Socialist Youth World Council Hosted by AYF Calls for Armenian Genocide Reparations, Recognition

More than 160 youth gathered in Yerevan for the 2015 IUSY World Council. (Photo: Patil Aslanian)

YEREVAN—The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) World Council unanimously passed a resolution on the Armenian Genocide Centennial, demanding reparations for the crime, condemning its denial and dedicating to educate IUSY member organizations about the crime worldwide. The World Council, which took place in Yerevan and was hosted by the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of Armenia, adopted the resolution on May 9.

The resolution, which was proposed collectively by the AYF, states that IUSY — the world’s largest youth organization — supports the “Armenian people’s struggle for the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide by calling upon Turkey to start an immediate process of eliminating the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and initiate a process of restoring the rights of the Armenian people.” It also notes that “IUSY believes this is the only reliable road to reconciliation of the two countries and nations.”

“The unanimous passage amplifies international pressure on Republic of Turkey to begin the reparations process,” said Razmig Sarkissian who is in Yerevan representing AYF Western United States. “This victory also represents the full spectrum of the AYF’s work for Armenian genocide justice, from the global political arena as an IUSY member to the local with grassroot campaigns such as Divest Turkey and the 100 Days of Action.”

Titled, “An Equal World Is Possible,” the IUSY World Council includes participants from 60 countries, with over 160 delegates representing various socialist youth organizations, in addition to over two dozen AYF representatives from Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora.

IUSY delegates paying their respects at the Armenian Genocide Memorial at Dzidernagapert (Photo: Patil Aslanian)

“The IUSY delegates represent the future leadership of their respective political parties and nations,” said Garo Chadoian, one of AYF’s official representatives to the World Council. “When they return from Armenia, they will put pressure on their political parties and nations to recognize the Armenian Peoples’ demand for reparations and genocide justice.”

Earlier that day, participants of the council paid their respects to the 1.5 million victims of the genocide at the Armenian Genocide Memorial at Dzidernagapert. They also visited touristic sites and museums in Yerevan to educate the delegates of Armenia’s ancient history as well as the post-Soviet nation’s current development and innovations.

Chadoian added that Armenians will now be further exposed to socialist values in action and see that socialism and social democracy are in the best interest of the Armenian people and Armenia’s development, as hundreds of socialist youth take up the mantle of Armenian cause.

Other special guests who made remarks throughout the weekend included Socialist International Vice-President Mario Nalbandian, who is a former Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member; IUSY President Felipe Jeldres; IUSY Secretary General Evin Incir; and Giacomo Filibec of the Party of European Socialists.

Below is the text of the resolution:

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PROPOSAL BY THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION (AYF)

Resolution on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), being a faithful follower of the principles of justice, democracy, equality, and human rights, reaffirms its position on the Armenian Genocide as the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first Genocide of the 20th century.

The Armenian Genocide opened a whole new circle of genocides that were encouraged by the impunity of the perpetrators of the first genocide as well as inspired by its techniques and genocidal methods.

Genocide is a crime under international law contrary to the spirit and aims of the IUSY. This is why:

IUSY condemns the genocide against the Armenian people which was planned and carried out by the Ottoman Empire and various regimes in Turkey in 1915-23. During these years more than 1.5 million Armenians, living in their ancestral homeland (what is largely known as Eastern Turkey today), were brutally exterminated; their heritage was confiscated and largely destructed. The small number of Armenians who survived was spread all over the world.

IUSY strongly condemns the denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government as well as all the attempts of the Republic of Turkey to mute and bribe every initiative that is aimed at the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide. IUSY believes that the denial of the genocide is a double crime that ought to be punished and has nothing in common with the right of freedom of expression.

IUSY supports the Armenian Youth Federation’s (AYF) and the Armenian people’s struggle for the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide by calling upon Turkey to start an immediate process of eliminating the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and initiate a process of restoration of the rights of the Armenian people.  IUSY believes this is the only reliable road to reconciliation of the two countries and nations.

IUSY sees education as one of the most vital and constructive ways of fighting any form of extremism. With this, we call upon our member organizations to spread the knowledge of the Armenian Genocide, because only by knowing and condemning past genocides can we prevent new ones from taking place.