Over 100 students and faculty members gathered in Ackerman
Thursday to welcome U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans to
UCLA.
People sat in chairs, stood and even sat on the ground during
the hour and a half discussion to hear Evans’ report from
Armenia and take part in the afternoon’s open forum.
During the event, Evans outlined the U.S.’s mission in
Armenia and highlighted its three projected goals there: to bring
greater stability and security to the Southern Caucasus, to build
up the economies of the region in a broad-based and sustainable
way, and to foster democratic institutions.
“We’ve had some victories and some setbacks,”
Evans said.
Christina Ohanian, historian for the UCLA Armenian Students
Association, said that the interaction between the ambassador and
the local Armenian community was important.
“It’s important for the government to make such
contact … so that we can see what is going on first hand,”
she said.
Evans was invited to UCLA by Modern Armenian History Professor
Richard Hovannisian. Robin Phillips, the U.S. Agency for
International Development director was also present.
Evans was sworn in as the ambassador to Armenia on Aug. 11, 2004
and is visiting major Armenian communities for exchanges and
forums.
The Armenian population in Southern California has grown to more
than 500,000 since 1915, and is now the largest Armenian community
outside the country itself.
Armenia is a post-Soviet republic in the Caucasus. The country
is landlocked and on only a small portion of historic Armenia, most
of which is now in eastern Turkey. It was from this region that the
Armenian population was massacred during the genocide of 1915.
The Caucasus region is located between the Black Sea to the west
and the Caspian Sea to the east.
Armenia, a country slightly smaller than the state of Maryland,
sustained years of conflict and turmoil that culminated on April
24, 1915, in a genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks against
the Armenians.
One and a half million Armenians ““ 60 percent of that
population ““ are believed by many to have been killed between
the years of 1915 and 1923.
The Turkish government denies the genocide ever occurred and the
United States refuses to term the events as genocide.
Over the centuries, Armenia, despite periods of autonomy, came
under the control of various empires. In 1991, Armenia gained its
independence from the Soviet Union.
Since then, the United States has played a major role in the
development of the country.
The per capita level of assistance offered by the United States
to Armenia is higher than any other former Soviet state, Evans
said.
“From my perspective Armenia is headed in the right
direction and progress has been remarkable. We need to be patient
but also persistent,” he said.
“I think we’re making a difference,” Evans
added.
Evans also said the United States supports free and fair
elections in Armenia.
“I want to put to rest the idea that the U.S. is causing
turmoil in the area. We are unabashedly in support of free
leadership,” he said.
Many students agreed that the open forum and the opportunity to
ask questions during the event were highlights of the
experience.
“I was excited to see the ambassador and happy that he
came even though I don’t agree with everything he
said,” said Ani Nahapetian, a member of the Armenian Graduate
Student Association of UCLA.
Many students say they believe the United States would be even
more effective if it could recognize the genocide of 1915.
“The situation in Armenia is improving but there are
glaring problems, the main one being the continued denial of the
Armenian genocide by the U.S. government,” said Samvel
Setyan, treasurer of the ASA.
“I feel that the United States, which stands for all of
these ideals, is hypocritical by not recognizing that the genocide
occurred,” said Gohar Gazazyan, a mass communications and
history student and member of ASA.
But overall, students seemed optimistic about the future of
Armenia.
“I got a positive vibe from the forum, but the problem is
that there is still a lot left to be done,” Gazazyan
said.