Remarks by the Chief of Staff to the RA President, Vigen Sargsyan, Chief Coordinator of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Events, at the 6th Session of the State Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the

Distinguished President of the Republic of Armenia,
Your Holiness,
Your Eminences,
Dear colleagues,

On the instruction of the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, Chairman of the State Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I have the honor to present to your attention the Intermediate Report of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Events. It is intermediate, because the year has not finished yet, and there are still numerous scheduled events. We plan to made and publish a final year report, as well as to release a full-length documentary film.

Yesterday we held an expert conference during which we dwelled on the work done by the regional committees, as well as on the specific programs in the areas of arts, science, education and spiritual life.

In my report, I will try to touch not upon separate events, but upon the results that we have achieved by now.

We started the program of the Armenian Genocide Centennial with the Pan-Armenian Declaration adopted at the 5th session of the state commission. It spread widely and was well received by the Armenian people both in Armenia and the diaspora. The declaration summed up the ideological foundation upon which we have built the tactics of implementing the Centennial events.
Through the Pan-Armenian Declaration we highlighted the link among the past, the present and the future, emphasized the imperative to overcome the effects of the Armenian Genocide, and attached importance to the role of civil society, including that of Turkey, in the recognition and condemnation of the genocide. It stressed our cause and at the same time, showed our readiness to move forward.

Of course, in our modern history, the Pan-Armenian Declaration will remain as an important destination and as a constituent of our national agenda, beyond the frames of the Centennial.

Dear colleagues,

From the very first session of the state commission, we began to outline the main directions of our activities. As a result of long discussions held during the first four sessions, we crystalized the four pivots of our efforts - memory, gratitude, international struggle and revival. At the very outset, we could notice that our steps should not be self-serving measures. They should have lasting value the result of which should match our determination for a long-standing and targeted struggle.

So, one of the four pillars of our activities is the international struggle against the crime of genocide. As a people who survived that crime, we are obliged to adopt an active position in that issue. We announced that in 2015 Armenia will transform into an international platform for the struggle against the crime of genocide.

I think that we have made important progress in this direction. By the efforts and under the leadership of Armenia, the United Nations (UN) adopted two key documents - the Resolution on Prevention of Genocide adopted by the Human Rights Council in March and the resolution “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime” adopted by the UN General Assembly.

By the way, a few months before that, the Republic of Armenia had passed domestic legislation designating December 9 “Day to Memorialize the Victims of All Genocides.”

The second important achievement was the obvious success of the global forum “Against the Crime of Genocide.” Hundreds of delegates - publicists, genocide scholars, representatives of survived peoples, clergymen - were openly saying that they expected Armenia to take the lead in the struggle against the crime of genocide. The Armenian president’s instruction to make the Yerevan global forum a regular event will reinforce our unique role in the international community.

I think that the deepening of relations with the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the effective organization of the association’s 12th conference in Armenia by the efforts of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, and the creation of new avenues for collaboration is the third and lasting accomplishment on the way to intensify the international struggle against the crime of genocide,. Presently, negotiations are underway to make the association a full-fledged co-founder of subsequent conferences to be held in Yerevan.

Among the mandatory prerequisites for our fighting effectiveness is raising public awareness about our problems. I think that the scale of the Centennial events and the level of coverage allowed us to completely alter the depth of public awareness about the Armenian Genocide. Particularly, the events, which took part from 22 to 24 April, were livestreamed to one billion, three hundred million TV viewers, which is an unprecedentedly high number for such events. The volume of event coverage via international mass media was unprecedented. The same is about the released documentary and feature films, and about public events. And all that produced the desired result. We should not be satisfied with these achievements and continue to build our further programs on them.

And finally, one of the important results of our struggle was the continuity of the Armenian Genocide recognition process. Numerous countries and international organizations adopted or readopted resolutions on the Armenian Genocide. That process achieved much success owing to the resolutions adopted at the level of local self-government bodies. However, among all those recognitions, I would like to put special emphasis on the three of them:

The first was the commemorative mass conducted by Pope Francis and the clear reiteration of the term “Armenian Genocide” by His Holiness. It immediately became hot news on all international mass media and created an important background for public perception of our subsequent events. Of course, the Pope’s approach became exceptionally important for more than 1.25 billion catholic believers of the world, for countries with strong catholic traditions, especially those of Latin America, as well as for scientific circles and the mass media.

The second and the third are the words uttered in Austria and Germany. The example of these two countries is exceptionally important, since the Ottoman Empire was their ally during World War I. So far we have often heard Turkey’s argument of denial which claims that the history of the Armenian Genocide is based on fake testimonies of officials of countries fighting against Turkey.

Austria’s parliament adopted a corresponding resolution. Although Germany has not yet finished the process to adopt a parliamentary resolution, not less important was the statement made by His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, at Berlin Cathedral on April 23, in which he not only used the term “genocide” in the due manner, but also talked about the complicity of the German Empire. I am confident that what occurred in these two countries is a colossal achievement on the way to the universal recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.

