Author: Jack Hunanian

More than 50,000 refugees returned to Artsakh from Armenia

Jack Hunanian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 22 2021

Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) escort convoys of local residents and refugees every day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

In the territory of Karabakh, the length of safe public roads is increasing. Military personnel of the Russian peacekeeping contingent ensure the return of refugees to their homes.

87 refugees were transported by buses from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, to Stepanakert in the past one day.

In total, 50,390 refugees have already returned to their places of permanent residence in Artsakh, the ministry said.

Military personnel of the Russian peacekeeping contingent ensure the safe return of citizens to their places of permanent residence, provide humanitarian assistance and restore civilian infrastructure.

They also monitor the situation round-the-clock and control the ceasefire implementation at 27 observation posts, the statement added. 

Armenpress: Armenian, Dutch FMs highlight restoration of NK peace process under OSCE Ming Group format

Jack Hunanian

Armenian, Dutch FMs highlight restoration of NK peace process under OSCE Ming Group format

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 20:40,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian held a vide-conference with Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Stef Blok, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia.

The interlocutors discussed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues, emphasized readiness to take measures for further deepening cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest. FM Ayvazian thanked his Dutch counterpart for the support and solidarity with the Armenian people in the fight against COVID-19.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and the Netherlands referred to the post-war situation in Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. Minister Ayvazian presented the efforts aimed at the elimination of the consequences resulted by the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh.

Minister Ayvazian emphasized issues of humanitarian nature as a priority for the current stage, particularly the safe return of POWs and other detainees.

The two Ministers highlighted the restoration of Nagorno Karabakh peace process under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs' format.

Ara Ayvazian and Stef Blok also exchanged views on issues of regional security and stability.

Biden names Armenian American Ike Hajinazarian as Regional Communications Director at White House

Jack Hunanian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 16 2021
Biden names Armenian American Ike Hajinazarian as Regional Communications Director at White House
Biden names Armenian American Ike Hajinazarian as Regional Communications Director at White House – Public Radio of Armenia

Joe Biden has named Armenian American Ike Hajinazarian as Regional Communications Director at the White House.

Ike Hajinazarian most recently served as the Western Pennsylvania Regional Press Secretary for the Biden campaign after working on the campaign in communications roles during the primary and general elections in New Hampshire, Nevada, Texas, Ohio, and other states.

Prior to joining the campaign, he worked on Capitol Hill, first as Press Assistant to Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana, and later as the Deputy Press Secretary on the House Homeland Security Committee’s Majority Staff.

Born in Columbus, Ohio to Lebanese-Armenian immigrant parents, Hajinazarian is a graduate of Indiana University and the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

How AYF Has Shaped Activism

Jack Hunanian

January 14,  2020



Thousands attended demonstrations this fall organized by the AYF to protest Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and Artsakh

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

For generations of current and past Armenian Youth Federation members, January 14 is an important day as it marks the anniversary of the organization’s establishment in 1933 by General Karekin Njdeh, who was dispatched by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation to the United States to organize the scattered Armenian youth in the nascent Diaspora.

For 88 years the AYF has been that singular organization that through its various programs and projects has marshaled the Armenian youth to advance the national aspirations of Armenians in the United States, internationally in countries with significant Armenian population and since the early 1990s in Armenia and Artsakh.

Njdeh believed that through education and understanding of the struggles of the Armenian people the youth can mobilize and become the torchbearers of our national ideals through the unique perspective and lens of a younger generation.

General Karekin Njdeh (center) in Los Angeles in 1933 for the installation of the AYF “Mousa Dagh”, currently known as the “Mousa Ler” chapter

“The strength of the AYF doesn’t come from one person or leader, but rather the efforts of the collective,” said Puzant Berberian a leader of the AYF Western U.S. in an article he penned last year for Asbarez to mark AYF Day.

It is that collective that has taken the broad concepts of persevering our national identity, advancing the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the need for and strengthening of Armenia’s statehood and has advanced through specific projects and programs shaping community activism for decades.

