Author: Kafian Jirair

TURK PARTY LEADER’S BODY FOUND IN HELICOPTER WRECK

Reuters
March 27 2009

ISTANBUL, March 27 (Reuters) – Turkish searchers found the body of
the leader of a right-wing political party and the wreckage of his
helicopter on Friday, two days after it crashed during election
campaigning, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

Members of a local militia discovered the wreckage and six bodies,
including that of Muhsin Yazicioglu, head of the Grand Unity Party
(BBP), in a mountainous area of Kahramanmaras province, CNN Turk
reported.

At least one passenger survived the crash on Wednesday and called the
authorities for help, but bad weather and difficult terrain made it
difficult to reach the site, CNN Turk said.

All on board were dead when help arrived, it said. A journalist was
among the dead.

Yazicioglu was heading for the central town of Sivas, which he
represents in parliament, when his helicopter went down.

He founded the BBP, which combines nationalist and Islamist ideologies,
in 1993.

The party came under the spotlight in 2007 when two of its members
were charged in connection with the assassination of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink.

The party has denied any links to Dink’s killing. (Writing by Ayla
Jean Yackley, editing by Tim Pearce)

"HAYPOST" INTENDS TO PUBLISH 21 UNITS OF POSTAGE-STAMPS IN 2009

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 25, 2009
YEREVAN

"Haypost" company intends to publish 21 units of postage-stamps during
2009. An official from the public relations and communication service
told Armenpress that "The international day of handicapped people:
200th anniversary of Luis Brail" stamp will be put into circulation
in 50 000 examples.

"Haypost" also intends to publish postage-stamps on the 200th
anniversary of Khachatur Abovian, 125th anniversary of Daniel Varuzhan,
Sedrak Arakelian, Georgi Yakulov, Poghos Makintsian, as well as Levon
Madoian, Khachatur Yesaian, Samvel Kochariants, 100th anniversary of
academicians Ruben Zarian and Gagik Davtian.

Three-stamp postages entitled "Armenia Olympic Champions: Hrant
Shahinian, Igor Novikov, Albert Azarian" will be put into circulation
in 10 000 examples.

During this year "Armenian architectural monuments. 50th anniversary of
opening of Sasuntsi Davit statue" stamp in 12 000 examples as well as
"Armenian historical capitals" stamp in 30 000 examples are intended
to be published.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

23 March 2009

Heritage’s Statement on the May 31 Elections for Yerevan’s Council of Elders

The Heritage Party,

— reflecting the profound significance of the elections for the Council of
Elders of Yerevan, and in terms of the institutional development of Armenia;

— considering these elections as yet another chance for the country to be
endowed with legitimate representation in the Armenian capital, chosen by
the people through free, fair, and transparent elections;

— bearing in mind Yerevan’s central role as the political and economic
capital of the country, which only elevates the elections for the Council of
Elders to a significance nearly equivalent to national elections;

— remaining true to its adopted values, ideals and ethics;

— expressing with regret that it was impossible to a forge an accord with
the Armenian National Congress (ANC) with respect to a united list of
candidates for the elections;

— condemning the authorities’ limitations and restrictions on the freedom of
speech, the continued maintenance of an environment of intolerance, the
unsubstantiated and unfair accusations lodged against the Heritage Party and
its founder Raffi K. Hovannisian disseminated over the years by the media in
service of questionable motives on behalf of the authorities, including a
deluge of lies, misrepresentations and disinformation which periodically
grows worse especially prior to elections, as well as registering–for the
record–certain opposition media’s attempts to imitate such defective and
destructive tactics in recent weeks and doing this with the silent support
or complicity of the ANC;

— acknowledging all too well that if, within the circumstances of the
negative political atmosphere now reigning in the country, the opposition
participates in the elections with two separate lists, the ensuing clash
will become inevitable and unavoidable, and the victims will encompass the
whole opposition and the entire population; and

— understanding that under such conditions one of these two oppositional
forces must give way,

Hereby decides:

To refrain from presenting its own candidate list for the elections for
Yerevan’s Council of Elders, to be held on May 31, 2009, and urges its
voters and all Yerevan residents to cast their ballots in favor of the
opposition.

The Heritage Party further reaffirms its resolve, as the INDEPENDENT PUBLIC
OVERSEER, to:

— wage an all-out effort to safeguard the integrity and protect the sanctity
of the ballot of each and every citizen, and through its activities and
those of the election commission members that it has appointed, to prevent
all attempts toward falsification or interference with the distribution,
handling, and counting of ballots, and to ensure an equal and unobstructed
pre-election campaign period, thereby seeking to guarantee a free, fair, and
transparent contest and, as a result, attaining legitimate elections; and

— monitor the entire election process, and to record and inform the body
politic and the appropriate law enforcement bodies of any and all cases of
election fraud or voting irregularities.

