Author: Karapetian Hovik

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09/23/2004
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1) Turkey’s EU Hopes Leap as Brussels Sees ‘No More Obstacles’
2) Dimitrov Discusses Karabagh with Armenian Government Officials
3) Breakaway Regions Reject ‘Stage-by-Stage’ Conflict Settlement Plan
4) Hamazkayin Holds Tri-regional Meeting
5) Armenia Fund Kicks-off Thanksgiving Day Telethon

1) Turkey’s EU Hopes Leap as Brussels Sees ‘No More Obstacles’

BRUSSELS (AFP)–The European Commission gave Turkey’s hopes of joining the
EU a
huge boost, saying it saw “no more obstacles” in its way towards a “clear
recommendation” on starting EU entry talks with Ankara.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, who is to publish an October 6
report on Turkey’s progress, said his concerns, notably over a disputed penal
reform bill, had been allayed in talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.
Erdogan, meanwhile, pledged to push through the delayed legislation “as soon
as possible,” with efforts focusing on an extraordinary session of the Turkish
parliament called on Sunday to rush the reforms through.
“We have been able to find solutions for the remaining outstanding problems,”
Verheugen said at a joint press conference with Erdogan after talks at a
Brussels hotel.
He recalled that during a visit to Turkey this month to assess its progress
towards meeting EU membership criteria, he expressed concerns about two key
issues: reform to the penal code and charges of systematic torture in Turkey.
“My conclusion is that there are no more obstacles now,” he said, adding:
“From my point of view there are no further conditions which Turkey must
fulfill in order to allow the commission to make a recommendation.”
Verheugen’s long-awaited October 6 report will form the basis for EU leaders
to decide at a mid-December summit whether or not to start EU membership
negotiations with Ankara.
He has long been widely expected to deliver a positive assessment. But a row
over the penal reform–and specifically proposals to make adultery a criminal
offense–has raised serious question marks in Brussels in the last few weeks.
“The assurance I got today from my friend Mr. Erdogan will allow me to make a
very clear recommendation,” Verheugen said.
The Turkish leader, smiling as he shook hands with Verheugen for the cameras,
also expressed satisfaction after the talks.
“I’m very happy with the result of this meeting, which has been very
productive,” said Erdogan. “I believe that this meeting is going to prepare a
very positive foundation for the progress report of Turkey,” he said.
Erdogan recalled the reform legislation already passed, and underlined
Ankara’s determination to implement it.
“We have taken important steps on reforms, and now we are following with
important steps in implementing them,” he said. “We are very determined to do
this … to implement all the reforms seriously.”
EU officials said that Erdogan had promised Verheugen that the bill would be
adopted without a controversial amendment aimed at making adultery a criminal
offense–a move the European Union said would seriously compromise Turkey’s
hopes.
European Commission head Romano Prodi, whom Erdogan met shortly after his
talks with Verheugen, promised that the October report will be “fair and
objective.”
Almost simultaneously with Erdogan’s talks in Brussels, officials in Ankara
said the parliament will meet in extraordinary session on Sunday to debate the
disputed penal code.
Parliamentary sources in Ankara said the decision to convene parliament at
the
weekend was made in Brussels as part of assurances Erdogan gave Verheugen in
their talks.
Erdogan said Sunday’s session will discuss three key issues, including the
penal code. “The executionary articles will be discussed and passed in the
parliament on Sunday,” he said.
Turkey’s main opposition party hailed the government move. “We are happy with
the result, this is what we wanted,” Kemal Anadol of social-democratic
Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Later Thursday Erdogan met leaders of the European Parliament, where he was
due to hold a press conference at the end of the afternoon.

2) Dimitrov Discusses Karabagh with Armenian Government Officials

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–President Robert Kocharian received special
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office for the Mountainous Karabagh
conflict Philip Dimitrov, on September 22 to discuss Armenia-OSCE relations
and
the settlement of the Karabagh conflict. Dimitrov, a former Bulgarian prime
minister, arrived in Armenia after visiting Azerbaijan.
Dimitrov also met with Foreign minister Vartan Oskanian, as well as Defense
Minister Serge Sarksian. In light of recent meetings between Armenian and
Azeri
presidents, as well as the foreign ministers of both countries, Oskanian
briefed Dimitrov on the negotiation process and provided clarification on
certain issues. Dimitrov reportedly expressed to both Armenian and Azeri
leaders that the OSCE’S constant focus is the quickest resolution of the
Karabagh conflict.

