WASHINGTON — The Tolerance Education Center, in cooperation with the Armenian Assembly of America, hosted an interactive workshop and discussion of the Armenian Genocide on April 21. The center and the Assembly joined forces to highlight the Armenian Genocide as a case study of 20th century genocides.
For an educational overview, during both the morning and afternoon sessions, excerpts of the film The Armenian Genocide by Andrew Goldberg
were shown to the assembled guests. In his presentation, the Assembly’s
Western Region director, Yeghig Keshishian included a look at modernday
Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, and Turkey’s inability to reconcile with its past, the consequences of which continue to reverberate to this day.
Joyce Stein of the Assembly’s Board of Trustees along with the Assembly’s Southern California Regional Council (SCRC) Members Margaret Mgrublian and Richard Mushegain helped to spearhead Assembly’s outreach effort
and also participated in the workshop.
“It is the goal of the Tolerance Education Center to encourage community members to reach beyond their comfort zones and experience the struggles of all people. The joint endeavor of the Tolerance Education Center and the Armenian Assembly accomplished this important objective,” stated Melisse Banwer, director of the center’s operations. “Yeghig Keshishian thoroughly and knowledgeably put the spotlight on this period of history and had his audience engaged in a spirited dialog that they will carry with them forever,” added Banwer.
The collaborative venture between the Center and the Assembly also garnered the attention of mainstream media, including a prime time segment on the local CBS affiliate station, KPSP, featuring Keshishian, as well as pre-event coverage on KPSP and in the Desert Sun Newspaper.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the center’s founder, Earl Greif, and to Melisse Banwer for allowing us this opportunity. In addition, I would like to thank our speaker, Yeghig Keshishian, for providing a very insightful
and compelling discussion. This event has been a true testament to how different communities can come together to denounce genocide and bring awareness to our mutual goal of assuring ‘never again,’” stated the assembly’s SCRC Member Margaret Mgrublian.
