CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The newly formed Zoravik collective invites the public to an informal talk and discussion with Hrag Papazian on Sunday, October 14, 7 to 8.30 p.m. at Outpost 186 here.
In his talk, titled “Looking for a Contemporary Armenian Left: Nor Zartonk as a Model,” Papazian will present the Istanbul-based activist group Nor Zartonk as an Armenian movement with a universal progressive agenda that could serve as a model for Armenians throughout the world. His talk will also draw parallels with Armenia, the inequalities and injustice within, and the recent political transformations.
Papazian is PhD candidate at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the Armenians of Turkey. He is currently based in Yerevan.
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.
Zoravik (“in solidarity”) 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.
The venue is located at 186 1/2 (rear) Hampshire St., Cambridge.
