Author: nina hovnanian

HERITAGE: AUTHORITIES ARE TAKING REVENGE ON ACTIVISTS

14:30 | February 9,2015 | Politics

The Heritage party expresses its concerns over the weekend attack on
Artak Khachatryan, a member of the Political Council of the Prosperous
Armenia Party (BHK).

In a statement issued on Monday, the party said it strongly condemns
the chase of citizens for their political views and the vicious
practices of terrorizing citizens, viewing it as ‘a silent permission’
given by the authorities that came to power through rigged elections
and law enforcement agencies.

“The recent attacks make us assume that the authorities are taking
revenge on those activists who are trying to raise a voice of protest
against permissiveness and anarchy in the country.

We demand that relevant agencies, particularly the Armenian Police,
take drastic measures to disclose the assailants and identify the
effeminate perpetrators of the attack, giving each of them his due
punishment, since violence and impunity, as we can see, give birth
to new atrocities,” the party said expressing its support to Artak
Khachatryan and all citizens who are fighting justice.

The party calls on everyone to be united and unyielding in the fight
against the illegitimate regime.

UCSD GROUPS COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

18:01, 09 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Armenian Student Union, in conjunction with several other student
cultural organizations on campus, hosted the Stain of Denial: Silent
Sit-in Protest on Thursday, Feb. 5. The protest, which was meant to
acknowledge the 100th year of denial regarding the Armenian Genocide
by the Ottoman Empire, was held in front of the Silent Tree outside of
Geisel Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ASU alumni instituted the Stain of Denial protests on the UCSD campus
three years ago. The protests, which were held simultaneously
throughout UC campuses on Feb. 5, aimed to educate students about the
Armenian Genocide and the ensuing campaign of denial by the Ottoman
Empire which is now the state of Turkey.

The event consisted of about 30 student protesters throughout the day
and caught the attention of many individuals who stopped to speak with
representatives from the various organizations.

ASU President Yeraz Kochkarian told the UCSD Guardian that the purpose
of sitting silently in protest was to create a visual representation
of the ongoing denial.

“The silence represents all of the silence around the issue
essentially,” Kochkarian said. “And how politics and governments don’t
talk about it or don’t refer to it as a genocide. This year marks the
100th year commemorating the genocide, so it’s especially important to
make a visual protest demonstrating how this is still important 100
years later.”

Many of the protesters wore red tape over their mouths to further
enhance this visual effect of the protest. They also wore black shirts
to show their solidarity.

Besides being one of the representatives whom those passing by could
question, Kochkarian was also holding a picture of her grandmother, a
survivor of the Armenian Genocide who was rescued by French soldiers
and taken to France before later returning to Syria and sharing her
story. Other protestors held similar photographs and were willing to
share other stories of survivors.

Among the other campus groups that came out to support the event was
the Union of Jewish Students. Vice President of Outreach Yael Kempe, a
senior from Sixth College, shared with the Guardian why it was
important that UJS showed up to the event.

“Our club personally feels a very close connection to the ASU, and we
feel like we need to show our [solidarity] to them as a coalition we
have with them,” Kempe said. “I think also because our cultures are so
similar and we’ve experienced the Holocaust and they’ve experienced
the Genocide, its all one and the same. It’s nondenominational, and
we’re here to show our support with AS[U].”

Other student organizations involved with the protest included the
Armenian cultural Greek organizations Alpha Gamma Alpha, Zeta Chapter
and Alpha Epsilon Omega, Eta Chapter. Also present were members of the
Black Student Union and Kaibigang Pilipino. However, an affiliation
with one of these groups was not necessary to join the protest.

Revelle College junior transfer Asher Alter, who is a member of Alpha
Epsilon Pi, stated that he came out to the event because the genocide
was something that strongly affected him.

“It’s something that resonates deeply,” Alter told the Guardian. “It
was the first genocide of the modern age, and the fact that it’s not
recognized by most countries is a pretty big deal.”

