THE ZORYAN INSTITUTE Newsletter: Summer 2008

1982
2008
THE ZORYAN INSTITUTE Newsletter
Summer 2008, Volume One, Issue Two
Message from the President
Contents
Education 2-3
New Books 4-6
People 7
Periodicals 8
GHRUP 9
Recognition 10
Publications 11
What is a ZI
Friend?
A special category of
people, Zoryan Friends
are
interested and
committed.
They want to
understand the
present as much as
the past because they
care for the future.
They also constitute
the Institute’s
backbone: it is their
annual contributions
and promotion of
Zoryan that assure the
Institute’s operation.
History Is Not a Fact Until Somebody Writes About It
The word history derives
from the Greek noun for “a
learning by inquiry” and
from the verb meaning “to
examine, to observe, to inquire.”
In turn, “histor”
means “a wise man, a
judge.” A judge makes decisions based on evidence,
and history based on documents for its evidence commands the greatest
authority. Documents tell us what people were
doing and thinking at a specific time in history.
This is particularly important when the eyewitnesses to the events are no longer available.
We at the Zoryan Institute have devoted our efforts for over a quarter of a century to the collection of documents, and the analysis, translation,
editing and publication of history from documentary sources. We have used them in the education and training of the next generation of scholars who will continue this vital work. However, this
is just the tip of the iceberg; much more of this
documentation is waiting to be gathered and
studied.
We, as Armenians, need to redouble our efforts to
document our contemporary history, especially
that of the last century and of the Genocide
where the deniers and revisionists are relentless
in their efforts. We must provide the funding and
the support structures for the collection, preservation, and study of these documents. This will
help us understand our own history and identity,
and let the world know the true history and culture of the Armenians. No one else will do it for
us.
Using sources that are reliable, explicit, incontestable, and verifiable, one can establish unequivocally the historicity of an event through documents, Prof. Vahakn Dadrian, Zoryan’s Director of
Genocide Research has long advocated. By applying the highest standards of scholarly integrity,
along with painstaking and cogent analysis, one
can publish the compelling evidence which will
win over scholars world-wide, he advises.
Armenian Genocide documents, as a case in
point, are found in the governmental archives of
Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Rus-
sia, Turkey and the United States, to name only a
few. For the most part, they were internal documents between consular officials and their Foreign Secretaries. They were never intended to be
seen by others. Thus, they were extraordinarily
candid, as well as detailed. There are some examples among the Ottoman documents that were
created by Talât for the very purpose of deceiving
his allies and neutral countries. Fortunately, there
are ample other documents that reveal the whole
story. Most of these documents were written at
the time of the events without secondary considerations.
A second category of documents is that of the
missionaries from Denmark, Germany, Sweden,
Switzerland, and the US, who provided medical
relief, educational and religious instruction to the
Armenians before, during and after the Genocide.
A third category of documents is found in the
news reports of the daily papers, weeklies and
monthly magazines of the period, in numerous
countries.
A fourth group of documents is found in the archives of the League of Nations, Near East Relief,
and the Red Cross, who dealt with the massive
humanitarian crisis in the years after the Genocide.
Deniers withhold evidence, destroy documents,
and build their case on the selective use of
sources. Therefore, we need to help train scholars
in the languages, the technical skills, and with the
knowledge of history, so that they can use these
documents and publish on this history. It is the
power of the written word that remains.
The lasting power of the written word becomes
effective only if we have the political will and the
commitment to provide the financial support to
collect documents, study, analyse and publish our
history and demonstrate its relevance to the
world today. As one scholar said to me just recently, “history is not a fact until somebody writes
about it.”
K.M. Greg Sarkissian
Education
Toronto District School Board (TDSB) CHG38M Genocide: Historical and Contemporary
Implications—Grade 11 Course Under Threat
In June 2005 the TDSB agreed to consider the inclusion of
genocide education in the grade 11 curriculum and established a Steering Committee of community groups, education experts, and TDSB staff. The Steering Committee devised the elements of a curriculum, which received approval by the Ontario Ministry of Education as CHG38M.
This approval allowed the TDSB to then develop the curriculum for implementation in September 2008. The TDSB was
to call for writers to draft the actual course.
while the world watched it unfold on their television sets,
and how the politics of the great powers prevented any nation from intervening to stop the killing, despite the UN
Genocide Convention of 1948. In addition to these core
cases of genocide, teachers would be free to introduce additional examples of the gross violations of human rights
from a list provided by the TDSB.
