Author: Vasilian Manouk

Buffalo News (New York)
April 2, 2004 Friday, FINAL EDITION

DREAM DATE/ BAIRD TRIO OFF TO CARNEGIE HALL/

by MARY KUNZ; News Classical Music Critic

PREVIEW
WHAT: Baird Trio’s Carnegie Hall warm-up
WHEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Slee Hall, UB North Campus, Amherst
TICKETS: $5
INFO: 645-2921

/ Next week, when the Baird Trio plays Carnegie Hall, its concert
will be a dream come true.

Not that the musicians haven’t ever played Carnegie Hall. Cellist
Jonathan Golove has appeared at the historic hall’s Weill Recital
Hall (and he’ll be returning in May with flutist Cheryl Gobbetti
Hoffman). Pianist Stephen Manes has played there numerous times.

So Carnegie Hall is hardly a dream to the musicians. No, the dream
lies in the music itself.

The Baird Trio has always taken a bold approach to music, embracing
the old and the new. This concert is a typical adventure — but it
has a theme.

One piece the trio will be playing is “Bad Dreams,” an excerpt from
“Red Harvest,” Golove’s opera in progress based on Dashiel Hammett
stories. Haydn’s Trio in E flat minor, with its “Jacob’s Dream”
finale, continues the dream theme. Also on the program is “Dream of
Dreams,” by the young Armenian composer Vache Sharafyan.

Pogossian, who is from Armenia, greatly admires Sharafyan both as a
composer and a countryman. “He’s a close friend of mine, someone I
love and respect in an equal amount,” he says. “He is a very deep
musician who also is very attuned to our common Armenian heritage,
the Armenian tradition.”

Sharafyan, he adds, is well-versed in the roots of Armenia’s
classical music, folk music and church music, including Gregorian
chant structures. “To me,” Pogossian says, “his music is always an
emotional journey.”

The program opens with five Bagatelles by Tigran Mansurian, Armenia’s
best-known contemporary composer. “They’re really beautiful,” Manes
says. “They’re short, poetic and eloquent.”

The musicians’ fun-loving side emerges with Charles Ives’ piano trio,
completed around 1914. The Scherzo movement is especially famous; the
composer labeled it TSIAJ, for “This Scherzo Is a Joke.”

“Ives is one of the greatest representative, if not the greatest,
American composer,” Pogossian says. “It seems almost a duty to
include him, along with another leading American composer, Golove.”
His colleagues laugh.

Golove’s opera, “Red Harvest,” is an adventure in progress. The
segment “Bad Dreams,” which the trio will be premiering at Carnegie
Hall, is a pivotal scene in which the hero meets the heroine for the
first time. Their meeting takes place, Golove explains, to the
accompaniment of a radio playing such sultry jazz standards as “Body
and Soul” and “Night and Day.” “I won’t say everyone will get all the
references, and I wouldn’t want them to,” Golove says.

The scene requires immense finesse on the part of the performers, who
have to portray, simultaneously, the hero, the heroine and the radio.
Preparing the piece for this particular concert was also a challenge
for Golove, who had to write the vocal version, and then transcribe
it for trio. “The ink is somewhat dry,” he jokes.

How does it feel to be premiering his opera in Carnegie Hall?

“Rather a thrill,” he says.

The Baird Trio performs its pre-Carnegie Hall warmup concert Tuesday
at 8 p.m. at Slee Hall on UB’s Amherst Campus. Admission is $5. For
info, call 645-2921.

e-mail: [email protected]

GRAPHIC: Cellist Jonathan Golove, violinist Movses Pogossian and
pianist Stephen Manes make up the Baird Trio./

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
March 31, 2004

LIVENING UP THE SPIRITUAL AND SECULAR LIFE

The Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church intends opening
chair of theology at Artsakh State University. This was announced by
the head of the Diocese of Artsakh, Parghev archbishop Martirossian.
Yerevan State University has a faculty of theology already, and it is
time to think for this in Artsakh. The Diocese also intends founding
the Student’s Union of Churchgoers headed by ArSU. Similar
organizations already operate in Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora,
greatly contributing to both spiritual and secular life. Archbishop
Martirossian added that his cherished dream is introduce at schools
the subject old Armenian language, at least starting with the 3rd or
4th grades. “Every Armenian teenager should be aware of his original
language, the Armenian language that was the language of Noah, which
also has a theological origin. If we fulfill this, it will be a great
achievement, said the archbishop of Artsakh.”

LAURA GRIGORIAN.

Lew Rockwell, CA
April 2 2004

Leave Syria Alone
by Glen Chancy

Every night of the year, pilgrims climb to the mountain-top Saidnaya
monastery church for a vespers service. Built 1,500 years ago, for
many in the Middle East it is a site second in importance only to
Jerusalem. Inside the ancient Orthodox church with its golden icons,
a priest monk blesses the pilgrims with a censor as the men bob up
and down on prayer carpets. The women kiss icons in veneration, and
light candles in prayer. This is a familiar scene, one played out in
Orthodox churches all around the world. Only here there is one
notable exception. At this church, located about 25 km north of
Damascus, most of the pilgrims on any given night are heavily-bearded
Muslim men, usually accompanied by their shrouded wives.

Syria – target of American sanctions, junior member of the “Axis of
Evil,” repressive dictatorship, and the best nation in the Middle
East in which to live if you are a Christian.

Christianity in Syria is ancient. A Christian community was already
firmly established in Damascus within a few decades of Christ’s
resurrection. St. Paul was traveling there to carry out persecution
of Christians when Jesus Himself appeared to him. Throughout
Byzantine times, and well into the era of Islam, Damascus was a
center of Christian learning and scholarship. The writings of such
Syrian divines as St. John of Damascus helped define the Christian
faith, and are still required reading in seminaries throughout the
world.