AZERI POLITICAL SCIENTIST VIEWS ALIYEV’S PROPOSALS FOR NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT AS RIDICULOUS

17:23, 9 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 9 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Director of the “East-West” Research
Center of Azerbaijan, political scientist Arastun Orujlu views
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s “proposals” for the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the Munich Security Conference as
“absolutely ridiculous”.

As “Armenpress” reports, touching upon Aliyev’s speech in Munich in an
interview with Azerbaijan’s Meydan TV, Orujlu said Aliyev’s thoughts
on “supporting” the civil society of Nagorno-Karabakh “are nothing
but ironic”.

HISTORIC CANNONBALL STOLEN FROM SOUTHERN CASTLE

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Feb 9 2015

MERSÄ°N – Dogan News Agency

The cannonball in the entrance of the 1,500-year-old Mamure Castle
in the southern province of Mersin has been stolen. The castle was
listed on the UNESCO Temporary World Heritage List in 2012.

Officials, seeing that the cannonball, which had been there for
centuries, was not in its place informed the gendarmerie and the
museum directorate. The gendarmerie has launched an investigation
into the event.

The Anamur District Museum Director Murat Kalas told the gendarmerie
the stolen cannonball had not been registered in the inventory list
of the museum. Scrap dealers and illegal antique dealers are being
investigated.

Mamure Castle

The Mamure Castle is one of the most well-preserved medieval castles
in the Mediterranean. It was built by the rulers of the Armenian
Kingdom of Cilicia on the foundations of a fourth-century Roman
castle. The castle has a unique medieval fortification with the
characteristics of various armies, including the Romans, Byzantines,
Seljuks, Karamanogulları and Ottomans. Covering an area of 3,500
square meters, the castle is one of the largest castles in Turkey.

The castle has a magnificent location for defense, overlooking
the sea around the region. In 1469, the castle was annexed by the
Ottoman Empire. It was subsequently repaired in the 15th, 16th and
18th centuries and a part of the castle was used as a caravanserai
(a resting place for travelers).

The western courtyard contains a small complex with a single-minaret
mosque and a ruined Turkish bath. The southern courtyard has the
remains of a lighthouse.

February/09/2015

United Nations
Commission For Status of Women
Parallel Symposium

Transforming trauma of political violence: Lessons from Africa,
Middle East & Caribbean

transforming violence through Mind=Body=Eco=Spirit

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, 19 March 2015
10:30 AM – 12 Noon

United Nations, Church Center Chapel

1st Ave, at corner of 44th street, NYC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Musical Performance:
Perspectives Ensemble
Sato Moughalian on Flute
Panelists:

The Rev. James Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral St. John the Divine
“Empowering Conscientious Leaders”

Ms. Eugenie Mukeshimana, Genocide Survivors Support Network, Rwanda
“Empowering Survivors from Rwanda”

Dr. Ani Kalayjian, TC, Columbia University.”Mind-Body-Eco-Spirit:
Empowering people in the Middle East, Africa, EU, & Caribbean”

Prof. Svetlana Aslanya, Inst of Linguistics, National Academy of
Sciences of Armenia “Empowerment in Armenia”

Mr. Lorne Schussel, PhD Candidate, Teachers College, Columbia
University “Co-creating Our Best Self” Meditation

Chairpersons:

Dr. Ani Kalayjian,UN Rep for ATOP Meaningfulworld

Dr. Tara Pir,UN Rep for Institute for Multicultural Counseling and
Educational Services

Closing Ceremony:

Collective Healing & Heart- to-Heart Circle of Love and Gratitude.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RSVP by 8 March, Suyeon
[email protected]

In observance of
International Day for Women
8 March

Cosponsors: Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) of
Meaningfulworld, Voices for Freedom, Armenian Constitutional Rights
Protective Centre, and Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress
& Genocide, Institute for Multicultural Counseling and Educational
Services, and World Wide network for Gender Empowerment of Fielding
Graduate University.

Our Motto:
When one helps another,
BOTH become stronger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Founded in 1990

ATOP has achieved National and International Recognition as a leader
in training humanitarian outreach professionals, responding to global
& local disasters, empowering, educating, leading, transforming
trauma into lessons and spreading peace

Meaningfulworld is dedicated to fostering a meaningful, peaceful, and
just world in which every individual enjoys physical, mental, social,
economic, and spiritual health.