Take AYF Camp as an example. It was Njdeh’s vision and the efforts of the early generation of AYFers to create a venue where Armenian youth can gather. The grounds of the AYF Camp Haiastan in Franklin Massachusetts were acquired in the 1940s with its summer camp session kicking off in 1951. Here on the West Coast AYF Camp has been part of the Armenian youth narrative since 1977 bringing together hundreds of youth every summer since to promote camaraderie and to instill and preserve their national identity with a focus on strengthening the participants’ commitment to the Armenian Cause.

Armenian Youth Federation

In 1994, AYF Western U.S. leaders believed that with a newly-independent Armenia and Artsakh there was an imperative for a direct bridge between the Diaspora and Homeland. They conceived the AYF Youth Corps program, which sent its first seven participants to Artsakh in the summer of 1994. Since then hundreds of Armenian youth have participated in the program creating lasting relationships and planting the seeds of activism for decades among the youth of Armenia and Artsakh, with offshoot programs developed by other AYF regions in Javakhk.

In 1991, the leaders of the AYF Eastern U.S. kicked off the AYF Internship Program in Armenia, which allows Diasporan youth to gain first-hand knowledge about the functioning of civil society in Armenia by proving work experience in governmental, non-profit and organizational structures.

The AYF has always been on the forefront of advancing justice for the Armenian Genocide. It was the AYF that launched the campaign to urge University of California to divest from Turkey. The movement, which began on one college campus soon spread to all UC campuses and was later adopted by the State Assembly and Senate with the measure being signed by the governor of California.

Another program that has become a mainstay in our community is the AYF’s With Our Soldiers efforts, which, for years, has been providing for the needs of soldiers and their families in Armenia and Artsakh. The devastating toll last fall’s Karabakh war has taken on our soldiers will certainly become a priority for this program for months and years to come.

AYF members directly felt the impact and repercussions of the Karabakh War since many of their friends and colleagues in Armenia and Artsakh were on the frontlines or, as the war progressed, perished in defense of our homeland and nation. It was heart wrenching to read social media posts of AYF members who were maintaining contact on the ground as the war raged.

AYF Camp

This experience did not discourage them but made them more resilient and strengthened their conviction to continue their mission and directly confront the challenges created by the war.

As Njdeh had envisioned, the AYF has and will continue to be on the frontlines of justice for our people and the salvation of our homeland. And, we will, as always, look to the AYF to guide our convictions.

On this 88th anniversary of the AYF we bow our heads to all of their members—past and present—who have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of justice and freedom and in defense of our Nation.

Armenian American Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte elected to Maine Justice Foundation board

Jack Hunanian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 14 2021
Westbrook City Council Vice President Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte has been elected to the Maine Justice Foundations Board of Directors, Press Herald reports.
 
The Hallowell-based organization specializes in pro-bono civil legal aid to those in need.
 
“I think this foundation recognizes that women and minorities all bring something to the table,” Turcotte said. “I am someone who understands the need and also the mechanics of it.”
 
Turcotte, an Armenian refugee from Baku, Azerbaijan, is vice president, senior risk manager, at Androscoggin Bank. She is also an author, lecturer and human rights advocate.
 
She will serve on the board’s development committee.
 
“They reached out to me and I was very honored to go through the interview process let alone be elected, and so I am very honored to be starting,” Turcotte said.
 

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 08-01-21

Jack Hunanian

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 17:22, 8 January, 2021

YEREVAN, 8 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 8 January, USD exchange rate up by 0.20 drams to 522.79 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.37 drams to 639.74 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 7.02 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.47 drams to 710.94 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 781.86 drams to 32273.21 drams. Silver price up by 16.64 drams to 456 drams. Platinum price down by 1,082.40 drams to 18539.32 drams.

