Author: Nahapetian Lilit

ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK NOT AUTHORISED TO BRING A CHARGE ON ANY OF THE PARTIES

ArmRadio.am
22.08.2006 16:35

"I’m neither a Prosecutor, nor an investigator, and it’s not in
my power to charge this or that party, Personal representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk said in
an interview with Arminfo correspondent in response to the question
about arsons at the contact line of the Armed Forces of NKR, Armenia
and Azerbaijan and the disputes around these arsons.

The ambassador underlined that he has no mandate of carrying out
investigation. "My task is to create an atmosphere of trust between
the conflicting sides. In the framework of this point of my mandate
early July I visited the territories where inflammations occur, and
the conclusions of my visit are expressed in the report I prepared,"
Kasprzyk reminded. In his words, the monitoring did not reveal any
facts confirming the reasons of the arsons. "I can say only what is
articulated in the report: the heat contributed to the expansion
of the arsons. We should take into account that the inflammations
occurred also before, but not of this scale. Fires occur because of
different reasons," noted the Ambassador, adding that in some European
countries the authorities fight against forest fires.

WHY DO WE WANT TO CHANGE THE ANTHEM?

Yerkir.am
August 18, 2006

One of the issues most widely discussed in the country recently is
the national anthem, "Our Motherland". As always, these discussions
are passionate, emotional and full of contradictory statements,
mutual accusations and insults.

Unfortunately, very little attention is paid to the essence of the
issue – which is why do we want to change the national anthem? Why
are we not satisfied with it?

The supporters of a new anthem have so far failed to give a logical
answer to this question. There were some justifications that the
music is not very solemn and inspiring, that the lyrics were taken
from a song of some Italian girls, and many other equally ridiculous
"justifications".

It is interesting who is not inspired by the existing anthem? How
come the Armenian voluntary troops were singing this song when going
to war where they would sacrifice their life for their motherland
while today’s intellectuals and artists with a "high test" are not
inspired by it to work for the benefit of the country?

Is it the music that hinders the development and flourishing of
the state?

Or maybe the hindering factor is that these people are more passionate
about changing the anthem than about improving our life? Is it that
difficult to accept that the question of the national anthem is not
something to be solved by a competition committee’s votes?

Before it became the national anthem of the First Republic of Armenia,
"Our Motherland" was selected by the nation, by those who were singing
this song when defending the country’s independence sacrificing their
lives, by those who were building the state, by several generations
of those who were dreaming about restoration of that independence. Can
you think of a more authoritative committee to make the choice?

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006

Armenia launches development of state conception of informal
education

Source: Trend
Author: À. Mammadov

18.08.2006

(ARKA) – The Armenian Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs started
implementation of the conception of informal education, which is
included in the program of strategic actions on the state youth
policy for 2006-2007.

The press service of the ministry reported that the work on the
document was included in the plan of actions of the government for
2007, reports Trend.

With the aim to work out the conception, the ministry of culture
created a working expert group that consists of representatives of
both the public sector and NGOs.

Establishment of cooperation with all the interested structures:
public authorities, international and non-governmental organizations,
is to be carried out within the frameworks of working out the
conception.

It is planned to conduct public discussions over the preliminary
version of the conception, which will be organized on
and

The working out of the conception was preceded by a conference,
participated by experts of Informal Education in Armenia and
interested persons on March 3-6. The conference addressed the issues
of creating an effective system of informal education and the current
situation in this sphere.

–Boundary_(ID_O1/8c2HYgYV+6xkZOTAD6g)–

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON AUGUST 20

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Antonio Guterres, the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees will arrive in Armenia on August 20 to pay
a two-day visit.

Gagik Yeganian, the Chief of the State Department for Migration and
Refugees of Armenia informed Radio Liberty about it. It is mentioned
that within the framework of the six-day regional visit started in
Baku on August 16, Guterres intends to meet with Azerbaijani, Georgian
and Armenian officials and displaced people and refugees. The UN
at present makes efforts to activize the role of the Refugee Agency
in the political negotiations proceeding on settlement of regional
conflicts. The peaceful settlement will allow refugees to return their
former settlements and to re-integrate. The UN, in its turn, will be
able to reduce one of expensive programs: the main worry of the UN
Refugee Agency in Europe is the South Caucasus, and the UN spends about
9.7 mln dollars annually to cover needs of refugees of the region.

