Author: Vasilian Manouk

Foreign workers snap up the jobs that Britons on benefit reject
by Helen Nugent, Stewart Tendler and Anna Patty

The Times (London)
November 11, 2004, Thursday

Employers are looking to immigrants for skilled, motivated staff,
report Helen Nugent, Stewart Tendler and Anna Patty

Employers are aggressively recruiting staff from other countries
because British workers lack the motivation and skills to do crucial
jobs, The Times has found.

The drive for foreign workers amounts to a side-stepping of
employment laws that forbid discrimination against the English, the
Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.

Workers from Eastern European countries that joined the EU in May and
people from India and Bangladesh are flocking to Britain to fill
vacancies in the hospitality industry, agriculture, security,
accountancy, construction and healthcare.

Between May and September, government figures released yesterday show
that there were 90,950 applicants from eight Eastern Europe and
Baltic states -the equivalent of 0.3 per cent of the British working
population -and more than 87,200 were given permission to work.
Another 3,700 were still being processed at the end of September.

Britain needed workers for 600,000 vacancies, including low-paid jobs
that were often difficult to fill.

Australians, New Zealanders and people from the Far East are also
moving to the UK and are quickly snapped up by companies desperate
for enthusiastic hard workers with proven experience.

A combination of a lack of investment in training for key industries,
a skills shortage and a desire by a large number of people to stay on
benefits has fuelled overseas recruitment, businesses claim.

Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association,
which represents the hotel, catering and leisure industry, said that
many employers in hospitality were targeting trained staff from
Poland, Hungary and Lithuania.

A visa arrangement with the Home Office, allowing up to 10,000 people
from Bangladesh, the sub-continent and the Far East to travel to
Britain for work each year, had also boosted the number of foreign
workers in restaurants and hotels, he said.

Restaurant owners and hoteliers recruit overseas staff directly from
catering colleges, often in association with specialist local
agencies.

Mr Cotton said: “One of the biggest problems is that while we have a
low level of unemployment, we have millions of people claiming
benefits.

“Some of these people would rather work fewer hours so they retain
their benefits.

Foreign workers are happy to work between 30 and 50 hours a week.”

Horticultural companies, including fruit and vegetable growers, are
also recruiting from across the world, including Ukraine, Armenia and
Georgia. Under a government-sponsored initiative called the Student
Agricultural Workers Scheme, pupils from outside the EU can work in
Britain for up to six months.

Last year 25,000 work cards were available, but this has been reduced
to 16,200 in anticipation of an influx of workers from the ten
accession states to the EU.

Concordia, a youth organisation, has links with agriculture
universities worldwide. Christine Lumb, its executive director, says
that there is not enough investment in agricultural colleges in
Britain, which has led to a severe skills shortage.

After yesterday’s first assessment of the Government’s registration
scheme for workers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, David Blunkett, the Home
Secretary, said that the policy had contributed more than £120
million to the economy.

“Our commonsense app-roach to EU enlargement has put us at a clear
advantage compared with the rest of Europe,” he told a TUC
conference. The policy had been attacked this year as “opening the
floodgates and newspapers suggested people from Eastern Europe would
be pillaging wives and daughters”, but it had worked for the benefit
of the country, Mr Blunkett said.

Poland accounted for 48,500 of the applicants and profiles of all
registered workers show that 36,500 were aged under 35.

Registered workers paid an estimated £20 million in tax and national
insurance. Of the total, 96 per cent were working fulltime.

Eighty per cent were earning between £4.50 and £5.99 an hour and the
number claiming benefits was very small.

–Boundary_(ID_m0e7swo3RLMU9e89pFsBcg)–

ROBERT KOCHARYAN EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON YASSER ARAFAT DEATH

A1 Plus | 16:10:30 | 11-11-2004 | Official |

President Kocharyan sent Thursday condolences to Rawhi Fattuh sworn in
as acting president of the Palestinian Authority on Palestine leader
Yasser Arafat death.

In his message, Kocharyan estimated highly Arafat’s contribution to
Palestinians national rights protection and expressed condolences
personally and on behalf of Armenian people to his family and
Palestine people.

