Category: News

Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan took to social media to commemorate the anniversary of the Armenian Henocide.

“24 April 1915…a dark date in Armenian history. My thoughts are with my fellow compatriots,” Mkhitaryan said in a Facebook post.

Armenians are holding a rally in front of the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.

French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron has marked the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in a brief ceremony in Paris, Euronews reports.

Macron laid a wreath and observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims.

If elected president of France in the second round of the country’s election, Macron has vowed to continue the fight for full international recognition of the atrocity as a genocide.

Speaking to Nouvelles d’Armenie before the Sunday vote  Emmanuel Macron pledged to continue the tradition to commemorate the Armenian Genocide if elected.

“The date of 24 April is a strong symbol: it commemorates the murder of 600 Armenian intellectuals on 24 April 1915 in Constantinople and the beginning of the first genocide. This is an important moment for the duty of memory and for the friendship between France and Armenia. I intend to continue this tradition by participating in the commemorations. I am also in favor of a day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide being included in our calendar,” Macron said.

“In France, the penalization of the denial of the genocide could not be obtained and the decision of the Constitutional Council provoked much misunderstanding. I am convinced that we must continue to work in this direction. Law and memory cannot be incompatible,” the presidential candidate said.

Macron, a centrist with pro-business, pro-European views, will face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the May 7 runoff of the presidential election.

Photo: Reuters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a message to a religious ceremony held in the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul on April 24 to commemorate the victims of the “1915 killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule”, addressing Patriarch Aram Ateşyan, general vicar of the Armenian patriarch of Turkey, and citizens of Armenian origin, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“This year, I once again pay our respects to the Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives under the harsh conditions of the First World War and convey my condolences to their descendants,” Erdogan said in the message.

“Turks and Armenians, as two ancient nations of this region, have shared a common history and culture in this geography, where they lived side by side for a thousand years,” he said.

The Armenian community made great contributions to the Ottoman Empire, as well as to the modern republic, the president said.

“Armenians, as equal and free citizens, have important roles in the social, political and commercial life of our country today, as they did in the past,” he said.

It is our common objective for these two peoples, who have shared the grief and happiness of centuries, to heal the wounds of the past and strengthen people to people ties.

Turkey has taken steps “to heal the wounds of the past” and strengthen the ties between the two peoples, Erdogan said.

“We are determined to advance our efforts and preserve the memory of the Ottoman Armenians and the Armenian cultural heritage in the future,” he said.

“On this occasion, I would like to emphasize that the peace, security and happiness of our Armenian community are of special importance to us. We have no tolerance for the alienation and exclusion of our Armenian citizens and for a single Armenian citizen to feel second-class,” he said.

“I convey my hope for the speedy conclusion of the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey and wish you success in this endeavor,” he said.

“With these thoughts, I once again pay tribute to the memories of the Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives at the beginning of the 20th century. May millions of Ottoman citizens deceased under the difficult conditions of the First World War rest in peace,” Erdoğan said.

The Selection Committee for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity has today announced the names of the five 2017 finalists who have been chosen for their exceptional impact, courage and commitment to preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. They are:

• Ms. Fartuun Adan and Ms. Ilwad Elman, Founders of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, Somalia – Mother and daughter who are unwavering in their mission to protect human rights, women’s rights, and facilitate peace building, development and the rehabilitation of child soldiers amidst insecure and dangerous conditions
• Ms. Jamila Afghani, Chairperson of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization, Afghanistan – a polio victim who accidentally received the gift of reading and has dedicated her life to bringing reading and education to girls and women, while enlisting the help of Muslim leaders of faith in her mission.
• Dr. Tom Catena, Surgeon at the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains, Sudan – A Catholic missionary and doctor who for nearly a decade remains the only permanent doctor to treat the remote and war-torn region’s half-million population, performing more than 1,000 operations each year
• Mr. Muhammad Darwish, Medical Doctor at the Madaya Field Hospital, Syria – A student of dentistry returned to his hometown and took on the full responsibilities of a medical doctor, began to perform medical procedures, offered care and maintained meticulous documentation of the conditions of patients, many of them children, affected by persisting violence, thus bringing international attention to the besieged area
• Dr. Denis Mukwege, Gynecological Surgeon and Founder of the Panzi Hospital, The Democratic Republic of the Congo – An obstetrician turned gynecological surgeon who is providing physical, psychological and legal support to more than 50,000 survivors of sexual violence in the war-torn country while fearlessly seeking to bring to justice those responsible

The finalists will be honored at the Aurora Prize Ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia on May 28, 2017 when one will be chosen as the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate. The Aurora Prize Laureate will receive a grant of US$100,000 to support the continuation of their work, as well as a US$1,000,000 award, which will give them the unique ability to continue the cycle of giving by supporting organizations that have inspired their work.

