FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday May 13, 2010 Contact: Roupen Kouyoumdjian (B.Sc., M.Sc.)
A Dinner-Conference By the Armenian National Committee of Canada
Ottawa – The Canadian-Armenian community and Armenians around the world organized numerous events to commemorate the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The last event that was organized in Canada took place in Sheraton Hotel in Ottawa (National Press Club) on Wednesday night, May 12 2010.
The dinner-conference organized by the Armenian National Committee of Canada was a chance for people who were not very familiar with the Armenian case, such as civil servants, diplomats and ordinary citizens to improve their knowledge on the Armenian Genocide and its denial by the Turkish state. More than fifty people were present at the event, including Members of Parliament, the Chargé D'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Arman Akopian, religious dignitaries and members of the Armenian communities of Ottawa, Montreal and Laval.
After the welcoming remarks of master of ceremonies Ms. Taline Abrakian, the keynote speaker, Rabbi Dr. Steven Leonard Jacobs, Aaron Aronov Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies at the University of Alabama and a long time member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) took the stage. He talked about the similarities between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, about Dr. Raphael Lemkin, lawyer who coined the term “Genocide” and the denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish state. After the speech, the guests had a dinner asked Dr. Jacobs questions about the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the impact of the Armenian Genocide to the Nazis who adopted similar techniques of dehumanization against the Jews.
The Armenian National Committee presented Dr. Jacobs with a gift, after which the event came to an end.
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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
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Le CNAC est l'organisation politique canadienne-arménienne la plus large et influentielle. Collaborant avec une série de bureaux, chapitres et souteneurs à travers le Canada et des organisations affiliées à travers le monde, le CNAC s'occupe activement des inquiétudes de la communauté canadienne-arménienne.