Crystallizing Armenian Demands/Claims (Video)

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1. Crystallizing Armenian demands

   I am very encouraged by this fresh new approach–through NCWA–to pursue our demands from Turkey.
   I was very impressed listening to the presentation of Mr Souren Seraydarian in Toronto.
   Who is funding the NCWA? What is their main source of income?
   What is the best way to contribute to this worthy organization?

   Where in Paris will the meeting of March 28-29 be held?

   1. Some answers regarding 4th Congress

      1. The 4th Congress will meet at the Meridien Etoile hotel on 81 boulevard Gouvion St. Cyr starting on Saturday 28 March at 10 am and will continue until 6.30 pm with two coffee breaks and a light buffet lunch. There will be a reception at 7 pm. The meeting will continue on Sunday as of 2 pm. The morning may be utilised to visit the Armenian church or the Komitas monument and will permit the drafting group to prepare a final version for Sunday afternoon after having taken into consideration the views expressed during the Saturday session. The Meridien hotel is at the Air France terminal in Porte de Maillot as well as the same metro station.

      2. Financing the NCWA; so far the work accomplished was done on voluntary non-remunerated basis by members of the NCWA consisting of lawyers, historians and political science specialists. Even outside foreign lawyers who acted as consultants from the UK, France and Turkey did not ask for remuneration. Future court cases in Turkish Tribunals and/or the European Court of Justice require a serious financing of around $200,000 in 2015/2016. So far all expenses were met by individual donors and membership fees. Apparently the Armenian Diaspora tends to collect resources for financing churches, some educational institutions and welfare activities . It seems there is not enough understanding  to support financially the defense of  the rights of the descendants of Armenians of the Ottoman Empire for reparations for moral, property and physical prejudice.

      Donations are welcome using the NCWA website ncwarmenians.org or contacting us on [email protected].

      Cheques may be sent to our address:

      34 Avenue des Champs Elysées,75008 Paris.

2. I hope the diaspora will be
   I hope the diaspora will be encouraged to be part on developments on a regular basis.

3. Փարիզի Համագումար

   Դիտելէ ետք Յունուար 31, 2015 Թորոնթոյի մէջ տեղի ունեցած խորհրդակցական ժողովի տեսահոլովակը, ու լսելէ ետք միջազգային օրէնզգիտութեան իրաւաբան Պր. Սուրէն Սերայտարեանի ցարդ իրագործուած աշխատանքներու զեկոյցը, կ՝ուզէի ձեր ուշադրութեան յանձնել "Հորիզոն"ի 14-րդ գունաւոր բացառիկը, որու մէջ կայ խիստ՛ շահեկան հարցազրոյց մը: 

   "Հորիզոն" կը յայտնէ, որ 2013-ին հրատարակուած է Մատենադարանի աւագ գիտաշխատող Անահիտ Աստոյեանի գիրքը …" ԴԱՐԻ ԿՈՂՈՊՈՒՏԸ. ՀԱՅԵՐՈՒ ՈՒՆԵԶՐԿՈՒՄԸ ՕՍՄԱՆԵԱՆ ԿԱՅՍՐՈՒԹԵԱՆ ՄԷՋ 1914 – 19թթ. "

    

   Հեղինակի վկայութեամբ, Հայ ժողովուրդի անհատական ու հաւաքական ունեցուածքի Թրքական պետութեան կողմէ իւրացումը փաստուած է թէ՛ վերապրողներու, եւ թէ՛ ալ Օսմանեան կայսրութեան տարածքին գործած դիւանագետներու ու զեկուցագիրներու Թրքական աղբիւրներու մէջ, որոնք կը հաստատեն, որ … " Հայերու ունեզրկումը, Հայ ժողովուրդի բնաջնջման ծրագրի մէջ եղած է կարեւոր գործօն:"

    

   Այդ նպատակով, երիտթրքական իշխանութիւննրը 1915 թ. Յունիս 1-ին հրապարակեցին " Տեղահանութեան օրէնքը " որուն գործադրմամբ՝ 1.500.000 Հայ, բռնի՛ տեղահանուեցաւ ու բնաջնջուեցաւ:

    

   Յետագային արդէն օրինականացուեցաւ, Հայերու անշարժ ու շարժական գոյքերու ամբողջ հարստութեան բացայայտ կողոպուտն ու իւրացումը …:

    

   Այս բոլորին մանրամասնութեամբ կ՝անդրադարնայ Անահիտ Աստոյեան՝ հարցազրոյցով: Տէս՛ "Հորիզոն"ի 14-րդ գունաւոր բացառիկը, էջ՝ 16: 

    

   Յաջողութեան մաղթանքներով՝

   Ալեքս Մատիրոսեան

    

4. Crystallizing Armenian Demands/Claims (Video)

   Սիրելի հայրենակիցներ,

   Կարծես մեր հայերի խելք ու միտքը կը գտնուի ստամոքսում և ոչ գլխում: Թէ ինչքան կարևոր էր դասախօսութեան նիւթը կազմակերպիչների համար, և ինչ հարգանք կը ցուցաբերեն դասախօսին, զգալի կը դառնայ, երբ ինքներդ դիտէք տեսախցիկը: Դասախօսը կենտրոնացած կը խօսի, իսկ ունկնդիրները լափելով են զբաղուած: Գոնէ ինձ համար դժուար էր կենտրոնացած լսելը, քանի որ դանակ պատառաքաղի ձայները գերիշխելով կը շեղէին միտքս, հետևել այդ կարևոր տեղեկութիւններին:

   Ջերմ բարևներով
   Րաֆֆի Դաւիթեան
    

   1. NCWA Gathering

      I am wondering whether Vatche in Britain and Raffi in Germany have been exchanging notes: their comments are so similar, although they were not in attendance like I was.

