A series of events were held in different part of Norway today to commemorate the 101th year of the Armenian Genocide.
Following the established tradition, Armenians and friends of Armenia in greater Oslo area gathered at great Norwegian humanist and committed friend of Armenians, Fridtjof Nansen’s grave to pay homage to the great man and remember the victims of the Armenian genocide. Nansen’s grave has become a unique sanctuary and a memorial for the Genocide. Flowers were laid, followed by a speech by Sven Erik Rise, a friend of Armenia. Beautiful tunes of duduk performed by Andranik Kazarian followed. Nansen’s granddaughter and grand granddaughter were among the attendees.
Armenians of Bergen, the second biggest city of Norway, following their own established annual tradition and assembled at the Armenian Khachkar, cross-stone dedicated to the memory of victims of the Armenian Genocide and to Fridtjof Nansen, located at Rekstensamlingene.
Earlier today Armenians in the Southwest of Norway gathered at the memorial of Bodil Katarina Bjør, another great Norwegian, a missionary, a devoted friend of Armenians, eyewitness of the Genocide and caretaker of many Armenian orphans, Kragero community is the first community in Norway to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. Kragero was home to the great Norwegian humanist.
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Events and initiatives commemorating the Armenian Genocide are being held around the world on April 24. The Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century, was planned and carried out by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. One and a half million Armenians were killed on their ancestral lands. Twenty-one countries, including Sweden, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Canada have recognized the Armenian genocide by legislative or executive branches. Norway, unfortunately, refuses to take a stand for historical justice. The Church of Norway, parties like The Greens and Christian Democratic Party, youth branches of a number of parties and individual legislators from various parties have called on the government of Erna Solberg to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Armenian Cultural Association in Norway