3) Breakaway Regions Reject ‘Stage-by-Stage’ Conflict Settlement Plan

TBILISI (Civil Georgia)–Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia rejected President Mikhail Saakashvili’s “stage-by-stage” conflict
settlement plan, offered by the Georgian leader while addressing the UN
General
Assembly Session on September 21.
Astamur Tania, a political aide to the Abkhaz de facto President, told
Itar-Tass news agency that Abkhazia has already “determined its status as an
independent country” and the region’s “autonomous status in the Georgian
state”
cannot be put on the agenda.
South Ossetian de facto Foreign Minister Murat Jioyev told Itar-Tass that
“South Ossetia’s integration into the Georgian state is unacceptable” for
Tskhinvali. He added, however, that South Ossetia agrees that the conflict
“should be solved solely through peaceful means.”
President Saakashvili proposed to launch measures aimed at confidence
building
between the conflicting sides; demilitarization and decriminalization of the
conflict areas; internationalization of the peace process; and offering the
broadest form of autonomy for the separatist regions.

4) Hamazkayin Holds Tri-regional Meeting

A tri-regional meeting of Hamazkayin Eastern and Western United States
representatives, along with Hamazkayin Canada, was held on September 18 in New
Jersey. The executive chairmen from all three regions were present, as well as
the organization’s Central Executive chairman from Lebanon, Dr. Megerdich
Megerdichian, who briefed participants about the Hamazkayin Educational
institutions (Jemarans) in Antelias, Lebanon and Marseille, France, its
printing and publishing houses, quarterly literary journal Pakine, as well as
the general activities of Hamazkayin’s executive body.
Each region also presented an update of activities, along with present
obstacles. Discussions focused, however, on attracting youth to participate in
cultural activities, and generally embody culture. Undertakings that require
joint development were reviewed, such as establishing a Central Executive
office in North America, the status of updating the Hamazkayin website,
reemergence of Hamazkayin forums, among other issues.
Participants decided to organize large-scale celebrations in 2005 to mark
Jemaran’s 75th anniversary, as well as the 1600 anniversary of the Armenian
alphabet.
Participants agreed to boost literary publications and to increase Pakin
subscriptions in respective regions.
The meeting commended the organization’s increasing presence in Armenia and
Mountainous Karabagh, including the Central Executive’s support in organizing
soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian’s first-ever performance in Armenia.
Dr. Megerdichian closed the meeting by stressing that there exists vast
opportunities for Hamazkayin in North America. He emphasized that the
organization remains greatly different from others who work in the cultural
field, because it will persist as one created with the ideal of serving the
Armenian people.

5) Armenia Fund Kicks-off Thanksgiving Day Telethon

Telethon 2004–Make It Happen

GLENDALE–Armenia Fund, Inc. (AFI) officially launched activities for its
annual fundraising event–Telethon 2004 Make It Happen–at a kick-off
celebration on Thursday, September 16, at Glendale Studios in Glendale,
California.
Scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, November 25 from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (PST),
Telethon 2004, airing live from Glendale, CA, is a 12-hour event that will be
broadcast throughout the United States, Europe, South America, the CIS, and
the
Middle East.
The goal is to raise $12.5 million to complete the remaining 56 miles of the
North-South “Backbone” Highway in Mountainous Karabagh. When completed, the
$25
million, 105-mile highway will link 150 towns and villages and provide crucial
economic, trade and development opportunities for Karabagh.
Telethon 2004 will also provide continued assistance in health care,
education, and infrastructure development in the Republic of Armenia.
The kick-off brought together prominent members of the Armenian-American
diaspora, as well as elected officials including California State
Assemblywoman
Carol Liu (D-Pasadena), Glendale City Mayor Bob Yousefian, Glendale City
Councilman Frank Quintero, and Consul General of the Republic of Armenia Gagik
Kirakossian. “The Diaspora has played a vital and integral role in building a
bright future for Armenia and Karabagh. The community’s enthusiasm for
Telethon
2004 is unprecedented. We are committed to producing an innovative, quality
program that symbolizes the collaborative efforts, dedication and spirit of
our
communities,” said Maria Mehranian, chairperson of AFI, during the kick-off
ceremony.
The event also marked the unveiling of Telethon 2004’s Make It Happen
logo/theme created by renowned Los Angeles artist Vahé Fattal. “I wanted the
tone of the campaign to be inspirational and embody a sense of empowerment.
It’s a cumulative process…each of us can make a difference,” said Fattal.
The
Make It Happen theme will be incorporated in an international public
relations/community outreach campaign designed to create awareness and
generated increased support for Telethon 2004.
The broadcast will feature live entertainment by various Armenian performers,
interviews with numerous celebrities and political leaders, development and
construction footage from Armenia and Karabagh, stories of individuals
impacted
by AFI projects, as well as a phone bank with 50 operators and volunteers. To
provide increased opportunity for international viewing and participation,
Telethon 2004 will also be available in full-motion webcast on
Internet users will be able to view and make secure
contributions online.
For more information on Armenia Fund and Telethon 2004, 818-243-6222 or visit
the website.
Armenia Fund, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, is the US
West coast affiliate of the “Hayastan” All-Armenia Fund (HAAF). It was
established in 1994 to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Armenia and
Karabagh; HAAF has administered over $100 million in humanitarian,
rehabilitation. and construction aid through the united efforts of Armenian
communities internationally.

