As one of the prime markets for taxi service in Southern California, Santa Monica has long been the home for local Armenian businesses and drivers trying to make a living. But that might soon change.

In June, as part of an ordinance to overhaul the taxi system in Santa Monica, the City Hall staff recommended  only 5 taxicab companies be allowed to operate in the city. Out of these five companies, none are Armenian owned or operated and only two are locally-based in the city. This, despite the fact that 6 locally-run and experienced Armenian companies put up valid bids for a franchise.

When the local taxi drivers got word of the recommendation, they were shocked and outraged. They staged a protest in front of the City Council the same day that the recommendation was to be voted on (see footage below). Due to the outcry, the City Council members decided to postpone their decision until September.

As it stands, the 7 members on the Council will be the final judge of the fate for the over 250 Armenian taxi drivers and their families who work in Santa Monica. The Armenian companies and drivers have continued to voice their opposition to the recommendation and demand a fairer, more inclusive awarding of the franchises.

It is up to our community to stand behind them in their fight.

On his recent visit to France, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili gave a talk at the Paris Institute of Political Science, where he sought to paint a picture of his regime being a bastion of democracy in the Caucuses.

There was just one hitch in his plan: members of the AYF in France (ARF Nor Seround) were in the audience to challenge him on his government’s ongoing violations of the cultural and human rights of Armenians living in Javakhk.

The Nor Seround members asked him when his government was going to stop its policies of discrimination and repression against Armenians, and heed the calls of the UN Human Rights Committee and Council of Europe to promote the participation of national minorities in the political and cultural life of Georgia.

Regrettably, Saakashvili’s response was one of arrogance and ignorance, claiming that Armenians in Javakhk were satisfied with their conditions and that everything was fine. Such a detachment from reality and denial of the facts has been a sad hallmark of Georgian state policy.

This head-in-the-sand approach is ill-advised and can only lead to greater discontent and tension. It is high time for Saakashvili to live up to his rhetoric of democracy, end the repression against activists in Javakhk and ensure equal representation and cultural rights for the Armenian population.

In April, the AYF teamed with local band VIZA to put on an April 24 social justice concert to raise awareness of the Armenia Genocide. The event was a great success thanks to our members and community supporters and raised unprecedented amounts of money for two Armenian orphanages. You can read about the April 24 concert here…

The band, a mix of musicians and activists, has been very active in the Armenian-American community, working with grassroots organizations like the AYF and ANC to help educate, motivate and active the youth on human rights, genocide prevention and social justice.

VIZA is now gearing up for a big show on Saturday, June 19 and they need community support. The concert will take place at the Key Club, located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and the show begins at 8:00pm.

This time the rock band will team up the Armenian National Committee-Professional Network (ANC-PN) to educate and activate concert-goers about current efforts to end U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. You can read more about the Key Club concert here…

Long time activist and former Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee-Western Region, Andrew Kzirian plays the oud (traditional Armenian instrument) for VIZA and has been instrumental in bringing civic engagement into the band’s mission. For him, there is “no better way to work with the community than to blend music and awareness through music.” You can buy ticket’s here…

A historic hot spot, the Key Club has seen the likes of Bon Jovi, The Doors, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Tom Petty, Motley Crue, Guns ‘N Roses, ‘N Sync, Incubus, Kanye West, Prince, The Roots, Def Leppard, and other legends come through its doors.

By reaching out to concert-goers at the VIZA show this Saturday night, the ANC-PN hopes to bring political awareness and community involvement to the Sunset Strip. “The strong response we expect to see at the show will exemplify that Armenian Genocide recognition is something that all Americans care about and is not just an Armenian issue.” says ANC-PN Board Member Vicken Chitilian, who will be working the ANC booth inside the Key Club entrance.

The show is the band’s first since coming back from their East Coast tour in New York City and Philadelphia and will be sure to be a packed house.

On their East Coast tour, VIZA joined with the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern Region, Armenian Youth Federation, and Cyprus Action Network to educate and activate concert-goers about current efforts to end U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and end Turkey’s illegal occupation of Cyprus. Read about the East Coast tour here…

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

On June 6, the ARF concluded its 15th Supreme Assembly in Armenia. The assembly and the newly-elected governing body of the party have made no qualms about the need for fundamental change in the government and society of Armenia.

