Genocide education expands in Merrimack Valley

by Tom Vartabedian

Published: Friday October 01, 2010

Members of the Armenian Genocide Curriculum Committee of Merrimack Valley presented a program to students at Wilmington High School.

Haverhill, Mass. - Efforts to intensify Armenian Genocide education in area high schools have taken a quantum leap forward.

In addition to the public school sector, the Armenian Genocide Curriculum Committee of Merrimack Valley will make an approach to the parochial and private/ preparatory schools throughout the region.

Now in its fourth season, the group expects to address students in over a dozen schools throughout the coming months.

"A lot of it will be callbacks from previous schools," said Dro Kanayan, committee chairman. "At the same time, we can't forget other educational outlets where Armenian Genocide education is either limited or not taught. The more schools we address, the better our resume --- the more our student population learns about the atrocities which befell the Armenian Nation from 1915-1923."

No sooner was school in session this September when Wilmington High called for another program. This marks the third visit to that school which also sponsored a panel discussion on human rights sponsored by the National Honor Society.

Present in that discussion last April were members of the Armenian, Jewish, Cambodian and Rwandan communities.

Instructors Lisa Desberg and Maura Tucker have designed a curriculum around "Facing History and Ourselves," based in Brookline. This marks their fourth semester and students are enamored by it.

"They're really into the Armenian Genocide," said Desberg. "The classes fill up rather quickly. The students we have enrolled tell their friends and it's taken on a ripple effect in the school. The administration is very supportive of this curriculum."

Committee members Albert S. Movsesian and Tom Vartabedian were more than impressed with how well prepared the students were during their 90-minute session. Posters depicting the Armenian Genocide hung from the walls.

Upon entering their classroom, a sign holds its place by the outside door with Hitler's infamous quote about "who after all remembers the Armenians." Inside were other placards containing pertinent genocidal data. The place could easily qualify for a mini-genocide museum.

Among the issues discussed by the presenters were the ongoing struggle to have a genocide resolution passed by Congress; this country's refusal to recognize the genocide; annual observances throughout the region; the new memorial on Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway; impact our immigrants made upon society; history and culture; modern Armenia; interesting facts about Armenians; story of the President Coolidge orphan rug, Near East Relief efforts in aiding orphans; continued Turkish denial and distortion of facts, and the rapid decline of remaining survivors and accelerated efforts to document their testimonies.

Students were also asked to pose questions to an actual survivor and put themselves into an actual village during the eve of an Ottoman Turkish pogrom.

A suggestion was made to approach the United States Postal Service for a postage stamp commemorating the genocide centennial in 2015. Students are braced for a letter-writing campaign as a class project.

In some cases, local Armenian residents will be invited to the classes and lend their insight. Visits will also include the donation of books on the Armenian Genocide to school libraries and follow-up panel discussions such as that which took place at Wilmington.