Author: Antranik Varosian

Issues related to Armenia-NATO relations and perspectives of cooperation were discussed at a conference in Yerevan co-organized by the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs, the Armenian Center for National and International Studies with the support of the NATO Office in Tbilisi and the Embassy of Poland in Armenia.

Armenia-NATO relations are seen by many as ‘exceptional,’ as Armenia continues the effective cooperation with the North-Atlantic Council despite being part of a different security bloc.

“Some objective and subjective factors have somehow affected the relations over the past years, but the cooperation continues to develop dynamically,” said Styopa Safaryan, founder of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies.

Poland’s Ambassador to Armenia Jerzy Marek Nowakowski noted that there is will on both sides to implement different programs of cooperation.

“There are broad opportunities for cooperation and the North-Atlantic Alliance is ready to provide necessary assistance for the development of comprehensive relations. The cooperation must not be necessarily military, since the Alliance is not just a security organization, but also a system of values. I’m confident that the deepening of cooperation between Armenia and NATO will continue, since Armenia’s interests ties it to democratic states,” the Ambassador stated.

Political dialogue has always had an important place in the Armenia-NATO relations ever since 1992, said Gagik Hovhannisyan, Head of Foreign Ministry’s NATO Division. He briefed on a number joint programs.

The UN says it has carried out its first air drop of aid in Syria to help civilians in an eastern city besieged by Islamic State (IS) militants, the BBC reports.

UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien told the Security Council that the plane dropped 21 tonnes of humanitarian items on a government-held part of Deir al-Zour.

Initial reports indicated that the aid had successfully reached the target area, Mr O’Brien said.

The UN says 200,000 civilians are living under siege in Deir al-Zour.

In a recent report, the UN said those trapped in the besieged areas were facing “sharply deteriorating conditions” with reports of “severe cases of malnutrition and deaths due to starvation”.

Last week, more than 100 lorries carrying food and other basic goods reached 80,000 people in five other besieged areas of Syria. Two more convoys were sent to two towns besieged by government forces on Tuesday.

“Earlier this morning, a WFP (World Food Programme) plane dropped the first cargo of 21 tonnes of items into Deir al-Zour,” Mr O’Brien told the Security Council.

He said teams from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent on the ground confirmed that “pallets have landed in the target area as planned”.

Horizon Weekly – Armenian Genocide survivor Knar Bohjelian turned 107 this past weekend.

Knar Bohjelian-Yeminidjian was born in 1909 in Kayseri. When the armenian massacres and the assault on Kayseri began, she and her family sought refuge in a barn for a few months. Her family was then deported, but not too far from their home, the reason being that her father was a soldier in the Turkish military. Growing up, Bohjelian recalls how her mother tied a scarf to her brother’s head so that he would pass for a girl, given that all the men were being rounded up and killed.

Following a governmental decree and with their grandmother’s backing, Bohjelian’s family was forced to Turkify themselves in order to survive. Subsequently, Bohjelian and her entire family bore Turkish names. Once a cease-fire was announced, her parents decided to flee the region. In 1928, they travelled to Ankara, then Constantinople. After staying for 11 months, they made their way to Greece by boat and two days later, arrived in Alexandria, Egypt. She was 19 years old by then.

Bohjelian claims that the only reason they survived the Armenian genocide is because they took up Turkish identities. She remains grateful towards her grandmother who (surely reluctantly) encouraged the Bohjelian family to take on Turkish identities. Bohjelian got married and lived in Egypt for over 40 years before moving to Montreal in 1971 with her family.

She survived the genocide against all odds. Bohjelian has two children, three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Best Feature Film Award – “Lost Birds” (Turkey) Ela Alyamac, Aren Perdeci

Best Director Award – “Lost Birds” (Turkey) Ela Alyamac, Aren Perdeci

Best Documentary Film Award – “My Life in China”  (USA) Director, Kenneth Eng

Best Short Film Award – “The Loyalist”, (South Korea) Director, Minji Kang

Best Screenplay Award – “Three Windows and a Hanging” ( Kosovo ) Zymber Kelmendi

Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award – “Lost Birds” Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci (writers-directors-producers)

– The 18^th Annual Arpa International Film Festival (November 13- 15, 2015) screened 46 films from 22 countries.

The sold out event, opening night’s World Premiere Film “LOST BIRDS” stole everyone’s heart. This heartwarming film from Turkey, in Armenian and Turkish languages was filmed in Capadoccia, Turkey.  The story takes place in 1915, from the point of view of two children.  It is about Bedo, played by (Heros Agopyan) and Maryam, played by (Dila Uluca), whose beautiful, warm, and happy lives in Anatolia comes to an end when their grandfather played by (Sarkis Acemoglu) is taken away by soldiers.  Out of extreme fear, their mother, played by (Takuhi Bahar), forbid the children to go outside, but being children, they sneak out to their favorite spot to play, only to come back to an empty home and an empty village. Their fear takes over, and with their bird that they had saved, they embark on a journey toward Aleppo to find their mother, and their fellow villagers.

