AZG Armenian Daily #089, 10/05/2008

WAC and UAR

WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS AND UNION OF ARMENIANS IN
RUSSIA TO HOLD A NEW CONTEST – 80.000 US DOLLARS OF
FUND TO SCIENCE AND CREATORS

"From the beginning of its foundation Union of
Armenians in Russia (UAR) and then World Armenian
Congress (WAC) pay great attention to the development
of science, art, education, and the promotion to the
representatives of those branches", mentioned
Vice-president of WAC and UAR Vladimir Aghayan at May
8 press conference held in the Union of Writers on the
occasion of joint contest declared by the creative
unions and National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

Since 2000, UAR has rendered similar assistance to RA
National Academy of Sciences – financial and social
assistance to both the establishment and its workers.

This cooperation got a new quality in 2007 when UAR
and NAS created Sciences’ Development Foundation. WAC
and UAR President Ara Abrahamian put the first
investments in the foundation.

Then Union of Writers in Armenia appeared in the focus
of attention of UAR and WAC. They jointly created
Literature Assistance Foundation mainly with the
investments of Ara Abrahamian. It has got a
competitive nature since 2007, when creative contests
were declared with participation of the Unions of
Writers and Journalists with unprecedented funds in
Armenia.

It is scheduled to hold similar competitions this year
involving also Unions of Composers and Musicians, and
Artists, and also the National Academy of Sciences
with a total fund of 80.000 US dollars.

Another traditional contest under heading "We were, we
are and we will be" will be also held this year.
Students and schoolchildren will take part in the
contest. The theme of the contest is "We are strong
when we are together". This contest aims at
introducing the historical past of the Armenian people
to the students and schoolchildren of Armenia, Artsakh
and Armenian Diaspora and at sowing faith in the
future of Armenia.

The contest will be held by WAC and UAR with the help
of RA Ministry of Science and Education. Each of the
six winners of the contest will be rewarded with a
computer.

According to the Chairman of the Union of Writers
Levon Ananian, similar initiatives are welcomed
especially in these days when the nation is divided in
two and the culture and science can serve as means of
unification.

The Union of Writers this year also will hold a
contest under heading "The Armenian at the beginning
of the 21st century" for the unpublished works (story,
prose) in 2008. The fund of the contest is 15.000 US
dollars.

The Unions of Journalists this year has selected
"Armenia is the motherland of all-Armenians" theme for
the best journalistic publication of 2008. The fund of
the contest is 10.000 US dollars.

The fund of the contest for the Unions of Composers
and Musicians under headings "Armenian modern composer
art’s creative hands" and "New prospects of the
development of Armenian Musicology" is 15.000 US
dollars.

Joint contest of National Academy of Sciences and WAC
and UAR will be held in the spheres of Armenology,
humanities, natural, exact, technical sciences and
informatics for the "Best scientific work" published
or licensed abroad in 2007. The fund of the contest is
30.000 US dollars.

The Union of Artists will also hold its contest under
heading "Armenia and Armenians with the eyes of an
artist". The fund is 10.000 US dollars in four
nominations: painting, sculpture, graphics and
decorative art.

Only members of the creative unions can participate in
the contests. The deadline for handing of the
materials is January 31, 2009.

By Aghavni Haroutunian, translated by L.H.