Rising hate crimes against Armenians serve as a warning

Jack Hunanian
San Francisco Examiner
Jan 6 2021
 
 
 
Community Contributor
Jan. 6, 2021 3:30 p.m.
Opinion
 
By Stephan Pechdimaldji
 
Over the past year the number of hate crimes committed against the Armenian-American community has been on the rise. In the San Francisco Bay Area alone, there have been four hate crimes committed against the Armenian community over the last six months including a local Armenian School being vandalized with hateful and racist graffiti, which was followed by an arson attack on St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church. There are about 2,500 Armenian-Americans living in the San Francisco Bay Area, so these crimes per capita is a very high number given how small the community is. For a region of the country that prides itself on its progressivism, diversity and acceptance of all cultures, these latest attacks should be a warning sign that hate, and violence can rear its ugly head irrespective on where you may live.
 
While the timing of these latest incidents might be circumspect, they both occurred right before Azerbaijan, with the help of Turkey, launched an attack on Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in September. The vandals at the Armenian School in San Francisco spray-painted the colors of the Azerbaijan flag and used threatening language in Azerbaijani. In many ways, these latest hate crimes, coupled with the resurgence of hostilities in the South Caucasus, are a continuation of the Armenian Genocide that is now finding its way to the San Francisco Bay Area.
 
It is often said that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We are clearly seeing these prophetic words come to life for Armenians in the San Francisco Bay Area who have fought for decades for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As victims of oppression, Armenians see these latest attacks as an extension of Turkey and Azerbaijan’s denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide and a threat to their very existence.
 
These latest hate crimes should be an inflection point in the U.S.-Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship that has seen Washington for years turn a blind eye to Ankara and Baku’s malfeasance and wanton disrespect for the rule of law, including its ongoing campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide. For the United States and the international community to condemn and punish Turkey and Azerbaijan for its human rights violations, rampant expansionism and ethnic cleansing, they must hold them to account for its history and role in perpetuating an unequivocal lie and a revisionist look at the past.
 
For decades, Turkey embarked on an impracticable campaign to rewrite the world’s history books by questioning the veracity of the Armenian Genocide by calling for dubious panels and historical commissions to refute and contest Turkey’s eradication of the Armenians. And as part of Turkish pressure to suppress recognition of the Armenian Genocide, they are now turning to social media platforms to help in those efforts.
 
In the age of social media, we clearly know the influence many of these platforms have in influencing the hearts and minds of people. What is more, words matter, and it is one of the reasons why Mark Zuckerberg updated his company’s terms of service by expanding its hate speech policies to include content that denies or distorts the Holocaust. In announcing the policy change, the company cited a recent survey that found that the number of people who believe that the Holocaust was a myth is on the rise. And while Facebook deserves much credit for updating its policies, it still has not gone far enough, as content that denies the Armenian Genocide is still allowed on the platform. Pages like “Armenian Genocide Lie” are just some examples of how Turkey and Azerbaijan are exploiting social media to disseminate propaganda which incites hatred and violence. Zuckerberg said that this thinking around this issue evolved as he saw an increase in anti-Semitic violence increasing. Clearly, he saw a connection between the content on his site and hate crimes being committed because of it.
 
And we can clearly make the connection between denial of the Armenian Genocide and these latest hate crimes committed against Armenians, especially when governments do in fact recognize the genocide. After all, it is in Ankara and Baku’s playbook to use intimidation and fear to silence its detractors both inside and outside its borders. For example, France has been one of the more vocal critics of Turkey and as a result the country has seen a significant uptick in the number of hate crimes committed against French citizens of Armenian descent. In recent weeks, memorial sites dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in France have been defaced with anti-Armenian graffiti paying homage to the “Grey Wolves” and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan while pro Armenian protesters were attacked and stabbed by pro-Turkey assailants over Nagorno-Karabakh. And here in the United States, hate crimes committed against Armenian-Americans have been on the rise since Congress passed a non-binding resolution last year that formally affirmed recognition.
 
Unfortunately, anti-Armenian hate crime is not new and something the Armenian-American community has been dealing with for a long time. However, recent global events including the war over Nagorno-Karabakh as well as progress in the movement to recognize the Armenian Genocide have contributed to a new wave of hate crimes against Armenian-Americans, especially for those living the San Francisco Bay Area. Until Turkey comes to terms with its past and Azerbaijan reckons with its present, we can expect more of these types of hate crimes. The Armenian people have suffered much pain and loss throughout their long and rich history. That is why we need to make sure these hateful attacks stop. Recognizing the Armenian Genocide is just one step in that direction.
 
