Author: admin

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE AT TURKEY-EU SEMINAR

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian Assembly Tuesday raised the question of human
rights in Turkey and specifically issues regarding reported calls for
introducing laws to allow the removal of the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul
at a panel discussion on Turkey’s EU Prospects and Europe’s Domestic
Policies.

Debating the pros and cons of Turkey’s membership in the European Union were
Turkish and American journalists and policy experts invited by the Western
Policy Center to evaluate where Europe and Turkey stood on the thorny
question of whether Turkey should be allowed to become a full member of the
European family of nations.

Among the panelists, Soner Cagaptay, coordinator of the Turkish Research
Program at The Washington Institute, was the most vocal supporter of full
Turkish membership. Cagaptay was also critical of European nations who, he
said, were using double standards in their approach to Turkey.

“For some European nations the cup is half empty and not half full when it
comes to Turkey. We have fulfilled all their demands, and yet, we are
treated differently. In some and even most cases we are not worse than
several East European countries,” he said.

Repeating often stated remarks by Turkish government officials that Turkey
had introduced and implemented laws to safeguard human rights as underlined
by the “Copenhagen criteria” of the European Union, Cagaptay said:

“We are in full compliance on issues involving respect of minority rights
and separation of church and state and many other key points.”

While several members of the audience raised questions involving economic
integration, demographic changes and cultural issues, Armenian Assembly
Director of Public Affairs David Zenian asked Cagapray for his views on
recent Turkish newspaper reports involving the Armenian Patriarchate of
Istanbul.

“We read in a recent report published by the Turkish newspaper Cumhurriyet
that the Turkish Interior Ministry is pressing for the passage of laws which
will allow more control over the election process of the Armenian Patriarch
including a clause giving the government authority to depose the head of the
Armenian church.

“Imagine the Italian government enacting laws which not only dictates that
the Pope be an Italian citizen – the Turkish government already demands that
the Patriarch be a Turkish citizen – but also giving itself the right to
depose the Pope if it regards the election to be irregular or flawed?”
Zenian asked.

Cagaptay had no comment. Instead he returned to his earlier grievances,
repeating his allegation of European double standards.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-054

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Scott Harrison: “Make no mistake there’s only ONE Harrison in British boxing and that’s me”

EastsideBoxing.com
June 16 2004

16.06.04 – WBO World Featherweight Champion SCOTT HARRISON has
promised boxing fans that they will know who the ‘Real Harrison’ is
on Saturday 19 June.

The tough Scotsman makes the second defence of his title, in his
second reign as World champion, against the dangerous mandatory
challenger from Armenia, WILLIAM ABELYAN, and will be roared on by
5,000 passionate fans at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow in what is a
real fight.

On the same night his namesake South of the border, heavyweight
Audley Harrison, takes on the latest handpicked opponent – Pole
Tomasz Bonin – at the Alexandra Palace defending his Mickey Mouse WBF
title..

The similarity between the two ends at their name.

Whilst the Scottish hero has beaten four former World champions in
Tom Johnson, Tracy Harris Patterson, Steve Robinson and Wayne
McCullough and became the first Scot ever to regain a World title,
Fraudley has still yet to face a ‘live’ opponent after 16 fights and
over three years in the pro ranks.

The fiery 126lb fighter from Cambuslang stormed, “Make no mistake
there’s only ONE Harrison in British boxing and that’s me – The Real
Harrison,”

He continued, “The fans aren’t stupid, they know a real fighter and
they know that I am value for money. The difference is I will fight
anyone who is put in front of me and I don’t handpick my opponents,”

Audinary even tried to gatecrash Glasgow in October 2001 with his
fight against hapless Pole Piotr Jurczyk in attempt to steal the
thunder from the Scottish hero but he couldn’t fool the fans.

“He tried to tread on my home turf but he didn’t get the crowd or the
reception he was expecting and has never come back,” added Harrison.

“Everytime I’ve fought in Glasgow the place has been rocking and it
will be the same this Saturday night against Abelyan. I’m expecting
to have a war where I will have to get in the trenches and grit my
teeth to come through the winner – something Audley will never have
to do if he continues facing the level of opponent he’s been facing.”
Finished Harrison.

