InternationalANCA honors Samantha Power with its Freedom Award
Published: Wednesday September 24, 2008
Dr. Samantha Power, recipient of the ANCA Eastern Region Freedom Award on September 13, 2008 in New York. Arsineh Khachikian
New York -
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and genocide scholar SamanthaPower received the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern Region's Freedom Award last Saturday inNew York City. More than 350 people gathered for the second annual banquet ofthe ANCA-ER at theNew York Marriott Hotel's Grand Ballroom, where the organization also honored MarthaAramian with its Vahan Cardashian Award.
Ms. Power is a leading voice in the United States for aprincipled foreign policy. The Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of GlobalLeadership and Public Policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School ofGovernment, she gained prominence with the publication of her book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
In her remarks of appreciation, Ms. Power said she did notwant to live in a world that gives her an award "for telling the truth." Sherevealed that she had trouble finding a publisher for her book, and thanked theArmenian community, and in particular Robert Setrakian, "forbuying every copy. Armenians kept my book in print." She also expressed hergratitude to the Armenian community for its involvement in publicizing theDarfur genocide.
"Dedication to truth and justice"
In an invocation, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan,Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern), praised the ANCA's "dedication to truth and justice. Truth andjustice go together. The ANCA believes in therighteousness of its mission. And our two honorees exemplify this mission," hestated, paying special tribute to Ms. Aramian, "the daughter of Genocidesurvivors dedicated to love and community and nation," and Ms. Power who "givesvoice to the voiceless. Both have shown us the power of action."
Introduced by emcee Stephanie Mesrobian, BanquetCommittee president Zohrab Tazian reported that the scope of ANCA activities in the past year has expanded on thelocal, regional, and national levels. These have included advances in humanrights activism, media outreach, relations with the academic world,coalition-building, public education, and the establishment of the ANCA Eastern Region office in Manhattan.
Mr. Tazian also cited an increase in efforts for Armenia andKarabakh, and grassroots activism to advance the recognition of the Genocide."Those one and a half million martyrs shout to the world that justice still hasto be served. We give testimony to the world that we have not forgotten, thatit is a just fight. We believe in a free Armenia, and we're ready to fight forit," he declared.
Armenia's permanent representative at the United NationsAmbassador Armen Martirosyan declared that spreading "peaceand prosperity is everyone's responsibility. The ANChas been in the forefront of advancing our aspirations for human rights inArmenia and for all people. And the honorees demonstrate that one person canmake a difference. I salute the ANC for theirwork for all humanity."
"Dynamo of all dynamos"
Aram Garabedian, in presenting the VahanCardashian Award to Ms. Aramian, called her "a one-person show who has adefinite goal. She is the dynamo of all dynamos. She has great compassion,strength, tenacity, and character. Shehas preserved an important chapter of Armenian history, creating a bridgelinking the past to the future."
A native of Providence, Ms. Aramian conceptualized anddeveloped the Armenian Heritage Park in Providence as a lasting memorial to the"brave Armenian men and women, boys and girls whose lives had been flung to theseven winds of the world, but who found refuge in Providence." The parkfeatures a granite monument surrounded by a circle of companion stones,identifying the names of 80 survivor families. Under the monument is a boxcontaining a medal along with soil from Armenia.
Ms. Aramian's dedication also includes her commitment toArmenia where she, together with her sisters Sue and Margo, in 1995 in Vanadzorestablished the Kazar and Nevart Aramian Child Care Center in memory of theirparents, and undertook the construction of Camp Pambak. Both were establishedin partnership with the International YMCA. She also led the effort to establish theZevartaran Senior Center.
In the United States, Ms. Aramian has been active in manyprojects, including lobbying and letter-writing activities for the recognitionof the Genocide. She has donated $200,000 toward the purchase of the ANCA national headquarters in Washington. Inconjunction with the ANCA, she underwrote ascreening of the Armenian Genocide documentary Screamers.
Ms. Aramian thanked the ANCAfor the award, and said "Believe in yourself and stand up for what youbelieve."
Power: "You are winning"
Anahid Ugurlayan presented the Freedom Awardto Ms. Power. Born in Ireland, Ms. Power immigrated to the UnitedStates in 1979. She graduated from Yale University. She has been a workingjournalist, reporting from Burundi, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe. For a timeshe joined the presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obamaas a foreign-policy advisor. She haspraised Sen. Obama for his "very forthright statement on the Armenian Genocide,his support for the Senate resolution acknowledging the Genocide, and hiswillingness as President to commemorate it and call ‘a spade a spade.'"
