Author: Dabaghian Diana

ANTHEM IS NOT PEANUTS, IT SHOULD HAVE HISTORY

Lragir.am
05 Sept 06

On September 5 at the Hayeli Club Doctor Henrik Hovanisyan and Poet
Davit Hovanes discussed the adoption of the new national anthem and the
scandal connected with it. There was a shade of dismay in the voice of
Henrik Hovanisyan that he had not been included in the commission of
22, which deals with choosing a new anthem. Davit Hovanes, a member
of this committee, was offended because the song by Komitas "Hayastan
Yerkir Drakhtavair" got only 3 votes and was left out. In answer,
Davit Hovanes resigned from the committee.

The discussion did not grow into a debate because the speakers agreed
on most questions. For instance, everybody knows the members of the
commission, the adoption of the anthem is not an urgent matter, etc.

Henrik Hovanisyan says now is not the time when the questions are
solved confidentially, the symbol of the state should be chosen in
public debates, after a retrospective view into the history. Davit
Hovanes agrees that we need to choose several works from our poetry
and choose the best. And he thinks that the best is "Hayastan Yerkir
Drakhtavair" by Komitas. But since this option was rejected, Davit
Hovanes suggests not changing the anthem, although the change of the
anthem was a "political order", calm down and try again, and this
time include Henrik Hovanisyan in the commission. Henrik Hovanisyan
also agrees that there is no need to hurry. Davit Hovanisyan says,
"It is an abject reason to have a new anthem by September 21."

Generally, Davit Hovanes gave evaluations lavishly. For instance, he
says, the lyrics of the anthem of Soviet Armenia by Sarmen are "dull
and tasteless", "writing lyrics for the music by Aram Khachaturyan
is the same as replacing the leg of a person with two legs with a
prosthesis", "the work by Komitas is stronger than time and it will be
sung forever", "an anthem is not peanuts for everyone to eat". Davit
Hovanes heard the latter from Ruben Atayan, who studied Komitas.

Two out of five variants, which are in the final round, are criminal,
Davit Hovanes says. Armen Soghomonyan, a senior official of the
Ministry of Culture wrote lyrics for the music by Aram Khachaturyan,
"and the commission works in the orbit of the ministry of culture,
and is led by the minister of culture," he says. The second is the
anthem by a person with the nick Ararat B. Davit Hovanes says, "It
took me an hour to get the name of this person from the commission
members, I pointed to him and said he might be a member of the
commission, maybe he is a Turk or a traitor, or was convicted for
five times." Davit Hovanisyan was more obstinate than the members of
the commission. He declined to tell the name to the news reporters,
although everyone knows already that Ararat B is Razmik Davoyan. And
since Razmik Davoyan is a member of the commission, he cannot submit
his work for contest. By the way, after this revelation Razmik Davoyan
is already writing another anthem and signs his real name.

The speakers think it is not worthwhile to return to the music
composed by Aram Khachaturyan because it will bring along the
political past. The present anthem is also political past but we
worship this past. Henrik Hovanisyan is for the music by Mansuryan
written for the poem by Yeghisheh Charents, although he says it is
a difficult and complicated work and very few can sing it. Davit
Hovanes says Yeghisheh Charents wrote a marvelous poem but it is not
an anthem. Aram Khachaturyan is also a genius but "his music was the
anthem of another country."

And people prefer Aram Khachaturyan (43 out of the 85 songs were
written for the music by Aram Khachaturyan) because "people still have
a grudge. Their souls are in that country." "At any rate, "Hayastan" by
Komitas will be the anthem of our country," Davit Hovanes asserted. He
did not specify when and how but he stated that today the anthem
will be chosen by political trade. On the other hand, Davit Hovanes
does not deny that the work of the commission may produce no results,
for quite different processes are underway in the National Assembly.

LEMKIN’S HOUSE TO HOLD TALKBACKS IN SEPT. AND OCT.

Broadway World, NY
Aug 5 2006

Tuesday, September 5, 2006; Posted: 12:55 PM – by BWW News Desk A
series of talkbacks will follow select performances of Catherine
Filloux’s award-winning play Lemkin’s House. Jean Randich directs
the return engagement of the show, which will play through September
13-October 8 at the McGinn-Cazale Theatre (2162 Broadway)

Presented by Body Politic Theater and Vital Theatre Company, the
show’s official press opening is set for September 17.

Talkback participants will include former Manhattan Borough President
Ruth Messinger; Human Rights activist Dr. William Korey; film-maker
Kavery Kaul (The Long Way from Home); and others.