In creating this program, the TDSB had to follow a process,
from conceptualization to identifying appropriate resources
The rationale for the course was that the study of the trage- to approval to curriculum development. This process had
dies and horrors of genocidal acts in the past and present progressed over the past two years to the point that the
must be studied and addressed. Democracy, justice, and curriculum was approved for implementation in September
2008. An attempt to derail this process was
the rule of law must be understood, claimed,
and defended by each generation of citizens if This course would allow made by the opposition of a local Turkish
we are to confront this demonstration of hu- students the opportunity lobby group, aided by vocal supporters in
other countries, primarily in the US and Turman evil. A full-credit course would engage
to understand their
students and allow them to study genocide, rights and responsibili- key, who denies the reality of the Armenian
war crimes and crimes against humanity in a ties as global citizens Genocide and maintains its removal is essential to protecting Turkish-Canadian children
systematic and thoughtful way. Given the speand challenge them to
cific multi-cultural and multi-ethnic diversity
from hate-generated violence.
within Toronto, it was felt to be essential that take action to ensure
students born within and outside Canada that human rights are As Prof. Gregory Stanton has stated so elohave the opportunity to explore in depth the protected and that geno- quently, education in a democracy is built on
facing history and facts openly, and evaluating
cide be confronted.
causes and consequences of genocide and
them critically and objectively. When the histhe lived realities of the aggressors, targets,
tory
of
U.S.
slavery,
British colonialism, the German genobystanders, and resisters to these horrific acts of violence.
cide
of
Jews,
Roma
and
other groups, Mussolini’s fascism,
A study of these experiences would help foster a sense of
Stalin’s
purges,
or
Mao’s
human rights crimes, is taught,
empathy for the targets of these violent acts and hopefully
the
descendants
of
the
perpetrator
nationalities (American,
encourage students to understand the connections they
British,
German,
Italian,
Russian,
or
Chinese) are not dehave to their fellow human beings. This course would promeaned
or
persecuted
by
anyone.
On
the contrary, they
vide a context for students to begin to think critically about
emerge
from
learning
those
histories
better
educated, with
the world they have inherited and in which they currently
a
stronger
sense
of
how
important
critical
analysis
of the
live. This critical reflection would provide a context for stupast
is;
and
they
achieve
an
ethical
capacity
essential
to
dents to begin to understand the notion of moral judgment
good
education.
The
development
of
such
moral
honesty
is
in relation to history. Finally, this course would allow stucrucial
to
the
progress
of
human
rights
in
a
democracy.
The
dents the opportunity to understand their rights and responsibilities as global citizens and challenge them to take study of genocide is not designed to impose collective guilt;
action to ensure that human rights are protected and that it is meant to understand a common human problem. This
curriculum does not seek to teach guilt or hatred of perpegenocide be confronted.
trators. Just the opposite, it will strive to also show the posiUsing the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust and the tive side of individuals who made a difference by being resRwandan Genocide as core examples, the objective of the cuers—Germans, Turks, and others alike.
course was to empower students with the knowledge to
develop an understanding of the causes, methods and con- Genocide and the gross violation of human rights are now
sequences of genocide, both as historical social processes leading killers of innocent civilians in conflicts around the
as well as lived experiences. The Armenian Genocide is the world. Canada is a major voice in confronting this chalarchetypal genocide of the 20th century. It, along with the lenge, with its leadership in getting the UN to adopt in
Holocaust, is one of the definitive examples described by 2005 the doctrine of “The Responsibility to Protect.” In an
Raphael Lemkin when he coined the term genocide in age when genocide occurs with alarming frequency, it is
1944 and worked for the passage of the UN Convention on urgent that such a course be an essential element of eduthe prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in cating the citizens and future leaders of a multicultural
1948. The Rwandan Genocide is a perfect example to show Canada—a country based on human rights—about the danhow such a violent crime can be implemented so quickly gers of racism, intolerance and prejudice.
Page Two
Education
Action Over Apathy:
The Struggle for Human Rights
TDSB Update
On June 12, 2008 the
TDSB’s
Program
and
School Services Committee unanimously voted to
accept the recommendations of the Review Committee and its Director to
retain the Armenian Genocide in its Grade 11 geno-
The Zoryan Institute and its Genocide and Human
Rights University
Program were presented to interested students of
the University of
Texas, Austin, as part of the April 8th Fairness Fair run
cide curriculum.
during the week-long event, Apathy or Action: The StrugThis was despite a lengthy and aggressive lobbying
gle for Human Rights. Members of the UT Armenian Culcampaign by several Turkish groups who attempted to
sway the Board to not include the Armenian case in tural Association donated their time to help build awareness about Genocide, both the Armenian and the current
the curriculum.
genocide in Darfur.
Now that the decision has been finalized, this presents
a wonderful opportunity for the Zoryan Institute and The event was organized to address human rights, diverother organizations to enhance genocide education sity and genocide issues and “empower participants to
chose action over apathy, interaction over separation,
and awareness.
intervention over isolation and dialogue over silence.”
To stay informed check for updates at:
For more information please visit :
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/about_us/media_room/
http://thewhiterosesociety.org/symposium/events.html.
room.asp?show=allNews&view=detailed&self=12061
Armenian Diaspora and Zoryan Institute Positive Examples for Basques
development of the homeland and to help promote
the Basque image abroad. They were drawn to Zoryan, in part, because they were impressed by the
nature of the research published in Diaspora: A
Journal of Transnational Studies, the first journal of
it kind that set out sixteen years ago to study diasporas as phenomena to better understand ourselves as well as others.