Today, Christians in Syria comprise approximately 8-10% of the
population, an estimated 1.3 million people. The majority of them are
Eastern Orthodox Christians under the Patriarchate of Antioch. The
historic city of Antioch, where followers of Jesus Christ were first
called Christians, is actually physically located inside modern day
Turkey. However, the Patriarchate fled U.S. ally Turkey in the 1930’s
in order to find greater freedom in Syria, a nation the U.S.
considers its enemy.

Syria does not recognize Islam as the state religion, unlike almost
all other states of the Middle East. Proselytizing is not illegal.
The website, International Christian Concern, reports that no
government sponsored acts of religious persecution have been
witnessed in Syria, and that no prisoners are being held because of
their Christian beliefs. Syrian identity cards do not list religion,
a fact that makes Christians feel more secure here than elsewhere in
the Middle East. Major Christian celebrations such as Christmas and
Easter are official national holidays. State-run television channels
even run Christmas programs. Unlike other Middle Eastern nations in
which public Christian displays are banned, each Easter hundreds of
thousands of Christians take to the streets of Damascus for joyous
processions. On any given Sunday, more Christians are at worship in
Syria than in such formerly Christian nations as England.

Christian populations have been on the decline for decades throughout
the Middle East. In the last 20 years alone, discrimination and
persecution have driven two million Christians to seek new lives for
themselves in Europe and the United States. Many towns and villages
that were once overwhelmingly Christian within living memory are now
virtually Christian-free. Only Syria has bucked this trend. Syrian
Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Mar Gregorios Ibrahim, told
journalist William Dalrymple, “Christians are better off in Syria
than anywhere else in the Middle East. Other than Lebanon, this is
the only country in the region where a Christian can really feel the
equal of a Muslim. If Syria were not here, we would be finished. It
is a place of sanctuary, a haven for all Christians: for the
Nestorians driven out of Iraq, the Syrian Orthodox and the Armenians
driven out of Turkey, even the Palestinian Christians driven out by
the Israelis.”

Why Is Syria So Special?

The combination of two factors has created the relatively happy
situation for Christians in Syria. First, the ruling of party of
Syria is the Ba’ath. The ideological founder of this party, whose
name is Arabic for “rebirth,” was Michel Aflaq, a native of Syria and
a staunch Christian. The main objectives of the Ba’ath Movement, as
envisioned by such thinkers as Aflaq, were secularism, socialism, and
pan-Arab unionism. These objectives are summed up in the party
slogan, “Unity, Freedom, Socialism.”

Two regimes have made use of Aflaq’s ideology, one in Syria and the
other in Iraq. Neither has lived up to his dream. Aflaq was both a
strident defender of human rights and a tireless champion of the
poor. However, both wings of the Ba’ath Party have maintained his
relentlessly secularist orientation. It is that ideological umbrella
which provides the cover under which Syrian Christianity flourishes
today.

In addition to Ba’ath ideology, the ethnic composition of Syria’s
ruling elite encourages policies of tolerance. General Hafez al-Assad
took control of Syria in a 1970 coup. Assad was an Alawite, a Muslim
minority that is despised by Sunni Muslims as heretical. Orthodox
Muslims often deride Alawites as “little Christians.” As the Alawite
liturgy seems to be at least partly Christian in origin, this barb
probably contains at least some truth.

Prior to Assad’s coup, Sunni Muslims had ruled Syria for 1,400 years.
The new dictator quickly reversed the long-standing pecking order
within Syrian society that had kept Sunnis at the top for so long. In
the new Syria, Assad organized the religious minorities, including
the Christians, into a bulwark against the Sunnis. The Sunnis, to say
the least, were somewhat disturbed by this. The Muslim Brotherhood, a
fundamentalist Sunni Muslim organization, actually declared a jihad
against the Assad regime in 1976, after Syria intervened in the
Lebanese Civil War on the side of the Christians. The Assad regime
eventually crushed the Brotherhood in 1982, killing over 10,000
Sunnis in their heartland of Hama. Ever since, Muslim fundamentalism
has been ruthlessly kept in check.

Hafez Assad died in 2000. Towards the end of his life, five of his
seven closest advisors were Christians. His successor and son,
34-year-old Bashar al-Assad, has largely continued his father’s
governing policies. Despite his relative youth, the junior Assad has
shown indications of being a talented man and good head of state. But
he is also an embattled leader who faces serious opposition from
abroad, fueled primarily by his regime’s continued support of
Palestinian resistance groups, and Syria’s continued occupation of
Lebanon.

Syria in the Cross Hairs

Assad’s primary antagonists are the U.S. and Israel. In October 2003,
Israel staged an air attack on Syria in retaliation for a suicide
bombing in Haifa. At the end of 2003, the U.S. enacted a sanctions
protocol. The result of these moves, so the Bush and Sharon
Administrations hope, will be a great Jeffersonian democracy akin to
the success story unfolding in nearby Iraq. In an article published
by National Review Online, Oubai Shahbandar, the U.S. spokesman for
the Reform Party of Syria, stated exactly what the U.S. and Israel is
seeking, “American and European policymakers must make it clear to
the current Syrian dictatorship that there can be only two choices:
capitulate to the will of the Syrian people and let a new democratic,
free Syria emerge or face the humiliation suffered by your fellow
Baathist neighbors in Iraq.”

To further the Bush Administration goal of fostering “a change in
Syria,” The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration
Act of 2003 was passed with overwhelming support in both the House
and the Senate. The officially stated goals of this law are: “To halt
Syrian support for terrorism, end its occupation of Lebanon, stop its
development of weapons of mass destruction, cease its illegal
importation of Iraqi oil and illegal shipments of weapons and other
military items to Iraq, and by so doing hold Syria accountable for
the serious international security problems it has caused in the
Middle East, and for other purposes.”

The act bans all transfers of “dual-use” technology to Syria. In
addition, the act recommends a wide range of sanctions against Syria,
including: reducing diplomatic contacts with Syria, banning U.S.
exports (except food and medicine) to Syria, prohibiting U.S.
businesses from investing or operating in Syria, restricting the
travel of Syrian diplomats in the United States, banning Syrian
aircraft from operating in the United States, and freezing Syrian
assets in the United States. The act obligates the executive branch
to enact at least two of the recommended sanctions, but does permit
the president to waive the sanctions if it is determined that they
would harm U.S. national security.