It is clear that the ARF is increasingly emphasizing internal socio-economic issues and pointing to the need for a bottom-up movement in the country.

In a recent interview with Lragir.am, ARF Supreme Council member and National Assembly Parliamentarian Ara Nranyan stated:

“People need to understand that they must struggle for their rights. If everybody sits alone in their houses, no political force–not even the ARF–can solely secure for them higher wages, higher pensions, and so on. In other words, it is necessary for citizens to struggle collectively around socio-economic issues. In the forthcoming period, we are putting our emphasis on raising the level of activism among the public.”

When asked why the ARF, unlike the non-parliamentary opposition of Levon Ter-Petrosian, is not calling for the resignation of Serj Sargsyan,  Nranyan responded by explaining:

“Those who think that the President will simply resign due to the announcement of one or two political forces can by no means be serious. The ARF, as a serious political party, is not interested in carrying out empty steps that will not have any effect. That same resignation and regime change you refer to needs to be prepared through actual work. We do not want to come out with some statement that we are not in a position to immediately put into reality, but that also does not mean that we will not go in that direction. Our emphasis is on changing the public atmosphere. If the public realizes that this government is incapable of solving the challenges facing the nation, than the large majority of citizens would not accept bribes for their votes. If the public sees that there is a genuine alternative, then by refusing a bribe of 5000 dram for his vote they will help ensure real change and secure a brighter future for themselves and their children. The truth is, the grassroots organizing of the public in this manner has not yet been completely carried out, neither by us nor the non-parliamentary opposition.”

On the final question of whether or not the ARF would try to bring people out into the streets, Nranyan states:

“Right now, we will be actively working on organizing the public and working with representatives from different segments and spheres. We will be working not only in the capital but also in the marzes. As for your question, we do not rule out that possibility.”

Expressing yourself is probably one of the most important things you can do in your life. Photography is magic. Since it started about 200 years ago it still hasn’t left us. Mediums like film and music owe a lot of their method to photography. For me personally, I love capturing moments, things that move, things that need to stand still to be more appreciated. To me photography is all about the details.

The creation of details that aren’t appreciated to their maximum potential at their very moment of existence. Things that need to live on passed their moment of occurrence. Things in need of being shared, remembered, or cherished. Photo is also about feeling; love, hate, passion, beauty, ignorance.

A picture is captured, but so much is remembered, and photography is the only art form that can gather so much detail from a single moment of what’s really there, the truth, and re-present it in such a reflective and clearly understood and digested form.

I started working with photography from the age of 17. I got into because of my passion for filmmaking, but the magic of it just stuck with me. I left it aside for a while, then in 2009, while I was a student at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, I picked it up again. Black and white photography is true magic in my opinion, because it never ceases to amaze me. Digital is fun, and you can do a lot with it, it really let’s you be as creative as possible, whereas with film you end trying to make the image come out before you think of experimentation.

The black and white photos you see below are from my time at Art Center. Two of them are from a series called Armerica: a documentary of Armenian-American immigrant businesses.

Sarco

Sarkis Iknadossian immigrated to the United States from Aleppo, Syria with his wife in the late 1970’s. After opening a small convenient store in Montebello, California Sarkis was quickly shut down because of the opening of a 7/11 market across the street.

Sarco

After re-establishing his family closer to the Armenian Community, in Glendale, Sarkis decided to open a household supply store in what is known today as Little Armenia, in Hollywood.

In addition to selling common household appliances, Sarkis also repairs kitchen and household electronics, such as vacuums, electric stoves, and toasters. Sarkis says that in recent years their business has once again fallen victim to competition coming from bigger stores and companies. Already past the age of retirement, Sarkis and his Wife continue to work despite their lack of energy to compete.

‘Round The Clock Cleaners

‘Round The Clock Cleaners has been owned and operated by the Kasparian family for over 20 years. The Kasparian’s immigrated the United States in the early 1980‘s, during the Lebanese Civil War. Their business became the very resource for their establishment in the United States. The location you see is currently managed by the Kasparian son, Johnny Kasparian. The family has also opened a few other locations that cater to various parts of the Pasadena and greater Los Angeles area.

Round the Clock

The Accordion Man was taken at the 3rd street promenade on a sunday evening. Summer of 2009.

