An Appeal to Armenian Youth

Armenian youth, heirs of genocide,

One of the deepest wounds in modern history remains open. This year we once again commemorate one of the most barbaric crimes of the 20th century, the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The security of the Armenian Nation’s physical existence, the complete territorial integrity of the homeland, and our independent statehood are supreme values. The efforts to restore and strengthen these values is paramount. Any encroachment upon these values is condemnable.

Turkey, the successor to the Ottoman Empire, has not escaped responsibility for the Armenian Genocide thanks to the tireless struggle of the Armenian people, and specifically the sacrifice of the Armenian youth. It is through this tireless struggle and sacrifice that the Armenian Genocide has received overwhelming recognition by the international community.

Dear youth,

Let’s not confuse the process and the means with the goal. Being content with the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by foreign nations, and even Turkey, is only a delusion. It is through the restoration of our national rights that justice and our human dignity can be restored, and our Nation’s existence will become safe and secure.

105 years after the Armenian Genocide, the struggle for our right to territorial, financial, and moral justice is still in its early stages.

2020 also marks the centennial of the Treaty of Sevres, which ensures the just reparations for the Armenian people. This Treaty and the accompanying Wilsonian Arbitral Award are inviolable.

Today, we express our outrage that 100 years later, the Treaty of Sevres and the Wilsonian Arbitral Award have not been realized, the crime has continued to go unpunished, and the international community has renounced its moral obligations due to its political interests — leaving the Armenian people victimized once again, without justice.

Thus, it remains the conviction of the youth of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation that:

-Renouncing our just rights not only betrays the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, but also makes the Armenian people and the citizens of the Republic of Armenia more susceptible to Turkish and Azeri threats, thus weakening the security of the Nation.

-Western Armenia is not only a historical homeland, but also an occupied territory that has yet to be liberated.

-Taking into account the Treaty of Sevres as a foundation of the demands of the Armenian people, the ARF youth are committed to marking its relevance and realizing its goals.

Therefore, we call on Armenian youth to:

-Have faith that we will be able to restore our rights. Unity and expressing solidarity in our demands are prerequisites to our success. With this in mind, the pan-Armenian declaration on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is of paramount importance.

-As the core of a United Armenia, we should not spare any effort in strengthening and supporting the Armenian state. A just resolution in the Artsakh liberation struggle is vital in achieving our goals.

-Strengthen the connection of Armenian youth with Western Armenia, specifically in regards to its historical, cultural, ethnographical, and geographical information and values.

-Develop and acquire professional skills in political science, historiography, genocide studies, and international law.

-Become participants in the pursuit of the Armenian Cause by providing a new focus and always fighting for the restoration of rights of the Armenian people.

World history shows that every nation has reached its national goals through unity and a reliance on its own strength. Through our continued collective struggle, the Armenian Nation will achieve justice.

ARF Bureau Youth Office