Author: Antonian Lara

LAUNCHING OF DORA SAKAYAN’S TEXTBOOK "EASTERN ARMENIAN FOR THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD"

AZG Armenian Daily
22/07/2008

Education

The launch ceremony of "Eastern Armenian for the English-speaking
world"(EA), authored by Dr. Dora Sakayan, was held in California, at
the Glendale Public Library on Friday, May 16, 2008. The textbook was
published in Fall 2007 by the Yerevan State University (YSU) press upon
the recommendation of the Armenian Philology Faculty Senate of YSU. The
event was organized jointly by the Consulate General of the Republic
of Armenia and the Tekeyan Cultural Association, Los Angeles Chapter.

With an opening address on the importance of the preservation of
the Armenian language in the Diaspora, and particularly of Eastern
Armenian in the Greater Los Angeles area, Parsegh Kartalian, the Master
of Ceremonies, welcomed Dr. Sakayan and a great number of guests,
University faculty members, educators, teachers and representatives
of cultural and educational institutions to this unique presentation.

Armen Liloyan, Consul General of the Republic of Armenia, Los Angeles,
bestowed high praise on Dr. Sakayan for the fulfillment of a formidable
task, namely for making such a remarkable and long-awaited addition
to the tools of Armenian language instruction. Mr. Liloyan traced
Dr. Sakayan’s outstanding contributions to the teaching of foreign
languages in general, and Armenian (both Eastern and Western branches)
in particular.

Dr. Anahid Aramouni Keshishian, UCLA, presented a brief biography
of Dr. Dora Sakayan to the audience, outlining her most significant
scholarly achievements and the national and international rewards
she has received thus far. She went on to say that Sakayan’s name
is well known in scholarly circles in Armenia and abroad. Formerly
the long-standing Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at
Yerevan State University, Dr. Sakayan has been living in Montreal,
Canada since 1975, where, working as a Professor of German Studies
at McGill University, she has contributed immensely to the field of
Armenology. She is the author of "Modern Western Armenian for the
English- Speaking World", several monographs, articles and textbooks.

Sakayan defined her book as an introductory, yet complete first-year
course of Eastern Armenian for adults in the English-speaking
world, a handbook for both the prospective teacher and the student
of Armenian. The comprehensive guidance given in this textbook, as
well as in the accompanying CD, she maintained, would allow motivated
learners to use it for self -instruction as well. She indicated that
the book incorporates recent achievements of applied linguistics
into the instruction of Eastern Armenian, whereby Grammar is treated
not as a goal, but rather as an important aspect in mastering the
language. Other linguistic areas such as pragmatics, word formation,
pronunciation, orthography, etc., were also given due attention in
the book.

In response to the audience’s suggestion to speak also about
the appendix of the book, which is a book in itself for its rich
reference material, Dr. Sakayan described the various sections of
the appendix, singling out particularly the central part, which
represents an anthology of carefully collected samples of Eastern
Armenian folklore, prose and poetry, the latter entries appearing
always in English translation. Dora Sakayan then gave a reading of
her English translation of Sylva Kaputikian’s famous poem "Words to my
son", and concluded her speech with the words: "Eastern Armenian for
the English-speaking world– along with its counterpart for Western
Armenian — is the most important work of my life. The twin books
reflect my pedagogical and scholarly experience of 55 years and my
everlasting love for our magnificent language."

At the close of her speech, Dr. Sakayan responded to questions from
the audience. Some of her answers elicited enthusiastic applause. The
evening was concluded with a reception and book-signing.

"EXPO-RUSSIA" INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
17:03 18/07/2008

October 31-November 2 Russian "Expo-Russia" industrial exhibition
will take place in Government House, in Yerevan. The organizers of
the exhibition are "Abroad-Expo" (Russia) and "Multi Group" concern
(Armenia).

According to Davit Vardanov, the chairman of the exhibition committee
said that Russia has been a trustworthy colleague for Armenia in
economy. "Observing the dynamic development of Armenian and Russian
relationship, we understood that a serious business event should be
organized to improve the economic relationship of these countries,"
he said.

The principle topics of the exhibition are construction, energy,
metallurgy, vehicle construction, transport and techniques, oil,
gas and medical affairs.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, USA DEPUTY STATE SECRETARY DISCUSS COOPERATION

ARKA
July 17

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan met with United States
Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel
Fried as part of his official visit to the USA.

The two discussed Armenian-American cooperation, regional security and
stability issues, a representative of the Armenian Foreign Ministry
reported.

Nalbandyan and Fried also exchanged views over the reasons and
aftermath of the post-election developments in Armenia, as well as
the moves of Armenian authorities to settle he situation.

