California Courier Online, September 14, 2006

1 – Commentary
Panel Approves New Ambassador,
Vote in Full Senate is Uncertain
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

2 – Armenia Volunteerism is Cover Story
For Major US Magazine this Month
3 – Cilicia Catholicosate Allots $250,000
To Armenian Schools in Lebanon
4 – Apostle Matthew’s
Grave Found in
Armenian Monastery
5- AUA Team Scale Mt. Ararat to Mark
15th Anniversary of Independence
6 – Buenos Aires Adopts Law to Teach
About Armenian Genocide in Schools
7 – Lincy Foundation Allocates
$535,000 to Prelacy Schools
8- NPR Coast-to-Coast Program to
Feature Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh
9 – Survey Pinpoint Armenians as
Winners in British Melting Pot
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1 – Commentary
Panel Approves New Ambassador,
Vote in Full Senate is Uncertain

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

After two postponements in the past four months, the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee finally voted 13 to 5, last week, to confirm Richard Hoagland as
the next Ambassador to Armenia.

The Turkish Daily News published a boastful report the next day, calling the
vote "a blow to the Armenian lobby groups in the United States." It is not
yet clear if and when the full Senate would approve Hoagland’s nomination. If
confirmed, he would replace Amb. John Evans who was dismissed from his post
after publicly acknowledging the Armenian Genocide during a visit to California
last year.

More than 60 Congressmen and a dozen Senators had written to Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice expressing their displeasure and questioning the Bush
administration’s reasons for recalling Amb. Evans. The Armenian American
community asked the Senators to delay Amb. Hoagland’s confirmation until the State
Dept. provided a clear and public explanation for Amb. Evans’s dismissal.

During a heated 40-minute session on Sept. 7, nine members of the Foreign
Relations Committee took the floor, five of them opposing Hoagland’s nomination
and four others supporting him. In a clear indication of the administration’s
pressure on the Republican-dominated Committee, several absent Senators voted
for Hoagland by proxy.

Just days before the Committee’s vote, the State Dept. had conveniently
ordered Amb. Evans to leave Armenia, thus forcing the Senators to act on
Hoagland’s nomination under the pretext that Armenia is too important to beleft
without a U.S. ambassador. Several Committee members used that argument when voting
for Hoagland. The State Department’s ploy worked — for the time being!

Of course, if the Bush administration truly cared about having an envoy in
Armenia, it would not have fired Amb. Evans in the first place. Furthermore, it
would not have compounded its error by ordering him to leave the country
without waiting to see if the full Senate would confirm his successor. If Armenia
is deprived of the services of a U.S. ambassador, the State Department should
only blame itself for creating such an undesirable vacuum.

It is interesting that all of the Senators from both parties who spoke in
Committee, including those who voted for Hoagland, confirmed the facts of the
Armenian Genocide and many of them chided the administration for its policyof
not using the word genocide to describe the mass killings of 1915.

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Delaware) said: "The administration’s policy [on the
Armenian Genocide] is not only wrong — it is factually inconsistent with history."
Unlike disagreeing with policy, this almost calls for disagreeing with
history! He reminded the Senators that Pres. Bush, as a candidate, had pledged to
recognize the Armenian Genocide. He urged the administration to recognize
history. He said that he would vote for Hoagland reluctantly in order not to deprive
Armenia of an ambassador.

Sen. George Allen (R-Virginia) said that the administration must acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide. He said, "I disagreed very much with Amb. Hoagland’s
refusal to use the term Armenian Genocide, but he is not responsible for the
administration’s policy."He said that he was voting for the nominee becausehe
believed that Armenia should have an ambassador.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California) said that this is a time to make a stand
on genocide recognition. She read excerpts from a recent Los Angeles Times
editorial that had severely criticized the Bush administration for avoidingthe
use of the term Armenian Genocide. She reminded the Senators of the pledge
George Bush had made as a presidential candidate to recognize the Armenian
Genocide. She said that Amb. Evans was recalled for simply telling the truth! She also
stated that she could not support Hoagland "until he is allowed to call the
first genocide of the 20th century by its rightful name."

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) said that, as someone of the Jewish faith,
he grew up with the concept of "Never Forget." He said, "I use an analogy. I
can’t conceive of an Ambassador to Israel being effective if he cannot talk
about the Holocaust=80¦.. Bring back Amb. Evans, change the policy." He concluded, "I
am just not in a position to cast an affirmative vote for this nominee."

Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Maryland) pointed to his long-time opposition to the
administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide. He said that there would not
have been such a situation if Amb. Evans was not recalled and if the
administration had recognized the Armenian Genocide. He said he was going to vote "no"
on Hoagland.

