The co-leader of Germany’s Green Party Cem Ozdemir will be the keynote speaker at events in Toronto and Montreal, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Turkish-Armenian editor, journalist and columnist Hrant Dink’s assassination.
Several community organizations in Toronto have come together for the past 10 years to remember the former editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos and to honor his legacy, Armenian Weekly reported.
Ozdemir is one of the initiators of the Armenian Genocide resolution that was approved by Bundestag last June.
Chair of the organizing committee Raffi Bedrosyan said that the commemorations are not merely a remembrance, but rather a way for the community to continue Dink’s pursuit for justice. “Remembering Hrant Dink on the anniversary of his assassination is not simply commemorating a slain Armenian journalist. By remembering, we continue his journey toward reconciliation and justice regarding the Armenian Genocide. We also help realize his vision of dialogue between Armenian and Turkish people—a dialogue that is based on truth and a common body of knowledge,” Bedrosian said.
Before introducing Ozdemir to audiences, Bedrosian will present Wolfgang Gust’s book Armenian Genocide: Evidence from German Archives. “He and his German parliamentarian colleagues were greatly influenced by the German historian’s book, which was financed by the Zorian Institute of Toronto,” Bedrosian said.
In his keynote addresses, Ozdemir will explain Hrant’s role in his decision to get involved in the Armenian Genocide resolution, and his journey as one of the most prominent human rights advocates in Europe.
“These commemorations and—more critically—the German Armenian Genocide recognition resolution, demonstrate that the genocide issue is not a historical issue of the past; not just something that happened a hundred years ago. It is, indeed, a current issue, deeply affecting relations between different peoples and different states, sometimes with serious consequences,” Bedrosian said.
The commemoration events will take place in Montreal on January 21 and in Toronto on January 22.