COUP PLOT AGAINST ECEVIT SPARKS DEBATE

Zaman Online
July 18 2008
Turkey

Relying on parts of the Ergenekon indictment leaked to the press,
newspapers reported yesterday that the Ergenekon gang, a crime network
suspected of plotting to topple the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party), tried to overthrow the coalition government of the
late Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who served between 1999 and 2002.

The leader of Ecevit’s Democratic Left Party (DSP), Zeki Sezer,
also confirmed that several retired senior generals at the time had
"expressed their wish" to see Ecevit resign. Although there is now
a general consensus that the generals put some pressure on Ecevit to
urge him to resign, it is a matter of discussion whether this was a
coup attempt and whether those generals had any links to Ergenekon.

Radikal’s Murat Yetkin, a journalist who closely followed the Ecevit
government, admits that high-ranking military officers pressured the
late prime minister in 2001 to resign; however, he says he has no idea
whether those generals were part of the Ergenekon organization. "I
personally witnessed them meddling in politics, though it was not
tantamount to a military coup," says Yetkin. Since the full text of
the Ergenekon indictment has not yet been made public, he says it
is hard to know whether allegations about a coup attempt against
Ecevit’s government are this pressure he witnessed or something
entirely different. According to Yetkin, Ecevit did not take any
action against these military officers back then and that his lack
of influence in the decisions of the Supreme Military Council (YAÅ~^)
of 2002 proves as much.

Sabah’s Ergun Babahan complains that those who defend Ergenekon today
by downplaying the allegations walked hand in hand in the past to
unseat Ecevit. Among those who took part in this plot at that time,
he says, were some commanders, retired generals, leading figures
in the business sector and, inevitably, the media. "They headlined
reckless news about Ecevit’s health after he was hospitalized [in
an attempt to have him resign]," says Babahan, adding that the same
circles are at work again today since they have rolled up their
sleeves and are trying to trivialize the Ergenekon case and remove
it from Turkey’s agenda. The reason these circles are uneasy with the
Ergenekon investigation, in his view, is their concern that their real
face will come to light as a result of this operation. "They want to
make you believe that a group of idle youth killed Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink and an attack against the Council of State in
2006 [which left a senior judge dead] was the work of a religious
fundamentalist who wanted to protest a ban on Muslim headscarves. They
also suggest that the bombs [which had the same serial number as
those belonging to the Ergenekon gang] hurled at the Cumhuriyet
newspaper were accidentally thrown there. They do not want to ask
for an accounting of these incidents because they were personally
involved in them. Let them first say what they did to Ecevit, and
then we can talk about today," says Babahan.

Vatan daily’s Bilal Cetin asked Husamettin Ozkan, the deputy prime
minister in Ecevit’s government and a close ally of Ecevit, about
a coup attempt against Ecevit’s government in which Ozkan allegedly
demanded to take over the prime ministry from Ecevit. Cetin, quoting
Ozkan, says: "Never, ever. None of the commanders of the time even
made such an implication. These allegations were only brought forward
by Radikal columnist Murat Yetkin. I heard this only from him. Other
than this, no one said anything to me about it." Cetin, referring
to what Yetkin wrote, says it is very obvious that the commanders of
the time had voiced wishes to see Ecevit resign; however, it is not
certain whether this was tantamount to a coup attempt.

–Boundary_(ID_ER3DhNaCqbHOGptNpb54UA)–

EXPERT MIKHAIL ALEXANDROV: "VICTORY OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION WOULD MEAN CHANGE OF THE POLITICAL COURSE AND, AS A RESULT, LOSS OF NAGORNO KARABAKH"

Today.Az
16 July 2008

"The victory of opposition would mean change of the direction in the
Armenian political course, orientation for the West, and, as a result,
loss of Nagorno Karabakh and collapse of the military and political
alliance with Russia", considers chief of Caucasus Department of CIS
states Institute Mukhail Alexandrov.

"Though it was not envisioned in the announcements of the opposition,
but the key difference in the approaches of the sides to the issue on
Nagorno Karabakh proves tht Levon Ter-Petrosyan and its surroundings
intend to change the direction of the foreign political development",
said Alexandrov at the Novosti international press center in Yerevan.

He noted that Russia was closely watching the presidential elections
in Armenia and reckoning on preservation of the foreign political
course, therefore, the events in Armenia caused serious concerns,
which were not peculiar of the society, however.

"Though the election campaign in Armenia was widely covered by Russia
mass media, no one mentioned the tragedy of the situation and that
the global interests are staked on in case opposition wins", said
the Russian expert.

Alexandrov voiced satisfaction that situation in Armenia has calmed
down and there are no more mass protests and clashes in the society,
"though separate outbursts are still observed".

"The new leadership has consolidated its position and I do not think
any dramatic events are possible", noted Alexandrov adding that
"preservation of the authorities is what satisfied us".