Promoter Frank Warren said, “The only Harrison I’m focused on at the
moment is Scott who is involved in real World title fight which the
fans recognise. Scott’s only too happy to accept a pay cheque from
me!”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA REMAINS ON TIER 2 WATCH LIST

ArmenPress
June 16 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenia found itself in its last
year’s company in this year’s U.S. State Department report on human
trafficking. In the department’s fourth annual Trafficking in Persons
Report, released Monday, Armenia was among 42 nations listed on the
Tier 2 Watch List. Nations are classified into three categories,
with Tier 3 being the least favorable. Armenia moved from Tier 3 to
Tier 2 last year after it took steps to clean up its act. Nations on
the Tier 2 Watch List are considered in danger of falling into Tier 3.

Armenian foreign affairs ministry said Armenian ambassador to the
USA was invited, together with representatives of other diplomatic
missions to the report presentation. John Miller, head of the office
for fighting against trafficking in persons, spoke with Armenian
ambassador, saying that Armenia may move to Tier 1 in the event of
launching a large-scale crackdown on corruption and tracking down and
punishing people involved in trafficking in persons. An arrangement
was reached to convene a special meeting to that end.

The report says that Armenia is primarily a source and transit country
for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation mainly to the
United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Turkey, as well as Russia, Greece,
and other European countries. Trafficking to Russia, Turkey and the
U.A.E. for the purposes of labor exploitation was an increasingly
significant problem. There were a few cases of trafficking in women
from Uzbekistan to Armenia for sexual exploitation. Advocates expressed
concerns about internal trafficking and trafficking of orphans,
but no confirmed cases were uncovered.

The Government of Armenia does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making
significant efforts to do so. Cooperation between police and NGOs
increased the number of investigations, and provided police a greater
understanding of international and domestic sources of trafficking.
The government should improve legal instruments to create more
effective tools for law enforcement and should improve the transparency
of its anti-corruption programs.

The Report also says that law enforcement improved its record of
victim identification and referrals to a service-providing NGO. In one
operation, police identified eight foreign prostitutes, suspected
they were victims and referred them to an NGO for assistance.
Armenian NGOs provided most victim assistance, but cooperated well
with police. In order to alleviate vulnerabilities of an at-risk group,
the government adopted a program to provide apartments to children who
graduated from orphanages, and provided assistance to poor families
with needy children.

Prevention activities increased during the reporting period, especially
through the use of mass media. The National Police were featured in
several training films and TV shows on trafficking, and the Ministry
of Education approved anti-trafficking educational lectures for
secondary and university students. In January of 2004, the government
approved an anti-trafficking national action plan for 2004-2006. The
government contributed the equivalent of $11,000 of its own funds
to support the work of the National Anti-Trafficking Commission,
and foreign donors provided the remaining funds. The government’s
Department for Migration and Refugees conducted extensive outreach on
migration issues, which prevented a significant number of individuals
from succumbing to trafficking, according to an independent survey.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOREIGN MINISTRY DENIES REPORTS ABOUT TOUGHER VISA REGIME FOR
ARMENIANS VISITING TURKEY

ArmenPress
June 16 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign ministry denied today
media reports that Turkey has imposed stricter visa regulations for
Armenian citizens, wishing to visit Turkey, with which Armenia has no
diplomatic relations. A Yerevan-based daily Haykakan Zhamanak claimed
today, citing a statement by Turkish foreign affairs ministry that
from now on Armenians wishing to travel to Turkey will have to get
permissions from Turkish consulates in third countries. Until now
Armenians could get visas at Istanbul airport or at checkpoints at
Georgian-Turkish border.

The Armenian ministry said, citing the Turkish embassy in Russia
that no changes were made in visa regulations concerning Armenian
citizens visiting Turkey. The Armenian ministry said that under
the international practice countries are notified beforehand if
visa regimes are changed. The foreign ministry said it received no
notification from Turkish authorities.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

SEN. ALLEN CALLS FOR “STRICT PARITY” IN U.S. MILITARY AID TO
ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN DURING CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

– Nominee Stresses Ties to Armenia, Willingness to Work with
Armenian Americans

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator George Allen (R-VA), in his capacity as
chairman of the Senate panel holding a confirmation hearing earlier
today for the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, stressed that in
order “to ensure that the United States remains an honest peace
broker, I believe it is essential that we maintain strict parity
with regard to foreign military financing or FMF funding” to
Armenia and Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

The statement comes in response to President Bush’s Fiscal Year
2005 budget proposal, which would break the agreement to maintain
military aid parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The budget,
released on February 2nd, proposes $2 million in Foreign Military
Financing for Armenia and $8 million for Azerbaijan.

