TECHNICAL PROBLEMS SOLVED
Azat Artsakh–Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
14-04-2004
The population of the Republic of NK can now watch the Armenian TV
channel “Armenia”. The executive director of “Artsakhkap” CJSC Souren
Mirzoyan mentioned that they have an agreement with the TV company
“Armenia” for retransmission of their programs. For this they have
installed a new transmitter. Several days ago the transmission was
stopped, but after the installation of necessary equipment the channel
will be broadcast without problems. “Our company is responsible for
broadcasting TV programs and tries to do it on a high level,” said
S. Mirzoyan.
ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
14-04-2004

HAS A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE
Azat Artsakh–Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
14-04-2004
The organization of Collective Defence Treaty has a negative opinion
on the prospect of deploying NATO military stations in the territory
of Azerbaijan. This was stated by the general secretary of
organization in Yerevan Nikolay Borduzha who paid a visit to
Armenia. He is against the expansion of NATO to the borders of Russia
and the South Caucasus. Moreover, the general secretary mentioned that
today there is no question of confrontation between the Collective
Defence Treaty Organization, and particularly Russia and
NATO. Evaluating the situation in the South Caucasus Nikolay Borduzha
mentioned that the situation is stable and there is no reason for
anxiety. He also announced that it is early to speak about demarcation
lines in the South Caucasus. The reason of the three-day visit of the
general secretary of the organization was to discuss the questions of
preparation for the upcoming conference of the Collective Defence
Treaty Organization in Kazakhstan with the leadership of the country.
PANARMENIAN.
14-04-2004

Discontent drives Armenia’s campaign to oust Kocharian
BY CHRISTIAN LOWE
AFP YEREVAN
April 15, 2004
Samvel Gasparian is a 56-year-old grandfather who used to support his
family by farming a smallholding in the Ashtarak region, north of
Armenia’s capital.
But his fields are lying fallow because, he says, he cannot afford to
pay for the water to irrigate his land.
“If my relatives who are living in Russia did not help me out we would
not be able to survive,” he said, choking back tears. “Some people
cannot even afford to buy a loaf of bread.”
Gasparian’s story is typical of many of the three million people in
this poverty-stricken former Soviet republic in the Caucasus
mountains.
Anger over the country’s low living standards — and the widespread
feeling that the government is indifferent — has been helping drive
an opposition campaign calling for the resignation of President Robert
Kocharian.
Comparisons have been drawn between Armenia’s opposition movement and
last year’s “rose revolution” in neighbouring Georgia, when that
country’s former president Eduard Shevardnadze was ousted in a popular
uprising.
Thousands of Armenians have rallied in the capital, Yerevan, this
month to push their demand for Kocharian’s resignation.
A sit-in protest by opposition activists early Tuesday morning outside
Kocharian’s residence was broken up by riot police using water cannon
and truncheons. Dozens of people were hurt and several opposition
leaders were arrested.
But the opposition is not giving up. It has announced plans for
another mass protest in the capital this Friday.
“The people want this,” Stepan Demirchian, head of the opposition
Justice bloc and a leader of the protests, told AFP. “They have not
been broken. If before they did not like this president, now they like
him even less.”
On some measures, Kocharian has done a decent job of handling the
economy in Armenia, which was the world’s first state to adopt
Christianity.
Economic growth has been in double digits for the past few years, in
spite of a crippling economic blockade by two of Armenia’s neighbours,
Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The blockade is linked to pogroms against Armenians by Ottoman Turks
in the early 20th century, and an Armenian-Azeri conflict over the
separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
But that growth is translating only slowly into a better life for
ordinary people.
The average monthly wage is less than 50 dollars (40 euros) and
unemployment is sky high. As much as a third of the population has
left to seek work abroad, mostly to Russia. Whole villages now stand
deserted.
For many Armenians, Kocharian is to blame. They believe a cabal of
wealthy businessmen close to the president is being allowed to enrich
itself at the expense of the poor.
Kocharian’s opponents had hoped to oust him in a presidential
election, but they were left frustrated in March last year when he won
after a second round run-off against Demirchian.
Election observers said the vote “fell short of international
standards for democratic elections.” Kocharian’s opponents said he
stole the election.
Kocharian, a 50-year-old former factory worker and veteran of
Armenia’s war with Azerbaijan over Karabakh, has stood firm in the
face of the recent opposition protests.
He has the support of the army and police, and large sections of the
population, who fear the opposition is dragging the country into
political turmoil.
But Gasparian said he would be in Yerevan on Friday afternoon for the
planned demonstration.
“I will be there, even if it costs me my life,” he said. “People do
not believe in their rulers any more because they have been deceived
so many times.”

Putin urges Armenian leader to uphold rule of law amid protests
AFP
MOSCOW, April 15
Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged his Armenian counterpart
Robert Kocharian to uphold stability and the rule of law amid a spate
of opposition protests aimed at his rule, the foreign ministry said
Thursday.
