Author: Chmshkian Vicken

ARMENIA ACCUSES AZERBAIJAN OF VOTING MANIPULATION

esctoday.com

May 19 2009

Armenian broadcaster APT accusses the broadcaster of the neighbouring
country Azerbaijan to have manipulated the voting during the final
of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest by obscuring the screen when the
Armenian televoting number was shown. Political relations between
the two countries have been tense for more than 20 years.

APT launched an official complaint to the EBU claiming a severe
violation of the Eurovision Song Contest rules. Like in 2008,
Azerbaijan gave no points to Armenia. However, even if Azerbaijan
had given 12 points to Armenia, the country would have still finished
in tenth place behind Bosnia & Herzegovina. Armenia gave one single
point to the representatives from Azerbaijan, AySel & Arash, who
finished third.

The EBU has stated that they cannot comment on the story yet as
they have no proof of the accusations so far. However, they are
investigating and will report about the outcome in the next two days.

Armenia took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the fourth time
in 2008 and achieved its fourth top ten placing in a row, although
the tenth place for Inga & Anush with Nor par is still the lowest
result to date.

Armenian Technology Group, Inc
1300 E. Shaw Ave. Suite 131
P. O. Box 5969
Fresno, California 93755
Contact Person: Varoujan Der Simonian
Tel: 559-224-1000
Fax: 559-224-1002

PRESS RELEASE
May 19, 2009

ATG Continues to Empower the People of Armenia

On this 20th anniversary of serving the people of Armenia and Artsakh,
the Fresno, California based Armenian Technology Group, Inc. (ATG) is
introducing new and more efficient Conservation Agricultural practices
to Armenia by empowering the farmers with knowledge and technology and
encouraging them to adopt those farming practices and help them
produce profitably.

ATG devoted nearly 12 years to develop a sustainable seed production
industry in Armenia. The project has left its mark on the nation’s
economy by increasing local production of cereals and reducing
dependence on foreign imports.

`We took a ground-up approach by training and teaching the farmers how
to produce and maintain high quality and high yielding crops year
after year’ said the ATG outgoing President Nubar Tashjian, JD of
Oakland, California.

Sustainable wheat and other seed production programs, such as barley
and alfalfa, require a natural life-cycle of seven growing seasons
whereby seed producing farmers, grain growers, milling companies,
bakers, and consumers can interact in a sustainable free market
structure.

`Farmers who we trained to grow quality seeds and grains over the
years are running successful operations now. They know what they are
doing and they need a minimum of our help.’ said Gagik Mkrchyan,
Director of Armenia-based ATG Foundation. The USDA Foreign
Agricultural Service has been one of the major sponsors of this long
running program.

`We achieved our goal by transferring knowledge and technology
directly to the farmers, meanwhile establishing a natural market
structure based on supply and demand between the growers and the
consumers. This is an industry that not only can sustain itself behind
our involvement, but will continue to have a positive impact on the
country’s trade balance.=80=9D added Mr. Tashjian.

ATG’s efforts for the next few years will be focused on expanding the
conservation agriculture systems technologies in Armenia to reverse
the long-standing trend of soil degradation by rebuilding soil
productivity – increasing soil organic matters and improving soil
structure, quality and health.

`We are excited with this project. Our goal is to optimize yield
potential while minimizing negative impacts to the environment’ said
Dr. James P. Reynolds, the newly elected President of ATG from his
home town of Visalia, California.

ATG technical advisers will help the farmers in Armenia to adapt
conservation agricultural system technology and practice the following
objectives: a) minimize mechanical soil disturbance, which will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, soil compaction and the potential for soil
erosion, along with minimizing the disruption of soil biological
cycles; b) maintain a crop or crop residue cover on the soil surface
year round;

c) maximize the amount of crop residues on the soil surface throughout
the year, and d) stimulate biological activity through crop rotation
diversity, cover crops and integrated nutrient and pest management.

