The newly-formed progressive collective, Zoravik (“In Solidarity”) invites the public to an informal talk and discussion with Hrag Papazian on October 14 in Cambridge, Mass. Papazian will present his research on Nor Zartonk, an Istanbul-based Armenian political organisation with a universal progressive agenda. His talk will also draw parallels with Armenia, the inequalities and injustice within, and the recent political transformations.
Hrag Papazian is PhD candidate at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the Armenians of Turkey. He is currently based in Yerevan.
Zoravik is a Boston-based Armenian activist collective that promotes new avenues for political and grassroots organizing and project-based engagement for progressives. Formed in the wake of the Velvet Revolution, the group seeks to mobilize the political, cultural, and social institutions of the diaspora to support and encourage transformative efforts in Armenian communities worldwide.
To RSVP to this event, please do so on the Facebook event. For more information about Zoravik, visit their Facebook page or write to them at zoravik@gmail.com.
Details:
Sunday, October 14
7-8:30 p.m.
Located at Outpost 186
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Guest Contributor
After 70 years of collective Communism, do we need more “progressive” programs?
Just a reminder, the growing support of left-wing views is because people recognize right-wing views as nothing but hate, militarism and corporatism.
You are not disgusted of American progressives? Now you want Armenians become lefty thugs? History does not teach you anything? It’s sickening.
Moronic.
If ever Armenian society embraces western ideas of Liberalism, mark these words, what 2000 years of invasions and genocide by Turks didn’t achieve, Liberalism will: that will be the end of Armenian culture and society as we know it.
So let me make this very clear to all you Armenians, aspiring and practicing ones alike: Liberalism is COMPLETELY ANTITHETICAL to all things Armenian, historically, presently, (and if we want to exist) for the future.
The bad news is, these western corrupt liberal ideas have taken root in the diaspora. That’s why for the diaspora, it is the beginning of the end. The good news is, it is not widespread in Armenia. However, the former, especially headed by “feminist” American women with Armenian names, are starting their assault on Armenia itself, and they disguise their assault with pseudo-rights movements like “feminism”, “human rights”, “progressivism”, “democracy” and a host of others which look good on paper, but are nothing of the sort in practice, and all have political agendas behind them, and these people are without a care in the world as to what kind of social damage these things can cause in Armenian society, as long as they are getting their paychecks and the likes of serpents like Mr Soros is patting them on their backs.
So let me say this again: Liberalism is ANTITHETICAL to all things Armenian.
Amen Brother. Speak the truth.
The full title of the talk is:
“Looking for a Contemporary Armenian Left: Nor Zartonk as a Model”
And here’s a more complete description:
Over the last decade, the Istanbul-based activist group Nor Zartonk was one of the few truly Leftist Armenian political organizations, if not the only one. Although currently less active, it was a successful example of intense intersectional activism, with its focus on not only minority rights and historical justice for Armenians, but also social, economic, environmental justice, and gender equality. In this talk Papazian will not only argue that Armenian and trans-Armenian activisms can be compatible today, as proven by Nor Zartonk, but also make a case for the necessity of Leftist/Progressive activism both in the diaspora and Armenia, especially in light of the recent developments in Yerevan.
I see little evidence that the American Left particularly cares about Armenian issues, though some Democratic elected officials have been helpful (so have some Republicans).
Leftists are often “internationalists”. They don’t like nationalism, except perhaps (in their heart of hearts) Israeli nationalism.
And please note that Leftists are often of a certain religion other than Christianity.
And these non-Christians, though certainly helpful and friendly in some respects, have organizations that have led the charge AGAINST recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Same with Israel. Israeli officials have called up Congress in the past and asked it to not pass Armenian Genocide resolutions.
Do LGBTQ organizations have Armenians on their agenda? I don’t think so.
I am not defending the Right either but the subject here is the Left.
I agree with a lot of posters here in that the New Left has not been particularly kind to the Armenians. Multiculturalism and Progressivism to the New Left means NO NATIONALISM OR HOMOGENEOUS NATIONS (except for Israel); ADVOCATING for intermarriage (except for Jews) and NO WALLS/BORDERS ALLOWED (except for Israel) and agitating for immediate entry to anyone who wants it, even if vetting them first would show that they were radicals, felons, murderers, disease carriers, unemployable, etc. Only CERTAIN issues are allowed by today’s New Left.
