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THE PESA POST

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Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action


April 27, 2023

COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 

Stopping hate against the masses starts with educating the youth

The month of April serves as arguably one of the most memorable yet horrific months for the Armenian community around the world. April is Armenian Heritage Month, and April 24th was proclaimed by President Joe Biden as Armenian Genocide Day. Both call attention to the 1.5 million Armenians who were brutally murdered during the Genocide of 1915. It is a time of personal significance to numerous PESA staffers, along with a substantial student population at Grant High School, who have deep roots within the local and international Armenian community. 

 

On Armenian Genocide Day earlier this week, the students of Grant’s Armenian and Teen Court clubs organized an assembly with approximately 300 audience members, demonstrating Armenia’s rich culture through a series of traditional dances, poems, and songs. This was followed by an educational presentation teaching students about the Armenian Genocide. Nensi Hayotsyan, President of Grant’s Teen Court Club and a member of the Armenian Club, says, “Grant’s annual assembly allows us to raise awareness about the atrocities that took place while giving us an opportunity to educate students and staff about the history of the Genocide. It is imperative that, as a diverse community, we remain informed even on the dark aspects of history, and recognize the perseverance of Armenians who have been able to overcome the failed attempts of ethnic cleansing. As an Armenian whose motherland is actively being threatened, I find that it is my responsibility to educate others about the atrocities in order to ensure it does not happen again to us or any other group of people.”

 

Following the theme of educating students, PESA representatives also organized a field trip for 50 students of Cabrillo High School to take a tour and attend an educational presentation highlighting the events of the Armenian Genocide at Loyola Marymount University. “Having the opportunity to educate non-Armenians and have a discussion with them not only about the Armenian Genocide but about the importance of recognition and acceptance is so important to me and my core values,” says Rosie Avetisyan, a Community Representative and host of the presentation. “It is most rewarding when you know you are part of an organization that values bringing the youth from diverse backgrounds and experiences together in order to educate, empower, and foster student advocacy about populations and events in history that are not frequently talked about, not even in school textbooks.” PESA’s student education programs educate youth about human rights, accepting people’s differences, and the three A’s: what it means to be an ally, advocate, and activist.

 

It is imperative that we, as a society, remember that hate crimes and hate incidents stem from implicit biases and our own thoughts. Although the Armenian Genocide was violence on a mass scale, the bottom line is that these atrocities keep recurring throughout history due to hatred, lack of understanding, and intolerance. As an organization, PESA will continue to support and educate communities to create a generation of youth who are open-minded, prioritizes acceptance, and stands against hatred in any form.    


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