International Religious Freedom and Peace Conference

International Religious Freedom and Peace, a two- day conference on issues of religious freedom and peace issues will be held September 8-12 in the heart of the Armenian Church, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

“The conference will also address preservation of the world’s spiritual, cultural and historical heritage, which all too often comes under threat from religious and ethnic intolerance, especially during wars and armed conflict.

By hearing expert analysis on specific concerns in Armenia and the world – whether on the destruction of cultural and religious sites, or ethnic intolerance – we hope to develop global awareness and understanding of the seriousness of the situation and hope for appropriate actions from the international community.”

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

September 8-12, 2021

Day 1: September 8, 2021

• Arrival and Accommodation at the Karekin I Educational Centre of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Day 2: September 9, 2021

9:00am – 9:30am: Registration at the Veharan Pontifical Residence Main Hall

9:30am – 9:40am: Convener

• Abp. Vicken Aykazian, President of the Mother See Committee of Artsakh Cultural-Spiritual Heritage, USA
• Topic: “Freedom of Religion”

9:40am – 11am: Plenary Session

• Welcome Messages: H.H. Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians
• State Officials
• Representatives of Churches and Ecumenical Organizations
• Fr. Philaret Bulekov, Vice-Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Russia
• Arch. Angaelos, Primate of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London
• Rev. Christian Krieger, CEC President
• The Right Rev. Robert Innes, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe
• Fr. Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches
• Fr. Abraham Thomas, Secretary to the Department of Ecumenical Relations of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India
• His Excellency Archbishop Jose Avelino Bettencourt, Apostolic Nuncio to Armenia
• Archimadrate Ignatios Sotiriadis, Secretary of the Synodal Commission for Inter-Christian Relations of the Orthodox Church of Greece
• His Eminence Archbishop Mor George Kourieh, Patriarchal Vicar in Belgium, France and Luxembourg
• Fr. Nikademus Yokhanaev, Priest of the Assyrian Community of Armenia
• Keynote Speaker: Dr. Arman Tatoyan, Human Rights Defender of Armenia, PH.D in Law, Associate Professor

11am – 11:30am: Coffee Break

11:30am – 11:50am: Presentation 1

• Rev. Dr. Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland
• Topic: “Promoting peace and religious freedom through protection of religious and cultural heritage”

11:50am – 12:10pm: Presentation 2

• Very Rev. Cor Episcopos Patrick Sookhdeo PhD DD, International Director of Barnabas Fund, UK
• Topic: “ The role of religious freedom in the battleground of human rights and religious extremism.”

12:10pm – 12:15pm: Presentation 3

• Mr. Jim Winkler, General Secretary and President of the National Council of Churches, USA

12:15pm – 12:30pm: Presentation 4

• The Baroness Cox, of Queensbury, Independent Member of the House of Lords, Founder and CEO of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, UK
• Topic: “The Pain and the Passion: The Privilege of Making a Difference”

12:30pm – 12:45pm: Presentation 5

• Mr. Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights

1pm – 2pm: Lunch at The Mother See Refectory

2:30pm – 2:45pm: Presentation 6

• Dr. John Eibner, President of the Christian Solidarity International, Switzerland
• Topic: “Religious Cleansing in Progress: Beyond the Armenian Genocide in Space and Time”

2:45pm – 3:00pm: Presentation 7

• Abp. Angaelos, Primate of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London, UK
• Topic: “The necessity of collaboration to protect religious freedom and belief”

3:00pm – 3:15pm: Presentation 8

• Ms. Sheila Paylan, Human Rights Officer / SGBV Specialist
• Topic: “The Responsibility to Protect Cultural Heritage and Prevent or Punish Cultural Genocide under International Law”

3:15pm – 3:30pm: Presentation 9

• Dr. Heghnar Watenpaugh, Professor of Art History, Department of Art and Art History, University of California, Davis, USA
• Topic: “Cultural Heritage, Religious Heritage, and Human Rights”