Looking to improve the organization and cooperation of the Basque Diaspora with its homeland, two representatives from the President’s
Office of the Basque Country, an Autonomous
Region of Spain, spent a day with the Zoryan
Institute recently. As part of the Basque
Global Initiative, Alero Alann and Dr. Gloria
Totoricaguena sought out Zoryan in order to
learn from the experience of the Armenian
Diaspora.
From their extensive comparisons of diasporas, they found the Armenian Diaspora to
have the highest level of organizational sophistication and the only diaspora with an
institute like Zoryan that studies national issues analytically from a universal perspective.
Zoryan staff and the presidential advisors had an
intensive exchange of ideas regarding the best
ways to utilize the expertise of diaspora for the
The Basque Diaspora is the name given to describe
people of Basque origin living outside their traditional homeland on the borders between Spain and
France. Many Basques have left the Basque Country for other parts of the globe for economic and political reasons, with substantial populations in Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and
the United States. It is a historical irony that the Armenian and Basque people are yet again learning from
each other, as it has recently been discovered that the
languages of the two people are derived from a common
source.
Page Three
New Books
The History of Armenia: From the Origins to the Present
Simon Payaslian, Charles K. and Elizabeth M. Kenosian Professor of Modern
Armenian History and Literature at
Boston University, set himself the difficult task of including in one volume the
history of Armenia. He has achieved “a
survey of the history of Armenia from
antiquity to the present, with a focus
on four major themes: East-West geopolitical competitions, Armenian culture, political leadership, and the struggle for national survival,” which “places
Armenian history within the broader
context of secularization, modernization and globalization.”
text goes into greater detail and is infused with astute political analysis.
Throughout, the author effectively engages the reader through thoughtprovoking, interactive questions.
Of particular interest is Payaslian’s fascinating historical treatment of the challenges and responses of the first republic, the Khatisian government, the politics around the Treaty of Versailles, the
US Mandate, the recognition and the
Treaty of Sèvres, the London Conference, and the Treaty of San Remo.
Detailed, concise, and fast-paced, the
volume is divided into four sections:
Origins and Formations; Transformation and Transplantations; Sultans,
Tsars, and Tyrants; and Independence, Modernization,
and Globalization. Due to the sheer scope of the topic, it
is understandable that the first half of book is predominately description until the rise of Armenian nationalism
in the late 19th century. However, from this point on the
Beautifully synthesised, the volume is
essentially a political history of leaders,
wars, treaties, and resistance, rather
than a common man, way-of-life, cultural history. It presents a clear understanding of Armenian struggles, both internally and externally, for survival; consequently, it serves as a comprehensive and sound introduction to the subject and a
significant contribution to the historiography of the Armenian people.
The History of Armenia, Simon Payaslian, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2007, 296 pgs.
The Role of the Media in Genocide: Lessons from Rwanda
Bringing together 33 academics, journalists, attorneys, NGO and military
personnel, this extensive collection of
essays examines the role of the media
in the Rwandan Genocide. It also assesses the current media climate and
suggests media intervention strategies.
in 1994, explains how “the media can
be both a weapon and a conscience to
humanity…an instrument of justice”;
and finally, Gerald Caplan, a leading
authority on the Rwandan Genocide,
contextualises the Genocide in its
global political economy. The introduction is followed by: Hate Media in
Rwanda; International Media Coverage
of the Genocide; Journalism as Genocide: The Media Trial; and After the
Genocide and the Way Forward.
The volume is comprised of five sections. First is a detailed tri-part introduction: the editor, Allan Thompson,
Prof. of Journalism at Carleton University, discusses the need for a conference and book, being that we “still
have not fully discerned or absorbed
the lessons from Rwanda;” Canadian
Senator Roméo Dallaire, the retired
Lieutenant-General who led the United
Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda
The 2003 International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found three of the founders of the radio/television station
RTLM guilty of Conspiracy to Commit
Genocide and Genocide. This raises
Page Four
New Books
important issues concerning the role of the media,
which has not been addressed at the level of international criminal justice since Nuremberg. The power of
the media to create and destroy fundamental human
values comes with great responsibility.
It is, therefore, with great alarm that one can find published in major newspapers in Turkey, such as Hurriyet
and Zaman, articles which accuse Armenians as organ-
izers of the PKK movement and as participants in the
Kurdish campaign against the Turks. Armenians are
once again being portrayed as outsiders and enemies
conspiring against the state. The devastating examples,
from the Rwandan Genocide dealt with in this volume
illustrates how easily the media can provoke the
masses to extreme violence. It seems that much is still
to be learned from the tragedy of the Rwandan Genocide.
The Media and the Rwandan Genocide, Allan Thompson, Ed., Pluto Press London, 2007, 463 pages.
Raphael Lemkin’s Dossier on the Armenian Genocide
“Sovereignty cannot be conceived as the right to kill millions of innocent people.”
