AYF Scholarship Provides Aid For Highschool, College Students
GLENDALE–The Armenian Youth Federation Western Region (AYF-WR) is currently accepting applications for the “Nanor Krikorian” Scholarship, a merit based award for high school and college students seeking financial aid. The deadline to apply is on April 1, 2010.
This scholarship awards graduating high school seniors and college students of Armenian descent grants for furthering their education. Scholarship awards of $1000, $500, and $250 are given annually to qualified students who go through the application process and show exemplary merit. Particular emphasis is placed on a student’s public service and extracurricular activities in the community. Click here to apply today!
“In its eighth year of operation, the scholarship has helped over 50 young Armenians realize their goals in higher education and encouraged them to remember and contribute back to the Armenian community once they accomplish what they set out,” explained Aris Hovasapian, the AYF’s educational committee chairman. “Last year, the AYF distributed over $4000 dollars to the 6 winners of the Scholarship and we are really proud of that.”
Managed by the AYF’s Educational Committee, the “Nanor Krikorian” Memorial Scholarship was established in March of 2003 in memory of AYF member Nanor Krikorian, whose life was tragically cut short due to cancer. Although in the past, this Scholarship was meant for only high school students, for the past two years it has been extended to include both high school students, and college/university applicants.
SILENCE THE LIES! ROCK THE TRUTH II!
Social Justice Concert to Raise Awareness of Armenian Genocide
LOS ANGELES, CA – Complementing this year’s diverse array of Armenian Genocide commemoration activities will be the second annual “Silence the Lies! Rock the Truth!” concert. Organized by a coalition of community groups and artists, including the Western Regions of the Armenian Youth Federation and the Armenian National Committee, this social justice concert will be dedicated to raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide through music and activism.
The groundbreaking concert, now in its second year will be held at the El Rey Theatre in the heart of Los Angeles on Saturday, April 24, 2010. In 2009, the first annual Silence the Lies Rock the Truth concert played to a sold out audience with performances by Viza, Sebu, the Cause, HomeMadeDevices and Echocell and was featured in the Los Angeles Times.
“The AYF is committed to educating our youth and preparing them to be the leaders of tomorrow,” stated AYF-WR Chairman Arek Santikian. “What better way to spread the word than to collaborate together in hosting a human rights oriented concert to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide.”
With a lineup featuring Viza and Element and other guest artists such as the Dirty Diamond and Rapper R-Mean, this year’s concert promises to send a powerful message to rock the truth on the Armenian Genocide. As the 95th Annual Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide approaches on April 24, 2010, Armenians and human rights activists from across the globe are preparing to honor the 1.5 million souls that were victims of this crime against humanity. This particular year, especially with the passing of House Resolution 252 in the Foreign Affairs committee of the United States House of Representatives, commemoration events honoring the genocide will be extraordinarily poignant.
“We look forward to what will be a memorable evening of commemoration through artistic expression,” stated ANCA-WR Government Relations Director Lerna Shirinian. “Working with socially conscious artists helps to advance the Armenian Cause with not only Armenian Americans but within the broader human rights community and media spheres throughout the region,” she added. The ANCA-WR and AYF-WR will be joined by the AGBU, Serjical Strike Records, Alpha Gamma Alpha Sorority and Knoup Presents in co-hosting the event.
Concert organizers will donate proceeds of the concert to two very important organizations. The Armenian Relief Society’s “Armenia-Artsakh Orphan Project” and the Bird’s Nest Orphanage in Lebanon both provide vital support and assistance to needy Armenian children abroad. The artists and co-hosting parties would like to encourage everyone in the community to participate in this event to not only commemorate the martyrs of 1915 but to also benefit the Armenian orphans.
More information can be found at: www.silencethelies.com to learn more about the Armenian Genocide, take action in the United States Congress, and help support involved charities. Tickets are also available for advanced purchase on the website.
Silence the Lies Rock the Truth is an annual social justice concert dedicated to exposing denial of the Armenian Genocide and raising awareness of this horrible crime against humanity. As a part of its benevolent mission, concert organizers annually donate proceeds of the concert to worthy charities such as the Oran Charity in Armenia and the Armenian Relief Society.
Supreme Court Plaintiff to Speak at UHRC Protest
Ralph Fertig
Activists Call for Release of Minors in Turkish Prisons
BY SEROUJ APRAHAMIAN
LOS ANGELES – While a 15-year-old Kurdish girl gets sentenced to eight years in Turkish prison, here in the US, a longtime civil rights lawyer waits to hear from the Supreme Court on whether his advocacy for Kurdish rights will land him in jail. This Wednesday, a coalition of Armenian and Kurdish human rights activists will bring these travesties of justice to light with a mid-day protest in front of the Turkish Consulate.
