Armenian Genocide Museum Hosts Commemorative Events Dedicated to American Red Cross Founder Clara Barton

YEREVAN — Commemorative events dedicated to Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross and a great humanist, was held at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute on May 23 with the support of the US Embassy in Armenia.
Hayk Demoyan, the Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, John Heffern, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Ashot Hovakimian, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of RA and Kevin Patti, American historian representing Clara Barton National Historic Site offered opening remarks at the event.
The event included a presentation of the English and Armenian editions of Clara Barton’s “American Relief Expedition to Asia Minor under the Red Cross” report. The translation and publication of the Armenian edition of the report was made possible through the support of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.
The AGMI Scientific Council decided to issue a Clara Barton Golden Medal under the “Gratitude” nomination as well as a memorial postcard. The director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan handed golden medals to John Heffern, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Ashot Hovakimian, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of RA, Kevin Patti, expert in Barton and US Embassy in Armenia, as well as by means of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia golden medals will be handed to Barack Obama, U.S. President, Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State as a token of Armenian-American friendship.
The event was followed by ceremonial burial of the soil brought from Clara Barton’s grave and placing of the plaque at the Memorial Wall of Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.
The AGMI will also host a temporary exhibition in honor of Clara Barton.Guests will receive memorial postcards issued on the occasion of Clara Barton’s 190th anniversary.
Clara Barton, Founder and Chairperson of the American Red Cross, was born in 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts. Clara Barton became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield” for her humanitarian activities during the American Civil War.
Learning about the extensive massacres of Armenians in 1895-1896 in the Ottoman Empire, in 1896 Clara Barton arrived in Constantinople and coordinated the relief aid distribution to the survivors of the massacres and homeless people for about a year.
Thanks to Clara Barton’s efforts Armenian survivors of the massacres were provided with shelter, food, medicine and clothing. Because of a number of obstacles created by the Ottoman authorities Clara Barton was forced to leave the Ottoman Empire and return to the U.S. At the end of 1896 Clara Barton together with her colleagues published a report of their humanitarian activities in the Ottoman Empire.