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Sud Ouest
22 septembre 2004

Enfants de choeur

MONT DE MARSAN

CHANTS. Samedi, Sol Mi Douze organise une première audition en vue de
la création d’un choeur d’enfants

Une chorale de grande qualité vocale, pour monter des pièces du
répertoire classique, populaire, religieux ou jazz, et destinée
exclusivement aux 9-16 ans, tel est le projet de la chorale montoise
Sol Mi Douze.

“Avec ce choeur, nous allons répondre à une réelle attente des
Montois et des Landais car, tous les ans, au forum des associations,
de nombreux parents nous demandent d’ouvrir le chant choral aux plus
jeunes.”, résume Marie Claude Courtois, la présidente de Sol Mi
Douze. Et le succès du film “Les choristes” avec Gérard Jugnot a, à
coup sûr, accentué cet engouement.

Sous la direction de Garik Djagarian, professeur de chant depuis cinq
ans à Mont-de-Marsan et originaire d’Arménie, le travail avec les
enfants sera basé sur l’apprentissage des techniques de respiration
et sur la reproduction des harmonies. L’autre partie de la séance,
plus ludique, sera réservée au chant à l’unisson, à deux puis trois
voix. Au rythme de deux répétitions par semaine, d’1 h 30 chacune,
l’objectif est, à terme, de créer un répertoire propre à ce choeur de
jeunes afin de participer à des concours nationaux et internationaux.

“Nous souhaitons donner à ce choeur l’esprit d’une “maîtrise”, au
sens de groupe vocal durable ayant une exigence de qualité qui puisse
représenter notre département à l’extérieur. Nous avons d’ailleurs
prévu de les faire participer à des rencontres, avec des choeurs
d’enfants d’autres pays, organisées par le mouvement international À
Coeur Joie”, explique Marie-Claude Courtois. Le répertoire pourra
aussi bien intégrer des chants traditionnels landais, que des
chansons du répertoire étranger.

École de la vie. Outre le travail de la voix et le plaisir de chanter
ensemble, la chorale est un excellent moyen de vaincre sa timidité,
et d’être plus à l’écoute de l’autre. “Au fil des mois, le groupe va
se construire une identité et des relations amicales vont naître.”,
ajoute Marie-Claude Courtois. Reste maintenant à dénicher nos futurs
chanteurs en herbe.

Pour cela, une première audition aura lieu ce samedi, puis une
deuxième le jeudi suivant. Dix minutes par candidat seront
nécessaires au chef de choeur et aux membres de Sol Mi Douze pour
évaluer le potentiel de chacun. Le passage se composera d’un
entretien de motivation et d’un exercice de mémorisation des rythmes
basiques. Les parents sont invités à assister aux auditions, qui
seront filmées. Au total, 50 à 60 voix seront sélectionnées.

Renseignements et inscriptions pour les auditions au 05.58.06.86.52.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Conditional Will
by Tamar Haytayan

What lengths would you go to preserve your culture? In the Armen
family…the incentive is a unique bribe. Tune in to “Outfront” and
hear how marrying the right woman comes with a financial reward.