The Accordian Man

In December of 2009 I ventured on to Armenia with the Birthright Armenia program. I spent most of my time there volunteering at Bars Media Documentary Film Studio and Manana Youth Center. Bars Media has been responsible for documentary films ranging in topics ranging from the Karapagh war, Tightrope Dancers in Armenia, and Donkeys in Lamu, Kenya. Their latest project The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia is what I worked on for the most part, translating dialogue for subtitles in English and promoting the film in the festival circuit.

Manana Youth Center is an after school center for kids in Yerevan that offers classes in Photography, Filmmaking, and Animation. I had a lot of fun working with them as a teachers assistant and helping out with whatever random tasks they needed.

Armenia was a great experience. I learned a lot from being around a completely different atmosphere for those 4 months. I took a lot of photos on my trip, but these two stuck out the most for me. One is probably very recognizable, the Mabib Babig statue in The Free Republic of Artsakh (Nogorno Kharapagh).

Mamig and Babig

The other is an old soviet car I would pass by on my way to the bus stop on a daily basis. I call that one A Daily Sight.

A Daily Sight.

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Editor’s Note: High resolution print copies of the photos in this blog can be purchased from this author for $45. Mammig and Babig and a Daily Sight are available for $55 . For more information, visit Avo’s website at avojohn.com or email/call him at: avojohn@me.com/818-251-6008. For more information about Birthright Armenia check out birthrightarmenia.org

Mike Yepremyan and his parents (above) are the latest in a growing list of victims afflicted by inter-communal violence among Armenians. Mike’s murder occurred against the backdrop of a festering criminal culture fostered by Armenian television shows (like “Immigrants”) glorifying a mafioso life of crime, drugs, and murder.

I should like to see any power of the world destroy our race.
Before we do it ourselves…

This small tribe of insignificant people,
Who fought wars to keep their identity,
Who died for inches of land,
Who starved to give their children a chance,
dying on hot sand…
That small tribe of unimportant people,
with more enemies than friends,
With more misery than hope…
Has begun destroying itself.
And we’re nearing the end of our rope.

Violence fills the world,
from wars in the fields to wars in our homes.
Hate fills your heart like gasoline in a bomb,
Waiting for a spark and when that time comes,
The only time you rest is a fist to the face,
Or blasting a hole in their chest.

Martin Luther King once said that a man who won’t die,
for something is not fit to live.
But what about a man who’s willing to kill for nothing.
That man I cannot forgive.
A man who’s never felt, never heard of a thing called brotherhood.
Never understood the meaning of fighting for good.

Go ahead prove your manhood.
Destroy what you think is your enemy.
See if you can do it.
If they come at you with words, respond with fists,
If they come at with you with a bat, you better bring a gun,
And if they shoot well that’s just no fun,
Because dying without revenge means that they’ve won.

What’s with the evil that plagues the male ego,
That makes us puppets of lust and weak people.
Is it a cultural phenomenon?
Touch my badeev and then it’s on,
Or is it society that says life’s so cheap,
That you’re willing to put a complete stranger to sleep.

And all for what…
Because you think that your ego is worth more than a life.
Because you whore the word honor like it’s a badge or a knife.

I know that it takes much more than fists to make a man,
And all it takes are words to make you raging mad.
That anger isn’t because god made you a warrior man,
It’s because you’re confused over how to deal,
Incapable of making a plan.

Think about this while you’re worried about a diss,
There’s a kid in our homeland worried about the hiss,
Of a sniper rifle’s bullet finding its mark in his heart,
On the front lines of a battle field strewn with land mines.
No BMs or Hummers, but with real honor,
Ready to die to protect the land of all his fore-mothers.

You want to fight,
Well there’s a war against our people,
When they take the cross off of a steeple,
Or rewrite the lives of our people,
Are you ready to die to fight the lies,
As they try and trample our people?

The price of life is equal amongst all Armenian people,
Think before you act,
Tell your friends and any other people.

People will read Mike’s story and think absos,
But they will learn to live and laugh again,
And to sing again and I pray,
That when two of us meet anywhere in the world,
We won’t unfurl hatred and anger and kill because of words…

I should like to see any power of this world,
destroy our race…

Before we do it ourselves.

Haytoug: Describe yourself in 5 words.

