This International Center for MultiGenerational Legacies of Trauma multi-disciplinary webinar is held in advance of 24 April – the day commemorating the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire that began Saturday, 24 April, 1915. Launching the documentary “The Desire to Live,” participants will discuss the making and implications of the film and the multigenerational struggles to seek acknowledgement and justice for both victims and descendants of the Armenian Genocide and of the war in the Republic of Artsakh, and their interrelated legacies.

Speakers:

Mariam Avetisyan

An independent filmmaker born and living in Artsakh, Mariam wrote, directed and edited a no-commentary-style documentary feature film and on going web series to convey post-war life in Artsakh called “The Desire To Live” which report the legacies of the 2020 war on the Indigenous population living in Artsakh and how their lives have been affected and threatened by the genocide and its aftermath.

Peter Bahlawanian

A producer/director with over 30 years of experience in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry, Peter is a grand-child of orphans of the Armenian genocide and an active force in protecting the Armenian culture through music, art and film.

Gayane Khechoomian

Gayane is an attorney licensed in California and Illinois, specialized in international law and investigations into civil rights violations. She has counseled foreign entities and litigated in U.S. federal courts on behalf of victims of the Armenian Genocide and the war in the Republic of Artsakh. Gayane previously served as a Visiting Professional at the International Criminal Court in the Hague and clerked at the United Nations criminal tribunal, prosecuting genocide and crimes against humanity in Cambodia.

Moderator:

Dr. Yael Danieli, Founder and Executive Director, International Center for MultiGenerational Legacies of Trauma; Director, Group Project for Holocaust Survivors and their Children.