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ANCA-WR Delivers Keynote Address at Campbell Hall High School

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  • ANCA-WR Delivers Keynote Address at Campbell Hall High School

    Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region
    104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
    Glendale, California 91206
    Phone: 818.500.1918
    [email protected]
    www.ancawr.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    April 30, 2014
    Contact: Elen Asatryan
    Cell: 818.523.8389 Office: 818.500.1919
    Email: [email protected]


    ANCA-WR DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT CAMPBELL HALL HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT
    THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND THE ROLE OF THE NEAR EAST RELIEF

    Los Angeles, CA - In continuing the Armenian National Committee of
    America Western Region's (ANCA WR) various initiatives to commemorate
    the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, on April 28, 2014, upon
    the invitation of the faculty and staff at Campbell Hall high school,
    ANCA WR activist Vanna Kitsinian, Esq., returned to her alma mater to
    present a history and account of the Armenian Genocide to the student
    body.

    Campbell Hall, a private college-prepatory school in Studio City has a
    long tradition of academic excellence and a deep commitment to the
    development of responsible human beings. The school embraces a
    philosophy of celebrating individual strengths and provides a climate
    where all students are encouraged to create their own rich,
    challenging, academic and co-curricular programs and to celebrate
    their unique and varied contributions that they make to their
    communities and to the world. In line with this approach to education
    and development, Campbell Hall requested from the ANCA WR that a
    presentation be made to its high school student body of 550 students
    regarding the importance of spreading awareness about the Armenian
    Genocide.

    Stephanie Wilson, Chaplain for Campbell Hall remarked, `It continues
    to be so important to educate our students about historical atrocities
    like the Armenian Genocide so that we do not allow such violations
    against human rights to ever occur again. Vanna was a powerful speaker
    and we were lucky to have her speak to our community.'

    Having graduated from Campbell Hall, Kitsinian attended the school's
    bi-weekly chapel and delivered the keynote address to share the story
    and history of the Armenian Genocide with its students, who proved to
    be very responsive. The presentation coincided with Holocaust
    Remembrance Day, further making the day more meaningful and
    educational for the students. Despite the fact that the Armenian
    student population makes up a very small percentage of the school's
    student body, the few Armenian students have established an `Armenian
    Club,' headed by the only Armenian teacher in the school, Mrs. Lucine
    Ohanessian. Derrick Adomian, a tenth grade student and a member of
    the Armenian Club introduced Kitsinian and noted that the day prior,
    he had walked with the ANCA-WR's `America We Thank You' walkathon team
    in the Jewish World Watch `Walk to End Genocide,' alongside Kitsinian.
    The presentation was concluded with the reading of the Lord's Prayer
    in Armenian by Charlotte Etmekjian, the President of the school's
    Armenian Club.

    As part of her presentation, Kitsinian discussed the role of the Near
    East Relief (NER), the U.S.'s oldest Congressionally-sanctioned
    non-governmental organization that led the relief efforts during and
    after the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Each student was provided with a
    written fact sheet regarding the NER's significant role in Armenian
    and American history, as well as California's contributions to the
    relief efforts. Kitsinian is the co-chair of the ANCA-WR's =80=9CAmerica
    We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to the Near East Relief' committee,
    which is honoring the humanitarian and philanthropic work of the NER
    and its crucial role in helping save the Armenian nation from
    annihilation as the Centennial approaches.

    `It is vitally important that we continue to educate young minds about
    the first genocide of the 20th century because the genocide of the
    Armenians forms part of the universal conscience and the collective
    memory. It was a privilege for me to return to my school and share
    with the students the experience and history of my ancestors so that
    we may continue to raise awareness and never forget this crime against
    humanity,' stated Kitsinian.

    The ANCA-WR has been at the forefront of legislations related to the
    Armenian Genocide in California. Several weeks ago, over 350
    activists from around California traveled to Sacramento for ANCA WR's
    `Advocacy Day' and urged for the passage of Assembly member Adrin
    Nazarian's two Genocide curriculum bills; Assembly Bill 659, which
    encourages the incorporation of an oral history component specifically
    related to genocides, including the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust,
    Rwandan, Cambodian and Darfur genocides, and Assembly Bill 1915, which
    would require the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in California's
    curriculum for the adopted course of study in grades 7-12 when World
    History is taught.

    The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
    largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
    organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
    with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
    Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
    the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
    on a broad range of issues.


    ###
    Photo Captions
    ANCA Western Region's Vanna Kitsinian Delivering Keynote Address at
    Campbell Hall High School
    DSC_1063: Campbell Hall Students and Teachers Learn About America's
    Humanitarian Efforts through NER during the Armenian Genocide.

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