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The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 43; Oct. 27, 2007
Community:
1. ARS Keeps Education a Priority
By Tom Vartabedian
2. Good Excuses or Bad Planning?
By Tom Vartabedian
3. ‘Musaner’ Debuts at ALMA Jazz Nights Concert
4. A Personal Homage to Aris Ohanessian
By Jean Adjemian
5. Demirjian Conducts Bach Society, Goto Rocks the Stradivarius
6. Beylerian Ahead of His Time
7. ‘You Are the Yeast of Your Friends’
Poet David Kherdian Discusses New Anthology ‘Forgotten Bread: First
Generation Armenian-American Writers’ at NAASR
By Andy Turpin
8. Der Manuelian on Ani: ‘The Fabled Capital of Armenia’
By Andy Turpin
9. From Washington, with Love. And Medical Equipment
AAHAGW Promotes Health in Armenia and Artsakh
By Khajag Mgrditchian
***
1. ARS Keeps Education a Priority
By Tom Vartabedian
I have always been a proponent of the ARS Summer Studies program. Not as a
student, however. The curriculum started well after I was a student and had
an opportunity to benefit from the experience.
Neither did my three children regretfully. The two boys were busy with Boy
Scout Camp and other assorted activities. My daughter also had her own
interests and Summer Studies was not on her agenda, no matter how suggestive
I was as a parent. Like many AYFers of their kind, they didn’t want to spend
a hiatus from school inside a warm classroom, no matter what the subject
matter. But that didn’t diminish my interest any. I always found a
particular penchant for interviewing the students who attended from around
the world and getting their impressions about remaining Armenian.
When it came time to resituate the academy, I recommended a nice college in
my community ,and for three years Bradford College had become home to the
Summer Studies.
I recall leaving work and joining the students, even getting to lecture a
few times on various topics.
What amazed me more than anything was how the ARS was able to keep this
tradition going for 30 years since the early 1970s. The number of
international students that were attracted, along with such a prominent
staff of academians, was worthy of applause.
These days, the ARS and Summer Studies have taken a slightly devious course,
given the changing times. The organization has been working with the AYF in
sending 10 students to Armenia during the summer months.
Summer Studies has hit the homeland and it’s created quite an interest in
our youth movement. The demand for study and work abroad has been huge and
the ARS is right at the core.
Ever since its inception in 1910, education has remained at the forefront of
ARS activity throughout the world, especially with the young in Armenia. My
first trip there last September saw children living in under impoverished
conditions in the villages. What was not compromised, however, were the
schools and educational tools, especially in Stepanakert, where we observed
one of 10 ARS "Soseh" kindergartens/daycare centers.
What we saw was comfort being brought to little minds and hearts. Warm and
secure surroundings, complemented by a sound elementary education year
’round, created tiny miracles every day.
The obvious incentive is to give war widows and economically deprived women
with children the freedom to work and earn income to survive, while their
children are properly sheltered and educated.
Unfortunately, education does not come free. I’m told that on the
average-aside from routine maintenance and furnishing expenses-it takes
about $200 annually to subsidize each child’s learning needs.
Not a terrible price when you think about the benefits. At the school in
Stepanakert we visited, the enrollment was about 100 with a staff of 14.
They were the fortunate ones. A huge waiting list produced no shortage of
children. Here in the Eastern Region, the need is just as augmented. The ARS
subsidizes Armenian students through undergraduate and graduate
scholarships, finances Armenian day and one-day schools, and co-sponsors the
Armenian National Education Committee with the Prelacy.
Add to that a host of camperships, intern programs overseas, orphanage
support, social service programs, youth leadership training seminars and the
maintenance of the "Sponsor-A-Child" program in Armenia, and you have an
organization that’s in perpetual motion.
Since the aftermath of the genocide, a large part of that input has been
rescue operations and the care of countless orphans.
The same could be said today. As a consequence of the 1988 earthquake and
the Artsakh Liberation War, the need for orphan care has not abated. As we
enter the threshold of the 100th anniversary in 2010, let us all be thankful
that there is an organization before us that has rallied around its people
with so much commitment and energy.
