ANCC & ANCQ Welcome the Launch of the Genocide Education Guide in Quebec

(OTTAWA – April 25, 2022) – The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) and the Armenian National Committee of Quebec (ANCQ) welcome the launch of the Genocide Education Guide released by the Ministry of Education of the Province of Quebec on April 25, 2022.

The comprehensive educational guide developed through the advocacy efforts of the Genocide Education Foundation and its partner organizations – including the ANCC and the ANCQ – will serve as the quintessential manuscript to help educators across the province of Quebec to teach about the crime of genocide and raise the proper awareness about the consequences of this crime.

“This is an important moment for the ANCC, which has collaborated with the Genocide Education Foundation over the past years to ensure that high school students all across the province of Quebec can learn about the Armenian Genocide and understand the steps that lead up to such atrocities,” said Dr. Lalai Manjikian, ANCQ representative on the Executive Board of the Genocide Education Foundation.

The document is the first-ever universal genocide education guide available in Quebec’s secondary school system reaching over 343,000 students and 800 educational institutions.

The bilingual guide defines the crime of genocide and methodically explains the various stages that have historically led to this crime. Additionally, it provides thoroughly reviewed case studies of nine UN and Canadian recognized genocides, including The First Nations Cultural Genocide (1876-1993), The Herero and Nama Genocide (1904-1908), The Armenian Genocide (1915-1923), The Ukrainian Holodomor (1932-1933), The Roma and the Sinti Genocide (1935-1945), The Holocaust (1939-1945), The Cambodian Genocide (1975-1979), The Bosnian Genocide (1992-1995) and The Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda (1994).

The guide’s primary goal is to prevent future genocides by providing educators and students with the necessary tools and skills to promote knowledge and education and create a system of values and attitudes that shape the collective understanding of this issue.

The publication of this unprecedented guide is the result of the concerted efforts of the Genocide Education Foundation and its partner organizations who for years have tirelessly advocated for this important and ground-breaking initiative.

“It is essential to work with all the communities affected by genocide to be able to weave parallels, understand the different stages that precede it and underline the denial of those responsible after the fact. A genocide, no matter in which century or in which country it takes place, always has similarities,” said Hrag Jinjinian, ANCC representative on the Executive Board of the Genocide Education Foundation.

The Armenian National Committee of Canada and the Armenian National Committee of Quebec applaud the efforts of the Genocide Education Foundation and the tireless work of its executives, including ANCC representatives Dr. Lalai Manjikian and Hrag Jinjinian, as well as Dr. Alan Whitehorn, Dr. Isabelle Kaprielian-Churchill, Dr. Stacey Churchill, Aram Adjemian and Raffi Sarkissian for their academic advice and guidance.

To read the full guide, please click the following link; https://bit.ly/3EMOkcZ