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut) called for the Senators took take a
stand. He said that this was an important issue, and he would vote no.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) stated, "The Turkish government itself
makes an enormous mistake to get hung up in current day support for something the
Ottoman Empire did that I don’t think they support, I don’t think they honor.
For us to allow an ambassador to be recalled because he utters the word
"genocide" is to kowtow, is to cave in, to those who change history=80¦. We’re not
going to allow revisionism. We are not going to allow people to push the United
States of America around and say what you can and can’t say about what’s
happening with respect to history. We honor history and we honor the truth," he
said. "My vote no is not against Amb. Hoagland personally, it is against the
policy of this administration."

It is still possible that any one Senator could block his nomination by
placing a "hold" on it in the full Senate. It is also possible that Pres. Bush
would make recess appointment, while the Senate is out of session, thus
circumventing the requirement of Senate confirmation.

The Turkish newspaper’s declaration that the Armenian lobby was defeated is
both inaccurate and premature. In fact, the Armenian Cause has gained
considerably from the three hearings held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
which dealt extensively with the Armenian Genocide issue in the past four
months. Throughout these lengthy discussions, not a single Senator ever questioned
the historical facts, thus further embarrassing the denialists in Ankara and
hastening the day when the U.S. government would officially reaffirm the
Armenian Genocide. Independently of the eventual outcome of Hoagland’s nomination,
the Armenian Cause was the clear beneficiary of these discussions which received
widespread coverage in the U.S. and international media.

Mrs. Evans Speaks Out for the First Time!

Over the weekend, a newspaper in Armenia "168 Hours" — published a lengthy
interview with Mrs. Evans, prior to her departure from Armenia. Contrary to
Amb. Evans’s reluctance to discuss his recall, Mrs. Evans readily admitted that
her husband was "being recalled for telling the truth regarding the events of
1915." She told the reporter: "It is sad that he is being punished for speaking
the truth,"and that she considered "the punishment to be unduly harsh for
what he said. My husband told the truth in the United States, to American
citizens, in an academic setting. These were very difficult times for me, but when
you realize that you are right, that helps you hold your head high."

Mrs. Evans also commented on the "Constructive Dissent" award bestowed by
the American Foreign Service Association upon her husband last year and later
withdrawn under pressure from the State Dept. She said the important thing is
that her husband’s colleagues had nominated him for that award. Being nominated
for that award by colleagues who respected him is much more important to me
than its subsequent withdrawal, she said.

Mrs. Evans also stated that she and her husband were very touched when
thousands of Armenians, in his honor, tied yellow ribbons to ropes at the Genocide
Memorial Monument in Yerevan on April 24. "My husband thanked the young people
who were wearing yellow ribbons," she said. "We were truly touched by that
action."

