CHICAGO, Ill.—On Sat., Nov. 21, members of the ARF Chicago “Christapor” Gomideh and members of the AGBU of Chicago gathered at the AGBU Onnig Norehad Center and presented a joint program discussing the diplomatic protocols recently signed by the governments of Armenia and Turkey. The three guest speakers discussing how they believe the protocols will affect Armenia were Ken Hachikian, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the ANCA; Oscar Tatosian, the chairman of the Diocesan Council; and Dr. Henry Theriault, a professor of philosophy at Worcester State College.
The ARF Chicago “Christapor” Gomideh chairman, Unger Greg Bedian, described the event as a way to “bring together Chicago Armenians with different ideas about what the protocols mean, and to have an exchange of ideas about how the protocols impact us.”
Each of the panelists spoke for 20 minutes about how the protocols could impact Armenia and its diaspora. Following the discussion, the panelists exchanged questions and answers. Afterwards, the audience asked the panelists questions and made voiced their own opinions about the protocols.
Theriault, who spoke first, discussed the protocols as finalizing the last stage of the Armenian Genocide, which is the consolidation of benefits gained from the denial of the genocide, including erasing the memory of genocide. Theriault explained that the protocols, especially the historical commission, effectively allow Turkey to consolidate its gains from the genocide by seriously questioning the reality of its existence.
Speaking next, Tatosian argued that Armenia President Serge Sarkisian was dedicated to the recognition of the genocide and that the protocols would not derail that mission. Tatosian also reassured audience members that Sarkisian would not allow the stipulations in the protocols over maintaining “territorial integrity” to cause any part of Karabagh to be taken by Azerbaijan.
Finally, Hachikian spoke, saying that the protocols involved too much sacrifice on the part of Armenia. “I agree that the borders should be open, but at what cost?” Hachikian said. “The sacrifices we must make due to these protocols are just too big.”
During the question and answer session, Detroit AYF-YOARF Chapter member Nieri Avanessian asked whether aid to Armenia from the U.S. government would increase in the year following the signing of the protocols. Hachikian responded that foreign aid would probably not increase, adding that it had decreased in the past year and that there was no indication it would increase in the years to come.
Following the short question and answer session, during which AGBU and ARF members also participated, AYF members from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois urged attendees to sign ANCA Action Alerts and encourage their senators to support the Armenian Genocide Resolution, S.Res.316.
The above article says “Tatosian argued that Armenia President Serge Sarkisian was dedicated to the recognition of the genocide.”
I would defy Tatosian or anyone else to name some substantial things that Sargsian or any other Armenian president since independence has done to advance the cause of genocide acknowledgment or indeed anything at all having to do with the Armenian genocide. A genocide conference or two in Yerevan? Big deal. Armenia’s leaders have been weak, unpatriotic, and downright uncooperative when it comes to the genocide. Their record is one that fills the average Armenian with horror and disgust.