Armen Karo Student Assoctiation

TORONTO – From May 14 to 15, 2011, Armen Karo Student Association hosted its third annual Armenian-Canadian Student Convention at the University of Toronto’s Victoria College. With 74 students from across Canada in attendance, this was by far our most successful national student convention to date.

We first began thinking about the need for an Armenian student conference in 2008. It was our feeling that in this age of increasing globalisation and digitisation, our communities were in need of a central forum where young members of the Armenian-Canadian mosaic could meet to discuss their views, share their experiences, and bring about concrete plans for furthering their goals. With these thoughts in mind, nine Armenian Students’ Associations (ASAs) from universities in Ontario and Quebec were invited to the first Convention in March 2009, held over the course of one day in Kingston, Ontario. With 40 university students in attendance, the event was deemed successful and important enough to organise a repeat performance in May 2010. This second convention was again held in Kingston and attended by 40 youth.

These two preliminary successes laid the foundations necessary for the major expansion which participants were witness to in May 2011. Placing special emphasis on reaching out to universities where recognised ASAs do not exist and to university students not involved in our communities, we were successful in attracting young Armenians from Vancouver, Cambridge, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Laval, in all representing a total of 19 colleges and universities. Accommodations were provided for those travelling from out of town at the Holiday Inn Bloor-Yorkville.

In an effort to reflect the varied and multidisciplinary natures of our studies, recognised speakers were invited to speak on a wide range of topics. In being the first to present, Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America, laid down an important framework for the convention. He highlighted the need for continued youth activism and political involvement, making note of the historically significant place individuals in their 20s and early 30s have had in our nation’s history.

Dr. Alan Whitehorn, professor of political science at the Royal Military College of Canada since 1978, followed with a comparative analysis of political participation and elections in Canada and Armenia. Participants explored a wide range of questions, including the legitimacy of various forms of political participation (e.g. votes, running for office, protests and boycott campaigns), the importance of national unity, the right to self-rule, and whether support for a political party should be based primarily on how much they recognise the Armenian Genocide.

Musician, composer and producer Ara Gevorgyan facilitated a transition into a hitherto unexplored topic with his presentation on the role of art and culture in the Armenian Cause. As an internationally acclaimed artist renowned for his modern takes on traditional Armenian sounds and melodies, he has been able to use his music to draw attention to human rights issues such as the Armenian Genocide.

As a founding member of the Women’s Coalition of Armenia and Director of the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation, Maria Titizian was in a key position to speak to participants about the social, economic and environmental realities in Armenia. She presented her report directly from Armenia via webcam, inspiring an engaging and interactive discussion on topics such as corruption and immigration policy.

Roupen Kouyoumdjian’s experiences as Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada and as a native of Istanbul enabled him to give participants an insider’s view on Turkey. He provided insights into the political framework that directs the decision making of Armenia’s powerful neighbour to the west.

The convention placed special emphasis on the work of university student associations. Each ASA had been asked to prepare a presentation on their organisation’s work over the past year which gave those present an opportunity to share in one another’s concerns and successes, and propose solutions to the challenges we face. Through the strategy development workshop which followed, participants identified priorities to focus on for the coming year; these included closer ties with students in Armenia, and remaining unwavering in the call for Turkey to reverse its track record of hindering freedom of expression.

The expansion of the conference to two days also created an opportunity for participants to network and building new relationships. Through our social event at Libra Lounge on Saturday night, attendees were given an opportunity to get better acquainted with their fellow convention participants, hopefully creating meaningful and long-lasting relationships.

With students from universities spanning the distance from Vancouver to Montreal, we are proud to say that this year more than ever, we have come closer to our goal of creating a truly national meeting between students of common heritage with common interests and concerns. We trust that as this tradition continues year to year, we will only expand and strengthen the Canada-wide network of Armenian youth we have created, ensuring that our generation of up-and-coming professionals and academics receives solid training for the leadership positions they will occupy in community organisations and public life.

To view event photos, read speaker bios and more, visit www.armenianstudentconvention.ca and www.armenkaro.org.