“They want me not to speak out even for peace for this group of people [Kurds] who have been so woefully oppressed,” said Ralph Fertig, a well-known nonviolent activist and professor at USC, whose current U.S. Supreme Court case will determine whether speaking out on behalf of the Kurds constitutes support for terrorism under U.S. law. “They’re not going to stop me. I’ll speak out no matter what.”
Mr. Fertig is schedule to speak at Wednesday’s protest, which is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and McCarthy Vista. The United Human Rights Council (UHRC) and several Armenian and Kurdish youth organizations are organizing the demonstration, to demand the release of a 15-year-old Kurdish girl named Berivan, jailed in Turkey for eight years on charges of “supporting an illegal organization.”
Berivan was detained this past October at a pro-Kurdish rally in Turkey and charged with shouting slogans and throwing stones. Despite denying these accusations and explaining that she was not part of the rally—but was merely watching out of curiosity on her way to visit an aunt—Berivan was sent to jail for eight years. There are currently hundreds of other Kurdish children in Turkish jails for similarly false accusations and minor offenses.
In addition to erecting an eight-by-eight makeshift “children’s cell” to represent the unjust jailing of Berivan, demonstrators will release doves into the sky and call for the freeing of the more than 2,600 minors currently in Turkish prisons.
“We plan to expose the human rights violations Turkey is committing against Kurdish children,” said Sanan Shirinian, Chairwoman of the UHRC. “These kids should be going to school and playing with their friends, not being thrown in jail because of their nationality.”
The case of Berivan and Mr. Fertig are emblematic of both the ongoing repression of the Turkish government and its attempts to curtail discussion of its abuses here in the United States. “Our right to speak out against the systematic effort to eliminate an ethnic group on the soil it has occupied for 6,000years is now being tested in the U.S. Supreme Court,” explained Fertig. “It is mandatory that we exercise free speech rights before they are curtailed and our appeal is rendered criminal.”
Now in his eighties, Mr. Fertig has a long history of nonviolent activism on behalf of the oppressed and downtrodden. He was jailed and beaten as a Freedom Rider during the Civil Rights movement and has fought for social justice as a federal administrative judge. More recently, he has taken on the cause of the Kurds in Turkey.
“I will speak not only for the Kurds but for America, for the right to tell my fellow Americans that others suffer because we are silent,” said Mr. Fertig.
The United Human Rights Council (UHRC) is a committee of the Armenian Youth Federation. By means of action on a grassroots level the UHRC works toward exposing and correcting human rights violations of governments worldwide, and aims to foster dialogue and collaboration between peoples who share this common vision.
Cycle of Genocide Discussed with Lakewood High Students
HOLLYWOOD–On March 17, more than 250 sophomores and juniors at Lakewood High School took part in a special discussion on the Armenian Genocide led by the AYF and ANC. The presentation marked the second year in a row that Armenian activists have visited the school to speak with students about the horrors of genocide.
Lakewood High History teacher, Angela Wood, extended the invitation to the AYF to organize the discussion. With the curriculum for her students already covering the Armenian Genocide, the presentation was geared more toward giving them insight into what can be done about stopping such atrocities.
“As the direct descendents of those who survived the Armenian Genocide, we see it as our duty to raise awareness about this grave crime against humanity,” said AYF Executive Director Serouj Aprahamian. “It was very rewarding speaking with the students at Lakewood High, not only about the crime of genocide, but the steps our generation needs to take to eliminate this scourge once and for all.”
Aprahamian and ANC-WR Community Relations Director, Haig Hovsepian, gave the two, two-hour presentations to mostly non-Armenian history students gathered in the school library. In addition to covering the motivation and steps behind Turkey’s attempted annihilation of the Armenian people, they discussed the ongoing killings in Darfur and explained how students can get involved in advocacy efforts to end the cycle of genocide.
“Just as important as it is to learn about the Armenian Genocide is to learn that it is also a part of American history as well as a contemporary issue,” said Hovsepian. “Education and civic engagement form the base of any meaningful change towards ending the cycle of genocide. While there was much to share, it was also inspiring to hear from many of the students who had learned about the genocide and were eager to translate that knowledge into action.”
