GLENDALE, CA–On December 11, the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) teamed up to bring together Armenian students from both public and private high schools in a unique workshop tailored specifically for student leaders.

Held at the the GUSD Development Center, the workshop gave participants not only the opportunity to interact and connect with one another, but also to attain the skills necessary to lead their campus club activities more effectively.

“This workshop is one of the many steps we intend to take to reach out to Armenian students in local high schools and build stronger ties with Armenian clubs,” said David Arakelyan, a member of the AYF Central Executive and a key organizer of the event. “Projects like this help us emphasize the importance of working together with various community organizations for the benefit of our youth and people at large.”

Over 8 high schools throughout Southern California showed up for the early Saturday morning event. Both Armenian Club executives from public high schools and student government members from private Armenian high schools took part in the numerous presentations and exercises aimed at strengthening the skills they would need in guiding their activities.

The program began with students being divided into groups and connecting with their peers from other high schools. They were then given an interactive presentation by Kathy Fundukian Thorossian, Assistant Superintendent at GUSD, which focused on developing clear leadership goals and objectives. Methods for best implementing a vision were also offered, as Thorossian connected these techniques with those of inspirational figures such as Nelson Mandela.

“This was a great opportunity to bring together the Armenian American students from public and private schools in a workshop to strengthen our communication and leadership skills,” said Greg Krikorian, GUSD Board Member and one of the presenters at the event. “It is vital that we equip our youth with the tools and the understanding to strive for not only justice and education, but also fighting denial and assimilation.” Krikorian’s presentation touched on many of these issues as he discussed the importance of achieving goals without straying away from larger social and community responsibilities.

AYF Alumnus and longtime community activist Aram Kaloustian also delivered a presentation, wherein he discussed the characteristics that make a good leader. He was followed by Arek Santikian, AYF Chairman Arek Santikian, who talked about concrete strategies for how to strengthen an organization, offering many of his own personal experiences as a member of the AYF.

“This leadership workshop—and hopefully more such workshops to come in the future—are very important for our community’s youth in so many ways,” stated Kaloustian following the program. “The attendees themselves benefit from the desire to better themselves as individuals,” he explained, pointing out that investing their own time on an early Saturday morning to learn such skills was itself a demonstration of their commitment. “But beyond that, beyond the individual gain, accomplishment, and activism, there is also an important community-wide component. Not only the Armenian Community (which is the common denominator in this case), but also every community that was represented (Glendale, Burbank, Montebello, Pasadena, La Cresenta, Los Angeles, etc.).”

Between presentations, students were also given the opportunity to socialize in an ice breaker, during which they exchanged ideas about their different experiences in the schools they attend and the organizations they engage with. Since the participants of the workshop were broken up into groups, they were able to reach beyond their own campus circles and discover common interests with students of other high schools.

“I really enjoyed being a part of this workshop, not only because I learned about what a great leader possesses, but because I met new friends that had similar interests as me,” said Rose and Alex Pilibos high school student Taron Torossian. “There were many speakers that not only taught me what a good leader is but inspired to be an influential one as well.”

“I think those that attended and are running a club on their campus really learned a lot,” added Ani Nazaryan of Clark Magnet High School. “We should have more events like this in the future. It really motivated me into taking the extra step forward to becoming a better leader.”

YEREVAN–From December 10-12, executive delegates representing the highest bodies of the ARF’s student, youth, and junior organizations from around the world met for a three-day conference in Yerevan aimed at evaluating their respective activities and developing new strategies for the coming four years.

The pan-Armenian conference was held at the newly opened ARF “Aram Manougian” Youth Center, near the Gomidas thoroughfare in Yerevan. Over 38 representatives from 12 different regions throughout the world participated in the meeting.

Prior to beginning their deliberations, conference participants made a special visit to Yerablur cemetery, where they laid a wreath at the tomb of the “Unknown Soldier” and paid their respect to the memory of all the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives in the Artsakh liberation struggle.

The conference then began with reports delivered from each representative. Delegates outlined the key activities in their region and noted both shortcomings and achievements. The overall challenges facing Armenian youth in Armenia and the Diaspora were also discussed. Despite differences in communities and host countries, many similarities binding Armenian youth throughout the world were identified and made the focus of discussion and debate.

From there, participants broke up into working groups where they outlined concerns, discussed strategies, coordinated projects, suggested new ideas, and crafted resolutions for a unified plan of action for the coming years.

