Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

“The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide marked a new stage, a new beginning in the irreversible process of international recognition,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart Lubomír Zaorálek.

He emphasized the fact that resolutions are being submitted to parliaments with the participation and support of all political forces. Among the recent cases the Foreign Minister stressed the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Bolivia, Austria, Luxemburg and Brazil.

“We value the statements from leaders of different countries. In this context I would like to emphasize the recent statements by the German President and the Belgian Prime Minister. I would like to stress once again that the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide is irreversible,” he said.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said journalists’ safety must be ensured at all times, following recent incidents and coercive actions by police against journalists covering public protest in Yerevan, Armenia.

“Media has the right to cover public events and journalists must be able to report in a free and safe manner, without fear of harassment and intimidation,” Mijatović said.

On 23 June journalists from various media outlets were reportedly mistreated, verbally assaulted and detained by police while covering a public demonstration in Yerevan. Some journalists also had their equipment damaged or seized.

“I call on the authorities to promptly investigate these incidents and take steps to ensure restraint on the part of law enforcement representatives toward members of the media,” Mijatović said.

Today, at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Hellenic Republic President Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos received a joint delegation of European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) and Armenian National Committee of Greece (ANC Greece), comprising EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian, ANC Greece Chairman Hagop Hovaguimian, and ARF – Dashnaktsutyun representative Kerop Ekizian.

Next time the Turkish Ambassador to India is in the City of Joy, he “hopes to visit” the Armenian community. In fact, he wants to facilitate their visit to Turkey, according to .

Burak Akcapar, an independent scholar of Turkish history, is the first Turkish envoy to advocate a meeting between the Armenians in the city and a government representative since India’s Independence. Mr. Akcapar was there to launch his book on the Indian medical mission to Turkey to treat Ottoman soldiers injured in the Balkan War of 1912-13.

The number of Armenian Christians in Kolkata has dwindled from thousands to some 500. But many of them still assemble every year in the 18th century church to pray for their ancestors killed in the genocide. The Armenian descendants say the Ottoman government exterminated the minority Armenians in today’s eastern Turkey, their “historic homeland”.

Mr. Akcapar did not apologise, but he took a step forward. “I hope to reach out to the Armenian community here,” he said. “I also like them to go to Turkey to reach out to us. My door is open to the Armenians of Kolkata and I would be happy to meet them,” he told The Hindu before the launch of his book at Oxford Bookstore.

Later, he tried to find out about the community. “I need to know about them,” he said. “Perhaps, I have not come prepared for this, and will plan to meet them on my next visit.”

He said many Turkish Muslims were also killed during the time. “We both have suffered and still shared a lot of our past for thousands of years — we should both hug and cry,” he said.

A city-based historian said the Turkish envoys had never displayed “any willingness to connect the communities” divided by a 100-year-old tragedy.

During a visit to Rhode Island on Saturday, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church blessed the Armenian Martyrs Memorial Monument at North Burial Ground before proceeding to lead a religious service at Sts. Vartanantz Church on Broadway. A couple of hundred people attended the service, reports.

His Holiness, Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cicilia, visited Providence as part of a tour of U.S. cities with significant Armenian populations. Earlier this year, he met with Pope Francis, who later pronounced the Armenian genocide of 1915 as the first genocide of the 20th century. The towering monument at the Providence cemetery was erected in 1977 to honor the loss of 1.5 million lives.

“This is a big deal,” said Nora Simonian, of North Attleboro, while awaiting the arrival of Aram I at the church. “He’s our pope.”

He last visited Rhode Island about 17 years ago, she said, and on that visit she said she was fortunate to have him bless her newborn daughter.

Six football officials have been arrested over corruption charges at governing body Fifa, as Swiss prosecutors launch a criminal case into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, the BBC reports.

The suspects, who are said to include a FIFA vice-president, have been detained pending extradition to the US.

It involves alleged bribes worth about $100m over two decades.

FIFA members are due on Friday to vote for a new president, with incumbent Sepp Blatter seeking a fifth term.

However, Mr Blatter is not understood to be one of those arrested.

Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan – Mr Blatter’s rival for the FIFA presidency – described the development as “a sad day for football”, but withheld from commenting further.

FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich has also been raided by police, with documents seized, Swiss prosecutors say.

One of the highest ranking official charged is Jeffrey Webb, a FIFA vice president and head of CONCACAF, the FIFA-affiliated governing body for North America and the Caribbean.

Other officials include: Jack Warner, former FIFA vice president and executive committee member; Eugenio Figueredo, FIFA vice president and executive committee member; and Nicolás Leoz, former FIFA executive committee member.

Several sports-marketing executives are also charged.

The delegation headed by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, Colonel-General Yuri Khachaturov will participate in the regular sitting of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the CIS member states to be held in Sochi on May 26, Press Service of the Ministry of Defense reports.

Garboushian Gallery will be presenting an exhibition featuring four contemporary artists of Armenian descent, entitled “1915,” reports.

2015 is the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Throughout this year, Armenians all over the world are commemorating the loss of their ancestors. One hundred years ago, the destiny of all Armenians was forever changed. Since then, the identity of Armenians has evolved into something new, and through the contemporary lens of these four artists, we are better able to see that evolution.

Sev Black, Kaloust Guedel, Alina Mnatsakanian and Samvel Saghatelian have been brought together by their shared heritage and creative minds. Very different in style, execution and inspiration, these four artists have led similar paths to a similar reality. All four artists have found their personal vocation of creative expression through their journey of self discovery.

Touching on themes of identity, borders, and societal critique, these four artists are brought together in the exhibition “1915” to express the contemporary vantage point of their heritage as artists.

Sev Black, also known as Henrik Khachatryan, creates politically-charged artworks in many different media. Although he started off as a writer, his passion for creativity led his expression toward a more visual form in the 1980s, including sculpture, photography, performance, and video. His works are part of the permanent collections of the Narva City Museum in Estonia; Panevezhiss City Museum in Lithuania, and Museum of Contemporary Art of Madeline, Colombia. Sev lives and works in Los Angeles.

Kaloust Guedel explores capitalism and excess in his minimalist and conceptual artworks. Reflective and symbolic, Guedel’s pieces explore the relationship between materials, metaphors, and the spiritual and physical boundaries of painting. The excess of contemporary cultures is of great interest to Guedel, and can be seen in his fascinating artistic explorations. His work belongs to numerous collections all over the world, including The Charles Saatchi collection of London. He has been featured in such publications as Masters of Today, Trends and was recently featured on the cover of New American Paintings. Guedel lives and works in Los Angeles.

Alina Mnatsakanian focuses her energy in her multimedia artworks on the themes of identity and borders. Having grown up in many different places, Mnatsakanian’s journey to self discovery has been complex and difficult. Her artwork is multifaceted and is based in research, giving real facts, information, and references substantial weight in her works of art. Utilizing painting, sculpture, robotics, photography and video as well as installation, for this exhibition, Mnatsakanian exhibits “One person died” which commemorates the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide, one person at a time. The evolutive moving image is based on the repetition of the phrase “one person died” which is quantified with a counter. Garboushian Gallery is one venue out of 100 where this will be shown worldwide this year. Mnatsakanian uses her multimedia process to help create stronger links between different forms of expression and different concepts and themes to fullest. Mnatsakanian has received awards from The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and California Council for the Humanities, amongst many others. Though Mnatsakanian has lived all over the world, including in Los Angeles, she is currently living and working in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Samvel Saghatelian, also known as Sam Saga, creates many different kinds of work, including painting, drawing, installation, collage and installations. With a focus on emotional relationships and the personal reflections associated with nationality, identity and the human experience, Saghatelian creates work with a lyrical and narrative core at the base of his creations. His personal and political protest signs, designed as a visual hybrid text using both English and Armenian alphabets, will be on display alongside his narrative paintings in “1915.” Saghatelian was one of the artists representing the Armenian Pavilion in the 49th Venice Biennale in Italy. Saghatelian lives and works in Los Angeles.