During a phone call with Kocharian, Putin “expressed his certainty
that Armenia’s leadership will be able to use a substantial saved-up
potential of democratic reforms to uphold stability and the rule of
law,” the ministry said in a statement.
The talks followed a police breakup of an anti-government
demonstration in the capital Yerevan on Monday, using water cannon and
reportedly injuring dozens of protestors.
Armenia’s opposition, which claims that Kocharian rigged a run-off
presidential vote in March 2003 to secure a second term in office, has
been staging almost nightly protests in Yerevan for the past week,
demanding that the Armenian leader resign.
Armenian authorities claim the protests are an attempt to copy the
“rose revolution” that toppled the leadership of Eduard Shevardnadze
in neighboring Georgia late last year.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Communications Officer
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
April 15, 2004
___________________
Week of April 9 to April 15, 2004
* * *
ARMENIANS GATHER AT CATHEDRAL FOR EASTER
More than 1,500 Armenians from around New England gathered at St. Vartan
Cathedral for Easter services last Sunday (4/10). The celebration was
covered by a number of local and international print and broadcast
journalists. To see photos and read about Easter and Holy Week services at
the cathedral — and to see photos from Easter at the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin — click to the Eastern Diocese’s website:
;selmonth=4&selyear=
2004
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/14/04)
* * *
HOLY FIRE CEREMONY CONDUCTED IN HOLY LAND
Bishop Vicken Aykazian, legate and ecumenical officer of the Easter Diocese,
represented the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the traditional Easter
Eve Holy Fire Ceremony last Saturday (4/10) in Jerusalem at the Church of
the Holy Sepulcher. Bishop Aykazian was the torchbearer, and accompanied
the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Irenios I into the Holy Tomb, where each lit
his bundle of candles from the oil lamp placed on Christ’s tomb.
The two then proceeded towards windows in the chapel of the Angel, through
which they passed candles out to the faithful from the Armenian, Greek,
Coptic, and Syrian Orthodox Churches.
(Source: Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 4/12/04)
* * *
PRIMATE TRAVELING TO CLEVELAND THIS WEEKEND
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, will be in
Cleveland, OH, this weekend, paying a pastoral visit to the St. Gregory of
Narek community. The Divine Liturgy on Sunday (4/18) will be followed by a
celebration of the parish’s 40th anniversary. The parish is located at 678
Richmond Rd. in Richmond Heights, OH.
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/15/04)
* * *
NEW PRIEST TO BE ORDAINED NEXT WEEKEND IN NEW YORK CITY
Next weekend (4/24-25), Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, will ordain Dn. Aren Jebejian as a priest. Dn. Jebejian, the
deacon-in-charge of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Chicago, IL, will
be ordained during two days of celebration at New York City’s St. Vartan
Cathedral. The events are open to the public. For more information, click
to the Eastern Diocese’s website:
;selmonth=4&selyear=
2004
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/8/04)
* * *
REMEMBERING THE GENOCIDE
Next Saturday (4/24), Armenians around the world will commemorate the 89th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks. On
Saturday (4/24), New York City’s St. Vartan Cathedral will hold a special
Martyrs Day Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. followed by a requiem service at
noon. A large public commemoration will take place in New York City’s Times
Square at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 25, 2004. Other remembrances will occur
throughout the Eastern Diocese. For more information, call your local
parish and click to the Eastern Diocese’s website Calendar of Events:
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/14/04)
* * *
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GENOCIDE
The Diocese’s St. Vartan Bookstore has a variety of resources to help you
and your family learn more about the Armenian Genocide. From academic
essays to books for children to Hollywood movies, you can find what you need
on the bookstore’s website,
For a list of recommended reading on the Genocide, click here:
;selmonth=4&selyear=
2004
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/15/04)
* * *
TURKISH AUTHOR TO SPEAK AT DIOCESAN CENTER TONIGHT
The Diocese’s Zohrab Information Center and the Tekeyan Cultural Association
will host author Kemal Yalcin today (4/15). The Turkish writer’s bold new
book, “You Rejoice My Heart,” is based on interviews with survivors of the
Armenian Genocide. A free reception will follow the discussion of his
courageous book, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Diocesan Center, 630
Second Ave. at 34th St. in New York City.
During the evening, Mr. Yalcin will sign copies of his new book. Also, a
limited supply is available from the St. Vartan Bookstore and can be shipped
to you signed. To buy your copy today and learn more about his book, click
to:
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/15/04)
* * *
RETREAT FOR 13-17 YEAR OLDS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Eastern Diocese’s Youth Ministry Program will hold a retreat this
weekend for New England’s ACYOA Jrs. — kids ranging from 13 to 17 years
old. The retreat — led by Yn. Arpi Kouzouian, coordinator of youth
outreach for the Eastern Diocese — will be in Contocook, NH, and will focus
on the idea of stewardship. The young Armenians will examine the gifts God
gave them, and how those gifts can be used in service to the church
community. For information on this retreat or to organize one in your area,
e-mail Yn. Kouzouian at [email protected].
