Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee – Western USA Names Aroutin Hartounian Executive Director

LOS ANGELES — The Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee – Western USA (AGCC-WUSA), composed of all major Armenian political, religious and civic organizations, unanimously voted to appoint Mr. Aroutin Hartounian to the position of the Committee’s Executive Director.

“We are excited to welcome Aroutin as the Executive Director of the Genocide Centennial Committee. While there are many challenges ahead, having a highly qualified person as Aroutin in such an important position will bolster our ongoing campaign for justice. The Committee can now move forward with full speed to implement its plans for the Centennial,” the three co-chairs of AGCC-WUSA, Mr. Garo Ghazarian, Mr. Harut Sassounian, and Ms. Talin Yacoubian indicated in a jointly issued statement.

“I am honored and privileged to have been appointed to this position. For over a year, the members of the AGCC-WUSA have worked hard to lay the foundation for a successful centennial commemoration. We are committed to bringing justice for this crime against humanity committed by Turkey. We Armenians as a collective owe it to our forefathers who fell victim to the genocidal campaign of Ottoman Turkey. Despite persistent Turkish denials, numerous nations and international organizations have recognized the Armenian Genocide, have properly condemned Turkey and have lent their support to the Armenian people’s just calls for recognition and restitution,” Hartounian stated.

Aroutin Hartounian is an attorney and Chairman of the Unified Young Armenians.

The Centennial Committee is composed of the following organizations:

·Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America

·Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church

·Armenian Catholic Church

·Armenian Evangelical Union of North America

·Armenian Revolutionary Federation

·Armenian Democratic Liberal Party

·Social Democrat Hunchakian Party

·Armenian General Benevolent Union, Western District

·Armenian Relief Society, Western USA

·Armenia Fund, Western Region US

·United Armenian Fund

·Armenian Assembly of America

·Armenian National Committee, Western Region

·Armenian Rights Council

·Armenian Council of America

·USC Institute of Armenian Studies

·Armenian Bar Association

·Unified Young Armenians

The AGCC-WUSA was established on August 9, 2012 to steer and coordinate the multifaceted commemorative activities in the Western United States in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015.

The AGCC-WUSA’s mission, as adopted by its member organizations declares:

The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide signifies a global demand for justice by Armenians worldwide and all people of good will.

The Centennial marks one of the 20th century’s greatest crimes against humanity. In 1915, the Turkish Government began a premeditated and systematic campaign to uproot the Armenian population from its ancestral homeland and slaughter 1.5 million defenseless men, women and children.

Turkey must finally acknowledge its responsibility for the Genocide and make appropriate moral, financial and territorial restitution, as mandated by the fundamental norms of international law and civilized society.

Mr. Garo Ghazarian, Co-Chair

Mr. Harut Sassounian, Co-Chair

Ms. Talin Yacoubian, Co-Chair

Ms. Tomik Alexanian, Treasurer

Ms. Lena Bozoyan, Secretary

Executive Committee

Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee – Western USA

Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee – Western USA Names Aroutin Hartounian Executive Director