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BALAKIAN AWARDED SPENDLOVE PRIZE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
Armenian Weekly
May 4, 2012
MERCED, Calif.-Peter Balakian became the 7threcipient of the Spendlove
Prize for Social Justice, Tolerance, and Diplomacy on Thurs., April
12. The ceremony was held in the Kolligian Library on the University
of California Merced campus. The prize, endowed by Sherrie Spendlove
in honor of her parents Alice and Clifford Spendlove, has been awarded
to distinguished figures including President Jimmy Carter; Charles J.
Ogletree, Jr., the director of the Houston Institute for Race and
Justice at Harvard University; and Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson,
founders of Childhelp.
Peter Balakian In her introduction, Spendlove said, "You may know that
President Jimmy Carter was our 5th prize recipient two years ago. No
less important to the Spendlove Prize is our 7th prize recipient, Peter
Balakian, 'the American conscience of the Armenian Genocide.' As the
template for 20th century genocide, including the Holocaust, Poland,
Rwanda, Cambodia, and Darfur, to mention only some, it is especially
important that the Armenian Genocide be restored to our national and
international history and social conscience. Peter Balakian's work
is helping to bring this important and tragic story to the forefront
to affect a healing process necessary for survivors and perpetrators
alike, and the descendants of both. Knowledge and understanding of
how genocide happens can help prevent future genocide."
Spendlove also paid tribute to the contributions of Armenians,
noting, "Turkey's loss has been our gain both in our region and in
our nation, as so many Armenian American children of survivors have
become distinguished in their chosen fields and have thus moved the
consciousness of our civilization forward. The descendants of the
Armenian Genocide have not just survived, but thrived. Armenians have
flourished and blossomed wherever they have been planted. As you do
today, your forbears before you distinguished themselves and added
to the communities and nations within which they found themselves. In
spite of this fact, present-day Turkey bears a heavy karmic debt that
can only be discharged with amends made with an open heart and mind.
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is essential for the healing
of survivors and perpetrators alike, their descendents and observers
then as well as now. What happens to one of us, happens to us all.
Genocide in any part of the world in any epoch is an affront to
humanity everywhere in every time."
In his acceptance speech, Balakian noted, "While I'm happy and honored
to be accepting this prize today, I accept the prize with many others
in mind who are working for social justice around the world and often
giving their lives for ethical commitments and causes, and with all
those who have made such essential contributions to the scholarly
study of the Armenian Genocide. I also feel that as you honor me,
more importantly, you honor the issue of the Armenian Genocide as
an ongoing history that embodies various and profound dimensions of
tragedy, human survival, resilience, and affirmation; a history that
carries with it an open wound that still haunts its legacy because
of the Turkish government's continued, multimillion-dollar campaign
of denial."
Balakian went on to discuss the need for bystanders to act. "I hope
all of us here and on your campus and in all our communities make a
lifelong pledge to step up, step in, act-when you see a circumstance
of cruelty, injustice, or abuses of power happening. We can all be
active bystanders whether it's standing up to governments that deny
responsibility for human rights crimes, or to individuals who are
abusing or bullying innocent people in our own daily lives. It makes
a difference if we all get involved as citizens in social justice
issues in one's community, state, nation, or wider world. Action
guided by knowledge and conscience is a powerful thing."
Balakian gave two lectures at UC Merced and then completed the prize
ceremonies on April 13 at Fresno State University, where he gave two
more lectures and was hosted by Prof. Barlow der Mugrdechian, Prof.
Sergio La Porta, Isberian Chair in Armenian Studies, and Fresno
community leader Larry Balakian.
Peter Balakian is the Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of
the Humanities in the department of English at Colgate University
and the author of many books, including Black Dog of Fate, winner
of the PEN/Albrand Prize, The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide
and America's Response, winner of the Raphael Lemkin Prize, and six
books of poems most recently Ziggurat.
From: A. Papazian
Armenian Weekly
May 4, 2012
MERCED, Calif.-Peter Balakian became the 7threcipient of the Spendlove
Prize for Social Justice, Tolerance, and Diplomacy on Thurs., April
12. The ceremony was held in the Kolligian Library on the University
of California Merced campus. The prize, endowed by Sherrie Spendlove
in honor of her parents Alice and Clifford Spendlove, has been awarded
to distinguished figures including President Jimmy Carter; Charles J.
Ogletree, Jr., the director of the Houston Institute for Race and
Justice at Harvard University; and Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson,
founders of Childhelp.
Peter Balakian In her introduction, Spendlove said, "You may know that
President Jimmy Carter was our 5th prize recipient two years ago. No
less important to the Spendlove Prize is our 7th prize recipient, Peter
Balakian, 'the American conscience of the Armenian Genocide.' As the
template for 20th century genocide, including the Holocaust, Poland,
Rwanda, Cambodia, and Darfur, to mention only some, it is especially
important that the Armenian Genocide be restored to our national and
international history and social conscience. Peter Balakian's work
is helping to bring this important and tragic story to the forefront
to affect a healing process necessary for survivors and perpetrators
alike, and the descendants of both. Knowledge and understanding of
how genocide happens can help prevent future genocide."
Spendlove also paid tribute to the contributions of Armenians,
noting, "Turkey's loss has been our gain both in our region and in
our nation, as so many Armenian American children of survivors have
become distinguished in their chosen fields and have thus moved the
consciousness of our civilization forward. The descendants of the
Armenian Genocide have not just survived, but thrived. Armenians have
flourished and blossomed wherever they have been planted. As you do
today, your forbears before you distinguished themselves and added
to the communities and nations within which they found themselves. In
spite of this fact, present-day Turkey bears a heavy karmic debt that
can only be discharged with amends made with an open heart and mind.
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is essential for the healing
of survivors and perpetrators alike, their descendents and observers
then as well as now. What happens to one of us, happens to us all.
Genocide in any part of the world in any epoch is an affront to
humanity everywhere in every time."
In his acceptance speech, Balakian noted, "While I'm happy and honored
to be accepting this prize today, I accept the prize with many others
in mind who are working for social justice around the world and often
giving their lives for ethical commitments and causes, and with all
those who have made such essential contributions to the scholarly
study of the Armenian Genocide. I also feel that as you honor me,
more importantly, you honor the issue of the Armenian Genocide as
an ongoing history that embodies various and profound dimensions of
tragedy, human survival, resilience, and affirmation; a history that
carries with it an open wound that still haunts its legacy because
of the Turkish government's continued, multimillion-dollar campaign
of denial."
Balakian went on to discuss the need for bystanders to act. "I hope
all of us here and on your campus and in all our communities make a
lifelong pledge to step up, step in, act-when you see a circumstance
of cruelty, injustice, or abuses of power happening. We can all be
active bystanders whether it's standing up to governments that deny
responsibility for human rights crimes, or to individuals who are
abusing or bullying innocent people in our own daily lives. It makes
a difference if we all get involved as citizens in social justice
issues in one's community, state, nation, or wider world. Action
guided by knowledge and conscience is a powerful thing."
Balakian gave two lectures at UC Merced and then completed the prize
ceremonies on April 13 at Fresno State University, where he gave two
more lectures and was hosted by Prof. Barlow der Mugrdechian, Prof.
Sergio La Porta, Isberian Chair in Armenian Studies, and Fresno
community leader Larry Balakian.
Peter Balakian is the Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of
the Humanities in the department of English at Colgate University
and the author of many books, including Black Dog of Fate, winner
of the PEN/Albrand Prize, The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide
and America's Response, winner of the Raphael Lemkin Prize, and six
books of poems most recently Ziggurat.
From: A. Papazian