3:30pm – 4pm: Coffee Break

4pm – 5pm: Panel Discussions

• Moderator: Very Rev. Cor Episcopos Patrick Sookhdeo PhD DD, International Director of Barnabas Fund, UK
• Topic: Religious Extremism: Impact on the World

8:30pm: Dinner offered by H.H. Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians (By invitation only)

Day 3: September 10, 2021

7:30am – 8am: Ecumenical Prayer at Saints Vartan and Hovhannes Baptistery Church of the Mother See

9:30am – 9:40am: Convener

• Bp. Hovakim Manukyan
• Topic: “Preservation of Spiritual, Cultural and Historical Heritage”

9:40am – 11:am: Plenary Session

• Messages:
• Very Rev. Fr. Garegin Hambardzumyan, Head of Office for Artsakh Spiritual-Cultural Heritage Issues, RA
• Bp. Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Primate of the Artsakh Diocese
• Mr. David Babayan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh
• Keynote Speaker: Rev. Christian Krieger, President of the Conference of European Churches
• Topic: “Security and Preservation of the Places of Worship and Religious Monuments in Europe”.

11am – 11:30am: Coffee Break

11:30am – 11:45am: Presentation 10

• Mr. Simon Maghakyan, Visiting Scholar at Tufts University and Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Colorado Denver, USA
• Topic: “Preventing cultural genocide in Artsakh through religious freedom”

11:45am – 12:00pm: Presentation 11

• Mr. Hamlet Petrosyan, Head of Department of Cultural Studies, YSU, Armenia
• Topic: “Cultural heritage in the target of attacks. Tigranakert in Artsakh”

12:00pm – 12:15pm: Presentation 12

• Mr. Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh
• Redemption of Postage Stamps at the Veharan Pontifical Residence

1pm – 2pm: Lunch at the Mother See Refectory

2:30pm – 2:45pm: Presentation 13

• Ms. Tasoula Hadjitofi, Author, Cultural Activist and Entrepreneur, Netherlands
• Topic: Religious heritage as a means to promote peace and reconciliation

2:45:pm – 3pm: Presentation 14

• Dr. George Kiraz, Director of Beth Mardutho and Editor- in Chief of Gorgias Press, USA
• Topic: “Syriac-Armenian Cultural Exchange: How to preserve a unique historical heritage?”

3pm – 3:15pm: Presentation 15

• Dr. Christina Maranci, Professor at Tufts University, Art History Department, USA
• Topic: “The Armenian Monuments of Kars/Ani: What are the Lessons for Artsakh?”

3:15pm – 3:30pm: Presentation 16

• Dr. Rachel Goshgarian, Associate Professor, Department of History, Lafayette College, Easton, USA
• Topic: “Living with the Destroyed Monuments of the Dead and Departed in Turkey”

3:30pm – 4pm: Coffee Break

4pm – 5pm: Panel Discussion, Participants

• Mr. Simon Maghakyan, Visiting Scholar at Tufts University and Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Colorado Denver, USA
• Virginia Davies, Save Armenian Monuments (USA)
• Leylya Strobl, Blue Shield Austria, Roerich Society Austria (A)
• Hayk Mkrtchyan, ICOM Armenia, Chair
• Ani Avagyan, Regional Center for Cultural Heritage.
• Moderator: Dr. Jasmine Dum Tragut, Director of the Center for the Study of the Christian East at the University of Salzburg, Austria
• Topic: “Minority Cultural and Historic Heritage Preservation and Protection”

5pm – 5:15pm: Closing Session and Final Reflections

5:15pm: END OF CONFERENCE

8:30pm: Dinner in Yerevan (By invitation only)

Day 4: September 11, 2021

9:30am: Departure from Etchmiadzin

10am – 11am: Visit to the Genocide Memorial and Museum, Yerevan

11am – 12pm: Visit to Matenadaran – Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts named after St. Mesrop Mashtots, Yerevan

12pm – 1pm: Visit to Ararat Museum, Yerevan

1pm: Departure from Yerevan

2PM: LUNCH AT THE MOTHER SEE REFECTORY

7PM : DINNER AT THE MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

Day 5: September 12, 2021

Departure : Thank you for attending!

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