Lemkin’s House is billed as "a thought-provoking drama about the
horrors of genocide," according to press notes. "Winner of the 2006
Peace Writing Award from the OMNI Center for Peace, the play centers
on Raphael Lemkin, the Polish lawyer who invented the word "genocide"
and dedicated his life to having it declared an international crime.

In Ms. Filloux’s play, Lemkin is bombarded by people bursting into
his home with complaints of more recent genocides in Rwanda and
Bosnia. Lemkin must recognize that even his law is not enough to
change the world. He weighs his ethical accomplishments against his
guilt for deserting his own doomed family, ultimately seeking not only
justice but also forgiveness. In Lemkin’s House it is the living who
haunt the dead."

Lemkin’s House had its U.S. premiere at the 78th Street Theatre Lab
in February, 2006, opening to strong critical and audience response.

John Daggett returns as Raphael Lemkin. He is joined by original cast
members Christopher Edwards, Laura Flanagan, Christopher McHale, and
Connie Winston. The production also reunites its original design team:
Sue Rees (set design); Matthew Adelson (lighting design); Camille Assaf
(costume design); Robert Murphy (sound design).

The talkbacks are as follows (additional talkbacks and panelists TBA):

Wednesday, September 13: Panel on Darfur Former Manhattan Borough
President, Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service
which is currently involved in seeking justice for the Darfur genocide;
John Prendergast, Senior Advisor of International Crisis Group;
and Jayne E. Fleming, California Lawyer of the Year for Pro Bono
Representation of Women victimized through violence.

Thursday, September 14: A Peaceful Tomorrow Panel: Genocide and
Reconciliation H.E Widhya Chem, Ambassador, Permanent Representative
of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations; Jean Baptiste
Ntakirutimana, Country Director of Orphans of Rwanda, Inc.; Father
Michael Lapsley, Institute for Healing of Memories, South Africa;
and moderator Adele Welty, Steering Committee, Peaceful Tomorrows.

Friday, September 15: Panel in conjunction with 9/17 "Save
Darfur" Rally Jim Fussell, Executive Director of Prevent Genocide
International; and Mohamed Adam Yahya, Chairman, Damanga: Coalition
for Freedom and Democracy.

Saturday, September 16: Women’s Commission on Refugees and Children:
Darfur Megan McKenna, Senior Coordinator, Media and Communications
(Education in Emergencies); Sarah Chynoweth, Program Manager in
the Reproductive Health Program; and moderator Carolyn Makinson,
Executive Director of Women’s Commission.

Wednesday, September 20: Understanding the Perpetrator: Genocidal
Mania — The Psychology of Mass Hatred and Treating the Victims Gerald
Martone, Director of Humanitarian Affairs at the International Rescue
Committee; and Ruth Rogers, "Easing the Impact of Trauma through
Integrative Medicine."

Thursday, September 21: What Have We Learned?

David Scheffer, Former US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues;
Juan E. Mendez, President, ICTJ. Special Advisor to the Secretary
General (UN) on the Prevention of Genocide; Justice Richard Goldstone
Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand and Former Justice,
Constitutional Court of South Africa; Dr. William A. Korey, Human
Rights scholar and activist; Roger S. Clark, Board of Governors
Professor, Rutgers School of Law; Moderated by Dr. Yael Danieli,
Co-President, International Network of Holocaust and Genocide Survivors
and Their Friends.

Sunday, September 24: Detering Future Genocides: The Importance of
International Criminal Court to Raphael Lemkin’s Legacy Dr. Roy
S. Lee, Special Senior Fellow, the United Nations Institute for
Training and Research, and former Executive Secretary to the
International Criminal Court Conference; John Washburn, Convenor,
American NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (AMICC);
Richard Nsanzabaganwa. Outreach Liasion for Africa, Coalition for
the International Criminal Court (CICC).

Wednesday, September 27: Professor Sheri Rosenberg and Dr. Jack Saul
Professor Sheri Rosenberg, Director, Human Rights and Genocide Clinic
and Program in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies, Cardozo School of
Law; Dr. Jack Saul, Director, International Trauma Studies Program,
Columbia University; Moderated by Kenneth Jacobson, Senior Associate
National Director, Anti-Defamation League.

Thursday, September 28: Religious Perspectives on Genocide Rabbi
Daniel S. Brenner, Director, Center for Multifaith Education, Auburn
Theological Seminary; Other panelists TBA.