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/14/04)
* * *
APPLY TO SUMMER CAMP TODAY
Spaces are going fast at the Diocese’s St. Vartan and Hye Camps. To save
your child’s space today, click here:
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/15/04)
* * *
TRAVEL TO ARMENIA THIS YEAR
Traveling to Armenia strengthens your faith and dedication. If you haven’t
gone yet, there are five opportunities this year.
In June:
* Young Professionals Trip — June 12 to 26 / $2,250. Specifically designed
for travelers between the ages of 23 and 40, this trip offers a chance to
see the sights of Armenia and build life-long friendships with other
Armenian American professionals. Call the Fund for Armenian Relief (212)
889-5150.
* Diocesan Pilgrimage to Historic Armenia and the Republic of Armenia —
June 17 to July 7 / $3,450. Travel to Istanbul, historic Armenian locations
in modern day Turkey such as Musa Dagh, Cappadocia, Mt. Ararat, and Ani.
Continue to Armenia to tour important historical and cultural sites. For
more information call Armen Aroyan (626) 359-9510.
* Armenia Service Program (ASP) — June 22 to July 15 / $1,980. A unique
opportunity for Armenians between the ages of 18 and 28, to help run a
summer camp in the village of Yeghegnadzor before touring throughout
Armenia. Call Nancy Basmajian (212) 686-0710.
In September:
* Women’s Guild Pilgrimage to Armenia — September 16 to 27 / $2,400. Tour
Etchmiadzin, Yerevan, ancient holy sites, and current cultural activities.
For more information call Ann Devejian (203) 838-5758.
* Pilgrimage to Armenia — September 18 to October 3 / $2,350. A
Diocesan-sponsored trip to all the highlights of Armenia. For more
information call Sidon Travel at (818) 553-0777.
To get more information on any of these travel opportunities, e-mail
[email protected].
And don’t forget — you can also help fund the trip of a young person in
your parish, who will return more eager to be involved in parish life.
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 4/15/04)
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of New York
PO Box 693
Woodside, NY 11377
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
April 15, 2004
Contact: Tony Vartanian
[email protected]
ANC OF NEW YORK MEETS WITH COUNCILMEMBER ERIC GIOIA
WOODSIDE, NY–The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York recently met
with New York City Councilmember Eric Gioia (D) to discuss numerous issues
of concern to the Armenian American community and to introduce him to the
work of the ANC.
“We are happy to have had the opportunity to meet with Councilor Gioia to
brief him on the Armenian American community of New York City, the Armenian
Genocide and upcoming commemoration events, and the various issues the ANC
pursues,” remarked Tony Vartanian, Chairman of the ANC of New York. “We
appreciate the Councilman’s enthusiasm to become more involved with our
concerns and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future to
promote a number of mutual interests,” continued Vartanian.
“One of our first priorities will be to reintroduce Councilor Gioia to the
local Armenian American community. We are in the process of scheduling an
event so that Mr. Gioia will be in a position to personally discuss a number
of issues with New York City Armenian Americans,” concluded Vartanian.
Reelected in 2003, Councilor Gioia, the representative for the 26th
district–which includes Long Island City, Woodside, Sunnyside, Astoria, and
Maspeth–serves as the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations
committee. In addition, Councilmember Gioia has served on the Land Use
Committee and the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, as well as the
Committees on Finance, Economic Development, Cultural Affairs and Libraries,
Waterfronts, and Civil Service and Labor.
Prior to his election to the New York City Council, Giola served in the
Clinton White House and practiced law at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy.
The Armenian National Committee (ANC) is the largest Armenian American
grassroots political organization in New York and nationwide. The ANC
actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian
American community.
####

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – April 15, 2004
APRIL 24 COMMEMORATIONS
We are approaching April 24 and the various commemorations for the 89th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Archbishop Oshagan will be attending
several commemorative events including the following:
On April 22, His Eminence has been invited to the New York City offices
of Governor Pataki, to receive the Proclamation issued by New York State.
On April 23, he will deliver the invocation at ceremonies in New York
City Hall, sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of New York and the
City of New York.
On April 24, His Eminence will be at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New
York City. V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar of the Prelacy, will
celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the Sermon. A requiem service for
the martyrs will take place at the Martyrs Altar.
On April 28, he will deliver the invocation at commemorative events on
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, sponsored by the Armenian National Committee
of America.
Details of these and other events will be included in the next
E-Newsletter.
CATHOLICOS ARAM I IN NAIROBI & RWANDA
The following information is taken from a press release issued by the
Worldwide Faith News, on April 12, 2004.
