Vahagn Avedian – författare

Is the Armenian Genocide a strictly historical matter? If that is the case, why is it still a topical issue, capable of causing diplomatic rows and heated debates? The short answer would be that the century old Armenian Genocide is much more than a historical question. It emerged as a political dilemma on the international arena at the San Stefano peace conference in 1878 and has remained as such into our days. The disparity between knowledge and acknowledgement, mainly ascribable to Turkey’s official denial of the genocide, has only heightened the politicization of the Armenian question. Thus, the memories of the WWI era refuse to be relegated to the pages of history but are rather perceived as a vivid presence. This is the result of the perpetual process of politics of memory. The politics of memory is an intricate and interdisciplinary negotiation, engaging many different actors in the society who have access to a wide range of resources and measures in order to achieve their goals. By following the Armenian question during the past century up to its Centennial Commemoration in 2015, this study aims to explain why and how the politics of memory of the Armenian Genocide has kept it as a topical issue in our days.

What does reconciliation mean and entail? Is collective reconciliation for entire societies or nations possible? This book aims to present it as a highly achievable albeit difficult and complex goal requiring political and collective commitment, resources, and – most importantly – the will to change.Reconciliation is the synthesis and an overarching process consisting of a trinity of recognition, responsibility, and reparation. Through comparative case studies where these different aspects have been implemented in a variety of degrees and combinations, the book illustrates how these constituent parts relate to each other and how they can enhance and complement one another. It also investigates whether there are scenarios where the omission of a certain part can in fact have a positive impact on the reconciliatory process in the short and long terms, the extent to which the order in which different measures are implemented matters, and how national cases differ from international ones.This volume is aimed at postgraduates, researchers, and academics of peace and conflict studies, as well as history, social sciences, political sciences, and legal studies.