—Raphael Lemkin
As part of their ongoing publication
series, the Center for Armenian
Remembrance seeks to honour
the victims of the Armenian Genocide, present evidence of its occurrence, and combat complacency.
This
publication
successfully
achieves its purpose.
Of Lemkin’s writing included in this
volume, the Chapter titled “Intent to
Kill – Who is Guilty” is of particular interest, as it includes original analysis
beyond his normal narrative derived
from a number of sources. In it Lemkin
concludes that “there can be little
doubt that the plan of extermination
was well conceived and put into execution by the Turkish Government with
the full recognition and support of Germany.”
It is a collection of writings by the
man who both coined the term
genocide and worked tirelessly to
have it recognized as a crime under international law, Raphael
Lemkin. In the opinion of Michael
J. Bazyler, Professor of Law & Holocaust and Human Rights Studies,
Lemkin was the “most influential
lawyer and human rights activist,”
but he and his writing have remained largely unknown to the public.
This volume highlights the repeated references in
Lemkin’s writings to the plight of the Armenians as
the archetype of genocide. It also includes: an introduction which offers a general history of the period
and an analysis of the political implication of the
work; a brief foreword detailing Lemkin’s life; bibliographies on the Armenian Genocide and Lemkin; and
four primary documents referenced in the text.
Also apparent from reading Lemkin’s
writing is the extent to which the Armenian Genocide was by no means a secret, but rather was widely reported in
the western press and a topic of considerable interest to major governments. Furthermore, Lemkin had collected very clear statements by the Committee of Union
and Progress of its intent to destroy the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire.
While the work does not expand scholarship on the subject, it documents definitively Lemkin’s knowledge and
awareness of the Armenian Genocide and its influence
on his thinking and actions regarding genocide and its
prevention.
Raphael Lemkin’s Dossier on the Armenian Genocide, Center for Armenian Remembrance, Glendale, CA, 2008, 145 pages.
Page Five
New Books
The Great Betrayal: Economic Imperialism & the Destruction of Christian Communities in Asia Minor
The new edition of this historic book is best described
by George Shirinian, our Executive Director, who was
asked to write the preface:
I am very pleased to see Edward Hale Bierstadt’s The
Great Betrayal back in print
after so many years. It is a
valuable compilation of factual information on the destruction of the Christian
communities in Asia Minor
during the years 19141923—including Greeks, Armenians, West Syrians, Chaldeans and Assyrians—through persecution, genocide
and ethnic cleansing. It also provides a cogent analysis
of the international politics that allowed for the massive
upheaval, suffering and death of these peoples.
Bierstadt was a criminologist, essayist, drama critic,
author of a number of books, plays and radio dramas,
and noted member of the New York literary scene.
While his writings have won acclaim, he is perhaps best
known for The Great Betrayal. Bierstadt was also Executive Secretary of the Emergency Committee for Near
East Refugees in 1923, one of the main groups that
assisted the survivor-refugees of the Ottoman massacres and expulsions. As such, he was an historical witness to the events he described. Bierstadt’s services to
the Hellenic people were recognized when he was decorated by the Greek government with the Silver Cross of
the Order of the Redeemer.
Many of the elements that led to the genocide and ethnic cleansing of that era are at work in the Middle East
today. Citizens of Turkey, who are of an ethnic or religious origin different from the Sunni Turkish majority,
do not enjoy the full freedoms of the majority; the Turkish state’s fear of the country’s dissolution or dismemberment; and the state’s willingness to commit violence
against its ethnic and religious minorities are all evident
in contemporary Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies.
There is heightened international interest in the events
of 1914-1923 today for a number of reasons that also
make the subject of this book particularly timely.
First, Turkey’s desire to join the European Union is leading it to enact democratic reforms to qualify for EU
membership. This, in turn, has raised the hopes and
expectations of an increasingly active democratization
movement in Turkish civil society—both within the country and beyond—that wants to expose and confront the
gross violations of human rights in Turkey’s past as a
stepping stone to dealing with its current human rights
abuses.
Second, we are living in an age when genocide and ethnic cleansing seem to be occurring with alarming frequency. Understanding historical cases of genocide,
their causes, and their warning signs, can help us prevent genocide in the future.
Third, it is appropriate on a humanistic level to understand and share the pain caused by the genocidal experience of others. For too long, this “Ottoman genocide” against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and
Anatolian Greeks—as the International Association of
Genocide Scholars has termed it—has remained unknown to the world.
Chapter V on “Some Sources of Turkish Propaganda” is
particularly interesting and relevant. The Turkish state is
continuing a policy of historical revisionism and denial
that it commenced immediately after these epochal and
tragic events. Unfortunately, the American government,
as well as others, has been only too willing from the beginning to participate in the Turkish denial for its own
political and economic advantages.
We hope that the availability of this reprint will help
stimulate new interest, new research and a better understanding of this painful period of history. May it also
lead to a new and better understanding between Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Turks, both in their respective homelands and abroad.