It has made our world a far better place and given us hope when there has
been despair, light where darkness has prevailed. It does not end here. The
future is tomorrow-and it’s in our hands.
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2. Good Excuses or Bad Planning?
By Tom Vartabedian
It’s the day of the annual Armenian church picnic. All the arrangements have
been made. The site booked. Food purchased. Band reserved. Right down to a
pony ride for the kids.
But wait! It’s a bright, beautiful, sun-filled day and that could mean
trouble.
"Might have been better if it was cloudy and cool," said one pessimist.
"People will go to the beach. They won’t come here."
If it’s wet and rainy, the crowd stays home. Sunny and hot, and they’re off
to the ocean. Cool and in the 60s, they’ll stay home and do yard work. Is
there a good time?
As someone who has been involved in many a grassroots plenary session, I’ve
come to realize that no excuse is a good excuse not to support an Armenian
endeavor, be it an August picnic, December anniversary or April 24th
memorial.
I’ve drawn one logical conclusion from all of this poppycock. There’s no
excuse for a person who’s full of excuses. And there aren’t nearly enough
crutches in the world for all the lame excuses.
Those who want to come will find a way. Those who don’t will make an
apology.
"Blame my children," said one absentee. "They didn’t want to come and we had
no one to leave them with."
Since when are children controlling their parents? You’re only young once.
After that, you have to think up some other excuse.
I recall with a grimace how one of my nieces had the audacity to plan a
wedding on Labor Day Weekend, leaving me in a quagmire. It conflicted with
AYF Olympics.
"You go to the wedding for both of us and I’ll cover the Olympics," came a
weak suggestion.
"It’s your niece, for heaven’s sake. Your family comes first," I was told.
Okay, I was handcuffed. In the 39 years I have been reporting on the games
for a special Armenian Weekly edition, that represented only the second time
I was AWOL. The other time was the birth of a son which appears more
logical.
According to my itinerary, mowing the lawn and planting some flowers isn’t a
good enough reason to miss an April 24th commemoration. I often wonder why,
in a community of 4,200 Armenians, more than 300 won’t show to support a
prominent Armenian event.
"Where were you, Harry? I didn’t see you at the march?"
"Well, err, the neighbor dropped by and we got to talking and before I knew
it, time had passed. I had all good intentions ."
One guy actually had the nerve to admit he had forgotten about an Armenian
Independence celebration that had been planned for months in the community.
His wife forgot, too.
Maybe neither of them was interested in the first place. Or maybe the fact
that we were taking up a collection deterred their interest.
Our committee put a new plan into effect. In addition to newspaper articles
and flyers, we would have the event announced from the pulpit of our church,
sell tickets in advance-and then the final phase of operation.
We would get on the telephone and call people. If that was a little like
begging, then so be it. No stone would be left unturned for thisArmenian
anniversary. On came the alibis.
"That’s the day of John’s birthday. We’ve got a crowd coming."
"Don’t know a thing about it. Why was nothing mentioned?"
"They’re having a barbeque at my lodge. I’m a 32nd degree mason."
"Feeling a little under the weather today."
"What? And miss the Patriots’ game? You crazy?"
"Look. The Red Sox are in a pennant race. I’m a diehard fan. See you next
year."
"I’ll be out of town that weekend. But I’ll be thinking of you."
"New schedule at work. I’m working Sundays."
"Too much going on at once. Can’t make up my mind."
"Isn’t that the same day of another Armenian event in the community? Why can’t
we all be on the same page?"
Granted, we do have some loopholes. I do recall with regret that all three
Armenian churches in my community once sponsored a picnic on the same day.
Neither one conferred with the other and it created somewhat of a logjam,
particularly with those who support one and all.
The only good excuse I ever heard was one that was warranted. We had sent
out notices for a dance and the only people who showed up were the committee
members and their spouses.
