YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The periodical visits of Armenian school students to the Armenian Genocide Memorial and discussions with teachers led experts at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and education authorities to conclude that there really is an issue regarding teaching the subject of the Armenian Genocide.

The opening of the three-day seminar titled the 21st Century Challenges of Teaching the Armenian Genocide Subject took place at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute on April 20.

Photos by Hayk Badalyan

“We realized that there is a problem for teachers, there is a problem for us, there is a problem in terms of methodology, and this seminar is meant to address these issues. This is perhaps the first seminar of its kind in the Armenian reality,” the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Director Harutyun Marutyan said in opening remarks.

He said that through discussions with renowned foreign scientists they want to understand how the Armenian Genocide topic is being taught abroad, both in Armenian and non-Armenian environments, given the fact that the foreign experts mostly represent the nations which were subjected to genocide throughout their history as well. These countries include Israel, Rwanda, Cambodia and others.

According to the organizers of the seminar, the main objective is to find out how to avoid the formation of the stereotype of the victim or its risks in the consciousness and psychology of children.

The seminar is organized with support from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and the Science Committee.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan said in her opening remarks that they hope the seminar would enable them to have a picture of the best strategies for teaching the subject.

Around 30 experts in genocide studies and other adjacent areas from Armenia, United States, Russia, Lebanon, Israel, Rwanda, Spain, Cambodia and South Africa are participating in the seminar.