TORONTO, April 27, 2026: The Zoryan Institute invites the community of Toronto and surrounding areas to participate in a seminar on preserving Armenian identity in today’s rapidly changing world. This seminar is open and suitable for all ages, with particular encouragement for attendees under 40 to engage the next generation.
Since its founding in 1982, the Institute has been at the forefront of exploring questions of identity, memory, and cultural continuity, which are all issues that remain deeply relevant for today’s generation.
This seminar builds on decades of the Zoryan Institute’s research on the forces and factors that shape our reality, and dialogue on diaspora studies. For example, the seminar draws inspiration from the format of the Institute’s ongoing podcast Dispersion, which is dedicated to exploring questions of home, identity, and diaspora life through personal storytelling and dialogue. The Zoryan Institute x Barev Youth Talk will create a space for collective reflection on what identity is and what it means to preserve Armenian identity across generations and in diverse global contexts.
The one-hour session will involve shared discussion among participants in a seminar setting to best engage the community. This is an approach rooted in Dispersion’s belief that some of the most illuminating insights emerge through lived experience.
Participants will be invited to reflect on questions such as: How do you balance being both Armenian and Canadian in your daily life? What parts of Armenian culture (language, food, traditions, faith) feel most meaningful to you personally and why? How do these parts of your culture shape your personal and/or Armenian identity?
This short session of Barev Youth Talks will be led by the President of the Zoryan Institute, K. M. Greg Sarkissian, who will guide participants through key themes rooted in the Institute’s long-standing work.
