Yair Auron, Israeli Historian and Visiting Professor at AUA, Discusses Genocide and Identity
2 min readYEREVAN, Armenia – On February 25, 2015, celebrated Israeli historian and scholar, Yair Auron, gave a public lecture at the American University of Armenia (AUA) on the topic of “Genocide and Identity.” Professor Auron is currently serving as a Visiting Professor in AUA’s Political Science & International Affairs program for the 2015 spring semester. The event was part of the 1915 Centennial series at AUA.
Professor Auron gave a wide-ranging lecture, talking about his recent trip to Nagorno-Karabakh, his upcoming interview with Charles Aznavour, genocide around the world, including in Rwanda and Darfur, and the struggle for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. “It is unacceptable that your genocide is not recognized,” he said. “Unrecognized genocide is just preparation for another genocide.”
Don Fuller, AUA Provost, introduced the speaker and stated, “We’re so happy to have Professor Auron here. He’s been a good friend to the Armenians and he is a strong advocate of raising awareness of genocide and human rights all over the world.”
Professor Auron spoke about his time teaching at AUA, stating, “Since my first day at this university, I have felt at home.”
Despite expressing disappointment with the world’s leading nations’ half-hearted and indifferent response to the fight against genocide, Professor Auron cited education as the most important means for preventing genocide in the future. He also added, “We have to begin by working on ourselves and ending hatred from within.”
The lecture was followed by a lively Q & A session. Professor Auron answered questions on how to promote genocide recognition, the responsibility of the international community for genocide condemnation and prevention, Armenian Genocide recognition and reparations, the misapplication of the term genocide to Khojaly, and his disappointment at Israel’s failure to condemn the Armenian Genocide.
Professor Auron has served as the head of the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication at the Open University of Israel. Auron received his MA from the Hebrew University and his Ph.D from the Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle. He has been a strong advocate of raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide in Israel and has published a series of books in Hebrew and English on various major cases of genocide, including one on the Armenian Genocide earlier this year. As part of his time at AUA, Professor Auron has been making visits to other institutions around Armenia, including the UWC Dilijan College, where he gave a lecture on genocide to the students, academic staff, and Dilijan locals.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.
Celebrated Israeli historian and scholar, Yair Auron, gave a public lecture at the American University of Armenia (AUA) on the topic of “Genocide and Identity”
The lecture was held informally, with Professor Auron speaking to the audience about various topics, including his recent trip to Nagorno-Karabakh, his upcoming interview with Charles Aznavour, genocides around the world, including in Rwanda and South Sudan, and the struggle for recognition of the Armenian Genocide
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