The Moderator of the Geneva based World Council of Churches (WCC), His
Holiness Aram I, arrived in Nairobi Tuesday, April 13, to effectively place
Africa on the global agenda.
As a moderator who chairs the WCC Central Committee, the highest WCC
policy making organ after the WCC General Assembly, his official visits
attract global attention which includes the attention of some 400 million
Christians worldwide who form the congregational membership of WCC global
network of member churches.
He is the most prominent leader of the Church outside the Roman Catholic
Church. WCC is the broadest and most inclusive ecumenical organization. It
enjoys a membership of 320 churches from virtually all Christian traditions
in 120 countries in all continents. The Roman Catholic Church works
cooperatively with WCC although it is not a member Church.
His Holiness Aram I comes to strengthen the Church in Africa in its own
work of healing the wounds of the continent, noted Rev. Dr. H. Mvume
Dandala, the General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches
adding that while the church plays leading roles in the endeavors of the
people of Africa, it needs unity in its thrust.
His Holiness travels to Rwanda on Friday, April 16, where he has been
invited to take part in commemorations of the 10th anniversary of the
Genocide in Rwanda.
JEOPARDY TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 22
The Armenian Jeopardy Tournament Championship game will take place on
May 22, not May 23 as previously reported, at St. Gregory Church in
Philadelphia. The Mid-Atlantic tournament took place in Ridgefield, New
Jersey, with the Armenian Sisters Academy as the winner. Tournaments in New
England and Mid-West will take place May 8 and May 15 respectively. The
tournaments are sponsored by the Armenian National Education Committee.
DATEV REMINDER
The Datev site on the Prelacy web page is complete. Visit the site for
full information, including registration form, for the 18th annual summer
Armenian Studies Program of the St. Gregory of Datev Institute,
affectionately and simply called Datev. ()
HOLY WEEK VISITS
On behalf of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, members of the Cilician
Brotherhood visited some of the dioceses during Holy Week.
Archbishop Ardavazt Terterian visited the Western Prelacy; Bishop Dirayr
Panossian visited the Diocese of Cyprus; Rev. Keghart Kusbekian visited the
Diocese of Aleppo; Rev. Bartev Gulumian and Rev. Vaghinag Meloyan visited
the Diocese of Tehran.
Each year, as an expression of the brotherly love and collaboration
between the hierarchal Sees, and with the invitation of Archbishop Torkom
Manoogian, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob
Moutafian, Patriarch of Istanbul, members of the Cilician Brotherhood visit
Istanbul and Jerusalem. This year, Bishop Nareg Alemezian visited Jerusalem
and V. Rev. Yeghishee Mandjigian visited Istanbul.
FIFTY DAYS (HINOUNK)
The fifty-day period between Easter (Zatik) and Pentecost (Hogegaloust)
is called Hinounk, meaning fifty days. The fifty days are devoted to the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each of the seven Sundays during Hinnounk has
a specific name.
This Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter is called New Sunday (Nor
Kiraki), since the first day of the week through Christ’s resurrection
became consecrated and Sunday became a dominical day. By virtue of its being
the eighth day of Easter and a day similar to Easter, it is also called
Grgnazadiz (Second Easter).
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples several times.
One day, when the disciples had taken refuge in fear, Christ appeared to
them again. Present in the room was the Apostle Thomas (the famous or
infamous Doubting Thomas), who previously had refused to believe that the
Lord has risen from the dead until he had seen tangible proof, finally
believed.
APRIL 15: INCOME TAX DAY
It is April 15 today, which means your income tax returns must be mailed
today, postmarked before midnight, or filed electronically before midnight.
Our parting thoughts for the week:
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his
eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a
sinner. (Luke 18:13).
Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise
that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
(Written by Benjamin Franklin in a letter to M. Leroy, 1789).
Visit our website at

RFE / RL Feature Articles
Wednesday, 14 April 2004
Armenia, Georgia Battle Dissimilar Crises
By Richard Giragosian
Washington, 14 April 2004 (RFE/RL) — The South Caucasus once again faces
the threat of instability as the still-fragile Georgian and the
well-entrenched Armenian governments each face escalating internal
challenges. There are key differences, however, between the Georgian and
Armenian situations that suggest very different trajectories for the two
countries.
First, there is a fundamental difference in the nature of the threat faced
by each state. The immediate challenge to the Georgian government posed by
its ongoing confrontation with the assertive leadership of the autonomous
region of Adjaria is only one aspect of a much greater challenge that
constitutes a serious test of legitimacy and authority for the struggling
Georgian state. That threat is further magnified by the loss of territorial
control over the breakaway unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, and by the steady erosion of authority from the central government
to the regions. Resolving the confrontation with Adjaria is therefore just
one step toward the larger task of reversing this devolution of power and
strengthening Georgian sovereignty by restoring central-government control
over the entire country.
