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ANCA-WR Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian's Speech at Annual Banquet
http://asbarez.com/117914/anca-wr-chairwoman-nora-hovsepians-speech-at-annual-banquet/
Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
Nora Hovsepian addresses the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet
`We Remember Our Past; We Remind The World Of Its Consequences; And We
Demand Justice For Our People,' Says ANCA's Nora Hovsepian
Below is the text of a speech presented at the Armenian National
Committee of America-Western Region Annual banquet by the
organization's chairwoman, Nora Hovsepian, Esq.
Good evening Your Eminences, Distinguished Guests, Honorees and
Elected Officials, representatives of Armenian community
organizations, and fellow Activists:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Armenian National Committee
of America Western Region, welcome to our 2013 Annual Gala Banquet!
Seeing a packed house here tonight is so gratifying, as we highlight a
busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend with our ANCA Grassroots Conference,
which will end tomorrow with the Hye Tad Global Initiative. Our
compatriots from Armenia to Europe, Canada to South America, and from
the Middle East to Australia will participate in a groundbreaking
interactive online presentation showcasing the activities of Armenian
National Committees worldwide. We invite all of you who have not
already registered, to join us tomorrow or, to watch it live-streaming
on Asbarez.com. I guarantee you will be utterly impressed with the
magnitude and scope of the dedicated work that is being done globally
on behalf of the Armenian Cause.
The topics covered by our Grassroots Conference this year essentially
highlight the mission of the ANCA. We analyzed the evolving
inter-relationship between our Homeland and the Diaspora and how to
meet the challenge of their dual roles in shaping our national
destiny. We discussed how regional factors in Turkey, Kurdistan, Syria
and Azerbaijan affect our quest to secure Western Armenia and Artsakh.
We explored legal avenues to hold Turkey accountable for the Armenian
Genocide and how to pursue reparations and justice through domestic
and foreign courts. And we learned the best tools of advocacy through
Film and the Arts, Hye Votes and Community Organizing, and citizen
activism through the iZartonk campaign.
Nearly all of our 31 distinguished Grassroots panelists whose names
are in your Program Books are here with us tonight. Thank you all for
participating in our Conference and for sharing your expertise, wisdom
and insight with us. And a special thank you to the Armenian Bar
Association for collaborating with us on the Transnational Justice
panel, and to Bared Maronian for adapting his award winning film
Orphans of the Genocide in a special DVD which each of you has
received tonight. So let's all give them a big round of applause as
they stand to be recognized.
I want to take a brief moment to explain about iZartonk. This was the
brainchild of our dear friend and colleague, former ANCA-WR intern,
community activist and visionary Allen Yekikian who we tragically lost
along with his equally dedicated newlywed wife Sose Thomassian, in a
terrible traffic accident on their way from Armenia to Georgia earlier
this year. Allen and Sose were taken from us much too soon. But in
their short time here on Earth, they inspired us all to serve our
Nation, strengthen our Homeland, and activate our Diasporan
communities based on the iZartonk credo, and ours, to `Speak Up, Speak
Loud, and Participate in the 21st Century Reawakening of the Armenian
Soul.'
So tonight I am very proud to announce that the ANCA Western Region
will soon partner up with the Sose & Allen's Legacy Foundation in a
new project of iZartonk to promote activism and volunteerism amongst
our youth. We extend our love, support and gratitude to the Thomassian
and Yekikian families for sharing the memory of their beloved children
with all of us, and even though Allen's parents, Henrik & Asik
Yekikian, were unable to join us tonight, please give a warm welcome
to Sose's brother Vache Thomassian and mother Emma Der Mardirossian.
We are certainly all in this together, and we thank you for being
here. So stay tuned for more details in the coming months as we embark
on this exciting new joint venture.
For the first time, we have prepared and distributed to each of you
our Annual Report and detailed Program Book, both of which outline the
breadth and scope of our activities, including our financial resources
and expenses. I won't go into all the details, but I do want to
specially highlight our trip to the Homeland, the first of many to
come, where the ANCA-WR, working closely with our good friends Katcho
Achadjian and Adrin Nazarian from the California State Assembly,
organized and led an official California delegation to Armenia and
Artsakh. I want to thank those members of our delegation who are here
tonight: CA State Assemblymembers Cheryl Brown and Scott Wilk with his
beautiful wife Vanessa Safoian Wilk, and of course Assemblymembers
Achadjian and Nazarian and Councilmember Paul Krekorian and his wife
Tamar. Please give them all a round of applause.
