Sassounian to Speak at Times Square Commemoration

NEW YORK—Harut Sassounian, the publisher of the California Courier newspaper, will speak at the 95th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on Sun., April 25 from 2-4 p.m. in Times Square, New York.

Harut Sassounian

A seasoned writer whose weekly editorials appear widely in both Armenian and non-Armenian media, Sassounian also authored the book The Armenian Genocide: The World Speaks Out, Documents and Declarations, 1915-2005, which has been published in English and Arabic.

As president of the United Armenian Fund, a coalition of seven major Armenian American organizations, Sassounian has managed the acquisition and delivery of $600 million of humanitarian aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh) in the past 20 years. As senior vice president of the Lincy Foundation, Kirk Kerkorian’s charitable organization, he has overseen $240 million of infrastructure projects in Armenia and Artsakh. Sassounian has also served as a human rights delegate at the United Nations for 10 years and played a leading role in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by a UN human rights committee in 1985.

In the private sector, Sassounian has extensive background as an international marketing executive for Procter & Gamble in Geneva, Switzerland. He earned his master’s degree from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and an MBA from Pepperdine University. For his humanitarian work, Sassounian has been decorated by the president and prime minister of the Republic of Armenia, and the heads of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches, and is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

The 95th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Times Square will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were annihilated by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire (1915-23). Major political figures will speak, as well as civic, humanitarian, and educational leaders.

The event is sponsored by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, and co-sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian National Committee of America, Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, and the Armenian Council of America.

Participating organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian Church, Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Evangelical Union, Armenian Catholic Eparchy, and several national Armenian youth organizations.

Taleen Babayan

Taleen Babayan

Taleen Babayan earned her masters in journalism from Columbia University in 2008 and her bachelors degree in history and international relations from Tufts University in 2006. Her work has been published widely in both Armenian and non-Armenian media. She can be contacted at babayant@gmail.com

4 Comments

  1. Hye, if the Ottoman and their subsequent leaderships had been adjudged early in the 20th century to be guilty of the Christian Armenians… imagine… ALL the
    Genocides that followed shall never have been.  The issue today before the world too, is that the cycle of Genocides must end.  Today, 2010,  Darfurians suffer a Genocide, and the Sudanese are attempting to deny their guilt! 
    When shall the  civilized nations of the world come together and perpetuate the
    guilt of the Turks – hence any despots who seek their convoluted goals shall know that the world has ended the cycle of Genocides on our planet Earth – now!
    Manooshag

  2. It  was  high time Harut  Sassounian took to centre stage and delivered  a discourse .His ability to pinpoint turkish-ness and wisen them up  a bit is commendable.He more  than anyone,has been able to become our spokesperson ex-officio.But  deserves to be officially so.His being interviewed  regularly on USArmenia T.V. throws  more  light on issues  that are contemporary and effective w/rgd to Armeno-Turkish  albeit (un)-relations.One would think, this way the turkish so far un-relenting mindset as to  accepting facts ,instead  of  denying  them,will give way to some softening  up,as is already being observed  on a very small scale.But something is something ,better  than  nothing.If someone like   him does  not try to set forth to the turks their erroneous approaches to the issues at hand  then they are liable to not  only keep on with their “massals”(usually meant a s  concocted  up fake  examples, rather  than the real meaning  of the wrd in arabic-persian-for that  is what  it  meas .Bt  their case as “fake’ made  up examples…
    said enough.
    Keep  up the good work Harut,Diaspora’s  spokesperson!!!
    Gaydz, with best  wishes…. 

  3. A great move by the organizers of the commemoration. In my view, one of the best minds in the diaspora. He has unique analytical skills and the ability to articulate strategies and tactics that move the nation forward. WhenI read his commentaries, I feel a unifying outcome and leadership that our community needs.

  4. absolutely, harut sassounian should be the spokesperson of ALL
    armenians around the world. his editiorials are to the point, factual and put in a way that keeps the interest going to the end. he is unrelentless in persuing the truth in such a diplomatic manner that sometimes i don’t know how he does it in view of the fact that we are dealing with liers, murderers and genocide deniers. he also speaks several languages including french which is very important in diplomatic circles.
    harut- mon vieux, we commend you and may God give you the strenght and foresight to continue, that’s what you do, regardless of the setbacks…. you continue.
    fellow armenians, let’s give praise where praise is due, let’s back him up in any way we can.
    thank you harut – chapeau.

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