Stephan Pechdimaldji is a public relations professional who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s a first-generation Armenian American and grandson to survivors of the Armenian Genocide.
 
 

PM spokesperson: Armenia interested in possibility of transferring Armenian cargo to Russia, Iran via Azerbaijan

Jack Hunanian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 7 2021
 
 
16:53, 07.01.2021
 
Mane Gevorgyan, spokesperson of the Armenian prime minister, has commented—in response to Armenpress inquiry—on the statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who, citing the joint statement that was signed on November 10, has noted that the “Nakhchivan corridor” will open soon.
 
“Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly drawn the attention to the fact that there is no talk about a corridor connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan in the November 10 statement. Point 9 of the statement is about unblocking the transportation and economic infrastructure of the region and, in this context, also about establishing a transport connection between the eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
 
Armenia, of course, is interested in the possibility of transporting Armenian cargo through the territory of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran and the opposite direction. We are interested in the possibility of the transfer of the Armenian cargo through road and railway transportation to the Russian Federation, whereas to the Islamic Republic of Iran—especially through railway transportation. In this context, Armenia, naturally, is ready to ensure communication between the eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
 
However, the complete discussion of all these issues would be difficult without the complete fulfillment of the November 10 joint statement’s point 8, which envisages exchange of captives, hostages, other detained persons, and the bodies of the dead. The Armenian side attaches importance also to expanding the scale of ongoing search and rescue operations in the battle zone. The recent statements made by Azerbaijan on this topic are puzzling, and they question Baku’s commitment to implement the agreements of the November 10 statement. There are still Armenian captives in Baku, there are numerous evidences on cruel and humiliating treatment toward them. There is evidence on executions of the captives, and all this evidence must be investigated in detail, including in the international platforms.
 
At the same time, the anti-Armenian propaganda of the past decade still continues in Azerbaijan. In order to establish stability and peace in the region, it is necessary to put an end to the provocative actions and statements,” stated the Armenian PM’s spokesperson.
 
 
 
 
 

Catholicos of All Armenians issues a message on Feast of Holy Nativity and Theophany Jesus Christ

Jack Hunanian

Catholicos of All Armenians issues a message on Feast of  Holy Nativity and Theophany Jesus Christ

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 12:09, 6 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of All Armenians issued a message on the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of Yerevan.

ARMENPRESS reports His Holiness particularly said,

''In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

''The true light, which enlightens everyone,

was coming into the world."

(John 1: 9).

 

Beloved Sons and Daughters in the homeland and diaspora,

On the feast of the Nativity and Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, with a prayerful spirit, united in our holy churches, we bless the newborn Savior. On this blessed day of Christmas, the true Light emanated from the manger of Bethlehem to enlighten the souls of humanity. “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world,” says the Evangelist.

Like the Evangelist, the hymnologist compares the Nativity of the Son of God, incarnated for the salvation of the world, to the origin of the sun, and says: "Arose from the Father to enlighten the creatures, the Sun of Righteousness, Lord, glory be to You" (Hymn of the Nativity). The Son of God came to dispel the darkness of sin and death, to lead mankind to its Creator. From the humble cave of the Savior's Nativity radiated the dawn of spiritual renewal, a spiritual power.

From the day Jesus was born, he was persecuted. The Savior and His family became refugees from His birthplace when Herod, wanting His death, organized the massacre of children; believing that He had killed the newborn Son of God and defeated Him. But the real victory was Christ’s, who through the glorious victory of the resurrection crowned the path of suffering by His saving mission. Going through all the hardships, the Lord brought hope to the fallen man and salvation to mankind, immersed in the darkness of iniquity and idolatry. Throughout history, “Herods” have caused disaster, destruction, and misery to mankind; they have wielded opposition and enmity under the influence of evil; alongside progressive achievements there has been poverty, oppression and injustice. Even today, people, burdened with sins, turn away from God, the world is plagued by political intrigues, the materialism that leads to polarisation has taken over societies, and justice with truth have become relative rather than absolute values. In this contradictory and troubled world, Jesus Christ rises as the Sun of Righteousness, the true Light to illuminate humanity’s way through life.