Undercover, Australia
Nov 9 2004

Serj Tankian and Tom Morello Recruit Friends for Charity Album

Tom Morello (photo by Ros O’Gorman)
Related Content:
Buy CD: Audioslave Audioslave

By Paul Cashmere

System of a Down’s Serj Tankian and Audioslave’s Tom Morello have
gathered their friends together for Axis of Justice: Concert Series
Volume 1.

The line-up for the first CD and DVD includes Flea (Red Hot Chili
Peppers), Maynard James Keenan (A Perfect Circle) and Pete Yorn.

Chris Cornell and Maynard James Keenan cover Nick Lowe’s ‘What’s So
Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding’, there is an all-star jam
of U2’s ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ and a cover of Dylan’s
‘Chimes of Freedom’.

CD Track Listing
“Where The Streets Have No Name” Flea, Brad Wilk , Tom Morello, Pete
Yorn, Tim Walker, Serj Tankian, Maynard James Keenan, Johnny Polonsky

“(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding” Chris
Cornell & Maynard James Keenan
“Alice In My Fantasies” Flea , Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, Pete Yorn ,
Serj Tankian Piano
Improvisation Serj Tankian
“Charades” Serj Tankian
“Until The End” The Nightwatchman “I Feel Good Again” Pete Yorn
“Get Up, Stand Up” Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Wayne Kramer, Flea,
John Dolmayan.
“Union Song” The Nightwatchman (Free Jam) Flea, Brad Wilk, Serj
Tankian
“What’s Golden” Jurassic 5
“Freedom” Jurassic 5
“Speak On It” Knowledge and Serj Tankian (spoken word)
“Chimes Of Freedom” Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, Pete Yorn, Flea, Brad
Wilk
“Jeffrey Are You Listening?” Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk,
Brian O’Conner

DVD Track Listing
“Airplane Skit” Ahmed Ahmed (Spoken Word)
“President Evil” Knowledge (Iraq Poem)
“Speak On It” Knowledge with Serj (Armenian Genocide poem)
“Until The End” The Nightwatchman
“The Road I Must Travel” The Nightwatchman with Serj Tankian, Pete
Yorn, Brad Wilk, Johnny Polonsky Piano Improvisation Serj Tankian
“Charades” Serj Tankian (Free Jam) Flea, Brad Wilk, Serj Tankian
“Chimes of Freedom” Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, Pete Yorn , Flea, Brad
Wilk
“Alice In My Fantasies” Flea, Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, Pete Yorn ,
Serj Tankian
“Where The Streets Have No Name” Flea, Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, Pete
Yorn, Serj Tankian, Maynard James Keenan, Johnny Polonsky

David Gray Writes Soundtrack

The next new music you hear from David Gray will be the soundtrack to
the new British movie ‘A Way of Life’.

Director Amma Asante listened constantly to Gray’s White Ladder album
while she was making the movie. She says it helped her overcome her
writers block. When she finished her script, she wrote to Gray and
asked him if he would be interested in writing the music for her
film. He agreed.

The movie is about a struggling teenage mother fighting for survival
in South Wales.

The movie has had previews at the Toronto and San Sebastian
International Film Festivals.

It will premiere in the UK on November 12.

Patron Saint of the Nerds
By Michelle Delio |

Wired News
Nov 10 2004

NEW ORLEANS — Here in the oldest church building in New Orleans,
tucked into a dark corner by the door as far away from the main altar
as possible, stands the statue of St. Expedite — the unofficial
patron saint of hackers.

Unofficial because the Roman Catholic Church doesn’t know what to
do about St. Expedite. He’s too pagan to be a proper saint, and too
popular for his statues to be simply tossed out the door.

Today’s the Day. Statues of St. Expedite seem to appear at some
churches, a puzzling phenomenon. Where do the statues come from? Who
sends them? No one really seems to know who St. Expedite was in life
or even if he ever existed.

But whatever St. Expedite may or may not be, geeks, hackers, repentant
slackers, folks who run e-commerce sites and those who rely on brains
and sheer luck to survive have all claimed the saint as their own.

“People who are computer experts or who work with computers do say
Expedite is their patron saint,” said the Rev. Michael Amesse, pastor
of Our Lady of Guadeloupe Chapel in New Orleans, the only American
church with a statue of the saint.