Antranig Kzirian: Committed. Creative. Adaptive. Persistent. Stubborn.

H: Where did you get the inspiration to pursue your field?

A.K.: The Armenian oud tradition of the Eastern United States strongly motivated me to explore and study the oud and the role Armenians played historically in mastering it.  Growing up I also incorporated various influences into my understanding of music and performing on the instrument.  I believe that traditions must be kept alive but also developed and grown so that they remain a living, breathing part of our perception of art and life.

H: Please describe your proudest achievements.

A.K.: Working with great musicians in various genres and learning as much as I can while striving to be a flexible musician.  Working with Viza, Aravod, History, Ara Dinkjian, Serj Tankian, Gor, Sonya Varoujan, and several musicians from all over.

H: Do you think identity is something that must be preserved or something that can evolve?

A.K.: Both – we must preserve but also help it evolve and survive in its surroundings.  Adding our own experiences and seasoning helps to keep identity fresh and current while still maintaining core values that we hold dear as Armenians and people of good conscience.

H: What are your thoughts about Armenian culture today in the Diaspora? In Armenia? Where is it headed? What do you see your role as?

A.K.: I see Armenian culture as dynamic – especially given the richness and complexity of the Diaspora.  I believe it’s headed in a positive direction generally, but we must work hard to make sure not to disqualify or marginalize certain components of our diverse art and music history. I see my role as trying to preserve one piece of the puzzle as best I can.

H: What does the future hold for you?

A.K.: More writing, performing, recording and collaboration. Raising awareness of the Armenian oud tradition.

Haytoug: Describe yourself in 5 words

Ara Soudjian: Mexican/Armenian filmmaker living in Los Angeles. (let’s count Los Angeles as one word.)

H: Where did you get the inspiration to pursue your field?

A.S.: My inspiration came from my Mother, who was an actress, and Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.

H: Please describe your proudest achievements.

A.S.: First, winning two 2008 MVPA (Music Video Production Association) awards for best music video under 25k (Serj Tankian’s Money) and best Hip-Hop video (Wiz Khalifa’s Say Yeah). Second, producing content for the ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America). Third meeting my wife at an AYF Kebab night in Orange County! (Most important!)

H: Do you think identity is something that must be preserved or something that can evolve?

A.S.: The customs, language, history must be preserved but I also believe that a person’s identity can evolve over time.  We are human after all….

H: What are your thoughts about Armenian culture today in the Diaspora?

A.S.: The Armenian culture today in the Diaspora has evolved from 10 years ago. I feel that our culture is strong. I don’t think it’s as strong “culturally” as it was in the past, but I do believe we are stronger on the activism front. I believe we have assimilated, which is only natural. Some people may say that a lot of young Armenians can’t read or write the language. The white genocide is upon us, etc. Is that bad? Some would say so…but there are those who don’t speak the language but are still active in the community.

I would prefer having young “active” Armenians who care about our community and country any day over those who speak the language and do nothing positive.

H: What does the future hold for you?

A.S.: A successful filmmaking career along with a successful marriage and some future AYF-ers.

Haytoug: Describe yourself in 5 words.

Eric Nazarian: I am a human being.

H: Where did you get the inspiration to pursue your field?

E.N.: My father Haik inspired me to become a filmmaker and screenwriter.

H: Please describe your proudest achievements.

E.N.: Being awarded the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for my screenplay “Giants” and making my first feature film, “The Blue Hour.”

H: Do you think identity is something that must be preserved or something that can evolve?

E.N.: I believe in the evolution of our identities.  Identity evolves with age and experience.  I’d like to believe that I can evolve as a human being and preserve and advance my spiritual, cultural and artistic identity.

H: What are your thoughts about Armenian culture today in the Diaspora? In Armenia? Where is it headed? What do you see your role as?

E.N.: I can only comment as an Angeleno.  In Los Angeles, Armenian culture is alive and well.  So many events, screenings, concerts, lectures, etc.  Armenians as well as non-Armenians have several cultural activities to choose from.  In Armenia, the culture and history lives and breathes in the faces and stories of the Armenian people, the ancient monuments and churches, and the cinematic heritage now slowly being resurrected.  The Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Armenia is doing a phenomenal job with their annual film festival.  They attract so many countries and filmmakers to participate.  I see my role as a bridge builder through cinema, making films that can hopefully be interesting to international audiences.