The Daily Item of Lynn
Sept 20 2004

Estimated 100,000 attend 21st Peabody International Festival
By Jack Butterworth

PEABODY — An estimated 100,000 people crowded into Peabody Square
Sunday afternoon to enjoy art, music, dance and food from the city’s
diverse cultural traditions and remember the former Peabody mayor who
brought the Peabody International Festival together 21 years ago.

As always, it was a day to support high school students, service
clubs and cultural groups, a day to sing and dance to the music of
the world, or just to inhale the aromas of sausages and pies and
cotton candy and look at young people in bright peasant costumes.

Peter A. Torigian was a man who could walk through the booths
crowded together along Lowell Street, greet the volunteers at each
booth by name and order food from each, correctly pronounced.

Mayor Michael Bonfanti asked for a moment of silence for
Torigian.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be with you today,” he said.
Referring to the intolerance and injustice that can be seen elsewhere
in the world, he told the crowd, “If we can live in harmony here it
can be done throughout the world.”

U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem, attending the festival with his
wife, Patrice, said, “What a wonderful tribute to Peter Torigian and
all the wonderful things he did for the city. Tolerance and diversity
were important to Peter Torigian.”

Councilor and former festival Chairman Judy Selesnick remembered
the first festival: 27 booths, 22 of them serving food, and nearly
8,000 people when 1,500 were expected.

“By 2 p.m. there wasn’t a morsel of food in Peabody Square,” she
said, “and at 6 Mayor Torigian took Jackie (Torigian) me, Mary
(Bellavance) and Debbie (MacGregor) to dinner because we missed out
on any food.”

One year there were skydivers, who missed Peabody Square and
landed on the rooftops of nearby homes. They didn’t come back.

Mayor or not, Torigian’s one traditional duty at the festival
was introducing the traditional Armenian dancers from Sayat Nova of
Boston. This year, with former Councilor John McGinn doing the
introduction, Sayat Nova announced that the proceeds from their booth
would go to the Peabody Lynnfield YMCA for the Y’s renovation.
Chairing the fund-raising for that was Torigian’s last civic project.

The former mayor’s influence could be felt elsewhere, in the
Peabody Art Association art show next to City Hall, where instructors
Marcy Consalvo and George Sippel displayed model ships from the class
they teach at the Peter Torigian Community Life Center.

Ruth Mowder stood by for the 10-year-old Peabody Art
Association, whose members loan artwork to the mayor’s office and
other City Hall offices.

At the Friends of the Library table Library Director Martha
Holden said the library’s 150th anniversary celebration Saturday
night, which began as a tribute to George Peabody for funding the
first city library, included a dedication to Torigian as a tribute.

“He brought culture back to the city,” she said. Attended by
nearly 300 persons, the event featured music from a number of
historical periods. There weren’t any dancers on the floor for the
earliest music, from the 1860s, and Holden had to agree that Torigian
probably would have given that a try, along with the swing era music
that was dedicated to him.

“It was beautiful,” Library Trustee Darryl Anne McCarthy said.
“It couldn’t have been better.”

Judy Meserve and Barry Osborne, the new Festival co-chairs
greeting the crowd for the first time, praised Bonfanti for believing
in the festival and Selesnick and Bellavance for running it so
efficiently for the past 20 years.

“This will never die,” Osborne said. “This event runs itself.”

SEISMOLOGISTS PREDICT NO MAJOR TREMORS

ArmenPress
Sept 17 2004

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Armenian seismological stations have
registered 29 earthquakes since the start of the year, the strongest
of which measured 3.4 points on Richter scale and was reported 70 km
north-east of the town of Ararat on January 4 and the lowest was 1.3
points on Richter scale, reported on July 19 near the town of Spitak,
the site of the destructive 1988 earthquake.

Judging by a set of indications, observed in the last 10 years,
Armenian seismologists predict that the possible strongest earthquake
that may hit Armenia will be no higher than 5-6 points on Richter
scale, saying its possible location may be in the southern-eastern
province of Syunik.

The national seismic service has already started a series of measures
aimed to raise the level of local population’s awareness concerning
earthquake risks. The Armenian government adopted in the last two
years two comprehensive programs on seismic risks, one encloses the
Law on Seismic Protection and the second lists the strategically
important facilities that need reinforced seismic protection.

Armenian national seismic service, included in the world seismic
networks, is considered one of the best services in Europe. The
service is cooperating closely with a German GFZ and US NASA and
UNAVCO organizations in identifying and registration of seismic risks.

