Category: 2017

Peace Corps Swears in 42 Volunteers, Celebrates 25th Anniversary in Armenia

Raffi Khondkarian
Asbarez
June 2 2017
             

Peace Corps celebrated its 25th anniversary in Armenia on June 2, 2017 (Image: Peace Corps Armenia/Video Screenshot)

YEREVAN—The U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills swore-in 42 new Peace Corps Volunteers on June 2, who will depart to communities across Armenia where they will serve for the next two years with local schools, universities, and non-governmental organizations, as English teachers and Community and Youth Development Volunteers. The volunteers are American citizens who come from all parts of the United States and reflect America’s diversity. The volunteers successfully completed an intensive 11-week training to learn the Armenian language and prepare them for their work in Armenia.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new group of Peace Corps Volunteers also coincided with the 25th anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps Program in Armenia. The first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Armenia in 1992 and today the program celebrated this incredible milestone, also recognizing the 1000th volunteer to serve in Armenia.

An audience of over 300 people attended the event including representative s of the Armenian government, U.S. Embassy Mission Staff, current and former Peace Corps Volunteers, families who have hosted Peace Corps volunteers in their homes, and international and local program partners. During this event, attendees had the privilege of watching the premiere of a music video for an original song written for Peace Corps, as well as a “legacy video,” that celebrated Peace Corps’ history and impact in Armenia.

This ceremony was also attended by the leadership of Peace Corps based in Washington DC.  In her remarks, the Acting Director of the Peace Corps, Sheila Crowley, mentioned the importance of the partnership between the United States and Armenia and thanked the new volunteers for their dedication to service. The Minister of Education and Science, his Excellency Levon Mkrtchyan, as well as the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, Arsen Karamyan, also attended the ceremony and shared remarks. They welcomed the new group of volunteers to Armenia and expressed their gratitude for the assistance that the volunteers of the U.S. Peace Corps have provided to Armenian communities.

With the addition of this new group, there are approximately 110 Peace Corps Volunteers serving in rural villages and towns throughout all of the regions of Armenia.

Film: International Women’s film festival open for women filmmakers

Lara Chatinian
Associated Press of Pakistan
June 3, 2017 Saturday
June 3, 2017                                       

International Women's film festival open for women filmmakers

ISLAMABAD, Jun 3 (APP): The International Women’s Film
Festival “KIN” (“woman” in Armenian), organized with support of the
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, will take place
November 14 to 18 in Yerevan, Armenia.

 Women filmmakers from around the world can submit documentary,
short and animated films to this festival, said a press release.

 The festival is looking for films that address issues related
to women’s rights and gender problems.

 There are two award categories: best film and special prize.

 Competitive films must have been produced after Jan. 1, 2015 and
include English subtitles.The deadline is July 1.

Music: In Armenia, a peace prize .. and a music festival?

Maral Chavushian 
Agence France Presse -- English
June 3, 2017 Saturday 1:56 AM GMT


In Armenia, a peace prize .. and a music festival?

New York, June 3 2017

A year after Armenians launched a generous new peace prize, the
frontman of rockers System of a Down sees more to come in the country
-- including perhaps a music festival.

Serj Tankian, singer of the chart-topping California hard rock band,
composed a theme song for the Aurora Prize, which was inaugurated a
year ago in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

The award, backed by Hollywood A-lister George Clooney, is presented
on behalf of Armenians who survived the bloodletting that claimed 1.5
million lives in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Armenia and Western historians describe the killings as genocide, but
Turkey vehemently objects to the term.

The second edition of the award was presented on May 28 to Tom Catena,
the sole doctor in Sudan's conflict-ravaged Nuba Mountains who has
cared for thousands of people, treating everything from war injuries
to measles.

Catena, an American and Catholic missionary, will receive $100,000
plus an additional $1 million which will feed charities of his choice.

Tankian, who congratulated Catena in a video appearance at the
ceremony as the band prepared for a European tour, said the Aurora
Prize showed gratitude to those who helped survivors.