During the three days of the festival, the filmgoers enjoyed such films as Sabre Dance (USA), I Want to be a King” (Iran), Our Village (Armenia), Straw Dolls (USA), The Loyalist (South Korea), Armenopolis, Armenian Soul (Romania), Daylight after the Century (UK), Shattered, (Canada), Armenia Sings in our Hearts (Brazil), Family Dance (USA), While they were Flying to the Moon (Serbia), Three Windows and a Hanging (Kosovo), Paul The Birdman (USA), Get Up (Australia) and many more.

The evening’s Master of Ceremonies was award winning producer, director, chair of AFFMA Advisory Board Charles Davis.  Seven presenters, Michael Arabian, Anne Bedian, Bertila Damas, Rick Rosenthal, Janet Roth, Hrach Titizian, and Karina Weeks graced the stage and introduced the award winners. Half-way through the ceremony, soulful singer, Shaherah White warmed the room singing, My Funny Valentine.

The closing night festivities started with a short film by Levon Minasian of Paris, France titled “The Sandwich Island Man” which entertained the audience.

“I love Arpa International Film Festival with all my heart. I love the organizer, Sylvia Minassian who has managed this challenging work with inexhaustible energy for over 17 years. I am grateful that all of my films have been a part of the festival over the years. I have never been able to attend in person, but I hope to personally show my film to the faithful festival public,” was the comment made by the filmmaker Levon Minasian in an interview with Sharon Swainson, a freelance writer.

The Awards ceremony started with the announcements of the winning films followed by honoring actor David Dastmalchian with the Rising Star Award, who touched the audience with a moving acceptance speech that focused on giving back and supporting creative expression. He thanked the Festival for “helping young actors and struggling filmmakers all over the world to continue to express themselves and tell their story;” and he assured everyone that “no matter how little our stories are, they are worth telling.”

The final award of the night, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Esai Morales, an outstanding actor and activist, or “Actorvist”, who captivated the audience, by ending his powerful speech with the following statement:

“Take on your fears. Don’t let your fears shut your greatness down. You have a reason for being on this planet. Find it. And fight your challenges and let them (your challenges) make you a better person.”

Morales received a well-deserved standing ovation.

Founded in 1995, Arpa Foundation for Film, Music, and Art is a non-profit organization, formed for the purpose of promoting the arts and enhancing the cultural environment of our community by supporting artists who bridge the cultural divide, unifying diverse people and cultures through the arts.

Since its inception, AFFMA has supported a spectrum of artists including writers, photographers, filmmakers, dancers, designers, actors and musicians, by staging networking events, concerts, art exhibits, book signings, fashion shows, talent shows, musical performances, lectures, forums, comedy nights, special screenings, private premiers, and most significantly staging its signature event, the Arpa International Film Festival since 1997.

For over 18 years, Arpa international film festival continues to promote independent filmmakers, cultivating cultural understanding and global empathy in the heart of Hollywood. Through the generous support of our donors and sponsors, our yearly film festival event inspires people of all backgrounds and creates opportunities for creative expression. Arpa’s dedicated production team is committed to make a difference in fueling the global arena of independent cinema.

The committee has already begun working on the 2016 Arpa International Film festival.

Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis, the head of the global Catholic church, is to be the first pope to appear in a film, reports.

The pontiff will play himself in Beyond the Sun, an Italian-made family movie based on the gospels, which was inspired by the Pope’s call for film-makers to cater for children when thinking about how Jesus’s message should be communicated through cinema.

All profits from the film are to be donated to two Argentinian charities that help at-risk children and young adults. Shooting is due to begin imminently in Italy.

Andrea Iervolino, co-founder of AMBI Pictures, who will fund and distribute the film, said:

Our excitement and gratitude toward His Holiness, Pope Francis, participating in this film is beyond words. This is not just a movie for us, it’s a message, and who better to have on your side to deliver an important societal and spiritual message than the Pope?

However, there are conflicting reports about the scale of Pope Francis’s involvement in the project. Initial indications suggested he would figure significantly through the movie; information on AMBI’s site mentions only “an epilogue from Pope Francis telling children how and where to find Jesus”.

“The pope is not an actor,” a Vatican spokesman said, downplaying suggestions that Francis would be making any kind of film debut.

Photo: Reuters

Texas Senator Ted Cruz has won the Iowa Republican caucuses, the first vote of the US 2016 presidential election, the BBC reports.

“Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives,” he declared, to great applause, as he railed against Washington, lobbyists and the media.

He took 28% of the Republican vote, beating his rival, the once frontrunner Donald Trump, and Marco Rubio.

Votes in the Democratic race are still being counted, and some US media have declared it a dead-heat.

With 95% of results confirmed, Hillary Clinton clung to the narrowest of leads over Bernie Sanders and told supporters she was “breathing a sigh of relief”.

The former secretary of state and first lady stopped short of declaring victory, and her rival, a 74-year-old senator from Vermont said it was a “virtual tie”.

Photos by RYAN REMIORZ/THE CANADIAN PRESS

By by Giuseppe Valiante
The Canadian Press

When Syrian refugee Garouj Nazarian is asked how he likes working for his boss, the answer comes in choppy English — but the sentiment shines through.

“So much good,” he says with a big smile, offering a thumbs-up to emphasize his joy.

Nazarian, who’s been in Canada for about a year, has been working for six months at a Montreal plywood factory owned by Levon Afeyan, who fled Lebanon’s civil war with his parents and two brothers in 1975.

“I like working here very well,” Nazarian says in English before finishing his answer — “to take care of my family” — in Armenian.

Nazarian is one of 12 Syrian refugees among 80 employees and Afeyan intends to hire more as Canada opens its borders to thousands of people fleeing the Assad regime and the Islamic State.

One of the most difficult things for the Syrian refugees Afeyan employs is to accept that their move to Canada is likely a permanent one.

“They haven’t grasped that yet,” he says. “It takes time for a man to accept the fact that, well, this is it. I’ve lost (everything).”

Afeyan is the boss, but he’s also a pseudo social worker, overseeing a factory where immigrants from conflict zones around the world earn money for their families but also learn life skills and are paid to take French lessons.

His business, Seatply Products Inc., makes curved plywood used in chairs throughout North America.

The employees press plywood and glue veneers to create colourful combinations. They also cut and drill the wood with robotic machines and, while most of the production doesn’t require an advanced skill set, it’s work.

“They need a job to have respect,” Afeyan says. “Respect is a big thing in the Middle East. A man has to be a respectable man. Without a job he doesn’t have that.”

The low price of oil and the sinking dollar have triggered many layoffs across the country but for Seatply it’s time to hire.

On a tour of his factory, Afeyan intercepts Vasudevan Ratnasingham, from Sri Lanka, a country whose civil war ended in 2009 after 26 years.

Ratnasingham has become the supervisor of the pre-pressing veneer department.

“I came to Canada 15 years ago,” Ratnasingham says. “This was my first job — and my last job!”

Not far away is Vrej Baboian, a refugee from Iraq who moved to Canada in 2009.

The former car engineer is a sort of mentor to many Syrians who have started working at Seatply.

“We saw a lot of talent in him,” Afeyan states. “He became supervisor of his small team, then floor manager. Now he’s a full-fledged foreman in one of our of departments.”

Baboian, his walk brimming with confidence, says his first piece of advice to refugees is simple: “Find a job. Don’t depend on the government, depend on yourself.”

Afeyan believes refugees are often in shock when they arrive and adds that finding a job is critical to integrating successfully.

“We have to give them time,” he says. “Let them talk about it and slowly come to the realization that ‘I am now a full-fledged Canadian. My children will become Canadian. And Canada is my new home.”‘

Essential to feeling Canadian, Afeyan adds, is to start speaking English and, particularly in Quebec, French.

Starting in March, a teacher subsidized by the Quebec government will offer French lessons twice a week for free — inside his factory.

His employees have to stay an extra hour before or after their shifts to learn French, but they are paid to do so.

“We will encourage all of them to take the class and we’ll tell them not to say no,” he says with a smile.

And aside from language, Afeyan and his managers also teach refugees about elements of daily life other Canadians take for granted, such as efficient driving.

“We teach them about carpooling,” he says. “This is a concept they have never heard about. They like it very much by the way.”

While all Canadians can’t offer refugees jobs, they can help their integration by accepting displaced Syrians “not just as refugees but as new Canadians,” according to Afeyan.

He remembers what it felt like to be 16 years old and living in a new country.

“The best thing that ever happened to me is that one of my friends’ parents invited me to their dinner,” he recalls.

“That was amazing. I was actually invited to someone’s house for dinner. I was 16 and someone actually invited me. (Syrians) need to feel part of our society.”

Celine Dion’s husband René Angélil has died at the age of 73 after a lengthy battle against throat cancer.

”Rene Angelil, 73, passed away this morning as his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer. The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time,” reads a statement on Celine Dion’s Facebook page.