During the 2008-2009 fall and spring planting season, ATG introduced
the conservation farming system to seven different geographical
locations. These farms are being used as field demonstration sites to
disseminate information on the use and benefits of conservation
agriculture systems technology to the farmers. This technology was
highlighted in the cover article `The Quiet (Farming) Revolution’ in
the July, 2008 issue of Scientific American.

`This project is being funded by private contributions, and I would
like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere appreciation to
our partners and sponsors for helping ATG assist the farmers and their
families over the years. Particularly I would like to thank The Lincy
Foundation, for their continuous support for this and for our previous
economic development programs in Armenia. Not only is their support of
our mission helping feed the people of Armenia, but it is also
creating employment and generated income.’ concluded Dr. Reynolds.

Tex deductible contributions in support of conservation agriculture in
Armenia could be mailed to ATG at P. O. Box 5969; Fresno, CA 93755

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: WE SHOULD NOT LEAVE BURDEN OF OUR DIFFERENCES AND PROBLEMS ON SHOULDERS OF COMING GENERATIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 18, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Creation of new dividing lines in the
region is unacceptable. And differences should be settled by peaceful
and political means. RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said
at the Security and Cooperation in and around the Caucasus two-day
International Conference held in Yerevan. In his words, threat of or
use of force for the solution of conflicts is not an alternative and
could seriously destabilize our region and have grave consequences.

According to RA Foreign Minister’s observation, the Caucasus needs
constructive ideas and initiatives, not violence. "Outbursts of
violence can only fuel new animosities, escalate new tensions, and
trigger new repulsive demonstrations of destruction. If we fail to come
to terms with the new realities and reshape our political thinking,
it would only mark a roll-back to the cold-war realities in this small
yet important corner of the world, with negative consequences for all,"
E. Nalbandian said.

He said that the wide-spread notions of security, stability
and cooperation have long been exhausted during the most recent
post-cold-war history of the region. For some, these have just been
routine notions repeated during political campaigns. For others,
Armenia being among them, they are vital issues. The foreign policy
and external security priorities for Armenia, therefore, include,
among others, the establishment of an overall regional security
and cooperation framework. This could be achieved through dialogue,
negotiations, alleviation of existing tensions and peaceful resolution
of conflicts.

E. Nalbandian stated that two main security challenges that are
of a paramount importance for Armenia are the peaceful and just
resolution of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict and the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. "These challenges are different, and by
no means interconnected, even if some would like to see a linkage or
parallelism in their resolution," the Minister said.

He recorded that in the international arena Azerbaijan consistently
misinterprets the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh problem,
trying to conceal the ethnic cleansing and its policy of violence
conducted against the people of Karabagh in 1988-1991. According
to E. Nalbandian, "consequently, these actions developed into open
aggression and large-scale hostilities against the people of Karabakh,
involving mercenaries closely linked to terrorist organizations,
and which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians."

According to the RA Foreign Minister, the Nagorno Karabakh problem
could have been solved as early as 2001, after the Paris and Key West
talks, when we were very close to the resolution, had the Azerbaijani
side not backtracked from the agreements. "Even today, we would have
been closer to the resolution if the co-chairs did not spent months
trying to convince the Azerbaijani side to negotiate on the basis of
the proposals put forward in 2007, and known as the Madrid document
the very existence of which Azerbaijani side had denied for months,"
E. Nalbandian said.

Concerning the Armenian-Turkish normalization process he said
that over the past year, following the initiative of the Armenian
President, together with our Turkish neighbors and with the help of
our Swiss partners "we have advanced towards opening one of the last
closed borders in Europe and normalization of our relations without
preconditions. The ball is in the Turkish side now. And we hope that
they will find the wisdom and the courage to make the last decisive
step. We wish to be confident that the necessary political will can
eventually leave behind the mentality of the past."