In neighboring Armenia, by contrast, the political opposition is seeking to
dislodge a powerful government apparatus. Unlike the threat to the Georgian
state, the Armenian crisis is more a competition between elites and less a
threat to state authority, although the reaction of the Armenian leadership
undoubtedly creates doubt about the durability of its legitimacy.
The second key difference between the two crises lies in the nature of the
two regimes. Despite a superficial similarity, the political situation in
Armenia today is significantly different from that in Georgia in late 2003,
when President Eduard Shevardnadze was forced from power in a peaceful “Rose
Revolution.” The Georgian transition was unique and holds no real lessons
for Armenia. Regime change in Georgia was the result of a complicated
combination of factors, very few of which are present in Armenia. Most
importantly, the outcome in Georgia was due as much to the weakness of the
state as to the strength of civil society. It was, in other words, a
combination of a power vacuum and a weakened state that presented the
opportunity for the peaceful advent to power of a group of young pro-Western
politicians headed by former Justice Minister Mikheil Saakashvili.
In Armenia, however, the reverse is true. A strong and assertive state is
exercising, without restraint, its powers of control and intimidation
against a traditionally marginalized opposition. The Armenian regime also
differs from its Georgian counterpart in its reaction to the confrontation.
By resorting swiftly to force and coercion, the Armenian leadership has
contributed to a cycle of violence and an “arrogance of power” that can only
bolster the opposition in the long run. But even with the potential of
Armenian civil society, there is no easy or open avenue to confront the
government, despite the illusion of the opposition’s demands for impeachment
and sporadic demonstrations in the streets.
Yet the political situation in Armenia today is more complex than a simple
confrontation between the Armenian government and the political opposition.
There are a number of internal fault lines running through Armenian society
that could determine the course of the opposition-government political
standoff.
Politics in Armenia is increasingly expressed in a contest between
entrenched elites on the one hand, and a ruling elite happy to rule but
hesitant to govern and an opposition whose appeal lies in the personalities
of its leaders rather than its platform, on the other. This competition of
elites is marked by a struggle for control over the country’s limited
resource base and economic assets, a struggle in which the political
opposition is also a well-established player. The largest and most
significant group excluded from this competition for wealth is the majority
of the Armenian population, which remains impoverished and disenfranchised
from the real political process.
It is this divide between the ruling and aspiring political elite and a
frustrated although largely apathetic and weary Armenian population that
serves as the one potential advantage for the opposition. By tapping
widespread general frustration and mistrust of the incumbent leadership, the
opposition hopes to galvanize their campaign against President Robert
Kocharian as an avenue to power. There is no guarantee, however, that once
in power, the opposition would be any better, or any more honest, than the
government it superseded. More unites the authorities and the opposition
than divides them, and the real struggle in Armenia is for power, not
democracy or social justice.
The fate of democracy in Armenia is, in fact, very much in danger; and the
real challenge to Armenian national security comes from within, not from any
external threat. And as in the case of much of the Caucasus, the Armenian
people remain hostage to the petty politics and shortsighted governance of
their so-called leaders. In many ways, both the state and the opposition are
seeking to rule out of self-interest, instead of seeking to govern in the
national interest. Moreover, the Armenian leadership, through its use of
harsh repression, mass detentions, and the arrogant demonstration of its
“disdain for democracy,” is actually only legitimizing the politics of the
opposition while undercutting its own, waning legitimacy and authority.
But the most important point is that the true test of the stability and
legitimacy of the Armenian government rests in its handling of the current
crisis. The Armenian government might well be the author of its own demise,
by overestimating and overreacting to the perceived threat posed by the
opposition

ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION
YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF THE ARF-EASTERN USA-CENTRAL
EXECUTIVE
80 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA 02472
617-923-1933T
617-924-1933F
PRESS RELEASE
April 15, 2004
Contact: Armen Garabedian
201.755.9378; [email protected]
AYF TO HOST YOUTH SUMMIT ON GENOCIDE PREVENTION AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Former U.S. War Crimes Ambassador David Scheffer Among List of Notable
Speakers
Washington, DC- On the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the
AYF-YOARF Eastern USA Central Hai Tahd Committee will be hosting a
`Youth Summit on Genocide Prevention,’ bringing together community
members and youth of different backgrounds to remember past atrocities
and discuss mechanisms – international and local – to avert future
crimes against humanity. The event will take place on April 24th,
from 1:00-4:00pm at the Georgetown University McNeir Auditorium.
The summit will feature a presentation by Dr. David Scheffer, the
former U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues (1997-2001).
Dr. Scheffer led U.S. support for international and hybrid criminal
tribunals and headed the U.S. delegation to U.N. talks on the
International Criminal Court until 2001. He also led the Atrocities
Prevention Inter-Agency Working Group. He is currently a visiting
professor of international law at Georgetown University Law Center,
where he teaches public international law, international institutions
law, and atrocity law.