ARMENIAN MINISTER, US SECRETARY OF STATE DISCUSS KARABAKH, TIES WITH TURKEY

Mediamax News Agency
July 15 2008
Armenia

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edvard Nalbandyan and US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice highly assessed the efforts of
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in the settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry today, during the meeting, which took place in Washington DC
on 14 July, Rice and Nalbandyan stated the importance of continuing
the talks based on the Madrid proposals, which make it possible to
reach progress in the peace process.

The Armenian foreign minister stated the readiness of the Armenian side
to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without preconditions
and to open the border, and informed the US secretary of state of
the efforts taken by Yerevan in this direction.

Edvard Nalbandyan expressed his hope that the candidature of the
new US ambassador to Armenia would be approved in the near future by
the Senate.

On 14 July, the Armenian foreign minister also held meeting with the
US president’s Deputy Assistant on National Security James Jeffrey
and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives, Howard Berman.

GROWTH RATE IN CITY ON DECLINE
Nicole Charky

Glendale News Press
July 14 2008
CA

Estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau and Glendale senior planner show
recent boom is slowing.

Published: Last Updated Sunday, July 13, 2008 10:24 PM PDT GLENDALE —
People are moving to Glendale at a less rapid rate than in the 1980s
and 1990s, and several lower-income families are leaving the city,
according to the city of Glendale and the U.S. Census Bureau.

But the declining growth rate is more complicated than just
lower-income families leaving, said Jeff Hamilton, senior city planner.

"It’s a complex mix," Hamilton said. "I think the growth rate
[includes] more births, some of it is immigrants coming for
opportunities, I think we’re seeing some of the retiree folks moving
away and some of the poorer families seeking better homes."

In the 1990 U.S. Census, a concentration of lower-income families
was in south Glendale, but in 2000 and the years following, some of
these neighborhoods became smaller, he said.

Hamilton said this is a pattern throughout Southern California.

"To me the best explanation is people are being driven out of
higher-priced housing," he said. "I think people are being priced
out of the market — especially in coastal areas that are gaining
and losing population and moving to Moreno Valley, Lancaster or
Bakersfield. People with fewer kids are moving in, or they’re simply
just having smaller families, and that helps them."

U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday show that several
Southland cities have increased in population. In Victorville, the
population increased from 9.5 percent to 107,221. Irvine, Rancho
Cucamonga, Moreno Valley, Bakersfield and Fontana are included in the
census as some of the top 25 cities to increase rapidly in population
from 2000 to 2007.

Hamilton said the data he has studied does not show that the immigrant
or minority populations in Glendale have changed dramatically, he said.

"[The population] is continuing to grow, but much slower than in the
’80s or the ’90s," he said. "In the ’80s we added about 40,000 people;
in the ’90s we added about 15,000. In the 2000s, so far we’ve added
about 10,000."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Glendale’s population reached
139,060 in 1980, 180,083 in 1990 and 194, 973 in 2000. The latest
report shows that Glendale has increased by 2,000 people since the
year 2000, which surprises Hamilton.

"It seems low to me," he said.

The census’ statistical sampling accounts for only a portion of the
population — not the entire city — and Hamilton is unsure whether
this number is accurate.

"Just like I’m suspicious of the state’s number," he said. "Based
on my experience, what my gut says is that [the population number]
is somewhere between the state and the census bureau’s estimates."

The only changes Hamilton has seen in census research that relates
to the decline in California’s population are fewer less births and
lower enrollment in schools.

"Immigrant groups are having smaller families," he said. "Latino
mothers are also having fewer children. The enrollment figures for
the Glendale school district are another indication that with people
with fewer kids, or smaller families, are moving to Glendale."

Hamilton is also curious about new data that will be available in
2010 on the Armenian population in Glendale.

"Until new data comes out in 2010 we don’t really know about the
Armenian population," Hamilton said.

Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria
July 13 2008

Bulgarian Composer and Conductor Vili Kazasyan Dies at 74

The relatives of one of the most famous Bulgarian composers and
conductors Vili Kazasyan announced Saturday that he had died.

The 74-year-old Kazasyan has been the Director and conductor of the
Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio for over 35 years.

He was born in Sofia in 1934. In 1957 he graduated as an engineer from
Sofia’s Technical University. After that he studied at the State Music
Academy.

Kazasyan was active in jazz festivals, and dozens of Bulgarian and
international music forums. His name is associated with some of the
most famous Bulgarian radio and TV music shows over the years,
including with the Golden Orpheus Music Festival.

In March-June 2008 Kazasyan appeared as one of the four members of the
jury in the Music Idol TV song contest – the Bulgarian version of
American Idol, which ran on the bTV channel.

The funeral service will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Sveti
Sedmochislenitsi Church in Sofia.