The act was hailed by hawks in both the U.S. and Israel. The
Christian Coalition ranked its passage as one of its major
legislative victories in the 108th Congress. There has also been, of
course, the inevitable talk of military action against Syria, should
the act fail to induce the desired effects. Richard Perle, for one,
has suggested that there are troops to spare in Iraq that can occupy
Syria in short order. So far, however, the Bush Administration has
downplayed the military option.

Revealingly, the remaining leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood,
living in exile for the past 20 years in London, are also calling for
a democratic Iraq. Prior to the visit of Pope John Paul II to Syria
in 2001, the group published a statement that proclaimed, “The utmost
that any political group can do is to take its place on the national
map according to the size it is given by its actual popularity
through the free and honest ballot boxes.” It seems that Muslim
fundamentalists have no objection to free elections they expect to
win.

Calls for freedom and democracy sound innocent enough to Americans,
for whom these two words are practically synonyms. However, trying to
forcibly implant such notions in a religiously fractious society such
as Syria is a recipe for disaster, particularly for the Christians.
Under the Assad regime, Christians have enjoyed religious and
cultural freedom unparalleled in the Middle East. As critics charge,
Syria is indeed a one-party police state totally bereft of political
freedoms. However, it is precisely because of the strict control the
regime keeps over the political life of the country that it can
extend security and freedom of worship to religious minorities. A
democratic system would bring to power a Sunni-dominated government
that would be far less accommodating to Christians, and could usher
in a round of genocide unimaginable in scale.

It is precisely for this reason that religious minorities in Syria,
the Christians above all, fear that current U.S. policy in the Middle
East will bring down the Assad regime. The founding of a de facto
Kurdistan in Northern Iraq has already rocked the Assad regime by
encouraging riots among Syria’s Kurds. Many analysts suspect that
these riots may have even been actively organized by outside forces.
In addition, international isolation is likely to only increase the
pressure on an already weak Syrian economy. If things continue in
this vein, Assad’s grip on power could lessen, paving the way for his
acceding to hard-line Sunni demands for a more religious state, or
even his outright ouster.

It is true that problems with Syria do exist. In contrast to its
tolerance of minorities at home, the record of the Syrian regime in
its occupation of Lebanon has been decidedly mixed. Since intervening
to stop the Lebanese Civil War in 1976, Syria has pursued a strategy
of “divide and conqueror” as a method of control. Thus, Syria has, at
some point, cultivated alliances with almost every faction in that
tortured country’s religious conflict. This has caused a great deal
of pain among Lebanese Christians, many of whom chafe under continued
Syrian dominance of their country. It is also true that Syria
provides some measure of assistance to groups, such as Hezbollah and
Hamas, who are currently fighting Israel. (Syria has no link to any
organization that has ever attacked the United States. Osama Bin
Laden will get no support from Damascus.)

Even given the shortcoming of the Assad regime, it is impossible at
this time to envision how imposing democracy on Syria could improved
the situation. After all, if one wishes to know how a more
“democratic” Syria would turn out, one only has to look next door to
Iraq for the answer.

Inside “Liberated” Iraq

At Basra University, menacing groups of men have been stopping cars
at the university gates and haranguing women whose heads are
uncovered, accusing them of violating Islamic law. Even Christians
have started wearing headscarves out of fear, something that never
happened under Saddam Hussein’s regime. Organized into armed
militias, Muslim fanatics roam the streets of Basra, waging a
campaign of fear to enforce Muslim law. Christian alcohol vendors
have been gunned down in their shops, and others have had their shops
destroyed. Christians throughout Iraq report confiscations of
property, kidnapping of family members for ransom, and violent
attacks on homes. Christian churches operate only during daylight
hours out of fear, and many Christians stay away altogether.

To make matters worse, the compromise Transitional Administrative Law
has actually gone far towards officially establishing Islamic rule in
what was once a secular country. Article 7 states, in part, that
“Islam is the official religion of the State and is to be considered
a source of legislation. No law that contradicts the universally
agreed tenets of Islam, the principles of democracy, or the rights
cited in Chapter Two of this Law may be enacted during the
transitional period. This Law respects the Islamic identity of the
majority of the Iraqi people and guarantees the full religious rights
of all individuals to freedom of religious belief and practice.”
Given the fact that many of these requirements are contradictory,
most Christians fear that Islamic law will become the source of power
in the new Iraq.

Iraqi Christian groups have characterized the Bush Administration’s
policies in Iraq as a “treacherous conspiracy.” It is very possible
that this treachery will lead to the extinction of one of the world’s
oldest Christian nations in its own homeland. Despite repeated calls
for help by Iraqi Christians, loyalty to the Bush Administration and
devotion to Israel have kept the Christian community within the
United States largely silent.

Summing up the situation, one Christian merchant told an AP reporter,
“No one can say things under Saddam Hussein were good in Iraq, but
now with the situation we are in now, we look back on them as
perfect.”

A Call to Action and Prayer

A newly “liberated” Syria would look no prettier than does the newly
“liberated” Iraq. For this reason, it is imperative that Americans,
particularly Christian Americans, take notice of the plight of our
brothers and sisters in Syria and Iraq. First, we must pray fervently
for the safety of Syrian and Iraqi Christians. Second, the Bush
Administration must hear from us loudly and clearly. We must find our
voices to cry out on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.

The reckless bluster directed at Syria must end immediately along
with all U.S. sanctions. At the same time, the Bush Administration
must stop building the Islamic Republic of Iraq, and immediately find
a way to provide for the security of Christians living in that badly
destabilized country. The consequences of failing to hold George Bush
accountable for his catastrophic policies could be dire. Christians
in United States cannot remain silent. If we do, then we are guilty
of shedding the Blood of Christ just as surely as if we had hammered
the nails ourselves.

