Author: Badalian Vardan

CONTROVERSE SUR LA TAXE SUR LES VENTES : LES COMMERCANTS PRESENTENT DES QUESTIONS AU PREMIER MINISTRE

ARMENIE

Le Premier ministre armenien Hovik Abrahamyan aurait rencontre
un groupe de commercants pour discuter de leurs preoccupations
persistantes au sujet de l’application d’une nouvelle loi sur la taxe
sur les ventes.

Des centaines de representants des petites et moyennes entreprises,
y compris les commercants du marche, ont organise des manifestations
devant le bâtiment du gouvernement depuis le debut de cette semaine
exigeant que la loi, qui est entree en vigueur ce mois, soit mise
au rebut.

La loi en question prevoit effectivement la reduction de la taxe sur
les ventes pour les petites entreprises de 3,5% a 1% mais implique
des règles plus strictes pour la soumission de la documentation
relatives aux ventes aux autorites fiscales. Le gouvernement a deja
une fois reporte son application jusqu’au 1er Fevrier au milieu de
protestations similaires en octobre dernier.

Ceux qui ont rencontre Abrahamyan ont dit au reste des manifestants
que le Premier ministre leur avait promis de trouver des solutions.

Ils ont dit qu’ils ont discute de la possibilite de modifier certaines
dispositions de la loi et meme d’en faire une option plutôt qu’une
obligation pour les commercants.

Certains des manifestants ne sont cependant toujours pas convaincu
par la promesse et ont affirme leur volonte de poursuivre leur lutte
contre la loi.

Plusieurs membres du Parlement representant le parti Armenie prospère,
ont promis de soulever la question a l’Assemblee nationale.

vendredi 6 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

FATHER TURNS TO CROWDFUNDING SITE FOR HELP RAISING DISABLED SON REJECTED BY HIS MOTHER

After his son, born with Down’s syndrome, was rejected by his mother,
a father has turned to a crowdfunding site to generate funds to help
raise the child alone

‘I looked at this guy and said, “he’s beautiful and I’m absolutely
keeping him”‘ Photo:

By Telegraph Men

10:55AM GMT 06 Feb 2015

A heartbroken father whose son was born with Down’s syndrome in Armenia
has revealed that his wife filed for divorce after he refused to give
up the baby, which she had rejected.

Samuel Forrest then took to crowdfunding site Gofundme to raise money
to return home to New Zealand and raise his son there.

Forrest told ABC News: “This pediatrician walks out of the room with a
little bundle – that was Leo. She had his face covered up and hospital
authorities wouldn’t let me see him or my wife. When the doctor came
out, he said, ‘There’s a real problem with your son.'”

After being told Leo had Down’s syndrome, Forrest said: “I had a few
moments of shock. I looked at this guy and I said, ‘He’s beautiful –
he’s perfect and I’m absolutely keeping him’.”

However, the reaction of Forrest’s wife, Ruzan Badalyan, was very
different. “I got the ultimatum right then,” Forrest said. “She told
me if I kept him then we would get a divorce.”

According to Forrest, it is not uncommon for parents in Armenia to
reject children born with Down’s. “What happens when a baby like this
is born here, they will tell you that you don’t have to keep them,”
he told ABC News. “My wife had already decided, so all of this was
done behind my back.”

Badalyan filed for divorce a week after baby Leo was born, Forrest
said. After that, Forrest, a business contractor, made plans to return
to his native Auckland, using the crowdfunding platform Gofundme.

“As a now solo father, Sam’s aim is to raise enough money to be able
to care for Leo fulltime himself for at least a year, to give him
the love, cuddles & devotion he needs to thrive,” reads a message on
Forrest’s funding page.

Within 24 hours, his story had gone viral and he had received pledges
of over $170,000 (far exceeding his target of $60,000).

Forrest has vowed to use some of the funds to help other families in
Armenia whose children are born with disabilities.

PROJET L’HERITAGE DU SILENCE -TURKEY, THE LEGACY OF SILENCE

FRANCE

Un web documentaire sur quatre Turcs decouvrant leurs origines
armeniennes… et qui decident de briser le silence. Anna & Guillaume,
realisateurs de Turkey, the Legacy of Silence, sont fiers d’annoncer
l’ouverture d’une campagne de financement participatif. Durant deux
mois, l’equipe du documentaire sollicite des participants pour aider
a boucler la production du film et des web-series dont la sortie est
prevue pour avril 2015.

L’appel est en anglais pour capter des participants a l’international
:

” Depuis une quinzaine d’annees, une interrogation collective autour
de l’histoire et de la fondation de la Republique d’Ataturk a debute
en Turquie. Après des decennies de peur et de secret, certains des
petits enfants d’Armeniens islamises ont decide de briser ce silence
et d’affirmer leur existence. Nous pensons que leurs histoires
sont importantes et indispensables pour le travail de memoire et de
dialogue entre Turcs et Armeniens. C’est pourquoi le webdocumentaire
sera traduit en anglais, en armenien et en turc.

