Global Scholar's Blog 2022-2023
"We are living in a post-genocide world, but when does that become forgotten?" - Dr. Karapetian
Historically, the international community sparked debates about mass murder by examining the Armenian genocide. Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish scholar from Poland, followed the case of a young Armenian, Soghomon Tehlirian. Tehlirian killed the Turkish minister in 1921 because the minister was significantly responsible for the organized killing of Armenians. Lemkin found it hard to understand a system in which Tehlirian could be charged and tried for the death of a single man but which did not hold Turkish leaders accountable for the mass killing of Armenians. Now, the international community watches again, but this time the media has remained quiet. Armenians were systematically forced out of their homeland, Nagorno karabakh, also called Artsakh. Additionally, the only route that connects Azerbaijan to Artsakh was blocked by Azerbaijani "environmental activists" along with the support of their government's authorities. Azerbaijan believed Armenians to be "pillaging natural resources." Then, armed Azerbaijani forces set up a checkpoint at the Lachin corridor to "prevent weapons smuggling," however, these actions prevented aid resources from reaching Armenians and prevented families from trying to communicate with their relatives across the checkpoint. From the Azerbaijan perspective, the policy of "corridor for corridor" has been pursued by its president, Ilham Aliyev, who wants to parallel the Lachin pathway to Zangezer corridor, a transit route in Azerbaijan. The Zangezur corridor lies between western Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, an enclave between Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. The Azerbaijani government believes that the Lachin corridor should serve as a blueprint for the Zangezur corridor, implying that Armenia should accept their checkpoints. However, Armenia does not want to allow these checkpoints at the corridor because they block a vitally important border with Iran. According to Steve Swerdlow, a Jewish Human Rights Lawyer, all crimes against humanity all equally horrid. During my facilitation of the event, I especially appreciated Mr. Swerdlow's commitment to defining genocide and reaffirming the importance of understanding the difference from ethnic cleansing. A major aspect of people's lack of awarness to the genocide is the gap in understanding the history and key terms. Our theme for this year’s Global Initiatives Program, Ubuntu, encapsulates the idea of bringing people together as global citizens, acknowledging our part as a diverse collective while simultaneously responsible for the aid of others in need. We have hope that the event inspired the audience to continue putting empathy into action and seeing the humanity in others. Resources:
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Natalie VArchives
May 2024
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