18.03.15 - “At the Foot of Ararat” International media forum kicks off

Int’l media forum on Armenian Genocide centennial opens in Yerevan

March 18, 2015 - 14:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Fifth International Media Forum titled “At the foot of Ararat” kicked off in Yerevan, Armenia on March 18. The event to last through March 20 will focus on the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire in a century ago.

The forum is held under the motto “I remember and demand”. The discussions will be comprised in four principles guiding the events in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide – remembrance, gratitude, revival and international campaign for the recognition of genocides.

The gathering brings together representatives of international media organizations of various nations, scholars, public and political figures and create a media platform for discussing issues concerning the Armenian Genocide history, recognition, accountability of states and the prevention of future crimes, genocide denial, destruction of cultural heritage among others.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.