Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia
Aug 25 2007
Armenian retreat to be held in Canada
TORONTO (CP) – The third annual Pan North American ACYO Retreat will
be held in late September at Wesley Acres Retreat Centre in
Bloomfield, Ont.
The event, from Sept. 28 to 30, is being hosted by the Armenian
Church of Canada and organized by the Armenian Church Youth
Organization of Canada or ACYOC, according to the website
http://thechronicl eherald.ca/Religion/855319.html
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 24 2007
Armenian Military Vehicles Attempt to Cross Frontline
Azerbaijan, Barda / corr Trend S.Jalilooglu / On 24 August at 08.30
two military vehicles UAZ, belonging to the Armenian Armed Forces,
attempted to cross the frontline from the territory of Yusifjanly
village of Agdam District of Azerbaijan in the direction of position
of the Azerbaijani National Army.
Major part of Agdam was occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces on 22
July 1993. Part of the Yusifjanli village is under Armenians’ control
and the rest Azerbaijani National Army.
A reliable source informed Trend regional correspondent that the
vehicles carrying the Armenian military attempted to cross to
Azerbaijan’s frontline positions in Yusifjanli village via Gargar
River. The sides exchanged fire and the Azerbaijan National Army
soldiers intersected the Armenians.
Residents of the frontline area confirmed the fact of shooting, which
lasted around two hours.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry did not report on the fact.
The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in
1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia
has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since
1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the
Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire
agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently
holding peaceful negotiations.
The Arlington Advocate: Commentary: Call genocide what it is
By Arlington No Place for Hate Steering Committee
GateHouse News Service
Wed Aug 22, 2007, 06:48 PM EDT
Arlington, Mass. – Over the past months, Arlington has pursued
certificatio= n as a No Place for Hate community under the auspices of
the New England Regional Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
and the Massachusetts Municipal Association. This week, the Arlington
No Place for Hate Steering Committee resolved to suspend our
involvement in the program.
We take this measure to protest the refusal of ADL’s national
leadership to acknowledge as genocide the killing of 1.5 million
Armenians between 1915 and 1918 by the Ottoman Empire and to support
the efforts of the New Englan= d Regional Board and Andrew Tarsy,
former director of the New England Region of the ADL.
Arlington chose the No Place for Hate program as a vehicle for
bringing our community together, celebrating diversity, and addressing
issues of hate an= d intolerance as they arise. While we agree with
the program’s goals, we feel that recent statements and actions of the
national leadership have undermined its integrity and ability to be
effective.
We believe that the ADL national leadership’s refusal to acknowledge
what b= y any standard is genocide – and its subsequent firing of
employees who disagree with their position – is both indefensible
and at complete odds with a basic tenet of No Place for Hate:
acknowledging and accepting the history and experience of our
community members, even when this may be uncomfortable or inconvenient
for us. It tarnishes the good work of so many communities, and serves
as a sad repudiation of the ADL’s mission, "to secure justice and fair
treatment to all."
We applaud Andrew Tarsy and the New England Regional Chapter of the
ADL for their courage in standing up to the national organization’s
position. We support them in their efforts to resolve this matter so
that the Armenian genocide is rightfully acknowledged and the
integrity of the No Place for Hate program can be restored.
We would also like to express our support for the members of the
Armenian community, who have been so profoundly hurt by the position
taken by the national ADL leadership on the Armenian genocide.
The Arlington No Place for Hate Steering Committee includes chairman
Cindy Friedman, Theresa Aceto-Black, Bettie Connors, Joseph A. Curro,
Jr., Sean Garballey, Sharon Grossman, Kenneth Hughes, Annie LaCourt,
Mary Megson , Patricia O’Donoghue, Marlene Schultz, and Brian
Sullivan.
Source: 146246
ANALYST REITERATES THAT CRACKDOWN ON CORRUPTION KEY TO WITHSTANDING EXTERNAL CHALLENGES
ARMENPRESS
Aug 21, 2007
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, ARMENPRESS: A Yerevan-based American-Armenian
political analyst reiterated today that a massive crackdown on
corruption and fresh efforts to consolidate democratic achievements
are key for Armenia, located in a volatile region, to withstand its
external challenges.