The Great Betrayal, Edward Hale Bierstadt, The Pontian Greek Society of Chicago, Bloomingdale, IL, 2008, 345 pgs.
Page six
People
In Memory of Prof. Stephen Feinstein
The departure of Stephen Feinstein in March marks the loss of an important scholar, great
educator, active Zoryan associate, and dedicated friend of the Armenian people.
In the words of Vahakn Dadrian, Zoryan’s Director of Genocide Research, “His selfless and
very effective involvement in the promotion of studies that went beyond focused Holocaust
themes and incorporated, in particular, the Armenian Genocide, was a monument to his sublime humanity. We will all sorely miss him.”
As a Holocaust specialist, Prof. Feinstein was quick to appreciate the significance of the interconnections between the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. He worked energetically to
introduce the Armenian Genocide into the curriculum and public programs of the University of
Minnesota (UofM), creating, among other things, a very useful teacher’s resource kit and producing in conjunction
with Minnesota Public Television an award-winning documentary film, “The Armenian Genocide: 90 Years Later.”
Prof. Feinstein was the Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CHGS) since 1999, as well as
an Adjunct Professor of History at the UofM. He sought to foster scholarly research and increase public knowledge
about the history and politics of ethnic and national conflict in the eastern Mediterranean, with the hope that the
knowledge developed would contribute to reconciliation among the diverse peoples of the region. In this respect,
he collaborated through the CHGS with scholars such as Eric Weitz and Taner Akçam on several research projects.
In 2003, he helped organize a partnership between the UofM and the IIGHRS to run, for credit, the annual GHRUP
simultaneously in Minneapolis and Toronto. He served both as Co-Director and instructor of the program. Roger W.
Smith, Chair of Zoryan’s Academic Board, in remembering his late colleague, stated that “Steve, whom I knew for
many years and worked with in many contexts, was one of the finest persons I have ever known. He had integrity,
intellect, generosity, and a universal perspective that included all peoples. He knew a great deal about tragedy and
suffering, but transcended them with humanity and that ever present sense of humour.”
Volunteer Profile: Prof. Shaké Toukmanian
effectively to improve the content of the program over
A life long advocate of education,
the last seven years. Since then she serves on the AdShaké Toukmanian, Professor
Emeritus of Psychology “The GHRUP needs to be mission Committee of the GHRUP in order to
at York University, has cherished and supported make sure the best candidates are admitted.
been involved with the as an essential aspect of She has even contributed her own funds to
enable the participation of financially
Zoryan Institute for over
our community’s
strained, yet worthy students.
twenty years. Having
education.
worked for several Unfortunately, we seem When asked why she gives her time to Zoryan
years on the Academic to be more concerned activities, in addition to her studies, profesBoard of Directors, she refocused her energy with bricks and mortar at sional obligations and other volunteer work
towards the creation of the Genocide and
such as educating child psychologists in Arthe expense of the
Human Rights University Program (GHRUP) in
menia, Prof. Toukmanian said “When you
minds of our
2000. Working as a member of the Develop- younger generation.” see young people from all over the world disment Committee, Prof. Toukmanian played a
cussing genocide and its prevention, as hucritical role in the composition of the student’s Program
man beings, that should say something about education
Evaluation Forms. These questionnaires have worked
and human nature.”
Zoryan Institute Personnel
Chairman, Academic Board: Professor Roger W. Smith
President: K. M. Greg Sarkissian Executive Director: George Shirinian
Program & Outreach Coordinator: Megan Swan, Torrey Swan Membership Coordinator: Aren Sarikyan
Administrative Assistants: Arek Hamalian, Christine Kavazanjian, Narini Badalian & Narreh Ghazarians
Page Seven
Periodicals
Contemporary Issues: Recognition & Denial of the Armenian Genocide
The latest issue of Genocide
Studies and Prevention (V3,
N1), offers new perspectives
from comparative genocide
research
(Holocaust/
Cambodian and Armenian/
Holocaust), genocide rescuers, Kurdish issues, major
power’s responses to genocide, a review essay of a famous genocide denier’s book,
and a detailed survey on three
new works on the Rwandan
Genocide. In particular it features two important articles that discuss genocide prevention and denial in
the Armenian context.
Prof. Vahakn N. Dadrian’s article, “The Prefiguration
of Some Aspects of the Holocaust in the Armenian
Genocide,” is the next comparative piece. He begins
with a review of scholarly opinions on the connections between the two genocides and then conducts
his own comparison. Specifically, four major factors
(vulnerability of the victim group, degradation of victims, war as opportunity, and fear of retaliation on
the part of perpetrators) and three subsidiary factors
(methods of extermination, disregard of economic
factors, and terminological deflection) are examined
with respect to both the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. Dadrian’s comparative study provides insights that will be helpful for the eventual
prevention of genocide.
Prof. Taner Akçam takes Gunter Lewy’s 2004 The
Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Dis-
puted Genocide to task as a work of Armenian Genocide denial. Since its publication this book has generated discussion, controversy and concern among
genocide scholars. Lewy’s main thesis is that because, as he asserts, significant numbers of Armenians openly fought the Turks, Armenians were themselves to blame for any violence that befell them.