"We should not leave the burden of our differences and problems on the
shoulders of the coming generations. We must build bridges between
our nations, working out mutually beneficial regional cooperation
schemes. And our common objective should be shaping of a region that
is safe and prosperous for all," the RA Foreign Minister said.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 16 2009

`Good things are going to happen’
by
MÃ`MTAZ’ER TÃ`RKÃ-NE

Kurds in Turkey’s East want to find a solution to the `Kurdish
problem,’ as they have a clear understanding of what the 25 years of
violence has cost them and the country.

`Good things are going to happen’ are the words of President Abdullah
Gül. The topic is Turkey’s most important problem, the Kurdish
issue. Gül spoke these words upon his return from Prague, where
he met with Azerbaijan and Armenia’s state leaders.

The crucial part of his statement was the following: `Whether you call
it a terror problem, a southeastern Anatolia problem or a Kurdish
problem, this is the first question for Turkey. It has to be
solved. New efforts will be introduced. Everybody in the state is now
talking to each other more frequently and openly. When I say everybody
I mean soldiers, civilians and the intelligence community.’ This
comment has four points. First, the president has taken up the
initiative of solving the Kurdish problem. Second, he seeks to get
state institutions and political actors involved. Third, there is
collaboration on finding a solution, and lastly, a positive level has
been reached with respect to solving the Kurdish problem.

Do these four points mentioned in the president’s statements really
exist? The gist of the question is: `Is Turkey going to resolve the
Kurdish problem?’ There is no solution package being debated or
advanced discussion on the issue. So what is the optimism based on?

What are Kurds thinking?

Are Kurds, the real subject of the issue, optimistic? Do Kurds believe
there will be a solution? Perhaps more importantly, do they want a
solution that they will share with Turkey as a whole? I was in
Diyarbakır toward the end of last week. I had gone to
Diyarbakır to present a paper at the Social Sciences Conference
organized by Dicle University. I spoke with many people and asked them
their views on the recent developments. The conclusion I reached was
that they shared the same sentiment as the president. Optimism
dominates among Kurds, and they welcome finding a solution. Moreover,
they believe they are close to finding a solution.

Those who have seen the most harm from the Kurdish problem are the
Kurds themselves. At times when violence is at an all-time high, life
turns into a living hell for them. They have a clear understanding of
what the violence that has been going on for 25 years has cost
themselves and the country. It is for this reason that they want to
find a solution. Naturally, however, the word solution has different
meanings for different people. There are a range of solutions among
Kurds, from separatism to ending violence. Taking into consideration
the years of accumulated anger and the wounds opened by violence,
Kurds favor finding a fair and forthright solution that will allow
them to live peacefully with the majority of Turkey.

Kurds are an extremely politicized society. When two Kurds come
together, they don’t talk about business or soccer but about
politics. They are aware of just about every development. Amid this
awareness, they believe they are very close to solving the Kurdish
problem. Although there is no concrete basis and reason for it, Kurds
have strong common sense and are living in a positive and hopeful
atmosphere.

I spoke with Kurdish college students who have sympathy for the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Despite their stridence and asperity,
I sensed optimism and warmth inside them as well.

State institutions

The declaration that state institutions are working with each other
means that there is a significant level of agreement between the
military and politicians on finding a solution. Hints of this were
nestled in a lengthy speech Chief of General Staff Gen. Ä°lker
BaÅ?buÄ? delivered at the War Academies Command last
month.

There were two very important details in his speech. The first is that
BaÅ?buÄ? spoke about the `people of Turkey,’ and the
second was that he left the door to implementing a general amnesty
that would include PKK militants open. These two details in particular
form the material basis for Kurds’ optimism. The phrase `people of
Turkey’ was symbolic of the Kurds’ desire to be identified as Kurds
and the topic of `general amnesty’ seems essential to heal wounds and
forget about the past.

The signals the military has been sending over the past two years have
been important steps toward finding a solution. The theory that the
problem cannot be resolved with weapons is an important change in the
mindset of the military. Accepting that fighting is not the way to go
about it means the military will not try to resolve the problem
through its own techniques and means.