The analyst, Richard Giragosian, said Armenia should not underestimate
its significance for Russia and Iran. He further added that Armenia’s
ties with Iran are much more specified and steady than Iran-Azerbaijan
ties, which he described as ‘mixed and restive."
Richard Giragosian reiterated what he said just a week ago that
Turkey’s membership in the EU would benefit Armenia, but he lamented
that Turkey has actually reversed its EU accession drive, saying
Armenian authorities should get prepared to deal with a changing
Turkey.
Giragosian spoke also about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement
saying it will have no future as part of Azerbaijan and accused
officials in Baku for disrupting the peace processes.
Giragosian said Armenia should pay a greater attention to populating
the liberated territories, meaning several Armenian-controlled
territories which surround the administrative borders of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND BULGARIA DEVELOP THROUGH THE PRISM OF ASTRONOMIC COOPERATION
arminfo
2007-08-20 21:10:00
Armenia and Bulgaria will start cooperation in the sphere of astronomy
from 2008, Doctor of Astronomy of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Milcho
Tsvetkov told ArmInfo correspondent.
According to him, there has been equivalent exchange of scientific
potential between Armenian and Bulgarian scientists since long
ago. M.Tsvetkov defended a dissertation on the basis of the
Yerevan State University in the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory
(BAO). Now, the individual cooperation at the level of Armenian and
Bulgarian scientists escalates into a global interstate program. The
possibilities of the one meter long telescope of BAO and two meters
long telescope of Rozhen Observatory, as well as archive materials
stored in the two countries will be used during the cooperation.
Due to the lack of new generation receivers, only one of 5
telescopes at BAO is currently being used. However, BAO and the
Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences
have recently started implementing a joint program on using the
Schmidt telescope, which was one of the biggest in the world
once. Russia gave $250 thsd for installation of a photoelectric
radiation receiver. Earlier out-of-date methods were used at the
observatory. After the new receiver is installed, it will be possible
to receive 4 times as much information with a size of 4 thsd pixels
on a 4 cm snapshot. Milcho Tsvetkov pointed out that there is such a
receiver on a 2 m long telescope in Rozhen (Bulgaria), the largest
observatory in South Eastern Europe. Exchange of skills of using
this new technological unit is planned within the framework of
Armenian-Bulgarian cooperation.
AZERBAIJANI AMBASSADOR STATES AZERBAIJAN IS NOT REJECTING RETURN OF AZERBAIJANI CITIZENS ILLEGALLY RESIDING IN GERMANY
Trend News Agency
Aug 20 2007
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr I. Alizadeh / A project aimed at the
return of Azerbaijani citizens illegally residing in Germany has been
developed and both sides are considering the document, the Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Germany, Parviz Shahbazov, reported in Baku on 20 August.
"Azerbaijani citizens have been residing in Germany for several
years. They have been living their lives there. Therefore, returning
them from Germany within one day is a very complicated issue. It
requires special preparations and the signing of appropriate
documents," Shahbazov said.
The German side noted that 6,500 Azerbaijani citizens are illegally
residing in Germany. The German Government refuses to provide them
with political asylum and has plans to deport them back to their
country. German municipalities spend over ~H40mln a year on Azerbaijani
illegal immigrants. Germany states that official Baku does not want
cooperate with Germany on the matter.
Shahbazov said that the indicated number of refugees was not precise.
"However, the number of Azerbaijani citizens illegally residing in
Germany is close to that figure."
According to him, negotiations between the two countries regarding
the return of illegal immigrants to Azerbaijan are in progress.
" Azerbaijan is a young state and it lacks experience in this field.
Therefore, we want the agreement to be developed in an optimum way
and to be coordinated with all state bodies."
According to Shahbazov, there are cases where Azerbaijanis pretend
to be of Armenian origin in order to gain political asylum in Germany.
