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03/18/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ARF Responds to Georgian Official's Slanderous Accusations 2) Rights Group Calls Level of Abuses in Turkey Still 'Unacceptable' 3) Russia and Georgia to Hold Talks over Bases by End of Month 4) ANC Leads Effort to Address Problems at Grant High School 5) ANCG Hosts Afternoon with Endorsed Candidates 6) Celebrated Comedian Vahe Berberian to Perform for Anahid Oshagan Campaign 7) AYF Camp: Building for Our Future 8) Electoral Idiots 1) ARF Responds to Georgian Official's Slanderous Accusations In a recent interview published in the Georgian newspaper "Rao-Rao," advisor to Georgian president Saakashvilli Georgi Gachechiladze, leveled serious charges against the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. In the March 14 publication, Gachechiladze alledged that according to records of a closed session of a Russian Security Service meeting, released to him in 1991 by former Georgian president Georgian Zviad Gamsakhurdia, then Russian President Yeltsin's "national security advisor" A. Mihranian [who never held that title] told that session, "It is imperative to direct the energy of people of the North Caucusus to work against Georgia." Gachechiladze expounded, telling the paper that the approach is a classic doctrine of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which envisions Georgia's collapse by way of the North Caucasus--for the creation of a "Greater Armenia" that expands toward the Black Sea and Abkhazia. Asked how Georgia would react if internal political forces sought to seceded from Georgia, Gachechiladze pointed to Javakhk Armenians, saying that it was exactly for that reason that they were slaughtered and subsequently driven from Turkey. "Coaxed by Tsarist Russia, those Armenians were ultimately betrayed; some found haven in Georgia. I don't think that they would blindly assume that role, once again, under the influence of Russia." Responding to Gachechiladze's remarks, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation released the following statement: 1. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation has never sought and does not seek "Georgia's destruction through North Caucasus." The ARF is pursuing the protection of the rights of the Armenians of Javakhk within Georgia. Statements such as those made by the Georgian president's advisor may only foment disturbance in the Caucasus. 2. On the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Georgian president's advisor insults the memory of the Genocide victims, accusing them of becoming a blind tool in the hands of others. Actually, he is repeating the official position of Turkey, the perpetrator of the Genocide. Such a reprehensible stance of the Georgian president's advisor is incompatible to the high office he holds. 3. The Georgian presidential advisor's threats directed at the Javakhk Armenians are basis to suspect that the attempts to initiate disruption in Javakhk are aimed at justifying those very threats. The Georgian presidential advisor's intimidating tone is unbecoming of a state that claims to be a champion of democracy; it resembles the style of dictators speaking to their subjects in tyrannies. 4. The level of the Georgian presidential advisor's ignorance may be low enough to call a Yeltsin aide an ARF member, but it should not be as low as to overlook the real problems in Javakhk. 5. The ARF is ready to assist the Georgian authorities in protecting the political and civil rights of the Javakhk Armenians as well as resolving their socio-economic problems if the Georgian authorities take such steps. Continuing the discriminatory policies of the Georgian authorities towards the Javakhk Armenians can not result in favorable consequences for Georgia. 2) Rights Group Calls Level of Abuses in Turkey Still 'Unacceptable' ANKARA (AFP)--Human rights violations decreased in Turkey in 2004 but are still at an "unacceptable level" compared to European Union norms, Turkey's main human rights group said Friday. "We can speak of a general improvement when we compare the 2004 human rights record to that of 2003," Yusuf Alatas, the head of the Human Rights Association (IHD) told a news conference unveiling the group's annual human rights report. "But if we assess the figures without comparing them to previous years, the situation is not encouraging at all," he said. "Human rights violations are still at an unacceptable level and far from EU standards." A summary of the IHD report shows the group received 843 complaints of torture and mistreatment in 2004, compared to 1,202 in 2003. Alatas said the figure showed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government had failed to live up to its "zero tolerance" promise as far as torture is concerned. The report said nine publications were seized or banned in 2004, compared to 285 the previous year. The number of non-governmental organizations closed down by authorities dropped from 47 to 13 during the same period. Prosecutors filed various charges against 467 people for only expressing their views, down from 1,706 people in 2003. The report, however, said the number of people killed in armed confrontations increased from 104 to 240. The figure appeared to reflect a rise in clashes between security forces and Kurdish rebels in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast since last June, when the rebels ended a five-year unilateral ceasefire with Ankara. In a landmark decision last December, the EU gave Turkey the green light for accession talks scheduled to begin on October 3, but the country is still under pressure to prove its full commitment to democracy and human rights. 