For many years, Turkey had been focusing on a military solution to the
Kurdish issue consequently making the military the most powerful actor
in the problem. By forgoing a military solution, civil and democratic
politics has inevitably become the main actor.

MHP and CHP

The emergence of political actors means the Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) will have a more active
role in the solution-finding process. With respect to efforts to find
a solution to the Kurdish problem, the CHP is expressing its
reservations about the state’s unitary structure. However, the CHP
does not have too influential a role in the solution. Talking about a
solution directly brings the MHP to the forefront. The relationship
between the MHP and the Kurdish problem is complex. During his
parliamentary group meeting, the leader of the MHP signaled that the
party would continue its fierce opposition. As I mentioned in last
week’s column, if the MHP does not accept the proposed solution for
this issue, then a permanent solution cannot be achieved. In a harsh
speech assessing the optimistic words of President Gül that I
quoted above, the MHP leader spoke about a world engrossed in
conspiracies.

The MHP as a political party feeds on the Kurdish problem. In the most
recent local elections, the MHP won the most votes in western cities
where there is a high level of internal migration of Kurds. Kurds’
internal migration to western cities provokes voters in those cities
to lean towards the MHP. For the MHP to neglect the votes it received
as a reaction against Kurds and not to voice the concerns of its
constituents is unimaginable. Nevertheless, the issue is a very
sensitive one, and the MHP leader hasn’t been trying to exploit
it. Therefore, we may expect that the MHP will try to voice the
reactions of its constituents while stepping on the brakes a little
bit. Otherwise, the MHP will be held as solely responsible for the
deadlock, and this will be too heavy a price for the MHP to pay.

Let’s go back to the beginning. What do the words `good things are
going to happen’ spoken by Gül mean?

Turkey is moving toward resolving the Kurdish problem through
political means. All actors involved in this problem are optimistic
and hopeful. The president is trying to reinforce and maintain this
atmosphere with his soft and constructive leadership. Important
developments are expected to take place in the near future.

16 May 2009, Saturday

RIVERSIDE’S KARAKHANYAN IS GAINING RESPECT IN MARTIAL ARTS AFTER CONCENTRATING ON SOCCER FOR SEVERAL YEARS
By Breanna Armstrong

The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA.)
May 14, 2009, Thursday

RIVERSIDE

It only made sense that Riverside’s Georgi Karakhanyan would be a
martial artist.

His father, who held a black belt in karate, introduced young Georgi
to martial arts when he was 6.

By the age of 8, Georgi was fighting in his first full-contact martial
arts competition.

And after the family moved from Moscow to San Diego a couple years
later, the youngster’s martial arts career was put on hold.

"As a junior high and high school student," Karakhanyan said, "all
I wanted to do was to play soccer."

It was a career that took him to Europe and back and gave him a taste
of professional sports.

But after relocating to Riverside, where he attended North High School,
his brief but intense soccer career would give way to . . . martial
arts.

"It was a hard decision to give up such a major passion of mine,"
he said of soccer, "but my life has changed since my soccer career
came to an end. Instead of being a dreamer, I became a realist."

On Saturday night, Karakhanyan, 23, will face Albert Rios (11-3) on
the main card of the "Call to Arms" MMA event at Citizens Business
Bank Arena in Ontario.

Rios recently beat the previously undefeated Antonio Duarte (11-1)
at the last Affliction show. But Joe Pagliuso, founder of the United
States Karate Organization (USKO) and Karakhanyan’s stand-up coach,
said that won’t deter Karakhanyan.

"Georgi is a real dynamic contender – he is strong, focused and
passionate about what he does," Pagliuso said. "A lot of eyes are
currently on him. Because of his great skill, Georgi will dominate
on Saturday."

Karakhanyan, whose first MMA fight was in 2006, has built an 11-1-1
professional record.

Betiss Mansouri, owner of the Millennia MMA gym in Rancho Cucamonga,
has coached Karakhanyan for four years.

"He is fearless," Mansouri said. "He has mental, physiological, and
physical attributes which you rarely find in fighters. Some fighters
are physically strong, some are technically strong, and some are
mentally strong. Georgi has all the necessary talents."

