Author: Tambiyan Samvel

NEWS: WRITING TO CHANGE THE WORLD: STOWE LECTURE FOCUSES ON GENOCIDE
BY Howard McEwen

Cincinnati CityBeat, OH
June 1 2007

"So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great
war," Abraham Lincoln said to Cincinnati native Harriet Beecher Stowe,
author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the book that made real for many the
injustice of slavery.

Stowe’s words inspired a great change in the minds of many regarding
humans as chattel. The Mercantile Library honors her legacy next week
with its annual Harriet Beecher Stowe Lecture, "Writing to Change
the World."

Journalist Samantha Power, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her book,
A Problem from Hell ­ America and the Age of Genocide, will speak
on her work and travels through a country wiped clean of undesirable
and defenseless peoples.

"Because of her writing to change the world and because at the
Mercantile Library — which we consider the literary center of
Cincinnati — we see the need to continue the work Stowe did," says
Dale Brown, vice president of the library’s board of directors. "We
look for speakers who are writing for themselves to change the world
or writing about people who have changed the world."

Power’s book looked at the 20th century through the lens of genocide.

Her book ranged from the Ottoman Empire’s slaughter of a million
Armenians during the First World War to Saddam Hussein’s murder of
100,000 Kurds and the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo.

More recently, Power traveled to Darfur. Her New Yorker article on
this region of the east African nation of Sudan, "Dying in Darfur,"
won the 2005 National Magazine Award for best reporting.

The article opens with the story of a mother named Amina, whom she
met in a refugee camp in 2003. Amina and her husband were living a
semi-prosperous life as herders. They had six children.

Then one day the Sudanese Air Force bombed her village. Her husband
disappeared while traveling. Then came the janjaweed — mounted
marauders funded and semi-controlled by the Sudanese government. Her
oldest son, 10-year-old Mohammed, was killed while trying to defend
one of the community’s wells, the lifeline of this village that
clings to the edge of the Sahara desert. After the skirmish, Amina
found her son’s head. She couldn’t locate his body.

"I took my child’s head, and I buried him," Amina told Power.

Amina escaped with her remaining children to Chad, where she lives
in poverty as a refugee.

The Genocide Intervention Network estimates that 400,000 people have
been killed and 3.5 million have been displaced in Darfur. Power is
one of a few journalists informing the public about the 21st century’s
first genocide.

"Samantha Power is as responsible as anybody in what we know as
the tragedy in Darfur," says Albert Pyle, the Mercantile Library’s
executive director. "She was on the story early and stayed on it. She
writes to change minds, and that’s what we’re looking for."

The conflict began in 2003. In 2004 the three major networks aired
26 minutes of Darfur coverage, according to the Tyndall Report, which
monitors network news. In June 2005, Darfur came under heavier aerial
and ground attacks. During that time, the networks and 24/7 cable
news channel aired 126 segments on Sudan, compared to 485 segments
dedicated to Jennifer Wilbanks, who achieved Warholesque fame as the
"Runaway Bride."

Here’s the hard thing about understanding what’s happening in Darfur:
It doesn’t fit any preconceived media templates.

One template is that problems in the Muslim world are dominated by
religion — Jew versus Arab or Arab versus Christian. In the Sudan,
governing Arab Muslims and Sudan’s Christian minority have made peace.

The killing in Darfur is a race war. The Arab Muslim government of
Sudan is cleansing its Darfur region of the black or African Muslims
who occupy it. They are assisted by the Arab nomads, the janjaweed.

Another template is of strife between the Sunni and Shia sects. In
Sudan, most Muslims are Sunni, whether Arab or black.

A final media template is that U.S. involvement in the Middle East
and elsewhere is driven by corporate interests and oil reserves. The
Sudan has $2 billion in oil revenue. Chevron discovered the reserves
in the 1970s but has been unable to tap them because of U.S. trade
prohibitions until the civil war ends.

Although the media hasn’t helped, Pyle says it’s important that people
understand what is going on in Darfur.

"We all share a responsibility when genocide is in the offing,"
he says. "Everybody must know about it and what actions we must take.

This requires an informed citizenry."

Power’s lecture will be in the library’s reading room at 7 p.m. June
6. The cost is $20 for library members and $25 for all others.

Reservations are required and can be obtained by calling
513-621-0717. ©

–Boundary_(ID_b63eeCuFlFCXyJVlQYy9mQ)–

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL SAYS ELECTIONS WERE DETERMINED BY ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR

Panorama.am
20:14 31/05/2007

Experts of "Transparency International" organization conclude that the
parliamentary elections of May 12 were determined not only by bribing
but by the overwhelming atmosphere of fear, organization head Amalia
Kostanyan informed at the press-conference today. People were brought
to electoral districts by force, moreover the pre-electoral period
brought to institutionalization of political prisoners and bribing,
Amalia says. "Employees of many state and private companies were
ordered to vote for this or that party", – she stresses.

Amalya Kostanyan informs that "Transparency International" carried
out a phone poll among Armenian citizens in order to discover the
mentioned facts.

