IWitness, a platform raising awareness of genocides via eye-witness testimonies, hosted a presentation about the Armenian Genocide on Thursday.
This event is one of many that the University hosts to recognize the stories of genocide survivors.
The talk occurred in Siebel Center for Design’s Starlight room. Speakers presented the stories of several Armenian Genocide survivors and their endured hardships.
Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian, both with family members surviving the genocide, began working on the exhibition in the mid-1990s. They interviewed survivors for 15 years until all the survivors of the genocide passed away.
Parian, a photographer and speaker at the event, said that this began due to several countries not recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
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“The United States didn’t acknowledge it,” Parian said. “Israel doesn’t acknowledge it. So we wanted to make sure they were acknowledged.”
Oshagan, a digital photographer, said that the pair incorporated their relatives’ stories and other survivors’ accounts throughout the exhibition
“It’s our first history,” Oshagan said. “We both have ancestors from the area. They’re genocide survivors. All of our family are genocide survivors. So, we try to tell their story, our story and a story of being displaced from indigenous lands.”
Brett Ashley Kaplan, director of the initiative in Holocaust, genocide, and memory studies and professor in LAS, said she was emotionally moved when attendees shared their relatives’ stories of survival.
“I think it was incredible to hear those stories, and that’s one of the reasons why I brought it to this center,” Kaplan said. “Because I think this is an opportunity for people to come together and share their stories. It was particularly moving when someone said, ‘Oh, this is my grandfather’s brother.’ All of the ways in which stories came together today, I thought was really powerful.”
IWitness has an exhibition at the University continuing until the end of May and other exhibitions at universities nationwide.
Oshagan and Parian are also participating in a group show at William Paterson University. They recently exhibited at Stockton University and California State University, Northridge.
Kaplan says that the exhibition has been in the works for a while as a two-part exhibit made possible by many consultations with Oshagan and Parian. It has an additional resource guide offering people space to reflect on the genocide.
This isn’t the only event that Kaplan hosted to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. She has hosted other events to raise awareness for years.
“One year, we had a woman who’s a performer talk about her experience, both as a musician and as the granddaughter of an Armenian who went to Jerusalem in 1919, who started this Armenian pottery initiative about the story of her grandfather,” Kaplan said. “Another year, we had a conference with people from all over who are working on Indian history of the Armenian genocide. So every year we do something different to engage in different aspects of this.”
Kaplan encourages anyone interested in the initiative in Holocaust, genocide, and memory studies — which hosts events to raise awareness of genocides — to reach out or join their email list.
“If people want to learn about more about the happenings of initiative in Holocaust, genocide, (and) memory studies or be added to the email list, they can reach out,” Kaplan said.
