The Promise to Educate

The Campaign

We come together in this campaign to encourage genocide prevention through education. Proper curriculum in schools and access to information are key. Supporting this movement will ensure The Promise, along with thought-provoking study materials are made available to public schools and higher education institutions across the country.

Parents and community members often turn to teachers and administrators to take on the weighty task of empowering our students and encouraging them to speak up for those who do not have a voice. The themes and stories interwoven in The Promise provide a remarkable opportunity for dialogue on human rights injustices, denial, and the importance of accurate journalism.

The Film

Empires fall, love survives

When Michael (Oscar Isaac), a medical student, meets Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between Michael and Ana’s boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), a famous American photojournalist dedicated to exposing political truth. As the Ottoman Empire crumbles into war-torn chaos, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to get their people to safety and survive themselves.

Watch Trailer

Terry George, Academy Award-winning filmmaker of The Promise

It is that infamous statement by Adolf Hitler when he was marshaling his generals to go into Poland and ordering them to show no mercy. He said, "Who, after all, remembers the Armenians?

And that was reported by Admiral Canaris who subsequently was executed for trying to assassinate Hitler. The lack of knowledge about the Armenian Genocide became a rallying call by Hitler to his generals."

Christian Bale, Academy Award-winning actor portraying journalist, Chris Myers in The Promise

I knew almost nothing, it's embarrassing to say, but I knew almost nothing about the Armenian Genocide. And it's stunning. What I found is that many people know almost nothing. It is like the great unknown genocide. That is just horrendous, 1.5 million people died, and I didn't know anything about that. And you have to think that the lack of consequences to this genocide may well have provoked the other genocides that we've had to witness in the century since."

Chris Cornell, Composer of The Promise

The Promise, to me, is mainly about paying homage to those we lost in the Armenian Genocide, but it's also about shining a light on more recent atrocities. The same methods used in the Armenian genocide were used to carry out crimes against humanity in Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda and right now in Syria on multiple fronts, contributing to a massive global refugee crisis."

Watch Chris Cornell's last music video "The Promise" released for World Refugee Day

Watch Video

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While human rights issues and related history are included in the social studies curricula of many public schools in the U.S., the Armenian Genocide goes largely ignored. Currently, the Armenian Genocide is not a required subject in history courses, and the lack of educational resources leaves it on the sidelines.

Your donation will increase awareness about the Armenian Genocide by ensuring that schools are sent age-appropriate materials to be integrated into their curriculum including a DVD of The Promise to initiate dialogue in classrooms.

Donate To Educate

A minimum contribution of $100 will provide 5 public institutions with our
Keep The Promise Educational Package which includes:

A copy of The Promise on DVD
Letter from filmmaker Terry George
Tailored thematic study guide to the film
Armenian Genocide curriculum guides
List of relevant resources and contact

$100 will help educate 5 schools
$200 will help educate 10 schools
$500 will help educate 25 schools
$1000 will help educate 50 schools

Donate

1363 schools already reached

Your contribution is submitted to the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

100% of your donation will be directed to the distribution of The Promise to public educational institutions across the United States.

resources

The Promise premiered to audiences across North America on April 21 and continues to open in theaters across the globe. It is currently available for purchase and download in USA & Canada.

In an unprecedented move, Survival Pictures announced its intention to #KeepThePromise and donate all proceeds from the theatrical run to nonprofit organizations. With this generous move, Survival Pictures will also donate 100% of its proceeds from DVD and download sales to nonprofits. You can support the contributions directed to Armenian Genocide education initiatives in the USA by using these links:

Download on iTunes Buy on Amazon

CONTACT

If you are a teacher, professor, school administrator or librarian looking to receive a Keep the Promise Educational Package, please sign up here.

If you would like to nominate a public school, university or library in your area to receive a Keep the Promise Educational Package, please fill out the form below for each institution.

If you are a donor and have identified public institutions in your area to which you wish to designate packages with your donation, please email the specific request instructions to keepthepromise@agbu.org

55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-319-6383
keepthepromise@agbu.org

the promise to educate