Conference Goals

+ To present perspectives of political violence from vulnerable
groups, including: children, women, older women, and refugees; * + To
identify and list the most pressing issues faced by survivors in
Africa, the Middle East, & the Caribbean;

+ To develop remedies and solutions focusing on the collective as well
as the individual needs;

+ To reinforce the value of integrative, mind-body-eco-spirit health
for empowerment, unity, and peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you feel our work is meaningful kindly visit our website to learn
more. If you are interested in volunteering or interning please email
us. If you are able to make a monetary contribution to our
organization kindly mail your check to our address provided below or
donate via Paypal on our website. All Donations are tax deductible.

ATOP Meaningfulworld | | [email protected] |
NY 185 E 85 Street, Mez #4, New York, NY 10028
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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AZERBAIJAN NOT TO ATTEND EURONEST PA SESSION IN YEREVAN

APA, Azerbaijan
Feb 9 2015

Elkhan Suleymanov: “This organization keeps Armenia under its umbrella
and attempts to insure Armenia from any sanctions and responsibility
for its aggressive criminal actions against Azerbaijan”

Azerbaijan will not attend the Euronest PA session to take place in
Yerevan on 1618 March, Elkhan Suleymanov, Chairman of Azerbaijani
Delegation to the Euronest PA, told APA.

E. Suleymanov said bureau meeting of the Euronest PA will take place
in Strasbourg on February 11, 2015. The meeting will discuss the draft
agenda of the 4th plenary session, among other issues. The 4th plenary
session of the Euronest PA will be held in Yerevan between 16th and
18th March of 2015, and this decision was adopted by Bureau in 2014.

“It should be noted that the Azerbaijani delegation repeatedly and
resolutely expressed its objection against holding the Euronest PA
sessions, Bureau and Committees’ meetings in Armenia, as well as
against cochairmanship of Armenia to the Euronest PA, during Bureau
meetings between 2011 and 2014.

The Azerbaijani delegation highlighted in its statements that it is
inadmissible to hold the Euronest PA sessions, Bureau and Committees’
meetings in Armenia and to allow Armenia to cochair the Euronest PA
until Nagorno Karabakh and 7 surrounding provinces are liberated,
threat for frontier provinces of Azerbaijan with 400 thousand
population is fully eliminated as a result of the occupation of
Sarsang reservoir for over 23 years, blockade of Nakhchivan is ended.

Furthermore, the Azerbaijani delegation unambiguously stated that
it won’t attend plenary sessions and meetings of the institution to
be held in Armenia. Therefore, the decision on holding the plenary
session of the Euronest PA in Yerevan was adopted despite resolute
objections of Azerbaijani delegation,” he noted.

E. Suleymanov added that the point of attention is that the 4th session
of the Euronest PA in Yerevan will coincide with 100th anniversary
of socalled Armenian genocide. Undoubtedly, the Armenian side will
use this international event as a means of propagation of socalled
Armenian genocide.

“I’d like particularly underline that despite the fact that Armenia
signed a Customs Union agreement and joined the the Eurasian Economic
Union, the Euronest PA neither expressed its attitude towards this
fact nor discussed this situation.

On the contrary, the fact that the plenary session of the Euronest PA
will be held in this country in such situation proves the approval of
Armenia’s political decisions to join the abovementioned institutions.

And this means that Armenia will achieve the adoption of any decision
in favor of its own interests during Yerevan session of the Euronest
PA. On the other hand, Yerevan session provides the Armenian side
with additional opportunities for propaganda of 100th anniversary of
socalled Armenian genocide.

We witnessed double standards policy regarding Azerbaijan for
several times within the Euronest PA, as it was the case in other
international organizations. Despite our multiple efforts, it was
impossible so far to discuss the fact of the occupation of 20% of
Azerbaijani territories by Armenia for over 23 years in Committees’
meetings and plenary sessions of Euronest PA.

