Florida Atlantic University Conducts First Public Teacher Workshop on the Armenian Genocide in South Florida
Workshop is Part of a Series of Events in South Florida Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
By Taniel Koushakjian
FLArmenians Managing Editor
As part of the South Florida commemorations of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) will conduct a two-part series of events. On January 20th, Dr. Rosanna Gatens, Director of the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education (CHHRE) at FAU and Reverend Fr. Paren Galstyan, Pastor of St. David Armenian Church in Boca Raton, Florida, held a workshop at the Alex and Marie Manoogian School. The workshop featured lectures, exhibits, and thought-provoking information and dialogue on the Armenian Genocide. Facilitated by Dr. Mary Johnson, Facing History and Ourselves, the workshop explored the role of World War I in the execution of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
Fifteen teachers from Broward and Palm Beach County participated in the FAU workshop. “St. David’s Armenian school was the perfect setting for teachers, not only to learn about the Armenian genocide and how to teach it, but also to begin to understand Armenian identity,” stated Dr. Gatens. “All of us were fascinated by the richness of Armenian culture, but even more by the ancientness of Armenian Christianity,” Dr. Gatens said.
During the workshop instructors examined the exhibit “Witness to the Armenian Genocide: Photographs by the Perpetrators’ German and Austro-Hungarian Allies,” produced by the Armenian National Institute (ANI), the Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA), and the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The ten-poster set includes an introductory page, a detailed timeline, a color-coded map geographically matching the photographs with their location, and seven pages displaying 34 captioned historic photographs. The color-coded map in the exhibit is based on the previously-published ANI map of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkish Empire illustrating the three prevailing aspects of the Genocide: the deportations, the massacres, and the concentration camps.
FAU’s second lecture commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2015, as part of the Martin and Edith Stein Community Lecture Series. Dr. Tamar Akçam will discuss his book, “The Young Turks’ Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire.” Dr. Akçam is the Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Florida Atlantic University Events Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide:
January 20, 2015
Teacher Workshop: The Role of World War I in the Execution of the Armenian Genocide, facilitated by Dr. Mary Johnson, Facing History and Ourselves, FAU, Boca Raton Campus, 8.30-a.m.3.30 p.m. at St. David’s Armenian Church, Boca Raton. Substitute reimbursements available. April 2015 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This program is part of local commemoration of the first genocide of the Twentieth Century.
April 19, 2015
Martin and Edith Stein Community Lecture Series: Dr. Tamar Akçam will discuss his book, “The Young Turks’ Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire,” Dr. Akçam is Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University. This program is part of south Florida’s commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. FAU, Boca Campus, 7-9 p.m., location TBA.
Florida High School Students Visit the Armenian Assembly of America
High School Students from Palm Beach County Learn About Armenian History, Human Rights, and the Armenian Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – Last month, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) hosted a group of high school students and educators from Palm Beach County, Florida for a presentation and discussion on Armenian history, human rights, and the Armenian Genocide. Nineteen students and eight teachers travelled to the nation’s capital to meet with various human rights groups and anti-genocide organizations to deepen their understanding of genocide and crimes against humanity. The group was sponsored by inSIGHT Through Education, Inc., a Florida non-profit that uses the lessons of the Holocaust and genocide to fight prejudice and bigotry and to encourage tolerance, acceptance and respect. In addition to the Assembly, the student group also visited Congress and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Dr. Rouben Adalian, Director of the Armenian National Institute (ANI), provided a briefing to the group and presented the exhibit “Witness to the Armenian Genocide: Photographs by the Perpetrators’ German and Austro-Hungarian Allies.” The exhibit includes ten posters with a detailed timeline, a color-coded map geographically matching the photographs with their location, and seven pages displaying 34 captioned historic photographs depicting the deportations, massacres, and concentration camps.
“The Palm Beach County students were already aware of the importance of addressing current human rights issues,” stated Dr. Adalian. “That made our discussion on the Armenian Genocide that much more informed, as they detected the patterns of discrimination and intolerance that can lead to gross violations forewarning of a genocidal outcome,” Dr. Adalian said.
The students were accompanied by educators Maureen Carter, Maureen Holtzer, Frances Kennedy, Tawny Anderson, Bryan Sandala, Tonisha Cook, Holocaust survivor Frieda Jaffe, and President of inSIGHT Roz Lewy.
Taniel Koushakjian, Assembly Communications Director, also addressed the group and discussed the role of the Assembly in educating the public as well as elected officials about human rights and the Armenian Genocide. “It is important that Holocaust and Genocide education begin at the high-school level and it is encouraging to see my home state and county lead in that effort,” said Koushakjian, a life-long Floridian and graduate of the Palm Beach County public school system.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
Florida Armenians 