Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

Azerbaijanis, claiming to be environmental activists, have been blockading the Lachin corridor since Dec. 12

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday detailing the aspects that make guarantees for the Artsakh population’s right to self-determination a fundamental imperative.

In addressing some of the elements threatening this principle, the Artsakh foreign ministry pointed to Azerbaijan’s continued aggression against Armenians, include the now 100-day illegal blockade of Artsakh.

Below is the text of the announcement.

For 100 days now, Azerbaijan has been subjecting Artsakh to an illegal blockade, the ultimate goal of which is to destroy the population of Artsakh by expelling them from their historical homeland. Through use of force and acts of terror, Azerbaijan is pursuing an ongoing policy aimed at forcibly suppressing the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination. At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities are overtly rejecting negotiations as a means of finding a solution to any issue.

It should be noted that for several decades, Azerbaijan has been striving to get rid of the people of Artsakh and resolve the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by force. The first victims of such a criminal policy were, in particular, the Armenians who lived in Azerbaijan during the Soviet period. The deportation of Armenians from Azerbaijan organized by the local authorities in 1988-1990 and accompanied by massacres, torture and pogroms, marked the beginning of a new stage in Azerbaijan’s policy of persecuting Armenians. As early as in 1991, the Azerbaijani authorities continued the deportation of Armenians from Artsakh, which, in various forms and manifestations, has continued to this day.

Subsequently, in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, and in an attempt to get rid of the people of Artsakh and suppress their right to freedom and self-determination, Azerbaijan has resorted to the use of force three times to resolve the conflict through direct military aggression against Artsakh. All three wars waged by Azerbaijan against Artsakh included massive human rights violations and war crimes, including willful killings of civilians, extrajudicial executions and torture of prisoners of war and civilian hostages, indiscriminate shelling, the use of internationally prohibited ammunition, and deliberate attacks on critical civilian infrastructure.

As a result of the aggression against Artsakh in 2020 and the occupation of a vast part of its territory, more than 40,000 Armenians of Artsakh have been forcibly displaced. All civilians who remained in the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan were brutally killed by Azerbaijani soldiers. Azerbaijan’s provocations and attacks on the civilians of Artsakh, including willful killings, continued even after the signing of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020.

Widespread and systematic violations of the rights of the people of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, including massacres, deportations, torture and other inhuman acts, are not only encouraged, but also co-ordinated at the state level. The Azerbaijani authorities do not even hide their criminal intentions to carry out ethnic cleansing and genocide in Artsakh. This is evidenced by the numerous public statements made by the President of Azerbaijan. The most recent such statement was made on March 18 2023, during his defiantly provocative visit  to the Armenian village of Talish occupied during the 44-day aggression, the entire population of which was forcibly displaced.  The visit itself, as well as the aggressive and belligerent statements of the Azerbaijani senior leadership during that visit, indicate that official Baku plans to extend the scenario implemented in the occupied village of Talish to the entirety of Artsakh.

Along with this, throughout the entire negotiation process since the 1990s, Azerbaijan has sabotaged all efforts by international mediators, in particular, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict based on international law, each time refusing at the last moment from agreements on a compromise solution. Furthermore, after the war of aggression in 2020, the Azerbaijani authorities refused altogether from the peace negotiations, declaring the issues of the life and rights of the people of Artsakh as their internal matter.

Azerbaijan’s deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of Artsakh indicates the need for the international community to reconsider their approaches to the issue of the status of Artsakh and the political settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. The scale and gravity of the crimes committed by Azerbaijan at the state level against the people of Artsakh, as well as the ongoing genocidal policy, require decisive and urgent action by the international community, including the bodies responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

We believe that, at this stage, the development of additional legally binding obligations to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, the consolidation of the principles of non-use or threat of force and equal rights and self-determination of peoples as the basis for negotiations, as well as the restoration of the international mechanism for direct negotiations between Artsakh and Azerbaijan meet the requirements international law and the universal commitment to the protection of human rights around the world. Universal recognition of the Artsakh people’s inalienable right to self-determination is the most effective way in which the international community can guarantee the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Artsakh.

We would like stress that according to international law and international practice, the denial and forceful suppression of the right to self-determination, accompanied by massive human rights violations, as well as the rejection of negotiations as a means of resolving conflict, are sufficient grounds for recognizing the right of a people to establish an independent state.

Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan along with Ferrahian Principal Sossi Shanlian and Trustee chairman Vahe Benlian cut the ribbon of the new school

$1.25 Million Raised During the Evening’s Festivities

BY GARO HOVANISSIAN

Oh, what a memorable night it was! On Saturday, March 18, more than 550 friends and supporters of the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, Cabayan Elementary and Pilavjian Preschool attended the school’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and gala.  The sold-out event was a celebration not only of the recent expansion of the Encino campus, but of the great success and momentum enjoyed by the school.  And with evening donations exceeding $1.25 million, along with a previous donation of $5 million, the future is as bright as ever.

