GLENDALE—The Armenian Youth Federation Western United States organized a commemorative event on September 20 marking one year since Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed and forced a mass exodus of 120,000 indigenous Armenians native to Artsakh. “Until We Return” was dedicated to the unbreakable path to a liberated Artsakh and the resilience of our Armenians of Artsakh – who breathe life into our Homeland by maintaining our dialects, culture, and traditions.
Community members — including some recently displaced Armenians of Artsakh — gathered at Artsakh Avenue in Glendale for the commemoration, which was a powerful exhibit that the Armenian community will not forget the atrocities committed against the Armenians of Artsakh, and will continue to fight for justice and liberation of occupied Artsakh. The event renewed the strength and resilience of the Armenian community and called for a renewal of dedication in fighting for the restoration of Artsakh as an integral part of the Armenian Homeland.
The event was opened with the singing of the national anthem of the Republic of Artsakh, “Azad Oo Angakh Artsakh,” by iconic Armenian artist and native Armenian from Artsakh, Andre Hovnanyan. As part of the opening, a moment of silence was held along with a prayer led by a representative of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church in honor of our brothers and sisters martyred as a result of Azerbaijan’s relentless terrorism. The event also featured several speakers, including Lana Tolmajian, who spoke on behalf of the Armenian Youth Federation Western United States, and Joseph Kaskanian, who spoke on behalf of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States.
The keynote speaker of the event was Marine Charshafjian, who spoke powerfully about her experience during the forced exodus out of her Homeland, including her account of giving birth to her daughter and bearing witness to the last moments of defense of her home in Martuni, Artsakh. Charshafjian presented the ongoing and paramount work of the Lorik Humanitarian Fund, which works to provide permanent housing in Armenia for families from Artsakh to preserve community structures and ensure that these families remain in Armenia – a project that the AYF-WUS has proudly fundraised more than $40,000 for. The Lorik Humanitarian Fund’s work has already resulted in multiple houses and other necessities being passed along to families in need, and there is an urgent need to expand these efforts. To help support the work of the Lorik Humanitarian Fund, the AYF-WUS urges all donations to be made via their social media platforms @LorikFund or website.
The speakers shared powerful messages of solidarity and called for justice on behalf of the victims of the Artsakh Genocide – while emphasizing the need to continue supporting the forcibly displaced Armenians of Artsakh and working towards Artsakh’s future liberation. The event ended in hope and strength, with two AYF Juniors who represent a future generation, Sona and Anna Chillingarian, singing national songs about Artsakh.
The AYF-WUS would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all the attendees, event volunteers, and speakers who made this commemoration possible. They would also like to extend their gratitude to the generous donors who have helped their work for the Lorik Humanitarian Fund and urge more to do the same by donating.
Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization. With chapters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the AYF actively strives to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of all Armenian-American youth.
Lana Tolmajian made the following remarks during the AYF’s “Until We Return” commemorative event.
On September 19th, 2023, following a year-long blockade that isolated Artsakh, Azerbaijani forces forcibly displaced the indigenous Armenian population, erasing Artsakh’s ethnic identity and seizing the land that had been central to Armenian heritage for centuries. This tragic loss marked the beginning of a year of mourning, displacement, and exile for the Armenian people. One year of finding homes for our displaced brothers and sisters, one year of demanding freedom for our Prisoners of War that joined even more imprisoned Armenian soldiers in Baku. One year since the world watched idly by as innocent Artsakh Armenians were forced to pack their ENTIRE lives in a small carry-on bag, if any, and undertake a journey that would last for days, despite having NO access to food, gas, or ANY basic necessities.
Our children did not get to say goodbye to their school’s playground, our mothers and fathers did not get to say goodbye to their neighbors, or their friends and family members who lay peacefully in the land that they died proudly fighting for. The sun rose upon the indigenous Armenians in Artsakh, but set with the shadows of the violence and cruelty of Azerbaijan.
We remember the pain, the fear, the uncertainty. The families torn apart, the lives upended, the homes that now stand empty. These were not just buildings, not just parcels of land. They were part of our very identity, passed down through generations, etched with the stories of our forefathers. BUT LET ME BE CLEAR: Artsakh is NOT lost. Artsakh is NOT forgotten. The bond between the Armenian people and Artsakh is eternal, and no force on this earth can sever that connection. We, the Armenian people, harbor a profound and unyielding determination to reclaim our Homeland.
We owe it to those who were displaced to continue telling their stories, to ensure the world knows what happened, and to demand accountability. We owe it to future generations to keep the flame of Artsakh alive, even if its land lies beyond our reach for now. Our people’s bond to that sacred ground cannot be broken by borders or political decisions. Even now, we see how important it is to demand that the world hears our cries. Will the international community allow the COP 29 Climate Convention to take place in the GENOCIDE CAPITAL of the world? Until our children can learn in our schools again, until our people can pray in Ghazanchetsots once more, until we can dance on our mountains with our songs and stories echoing in the wind, and until we can be reunited with Mamig and Babig — WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE.