“I don’t know why they say Expedite is the computer saint. St.
Isidore is the saint of technology and the internet. Yet these people
insist on praying to Expedite. Like all things that concern this saint,
it is a mystery.”

In 2002, the Catholic Church offered up St. Isidore of Seville as the
saint of computer programmers. Isidore seemed to be a fine choice —
in the 7th century, he produced one of the world’s first databases,
a 20-volume encyclopedia called The Etymologies, intended to be a
summation of everything that was known about the world he lived in.

But Isidore somehow seems a bit too plodding for hackers, plus his
life story includes none of the weird wordplay that makes so many
hackers happy.

St. Expedite’s name obviously relates to his attested ability to
deliver favors quickly to the faithful. But wait! There’s more —
a joke about how St. Expedite manages to maneuver his statues into
churches.

In 1781, or so the story goes, a packing case containing the body of
a saint who’d been buried in the Denfert-Rochereau catacombs of Paris
was sent to a community of nuns in the city. Those who sent the body
wrote “Expedite” on the case, to ensure fast delivery of the corpse
for the obvious reasons.

The nuns got confused, assumed Expedite was the name of a martyr,
prayed to him, had a bunch of prayers answered amazingly quickly and
the cult of St. Expedite was born. News of this saint who cheerfully
dispensed quick miracles soon spread rapidly through France and on
to other Catholic countries.

It’s a swell story, but Italians were asking St. Expedite to grant
their wishes well before 1781, so either the date or the entire story
is wrong. And the whole thing just screams urban legend anyway.

A different version of the same story is told in New Orleans.
Supposedly, the church of Our Lady of Guadeloupe received a big
shipment of assorted saint statues. Only one didn’t have a proper
label on the case identifying the saint whose statue was contained
within. But the crate did have an “Expedite” label on it, so the
locals decided that must be the saint’s name.

A century and a half later, according to the story, they found out
there was no saint called Expedite. However, a little research turned
up the obscure St. Expeditus, whose status as a possible Armenian
martyr gave the Expedite myth legitimacy.

St. Expedite is typically depicted as a young Roman centurion
squashing a crow beneath his right foot and hoisting a clock or,
in later versions, a cross inscribed with the word hodie (“today”
in Latin). A ribbon with the word cras (“tomorrow” in Latin) emerges
from the squished crow’s mouth. The idea is that St. Expedite destroys
people’s proclivity to procrastinate and vanquishes vague promises
of joyous tomorrows in favor of making things happen right now.

Why a crow? English-speaking people tend to mimic the sound a crow
makes as “caw caw.” Italians hear it as “cras cras.” In Italian folk
tales, crows and ravens are forever yapping on about tomorrow.

St. Expedite is also widely considered, among people who consider
such things, to provide real-time assistance on problems — he’s the
saint of the fast solution. He is also is the patron saint of people
who have to deliver work or products on a tight schedule.

While visiting St. Expedite in New Orleans, we saw half a dozen
people come in and tuck notes and flowers by the saint’s statue,
ignoring the official saints in the front of the church.

Today’s the Day. “St. Expedite got me a job fast after my company
closed down last month,” said Letish Jackson of New Orleans, who’d
come to the church to thank the saint. “If you knew how hard it is to
get jobs here you’d know that me being employed is a very big miracle.”

She’s not the only one who turned to the saint for financial help. A
recent article that appeared on the front page of The Wall Street
Journal noted that St. Expedite has also become the patron of victims
of outsourcing.

Jackson, and other Our Lady of Guadeloupe parishioners, said that
“computer people,” as Jackson described them, often come to visit St.
Expedite.

“I asked my friend who runs a computer repair service why those people
come here, and he says Expedite is the nerd’s saint,” said Jackson. “My
friend said St. Expedite is all about delivering information fast.”

Patron saints in general are broadband connections to the Almighty,
passing along messages from the desperate or faithful. And the Catholic
Church seems to have a patron saint for every possible need.

St. Joseph of Cupertino, the “flying friar,” is not the patron
saint of Mac users — he’s appealed to by skittish air travelers
(it’s said the good friar levitated whenever he was happy). Girls who
live in rural areas can pray to St. Germaine of Pibrac, the patron
of peasant females.