H: What does the future hold for you?

E.N.: I don’t think anybody can answer that question truthfully since we don’t know what will happen ten seconds from now. I’d like to think the future holds great movies, amazing sunsets, lots of “kef” music, phenomenal food and wonderful friends dancing “shoorjbar”.  Cheers to the future!

95 years of questioning the reality of planned, brutal mass executions, the ethnic cleansing of a people from their place is far too long. Up against a looming deadline, a threat of losing their history and identity, a new generation of Armenians is waking up to an economic collapse, disappearing Diasporas, and questionable leadership. The time has come for modern-day Fedayees to take action, to use modern technologies and create global media messages about their legacy, history, and their future. This is our prophecy.

By Paul Chaderjian and Allen Yekikan

At twenty-four minutes past four o’clock on the afternoon of April 24, a war for cultural survival wages on the streets of this metropolis. In the fight of their lifetime are young Armenians on the sidewalks of Wilshire, changing the rules, questioning Baby Boomer values, inventing a new movement, and sending a message to the world that justice will be served and their ancient culture will survive and thrive.

On the front lines of this epic war are the Digital Natives, Generation Z, armed with nothing more than their cell phones, cameras, and their laptop computers. This war is a battle for cultural revival, a battle to re-energize the Armenian spirit in the far corners of the Diaspora and in suffocated and abused community like Javakhk. This fight is for the universal acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide and global recognition of the independent Republic of Karabagh. This battle for national survival is not only being waged on these streets of La La Land but in the abstract place called the Internet.

Why is this generation – born into the most pampered of lives – out on the sidewalks instead of sipping beers at a beach-side cantina off the Pacific, on rides in Disneyland, or in the great malls of commerce, shopping, eating, or enjoying a Saturday afternoon matinee?

Where is this sense of injustice and this passion for change coming from? How is their passion being fueled? Why does the world outside their suburban lives matter more now than ever before? And why does a 95-year-old crime against their ancestors warrant the display of such passion – nearly a century later and a world away – on the streets of California?

A Generation in Question

Perhaps these question’s are because the progeny of the Genocide has awakened to an uncertain, apocalyptic future. A new generation of young men and women are coming of age to the threat that their lifestyles may be a memory of the good old days.

Young people are opening their eyes to headlines that those in their 20s and 30s are facing 50% unemployment. Their jobs have been shipped off to China and India. Their universities are broke and have no room for new students. Their forests are cut down and natural resources fast depleting.Their bankrupt government is waging unnecessary wars overseas, throwing billions of dollars in smart bombs on foreign lands, and their corrupt leaders throwing billions of bonuses to those sociopath capitalists who bankrupted a bogus financial industry.

Perhaps their stark realities are now coming into focus because they wake up to accusations that their very existence as Armenians is based on a lie. This rabid movement is being ignited because they turn on CNN to hear the Turkish Prime Minister say that there had been no such thing as Genocide and that Armenians had been the criminals that victimized the Turks.

Baby Boomers’ democratic leaders have not only failed at setting the record straight on the Genocide, but they have also failed at guaranteeing that our way of life can be sustainable for the next generation and for generations to come.

Youth today are threatened with the possibility of never owning their own homes, not affording to go on vacations to their ancestral Homeland, and no longer being able to afford to provide an Armenian education to their children or keeping the doors of their ancient churches open that is fueling the crisis.

How does their government and their President get away with destroying their future and making empty promises like ‘change.’ Hadn’t Mr. Obama promised Genocide recognition? Wasn’t he now turning his back on his promises and bowing down to the lying Ottoman politicians of the 21st century?

21st Century Re-awakening

The activists in the 6300 block of Wilshire are following a noble path, a path taversed by their forefathers. One which they were destined to retrace.

When they realized the older generations, in their affluent self-assurance, wasn’t going to listen to their ideas about cultural preservation and nationhood, this generation looked back to their people’s history. They found inspiration in stories about fools and revolutionaries who dared to question authority. They found hope in the actions of those in the late 19th century who ventured into the villages and founded schools, and who brought the European enlightenment to the Armenian countryside.