Towards the end of each session, the students drafted letters, in their own words, directed toward Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, calling on her to push for a full vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution. “History is written by its victors, but if the Turkish government receives what they want Armenian culture will be lost,” read one of the letters written to Pelosi. “All I ask for is that the Genocide be brought to justice. Please do your part by supporting this request.”
The students were also shown the recent 60 Minutes segment on the Armenian Genocide, as well as footage of recent AYF grassroots activism on the issue. They were encouraged to visit to the ANC’s website to learn more about how to get involved and encouraged to attend the AYF’s upcoming April 24 demonstration in front of the Turkish Consulate.
Armenian and Kurdish Youth to Protest Turkish Human Rights Abuses
An annual demonstration at the Turkish consulate in Los Angeles on April 24 2009, where thousands gathered to protest the ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide by Ankara.
LOS ANGELES–A coalition of human rights activists will mobilize at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles (6300 Wilshire blvd. Los Angeles, 90048) on March 24 to demand the release of a 15 year-old Kurdish girl jailed in Turkey for 8 years on charges of terrorism.
The demonstration, set to begin at 2pm, is being organized by the United Human Rights Council in conjunction with the Armenian Youth Federation, ARF Shant Student Association, American Kurdish Information Network, Kurdish American Youth Organization and Kurdish Community of Southern California.
“Turkey’s Kurds today are experiencing the same oppression, subjugation and mistreatment that the Armenians faced a century ago under Ottoman rule,” explained Shirnian. “We have built a strong coalition with Armenian and Kurdish youth groups throughout the country and are standing united against Turkey’s human rights violations, especially the political repression and imprisonment of innocent children.”
Berivan was found guilty of “crimes on behalf of an illegal organization” after prosecutors alleged she had hurled stones and shouted slogans at a demonstration in the south-eastern city of Batman in October 2009.
She is among a growing number of Kurdish youth being tried and jailed in Turkey on charges of terrorism. The prosecutions come amid increased political tension in the Muslim country as it faces a fierce backlash from an impoverished Kurdish minority outraged over government sponsored terror and oppression.
“With over 2,600 minors serving time in Turkish prisons, the recent arrest of Berivan comes as no surprise,” said UHRC chairperson Sanan Shirinian. “Kurdish children are being systematically imprisoned for merely singing their native songs, peacefully voicing concerns within their communities or simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Though the Kurds represent the largest linguistic minority in Turkey, comprising approximately 20% of the population, they have been subject to methodical oppression since the 1920’s.
“The Turkish government and military have been oppressing the Kurdish minority for decades, subjecting them to poverty, denying them their human rights, banning their political parties, and waging a brutal war on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),” said Shirinian.”These injustices should not go unnoticed and the perpetrators should be made to account for their repressive policies.”
The PKK has been fighting for equal rights and liberation in the southeast of Turkey since 1984. Turkey characterizes their struggle for freedom as terrorism and has dealt with it as such, clamping down on the country’s Turkish population and using military force and counter-insurgency techniques to destroy the organization.
The government recently announced steps to reconcile with Kurds by expanding greater cultural rights in an effort to end the conflict that has led to the disappearance and death of thousands of Kurds. Those steps, which include cosmetic reforms and pledges for equality, have been criticized by Turkey’s Kurds as hollow.
“Berivan’s arrest and prosecution come as a direct result of those hollow reforms,” said UHRC activist Nora Kayserian, noting that her arrest came at a demonstration against a government ban in December of the only Kurdish political party in the country, the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP).
The forced closure of the party and the subsequent late-night arrest of some 60 Kurdish political leaders sent shock-waves throughout the country, sparking weeks of demonstrations and violent clashes across Turkey.
“Turkey claims to be a country devoted to democracy, yet principles of democracy are not implemented,” added Kayserian. “The cycle of oppression committed against the Kurds is clear evidence that Turkey is far from being a democratic state..”
The United Human Rights Council (UHRC) is a committee of the Armenian Youth Federation. By means of action on a grassroots level the UHRC works toward exposing and correcting human rights violations of governments worldwide, and aims to foster dialogue and collaboration between peoples who share this common vision. More information can be obtained by emailing: uhrc@ayfwest.org
‘Yes We Can’ Say No To Turkey
The Armenian Youth Federation – Western United States – welcomes the March 4, 2010, vote by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives to adopt the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252). The AYF leadership and its membership are grateful to Committee Chairman Howard Berman for standing up to the Obama Administration, Turkish lobbyists, and the Turkish Government and championing this vital genocide-prevention measure.