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2 – Armenia Volunteerism is Cover Story
For Major US Magazine this Month
LOS ANGELES – Volunteerism in Armenia is the cover story this month for
"Transitions Abroad" magazine, a major US periodical that serves a readership that
is interested in "learning, living, working, and volunteering overseas."
The four-page cover story, which is on newsstands September 1, is written and
illustrated by Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian. The story describes
volunteer opportunities in Armenia for long or short-term stays, and for both
skilled and unskilled positions.
The release of the magazine coincides with the September 1 publication by the
authors of "The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh." This book is the
source for much of the information that is published in the magazine story.
Many of the visitors who travel to Armenia each year are seeking an
experience that is more enriching than just a vacation, says Karanian. Armenia’s
prominent placement in the magazine acknowledges this, and the story-as well as "The
Stone Garden Guide"– contains contact information that helps to steer
potential volunteers in the right direction.
The magazine is available from major newsstands. "The Stone Garden Guide:
Armenia and Karabagh" is available from independent booksellers and from online
merchants such as Amazon.com. The book is also available directly from the
publisher for $29.95 postpaid in the US. Check to: Stone Garden Productions; PO
Box 7758; Northridge, CA 91327.
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3 – Cilicia Catholicosate Allots $250,000
To Armenian Schools in Lebanon
BEIRUT – The "Khatchig Babikian" Fund, operating under the sponsorship of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, will donate $250,000 to the Armenian national
schools of Lebanon, announced Catholicos Aram I last week.
"As we had previously announced, the yearly income of this fund will be
channeled for use in educational, cultural, social and publishing projects.
However, considering the hardships created in Lebanon as a consequence of the recent
war, we decided to exceptionally grant the largest part of the fund’s
allocation this time to our schools. We believe this was a wise decision considering
the importance of the Armenian school in the life of the community," Aram I
said.
"The Catholicosate of Cilicia and We, personally, will continue to consider
the Armenian school as one of the most important aspects of our mission," the
Pontiff added.
The decision was taken on Sept. 1 to make the grant for the academic year
2006-2007.
The Khatchig Babikian Fund was established recently at the Antelias
headquarters of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. It is run by a special committee under
the direct supervision of the Catholicos.
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4 – Apostle Matthew’s
Grave Found in
Armenian Monastery
MOSCOW (Regnum) – Kyrgyz archeologists are sure that they have found the
grave of Apostle Matthew in the Armenian monastery on the shore of Issyk-Kul lake
in Kyrgyzstan, says archeologist Vladimir Ploskikh.
He says that this summer his expedition carried out excavations on the
north-eastern shore of Issyk-Kul and found the Armenian monastery, which, according
to a 14th century map, is the place where Apostle Matthew is buried.
The legend says that Apostle Matthew died on his way to Greece after founding
several Christian communities en route. The document kept in Venice says that
there is an Armenian monastery in the place called `Issyk-Kul’ and it is
there that Apostle Matthew is buried.
However, Ploskikh says that they need additional research to prove this fact,
reports the Kyrgyz service of Radio Liberty.
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5 – AUA Team Scale Mt. Ararat to Mark
15th Anniversary of Independence
YEREVAN – Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Armenia’s independence and the
founding of the American University of Armenia, a group of six members from
the faculty and friends of the University made to the summit of Mount Ararat
(5,165m, 16,945feet).
The group was made up of: President Haroutune Armenian, Sona Armenian, Arsen
Grigoryan, Arthur Melkonyan, Varduhi Petrosian and Ara Tekian.
The team started its ascent from Dogubeyazit on Aug. 25, reaching first camp
at an altitude of 3,200 meters in the afternoon.
They continued their ascent and reached second camp at an altitude of 4200
meters the next day. They reached the summit at 6:30am on August 27th. Theymade
it back down to the plain in the same day.
"The group had both a sense of collective and individual achievement and
marked these15th anniversary occasions in a most appropriate manner" said
President Armenian.
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6 – Buenos Aires Adopts Law to Teach
About Armenian Genocide in Schools
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – On August 17, the City Council of Buenos Aires
unanimously passed a law according to which April 24th will be honored as
"Commemoration day of the first genocide of 20th century where Armenian people were
persecuted.".
This decision was made based on law number 13.478 which was introduced last
June with the effort of director of "Sardarabad" newspaper and district
member of parliament Sergio Nahapetian.
The law envisions that every April 24th all schools of the city have classes
giving an overview of the Armenian Genocide issue.
The draft was presented by MP Gorge Sanmartino.
Attending the August 17 session were Armenian Ambassador to Argentina
Vlatimir Karmirshalian, Minister Khoren Terterian, embassy associate on cultural and
media matters Ruben Mozian, Primate of Argentine and Chile, Archbishop Gisak
Muradian, vice-president of Armenian Central Committee Dr. Alperto Cherechian,
AGBU vice-president Ricardo Halachian, Hayk Shahinian (ADLP), Pedro Muradian
(ARF), and Tiana Ter-Karapetian (Tekeyan Cultural Center).
After the adoption of the law,. Sanmartino thanked all the members of
parliament as well as Provincial parliamentarian Sergio Nahapetian. He also greeted
the presence of the Armenian ambassador, embassy staff, the Armenian Primate
and representatives of Armenian organizations.
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7 – Lincy Foundation Allocates
$535,000 to Prelacy Schools