“I’m not a big believer in the saints, but St. Expedite is another
whole story — he’s so good he’s scary,” said freelance computer
support consultant Kathy Dupon, a resident of New Orleans. “My clients
were forever paying me late until I taped a card with the saint’s
picture behind my mailbox as a joke last year. Now my checks almost
always arrive on time.”

Wired news reporter Michelle Delio and photographer Laszlo Pataki have
begun their four-week, geek-seeking journey along the Great River
Road. If you know of a town they should visit, a person they should
meet, a weird roadside attraction they have to see or a great place
to fuel up on chili mac, barbecue, gumbo, boiled mudbugs and the like,
please send an e-mail to [email protected].

Caucuses Railway to Restart

St. Petersburg Times, Russia
Nov 9 2004

MOSCOW – Transportation ministries of Russia, Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan are entertaining plans to revive traffic on the
Trans-Caucasus Railway, which was severed by a war outbreak in Abkhazia
and Nagorny Karabakh.

“The countries’ presidents, transportation authorities and business
representatives have expressed support for this project, which will
revitalize transport links between our countries,” Transportation
Minister Igor Levitin told reporters last week after an earlier visit
to Georgia. Levitin said that a company would be set up to restore
and operate the Trans-Caucasus Railway, which crosses the territory
of Georgia and Armenia and has access to Turkey’s railway network.

Russian Railways, or RZD, will participate in the company from the
Russian side, Levitin said.

The railway, stretching 2,300 kilometers in Soviet times, connected
Black Sea ports with central Russia, operated passenger services to
vacation resorts and handled more than 15 million tons of transit
cargo per year. Levitin said that Georgia has promised to provide
information on the condition of the railway later this month.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 9 2004

VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV TO THE SOUTH
REGIONS OF REPUBLIC
[November 09, 2004, 22:48:47]

President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev on 9 November has
visited south regions of country.

Head of the Azerbaijan State was warmly greeted at the railway
station of Astara, south region of the Republic. At the Heydar Aliyev
Square, he met representatives of public and residents of the region.
Here, the Head of State had a warm meeting with residents of Astara.

Then, speaking were representatives of farmers who thanked the Head
of State for care and attention for the residents, for creation of
working places in the region. They, in particular, have highly
estimated expedient policy of President Ilham Aliyev for employment
of people, development program of the regions of Republic.

Then, President Ilham Aliyev made speech.

In his speech, the Head of State reminded that residents of Astara
had confided in him a year ago during the presidential elections and
now he tries to realize his promise he gave to them. President of
Azerbaijan spoke of the socio-economic reforms conducted in the
country, development of economy, which enables to open new working
places. Noting that during a year there has been opened over 100
thousand of working places, 70 thousand of which are constant working
places. “Today, according to the development rate, Azerbaijan has
become one of the most dynamically developing country not only in the
region, but also over the world. The large economic projects being
realized in the Republic enables Azerbaijan to strengthen its
position in the world community”, the President emphasized.

As a result, the international organizations positively treat and
support position of the Republic in settlement of the painful problem
of our people – the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh confect.
Many influential world organizations back fair cause of the Country.
The stronger is economy of the country the stronger is its position
in the world, the Head of State underlined.

Assa Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov. 3, 2004

Discussions on Determination of Azeri-Georgian Borders Continue

Azerbaijani and Georgian experts continue discussions on determination
of borders between the two countries, chairman of the State Committee
on Soil and Mapping Garib Mammadov has told journalists.

Discussions on the maps of disputable areas, which were drawn up by
the two countries’ experts earlier, are underway as well. Georgian
experts are expected to visit Azerbaijan by the end of this year to
continue discussions.

Stressing that Keshishdagh, the disputable highest peak situated on
the Azerbaijani-Georgian border, is considered to be Azerbaijan’s
territory, Mammadov noted that it is possible to view the territories
of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia from the peak. `Therefore,
Keshishdagh cannot be considered as a disputable area,’ Mammadov
underlined.