Friday, September 29: For the Prevention of Genocide and Crimes
against Humanity: A United Nations Emergency Peace Service Panelists:
TBA; moderated by Waverly de Bruijn; Coordinator, Global Action to
Prevent War; Sponsoring Organizations: Global Action to Prevent War,
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, World Federalist Movement.

Saturday, September 30: Audience Conversation with Dr. Yael Danieli and
Lemkin’s House artists Dr. Yael Danieli, Co-President, International
Network of Holocaust and Genocide Survivors and Their Friends, the
cast and creators of Lemkin’s House

Sunday, October 1: Hidden Genocide in Uganda Presentation by Daniella
Boston, co-founder and executive director of uNight: for the Children
of Uganda; Panelists: TBA.

Wednesday, October 4: Violence or Empowerment Arn Chorn-Pond and John
Burt, Cambodian Living Arts; Kavery Kaul, Filmmaker and Producer,
The Long Way From Home; and Michele Tayler, Women Against Violence
Everywhere.

Saturday,October 7: The Armenian Genocide Professor Henry Theriault,
Professor of Philosophy at Worcester State College, Armenian National
Committee.

Filloux’s other plays include The Beauty Inside, Eyes of the Heart,
Silence of God and Mary and Myra.

The show runs: Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 7pm. Talkbacks
directly follow select performances. Tickets are $25 (group
discounts are available). For reservations, call 212-352-3101 or
visit

ewcolumn.cfm?colid=11970

Bush’s Salt Lake Whoppers
Saturday, September 2, 2006 by the _Progressive _
()

by Matthew Rothschild

Did you catch Bush’s speech to the American Legion on Thursday?

It was another warm-up to the Iran War, with Bush rehearsing some of
the same old lines he once used to whip up a frenzy over Iraq.

Just as he once called Iraq a `grave threat,’ he said in Salt Lake
City that `the world now faces a grave threat from the radical regime
in Iran.’

My favorite line of the whole speech was this: `Governments
accountable to the voters focus on building roads and schools-not
weapons of mass destruction.

‘If that’s true, Bush ought to start unilaterally disarming our
10,000 nuclear weapons, or simply confirm that our government is not
accountable to the voters.

Just as he once fused Al Qaeda and Iraq, so he is fusing Al Qaeda and
Iran.

Said Bush: `The Iranian regime arms, funds, and advises Hezbollah,
which has killed more Americans than any terrorist network except Al
Qaeda.’

Get it?

Your Pavlovian reaction to Al Qaeda is still supposed to make you
salivate for war against whichever country Bush links it it to in a
single sentence.

Just as he once denounced Iraq for `sponsoring terrorists,’so he now
does with Iran.

Just as he once denounced Iraq for denying `basic human rights to
millions of its people,’ so he now does with Iran.

Just as he once denounced Iraq for pursuing weapons of mass
destruction, phantom as they were, so he now decries Iran’s pursuit of
a nuclear weapon.

And just as he once said it was time for Iraq to make a choice, when
he himself had already chosen war, so he now says, `It is time for
Iran to make a choice.’

I have no doubt whatsoever about Bush’s intentions.

But what struck me most about Bush’s speech was not his stale
propaganda but a fresh couple of whoppers.

First, as far as securing Baghdad goes, he said, `The initial results
are encouraging.’ Not exactly a good time to be crowing about
that. The very same day, coordinated bombings in Baghdad were killing
at least sixty-four people.

And the day after Bush’s speech, the Pentagon released a report saying
that ` conditions that could lead to civil war exist in Iraq,
specifically in and around Baghdad.’ The report added that the country
is facing `mutually reinforcing cycles of sectarian strife.’

By the way, you know what Bush cited as far as `encouraging’ evidence?
The following highly dubious testimonial from an anonymous Sunni man
in the street. `According to one military report,’ Bush said, `a Sunni
man in a diverse Baghdad neighborhood said this about the Shia
soldiers on patrol: `Their image has changed. Now you feel they’re
there to protect you.’ ‘ Five bucks that quote is made up.

But my favorite line of the whole speech was this: `Governments
accountable to the voters focus on building roads and schools-not
weapons of mass destruction.’ If that’s true, Bush ought to start
unilaterally disarming our 10,000 nuclear weapons, or simply confirm
that our government is not accountable to the voters.

Matthew Rothschild has been with The Progressive since 1983. His
_McCarthyism Watch_ () web column has
chronicled more than 150 incidents of repression since 9/11.

