The ANCA Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) in partnership with The Genocide Education Project will host a free Zoom webinar on March 11, 2021 at 7:30pm EST. Although the workshop is geared toward history and social studies teachers, all registered attendees will be provided teaching aids and have the opportunity to ask the presenters questions during the workshop. The program will be broadcast live on the ANCA-ER Facebook page.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan, aided by Turkey, attacked the ethnic Armenian region of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). The Armenians of Artsakh, who had been placed within Azerbaijan’s control during the years of the Soviet Union, had gained de-facto independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Seeking to end that self-rule, Azerbaijan and Turkey launched a fierce, 44-day military drive re-asserting Azerbaijan’s control.

To understand the situation in Artsakh, it is imperative to trace the history of violence and genocide against Armenians to Ottoman times. Although the Armenian Genocide was perpetrated by the Turkish leaders of the Ottoman Empire more than 100 years ago, Turkey and their political-ethnic ally Azerbaijan have continually denied the Armenian Genocide, using countless resources to erase Armenian history from the region and oppose all attempts at recognizing, commemorating and teaching about the genocide internationally. This ongoing policy has impeded cultural survival for Armenians, sharply curtailing the international response and reparations for the extensive and ongoing damage.

Sara Cohan, Education Director for The Genocide Education Project, will lead the webinar presenting teaching strategies and highlighting connections between historical events and the current-day conflict, while building awareness of the human impact over time. Presenters will also discuss the geopolitical consequences and how the decisions made by world powers both in the early 20th century and during the most current war can have a ripple effect throughout Europe. ANCA-ER Board Chair Ani Tchaghlasian, a third-generation genocide survivor, will also provide context for educators on the heels of her recent trip to Artsakh. Tchaghlasian will share what she witnessed and how the war surfaced intergenerational trauma resulting from the Armenian Genocide.

Educators will also:

• Gain an understanding of the continuing effects of the Armenian Genocide and its relevance to current day events in the region
• Explore strategies for teaching about this history and its human impact
• Analyze the geopolitical implications of the recent Artsakh War
• Consider the ideas of human rights and self-determination for persecuted groups

Educators can register for the workshop online.