After his move to Riverside and subsequent departure from soccer
a few years later, Karakhanyan began training at United Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu with Rommel Dunbar. Karakhanyan said he was drawn to MMA
because he liked the individuality of the sport.

Karakhanyan, an instructor at USKO in Riverside, said he maintains a
vigorous training schedule, including techniques like high-altitude
conditioning, sprinting, sparring and grappling with some of the most
experienced MMA fighters around.

Karakhanyan, who has won his past seven bouts, was named the
"HyeFighter of the Month" for September 2007, a top honor from
HyeFighter.com, a Web site based around Armenian athletes.

"He is one of the most naturally gifted athletes and has top-level
confidence," Mansouri said. "His complete game, mental and technical
toughness and humility to go out and train with everyone are what
separate him from other fighters."

Six months after he began training with Dunbar, he defeated Brent
Wooten by submission in his first MMA fight. But that’s not his
fondest MMA memory.

"My most memorable experience as a professional MMA fighter was
when I accepted a fight on a three-day notice to fight against
Bobby Merill, who had a pro record of eight wins and two losses,"
Karakhanyan said. "It was just my third (professional) fight and I
won by a flying knee knockout. It was the best moment of my life."

Karakhanyan, who always goes for the knockout, is making a lasting
punch in the mixed martial arts community.

NIKOLAY BORDYUZHA: DECISION OF SEVERAL COUNTRIES INCLUDING ARMENIA TO REFUSE NATO EXERCISE IN GEORGIA IS ABSOLUTELY GROUNDED

ArmInfo
2009-05-15 12:56:00

ArmInfo. Decision of several countries including Armenia to refuse
NATO exercise in Georgia is absolutely grounded, Secretary General
of Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO] Nikolay Bordyuzha
told ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added that at present holding of the military exercise at the
territory of Georgia is demonstration of NATO’s supporting Georgia’s
actions in South Ossetia in august 2008. ‘You remember that many of our
peacekeepers and civilians died then. And today in fact to show support
to the aggressor is simply provocation’, – Nikolay Bordyuzha said.

JUNIOR BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE LAUNCHED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.05.2009 00:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official website of the junior boxing championship
to be held in Yerevan from May 23 to 30 has been launched, the Boxing
Federation of Armenia told PanARMENIAN.Net.

is available in Armenian and English.

ARMENIAN COMPANIES TO PAY $300,000 FOR JOINING IPO MARKET

/ARKA/
May 12, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian companies have to pay maximum $300,000 for joining IPO market,
Armen Melikyan, general director of NASDAQ OMX Armenia Stock Exchange,
said Sunday at a regular meeting of IT area key figures in Aghveran.

He justified the sum saying that companies wanting to enter market
have no audit, corporate right and financial reports.

"All the expenses will come back from the market, since potential
investors are interested in putting their money in growing companies",
Melikyan said.

He said that to solve a problem with financial instruments, NASDAQ
OMX signed an agreement with Armenian Government, which should promote
the stock exchange’s activity in the country.

"Under the program, we proposed 70 legislative changes to support
issuers and market players. We want to develop business, but can’t
do it without particular companies", Melikyan said adding that a
proposal is sent to National Assembly to VAT preferences for those
companies entering IPO market.

Such companies will pay 50% less profit taxes throughout three years
and will have their VAT included in fees for auditors, consultants
and lawyers for entering the stock exchange returned.

"Such changes constitute incentive for joining the market and also
are focused on companies’ turnover enlargement ensured by transparent
activity" , Melikyan said.

He also said that the stock exchange is open for everybody and offers
consulting services.

More than that – to lower consulting services fees for companies,
NASDAQ OMX Armenia and Central Depository offer free consulting for
necessary paperwork.

According to Grant Thornton Amiot, IPO market entrance on London
Stock Exchange will average 560 to 910 pounds, excluding 4 to 5
percent for broker services.