American philanthropist awarded with Mesrop Mashtots order

May 22, 2010 – 16:06 AMT 11:06 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

On the 70th birthday of American philanthropist of Armenian origin
Albert Boyajyan, NKR President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree to award
him with Mesrop Mashtots order for services shown to the Artsakh
Republic, Central Information Department at NKR President’s Office
reported.

10,000 SIGN ONLINE PETITION URGING U.S. RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Asbarez
Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Signatories exemplify widespread support of Armenian Genocide
recognition and genocide prevention advocacy

BOSTON, MA – A petition campaign created by a broad coalition of
Boston-area Jewish and Armenian groups and community members has
surpassed its original goal of 10,000 signatures and continues to gain
support. The online petition hosted by Change.org urges U.S. officials
to stand up to Turkey’s multi-million dollar campaign of genocide
denial, specifically calling on Congress and President Obama to
officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

While the organizers are based in Boston, the petition has spread
throughout the country reaching every state and hundreds of cities.

"When you look at the diversity of those who signed the petition, it
is clear that there is a strong demand by Americans throughout the
country that the United States recognize the Armenian Genocide. It
demonstrates that this is not simply an Armenian issue, but a powerful
call to align America’s foreign policy with human rights and historical
truth," said ANC member and coalition co-chair Laura Boghosian.

The petition’s letter to members of Congress and President Obama
states, "As we confront the specter of genocide and its denial in the
21st century, our government has a duty to ensure that the lessons of
the past are not forgotten. The time is long overdue for the United
States to stand up to Turkish pressure and join the 43 individual U.S.

states and numerous countries and international bodies that have
affirmed the Armenian Genocide."

The 10,000-signature mark comes just weeks after President Obama
refused to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. "Even though
President Obama failed to honor his pledge this past April 24th, we
will continue to fight for truth and justice. Through generating a
groundswell of public support that we know exists, we will lead our
elected officials to do the right thing and recognize the Armenian
Genocide," said Ara Nazarian, co-chair of the Armenian National
Committee of Massachusetts.

The coalition is an outgrowth of a dialogue between members of the
Boston-area Jewish and Armenian communities that was initiated by
Rabbi Howard L. Jaffe of Temple Isaiah, Lexington, Massachusetts,
in reaction to the Anti-Defamation League’s lobbying for the Turkish
government against affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Rabbi Jaffe
first advocated recognition of the Armenian Genocide in October 2007,
when he told the New York Times that he must do what is "right and
righteous." In 2008, he co-authored an article with Boghosian that
condemned the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) lobbying and called upon
the Jewish community to join in efforts to recognize the Armenian
Genocide. He also invited the local Armenian community to participate
in a joint Holocaust-Genocide commemoration at the temple, inviting
Dr. Richard Hovannisian to speak on the parallels between the Armenian
Genocide and the Holocaust.

Joining Rabbi Jaffe and Ms. Boghosian on the steering committee
of the dialogue group were Rabbis Ronne Friedman and Elaine Zecher
of Temple Israel in Boston, ANC member Dikran Kaligian, and Temple
Isaiah members Howard Cohen and Alan Millner. Others active in the
work of the coalition are Herman Purutyan of the Armenian Assembly,
women’s health advocate Judy Norsigian, and Eric Cohen, chair of the
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur.

Individuals and activists representing an impressive collection of
Boston-area anti-genocide and community organizations participated
in dialogue meetings over the past year, and groups elsewhere have
endorsed the work of the coalition.

The effort was supported by the Armenian National Committee of
Massachusetts (ANC-MA), the Armenian American Action Committee
of Massachusetts (ARAMAC-MA), and Investors Against Genocide,
a broad-based coalition formed as a result of the grassroots "No
Place for Denial" campaign spotlighting the ADL’s denial of the
Armenian Genocide. Although the ADL has stated that the death of 1.5
million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government was "tantamount
to genocide," it continues to speak out against U.S. affirmation of
that crime against humanity. Complete details of the campaign can be
viewed at

Click here to sign the petition.

To learn more about the initiative, the complete list
of co-sponsors, and the Armenian Genocide, visit: