For the last month and a half, Tatev Abrahamyan, a senior majoring in Psychology at Cal State Long Beach and a nationally renowned chess champion, has been volunteering every week at the AYF Central Office in Glendale in an effort to give back to her community.

“I really enjoy volunteering at the AYF,” says Abrahamyan. “Every day I see and hear about people who go out of their way to be involved in their community and make an impact, which is really motivational. I hope my contributions are also helpful.”

Abrahamyan initially approached the AYF in mid-February, looking to volunteer as part of a requirement for a university course. She wanted to fulfill her volunteer hours working with an Armenian organization rooted in the community because, as she explains it, “At times I felt isolated from my culture and not as involved as I should be.”

After meeting with AYF Executive Director, Serouj Aprahamian, Tatev was welcomed as an intern and given a series of specially-tailored projects related to the AYF’s Haytoug magazine, community outreach initiatives, translation, and grant research.

“There is always an abundance of work to do here at the AYF so, of course, we were glad to hear from Tatev when she contacted us,” says Aprahamian. “We are a volunteer-based organization that opens its doors to any and all youth interested in serving the community.”

In addition to being a student and volunteer, Tatev is an accomplished chess player. She gained a love for the sport in Yerevan, where she was born, and carried on her passion after moving to the US. She has competed in both national and international competitions since 1996, earning 2^nd place in the 2011 US Women’s Championship and tying for 3^rd place during the 2010 Women’s Olympiad. She has her sights set on one day being designated as a Grandmaster, the highest title awarded by the world chess organization.

She also plans to continue her education in psychology and eventually become a college professor. “I have a lot of respect for education,” says Abrahamyan, “and I want to be able to make my own contribution.”

The AYF continues to accept interns and volunteers on a year-round basis. It also recently inaugurated the second year of its annual ‘Karekin Njdeh’ Future Leaders Program, an intensive 8-week program for students seeking to gain experience in community activism.

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.

BY GAIANEH AVANESSIAN

LOS ANGELES — For the first time in recent history, the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide coincided with Easter, but this did not deter community members from participating in the annual April 24 protest in front of the Turkish Consulate. An estimated 5,000 people poured onto the streets to march and voice their ancestral anguish for the 1.5 million Armenians slaughtered at the hands of Ottoman Turks, as well as demand just reparations and recognition owed to the Armenian people.

“As a community and as citizens who care for human rights, we must stay unrelenting against the perpetration of genocide in all of its forms,” said Serouj Aprahamian, Executive Director of the Armenian Youth Federation. “That is why we’re here today. We are making a clear statement that we will ramp up our activism until justice is achieved for the unpunished crime of genocide committed by the Turkish government.”

As the crowd swelled, the Los Angeles Police Department was forced to close down a portion of Wilshire Blvd. in order to allow the masses of protestors to move into the street. Armenians and non-Armenians alike, of all age groups representing generations of history, marched and chanted in unison.

Javier Hernandez, a Mexican-American born and raised in Glendale, was protesting alongside his Armenian friends. “I’m here to support my Armenian friends because genocide is not just an Armenian issue, it’s a human rights issue and everyone deserves justice,” said Hernandez.

AYF member Tro Krikorian echoed the same sentiments in his speech given in Armenian, as he addressed the sea of people gathered directly in front of the entrance to the building housing the Turkish Consulate. Krikorian noted that the denial of the Armenian Genocide creates a perpetual cycle of genocide around the world that must be stopped.

Days earlier, more than 1,200 Armenian-Americans gathered in Culver City to demand that President Obama honor his promise and recognize the Genocide. The community had also urged Obama to visit the Montebello Armenian Genocide Martyrs’ Monument during his visit.

Instead, the president responded with a statement on April 23, referring to the events of 1915 as “Medz Yeghern,” once again falling short of honoring his promise to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Razmig Sarkissian, an AYF member from Montebello, passionately voiced the frustration many Armenians share as a result of Obama’s unwillingness to properly refer to the crime as genocide. “We voted for change, not your indifference. Stand up and honor your pledge. Stand up and recognize genocide,” shouted Sarkissian.

Among the crowd, there was an unprecedented number of youth, ranging from 5 to 17 years old, holding up signs and exercising their right to speak, and be heard. Sarkissian addressed this crowd, specifically, as he exclaimed, “We must [keep pushing this movement forward] because we hold the pen that writes history, and the ink that floods that pen is our collective strength, our perseverance, and our relentless refusal to back down”.

The protest concluded with the Western Prelacy’s Father Bartev Gulumian leading a requiem service, addressing the uniqueness of Easter falling on April 24 and motivating the youth to continue to fight towards justice for the Armenian people.

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.

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BY SHOGHAK KAZANDJIAN

For the first time in a long time, Easter Sunday will fall on April 24th, the international day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide. As in the past, the Armenian Youth Federation will hold its Annual Protest in front of the Turkish Consulate on April 24th. Armenian communities worldwide will fulfill their duty in commemorating the death of their ancestors, alongside celebrating the holy day of Easter.

