The Denial of the Armenian Genocide and the Role of Media

In my final research paper, I would like to discuss the following issues and be able to find answers to the following questions:

Part I: The definition of the word “Genocide”
Brief historic outlook of how the Armenian Genocide took place in 1915.
How did the leader countries of that time react to this?
The Armenian diaspora after the Genocide. Where did the survivors reach?
Analyze 2 pictures taken from the Genocide.
The role of media during the Genocide
Analyze lyrics of a song (to be picked very soon)
The Turkish point of view regarding the Genocide until today
Why is this Genocide still denied?
Why does Turkey remain unpunished until today?

Part II : Advertising and media has been the strongest weapon for all types of campaigns for some time now, what has been their role from 1915 until today? (Discussion of this point in details through different media)
Analyze and discuss samples of posters and stickers designed by university students taken from various years.
On the national level, discuss briefly what the Lebanese have done for the recognition of this Genocide
On the international level, talk briefly about The Armenian National Committee of America. Also discuss the role of the European media.

Bibliographies:

“ Black God of Fate” by Peter Balakian (book)

“ The Great War for Civilization; The Conquest of The Middle East” by Robert Fisk(book)

“Armenia; Cradle of Civilization” by David Marshall long (book)

“Western Armenia; lost Motherland” (DVD produced and directed by Haig Harutyunyan)

“Armenian National Committee of America” (DVD)

“The Genocide In Me” (DVD)

www.anca.org

The Effect of Visual Arts on Environmental Awareness

To influence minds of the masses, it has been resorted to visuals as a means of propaganda or lobbying for certain causes. In my paper I will discuss how Environmental agencies, ministries, media and NGOs have utilized visuals as a successful means in order to educate and influence the ideas of the commoners and in raising their awareness, as well as the extent to which the visual perception has been successful in achieving the original aim. This was attained through movies, animations, documentaries, photography galleries and contests, as well as posters.

Below is a prelimenary list of visual productions i compiled that deal with the subject matter reflecting on the importance of environmental awareness.

1. Movie releases\ documentaries:
“Inconvenient truth” ,

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

"The Great Warming" ,

www.thegreatwarming.com/

"Crude Impact",

www.crudeimpact.com/

2. Photography exhibitions\ competitions:
Establishing “Environmental Photographer of the Year” prize, www.ciwem.org/arts/photographer/
Competitions on major TV channels, Nat Geo , BBC, etc…

3. Posters (competitions, display)

Design competitions (Earth Day)

NGOs (Greenpeace)

4. Series\Animations

TV productions and animated series have contributed to this awareness more implicitly. E.g. "Army recruitment" , the Simpsons’ politically geared jokes are the ones with the most bite and brilliance touches upon the issue of environmental awarness. This particular clip encompasses several topics from the episode regarding over-fishing, global warming, and deforestation.

http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/01/08/the-simpsons-on-the-environment/

As the visual arts can help portray our world in a subtle way, it can also be used to stimulate the emotional and motivational state of the perciever, hence visual perception as such can trigger a sense of environmetal awareness. My final paper will try to survey what's available , try to assess the impact of these visuals on the people , and discuss how it was visualy percieved.

I am What I am Not

   It’s always thought and introspected how the so-called media has authorized our lives unconditionally in all aspects. Questions to be asked outline the interference of media in our daily usual lives on one extremity, and it’s power to bound, shape, and metamorphose humanity on the other. As human beings, we are dwelled into a world whereby the scenario of our lives are a reflection of the exact scenarios illustrated in ads, movies, and the surrounding overall media. It’s to eventually realize that who we are is not completely a choice of who we want to be. It’s instead the total effect of the media to outline a certain identity into what is then transformed into our own identity.

 

   It’s in between what’s wrong and what’s right to do. It’s a standard piece built with formulated norms, rules, and the expectations to be done. It’s not an ultimate choice. It’s who we are, yet who the media wants us to be. Speaking of experiences, at times of our lives we are driven into a state of denial. Denying our image or the person we are becoming to be due to what the media has zoned this image specifically into the list of immoral acts, sinful behaviors, and disgrace. Eventually, we are either pressured to remodel our identity or live in an ultimate state of refusal. Accepting who we are is thus achieved once what we see and hear praises the person we have already become.

 

   Imagine if we wake up one day to find out that what we are watching in advertisements, TV series, movies, shows, etc… is a scenario illustrating a totally different way of living, thinking and dealing with matter. We are initially driven into refusing what we are seeing or what we are hearing thus justifying the norms and the rules we are raised upon. Even though the media is proclaiming the actual way of living, our refusal is rigidly based on the person we have already become. But what if a newborn baby is raised during this specific time where the media has tilted it’s way to illustrate the actual life?

 

   My research paper speaks out of introspection and depends on the analysis of the person I have become to be, which is directly linked to the power of the media in remodeling my identity. Moving from personal experiences, research and citations, I will show how our lives as human beings is being formulated by what we see and what we hear. In other words, identities are not totally a choice; they are instead a total reflection of what the media proclaims to be the right identity. 

the reality that we would never know...

It is one of these questions that I sometimes ask myself in my daily life, but I never really got an answer. Who am I and how do I look like? It might sound absurd but most of us don’t have an answer for that and if we do, it would be based on something we already know and not something we have discovered on our own. Have you ever tried sitting alone in a place where no one can reach you, cell phones no tv no internet, nothing that connects you to the real world. And you ponder is it really “the real world” ??? But how could it be real if its something that is seen in a virtual dimension, i.e the television, the computer …etc. It is the unreal reality. It is the fact that who we are is very much attached to everything has passed before our eyes. Starting from the simple idea that we have taken for granted, which involves hanging pictures of our loved ones or idols (supposedly or else why are they up there) over the walls of our homes. Everything that we have come across in our life, in all its phases, there nothing left out without being transformed driven in with the stream of stereotype.

If a person is to be isolated throughout his/her life from all the things that are actually being imposed on us, and all the things that we have learned or scanned in our minds but never questioned. If it was for that person to have no pre-cultural knowledge no message, no image in his head nothing but his/ her life. This would be reality. This would be nothing but honesty, and clarity of vision and judgment. It is for the same powerful reason that made the visual library part of our system, it is also the fact that its something unequivocal.

Our pre-historical knowledge and the visual culture has played a major role in our life. It is the building blocks of our visual memory. It controls all the aspects of judgment in vision and in thoughts. The problem is that this path that has been drawn before us, has really shaped how we think and the way we look on the outside it has struck every aspect of reality and turned us into narcissist that do believe that what we have given from appearance is imperfect and full of flaws according to the idealized imagery. How can this idealized and perfect imagery that over the years turned from being clear and obvious form of deception into the truth and reality itself. How could something that is delusional and unreal become the common truth that most people believe in or acknowledge.

If I were to erase all the messages I have received and erase everything thought in my mind. Without all these stereotypes, all these messages and images that have been imposed on me in every stupid detail of life. That is how its possible to find out who you really and how you think and why. That would be reality itself. That’s how everyone could in the core of him/her self and find the purpose and reason of his life.

Looking for a missing employee

We were supposed to Show Rabih Mroué's performance "Looking for a missing employee" in Shizuoka, Japan. But due to the current situation, we were unable to travel and instead we broadcast the show from here through the internet. We set up 3 web cams that projected the live stream on 3 screens on stage.