To those who were forced to flee, your return is inevitable. We WILL rebuild what has been destroyed, we WILL reclaim what has been taken, and we WILL restore the dignity and sovereignty of Artsakh. We continue to work for our Homeland, though it is difficult, though there are many who do not fight with us, and though the odds are against us. Let us remember that the odds have ALWAYS been against us. This did not stop us in 1991, and it will NOT STOP US NOW.
Artsakh may currently bear the scars of Azerbaijan’s aggression, but soon it will be healed by the determination, solidarity, and resilience of the Armenian spirit. For each time Azerbaijan destroys one home, WE WILL BUILD A HUNDRED MORE, TOGETHER, WHEN WE RETURN.
Յաւերժ բարք մեր հայ հերոսներուն, յաւերժ բարք մեր սիրելի Արցախին. Թուրքը եւ Ազերին կը մնան բարբարոս եւ չեն կրնար ացատիլ հայու վրեժէն. Մենք վստահենք որ պիտի քայ օրը եւ պիտի վերադառնանք մեր հայրենի օճախը. քանի որ ունինք սահմանը հսկող հերոս առծիւներ. Արցախը մերն է եւ մերը պիտի մնայ. Մինչեւ մեր վերադառնալը, տունն իմ հայրենի:
Joseph Kaskanian made the following remarks during the AYF’s “Until We Return” commemorative event.
We stand here today not in the shadows of our pain, but in the light of our unbreakable spirit. We are Armenians. We are survivors, we are fighters, and we are builders of a future that no force, no oppressor, can destroy. Our path back to Artsakh is not just a return to land—it is a return to our dignity, our right to exist, and our right to self-determination. No one can take from us the right to decide our own future. We claim this right for ourselves and for our homeland, for Artsakh, and for every Armenian who has been displaced.
Our right to return to Artsakh is not up for negotiation. It is a right rooted in our history, in our blood, and in the very soil of our ancestors. We have lived there for centuries, and no matter the force used against us, we will live there again. This isn’t just about politics—it’s about our survival. Our land, our identity, our very existence depends on it. And we will not let it slip through our fingers.
We gather here not to be silent mourners of what was taken from us but as the voice of those whose lives were stolen, whose homes were destroyed, whose dreams were torn apart. We do not bow our heads in submission to genocide. No, we stand tall in defiance. When in our history has anything ever come easy for us?
Remember this: from the ashes of every tragedy we’ve faced, we’ve risen. Our enemies have tried to wipe us out, to erase the Armenian spirit. But we are here! We are still here. We live, we fight, and we will return.
We cannot, and we will not, forget our brothers and sisters still in captivity—our prisoners of war. Men like Davit Ishkhanyan, Ruben Vartanyan, Viken Euljekjian, David Babayan and hundreds of more who have been languishing in the hands of our enemies. Their struggle is our struggle. And until each one of them is free, our fight is not over. We demand their release. We demand justice.
Our fight for Artsakh, our fight for justice, is not a burden—it is our birthright. The people of Artsakh have the right to determine their own future, to live freely in their ancestral lands. And no force, no power in the world, has the right to take that from them.
Do not let despair take hold. They want us to forget, to move on, to blend into the nations we have scattered to. But we will not. They think that because we are scattered, we are broken. But know this: the diaspora is not a sign of weakness, it is the strength of the Armenian nation stretched across the globe. We are everywhere, and from everywhere, we rise to fight again.
Malcolm X once said, “Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man or woman, you take it.” That is our call to action today. We are not here asking for pity or waiting for justice to fall into our hands. We are here to claim what is ours, to remind the world that Artsakh belongs to the Armenian people, and it always will.
To my brothers and sisters in the diaspora—our responsibility is immense. It is our duty to preserve our language, our culture, and our heritage here in Los Angeles and around the world. We may be far from Artsakh, but the fight does not end here. We must be the best at what we do, not just for ourselves, but for our people. Whether you are a doctor, an artist, an engineer, or a teacher—your excellence strengthens our community. Each of us has a role to play in supporting the homeland, and that includes being active here in our communities, educating the next generation, and ensuring our identity is never erased.
We must be bold in preserving our language, in teaching our children the stories of our past, and in building a future where Armenian culture thrives, not just survives. Diaspora support means showing up, being active, and making sure that no matter where we live, the Armenian spirit remains unshakable.
Let us not stand idle. Let us carry this struggle into every corner of the world. Let every Armenian, whether in Yerevan, Los Angeles, or Paris, speak with one voice. A voice that says, “We are not defeated. We will never be defeated. We will return.”
This is not just a battle for land, this is a battle for our very existence. We cannot afford to be passive. We must be relentless, bold, and unapologetic in our fight for Artsakh.
This is our charge, this is our mission, and this is our destiny. As Armenians, we do not wait for justice—we demand it. We do not cry for freedom—we seize it. And we will not ask for our homeland—we will take it back.
Until our return.