Nous avons besoin d’aide pour donner a ce projet une envergure
internationale.

Si vous aimeriez en savoir plus sur le projet ou
souhaitez nous soutenir, rendez vous sur la page :

Merci beaucoup ! ”

Anna & Guillaume

[email protected]

vendredi 6 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

ANALYST: TSARUKYAN-INITIATED GATHERING WAS WARNING TO SARGSYAN OVER CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PLANS

Analysis | 06.02.15 | 11:28

By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

The conference of ‘non-governing’ forces organized by Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP) head Gagik Tsarukyan is a warning, first of all,
for incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan and the rest of the government
as well, so that they give up the idea of reforming the Constitution,
analysts say.

“The ball is in the government’s court, but their time is not unlimited
and they have to make up their mind,” Tsarukyan said, addressing the
participants in the event. “Public patience is up, indeed. The Gyumri
incident (when a family of seven was murdered in January), the border
tensions, unbearable inflation, instability of the financial market
must have alarmed the government that the society is on the verge
of huge breakdowns. One wrong move, even a wrong word can take the
people out to the streets.”

Addressing non-governmental forces’ demand to the government to refrain
from constitutional changes, Tsarukyan said that if the government
chooses the option of refusing, then the public has just one thing left
to do – to demand preterm presidential and parliamentary elections.

“Officials should remember that no position is forever, and if the
country’s development and the country’s security need change of
government, then it must take place.”

The PAP head’s speech is primarily a warning to President Sargsyan,
said Cooperation for Democracy Center NGO Chairman Stepan Danielyan.

“If Serzh Sargsyan refrains from constitutional changes, it will
be possible to say that Tsarukyan will achieve his goal. The main
conflict refers to constitutional changes. The purpose of those
changes is expanding Serzh Sargsyan’s and the Republican Party’s rule
for another 10 years,” the political analyst told ArmeniaNow.

According to Danielyan, only a constitutional reform can ensure
President Sargsyan continues his solo rule in Armenia until 2018.

“Starting from the moment when he gives up the changes, it will
mean that he will lose full control over the National Assembly and
the government. The reason is clear – nobody will confide with an
outgoing president, everyone will start tying relations with the next
potential president, and an overwhelming majority of members of the
ruling Republican Party as well,” Danielyan said.

Tsarukyan has some potential and it is not without reasons that he
sees himself as a ‘non-governing’ figure, the political analyst added.

“As a matter of fact, certain sections of the government, such as the
army, state structures, as well as the business-affiliated section of
the Republicans, etc. have maintained their relations also with the
‘non-governing’ camp. Naturally, those ties, with Sargsyan’s rule being
improbable and the financial potential of Tsarukyan and his entourage,
are a serious challenge for the current president and his supporters.”

Political analyst, member of the You Won’t Pass group Armen Grigoryan
shares the analyst’s opinion on Tsarukyan’s potential.

“Non-governing forces have twice made Sargsyan suspend the
constitutional changes, and at this moment there is a high probability
that they will be able to scuttle [the plans] and win.”

“If constitutional changes are cancelled, Serzh Sargsyan will become
very weak, and he will lose his power, and after that there will arise
the question of overtaking the government and one of the potential
candidates is Gagik Tsarukyan,” Grigoryan told ArmeniaNow.

ARMEN RUSTAMYAN: GAGIK TSARUKYAN REPEATED WHAT WE SAID IN 2010

13:51 | February 6,2015 | Politics

At yesterday’s conference, the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) Leader
Gagik Tsarukyan repeated the words said by the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation -Dashnaktsutyun in 2010, Head of the Dashnaktustyun faction
Armen Rustamyan said during the parliamentary briefings on Friday.

“In 2010, I said that Armenia needs a government of a new quality.

Today, they are speaking about the need of a new-quality government.

By saying a new-quality government we first of all mean elimination
of the political monopoly. The ruling party and state are interwoven
today. It is time to find solutions to the main problems in the
country,” Mr Rustamyan said. He suggests involving knowledgeable people
who today reside outside Armenia in the process of state-building.

“The change of government does not only mean a change of persons,
it implies a change of system. The political forces should work
together and present people a concrete program in order not to appear
in uncertainty again. You cannot change everything by changing the
electoral system. This is a delusion,” said the Dashnak representative.

“Armenia needs a government of a new quality, new, educated people. In
this regard I express my will to support such new candidates; I call
upon Armenians living both in Armenia and abroad, specialists with good
education to unite around creating an alternative to our functioning
government,” Gagik Tsarukyan said during the conference on Thurdsay.