We always faced a statement that Euronest PA is not an institution able
to solve the issue of NagornoKarabakh and other occupied territories,”
he underlined.

E. Suleymanov went on to add that it’s clear that on the background
of the annexation of Crimea to Russia and armed confrontations
in the southeast of Ukraine, a number of leading world states
and international organizations, as well as the European Union,
demonstrate highlevel support to Ukraine.

“Nevertheless, despite the fact that we claimed the adoption of
documents regarding sanctions against aggressor Armenia by demanding
the same level of support to Azerbaijan, territories of which have
been occupied for long, our efforts were definitely blocked by
different means.

Thus, as other international organizations, the Euronest PA, a
parliamentary institution of the European Union within the framework
of Eastern Partnership program, keeps Armenia under its umbrella and
attempts to insure Armenia from any sanctions and responsibility for
its aggressive criminal actions against Azerbaijan.

At the same time, Euronest PA confirms itself to be a propagation
facility in promoting these stupid claims among the world community
by holding its 4th session in Yerevan on the eve of 100th anniversary
of socalled Armenian genocide.

Interestingly, this institution, which actually supports socalled
Armenian genocide, doesn’t take into account that Armenians, who
are going to celebrate 100th anniversary of socalled claims, have
been committing genocide crimes against the Azerbaijani people since
1905 and that genocide crimes of Armenians against Azerbaijani people
continues for already 110 years.

Finally, I’d like to stress once again that Azerbaijani delegation
insists on its position, and we won’t attend the plenary session to
be held in Yerevan,” he completed.

RUSSIAN EXPERT DETECTS ANTI-RUSSIAN PROVOCATIONS IN ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 9 2015

9 February 2015 – 6:01pm

Sergey Mikheyev, deputy head of the Editorial Council of Vestnik
Kavkaza, the director general of the Institute for Caspian Cooperation,
said on the program “Nachalo”, broadcast on Vesti FM, that Armenia
abstaining from votes against Russia at the PACE in January was an
incitement to anti-Russian sentiment in Armenia.

Giorgi Saralidze, the broadcast’s host, reminded that Armenia’s
behaviour contradicted its status as a strategic ally of Russia. The
host added that Armenia had always been backing Russia, even during
the UN votes on Crimea and Ukraine, until recently. Mikheyev associates
such sentiment with the murder of a family of six by a Russian soldier
in Gyumri. He noted that all Armenian ministers had studied in the
U.S. and Europe and were aligned with the West.

The expert admitted that President Serzh Sargsyan had agreed to
integrate into the Eurasian Union, but the majority of the country’s
elite was aligned with the West. Mikheyev believes that Armenia has
a very strong anti-Russian lobby.

Despite Valery Permyakov admitting his guilt in murdering the family,
Mikheyev considers the case exceptionally mysterious, stating that
there were no motives for the murder. Permyakov, according to Mikheyev,
refuses to testify. The expert reiterated that the incident was used
to stoke anti-Russian tensions.

KARABAKH IS THE LAST SOURCE OF SERZH SARGSYAN’S NONEXISTENT LEGITIMACY: DISCUSSION ON LACHIN ATTACK

02.09.2015 17:21 epress.am

The attack on members of the Founding Parliament movement on the NKR
border was the result of a direct command, said NKR National Assembly
MP Vahan Badasyan about the incident during a discussion.

“Let’s assume, they are adventurers, suppose they are criminals. You
said turn back. They turned back. Why are you smashing (the cars)?

[They say] that it was immoral to not listen to the President. We’re
speaking about morality here, but no one speaks about the law, of the
constitution, which was violated. Our society’s most criminal group
is responsible here. They’re thinking of how to cover it up. Only the
resignation of the president [NKR president Bako Sahakyan[ would solve
[the issue], only that would put things in order,” said the MP.

He stated that the incident destroyed Artsakh’s (Karabakh) domestic
security, national dignity, and statehood by exactly those people
who represent the state.

