the AYF’s chairperson, led the discussion covering the five phases of the Genocide, focusing on how Turkey’s ongoing denial of its crime continues to provide genocidal regimes with ample precedents for how to carry out their crimes.

“The denial aspect is arguably the most disheartening, because not only has the Turkish government committed the crime, but now they are trying to rewrite our ancestor’s history by distorting the truth, and this has led to other perpetrators believing that they can get away with doing the same thing,” said Thomassian. “We are thankful that Ms. Wood has allowed for us to come here today to talk about the reasons and the means that our generation has confronted in order to prevent the government from completing this act of inhumanity.”

The presentation itself lasted for 4 class periods, with Thomassian and fellow AYF member Arek Santikian speaking to over 200 mostly non-Armenian students about the evils of genocide.

“It was amazing how motivated these students were by the discussion,” exclaimed Santikian, adding that many were anxious to find out ways they could make their voices heard on the issue.

Lakewood’s congressional representative, Linda Sanchez, is currently not signed on as a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252. Santikian urged the students to call their congresswoman and share their concern over the cycle of genocide.

“The best way for any individual in America to get their voice heard is to reach out to their representative in congress and urge them to do the right thing,” he said.

At the end of every discussion, Thomassian and Santikian passed out fliers, sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America, detailing all the simple ways to reach out to congressional representatives on this and other issues.

The ANCA on Monday launched a nationwide online and print campaign, urging concrete action to end the Darfur genocide and full U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Titled the "Fierce Urgency of Now," the grassroots campaign gives anti-genocide activists across the U.S. an opportunity to learn more about the worsening humanitarian situation in Darfur and how this atrocity fits into the cycle of genocide that started with the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Individual’s can use the campaign’s website to send webfaxes to members of congress and President Obama.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) has grown to become the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization; with chapters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world. Inspired by our past and motivated by the needs of the future, the AYF actively strives to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of all Armenian youth.

CRESCENTA VALLEY–The Crescenta Valley ‘Zartonk’ Chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation will be hosting a lounge night fundraiser on Saturday March 28 as part of a large scale effort by the organization’s nine Southern California chapters to raise funds for the AYF’s Youth Corps program in Armenia.

The event, titled “Just Kick It,” is set to begin at 8pm at the Crescenta Valley Armenian Center. It is the 5th Youth Corps fundraiser held since the program began engaging the local chapters on this initiative late last year.

Thus far joint fundraisers have been held with the Burbank ‘Varak’ chapter, the Orange County ‘Ashod Yergat’ chapter, the Montebello ‘Vahan Kardashian’ chapter, and the Hollywood ‘Musa Dagh’ chapter.

The AYF Youth Corps program was established in 1994 to strengthen ties between the homeland and Diaspora youth. The program provides an unequaled opportunity to experience daily life in Armenia by volunteering as camp counselors for underprivileged children in Gyumi.

“The Youth Corps program is the bridge for diasporan youth to connect with their homeland. Working with children in Armenia is a priceless experience,” said Sose Thomassian, chairperson of the Youth Corps Committee. “In the future, with the support of our communities, we hope to expand the program to several cities throughout Armenia.”

The six week program is open to all youth over the age of 18 who are motivated and enthusiastic about helping Armenia. The deadline to submit applications for the Summer 2009 Youth Corps program is on April 20. Applications can be downloaded at: https://www.ayfwest.org/assets/2009_yc_application.pdf

The Crescenta Valley Armenian Center is located on 2633 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA, 91020.

CRESCENTA VALLEY, CA–The Armenian Center in Crescenta Valley was teeming with excitement on Saturday, March 14, as members from the Armenian Youth Federation came together in the center’s hall to compete in what has become the most anticipated educational event on the AYF’s yearly calendar.

Dubbed the “4th Annual Biggest Quiz Bowl in AYF History,” this competition has been hosted annually by the organization’s Crescenta Valley Zartonk Chapter since 2006. This year’s quiz bowl pitted six chapters against one another in a friendly competition on the history of the Armenian Zartonk, a period covering the 18th and 19th centuries, when dedicated intellectuals and activists tirelessly laid the groundwork for a literary, cultural and political awakening.

The event, which required participants to prepare months in advance, has been the pride and joy of the chapter since its inaugural year, according to its chairperson Aris Hovasapian.