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage

PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, November 2, 2004

AGBU HOSTS 83rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND WORLD CONFERENCE IN ARMENIA

MEMBERS WITNESS FIRST-HAND AGBU’S CONTINUING SUPPORT OF ARMENIA &
KARABAKH

On the occasion of its 83rd General Assembly, which took place from
October 1-7, 2004, in Yerevan, over 350 AGBU members and supporters
from 25 countries convened in Armenia’s capital to attend a multitude
of events and activities: including a three-day World Conference,
visits to AGBU’s Armenia projects, the Biennial General Assembly
meeting, and cultural evenings. Delegates also paid an official visit
to Karabakh from October 7-9.

Welcoming representatives from around the world, AGBU provided
simultaneous four-language (English, French, Spanish and Armenian)
translation for all participants that attended the Opening Session,
the General Assembly, and the Conference meetings.

During Saturday’s Opening Session, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, applauded the
organization’s continued dedication to Armenians during his
blessing. “Today, parallel to their mission in the Diaspora, the
activities of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, as well as of all
the other national and religious institutions, should be aimed at the
development of the Motherland, the strength of which will make the
Diaspora even stronger.” President of the Republic of Armenia, Robert
Kocharian, and President of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, Arkady
Ghoukassian, sent messages of support and praise.

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vartan Oskanian noted AGBU’s
long history of service to the Armenian people and its unwavering
dedication to its mission, “in reality from the very beginning of the
century until World War II and beyond, and today, AGBU in every
instance has demonstrated its ability to adapt to any given situation
and has been able to make the right decisions for the betterment of
our people.”

AGBU’s record of support to Armenia goes back as early as the 1920s,
when its donors contributed towards the construction of an eye clinic,
maternity hospital, several schools and the town of Nubarshen. From
these early years, the organization had established deep roots in
Armenia in furtherance of its mission and since its independence there
has been a renewed sense of commitment in the country.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

AGBU delegates traveled to the Nork AGBU Soup Kitchen and Children’s
Center and personally observed its accomplishments in the eastern
district of Yerevan. The Nork Center educates over a thousand young
talents and the Soup Kitchen provides daily meals for hundreds of
senior citizens. Combined, AGBU’s six Soup Kitchens serve 1,200 people
daily and three Children’s Centers instruct over 3,500 children and
teenagers.

Members were also treated to a showcase of music, dance, and gymnastic
feats performed by the students. Since their inception in 1993, the
Centers, a joint project of AGBU and the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, have
provided training in the arts, language, history, gymnastics, and
computers to thousands of youth.

NURTURING THE SPIRIT

Sunday, AGBU members participated in the Divine Liturgy at Holy
Etchmiadzin and met with His Holiness Karekin II, where they were
welcomed to a reception in their honor. Before arriving at
Etchmiadzin, the AGBU group paid a brief visit to the Holy Trinity
Church being constructed in southwest Yerevan with funds provided by
an AGBU donor. In Holy Etchmiadzin, AGBU donors are also providing the
finances for various projects including the construction of clergy
housing and the renovation of the residence of the Catholicos.

AGBU delegates were on hand for the official dedication of the
AGBU-sponsored dormitory at Vaskenian Seminary on Lake Sevan. The
inaugurated facility includes staff rooms, offices, library and living
quarters for a hundred seminarians. The building is part of the larger
campus that provides religious education and training to clergy who go
on to serve Armenian communities throughout the world.

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

With 30 day and Saturday schools around the world, AGBU’s dedication
to scholastic excellence is unparalleled among Armenian
organizations. Two AGBU-initiated projects have contributed to quality
post-graduate education in Armenia.

Beginning in 1992, AGBU partnered with the University of California to
establish the American University of Armenia (AUA), an institution
dedicated to the education of the country’s future leaders with
graduate degrees in business management, engineering, law, public
health, political science, and computer and information sciences.

