KoV ‘Ani’ Lodge Begins Lecture Series Marking Centennial

WASHINGTON—The Knights of Vartan (KoV) Ani Lodge in Washington has begun a three-part academic lecture series touching upon different aspects of the Armenian Genocide.

The first lecture, “Oil, Politics, and the Genocide in Armenia: The First World War Retrospect,” featured Professor Christopher Simpson, a professor of journalism at the School of Communications at American University. The event was held on Jan. 29 at American University.

The second lecture will feature Prof. Simpson on the same topic on Thurs., Feb. 26, at George Mason University.

The third and final lecture will feature Dr. Gregory Stanton, a research professor in genocide studies and prevention at George Mason University, in a presentation on “Why Denial Violates the Genocide Convention: The Genocides of Armenians, Native Americans, and Tutsis in Rwanda.” The event will take place on Thurs., March 19, at the George Washington University Law School.

“The Knights of Vartan and the entire Washington, D.C. Armenian American community is grateful to Professor Simpson, Dr. Stanton, and these esteemed universities for advancing genocide and Holocaust education in our nation’s capital,” said Ani Lodge Commander Jake Bournazian. “Engaging the American public is a critical part of genocide education efforts. The Armenian community is intrinsically interested in the subject, and it is up to us to show the relevancy of studying the Armenian Genocide to issues that are important to the American public today,” he added.

Simpson is internationally recognized for his expertise in democracy and media theory and practice. He has authored five books and won national awards for investigative reporting, historical writing, and literature. His lecture will discuss the lucrative concessions that U.S. oil companies received from the Ottoman Turks and the subsequent aggressive congressional lobbying by American oil companies for the U.S. government’s silence on the Armenian Genocide.

Stanton served as a foreign service officer in the State Department from 1992-99, where he drafted the UN Security Council Resolutions (955 and 978) that created the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 1992, he also drafted the UN Peacekeeping Resolutions that helped end the Mozambique civil war of 1977-92. In 1999, Stanton founded Genocide Watch, the International Campaign to End Genocide, which is the first international anti-genocide coalition. He served as president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars from 2007-09 and vice president from 2005-07.

All three lectures are produced by the Knights of Vartan Ani Lodge with the support of their co-sponsors, the Armenian Bar Association, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, and Genocide Watch. Historical and archival material is provided by the Armenian National Institute.

The Feb. 26 event will be held at George Mason University, 10423 Rivanna River Way, Fairfax, Va., from 2-4 p.m. The March 19 event will be held at the George Washington University Law School, Michael K Young Faculty Conference Center, 2000 H Street NW, in Washington, from 4-6 p.m. Space is limited and RSVP is required. For media inquiries or to RSVP, e-mail the KoV Ani Lodge at kovanilodge@gmail.com.

Fuente: http://armenianweekly.com/2015/02/22/kov-an-centennial/