Marching for genocide awareness
11/26/2006
The Hudson Reporter
By Jim Hague 11/26/2006
Weehawken native walks coast to coast in 'Journey for Humanity'
Weehawken native Edward Majian was finally able to put his feet up and rest a week ago Wednesday, something he has not done much since late June.
Back then, he and five other college students of Armenian descent began a journey from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. - on foot.
"I figured I went through five pairs of sneakers, walking 3,300 miles," said Majian, who completed the five-month long "Journey for Humanity" to draw attention to the murders of 400,000 innocent residents of Darfur in Sudan, as well as other genocidal events in history, some of which have occurred in Armenia.
"We walked about 28 to 30 miles a day," he said. "I think it was very rewarding, making a difference with people who don't know who you are and don't know about genocide."
Genocide is defined as "The deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group." The most famous genocide was the Holocaust, but there are often smaller genocides going on in foreign lands that the average American remains unaware of.
Majian, who is a student of political science and social justice at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, took the semester off so he could march with members of the United Armenian Students (UAS).
"My girlfriend became involved with the organization, and when I heard of the march, I wanted to be a part of it as well," Majian said.
There was a symbolic meaning to the students' march.
"Walking and marching is used as a method to kill in the genocide," he said. "In Armenia, people were made to walk in blistering heat. They were death marches. If they couldn't walk, they were killed on the site."
There was a historic inspiration as well.
"In modern times, some of the greatest freedoms were achieved with marches," Majian said. "Mahatma Gandhi had the Salt March. Dr. Martin Luther King had the Freedom March to Washington. It proves that humanity does, indeed, have choices. It's very sobering."
Majian said that he was amazed that most of the people he encountered during his march had no idea what genocide means.
"I was struck by their honesty," Majian said. "Some would say, 'I need to know. Explain it to me.' They had to find out that genocide is not a distant thing, that it is still happening today. Once they realized what it was, people reached into their pockets and donated."
Still happening today
Majian and his five comrades went to several colleges along the way to make presentations, including a stop at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, where the marchers were warmly greeted.
"The Social Justice Department at St. Peter's has been a tremendous help," Majian said. "They are the reason why I decided to dedicate my life to such causes."
Along the way, the marchers met with members of the United States Senate and Congress to discuss legislation that would recognize genocide.
"There were times that it became frustrating, because I felt that people didn't care," Majian said. "How could people not care about hundreds of thousands of people being killed? But after a while, I realized that it was a very effective method and we were able to pass on the word."
Majian added, "We felt that if we didn't do something, then nothing would get done. No one is taking the time to teach genocide as a problem in society."
A week ago Wednesday, the six weary travelers completed the final stretch of their tour, marching to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) to facilitate genocide awareness being addressed on the Congressional floor.
"We walked the last two miles to the Capitol building," Majian said. "The project was presented on the House floor. If we didn't do what we did, chances are that it would never have been addressed in Washington."
Majian said that even though their journey is completed, the project is far from being history and they still need financial support.
"It's a misconception that we don't need funding, because we're still about $30,000 in debt," Majian said.
Majian said that a documentary about the journey is in the works, as is a possible book deal.
"Some countries act like these genocides never happened. But we have to make sure that they are recognized."
To learn more about the "Journey for Humanity," log onto here, through which one donate to the cause.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
The Hudson Reporter
By Jim Hague 11/26/2006
Weehawken native walks coast to coast in 'Journey for Humanity'
Weehawken native Edward Majian was finally able to put his feet up and rest a week ago Wednesday, something he has not done much since late June.
Back then, he and five other college students of Armenian descent began a journey from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. - on foot.
"I figured I went through five pairs of sneakers, walking 3,300 miles," said Majian, who completed the five-month long "Journey for Humanity" to draw attention to the murders of 400,000 innocent residents of Darfur in Sudan, as well as other genocidal events in history, some of which have occurred in Armenia.
"We walked about 28 to 30 miles a day," he said. "I think it was very rewarding, making a difference with people who don't know who you are and don't know about genocide."
Genocide is defined as "The deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group." The most famous genocide was the Holocaust, but there are often smaller genocides going on in foreign lands that the average American remains unaware of.
Majian, who is a student of political science and social justice at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, took the semester off so he could march with members of the United Armenian Students (UAS).
"My girlfriend became involved with the organization, and when I heard of the march, I wanted to be a part of it as well," Majian said.
There was a symbolic meaning to the students' march.
"Walking and marching is used as a method to kill in the genocide," he said. "In Armenia, people were made to walk in blistering heat. They were death marches. If they couldn't walk, they were killed on the site."
There was a historic inspiration as well.
"In modern times, some of the greatest freedoms were achieved with marches," Majian said. "Mahatma Gandhi had the Salt March. Dr. Martin Luther King had the Freedom March to Washington. It proves that humanity does, indeed, have choices. It's very sobering."
Majian said that he was amazed that most of the people he encountered during his march had no idea what genocide means.
"I was struck by their honesty," Majian said. "Some would say, 'I need to know. Explain it to me.' They had to find out that genocide is not a distant thing, that it is still happening today. Once they realized what it was, people reached into their pockets and donated."
Still happening today
Majian and his five comrades went to several colleges along the way to make presentations, including a stop at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, where the marchers were warmly greeted.
"The Social Justice Department at St. Peter's has been a tremendous help," Majian said. "They are the reason why I decided to dedicate my life to such causes."
Along the way, the marchers met with members of the United States Senate and Congress to discuss legislation that would recognize genocide.
"There were times that it became frustrating, because I felt that people didn't care," Majian said. "How could people not care about hundreds of thousands of people being killed? But after a while, I realized that it was a very effective method and we were able to pass on the word."
Majian added, "We felt that if we didn't do something, then nothing would get done. No one is taking the time to teach genocide as a problem in society."
A week ago Wednesday, the six weary travelers completed the final stretch of their tour, marching to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) to facilitate genocide awareness being addressed on the Congressional floor.
"We walked the last two miles to the Capitol building," Majian said. "The project was presented on the House floor. If we didn't do what we did, chances are that it would never have been addressed in Washington."
Majian said that even though their journey is completed, the project is far from being history and they still need financial support.
"It's a misconception that we don't need funding, because we're still about $30,000 in debt," Majian said.
Majian said that a documentary about the journey is in the works, as is a possible book deal.
"Some countries act like these genocides never happened. But we have to make sure that they are recognized."
To learn more about the "Journey for Humanity," log onto here, through which one donate to the cause.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 9:56 AM
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