Author: Tumanian Talar

THE HAIRENIK LENDS BOOK TO LEMKIN EXHIBIT

the-hairenik-lends-book-to-lemkin-exhibit/
By Weekly Staff
November 20, 2009

NEW YORK (A.W.)-On Sat., Nov. 16, an exhibition titled "Letters of
Conscience: Raphael Lemkin and the Quest to End Genocide" opened at
the Center for Jewish History in New York.

The exhibition, co-organized by the American Jewish Historical Society,
the Center for Jewish History, and the Yeshiva University Museum, is
on view through May 9, 2010. It focuses on the activities and legacy
of Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-American Jewish lawyer who coined the term
"genocide," working relentlessly and inventively to protect the rights
and survival of groups targeted for destruction.

Organized jointly with the American Jewish Historical Society and the
Center for Jewish History, the Lemkin exhibition, which presents a
fascinating array of original correspondence and documents, serves
as a stirring and important reminder of an individual’s ability to
better humanity and the future.

Included in the exhibit is the Jan. 1, 1959 issue of the Hairenik
Weekly (currently, the Armenian Weekly), in which an exclusive
book review by Lemkin was published. Lemkin’s review is a powerful
reminder of the impact the Armenian Genocide had on the person who
coined the term "genocide" and who dedicated his life to fighting
this crime. In the article, Lemkin says, "One million Armenians died,
but a law against the murder of peoples was written with the ink of
their blood and the spirit of their sufferings."

Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian, who has written about the
role Armenian newspapers played during the discussions leading up the
Genocide Convention of 1948, said, "We are honored and delighted to
have made a small contribution to this landmark exhibit on Lemkin’s
legacy. Armenian communities on both sides of the Atlantic in the
late 1940’s closely followed the tireless efforts of Lemkin and
supported him. Lemkin himself attests to this in his book review,
as well as in interviews given to the Armenian press."

For more information on the exhibit or to contact the Center for
Jewish History, visit

LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DUE IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
19.11.2009 15:47

The Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Vygaudas Usackas, will visit Armenia
November 20-21 at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Armenia,
Edward Nalbandian, Press and Information Department of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs reported.

Within the framework of the visit the Lithuanian Foreign Minister is
expected to have meetings with the National Security Secretary of the
Armenia, Arthur Baghdasaryan, the Speaker of the National Assembly,
Hovik Abrahamyan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Economy
Minister Nerses Yeritsyan.

ARMENIAN JOURNALIST DISSECTS KARABAKH IN NEW BOOK

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 16 2009
Turkey

Though Armenian-Azerbaijani relations have attracted much scholarly
and journalistic attention, one Armenian journalist and author,
Tatul Hagopian, believes his new book presents an original approach
to understanding and analyzing the drama.

"Gananc u Sev – Arzakhyan Orakir" (Green and Black – Artsakh Diary)
focuses on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and is the result
of Hagopian’s 20-year investigation of the region and is based on
countless historical documents, eyewitness accounts and personal
observations.

"The first victim of the war is the truth," Hagopian told Hurriyet
Daily News & Economic in an e-mail interview, borrowing a phrase
from Indian-born British author Rudyard Kipling. "I wrote the truth
on paper in all its honesty by listening to the voice inside me,"
Hagopian said, adding that because he published the book without any
outside sponsorship, he could write as he chose.

Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave in Azerbaijan that has been occupied
by Armenian forces since the end of a six-year conflict that left
around 30,000 people dead and 1 million displaced before a truce was
reached in 1994.

The region unilaterally declared independence but has not been
recognized by the international community. The presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan have been negotiating on the issue under mediation
from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE,
but little progress has been made.

Hagopian was in Nagorno-Karabakh just before the war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan erupted. He experienced the war firsthand and observed
what was happening – sometimes under fire – passing on news to the Azg,
or Nation, newspaper he was working for at the time.

He witnessed tragedies on both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides
of the conflict. Since then, he has documented countless stories of
pain and suffering, met with the families of soldiers who were taken
prisoner, talked to friends and relatives of those who went missing and
spoken with those maimed by landmines. Based on his research, Hagopian
concludes that over 23,000 civilian lives were lost to the war.

