SYDNEY: Armenian Genocide Commemorative Week in Australia wrapped up with a full house at Sydney's Macquarie University listening to US-based keynote speaker, Seto Boyadjian deliver a powerful message calling on the United States, Australian and Turkish governments to officially recognise the Armenian Genocide.
Boyadjian, a guest of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee, was joined on stage by Paul Fletcher MP (representing the leader of the Federal Opposition Tony Abbott MP), Matt Pulford (representing Maxine McKew MP) and Victor Dominello MP (representing the leader of the NSW Opposition Barry O'Farrell MP).
All political guests who took the stage reaffirmed the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide, while committing to personally advocate for Federal government recognition of the Armenian Genocide. These commitments were appreciated by the 800-plus audience.
Armenian Genocide Commemorative Week began with a 'Protest Against Denial' at the Sydney Turkish Consulate, organised by the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia (AYF Australia). Over 500 Armenians attended and were met by over 100 Turkish anti-protestors.
Despite attempts to interrupt the Protest, mass media covered it as the Sydney Armenian community calling for Armenian Genocide recognition by the governments of Turkey and Australia.
Tuesday 20 April saw over 100 Sydney Armenians attend an AYF Australia Panel Discussion called 'Recognition in Light of Protocols', where panellists including Boyadjian, Political Advisor Greg Soghomonian, Lawyer Khajaque Kortian and Vache Kahramanian of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) discussed the latest happenings in Armenian issues advocacy since the start of Armenia-Turkey relations.
The panellists agreed that the Protocols were dead, and days later Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan officially suspended the Protocols due to preconditions being placed upon his nation by Turkey.
Over 250 Sydney Armenians attended the annual Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (AIHGS) Commemorative Lecture, where Boyadjian discussed 'The Legal Basis of the Armenian Genocide'. The lecture was preceded by a prayer and wreath laying at the NSW State Parliament House's Peace Garden, where an Armenian Genocide memorial stands.
Boyadjian was joined by over 400 members of the Melbourne Armenian community in a Commemoration Evening on Friday 23 April.
In Adelaide, the South Australian Armenian community unveiled a memorial plaque dedicated to the memory of victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Another 150 members of the Armenian Community attended the City of Ryde memorial at the plaque erected by the Council in Meadowbank. The Sydney Western Region commemoration was held with over 300 guests on 17 April.
Saturday's audience of over 800 at the Sydney commemoration meant a combined audience of over 2,000 helped commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in events throughout Australia.
Media coverage of the Armenian-Australian community's drive for recognition of the Armenian Genocide was at a record level. The drive for Armenian Genocide recognition by the government of Australia and the government of Turkey was covered on national radio, national television, online media and in print.
Most recently,
leading breakfast radio presenter Alan Jones covered the topic of the Armenian Genocide in an interview with scholar Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis (Click here to listen). And,
The Australian newspaper covered the community's call for Federal Australian recognition of the Armenian Genocide (Click here to read).