From Madras/Chanai to Venice/San Lazzaro, in the seminaries, merchant communities, and universities of the Armenian Diaspora, Armenians of the day began to look toward their Homeland with despair. They sought solutions to the nation’s problems. Having grown tired of being told what they couldn’t do by their parents, these individuals began to imagine a better future. They envisioned it and then worked to create it.

What began as a spark became a movement of awakening, a Zartonk, and it spread like a modern-day viral video across the Armenian world. The medium of that era was not the Internet but the printing press. Newspapers, pamphlets, and books created a Diaspora-wide dialogue about cultural, linguistic and social demands. The printing press created a consciousness and awareness that resulted in change.

In the 1700s when Armenians were living under foreign rule, Armenians in the Diaspora experienced the Age of Enlightenment and closely followed the French and American independence movements and the births of democracies.

As the framers of the US constitution were dreaming up their new nation, free from British rule, Armenians like Shahamir Shahamirian were thinking up a bill of rights for Armenians and a means for liberation from Turkish oppression. Their weapon was a printing press, which spread new ideas to the masses.

Through the printed word, ancient tales of heroic exploits and battles were brought to life, dialogue about democratic governance and social justice were popularized, and Armenian students studying in the universities of Europe were given a struggle in which to believe.

Armenians in the Age of Enlightenment gave birth to young enlightened thinkers, selfless teachers, and the fearless Fedayees.

The iPeople

One of the historic acts of the enlightened Armenians was the development a modern language that could be understood by the masses. This Askharabahr became the language of their revolution. It defied the Church and authority to become the medium through which dreams and means for emancipation and liberation were conveyed.

Today, 21st century Fedayees also have a new way to speak the language of the new masses. Their Ashkharabahr–the language of their world–is the Internet and social media. This new media in the age of hyper-connectivity is the foundation of this reawakening. That any two or ten million Armenians anywhere can come together at anytime through the unfathomable global access of the Internet is what makes the iZaronk a reality.

Armed with their laptops, cell and smart phones, this new breed of freedom fighter is waging a struggle for freedom from their people’s established norms, norms which are staid and are slowly suffocating if not killing a new generation of young Armenians.

Clear, concise messages, video images in abundance, passionate Armenians speaking up, jumping in front of their cameras, getting behind their iPhones, punching their keyboards with words small and big — these are what can and will turn around a people in a deep sleep in the early years of the 21st Century. The time has come, and the alarm is sounding; the war of yesterday is now the war in Cyberspace. The weapon is new media.

Armen loads his video camera with a fresh tape. His batteries are charged. His tripod is set-up. He has his MacBook, and he’s on the front lines of the Armenian Cause in the 21st Century. He knows that supremacy in the information age is getting his messages heard, using the information superhighways prolifically, and producing sexy, viral messages that are watched by millions of people, scoring thousands of hits on the net.

Varant is clicking photos of police officers guarding the Consulate doors. He’s uploading them with captions via his BlackBerry to thousands who are checking his real-time Facebook updates.

These youth are on the front lines of the Internet, where video, audio, and viral messaging can help Armenians reach the tipping point into nationhood, where democracy and social justice prevail; ensure cultural survival; secure the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide; achieve autonomy and self-rule in Javakhk, and protect the inalienable right of self-determination of the people of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

Alina clicks away all day, texting friends, posting messages, videotaping images. She is not wasting her time communicating about which movie she saw or who is dating whom. Instead, she is living and breathing the Armenian Cause, by making the issues on the table more intriguing than what and who is walking on the red carpet or getting drunk in Vegas.

Like Armen, Varant and Alina, thousands of Armenian youth today have greater power than any government, than any conglomerate, than any old-world call-to-arms. Their war of a lifetime is waged through thoughts, through outspokenness, and through clicks on their communications technologies.

The time has come for a 21st century Zartonk, a national revival using the new weapons of modern civilization –the communications tools that every citizen of the world either has access to or knows someone with access. These tools, cameras, keyboards, editing software, iPad and iPods, FlipCams and iPhones, are all what can create the iZartonk.

iMedia

From the dance halls of the Ani barakhoomp, to the Armenian language classes at Mesrobian, from the film sets of the aspiring filmmakers, to the performances of young playwrights, iZartonk is Armenians breaking free of their pedagogical restrains, free of the capitalist poison of accruing more wealth, free of the game of politics.

