On Sunday, April 27, the Armenian Youth Federation San Fernando Valley “Sardarabad” Chapter will be hosting its 6th annual Cycle Against Denial, a bike-a-thon organized in an effort to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide. The 14-mile rally will begin and end at Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church (5300 White Oaks Ave., Encino). It will be followed by a musical performance.

“We can only end the cycle of genocide through education and awareness,” said Dikran Khodanian, a member of the “Sardarabad” Chapter. “Let’s work together to spread awareness to the community about the Armenian Genocide.”

In order to register, please e-mail cycleagainstdenial@gmail.com with riders’ names, ages and whether or not a bike rental is required. Check-in for the event begins at 11 a.m. and is required for each rider. Children under the age of 18 must be checked in by an adult and must wear helmets at all times during the rally. The participation fee is $10 and bike rentals are $20.

The event is open to the public.

GLENDALE — The Armenian Youth Federation will be holding 24 Hours of Action to demand justice for the Armenian Genocide starting at 2 p.m. on April 24 in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles.

The 24 Hours of Action will begin with protesters disseminating information about the Armenian Genocide to the public. At 4 p.m., the AYF’s annual protest will take place, with community activists and civic leaders across the state coming together to publicly condemn the Republic of Turkey for its continued perpetuation of a campaign resulting in the death of over 1.5 million Armenians 99 years ago. The participants will gather in front of the office of the Turkish Consul General at 6300 Wilshire Blvd. until 6 p.m. to honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide and demand justice from the Republic of Turkey, as well as U.S. recognition of the genocide.

Following the protest, musical performances and live art will comprise the “Music as Resistance” and “Art as Rebirth” segments of the 24 Hours of Action. Beginning at midnight, protesters will present Gregory Stanton’s eight stages of genocide as they pertain to the Armenian Genocide and others that followed. A second protest rally taking place from noon to 2 p.m. on April 25 will conclude the 24 hours.

The AYF calls on the community and all concerned citizens to join the 24 Hours of Action. The organization is providing free buses to the consulate, which will depart at 2 p.m. on April 24 from various locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area: the Pasadena Armenian Center, St. Mary’s Church in Glendale, and Ferrahian Armenian School in Encino.

The 24-hour protest is among a number of commemoration events organized by the AYF to mark the anniversary of the genocide. A few such noteworthy events include a candlelight vigil at the Burbank City Hall on April 22 hosted by the Burbank “Varak” Chapter and the Cycle Against Denial bike rally on April 27 hosted by the San Fernando Valley “Sardarabad” Chapter.

The protest is a symbolic focal point for the community and represents the AYF’s year-round battle to gain proper recognition and restitution for the crime of genocide perpetrated by the Turkish government. It will be paired with a social media campaign to trend #ArmenianGenocide worldwide in order to bring global awareness to the issue.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization. With chapters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the AYF actively strives to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of all Armenian youth.

GLENDALE – The Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region hosted a town hall meeting on Wednesday at the Krikor and Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center. Hundreds were in attendance as representatives from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Kessab Educational Association of Los Angeles, and the Syrian-Armenian Relief Fund presented information about the recent attacks on the predominantly Armenian town of Kessab, Syria, as well as Turkey’s involvement in the occurrences.

Vahe Lepedjian, a member of the AYF-WR Central Executive, explained in his opening remarks that the AYF-WR thought it necessary to hold this meeting in order to present the community with up-to-date and accurate information regarding the recent occurrences in Kessab. Over the past few weeks, the AYF-WR has seen an overwhelming response to its #SaveKessab campaign on the internet, but information shared through social media has not always been truthful.

“As an organization that is dedicated to strengthening and educating our community, engaging and activating the masses serves as the best motivation to continue working toward our goal,” Lepedjian said. “Whether online or in person, our efforts have been matched with an overwhelming amount of interest and support.”

Speaking on behalf of the ARF was Dr. Viken Hovsepian, chairperson of the ARF Western United States Central Committee. He presented the facts of the attack, saying that residents of Kessab have evacuated the town and there have been no Armenian casualties to date. He also explained that an emergency meeting was called with the U.S. State Department the day of the attacks. Representatives from the ARF and ANCA presented facts and evidence, urging the State Department to begin a formal, independent investigation into Turkey’s involvement in the attacks. Raffi Hamparian, ANCA National Board member, spoke to the crowd about the importance of contacting their representatives in Congress and calling for congressional intelligence inquiry into the attacks.

Joining the meeting from Latakia via Skype was Garo Manjikian. He is heading relief efforts in Latakia, where the majority of Kessab residents have found refuge. He said that on the morning of March 21, locals noticed that Turkish police posts at the border were vacated. Hours later, the attackers crossed the border and attacked the town. Residents, he said, adamantly wish to return to their homes in Kessab. He thanked the international Armenian community for all its support in the last few weeks.

Esther Tognozzi, president of the KEA, thanked the community for its support and asked that any information found online be verified before sharing. She also conducted the Q&A session with Manjikian. The final speaker was Zaven Khanjian on behalf of SARF. He urged the crowd to attend the Hye Aid 3 benefit concert, the proceeds of which will help relief efforts in Kessab.

The crisis in Kessab is of particular concern to the Armenian community because of its unique historical significance as the last indigenously-populated Armenian town on the lands of historic Western Armenia. The attacks on Kessab serve as a bitter reminder of the same tactics Turkish forces utilized as a precursor to genocide in 1909 and 1915.

Wednesday’s town hall meeting attracted activists of different backgrounds. Jason Acherman, a  member of the Encino Neighborhood Council, attended the meeting to be further informed on the subject of Kessab. “I just wanted to get a better sense of what’s going on and see what I, as a non-Armenian-American, can do to help,” he said. “I’m Jewish and my people have faced genocide as well, so I have deep empathy for the Armenian community.”

The AYF-WR is gratified and inspired by the success of the #SaveKessab campaign, but is likewise aware of a mass distribution of inaccurate information and images not associated with the crisis in Kessab. Moving forward, it is crucial that specific information is clarified so that the campaign and its followers can take steps in the direction of effective intervention and aid.

The AYF-WR would also like to address that its only official outlets for the #SaveKessab campaign operate under “AYFWest” social media accounts and www.ayfwest.org. Any merchandise found online is unofficial and we discourage purchasing such merchandise as the proceeds cannot be tracked. At this time of crisis, our united efforts are critical.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

 

Watch the video of the discussion below