The Eastern Diocese’s Armenian Studies director, Gilda Buchakjian Kupelian, led an online presentation to more than 50 educators from the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, to celebrate Armenian Cultural Month, the Holy Translators feast day, and the Australian Diocese’s “Day of the Teacher.”
She spoke at the invitation of Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate of Australia and New Zealand—and a great friend of the Eastern Diocese, where he formerly served as pastor of several parishes and as Diocesan Vicar.
Delivering her remarks in Armenian over the Zoom conference platform, Gilda addressed the challenges facing Armenian schools in the diaspora, and potential measures for improving Armenian education. She emphasized the fundamental goal of preparing students to be cognizant of their roots, and conversant in Armenian religious, cultural, and civic values.
Gilda introduced program ideas and resources implemented among Armenian schools in the U.S., and mentioned the efforts of the church and other Armenian institutions to revitalize instruction in the Armenian cultural heritage. But observing that many diaspora communities exist in a state of flux, she emphasized the home environment, community support, teacher training, accessible curricula, and budgetary commitments as essential to a results-oriented outcome.
The lecture was followed by a question-and-answer session, characterized by enthusiastic exchanges among the participants, and suggestions for collaboration between the dioceses in the Eastern U.S. and Australia.
The two-hour online event began with an introduction by Nishan Basmajian, Chancellor of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, and concluded with wise words from Archbishop Najarian. “This lecture shows that the concerns of the Tarkmanchatz generation are still relevant, even after hundreds of years,” he said. “Just like those Holy Translators, we too are searching for solutions, so we will not lose our identity or our language.”