Had we looked more closely on the flyer, we would have noticed the wrong
date.
——————————————- ————————————-
3. ‘Musaner’ Debuts at ALMA Jazz Nights Concert
WATERTOWN, Mass (A.W.)-On Oct. 19, the Armenian folk band, Musaner, made its
debut at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) as part of the
"Jazz Nights at ALMA" concert series.
Musaner’s music consists of original compositions and arrangements of folk
music by bandleader Ara Sarkissian, who is also Musaner’s pianist.
Sarkissian mainly focuses on music in the Western tradition for his
compositions, but also ardently performs contemporary music and is a
dedicated improvisationist. He holds degrees from Harvard and the Boston
Conservatory.
Other bands members of Musaner include Todd Brunel (soprano sax and
clarinet), Ken Field (alto sax and flute), Andrew Hickman (tenor sax),
Martin Haroutunian (folk instruments), Gary Fieldman (drums) and Blake
Newman (bass).
The band began with a memorable rendition of "Celebrate" that reverberated
on expert drumbeats and harmony like a duet by King Kong and Desi Arnaz,
followed by Komitas’ Armenian favorite "Yerani."
Other songs on the program included "Chinar Es," "Light the Lanterns,"
"Deconstructed Memories," "Two Way Ticket Across the Black Sea," "Holy,
Holy," "It’s Only Rain," and "It Is Spring.It Is Snowing."
Highlights included a Musaner’s version of "Through the Ages," an Armenian
song recorded by Komitas. "It’s called a threshing song-it’s a field song,"
Sarkissian said.
Another notable folk song played was "Festive Occasions," of which
Sarkissian stated, "Half the song is an Armenian folk song, and half of it
is from South-Central Serbia."
For more information and schedules regarding future "Jazz Nights at ALMA"
concert events, visit
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4. A Personal Homage to Aris Ohanessian
By Jean Adjemian
As we, the friends, hamagirs and ungers, joined the Ohanessian family to a
Memorial Dinner given for Aris at the renowned Como restaurant in Niagara
Falls, N.Y., I happened to sit next to a gentle, properly attired lady. She
introduced herself as Aris’ cousin from Detroit and asked me, "How do you
know Aris?" At first, I was bewildered and taken aback by such an innocent
query that I matter-of-factly replied with a subdued brusqueness. "How can
an Armenian who has lived in Niagara Falls for over 50 years not know Aris?"
Then I briefly explained our relationship to her.
I first saw Aris and became acquainted with him in the early 1950’s. I had
just come over from France and was staying with my uncle Vahan. My father
Setrak and his brother were separated in the aftermath of the genocide, and
while my uncle found haven in Niagara Falls, my father opted to find refuge
in Marseille because of its proximity to the homeland. He was absorbed with
the notion of going back to his beloved Nareg, in the Province of Van, once
the Allied Powers returned Western Armenia to its rightful owners.
Unfortunately, his dream never materialized. Some 92 years later, even
though the dream of regaining our usurped lanes is still alive, we are still
standing on first base and pretty far from reaching home.
Niagara Falls had, in those days, a thriving Armenian community. Those
out-of-towners who came to conferences, conventions or simply for a visit
were extremely praiseful to the hospitality shown by the local passionate
hayrenagits. My uncle owned a two-story building on the corner of Tenth and
East Falls streets. While the living quarters were located on the second
floor, the main floor was used as a serjaran with a kitchen in the back to
cater to some of the Armenian bachelors. I was then working for the
International Paper Mill and, as I would come home later in the afternoon, I
would give my uncle a respite and make the Armenian coffee for some of the
habitués. Among them were krnadz George, aghdod Mike (whose mouth was
constantly spewing obscenities), yergar Sahag, sev Khatchig, Yahoudi Boghos,
khmadz Garo, and many others whose names I no longer remember. They also
referred to my uncle as topal Vahan. But those monikers were commonly used
without malice and were uttered with friendly and intimate overtones.
