Deepening students’ understanding of a culture allows them to engage more fully with the extent of the damage and long-term consequences of genocide beyond the finite number of deaths.

In the case of the Armenian Genocide, the loss of lives, lands, properties, national and cultural institutions was accompanied by the real threat of the extinction of language, national and religious traditions, professional knowledge and expertise that had been passed down for centuries.

Survivors, now dispersed throughout the world, placed great emphasis on preserving their culture as a means of resisting extinction as a people. Students will explore the significance of traditional Armenian dolls, “dignik”s (pronounced “deegneeg”), in terms of their personal, historical, and cultural meaning. They’ll also consider the concepts of cultural preservation and resistance, promoting empathy and cultural awareness, especially in the context of genocide.