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"Armenians and Progressive Politics" Conference Held in New York

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  • "Armenians and Progressive Politics" Conference Held in New York

    PRESS RELEASE
    Date: June 3, 2008
    Armenians and Progressive Politics
    P.O. Box 419, New York, NY 10108
    Contact: Laura Boghosian
    Tel: 917-428-1918

    "ARMENIANS AND PROGRESSIVE POLITICS" CONFERENCE HELD IN NEW YORK
    --Eight Panel Discussions Open with "The New Imperialism"


    NEW YORK -- Scholars, writers, and activists from around the world
    gathered to exchange ideas at the Armenian Revolutionary
    Federation's third annual "Armenians and Progressive Politics"
    (APP) conference on May 30-31 in New York City. The meeting
    is designed to offer a forum for progressive activists and thinkers
    who tie Armenian issues to a broader political field. This year's
    assembly featured a plenary session on "The New Imperialism" with
    noted progressive intellectuals Tariq Ali, David Barsamian, and
    Neil Smith, who discussed the politics of empire and globalization,
    and how these might affect dispossessed peoples and fledgling
    nation-states such as Armenia.

    The conference attracted a diverse cross-section of the Armenian
    community, as well as progressive non-Armenian activists, who
    approached their topics in an open environment of criticism,
    reflection, and debate. Panels included a spirited discussion of
    gender roles in the Armenian Diaspora; a self-critical examination
    of the progressive track record of Armenian organizations; an
    informed debate on the lessons and prospects of coalition building
    between Armenians, Jews and human rights activists, drawing on the
    recent Anti-Defamation League controversy; a critical, searching
    approach to foreign assistance issues, identifying ways such aid
    might help or hinder Armenia's progress; a student panel designed
    to introduce new voices with an emphasis on activism; and an
    exciting and contentious exchange on the lessons learned from the
    recent unrest following Armenia's presidential elections. The
    meeting closed with a plenary session on "Coalition-Building Among
    Dispossessed Peoples," featuring incisive remarks by scholar-
    activists Nubar Hovsepian, Tariq Ali, and David Barsamian.

    "Overall, we are quite pleased with the direction of this
    conference," stated APP committee chair Antranig Kasbarian. "We
    hope to continue and expand our effort to build new discussions,
    agendas, and ultimately activism aimed at re-energizing and
    redefining Armenian issues from a progressive standpoint."

    "Armenians and Progressive Politics" continues with a second
    conference on June 6-7 in Los Angeles. For more information and to
    view past conference proceedings, please visit the conference
    website at www.armenianprogressive.com.
    ###

    Photo Caption 1: Left to Right: Armineh Arakelian, John Hughes, and
    Simon Maghakyan during the "Unrest in Armenia: New Seeds of
    Democracy or Destabilizing Acts?" panel

    Photo Caption 2: Left to Right: Sevag Arzoumanian, Laura Boghosian,
    Khatchig Mouradian, and Joey Kurtzman during the "ADL and the Armenian
    Genocide: Pursuing Common Goals Through Grassroots Activism" panel

    Photo Caption 3: Left to Right: Antranig Kasbarian, Nubar
    Hovsepian, Tariq Ali, and David Barsamian during the closing
    plenary, "Coalition Building Among Dispossessed People"
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