ENCINO, Calif. – The Lincy Foundation has once again made a generous donation
of $535,000.00 to the Armenian schools of the Western Prelacy for the
2006-2007 academic year, the Prelacy announced last week.
Renowned and respected for its charitable mission, the Foundation continues
to provide for the various and numerous needs of both the Armenian Diasporaand
our Homeland with its generous endowments.
The donation will be disbursed as follows:
$100,000 each to: Ferrahian Armenian High School, Encino, Rose and Alex
Pilibos Armenian High School, Hollywood, Mesrobian Armenian High School,
Montebello, and Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School, Glendale;
$50,000 each to the Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School, Orange County and
the Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School, San Francisco;
$25,000 to the Levon and Hasmig Tavlian Armenian School, Pasadena, and
$10,000 to the Richard Tufenkian Armenian Preschool, Glendale.
Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, the Prelacy Religious and Executive
Councils, and the Board of Regents of Prelacy Schools, together with the
committees functioning under their auspices conveyed their heartfelt thanksand
gratitude to the Lincy Foundation and its administrators for their dedicated
services to the Armenian people, the new generation and the Homeland.
"We would like to emphasize that for many years now the Lincy Foundation has
been providing invaluable moral and financial support to the schools operating
under the jurisdiction of the Western Prelacy, and has participated in the
implementation of their sacred mission to educate our younger generations in the
spirit of our national heritage and the values of humanity," the Prelacy said
in a press release.
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8 – NPR Coast-to-Coast Program to
Feature Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh
LOS ANGELES – The National Public Radio (NPR) show "Travel with Rick Steves"
will feature Armenia and Karabagh ina coast-to-coast broadcast on Sept. 16-17.
The highlight of the broadcast is an interview with Matthew Karanian and
Robert Kukjian, co-authors of "The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh." The
interviewees take questions from callers and discuss their travels throughout
Armenia and Karabagh.
The radio show coincides with the September release of Second Edition of the
popular "Stone Garden" travel guide, and also with the 15th anniversary of the
independence of Armenia.
The nationwide broadcast, which encourages tourism to both Armenia and
Karabagh, is unprecedented in the US, says Karanian. "Armenia is frequentlyin the
news, but seldom as a holiday destination, and certainly not on a national
broadcast."
In most parts of the country, the show will be heard on National Public Radio
on Saturday morning, Sept. 16. The interview will also be broadcast on Sirius
Satellite Radio in both the US and Canada on Sept. 16 and 17.
The following includes those broadcasts that serve some of the larger
Armenian-American communities. Check for a full listing and
to confirm broadcast times. For Arizona: Yuma, KAWC 88.9 FM, 9 am on Saturday,
Sept 16; for California: Bakersfield, KPRX 89.1 Fm, 9 am on Saturday, Sept
16; for Fresno: KVPR 89.3 FM , 9 am on Saturday, Sept. 16, For San Bernardino,
KVCR 91.9 FM on 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 14 and Noon, Sunday, Sept. 17; forSan
Francisco, KYCY 1550 AM, 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 and 8 am on Sunday,
Sept. 17; for Florida, Miami, WLRN 91.3 FM on 11 am Sunday, Sept. 17 and inKey
West, on WLRN 100.5 Fm on 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14; for Illinois;
Springfield, WUIS 91.9 Fm at 3 pm on Saturday, Sept. 16; for Michigan; for Grand
Rapids on WGVU 88.5 FM at 6 am on Saturday, Sept. 16; and in Ohio; Oxford, WMUB
88.5 FM at 6 am on Saturday, Sept. 16. For Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 134, 7
am on Saturday, Sept. 16 (Eastern Time) and 7 pm on Sunday, Sept. 17 (Eastern
Time).
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9 – Survey Pinpoint Armenians as
Winners in British Melting Pot
Robert Winnett and Holly Watt
The Times, UK
Armenian immigrants and their descendants are the most successful ethnic
group in the country, according to an analysis of "melting pot" Britain.
They are followed by the Japanese, Dutch and Greek Cypriots among the groups
who are economically and socially most successful. Bangladeshi Muslims and
migrants from Sierra Leone and Syria have fared worst.
The new analysis places the 42.2 million adults registered to vote in
mainland Britain in 200 ethnic groups – on the basis of a person’s surname and first
name.
The information is linked to a marketing database to rank the socioeconomic
status of each group. The system, Origins Info, is used by hospitals, retailers
and charities to tailor their services to individual ethnic groups.
Its developers claim it is reliable even though most married women adopt
their husband’s name and some immigrants may have changed their surname to avoid
discrimination.
Richard Webber, a professor of spatial analysis at University College, London
who developed Origins Info, said: "The patterns that this analysis have
uncovered are striking. We are hoping it will prove a valuable tool for government
and business."
The system can also be used to identify where different ethnic groups live
and the ethnic composition of the professions.
Of the 2,651 people of Armenian descent in Britain, more than 1,600 run
businesses and a high proportion live in expensive parts of west London.
Among the most successful is Bob Manoukian, property developer and former
agent for Prince Jefri of Brunei. He has a family fortune of £300m, according to
The Sunday Times Rich List.
Other successful people with Armenian roots include David Dickinson,
presenter of the BBC’s Bargain Hunt, and Ara Palamoudian, chairman of the Armenian
community & church council of Great Britain.
He said: "Armenians have always tried to be self-sufficient and not to be a
burden on any country. It could be the history of the Armenian people, the way
their lives have been over centuries. They had to find shelter around the
world."
Many Armenians fled to England after the first world war, during which up to
1.5 million died from genocide by the Turks.
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