Did you know it’s Armenian Genocide Awareness Week?

Personally, around each April I get an itch. Something deeply innate, as if embedded in my DNA to make a move.

What can I say? I am an Armenian. And I want justice. The month of April marks the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This year it’ll be 101 years since the Armenian Genocide’s beginning, and 101 years of its denial.

Echoes of Silence

At the base of Doe Library’s steps is a movement. You may have noticed the surfboard-like panels and the large tent with a couple smiling students seated near. These students are members of the Armenian Student Association. During Genocide Awareness Week every year, UC Berkeley Armenian students set up a memorial in light of the Armenian Genocide.

The panels, built by UCB student Yeva Yegayan, each show a different segment of the world with red spots on incidents of genocide. At their bases are the words symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, persecution, extermination, and denial. These are the stages of genocide.

The Armenian Genocide, commemorated on April 24th, is an atrocity committed by Ottoman Turkish government from 1915-1922 to exterminate the Armenian race from the face of the earth. Although this was the first genocide of the 20th century, killing 1.5 million Armenians, it is still not recognized as a genocide by the Turkish government, American government, and many other global powers.

մնայուն

Senior and president of the Armenian Students Association, Maria Elvajyan said:

“The memorial here is called “Echoes of Silence” because when something is silenced, like the Armenian genocide, the silence of that genocide echoes to silence other people and their suffering. This year, specifically, we wanted to recognize the fact that the Armenian Genocide has the ability to shape our identity as Armenians because even if it has been so many generations since the Genocide, it still affects us.

“We feel this connection and this trauma and part of that is because it hasn’t been recognized and there isn’t actual healing. This year we wanted to not focus too much on the Genocide, but the fact that we are here, we are alive, and we are celebrating our culture. So in this tent we’re going to be projecting images of our culture submitted by our community.”

We Are Our Mountains

Sociology major Vanuhi Vartanian ’17  said:

“Recognition is extremely important. History repeats itself and we need to make sure everyone around the world knows that this is not okay. You can’t just get away with killing 1.5 million people and not paying reparations, not apologizing, not even acknowledging it.”

The Armenian community would like you to help bring awareness by sharing the word, coming to our events, and educating yourself on the Genocide. Come and participate, get a taste of Armenian culture, and show your support for justice. It’ll be fun.