The Vartan Oskanian event that launched his book, Speaking to be Heard, (Անաւարտ Տասնամեակ) , was remarkable in several aspects.

Firstly, it was organized by two youth organizations standing traditionally on opposite sides of the multitude of Armenian Diasporan divides, the AGBU Montreal Young Professionals (YP) and the ARF Armen Karo Student Association.  This in itself was a positive development.

Secondly, it brought together several bright minds to frame the book presentation by the author.  The evening was emceed by Chahe Tanachian of the AGBU YPs (Director of the AGBU M. Keusseyan Armenian Studies Program), and by Lalai Manjikian of the Armen Karo Association (a PhD student at McGill).  The book itself was diligently presented in both Armenian and English by Dr. H. Hacikyan, himself an accomplished scholar, writer and teacher.  As for the author, he was introduced by none other than George Shirinian, the tireless Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute.

Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests and Dear Compatriots:

I am pleased to be here tonight to introduce Mr. Vartan Oskanian, a dynamic and engaging individual, whose life can be viewed as having four distinct stages: the Middle East, the Soviet Union, the United States, and independent Armenia. As we shall see, there is a common thread running through all of them.

Vartan Oskanian was born in Aleppo, Syria and is a graduate of the AGBU Lazar Najarian high school there. Though a Syrian national, Vartan felt a strong sense of his Armenian identity and to further his education went to Armenia, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Structural Engineering from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute.

He then went to the US and obtained a Master’s in Structural Engineering from Tufts University in the Boston area. There he was captivated by the tremendous intellectual activity and energy of such a huge centre of learning, with scores of universities, and hundreds of thousands of students and professors. While working as a structural engineer, he succumbed to the need to fulfill his intellectual curiosity, which led him to take a second Master’s degree, this time at Harvard, in the field of Government Studies.

Speaking To Be Heard: A Decade of Speeches is about Vartan Oskanian's years in office between 1998 and 2008 as the Republic of Armenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs. It displays his political determination, diplomatic competence and indefatigable undertakings to advance Armenia=s interests. It is a compendium of a substantial number of statements delivered from influential platforms while crisscrossing dozens of capitals and cities around the world. The book chronicles a crucial period in the history of the young independent nation; it is an invaluable  record, an enlightening narrative for all who study the evolution of the new Republic. It is also a permanent reference that will enable future generations to comprehend the challenge facing the country during those years.

These speeches reflect Oskanian's initiatives to allow the state to pursue its concerns and objectives beyond its national borders in cooperation with other states. I welcome this collection as one of the most  revealing documents ever  swirled into being by an Armenian political mind.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union Young Professionals and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Armen Karo Student Association hosted the Montreal launch of former Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian’s recently published volume: Speaking to be Heard: A Decade of Speeches. The presentation took place at the Montreal Marriott Courtyard Hotel.

The book, a selection of nearly 100 speeches in the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO and more than a dozen international think tanks, as well as to Diaspora and Armenia-based organizations.

George Shirinian, Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute spoke about the author, while Professor Emericts Agop Hacikyan presented the book. Mr. Oskanian talked about his experiences during his years in office.

The Civilitas Foundation's monthly public debate focused on Armenia's prospects and obstacles in European integration and cooperation processes. The debate was moderated by Tatul Hakobyan, journalist and Civilitas analyst, with panel participants, Tevan Poghosyan, Executive Director of the International Center for Human Development, as well as Nune Sargsyan, Executive Director of Internews Armenia.

During the discussion, Mr. Vartan Oskanian, President of the Board of the Civilitas Foundation, said the following, "I am confident that Armenia has no other choice but European integration. But in order to be able to integrate, we need three-way cooperation among Europe, Armenian society and the Armenian authorities. If this trilateral cooperation doesn’t work right, or all sides don’t participate, these processes will never come to a successful conclusion, and our people will not benefit from them. Let’s leave aside membership issues for a while. I have always said, even during my years in office, that it is the process, not the membership itself that our people need to benefit from, such that the population feels positive change as a result of this cooperation, every day of their lives.

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The Civilitas Foundation's monthly public debate focused on Armenia's prospects and obstacles in European integration and cooperation processes. The debate was moderated by Tatul Hakobyan, journalist and Civilitas analyst, with panel participants, Tevan Poghosyan, Executive Director of the International Center for Human Development, as well as Nune Sargsyan, Executive Director of Internews Armenia.

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The Civilitas Foundation hosts a public debate between Armenian and Turkish public figures regarding Armenia-Turkey Relations, Protocols, and the historical relationship and trauma between both nations.

The Civilitas Foundation organized a unique exhibition of postcards, printed and mailed in Turkey, from the collection of Orlando Calumeno. The exhibition is curated and edited by Osman Koker and reflects the reality of life for an integrated community in nearly two dozen cities throughout the Ottoman Empire. The thousands of cards testify to the lives of individuals, businesses, schools, churches and other Armenian institutions living and functioning there.

Vartan Oskanian has been Honorary President of the Golden Apricot Film Festival since the festival’s inception. This year, Mr. Oskanian presented the special ‘Master’ prize to the renowned American director Rob Nilsson at the Moscow Cinema on July 14.

“When the organizers of the festival invited me to take on this duty years ago, I accepted it with pleasure, because I believe that film is the best medium for dialogue and mutual understanding among societies,” Mr. Oskanian said in presenting the award.

More than a hundred guests were present at the public discussion on “Vulgarity vs. Political Debate”, organised by the Civilitas Foundation on July 7, 2009. The speakers were Artsvik Minasyan, member of the ARF faction of the National Assembly, Hranush Kharatyan, a noted ethnographer and public commentator, and Naira Melkumyan, former foreign minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and founder of the “Aybengir” publishing house.