It is encouraging to see such political diversity in those posting comments at this socialist party news outlet, drawing from right, center, and left.
In practical and ideological terms, I find it inconsistent with logic to separate the depredations inflicted upon Armenians from those suffered by any number of groups that collectively identify over ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or economic class.
I am a human being first, and an Armenian second. Certain ideals are universal. There is no meaningful belief in justice for Armenians without a belief in justice for humanity, because the former on its own in a vacuum just amounts to shifting advantage around. If that’s what we advocate as a people, then we should stop calling it justice.
We know better than many groups in this world what it means to be marginalized arbitrarily, treated without basic human dignity, stripped of the rights that are universal to all people, and tortured, beaten, and killed simply for how we identify ourselves. For us not to stand against this wherever it happens makes us not only hypocrites but an insult to our forebears who endured these things.
It’s not only in the interest of Armenians to stand against the marginalizing of any class, it’s a moral obligation. I’ll stand with any movement that embraces the universality of human dignity as its aim. If that makes me a leftist, then I’ll wear that label proudly.
Excellent, Pete! Thank you for identifying the humanity we all share.
Pete, find me one Armenian today who wants grave injustice onto other races or factions in the world, they don’t even wish it onto their enemies, so what exactly are we talking about here?
This discussion solely revolves around the far left ideologies that have infested western nations under the guise of so called virtue as THEY see it with THEIR definition of it, turning boys into confused girls and turning girls into self and men and baby hating purple haired retards. They have destroyed every community they have touched this is without a doubt the truth. You want to talk about blacks rights just listen what their leaders (Malcom X and Muhamad Ali) had to say about these “liberals” youtube that.
Such ideologies MUST be kept away from Armenian universities and children at all costs!
Armenia is 99 percent Armenian and proud Christians and they should remain so if they wish to survive a second genocide one that will eat them from within.
No, William, this discussion does not revolve solely around the terms in which you’ve made an effort to circumscribe it.
Let’s bring this back to the subject of this event, Nor Zartonk, a leftist group operating in a very hard-line conservative Turkey. Nor Zartonk came out with the radical idea that no people, no matter their ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, gender orientation, or hair color (to put it in your terms) have any fewer rights than any other people.
This is in harmony with the assertion by radical political groups of the turn of the twentieth century that Armenians, commonly regarded in Ottoman society as secondary based on their ethnicity and religion, were entitled to equal rights with all other Ottoman citizens and all human beings.
The playbook of those opposed is the same now as it was then—“We’re not marginalizing anyone, we just want to stand up against aberrant (people/religion/orientation/politics/hair color).” Plenty of otherwise good Turks then were surely encouraged to believe there was something—anything—that made some people less deserving of the highest protections to which we’re all entitled as human beings. Much as many Turks and Americans and others are convinced now.
I assert that as a nation that has been dehumanized that we Armenians are forever on the side of the dehumanized. Human rights and human dignity come first, all other debates about ideologies come second. But when we call for universal human rights for all people of all persuasions, we are decried as out-of-touch leftists.
I am guessing most of the people here are Armenian-Americans…
Considering the far right ideas…
You can shut yourself of from the world, but that won’t make the world stop from fading it’s borders…
And leave you as a spot on a large canvas..
It is very hypocritical to think nationalism and right wing is the is necessary for Armenians exist…
Without the left liberals of the Europe, millions Armenians would have not been able to live and work there and support families back home…
As an businessmen, I know diversity is the core to maintain competency in the modern day world…
If choose to shut yourself down from it, you close vulentarly yourself of from the ability to innovate… and make yourself constantly more reliant on the rest of the world…
We as a nation have plenty of competance, our Soviet u bias point of the world just prevents us to capitalise it…
That’s why it took us 25 years to finally to become free
Thank you, Arshaque. You’re right, Armenians exists In a constantly changing world, and it’s a mistake to pretend we haven’t been evolving along with it all this time, or that we can survive without continuing to adapt.