Professor Taner Akçam honored with “Friend of the Armenians” awardMay 6, 2016 - 11:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Clark University History Professor Taner Akçam received the “Friend of the Armenians” award from the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) at a banquet of the Diocesan Assembly on April 29 in Cleveland. Hundreds of Armenian Church leaders from around the country attended, Massis Post reports. “It is deeply rewarding to be recognized as a friend of the Armenians,” Akçam said. “While power, not truth, reigns supreme in politics, it is truth that wins in the fields of education and scholarship. We need to train dozens of young academics who can express the truth not as an emotional plea but as a scholarly fact.” In his speech, Akçam recognized two scholars, Khatchig Mouradian and Ümit Kurt, who recently earned their doctoral degrees in Armenian genocide studies from Clark’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. “The truth is that the more academics we have working in this field the less oxygen denialism receives. Education is where the real investment needs to be made,” he said. Every year, the New York-based Diocese of the Armenian Church of America bestows its “Friend of the Armenians” award on an individual in the public arena who has been a heroic advocate for the Armenian-American community. Past recipients have included U.S. Ambassadors Harry Gilmore and John Evans; U.S. Sens. Edward Kennedy and Robert Dole; and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. The Diocese selected Akçam for the award because of his “history of courageous humanitarianism” and his “lifelong effort to reveal and defend historical truth of the Armenian genocide through his scholarship.” “All of these things have done much to promote admiration, goodwill and affection for [him] throughout the Armenian-American community,” wrote Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. In recent years, Akçam has been honored with the Hrant Dink Spirit of Freedom and Justice Medal by the Organization of Istanbul Armenians, the Heroes of Justice and Truth Award from the Diocese and Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Churches of America and the Hrant Dink Freedom Award from the Armenian Bar Association. In 2006, he was recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for his outstanding work in human rights and for fighting genocide denial. Akçam is the Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies. He received his doctorate in 1995 from the University of Hanover, with a dissertation on “The Turkish National Movement and the Armenian Genocide against the Background of the Military Tribunals in Istanbul Between 1919 and 1922.” Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. |