Missing part

Even though he endeavored to remain impartial throughout his research,
Hagopian admits that his book is missing one key part: Azerbaijani
perspectives. "The opinions and points of view of Azerbaijan should
be in this research because every conflict has two sides," the
author said.

Hagopian tried to continue his research in Azerbaijan, but his Armenian
identity prevented him from overcoming bureaucratic obstacles. He did
not let that stop him, however, as he made interviews with Azerbaijanis
living near the Armenian border.

In "Green and Black," Hagopian also argues Russia attempted to block
a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. In his "Meeting with
Gorbachev" chapter, for instance, Hagopian says former Soviet leader
and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev told him that Russia
forced the problem into a deadlock to look after its own interests.

Hagopian cites details of a meeting between Gorbachev and Silva
Gabudigyan, a prominent Armenian intellectual considered by many to be
Armenia’s greatest recent poet, which expose how the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem was transformed into the gridlock it is today.

In finding a workable solution to the ongoing dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh, Hagopian believes that Russia, the United States
and other Western countries should all participate in finding a
solution to the problem while negotiations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia should continue under watch of international observers.

"If the United States and Russia really want to solve the problem,
they should come up with real keys for a solution. Armenia and
Azerbaijan will come up with the best solutions by themselves," he
said, adding that a lasting solution can only occur if the two sides
continue their dialog. "Unfortunately, however, neither the Armenians
nor the Azeris tend to understand each other."

—

"Gananc u Sev – Arzakhyan Orakir" is currently available only in
Armenia but will soon be available abroad in both English and Russian.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY’S OFFICIAL: "IT SEEMS NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE IS IN THE FOCUS OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN NEGOTIATIONS"

APA
Nov 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Moscow. Roman Aghayev – APA. "The normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations is an attempt to improve relations between the two countries,
which experienced unpleasant periods in bilateral relations once",
Spokesman for Russian Foreign Ministry Andrei Nesterenko told APA
correspondent in Moscow.

Nesteenko said they were aware of focusing the Nagorno Karabakh issue
during the negotiations between Ankara and Yerevan. "It seems these
comprehensive issues are in the focus of process".

The ministry spokesman said they hoped that the solution would be
found in the framework of decisions made by international organizations
and would meet interests of all countries of the region.

MORE PEOPLE WOULD SUPPORT ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS THAN DASHNAKTSUTYUN: OPINION

Tert
Nov 16 2009
Armenia

"It seems to me, it can be argued, that ANC [Armenian National
Congress] is the opposition, while Dashnaktsutyun [Armenian
Revolutionary Federation] is not. Dashnaktsutyun attempted to become
the opposition, it attempted, it made the right move, someone had to
come out on the streets and incite the people, but since Dashnaktsutyun
didn’t have that opposition status which Congress had, the people
didn’t listen to that call and didn’t follow them. But if Congress had
come out, more people would come out after them and there would’ve
been results in that case," said Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
(SDHP) member Vahan Shirkhanyan at a press conference today.

Asked if SDHP is against steps taken by the Armenian National Congress,
is it possible that it will withdraw from being part of the ANC,
Shirkhanyan stated:

"The work with ANC has been within the declaration’s boundaries:
reinstating constitutional order in the country. The ANC is not
a political party, it doesn’t have an ideology, Hunchukian Party
is 123 years old with its ideology, stability, and clear position,
and it cannot change its ideology by being a part of the ANC. I don’t
see a reason to withdraw, because the reinstatement of constitutional
order remains an issue; if ANC is only after that issue, then not only
Hunchakian, but also the other 17-18 parties, I think, will continue
cooperating with ANC."

Shirkhanyan once again stated the SDHP’s official position: it is
against establishment of relations with Turkey, since the country
has not yet acknowledged the Armenian Genocide and has not dealt with
its consequences.

VAHAN SHIRKHANYAN: DASHNAKTSUTYUN IS NOT OPPOSITION WHILE ANC HAS NO IDEOLOGY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.11.2009 17:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Had opposition turned to people on September 1-2 and
kept them in streets for a couple of days, Armenian-Turkish Protocols
wouldn’t have been signed, member of Social-Democratic Hnchakyan Party
Vahan Shirkhanyan said. With regard to ARFD’s protest against signing
of Armenian-Turkish Protocols, politician said it might have attracted
more people had it been initiated by Armenian National Congress.