Opening the discussion, Civilitas Foundation director Salpi Ghazarian spoke on how the absence of a culture of political debate within Armenia forces us to seek platforms elsewhere. Thus when we do not have the means to defend our rights in Armenian courts, we are compelled to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, or if there is no possibility of debate in Armenia’s parliament, the issue moves to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

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More than a hundred guests were present at the public discussion on “Vulgarity vs. Political Debate,” organized by the Civilitas Foundation on July 7, 2009. The speakers were Artsvik Minasyan, member of the ARF faction of the National Assembly, Hranush Kharatyan, a noted ethnographer and public commentator, and Naira Melkumyan, former foreign minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and founder of the “Aybengir” publishing house.

Opening the discussion, Civilitas Foundation director Salpi Ghazarian spoke on how the absence of a culture of political debate within Armenia forces us to seek platforms elsewhere. Thus when we do not have the means to defend our rights in Armenian courts, we are compelled to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, or if there is no possibility of debate in Armenia’s parliament, the issue moves to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

I want to thank you for this invitation to speak here today, about a topic that is at the center of Armenia’s foreign policy, Armenia’s international relations, Armenia’s relations with the Diaspora, and of course, also at the center of the Diaspora’s own agenda. That is Armenia-Turkey relations.

In my book "Speaking To Be Heard" where I have a long introduction about the foreign policy considerations that are reflected in my decade of speeches, one of the points I make is that with any natural change of administration anywhere, in any country, it is natural that there be both continuity and change in a country’s foreign policy.

I didn’t think when I was living and studying here, nearly 20 years ago, that I would be here one day, talking about my book. I remember stopping at the old NAASR building looking at everyone else’s books. I’m pleased that NAASR has agreed to distribute this book. I also used to come to Bentley to hear lectures but I didn’t know that I’d be giving one myself on these very interesting 10 years.

This year out of office, I’ve had time to reflect on this last decade of my life. During those years in the ministry, I was always aware that we are living history. You can’t let that thought drive your actions, but every now and then, especially on a Sunday, sitting alone in my office, I felt the responsibility of history.

At the invitation of the Civilitas Foundation, concerned citizens and political leaders met to discuss the civil and human right: right to elect, in light of the just-concluded Yerevan city elections.

The meeting took place at the Yerevan Hotel, Rossini Room. Mr. Armen Harutyunyan, Ombudsman, and Mr. Vartan Oskanian, President of the Board of the Civilitas Foundation, opened the discussion with an overview of all that is at stake for a newly developing democracy if the institution of elections does not take hold. Mr. Harutyunyan spoke about the fact that the low turnout says much about the opposition’s inability to attract and keep its own supporters, because the bulk of the Yerevan city electorate is in opposition to those currently in office. He said that the "apathy that causes this is as much a problem for the authorities as it is for the opposition, just as the cause of this apathy is also partly the authorities’ responsibility."

Others, including representatives of various political parties, spoke about what ought to come next to improve the political and social environment in which elections take place.

Mr. Oskanian opened the program asking that the discussion focus on what to do to improve the process in order to improve perceptions of fairness and legitimacy.

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The Civilitas Foundation hosts a public discussion regarding the right and responsibility of citizens to elect, strengthening democracy in Armenia, the 2008 Armenian Presidential elections, and the lack of 'Free & Fair Democratic Elections' in the 17 year old Independent Republic of Armenia.

One week after the Yerevan City elections and just days after the results are publicized, the Civilitas Foundation invites you to a forum on "The Right to Elect." President of the Civilitas Board Vartan Oskanian will speak with Armenia's Ombudsman Armen Harutunyan to discuss this most basic civil right, both in theory and in the way in which it's being applied in Armenia.

The Ombudsman, Armenia's human rights defender, has spoken out about the presidential election of 2008 and the events and environment that followed. Now, in the context of the Yerevan elections, Civilitas invites those interested to discuss the institutional and personal factors which define each election and how to prepare the ground for true, reflective, responsive elections.

The Civilitas Forum will take place at the Yerevan Golden Tulip Hotel Rossini Room on June 9, at 4.30 pm. To attend please register at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by calling 010.500119.

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Vartan Oskanian spoke about his newly-published book of speeches, Speaking To Be Heard. The book includes nearly 100 statements delivered during the decade of his two terms as foreign minister. He reflected on the fact that Armenia’s foreign policy, as well as global developments of that decade, are reflected in the various statements. He also expressed confidence that the book will be useful to those studying the history of the Armenian Republic, and to future generations who want a better understanding of the challenges facing us, at this time in history.

Speaking about the title of the book, Vartan Oskanian explained that the purpose of these speeches in international forums was to be heard by policymakers, and that he did that by always trying to speak about Armenia’s problems and challenges in the wider context of international issues.

Part 1                                                                   Part 2

The Civilitas Foundation hosts a public discussion regarding the right and responsibility of citizens to elect, strengthening democracy in Armenia, the 2008 Armenian Presidential elections, and the lack of 'Free & Fair Democratic Elections' in the 17 year old Independent Republic of Armenia.

Part 1                                                                     Part 2

A public discussion following the presentation of Armenia in 2008: Crisis and Opportunity at Golden Tulip on 26 December 2008, with the participation of Vartan Oskanian of the Civilitas Foundation, former Prime Minister Armen Darbinyan, member of the National Assembly and Armenian Revolutionary Federation leader Armen Rustamyan, and member of the opposition Hovhannes Igityan.

Vartan Oskanian, founder of the Civilitas Foundation & former Foreign Minister of Armenia, speaks to reporters and introduces the Foundation to the public on the occasion of the Foundation's official launch. Mr. Oskanian also discusses the goals, initiatives, and motivations of the Foundation, and the importance it intends to play upon the development of Armenian civil society, democracy, and statehood, in the South Caucasus.