John Kerry is far too willing to dismiss our Coalition

Boston Brahmin Disses Our Allies

National Review
September 16, 2004

Time and again, John Kerry has been dismissive to the point of rudeness
toward this country’s Coalition allies. None of America’s 33 partners
ever had to send so much as a Q-Tip to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The fact that any nation assigns even one citizen to fight shoulder
to shoulder with U.S. GIs should elicit celebration and gratitude,
not the sort of ethnocentrism that a sneering Boston Brahmin might
expect to see gushing out of, say, Texas oil country.

Worse than a snotty host who snickers about guests who bring the
“wrong” wine to dinner, Kerry snarls about nations that toil with
America to build a safe, free, and prosperous Iraq.

In March 2003, Kerry dismissed these countries as the “coalition of
the coerced and the bribed.”

In September 2003, Kerry said that “this President’s pride has brought
us a coalition of the few, barely willing to do anything at all:
160 Mongolians, 43 Estonians, and 83 Filipinos isn’t a coalition;
it’s a cover-up.”

Last March, Kerry told CNN: “The fact is that those countries are
really window dressing to the greatest degree. And they weren’t there
in the beginning when we went in, and they’re not carrying the cost
of this war.”

Last April, Kerry virtually made America’s allies disappear. “To
do this right,” he said, “we have to truly internationalize both
politically and militarily. We cannot depend on a U.S.-only presence.”

On September 6, Kerry dismissed the notion that there are international
boots on the ground beside ours. He called this “the phoniest thing
I’ve ever heard.”

Kerry’s skinned-up nose would be ugly enough if non-American Coalition
soldiers frittered away the hours by barhopping in Baghdad. In fact,
they dine on hot lead with our boys and girls, too often in fatal
servings.

According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count website, 124 overseas
soldiers have been killed in Iraq as of last week. This includes,
among others, 13 Poles, 19 Italians, and 66 Britons. Kerry’s sarcasm
must be uniquely soothing to their shattered families.

As for the living, the Heritage Foundation’s Nile Gardiner has
documented the extent to which America is not alone in Iraq and,
indeed, is ably assisted by nations from around the globe.

Despite the high-profile departures of Spain and the Philippines,
American GIs in Iraq serve with uniformed personnel from Albania,
Armenia (as of this month), Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Great Britain,
Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia,
Moldova, Mongolia, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia,
South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, and Ukraine.

These 26,487 troops represent 17.3 percent of forces in Iraq, compared
to the 126,500 U.S. soldiers who, it is fair to say, fill 82.7 percent
of positions there. While Americans have suffered 89 percent of the
war’s deaths, 11 percent of those killed were international soldiers.

“Faced with a barrage of misleading rhetoric, the American public
could be forgiven for thinking that the trans-Atlantic alliance no
longer exists,” writes Gardiner in his September 7 report, The Myth of
U.S. Isolation: Why America Is Not Alone in the War on Terror. “The
Coalition includes 21 nations from Europe, and nine from Asia and
Australasia. Twelve of the 25 members of the European Union are
represented, as are 16 of the 26 NATO member states.”

True, France and Germany are AWOL in this conflict. But neither
France nor Germany speaks for all of Europe, as both Napoleon and
Kaiser Wilhelm grew to understand.

President Bush should showcase this Coalition by hosting a White
House summit on Iraq with these countries’ chiefs of state or foreign
ministers. Publicly acknowledging their courage and sacrifice would
educate Americans before November 2.

Using Gardiner’s report and other data, I produced a chart that
identifies Coalition nations, their troop contributions, and fatalities
in Iraq.

One could argue that America should have even more overseas assistance,
or that blue-helmeted United Nations peacekeepers should be on
patrol. But John Kerry’s self-contradictory insistence that America
is both solo in Iraq and at the head of a coalition of the “barely
willing” illustrates, yet again, his trouble with the truth.

ARMENIA ABLE TO GENERATE 18 BILLION KWH OF ELECTRICITY

ArmenPress
Sept 15 2004

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS: A study conducted by the
Yerevan-based Energy Strategy Center has revealed that electricity
consumption in Armenia may reach 16-17 billon kw/h annually by 2020,
as much as was consumed by the nation in 1988 before the disintegration
of the former Soviet Union, when Armenia was rated as one of the most
industrialized Soviet republics.. The study, assisted by the government
of Armenia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was to
explore Armenia’s power grid’s development potentialities (including
also the nuclear power plant capacities) by 2020.