Joining Scheffer is Richard O’Brien, founder of Improve the World
International and the Center for the Prevention of Genocide. The
Center monitors and studies precursors of genocide present around the
world. Mr. O’Brien has lectured at the university level on genocide
and genocide prevention. He holds an MA with a concentration in
Public Policy from Georgetown University.
The panel is rounded out with the participation of Richard Giragosian,
a Washington based analyst specializing in international relations
with a focus on security, politics and economics. He is a frequent
commentator on events in the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia for
Radio Free Europe and Jane’s.
The `Youth Summit on Genocide Prevention’ is open to youth and people
of all ages committed to stopping genocide worldwide. The event is set
to coincide with the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
commemorated worldwide on April 24th each year. During the years of
1915-1923, over 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a centrally
planned and systematically executed campaign of genocide perpetrated
by the Ottoman Turkish Government. The tragedy is widely viewed as
the first genocide of the 20th century, the ongoing denial of which
has opened the door to similar atrocities including the Holocaust the
Cambodian and Rwandan genocides.
The youth summit is one of a series of local events coordinated by the
Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Greater Washington DC, a
coalition of local Armenian American organizations formed under the
auspices of the Soorp Khatch Armenian Church. The following is a
schedule of local events that will be taking place to mark the 89th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the upcoming weeks.
** Friday, April 16th, 8:00pm – Armenian Genocide Madagh and
Commemorative Program, organized by the Greater Washington Homenetmen
Chapter. Soorp Khatch Church Community, 4906 Flint Drive, Bethesda
MD.
** Friday, April 23rd 3:30PM-6: 30PM – `We will Always Remember’:
Armenian Genocide Demonstration in front of the Turkish Ambassadors
Residence Sheridan Circle (at 23rd and Massachusetts Avenue, NW)
** Friday, April 23rd 6: 30PM – A wreath-laying ceremony and prayer
organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia. Embassy of the
Republic of Armenia, 2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC
** Saturday, April 24th 1:00PM-4:00PM – `Youth Summit for Genocide
Prevention’, McNeir Auditorium, Georgetown University.
** Saturday, April 24th at 7:30PM – Genocide Commemoration program at
Sourp Khatch Armenian Community Center, 4906 Flint Drive, Bethesda,
MD.
** Sunday, April 25th at 10:30 AM Genocide Requiem Service and
Madagh. Soorp Khatch Church, 4906 Flint Drive, Bethesda, MD.
** Wednesday, April 28th 5:30 PM – 10th Annual Armenian Genocide
Observance on Capitol Hill, sponsored by the Armenian National
Committee of America. Cannon House Office Building, Cannon Caucus
Room (435). For more information, contact the ANCA at (202) 775-1918.
For those attending the commemorative programs from outside the
Greater Washington, DC area, hotel accommodations have been made at
the Marriott Crystal Gateway, 1700 Jefferson Davis, Hwy, Arlington, VA
22202. For information or reservations, please contact: Arsineh
Khachikian at 202.775.1918.
#####
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

New Internationalist 366 — April 2004
The Wild East
Life in the highrise jungle of urban post-communism is not for the
fainthearted. Richard Swift takes the measure of a new capitalism – that’s
all shock and no therapy.
THEY are mostly apartmentdwellers, these sceptical survivors who have lived
for decades under communism. If you are lucky enough to be invited into
their homes, their hospitality is exemplary. Scarce food and drink flow with
unparalleled generosity. While they have memories and often connections back
to a village somewhere, their life and fate these days is decidedly urban.
Housing is a huge problem for them. Overcrowding is the norm. Privacy is at
a premium. Whoever can buy an apartment, does so. For most, a single-family
dwelling is inconceivable. Young marrieds have to stay with their family –
maybe even share a room with a sibling or two. But at its best there is a
warmth and cosiness to this kind of apartment living. It could be in an
older downtown building with some residual charm. More likely it is in some
kind of Soviet-era monstrosity on the outskirts of town. Whether in an
Eastern European city like Sofia or the capital of a former Soviet republic
like Tashkent – whether in the architectural wonder of Lviv in the western
Ukraine or Tbilisi in the far reaches of the Georgian Caucasus –
postcommunist people are taking great care and pride ‘doing up’ their often
cramped home interiors.
Meanwhile, the public realm outside their doors often festers with neglect.
Corridors, elevators and stairwells are festooned with garbage and graffiti.
Social certainties like guaranteed apartments are simply disappearing. So
too are secure jobs, pensions, free (if inadequate) education and
healthcare, affordable (if uninspiring) food, access to recreation.
Postcommunist economies are being ‘reformed’: marketized and privatized in
ways suggested by Western consultants paid for by the World Bank or USAID.