"Only 13,75% of 1018 respondents confessed in being suggested
5-10000 AMD for the vote", – she says. The poll showed that 38,9% of
respondents didn’t consider the elections "pure" and 28.9% found it
difficult to reply. And only 36,2% stated that elections were "fair".

TODAY IS THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY

ArmRadio.am
01.06.2007 11:55

Today is the International Children’s Day. On this occasion a number
of events are due in the republic. Festive arrangements will be held
in all marzes of Armenia.

Currently there are 8 state and 5 private children’s homes in
Armenia. The state is implementing the policy of returning the children
to families.

An exhibition of handmade works of children with mental disabilities
will be opened at Narekatsi Cultural Centre. The exhibition will be
on display by June 4th.

"Communication in bright childish colors" exhibition will be opened
at the Children’s Art Gallery of Yerevan. The authors of the items
– children aged 6-14 – pictured their conception of communication,
Internet, cell phones, etc.

Another exhibition will open in the UN Office in Yerevan. Works by
more than 400 children will be presented.

A concert dedicated to the International Children’s Day will be held
at the Liberty Square.

KOCHARIAN REAFFIRMS PLANS FOR NEW NUCLEAR PLANT
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 30 2007

President Robert Kocharian on Wednesday reaffirmed the Armenian
government’s ambitions plans for the construction over the next decade
of a new nuclear power station in place of the aging Metsamor plant.

Kocharian was quoted by his office as telling local and foreign
experts sitting on his advisory Council on Atomic Energy Security
that the project is "justified both in terms of energy security and
economically." No further details were reported.

The government took the first major step towards the project’s
implementation early last year when it pushed through parliament a bill
that allows private and foreign ownership or co-ownership of nuclear
facilities located in Armenia. Officials spoke of the would-be new
plant as the most viable alternative to Metsamor, which meets about
40 percent of the country’s electricity needs and is due to be closed
down by 2016.

The government is already making preparations for its decommissioning
which has long been sought by the United States and the European
Union. Kocharian told the council that the Armenian Ministry of
Energy will come up with a relevant plan of actions within two
months. According to the presidential press service, he discussed the
idea of replacing Metsamor by a similar facility at a separate meeting
with Adolf Berghoffer, a German nuclear scientist chairing the council.

Meeting with university students in Yerevan in late April, Kocharian
said the government is still ascertaining the necessary capacity and
cost of the new plant. "I think that as early as in 2012-2013 active
work will be implemented for a new nuclear power plant and the upgrade
of the current one," he said.

Putting the project into practice would cost Armenia at least $1
billion, a sum comparable to its government budget for this year.

Armenian officials hope that foreign investors will foot the bulk of
the bill.

So far only Russia has shown interest in financing the project. The
issue was on the agenda of a late April visit to Yerevan by Sergey
Kirienko, head of Russia’s Federal Agency on Atomic Energy (Rosatom).

Also, Deputy Energy Minister Areg Galstian told reporters on Tuesday
that the Russian-Armenian inter-governmental commission on economic
cooperation has set up a working group tasked with looking into the
matter. He cautioned that discussions are currently held "on the
conceptual level."

"It’s a long process and we have already embarked on it," said
Galstian.

U.S. reaction to Yerevan’s plans has been far more lukewarm.

"Especially given the geology here, the earthquake zone, it might
be better to come up with an alternative to a second nuclear power
plant," Tom Adams, a senior State Department official coordinating
U.S. economic assistance to former Soviet republics, said in May
2006. "Right now, we are leaning against that option," he added.

70% OF IFES SPECIALISTS POINTS OUT CORRECT ORGANIZATION OF ADMINISTRATION DURING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 30 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Preliminary data of the observation of
the parliamentary elections process in Armenia by the International
Foundation for Election Systems were presented at the discussion
organized on May 30.

As Kenesh Sainazarov, the Elections Coordinator of the IFES Armenian
branch mentioned, 6 working groups were founded to study the process
of the elections. They visited 62 polling stations of Yerevan and 5
marzes. Among the positive results fixed in those polling stations,
he separated correct organization of the administration (70%),
active participation of observers and confidents (78%), absence of
the necessity of presence of the police (90%) as well as the low
index of incorrectnesses of ballot-papers.

As a negative phenomenon, K. Sainazarov mentioned existence of posters
and other materials of the pre-electoral campaign fastened at 5 of
the 62 polling stations, absence of possibility of secret vote (20%),
vote of at the same time two voters at the vote cell (18%), fixing of
abuses of the post by members of the territorial electoral commissions
(22%) as well too small or too big territory given for the electoral
process (20%).

The goal of the program implemented by the IFES was also to estimate
works of the district electoral commissions, correspondence of
procedures with the RA Electoral Code as well as to present proposals
for the next stage of trainings.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
May 27 2007

Azerbaijani FM About Lachin Corridor and Peace Keepers

Turan 27/05/2007 22:21

"I agree with French OSCE MG co-chairman Bernard Fassier that
military solution to the Karabakh conflict is unacceptable. The
sooner the conflict is settled, the better it is for Armenia and
Azerbaijan and for the whole region," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mamedyarov told journalists while commenting on the co-chairs’
statements made at the press conference in Baku.