In the weeks past, some concerns have been raised about this rarity, in the fear that it displays a conflict of priorities to protest on such a widely observed religious occasion. This occurrence, however, is not a conflict nor an inconvenience, but rather an opportunity to remember both the resurrection of Jesus and the martyrdom of 1.5 million Armenians who were murdered for their Christian faith.

“As Armenians we will celebrate the resurrection of Christ and demand justice for the still unpunished crime of genocide committed against us by the Turkish government,” says Anya Agopian, member of AYF-WR Central Executive. “We have a special responsibility to stand up this April 24 and voice our demand for justice for this brutal crime which was committed against us not only as Armenians, but as Christians.”

As the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official state religion, the deep connection between the Armenian culture and its faith is seen through the vast amount of churches built across historical Armenia. Today, as a result of the Genocide, these churches are in ruins, and exist only as obliterated pieces of land in illegitimate Eastern Turkey. As this April 24th coincides with Easter, Armenians will call for the just and rightful return of these sacred lands.

“Our churches have sentimental value and are important relics of our culture,” says Serouj Aprahamian, Executive Director of AYF-WR. “It is unacceptable how Turkey has let them rot over almost a hundred years, allowing them to be used as barns, stables, and generally allowing them to reach an unacceptable stage of disrepair.”

The Armenian people, alongside their homeland, have been scarred by genocide aimed at annihilating their ethnicity and religious freedom. This year, on Easter Sunday, Armenians will remember not only the Armenian Genocide, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for the same freedoms.

“Easter falling on our day of observance will be a stark reminder that the primary reason the Turkish government attempted to exterminate our people was to wipe out the Christian minority from the Ottoman Empire,” says David Arakelyan, AYF-WR Central Executive member. “We call on peace-loving people of all faiths to join us on April 24 and demand an end to all forms of religious or ethnic persecution. Only by speaking out and encouraging repentance can we ensure a more harmonious future free of genocide.”
In history, April 24th marks the beginning of a brutal campaign of extermination orchestrated by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. This was the day that the Ottoman authorities rounded up and murdered hundreds of Armenian intellectuals, cultural figures, and community leaders. It was the first step in a calculated campaign to cripple the Armenian community and open the way to their decimation.

The significance of April 24th is not only defined by its date in history. The date is a symbol that Armenians have survived, and persevered, for almost a century after the Genocide that nearly erased them. The date is a message that Turkey was, and continues to be, unsuccessful in their genocidal campaign. The date is a warning that the days of denial are numbered, and the Turkish government will soon be forced to atone for its heinous crime.

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.

As the greater LA area is home to nearly half a million Armenians, the Armenian Youth Federation has taken the initiative to mobilize the community in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, through music, art, and various forms of concerted action.

“We feel that alongside commemorating our ancestors who perished in 1915, we must also come together and celebrate the fact that we are still here, and that we continue to exist as a people, and as a nation,” says David Arakelyan, AYF-Western Region Central Executive member. “Our existence today, shows that the government of Turkey has failed, and will continue to fail, in their attempt to exterminate the Armenian people.”

In this spirit, the AYF has organized a unique event, titled “One Voice. One Cause,” for the Armenian community to come together, promote unity, and celebrate culture through music and art. The event, set to take place on April 17th at St. Mary’s Armenian Church in Glendale, is free for the public and features celebrated Armenian artists, such as Harout Pamboukjian, Armen Aloyan, and Bei Ru.

On April 24th, the AYF will also be organizing its Annual Protest in front of the Turkish Consulate of Los Angeles. The demonstration, a symbolic focal point for the community, represents the relentless struggle of all Armenians to gain proper recognition and restitution for the Genocide.

“Easter falling on our day of observance will be a stark reminder that one of the key reasons the Turkish government attempted to exterminate our people was our Christian faith and the desire to never relinquish it,” said Anya Agopian, a member of the AYF-WR Central Executive. “We call on people of all faiths to join us on April 24 and demand an end to all forms of hate against any religious or ethnic group; to demand restitution for the thousands of churches which were plundered and desecrated during the Genocide; and to encourage repentance.”

Following this year’s April 24 protest, the AYF is once again teaming up with Serjical Strike and the Armenian National Committee in hosting the third annual, “Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth!” benefit concert at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.

“This special event is meant to unite all human rights advocates as one voice in demanding an end to the perpetration of genocide throughout the world,” said Andrew Kzirian, member of the band VIZA. “The Armenian Genocide is sadly a tragic historical example of the numerous hate crimes that continue to this very day, and we want people to come together to put an end to that.”

This year’s concert will benefit the Armenian Relief Society’s “Sosse” Kindergartens and the Orran charity in Armenia, which provide vital support and assistance to underprivileged Armenian children abroad. Performances by VIZA, Capital Cities, Zulal, Armenian Public Radio, R-Mean & Bei Ru are set to electrify the anticipated sellout crowd.

The benefit concert concludes a month filled with Genocide events throughout the world in a unified effort to commemorate history, and pay respect to innocent victims. By organizing these highlighted events, the AYF continues to stay at the forefront, taking the Armenian Cause one step forward and rallying a community that has been plagued with the memory of Genocide for nearly a century.

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.