April 2, 2004

Glen Chancy [send him mail] is a graduate of the University of
Florida with a degree in Political Science, and a certificate in
Eastern European Studies. A former University lecturer in Poland, he
currently holds an MBA in Finance and works in Orlando, Florida as a
business analyst for an international software developer.

ARMENIA, UN BODY SIGN MEMO ON FIGHT AGAINST TRAFFICKING

Mediamax news agency
30 Mar 04

YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and the permanent
representative of the UNDP, Lise Grande, signed a programme of
cooperation to combat trafficking in Yerevan today.

The programme envisages measures aimed at developing the institutional
capacity of national bodies, stepping up control on the borders,
bringing back victims of trafficking and reintegrating them into
society and so on, the Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told
Mediamax news agency.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 26, 2004, Friday

TWO SIDES OF THE 102ND BASE

SOURCE: Nezavisimoe Voennoe Obozrenie, No 10, March 19 – 25, 2004, p.8

by Igor Plugatarev

Several hundred meters divide checkpoints of two military units in
Yerevan outskirts.Closer to the city is the Russian regiment, and the
other one is a communication regiment of the Armenian Armed Forces.
According to the military, both units are elements of the Russian
102nd military base in Armenia. It means that they comprise a single
military structure. And yet, differences are undeniable. Entrance to
the Russian checkpoint is barred by slabs of concrete making entry
more difficult. The Armenian unit does not have this fortification
against terrorists. The Armenians are surprised as well, that Russian
soldiers manning checkpoints always wear heavy bulletproof vests.
“Why bother?” the locals shrug.

Armenia does care for the military. Lieutenant Colonel Vartan
Stepanjan, 43, communication regiment commander (he became an officer
by chance, it happened during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh) claims
that officers of the Armenian army have no reasons to complain.
“Status of our officers is higher than that of an average citizen,”
he explained. “Average salary in Armenia amounts to 15,000 drams
while officers are paid three or four times that. Sometimes, they are
even paid six or seven times that, depending on the position.” The
sum is an equivalent of between $150 and $250, while average teachers
for example are paid $30-50. “Moreover, salaries in the army are
always paid on time,” Stepanjan added.

The two cantonments are divided by a concrete wall topped with barbed
wire. There is a metal door painted green with an inspection hole in
the wall.

“What about the division of functions from the point of view of
combat tasks?” this correspondent inquired. “There is no definite
division,” Stepanjan replied. “Russian servicemen and we accomplish
whatever missions are given us.” “Any problems with the language?” –
“No. All negotiations are restricted to the upper level of command.
Everybody speaks good Russian there. At the same time, almost all our
soldiers speak Russia too because it is taught at schools.” Almost
all soldiers in the regiment are Armenians.

According to Stepanjan, the regiment is a unit of permanent combat
readiness. It provides communications for Supreme Commander-in-Chief
Robert Kocharjan, Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisjan, and chief of the
General Staff. Military hardware here is of Soviet vintage or Russian
(that is so throughout the Armenian army). The regiment is between
15% and 20% men under complement which enables it to deal with the
tasks dished out by the command. The regiment was in charge of
communications of the united command post of the Russian army group
in Armenia in the past. These days, this is the task of the Russian
communication battalion withdrawn from Georgia to Gyumri (former
Leninakan).

The Armenian national army is a carbon copy of the Soviet Army. All
four battle codes are verbatim copies of codes of the Soviet Army.

Everything in old brick barracks is the way it as in the Soviet Army
too.

All soldiers come from the provinces. Under the national legislation,
a conscript cannot be assigned to an unit closer than 50 kilometers
from his home. Soldiers are drafted for two years. They are paid
1,560 drams (approximately $3 or 100 Russian rubles). According to
commanders, their subordinates do not have anything to complain
about. They do not look hungry or frightened indeed.

Neither do soldiers of the Armenian national army complain of cruelty
in the barracks. “I cannot say that we do not have it in the army at
all,” Stepanjan said. “I served in a lot of places and units and I
can tell you that we do not have cruelty in the barracks by 98%.
There is no such thing in my regiment here.” The officer ascribes it
to “commanders’ efforts, our mentality, attitude of the people toward
the army, and our traditions.” There are other problems – AWOLs and
drinking – but Stepanjan is philosophical about that. “Soldiers will
remain soldiers,” he said.

In 2003, Stepanjan’s regiment participated in the exercise of eleven
CIS and eight NATO countries. Said Stepanjan, “Watching our guys
handle the military hardware, the Americans wanted to know how they
were and how long they had already served. We informed them that some
servicemen had spent six months in service, others twelve months. The
Americans were impressed by our professionalism.”

The Armenian military does not think too much of the Americans. “They
are poor shooters. Their vaunted assault rifles misfired all too
frequently at shooting ranges. Not so our guys who hit all targets
with their AKMs and K-3s” (an Armenian automatic rifle resembling the
Israeli Uzi – Nezavisimoe Voennoe Obozrenie).

As a matter of fact, the Armenians are convinced that NATO servicemen
participating in that exercise were “mostly CIA and army
intelligence. They came to find out the state of affairs here, to
gauge our fighting spirit, and see what military hardware we
operated.”

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Youth Federation
Western United States
104 N. Belmont St. Suite 206
Glendale, CA 91206
Contact: Raffi Semerdjian
Tel: 818.507.1933
Fax: 818.240.3442
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Over 100 AYF Members Attend Educational Seminar

The Armenian Youth Federation Western United States Garo Madenlian Public
Affairs Office announced Tuesday that over 100 AYF members participated in
the Annual AYF Educational Seminar on March 19-21 at AYF Camp Big Pines.

The weekend, which was directed by Karnig Sarkissian, incorporated several
educational activities, lectures, and discussions about developments within
the ARF in light of the conclusion of the 29th World Congress, activism in
the American political system, and the translation of ideology into
ideological work.