ATTORNEY ARSEN DANIELIAN NAMED CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION OF GLENDALE ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER

By MassisPost
Updated: February 5, 2015

GLENDALE – Arsen Danielian, Esq., a senior partner at the Glendale law
firm of Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian, has been appointed chairman
of the board for the Healthcare Foundation at Glendale Adventist
Medical Center. He began his two-year term of office January 1, 2015.

As board chair, he presides over a distinguished board of directors
for the Healthcare Foundation at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

The mission of the Healthcare Foundation is to support the work and
mission of Glendale Adventist Medical Center through philanthropy –
last year, Danielian and his wife, Hasmik, were honored at the
hospital’s gala and received the 2014 Erwin J. Remboldt Founder’s
Award for Outstanding Individual Philanthropy.

“Arsen and Hasmik are wonderful role models for every person and every
social, ethnic and cultural organization in our community. They
demonstrate in their words and actions that when we all work together
toward a common purpose, we all benefit,” says Healthcare Foundation
President Irene Bourdon.

Danielian will lead the board in efforts to expand the community’s
knowledge, understanding and support of Glendale Adventist Medical
Center and to strengthen the relationships between the community and
the Medical Center. In his role as chairman of the board, he will be a
bridge to the business community, the Armenian community; and the
entire Glendale community.

Danielian believes wholeheartedly in the hospital’s mission and deeply
values the vital role it plays in the community. He and his family are
also loyal patients and have adopted Glendale Adventist Medical Center
as their hospital and charity of choice. He has been a member of the
Healthcare Foundation board of directors for more than 18 years and
most recently served as vice chairman. He is also the chairman of the
Ambassadors of Faith of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of
North America and chairman of the board of trustees of the Armenian
Society of Los Angeles.

Over the course of his career as an attorney, Danielian has served on
many national and international councils, assemblies and committees.

In October of 2014 Arsen Danielian was honored with the prestigious
St. Nerses Shnorhali medal and the accompanying Pontifical Encyclical
of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all
Armenians in recognition of his four decades of service rendered to
the Armenian Apostolic Church.

AZERBAIJAN SPREADS DISINFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH PHOTO EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO NAGORNO KARABAKH HELD IN CZECH REPUBLIC

15:21 06/02/2015 >> REGION

In the Capitol bookstore at the Czech town Frýdek-Místek photo
exhibition of famous Czech photographer-blogger Ladislav Vetvichk
dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh was opened for nearly a month.

Although the opening of the exhibition took place on 7 January and
the house was full, the Azerbaijani side spreads disinformation,
saying allegedly there were no visitors at the exhibition at all and
it failed, the European edition of “Orer” reports.

As noted in the article on February 3, the closing ceremony of the
exhibition was attended also by the Armenian Ambassador to the Czech
Republic Tigran Seyranyan, representatives of the Armenian community
and many other visitors. Director of the bookstores Jan Becher was
pleasantly surprised that the citizens are so interested in the
exhibition. “We have not had such vibrant and exciting activities
for a long time,” he said.

However, as the newspaper writes, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the
Czech Republic Farid Shafiyev told with irony Azerbaijani news agency
“Trend” that from the photos it is clear whether the exhibition was
held in domestic atmosphere or in a public place where “there were no
visitors.” The ambassador also assured that he was trying to clarify
the situation with the local authorities.

The publication stresses that the ambassador of Azerbaijan actually
is trying to hide his own incompetency. “It is not surprising that
at any event devoted to the Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan spreads
disinformation. Regarding this fact we publish the photos from the
exhibition,” the paper concludes.

It should be mentioned also that on the published photographs the
attendees of the photo exhibition are clearly visible – there are
citizens of all ages among them. In addition, it must be noted that
some of the visitors stand or sit on the shelves as well, apparently
the chairs weren’t enough.

CREDIT PORTFOLIO OF ARMENIAN BANKS’ BRANCHES IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH FALLS BY 1.5 PERCENT TO 9.6 BILLION DRAMS

YEREVAN, February 6. / ARKA /. The credit portfolio of Armenian banks’
branches in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) stood at 9.6 billion
drams as of February 1, 2015, a 1.5% decrease from the year before,
NKR National Statistical Service said. It said compared with the 2015
January, the portfolio was down by 2.7%.

Some 64.8% of the portfolio was loans in foreign currency, while the
share of overdue loans was 2.1%.

As of February 1, 2015 the amount of bank deposits stood at 56 billion
drams. The figure represented a 20.6% decline from 2014 February. When
compared to January this year, the total amount of deposits in the
branches was down 4.5%.