The Heritage Party wishes all voters and political forces well and expresses
its desire for a free and fair election. Let the will of the Yerevan
residents triumph on May 31 and the citizens of the three-millennia-old
capital of Armenia finally attain the blissful liberty that is anchored in
the God-given right to choose.

23 March 2009
Yerevan

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the country. Its
central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002, Armenia,
with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10) 532.697, email
at [email protected] or [email protected], and website at

INTERNATIONAL EXERCISE ON EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE HELD IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.03.2009 15:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On initiative of UN Armenia Office and RA Ministry
of Emergency Situations, Armenia is hosting 3-day International
simulation-exercise on earthquake response organized by INSARAG.

INSARAG is a global network of more than 80 countries and disaster
response organizations under the United Nations umbrella. INSARAG deals
with urban search and rescue (USAR) related issues. INSARAG aims at
establishing standards for international USAR teams and methodology for
international coordination in earthquake response. Members of INSARAG
are both earthquake-prone and responding countries and organizations.

Each year, INSARAG organizes regional USAR simulation-exercises
and awareness training courses. These events provide a vehicle to
introduce and practice disaster response coordination methodology
as defined in the INSARAG Guidelines. The exercises and courses are
typically hosted by earthquake-prone countries. The target audience
are national disaster managers, the UNDAC team, IHP Support Modules as
well as domestic disaster response teams and international USAR teams.

"Such exercises aim to strengthen cooperation for disaster response,"
said RA Minister of Emergency Situations Mher Shahgeldyan, who attended
the opening ceremony today.

IRAQI ENERGY SOURCES WILL BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.03.2009 01:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The transfer of Iraqi energy sources will be made
through Turkey, the president of Turkey Abdullah Gul said on the
first day of a landmark visit to Iraq on Monday. Gul met with his
Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani in the first presidential visit in
33-years. The transfer of Iraq’s energy sources would be via Turkey,
Gul was reported as saying by broadcaster NTV, Turkish Daily News
reports.

The two countries have however more recently pledged to work together
to build security and economic ties and hopes of better cooperation
improved after Iraq, Turkey and the United States agreed in November
to form a joint committee to work on the problem.

ARMENIAN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE IN UN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UN WOMEN STATUS COMMISSION

ARMENPRESS
March 23, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian permanent representative in
UN has been elected the president of the UN Women Status Commission
with two-year term at the first session of the 54th summit of the UN
Women Status Commission held March 13.

Press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Armenpress that
Roberto Storachin (Italy), Takashi Arshiki (Japan) and Leisa Soun
(Senegal) have been elected deputy presidents of the commission.

Stars and Stripes
March 22 2009

Writer brings message about bullying to schools in Italy

By Lisa M. Novak, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, March 22, 2009

NAPLES, Italy ‘ Equating bullying with genocide may be a bridge too
far for some, but for author, scholar, educator and former Franciscan
nun Barbara Coloroso, it is merely "a short walk."

Coloroso arrived in Italy last week to speak with teachers, students
and parents in Naples and will speak at Department of Defense
Dependents Schools in Aviano this week. Her presentations are aimed at
understanding the root causes of bullying and how to prevent it.

Her latest book, "Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide,"
may seem a departure from earlier works, including "kids are worth it"
and "The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander." But during
discussions, she makes clear that there is a link between destructive
behavior played out in the schoolyard and the behaviors leading to the
genocides that took place in Rwanda, Germany, Turkey and other areas.

"It’s the most extreme form of bullying … a far too common form of
behavior that is learned in childhood and rooted in contempt for
another human being ¦" Coloroso writes in "Extraordinary Evil."

During Tuesday night’s session with parents and teachers at Naples
Elementary School, Coloroso offered some insight into her views on
societal influences that contribute to bullying.

"We have a culture of `me, mine, more’ instead of `us, ours, enough.’
It’s a hoarding culture," she said. "We need to teach our kids to care
deeply, share generously and help willingly. This helps them become
witnesses, defenders and resisters to bullying."

Using a diagram called the Bully Circle, Coloroso identifies the roles
that others play when an individual or group is targeted. The diagram
includes active and passive supporters and witnesses and onlookers, as
well as those who stand up to the bullies ‘ the resisters, defenders
and witnesses.

Her lessons gave others the chance to reflect on and understand their
own behavior. For some students, Coloroso’s words hit close to home.

"I felt like she was talking right to me," said 11-year-old Carrington
Quezada, a fifth-grader. "I was bullied when I got my braces, so I
started bullying. She helped me see that there are other choices."

Her classmate, 10-year-old Nathan Loya, agreed.

