BEIRUT–Students who arrived in Lebanon from different parts of the world successfully participated in the 15-day annual Hamazkayin Forum.
The Hamazkayin Student Forum was held from July 15 to 28 at the Nshan Palandjian Jemaran in Beirut.
The Forum agenda mainly included lectures–workshops–visits and various tours.
Aside from the gathering the students from different parts of Armenia and the Diaspora–the Forum has a principal goal of acquainting its participants to Armenian culture and issues related to the Armenian Cause.
Several professors were invited from the US–including Marc Nshanian–director of the Armenian Studies Department at Columbia University–Levon Marashlian–History Professor at the Glendale Community College as well as Dr. Hrant Markarian–who was also the director of the Forum’s Educational Department.
The workshops were conducted by Nerses Balabanian–Berj Fazlian and Armen Balian.
All the lecture materials and their arrangement was highly appreciated by the participants.
Through workshops students exchanged ideas. The presenters managed to gauge the opinions and perspectives of the students–each of whom has been influenced by the culture and values of his/her country and thus had different approaches on challenges facing the Armenian nation today.
The Forum also published it newspaper–entitled Good Morning Jemaran (Pari Luys Jemaran.) The paper was published in Armenian–English and French. The newspaper became a forum for participants to express their views on issues presented at the forum and share with others their impressions–memories and opinions as well as brief descriptions about the life in their communities.
On the first day–the participants toured the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia at Antelias–the Matenadaran and the Genocide Victims Memorial. During the following days–Forum participants also visited the Lebanese Parliament. They were introduced to the Lebanese Parliamentary system and were encouraged by the active presence of Armenia’s in the Lebanese political system.
Students visited Catholicos Aram I–who blessed the participant at Bikfaya. His Holiness welcomed the Forum participants and extended his well wishes to them. The students–then–laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide monument in Bikfaya.
The Forum participants also took part in the 18th anniversary commemoration of the Lisbon Five. Mher Avetisian–a participant from Karabakh–praised the five who martyred themselves at the altar of freedom and gave their lives in the name of the Armenian Cause.
Among other places toured by the participants were the Catholic Monastery at Zmmar–Bourdj Hammoud City Council–as well as other Lebanese tourist attractions such as Baalbek–Jeita–Jibrail and Harisa. They also visited the Aynjar–where they were warmly greeted by the local Hamazkayin Executive members.
The students who arrived from the US–Canada–Italy–France–Greece–Cyprus–Iran–Lebanon–Syria–Armenia and Karabakh became good friends immediately. The Forum served as a crucial bridge between the youth of Armenia-Karabakh and the Diaspora.