Along the way, young Armenians are using their Internet connections and their keyboards to not only report about what their generation is doing toward their community’s collective goal of cultural preservation, but they are also using all these platforms of media and communication to ask the questions that needs to be asked. They are asking each other, expressing their opinions, spreading unique stories about the Armenian-American experience and challenging each other for new dreams, new ideas, and calls to action.

What should we believe in? What should we stand for? What should be our plans? How do we protect our community and our rights? These are the messages that are floating back-and-forth on the Information Superhighway. Instead of banal messages on Facebook about what people are having for dessert, how about asking what is a good insurance carrier or where there are new job openings? Instead of feeding the livestock on Farmville or repeating a joke from a morally bankrupt cartoon on cable, why not promote a group fighting to stop capitalist endeavors destroying the Earth?

iFedayees

The iFedayees want a say in what their community stands for, what the collective should focus on, not merely accept the ways of their parents’ world. They want to decide whether this community needs multi-million dollar cathedrals, lavish banquet halls, and obscene weddings and parties – all which are depleting resources that could otherwise go towards timeless endeavors.

iFedayees must roll up their sleeves and know more than just their people’s history. They must also learn about the climate of the world, the Chinese economy, the worlds of the Islam and the South Americas, and how all these factors shape their modern Armenian-American experience.

iFedayees must learn, they must take a stand, and they must be involved in every aspect of their lives and hence their future. This is what revolutionaries do; and this is what young Armenians must do to ensure the survival of their six-thousand year-old-culture and nation – be it in the Homeland or in its vast and ever-relocating Diaspora.

iDo and iWill

In today’s Armenian media, instead of stories about the legendary heroes of the people who took up arms to protect their fellow Armenians, there are stories of the mafiosos stealing from the government, the masses, and each other. Instead of notions of equal rights and freedoms, instead of stories of revolutionaries in the turn-of-the-century Anatolia who inspired a nation and defied the odds to found an independent republic amid the ashes of Genocide, community broadcasters are promoting Armenian criminals as the heroes of the day.

Instead of preaching and promoting service to community and to others, Armenian media is selling laser hair removal, lap bands, and glamorizing those who take from the innocent, those who kill for financial gain, and those who have no morality and humanity. These are not the role models today’s young people are seeking., and these broadcasters needed to know that the viewer always has the last word.

The solution is for every Armenian to become a media practitioner, participate in creating and using alternative media and ignore the obnoxious mainstream media outlets. Ignore the info-tainment on your cells, computers, and television channels and hear what alternative media sources are saying. What do Link TV reports say about the European headlines? What are the Arabic channels reporting about the Middle East? What are blogs saying about the Homeland? And what is the individual Armenian saying?

After you learn and listen, become a media content creator by picking up your audio recorder, your notepad, your video camera, and record your voice, broadcast it to your friends. Even if you don’t have the answers, ask the questions, put your concerns on paper or on videotape and send them off into Cyberspace.

Every single Armenian should take it upon him or herself to write a few paragraphs or videotape 30 to 60 second news reports to let others in our community know what everyone else is doing as members of the “Armenians.”

We saw a glimpse of how powerful and active our community became when hundreds of thousands of you followed the Asbarez and Horizon TV during the committee vote on the Genocide Resolution, the Protocol protests, the hunger strike, and the Armenian President’s visit around the Diaspora. Thousands watched ANC YouTube videos; Asbarez and Horizon pages had thousands of hits; and AYF members reported the news by videotaping interviews from the front lines and posting it for Armenians and non-Armenians around the world to watch.

The momentum that we glimpsed and that we collectively created around the Stop the Protocols campaign was unprecedented. Our story and our collective engagement with the creation of media was viral. Not only did we engage the story, but we engaged our peers and made them active. On top of that success, our viral messages reached mainstream media, the LA Times, and all the television networks. Our Tweets and iPhone videos reached the “Tipping Point” and put our people at the forefront, at least for two weeks, during the Information Age.

But why stop now? Why not continue this grassroots Armenian revolution of the 21st century and continue and build upon the creation of media messages as we did during the Protocols Campaign. And why stop at Facebook and Twitter? Why not report about all of our individual and community successes to our own media network. And why stop with our media? Why not write letters to editors, engage your lawmakers, create YouTube videos, submit stories to Current TV, Reddit, CNN iReports, and other media outlets?