The ambassador proved that there are Armenians among Azerbaijani
citizens illegally residing in Germany and noted that for the time
being their return to Azerbaijan was impossible.
"I think after the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin will also be allowed to return
to Azerbaijan," the Ambassador said.
–Boundary_(ID_oZRu3GNbmvsru1qFvoYeKw)–
PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
August 20, 2007
_____________________________
ARMENIAN BALLAD:
AN UNEXPECTED OUTCOME OF AN UNEXPECTED VISIT
By Levon Lachikyan
Translated by Marina Bazayeva
This tale originated last year when Dr. and Mrs. Raffy and Vicki Shoghag
Hovanessian arrived in Armenia from Chicago to become better acquainted with
the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) programs. They also wished to identify a
children’s music school for their cousin who wanted to donate money raised
in memory of her late husband. So they left for Gyumri, the second largest
city of Republic of Armenia. Among other benevolent projects, they visited
the FAR-sponsored Azad Shishian Octet Music School, the educational
institution still operating in makeshift containers remaining in the
disaster borne city of Gyumri.
The Octet Music School functions out of temporary tin shelters dating from
the 1988 earthquake, lacks insulation, heating as well as an indoor lavatory
system. In spite of these circumstances, the FAR-sponsored school with 200
pupils, who often come from large and underprivileged families who cannot
afford to pay their kids’ tuition, continues to produce dedicated, talented
musicians.
The contrast between their school environment and the beautiful music is
unbelievable. Yet, the students play Komitas as easily as Khatchadourian,
Mozart as well as Hayden. They are trained in a wide variety of musical
styles, from Armenian folk to classical to jazz to modern.
A concert was presented in honor of the American guests. When it was over,
Mrs. Hovanessian stroked a little violinist’s hair and asked for her name,
but the latter timidly dropped her eyes and stood still. The teachers
revealed that Ani (that was the girl’s name) had a congenital cleft palate,
consequently her only way of communication was in written form. No, there
is one more way: her big, glowing and clever eyes.
On their way back to Yerevan, this couple, who is well-known for their
benevolence in Armenia and in the Diaspora, was thinking of helping the 11-
year- old violinist. Prior to leaving for the U.S., they asked Dr. Gevorg
Yaghjyan, an eminent plastic surgeon in Yerevan, to look into little Ani’s
condition and correct it through plastic surgery.
Ani and her mother, father, two sisters and a brother live in Pokr (Small)
Sariar, a little Armenian village perched on the highlands, situated 25
miles away from Gyumri. It is almost heroism to get there from the city
since the rocky and puddled impassable road requires hands-on practice from
the driver and steady nerves from the passenger.
In the summer it is cool and damp, and in the winter snowy, which blocks the
only road that connects the village with the rest of the world. Even in
summers, there are no buses available, so it is hard to imagine that the
young girl and her mother conquer that road to reach Gyumri’s Octet School
of Music four times a week.
It turned out that Ani’s mother, Zaruhi Ghazaryan also studied in that same
school – the Octet Music School. Later on she continued her education in
the strings department of the Yerevan College of Music named after Romanos
Melikyan. `When Ani was born with that deficiency (the cleft palate) and I
imagined her crestfallen future,’ her mother recalls. `I decided to enroll
her in a music school so that she obtains a profession and earns her daily
bread. However, now when I witness her success, I want her to become a good
musician.’
Yes, definitely, every parent wants to see his/her dreams fulfilled through
their kids. This young girl, as says the school principal Mr. Haroutyun
Asatryan, possesses absolute talent and even difficult pieces of music come
easy to her, be it Paganini, Sarasateh or Aram Khachatryan. The evidence is
in the numerous certificates and diplomas that Ani has been awarded in
Metropolitan and Republican contests and Olympiads.
Seeing Ani’s rural shabby house, it is hard to imagine that it is possible
to master the instruments’ queen, the violin, in such poor conditions.
Listening to her performance, one understands how much musicality and
feelings have been gifted by nature to this fragile human being. One
understands and wonders, grasps and becomes enraptured.