`The seminar was a great success,’ explained Raffi Semerdjian, Administrator
of Public Relations and Publications for the AYF. `New and innovative
methods of educationals, combined with a patriotic and social atmosphere
provided the opportunity for our members to learn more about political
activism, the ARF, and even a better understanding of ourselves,’ elaborated
Semerdjian.

The educationals included a mock presidential election conducted by chairman
of the Armenian National Committee of America Western Region, Raffi
Hamparian, and a discussion about the 29th World Congress of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation led by ARF Western Region Central Committee
Chairman Hovig Saliba.

`Participants from eight chapters gathered at AYF Camp and learned about
various new topics currently involving Armenia and Armenians, while being
able to learn from one another through feedback and debate,’ said Melanie
Vartabedian, member of the AYF Educational Central Council.

In what has become customary of AYF seminars and camps, the participants
sang Armenian patriotic and revolutionary songs Saturday Night.

“To best serve our cause we must first be well educated about the issues at
hand,” said Vicken Sosikian, Chairman of the AYF Western Region. “We hope
that our members implement what they have taken from the weekend into
productive, results-driven work toward the realization of our goals,”
explained Sosikian.

The Armenian Youth Federation of the Western United States serves Armenian
American communities west of the Mississippi through education, athletics,
political activism, cultural activities and social settings. To learn more
about the Armenian Youth Federation please log on to

#####

News Advisory
March 25, 2004

Armenia Fund, Inc., (AFI)
Khachatur Khudikyan
Tel: 818 243-6222
Fax: 818 243-7222
E-mail: [email protected]

AFI to Raise Awareness and Expand Outreach Efforts

-AFI to Generate Momentum for Crucial Development Projects in Armenia
and Karabagh-

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 25) – The Armenia Fund, Inc., (AFI), under new
leadership, announced yesterday its objectives and goals for the
upcoming year. Laying out strategy that will take AFI beyond 2004, the
organization hopes to build on the foundations of the past, while
transitioning and implementing new and innovative outreach and
fundraising projects to benefit the Republic of Armenia and Karabagh.
Since her appointment as chairperson of AFI, Maria Mehranian has met
with numerous community leaders and organizations throughout the Los
Angeles metropolitan area to ensure participation, support and renewed
activism for AFI and its upcoming projects. “Today’s Diaspora is
stronger than ever before with its human capital and access to
resources. The AFI can be an effective channel to direct these resources
to projects that will ensure the continued economic development and
stability of Armenia and Karabagh.,” said Mehranian. “Today marks the
tenth anniversary of the AFI Inc., in California,” stated Ara Aghishian,
Esq., Vice Chair of AFI. “We sincerely thank everyone and every
organization for their support during the past ten years, and look
forward to continuing the gratifying task of aiding our homeland as
Armenian-Americans,” concluded Aghishian.
AFI’s new outreach program identifies several key components necessary
to optimize the Fund’s potential: generate increased awareness of AFI
and its projects, cultivate and solicit new donors at all levels,
enhance contacts with corporate foundations and organizations, expand
grassroots outreach efforts through special events and programs, and
identify Diaspora desired development projects in Armenia and Karabagh.
“AFI, through its annual telethon and newly established fundraising and
outreach efforts, will continue to assist Armenia and Karabagh in
implementing the vital foundations of infrastructure building, economic
growth, and social and cultural development,” concluded Mehranian.

AFI is the US West coast affiliate of the Hayastan All-Armenia Fund
(HAAF). Established in 1994 to facilitate humanitarian assistance to
Karabagh and Armenia through the united efforts of Armenian communities
throughout the world, HAAF has administered over $80 million in
humanitarian, rehabilitation and construction aid – including numerous
projects such as the Goris-Stepanakert Lifeline Highway, the North-South
Backbone Highway, as well as water, heating fuel and electricity
distribution, school and orphanage aid, hospital/health care development
and refugee and earthquake housing.

For more information on AFI and its activities, please contact
Khachatur Khudikyan at 818 243-6222 of the AFI office.
Armenia Fund, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, is the West
Coast affiliate of the “Hayastan” All Armenian Fund headquartered in
Yerevan, Armenia. Since 1996, AFI has generated over $20 million for
various humanitarian projects

Newsday, NY
March 24 2004

FILM FESTIVAL: Political dynamite from new directors

BY JOHN ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER

The New York film fan’s equivalent of spring training and the Final
Four, New Directors/New Films begins its 33rd year tonight with as
much international flavor and political volatility as it’s probably
ever shown.

Presented jointly by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Film
Department of the Museum of Modern Art, the annual showcase for
filmmakers and movies fresh to the area kicks off tonight with the
multiculti, multicharacter “Everyday People” – a touching populist
portrait of a transitioning Brooklyn neighborhood by returning
director Jim McKay (“Our Song”). Between now and April 4, the series
will screen 28 films from 23 countries (including Armenia, Mongolia,
Israel and Peru) and probably set off more than a couple of
firestorms, with work topical enough to qualify as news bulletins.

Most notably among these is “Control Room,” (USA-Egypt, 2004), in
which young Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim explores the
inner workings of the Arab news agency Al-Jazeera during the onset of
the current Iraq War. As implied by the title, however, “Control
Room” is not just about the Arab perspective but the U.S. military’s
carefully crafted dissemination of combat information, the media’s
willingness to swallow it and the general dilemma of news during
wartime.

Elsewhere, “Checkpoint” by Israeli filmmaker Yoav Shamir was filmed
over two years at the dozens of border crossings along the occupied
West Bank and Gaza Strip and documents the frustrating, humiliating
and destructive daily encounters between Israeli soldiers and
Palestinian travelers. Insightful, unflattering and often
infuriating, “Checkpoint” offers yet another angle on the Byzantine
relationship between the Israeli and Arab worlds.

On the lighter side is the ravishing “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
… and Spring,” which will do nothing to diminish the growing
stature of Korean filmmaking throughout the world. Directed by Kim
Ki-duk, “Spring … ” is set on a secluded lake and floating
monastery, where a monk and a young boy traverse the seasons of life.
Beautifully shot (and metaphorically shameless), the film has been
getting raves at festivals worldwide.