RELIGION IN LEBANON NOT AS EASY AS ‘MUSLIM,’ ‘CHRISTIAN’

BP News, TN
Aug. 16, 2006

BEIRUT, Lebanon (BP)–While some describe Lebanon in easy "Muslim"
and "Christian" terms, the reality is much more complicated. The
government recognizes 17 religious groups in the country. While
their different beliefs are easy to describe, the relative size of
the various groups is more difficult to pin down. Because of the
delicate political balance in the country, a census has not been
conducted since 1932. The estimates on the 13 sects described below
are largely based on information collected during the 1980s.

MUSLIM SECTS — 59.7 percent of the population

Sunnis — Orthodox Sunni Muslims stand for the original simplicity
of Islam and against later innovations. They regard the Koran,
supplemented by the traditions of the Muhammad, as the sole and
sufficient embodiment of the Muslim faith. They have no "church,"
no "priests" and no liturgy. Under the French Mandate in Lebanon,
Sunnis were invested with much political power. In 1986, an estimated
595,000 Lebanese (27 percent of the population) were Sunnis, the
majority living in urban centers.

Shias — Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are divided into two factions,
depending on which son of an eighth-century imam they follow. Shias
generally have occupied the lowest stratum of Lebanese society
and have been concentrated chiefly in the poor districts of Beirut
and southern Lebanon. They have been organized and influenced by
Iranian clerics. As of 1987, Shias numbered an estimated 919,000
(41 percent). Hezbollah ("Party of God") has been the most important
religious influence among Lebanon’s Shias since the early 1980s.

Alawis — Alawis are descendants of a people who lived in the mountains
of northern Lebanon and western Syria for thousands of years. They
integrated elements of both Christianity and Islam into their own
pre-Islamic religion. For example, Alawis celebrate Christmas and
Easter and use sacramental wine in some ceremonies.

Regarded as infidels in the past, they were persecuted and heavily
taxed. Alawis numbered only a few thousand in 1987.

Druze — The Druze are an offshoot of a version of Islam brought to
Lebanon from Egypt by a teacher named Darazi. The Druze community
has preserved its cultural separateness by being closely knit socially.

Though they are a minority in the country, their significant political
influence was based in part on support from the British.

The Druze constituted about 7 percent of the population (153,000)
in 1987. More than half resided in rural areas. Those who choose to
reside in an urban setting live together in their own neighborhoods.

CHRISTIAN SECTS — 39 percent of the population

Maronites — Maronites are an indigenous Lebanese church related to
the Roman Catholic Church. In the late seventh century, Maronites
were persecuted by other Christians for their religious beliefs; they
migrated from the coastal regions into the mountainous areas of Lebanon
and Syria, where they came into conflict with the Druze. Most Maronites
have been rural people and are scattered around the country. Maronites
traditionally have occupied the highest stratum of Lebanese society
and, with the patronage of France, have been closely associated with
the political system of independent Lebanon. In 1986, there were an
estimated 356,000 Maronites in Lebanon (16 percent).

Greek Catholics — Greek Catholics emerged as a distinct group in
the early 18th century when they split from the Greek Orthodox Church.

They accept Catholic doctrines as defined by the Vatican but have
remained close to the Greek Orthodox Church, retaining many of
the ancient rituals and customs. Greek Catholics live primarily in
the villages of central and eastern Lebanon. They have a relatively
higher level of education and are proud of their Arab heritage. Greek
Catholics constituted 3 percent of the population (72,000) in 1986.

Roman Catholics — Known as "Latins," Roman Catholics comprised
less than 1 percent of Lebanon’s population in the 1980s. The Latin
community is composed primarily of foreigners, mainly Europeans.

Greek Orthodox — The Greek Orthodox adhere to the Orthodox Eastern
Church, which in the fifth century diverged from the Roman Catholic
Church over the nature of Christ. Originally a peasant community,
the Greek Orthodox have become increasingly urbanized and form a
major part of the commercial and professional class of Beirut and
other cities. Known for their pan-Arab orientation, the Greek Orthodox
often have served as a bridge between Lebanese Christians and the Arab
countries. Members of the sect constitute 5 percent of the population.