      I believe the report made it clear that it was a successful event and people were impressed by Mr. Seraydarian's words and the efforts of the National Congress of Western Armenians. So why go out of your way to denigrate the event by mentioning the humble ""houmous""? I bet someone (Vatche? Raffi?) would have raised their brows had the menu included British roast beef or German ox tail and Bavarian beer.

      Mesrob

5. Food and cutlery noise vs a serious topic?
   I could not continue watching this video presentation of Mr Seraydarian not because it was uninteresting or uninspiring, but simply because the participants were too busy filling their stomach with food whilst waiters carried plates of houmous and so on around the table.

   It was so distracting to watch and concentrate on  what was being said,  that I  felt sorry for Mr Seraydarian, whilst his audience simply stuffed their faces with food as he carried on with his presentation.

   Was this a casual business lunch-meeting where people express their opinion with their mouth full of food and drink or was it something serious worth giving it priority space as the Home page article ?

   I'm sorry to say, for me it just killed the whole seriousness of the presentation.

   1. Seraydarian Presenatation

      Vatche reveals his hand from 3,000 miles away by using loaded and biased  phrases like "busy filling their stomachs" and "audience simple stuffed their faces with food."

      Besides, is he saying that he can't do two things at the same time?.. Eat and listen? Walk and talk? Does it mean that he couldn't think when he was typing. I have it from a good source that even the Neanderthal Man could start a fire in his cave and talk to his wife.

   2. Opinions…Armenian Style

      Vatché,

      Had you been present at the meeting you surely would have had a different and hopefully positive opinion. It was one of the most informative and interesting gathering I have attended about Armenian issues. Mr. Seraydarian mentioned important events and issues that were the direct result of the power of his organization–with international lawyers and high-level members who have been working for the NCWA.

      Unfortunately, there are Armenians who, with their wrong and negative attitudes, put down important initiatives that can make a difference in our community. Probably it's their bias or lack of understanding of a non-political party's thinking and strategies.
       

6. Details about NCWA

   
   
   Excellent – and very  encouraging – presentation. Are more details about NCWA, including membership options, available?

   1. NCWA Website

      I found a lot of information about NCWA on their website at http://www.ncwarmenians.org

      1. NCWA website

         Thank you! Eventually so did I!

7. Insulting comments

   I was present at this important gathering as one of the organizers and later watched the video through and through.

   One can't help but reflect on comments made by Vatche P. of UK and Rafi Davitian  of Germany. As if they have made a pact with each other to badmouth.

   It’s totally inaccurate what they say about cluttering, people being busy filling their bellies, not listening to Mr. Souren Seraydarian. Total nonsense! One wonders what the motives of these two commentators are. It’s an insult to the people who represented a cross-section of the Armenian Community in Toronto.

   It’s not uncommon at all to have serious discussions while having snacks with a sip of refreshment late in the afternoon. Likewise having breakfast when a gathering is in the morning is commonplace. I can’t imagine how Vatche without being present, far away in UK, watching only the video-tape, could distinguish a plate of "houmous" from other dishes.

    

   The video is taken at an angle that shows only 8-9 people including Mr. Seraydarian and two of the organizers. How can one  comment on about close to 40 other people who were present and not seen in the video? One has to look at the accompanying pictures to assess the attentiveness of the audience. I was able to hear the video at half raised volume on my desktop with no difficulty despite having some minor hearing loss.  The clarity of the audio was good and alleged clutters did not distract me at all.

    

   I feel sorry for the two commentators and definitely not for Mr. Seraydarian who expressed his enjoyment of the company,  the lively Q&A and one-to-one interactions that followed his presentation. The gathering was cut short because of time constraints, otherwise another hour in addition to the two and one half hour would not have been enough.

8. Naysayers are wrong!

   By attending this meeting I felt very privileged. As I was looking around I could recognize most of the attendees. For the first time in my life I was in the company of tashnags, hunchags, ramgavars, at least one communist and of course chezoks under the same roof. In Canadian terms conservatives, liberals, NDP sympathizers and even a Green Party member who was a candidate in the recent provincial elections were sharing space together.
    
   To see AGBU, Hamazkayin, Nor Serount, Tekeyan, Armenian Association of Toronto, Renaissance and Bolshay Association members around the same table was uplifting. I am sure there were many of the Apostolic Church, also Catholics, Evangelists and atheists too.

   The only Ontarian Armenian sitting Citizenship Judge, whether by design or chance, was sharing the same row as the speaker Mr. Souren Seraydarian. A former member of the Toronto District School Board Trustee was attentively following the proceedings. One of the Armenian hopefuls to be nominated as a Liberal candidate in the coming Federal elections participated in the meeting via skype from Montreal.
    
   Having observed this improbable phenomenon, allow me to say that naysayers about Armenian unity are wrong. Here, in Toronto we witnessed unity in the making. When matters concern us all, such as the issues of reparation, restitution, compensation and land claims, we are united. When there is a will there is a way to come together. Hopefully this spirit will prevail in the coming 4^th National Congress of Western Armenians in Paris.

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