Currently Armenia produces some 6 billion kw/h of energy. Part of
the expected to be produced electricity will be shipped to Armenia’s
neighbors, especially that the system is technically able to do it
and given that no political problems will hinder it.

According to another, pessimistic version of developments, the volume
of to be consumed energy by 2020 may reach only 10 billion kw/h,
though the current electricity generating facilities are able to
generate some 18 billion kw/h of electricity.

According to the study, price of one kw/h can be set at 5 US cents. By
the way, Armenia has the highest electricity price among other former
Soviet republics, but it is rather low of that in developed countries.

ARTSAKH CONDEMNS TERRORISM

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
13 Sept 04

On September 1 of 2004 when the children of the world as usual
celebrated the beginning of the new school year and the Day of
Knowledge, for hundreds of children of the town Beslan, North Osetia
the new school year did not startâ^À¦ On these days in different
parts of the planet meetings and actions are organized condemning
this monstrous terrorist act. Nagorni Karabakh could not remain
indifferent toward this either as the people of Karabakh have
known terrorism and tragedyâ^À¦ On September 9 a number of public
organizations â^À^Ó â^À^ÜMaternityâ^À^Ý, â^À^Ü Society of Parents of
Killed Military Men of NKRâ^À^Ý, â^À^ÜUnion of Relatives of Missing
Azatamartiksâ^À^Ý, â^À^ÜUnion of Veterans of War and Workâ^À^Ý,
â^À^ÜUnion of Veterans of Artsakh Warâ^À^Ý and youth organizations
â^À^Ó organized an action of protest against the terrorist act in
Beslan. The march of protest started at the Stepan Shahoumian park at
08:00 PM. With posters and slogans such as â^À^ÜDown with terrorâ^À^Ý ,
â^À^ÜDeath to terroristsâ^À^Ý, â^À^ÜNo to terrorâ^À^Ý, â^À^ÜBeslan,
weâ^À^Ùre with youâ^À^Ý the participants of the march moved to
the town memorial complex where the protest action continued. The
chairman of the organization â^À^ÜMaternityâ^À^Ý Hasmik Mikaelian
mentioned in her speech that the people of Artsakh who went through
the bloodshed and pogroms in Sumgait, Getashen, Martunashen, Baku and
other places in Azerbaijan can understand the pain and tragedy of the
people of Beslan. The action of protest was organized at the memorial
complex for the reason that the memorial to the innocent victims of
the massacres in Sumgait and the memorial stones of azatamartiks of
Artsakh are here. â^À^ÜDue to the humanism of hundreds of thousands
people of the world and heroism of medical workers many people who
suffered during the terrible actions in Beslan return to life. We
mourn for the innocent victims and receive any news about those who
are returned to life with tears. We send the warmth of our hearts to
the children of Beslan and invite them to our highlands of longevity,
to learn in our schools,â^À^Ý said H. Mikaelian. The participants
of the protest meeting presented a message to the people of the
Russian Federation. The message runs, â^À^ÜWe the inhabitants of
the town Stepanakert, as a sign of protest against the monstrous
terrorist action at school N1 of the town Beslan of North Osetia,
Russian Federation, and in commemoration of the hundreds of innocent
children and their parents who fell victim to this action today
we have come out to an all-town meeting â^À^Ó march called by the
NKR public organizations. We are extremely indignant of the inhuman
actions of the undertakers, organizers and participants of the action,
and despite its motives we consider it a monstrous crime against the
right of the humanity and especially its younger generation to live. We
the people of Stepanakert who not long ago experienced the great pain
and bitterness of loss of relatives, among them schooling age children
during the massacres of the peaceful Armenian population in Sumgait,
Baku, Kirovabad and other places in Azerbaijan in 1988-1990, as well
as during the military actions against Nagorni Karabakh, are fully
conscious of the horror and tragedy of what happened in Beslan. We
are sorrowful for the martyrdom of the brave people who lent a hand
of help to the Beslan schoolchildren and the other inhabitants of the
town and express our condolence with the relatives of the innocent
victims, the people of the Russian Federation and North Osetia. At
the same time, we the participants of this protest action severely
condemn terror in the world.â^À^Ý