A Table for Tyrants

The New York Times
May 11, 2009

By VACLAV HAVEL, Op-Ed Contributor

PRAGUE — Imagine an election where the results are largely preordained
and a number of candidates are widely recognized as unqualified. Any
supposedly democratic ballot conducted in this way would be considered a
farce. Yet tomorrow the United Nations General Assembly will engage in
just such an `election’ when it votes to fill the vacancies on the
47-member Human Rights Council.

Only 20 countries are running for 18 open seats. The seats are divided
among the world’s five geographic regions and three of the five regions
have presented the same number of candidates as there are seats, thus
ensuring there is no opportunity to choose the best proponents of human
rights each region has to offer.

Governments seem to have forgotten the commitment made only three short
years ago to create an organization able to protect victims and confront
human rights abuses wherever they occur.

An essential precondition was better membership. The council’s
precursor, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, was folded in
2006 mainly because it had, for too long, allowed gross violators of
human rights like Sudan and Zimbabwe to block action on their own abuses.

The council was supposed to be different. For the first time, countries
agreed to take human rights records into account when voting for the
council’s members, and those member-states that failed to, in the words
of the founding resolution, `uphold the highest standards in the
promotion and protection of human rights’ would find themselves up for
review and their seats endangered. For victims of human rights abuses
and advocates for human rights worldwide, the reforms offered the hope
of a credible and effective body.

Now, it seems, principle has given way to expediency. Governments have
resumed trading votes for membership in various other United Nations
bodies, putting political considerations ahead of human rights. The
absence of competition suggests that states that care about human rights
simply don’t care enough. Latin America, a region of flourishing
democracies, has allowed Cuba to bid to renew its membership. Asian
countries have unconditionally endorsed the five candidates running for
their region’s five seats – among them, China and Saudi Arabia.

In past years, Western countries encouraged rights-respecting states
from other regions to compete for election. This year, they have ceded
the high ground by presenting a non-competitive slate for the council
elections. New Zealand withdrew when the United States declared its
candidacy, leaving just three countries – Belgium, Norway and the United
States – running for three seats.

Even where competition is guaranteed, it is minimal. In the Eastern
Europe region – which under the United Nations’ rules includes all
countries behind the former Iron Curtain, including my own, the Czech
Republic – the countries running for re-election are Azerbaijan and
Russia, whose human rights records oscillate from questionable to
despicable. Only Hungary has stepped forward to compete for the region’s
two seats. The reluctance of Eastern European states to reclaim
leadership from human rights abusers does not inspire confidence.

Like the citizens of Azerbaijan, China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia, I
know what it is like to live in a country where the state controls
public discourse, suppresses opposition and severely curtails freedom of
expression. It is thus doubly dismaying for me to see the willingness of
democracies in Latin America and Asia to sit by and watch the council
further lose its credibility and respect.

Activists and journalists in Azerbaijan and Cuba have already appealed
to the international community not to elect their nations to the Human
Rights Council. States committed to human rights and the integrity of
the council cannot remain indifferent. Countries must express solidarity
with the victims of human rights abuses and reclaim the council by
simply refusing to vote for human rights abusers in this shamefully
uncontested election.

Vaclav Havel was the president of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003.

1havel.html?emc=eta1

May 8, 2009
Press Release
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY
AT ST. GARABED CHURCH

Sunday, May 10th, is the Feast of the Apparition of the Holy Cross,
as well as Mother’s Day. On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate will preside over Divine Liturgy at St. Garabed Church
in Hollywood and will deliver his sermon and well wishes to the faithful.

PRELACY 37TH REPRESENTATIVES ASSEMBLY
TO CONVENE ON MAY 15

The Prelacy 37th Representatives Assembly will convene on Friday,
May 15th, at the "Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian" Hall, hosted by St.
Gregory Church of San Francisco.
During the two-day assembly, delegates will hear reports on the
activities of our parishes, schools, and committees over the past year, and
will discuss plans for the upcoming term.
The annual clergy conference which precedes the Representatives
Assembly will take place on Wednesday, May 13th, at the "Yeghia Sarafian"
hall of Holy Martyrs Church in Encino, during which clergy members will
draft suggestions and proposals to present to the forthcoming Assembly.

