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The Armenian

Memorial Project

Interview with

Nejdeh Khachatourian

President of the Armenian Union of Switzerland

Q: Are you responsible for the community, and also to my family, token of friendship to Geneva, to
my daughter and my wife. build something together that does
Armenian Cultural Centre?
not necessarily mark the Armenian
No, I am not responsible for the Q: Can you tell us about the Genocide but rather all genocides,
Armenian Cultural Centre but I Armenian community in and to ensure that anyone who sees
am the President of the Armenian Switzerland? it may one day say - "never again".
Union of Switzerland. These are
two completely different associa- The Armenian community consists Q: Do you think Les Réver-
tions. There is actually a committee of families who arrived in the nine- bères will soon be completed?
that manages the centre and we are, teenth century, fleeing the perse-
in fact, one of the users of it. That's cutions of Sultan Abdul Hamid of Hopefully. The city of Geneva has
where we organize our meetings, the Ottoman Empire. These Arme- already given us the location, the
events, and everything else that nians settled primarily in western artist has already modified his de-
happens in the community. Switzerland, and particularly in the sign. Initially, it was thought that it
Geneva area. Later, a second wave could be installed in the old town,
Q: Why did you accept the po- of refugees came to Switzerland but this became a politically sensi-
sition of President of the Ar- after the Genocide of 1915, while tive issue. Then, the city proposed
menian Union in Switzerland? other refugees arrived in the fol- the Park Ariana near the United
lowing years.
Nations. Currently we are discus-
I have been sitting on the commit- sing with the Technical Services of
tee of the Armenian Union of Swit- In the 19205 Pastor Kraft Bonnard the city about obtaining the neces-
zerland for more than twenty years. created an orphanage at Begnins sary permits.
I've been the treasurer, an ordinary in the canton of Vaud, where more
committee member, the vice-pres- than 200 orphans, mainly Genocide Q: It seems that the Armenian
ident, but three years ago there was survivors, found refuge. Once they community is very active and
nobody to take over the position of finished their studies, the majority dynamic.
president, so I was encouraged to of them remained in Switzerland.
assume this function. I have now This is a very active community, and
been the President of the Union for At the end of the Second World War, also very active politically in Geneva
two years and I still have one year the Armenian community consisted and elsewhere. It is very interested
left. Next year, elections will take in politics, and is well integrated in
of about 300 people in Switzerland.
Since then, this figure has been in-
place and we will see what happens, Switzerland and I think it is reco-
creasing due to people fleeing the
either I will run for re-election or gnized as such.
somebody else might covet this
situation in the Middle East, the
position. It is a democratic organi- USSR and Armenia. The number is Q: One tends to believe that
zation and it is the community who currently estimated at 6,000 people you are a relatively closed
vote, living all over Switzerland.
community.
Why do I want to be involved in Q: If I have understood cor- I cannot say that we have many
this? I am Swiss citizen, but my rectly, it is because of this contacts, but we do work willingly
roots come from elsewhere. Per- historical link that you wish with other communities. We try to
sonally, I believe that we should to erect the monument Les reach out to others, and this monu-
ment is a sign of that. We cannot
never forget our roots -- you should Réverbères in Geneva?
never forget where you come from. forget the past, but we have to move
If we forget that, we are a little lost, The links between Geneva and the ahead and find a common ground,
so as not to perpetuate this vicious
because the future is built on what Armenians, in particular, have a
we are. So for me it is very impor- circle.
long history. An idea came to the
tant, and I try to give it back to the Armenian community to offer a
30 Armenia
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