The minister once again reiterated the need for adoption of the main
principles of settlement by the sides, on the basis of which a future
peace agreement will be signed. These principles remain unchanged:
Armenia must withdraw troops and refugees will return to their native
lands, said the Minister.

The remaining issues have not been agreed on yet. The sooner
Armenia’s administration understands that the conflict must be
settled within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,
the sooner it will be solved. Of course, we need time for that, said
Mamedyarov.

The term of reasonable width of the Lachin corridor is not
accidental. The Lachin road passes through the mountains.

"Considering security of traffic, we have agreed to place
peace-keeping troops in this zone," added Minister. "Military experts
must take into consideration possible points of fire, from which the
road is clearly visible. It is most important to avoid the resumption
of military activities," said Mamedyarov.

The term of placement of peacekeeping troops and their composition
remains open to discussion. Mamedyarov recalled that peace-keeping
troops must not include representatives of countries of the region,
nor countries of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen.

CONGRESSIONAL HELLENIC CAUCUS CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

ArmRadio.am
26.05.2007 11:36

In a sign of the growing bipartisan support in Congress for the
Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106), the Caucus on Hellenic
Issues – spearheaded by New York Democrat Carolyn Maloney and Florida
Republican Gus Bilirakis – this week asserted that "it is time"
for the US government to recognize this crime against humanity,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Co-Chairs of the 127-member Caucus, in a May 23rd letter
circulated to their House colleagues, stressed that, "it is time for
our government to finally acknowledge that the unimaginable horror
committed on Turkish soil in the aftermath of World War I was, and is,
an act of genocide. The United States must stand up for human rights
everywhere by renewing its commitment to prevent similar atrocities
and by acknowledging that the Armenian Genocide is a historical fact."

"We appreciate the leadership of Representatives Maloney and Bilirakis
and support of the membership of the Hellenic Caucus for the timely
adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian.

"We welcome, as well, the work of the American Hellenic Institute and
all our friends in the Greek American community for full recognition
of the genocidal crimes Turkey has committed against its Christian
subjects."

The Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues regularly cooperates on
issues of mutual concern with the Armenian Issues Caucus, Co-chaired
by Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). The
American Hellenic Institute and the United Hellenic American Congress
are among the Greek American organizations supporting the adoption
of the Armenian Genocide Resolution. The ANCA, last week, joined with
Hellenes around the world in marking May 19th, the day of remembrance
for the genocide of the Pontian Greeks.

H.Res.106, and its companion bill in the Senate, S.Res.106, call on
the President to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide and to help
ensure that the U.S. government applies the lessons of this atrocity
in seeking to prevent future crimes against humanity. In the House,
the resolution is being led by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA),
George Radanovich (R-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), and Foreign Affairs
Committee members Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI). The
House measure has 196 cosponsors. The Senate bill, which is led by
Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and John Ensign (R-NV), currently has
31 cosponsors, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

CONNECTICUT BECOMES 5TH STATE IN UNANIMOUS CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2007 14:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Connecticut becomes 5th state in unanimous
congressional support for H. Res. 106 on recognizing the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 perpetrate by the Ottoman Turkey. Congressmen John
Larson, Joseph Courtney, and Christopher Murphy, the Connecticut
delegation now unanimously supports the Armenian Genocide resolutions
in the Senate and House of Representatives, the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) reports. Senator Christopher Dodd,
Senator Joseph Lieberman, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and Congressman
Christopher Shay, were all original cosponsors of S. Res. 106 and
H. Res. 106. Currently, the New England states of Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont have 20 of 22
Representatives signed on to H. Res. 106, and nine of twelve Senators
signed on to S.

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN: INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS DO NOT HAVE THE AGENT NET IN ARMENIA SO THAT TO DISCLOSE THE MASKED VIOLATIONS

Arminfo
2007-05-24 11:53:00

"International observers do not have the agent net in Armenia so that
to notice those who voted instead of another person. The opposition
parties had to do that and inform them about the violations", –
the leader of the National-Democratic party Shavarsh Kocharyan told
ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added that the perfectly masked violations over the election
might be noticed only by those who live in Armenia. This is the reason
of the positive assessment given by international observers. , –
Kocharyan said.

As for the CIS observers, Kocharyan thinks that they simply remained
faithful to themselves as they used to give negative assessment only
in case of the "colour" revolutions.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE WSCF INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE

The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) organized an inter-faith
conference in Jordan on May 17-20 with the participation of representatives
from Christian and Muslim youth movements based in Lebanon, Egypt, Syria,
Iraq, Sudan and Jordan.

The Catholicosate of Cilicia was represented in the conference by Rita
Sagherian, a member of the Armenian Church University Students’ Association
(ACUSA).

The conference tackled several topics, including: coexistence,
multiculturalism, Christian-Muslim relations and mutual understanding.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.