One evening, as I was bringing a cup of coffee to a customer, walking
gingerly toward the table, trying to avoid tilting the cup and spilling the
perpoor into the saucer (in such cases I was admonished by the customer and
was compelled to make a new cup of coffee), in comes a tall, perhaps 5’10",
light haired, fair skinned, blue-eyed man who I assumed was an odar (the
term WASP would have been more appropriate but was unknown to me at the
time) and asked my uncle in Armenian for a donation for the recently built
Armenian community center/church/school complex. I was at first surprised
then impressed that this giant wearing a police uniform was in fact an
Armenian. I am 5’4" and most of our unfortunate compatriots of the first
generation who escaped the Medz Chart were not taller than I am, and some
even shorter, with weather-worn visages for years of exposure to the sun
while farming their plot of land, and often walking faraway distances to get
their necessary provisions or to escape the heinous deeds of the Turks. It’s
hard to imagine that some actually walked from Van to Barsgastan! Even in my
23 years in France, I had not seen such a tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed
Armenian. After being introduced to him, Aris suggested that I come to the
community center and attend its functions. I did eventually heed his
recommendation and even joined the organizations and became a trustee on the
St. Hagop Church Board, a member of the Board of Directors of the community
center, and served on the Executive Committee of the local ARF Njdeh
Chapter. For the next 40 years, Aris and I worked together on matters
related to the Armenian community and Hai Tahd. We were both steadfast in
our convictions. We almost always agreed on the goals but at times differed
on the means.
In addition to his physical stature, Aris had an unwavering commitment to
the ARF and the Armenian Cause. Even as he was elevated to the rank of
captain and was often times the second in command of the Niagara Falls
Police Department, he devoted a considerable amount of his time to
overseeing the maintenance of the community center. I would venture to say
that he probably spent more time in his Armenian home than at his residence.
He was a giant among us. And none of us in Niagara Falls who came from
foreign lands can ever forget his guidance and benevolence. Aris helped us
cope and familiarize ourselves with this new environment.
When I bought a house for the first time at the age of 55, Aris realized
that I was overwhelmed by the obligations imposed upon a property owner. I
had told him that in Marseille, my parents, sister and I lived several years
in a one-room apartment in the Armenian ghetto in the heart of the city (26
Rue des Petites Maries: There must be some history behind that street’s
name!) where there wasn’t an inch of green space. I had never owned a
screwdriver or a wrench, let alone a lawn mower or snow blower. The first
thing Aris brought to my attention was that an electrician and a plumber
were most important for the upkeep of a house. Soon, thereafter, he
introduced me to two of his acquaintances who were willing to come to my
rescue in times of need. By pure coincidence, and conveniently for me, the
house my wife and I chose to buy was located on a small island named Cayuga
on the outer periphery of Niagara Falls, on the same island where Aris
lived. As a daily exercise, Aris would ride his bicycle around the island
and, if we were sitting on the porch, would stop for a chat on various
ungeragan issues and often ask me if he could be of further assistance in
regards to the house. Once, as he came inside to discuss a gomideh-related
correspondence, he noticed a stain on the living room ceiling. He asked me
for some cloth and cleaning liquid and, while I would have needed a stool or
a ladder to reach the ceiling, this giant reached it with no effort and
erased the soiled spot.
I have, on occasion, witnessed some Armenians who have immigrated to the
U.S. exhibit a condescending attitude toward American-born Armenians. They
contend that because of their command of the Armenian language they are, by
nature, endowed with deeper patriotic sentiments. How wrong they are! I know
personally at least two American-born Armenians (there are countless more I
am sure) whom I admire, whose patriotism is unquestionable and most
laudable. While my knowledge of the Armenian language may exceed Aris’
ability to speak and write, his devotion and passion for his community, his
heritage and the Armenian Cause are unmatched. He has left a big void in the
Armenian community and will be sorely missed. I consider myself fortunate to
have met this giant of an Armenian and to have had his guidance and
friendship for so many years.
To his three sons, Aris Jr., Steven, Peter, and to their families, may the
noble memories your father has left behind assuage your grief and pacify
your hearts.
