Peace and Conflict Studies - Spring 2014

Peace and Conflict Studies Volume 21, Number 1 80 mass acts of violence and hatred in order to prevent their future recurrence (Akçam, 2006, p. 2; Coloroso, 2008). Equally important to Akçam’s research is the fact that a Turkish historian had the desire and courage to use official Turkish sources to further document and definitively prove the genocide, although this has meant he is no longer able to live in Turkey (Akçam, 2006, n.p.) and has been listed as a target for assassination by the same terrorist group that assassinated Hrant Dink in Istanbul (Akçam, 2012, p. xii). When Akçam, together with sociologist Fatma Müge Göçek and novelist Elif Şafak, spoke about the genocide at a University of California conference in 2005, it was the first time Turkish professors acknowledged the genocide in an international conference dedicated to Armenian history. Garin Hovannisian, an Armenian American writer, described the conference as the beginning of a new movement: “Finally, an alliance of Armenian and Turkish intellectuals was preparing to confront the original sin of modern history” (Hovannisian, G., 2010, p. 216). Other examples of collaborative efforts include the “Armenians, Forgive Us” campaign, an online petition launched by 200 Turkish intellectuals, journalists, and public and cultural figures (Abrahamyan, 2010). The petition offered acknowledgment of and apology for the denial of what it referred to as the “Great Catastrophe.” Approximately 30,000 people signed the petition in its first ten days online (Aghet n.d.). This seems to be an optimistic indication of Turkish citizens’ growing awareness of their national history from perspectives beyond their own government’s, and their willingness to acknowledge the past and push for a more honest and reflective future. Armenians and Turks also need to engage in dialogue, a healing strategy Alayarian feels is essential to both groups’ ability to renounce culturally embedded hatred and “humanize de-humanized actions” (Alayarian, 2008, p. 143). Dialogue between descendants of victims and perpetrators is necessary to move past the trauma suffered by both (Schwab, 2004, pp. 177-95). The Armenian diaspora can offer a “neutral” starting place for dialogue, particularly in communities that are home to both Armenians and Turks. Susan Arpajian Jolley, a third generation Armenian American teacher, provides an excellent example of this when she describes the process of memoir writing she undertook with her high school class, which included three recent Turkish immigrants (Jolley, 2004). Many organisations have also begun creating opportunities for Turks and Armenians to meet and collaborate, such as the international non-profit organisation Internews, which organised the creation of collaborative