Jacobites — The Jacobites, often referred to as the Syrian Orthodox
Church, take their name from Jacob Baradeus, who in the sixth century
spread throughout Syria the teaching of the church that Christ had
only one divine nature. This is contrary to the orthodox Christian
position that states Christ had both a human and divine nature. As
of 1987, there were only a few thousand Jacobites in Lebanon.

Armenian Orthodox — The Armenian Orthodox or Gregorian Church was
organized in the third century around a belief in the single divine
nature of Christ that is slightly different from the belief of the
Syrian Orthodox Church. The Armenians in Lebanon were refugees who
fled Turkey during and after World War I. In 1987, they resided
primarily in Beirut and its northern suburbs.

Nestorian Church — The Nestorian or Assyrian Church is the remnant
of the fifth-century movement that saw Christ as consisting of two
separate persons, one human and one divine, as opposed to having two
natures in one person. Their doctrine was condemned by the Council of
Ephesus in 431 A.D. Subsequently, those Nestorians who accepted this
doctrine formed an independent church, which has only a few thousand
members in Lebanon.

Protestants — The Protestants in Lebanon emerged in the 19th and
20th centuries from the work of missionaries, primarily English and
American. They are divided into a number of denominations, the most
important being Presbyterian, Congregational and Anglican. Typically,
Lebanese Protestants are educated and belong to the professional
middle class. They constitute less than 1 percent of the population
and live primarily in Beirut.

Evangelicals — Evangelicals in Lebanon have emerged in the 20th
century from the work of missionaries, primarily American, who
represented groups such as Baptists and the Assemblies of God.

Typically, evangelicals belong to the middle and lower classes. They
constitute less than 1 percent of the population and live primarily
in Beirut.

STRATEGIC INDIFFERENCE WITH CONSEQUENCES
by Aram Karapetian
Translated by Elena Leonova

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No. 171, August 16, 2006, EV
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
August 16, 2006 Wednesday

Political processes in Armenia could distance it from Russia; The
impression is that having gained all it wanted from Yerevan, Moscow
has now lost all interest in Armenia. And if there’s no interest,
there’s also no understanding of what is happening in Armenia. The
situation can be summed up as follows: strategic indifference instead
of strategic partnership.

The way things are going, Armenian-Russian relations may soon be
ruptured so severely as to make any prospect of strategic alliance
impossible. The impression is that having gained all it wanted from
Yerevan, Moscow has now lost all interest in Armenia. Indeed, Yerevan
is firmly tied into the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization;
Russian companies have bought and are still buying everything Armenia
has to offer – factories, profitable construction contracts… And
if there’s no interest, there’s also no understanding of what is
happening in Armenia. The situation can be summed up as follows:
strategic indifference instead of strategic partnership.

Full-fledged, fully-engaged relations have now been reduced to
infrequent contacts at the level of ruling elites. No one in Moscow
seems to care that in Armenia – as in many other CIS countries – the
ruling elite is seriously corrupt, at the very least, if not actually
criminalized. With the approval of its current authorities, Armenia
is gradually turning into a clan-corruption state, divided between
the Karabakh clan and the Yerevan clan, who share spheres of influence.

How is Russia reacting to this? Not at all, mostly; it’s keeping
silent. That amounts to tacit support for Armenian President Robert
Kocharian and his team. Russia is turning a blind eye to the fact
that for the sake of retaining power, those people are gradually
steering Armenia away from Russia. Very soon, the Americans may gain a
footing in Armania – not American investment, but the Pentagon’s radar
stations. The Kocharian administration preferred not to publicize
the details of a recent visit to Yerevan by US State Department
representative Matthew Bryza, the new American co-chairman of the
OSCE’s Minsk Group. While promoting a new conflict regulation plan
for Nagorno-Karabakh, Bryza was also testing the waters for the
possibility of basing two American radars in Armenia. These may not
be very significant from the military standpoint, but Washington
considers it important to establish a presence in Armenia, as it has
in Georgia – with all the consequences this implies.