A BROAD HISTORICAL OVERVIEW HELPS EXPLAIN TODAY’S WORLD

The Australian
July 11, 2008 Friday
1 – All-round Country Edition

ILLUMINATING THE PAST

AS fascinating a film as it is, school students need more than
Rabbit-Proof Fence to inform them as to whether the treatment of
Australia’s Stolen Generations constituted genocide. An understanding
of the Holocaust is vital, as well as an overview of the Armenian
genocide. That is in addition, of course, to a broad, factual
understanding of the removal of the children from their families. This
is just one good reason, among many, why NSW Education Department head
Michael Coutts-Trotter is right to be concerned about the omission
of the Holocaust from the compulsory NSW history course. It is also
impossible to understand the present-day Israeli-Palestinian conflict
without knowing about the destruction of six million Jews in Europe
at the hands of the Nazis. Unfortunately, however, history and social
studies courses in the other states also neglect the Holocaust.

This is not to argue against the emphasis on Australian history, where
the subject is taught properly. The essential reforms of the 1960s
and 70s that made the curriculum more relevant signalled a healthy,
emerging nationalism and independent spirit. Earlier generations
had long been bored learning lists of Plantagenet, Tudor and Stuart
kings. That earlier, British-centric approach meant many Australians
now in their 50s and older grew up knowing more about the Corn Laws,
Oliver Cromwell and the Battle of Waterloo than Federation and the
Australian Constitution.

By the 1990s, unfortunately, many university and school courses had
been captured by the Left and geared to pump out ideology rather
than an objective, historical narrative. Australian history gave
way to thematic subjects such as SOSE — Study of Society and the
Environment — which meant issues such as the "invasion" of Australia
in 1788 tended to be cherry-picked and presented out of context.

Many students’ introduction to communism, for example, was through
a narrow anti-US prism of the Vietnam War protest movement. Without
knowledge of colonialism, the Cold War, the domino theory or the 100
million people slain by Lenin, Stalin and Mao, many were at a loss
to assess whether Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara were heroes or villains.

At least NSW benefited from the wisdom and erudition of former premier
Bob Carr and retained compulsory history. Many other states, however,
opted for SOSE. But even many of those able to press on with History
were given such wide, thematic parametres for assignments that topics
such as Helen Reddy’s song I am Woman, the history of Melbourne fashion
boutiques or the history of a Hobart cinema were afforded equal weight
with the Industrial Revolution or the World Wars. Teachers tended to
devote weeks of classroom time to supervising students’ research.

In ushering in the national history curriculum, it is vital that
Kevin Rudd be at his most assertive. A stickler for rigour, the Prime
Minister was rightly appalled at the sloppy SOSE curriculum dished
up to students in his home state in the 1990s. His Government and
professor Barry McGaw, overseeing the project, need to ensure students
are well grounded in major historical issues such as Australia’s
indigenous background, the coming of white settlement, explorers
and others opening up and developing the nation, Federation and the
Constitution, social and economic history, and the major events of
the 20th century. To understand the wider world and Australia’s place
in it, students should receive a good international overview of the
20th century, including the World Wars, the Holocaust, communism and
the Cold War.

Probing deeper, senior students should be encouraged to piece together
a larger, more complex historical jigsaw. They could investigate,
for instance, why Mao Zedong regarded the Taiping rebels, who killed
more than 20 million fellow citizens in the mid-19th century, as
revolutionary heroes. And far from finding Vladimir Lenin "Christ-like
in his compassion", as historian Manning Clark claimed in his 1960
work Meeting Soviet Man, advanced students would find he was inspired
by Robespierre and the bloodthirsty Jacobins’ slaughter of 40,000 of
their fellow citizens. A knowledge of French Revolutionary thinking
could also be useful in analysing Cambodia’s Pol Pot and Zimbabwe’s
Robert Mugabe. Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote a major history of the
French Revolution, understood why the past illuminates the present:
"History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals
and many copies."

13.5 BLN DRAMS TO BE PUMPED INTO ARMENIA’S STATE BUDGET

ARKA
July 10
YEREVAN

Armenia’s Government has made a decision to bolster the state budget
by 13.5bln drams ($44.4mln). RA Minister of Finance Tigran Davtyan
said the state budget had increased by 13.5bln drams by June 1 thanks
to tax proceeds.

"Budget expenditures will rise thanks to a 0.8bln ($2.6mln) drams
rise of tax proceeds from the RA State Tax Service and 12.7bln
drams ($41.8mln) growth of the RA Customs Committee’s receipts,"
the Minister said.

The RA Parliament enacted law on the RA state budget in November
2007. The budget revenue and expenditures total 746bln drams and
822bln drams respectively, with the deficit being 76bln drams.

The RA Government forecasts 4% (±1.5%) inflation and 10% GDP growth
this year. ($1 – 302.62 drams)

–Boundary_(ID_Lg4nc1oSudCTcLrMvGN8LQ)–