The proposal contradicts the agreement struck in 2001 between the
White House and Congress to maintain parity in U.S. military aid
levels to Armenia and Azerbaijan. This understanding, which was
shared with representatives of the Armenian American community
during a February 21, 2002 meeting with National Security Council
officials, resulted in equal levels of military aid being
appropriated to these two nations in Fiscal Years 2002, 2003, and
2004. This parity contributed meaningfully to stability in the
Caucasus.

Since the release of the President’s budget, the Armenian American
community has participated in ANCA WebFax, letter writing and phone
campaigns, urging the House and Senate Appropriations panels to
ensure continued military aid parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan. In
a recent memo to key Senate and House members, ANCA Government
Affairs Director Abraham Niziblian argued that, “a tilt in military
spending toward Azerbaijan would destabilize the region,
emboldening the new Azerbaijani leadership to continue their
threats to impose a military solution of the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict. More broadly, breaching the parity agreement would
reward the leadership of Azerbaijan for walking away from the OSCE
Key West peace talks in 2001, the most promising opportunity to
resolve the Nagorno Karabagh conflict in nearly a decade.”

——————————————————————-
Nominee John Marshall Evans Pledges to Work to Strengthen U.S. –
Armenia Bilateral Relations
——————————————————————-

Career Foreign Service Officer John Marshall Evans, in his oral
testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stressed
his commitment to “working with this and other relevant Committees
of the Congress, with the Armenian people, the Armenian Government,
and with the Armenian American community to further the foreign
policy goals of the United States.” He went on to note the U.S.
commitment to strengthening democracy and economic prosperity in
Armenia. Citing the recent announcement of Armenia’s eligibility
for Millennium Challenge Account funding, Evans noted that the move
“presents a unique opportunity for our two countries to strengthen
our bilateral cooperation while meeting some of today’s most
difficult challenges head on.”

During the question and answer period, Sen. Allen asked Evans to
comment about the effectiveness of U.S. assistance to Armenia.
Evans noted that reports using non-U.S. indicators measuring the
democratic and economic progress of Armenia show that, “we are
making progress and we are trying to quantify it as effectively and
scientifically as we can.”

In response to a question on the debilitating effects of the
Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades of Armenia, Evans stated that
“the estimate is that were the border for Turkey to be reopened, it
could make as much as a 50% difference in Armenia’s trade
situation.”

“We want to thank Senator Allen for his forceful defense of
maintaining strict military aid parity between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Keeping our military assistance packages to these two
nations at equal levels will contribute to regional stability,
restrain the increasingly violent rhetoric of the Azerbaijani
leadership, and ensure that the United States can continue to act
as an impartial mediator in the Nagorno Karabagh peace process,”
said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “We would
also like to express our appreciation to John Evans for his
willingness to follow in the tradition of past ambassadors to
Armenia – Harry Gilmore, Michael Lemmon, and John Ordway – in
working closely with the Armenian American community on the full
range issues on the U.S.-Armenia agenda.”

John Marshall Evans joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1971. He
has held posts in Iran, Czechoslovakia, Russia and with the OSCE
among other positions. He currently serves as Director of the
Office of Russian Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs in the State Department, with the rank of Minister-
Counselor.

During the confirmation hearing, other candidates presenting
testimony included Mr. Charles P. Ries, nominated for U.S.
Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and Mr. Tom Korologos,
nominated for U.S. Ambassador to Belgium.

During the hearing, Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) urged both Evans and
Reis to make a special effort to learn Armenian and Greek,
respectively, in an effort to better communicate with their
counterparts in their upcoming posts. Sen. Sarbanes had met
privately with all three candidates prior to the confirmation
hearing.

Full Senate confirmation of all three candidates for
ambassadorships is expected soon.

The complete text of Mr. Evans’ oral testimony, as well as, the
question and answer session dealing with Armenian American concerns
follows. The complete written testimony presented by Evans to the
Senate panel will be available soon.

#####

===================================================================
Selected Statements from the Senate Foreign Relations Confirmation
Hearing for John Marshall Evans, Nominated to Serve as U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia
===================================================================

Sen. George Allen (R-VA) – [during his opening remarks]:
—————————————- ——————————————–
I have long believed that the United States must remain engaged in the
South Caucasus remnants of the former Soviet Union. Ongoing
conflicts and corruption in this part of the world remain a great
concern to both regional and global stability. Particularly, I have
had a long-standing interest in Armenia and the history of the
Armenian people; understanding that the relations, though, between
Armenia and Azerbaijan continues to be tenuous and a very fragile
peace exists. To ensure that the United States remains an honest
peace broker, I believe it is essential that we maintain strict
parity with regard to foreign military financing or FMF funding to
both nations. I also remain concerned that the continuing
blockades of Armenia are obviously troublesome. Our government, in
my view Mr. Ambassador, when you are confirmed, our government
needs to do more to compel Turkey and Azerbaijan to fully end these
blockades and the negative effects these have on the Armenian
economy.