Beloved ones, the miraculous birth of Christ is a source of hope and consolation for our heartbroken people, especially during these grievous days, when we consider that our lives have also not been free from destructive mistakes and sins. Necessary vigilance was not shown in the face of the threats of an unstable peace and war, the interests of the homeland and the people were subordinated to individual aspirations and goals. God-rejecting spirit and alien ideologies and habits permeated our society. Our lives were not far from the lies, insults, intolerance, hatred and enmity that were spreading and continue to spread in various ways, dividing us, drying up the love of Christ in us. And the Gospel testifies: "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand" (Matt. 12:25). The catastrophic consequences of the Artsakh war have overwhelmed the souls of the sons and daughters of our nation with feelings of despair, anxiety and uncertainty. The loss of a large part Artsakh, the martyrdom of our heroic sons, the pain and grief of tens of thousands of displaced brothers and sisters in dire need of shelter and material supplies, of thousands of soldiers wounded, in captivity and missing, have plunged our national life in the homeland and diaspora into the grip of a gloomy night. It is in this darkness, in this nightmarish reality, that the Sun of Justice shines brightly today, to illuminate our national life and homeland, to provide healing to the wounded soul of my nation with its warming power.

Dear faithful, relying on the endless love and the grace of salvation of the incarnate Son of God, we have overcome the sufferings of wars, disasters, despair, and had victories in our lives over the centuries. These days our faith is alive with the same confidence. We are able to strengthen and enrich our homeland once again and turn a new awakening of our life into reality by uniting the potential and efforts of Armenians around the world, with a joint and harmonious society of Armenia and Artsakh, a developed economy, science, and education, and a highly efficient army equipped at its best. As in the alarming days of the war, our hearts must beat with the love of the homeland, our thoughts and cherished feelings must be tied to the sacred soil of the homeland. Every commitment and every sacrifice is needed to keep the stability of the national life, to not lead the country into dangers, to overcome the existing crises, and to stop the catastrophe of emigration. Let us stand strong in the face of the lethal test for our nation and people with hope and faith; girded with the life-giving power of the Lord; let us gain strength to rise from disasters, to dispel this heavy darkness that is forced upon us with heavenly support, and to illumine the new horizons of our lives.

On this soul-renewing day of the Nativity and Epiphany, let us ask so that that we may go towards the realization of our aspirations, relying on the grace of God's salvation and the crowning of the victory of our just rights. Let us pray that the vault of our national life will be illuminated with the heralding light of Christmas, that the Armenian church will eternally be enhanced through the dedicated and fruitful ministry of our clergy and the committed life of our faithful people, so that Armenia may be filled with the love and hope of the incarnate Savior. May the Lord grant peace to the entire world, to the souls of the people, and keep in peace and safety our country – Armenia and Artsakh, and to grant a prosperous life to the Armenian people all over the world, today, always, forever. Amen.

 

Christ is born and revealed,

Great news for you and for us!''




​Armenia Chamber of Advocates chairman addresses PM with questions about agreements with Aliyev and concessions

Jack Hunanian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 3 2021
 
 
Armenia Chamber of Advocates chairman addresses PM with questions about agreements with Aliyev and concessions
19:48, 03.01.2021
 
Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia Ara Zohrabyan posted the following on his Facebook page:
 
“As a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, I demand that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan immediately disclose all the written and verbal agreements reached with Azerbaijan that aren’t described in the document signed on November 9, 2020.
 
I also demand answers to the following questions:
 
– Is Nikol Pashinyan communicating with Aliyev in person or through a mediator?
 
– Will there be painful and unilateral concessions in other provinces of the Republic of Armenia, particularly Ararat, Tavush and Gegharkunik Provinces, just like the painful and unilateral concessions in Syunik Province?
 
– When will our prisoners of war be returned?
 
P.S.: I recommend that our compatriots also address these questions to the Prime Minister.”