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Monday September 13, 2004

Contact: Armen Carapetian 818.500.1918

U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN ESHOO & CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR POOCHIGIAN TO BE
HONORED AT 2004 ANNUAL BANQUET

— Pre-Banquet Party to Kick Off 2004-2005 ANCA-WR Fundraising Efforts

Los Angeles, CA â^À^Ó The Armenian National Committee of America â^À^Ó
Western Region (ANCA-WR) has announced two of its honorees for the
2004 Annual Banquet. ANCA-WR Chairman of the Board of Directors Raffi
Hamparian and Annual Banquet Committee Chair Aida Dimejian announced
that Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and California State Senator
Charles Poochigian (R-Fresno) will be honored at this yearâ^À^Ùs event.

Hamparian praised Congresswoman Eshoo and Senator Poochigian by
saying, â^À^ÜWith a whole new class of young Armenian American elected
officials on the horizon, we need to recognize the individuals who
have set the standard in terms of commitment and hard work.

â^À^ÜCongresswoman Eshoo and Senator Poochigian are role models
and exemplary public officials in their respective bodies. They have
brought great pride to Armenian Americans and we are extremely grateful
for their hard work,â^À^Ý added Hamparian.

The ANCA-WR announced that it will hold its 2004 Annual Banquet at
the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California on Sunday,
October 24, 2004. Last yearâ^À^Ùs ANCA-WR Annual Banquet was a sold out
affair which featured such honorees as Federal Judge Dikran Tevrizian,
California Treasurer Phil Angelides, Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA)
and George Radanovich (R-CA) as well as Dr. Alfred De Zayas, former
undersecretary to the United Nationâ^À^Ùs Human Rights Commission.

The ANCA-WR Banquet is attended annually by prominent Members of
Congress, State Legislators, Mayors, academics, and a vast number of
Armenian American political activists. The ANCA-WR Annual Banquet is
the largest event of its kind that brings Armenian Americans together
with a large number of federal, state and local public officials. The
Banquet annually draws over 750 individuals, including a long list
of dignitaries. Last yearâ^À^Ùs event was no exception, and with this
yearâ^À^Ùs guest list packed with high profile figures, tickets sales
are already heating up.

â^À^ÜThe Banquet continues to get better with each passing year, with
more dignitaries, better venues, and an amazing list of honorees,â^À^Ý
commented ANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian. â^À^ÜIf
you havenâ^À^Ùt been to an Annual Banquet, then you must attend. If
youâ^À^Ùre an activist or supporter interested in politics, helping
the Armenian Cause, and meeting exciting and interesting people,
then this is your event,â^À^Ý added Kassakhian.

The ANCA-WRâ^À^Ùs Board of Directors also announced that the location
for this yearâ^À^Ùs annual pre-Banquet Kickoff Party will be the
luxurious and elegant Cicada Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. The
Kickoff Party generally attracts those interested in reserving tables
for the Annual Banquet. Most of the tables for the Banquet are sold
at the high energy event.

With all the grandeur of a Hollywood dream movie from the 1920s,
Cicada Restaurant and Lounge has been voted Top Decor by the popular
Zagat Restaurant guide. The stunningly spacious room features
Lalique crystal, ornate gold-leaf ceilings, and a mezzanine and
lounge overlooking the main floor that was made famous in the films
â^À^ÜPretty Womanâ^À^Ý and â^À^ÜBugsyâ^À^Ý.

The gathering will take place on Thursday, September 16, 2004 at 7:30
PM. The complimentary event is part of ANCA-WR tradition and marks
the beginning of the fundraising drive leading up to the ANCA-WR
Annual Banquet â^À^Ó the organizationâ^À^Ùs gala event.

#####

3,000 children bear a horrific public grief
ANDREA ELLIOTT

09/11/2004
The New York Times

NEW YORK – The bone brought sad finality to everyone but Brendan
Fitzpatrick.

It was proof that his father died Sept. 11, 2001. But for Brendan,
who is 5, the news that a piece of Thomas Fitzpatrick’s humerus had
been recovered was vexing, at best. “Can we get all the pieces and
put them together?” he recently asked his mother at their home in
Tuckahoe, N.Y. “So he could be alive?”

In Harlem, a different puzzle unfolded for Samuel Fields. He was
10 when the towers collapsed, and knew his father was gone. But
he could not cry. He jumped off the steep rocks in Central Park,
punched a classmate and, the following summer, wound up in jail for
pelting cars with stones. It was only then, after his mother yelled,
“Would your father want this?” that the first tears fell.