————————————————————————————————–

Mr. John Marshall Evans [Oral testimony before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee]:
————————————————————– ————————————

Mr. Chairman, we and the Armenians are no
strangers to each other. Many Americans are, of course, of Armenian
background, and if you read my full statement you will know that I
have learned that there was an Armenian at the Jamestown settlement
as early as 1619.

We have interacted, we and the Armenians, over many years in good
times and bad. Americans sympathize deeply with the plight of
those Armenians who suffered and perished in the declining years of
the Ottoman Empire. Thousands of Armenians have come to our shores
and enriched our country in a myriad of ways. In 1988 when a
terrible earthquake struck Armenia, it was only natural for the
United States to react immediately with rescue teams and
reconstruction assistance. I am very proud to have been heavily
involved in that effort, serving as Deputy Director of the Soviet
desk at the State Department.

Today, the Republic of Armenia and the United States face many
shared challenges. Terrorism and political and economic
instability are our common enemies. The U.S. aims to promote
security, stability, democracy and prosperity in the Caucasus. We
are helping Armenia build a new society based on democratic
principles and the rule of law. Recently Armenia was selected as a
potential recipient of a Millennium Challenge Account grant. I
believe this presents a unique opportunity for our two countries to
strengthen our bilateral cooperation while meeting some of today’s
most difficult challenges head on.

Mr. Chairman, if confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to working
with this and other relevant Committees of the Congress, with the
Armenian people, the Armenian Government, and with the Armenian
American community to further the foreign policy goals of the
United States.

Mr. Chairman, as you mentioned earlier, I have served previously in
Tehran, Prague – twice actually in Prague – Moscow, and St.
Petersburg as well as the NATO headquarters in Brussels, and in the
OSCE system. I also spent a semester at the Woodrow Wilson center
reading Ottoman History. So I think, in a sense, I have been
circling around Armenia for some time. If confirmed, I will do my
very best, to learn some of that most difficult, but as I
understand, beautiful language. I am very grateful to Senator
Sarbanes for his moral support in emphasizing the importance of
this and I certainly will report what you said to the State
Department.

Question and Answer Session during the Senate Confirmation Hearing:
——————————————————————————————————

Sen. George Allen (R-VA): I would like to ask you Mr. Evans, the
US has provided assistance to Armenia, been a strong supporter as
have certainly a majority of this Committee – are strong supporters
of assistance to Armenia. Could you assess how this assistance to
Armenia has furthered the interest of the United States?

Mr. John Marshall Evans: It’s important to keep in mind what our
goals are. Our goals in the South Caucasus are to create
conditions of stability, security, growing prosperity, and also
growing democracy. We’ve spent cumulatively about $1.5 billion, I
believe now. There is a very fine report that came out in January
on the current state of our assistance. What it shows is that we
are now trying to graph the effectiveness of our system using
indicators that are independent of the U.S. government. So we use
economic indicators derived from the EBRD on one axis and we use
Freedom House indicators on another axis. And if you look at the
development of Armenia, it’s a bit of a sigmoid curve. There was
constant movement up on the economy. There have been some zig-zags
on democratic development. But the overall movement is in the
right direction and I very much recommend the full report to you
and your staff. We are making progress and we are trying to
quantify it as effectively and scientifically as we can.

Sen. Allen: Would you comment then on the effect of the closed
borders on Armenia. You mentioned that the economy is going in the
right direction, but so far as the closed borders of Turkey and
Azerbaijan [. . .] What is your perspective?

Mr. Evans: A glance at the map makes it very clear that Armenia is
in a very difficult position and must depend on being a
transportation corridor. Armenia sits right in the South Caucasus
between Iran and Turkey and Azerbaijan and Georgia and two of its
four borders are currently closed, as you mentioned, those with
Turkey and Azerbaijan. The estimate is that were the border for
Turkey to be reopened, it could make as much as a 50% difference in
Armenia’s trade situation. . . . No one knows precisely, but that
is a pretty good estimate. It also would have a huge effect on
reducing Armenia’s energy bill, because at the moment, the single
source of natural gas, for example, comes from Russia and a lot of
gasoline is trucked into Armenia, so the energy costs are very
high. We are frequently in conversation with our Turkish
colleagues trying to persuade them that the time is come to open
the border with Armenia, which would also be a very good thing for
the Eastern Provinces of Turkey.

