GLENDALE, CA The Armenian National Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR) has announced that Ara Papian will serve as a panelist in “Transnational Justice: Contemporary Approaches,” which will discuss current strategies for Armenian Genocide recognition and reparations. The panel is part of the ANC Grassroots weekend that will take place from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27, 2011, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

Papian, currently the head of the Modus Vivendi Research Center in Yerevan, has served as ambassador of Armenia to Canada and as spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry. His presentation will focus on the Wilson Arbitral Award, which in 1920 established a Turkey-Armenia boundary pursuant to the Treaty of Sevres. Through this legal document, Armenia was granted the provinces of Van, Bitlis, Erzurum, and Trabzon.

Papian restored the 245-page document and the attached maps, which clearly depict that not only Nagorno Karabakh, but also Lower Karabakh belongs to Armenia as delineated by President Wilson.

The never-before-published compilation was published earlier this year in two volumes. An Armenian translation is already in the works and will be available in two years.

Papian said that this comprehensive compilation will allow for the document to be presented to international legal experts and its conclusion be applied the International Court for a ruling on the matter.

A historian and diplomat, Papian will speak about the legal and historical background of the Arbitral Award. The Arbitral Award, which is titled “Decision of the President of the United States of America respecting the Frontier between Turkey and Armenia, Access for Armenia to the Sea, and the Demilitarization of Turkish Territory adjacent to the Armenian Frontier,” was never revoked or altered. According to Papian, it remains in force under U.S. and international law.

The three-day ANC Grassroots program is a groundbreaking weekend of workshops and panel presentations that will educate the community about civic leadership arising from grassroots efforts. ANC Grassroots will bookend the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) Annual Banquet, which will take place on Saturday, November 26 at 7 p.m.

The conference and Annual Banquet are open to interested individuals throughout the entire United States, and participants are encouraged to register early.

Tickets for ANC Grassroots, which includes the Friday night cocktail in the Starview Room; as well as conference sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which include breakfast, post-banquet dance, and a keynote luncheon on Sunday, are $150. Tickets for the Annual Banquet are $200. Those interested in attending the Annual Banquet and ANC Grassroots can purchase a package for $300.

Students with valid ID can purchase discounted tickets to the Annual Banquet and Conference.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.