The parliamentary resolutions passed by Brazil, Luxembourg and Bolivia, and the statements adopted by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the Latin American Parliament, and numerus other parliaments, as well as by local self-government and territorial administration bodies considerably pushed forward our struggle for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The second pillar of our commemoration program is Gratitude. We have carried out a serious and consistent work in this direction as well. A lot of films, books and albums have been released, published and written.

We have started to better understand the feat that lent a helping hand to our people during the genocide, as well as the civil courage and their exceptional contribution to the preservation of Armenian identity. We have built a huge informational base which provides grounds for our further steps and efforts.

In this regard, I would like to highlight two pivotal programs. The first is the Aurora Prize initiated by Ruben Vardanyan within the frames of the 100 Lives program. It will be aimed at individuals who have accomplished humanitarian and human-centered programs. From the selection process to the award ceremony, that entire program is targeted at keeping Armenia the center of international attention, as well as at the goal of directly and indirectly telling our survival history to the world. We have agreed that the award ceremony which will be joined by both the laureates, and the selection committee, and by the members of the program council, who are all internationally acclaimed individuals, will take place in Yerevan on 24 April 2016. On one side, it will allow us to engage these guests in the works of the global forum to be held in Yerevan, and on the other hand, to ensure their participation in the commemorative events of April 24.

The second such program is initiated by our next compatriot, Mr. Eduardo Eurnekian, who is also the co-founder of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation. In the upcoming days, in honor of the president of the Republic of Armenia, the foundation is organizing a great event at the United States Congress to honor Henry Morgenthau, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States to the Ottoman Empire. He has been awarded posthumously the Wallenberg Foundation Gold Medal. This program is also continuous, and the foundation seeks to reveal stories of Turks who gave a helping hand to Armenians during the genocide.

The third pivot of commemoration is memory. Of course, the work carried out in this direction is the most extensive one.

Indeed, among countless events, the renovation and expansion of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, the opening of a new exhibition and the foundation of the Komitas Museum-Institute left the most lasting and log-term impact.

Another important result which we achieved is the restoration of their ancestors’ individual stories in the memory of the young generation. In that respect, of great importance was the initiative “Tell Your Story,” through which thousand people uploaded their families’ survival stories to our official website. These stories were also discussed and analyzed at schools and educational institutions.

As I said, a lot of films have been shot, including with new approaches and accentuations; hundreds of books have been published which are available at the ArmBookExpo exhibition currently underway in Yerevan.

I would like to put special emphasis on the ecumenical prayer services held at different churches and cathedrals of the world, the united bell-ringing, the minute’s silence, which gave an exceptionally emotive impulse to the commemorative events.

And finally, it is Revival, an important component upon which we founded our program. When we were planning this year, we were afraid that it would resemble requiem services or would transform into a series of self-serving events. It was very hard to find the correct line and along with remembering and reminding, truly awaken souls, awaken the sense of pride for the covered path.

In this regard, I have to mention a number of important achievements. Among them first was certainly the decision of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church on the canonization of the Armenian Genocide victims and the conduct of the exceptional holy rite. I think you all will agree that such unity, such solidarity, such grandeur rarely envelopes an entire nation.

The second lasting and exceptional outcome was the proclamation of Gregory of Narek as Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis during the mass for the faithful of the Armenian Rite. It was not only a manifestation of the Catholic Church’s attitude towards the legacy of Gregory of Narek, but also a testimony to the exceptional contribution made by our people and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church to the history of Christianity. As you know, being canonized is a mandatory condition for becoming Doctor of the Church. By proclaiming the Saint of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church as Doctor of the Church prior to the canonization of the genocide victims, Pope Francis showed the Catholic Church’s attitude towards the canonization institute of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.

A vivid illustration of revival was the participation of our brilliant soloists in the concert series “With You, Armenia” joined by the world’s leading orchestras, the concert series of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, the new rendition of Komitas’s immortal legacy and Armenian sacred music by Tigran Hamasyan. Of course, as I have already mentioned, extremely lasting was the message conveyed to the entire world by System of a Down’s Wake Up the Souls Tour.

The 1.5 million forget-me-nots made by the hands of Armenian pupils and the new masterpieces born out of Armenian painters’ brushes became the symbol of revival.

The idea of revival was also reflected in our unity and coherence. An exceptional testimony of revival was the impressive number of young delegates arrived from Western Armenia to take part in the Pan-Armenian Games.

Dear colleagues,
Speaking about the Centennial, we have always mentioned that it can never be an end to something. It is not what we want. Hence, I attach great value to the maintenance of our coherence, collaboration, mutual respect and love that we have had in recent months and to the continuity of this behavior.

One year ago in his address at the Armenia-Diaspora Forum, the president of the Republic of Armenia put forward the idea of establishing the Pan-Armenian Council on the basis of our state commission. On his instruction some preparatory work has been carried out which we will talk about during today’s session.

Concluding my speech, I would like to present to your attention a short video clip made within the frames of our events which vividly mirrors our collective power and Armenians’ creative essence. Together we can do much more.

I thank you for entrusting to me the coordination of these highly responsible activities of national importance and for your unreserved support and assistance.