The University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies is planning a symposium titled “The Armenian Diaspora: Elective Leadership & Worldwide Structure” aimed at identifying strategies to promote Armenian unity. The daylong symposium will take place on November 20, at USC’s Town and Gown.

Speakers at the conference are: Gov. George Deukmejian; former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans; attorney Mark Geragos; California Courier publisher Harut Sassounian; journalist/author Mark Arax; Prof. R. Hrair Dekmejian, USC; Prof. Stephan H. Astourian, University of California, Berkeley; Dr. Gaidz Minassian, Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris; Archalus Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer, Senior Advisor, United Nations, Vienna; Prof. Levon Marashlian, Glendale Community College; and Prof. Andrew Demirdjian, California State University, Long Beach.

The presenters at the symposium will explore the possible establishment of a unity framework that could represent Armenians worldwide, except those in Armenia and Artsakh, who already have elected governments. Such a collective body of elected representatives could legitimately claim to represent Diaspora Armenians.

A transnational organization could create for the first time an elected leadership with political and economic clout capable of promoting Armenian interests, preserving cultural values and defending Armenian rights.