KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The presentation of the book “Armenian Ethnographic Images: Vision, Will and Hope” by General Secretary of the Bible Society in the Gulf, Dr. Hrayr Jebejian (Kuwait) was held at the initiative of the “Spyurk” Scientific-Educational Centre of the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) and the Chair of Armenian New and Modern Literature and its Teaching Methods after Vache Partizuni.

Director of the Scientific-Educational Centre, Head of the Chair Suren Danielyan noted that the main goal of the event is to present to student pedagogues the profile of the Diaspora in terms of culture and education, underscoring the collective force deriving from the book which consolidates the cultural values of the homeland and the Diaspora.

The Professor mentioned the enthusiasm that the book sparked weeks ago in Beirut where he was the keynote speaker of the book presentation organized in the city.

The ceremony began with the Lord’s Prayer, and the pontifical blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians was transmitted by Director of the Christian Education Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Father, Supreme Archimandrite Zakaria Baghumyan.

Touching upon the meanings of the book’s title “Vision, Will and Hope”, Father Zakaria linked these concepts to the challenges of the past and present of Armenians. Father Zakara talked about the questions about identity and the role of the Armenian Church in the Diaspora, which are presented in Hrayr Jebejian’s articles and are among the major sections of the book.

In her congratulatory remarks, Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia Anahit Asatryan highlighted the role that Hrayr Jebejian plays in establishing closer ties between Armenia and the Armenian communities in the Middle East.

Director of Avetisyan Educational Complex Melanya Geghamyan noted that the book helps instill more pride in the roots and traditions of Armenians and said this is due to the education that different generations of the Jebejians have received. She also underscored the human and Christian attributes of the extended family.

Throughout her career, Melanya Balayan, who has decades of experience at the worked at the Artsakh State Historical Museum, has established contacts with many Diaspora Armenians and has regretted to record the decline of the Armenian language. “Hrayr Jebejian also expressed these concerns about identity in his book, which is about us Armenians and sends a message to all of us to continue Armenian life,” she added.

Associate Professor of the Chair of Armenian New and Modern Literature and its Teaching Methods, researcher of the “Spyurk” Scientific-Educational Centre Knarik Abrahamyan touched upon the title “Ethnographic Images”, the theme-based preferences of the author and the elements of the searches for man and the Armenian in his inner world. Anna Sargsyan, Associate Professor of the Chair, examined Hrayr Jebejian’s thoughts about the challenges that Armenians of the Diaspora have faced and the problems of the Armenian nation.

In her speech, student of the Faculty of Philology Marine Kocharyan set aside the forms of patriotic service and of Christian service of Jebejian.

In his congratulatory remarks, Suren Makaryan underscored the importance of the “vision, will and hope” triumvirate through which we must succeed in keeping the homeland and the Church strong.

Among the attendees of the book presentation was the book’s editor, Dr. Arda Jebejian, who is also Hrayr Jebejian’s wife. She talked about the hardships that she and her husband managed to overcome during publication of the book.
Dean of the Faculty of Philology, Professor Ashot Galstyan delivered a concluding speech in which he noted that this presentation helped give the students a new lesson on patriotism.
The event ended with a speech by the book’s author Hrayr Jebejian, who gave thanks and expressed his satisfaction with the event, especially the students, whom he has also had the opportunity to teach. Jebejian also signed nearly four dozen copies of the book for the attendees.