Author: Varosian Antranik

U.N. ARMENIA OFFICE CONDUCTS EVENT AGAINST TRAFFICKING

Panorama.am
18:03 01/12/06

"We have discovered 121 victims of trafficking as of November, 2007,
43 of them in foreign countries," Lialia Aslanyan, coordinator of
works, told Panorama.am.

U.N. celebrates December 2 as the day of liberation from slavery,
Consuella Vidal, U.N. representative in Armenia, mentioned also saying
U.N. has launched a campaign against gender violence since November 25.

Within the framework of the campaign, U.N. Armenia office conducted
an event against trafficking. Fight against poverty, social isolation
and elimination of illiteracy are means to fight against the evil,
Vidal said.

Spero News
Dec 1 2006

Papal visit to Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate

The tragic divisions which, over time, have arisen among Christ’s
followers openly contradict the Lord’s will, give scandal to the
world and damage that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to
every creature

Friday, December 01, 2006
by Spero News

Dear Brother in Christ,

I am pleased to have this opportunity to meet Your Beatitude in this
very place where Patriarch Kalustian welcomed my predecessors Pope
Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. With great affection I greet the
entire Armenian Apostolic community over which you preside as
shepherd and spiritual father. My fraternal greeting goes also to His
Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of Holy Etchmiadzin, and the
hierarchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. I give thanks to God for
the Christian faith and witness of the Armenian people, transmitted
from one generation to the next, often in very tragic circumstances
such as those experienced in the last century.

Our meeting is more than a simple gesture of ecumenical courtesy and
friendship. It is a sign of our shared hope in God’s promises and our
desire to see fulfilled the prayer that Jesus offered for his
disciples on the eve of his suffering and death: `that they may all
be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one
in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me’ (Jn
17:21). Jesus gave his life on the Cross to gather into one the
dispersed children of God, to break down the walls of division.
Through the sacrament of Baptism, we have been incorporated into the
Body of Christ, the Church. The tragic divisions which, over time,
have arisen among Christ’s followers openly contradict the Lord’s
will, give scandal to the world and damage that most holy cause, the
preaching of the Gospel to every creature (cf. Unitatis
Redintegratio, 1). Precisely by the witness of their faith and love,
Christians are called to offer a radiant sign of hope and consolation
to this world, so marked by conflicts and tensions. We must continue
therefore to do everything possible to heal the wounds of separation
and to hasten the work of rebuilding Christian unity. May we be
guided in this urgent task by the light and strength of the Holy
Spirit.

In this respect I can only offer heartfelt thanks to the Lord for the
deeper fraternal relationship that has developed between the Armenian
Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church. In the thirteenth century,
Nerses of Lambron, one of the great Doctors of the Armenian Church,
wrote these words of encouragement: `Now, since we all need peace
with God, let its foundation be harmony among the brethren. We have
prayed to God for peace and continue to do so. Look, he is now giving
it to us as a gift: let us welcome it! We asked the Lord to make his
holy Church solid, and he has willingly heard our plea. Let us climb
therefore the mountain of the Gospel faith!’ (Il Primato della
Carità, Ed. Qiqajon, p. 81). These words of Nerses have lost nothing
of their power. Together let us continue to pray for the unity of all
Christians, so that, by receiving this gift from above with open
hearts, we may be ever more convincing witnesses of the truth of the
Gospel and better servants of the Church’s mission.

egory=33&idsub=128&id=6858&t=Papal+vis it+to+Armenian+Apostolic+Patriarchate

THE POPE AND THE PATRIARCH
Ali Bulac

Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 30 2006

Patriarch Bartholomeos is the one who invited the Pope to Turkey last
year. Due to the Greek Orthodox Church’s "ecumenical" attribute not
being recognized, the invitation was intrpreted by Turkish President
Sezer as an intermediary formula. In other words, not only Pope
Benedict XVI wanted this visit, but Bartholomeos did as well.

The September 30th edition of the International Herald Tribune wrote,
"The goal of the Pope, who is to visit Turkey, is not dialogue with
Muslims, but an effort to reunite with the Orthodox." The quotation
from the Byzantine King that the Pope made during a speech in September
was a hidden message. No one who is going to visit someone, even if
it is just a courtesy call, would make a speech to distress them a few
days before the visit. As I mentioned on Monday, the Pope wants Europe
to unite around a Christian identity and the West to gain religious
internal unity. The deep infirmity that Christianity, the Church and
Europe in general, have entered has begun to give dangerous signals.

According to the Pope’s assessment, taking other churches under wing,
or at least playing a "protective" role in resolving the problems
they face, would be suitable steps to be taken in this area. If a
"positive result" is obtained from this visit, a similar strategy can
be followed for the Syrian Orthodox, Armenians and Nestorians. Well
then, is there a situation that demands the Pope’s becoming the
"defender" of the other churches and sects in their eyes?