“The intent of the quiz bowl, from its inception, has been to explore themes that have not been at the forefront of AYF’s educational efforts,” Hovasapian said. “We wanted to select topics to which we have historically been underexposed.”

The first quiz bowl, he recalled, focused on the February Rebellion of 1921; the next centered on the rebirth of Armenian nationalism during the Soviet Era. Last year, chapters learned about the vital role played by women in the Armenian revolutionary movement.

Hovasapian explained that every year, chapters from throughout Southern California establish teams and study groups in anticipation of the annual quiz bowl.

While the quiz bowl challenges competing chapter to take a journey into uncharted territory, equally challenging are the logistical aspects for the event’s organizers, according to Saro Haroun, who was in charge of putting together this year’s quiz bowl.

“Preparing for the quiz bowl starts nearly 6 months prior to the actual date of the event,” Haroun said, explaining how chapter members from AYF Zartonk’s educational committee are required to study the reading material and develop questions to be used in the actual competition. “This is all in addition to actually taking care of the logistics of the event, such as finding a host, securing the judges, and promoting the event.”

This year, the chapter decided to raise the bar with the topic and questions, Haroun said, adding that the study guides were composed of university level reading that covered dense concepts and challenging issues.

“When I first received the email with the study guide to this year’s quiz bowl I thought it was going to be extremely hard,” said Serob Aprahamian, a member of the Valley Sardarabad team.

Although Sardarabad won this year’s competition, winning wasn’t easy, he stressed, noting how his team had to adopt a strict study regimen. “We decided to split the packet up among four team members, distributing work evenly to be more efficient,” he said.

Several chapters followed a similar formula, preparing flashcards and outlines from the reading material that had been provided by the Crescenta Valley chapter months in advance. Some even went so far as to organize internal review sessions where team members would quiz one another on their assigned reading.

Orange County’s Ashod Yergat Chapter prepared by having weekly study groups. “Our quiz bowl team prepared for the event by reading the comprehensive material, extracting key points in an outline format, and making study cards to review key figures and events,” said Ashod Yergat member Alex DerAlexanian, who described his own systemic approach to studying as one initially driven by the desire to win.

“But I was quickly taken aback by intriguing material,” he said, noting how he studying for the quiz bowl opened his eyes to the role of the Armenian Diaspora in the development of a homogenous national identity for the Armenian people. “Learning about the Mkhitarist brotherhood’s efforts to collect, research, refine and publish Armenian History, literature, geography and language helped me develop a much deeper understanding of the amount of work and sacrifice it took for Armenians to get where they are today,” he added.

“It was rather inspiring actually,” DerAlexanian, 22, exclaimed. “In the 19th century, Armenians my age were graduating from Universities in Europe and Russia and going to the provinces to raise awareness of the plight of our nation under Turkish occupation.”

This topic is very important, stressed David Arakelyan, from the Glendale Roupen chapter. “The Zartonk was the intellectual awakening of our people. It not only fueled the revolutionary movement and the independence movement, but also saved the nation from assimilating into the dominant trends shaping their every day realities,” he said.

The event’s host, Mourad Topalian, emphasized that poignant point throughout the evening, relating each question he asked the participants to the current struggle for the Armenian Cause. “Hai Tahd is not a new phenomenon; Armenian men and women were dreaming of, and working for, the liberation of their people long before Armenian Americans began working in Washington DC toward the just resolution of our cause,” he exclaimed after asking a question about Israel Ori’s attempt to liberate Armenia from Persian domination in 1659.

“These people were thinking about freedom and democracy, women’s rights and civil liberties, long before the United States Constitution was even written,” Topalian said. “These are still very pertinent issues today, for all people.”

Myrna Douzjian, one of the quiz bowl’s three judges, also reflected on the topics resonance with contemporary Armenians, explaining how the efforts of Armenians of the 19th century to “define a transnational Armenian identity and to revive the vitality of the Armenian language and culture are pressing concerns for Armenian communities worldwide.”

“Interestingly enough, over a century later–after the collapse of the Ottoman, Russian and Soviet empires, the independence of the fledgling Armenian state, and the large-scale, multi-phased remappings of Armenian populations across the globe–many of the issues that the Zartonk period put forth remain relevant for Diaspora Armenians today, though in contemporary terms,” she said. “The AYF’s decision to engage in the study of this period serves as a testament to that reality.”