AGBU delegates also attended AUA’s commencement ceremony where 133
graduates eagerly awaited their diplomas. Dr. Haroutune Armenian,
President of AUA, officiated the ceremony and captured the spirit of
AGBU, “Over its close to a hundred year history, this organization has
been able to turn beautiful dreams into reality…AGBU has been at the
forefront of creating opportunities for future generations of
Armenians…”

Another AGBU-initiated educational project in Armenia, which plays a
key role in the country’s medical community, is the AGBU Ultrasound
Center. Founded through a partnership with Philadelphia’s Jefferson
Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, the Center is a
state-of-the-art diagnostic facility and housed on the Yerevan State
Medical University campus. Made possible with funds provided by an
AGBU donor, the project was established through the dedication of
Dr. Levon Nazarian, who spoke to delegates about the facility and
noted that doctors from Russia, Ukraine, India and China study at the
center because of its quality instruction. In addition to these
projects of higher learning, AGBU also supports the Yerevan State
University, which is the country’s leading undergraduate institution.

83rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION

Monday’s General Assembly at the Armenia Marriott Hotel was chaired by
AGBU President Berge Setrakian and attended by AGBU members and
supporters.

The AGBU president reviewed the accomplishments and activities for
2002 and 2003, noting that AGBU cannot rest on its laurels. “We must
live up to our collective responsibilities of promoting and preserving
our common heritage…As we look to the horizon, to our Centennial and
beyond, I ask each and every one of you to consider what you can do
today that will make a difference in the life of an Armenian
tomorrow.”

Central Board Member Sinan Sinanian presented the organization’s
2002/2003 Biennial Financial Report, which was distributed to all
members and available in four languages, pointing out that AGBU’s
program expenditures for 2002 and 2003 totaled nearly $57 million,
which represents an increase of over $12.5 million when compared to
1992 and 1993. During the last ten years, AGBU’s net assets increased
by nearly $100 million to $250 million.

Motions to approve the Financial Report, re-elect Central Board
members and other organizational business were unanimously approved.

AGBU members, Hratch Manoukian of Cyprus, Berdj Terzian of Egypt and
Hrant Bardakjian of Canada, received recognition for their longtime
service to the organization and their respective communities.

MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES

Built on the success of the 2002 Worldwide Convention in New York, the
Yerevan Conference sessions at the Armenia Marriott Hotel and the AUA
Business Center, began on October 4th.

Cognizant of the major population shifts that have taken place in
Armenia and the Diaspora which dictate new realities and complexities,
the Conference addressed current needs and future challenges facing
the Armenian nation and AGBU.

Taking to heart Mr. Setrakian’s message that together, “we can make
certain that a hundred years from now, another President of AGBU will
be reporting on AGBU’s current activities and will take great pride,
as I do, in knowing that there is a past filled with a rich history
and a future filled with tremendous promise.” District and Chapter
Chairs discussed and evaluated AGBU’s programs, including the
importance of addressing the needs of Armenian youth in the
twenty-first century, and ensuring that established projects continue
to serve their purpose.

The participants also listened intently to a keynote speech by Nagorno
Karabakh President, Arkady Ghoukassian, who briefed the delegates on
various aspects of life conditions in Karabakh, as well as the present
geo-political issues. He described AGBU’s various projects in
Karabakh, which include the construction of one of the largest streets
in Stepanakert, the construction of an apartment building for war
veteran families, the renovation of a school, the construction of the
village of Norashen, and the funding of the Karabakh Chamber
Orchestra.

“In my opinion, if other pan-Armenian organizations had the same
devotion and enthusiasm, many of our problems would have been solved
by now,” President Ghoukassian said in his remarks.

Other speakers included Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanian of Armenia
2020 and Arpi Vartanian of the Armenian Assembly of America.

In a special session with President Kocharian, AGBU Central Board
members and District Chairmen discussed issues of mutual concern and
the ongoing challenges faced by Armenians not only in Armenia, but
throughout the Diaspora. President Kocharian particularly praised
AGBU’s vital role both in Armenia and the Diaspora and paid tribute to
its past and present leadership.

CULTURE OF THE CAPITAL

AGBU ensured that guests were able to partake in the riches that have
once again become part of the city’s artistic life thanks in part to
AGBU’s support of excellence in the arts. At the Armenian State Opera
House, participants attended the National Theatre of Opera and
Ballet’s performance of “Anoush”. The production was made possible by
a grant from AGBU, and marked the first time in years that the classic
Armenian opera was mounted.