OFFICIAL DELHI APPRECIATES CONSTANT ASSISTANCE OF ARMENIA IN INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 31 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Official Delhi
appreciates constant assistance of Armenia to India in international
issues. Rina Pandey, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of India to Armenia stated about it at the August 31 event taken place
in Yerevan, dedicated to the presentation of the Indian jewelry. In
R.Pandey’s words, "India has had a role of the second Fatherland of the
Armenian Diaspora for a long time, and Indians lived in Armenia still
in the 5th century B.C." He also mentioned that "the political and
cultural ties between the two countries have always been strong." The
Ambassador reminded that RA President Robert Kocharian visited Delhi
in 2003, and Vice-President of India Bhairon Singh Shekhawat visited
Yerevan in October, 2005. Other official visits are expected. R.Pandey
also informed that a 16-person song and dance group of India will
participate in the celebration dedicated to the 15th anniversary of
the independence of Armenia.

STATEMENT OF ARMENIA FOUNDATION
Armenia Foundation

Lragir.am
31 Aug 06

At the request of the local bodies Armenia Foundation once again
touches upon the construction of the North – South highway in
NKR. Although the foundation regularly reported to the media about the
construction of the highway, now, in refuting the misinformation by
unconsciencious media, we announce officially that the construction
of the highway goes on normally.

Roadworks are underway on seven sections of the highway
simultaneously. The construction of the 5.2 km section Kichan – Drmbon
finishes soon (contractor Chanshin C.J.S.C.). The construction of
several sections will end soon, and will be operated late this year:
Stepanakert – Karmir Shuka 8.7 km (contractor Karavan Ltd.), Tsakuri
– Hadrut 11.1 km (contractor Vrej Ltd.), Drmbon – Martakert 11.6 km
(Virage Ltd.). the 6.9 km section (contractor Veratsnund Ltd.) and 6.4
km section (contractor Chanshin Ltd.) of Kichan – Drmbon will end at
the end of this year. Raodworks on Azokh – Tsakuri 10 km and Drmbon –
Martakert 4.865 km are underway.

In 2006 Armenia Foundation built 90 thousand sq m of tarmac. In 2006
Armenia foundation signed a 1 m 200 thousand dollar contract with LK &
D International Investment Group to settle the problems connected with
imports of bitumen and help the building companies. Already 1200 tons
of bitumen was imported to Armenia.

As to the problem of quality of construction, such problems may occur
under every circumstance, and when necessity occurs, the foundation
turns to the NKR government and other relevant organizations and
warns contractors. On the whole, the foundation has enhanced control
on the quality of construction.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance
22 Concord Lane
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact: Bianca Bagatourian
Tel: 617-871-6764
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

"THE ARMENIAN DRAMATIC ARTS ALLIANCE SPONSORS A READING OF WILLIAM
SAROYAN’S PLAY HELLO OUT THERE" AT THE ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF
AMERICA

On Sunday June 11, 2006 in Watertown, MA, the Armenian Dramatic Arts
Alliance (ADAA), a newly formed non-profit organization dedicated to
projecting the Armenian voice on a world stage sponsored a reading of
one of William Saroyan’s lesser known plays, `Hello Out There’ at the
Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA). The reading was
presented in ALMA’s contemporary art gallery on the 3rd floor of their
museum building and coincided with the exhibit "May name is Bill:
Remembering William Saroyan" in the Terjenian Hall. The play was
directed by Zoya Kachadurian of NYC and starred Paul Shafer, Danielle
Bauman, Jason Taylor, Michele Markarian.

Jacqueline Papasian Kazarian from San Francisco gave an interesting
talk about her `Uncle Bill’ after the reading and a reception followed
for the guests Saroyan is better known for his story "The Daring Young
Man on the Flying Trapeze" and his play "The Time of Your Life".
Written in 1941, `Hello Out There,’ tells the story of a wandering
gambler who finds himself arrested and jailed in a small Texas town
after a false claim of rape. A young girl who serves as the jail’s
cook is the only person to believe in the gambler. The gambler
ultimately gives all of his money to the girl before a mob, headed by
the husband of the alleged victim, breaks into the jail to kill the
gambler. This play was first produced for the Lobero Theatre in Santa
Barbara. On the 10th of September, 1941, `Hello Out There’ served as
the curtain-raiser to George Bernard Shaw’s `The Devil’s Disciple.’

Sponsoring and supporting readings and productions of Armenian plays
and scripts is at the heart of the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance’s
mission to share the Armenian voice. For more information, please go
to

CHINA AND KAZAKHSTAN INTERESTED IN KARS-TBILISI-BAKU RAIL PROJECT

ArmRadio.am
28.08.2006 15:45

China and Kazakhstan are interested in the project of construction
of Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway bypassing Armenia, "National Interests"
news agency of Kazakhstan reports, referring to Turkish media.