"Any group of people that have suffered immensely, whether it's
genocide or any other type of human-created catastrophe, should embody
compassion and an understanding of that pain better than anyone else,"
Tankian told AFP.

The Lebanese-born Tankian, whose grandparents survived with help from
a Turkish mayor and an American missionary orphanage, said that too
often, people fail to draw lessons from their ancestors' pain.

"I find it really disheartening that there are people who have
suffered immensely, or whose grandparents have suffered immensely, and
yet their position in life has been unequivocally egotistical and
myopic in terms of how they see their lives and how they spend their
money," he said.

- Integrating Armenia with music festivals -

Tankian said he wanted to do more in Armenia and was in the early
stages of looking to set up a music festival.

The singer voiced hope that Armenia, rarely a destination for Western
artists, could be integrated into the European summer festival circuit
with touring bands carrying on to the Caucasus country.

"I've always dreamed of setting up an international music festival in
Armenia," he said.

"As much as I have tried to do political work and social work," he
said, "I would also like to carve out time to do art work, music
work."

For the centennial in 2015, System of a Down played its first-ever
concert in Armenia. Tankian said he felt overcome with a sense of
history, seeing young people and remembering his grandparents. He
viewed his band as "part of that catalyst between old and new."

"It felt like our whole career was built to play that one show in some
ways," he said.

Music: Australians excited about upcoming concert of renowned Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan

Ani Tigranian
Panorama, Armenia
June 3 2017

A large concert hall and sold out tickets – this is how Australians welcome celebrated Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan, who will perform in Sidney on June 4 in the framework of  his ‘An Ancient Observer' Album concert tour, theaustralian.com.au reports.

“Hamasyan’s latest album is An Ancient Observer, a wildly acclaimed solo piano project that is his second release on the prestigious Nonesuch label,” the article notes.

The source notes that the success of the Armenian musician is based on his diverse music, comprising elements of the Armenian folk music, 1970s rock, jazz and funk.

“Tigran Hamasyan can safely be described as a contemporary Armenian bard: his compositions have unique meaning and tell about life,” theaustralian.com.au summed up.

To note, in the framework of ‘An Ancient Observer' Album concert tour, Tigran Hamasyan  performed at Armenia’s Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall on 7 and 8 May. The concert tour will last till the end of 2018.

Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia in 1987. He began playing piano at the age of three, and started performing in festivals and competitions when he was 11 years old, winning the Montreux Jazz Festival’s piano competition in 2003. He released his debut album, World Passion, at the age of 18 in 2006. That same year he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Subsequent albums include New Era (2008), Red Hail (2009), and A Fable (2011), for which he was awarded a Victoires de la Musique (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in France). Most recently he won the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music in 2013.

Music: Serj Tankian looking to set up a music festival in Armenia

Emma Jilavian
Malaysia Sun
June 3 2017

PanArmenian.Net – Saturday 3rd June, 2017

PanARMENIAN.Net – A year after Armenians launched a generous new peace prize, the frontman of rockers System of a Down sees more to come in the country — including perhaps a music festival, AFP said.

Serj Tankian, singer of the chart-topping California hard rock band, composed a theme song for the Aurora Prize, which was inaugurated a year ago in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

The award, backed by Hollywood A-lister George Clooney, is presented on behalf of Armenians who survived the bloodletting that claimed 1.5 million lives in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Armenia and Western historians describe the killings as genocide, but Turkey vehemently objects to the term.

The second edition of the award was presented on May 28 to Tom Catena, the sole doctor in Sudan's conflict-ravaged Nuba Mountains who has cared for thousands of people, treating everything from war injuries to measles.

Catena, an American and Catholic missionary, will receive $100,000 plus an additional $1 million which will feed charities of his choice.

Tankian, who congratulated Catena in a video appearance at the ceremony as the band prepared for a European tour, said the Aurora Prize showed gratitude to those who helped survivors.