AGBU hosted an official reception in the medieval wing of the National
Gallery of Art on Republic Square that was attended by 1000 guest,
including government officials from Armenia and Karabakh, foreign
ambassadors, leading cultural figures, representatives of various
organizations and institutions and AGBU supporters. His Holiness
Karekin II, Karabakh President Arkady Ghoukassian, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, and former President of the Republic of
Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian were among the distinguished guests in
attendance.

The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been financially
supported by AGBU since 1992, performed a concert at the Khachaturian
Concert Hall dedicated to AGBU’s 83rd General Assembly, and included
music by Khachaturian and Tchaikovsky.

THE ROAD TO KARABAKH

At the conclusion of the General Assembly and World Conference in
Yerevan, a hundred AGBU delegates journeyed to Karabakh for a more
in-depth look at the organization’s projects and met with the
Republic’s elected leaders, including President Arkady Ghoukassian and
Foreign Minister Ashot Ghoulian.

After paying respects to the Alex Manoogian memorial (dedicated to the
Honorary Life President of AGBU) built on a street that bears his
name, AGBU supporters also visited the Karabakh War Memorial to
remember the fallen soldiers buried there. Some of the group continued
from these morning tributes onto the medieval monastery of Gandzasar
north of the capital, while many chose to brave the still war-ravaged
roads to Norashen-a village repopulation project spearheaded by AGBU
France and adopted by AGBU’s Central Board as a centennial
project. Norashen is home to 22 families and is the first of a cluster
of villages to be built in Karabakh.

Returning to Stepanakert, the AGBU group was officially received by
President Arkady Ghoukassian in the National Assembly building, where
they asked questions about the continuing work to rebuild the Republic
and heard the president’s evaluation of their progress. The event was
followed by a performance of the 26-member Karabakh Chamber Orchestra,
which was recently founded through AGBU funds.

A RENEWED COMMITMENT

Like any young democracy, Armenia faces many challenges and
obstacles. Independence has brought greater responsibilities not only
for the elected leaders of Armenia, but also for the entire
Diaspora. With a clear understanding of its Armenia programs, AGBU
members left with a renewed enthusiasm to confront new challenges with
innovative ideas, or as Mr. Setrakian noted during the General
Assembly session, “rather than employ old strategies to meet new
realities, we must evaluate what is working and what is not, and seek
out new programs that will attract and excite the next generation of
Armenians.”

With AGBU’s centennial fast approaching, the organization will
continue its quest to meet the challenges of tomorrow and provide
meaningful programs that improve the lives of Armenians across the
globe.

AGBU is the largest non-profit organization in the world and reaches
400,000 Armenians annually in 34 countries through its educational,
humanitarian and cultural projects. For more information, pictures and
the full text of speeches presented at the General Assembly and World
Conference, please visit

Armenian Kurds urge EU to force Turkey to free separatist leader

Arminfo
29 Oct 04

YEREVAN

Representatives of Armenia’s Kurdish community today held a peaceful
rally outside the Yerevan office of the European Commission, chanting
“Freedom to Ocalan” [the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party –
PKK].

The member of the Caucasus representative office of the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party, (?Denis Baran), said that Turkey is striving for
membership of the European Union [EU] and the EU has expressed its
readiness to accept Turkey. In this connection, Denis Baran noted that
the EU must put pressure on Turkey in order for the authorities of
this country to release the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party,
Abdullah Ocalan. “Turkey cannot become a member of the EU with this
burden and with such a human rights record,” the Kurdish
representative announced, emphasizing the bad conditions in which
their leader is held in a Turkish prison.

To recap, according to various estimations, from 300,000 to 400,000
Kurds, who profess Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Islam and other
religions, are living in Armenia. The Kurds in Armenia have been
granted full freedom of faith and a chance to learn their native
language and history.

New Britain Herald, CT
29 Oct. 2004

Chamber to honor Harry Mazadoorian

By WILLIAM F. MILLERICK, Special to The Herald 10/29/2004

There are people who lead magnificent lives, in the purest sense of the
word. They inspire loyal friendship, they contribute to advancing
society and through their relentless optimism and sharing of their
innate talents, they inspire others to do the same. In short, their
deeds and words bring out the best in people.

For 20 years, the New Britain Chamber of Commerce has presented a
Distinguished Community Service Award at its annual meeting. This year,
on the celebration of two decades of recognizing leadership, the
recipient is someone who has lead just such a magnificent life.