Apart from lackluster contacts with the Armenian ruling elite, Moscow
seems to have no other effective levers of influence in Yerevan. And
this is all because at some point in the past, somebody in Moscow
declared a principle: we won’t work with opposition groups in CIS
countries, we’ll only work with the incumbent governments – whatever
they may be like. This principle led Russia to make mistakes in
relations with Georgia, followed by further mistakes in relations with
Ukraine. Mistakes in relations with Armenia seem to be just around the
corner. The Americans, in contrast, show no reluctance to make contact
with opposition groups – and profit from doing so, as their experience
in Georgia shows. Russia’s priorities seem to lie elsewhere: outward
stability, and the predictability of existing regimes in CIS countries.

In the case of Armenia, however, there is no predictability. Here’s an
obvious example: in July, President Kocharian did not go to Moscow for
the CIS summit – he said he had a cold. It could happen to anyone, at
all. But while the summit was under way, Kocharian was seen swimming
in the cold waters of Lake Sevan. His demarche worked – but Moscow
chose not to "escalate" the incident.

Escalation will happen anyway. Armenia’s calm is all on the surface.

Only outside observers can believe that last spring’s unrest over the
referendum on constitutional amendments has died down, and President
Kocharian and his team have everything under control. Elections
are coming up in Armenia: a parliamentary election in 2007 and a
presidential election in 2008. The political processes starting
in Armenia this autumn will shatter the illusion that all is
well. One important detail should be noted: Armenia now has hardly
any pro-Russian opposition parties. And the opposition is determined
to win.

ANOTHER CAR ACCIDENT OCCURS AT CROSSROADS OF KORYUN AND HERATSI STREETS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 15 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, NOYAN TAPAN. At about 1 am on August 11, a
road accident occured at 1 Koryun Street near the Trio Restaurant in
Yerevan. The bus belonging to G. Melkonian, 49, of the village of Arax
(Armavir marz) was moving down Heratsi Street when its brakes failed,
as a result of which the bus hit the Svetlana wedding salon and turned
over. NT was informed from the Rescue Service of the RA Ministry
of Territorial Administration that two of the nine bus passengers –
Silva Grigorian, 53, and Razmik Khachatrian, 52, received injuries
of various degrees of severity and were taken to the Surb Grigor
Lusavorich Medical Center.

GETTING INTO GERE
Alwynne Gwilt
Entertainment Reporter

Toronto Star, Canada
Aug. 14, 2006

It wasn’t movie star power that touched young people during a chat
with Richard Gere about AIDS and HIV. It was the actor’s passion
about the issues.

The spotlight shone on 48 youth involved in a film project for the
International AIDS Conference yesterday, despite the fact a passionate
dialogue on AIDS issues was headed by silver-screen fox Richard Gere.

>From the start of the chat on issues ranging from AIDS prevention to
Stephen Harper, Gere and actor wife Carey Lowell made it clear the
conversation was not about them but about how they could help the
youth who will make films over 48 hours about HIV/AIDS topics.

"I don’t really like giving speeches, so why don’t you ask some
questions so I know what you really want to talk about?" said the
white-bearded Gere right off the start.

Both he and Lowell are HIV/AIDS activists. Part of Gere’s foundation,
Healing the Divide, works on projects in India that aim to reduce
stigmatization and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS. He and Lowell
spent 30 minutes yesterday afternoon chatting with the youth in the
Community Dialogue Space of the Metro Convention Centre about how they
can help bring HIV/AIDS issues to the forefront in their countries.

"In India, (many orphans) love cricket so we got cricket stars to do
public service announcements … and that really had a large effect,"
said Gere to one youth from Uganda who asked how younger generations
can be taught the importance of HIV/AIDS early on and become productive
citizens.

"And the investment that one can make in any kid is education. It
gives them a sense of themselves, a sense of solidness and being in
their own skin, an understanding of how they fit into the world and
a sense of confidence in themselves."

"The best thing you can do for them is to give them a voice … and
empower them to tell their own stories," added Lowell. "That touches
a lot of people."

For many, the issue was also about why more celebrities are not
involved in activism, since their voices are often listened to by
youth around the world.

