The Aurora Dialogues, which were held within the framework of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity events at Yerevan’s Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran on Saturday, have ended.

The co-founder of the 100 LIVES initiative Vartan Gregorian, who is also the President of Carnegie Corporation of New York, thanked the participants, noting that the past is of no use: “We are dealing with the present. We take the present and then go back, trying to track the origins of the current problem”.

“We meet here [in Matenedaran] not only because this is a sacred place for the Armenians: 17,000 manuscripts are kept here. It’ s important to remember that the Armenians saved not only the Armenian manuscripts, but also the Turkish, Russian, Iranian and Yezidi ones.  This is an evidence of co-existence. These books used to stand side by side in the same co-existence like the interests of our regions,” Gregorian said.

During several hours, the participants discussed in four sessions the issue of migrants, migrant crisis in Europe, role of women in the settlement of conflicts and the role of journalists in presenting objective information.

Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists from different countries also took part in the discussions.  

The 100 LIVES and the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity recognize people who have risked their lives to help others, including for helping Armenians after the Genocide in 1915.

On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity will be granted annually to an individual whose actions have had an exceptional impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The Aurora Prize Laureate will be honored with a US $100,000 grant. In addition, that individual will have the unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspired their work to receive a US $1,000,000 award. 

The ceremony will take place in Yerevan on April 24. George Clooney will hand over the award.