—————————————— —————————————–
5. Demirjian Conducts Bach Society, Goto Rocks the Stradivarius
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (A.W.)-On Oct. 20, the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra held
its autumn concert with musical direction by Aram Demirjian (Harvard, ’08),
and presented the Boston-area debut of renowned violinist Ryu Goto.
Goto was born in New York in 1988 and began his violin career at age three
with teachers Yoko Gilbert, Victor Danchenko and Cho-Liang Lin. He made his
concert debut at age seven at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.
In recent years, Goto has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra,
the Royal Liverpool Harmonic, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the New
Symphony Orchestra (Bulgaria) and the EU Youth Orchestra, in addition to
performing an unprecedented 10 sold-out concerts in Tokyo in 2001.
First on the program by the orchestra was a rendition of Ralph Vaughn
William’s (1872-1958) Overture to "The Wasps," a composition for the
Aristophanes play poking satirical fun at Athenian justice and the frantic
buzzing of court jurors.
Goto then came to the stage and performed Niccolo Paganini’s (1782-1840)
"Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 6, I, II, and III."
Of the piece, the program noted, "Paganini’s fame, and his heightened
consciousness of the role of publicity and showmanship has been compared to
pop stars of today. His concerts would consistently sell out and he would
intentionally break his E-string only to dazzle audiences by completing high
finale passages on the A-string, and he did nothing to dispel the rumor that
he had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for supreme musical skill."
Goto was indeed well-suited to play Paganini, dressed nonchalantly in wear
and bad boy poseur that gleaned an insolent style more akin to a Yakuza
brat-pack than a violin virtuoso. The audience adored it.
In the third movement, Goto exhibited Paganini’s trademark "ricochet"
technique ending, by which the bow bounces across the strings to produce
very quick, non-slurred notes. Using his own deft playing and mystique, Goto
made perhaps as many women squirm in their seats as Paganini did in the 18th
century.
Following the intermission, the orchestra performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s
(1770-1827) "Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93" in three movements with
expert orchestra conduction by Demirjian.
————————————— ————————————————– ——-
6. Beylerian Ahead of His Time
WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)-In an age of environmental awareness, where even
large companies are looking for ways to go green, George Beylerian’s
Material ConneXion is way ahead of its time.
Beylerian, a native of Alexandria, Egypt, founded his company in 1996, while
working as a marketing consultant. He proposed creating a "library of
materials" to the company he was working for, which gave him $200,000 and a
4,000-square foot space (rent-free) to start the project. The company
started the library, cataloguing over 4,000 different materials, both
natural and man-made, with information on how the materials can be created
and used.
The most important part of the project is the conversion of materials into
useful products. For example, Beylerian’s company has turned parachute
materials into window treatments.
The library has been an inspiration to many artists who design and work with
the materials, and includes a jury of 8 to 10 senior designers, engineers
and scientists who decide which products to include in the catalogue. The
company also releases a quarterly publication called "Matter."
The main demand from the company right now is green materials. ConneXion
helped the company Aveda to create environmentally sustainable packages for
cosmetics, for example.
As Beylerian puts it, "the library has come of age."
————————————— ————————————
7. ‘You Are the Yeast of Your Friends’
Poet David Kherdian Discusses New Anthology ‘Forgotten Bread: First
Generation Armenian-American Writers’ at NAASR
By Andy Turpin
BELMONT, Mass. (A.W.)-On Oct. 18, David Kherdian, noted Armenian-American
poet, novelist and author of the National Book Award and the Boston
Globe-Horn Book Award nominated memoir The Road from Home: The Story of an
Armenian Girl, spoke at NAASR about his newly published anthology, Forgotten
Bread: First Generation Armenian-American Writers (Heyday, 2007).
NAASR director of programs and publications Marc A. Mamigonian introduced
Kherdian, saying, "He is widely known as one of the most distinct voices in
Armenian poetry for the past 40 years."