Chairman Berman and the House Foreign Affairs Committee remained firm in recognizing the Armenian Genocide, which has been extensively documented in US archives. By labeling the crimes perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian race between 1915 and 1923 as a genocide, the House Foreign Affairs Committee stopped modern-day Turkey’s gag rule which attempts to prevent free speech in the US.
This vote sends a simple message to the government in Ankara that it may be able to outlaw discussion about the Armenian Genocide in Turkey, but it cannot outlaw and gag the US Government from talking about historic events. Even though Turkey spends millions of dollars annually to spread misinformation about the Armenian Genocide, the decision by the US House Foreign Affairs Committee sends a signal to Turkey that it does not have a vote or veto in our Congress.
The vote to approve H.Res.252 also signals that Armenian-Americans have come one step closer to being able to use the painful lessons of the Armenian Genocide to help the US and world powers in ending the cycle of genocide.
The stage is now set for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the full US House of Representatives to properly commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian-American community has been and continues to encourage the passage of a similar bill in the Senate of the United States and proper acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide by US President Barack Obama, whose campaign promise to Armenians was to stand by the truth.
For full congressional passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, there is much work ahead. Armenian-Americans must now mobilize their communities and ensure their elected representative co-sponsor the Resolution. The time is now to become active by calling, e-mailing, and writing letters to your congressional representatives. Also encourage all your family members and Armenian and non-Armenian friends to reach out to their representatives and to reach out to their friends to create a viral campaign to set the record straight, affirm the Armenian Genocide as such, and end Turkey’s gag rule.
Visit the anca.org/endthegagrule web page for more information about this historic campaign, to find contact information for your local representatives, and to read important facts to convey to your congressmen, senators, your family and friends.
AYF Accepting Applications for Summer 2010 Youth Corps Program
GLENDALE–The Armenian Youth Federation Western Region (AYF-WR) has begun accepting applications for the 2010 session of its Youth Corps summer program in Gyumri, Armenia. The program is open to all youth over the age of 18 who are motivated and enthusiastic about helping the Homeland. The deadline to apply is April 12, 2010.
The application is available at: www.ayfwest.org/youthcorps.
“Imagine your summer filled with breath-taking landscape, food that entices your senses, monumental structures, endless laughter, meeting locals that will offer everything in their household to you, and taking on the responsibility of being a mentor to a group of children thousands of miles away,” said 2009 Youth Corps participant Sanan Haroun. “Reality transcends imagination when you find yourself at Youth Corps’ Camp Gyumri.”
The program gives young Armenians in the Diaspora a unique opportunity to connect with Armenians in the Homeland while volunteering at a summer day-camp operated by the AYF for underprivileged youth in Gyumri. Last summer, Youth Corps volunteers served as counselors at Camp Gyumri, overseeing a group of nearly 150 campers. This summer, Camp Gyumri will continue the program’s 15 year tradition of empowering young Diasporans to take on a more direct role in the nation-building process in Armenia.
More information about the AYF Youth Corps program is available by calling (818)507-1933 or e-mailing youthcorps@ayfwest.org The current issue of Haytoug Magazine spotlighted Youth Corps’ 2009 program, the story is available online at Haytoug.org.
Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), with chapters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, has grown to become the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization. Inspired by the 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.
Second Annual Javakhk Photo Exhibit to Help Youth in Troubled Region
LOS ANGELES–A photo exhibition and sale, displaying the everyday life of Armenians in Javakhk will be held on Friday March 19 at the Glendale Youth Center (211 West Chestnut Street, Glendale, CA).
The professional photos that will be displayed and auctioned depict an Armenian reality in Javakhk and provide a deeper look into the everyday lives of the people, their tradition, labor, courage, religion and love.
The event’s goal is to continue raising the money needed to purchase two cars for the Javakhk Armenian youth organization, which has faced difficulty in organizing activities in Armenia over the years due to a lack of transportation. All proceeds will be donated through the Armenian Youth Federation’s Western Region, which is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
The youth in Javakhk have a desire to share learning experiences with other Armenian youth in the region. Unfortunately, a lack of transportation prohibits them from participating in summer camps, educational opportunities, and life enhancing experiences in Yerevan and Kharabagh.
With community participation and support, exhibit organizers say they hope to bridge the gap between Armenians living in Javakhk, Armenia, and Kharabakh–a division which shouldn’t exist.
You can RSVP for the event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=90597833811&ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=488217530580&ref=ts