The source notes that the Chinese intend to join the construction
of the railway, which should start in 2007. In case the project
is a success, Turkey will turn into the major transport and energy
corridor linking Europe, Caucasus and Asia. It is supposed that the
railway will transport 20 million tones of cargoes annually. After
the exploitation of the transport network, Kars city will be linked
to Shanghai. The Kazakh agency reports that Turkey connects great
hopes with the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku rail project, which, Ankara is sure,
will fundamentally change the face of the region. The railway will
establish an immediate link between Azerbaijan and Turkey, which
goes in line with the strategy of Baku and Ankara to reinforce the
military-political relations.

To remind, the project will cost $400 million. According to some
Turkish experts, the accomplishment of Kars-Tbilisi-Baku project
will lead to the considerable weakening of Armenia’s and Russia’s
positions in the region.

HUNTSMAN CORPORATION TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING CHARITY PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on August 23 the delegation
headed by Jon Huntsman, the founder and Chairman of the Huntsman
Corporation, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian attached special
importance to the great assistance shown to the Armenian people by
the coorporation, especially the investments made in the disaster
zone. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA
Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, J.Huntsman briefly
presented the programs implemented in Armenia by the corporation till
now, as well as those projects which they intend to implement in the
nearest future. He, particularly, envisages foundation of a hospital on
examining cancer and allocation of scholarship to people who wants to
get education in the U.S. The Huntsman corporation implements numerous
charity programs in Armenia. In parallel with the assistance shown
by a number of international organizations after the 1988 earthquake,
the corporation implemented numerous construction works in the disaster
zone and donated 2.1 mln U.S. dollars.

During the years after the disaster and till now, the Huntsman family
gave food, clothes, different domestic goods of total cost of 18 mln
U.S. dollars.

Family members paid about 40 visits to Armenia.

OSCE: FIRES IN THE TERRITORIES AROUND NK CAUSED BY WEATHER CONDITIONS

Regnum, Russia
Aug. 22, 2006

The fires in the territories around Nagorno Karabakh have been caused
by weather conditions, says the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. He says that the bigger scale
of fires this year is due to very early heat. At the same time,
Kasprzyk refrains from making conclusions. He says that he is not an
investigator. Besides, he did not see anybody and could not find any
fact revealing the cause of the fires. He says that there have been
fires before though they were not as big.

"I think everybody understands that fires are caused by different
things. It will be enough for you to watch the latest news: fires
in California, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, Spain, Portugal,"
says Kasprzyk.

He says that the Azeri side has already asked the OSCE CIO to set
experts to find out the cause of the fires, reports ArmInfo.

To remind, on June 15, 2006 the Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Ministry
urged the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE CIO to
hold a monitoring of the contact line with Azerbaijan in order to
give a real assessment of the situation and to see that Azerbaijan’s
charges of arson are just allegations. On July 3-5 the Personal
Representative of the OSCE CIO Andrzej Kasprzyk monitored the border
zone between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, drafted a seven-page
report and submitted it to OSCE CIO Karel de Gucht, who, in his turn,
presented the report to the Azeri FM.

IN OPINION OF VIASPHERE TECHNOPARK’S DIRECTOR GENERAL, 40-50 PROGRAM-FINANCING VENTURE FUNDS SHOULD OPERATE IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Aug 21 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. To promote the formation and
activities of high technology companies in Armenia, it is necessary
that 40-50 venture funds on program financing operate at the same
time in Armenia, and the costs of the programs operating at a loss be
covered at the expense of other projects that make superprofits. Aram
Vardanian, director general of Viasphere Park, expressed this
opinion during a talk with NT correspondent. In his words, 3-4
experts of the technopark have submitted bids to get grants from the
1-mln-dollar venture fund of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and
Cascade Capital company, which was established by Cafesjian Family
Founadation. A. Vardanian said that these experts signed contracts
with Armenian enterprises to receive assistance with their scientific
developments in order to use them at their enterprises. They also
attended the courses organized in Boston with the assistance of the
US Civilian Research and Development Fund (CRDF) that supports the
venture fund. Bagrat Yengibarian, director of the Enterprise Incubator
Foundation, said that as of late July, 20 projects were submitted to
the Armenian venture fund, 50% of which were from biotechnologists,
40% – from IT experts, and the rest – from scientists engaged in other
spheres. According to him, the fund plans to increase its capital.