Ani’s father Andranik hardly manages to meet his large family’s numerous
needs. He owns a cow and a small plot outside the village. Both parents
and the children live, sleep and eat in a two-room ramshackle house next to
the cattle-shed. Manure is the only smell both inside the home and outside.
However, listening to Ani’s performance one forgets about various smells any
other disturbing circumstances. The classical and national music, and the
violin sounds take the listener away from this world, refining the body and
soul, charging with optimism and positive energy.
That energy was more than positive during their unexpected visit. The
persistent efforts of Dr. and Mrs. Hovanessian produced results. This year
they were informed by Dr. Yaghjyan that a group of Italian specialized
plastic surgeons arrived in Yerevan on a medical mercy mission. He arranged
for little Ani’s surgery to correct the cleft palate be one of the first
operations to be performed by them. Thus, only few days after their arrival
from Italy in early July, the Italian surgeon Fabio Massimo Abenavoli
operated on the girl, placing an artificial palate into her mouth’s cavity.
Mrs. Zaruhi was extremely ecstatic as her daughter started to articulate at
last in her mother tongue. Though the girl has weakened because of the
operation (she is not allowed to eat coarse foods for two post-operation
months), her look became more meaningful and a smile appeared on her pale
face. Now, through speech therapy, she has to polish her speech.
Ani Khachatryan is currently enrolled in Pokr Sariar’s secondary school’s
5th grade and Gyumri’s Octet Music School’s 4th grade. Who knows in the
future, on what international stages she might perform and what parts of the
world would enjoy listening to the Armenian ballad sounds years later.
Meanwhile, Ani is learning to communicate in an understandable language with
that world.
This is a vivid example of what human care and spirit of compassion and
perseverance can do. Humane persons and humanitarian organizations change
the destiny of an individual in particular, as well as, the Nation and
Country in general.
About FAR
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served the
Armenian people through more than 220 relief and development programs in
Armenia, Karabagh and Javakhk. It has channeled more than $265 million in
humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects, including
emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic
development.
FAR, one of the preeminent relief and development organization working
there, is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic,
prosperous, and culturally rich Armenian Homeland. It works towards a
brighter future by partnering with donors to provide hope, opportunity and
empowerment for the people in Armenia, Karabagh and Javakhk.
For more information on FAR or to send donations, contact FAR at 630 Second
Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212) 889-4849;
website ; e-mail [email protected].
— 8/20/07
E-mail photo is available upon request.
PHOTO CAPTION: Ani Khachatryan, who studies at the FAR-sponsored Azad
Shishian Octet Music School in Gyumri, plays beautiful music on the violin.
After meeting Ani in 2006, Dr. and Mrs. Raffi and Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian
changed her life forever by arranging for a surgery to correct Ani’s
congenital cleft palate through FAR.
A HOUSE BUILT FROM THE ROOF
Hayots Ashkharh Daily Newspaper
18 Aug 2007
Armenia
Today we bring to an end our series of articles about the principles
of democracy. In this article we will speak about the peculiarities of
the present-day democracy built in our reality.
Those who usually criticize the president state, ‘During Robert
Kocharyan’s government democracy has fallen in Armenia.’ In our view
this statement is not right. Democracy has neither increased nor
decreased in our reality, it has simply changed its nature.
Actually, during the recent ten years many initiatives have been
taken in the country that from the first sight can be considered
restriction of democracy. Whereas the `restriction of democracy’ is far
not the principle goal of the acting power. After the coup d’йtat in
1998 the first problem faced by the country was the lack of governance,
to be more precise a real anarchy. That is why Robert Kocharyan had to
choose the guideline of establishing a comparably more effective
governing system.
The calculation was based on bureaucracy and state apparatus, as
institutions like powerful parties and social organizations, powerful
local self-governance, accomplished juridical system simply didn’t
exist.
We should be fair: even before Robert Kocharyan democracy was far
from being perfect in Armenia and the enumeration of its shortcomings
is really very boring. The logic of the authority after the coup
d’йtat, judging from all, was as follows ` first: to build a governing
vertical (because it is simply impossible to work with the ungovernable
system moreover it is even dangerous), after which with the help of
this system to complete the democratic elements that the statehood
lacks (the same juridical system etc.)