Sen. Allen: Thank you and you will certainly have this Senator’s
support to encourage Turkey to reopen that border without
preconditions.

#####

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHILDREN”S PLAYGROUND

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 6 2004

At the rehabilitation center of Stepanakert a children’s playground
was built on the funding of the International Committee of the Red
Cross. This event imparted a new meaning to the celebration of June
1. On this day according to the tradition the visitors and guests
of the center celebrated the birthday of seven-year-old Tigran, one
of the “old residents” of the center. For most of us children are
embodiments of vitality and health, energy and happiness, whereas not
everyone enjoys this happiness. In Karabakh about 500 children are
not capable of moving and coming in touch with their peers. However
this does not deprive them of enjoying life, feeling the assistance
and kindness of people. Everywhere there are kind people and these
children who know physical discomfort do not feel moral discomfort
when coming in touch with such people. At the rehabilitation center
they feel at home with their therapist sisters and the head of
the family Vardan. The people working in the center do everything
to provide necessary conditions for the treatment and rest of the
children. On May 1 certificates were delivered to the children who
finished the courses of computer under the center. In the center
there are courses of music, woodworking, drawing. Soon according
to the director of the center Vardan Tadevossian a pottery workshop
will be opened at the center. In the center about 60 children receive
outpatient treatment. Soon the inpatient treatment department will be
opened. “We are grateful to those kind people who provided us with
central heating, and inpatient treatment department will work all
year long and not only in summer as formerly,” said Vardan. He also
emphasized that soon with the government’s aid the yard of the center
will be repaired. The director thanked all those people who help
the center to make the life of the children attending the center
more interesting and full. He especially thanked the Red Cross. The
director of the Stepanakert office of the ICRC Mireille Bernard
said the organization implements a program of construction of safe
playgrounds in the territory of Nagorni Karabakh, especially at the
settlements near which there are minefields. According to M. Bernard,
there are already 21 such playgrounds in Karabakh. 

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian, Azerbaijani Troops Clash On Border

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
June 17 2004

16 June 2004 — The Armenian military today said one of its officers
was killed in a clash with Azerbaijani forces along the country’s
northeastern frontier.

Army Chief of Staff Mikael Arutunian said clashes in the area east of
Idzhevan, an important road and rail center, broke out a week ago when
Azerbaijani troops attempted to take a position on a hilltop that would
have enabled them to control a source of water running into Armenia.

Arutunian claimed several troops on the Azerbaijani side were killed.

There was no immediate confirmation from Baku.

There have been repeated such incidents in various frontier regions
since the signing of a cease-fire in 1994.

At least three Azerbaijanis were reported killed in similar clashes
along the frontier last year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

How many Chinese speakers in Box Butte County, Nebraska? The American
language tapestry, revealed

AP Online
Jun 16, 2004

TED ANTHONY

News flash: There is not a single Chinese speaker residing in Box
Butte County, Nebraska. Which may not sound like a particularly useful
sliver of information _ unless you’re a Box Butte-bound speaker of
Chinese looking for someone to converse with out on northwestern
Nebraska’s lonely prairie.

Now consider that Allison Park, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh,
has 49 speakers of Arabic and six of Armenian. Yiddish, meanwhile,
is spoken by people in every state _ including two each in Montana
and South Dakota, suggesting that Billings and Rapid City aren’t the
prime places to pick up some killer smoked whitefish.

Why are we telling you all this? Because thanks to the Modern Language
Association, one of academia’s most venerable organizations, now
we can.

The MLA’s new interactive Language Map Data Center, which goes public
Wednesday, is a truly fascinating (“hen you yisi” in Chinese, “muy
interesante” in Spanish) glimpse into the tapestry of tongues spoken by
American citizens and residents. It’s a story told by 2000 U.S. Census
data, crunched and leveraged to linguistic and geographic ends.

“So often, when we think of languages and cultures that are not
Anglophone America, we think of the world out there _ foreign,” says
Rosemary G. Feal, the MLA’s executive director. “We don’t necessarily
realize how, in our own American globalized society, we’ve got all
these linguistic resources woven into the fabric.”

For anyone interested in language and culture, the site _ with its
interactive maps in bright purples and blues, easily navigable by
mouse _ is as addictive as a catnip-filled mouse for a kitten. It’s
hardly just a parlor game, though. In an era when study of all foreign
languages is rising in America, the possibilities are myriad.

