Unity Symposium Program

10:30-10:40 Chahe Tanachian
Welcome & Introductory Remarks
10:40-11:00 Prof. Z.S. Andrew Demirdjian
The Persuasive Power of Numbers: A Call for Political Clout
11:00 -11:20 Video of Harut Sassounian’s Speech
at the USC Symposium, Nov. 20, 2010
Popularly Elected Structure to Represent Diaspora Armenians
11:20-11:45 Dr. Souren Seraydarian
Organizing for Our Inalienable Rights
Introduction by Arsine Attarian
11:45-12:05 Prof. Levon Marashlian
The Necessity and Difficulty of Establishing a Diaspora Congress

12:05-12:25 Coffee Break

12:25-13:05 Aliye Alice Alt
Hamshens & Convert Armenians: Their Expectations
Introduction by Dr. Dikran Abrahamian
Live Translation from Turkish by Ared Misirliyan
13:05-13:25 Fr. Mesrop Aramian
Education for Unity. The AYB Model For Armenian Children
Introduction by Viken L. Attarian
  
13:25-02:00 Lunch Break
 
Commentary:
2:00-2:05 Vrouyr Makalian LLB
Moderator
2:05-2:15 Prof. Arpi Hamalian
2:15-2:25 Antranig Bedrossian B. Comm. BA CMA
2:25-2:35 Viken L. Attarian P. Eng. MSc MBA
2:35-3:25 Round Table, Rebuttals and Q & A 
3:25-3:30 Khatoune Temisjian-Bedrossian PhD
Closing Remarks
 

This symposium is funded exclusively by private donations

Please consider a cash contribution or cheque payable to AWAC
Inscribe  "Unity Symposium”. Donations are not tax-deductible
The Organizers thank the AGBU Montreal Chapter for providing space

Announcement

6 comments
  1. Please employ Cooperation not Unity

    I have  many a time  over  tried  to explain to my dear compatriots  that there will never be Unity amongst different ideologies/currents of the factions of this or that nation.Not just Armenians. For it is quite well apprehensible  that  IDEOLOGIES   differ and are in constant friction with each other. 

    Just  watch and learn from the French, for example. They have left, extreme left, Right and extreme right political curretns /ideologoes and their offshoots. But  they COOPERATE…..MIAPANVIL…WHEN  THERE IS A NATIONAL ISSUE AT STAKE   THREATENING  F R A N C E ..

    The word  Unity  and then propaganda amongst Armenians (by turkish agents) injected  into our fabric  such as Armenians will never unite, Armenians do not like UNITY  etc., is deja vue  by people  who comprehend  what I am talking about….

    Others who keep on sheepishly continuing  these phrases or even  word   UNITY ought to think twice over before uttering  such words.

    A Tashnag, or Njdehagan will always be so, a leftist , a  Ramgavar will always stay so. Same with a Marxist, Maoist  communist…you cannot erase  it from his/her brain that  …but you can indeed,  try to bring them to .-

    Convergence  and cooperation on National Affairs!

  2. Unity & Cooperation

    Great answer, Gaytzag.

    Precisely due to these efforts of "unity" we will not be at par with modern democracies. A modern society allows many divergent views.

    Like you said, a Tashnag will always be a Tasnag, a Ramgavar will always be a Ramgavar, a communist will always be a communist, etc. It will be quite a deed to make them act in concordance. Have they ever acted in cooperation? When? Oh, sorry I forgot, they meet at the Genocide memorial in Montebello, California once a year to give long speeches that we all know by heart. Cooperation? It seems not in our lifetime.

    I think Turks know us better than any of us when they say we will never unite (hold on to your horses, I am not a Turkish agent). When each interest sees the truth ONLY but ONLY through its own convictions, there will be no room to listen to other ideas. The conviction of "my side is right" is the biggest impediment to cooperation, let alone unity among us. This is more so among monolithic parties when the order comes from top brass to act and vote in a certain manner.

     

    1. Top brass or BBB´s, Bishops,Bosses & Benefactors (Ara Baliozian)

      You sound quite hopeless referring to the top brass  only…if I may say so. You forget that  our ex-silent majorities – as set forth by above BBB´s – are now extremely well advanced  in their professional fields. These together-if organized-5  of  these on the scene already-can come up alongside  the BBB´s acting under the 160 yrs old Sahmanatrutyun, concocted up (drawn up) in Istanbulla, mainly by  our  clergy  and their supporter Amiras – can make a difference. When and where is the question and how to do so. No, not by he  Symposiums  that took place  in November 2010 in LA or the recent one in Canada – as is displayed  on this forum – with all due respect to them – let them carry on their BBB controlled such as  much as they wish. But I do believe  that time will come-not too far away -when the majority of our so called ¨Silent majority¨ now  over a 100,000 strong slumbering giant will emerge and this in an organized  fashion, I suggesst, orderly and through a crystalization mode show its clout.

      Otherwise the unfortunate  present status quo will  continue, for  the time being.The spokespersons of the BBB´-s trumpeting  on forums UNItY…etc.

       

  3. Cooperation vs. Unity

    I think many of us, hyphenated Lebanese-Armenian-Americans , Canadians or Aussies are following out the endemic political manifestations that are brewing in Lebanon once again and will continue in the future based on past experiences.

    Of course there are real issues hindering the formation of a new Lebanese Government. However, I think that are not so real issues as well. Among the later the following comes to my mind, amply articulated by then Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan who said, in reference to the aspiring Republican Presidential candidates: "Too many candidates, and not enough promises to go around".

    In Lebanon there are too many aspiring ministers and not enough ministries to go around. Sooner or later this will also come to its conclusion and a new government will be formed sooner or later. I am wandering now if new ministries will be created to dilute the veto power of any one political block. When done it may be a good example of cooperation to form a government and not necessarily of unity of purpose other than self serving.


  4. A Thing or Two

    "The Japanese government has been hapless. And the Japanese people have been magnificent, enduring impossible hardships with dignity and grace," writes journalist Nicholas Kristof in the Sunday New York Times.
     
    The stoicism the Japanese have displayed in braving the catastrophy that has hit Japan is an example for all of us to emulate. Their ethos may be the very reason that Japan, poor in natural resources, is a world- class economic power. 
    The attached article by Kristof, who is of Armenian descent on his father’s side, amply analyzes the Japanese ethos. It is worth reading.
     
  5. A very short one

    So what was the outcome of the March 19, 2011 Montreal Symposium (see above)? Would someone please comment on the gathering?

Comments are closed.

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