Finally, our hard-working Banquet Co-Chairs, Aida Dimejian and Sareen
Bezdikian, have provided leadership, guidance, and dedication in
heading our stellar Banquet Committee and helping us assemble all of
you wonderfully generous sponsors, donors and supporters who sustain
our work as we come together under one roof to celebrate our
collective accomplishments. This is truly a team effort in every way,
so let's all give them a round of applause as well. Thank you!
***
In Armenian, ANCA's name is Hye Tad: literally and simply translated
as Armenian Cause. In short, these two words define and guide
everything we do. We remember our past, we remind the world of its
consequences, and we demand justice for our People. So if you are
passionate about the Armenian Cause, about Hye Tad, then this is your
place.
In every kind of environment, under adversarial circumstances, in the
face of obstacles placed before us by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and even our
own US Government, in every setting, we have done our work and
activated our army of advocates and activists. We have a dual role,
and we play it well as both the voice of the community and the
watchdogs who challenge injustice wherever it may be. While some may
say we are dreamers or idealists as if it is a bad thing, what they
don't realize is that dreams are for those who will not accept reality
as it is. WE do not accept reality as it is, so we dream with eyes
wide open of that which is not yet achieved, and we go out and find
ways to get it done.
Whether that means removing Turkey's and Azerbaijan's gag rule over
our government's foreign policy, or displaying a gift to the White
House of a beautiful hand-woven rug by orphaned Armenian children of
the Genocide, we as American citizens seek justice for our Cause. And
I am happy to announce tonight, with his permission, that our dear
friend Congressman Adam Schiff, acting on our behalf, has demanded
that the White House release the rug for a display in the Capitol and
that he is, in his words, `cautiously optimistic' that his request
will be granted. So thank you Congressman Schiff for all that you do
for us.
And if the elected officials who are here, to whom we are infinitely
grateful, think we have been too demanding, it is for that reason. And
we will be even more so as we continue to grow and the century-old
experience of advocacy that our organization has developed becomes
even stronger and more sophisticated.
This is precisely why we must all speak up, stand up and make our
collective voices heard. We owe it to our parents and grandparents who
were victims of the Genocide. We owe it to the brave soldiers who lost
their lives fighting for the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. We owe
it to our 4,000-year-old mighty Nation whose history and culture have
survived and thrived against all odds. And we owe it to our children
who deserve to live free of this burden of injustice that we all
continue to carry.
This is our mission.
As my friend Maria Titizian says, `Nation-building is not a spectator
sport,' and she is absolutely right. We haven't survived by being
passive. We all have a job to do to build and strengthen our Nation
and our Homeland wherever we may choose to live. We must each ask
ourselves whether we are fulfilling this obligation, but rest assured
that simply by being here tonight, we are each doing our own small
part, and I can prove it.
Our local ANCA chapters are our true grassroots working on a daily
basis at the local level from the ground up. Our wonderful dedicated
staff work very long hours and truly live and breathe the ANCA on a
daily basis, day and night. Our interns and volunteers take time out
of their otherwise busy lives to play their part in the advancement of
our Cause. I want to take a moment to acknowledge them all by asking
them to please stand up, and if you will indulge me, please remain
standing.
Let's take it one step further: Please stand up if you have ever
volunteered your time for any community organization. And please
remain standing for a moment.
If you have ever run for political office, worked on a political
campaign, cast your vote for an ANCA-endorsed candidate, or responded
to an ANCA Action Alert by contacting your elected representatives,
please stand up.
If you have ever written a letter to an editor, responded in any way
to negative propaganda, spoken out against injustice, or if you have
ever donated your hard-earned dollars to support any aspect of our
Cause, then please, stand up.
And finally, if you have ever attended any other ANCA event or even if
this is your first time with us, then stand up, all of you, because
you are here for a reason.
Look around you. Here you are: our army of Grassroots activists who
are committed not to stand on the sidelines but to stand up for
justice. Rest assured that your enthusiasm inspires us. Your
generosity sustains us. Your commitment unites us. And your unyielding
and consistent activism propels us all forward.
So give yourselves a big round of applause, because you are the ANC.
