In this special dual presentation, Dr. Edita Gzoyan will explore interwar efforts to find permanent resettlement solutions for Armenian refugees who remained displaced in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide. Focusing on proposals to establish Armenian settlements in Madagascar and other locations, it examines how humanitarian, political, and demographic considerations shaped competing visions of refuge, resettlement, and homeland. Dr. Regina Galustyan will examine admission records compiled by the Norwegian missionary Bodil Biørn for 108 Armenian children in Aleppo between 1927 and 1934. After briefly outlining Biørn’s humanitarian work among Armenian communities, she will analyze the children’s family backgrounds and life circumstances, using these records to illuminate the experiences of Armenian Genocide survivors and the long-term consequences of genocidal violence.
A reception will follow the program.