What is obvious is that the Orthodox Church and other religious
minorities have some serious problems. Let Turkey resist as much as
it wants, the whole world and 250 million Orthodox, in particular,
accept the Phanariot Patriarch as "ecumenical." More importantly, the
Catholic Church has also confirmed this attribute of the Patriarch,
because it was the reason for the 1054 separation and bloody campaign
arranged in 1204. Turkey, straying from its own Ottoman tradition,
is taking on the whole world. It is interfering in the Orthodox
religion because of its groundless conjectures.

A second issue that bothers the Church is the absence of permission
to open the Heybeliada Monastic School. If it is necessary to talk
from a just and fair point of view, the Church is absolutely right
on this subject. Neither our religion nor our Ottoman experience
sees this behavior towards non-Muslims as proper. The Patriarch and
Orthodox Church are bound to the Caesar of the state they live in.

However, this does not mean that Caesar can interfere in the Church’s
theological doctrine and educational curriculum. Not even Roman
emperors and Ottoman sultans tried this. Treatment of community
foundations also leads to various difficulties like this, and this
problem has to be resolved according to just principles.

The Pharaniot Patriarch invited the Pope in hopes of receiving "aid
and support" from him. This is a dramatic situation resulting from
Turkey’s leaving its own non-Muslim citizens dependent on outside
help. If non-Muslims were able to take their places in the system as
citizens whose injustices had been redressed, the Phanariot Patriarch
would not have made this invitation, which was based somewhat on
"Orthodox suppression." The Orthodox Church has as great a claim as
the Vatican, both in respect to Christianity’s formulated doctrines
and in regard to its authority over Christians.

The Pope knows that there will not be a permanent and long-range
"unification" with Protestants. This is not only true in respect to
doctrine, but in respect to political and diplomatic power as well.

Protestants, particularly Evangelicals in America, are living
their "golden age." However, the Orthodox do not possess the same
opportunity and advantages. In fact, they are cornered in their
religious and spiritual center, Istanbul. This is the reason for
their being exploited. Just like in the Kurdish and Alawi issues,
by not allowing for their problems to be resolved, Turkey has led
these citizens to "seek hope from the outside." Before finding fault
with the Pope’s intentions and goals, Turkey should question its own
faults and, acting in a fair and just way, listen to its citizens
and throw aside unnecessary conjectures and fears.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE AND ALIYEV DISCUSS MASS MEDIA
By G. Karapetian

AZG Armenian Daily
30/11/2006

On November 28, OSCE chairman-in-office and Belgian Foreign Minister,
Karel de Gucht, took part in Aliyev-Kocharian enlarged negotiations
in Minsk His participation was a coincidence as Gucht had a
separate meeting with Ilham Aliyev to discuss mass media situation
in Azerbaijan. Conversation between Aliyev and Gucht perhaps will
remain secret, but after the meeting Aliyev voiced his opinion on
suspension of some mass media representatives’ activity. In Aliyev’s
words, everything has been done in accordance with legislature.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMED ADHERENCE OF REGULATING NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT ON BASIS OF MUTUAL COMPROMISE

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2006

The Secretary of the National Security Council, Defense Minister
of Armenia, Serj Sarkisyan once again confirmed the adherence of
regulating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of mutual
compromise to achieve peace, the Minister briefed the media on 29
November, Trend reports.

Answering the question "is it possible that Armenia agrees to give up
Kalbajar district?" the Minister replied that he has never spoke about
any specific territories, Trend reports with reference to ArmInfo. "And
I do not wish to speak about this. I have always spoken about mutual
compromise and peace. But I did speak about giving up 15-20 meters
or 500 km. It does not exist for me. I repeat, I mentioned mutual
compromise and peace," Sarksyan underlined.

The Defense Minister stressed that he has no information regarding
an agreement on returning 7 territories. "I .do not have such
information. If I had, I would say," the Minister stated, adding that
he considers the possibility of such an agreement as unlikely.

In addition, Sarkisyan refused to comment on the recent Minsk meeting
of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents. "I cannot say anything. I
do not have any information," he said.

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

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE PRIMATE
OF THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES OF KUWAIT

On Monday 27 November 2006, His Holiness Aram I received Bishop Camillo
Ballin, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait/Titular Bishop of Arna, and the director
of the Catholic Seminary in Beirut.

The Catholic Bishop informed the Armenian Catholicos about the Christian
communities in Kuwait and their ties with the government. Bishop Ballin
recalled His Holiness’ previous visit to Kuwait, the ecumenical service held
in the Catholic Church on this occasion and the sermon delivered by the His
Holiness.