You are Hye Tad. We need you, and we rely on you. And it is only with
you that we will fulfill our dream together of achieving a truly free,
truly independent, truly democratic, and a truly united Armenian
Homeland where our Nation can prosper forever.
http://asbarez.com/117914/anca-wr-chairwoman-nora-hovsepians-speech-at-annual-banquet/
Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
Nora Hovsepian addresses the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet
`We Remember Our Past; We Remind The World Of Its Consequences; And We
Demand Justice For Our People,' Says ANCA's Nora Hovsepian
Below is the text of a speech presented at the Armenian National
Committee of America-Western Region Annual banquet by the
organization's chairwoman, Nora Hovsepian, Esq.
Good evening Your Eminences, Distinguished Guests, Honorees and
Elected Officials, representatives of Armenian community
organizations, and fellow Activists:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Armenian National Committee
of America Western Region, welcome to our 2013 Annual Gala Banquet!
Seeing a packed house here tonight is so gratifying, as we highlight a
busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend with our ANCA Grassroots Conference,
which will end tomorrow with the Hye Tad Global Initiative. Our
compatriots from Armenia to Europe, Canada to South America, and from
the Middle East to Australia will participate in a groundbreaking
interactive online presentation showcasing the activities of Armenian
National Committees worldwide. We invite all of you who have not
already registered, to join us tomorrow or, to watch it live-streaming
on Asbarez.com. I guarantee you will be utterly impressed with the
magnitude and scope of the dedicated work that is being done globally
on behalf of the Armenian Cause.
The topics covered by our Grassroots Conference this year essentially
highlight the mission of the ANCA. We analyzed the evolving
inter-relationship between our Homeland and the Diaspora and how to
meet the challenge of their dual roles in shaping our national
destiny. We discussed how regional factors in Turkey, Kurdistan, Syria
and Azerbaijan affect our quest to secure Western Armenia and Artsakh.
We explored legal avenues to hold Turkey accountable for the Armenian
Genocide and how to pursue reparations and justice through domestic
and foreign courts. And we learned the best tools of advocacy through
Film and the Arts, Hye Votes and Community Organizing, and citizen
activism through the iZartonk campaign.
Nearly all of our 31 distinguished Grassroots panelists whose names
are in your Program Books are here with us tonight. Thank you all for
participating in our Conference and for sharing your expertise, wisdom
and insight with us. And a special thank you to the Armenian Bar
Association for collaborating with us on the Transnational Justice
panel, and to Bared Maronian for adapting his award winning film
Orphans of the Genocide in a special DVD which each of you has
received tonight. So let's all give them a big round of applause as
they stand to be recognized.
I want to take a brief moment to explain about iZartonk. This was the
brainchild of our dear friend and colleague, former ANCA-WR intern,
community activist and visionary Allen Yekikian who we tragically lost
along with his equally dedicated newlywed wife Sose Thomassian, in a
terrible traffic accident on their way from Armenia to Georgia earlier
this year. Allen and Sose were taken from us much too soon. But in
their short time here on Earth, they inspired us all to serve our
Nation, strengthen our Homeland, and activate our Diasporan
communities based on the iZartonk credo, and ours, to `Speak Up, Speak
Loud, and Participate in the 21st Century Reawakening of the Armenian
Soul.'
So tonight I am very proud to announce that the ANCA Western Region
will soon partner up with the Sose & Allen's Legacy Foundation in a
new project of iZartonk to promote activism and volunteerism amongst
our youth. We extend our love, support and gratitude to the Thomassian
and Yekikian families for sharing the memory of their beloved children
with all of us, and even though Allen's parents, Henrik & Asik
Yekikian, were unable to join us tonight, please give a warm welcome
to Sose's brother Vache Thomassian and mother Emma Der Mardirossian.
We are certainly all in this together, and we thank you for being
here. So stay tuned for more details in the coming months as we embark
on this exciting new joint venture.
For the first time, we have prepared and distributed to each of you
our Annual Report and detailed Program Book, both of which outline the
breadth and scope of our activities, including our financial resources
and expenses. I won't go into all the details, but I do want to
specially highlight our trip to the Homeland, the first of many to
come, where the ANCA-WR, working closely with our good friends Katcho
Achadjian and Adrin Nazarian from the California State Assembly,
organized and led an official California delegation to Armenia and
Artsakh. I want to thank those members of our delegation who are here
tonight: CA State Assemblymembers Cheryl Brown and Scott Wilk with his
beautiful wife Vanessa Safoian Wilk, and of course Assemblymembers
Achadjian and Nazarian and Councilmember Paul Krekorian and his wife
Tamar. Please give them all a round of applause.
