The Knights of Vartan 2025 Grand Convocation in Washington DC during the 3rd week of July will be the hallmark and talisman for the American Armenian diaspora priorities of the 21st century. This year’s convention focuses on human rights education, the return of Armenians to Artsakh, and the broader issue of genocides against the Native American Indians in America, and current ongoing genocides in 2025 in Artsakh, Congo, Gaza, El Salvador, Myanmar, and Nigeria,
The 21st century opened with the 2003 genocide in Dafur, and since the 2023 genocide in Artsakh, has spread to every continent with the same intensity as the 20th century. The Azerbaijan government is holding thirty-one (31) political prisoners who are past political and military leaders of Artsakh. Azerbaijan is subjecting them to torture and persecution, just like the Turks tortured and hung all of the political leaders of the Armenian race in Turkey in April, 1915. “The imprisonment, beating and torture of Davit Babayan, former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh is a large component of the outrage from America. Diplomats should not be subject to torture and imprisonment for discharging their duties to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts diplomatically.” said Jacob Bournazian, chair of the conference.
The American Armenian diaspora has the responsibility to lead the Armenian race on Earth and in inter-stellar space travel in this century. James Bagian, the first Armenian to travel into space in 1989 set the pace for American-Armenians to lead the Armenian race into outer space. As NASA’s Ardemis II project begins in 2027, what will happen when two American Armenians in 2035? As William Saroyan stated, “when two Armenians meet, they will create a new Armenia.” Will they sing Der Voghrma on the moon? The diaspora has perpetuated every century for the last 900 years, linguistically, musically, culturally, in painting, sculpture, and cuisine. The American Armenian diaspora is charged with the responsibility to lead the moral, spiritual, physical and mental regeneration of the Armenian race in the 21st century.
On the first two days of the 2025 Grand Convocation, updated documentary films will be premiered on the genocide in Artsakh during 2021-2023, the persecution of Armenians by Azerbaijani military forces, and their forced starvation and suffering from Azerbaijan’s 10-month blockade. There will be several exhibits on the Artsakh genocide and the Native American Indian genocide. The methods employed by the U.S. government to exterminate the Native American Indians during the 1800s were studied and adopted by the Turks to exterminate the Armenians in 1915. “If the Armenian race wants a different future than what the Native Americans face today, then genocide education and development of a more enlightened society is our top priority for this century,” said Mr. Bournazian. The July 2025 Grand convocation manifests the unity coalescing within the Armenian diaspora on the timeless principles of truth, harmony, and beauty.