"There are many celebrities who do this kind of work, but it wasn’t
always that way," said Gere, who will also speak at a "Media and AIDS"
panel this evening. "That was one of the problems of getting the
problems of HIV/AIDS known, is that no one would be even associated
with the word.

"We had a president, Ronald Reagan, who never spoke the word AIDS …
and that pervaded all of our society, we had no leadership. So these
things begin from the top, don’t they?"

Perhaps the most poignant remark for Canadians came from Catherine
Renaud, a 19-year old from Whitby, Ont., who brought up Stephen
Harper’s refusal to attend the conference.

"A lot of us feel abandoned … people have spent their entire life
savings to be a delegate in this conference … it’s demonstrating to
us a huge lack of support and him (not) viewing the HIV/AIDS issue
as a primary issue," said Renaud to applause. "I was wondering what
your view is on the Prime Minister not taking (the time to be here)?"

"I don’t know your Prime Minister, but let me tell you about …

Prime Minister Singh in India," said Gere. "We went to see him and
he reiterated it was one of the most important things for us to deal
with. We said, `We’d like to have a media summit of all the media in
India,’ and he said, `That’s wonderful, where would you like to have
it?’ We said `We would like it at your residence … and we’d like
you to be there the entire day.’ And that’s what he did … heads of
all the media in India were there presided over by (Singh), discussing
and making commitments.

"Now that is leadership, not what you have here."

"I do hope someone can approach our Prime Minister and get the same
results," said Renaud.

"Absolutely. You have to keep working on it, but if he doesn’t change
don’t re-elect him, that’s what you can do," replied Gere to applause.

Chosen from more than 1,000 applicants, the 48 youth from countries
as diverse as Armenia and Guyana will be split into eight teams of
eight, and given two days – starting today at 4 p.m. – to write,
shoot and edit a three-minute film that will be screened and judged
at MTV headquarters Thursday night. Many are medical students who
have never used a camera, and questions inevitably arose about how
to make a good film and be a strong actor.

"I’ve been reminded that I am a western youth and I come from a lot of
power and privilege … I don’t know how I’d have any right portraying
someone who’s so different from me," said Andrea Yip, 20, from
Calgary. "How do you step into a role you’re so disconnected with?"

"All of us have experienced, to some degree, a little bit of
everything," said Gere. "We’ve all been sad, we’ve all lost people,
we’ve all been angry, we’ve all done horrible things. We’ve basically
had the same experience as every other being, so that’s an easy thing
to draw upon."

By the end, Gere was thanking the youth for their work, not the other
way around.

"The world is always changed by the youth, always … you have
ultimate power," said Gere, adding he learned this as a child of the
’60s. "Now if you can do it with generosity, with real love, with
real understanding, then the transformation is joyous.

"If you can educate kids, they know how to educate (their peers) on
a subject and that change then becomes organic … there’s nothing
imposed from outside and that’s when real change can happen. So I
wish you a lot of luck; thank you for doing this."

FOUNDATIONS BILL TO BE FINALLY DEBATED

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Aug. 14, 2006

A bill on foundations, which was submitted to the Parliament Speaker’s
Office in June 2005 but has yet to be passed, is expected to be brought
up for debate by Parliament at an extraordinary session mid-September.

The bill, which is much-anticipated by European Union officials and
included both in the Accession Partnership Document and the Union’s
2005 country progress report, despite not being in the EU acquis
communitaire, will be debated by the full Parliament after being
finalized by Parliament’s Justice Commission.

A subcommission set up under the Justice Commission prepared a
report on the bill before Parliament went on recess in July. The
subcommission made some amendments to the bill, taking the objections
of some members into consideration. According to the amendments made,
the founders and administrators of foundations have to be Turkish
citizens but foreigners will be able to be on the administrative
boards of foundations set up in Turkey. Foundations which haven’t
had administrators or administrative bodies for 10 years will be
administered and represented by the Foundations Directorate after a
court ruling.