According to NKR National Statistical Service, 71.8% of deposits were
term deposits, 19.2% were demand deposits and 9% were target deposits.

($ 1 – 477.46 drams). -0-

TURKISH NGOS URGE WORLD LEADER TO GO TO YEREVAN, NOT GALLIPOLI ON APR 24

February 6, 2015 – 17:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 5 Turkish NGOs urged world leaders “not to accept
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation to Gallipoli on April 24
but to visit Yerevan instead for commemoration of the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide,” Bianet.org reports.

Previously, President Erdogan announced that in 2015 Turkey will
commemorate the defense of Gallipoli – a ceremony usually observed
on March 18 – on April 24. He also invited the world leaders to the
northwestern province of Canakkale to join the ceremony

The associations (Human Rights Association (IHD)’s Commission Against
Racism and Discrimination, Izmir Assyrian Friendship, Culture and
Solidarity Association, Nor Zartonk, Culture
Platform and Zan Social, Political, Economic Research Foundation)
issued a statement protesting Erdogan’s invitation at IHD Headquarters
in Istanbul, Bianet reports.

“April 24 is marked worldwide as the Armenian Genocide Remembrance
Day,” IHD Vice Chairperson Meral Cıldır said in a statement.

“As the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide draws near, we, groups
and peoples that struggle against the denial of the Genocide, protest
the president’s invitation and urge the world leaders to visit the
Genocide memorial in Yerevan instead of Gallipoli in Canakkale.

Following the press statement, IHD Vice Chairperson Eren Keskin said
the following: “The mentality that founded the Republic of Turkey is
the very mentality that committed the Armenian – Assyrian Genocide
in 1915. For us, 24 April 2015 is of huge importance. We want to face
our history. We don’t want our children to be told lies. We know that
the Genocide is still not openly mentioned by many countries, but we
are asking a show a bit of conscience. The Turkish invitation mocks
the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. Go to Yerevan where the
real pain is.”

Armenian Studies Program
Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Coordinator
5245 N. Backer Ave. PB4
Fresno CA 93740-8001

ASP Office: 559-278-2669
Office: 559-278-2669
FAX: 559-278-2129

Visit the ASP Website:

Photo caption:

SAS Conference in Washington, D.C. Seated, left to right: Dr. Rouben
Adalian, Khatchig Mouradian, Asya Darbinyan, and Umit Kurt.

Standing: SAS President Barlow Der Mugrdechian

PRESS RELEASE

Society for Armenian Studies Holds Elections
for Executive Council Officers for 2015

The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) celebrated its 40th anniversary
at its Annual Membership meeting held in Washington, D.C., held on
Saturday, November 22.

A new Executive Council was elected with Barlow Der Mugrdechian
(California State University-Fresno) chosen as the new SAS
President. Also elected were Vice President Bedross Der Matossian
(University of Nebraska-Lincoln); Secretary Lilit Keshishyan (UCLA);
Treasurer Sergio La Porta (California State University, Fresno); and
advisors Tamar Boyajian (Michigan State University), Marc Mamigonian
(NAASR), and Jean Murachanian (University of New England).

On behalf of the SAS newly elected President Der Mugrdechian thanked
outgoing President Kevork Bardakjian (University of Michigan-Ann
Arbor) and outgoing Secretary Ani Kasparian (University of
Michigan-Dearborn) for their dedicated service to the Society.

`It is a privilege to be elected as the new President of Society for
Armenian Studies. The SAS plays an important role as a forum for
scholars to meet and exchange ideas. SAS members conduct research in
many different fields, but in each case this is related to the study
of Armenia and the Armenian people. This research is shared with other
academics and with the public at large, bringing greater awareness
about Armenian culture,’ stated Der Mugrdechian.

In 2014 SAS held several major activities to mark its 40th
anniversary, including an international Armenian Studies Workshop in
Yerevan, Armenia, October 3-5, with 44 scholars participating from
Armenia and abroad. In November the Society sponsored a two-day
conference in Washington, D.C. on =80=9C Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire in the 19-20th Centuries.’ This year the SAS planning several
activities in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, including co-sponsorship of a major international conference
` Crossing the Centennial: The Historiography of the Armenian Genocide
Re-Evaluated,’ March 19-20, with the Department of History and
Humanitarian Affairs Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
organized by SAS Vice-President Bedross Der Matossian.

The SAS annually publishes a peer-reviewed Journal of the Society for
Armenian Studies , edited by Sergio La Porta, and a Newsletter .

The SAS website, societyforarmenianstudies.com, provides information
about events and activities about the Society. The Society does
encourage supporting membership for those who wish to financially
support the SAS. The Secretariat of the SAS is based in the Armenian
Studies Program at California State University, Fresno. For more
information please call the SAS at 559-278-2669 or send an email to
[email protected].