Rights Violation," April 4, 2008
After the Armenian Genocide or the first genocide of the Twentieth century,
the Armenian people stayed silent. After the Holocaust, people cried "never
again." Yet genocide has not gone away. "Roots of Evil: Continued Challenges
for the Denial of Mass Human Rights Violation," a Symposium taking place on
Friday, April 4, 2008 at Fordham University, Lincoln Center at 7:00 PM, will
address the impact of genocide during the last one-hundred years--and the
issue of genocide denial.
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Please click the following link for information on how to register for the
symposium: https://www.ideologiesofwar.com/register/
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The Symposium, organized and chaired by Dr. Ani Kalayjian, Professor of
Psychology at Fordham, is sponsored by the Armenian-American Society for
Studies on Stress and Genocide (AASSSG), the Society for the Psychological
Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), New York, Fordham Psychology Association,
Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP), Fordham Psi Chi and
Meaningful World. It will commemorate those who died in the Ottoman Turkish
Genocide and the memory of Hrant Dink, an Armenian-Turkish journalist who
was assassinated in January 2007 for his views on freedom of speech.
The Symposium will include keynote speeches, musical entertainment, a
reception, refreshments and networking.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dr. Richard Koenigsberg, Faculty Member, Institute for the Study of Violence
at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, will speak on the Denial of
the Destructiveness of Civilization. Nearly two-hundred million people have
been slaughtered in the last one-hundred years as a result of violent acts
undertaken by nation-states. Do we truly grasp the reality of destruction
that societies have leveled against their own people? Dr. Koenigsberg will
examine the concept of genocide-denial within the framework of a broader
form of denial: our refusal to look closely at the destruction wrought by
our own nations--and civilization itself.
Suliman A. Giddo is Co-Founder and President of Darfur Peace and
Development. The mission of Mr. Giddo's non-profit organization is to
restore reconciliation where conflict exists in the Darfur region of Sudan
through humanitarian aid and services. He will speak about his experiences
as a mediator working to prevent further violent escalation of the tragic
conflict in Darfur. Mr. Giddo approaches mediation as a process designed to
create trust through communication and dialogue-in order to prevent violent
escalation.
Margaret Ajemian Ahnert will speak about her book The Knock at the Door,
winner of the 2007 USA News award for the Best Book on World History. In
1915, Armenian Christians in Turkey were driven out of their homes as the
Turkish army embarked on a widespread campaign of intimidation and murder.
Margaret Ajemian Ahnert relates the riveting story of her mother Ester's
terrifying experiences as a young woman. Her account is framed by an
intimate portrait of her relationship with her 98-yer old mother. Ester's
inspiring stories, told lovingly by her daughter, provide a window into the
harrowing struggles of the Armenians during a terrible period in human
history.
Entertainment will be provided by Quartet T, with Kristi Helberg and Amie
Weiss on violin, You-Young Kim on viola, and Jane O'Hara on cello. Alumni of
Julliard, Oberlin Conservatory and Mannes Schools of Music, the members of
Quartet T have additional musical training in Middle Eastern, Klezmer and
North Indian music. The musicians present eastern musical forms and explore
the works of western composers who have taken inspiration from these forms.
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Please click the following link for information on how to register for the
symposium: https://www.ideologiesofwar.com/register/