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Harry Mazadoorian, attorney, professor, author, community and political
leader, is this year’s Distinguished Community Service honoree. From
the day we announced this year’s award, the enthusiasm and genuine warm
good wishes have been terrific. And that is as it should be.

Harry Mazadoorian moves easily in many circles, some interconnected,
some not. He has friends from his youth as a student in New Britain
schools, a Herald carrier and graduate of New Britain High School. He
has many close friends from his days at Yale College and Yale Law
School. He has friends from his days in New Britain politics and his
time as Common Council majority leader. He has friends from the local
Armenian community and church.

The list goes on and on because Harry Mazadoorian’s life hasn’t been
two acts, it’s been in many acts. A few years ago, he was the chief
writer and the editor of what is nationally recognized as the single
best book on dispute resolution through mediation, the “Mediation
Practice Handbook.” There is nowhere near enough space here to go into
his later-life career as perhaps the pre-eminent national authority on
dispute resolution, but know this, as a Distinguished Professor of
Dispute Resolution at Quinnipiac Law School, he has been invited to
speak and headline at conferences around the world.

As this alternative to high-cost litigation has continued to gain
acceptance, much of it through Mazadoorian’s work, it is increasingly
being looked at as an important component of tort reform. Nationally
recognized, with friends in the highest of places, he never forgot
home, and home has never forgotten him.

Today, as he serves as chairman of New Britain General Hospital’s board
of directors his time is also spent on the American Savings Foundation
and the Banknorth boards. In the recent past, he’s been involved with
many community organizations, from Klingberg Family Centers, the
Visiting Nurses Association, the Red Cross, Family Services and others.
Many of them have called to secure reservations for the Nov. 18 dinner
at the CCSU Student Center ballroom. Information on the event, which
runs from 5 to 8 p.m., is available by contacting the Chamber at (860)
229-1665 or

Through every phase of his life, Harry Mazadoorian has always been what
many refer to as “a New Britain guy.” A New Britain guy is someone who,
when you run into them on the street or at a function, or have lunch,
talks about the city’s possibilities, about how history can positively
impact the future, about what’s right with New Britain. In short, a
“New Britain guy” is a booster and always will be.

I first met Harry Mazadoorian when I was editorial writer at The Herald
and you could see, instantly, that this was someone who looked for the
greatest good in the city and the people who worked and lived here.
People like Harry Mazadoorian made others proud to be here. His roots
are here and they’ll always be here, no matter how many notables he is
friends with or appears with.

A lot of people know that Mazadoorian is a very close friend of Fay
Vincent, the former commissioner of Major League Baseball. “We talk
almost every day,” he told me recently, when I pressed him.
Mazadoorian, Vincent and the late Bart Giammatti were classmates at
Yale together. Mazadoorian knew Vincent and Giammatti independently of
each other and eventually, those two met, essentially forming a trio.

That trio was tragically broken with Giammatti’s shockingly sudden
death of a massive heart attack in 1989, one week after he handed Pete
Rose a lifetime suspension from baseball for gambling. When Giammatti
died, Vincent, who was his deputy commissioner, rose to the
commissioner’s post. Mazadoorian, as loyal a Red Sox fan as you’ll
find, was Vincent’s frequent guest at the World Series and baseball
events over the years, which meant putting in an awful lot of time
watching the Yankees.

“This is a special week for me,” he said yesterday. “I’m very flattered
by this award and with the Red Sox finally winning, that’s a good
week.”

Harry Mazadoorian walks in many circles, local, national, athletic,
intellectual. He is welcome and respected in all of them. In every
circle he enters, home and away, he represents New Britain and he
represents this great city with a assured dignity and unmeasured
affection that is worth emulating.

I thought it was revealing, how he described a dinner with Yogi Berra.
“Bill, you’d have thought he was a New Britain guy. He was like 200
other people you know in New Britain, quiet, hard-working, modest,
successful.”

I suspect Harry Mazadoor-ian got along pretty well with Yogi that
night. It sounds like they’re a lot alike.

William F. Millerick is president of the New Britain Chamber of
Commerce. He may be reached at bill@newbritainchamber.