Academics tracking languages can hone in on particular
areas and find out how immigrants from abroad are integrating
linguistically. Marketers who want to target speakers of Thai, Persian
or Navajo can find the postal codes where mass mailings would be the
most lucrative. Social service agencies can calibrate their work to
the ethnic breakdowns in their own communities.

“We incorporate the world in the United States,” Feal says. “We
always have.”

And on a planet of terrorism and wars where intercultural communication
grows more crucial by the year _ some in the U.S. government bemoaned
the lack of Pashtu translators, for example, during the first months
of the war in Afghanistan _ knowing the language resources in one’s
own community or state can be a boon to national security as well.

“There’s not enough accurate information about how language works
and how language is present in our society,” says Donna Christian,
president of the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington. “There
must be a thousand ways that civic leaders could use this information.”

MLA developers initially conceived the language map idea as “a really
big poster” before the idea ran away with them and evolved into the
interactive operation. So far, they have mapped the top 30 languages
in the country.

They are working on an even more detailed second tier that will
be made available for crunching _ suggesting that before too long,
we will presumably be able to determine how many speakers of Uighur
have taken up residence in Walla Walla, Washington.

“For people in this country, to appreciate the range of languages
spoken here is so important,” Christian says. “There’s such a strong
feeling that English is the only language around. To get an idea of
how many languages are spoken here, that can give us all a better
sense of understanding of each other.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A Sterling Exhibition Of Drama
by Clive O’connell Reviewer

The Age (Melbourne)
June 15, 2004 Tuesday

Music review: SUREN BAGRATUNI & TIMOTHY YOUNG, Australian National
Academy of Music, June 10

Armenian-born cellist Suren Bagratuni is the most recent in the
series of the National Academy’s visiting artists, that prolific
source of education for talented young Australian musicians on the
cusp of their careers.

Bagratuni presented a particularly expansive program, working
backwards from a piece by one of his compatriots, Adam Khudoyan, to
the best-known cello sonata in the repertoire: Beethoven No. 3 in A
major. As a tour of masterworks, it was slanted towards modern times,
also taking in the Shostakovich and Debussy sonatas. All four together
is a concentrated night’s work.

The Beethoven work is loaded with problems of balance, including
passages that feature strong detailed work for the piano under which
the cello broods over the melodies. Timothy Young kept his contribution
in the foreground, rarely diminishing his piano’s volume for the sake
of Bagratuni but the outcome made for a benign interpretation rather
than the sparks that other duos bring to the work. The cellist observed
a wide range of dynamics with the accent on moulding lines and there
were several unusual and felicitous pauses and contrasts of attack.

Young was hard-pressed in this work’s finale which holds some
improbably demanding leaps and scale passages but you rarely got
the feeling that he was making heavy weather of them; any blips
occurred in slower sections. He also faced an equally daunting trial
in the fourth movement of the Shostakovich sonata which exercises the
accompanist mercilessly while the solo observes the struggle from a
distance. Nevertheless, Bagratuni produced a soaring account of this
work’s two central sections, an imposing successor to the Khudoyan work
for solo cello – a showpiece and both motivically and atmospherically
suggestive of the one Armenian composer everybody knows: Khatchaturian.

However, the most engrossing moments of this recital came in the last
two-thirds of the Debussy sonata, its leaps and darts excellently
carried off by both musicians in a sterling exhibition of light touch
and rapid note negotiation. To their high credit, both performers
maintained the finale’s underpinning drama and vehemence, qualities
that make the final bars both a joy and a relief.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Télégramme
15 juin 2004

Nécrologie : Jean Gouzoukian

Jean Gouzoukian, compagnon d’Alice Le Roy, est décédé, dimanche
matin, d’un malaise cardiaque.

D’origine Arménienne, mais né en Algérie, le 30 juillet 1929 à
Mostaganem, il était venu à Brennilis en retraite après avoir
travaillé en région parisienne.

Membre actif de plusieurs associations, Jean était très apprécié de
tous pour sa gentillesse et sa serviabilité. Passionné de timbres, il
était aussi membre du club de philatélie de Carhaix. Sa disparition
laissera un grand vide auprès de sa famille et de ses amis.

Ses obsèques seront célébrées cet après-midi, à 14 h 30, en l’église
de Brennilis.

GRAPHIQUE: Photo, Legende: Jean Gouzoukian, était membre actif de
plusieurs associations.