Political analyst Tigran Grigoryan (pictured) believed that the
incident proved that state institutions, including the media, do not
function in Artsakh.

“For Serzh Sargsyan Artsakh is a power center, it is the last source
of his nonexistent legitimacy, basically his authority also influences
the authorities in Artaskh. What’s the purpose [of the incident in
Lachin (Berdzor)]? Of course, it’s possible to call it vandalism,
but a more correct term is terrorism. The whole objective was to
terrorise,” said Grigoryan.

According to him, there is a silent consensus within Armenia’s internal
political life that Nagorno-Karabakh is not associated with internal
affairs. He noted that Armenia’s opposition speaks of Armenia’s
criminal regime, but they come to Artsakh and “fraternize” with Bako
Sahakyan. According to the analyst, that is an unacceptable approach.

“Who knew about Bako Sahakyan until 2007? He was not a political
figure. He held positions in the defense sector. Bako Sahakyan is
that man who in a very obedient manner implements Serzh Sargsyan’s
commands,” said Tigran Grigoryan.

National Radio and Television station, a private news station, (which
was banned from opening last December) founder Varujan Gabrielyan
stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh’s society has once again found itself
in a hostage situation, because somehow everyone has participated in
that incident. In Gabrielyan’s words, while one group is constrained,
another group doesn’t have a podium to express themselves from. “The
finale has to be on the legal field. Society has to participate in
all that. Society has to be held responsible for their deeds: some
for what they’ve done, others for their silence,” said Gabrielyan.

IDEA FOUNDATION AND EU EXPERTS DISCUSS “OPEN SKIES” POLICY

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

February 7, 2015 10:17

Photo:

Yerevan /Mediamax/. “Open Skies” policy adopted by
the Armenian government. might play an essential role in tourism
development.

Head of IDeA Foundation Armen Gevorgyan said this at a meeting with
EU experts. The EU experts have arrived in Armenia to get acquainted
with reforms in the sector of aviation and air communication as well
as to meet the stakeholders involved in them.

Armen Gevorgyan said that IDeA Foundation supports “Open
Skies” policy adopted by the Armenian government, structural
and institutional reforms in the sector.

COLLOQUE SUR LE GENOCIDE A L’UNIVERSITE PAUL VALERY

MONTPELLIER

Les 5 et 6 fevrier, un colloque international organise par Annick
Asso, Helena Demirdjian et Patrick Louvier, intitule “Discours et
representations du genocide des Armeniens, s’est tenu a l’universite
Paul Valery dans le cadre des commemorations du centenaire labellisees
par la mission 2015 du CCAF.

Ce colloque reunissait deux laboratoires de recherches, CRISES et le
RIRRA 21. Ce fut un colloque magnifique. Outre la qualite eminente
des participants et de leurs communications, il y avait, de l’avis
general, un souffle. Ce souffle, c’etait celui de l’esprit humaniste
qui animait l’ensemble des participants.

La demarche ne se voulait pas communautariste.

Ce fut un beau succès. Une dame du public confiait, emue, avoir plus
appris en deux jours qu’en 71 ans d’existence. La recherche se doit
de rayonner dans la societe civile et de participer au monde. Nous
avons tenu le pari.

Le soir du 5 fevrier avait lieu une projection de trois beaux
films d’Artavazd Pelechian (“Nous”, “Les Saisons” et “Notre
Siècle”) animee par Vincent Deville, maître de conferences en
etudes cinematographiques. Nous avons ete honores de la presence
de Mme Anne-Yvonne Le Dain, deputee socialiste de l’Herault et
vice-presidente de la Region Languedoc-Roussillon, venue nous
temoigner son soutien. Nous tenons a remercier Mme Le Dain de sa
presence indefectible a nos côtes depuis le lancement des evenements
du centenaire. Sa generosite et son engagement humaniste sont de
belles lumières sur nos chemins. (photos en pièce jointe).

Les actes du colloque, abordant le genocide des Armeniens sous un
angle tout a fait neuf, seront publies dans le courant de l’annee 2015.

lundi 9 fevrier 2015, Ara (c)armenews.com