Douzjian, who is currently a Ph.D. candidate in comparative literature at UCLA, was joined on the judge’s panel by Sevag Garabedian and Talar Chahinian, all alumni of the Crescenta Valley Zartonk chapter.

“I had a lot of fun as a judge in this year’s quiz bowl,” said Chahinian, who is a lecturer at UCLA with a Ph.D. in comparative literature. “I think it’s a wonderful way for the youth to engage more closely with Armenian cultural history.”

Garabedian, for his part, described the evening as an elevating and nostalgic reminder of his days as members of the chapter, organizing educationals and discussions around the same issues.

Arick Gevorkian, a member of the Crescenta Valley ARF Zavarian Gomideh, shared similar sentimen’s. “I was uplifted by the spirit and energy of the AYF members in the room,” he said. “The passion and enthusiasm the quiz bowl participants displayed took me back 20 years; I felt like an AYF member again.”

Editor’s Note: AYF Zartonk will also be launching the “Blueprint for Progress” lecture series on April 5. The series will explore progressive issues in American politics, and will show how Armenian-Americans’ participation in those issues will help us in achieving our political goals in the United States. Among the issues that will be explored are the civil rights movement, organized labor, and sustainability. Lectures are schedule for April 5, May 17, June 28, and July 26. All lectures will begin at 6pm and will be held at the Crescenta Valley Armenian Center at 2633 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA, 91020. For more information email: AYFZARTONK@GMAIL.COM

NORTHRIDGE, CA–Students and human rights activists recently attended a talk by Consul General of Azerbaijan Elin Suleymanov held Wednesday at California State University-Northridge (CSUN), the Armenian National Committee Reported

The lecture, organized at the requested of Suleymanov, was titled “The Geopolitics of Energy Security in Eurasia, Central Asia, Europe and America,” and served as a propaganda event to present Azerbaijan as a stable democracy and investment receptacle for the west.

Suleymanov attempted to portray Azerbaijan as a country of “stability, with unmatched regional cooperation and [as] an ideal location for investment”.

Concerned students, in a collaborative effort, produced flyers on the event and disseminated materials to attendees and passers-by, informing them about Azerbaijan’s bleak human rights record and history of war-mongering in the region.

During the presentation, students also asked the Consul General questions regarding the Azerbaijani President’s repeated and explicit threats of war over Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan’s swelling list of human rights violations, the rampant government corruption plaguing the government, the Sumgait Massacre of Armenia’s and the disinformation campaign of the Azerbaijani government against Armenia.

Those participating were members of various organizations, including the CSUN Armenian Students Association, Shant Student Association, the Armenian Youth Federation and the AEO Fraternity.

Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, has used soaring oil revenues to buildup the country’s military to launch a new war against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, which have isolated from regional projects,” said Armen Aboulian, Chairman of the ARF Shant Student Association. “As United States citizens, we refuse to partake in a relationship whose profits will be used to undermine the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and its people’s rights to self-determination.”

Wednesday’s presentation by Suleymanov comes amid heightened activism by the Azerbaijani government in the United States, working with Azeri and Turkish Americans on college campuses and in the halls of Congress and state legislatures, to distort the facts of the Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan’s interests.

Late last Month, a group of Azeri’s stages anti-Armenia demonstrations in Washington DC, protesting against what they called “Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan” and demanding that Armenia’s "get out" of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan’s government earlier this year announced February 20 – March 1 would be considered Khojaly Awareness Days, kicking off what they called an international memorial effort that would be observed at all the Azeri embassies and consulates in the United States.

On February 22, the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles staged a public event on Khojaly. The event came two days after the American Council of Turkish-speaking Students Association at Berkeley University and Northern California Cultural Center sponsored a conference at UC Berkeley titled “Tragedy of Khojaly.”

Since being appointed in 2005, Suleymanov has been actively working to reshape Azerbaijan’s image in the Western United States, speaking at places like the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, and in states like Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Last August he addressed a group of local world history schoolteachers as part of a two-week training workshop about historical and contemporary links between Europe and Azia hosted at UCLA. Through Suleymanov, these K-12 teachers learned about Azerbaijan’s struggle to survive and to succeed” in an “inflamed” region.

“The misinformation campaign of the Azerbaijani government continues,” stated Andrew Kzirian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee–Western Region. “Our community is committed to working with human rights activists to ensure that America knows the facts when it comes to Artsakh and Azerbaijan."