SYDNEY: On April 24th 2015, 300 school-aged children took the day off from regular classes and converged at Galstaun College to mark the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide in a Seminar entitled "A Journey To Your Roots", organised by Galstaun College, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) and the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia (AYF Australia).
The Seminar featured activities connecting the students to their roots in Western Armenia, which has been part of Eastern Turkey since the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923. It also featured workshop lectures by prominent educators, Professor Colin Tatz, Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis, Vicken Babkenian and Pam Tatz.
Students began the day in a combined session, where they heard speeches outlining the vision of the event and watched videos including Armenian Genocide survivor testimonies and evidence of the current Turkish state's denial campaign that has left this crime against humanity unpunished.
The lecturers focused their interactive workshops on Denial, Australia's relief effort, and the history of the Armenian Genocide. Students asked questions and were fully engaged during these sessions.
AYF Australia had printed a giant map of Western Armenia. All students who participated revealed where their ancestors were from pre the Armenian Genocide, and their names were put on labels and stuck onto the relevant region on the map.
AYF Australia also conducted a social media campaign titled #WhereImFrom, which allowed students to poise with a placard and post their roots on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Lunch was provided by the AYF Australia members, who had over 40 members in attendance.
"This event was unprecedented in Australia and sent a clear message to the denialist government of Turkey that our battle for justice will not ease after 100 years," said one of the organisers, Haig Kayserian.
"We gathered over 300 of our youngest descendants of the Armenian Genocide in faraway Australia, and they declared that they will continue to fight the good fight until justice is achieved in the name of their ancestors. This means Armenians will achieve justice."
A letter was drafted to the NSW Turkish Consul-General on behalf of the attending students, and presented by seniors at the Armenian Genocide Protest in Sydney, which occurred later on that day.
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