The keynote speaker was Osheen Keshishian, editor and publisher of the weekly newspaper The Armenian Observer. Ara Sarafian and Vincent Lima, the editors of Armenian Forum, also spoke and took questions. The AGBU Young Professionals and the AGBU Westside Chapter sponsored the event. Isgouhi Kassakhian organized it.

"You are going to read it"

But who is going to read the work of these experts? Keshishian asked. "I am going to read it--and actually I have read the first two issues from cover to cover. You are going to read it, and people like you are going to read it." The kind of information and analysis found in Armenian Forum is essential to making good judgments about contemporary Armenian affairs, Keshishian said.

"The editors are young scholars who have already made a dent in Armenian affairs, and they will continue to do so. We need [this] publication because it fills a gap," Keshishian said. "And if the first issues are any indication, then Armenian Forum is on the right track and right on target."

Armenian Forum is an independent, nonpartisan, quarterly journal, published by the Gomidas Institute, a small nonprofit corporation based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The journal has an 18-member editorial board that includes a spectrum of accomplished scholars and promising younger intellectuals.

"A frank discussion"

Keshishian proceeded to review the first two issues of the journal. He started with the first issue (Spring 1998, 128 pages):

• In "a very important article," Levon Avdoyan of the Library of Congress, "points out the myth of the powerful Armenian diaspora and shows how the past shapes the future." Photographs by the artist Linda Ganjian reflect encounters between a diaspora Armenian’s fantasies of the homeland and the stark reality of Armenia.
  
• Professors David Kazanjian, Anahid Kassabian, H. Aram Veeser, and Arlene Voski Avakian "discuss articulations and intersections of nationalism and sexualities in our diaspora. You won’t read this type of an article anywhere except in Armenian Forum. The authors are all brand new [to us]. Very few people [in the Armenian community] have heard of them," Keshishian said.
  
• Political scientists Arthur Martirosyan and Robert Krikorian, both associated with Harvard University engage in "a lengthy conversation on Caspian oil."

"Around coffee tables, but not in public"

• A report on "a daring panel discussion on Armenian studies chairs brings in sharp focus the viability and the direction of these chairs. There is no frank discussion about this in all the Armenian papers. But you find it in Armenian Forum. These issues are being discussed around coffee tables, among ourselves, but not in public. Professors Marc Nichanian, Khachig Tölölyan, and George Bournoutian talk about the topic very, very frankly."

Keshishian moved on to the second issue of the journal (Summer 1998, 160 pages):

• Keshishian was particularly impressed with an article by Kim Hekimian Arzoumanian, which explores issues surrounding foreign aid and infant nutrition in Armenia. Keshishian underlined the importance of the careful, independent evaluation of foreign aid initiatives. He urged people involved in organizations that send aid to Armenia to read Hekimian Arzoumanian’s article closely.
  
• The second issue includes a historic exchange of views about the Armenian Genocide. The exchange is among some very prominent scholars: Ronald Grigor Suny, Engin Deniz Akarli, Selim Deringil, and Vahakn N. Dadrian. Keshishian emphasized that the discussion is not about whether there was a genocide; rather it explores the motives of the perpetrators. He commended the editors of Armenian Forum for initiating the exchange of views and for getting prominent Turkish scholars to participate. He said that "beautiful historical photographs" supplied by Project SAVE enhance the exchange.

Reasons for the fall

• Gerard Libaridian, who was one of the top foreign-policy advisors to President Levon Ter-Petrossian, has made very few public appearances since Ter-Petrossian’s resignation. A report in Armenian Forum covers a speech he delivered at Princeton University in May. In the speech, Libaridian offers an analysis of the reasons for the fall of the Ter-Petrossian administration.

Keshishian noted that the first and second issues of Armenian Forum both include reviews of books and CDs. He commented on the design of the journal and the high quality of production.

Keshishian said that as an editor of a weekly newspaper, he must always rush to get the news out. There is seldom time for people to engage in analysis of any depth. He concluded, "To have a good sense of what’s happening, you just have to read Armenian Forum."

Richard Hovannisian weighs in

The audience included a number of scholars, among them Professor Richard Hovannisian, the well-known historian. Professor Hovannisian spoke briefly, congratulating Ara Sarafian and Vincent Lima, the editors of Armenian Forum. After suggesting that there is a need for caution in any "dialogue with the Turks," Hovannisian expressed "confidence that the journal will have a long life." He said that it fills a significant gap and will move forward and succeed.

At the conclusion of the formal program, the editors of Armenian Forum entertained questions. In response to a question about funding, they said that subscription and advertising sales should ultimately cover the bulk of the journal’s expenses. In the interim, tax-deductible contributions have been playing a key role. The editors acknowledged a generous grant from the AGBU Central Executive Board, which covered the expenses of the first issue in full.

"A good reputation"

Osheen Keshishian drew attention to the willingness of the AGBU to subsidize the journal before a single issue had appeared. He said it is a testament to the good reputation of the editors.