Foundations will be able to receive donations from abroad through
banks in cash or in kind. Historical artifacts, including those on the
borders of villages, which are owned by the Treasury, municipalities
and special administrators, could be registered to foundations under
the bill. Immovable assets registered under fake names such as Jesus,
Mother Mary, etc. will be registered to foundations in the 18 months
after the bill has been passed.

Non-Muslim minority foundations were mentioned in the Accession
Partnership Document among the short-term priorities. The document
said that a bill on foundations, which is part of European standards,
needed to be passed and that the sale, as well as the confiscation,
of immovable assets owned by non-Muslim religious community foundations
by the authorities should be stopped.

The EU’s 2005 country progress report said that non-Muslim communities
still encounter significant de facto problems.

Underlining that these communities lack legal status and have
limited property rights, the report said that the administration of
foundations face interference and that they aren’t allowed to train
their own clergy. "As for property rights, of the 2,285 applications
for registration of property in line with the January 2003 regulation,
341 have been accepted," said the report

Arabaslik: Distinction between Greece and Turkey

A letter sent by EU Commission Representative to Turkey Hansjoerg
Kretschmer to EU Secretary General Oguz Demiralp stating that the
bill is incompatible with the EU acquis drew fire in Parliament.

Parliament’s EU Harmonization Commission members charged that Turkey
is expected to draw up a very different legislation even though the
rights of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace aren’t guaranteed
by the Greek government. Commission member and main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul Deputy Onur Oymen said
that the Greek government confiscated Turkish foundations in 1967
and that these foundations are administered by trustees appointed by
the government. Visiting the Turkish Parliament, Turks from Western
Thrace said that the Greek government doesn’t allow them to even
own graveyards and requested Parliament not to grant any rights to
non-Muslim foundations in Turkey before their rights are guaranteed.

In his letter, Kretschmer said that three articles of the bill are
incompatible with the EU acquis regarding the rulings of the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the right to set up an association,
freedom of _expression and the inviolability of places of settlement.

There’s also speculation that cases filed with the ECHR may lead
to problems. There are currently cases with the ECHR regarding the
property rights of foundations owned by non-Muslim minorities filed by
Fener Rum Erkek High School Foundation, Yedikule Surp Pirgic Armenian
Hospital Foundation and the Greek Patriarch Buyukada Orphanage. The
foundations are seeking compensation under Additional Protocol No. 1 of
the European Convention on Human Rights, which is related to property
rights. They also claim that they are discriminated against. While the
two of these cases are expected to be finalized in the coming months,
there’s speculation that hundreds of new cases may be filed in the
near future.

Greece hasn’t implemented an ECHR ruling on a similar issue. As
Article 11 of 1913 Athens Agreement stipulates that the muftis
(religious officials) of Turks in Western Thrace can be elected by
the community, Greece passed a law in 1920 and accepted that right.

But in a law passed in 1990 in Greece, this right was removed. Under
the law, the religious officials of the Turkish minority are appointed
by the Greek government. A mufti elected by the Turkish minority was
imprisoned and he then applied to the ECHR which ruled in his favor
on Oct. 17, 2002. Despite the court ruling, the mufti still hasn’t
been able to resume his post.

From: Assembly <[email protected]>
Subject: AAA: Successful Assembly Internship in Washington Comes To A Close

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
August 11, 2006
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: [email protected]

SUCCESSFUL ASSEMBLY INTERNSHIP IN WASHINGTON COMES TO A CLOSE

Washington, DC – This summer, twenty Armenian college students from
across the United States, including three from Armenia, took part in
the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program in Washington,
DC. During their eight-week stint in the nation’s capital, students
took part in a full schedule of activities designed to advance their
professional development and encourage community and public service.

Several Assembly interns spent the summer working in the offices of
prominent lawmakers including Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Carl
Levin (D-MI) and Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ed Royce
(R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Anthony Weiner (D-NY), while others
worked at federal government agencies, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), media outlets and think tanks.    "I’ve had a great time here
in DC learning not just about the American political system but also
about Armenia," said Joel Cretan, a Stanford University student who
interned for Senator Boxer. "My work in the Senate has been
instrumental in helping me decide what I want to do later in life in
the political sphere, and spending time with a lot of Armenians and
Armenian groups has been rewarding."