Kherdian said of his childhood in Wisconsin, "To grow up an
Armenian-American in the Midwest was to be a second-class citizen. In my
last year of college I discovered Saroyan and found a kinship I hadn’t
thought I’d know."
After corresponding with him, Kherdian journeyed out west to California to
meet with and write alongside William Saroyan, recalling, "This was my
apprenticeship. I figured I would write myself out of Wisconsin like Saroyan
wrote himself out of Fresno."
Kherdian stated, "It was around that time that I got married to my first
wife and was living with my mother. I had two muses: my mother grounded me
to my Armenian soul and my wife grounded me to my American soil."
After spending time together, Saroyan offered Kherdian the position of
personal secretary before reading his writings. After reading his writing,
Saroyan was greatly impressed by Kherdian’s talent. He stated, "I recant my
offer, you have important work to do."
Kherdian explained, "At that time, Archie Minasian was the only Armenian
poet that mattered."
He spoke about the genre of Forgotten Bread, saying, "Ethnic writing has
never been accepted as a strand of American literature. But let’s face it,
we’re American writers."
Kherdian talked about overcoming anxiety about becoming a writer. He would
think, "How can I be a writer? My father was a day laborer, I grew up in a
ghetto. I wanted to rescue my life through writing."
Northeastern University professor of English Gary Goshgarian spoke briefly
about examples of some of the Armenian-American writings found in the book,
specifically about a notable short story by Richard Hagopian titled "Roupen
Finds Love."
Goshgarian related his own experience about feeling out of place and without
literary representation as an Armenian growing up in Hartford, Conn.,
saying, "I was the only non-Italian I knew. I was an honorary Italian at 18.
When I told my friends I was Armenian, they said, ‘You ain’t a guinea? Well,
don’t tell nobody.’"
Kherdian then read one of his poems, "Thompsondale," about the Americana
tradition of picnicking, speaking in his drawl, "The sandwiches will be
eaten again and again."
He said of his writing schedule, "Because I write novels during the day, I
write my poems in the evening when I take off my shoes."
Another poem he read, about his hometown "My Racine," concerned mulberry
trees. Kherdian commented, "In the Midwest, you don’t get apricots and other
Armenian fruits. But we did have mulberry trees."
Kherdian also read "Histories," which he prefaced by saying, "Our tongue has
always been a member of the heart, not the head. Something no one could take
away from us-couldn’t understand, and didn’t want to."
Kherdian ended, saying he considered Forgotten Bread to be a great personal
triumph, saying, "I feel like I’ve completed the arc of my life. I’ve done
it."
————————————— ————————————————– –
8. Der Manuelian on Ani: ‘The Fabled Capital of Armenia’
By Andy Turpin
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (A.W.)-On Oct. 17, Lucy Der Manuelian, Arthur H. Dadian and
Ara Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art and Architectural History at Tufts
University, spoke at the Harvard Fogg Art Museum about the history of the
jewel of ancient Armenia, the city of Ani.
The lecture represents the first in the Fogg Museum’s "Cities: Their Art and
Architecture" series, to be followed through spring with other scholarly
lectures on the histories of Pagan, Montreal, Selinunte, Cape Town and
Vienna.
Director of membership and annual giving at the Fogg Museum Steven D. Horsch
introduced Der Manuelian, noting that she was "the first scholar in the U.S.
to complete a dissertation on Armenian art."
Der Manuelian prefaced, "It’s always wonderful to share a culture that’s so
little known and has made so many contributions to civilization."
Speaking to the title of her lecture as Ani a fabled city, she said, "It is
fabled, first of all because of its romantic setting. It has captivated
travelers for years of all nationalities: English, French, German, British
and Russian."
Regarding Ani’s pioneering innovations in the field of military
fortifications for its structures, Der Manuelian praised, "Medieval Armenia
was, without exaggeration, a high-tech country."
Of Ani and historic Armenia’s cultural contributions and scholarship to the
world, she said, "Its thousands of artifacts testify to its relationship
with China and Persia. Armenia was a very literate country. Armenians
translated the bible from Syriac to Armenian."