Finally, our hard-working Banquet Co-Chairs, Aida Dimejian and Sareen
Bezdikian, have provided leadership, guidance, and dedication in
heading our stellar Banquet Committee and helping us assemble all of
you wonderfully generous sponsors, donors and supporters who sustain
our work as we come together under one roof to celebrate our
collective accomplishments. This is truly a team effort in every way,
so let's all give them a round of applause as well. Thank you!
***
In Armenian, ANCA's name is Hye Tad: literally and simply translated
as Armenian Cause. In short, these two words define and guide
everything we do. We remember our past, we remind the world of its
consequences, and we demand justice for our People. So if you are
passionate about the Armenian Cause, about Hye Tad, then this is your
place.
In every kind of environment, under adversarial circumstances, in the
face of obstacles placed before us by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and even our
own US Government, in every setting, we have done our work and
activated our army of advocates and activists. We have a dual role,
and we play it well as both the voice of the community and the
watchdogs who challenge injustice wherever it may be. While some may
say we are dreamers or idealists as if it is a bad thing, what they
don't realize is that dreams are for those who will not accept reality
as it is. WE do not accept reality as it is, so we dream with eyes
wide open of that which is not yet achieved, and we go out and find
ways to get it done.
Whether that means removing Turkey's and Azerbaijan's gag rule over
our government's foreign policy, or displaying a gift to the White
House of a beautiful hand-woven rug by orphaned Armenian children of
the Genocide, we as American citizens seek justice for our Cause. And
I am happy to announce tonight, with his permission, that our dear
friend Congressman Adam Schiff, acting on our behalf, has demanded
that the White House release the rug for a display in the Capitol and
that he is, in his words, `cautiously optimistic' that his request
will be granted. So thank you Congressman Schiff for all that you do
for us.
And if the elected officials who are here, to whom we are infinitely
grateful, think we have been too demanding, it is for that reason. And
we will be even more so as we continue to grow and the century-old
experience of advocacy that our organization has developed becomes
even stronger and more sophisticated.
This is precisely why we must all speak up, stand up and make our
collective voices heard. We owe it to our parents and grandparents who
were victims of the Genocide. We owe it to the brave soldiers who lost
their lives fighting for the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. We owe
it to our 4,000-year-old mighty Nation whose history and culture have
survived and thrived against all odds. And we owe it to our children
who deserve to live free of this burden of injustice that we all
continue to carry.
This is our mission.
As my friend Maria Titizian says, `Nation-building is not a spectator
sport,' and she is absolutely right. We haven't survived by being
passive. We all have a job to do to build and strengthen our Nation
and our Homeland wherever we may choose to live. We must each ask
ourselves whether we are fulfilling this obligation, but rest assured
that simply by being here tonight, we are each doing our own small
part, and I can prove it.
Our local ANCA chapters are our true grassroots working on a daily
basis at the local level from the ground up. Our wonderful dedicated
staff work very long hours and truly live and breathe the ANCA on a
daily basis, day and night. Our interns and volunteers take time out
of their otherwise busy lives to play their part in the advancement of
our Cause. I want to take a moment to acknowledge them all by asking
them to please stand up, and if you will indulge me, please remain
standing.
Let's take it one step further: Please stand up if you have ever
volunteered your time for any community organization. And please
remain standing for a moment.
If you have ever run for political office, worked on a political
campaign, cast your vote for an ANCA-endorsed candidate, or responded
to an ANCA Action Alert by contacting your elected representatives,
please stand up.
If you have ever written a letter to an editor, responded in any way
to negative propaganda, spoken out against injustice, or if you have
ever donated your hard-earned dollars to support any aspect of our
Cause, then please, stand up.
And finally, if you have ever attended any other ANCA event or even if
this is your first time with us, then stand up, all of you, because
you are here for a reason.
Look around you. Here you are: our army of Grassroots activists who
are committed not to stand on the sidelines but to stand up for
justice. Rest assured that your enthusiasm inspires us. Your
generosity sustains us. Your commitment unites us. And your unyielding
and consistent activism propels us all forward.
So give yourselves a big round of applause, because you are the ANC.
You are Hye Tad. We need you, and we rely on you. And it is only with
you that we will fulfill our dream together of achieving a truly free,
truly independent, truly democratic, and a truly united Armenian
Homeland where our Nation can prosper forever.