"I used to be the bully. But when I came to Italy and I was the new
kid, I was teased and felt what it was like to be bullied," he
said. "And I didn’t like it."

School administrators said the value of Coloroso’s teaching is in the
tools kids walk away with after listening to her, especially in
dealing with conflict.

"I think the students are coming away with skills to use. She’s taught
them how to walk away with dignity," said Mona Morgan, the elementary
school principal. "After she spoke with the sixth-graders, I had a
parent say `What a wonderful way to get them ready for middle school.’
"

One of the simple lessons Coloroso stressed was the importance of
vocabulary.

"Teasing is not taunting, telling is not tattling, and conflict is not
bullying," she told a group of students Thursday morning.

The importance of words cannot be understated. Last year,
"Extraordinary Evil" was pulled from a Canadian high school reading
list as part of a class on genocide after protests from Turkish
officials and residents. They objected to use of the word "genocide"
in describing the 1915 killings of nearly 2 million Armenians in
Turkey.

Earlier this month, Turkey’s foreign minister said U.S.-Turkish
relations would be set back if President Barack Obama acknowledged the
episode as a genocide, according to a New York Times report.

Coloroso said she would have included the Department of Defense
schools in Turkey in her tour but she would be barred from entering
the country.

"I knew I had committed a crime against Turkishness based on what had
happened in Canada, and I was informed at that point that I would not
be able to get a visa," said Coloroso who has spoken at DODDS schools
for more than 30 years.

Coloroso will travel to Rwanda this year when filming begins on a
documentary based on "Extraordinary Evil." She is also working on a
follow-up book, "The Power of Good."

"Who were those witnesses, resisters and defenders who were willing to
stand up and speak out? Who were they and what in their disposition
and situation helped them make those decisions?" Coloroso asks. "I
don’t know the answers yet."

tion=104&article=61508

U.S. WILLING TO HELP YEREVAN AND ANKARA REACH AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.03.2009 17:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Turkish prime minister’s chief foreign policy
adviser said Thursday that US-Turkish relations are in a "historic era"
of agreement.

The comment followed Ahmet Davutoglu’s meetings with senior
U.S. administration officials including national security adviser
James Jones ahead of President Barack Obama’s trip to Turkey early
next month.

The reintroduction on Tuesday by several lawmakers of a new resolution
in the House of Representatives could complicate Obama’s visit and
Ahmet Davutoglu said the issue was discussed in his meeting with Jones.

Asked whether Obama’s views might have changed, Davutoglu was
noncommittal.

"I did not say yes or no," he said. "Of course, I cannot speak on
behalf of General Jones, but we went through all these issues in a
very friendly and cooperative manner."

He said "all of these things could be debated from a historical
perspective, but should not hijack the strategic vision of
Turkish-American relations or Turkish-Armenian relations."

Nothing can shadow the success of this visit," Davutoglu said.

White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer declined
to comment on what Jones and Davutoglu discussed regarding the
Armenian issue.

"Our focus is on how, moving forward, the U.S. can help Armenia and
Turkey work together to come to terms with the past," he said. "It
is important that countries have an open and honest dialogue about
the past. At the same time, we want to work closely with both Turkey
and Armenia on the key issues that confront the region."

"I don’t want to go any further on it until we have had a chance
to take a closer look at it and discuss it within the government,
and that’s where I’m going to leave it," State Department spokesman
Robert Wood told journalists on Wednesday, World Bulletin reports.

EU APPROVED EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2009 00:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ European Union leaders endorsed a new "Eastern
Partnership" that will allow the bloc to boost its aid to six former
Soviet states by 600 million euros (814 million dollars), EU business
reports.

"Our dream has come true, we have been able to adopt the Eastern
Partnership," said Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose
country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency. "There were
different views but we managed to strike an agreement that’s a great
victory, not just for the countries concerned, but in particular for
the EU itself," he told reporters after a summit in Brussels.

The partnership is aimed at boosting democratic reform and the
economies of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and
Ukraine. Its official launch is set for May 7, although doubts remain
about Belarus’ involvement.

The project has been one of the cornerstone’s of the Czech Republic’s
six-month presidency, and has had the strong backing of Poland
and Sweden.

"We got the 600 million euros!" said Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw
Sikorski, who has long sought that sum, claiming it was the "absolute
minimum" for the EU to help stabilize these states hit hard by the
economic crisis.

France has been reluctant to approve such a budget, out of concern
it might undermine support for Mediterranean nations that Paris favors.

But doubts remain about whether Lukashenko will be invited to a May
summit in Prague, when the six countries are expected to attend the
inauguration of the eastern partnership.

"That will depend on the behavior of Mr Lukashenko and the Belarus
government in the coming weeks, but Belarus should be in the Eastern
Partership," Schwarzenberg said.