She added, "They translated all of human knowledge into Armenian-that is to
say, everything but those in Chinese and Japanese."
Der Manuelian anecdoted that when a 19th-century French traveler saw the
arches of Ani’s cathedral, which predated those in Western Europe, he
unknowingly exclaimed about the Armenians, "They must have imported a French
Gothic architect to build them a Gothic cathedral."
Der Manuelian then explained that Ani’s history is little known to much of
the world because "access to the city itself was very difficult and all the
books on the subject were locked in the libraries of a small number of
universities. Harvard was the first one to have a chair studying Armenia."
Speaking about the Armenians’ integral contributions to those crusaders
seeking to capture the Holy Land, she said, "The First Crusade would have
been a total disaster if the Armenians had not been waiting for the
crusaders with open arms to help them."
Likewise, she cited that the first three queens of Jerusalem under the
crusaders were Armenian, including the legendarily clever beauty Melisende
(Melazond).
Speaking of the Armenian region surrounding Ani and its hostal neighbor
states, Der Manuelian quipped, "I like to say that it is a David with two
Goliaths on either side [the former Persian and Ottoman empires]."
She added, "It is a volcanic plateau and therefore a glittering prize.
Anyone who wanted to control that part of the world needed to control
Armenia."
Der Manuelian spoke of the ill-preservation and restoration efforts to Ani
on the part of the Turkish government and international archeological
community, saying, "The UN World Monuments Fund put Ani on the list of the
100 most endangered hisortical sites in the world. But the Turks are not
following any of the rules."
Concerning Ani’s size, Der Manuelian said, "It originally was a small city,
about the size of downtown Boston. About 40 trades are mentioned in the
historical souces, and in the 9th century it already had a larger population
than Rome at over 100,000 people."
Explaining that commerce and urbanization also functioned in the layers of
catacombs under the main city, Der Manuelian said, "There was a series of
caves underneath the city in which traders would drive in and unload their
wares. There was a known underground city."
Ani was also highly important to Western European architects and generals
for its perfected military fortification techniques appropriated from those
minds and cultures in the East with which Armenians exclusively interacted.
Talking about these contibutions, she said, "It’s almost as though the
Armenians had a checklist to go by. Armenians were well-versed in military
matters, having been the subject of many, many invasions."
At its pinnacle, Ani and its citizens also enjoyed great amounts of
prosperity and wealth due to their logisitcal point of commerce on trade
routes, Der Manuelian said. "Even the shepherds began showing up in silk
garments. You might call it a cross between Hong Kong and Camelot."
Regarding Ani’s reputation, akin only to present-day Budapest, as the "City
of 1001 Cathedrals," Der Manuelian clarified, "Arab sources did talk about
Ani having about 500 churches, but the real origin of the title is much more
sad. It was said that during the Seljuk invasion Christian services for God’s
protection were held in 1,001 churches."
Of Ani’s present date of decline and prospective future, Der Manuelian
ended, "We have a city being celebrated and honored, but not preserved and
taken care of."
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9. From Washington, with Love. And Medical Equipment
AAHAGW Promotes Health in Armenia and Artsakh
By Khajag Mgrditchian
After Armenia gained its independence, various diasporan organizations were
formed around the world, including the United States, to assist the newly
independent republic. One of these organizations was the Armenian-American
Health Association of Greater Washington (AAHAGW). Below is an interview
with AAHAGW chairman Grigor Khachikian conducted by Hairenik Weekly editor
Khajag Mgrditchian.
Khajag Mgrditchian-First, we’d like to hear the history of your
organization. How was it founded? Who were the founders?
Grigor Khachikian-The organization was the brainchild of five health
professionals from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.: Shakeh
Kaftarian, Hayk Kaftarian, Vicken Poochikian, Drtad Manjikian and myself.