3) Russia and Georgia to Hold Talks over Bases by End of Month MOSCOW (AFP)--Georgia said Friday that it was close to resolving the thorny issue of Russian military bases on its territory with Moscow. "The issue is practically resolved," Georgy Khaindrava, Georgia's minister for conflict resolution, said on a visit to Moscow. "We are working on the details and hope that a solution will be found before the end of May," he said in an interview with Moscow Echo radio. The Georgian official said that the three-year time limit that Moscow has requested to withdraw its two basesone in the mostly Armenian populated reagion of Javakhk--which Georgia inherited from Soviet times, was "reasonable." The two nations have agreed to hold talks on the issue, which has strained relations between Moscow and Tbilisi for years, before the end of March. Russia's two bases remaining on Georgian territory are in the Akhalkalak region in the south and Batumi in the west. "The bases are an anachronism... that dates to the Soviet times and were meant to protect the (Soviet) south," Khaindrava said Friday. "Today NATO and Turkey are not longer Russian enemies, so there is no longer an argument for their existence." Last week, the Georgian parliament passed a resolution that gave Russia until January 1 to close the facilities, but Russia is insisting it will need at least three years to withdraw its equipment and troops. In a joint statement signed by Russia and Georgia during a 1999 summit of member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Istanbul, Moscow agreed to close two of four military bases in Georgia and to present a timetable for closure of the remaining two. 4) ANC Leads Effort to Address Problems at Grant High School NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA--The Armenian National Committees (ANC) of East and West San Fernando Valley mobilized on March 8, after a fight broke out between several hundred Armenian and Latino students at Grant High School, requiring police intervention. The incident resulted in the arrest of four and expulsion of eight students, and has garnered significant attention on television news, talk radio, and print media. The ANC met the following day with the Committee on Armenian Students in Public Schools (CASPS) and Grant High School officials to immediately quell the alarming situation. Within two days after the incident, the ANC co-sponsored a meeting with parents and Grant High School officials, attracting over 300 participants. During the entire week after the incident, members of the ANC were on campus collaborating with parents of Armenian students and school administrators to analyze the causes leading to the incident, and how to prevent such incidences from occurring in the future. "The fights that broke out at Grant High School between Latino and Armenian students are of serious concern to all communities including the Armenian American community," stated Manug Haladjian, Chairman of the East San Fernando Valley ANC. "This has been an issue at Grant High School in prior years, and this latest incident is evidence that this issue must be taken more seriously by all concerned parties," continued Haladjian. The ANC and CASPS (The Committee for Armenian Students in Public Schools), recently organized several meetings on the issue with experts in the field from various schools in the area. In addition to meeting with these specialists, parents, students, and school officials, on March 17, the ANC and CASPS also met with representatives from the City and County of Los Angeles Human Resources Commission, and the offices of State Senator Richard Alarcon, Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, and Los Angeles Councilwoman Wendy Gruel to arrange a meeting between Armenian and Latino leaders in the area. "Excellent education can only be achieved through a safe, healthy, and positive school environment that fosters respect and understanding for all cultures," said Ara Papazian, who chairs the West San Fernando Valley ANC. "We strongly encourage school officials to view this issue with an eye toward system-wide, long-term solutions that raise the level of cultural understanding among school administrators, teachers, students, and parents." Beginning in 2004, the ANC recognized the need to address the issues facing the increasing number of Armenian students in the public schools. The ANC began implementing a course of action which sought to raise awareness of the challenges facing the Armenian students and look for ways to improve their educational environment. Over the past six months, the ANC has organized meetings with Los Angeles Unified School District Officials, including School Board Member Jon Lauritzen, Grant High School Principal Sandra Cruz, and various other LAUSD administrators and teachers. In an effort to improve their understanding of the cultural differences of Armenian students, 20 educators from Grant High School, including Prinipal Cruz, will be participating in the March 30 Armenian Cultural Conference in Pasadena. Now in its tenth year, the Armenian Cultural Conference, which is sponsored by the school districts of Burbank, Glendale, EIEP of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Montebello, aims to raise awareness and understanding of the Armenian culture among public school teachers and administrators, so that they may deliver more effective and culturally sensitive education to students of Armenian descent. The ANC, along with CASPS and Grant High School, will co-host a meeting on March 31 with parents of Armenian students at Grant High School to discuss concerns and start looking for long-term solutions and programs to address the various issues with Armenian youth in public schools. In addition, a meeting will be organized for students, in April, to allow them to air their concerns. On May 4, the ANC, CASPS, and Grant High School will host a town hall meeting for the entire community on this issue. "We stand ready to work with school officials, parents, students and other community groups in the spirit of partnership, implementing programs that will address these issues and their root causes," affirmed ANC leaders in a joint statement released last week. 5) ANCG Hosts an Afternoon with Endorsed Candidates GLENDALE--Eager voters and concerned citizens gathered at St. Mary's Apostolic Church on Sunday, March 13, to meet the ANCG endorsed candidates. The event, hosted by the Armenian National Committee of Glendale, offered community members and candidates for city office a chance to speak one and one and exchange ideas. Unlike the numerous candidate forums that have been held, this event offered ArmenianAmericans an opportunity to ask candidates more specific and personal questions. Non-English speaking citizens were grateful for the opportunity to ask questions of non-Armenian speaking candidates with the assistance of a