Akçam systematically and critically demonstrates how
each of Lewy’s arguments is flawed, concluding that
Lewy’s ‘‘premises, assessments, and conclusions are
based on an incomplete study of the material and
[that] he is not in command of the subject matter.’’
There is a pervasive political dimension to this debate
reinforced continually, for example in the recent warning (delivered on 9 October 2007) from the government of Turkey to the United States that, if the US
Congress passes a bill recognizing the Ottoman empire’s killing of Armenians as ‘‘genocide’’, the bilateral
relationship between the United States and Turkey
will suffer. Therefore, a scholarly disposition and critical analysis of Lewy’s book, such as Akçam’s, is essential to bring the discussion back to a semblance of
rationality.
Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International
Journal was co-founded by the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute). It is the official journal of
the International Association of Genocide Scholars
and is published three times a year by the University
of Toronto Press:
http://www.utpjournals.com/gsp/gsp.html
Meet the Editors of GSP
Dr. Nicholas A. Robins is a Lecturer in the Department of History at North Carolina State University. He holds a
Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from Tulane University and his research focuses primarily on genocidal millennialism in Latin America.
Dr. Samuel Totten teaches at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is a member of the Council of the Institute
on the Holocaust and Genocide, and the Centre for Genocide Studies.
Dr. Henry Theriault is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Worcester State College and coordinator of the Center
for the Study of Human Rights. His research focuses on genocide denial and its proponents knowledge claims, the
long-term impact of genocide and other mass violence, their ethical and political implications, and mass violence
against women.
Dr. Herbert Hirsch is Professor of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned
his PhD in Political Science from the University of Kentucky. His research interests and courses deal with American
politics; political psychology; and the politics of war, violence, genocide.
Page eight
GHRUP
New Accreditation for the GHRUP
Toronto, Canada — The History Department of the University of Toronto and the IIGHRS
are pleased to announce the
details of a new partnership in
offering the GHRUP. As part of
the partnership, the University
of Toronto will provide qualified
students graduate-level credits.
Students currently registered
with the University of Toronto,
as well as graduate students
registered with any university in
Ontario, may apply to take the course and receive
credit with no additional university tuition. In addition, undergraduate students registered at other institutions across the province may make special arrangements for the same privilege.
For students outside of Ontario, there is ample
precedent to take the program as a “Directed Reading Course” or “Independent Study” with their local
professor and receive credits from their own institution.
So far this year applications from students have arrived from 11 different countries including Rwanda,
Burundi, India, Japan, Mexico, Zambia, Pakistan, the
Netherlands and Turkey.
For details and registration information refer to the
program’s web site, www.genocidestudies.org. For
more information, contact Megan Swan at the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights
Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute),416-2509807, admin@genocidestudies.org.
The mission of the Genocide and Human Rights University Program is to help develop a new generation
of scholars to engage in research and publication in
the field of genocide and human rights studies. This
goal is achieved through a comparative and interdisciplinary analysis of such cases of genocide as the
Jewish Holocaust, the Cambodian Genocide, and the
Rwandan Genocide, among others, using the Armenian Genocide, the archetypal genocide of the 20th
Century, as a point of reference.
Recognition of Support for the Zoryan Institute
We are honored to acknowledge the organizations and individuals listed below, who have provided their services
and those on the next page who have contributed financial support during the past year.
Dr. Misak Abdulian, Dr. Rouben Adalian, Mr. Robert Adourian, Mr. Levon Afeyan, Mr. Kirk Apel, Mr. Arman Akopyan, Deacon
Hagop Arslanian, Mr. Ara Arzoumani, Mr. Diran Avedian, Mr. Aris Babikian, Prof. Anny Bakalian, Prof. Peter Balakian, Mrs. Arda
Bazarian, Mr. Raffi Bedrosyan, Mr. & Mrs. Ara & Calabrina Boyajian, Mr. Onnig Cavoukian, Mr. Arthur Charchian, Mr. Souren
Chekijian, Mr. Gregory Chitilian, Ms. Deanna Dickins, Ms. Renee Farrell, Prof. Stephen Feinstein, H.E. Bishop Bragrat Galstanyan, Mr. Hirant Gulian, Mr. Ara Hagopian, Father Hayrik Hovhannisyan, Dr. Stephen Injeyan, Prof. Steven Jacobs, Mr. Hagop
Janbazian, Ms. Suzanne Karajaberlian, Mr. Hrach Kaspar, Ms. Christine Kavazanjian, Mr. Antoine Kirijian, Mr. Rupen Kouyoudjmian, Prof. Jacques Kornberg, Mrs. Hasmik Kurdian, Mr. Marc Mamigonian, Mr. Vahe Mardirossian, Mr. Edgar Martirosyan,
Mr. George Mavropoulos, Ms. Pauline Ngirumpatse, Ms. Tenny Nigoghossian, Prof. Solomon Nigosian, R.H. Vartan Oskanian,
Mr. Khachig Papanyan, Mr. Berge Papazian, Mr. William Parsons, Prof. Simon Payaslian, Ms. Rosalind Raddatz, Ms. Karin
Saghdejian, Ms. Sally Sahagian, Ms. Talar Sahakian, Mrs. Lena Sarkissian, Pres. Serge Sarkisyan, Ms. Datevig Shaboyan, Prof.