Rep, Brad Sherman presents a flag flown over the Capitol LA City Council President Paul Krekorian with fellow Councilmembers Nithya Raman and John Lee

The evening festivities began in the courtyard of the newly acquired adjacent property, where guests enjoyed cocktails and delicious Hors D’oeuvres, and where alumni, faculty and friends re-connected with laughter and fond memories.  

The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony followed, with opening remarks by KTLA’s Ellina Abovian (also a proud Prelacy school parent), who served as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. Abovian eloquently articulated the importance of Armenian schools in the diaspora, providing a safe haven and enriching environment for our youth.  Noting that Ferrahian was the first Armenian day school established in the United States, Abovian lauded the trailblazers who had the foresight 60 years ago to make this school a reality.

Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, offered his prayers and blessings, and proceeded to join Sossi Shanlian, Principal of Ferrahian, and Vahe Benlian, Chairman of the School Board, for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.  The attendees cheered with great excitement and pride at the official opening of the property.

Several governmental officials also were on hand, including U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles City Council members Nithya Raman and John Lee, as well as former California State Representative Adrin Nazarian (a Ferrahian alumnus).  

Mistress of Ceremonies Ellina Abovian Master of Ceremonies Jack Hadjinian

The collective message of those who spoke focused on the positive impact made by this school, and by the American-Armenian community of the greater San Fernando Valley.  Also in attendance were Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, former Primate of the Diocese of Arstakh, and members of various sister organizations, including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Armenian Relief Society, Homenetmen, the Armenian Natonal Committee, and Hamazkayin.

At the conclusion of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were guided to the original campus through a candle-lit pathway flanked by current Ferrahian students.  This touching and emotional procession signified the bridge between new and old, the resounding proof that we Armenians will persevere and prosper no matter the circumstances.

Principals of Ferrahian, Cabayan and Pilavjian schools

A luxuriously decorated Avedissian Hall awaited the guests of the gala, setting the stage for an evening of celebration, laughter, and purpose.  Master of Ceremonies Jack Hadjinian entertained the attendees with humorous anecdotes, while emphasizing the need for continued support for the school, and Board Chairman Vahe Benlian provided an update on the growth of the student body and the school’s ambitious plans for further expansion. Compelling and informative video presentations regarding the Ferrahian, Cabayan and Pilavjian school activities were also met with great appreciation.  Principals Sossi Shanlian and John Kossakian, and Preschool Director Vehik Gabrielian provided an enjoyable look into the students’ experiences at the respective campuses.

But perhaps the most impressive part of the program was its start, when three Ferrahian students, each with angelic voices, sang for the guests.  Anna Artemian performed the United States national anthem, Maya Kazanjian sang the Armenian national anthem, and Krystal Kojaoghlanian brought the crowd to tears as she sang the Ferrahian anthem, written by the late Garo Bedrossian and composed by the late Alfred Mardoyan, both long-time members of the Ferrahian faculty.  Gabriel Injejikian, the founder of the school, no doubt was beaming with pride from the heavens as these young ladies performed to perfection.

At the conclusion of the program, D.J. Jilbert stepped in to jump-start the dancing and merrymaking, which reached even higher levels when special guest Suro came on stage.  The dance floor was packed throughout the night, and everyone was elated.

It was, after all, a thrilling and meaningful event, a testament to Ferrahian’s past, and a salute to the great things yet to come.  

Of course, none of this would be possible without the tireless work of the Gala Committee, with support from the School Board.

As noted, the event generated in excess of $1.25 million in donations, adding to the $5 million seed donation.  As a direct result of this timely and generous financial support, the Encino campus has now doubled its footprint, allowing for several additional classrooms, a performing arts hall, a second athletic gym, and various administrative offices.  These changes have led to immediate logistical improvements, with the addition of ample parking, a more streamlined means of ingress and egress, and the ability for the Armens athletic program to have simultaneous practices and/or games at the two gyms.  With these and other improvements, school enrollment has reached an all-time high of 990 students, and interest in the school continues to grow.  

More importantly, however, the school has experienced positive change beyond the expanded facilities and growing number of students.  With the acquisition of the adjacent property, Ferrahian has introduced and implemented several exciting class offerings.  For instance, the school now offers Theater Arts classes, allowing students to showcase and develop their artistic talents in the new property’s performing arts assembly hall.  Other students have immersed themselves in Culinary Arts classes that take place in the new property’s kitchen.  Still more, the additional space has enabled the school to offer computer classes featuring elements of graphic design, Archicad and computer science.  And while robotics currently is limited to club participation, Ferrahian intends to introduce this subject, along with programming and data sciences classes, into next year’s curriculum.  Other applied courses in business and crypto-commerce also are in the works.

All in all, these are very exciting and forward-looking times at Ferrahian, Cabayan, & ARS Pilavjian Schools.  Students are happy and thriving, and the school thanks all its supporters for planting the seed for its — and ultimately the children’s — long-term success.

Garo Hovanissian, Esq. is the Vice-Chair of the Ferrahian Board of Trustees and a parent at the school.