Brendan Fitzpatrick and Samuel Fields belong to the vast tribe of
young children who lost parents on Sept. 11 – an estimated 3,000 boys
and girls who are all working through their own painful puzzles of
bewilderment and sorrow. From the start, there were grim forecasts for
this group, and rumors: There would be scores of orphans, permanent
trauma, a generation forever marred. Charitable foundations were set
up, scholarships created.

But for all the dark assumptions and the outpouring of sympathy
and money, the children of the dead receded from public view. Their
families protected them. Journalists shied away from them. Social
workers struggled to find them. Psychotherapists confronted a novel
clinical challenge: how to treat children who have suffered a loss
so brutally intimate yet spectacularly public.

Some of the nation’s best trauma experts set out to study the
group, but struggled merely to diagnose what they encountered. Even
identifying the children, determining how many there were and where
they lived, took years.

Only now is a portrait of the children emerging. They cut across class
and ethnic and racial lines but share similarities: Most lost a father,
and a majority of the children were of grade-school age or younger.

If the father who died coached soccer, chances are his son stopped
playing. School is avoided on the anniversary. A low-flying plane
can send hearts racing. Television is a minefield. Work is identified
with death. Many of the surviving parents have quit their careers.

With four major studies under way, it is too soon to know the full
effect of Sept. 11 on its legacy of bereaved children. Some of the
children appear resilient, while others are visibly struggling.

But patterns have surfaced, ranging from symptoms of anxiety and
depression to violent outbursts and social withdrawal. Those in
treatment are faring better, though many have avoided it. Teenagers,
in the age-old effort to fit in, are most prone to keeping quiet
about the horrific way their parents died.

All of the children of Sept. 11 are bound by at least one thing:
the burden of mourning a private loss that is, at least for this
country, historic in stature. Many of the children watched the
attacks on television. Year after year, they are confronted with a
ceaseless ambush of reminders – at the movies, in classroom banter,
on a poster at the supermarket. To the children, these are not the
well-worn images of towers falling and planes crashing, but the deeply
intimate, devastating scenes of a parent’s death.

“It was seeing my dad die over and over and over again,” said Sarah
Van Auken, 15, whose father, Kenneth Van Auken, worked at Cantor
Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center.

How these children will compare with those who have lost parents in
other traumatic events – from car crashes and natural disasters to
genocidal wars – remains an open question.

Even the most basic facts about the Sept. 11 children remained
elusive: an estimated 1,596 people – more than half of the victims –
were parents, and they left behind at least 2,990 children who were
under 18 at the time of the attacks, according to preliminary data
compiled by Dr. Claude Chemtob, a clinical professor of psychiatry
and pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

The data were compiled by a team of researchers who began in April
2003 with the city medical examiner’s list of the deceased. They then
culled through thousands of newspaper articles and recruited the help
of government agencies and organizations assisting the families.

The result is the first-known registry of bereaved children. It
includes children of the parents lost on the four airplanes and at
the Pentagon. More than 100 of them had not yet been born when their
fathers died. The registry is still incomplete, and the tally will
likely exceed 3,000, Chemtob said. (An additional 478 people between
the ages of 19 and 56 at the time of the attacks lost a parent,
according to the data.)

More is known about the trauma of children in war-torn countries and
the young survivors of natural disasters. The Armenian earthquake
in 1988 killed some 25,000 people. Investigators from the Trauma
Psychiatry Program at the University of California at Los Angeles
tracked 218 of the surviving children for more than five years. They
found those who were given early treatment for trauma symptoms showed
significant improvement, whereas those who went without therapy did
not improve.

Perhaps the greatest surprise has been post-traumatic stress disorder
has affected only 12 percent of the Sept. 11 children, while the
most prevalent problems can be categorized as disruptive disorders,
problems with mood and conduct.

The experience of the Sept. 11 children falls under the mental health
rubric of “traumatic bereavement,” a combination of the two greatest
crises for any child: trauma and grief.

The Sept. 11 children have the added burden of sharing their grief
with millions of strangers.

“The public wants a heroic memory,” said Marylene Cloitre, a research
psychologist and director of the Institute for Trauma and Stress at
New York University’s Child Study Center. “The private memory is much
more complex.”