This destruction is intended. The views of just one US economist sums up the
Washington Consensus: ‘Any reform must be disruptive on an historically
unprecedented scale. An entire world must be discarded, including all its
economic and most of its social and political institutions.’1 The aim is to
create Middle America on the Volga. ‘From each according to their ability,
to each according to their need’ gives way to ‘if you can’t make money from
it, then don’t do it’.
Not that most people were happy with communism. But with communism’s
collapse, they were promised more democracy. Instead they are getting
political bosses and fixed elections. If the economy had to be reformed,
they wanted more opportunity. Instead they are getting oligarchy and
corruption.
The champions of the unfettered market call it ‘creative destruction’, a
phrase that comes from the conservative economic historian Joseph Schumpeter
who saw it as ‘the essential fact about capitalism.’2 And for the people in
what used to be the communist world there has been destruction aplenty.
Destruction of jobs. Destruction of living standards. Destruction of entire
industries. Destruction of health. Destruction of lives.
Life expectancy is down. Suicides are up. So are alcoholism, drug abuse,
prostitution and crime as people try desperately to cope. The severity of
this crisis varies. The formerly communist countries of Eastern Europe and
the tiny Baltic republics seem to have coped best with the changes. But even
here (see the articles on Hungary and Romania) people are scrambling just to
survive.
Economic shock therapy
Hardest hit have been most of the countries that used to make up the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Outside the glitzy downtowns of cities
like St Petersburg, Kiev or Yerevan where the few prosperous New Russians,
New Ukrainians or New Armenians gather, poverty has reached staggering
proportions. Between 1990 and 1999 the number of people living on two
dollars a day or less more than tripled.3 Back in 1989, 14 million people in
the USSR lived in poverty. Nine years later the number had skyrocketed to
147 million. This region has undergone a depression and demodernization
unprecedented in peacetime over the last century. One Russian scholar
estimates the destruction to be equivalent to a ‘medium-level nuclear attack
‘.1
The creative part of this ‘creative destruction’ is a bit more elusive.
Certainly it takes a certain creativity to survive as an entire way of life
gives way under your feet – as all that is solid melts. But creativity in
the sense that Schumpeter meant – the profit in the market ledger – has in
this part of the post-communist world been, by and large, an export
industry. A lot of the loot from entrepreneurial pillage is now stored in
offshore bank accounts or invested in villas in locations like the French
Riviera. Two billion dollars a month was spirited out of Russia alone under
the corrupt Yeltsin regime. Even the capital that stays in the
post-communist world is mostly devoted to speculative purposes or high-end
retail – night clubs, fancy cafés, glitzy shops beyond the imagination of
most people. Russians were so disgusted with the corruption and chaos under
Yeltsin that, for some at least, the autocratic order of Putin and his new
cabinet comes as a relief.
It’s capitalist utopia these days – everything is up for sale. That’s
certainly the impression that my colleague Andrew Kokotka (the designer of
this issue) and I got as we travelled through the former Soviet Union.
People trotted out their worldly goods in the weak sunshine of a Kiev
afternoon and spread them out on blankets. Or maybe it was from the trunk of
their car beside the river in Tbilisi in Georgia. Every electricity pole was
covered with tear-off posters for all manner of goods and services. A
middle-aged woman named Astghik approached us on the streets of the Armenian
capital, Yerevan, with a plastic bag full of necklaces that she maintained
would keep our blood pressure in check – absolutely necessary when
experiencing ‘creative destruction’. Astghik needed the money so she could
pay her children’s (poorly paid) teachers extra so they would not ignore her
kids in school. Yes, classroom attention has become a commodity too.
So has medical care. Armenian friends described how a doctor told them their
young son ‘looks fine now but next week he might be dead’ as she tried to
convince them he suffered from salmonella poisoning. After all, treating
salmonella (whether you have it or not) is a lot more lucrative than taking
care of a simple case of stomach flu. If you pass your exams and want to
graduate – a little something for the principal will be in order. If you are
in the army and due your leave, your commanding officer has his hand out. Or
say you need a passport or another of the myriad documents necessary to
manoeuvre through life. What are often taken for granted as simple rights in
the West have become ‘negotiable exchanges’ in this part of the world.
No match for bourgeois decadence
Communism was always supposed to be about the future, but somehow it always
felt more like the past. Whether it was old ladies with headscarves and
stick brooms sweeping out Red Square or the denunciations of everyone from
Kafka to the Rolling Stones for ‘bourgeois decadence’, one got the sense of
a world run by a bunch of old fogies. Their values were mostly small ‘c’
conservative – go slow, be stable and predictable, don’t rock the boat.
Sure, there were the early days of real revolutionary fervour and debate.
Then came social engineering on a grand scale: Stalin’s forced march
collectivization The champions of the unfettered market call it ‘creative
destruction’ and industrialization and Mao’s Great Leap Forward and Cultural
Revolution resulted in the death of millions. But this kind of brutal
radicalism (more akin, some would claim, to fascism) gave way to a plodding
system where crimes and dysfunctions leant more toward the predictable and
irritating. You knew what you could get away with and what was dangerous.