"Dashnaktsutyun is not opposition unlike ANC," he stressed, criticizing
the latter for not having an ideology,

"If people feel threats, that will create a new opposition,"
Shirkhanyan noted, not ruling out possibility of extraordinary
elections in case of normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations under
procedures proposed by President Serzh Sargsyan.

MP Vardan Khachatryan noted in turn that Armenian authorities and
society should unite to resist external pressures. "We must make use
of all possible political resources to curb the process," he said.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WAS PRESENT AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CENTRAL BUILDING OF "AMERIA" BANK

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 12, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS: Today Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan was present at the opening ceremony of the central building of
"Ameria" bank. Press service of Armenian president told Armenpress
that the president walked around in the building, got acquainted
with the process of high-class banking services through the newest
technologies. Chairman of directorship of "Ameria" Ruben Vardanyan
briefly presented the projects on bank development to the president.

President Serzh Sargsyan wished success to the leadership of the bank
and working staff in the implementation of the indicated projects.

A PROGRAM OF SURVIVAL: ARTSVIK MINASYAN’S ASSESSMENT OF DRAFT BUDGET 2010
Nelly Danielyan

"Radiolur"
13.11.2009 15:39

The budget for Fiscal Year 2010 is not efficient. It’s just a program
of survival, said Artsvik Minasyan, head of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction
of the National Assembly.

"The draft budget doesn’t meet the goals set by the government, these
being maintenance of macroeconomic stability, consumption incentives
and export growth," Artsvik Minasyan told a press conference today.

ARF Dashnaktsutyun has not yet decided whether it will vote for or
against the bill. However, they are not particularly inspired by
the document.

As concerns the government resignation, Artsvik Minasyan does not
consider it probable.

ARMENIA UNLIKELY TO YIELD THE LIBERATED LANDS IN EXCHANGE FOR RELATIONS WITH TURKEY
Nvard Davtyan

"Radiolur"
11.11.2009 16:17

Political Alexander Iskandaryan find sit hard to definitely say
whether Turkey will ratify the protocols or not. In his opinion, even
if something happens, it will be in January-February. In April it will
already be clear in which direction the process of normalization of
relations will move.

The assertions that the Armenian side is going to yield the liberated
lands of Artsakh in exchange for normalization of its relations with
Turkey are unlikely, Iskandaryan told a press conference today.

"Definitely, Turkey will get something, but it’s going to be in a
different place, on a different issue and from a different country,"
the political scientist stated.

ARMENIA PREPARED TO FIGHT SWINE FLU, SAYS HEALTHCARE MINSTER

Tert
Nov 10 2009
Armenia

Referring to the H1N1 flu virus, Armenian Healthcare Minister
Harutyun Kushkyan, at a press conference today, stated that Armenia
is prepared to combat the virus. The minister stated that Armenia is
provided with pharmaceuticals: At the moment we have 7,500 doses of
the necessary 30,000 dosage Tamiflu vaccine, while 20,000 more doses
will be acquired.

As reported by Tert.am yesterday, the first possible case of swine
flu was recorded a few days ago. The patient was an Iranian citizen
who received treatment and returned to Iran. The minister, in answer
to a question by Tert.am, said that the other two diagnosed cases
were two Armenian citizens who had arrived from Russia two days ago:
they received treatment at the Republican Hospital and their health
condition is stable.

Minister Kushkyan said the cases mentioned above were examined and
diagnosed, but according to the World Health Organization’s procedure,
the organization’s regional centres must also provide their own
diagnosis for suspected cases. The examination results of personal
samples from suspected patients were sent to London and will be ready
in a month.

Kushkyan stated that the Tamiflu vaccine was to be sent to Armenia
at the end of January, but since there are already suspected cases
in the country, they are negotiating with various international
organizations in order to receive the vaccine earlier, so that they
may begin distributing vaccinations.

The healthcare minister once again appealed to the population not
to panic but show vigilance and be careful. Swine flu, according
to Kushkyan, doesn’t differ from other flu viruses and has the same
symptoms as a simple flu. The minister asked the population to go to
their family doctor as soon as symptoms appear.

"Each epidemic has a beginning and an end, and I hope this will end
too and soon we will forget about all this," Kushkyan said.