Its stylistic counterpoint might be “Le Monde Vivant,” a fairy tale
in blue jeans in which French theater director Eugene Green
re-imagines a world of medieval chivalry and adventure with
modern-looking people and a lion played by a golden retriever.
Alternately whimsical and enchanting, “Le Monde Vivant” is joyful,
and more than a little thought-provoking.

“I’m very pleased with ND/NF this year,” said Richard Pena, who, with
Joanna Ney and Marian Masone, composes the selection committee’s Film
Society component (MoMA members are Laurence Kardish, Jytte Jensen
and Mary Lea Bandy). “It’s a nice, broad selection, internationally
and stylistically.”

And politically. And intellectually. And, perhaps, in the case of
“Spring, Summer … ” even poetically.

WHEN&WHERE

New Directors/New Films, today through April 4. For complete list of
films and descriptions, go to
Screenings will be held at three venues: Alice Tully Hall, the Walter
Reade Theater at Lincoln Center and the MOMA Gramercy, 23rd Street
near Lexington Avenue, Manhattan. Call 212-875-5050.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 22 2004

Three Armenians Killed In Mine Explosion

Baku Today 22/03/2004 16:48

Three Armenian civilians were killed and another six wounded after
their jeep hit a land mine in Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno
(Daghlig)-Karabakh region (NK), a London-based demining organization
said on Friday, according to the Associated Press.
The explosion happened Sunday evening, the office of HALO Trust in
NK’s regional capital Khankendi (Stepanakert) said.

NK, Azerbaijan’s mainly ethnic-Armenian populated western region,
remains laced with mines after it was occupied by Armenia in 1991-94
war along with the country’s seven administrative districts – Lachin,
Kelbejer, Aghdam, Fuzulu, Jebrail, Zengilan and Gubadli.
A cease-fire between Baku and Yerevan was signed in 1994, but the
region’s political status is unresolved and Armenian and Azeri forces
face off across a demilitarized zone.

Including the latest explosion, HALO said seven civilians have died
in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories. Nine people died in 2003.

CENN — MARCH 22, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. 3rd Georgia International Oil, Gas, Energy and Infrastructure
Conference and Showcase
2. Invitation to Comment on the Country Strategy for Georgia
3. Registration for Healthy Planet Forum
4. Call for proposals for the European Initiative for Democracy and
Human Rights Micro Projects program
5. International Perspectives in Environmental Education

1. 3RD GEORGIA INTERNATIONAL OIL, GAS, ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
CONFERENCE AND SHOWCASE
GIOGIE 2004

A two-day 3rd Georgia International Oil, Gas, Energy and Infrastructure
2004 Conference kicked off at the Sheraton Metechi palace Hotel Thursday
supported by Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Georgia, and Georgian
International Oil Corporation (GIOC). 180 delegates from 15 countries
are participating in the conference. Development of BTC pipeline and
South Caucasian gas pipeline Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum was discussed at
the conference. Participants include BP, BTC Co., GIOC, Georgian Oil,
Socar, Botas, Kazmunaigaz, Statoil, Ukransnafta, IFC, EBRD, RAO UES,
Gazprom, ChevronTexaco, Spie-Petrofac, Marsh, Ernst & Young, AON,
McConnell Dowell, USAID and many others.

GIOGIE 2004 sponsors include: GIOC, Batumi Oil Terminal, BP, Statoil,
Spie-Petrofac, Marsh, Ernst & Young, ENR Russia Invest, Channel Enery,
BCI, Sercel.

Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was expected to open the conference but the
political standoff between Tbilisi and Batumi has promoted him to stay
in a Black Sea town Poti, near Batumi to head an anti-crisis center. As
the entire cabinet of ministers was in Poti Nika Gilauri, Minister of
Fuel and Energy failed to attend the 3rd International Conference.
Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy Aleko Khetaguri participated on his
behalf.

The construction of the Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum pipeline is scheduled
to start shortly after the BTC pipeline building is complete. Georgia’s
participation in the projects bears critical importance as it serves a
kind of transport corridor between Asia and Europe.

At the conference Commercial Director of BTC Co Andrew McAuslan noted
that the BTC pipeline energy corridor expands over 700 000 kms.

The BTC Co representative spoke about the importance of social and
public projects implemented within the frames of the BTC oil pipeline.
The projects aimed at improvement of social conditions of the people
living in the BTC pipeline vicinities. Andrew McAuslan said that the
population of the villages crossed by the pipeline would be favored when
hiring personnel for the pipeline. He added that 15 international
commercial banks are participating in the pipeline project. BTC Co. is
planning to carry out large-scale infrastructure projects within the
frames of the project and pledges to care for integration of
infrastructure.

Archil Magalashvili, technical manager of GIOC, said that the BTC oil
pipeline would be under tight monitoring. High security measures have
been taken to ensure security of Georgian stretch of the pipeline and
avoid environment pollution or other accidents.

Since Georgia is situated in high seismological and landslide risk zone
the project envisages additional security measures. Archil Magalashvili
says that additional geological field works have been performed
alongside with the construction of the pipeline.

Manager of Statiol Turkey, Kietil Tanlend focused on the
Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline. He said Statiol, which is a
shareholder of BTC pipeline project was established in 1972. The company
produces 1 million barrel oil a day, making the company the third
biggest oil operator in the world. Statiol is a Norwegian company and is
one of the leading oil operators in Norway and Scandinavian countries.

Statoil holds 5.5 shares in BTC oil pipeline and 25.5 percent in
Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline. Kietil Tanlend pointed out that
the preparatory work for the South Caucasian pipeline project was
underway. He said Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline would become
operational in 2006.

He spoke about the Georgia as an important and strategic partner in the
gas pipeline project. The well-developed system will help to implement
the project in complaisance with European standards.

