Armenian Alliance Conversations with Manyak Saakyan

Arpe Asaturyan and Frontline Therapists Provide Mental Health Services to Armenians Impacted by War

Arpe Asaturyan, the founder and president of Frontline Therapists, discusses how Frontline Therapists provides mental health services to the soldiers and civilians who were impacted by the Artsakh War of 2020 and Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia on September 13, 2022. She talks about the most common mental health issues that veterans and their families, military personnel, medical personnel and the more than 100,000 civilians who are impacted by war are experiencing. Ms Asaturyan also discusses the need for better training and professional development for mental health professionals in Armenia. She also discusses the mental health education and outreach efforts that Frontline Therapists is conducting in Armenia.
Arpe Asaturyan is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed psychotherapist with over nine years of experience. She received her Masters in Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. She has a Bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Northridge. In 2017, she established a private practice that specializes in stress management, treating symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief and loss, post-partum disorders and serving the geriatric community.

Dr. Nerses Kopalyan Discusses the Military & Geopolitical Context of Azerbaijan’s Attacks on Armenia

Dr. Nerses Kopalyan discusses the military, political and geopolitical context of Azerbaijan's attacks on Armenia. He discusses Azerbaijan's strategy of cross border attacks and incursions into Armenian territory, including taking pieces of land from Armenia by force. He also talks about Aliyev's grand strategy of creating humanitarian catastrophes and using psychological warfare against the Armenian population in order to pressure the Armenian government to concede to Azerbaijan's demands. Dr. Kopalyan states that Aliyev's demand for a sovereign corridor through Armenian territory is a tactic to pressure Armenia to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan's territory. Dr. Kopalyan explains some of the military disparities between Armenia and Azerbaijan and what should be done to improve Armenia's military capabilities. He mentions some of the ways that Armenians in the diaspora can assist Armenia with the transfer of knowledge to Armenian institutions. Dr. Kopalyan talks about how the United States, France and Iran have been responding to Azerbaijan's major attack on Armenia on September 13, 2022. He talks about the implications of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Armenia and possible diplomatic and military assistance from the United States and France. Dr. Kopalyan explains that Iran may intervene militarily if Azerbaijan attempts to invade Syunik, Armenia.
Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, PhD. is an associate professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). His fields of specialization include international security, geopolitics, political theory, and philosophy of science. He has conducted extensive research on polarity, superpower relations, and security studies. He is the author of World Political Systems After Polarity, the co-author of Sex, Power, And Politics, and co-author of Latinos in Nevada: A Political, Social, and Economic Profile. His current research and academic publications focus on geopolitical and great power relations within Eurasia, with an emphasis on democratic breakthroughs within authoritarian orbits. He has conducted extensive field work in Armenia on the country's security architecture and its democratization process. He has authored several policy papers for the government of Armenia and has served as a voluntary advisor to various state institutions.

Meline Mailyan Talks About Why the Center For Truth and Justice Records Artsakh War Testimonies

Meline Mailyan, Esq. discusses how the Center For Truth and Justice (CFTJ) trains law students and lawyers in Armenia and Artsakh to interview the survivors of the Artsakh War of 2020 to record their testimonies with in-depth video interviews that are admissible in court. Ms Mailyan explains why it is essential to properly record and preserve the eyewitness testimonies of war survivors for legal and academic reasons. She talks about how eyewitness testimonies have provided evidence for the many war crimes that Azerbaijan is accused of committing during the Artsakh War of 2020. Ms Mailyan talks about how the CFTJ provided evidence regarding the abuse of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan’s custody, that was used in the Armenia VS Azerbaijan case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The CFTJ also presented evidence of the disappearance and abuse of Armenian POWs to the US Congress. Meline Mailyan, Esq. is one of the co-founders of the Center for Truth and Justice. She currently serves as a Board member and manages public relations for the CFTJ. Ms Mailyan is a community activist and a passionate advocate for immigrants. In 2013, she established her immigration law practice in Glendale, California. She has also been raising awareness about the Armenian Genocide as well as other unrecognized acts of crimes against humanity. Meline Mailyan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Russian Languages from UCLA. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis School of Law.

Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte Discusses the Ethnic Cleansing of Armenians from Baku and Her Foundation

Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte discusses her philanthropic work in Armenia and Artsakh. She talks about why the Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte Foundation began the Ser Artsakh Baby Gift Box program, with the goal of providing a box of essential supplies to every new mother in Artsakh. Mrs. Astvatsaturian Turcotte also discusses her memoir called Nowhere, A Story of Exile which is based on her family’s history of surviving the ethnic cleansing of more than 300,000 Armenians from Azerbaijan. She talks about the pogroms and violence against Armenians in Azerbaijan, because of the Nagorno-Karabakh independence movement that began in 1988. She speaks about racial discrimination against Armenians in Azerbaijan during the Soviet Union and how this history is suppressed in Azerbaijan. She also explains that the Aliyev regime is continually attempting to ethnically cleanse Armenians from Artsakh.
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte is the President of the Westbrook, Maine City Council. She has written and lectured extensively about Armenian issues in the United States, including for members of Congress. She has also spoken to the European Parliament about human rights, international law and anti-Armenian racism. She has worked on initiatives for US states to recognize the independence of Artsakh. Her memoir, Nowhere, A Story of Exile (2012), is based on her journals from 1988 to 1992. Mrs. Astvatsaturian Turcotte was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal of Honor from President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Gratitude Medal from Artsakh’s President Bako Sahakyan.
Mrs. Astvatsaturian Turcotte received a Bachelor’s degree in English and Literature and Philosophy and Religion from the University of North Dakota. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Maine School of Law.

Patil Toutounjian Creator of The Armenian Traveler YouTube Channel and Founder of Tatik Streetwear

Patil Toutounjian is the creator of a YouTube channel called The Armenian Traveler and the founder of Tatik Streetwear. She discusses her reasons for creating Tatik Streetwear, which showcases the work of Armenian designers and has raised money for Armenian causes.  She speaks about growing up in the Armenian community of Aleppo, Syria and her trip to Aleppo in 2021. She talks about how her experiences in Armenia with Bright Armenia helped her enhance her relationship with her Armenian culture. Ms Toutounjian explains how The Armenian Traveler YouTube channel began with her interviews with Armenians and became a channel about Armenia when people began asking her questions about Armenia and she responded to those questions with videos. The intention of the channel is to show life in Armenia and in Armenian communities worldwide and to feature Armenians who are doing interesting things. Ms Toutounjian also talks about working for Hike Armenia, which is a nonprofit organization that creates hiking trails in Armenia.   
Patil Toutounjian studied social science at the University of Toronto. She graduated from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology with an advanced degree in marketing. She founded Tatik Streetwear in 2020 and The Armenian Traveler YouTube channel in January 2021.

Executive Director, Peter Abajian Discusses the Work of The Paros Foundation in Armenia and Artsakh

Peter Abajian is the Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. He discusses the humanitarian, economic, educational, and infrastructure needs of Armenia and Artsakh and how the projects of The Paros Foundation have transformed communities in the border villages of Armenia. The Paros Foundation is buying homes for families living in domiks in Gyumri and offering vocational training and educational opportunities to improve the lives of the younger generations of Armenians. The Paros Foundation provided humanitarian aid to Armenia and Artsakh during the Artsakh War of 2020, and to the refugees from Artsakh after the war. The Paros Foundation completed 100 projects to honor the memory of the Armenian Genocide. The Paros Foundation's Service Armenia program facilitates trips to Armenia with activities and volunteer opportunities for students and young professionals in the diaspora.
Peter Abajian has worked in the Armenian American community for more than 25 years. He has worked with the Armenian Assembly in both its Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles offices. In 2006, Mr. Abajian and his family moved to Armenia to launch and lead the Paros Foundation. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He completed graduate courses in Business and Marketing at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Armenia VS Azerbaijan ICJ Case & Remedial Secession with Human Rights Lawyer Gabriel Armas-Cardona

Discussion of the Armenia VS Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan VS Armenia cases that were brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in September 2021 and discussion of the possibility of remedial secession for Artsakh.
Gabriel Armas-Cardona Esquire is an expert in international law and a human rights lawyer. He is a research associate and lecturer at Leipzig University in Leipzig, Germany.
Mr. Armas-Cardona explains what the ICJ is and the cases that were brought to the ICJ based on a human rights treaty called CERD. He discusses the provisional measures that Armenia and Azerbaijan requested and the significance of the provisional measures that were granted by the ICJ on December 7, 2021. He explains the reason why the ICJ did not order the release of Armenian POWs being held by Azerbaijan. The practical implications of the ICJ case for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Artsakh are discussed, including the order for the protection of cultural heritage in Karabakh. Mr. Armas-Cardona also discusses the likelihood of Artsakh achieving self-determination and remedial secession, based on the history of Kosovo.