This reawakening, this iZartonk, is based on your participation, you sharing your small and big steps, ideas, concerns, and news items in this whirlpool of information. The revolution, the change, can continue if you and your friends, colleagues, the Armenian community-at-large, and the world knows what we are all talking about.

Share your news, share what’s new and different, promote your successes, highlight and advertise whatever makes you proud by writing, videotaping, blogging, Tweet-ing and Facebook-ing. If you have a keyboard, you’re a journalist. If you have a video camera, you’re a reporter.

Take creating media one step further and find the candidates who are concerned about your concerns and vote them into office. If those candidates aren’t there, then you run for office, be it for your university board of regents, your town parish, church council, city council, or state or federal offices. A democracy serves the masses only when the masses serve the democracy, when they vote, when they express their concerns, and when they go door-to-door talking to people.

Why should your government, your democracy, your representatives on Capitol Hill NOT vote for Genocide recognition. That question should be enough to make you ponder whether they really care about justice and have your best interest in their hearts. Or are they merely banking on empty promises so that they can sustain their cushy jobs and their affluent lifestyles and donors?

If your representatives in government aren’t providing what you need them to provide, if they aren’t worried about your future, your career, your education, if they are able to convince you that your government needs to wage war overseas instead of fixing roads, developing new industries and renewable energy sources, then their tenure as public servants is over.

Now it’s your turn. Participate in the reawakening of the Armenian spirit, create media, voice your concerns, vote, and talk to people.

Remember, in the Information Age, we are on an equal playing field with anything that mainstream news organizations are producing. Your thoughts, your concerns, your opinions are as valid as those of the pundits who are using the mainstream channels that are in the business of making money by gathering the most eyeballs at any given time.

Don’t patronize mass media to appease their shareholders with bigger profits. Instead, create your own media and change the game. Whether you attended a protest rally on April 24, attended a book signing, wrote a play, or heard a new artist, everything is relevant to your community.

So speak up, speak loud and participate in the reawakening of the Armenian Soul through iZartonk.

By Shant Hagopian

As another April comes and goes, and we mourn the loss of our ancestors almost a century ago, we again look toward recognition. States, counties, cities and municipalities will pass resolutions in their legislative bodies acknowledging truth, paying homage to social justice and international human rights. Rallies will assemble, protests will emerge and we will unite with our brothers and sisters around the world demanding that the Republic of Turkey accept guilt for its atrocities beginning in 1915. Such has been the case for decades and we have made inroads in our battle for justice. With that said, there are still many milestones toward recognition which the Armenian community is still looking to accomplish.

Those working toward these efforts can be found among those few remaining survivors the latest generation of Armenians. As diverse and multi cultural the Armenian race is, spread across every continent of this earth, we are united by a common struggle for justice. From our highly successful professionals to our passionate youth, our ever-expending community is utilizing every tool at its disposal to ensure the tragedies of our ancestors are not forgotten and efforts to rewrite history prove unsuccessful.  Almost a century after the near extermination of our race, our voices have become louder and every passing generation sees our Cause embolden.

Each passing year, the Armenian Genocide becomes more widely known and accepted. On every front, the Armenian Diaspora is educating the public through all means possible across the globe.  Just this year, another handful of countries added its name to the laundry list of those who formally recognize the genocide. With that said, the heyday of Armenian Genocide recognition remains in the future. As much progress has been made, the passage of the resolution in the United States Congress still awaits a full vote.

Behind the scenes, opposition has been mounting to the proper characterization of the Armenian Genocide. This opposition started with a few powerful lobbyists and has transformed into a campaign encompassing international diplomacy, academia and the media.  This, along with shifts in geopolitics and a war on terror, has allowed the Republic of Turkey to take advantage of opportunities in its efforts to rewrite history. Their fight, like ours, does not end in Washington. The effort to ensure an accurate historical record stretches far beyond the halls of the nation’s capitol and requires attention of our entire community.

As we inch closer to 100 years after the start of the Armenian Genocide, we must not only remember to stay united but also to remain activated.  When this April comes and goes, lets not put our efforts on hold for a year. In order to pass a resolution in Congress, we must channel the passion felt on April 24 into action throughout the year.

Our community is strong but only with participation of our already united nation can we fulfill all of our efforts toward recognition.