NAASR 57th ANNUAL ASSEMBLY ON MAY 14 TO FEATURE LECTURE BY TANER AKÇAM

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research will hold its 57th Annual Assembly of Members on Saturday, May 14, 2011, at the NAASR Headquarters, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. The Assembly will be convened at 12:00 noon and lunch will be served at 12:15 p.m.

Following lunch, there will be a lecture by Dr. Taner Akçam, the Robert Aram & Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen & Marian Mugar Professor of Modern Armenian History and Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University. Akçam will speak on the subject of “The State of Armenian Genocide Research and Needs for the Future.”

Akçam has held the Kaloosdian/Mugar Chair at Clark since 2008. He is the author of ten scholarly works of history and sociology, including From Empire To Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide and A Shameful Act: the Armenian Genocide and Turkish Responsibility, as well as numerous articles in Turkish, German, and English.

In 2010, Akçam partnered with NAASR and the University of Minnesota’s Ohannessian Chairholder Eric Weitz to organize the workshop “The State of the Art of Armenian Genocide Research: Historiography, Sources, and Future Directions” at Clark University’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. In fall 2011, the same organizers will present the one-day conference “Beyond the Armenian Genocide: The Question of Restitution and Reparation in Comparative Review.”

Reports on NAASR Programs and Goals

Following the luncheon and lecture, those attending the 57th Assembly of Members will be informed about NAASR’s ongoing efforts to further Armenian studies, research, and publication. Reports will be presented by the Board of Directors on organizational, informational, academic, and financial matters; and the election of Directors will be held. In addition, there will be reports by the Assembly’s special committees on Nominations, Constitution and Rules, New Business and Resolutions, and Auditing.

The chairmen of the special committees are Charles Sahagian of Needham, Nominating; Dr. Aram Karakashian of Waltham, Constitution and Rules; Lillian Etmekjian of Newton, New Business and Resolutions; and Joseph Dagdigian of Harvard, Auditing. The Assembly will be chaired by NAASR Board Chairman Raffi P. Yeghiayan of Lexington, and Stephen Kurkjian of Manomet will serve as Secretary of the Assembly.

The Assembly sessions are open to all NAASR members in good standing (with dues paid for the current calendar year), who “have the right to attend, be heard, and vote.” Non-members may attend as observers.

The luncheon and subsequent program are open to the general public. However, luncheon reservations should be made by May 9 at $15.00 per person by calling 617-489-1610, by fax at 617-484-1759, or e-mail to hq@naasr.org. There is ample parking available around the NAASR Center and in adjoining areas.