Gregory Stanton, Mr. Adam Strom, Ms. Tamar Svadjian, Ms. Megan Swan, Mr. Torrey Swan, Mr. Zohrab Tatikian, Mr. Ara TerHarootunian, Prof. Shaké Toukmanian, Prof. Eric Weitz, Prof. Alan Whitehorn, Mr. Vartkes Yeghiayan, Mr. Harout Yeretsian and
Father Zareh Zargarian.
Page Nine
Appreciation
$10,000 +
Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund
Byron-Hill Group
Levon Perouz Babayan Foundation
Eurocan Inc.
$5,000 +
Agemian Organization
The Endla and John Gilmour Foundation
The Rehenyan Family
Mr. Joe Yalkezian
$1,000 +
Mr. & Mrs. Pierre & Norma Akkelian
Mr. Karekin Arzoomanian
Mr. & Mrs. Ara & Calabrina Boyajian
Daughters of Vartan, Artemis Ortyag 28
Dr. & Mrs. Heratch & Sonya Doumanian
Mr. Diran Avedian
Mr. & Mrs. Dikran & Sonia Bal
Ms. Sara Chitjian
Canadian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church
Dr. Garabed Fattal
George Ignatius Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Martin & Sarah Gouin
Mr. & Mrs. Dicran & Diana Hadjetian
Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Hagopian
Mr. & Mrs. Aram & Tilli Isnar
Mr. Papken Janjigian
Mr. & Mrs. Armen & Nora Hampar
Mr. & Mrs. Simon & Maral Hasserjian
John Mirak Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. George & Alice Kachigian
Dr. Sarkis J. Kechejian
Knights of Vartan, Mid-Atlantic Lodge
Ms. Nancy Kolligian
Mr. & Mrs. Ara & Houry Koolian
Mr. & Mrs. Migirdic & Ani Migirdicyan
National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research
Nazarian Family Foundation
Never Again Campaign – Alpha Epsilon Omega
Mr. & Mrs. Andre & Seza Nazarian
Mr. & Mrs. Hagop & Pamela Sabounji
Mr. & Mrs. Hratch & Helga Sarkis
Dr. & Dr. Reuben & Patricia Siraganian
Mr. & Mrs. Vazken & Lucie Terzian
Dr. Alan Whitehorn
Mr. Sarkis Yacoubian
$500 +
Mr. Robert C. Ajemian
Dr. & Mrs. Misak & Hourig Abdulian
Dr. & Mrs. Varouj & Kerstin Aivazian
Mr. & Mrs. Hagop & Arpine Altounian
Mr. Ara Arzumanian
Dr. Katy Behesnilian
Mr. & Mrs. Ara & Calahrina Boyajian
Dr. & Mrs. Hratch & Knar Kavazanjian
Mr. & Mrs. Hagop & Eranica Kouyoumdjian
Mr. Varouj Lapoyan
Mr. Richard McOmber
Dr. Louis Najarian
Mr. & Mrs. Berge & Evelyn Papazian
Mr. & Mrs. Richard & Nora Sarajian
Mr. & Mrs. Michael & Violet Saydam
Dr. Roger Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Ohannes & Gracia
Tchaglassian
Mr. & Mrs. Zohrab & Arpi Tcholakian
Mr. & Mrs. Harutun & Nadya Vaporciyan
Mr. & Mrs. Garo & Azniv Yeghoyan
Mr. Sevag Yeghoyan
Dr. & Mrs. Ara & Rossy Yeretsian
$100 +
Dr. George Aghajanian
Ms. Ani Abdalyan
Mrs. Araxy Adalian
Mr. & Mrs. Hrant & Alidz Agbabian
Mr. & Mrs. Varoujan & Hasmig Agemian
Dr. Sima Aprahamian
Armenian Catholic Community of Toronto
Armenian Congregational Church
—Southfield, MI
AGBU Toronto
Armenian Students Association
Armenian World Alliance—Toronto
Mr. & Mrs. Hrair & Mary Atikian
Mr. Edward Avanessy
Dr. Louise Aznavour
Mr. & Mrs. Kaloust & Hasmik Babian
Mr. Garbis Bagdassarian
Mr. Mourad Bahoudian
Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Arpi Barsam
Mr. Girair Basmadjian
Mr. Mikael Bedrosian
Mrs. Nora Bekarian
Bolsahay Cultural Association—Toronto
Mr. Hovanes Boyadjian
Mr. Hirant Candan
Mr. & Mrs. Chris & Agavni Chakmakian
Ms. Anahid Chamourian
Dr. Nazeli Charchian
Mr. Souren Chichmanian
Mr. Hagop N. Chopurian
Mr. & Mrs. Kaloust & Aroussiag Christianian
Mr. Shahan Deirmenjian
Mr. Sebouh Demirdjian
Dr. & Mrs. Ari & Hera Demirjian
Mr. Sebouh Der Avedisrian
Mr. Kirkor Der Ghazarian
Mr. Vazken Der-Kaloustian
Mr. & Mrs. Gerair & Elise Dervishian
Dr. V. Ehramdjian
Page Ten
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel & Barbara Hagopian
Mr. & Mrs. Nerses & Sona Fesdekjian
Mr. & Mrs. Shant & Nayri Gueyikian
Mr. Gerald Guregian
Mr. & Mrs. Garabed & Madeleine