The Selection Committee, co-chaired by Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney, includes Nobel Laureates Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former president of Ireland Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former Foreign Minister of Australia and President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans; and former president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo. The Committee shortlisted the five finalists from more than 550 nominations for 254 unique candidates submitted by the general public from 66 countries and in 13 languages.

Speaking on behalf of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, Vartan Gregorian, Committee Member, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative said, “We are gratified by the enormous response generated by the call for nominations. It is an acknowledgment of our shared humanity and values. While geography and circumstances differ for each nominee, it is the similarities that unite them all. Individual human beings risk their own well-being and safety in order to rescue those in desperate need of help, and it is Aurora’s mission to support these saviors. We believe that those who are rescued will themselves continue the cycle of gratitude and giving.”

Marguerite Barankitse from Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital in Burundi was named the first Aurora Prize Laureate on April 24, 2016 in Yerevan, Armenia. Following the horrifying experience of being forced to witness the execution of 72 Hutu neighbors whom she tried to hide to keep safe from persecution, Ms. Barankitse, a Tutsi, has spent the last 20 years providing safe haven for orphans and refugees escaping violence and abuse during her country’s civil war. She has rescued and educated roughly 30,000 children, and the hospital she opened in 2008 has treated more than 80,000 patients to date.

“Children from Brazil to Ethiopia to the many Burundian refugees in Rwanda are thriving today because they now have the love, education and support they need, thanks to the generous backing of the 2016 Aurora Prize,” said Barankitse. “The powerful work of the 2017 finalists is truly awe-inspiring. These individuals embody the spirit of gratitude in action by keeping hope alive for so many of our brothers and sisters around the world. Their work is destined to unleash the human potential for love.”

The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was established in 2015 by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors. The Aurora Prize will honor an Aurora Laureate each year until 2023, in remembrance of the eight years of the Armenian Genocide (1915 -1923).

President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan were present today at the first performance of which took place at the A. Spendiarian Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater.

The event became possible at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture with the support of the President of Armenia and.

The concert was dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and revival of the Armenian nation.

The All Armenian Orchestrabrings together 70 professional musicians from 20 countries.

Heirs of Vartkes Serengulian, one of the seven Armenians represented in the Ottoman Parliament, are willing to hand his mandate to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Serengulian’s granddaughter told .

On her way to exile, Vartkes Serengulian’s wife received his last letter dated June 20, 1915, in which he described the “desperate conditions” and expressed doubt they would ever meet again.

In the same letter Serengulian informed he had applied to Talaat Pasha, as he was the only person that could help.

However, despite good relations with Vartkes Serengulian, Talaat ordered to arrest him and send to Urfa, where he was tortured and killed.

“In his last letter Serengulian asked his wife not to marry again for their sons not to call another man dad,” his granddaughter Izabella Serengulian said.

Hripsime Serengulian decided to settle in Tbilis together with her two sons. An expert in French, she started work at a rich Armenian family. She letter worked at an Armenian school and earned with needlework she had learnt in Erzrum as a child.

“She always had a needle in her hand. She would not tell much. She had burnt part of the documents in 1937, but carefully concealed the mandate,” Izabella said.

She now wants to hand it to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

The centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen have won the first round of voting in French presidential elections, projected results say, the BBC reports.

Mr Macron won 23.7%, while Ms Le Pen won 21.7%, French TV says.

The two saw off a strong challenge from centre-right François Fillon and the hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, according to the projections.

The pair now face a run-off vote on 7 May.

Whoever wins the next round, the voting marks a shift away from the left and centre-right parties that have long dominated French politics.

Turnout nationally appears to be similar to the last election in 2012.

Photo: Boxingscene.com

German Armenian boxer “King” Artur Abraham (76,2 kg / GER) won a twelve round unanimous decision over Robin Krasniqi (75,6 kg / GER) in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) Super Middleweight title eliminator.

Abraham will now challenge WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico for reigning the title.

Abraham, a former WBO middleweight and super middleweight world champion, lost his 168-pound championship last April to Ramirez in Las Vegas. He bounced back in July, when he knocked out Tim Robin Lihaung in eight rounds. He was set to face Martin Murray in a rematch in the fall, but withdrew with an injury.