The conference was wrapped on March 19, 2004. Organizers of the
conference were content with the results and say they have worked
productively in these two days. At the 2nd international conference the
course of the pipeline project implementation was discussed and the gas
pipeline project was only theoretically considered. At the March 18-19,
2004 conference participants spoke about the details of the project and
dwelled on profits the project willing bring to participating states.

The next day of the 3rd international conference Viachwslan Axenov,
advisor to Russia’s Energy Council said that Russia honored the request
of the Georgian Ministry of Fuel Energy and would play an active role in
the development of Georgia’ s energy sector. He added that the Russian
Energy Council is planning to hold a press conference on the hydro
energy issue in the near future and proposed the Georgian Ministry of
Fuel and Energy to participate in the conference. Mr. Axenov believes
that the rehabilitation of Inguri hydropower station is important for
country and if the ministry representative attends the conference this
issue will be also discussed there.

Viachwslan Axenov did not specify whether or not Russia would contribute
to the rehabilitation of Inguri station but his appeal to Georgia to
participate in this conference does hold an answer to the question.

Russian United Energy Company Rau UES holds 75 percent of Tbilisi power
distribution facility Telasi shares. Rau UES also owns Gardabani 9 and
10 energy facilities and two hydropower stations of Kvemo Kartli region
“Khrami 1” and “Khrami 2”.

Viachwslan Axenov says that the Russian Energy Council ‘s strategy is to
develop Georgia’s energy sector, and Rao UES’ strategy is to create a
common energy corridor throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS). Georgian experts well understand the quite clear “Russian”
accents but as one of the experts said despite the monopoly of the
Russian companies at the Georgian energy system, the Georgian-Russian
political relations promises to be less aggressive BTC and
Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipelines are not threatened by Russia.

Experts unanimously exclude Russia’s participation in the gas pipeline
project. Although the shortest route for Russian power export crosses
Georgia but Russia does not have any claims for
Shah-Deniz-Tbilisi-Erzerum project, As for Viachwslan Axenov, he
withheld comments on this comment.
The Georgian Times, March 22, 2004

2. INVITATION TO COMMENT ON THE COUNTRY STRATEGY FOR GEORGIA

In light of recent political developments in Georgia, the EBRD is
advancing the preparation of its next Strategy for Georgia in order to
be better able to support the efforts of the new authorities in
addressing the main challenges in the country. Comments are invited to
help the Bank in revising its Strategy.

Comments should refer to the current Strategy for Georgia available at:

To help in the preparation of the forthcoming Strategy for Georgia, it
would be useful for the Bank to receive comments on the investment and
economic environment as it relates to the Bank’s operational priorities
and activities, in particular in the following areas:

1. Issues related to the investment climate

This would include issues concerning: (i) the implementation and
enforcement of laws; (ii) progress in the fight against corruption –
implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy; (iii) corporate
governance; and (iv) in particular the investment climate as it relates
to the development of SMEs/MSEs. We seek your views on how serious these
issues are for the development of the private sector, priority areas
which should be addressed by the authorities, and the ways in which the
EBRD could assist the authorities in improving the
investment climate.

2. Issues related to infrastructure development

This would include efficiency and payment discipline in the power sector
and issues related to development of the transport sector, with
particular attention to issues relating to tariff reform, restructuring,
and privatization/private sector involvement. Comments are invited on
priority issues and the role, which the EBRD should play in further
support for the development of these sectors.

3. Issues related to access to capital

Comments are invited on the ease of access to funding by private sector
enterprises, in particular by micro-, small- and medium-sized
enterprises, given the current state of development of the banking
sector, the level of financial intermediation, and the availability of
funding under various donor and IFI programs. Comments would also be
welcome on issues related to the early stage of development of
non-banking financial sector (leasing, mortgages, pensions, insurance).
What are the main obstacles, what measures should be taken to strengthen
the banking and non-banking financial sectors, and what type of projects
should be supported by the EBRD to help alleviate identified gaps?

The Strategy provides guidance for EBRD activities in a country,
identifying the main challenges which the Bank is best placed to
confront. As such, the Strategy cannot address all of the development
issues a country faces and necessarily must be selective in identifying
issues where the Bank has the experience and ability to play a
constructive role.

The Bank will take into account all comments received. A summary of
these, with staff responses, will be posted on the Web site following
the Board approval of the revised Strategy. The Country Strategy is,
however, a Bank document and the responsibility for its contents remains
with the Bank.

Please send your comments to the Bank at [email protected] no
later than 18 May 2004.

You may also like to send this message to other interested
organisations.

Outreach and NGO Relations team, European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development

3. REGISTRATION FOR HEALTHY PLANET FORUM

The Healthy Planet Forum is a civil society event conducted in Budapest
on 22-25 June 2004 in parallel with the forthcoming 4th Ministerial
Conference on Environment and Health ‘The Future for Our Children’. The
organizers of the Healthy Planet Forum opened two types of registration:

A) Registration for attending the Forum (personal registration)

The registration will allow you to be admitted to the Forum’s
facilities. The organizers will assist you with booking a place to stay
in Budapest and getting an invitation for visa purposes.
As of early March 2004, the Healthy Planet Forum steering committee
cannot subsidies or sponsor individuals. Efforts have been made to keep
organizational costs to a minimum, and the host organizations are
continuing to seek funding toward the costs of attendance and other
expenditure connected to the Forum. If you would like to be considered
for this please complete your application for assistance at the end of
the form. Your application will form part of a funding search and will
register you as a potential recipient of funding if successful.

B) Event registration

If you plan to organize a parallel event or a side-event, a workshop or
a seminar in Budapest, fill in the Event Registration form. Rooms and
equipment are kindly provided free of charge by the Hungarian Ministry
of Health. All other expenses are to be covered by the participants
(food, drinks, handouts, invitations, representation, etc.). Event
timing and provided free equipment are subject to availability.