The Catholicos praised the Catholic Bishop’s brotherly relations with the
Catholicosal Vicar of the Armenian Diocese of Kuwait, Archbishop Gorun
Babian and with the Armenian community in general, stressing the importance
of strengthening the unity between Christian communities.

The two also discussed the situation of Christian communities in the Middle
East and the Christian-Muslim dialogue in the region.

##
View the photo here:
*****
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.

FORMER NAGORNO KARABAKH RESIDENTS RESIDING IN RUSSIA EXPRESS INDIGNATION WITH IDEA OF "DELAYED REFERENDUM"

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

ROSTOV, NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A group of refugees
from former residents of Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) currently
residing in the territory of Rostov region of Russian Federation sent
a written appeal to NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian, as well as to
the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh. According
to the editorial staff of the Yerkramas (Territory) newspaper of
Armenians of Russia, the authors of the appeal express indignation with
plans of settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict voiced in speeches
and statements of a number of politicians envisaging holding of some
"delayed referendum" on state-legal status of NKR with participation of
"Azerbaijani refugees who have returned."

At that, as the authors of the statement mention, nothing is said
about return of refugee-Armenians to their lands, to Shahumian region
occupied by Azeris, to parts of Martakert and Martuni region of NKR,
and about subsequent participation of Armenian refugees in the supposed
"delayed" referendum. "While, the above mentioned territories are
integral parts of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the borders of which were
formed in September-December 1991 as a result of free and legal will of
territory’s residents. In this connection we announce to Co-chairs of
OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh that there can be no referendum
and its legal results if the will of the Armenian refugees from NKR
and Nagorno Karabakh regions adjoining it is ignored. There cannot
and will not be a division of refugees into the "first sort," by which
the international mediators mean former Azerbaijani national minority
of Nagorno Karabakh and into the "second sort," among which, to all
appearances, the mediators number representatives of the Armenian
people of Nagorno Karabakh," the appeal read.

The authors of the appeal also call NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian
for providing their right of vote at the Referendum on NKR Constitution
to be held on December 10, 2006, as well as including Armenian refugees
from NKR and former NKR residents who will express willingness into
the electoral rolls for voting and organizing participation in voting
through creating the respective electoral districts where possible,
in the Republic of Armenia, NKR, as well as in the places of their
current residence beyond the bounds of the region.

According to the information of the Yerkramas newspaper, the authors
of the appeal are natives of Nagorno Karabakh who were born and
lived there for the most or considerable part of their life and had
to leave the lands of their ancestors during Azerbaijan’s aggression
against the Nagorno Karabakh people.

Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society – Boston Chapter
47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472
Contact: Ara Nazarian
Phone: 617.924.8849
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Lecture and Film Series on Early Armenian History

By Professor Artak Movsisyan

The Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences,
Republic of Armenia

Department of History, Yerevan State University

Watertown, MA – November 26, 2006 – The Boston Chapter of the Hamazkayin
Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, the Armenian Library and
Museum of America (ALMA), and the Boston University Armenian Student’s
Association are presenting a lecture and film series on early Armenian
history by Professor Artak Movsisyan.

Please note that due to circumstances beyond our control, the time and
date of two lwctures had to be modified.

Dr. Movsisyan is an Associate Professor of history at Yerevan State
University and a scholar at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the
National Academy of Sciences (Republic of Armenia). He has published
numerous monographs and articles on a wide range of topics in ancient
Armenian history, culture, and spirituality. He received his Ph.D. from
the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of
the Republic of Armenia, with a dissertation on the Hieroglyphic Script
of the Van Kingdom (Biainili, Urartu, and Ararat).

The schedule of the lecture and film series is as follows:

Lecture: Wednesday, November 29, 2006, 7:30 PM
The Origins of the Armenian Nation: From Earliest References to Now
St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 38 Elton Avenue, Watertown

Film Screening: Saturday, December 2, 2006, 1:30 PM
Tigran the Great – A Patriotic Sovereign
Armenian Cultural and Educational Center, 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown

Lecture: Sunday, December 3, 2006, 3:00 PM
Pre-Christian Armenian Belief System and Transition to Christianity
Armenian Library and Museum of America, 65 Main Street, Watertown

Lecture: Monday, December 4, 2006, 7:30 PM
The Pre-Christian Written Culture of Armenia
Howard Thurman Center, George Sherman Student Union, Boston University

[Basement of 775 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston]

Admission to all events is free, and lectures will be delivered in
English. To find out more about the series please contact
Hamazkayin-Boston at [email protected], 617.924.8849 or ALMA at
[email protected], 617.926.2562.

