Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) is mourning its former Executive Director and long-time leading activist, Roupen Kouyoumdjian.
“There aren’t words that can adequately describe the extent of Roupen Kouyoumdjian’s dedication and commitment to the advancement of the Armenian Cause and the interests of the Armenian-Canadian community”, reads a statement on ANCC’s Facebook page.
“Roupen was born in Turkey and experienced first-hand the state-sponsored hate and oppression against the Armenian people. Ever since, he committed to sparing no effort to defend the rights of the Armenian people and represent their interests in any capacity he could.”
Throughout his career as the Executive Director of the ANCC, Kouyoumdjian was one of the main driving forces behind Canada’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide which happened on three separate levels in 2002 (Senate), 2004 (House of Commons) and 2006 (Government).
“A kind and principled man and a truly courageous servant for his nation, Kouyoumdjian never took no for an answer and never allowed setbacks to derail him from his commitment to the cause and his honest convictions towards truth and justice. He often worked in silence and never expected anything in return. All he ever wanted was to see the final triumph of good over evil. His example will surely continue to guide us as we navigate through these challenging times and we will remain forever grateful for his years of dedicated service to our people and our community,” concludes the ANCC post.