Injustice and oppression abounded, but the system provided a certain level
of welfare for those who lived under it. Resignation gradually replaced
fear.
The myth of the system’s radicalism was sustained by both those who
controlled it and its enemies in the West. For the former it provided proud
credentials for their ‘scientific’ rule. For the latter it proved that no
alternative to corporate power was desirable.
Still, it was a way of life to which people adapted with a shrug of the
shoulder and a wicked joke at the expense of communist pretension. In the
West much concern was expressed about the sad fate of those living under the
communist yoke. Oddly there is no such outcry now. Instead those pushed to
the margins of mere existence are fed with ‘ no pain, no gain’ sermons about
‘ staying the course’ of reform. The main concern of the free-enterprise
zealots has not been the suffering but rather the fear that post-communist
politicians would shrink from administering the necessary policies to create
a viable capitalism.
The politics of convenience has replaced the concerns about human rights
violations that marked the Cold War. When Boris Yeltsin launched a military
assault against the Russian Parliament in the fall of 1993, the West, led by
the Clinton regime in Washington cheered him on. Although an odd precedent
for democracybuilding, their man-in-Moscow was seen as the best hope to
continue with brutal economic reforms.
Today, turning blind eyes to unholy alliances with despotic leaders is
common practice. So Kuchma in the Ukraine or Aliyev in Azerbaijan are wooed
and coddled despite blatantly undemocratic practices. The worst case is
probably that ‘warrior against terrorism’ the President of Uzbekistan, Islam
Karimov – the recipient of US troops and much Western largesse who now runs
a vicious police state. Uzbekistan currently holds some 6,000 Muslims in
custody for simply practising their religion outside official
Government-approved channels.4
A kleptocracy has emerged almost everywhere in this region. Those who had
power and position under communism have repositioned themselves as either
economic oligarchs or political bosses. In many cases they are one in the
same. In Eastern Europe this process has in part been kept in check by a
relatively open political system. Elsewhere the looting of public wealth has
been pretty crude. Russia and Armenia have emerged with some of the most
severe gaps between wealth and poverty in the world.
The system takes a ride
In a car on the way to Ukraine’s airport at Kiev, a police officer looms
with a torch out of the early morning fog. Our driver is deemed to be drunk
(at 6am in the morning!) and a ‘fine’ of $100 is required if we are to catch
our flight. The amount is half of what our friend makes in an entire month.
It’s a common story: the kind of corruption that occurs at the top gets into
the very bones of a society as people follow the examples, of their élites
at a micro-level. It’s not so much a question of morality as it is one of
survival.
An ugly political culture is emerging. Cars blow up mysteriously or people
just disappear. Deaths occur in police custody. Assaults by some
quasi-official security force take place on offices and computers. Important
documents are removed. A key figure or potential witness to a corrupt deal
gets killed in a runof- the-mill robbery. It smacks of organized crime
vendettas where the motive is revenge or cover-up.
Overt political motivation is here too. It is widely believed that the
bombings that killed dozens in Moscow apartment buildings before the second
brutal Chechen war – a war that cemented Vladamir Putin’s strongman image –
were the work not of Chechen terrorists but of some murky department of the
Russian security service.5 Then there is the Ukrainian journalist – a thorn
in the side of the Kuchma regime – whose head turned up in the woods outside
Kiev.
For most of the population this is simply theatre to be observed with a
shake of the head or a shrug of the shoulders. Proof of the failure of
society to free itself from the iron grip of the state. Proof that nothing
ever changes.
I thought of different ways to take the measure of post-communist life in a
market economy. What would the Rand Corporation do for instance? Ah-hah, I
thought… a focus group. So I got together a group of Armenian students for
a discussion. They were just entering their teens when the old system came
apart. Now they were university students and finding it very tough. On the
positive side, they said that they had more freedom to speak their minds now
and that life was more interesting. They all felt their access to the
internet was very important for democracy.
But education was very expensive and depended on a massive family effort.
All lived at home. They recalled the days of free education when students
could travel anywhere in the communist world. They worried for Armenia. They
worried about jobs: that many must now go to Russia for work. They worried
too that foreigners were buying up essential services – the Italians had the
water, the Russians the electricity. They especially worried about the
growing gap between rich and poor. They wondered why they couldn’t have the
best of both worlds: the new freedoms but also the equality and the
guaranteed security of the old system. Good question.
1 Stephen F Cohen, Failed Crusade, Norton, New York, 2001.
2 Joseph A Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Harper, New
York, 1975.
3 2003 World Development Indicators, World Bank, Washington.
4 Human Rights Watch, 2003.
5 Boris Kagarlitsky, Russia under Yeltsin and Putin, Pluto, London, 2002.
—