Grehian
Mr. Jean Hajjar
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel & Lucy Hamboyan
Dr. Herbert Hirsch
Mr. & Mrs. Gregory & Brigette Kasparian
Mr. & Mrs. Zaven & Ani Hanessian
Mr. & Mrs. George & Shoushig
Haroutunian
Mr. Norayr Harutunyan
Mr. John Hovsepian
Dr. Stephen Injeyan
Mr. & Mrs. Vasken & Anahid Kassabian
Mr. Aram Kazazian
Mr. & Mrs. Garbis & Nazli Kerestecioglu
Mr. Gary Ketenjian
Mr. & Mrs. Zaven & Sona Khanjian
Dr. Zaven Khatchatourian
Mr. Yeprem Khatcherian
Mr. Raffi Kouyoumdjian
Mr. & Mrs. Armen & Silva Kurkjian
Dr. & Dr. Jirair & Rita Kuyumjian
Mr. Krikor Marounian
Mr. & Mrs. Jack & Eva Medzorian
Mr. & Mrs. Dikran & Maro
Meguerditchian
Mr. Armand Mirijanian
Ms. Pauline Ngirumpatse
Ms. Nora Ohanjanians
Dr. & Mrs. Benjamin & Mary Pamboukian
Mr. & Mrs. William & Sylvia Parsons
Ms. Rosalind Raddatz
Mr. & Mrs. David & Janet Ranger
Dr. & Mrs. Edward & Joan Safarian
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel & Ludmila Sahakian
Mr. & Mrs. Armen & Brenda Shahinian
Mr. Robert Setrakian
Mr. & Mrs. Hagop & Seta Sevakian
Mr. & Mrs. Armen & Brenda Shahinian
Mr. & Mrs. William & Margaret Shaphren
Mr. George Shirinian
Mr. Nisan Sismanoglu
Mrs. Emma Sogoian
St. Mesrob Armenian Church of Ottawa
Mr. & Mrs. Sebu & Shake Tashjian
Dr. Lena Terjanian
Mrs. Talyn Terzian-Gilmour
Mr. & Mrs. John & Elizabeth Titizian
Mr. Kevork Toroyan
Union of Marash Armenians—Toronto
Mr. Kirakos (Greg) Vapurciyan
Mr. Jorge Vartparonian
Mr. & Mrs. Victor & Judith Zarougian
Mr. & Mrs. Nubar & Mary Zorian
Publications
The 20th Anniversary of the Karabagh Movement and the Zoryan Institute’s
Legacy
When the dramatic
events surrounding
the Karabagh Movement hit world consciousness in late
February 1988, Zoryan mobilized its staff,
academic board and
associated scholars to
produce the first book
in English and French
on the subject, The
Karabagh File. This
collection provides
critical primary source documents regarding the development of the issue from 1918 through to the revolution, the formation of the republic, the civil war, Sovietization to Perestroika and the articulation of the need for radical change. It
also includes the responses to these
calls from within the USSR and Armenian Diaspora. The work is made complete with detailed maps, interviews,
and a chronology of major events starting in 600 AD.
As a result of the Karabagh Movement,
pogroms took place against the Armenians in several cities in Azerbajian in
1988-89. Samvel Shahmuratyan recorded forty-five eyewitness testimony
from the refugees of these attacks. Zoryan translated and published these in
The Sumgait Tragedy: Pogroms against
In the United States
Armenians in Soviet
Azerbaijan, which includes a Preface by
Yelena Bonner, renowned human rights
activist and wife of Andrei Sakharov. This
work, including a detailed editor’s introduction, helped expose the
atrocities committed
against the ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan
to the international
community.
The Making of Nagorno-Karabagh: From Secession to
Republic is a collection of papers delivered at “The Karabagh Movement: Ten
Years After,” a Zoryan sponsored conference held in 1998. Some of the leading
analysts of the region assessed the
Karabagh Question in the decade since
the eruption of the historic protests that
saw hundreds of thousands of Armenians march in support of Karabagh. Today, and after the lost of twentythousand lives, the struggle is still unresolved. A key contribution of the volume
is its analysis of the failure of many
OSCE, UN and regional power mediation
efforts in one of the world’s strategic,
oil-rich regions.
Contact Us
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