Roots of genocide, genocide denial and human rights.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New York, February 14, 2008—After the Holocaust, people cried “never again.” Yet genocide has not gone away. “Roots of Evil: Continued Challenges for the Denial of Mass Human Rights Violation,” a Symposium taking place on Friday, April 4, 2008 at Fordham University, Lincoln Center at 7:00 PM, will address the impact of genocide during the last one-hundred years—and the issue of genocide denial.

The Symposium is organized and chaired by Dr. Ani Kalayjian, Professor of Psychology at Fordham University and President of the Armenian-American Society for Studies on Stress and Genocide (AASSSG).

The Symposium commemorates those who died in the Ottoman Turkish Genocide, and the memory of Hrant Dink, an Armenian-Turkish journalist who was assassinated in January 2007 for his views on freedom of speech. Hrant Dink will be honored posthumously as Recipient of the 2007 AASSGG Outstanding Achievement Award. His wife Rakel Dink will accept the award in tribute to her husband’s legacy.

The evening begins by honoring the Krieger Essay Winners. This year marks the 13th Anniversary of the Krieger Contest, which draws hundreds of essay on genocide from throughout the tri-state area.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Richard Koenigsberg, Faculty Member, Institute for the Study of Violence at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, will speak on the Denial of the Destructiveness of Civilization. Nearly two-hundred people have been slaughtered in the last one-hundred years as a result of violent acts undertaken by nation-states. Do we actually grasp the reality of the destruction that societies have leveled against their own people? Dr. Koenigsberg will examine the concept of genocide-denial within the framework of a broader form of denial: our refusal to look closely at the destruction wrought by our own nations—and civilization itself.

Richard Koenigsberg is an author, lecturer and teacher focusing on the roots of collective forms of violence. New editions of his books—Hitler’s Ideology: Embodied Metaphor, Fantasy and History and The Nation: A Study in Ideology and Fantasy—recently have been released by Information Age Publishing. His website Ideologies of War, Genocide and Terror (created with Orion Anderson) has attracted world-wide attention.

Suliman A. Giddo is a graduate of Khartoum University and received Masters degrees from Strayer University and Fordham University. He has worked for the United Arab Emirates Government and the American Red Cross. He is Co-Founder and President of Darfur Peace and Development. The mission of Mr. Giddo’s non-profit organization is to restore reconciliation where conflict exists in the Darfur region of Sudan through humanitarian aid and services. He will speak about his experiences as a mediator working to prevent further violent escalation of the tragic conflict in Darfur. Mr. Giddo approaches mediation as a process designed to create trust through communication and dialogue—in order to prevent violent escalation.

Margaret Ajemian Ahnert is a graduate of Goddard College and Goucher College and has produced television documentaries. She will speak about her book The Knock at the Door, winner of the 2007 USA News award for the Best Book on World History.

In 1915, Armenian Christians in Turkey were driven out of their homes as the Turkish army embarked on a widespread campaign of intimidation and murder. Margaret Ajemian Ahnert relates the riveting story of her mother Ester’s terrifying experiences as a young woman. Her account of her mother’s suffering is framed by an intimate portrait of her relationship with her 98-yer old mother. Ester’s inspiring stories, told lovingly by her daughter, provide a window into the harrowing struggles of the Armenians during a terrible period in human history.

Entertainment will be provided by Quartet T, with selections from the work of Komitas, an Armenian composer.  The quartet includes the talents of Kristi Helberg and Amie Weiss on violin, You-Young Kim on viola, and Jane O’Hara on cello. Alumni of Julliard, Oberlin Conservatory and Mannes Schools of Music, the members of Quartet T have additional musical training in Middle Eastern, Klezmer and North Indian music. The musicians present eastern musical forms and explore the works of western composers who have taken inspiration from these forms.

The Symposium will conclude with a question-and-answer period, followed by a reception, refreshments and networking. The admission fee is $12 (free for Fordham University Students).

SPONSORS

Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress and Genocide (AASSSG)
Fordham Psychology Association
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), New York
Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP)
Fordham Psi Chi
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