###

About the organizers:

Boston Chapter of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural
Society

With the reemergence of the Republic of Armenia as an independent
nation, the role and function of Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and
Educational Society in general and Hamazkayin-Boston in particular had
to be re-assessed to reflect the new realities facing the Armenians in
Diaspora and in Armenia.

With this in mind, Hamazkayin-Boston aims to uphold the ethnic identity
and cultural heritage of the Armenian community in the Greater Boston
Area by: cultivating and promoting local, national and international
Armenian arts; celebrating important educational and cultural milestones
in our history; and engaging the youth and the young professionals in
our community to raise interest and awareness toward educational and
cultural issues of importance to the Armenian community and cultivate
the next generation of local and national community leaders.

Hamazkayin-Boston holds bi-weekly meetings on Monday evening at their
Hamasdegh Library, located on the second floor of the Armenian
Educational and Cultural Center (ACEC) on 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown,
MA. Our doors are open to all who would like to help promote our
cultural treasures. For more information please visit our website
, call us at 617.924.8849 or email us at
[email protected].

Armenian Library & Museum of America (ALMA)

Founded in 1971, ALMA ‘s mission is to present and preserve the culture,
history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans and
Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA ‘s collection has grown to
over 22,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largest
and most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside of
Armenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents a
major resource not only for Armenian studies research, but as well as
for preservation and illustration of the Armenian heritage. ALMA is the
largest ethnic museum in New England and the only independent Armenian
Museum in the Diaspora funded solely through contributions of individual
supporters.

"Hours: Friday and Sunday 1-5 PM, Saturday 10AM-2PM and Thursday
evenings 6-9 PM. Museum Admission: FREE/ALMA members and for children
under 12; $5/ for non-members. For more information please visit our
website , or call 617.926.ALMA (2562)." Directions to
ALMA: By car– take route 95 to 128 to 90 (Mass Pike East) towards
Watertown. Take exit 17- Watertown/Newton. Go North 1 mile towards
Watertown Square. As you cross the small bridge, get into the 2 left
lanes. Turn left on Main Street. Turn right on Church Street, and then
turn right into the municipal parking lot. By bus–MBTA Buses 71,
70/70A, 57, 52, 59, 502, 504. Please visit
<; for schedules and maps.

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: RECOGNITION OF OWN HISTORY BY TURKEY WILL BE A
DIFFICULT WAY TO PASS

"The readiness to normalize relations with the neighbors that Turkey
will express will influence also Armenian-Turkish relations."
President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan made this statement in Nicosia,
Thursday, commenting on the fact that Turkey must revise its position
regarding Cyprus. Afterwards, EU will express its position on the
continuation of the talks for Turkey’s membership of the EU.

Asked about Armenia’s position on Turkey’s admission to the EU in
conditions when Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide, Robert Kocharyan
said peoples must recognize their own history. "We hope that the
membership process will create a new situation due to reforms when
the discussions on this issue in Turkey will be more open. This will
allow the Turkish public to voice the question. We understand that it
will be a difficult way to pass. Nevertheless, we hope that the
Turkish people will pass it itself and that the international
community and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by other
countries will help the Turkish people pass this way," Robert
Kocharyan said.

FACTBOX-KEY FACTS ABOUT INVESTOR KIRK KERKORIAN

Reuters, UK
Nov 22 2006

Nov 22 – Investor Kirk Kerkorian said on Wednesday he had reduced
his stake in General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research)
to 7.4 percent from 9.9 percent, selling $462 million in stock.

On the same day, Kerkorian announced an $825 million tender offer
that could raise his stake in MGM Mirage Inc (MGM.N: Quote, Profile,
Research) to about 62 percent of the hotel and casino operator.

Here are some key facts about Kerkorian:

* Estimated by Forbes magazine to have a fortune of $8.7 billion,
he was born in 1917 in California to Armenian immigrant parents. The
youngest of four children, he dropped out of school and boxed before
joining the Royal Air Force to fly supply planes from Canada to
Britain during World War Two.

Reuters Pictures

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* After the war, Kerkorian bought surplus war planes to fly gamblers
from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. He pocketed his first fortune when
the business, called Trans International Airlines, went public in 1965.

Then he sold it in 1968 to Transamerica Corp. for more than $100
million in cash and stock.

* Kerkorian has a record of trading properties in Las Vegas and
Hollywood, most famously movie studio MGM, which he has owned three
times. He sold MGM to Ted Turner in 1986 and bought it back months
later. He sold MGM in 1990 and bought it for a third time in 1996
before selling it again for $3 billion to a group of investors led
by Sony Corp.

* Kerkorian was the largest investor in automaker Chrysler before its
link-up with Germany’s Daimler-Benz in 1998. In 1996, he had launched
an unsuccessful