"Any group of people that have suffered immensely, whether it's genocide or any other type of human-created catastrophe, should embody compassion and an understanding of that pain better than anyone else," Tankian told AFP.

The Lebanese-born Tankian, whose grandparents survived with help from a Turkish mayor and an American missionary orphanage, said that too often, people fail to draw lessons from their ancestors' pain.

"I find it really disheartening that there are people who have suffered immensely, or whose grandparents have suffered immensely, and yet their position in life has been unequivocally egotistical and myopic in terms of how they see their lives and how they spend their money," he said.

– Integrating Armenia with music festivals –

Tankian said he wanted to do more in Armenia and was in the early stages of looking to set up a music festival.

The singer voiced hope that Armenia, rarely a destination for Western artists, could be integrated into the European summer festival circuit with touring bands carrying on to the Caucasus country.

"I've always dreamed of setting up an international music festival in Armenia," he said.

"As much as I have tried to do political work and social work," he said, "I would also like to carve out time to do art work, music work."

For the centennial in 2015, System of a Down played its first-ever concert in Armenia. Tankian said he felt overcome with a sense of history, seeing young people and remembering his grandparents. He viewed his band as "part of that catalyst between old and new."

"It felt like our whole career was built to play that one show in some ways," he said.

Music: D’Black Blues Orchestra & Vladimir Avetisyan in final rehearsal ahead of the grand concert at Republican Square

Garnik Zakarian
Panorama, Armenia
June 3 2017

D’Black Blues Orchestra & Vladimir Avetisyan held a rehearsal on Saturday at the Republican Square in Yerevan ahead of a “The Anthology of Blues’ show premiere dedicated to the 99th anniversary of the first Republic of Armenia.

The show programme includes the most prominent works of the blues music global heritage.  

To note, D'Black Blues Orchestra is a ten-piece band formed back in 2000 and consisting of like-minded professionals, performing all music and vocals live with no tracks, sequencers, or electronic harmonizers, using such wonderful instruments as clarinet, flute, Hammond organ and even duduk – Armenian traditional instrument.

The group has rich history and vast experience of participation in blues and jazz festivals of Russia and Europe. The musicians have had tours in Great Britain, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, China, the Baltic states, Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Art: Russian art sales in London feature five paintings by Aivazovsky

Emil Lazarian
PanArmenian
June 3 2017
June 3, 2017 – 17:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A Russian art sales week has kicked off in London. Sotheby´s, Christie´s and MacDougall auction houses will offer paintings of leading artists, as well as decorative art samples. As RIA Novosti told Panorama.am, the art works are put on auction from personal collections mainly from the U.S. and Europe. Generally the works are sold by descendants of immigrants, or their collectors and representatives.

The auction houses feature the paintings by Leon Bakst, Leonid Pasternak, Isaac Levitan, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Vasily Polenov, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Vasily Kandinsky, Ilya Repin and other leading Russian artists.

Sotheby´s auction house will also put on sale five paintings by prominent Russian-Armenian seascape artist Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky, including the Crimean Coast and Coast at Moonlight Night.

Sports: Belmopan First Division Tournament update

Tambiyan Samvel
Amandala, Belize
June 3 2017
Sports— — by Dean Flowers – Vice-Chairman, BFA

BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 29, 2017–The Belmopan First Division Closing Tournament 2017 continued over the weekend with 5 games at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium.

On Friday, May 26, in a Group B opener, Roaring Creek United shut out Wingz FC, 4-0, with goals from Amir Torres (39’), Kenny Williams (70’ & 91’) and Jermaine Joseph (90’). And in the Group A nightcap, Police FC crushed Juventus FC, 4-1, with a goal each from Kishane Pech (19’), Khalid Martinez (47’), TV Ramos (80’) and Kyle Thomas (88’). Juventus’ only goal was by Belhem Guzman (33’).