In addition to educational and career building opportunities, the
students developed a greater understanding of their common Armenian
heritage by interacting with their fellow interns from across the
United States, as well as Armenia.

"In Armenia I had little idea what it meant to be an
Armenian-American. I didn’t know how much work that’s been done for
Armenia by the Diaspora," said Margarita Tadevosyan, a Yerevan State
University student who interned at the Offices of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic. "Now that I’m aware, I will make sure that all my friends
back home know that we are one nation. No matter where we live, what
we do, there is one thing that unites all of us – it is being
Armenian."

To date, more than 800 students have participated in the program since
it was established in 1977.

A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE

In addition to their busy internships, students also met with Armenian
issues supporters including Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and
Representatives Mark Kirk (R-IL), James Langevin (D-RI),  Edward
Markey (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and
Mark Souder (R-IN). During these meetings, lawmakers discussed Armenia
specific legislative items such as the Rail Measure and the Genocide
Resolution, and learned more about the policymaking process.   The
Assembly interns also attended a briefing at the United States
Institute of Peace where Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulian and Foreign
Minster Georgi Petrosian of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic discussed
prospects for peace in the region. This event was followed by a
reception for the NKR officials co-hosted by the Office of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, the Armenian Embassy, and the Armenian Assembly of
America and in cooperation with Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joseph
Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). The interns also had
a chance to meet with Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) during this
reception.   Additionally, students met Armenian Ambassador to the
U.S. Tatoul Markarian at the Armenian Embassy and visited the
Department of State where Elizabeth Rood, Office Director for Caucasus
Affairs and Regional Conflicts, Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs, provided a briefing on the State Department’s
mission. Dr. Levon Avdoyan who specializes in Armenian and Georgian
studies at the Library of Congress, led a tour of the facilities and
discussed the vast collection of Armenian artifacts. The interns also
met with Assistant Administrator Joseph Bogosian at the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) and Armenian National Institute (ANI)
Director Dr. Rouben Adalian provided the interns with a preview of the
planned Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGMM).   Interns also
learned more about the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) during a
presentation by Deputy Resident Country Director of Operations for
Armenia Myron Hirniak and discussed several issues in the news with
journalists Michael Doyle from McClatchy Newspaper Inc. and
T.K. Malloy from United Press International (UPI). Interns also met
with Executive Director Mark Kirkorian from the Center for Immigration
Studies (CIS), Policy Advisor Noris Balabanian from Department of
Homeland Security and Dean Shahinian of the Senate Banking
Committee. Additionally, Assembly Board Member and founder of
Birthright Armenia Edele Hovnanian and founder and Director of Project
Save Ruth Thomasian visited the Assembly office to inform interns on
their organizations.   

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

Other program highlights included museum tours and visits to historic
landmarks, such as the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and
Jefferson Memorials. The interns also took a special weekend trip to
longtime Fellow Trustee Harold and Melissa Keshishian’s farm in
Maryland. Some students also displayed their talents by participating
in a variety show at St. Mary’s Armenian Church where they met with
local Armenians.   Intern Levon Keushkerian of Los Angeles, CA has
chronicled his experiences and those of his fellow classmates on an
online blog. To access this blog go to:  
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues.  It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

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NR#2006-069

Photographs available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following
links:

ss/2006-069/2006-069-1.JPG

CAPTION: Interns met with Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulian (center)
and Foreign Minster Georgi Petrosian (far left) of NKR at an event
held by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington.

06-069/2006-069-2.JPG

CAPTION: Levon Keushkerian (left) interned at the Armenian Embassy
where he worked closely with Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Tatoul
Markarian.

ess/2006-069/2006-069-3.jpg

CAPTION: Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) (center) and Dean Shahinian,
counsel, Senate Banking Committee (far left) met with the interns on
the steps of the Capitol building.

-069/2006-069-4.JPG

CAPTION: Representative Mark Souder (R-IN) discussed legislative
issues with interns on Capitol Hill.

/2006-069-5.jpg

CAPTION: Assembly interns at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

-069/2006-069-6.JPG

CAPTION: Along with the other interns, Taron Burris and Caroline Hogan
enjoyed a pleasant summer day at the Keshishian farm in Maryland.