Toronto, Canada— His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, has awarded the Zoryan Institute an Encyclical “in recognition of 25 years of service to the Armenian people.” Honouring the Institute on this occasion, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada organized a banquet held on October 7, 2006 in the Great Hall of Hart House at the University of Toronto.

The Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Berge Papazian, graciously opened the celebration by highlighting the uniqueness of Zoryan’s work and the admiration that Armenians worldwide have for the Institute’s achievements. He added that this was manifested by “the participation of all 18 Toronto region Armenian organizations – Churches, cultural groups and political parties, a testament of their genuine support.”

Mr. Ara Boyajian, the Diocese Council Treasurer and one of lead organizers of the evening, explained the rationale for this initiative by saying there is “only one organization with a unique mission, only one organization not duplicating the good work of others, doing behind-the-scenes academic work open to all, in the pursuit of universal human rights.” He commended “Zoryan for its unwavering dedication and its uncompromising stand towards national and global issues, and its relentless efforts to increase awareness on issues of genocide prevention and human rights violations.” His remarks were followed by Mr. Jack Stepanian, Chair of the Diocese Council, who presented an informative overview of Zoryan’s activities, publications and achievements over the past twenty-five years, which drew sustained applause from the audience.

In expressing his appreciation for Zoryan’s universal approach, His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of Canada, said to the audience, “My friends, is it not God’s amazing grace that you, as the descendants of a massacred race, have grown ever strong to the extent that now you are not only discussing your own pain but more importantly, through the Zoryan Institute, are standing up to defend and help prevent similar crimes occurring today to our fellow man, regardless of his race, colour, or religion? This is what we have become as a people.” He then presented the official Encyclical from His Holiness Karekin II, which was received by Zoryan’s Director of Genocide Research, Professor Vakahan Dadrian, and President, Mr. K.M. Greg Sarkissian.

The Chairman of Zoryan’s Academic Board, Professor Roger W. Smith, was unable to attend, but he sent his regards saying that “It has been my great pleasure to be associated with Zoryan for over twenty years… Zoryan has been an inspiration and encouragement for me and many others to pursue research on genocide…. Its focus is on the Armenian Community, but its concern is for the human rights of all.”

Professor Dadrian took the opportunity to state that “as someone who has spent a half-century in the academic world, I think that we desperately need to move from description of events of the tragedy of genocide to analytical studies of the Armenian Genocide. This… is the reason why I am affiliated with the Zoryan Institute… (It) is the only institution that is intent on exploring the Armenian Genocide in a scientific frame of reference. Zoryan needs encouragement, but above all complete tangible support.” He “thinks the Armenian community, in the Diaspora in particular, should come to terms with the acute need of (Armenian Genocide) studies that have gravity and seriousness in order for the Armenian Genocide to achieve its durability as a major event in modern history.”

In acknowledging the honour bestowed by the Diocese, Mr. Sarkissian stressed that “no single person can claim recognition for this honour…it goes to all the many, many people who have helped make the Institute what it is today, including the founders, academic specialists, strategists, financial supporters and hundreds of volunteers worldwide, who believe in the concept of the Zoryan Institute and contribute to it realization.”

One such specialist, Professor Stephen Feinstein, Director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, one of Zoryan’s academic partners, observed that “the result of our relationship with the Zoryan Institute over the last six years has been the training of more than 200 teachers and advanced students in the history and methodologies of genocide and human rights. But it is important to remember that neither private nor public universities will fund these programs on their own. Teaching and research about the Armenian Genocide does not come free. To maintain scholarship and memory, not only funding but endowments are necessary, so the past remains in the present.”

He was followed by Professor Yair Auron, who remarked that “I first met Zoryan at the genocide conference in Yerevan in 1995. There were lectures not only about the Armenian Genocide, but also about other genocides. It was there I realized that there are a people whose genocide, though unfortunately not recognized, have the openness to deal with other genocides. Why couldn’t we do that in Israel? The legacy of the Holocaust and the Genocide, for me, is the sanctity and equity of all human lives, be they Jewish, German, Armenian, Turkish, Tutsi, Roma-Gypsy or Palestinian. It seems to me that in the Zoryan Institute, I have found people who share these views.”

Next to speak was Professor Taner Akçam. He told the receptive audience that “Facing the truth about our history is an essential ingredient for the establishment of human rights and democracy in Turkey, where Genocide recognition is the most critical part of that process…. After 90 years of denial, there is a total lack of knowledge. This denial, which is contrary to the interests of the Turkish people, must be broken. This could happen if Turkish society is empowered with the knowledge it is now so eagerly seeking…Original and authoritative documents about what happened in 1915 must be collected, translated, edited, published and made available to Turkish society…. Zoryan is at the forefront of this field on all levels. That is why my Center at the University of Minnesota and I cooperate with Zoryan.”

Upon concluding dinner, Zoryan’s Executive Director, George Shirinian, commented “that Zoryan’s work is for all of us, scholar and lay person, Armenian and non-Armenian, old and young alike. Its work is often focused on the past, but its goal is our future. Our programs are designed to help develop the next generation of thinkers, and I ask everyone present to join us in investing in our youth to carry the torch of the Smiths, Dadrians, Akçams, Aurons and others for the betterment of our world.”

During the cutting of the birthday cake, one such youth, Zoryan staff member, Torrey Swan, who also turned twenty-five this year, said that “Since I have been at Zoryan, I have been amazed to see the real work that it takes for the academic resources I took for granted as a university student to become available. As a Canadian in the largest city in Canada, the most multicultural city in the world, I truly feel at home in an organization like Zoryan, which is dedicated to the universal preservation of human rights and the prevention of genocide.”