Both forms are available at

For more information contact:
Laszlo Perneczky
REC, “Environment and Health Working Group”
E-mail: [email protected]

4. CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE EUROPEAN INITIATIVE FOR DEMOCRACY AND
HUMAN RIGHTS MICRO PROJECTS PROGRAM

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATION TO GEORGIA AND ARMENIA
Call for proposals for the European Initiative for Democracy and Human
Rights Micro projects program
Call reference: EuropeAid/ 119-571/L/G/GE

The European Commission Delegation to Georgia is seeking proposals for
micro projects in Georgia with financial assistance from the European
Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) program of the
European Communities. The global indicative amount available for this
Call for Proposals is ˆ1,000,000.

The general objective of the EIDHR micro projects program is to respond
rapidly to requests from Nongovernmental organizations that are designed
to promote democracy and human rights. Proposals for microprojects
should be in the following priority areas:

Priority A: Support to the rule of law and the fight against corruption
Priority B: The fight against torture
Priority C: Combating discrimination against religious and ethnic
minorities.

Grants may cover a maximum of 80% of project costs. Grants will finance
projects with activities
lasting up to 18 months.

Grants range from a minimum of ˆ10,000 to a maximum of ˆ100,000.

Applicants must be non-profit-making and be a non-governmental
organization. Profit making media organizations may also apply provided
that the proposed action is non-profit making. They must have their
headquarters in Georgia, or be a local independent division of an NGO
with its headquarters in another country. Activities must take place in
Georgia. Applicants may apply singly or as part of a consortium.

Detailed information on this Call for Proposals is contained in the
“Guidelines for Grant Applicants”, which are published together with
this notice on the Internet Web site of the European Commission
Delegation to Georgia:

The full Guidelines for Applicants are also available for consultation
at the:
European Commission Delegation
38 Nino Chkheidze Str., Tbilisi 0102, Georgia
Telephone +995 (8)32 943 763

The deadline for submission of proposals is 14 June 2004 at 16.00
Georgian times. Any application received by the European Commission
Delegation to Georgia after this time will not be considered.

Any questions regarding this Call for Proposals should be sent, clearly
indicating the reference number, by fax to +995 (8)32 943 768 or by
email to [email protected] .

All applicants are encouraged to consult the Internet website above
regularly before the deadline for applications, where the EC Delegation
will publish the most frequently asked questions and the corresponding
replies.

Priorities for the EIDHR Microprojects Call for Proposals, March 2004:

Generally the submission of project proposals from NGOs whose
headquarters are outside Tbilisi, or whose work focuses on internally
displaced persons (IDPs), is particularly encouraged. The following
cross cutting issues will be considered as additional assets during the
evaluation of the proposals:

1) Strengthening of the participation of youth in civil society
activities 2) civil society capacity building in the regions of Georgia
(inter alia Adjara, Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti) Please note
that these cross cutting issues are not priorities in themselves.

Priority A: Support to the rule of law and the fight against corruption:

Including but not limited to actions resulting in:

§ Promotion, awareness rising on and/or monitoring/analyzing of the
reform of the criminal justice system (inter alia: procuracy reform,
police reform; reform of the criminal procedural code, reform of the
investigation);
§ promotion of human rights and/or access to justice of disadvantaged
groups;
§ capacity building for effective and high quality monitoring and
reporting on corruption;
§ anti-corruption activities within specific regions and within specific
sectors (e.g. judiciary, education, urban planning, environment);
§ promotion of accountability of local self-governance structures in the
regions of Georgia.

Priority B: The fight against torture:

Including but not limited to actions resulting in:

§ Promotion of and support to a humane penal and penitentiary system in
Georgia by piloting new ways of cooperation between civil society and
the respective state bodies in the penal sector;
§ Promotion of and support to alternatives to custodial sentences;
§ Public control and civil monitoring of places of detention, including
capacity building in the field of monitoring and reporting on torture
according to international standards;
§ Public awareness on penal reform in Georgia;
§ Awareness raising and capacity building in the fight against torture
in the regions of Georgia;
§ Improved access of victims of torture to justice.

Priority C: Combating discrimination against religious and ethnic
minorities:

Including but not limited to actions resulting in:

§ Promotion of religious, cultural, political and economic rights of
ethnic and religious minorities;
§ Capacity-building in the legal field for representatives of ethnic
minorities;
§ Promotion of professional media reporting on religious and/or cultural
minority issues and capacity building in the media field for
representatives of ethnic minorities.

5. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

This book is one of the outcomes of the First World Environmental
Education Congress (FWEEC) held in Espinho, Portugal on May 20-24, 2003.
FWEEC gathered 282 participants from 38 countries, offering an
international platform for educators, scientists, researchers, scholars,
politicians, technicians, activists, media and teachers to present and
debate key issues in environmental education worldwide. It includes many
of the papers delivered in the Congress and a few additional ones, in an
attempt to both document international experiences and promote them to a
wide audience. The scope of this publication is comprehensive and it
approaches a wide range of issues such as:

§ Environmental education through interactive means
§ Environmental education and fieldwork
§ Environmental education in formal education
§ Environmental education and information technologies
§ Environmental education in waste management
§ Environmental education and partnerships
§ Environmental education and fauna awareness
§ Environmental education society and conservation units
§ Environmental education in higher education
§ Environmental education and citizenship
§ Environmental education and adult education
§ Environmental education and teacher education
§ Environmental education and Agenda 21

Similar to its predecessor book (World Trends in Environmental
Education) also published in the book series Environmental Education,
Communication and Sustainability, this publication is meant to pave the
ground for the UN International Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (2005 Ö 2014) by addressing one of the oldest and yet one of
the most pressing needs in environmental education today: the need to
document experiences and promote good practice.

Edited by Walter Leal Filho (Hamburg) & Michael
Littledyke (Gloucester)
Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, Bern, Brussels,
Frankfurt, New York,
Oxford, Vienna
Volume 16 of the series ÓEnvironmental Education,
Communication and SustainabilityÔ
ISBN: 3-631-52296-7 Ö US ISBN: 0-8204-6583-6,
Paperback, 340pp., À
49.80 / US$ 55.95
On-line orders from: or from:
[email protected]

—
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CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
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