Two local churches helped us locate Armenian health professionals in the
area. The first meeting of the health professionals took place in 1991, and
Mr. Albert Kabayan, Esq., was essential in setting up the legal framework of
the organization. Hayk Kaftarian was elected as the first chairman of the
organization, and I was chosen as secretary.
The first thing the organization did was collect assistance such as medicine
and medical equipment. We used the plane flights of the UAF (United Armenian
Fund) to get the assistance to Armenia. Since 1991, AAHAGW has transferred
over US$1 million worth of medicine, infant formula and medical supplies to
Armenia.
K.M.-What is the average age of the doctors in the organization? I mean,
have you been able to attract younger medical professionals?
G.K.-I must confess that there is a clear difficulty in attracting younger
doctors to this kind of work. However, we do have some younger members, and
we hope to attract more.
K.M.-How are you funded?
G.K.-All of the work done in the U.S. is voluntary. As for Armenia, we only
keep two paid employees there. Our members have annual dues ($100). We also
owe a good portion of our funding to donations. We organize one or two
events per year. We have two large donors, who each give more than $15,000
every year.
We try to keep the community aware of our activities and sometimes we
organize events where we educate the public about our organization and its
mission.
K.M.-How do you distribute the aid?
G.K.-When we first started, we were not well acquainted with the newly
independent Armenia, so we had to rely on Armenia’s Ministry of Health to
distribute the aid, and we had very little oversight.
Now, the distribution of aid is very different. First, we decided to stay
clear of private institutions. We have established strong ties with the
Central Military Hospital of Yerevan. Thanks to the connections of Dr.
Hratch Abrahamian, we were able to establish those strong ties and we know
that this is a hospital that is not being threatened by privatization. The
work we do with the Military Hospital is progressing smoothly.
K.M.-What other projects do you have and how well are they working?
G.K.-Our second project was to establish a clinic in Dzaghgadzor for needy
individuals and the children of freedom fighters. Father Apraham from the
area cooperated with us in this project. However, currently we have no more
ties with this project.
Our third project began in Artsakh. Cooperating with the Ministry of Health,
we started mobile health units in the Martuni and Hadrut regions of
Karabakh. The goal is to have a vehicle driving around and providing health
care to the locals living in villages. The doctors in the vehicle are
brought in by the ministry, while we only provided the vehicle, the
medicines and the equipment. This project has been going on for two years.
K.M.-Are there any plans to expand the project and include other regions?
G.K.-We would like to do that. But I must say, with our experience, and the
results we got, we have been encouraging the Armenian doctors in Germany to
provide the same kind of service in the Mardakert area.
I had the opportunity to visit Armenia and Artsakh in June, and see
first-hand how the projects were working. In Artsakh, I met with the
Minister of Health and I expressed our readiness to service the Mardakert
region with another mobile health unit in case the German doctors back out.
At almost the same time, coincidentally, I received a phone call from the
Armenian doctors in Germany who told me they were ready to implement the
project. So, we decided to service the Askeran region instead.
K.M.-How did you start helping the Central Military Hospital and how is that
project going?
G.K.-Dr. Hratch Aprahamian is an expert at Georgetown University, and is
currently a professor in many Armenian and American medical schools. Thanks
to his efforts and his suggestion, we took over a surgery section of the
military hospital. We were given five rooms, which we renovated completely,
and we got six chairs and all the necessary equipment. That was followed by
teaching projects, and young doctors were given the opportunity to gain
experience on the spot.
Then we established the dentistry section, which we also renovated
completely. Four chairs were placed there. After our initial assistance, the
section became self-sufficient.
Then, we worked on the third project within the Military Hospital: the blood
bank. We provided the hospital with an essential piece of equipment used to
store blood.
Now we are studying the possibility of improving the physical therapy
section, which is currently in a bad state.
K.M.-Are there any other issues that worry you in terms of health care in
Armenia?
G.K.-One of the phenomena that causes us a lot of concern is the sanitary
condition in school bathrooms. Poor conditions in those restrooms can have
serious repercussions on health. We have spoken about this with the Artsakh
Ministry of Health, as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress