Memorial Wales 2001-Temple of Peace, Welsh Center for International Affairs - Cathays Park, Cardiff - 24 April 2001
The Armenian Genocide Memorial Ceremony, which took place in the Temple of Peace, was one of the most important and significant events relating to the Armenian Genocide to have ever taken place in Britain.
The event hosted by Stephen Thomas, who is director of the Welsh Center for International Affairs, came on the back of two successful showings of the Armin Wegner exhibition at the the Welsh Assembly and a public showing at the Temple of Peace. The event was also sponsered by Armenian-Wales Solidarity.
Significantly, two members of the Welsh Assembly Cabinet were present, including Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly (equivalent to the British Prime Minister) and Jenny Randerson, Minister responsible for Culture, Media, Sport and the Welsh Language (since also promoted to Deputy First Minister).Also present were four Assembly Members, who were attending as representatives of the four main parties at the Welsh Assembly. Other dignitaries included the Archbishop of Wales, The Rt. Rev. Rowan 
Williams,Revs. G. I. Tyson and Gerwyn Morris Jones, Rev. Shnork Bagdassarian, Deacon Stepan Ovanessoff, Carl E. Reardon, Mike Joseph, and Bettina Hovsepian.Jenny Randerson, who has been the leading figure on behalf of Armenian Genocide Recognition in Wales, spoke with tremendous emotion and clarity. In her speech she said..."Turkey can certainly be blamed for its modern denial [of the Armenian Genocide]. And I say to representatives of the modern Turkish Government who have sought to put pressure on me since I spoke out on this issue, that as someone who in past life was a historian, I know how to judge evidence and weigh up the pros and cons, and to judge where the truth lies."
She continued that these "events bear all the hallmarks of genocide, it was the first such shameful event of he 20th Century. Deportations that were in reality death marches, use of concentration camps, massacres and starvation, and finally denial...Just as worrying as the Turkish denial is the denial by our own government, our own UK government"She concluded "I am proud to speak on behalf of the assembly this morning. And I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are representatives of all four parties here, united in our attendance here today""We must work together within the assembly and throughout society to ensure that this massacre, this genocide, is fully recognised [by the British Government], because recognition and commemoration are the vital steps to ensure that it never happens again". 
Speaking on behalf of the Armenian Community of Great Britain, Rebecca Tchaparian thanked the Welsh Government and the Welsh people for their support of the Commemoration activities and presented First Minister Rhodri Morgan with a copy of the recently reprinted "Treatment of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915-16," which first alerted the world to the genocidal activities of the Ottoman government. In accepting the gift, Mr. Morgan responded by saying "I found this morning's service very moving, very educational, and I can guarantee that I will read this book."
One of the powerful speeches was delivered by Mike Joseph, who is presently writing a book on the Holocaust - The Hundred Year House - based on his family's story as survivors of that genocide. His speech titled "Hitler's Question," outlined the German involvement in the Armenian Genocide and the characteristic features which draw similarities between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.At the conclusion of the program, at the Temple of Peace's World War I Memorial, Mr. Morgan laid a wreath bearing the words "In Memory of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide." Also, Archbishop of Wales, The Rt. Rev Rowan Williams, laid a wreath bearing the words "In Memory of the Armenian Christian Martyrs of 1915."