To be able to understand the model of democracy built in the country
lets speak about the most important component ` the parties.
The multi-party system formed in 1998 was obviously in crises. The
parties ceased to be the `motors’ of democracy (if they have ever
been). The population became more apolitical and it was at that time
that the huge army of `man-parties appeared’. Due to the absence of
real contact with the masses the parties were becoming levers
interfering in the countries internal life.
It was indispensable to improve the party system that is why the
amendments in the law on political parties were initiated, according to
which the parties had to go with certain strict standards, including
the number of members and their representations in the provinces. We
should underscore that the state doesn’t manifest strictness in
controlling the parties but the process goes forward, though slowly,
but the political domain really purifies, in the positive sense of this
word.
In addition to this from election to election the number of majority
seats decreases, which promotes the formation of the system of so
called big parties that is improved by Robert Kocharyan.
In parallel to this the implemented constitutional reforms; the
formation of coalition governments and the perfection of election
legislation raised the role of the parties. The thing is about real
parties, because the change of the game rules leads to the withdrawal
of dwarf parties from the political domain. The recent parliamentary
election is a bright example.
The present day democracy built in Armenia is all over again far
from being perfect, but absolutely not because it doesn’t bear a
resemblance to the western models and not because the President puts
restriction on democracy. The subjective factor has always been in the
history but it is absolutely not decisive.
The main reason is quite different: in Armenia democracy reminds of
a house that has been built from the roof. Probably because at the end
of 80-ies and in the beginning of 90-ies the implantation of democracy
was not a manifestation of social activeness (don’t mix it up with
democratization of Karabakh movement), but ` a revolution from the
top’. In the euphoria of building that structure unfamiliar to Armenia
they simply forgot about the foundation and the walls of the building.
Today it is not only regretful but also dangerous to ruin the
existing roof. Better to start building the `foundation’ and the
`walls’ little by little.
LEVON TER-PETROSYAN WILL CHANGE REPUBLICAN STRATEGY
Lragir, Armenia
Aug 15 2007
"Today Levon Ter-Petrosyan is not just a leader of a political party.
He is the first president of Armenia. He is a political phenomenon,
and the reality is largely thanks to Levon Ter-Petrosyan." These three
sentences were uttered by the Republican member of parliament Galust
Sahakyan on August 15 at the Pastark Club. The reporters asked his
opinion about the likely nomination of Levon Ter-Petrosyan and assess
Serge Sargsyan’s chance for success in this context.
"I feel uneasy when the political forces manipulate Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s name today. He is a sensible and practical activist
and he can express his opinion," Galust Sahakyan says. He says
the approach that Levon Ter-Petrosyan has no right to run in the
presidential election of 2008 is too romantic. According to Galust
Sahakyan, if Ter-Petrosyan were likely to run in the election, some
political team would have prepared ground two or three years ahead.
However, the head of the Republican faction says Ter-Petrosyan’s
nomination will make them change their strategy. However, according
to Galust Sahakyan, the outcome of the election will not change.
ANOTHER REMOVAL OF RUSSIAN MILITARY HARDWARE FROM GEORGIA
Panorama.am
20:36 16/08/2007
Another shipment of Russian military hardware has just left Batumi
towards Armenia by railway. This was stated by the press service of
the Russian Defense Ministry.
"At 1:30 AM, Thursday night, from the 102nd Russian military base,
a train has left carrying military armaments and technology to
Gyumri. Thirty-four wagons on 19 train cars are carrying the military
hardware.
The weight of the hardware is 200 tons," states Ria "Novosti." At
6 AM the train passed the Jestafon station, and should reach Gyumri
by midnight.
This is the 17th shipment, by train, of Russian military hardware to
Gyumri, expected to be completed by the end of August.
We remind that the removal of Russian armaments from Georgia is in
accordance with the agreement signed on March 31, 2006. On June 27
Russia turned the base in Akhalkalak, built in 1910, over to the
Georgians.