–Boundary_(ID_75bjJSo23Cth5M4BKdJS1g)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822

From: Patrick Azadian <[email protected]>
Subject: Manners gone in thin ‘ear’

LaTimes.com
FROM THE MARGINS

Manners gone in thin ‘ear’

PATRICK AZADIAN
August 7, 2004

I am not getting used to these ear sets for cellular phones.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not on an anti-consumerism crusade. I am an
advocate of the culture of “buy without knowing why.” As a matter of
fact, any day now my mom will be calling a family intervention meeting
for my spending habits. Yet, the sights and sounds of grown men laughing
out loud without anyone in sight is still disturbing.

This, of course, does not mean that the ear gadgets don’t have their
benefits.

Ear sets can make us better drivers. Just the other day, I escaped being
run over by one of those colossal SUVs, which consume more energy than a
Third World country. I was legally crossing Brand Boulevard when a
gentleman was making a left turn. He had his hands on the wheel, but his
cellphone was pressed against his ear with his shoulder. After a nimble
escape from the moving glob of shiny sheet metal extracted violently
from Mother Earth, I gave him an unfriendly look. He responded by waving
his hand, accompanied with a mindless smile. “Heh, heh … Sorry!” No
problem, thanks for allowing me to live. Ear sets can save lives.

As a second feature, it is now possible to be inconsiderate to more than
one friend at a time.

I was walking down the Marketplace, as I spotted a lady with a low-carb
open burrito; she was sitting with a friend. The beautiful tunes of
Puerto Rican salsa by Willie Colón were being broadcast from the Mexican
food chain. I still have not understood the connection between serving
pseudo-Mexi- can food and Puerto Rican salsa music. My best guess is
that since the music from our Caribbean colony is called “salsa” and
there is a Mexican food item with the same name, then it makes sense to
broadcast “salsa” (the music) at the restaurant.

Back to our beloved lady on the Atkins diet. As she began munching on
her “open” burrito, something other than her lunch got her attention.
From the expression on her face, I knew she had gotten a phone call
through her invisible ear set. She continued chewing, looked at her
friend across the table, raised her index finger at him, squinted her
eyes, and in a gesture suggesting “give me a minute,” pressed her
remaining index finger on her ear. She began talking, and continued
chewing. I empathized with both of her friends. The friend on the other
end of the phone must have had to decipher between the burrito being
chewed, the chatter of the crowd, as well as Willie Colón, to understand
the message from the friend. The friend at the table must have been
wondering why he was there in the first place. Regular cellphones do not
have the ability to spread inconsideration so broadly.

The third advantage of the gadget is that one can now look way more
important than they actually are. On another occasion, I spotted a well-
groomed young man talking to himself. I realized the ear sets were in
use as soon as he raised his finger and placed it on his ear. His dapper
manner and his serious demeanor suggested that he was in the middle of a
serious business transaction. He would shake his head constantly and
would give out what seemed to be important instructions. Perhaps he was
in the process of buying stocks, acquiring mega real estate, or leasing
a luxury car.

I finished my coffee and passed by him in an unsuspecting manner. He was
speaking in Armenian: “Ha mom, yes es geesher doors em ertaloo yev
makoor varteek choonem. Karogh es et karmeer Calvin Kleinuh luvanas?”
(“Yeah mom, I am going out tonight and I have no clean underwear. Could
you wash the red Calvin Klein one for me?”)

He continued: “Meh haat el tei deer. Nor, nor, looleh kabob em kereh yev
laav chem marseh.” (“Make me some tea too; I just ate some ground beef
kabob and I still have not digested it.”) I can only imagine what his
mother had to say: “Vaay koranam, yes kez meeteh chem aseh doorsuh
mekenayadz mees choodes?” (“I rather go blind than see you undigested.
Haven’t I told you not to eat ground beef at a restaurant?”)

Last, but not least, anyone can now look like a fool. I was standing in
a long line at the bank sending out my usual brain signals to end up at
the beautiful teller named “Valentina,” when the middle-aged man behind
me burst into loud laughter.

“W*****OOAH-HA-HA!”

I knew he could not have been reading my thoughts. And, no one else was
talking to him. His long, bushy hair had covered the ear gadgets he was
employing. Immediately, I had a revelation. If you have the habit of
striking up a conversation with yourself in public, just because it is
sometimes the most intelligent dialogue you will find, you can now look
relatively normal. All you have to do is place your index finger in your
ear and press it every once in awhile. Never before has the gap between
normal and deviant been so small.

————————————————————————
. PATRICK AZADIAN lives and works in Glendale. He is an identity and
branding consultant for the retail industry. Reach him at
[email protected].