An Intellectual with a Specific Purpose

Who is Harut Sassounian? Many of you, if not most, may have not heard about him and his attributions to Armenia. Harut Sassounian is a public intellectual who has stepped up and become an ambassador of human rights and an activist of the Armenian cause. The Armenian cause has been a forefront issue for all Armenian organizations who actively fight (not literally), protest, and lobby to get the Armenian Genocide recognized globally, specifically here in America. Moreover, Harout Sassounian has become an advocate for the Armenian cause through his articles in Asbarez (Armenian newspaper based in Los Angeles), The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, among others. He has been seen giving speeches all over the world as well as supporting various charities along the way.

 Harout Sassounian was born in 1950 in Aleppo, Syria. He attended Columbia University where he received his Masters in International Affairs and later continued his academics at Pepperdine University where he received his MBA. From the years 1978-1982, he served as an international marketing executive for a company in Geneva called Procter & Gamble. Later, he became the non-governmental delegate for human rights at the United Nations in Geneva. Thus, Sassounian played an important role in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the “UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities”. He is an Armenian-American writer and an activist who serves as the publisher for “The California Courier”- Sassounian’s Armenian weekly column. He is also the President of the United Armenian Fund which has helped raise approximately $460 million in an effort to provide “humanitarian assistance” to Armenia. In addition, he was the Vice Chairman of the Lincy Foundation which was founded by Kirk Krikorian in 1989 after the tragic earthquake that devastated Spitak, Armenia. The Lincy Foundation was able to provide housing to those who were misplaced as well as help rebuilt the roads and infrastructure. However, in 2011 The Lincy Foundation closed its offices and transferred its assets to the University of California, Los Angeles and is now known as the “Dream Fund”, which helps support medical and academic programs. Alongside being an activist, Sassounian has written a book titled “ The Armenian Genocide: The World Speaks out, 1915-2005, Documents & Declarations”, as well as producing an award-winning documentary titled “Armenia: Bittersweet Freedom”. Currently he takes part in the Leadership Council of the University of Southern California’s Institute of Armenian Studies and is on the Board of Directors of Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA.

It is needless to say that Sassounian’s contributions to humanity is endless and that his actions have helped influence many. However, his greatest accomplishment to this date has been the time and effort he has spent towards bringing awareness to the Armenian Genocide in the diaspora. As an Armenian-American it is hard when the country you live in constantly denies the realities of your past. America has done just that. Specifically, the president. Numerous times we have been promised that if we elect and support a candidate, than that candidate will promise that he/she will lobby for us in Congress to get the Armenian Genocide recognized. Lies.  President Obama is no different. In an article titled “ Obama’s Lack of Credibility Undermines His Initiative on Genocide Prevention”, Sassounian boldly put the Commander in Chief on blast for not being able to follow through in bringing change to the American public:

        “Regrettably, within weeks of taking office, Pres. Obama proved that he     is just another unprincipled politician by going back on his solemn promise of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and playing immoral word games for which he had chided his predecessors. Since then, he has not kept his word on hundreds of other issues, thereby undermining his credibility and causing his popularity to plummet like a lead balloon.”

He then continued to criticize the President by bringing to light Obama’s claim that  “preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States.”  How can he try to prevent future genocides if he and the rest of Congress are blind to past genocides? This issue that is raised by Sassounian is one that is important and sentimental. Before the president can begin to try to prevent from future atrocities from happening he has to take the time to acknowledge the tragedies that have taken place. Is the relations between the US and Turkey more important than being logical and rational? To those who this issue is of no interest, the answer would most likely be yes. Their thinking may entail the importance of the US and Turkey relations vs the relations between US and Armenia. After all, relations between US and Turkey have far more positives than that between US and Armenia. Let’s face the truth, the partnership between US and Turkey is too important to jeopardize. If this is the case, then why do politicians go around making promises that they clearly cannot keep? Why can’t they just be honest with Armenian-Americans and just tell us to stop and give up. Let them tell us that our efforts in protests and lobbying of resolutions will not amount to or even compare to what it will take to get the Armenian Genocide recognized in United States. Let them tell us to give up. Honestly. They will do themselves a favor and us as a people a favor. The fact that we try every year and get shut down constantly gets old after a while. How many protests and meetings can be organized without getting different results. It gets annoying and old after a while. Moral of the story, if you can’t keep any promises, then don’t make them. 

In addition to criticizing the President for his lack of actions towards the Armenian Genocide, Sassounian has also taken the initiative to criticize the Armenian diaspora:

 “It is a shame that the largest Armenian community in the Diaspora has failed to take advantage of Pres. Obama’s visits to California to protest his refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Last October, when he traveled to Los Angeles and Glendale, not a single Armenian confronted him at his public appearances”

This was Sassounian’s effort to assemble Armenians in California to take advantage of their rights to freedom of speech and thus, voice their concerns and thoughts. Often times we jump at the opportunity to say what we feel and bring to light issues that we disagree with. However, when given the actual chance to voice our concerns to an individual of power and stature, we tend to back down and keep quiet. Why? Are we afraid of what others might think, or are we afraid of being the first to voice our thoughts. Either way, we have to learn to stand up for what we believe in and make sure that our voices are heard. Let’s take for example the countless protests that occur in France. Every chance they get to protest and voice their concerns over something that they believe in, they do it. So why can’t we? Why are we so apathetic when it comes to actually taking action? Wish I knew the answer. 

Moreover, Harout Sassounian has become the epitome of a public intellectual to Armenians around the world. But what makes a public intellectual? According to Stephen Mack’s post “The “Decline” in Public Intellectuals?” in his blog “ The New Democratic Review”, a public intellectual is someone who cares for the people and their well being and there mere effort to help the public should not be affected by who they are as an individual: 

“our notions of the public intellectual need to focus less on who or what a public intellectual is—and by  extension, the qualifications for getting and keeping the title. Instead, we need to be more concerned with the work public intellectuals must do, irrespective of who happens to be doing it.”

This falls true  to who Sassounian is. It doesn’t matter that he has written book or served on countless committees, what matters is the fact that he has been able to bring attention to a cause that is not only important to him, but also important to his race. He has spent selfless hours debating, serving, and volunteering for a nation that he strongly believes in. So who is Harut Sassounian? He is a public intellectual who fights for the rights of Armenians and more specifically, humanity. 


To read Harut Sassounian's articles visit Asbarez.com and www.huffingtonpost.com