The 100 Years, 100 Facts Project

On the threshold of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, The 100 Years, 100 Facts Project will commemorate the genocide by publishing facts about Armenians twice a week, starting April 24, 2014 and culminating on April 24, 2015. These facts are being published on 100years100facts.com – linked through its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+.

“The idea of using social media and the internet as a means to commemorate the Armenian Genocide and connect a population scattered around the world was inspirational to me,” said Lena Adishian, project lead, based in Los Angeles. “While curating one hundred facts about Armenia and Armenians is no easy task, we hope that audiences find the content educational and engaging.”

The goal of The 100 Years, 100 Facts Project is to highlight aspects of Armenian history and culture first of all for Armenians themselves, and also for a broad audience, ranging from the people of Turkey, to society at large wherever the Armenian Diaspora is found, to anyone curious about Armenia and the Armenian people.

Besides discussing the Armenian Genocide itself, the facts include lives of famous Armenian individuals, Armenian Diaspora communities, and other elements of culture, including religion, language, literature, and even sports and entertainment.

“I got very keen on the idea of 100 Years, 100 Facts when Lena approached me with it. This website can serve as a meaningful, enduring commemoration – even a celebration – of the Armenian nation,” said Nareg Seferian, researcher and writer for the project, based in Yerevan. “Some of the facts are very well-known, for example, the Armenians as the first Christians, or the efforts of Near East Relief after the genocide. But we have also found obscure, fun, and interesting tidbits about the history and culture of what is, by all accounts, a remarkable nation, such as a profile of the Zildjian family, or an entry on Armenians in Africa.”

Following the posting of its tenth entry, The 100 Years, 100 Facts Project announced over 2,500 users on the website since April 24 from more than 60 countries and almost all 50 states of the United States – while also attracting nearly 500 followers on Twitter, over 1,000 likes on the Facebook page, as well as followers on Instagram and on Google+. The most popular entry on the website so far was shared over 60 times, reaching up to 10,000 users.

Besides its own web presence, The 100 Years, 100 Facts Projects, recently launched a Portuguese-language version of its content in partnership with Estação Armênia, the premier Brazilian-Armenian internet portal. Projeto 100 Anos, 100 Fatos will enrich the vision of spreading education and awareness on the history and culture of the Armenian people in the run-up to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, leveraging the power of the web and social media.

“This is an educational effort at heart,” said Adishian. “That’s why 100 Years, 100 Facts was set up bearing in mind how people process and share information today. The facts are brief and easy to read by design, but they also include references for additional research. Given the variety of entries, one application of the website, for example, could be for reports at schools, whether Armenian or non-Armenian establishments, besides generally being a resource for sharing interesting information.”

The 100 Years, 100 Facts Project does not claim to be an academic endeavor. However, the effort has been made to present the facts in a scholarly manner, with references and resources listed for the benefit of additional research by the readership.