Black List – Reading List for Social Change

Prepared by Jermaine McCalpin and Damion K. Blake* The list that follows is meant to provide some important texts for anyone who is interested in having a robust understanding of history, politics, philosophy. It does not claim to be authoritative or complete. Rather, it represents some helpful sources for the compilers who hope that it will be a useful in understanding the contemporary, global and American developments in light of history and its role in social and political change.

Appeal to European Parliament President David Sassoli

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/europarl_14-6-2020/ From: NGO “Crossroad” (“Khachmeruk”), Armenia To: European Parliament President David Sassoli June 14, 2020 Dear Mr. Sassoli, For us, the signatories of this letter, and for the many residents of Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, NKR), any reference to the territorial integrity and legitimate borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan is puzzling in the light of the following facts.

Museum of Armenian pogroms in Azerbaijan should be opened in Yerevan

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/hy/museum_2-2-2018/ in Armenian – https://aga-tribunal.info/hy/museum_2-2-2018_hy/ Source – News.am, February 2, 2018 Translation in English by AGA-Tribunal. Until an appropriate assessment is given of what happened in the Azerbaijan SSR from 1988 to 1991, and until it is not yet said that the Armenians of Karabakh were forced to start defending themselves because of all this, there will be no peace in the region. This was announced at a meeting with journalists on February 2, 2018 by the coordinator of the Congress of Refugees from the Azerbaijan SSR Mariam Avagyan.

The film about the violent dearmenization of the Shaumyan region

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/shahumyan_1990/ The Shaumyan district (Artsakh) mainly populated with Armenians, in 1921 was illegally included in the newly created Azerbaijan. Armenians opposed this decision for 70 years. From 1988-1992, they opposed the armed attack of Azerbaijan, but on June 13, 1992 the entire area inhabited by Armenians, under the threat of complete destruction, was forcibly deported.

Statement by the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh on the Occasion of the 28th Anniversary of the Occupation of the Shahumian Region

in Armenian – https://aga-tribunal.info/hy/artsakh_12-6-2020_hy/ in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/hy/artsakh_12-6-2020/ 28 years ago, on June 12, 1992, the Azerbaijani armed forces, supported by the units of the 23rd division of the former Soviet Army, launched a large-scale attack on the Republic of Artsakh, employing heavy equipment and military aircraft. The first to be targeted was the Shahumian region. Having multiple superiority in manpower and equipment, the Azerbaijani armed forces managed to capture the Shahumian region of the Republic of Artsakh, after which they started ethnic cleansing and brutal massacre of Armenian civilians.

The Phobia about the Armenians in Azerbaijani kid’s Literature

Hovik Avanesov, Anjela Elibegova, Arina Grigoryan Anti-Armenian policy and military rhetoric are an inseparable part of the foreign and internal policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The mentioned policy was also reflected in the Azerbaijani kid’s literature. The research focuses on the phobia about the Armenians in children’s literary works of Azerbaijani writers and their influence on the world outlook of the youth of Azerbaijan. Based on the results of the monitoring and research carried out by the authors, a number of facts have been presented which testify the systemic nature of anti-Armenian policy implemented by Azerbaijan.

United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/en/speech_2/ Full document is on UN web site (PDF, 5 pages). About these UN activities since May 2019 – here (videos). Around the world, we are seeing a disturbing groundswell of xenophobia, racism and intolerance – including rising anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred and persecution of Christians. Social media and other forms of communication are being exploited as platforms for bigotry. Neo-Nazi and white supremacy movements are on the march. Public discourse is being weaponized for political gain with incendiary rhetoric that stigmatizes and dehumanizes minorities, migrants, refugees, women and any so-called “other”.

Adama Dieng (UN) on hate speech

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/en/dieng_1 Adama Dieng, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide: “Words kill as surely as bullets.” Bringing a historical perspective to current trends, he examines the roots of the problem and offers potential solutions that focus on the world’s youth. Mr. Dieng was central to the development of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, which contains ideas on how to address the root causes and drivers of hate speech and how to reduce its impact on societies.

Society of Avars of the South Caucasus: on discrimination in Azerbaijan and appeal to the public of Armenia and Artsakh

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/avar_31-5-2020/ Source: article in the newspaper “Aravot” on May 31, 2020 The article is about Avars – a Northeast Caucasian native ethnic group which is predominant among several ethnic groups living in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, neighbor republic to Azerbaijan (Wikipedia). Translation in English by AGA-Tribunal.info The public non-governmental organization “Society of Avars of the South Caucasus” reported on the real situation with human rights in the Belokan region in Azerbaijan (on the border with Georgia and Dagestan), where, as it is known, Avars compactly live, accounting for approximately 74% of the population of the region, with almost […]