ACYA MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ORTHODOX DAY OF PRAISE

On Saturday, May 16th, the second annual Orthodox Day of Praise will
take place at St. Peter and St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Church in Santa Monica,
with the participation of youth from the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox
Churches.
The gathering is scheduled to begin with Divine Liturgy, following
which members of each church will sing hymns in their respective languages.
Members of the ACYA and youth choir will participate in the event.
PRELATE TO ATTEND 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF
A.R.S. "MAYR" CHAPTER

On the evening of Sunday, May 17th, the Los Angeles "Mayr" Chapter
of the Armenian Relief Society will celebrate its 90th anniversary at
"Palladio" Hall inGlendale.
The Prelate will be in attendance and will convey his blessings.

PRESENTATION OF PROFESSOR HARUT BARSAMIAN’S "RESURRECTION WITH CANE AND
SHOE"

Under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, on the afternoon of Sunday, May 3rd, 2009, the presentation of
Prof. Harut Barsamian’s memoirs Resurrection with Cane and Shoe took place
at the Prelacy "Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian" Hall. The event was
organized by the Western Prelacy Outreach Committee.
The program began with opening remarks by Chairman of the Outreach
Committee Mr. Herair Jermakian, who gave a brief explanation on the
objective of the Outreach Committee and the types of events it organizes
throughout the year to foster the mission of the Prelacy. Mr. Jermakian
then invited Executive Council Chairman and Master of Ceremonies Dr. Garo
Agopian to the podium.
Dr. Agopian gave an overview of the momentous phases in Prof.
Barsamian’s life, the details of which are recorded in the book, then
invited the first speaker, renowned engineer and Professor Mihran Agbabian
to present the book in Armenian.
In presenting the book, Professor Agbabian spoke of Prof.
Barsamian’s life from his birth in Aleppo, to his move to Beirut, to the
family’s repatriation to Soviet Armenia where the author and his family
experienced overwhelming challenges under the oppressive regime, and his
eventual settlement in America where he underwent a "resurrection", becoming
a sought after academician and professor of Engineering and Computer
Science. Professor Agbabian noted that despite his struggles and
disillusionment while living in Soviet Armenia, Prof. Barsamian remained and
remains to this day a true patriot and continues to offer his assistance and
contributes to the progress and prosperity of Armenia. He concluded by
thanking the author for allowing readers a glimpse into his extraordinary
life and experiences.
Dr. Agopian invited the next speaker, prominent aerospace engineer
Mr. Dickran Barsam, to offer his remarks in English. Mr. Barsam outlined
the hardship and misfortune the family experienced as repatriates in Soviet
Armenia, including the author’s father’s exile and later the author’s exile
to Siberia, noting the author’s optimism and jovial disposition amid that
adversity and his eventual triumph and rebirth.
The program also featured musical presentations by sisters Armine
Nerkararyan (violin) and Kenarik Nerkararyan (song), accompanied on the
piano by Anna Vorovich.
Mrs. Mary Terzian and Mr. Sarkis Mahserejian were subsequently
invited to the podium to offer their comments on the book.
The program closed with the Prelate’s remarks and benediction. The
Prelate acclaimed the author for his unwavering faith, optimism, and
perseverance in rising above his physical disability and the unbelievable
challenges he faced throughout his life to achieve his dreams and reach
great heights. The Prelate further noted that through it all, the family
retained their love of their homeland and Armenian heritage. In addition,
the Prelate highly commended Prof. Barsamian for his devotion to the welfare
of future generations of Armenian students as evidenced by his establishing
the "Harut Barsamian Disabled Armenian Students Scholarship Fund".
The program concluded with the Prelate’s benediction, after which
the author met with the guests and autographed copies of his book.