In game 1 on Sunday, May 28, Group B’s Cavetubing.Bz Strikers bombarded Heights FC, 13-nil, with 7 goals from Jose Sanchez (4’, 9’, 50’, 52’, 56’, 60’ & 61’), 4 from Radi Ramirez (23’, 48’, 59’ & 66’), and 1 each from Tommy Quevedo (38’) and Marlon Miranda (58’). Game 2 was another Group B encounter, and saw Armenia Hummingbirds with the 3-2 win over Maya Mopan Rangers. All 3 Armenia goals were by Brian Samayoa (54’, 65’ & 90’); while Dennis McKoy (32’ & 36’) got both goals for Maya Mopan. And in game 3, from Group A, Madrid FC dropped Capital United, 2-0, with a goal apiece from Enrique Gonzalez (10’) and Angel Xis (70’).

Upcoming games at Isidoro Beaton Stadium:

Friday, June 2
6:30 p.m. – AC Milan vs Cavetubing.Bz Strikers
8:30 p.m. – Police FC vs Cotton Tree FC

Saturday, June 3
6:00 p.m. – Heights FC vs Wingz FC

Sunday, June 4
2:00 p.m. – Armenia Hummingbirds vs Duck Run-2
4:00 p.m. – Valencia YWAM vs Las Flores FC
6:00 p.m. – Roaring Creek United vs Maya Mopan Rangers

Chess: Armenia’s Hrant Melkumyan closely trailing leader of European Chess Championship

Hovsep Chakrian
Panorama, Armenia
June 3 2017

At Round 4 of European Individual Chess Championship 2017 (398 participants, 11-round Swiss system), Ukrainian GM Yuriy Kuzubov defeated Armenia’s Artashes Minasian and solely led the table.

18 chess players, including Armenian representative Hrant Melkumyan are half a point behind the leader. Gabriel Sargsyan, Artashes Minasian, Arman Pashikian, Manuel Petrosyan, Tigran Harutyunyan and Arman Mikaelyan have scored 3 points each.

To note, European Individual Chess Championship 2017 is a qualification event for the next World Cup. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, 22 participants will be qualified for the world chess tournament.

Sports: Mkhitaryan wins Goal of the Month again

Sonya Jalatian
Manchester United, UK
June 2 3017

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has continued his recent domination of Manchester United's Goal of the Month award by scooping the final accolade of the 2016/17 season.  

The Armenian has won May's prize for his clever hooked finish for the Reds' second goal in the Europa League final against Ajax, helping United to sign off the campaign in style with European glory in Stockholm and making history as the only man ever to score in five different European games on the road for the club in a single campaign.

In a poll conducted on ManUtd.com, his instinctive effort in the showpiece in Sweden earned a whopping 68% of the final vote – ahead of Josh Harrop's fine strike against Crystal Palace (21%) and Marcus Rashford's sublime free-kick against Celta Vigo (8%).  

Remarkably, it's the fifth time in the last six months that Mkhitaryan has landed the award after topping the vote with his scorpion kick against Sunderland in December and a breakaway effort against Wigan in the Emirates FA Cup in January before brilliant solo goals against Leicester City and Sunderland came out on top in February and April respectively.

It marks an impressive debut campaign for the former Borussia Dortmund playmaker – who has not only caught the eye with his goalscoring feats alone, having found the net 11 times in all competitions, but his overall contribution and influential displays too. 

Mkhitaryan's success comes as fellow midfielder Paul Pogba, who also struck in the Europa League final against Ajax, has been named as May's Player of the Month.

Remind yourself who has taken home our Goal of the Month award every month throughout the season here…

Goal of the Month Winners 2016/17:

August: Jesse Lingard (v Leicester)
September: Juan Mata (v Leicester)
October: Paul Pogba (v Fenerbahce)
November: Paul Pogba (v Swansea)
December: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (v Sunderland)
January: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (v Wigan)
February: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (v Leicester)
March: Jesse Lingard (v Middlesbrough)
April: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (v Sunderland)
May: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (v Ajax)

Relive Mkhitaryan's goal against Ajax in our video above. Thank you to everyone who has voted in our polls throughout the season.