THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED DUE TO THE EVENTS CURRENTLY UNFOLDING IN THE BOSTON AREA!
BOSTON, Mass.—Each April for the past 28 years, members of the Armenian community along with state legislators and guests have filled the House Chamber at the State House to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. This year marks the 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the commemoration will take place on Friday, April 19 at 10:30 a.m. with a program of speakers and honorees.
A march that was scheduled after the ceremony from the State House to the Armenian Heritage Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway has been cancelled after the Boston marathon attacks.
The event is both solemn and celebratory, recognizing the Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 by the Ottoman Turkish government, as well as honoring survivors and looking forward as Armenian-American descendants commit themselves to preserving their culture and working for humanitarian projects and awareness.
Former US Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans, who served from 2006 to 2008, will deliver the keynote address. Armenian Heritage Park architect Donald Tellalian will be honored with a Joint House and Senate Resolution. Dedicated in May of 2012, the park is a gift to Boston and the Commonwealth from the Massachusetts Armenian-American community. The split dodecahedron abstract sculpture, which rests atop a 16-ft diameter reflecting pool, is designed to be reconfigured each year and symbolizes those who were pulled apart from their country but reestablished themselves in different ways. Visitors to the park can also walk a labyrinth that reflects the journey of life.
The committee organizing the event is jointly chaired by state Representatives Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown), Dave Rogers (D-Cambridge) and John Lawn (D-Watertown); and state Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont), who will host the day.
Survivors of the Genocide will be presented with proclamations at the State House ceremony and photographs of others will be present through the participation of attendees in the “Stand Up For Your Survivor” program organized by Arlington High School senior Anahis Kechejian. “There are so few survivors left,” said Kechejian, “This is one way for descendants to honor our ancestors, and for youth such as myself to pledge our efforts to work for justice and preserve our Armenian heritage.”
The participation of youth is an integral part of the commemoration. Members of the Homenetmen Scout Troop will attend, as will students from the Armenian Sisters’ Academy and St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School, who will perform music at the State House.
“To see our youth involved in this event is particularly meaningful to me,” said Hecht. “They are our bridge to the future and our hope that such atrocities will never take place again. The late Speaker George Keverian, who began the annual commemoration at the State House in 1985, would be pleased to see the program has now extended beyond the State House with this year’s march.”
“When the posters of survivors are held high in the House Chamber for all to see, it reminds us of a history that must be recognized and remembered, and calls us to the importance of working for human rights,” said Brownsberger. “I look forward to all ages marching together.”
“The march to the park is a wonderful addition to the commemoration,” said Lawn. “This is a visible way of showing the pride in history and culture of Armenian Americans as they strive for recognition of the Genocide.”
“It is time for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As a newly elected state representative I look forward to hosting the Commemoration and advancing this worthy cause for years to come,” said Rogers.
Free buses to the State House, provided by the Knights of Vartan, will leave St. James and St. Stephen’s Churches in Watertown at 9 a.m.
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