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French-Armenians launch active campaign ahead of Genocide centennial

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  • French-Armenians launch active campaign ahead of Genocide centennial

    French-Armenians launch active campaign ahead of Genocide centennial

    13:02 * 01.11.14


    Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a civic group
    of French-Armenians has launched a website as part of the pan-national
    efforts towards raising awareness of the tragic event and demanding
    recognition and reparation.

    Speaking to Tert.am, Hrachya Aslanyan, Head of the Diaspora Ministry's
    Department of Armenian Communities of Europe, said the campaign,
    "#2015RTAG. Recognize The Armenian Genocide", has been initiated by
    Armenians of Marseilles under the leadership of the community
    activists Ani Stepanov and Richard Findikyan.

    "My connection with this initiative is limited only to the extent that
    I am from Marseilles, and I was asked to offer my assistance to make
    the movement more popular. I informed the minister of the initiative,
    and the very first day, she was photographed with the poster [bearing
    the slogan] '#2015RTAG. Recognize The Armenian Genocide' and later
    spread it. First Lady Rita Sargsyan and Minister of Culture Hasmik
    Poghosyan followed suit; they were later joined by Fetin Çetin, an
    ethnic Armenian lawyer in the Hrant Dink [case], and well-known public
    figures," he said.

    Aslanyan added that the Ministry later called for active efforts
    towards involving all the Diaspora communities, individuals, officials
    and foreign legislators in the movement.

    The group later embarked on creating the seven-language website which
    has already attracted over 6,000 fans on Facebook since its launch
    last week.

    "If we achieve something great, we'll clearly decide on, and
    coordinate with different communities, the next steps. We are now
    planning on a footage featuring scenes of Genocide, each episode of
    which will be introduced by well-known Armenians from across the
    globe," he said, expressing further his hope that the initiative will
    really gain popularity.

    Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan says she really feels happy that
    the initiators were Marseilles-Armenians and local city authorities.
    "We, naturally, work with our communities every day, and our first
    approach was that we have to be a direct participant. As different
    public figures visit the Ministry, we offer them to join the
    movement," she said.

    Hakobyan described the move as a major moral impetus in terms of
    raising the youth's awareness of history. "I think recognition is a
    for politicians of those countries which are still lingering and
    haven't recognized the Genocide to date," she added.


    The minister said she believes that the initiative will have a great
    impact on the world community, whose active involvement in the
    campaign will be a great stimulus in moving ahead with the Genocide
    recognition efforts. "Our slogan is, I Remember and Demand. And
    remembering, we demand the reinstatement of the lost rights, the
    community and pan-national rights."

    The minister further hailed the Greek parliament's September 9 bill
    criminalizing the Armenian Genocide. "I think any step is a success,"
    she said, adding that she doesn't any surprise move by Turkey ahead of
    April 24. "I don't think Turkey will recognize the Genocide on or
    ahead of the centennial day, but Turkey too, faces an identity crisis,
    with the society beginning to recognize its history. And that's a
    fact. That's an outcome of the movement. The fact that hundreds and
    thousands of people in Turkey have started identifying themselves is
    already a big achievement."


    http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/11/01/armenia-2015rtag/

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