High on the list of priorities for the conference was strengthening Armenia-Diaspora ties and becoming more engaged in developments in Armenia. Along these lines, heavy emphasis was placed on reinvigorating and expanding various projects Diasporan ARF youth carry out within the homeland. Moving in this direction was encouraged for both the positive impact it has in helping Armenia’s development and spurring cultural identity in the Diaspora.

Special emphasis was also placed on the need for youth to be more vigilant in addressing the current socioeconomic challenges affecting the Armenian nation, with many of the delegates calling for developing more momentum in the fight to establish social justice within Armenia.

At a press conference following the three-day meeting, many of the representatives from both Armenia and the Diaspora spoke about these issues and the outcome of the meeting. “Social, economic, and legal issues of justice are today priority for us within Armenia, in addition to national issues,” said Artour Ghazaryan of the ARF Youth Organization in Armenia. “Today our struggle is against injustice.”

Mikael Khosrovian from the ARF “Nigol Aghbalian” Student Union in Armenia also noted that an important result of the meeting was the stronger ties that were established between the 6 active student organizations of the ARF across the world. Serouj Aprahamian, Executive Director of the AYF-Western US, added that the meeting was very productive and gave the youth of the ARF an important chance to exchange ideas and lay the groundwork for further collaboration.

Throughout the course of the meeting, participants also had the opportunity to participate in a conference on Genocide reparations organized by the ARF, a Yerevan Badanegan community reception, and the ARF’s 120th Anniversary Celebration at Yerevan’s Opera Theatre.

AYF urges Bryant to properly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and drop his ill-advised business deal with Turkish Airlines

LOS ANGELES–Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has signed a 2 year agreement with Turkey’s national airline carrier. Bryant will be the reported “global ambassador” for Turkish Airlines, serving as the face and image of the company and its manager, the Turkish Republic.

The decision has caused uproar within the Armenian-American community in the United States and especially within Southern California, which boasts the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia. As victims of genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government from 1915-1923, Armenians are angered that Bryant would sign a contract with a country that denies justice to the victims.

It’s a two-year deal that will involve Bryant starring in a promotional film that will be aired on international television channels and in movie theaters in more than 80 countries next year, reported CNBC on Tuesday.

Armenian Americans hope that Kobe would balance what clearly looks to be a profitable business deal with a strong moral statement against Turkey’s violations of human rights, including, of course, its ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Tuesday’s Petros and Money’s segment on Fox Sports Network reported on Kobe’s recent deal with Turkey and the backlash of the Armenian community.

Soon after the announcement of Bryant’s deal, disappointed callers flooded the lines of AM 570, the Laker radio station for over 30 years. Many in the community wonder how Bryant, who plays in a city with such a significant Armenian-American population, can sign a deal with a carrier which represents a country with such a deplorable human rights record.

Armenian Youth Federation offices throughout Southern California have similarly been bombarded with phone calls from concerned Armenian youth asking for a call to action.

The AYF urges Kobe Bryant to stay true to his loyal fan base and rescind his contract with Turkish Airlines. The AYF further asks Bryant to put out an official statement affirming his commitment to ending human rights abuses and voicing his support for House Resolution 252, calling on the United States Congress to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“We ask our community to reach out to Kobe and urge him to speak out about the Armenian Genocide and recognize the wrongdoings of the Turkish government,” said Caspar Jivalagian, a member of the AYF. “Whether it is through his Twitter account (twitter.com/KBtwofour) or by calling local sports talk shows on Fox’s AM570, or ESPN’s AM 710, he really needs to hear from his fans about this ill-advised business agreement.”

The United Human Right Council, a grassroots activist group, echoed these concerns, “Turkey has a long history of human rights violations, including the occupation of Northern Cyprus, brutal repression of its Kurdish population, and imprisoning its citizens to suppress free speech. These types of abuses cannot be ignored.”

In 2007, Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink was gunned down in front of his office in Istanbul by an ultra-nationalist youth, angered by Dink’s outspoken stance regarding the genocide. Most recently, Kim Kardashian, sister-in-law of Laker forward Lamar Odom, came under scrutiny in the Turkish press for Tweeting about Armenian Genocide recognition.

“Kobe has a proven track record of aiding various humanitarian efforts, and this is an opportunity for him to become a true “global ambassador” of truth and publicly speak out about the Armenian Genocide,” added Jivalagian.

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