DENVER, Colo.—On Sat., March 10, more than 70 educators and students participated in a workshop titled “Why Studying the Armenian Genocide Matters Today,” to learn about how to incorporate the Armenian Genocide into school curricula across Colorado. The workshop was a collaboration between Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) and Armenians of Colorado, Inc. (AOC).
“This has been in the works for over a year,” said Kim Christianian, chair of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee for AOC. “We didn’t know what to expect and we were thrilled to see how enthusiastic the teachers were about teaching the subject in their history classes,” she said.
“Professor [Peter] Balakian really fed our teachers well,” said FHAO regional director Dave Fulton. “We’re anxious to have him back.”
The workshop concluded with the showing of a 10-minute documentary entitled “The Armenian Genocide and the Treaty of Sevre,” made by student Alik Christianian for 2011 History Day. She was awarded first place for the film in the state of Colorado last year and competed in Washington, D.C., in the middle school category.
The Saturday workshop was part of a series of educational events in Colorado. Balakian started the weekend at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he read from his latest book of poems Ziggurat for the Creative Writing Program Reading Series.
On Sun., March 11, AOC hosted a talk and book signing with Balakian titled “Literary Memory and Catastrophe: from the Armenian Genocide to 9/11.” The event was held at the Tattered Cover and drew a large crowd from both the Denver and Boulder area.
The weekend lectures were organized by the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee for AOC. April events include an annual resolution designating April 24 as the Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. “This is will be the 11th year that we have had this resolution in place,” said Kim Christianian, who spearheaded the initiative with the help of committee members Ken Allikian and Simon Maghakyan. “We have seen the effect of these grass-root efforts on our Congressional delegation and believe that it is only a matter of time that the Armenian Genocide gets its proper recognition at the national level,” she said.
AOC will host the annual commemoration program on Sun., April 22 at 1:30 p.m., at the State Capitol’s Armenian Genocide Memorial Plaque (dedicated in 1982), located in the Armenian Garden at the State Capitol.
AOC was established in June 1982. It is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, cultural organization charged with creating a cohesive Armenian community and advancing the understanding of Armenian history, culture, and heritage.
For more information, visit www.armeniansofcolorado.org. To watch Alik Christianian’s History Day 2011 documentary, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyhu_Lo_qp4.
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