translator. Furthermore, the format of the event allowed candidates to spend time with individual voters. Rather than responding to questions in 30 seconds, candidates could spend as much time as needed to answer questions or listen to voter's concerns. "The candidate forum was an exciting opportunity to have supporters and community members ask questions about our platform, ideas and show their support for my candidacy," commented Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian, candidate for City Clerk. "The rally really fed into the energy and momentum of our campaign and the Glendale ANC is doing a tremendous job in raising awareness about this upcoming election." Anahid "Anna" Oshagan, candidate for City Council added, "These are great opportunities for voters to meet candidates and get to know them on a personal level. As a candidate, it's great to be able to spend time with the voters and listen to their concerns. After all, these elections are about the voters not the candidates, and only by knowing and understanding the communities needs can we candidates become strong leaders." Other candidates present included: City Council candidates Ara Najarian (current Glendale College Trustee), Larry Miller and Mayor Bob Yousefian; School Board Candidates Greg Krikorian (current school board President) and Chuck Sambar (current school board member), and Nayiri Nahabedian; College Board candidates Dr. Armine Hacopian (current trustee) and Victor King (current trustee). For more information regarding the candidates or ways to get involved, please contact the Armenian National Committee of Glendale at (818) 243-3444 or info@ancglendale.org. 6) Celebrated Comedian Vahe Berberian to Perform for Anahid Oshagan Campaign GLENDALE--Celebrated artist and comedian Vahe Berberian has stepped up to help Anahid Oshagan's Glendale City Council campaign with a benefit performance of his highly acclaimed first monologue, "Yevaylen" but with a twist. He will be performing "Yevaylen, Revisited" at Anoush Restaurant on March 22. A hysterical and smart monologue, "Yevaylen, Revisited" tackles topics as diverse as family, growing up in Beirut, and observations on the Armenian identity concentrating mostly on the Armenian archetype. Performed in Armenian, Yevaylen was presented in Pasadena to standing room only crowds for many months and toured around various cities in the US and Canada. "Yevaylen, Revisited" is based on the same monologue with added twists and turns and brand new material. "I think it's imperative for us as a community to get involved in local politics. It's very exciting to see all these young Armenians running for office, and what is even more exciting is the fact that they are intelligent, educated people with progressive agendas," says Berberian, "I love Anahid. She's a smart, warm, compassionate human being and I have no doubt that she will play a very positive role within city politics." In a string of fundraising events with an artistic focus, many local artists have donated their time and talent to aid Anahid Oshagan in her bid for a council seat. In early March, "Art for Oshagan" a silent art auction at Harvest Gallery involved twenty artists and was a huge success. Actress Lory Tatoulian is slated to perform one of her stage sketches at another fundraising event in March. Oshagan is running on a platform to bring our community together and improve the quality of life for all of Glendale. She will protect our environment, reduce the impact of traffic, build more mini-parks, support our police and fire departments, and support the development of arts and culture in our city. "There are many important issues in Glendale and one of them is arts and culture--this is one of my priorities in this race," said Oshagan. "Art is a universal language and it is a force that can unite many parts of Glendale's diverse mosaic of communities." Anahid Oshagan's candidacy for the City Council has a vision to bring harmony and mutual understanding to the diverse communities of Glendale. Stemming from her political experience and her dedication to the community, Anahid will bring a fresh new perspective and will become a unifying force for all of Glendale. Recognizing this fact, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-29) has endorsed Anahid's bid for the City Council as has Raffi Manoukian of the Glendale City Council, the Glendale ANC, the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats and the California School Employees Association. The community has also supported her bid in a big way: in January-February time period, her campaign was third in fundraising in a field of 19 candidates. Anahid's background is ideally suited for the city council. Coming from a family that instilled in her the values of hard work and helping her community, Anahid has developed a solid history of community involvement and service. As a student leader at CSUN, Anahid was instrumental in aiding the 1988 Armenian earthquake relief effort and raising awareness of Armenia's bid for independence. After graduation, she worked to aid victims of domestic violence and mentored juvenile inmates. She has taught English as a Second Language to immigrants and spearheaded fundraising efforts for a program to immunize children in Armenia and Karabagh. For the past three years, Anahid was Congressman Adam Schiff's District Representative working as the liaison to the City of Glendale and the Armenian-American communities throughout the 29th Congressional district. Anahid now works as a non-profit attorney. If elected, she will be the first Armenian-American woman to serve on the Glendale City Council. "Yevaylen, Revisited," will take place Tuesday, March 22 at Anoush restaurant in Glendale at 401 W. Colorado St. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $25. Mezze will be served. For reservations contact Christina at (818) 317-1710 or email WetPaintPro@aol.com. Visit for info about Vahe. Donations to the Oshagan campaign may be made to "Friends of Anahid Oshagan" and sent to Friends of Anahid Oshagan, P.O. Box 4820, Glendale, CA 91222-0820. Political contributions are not tax-deductible. Please see <; for more information on Oshagan's candidacy as well as this and other events. 7) AYF Camp: Building for Our Future By Aram Madenlian Several generations of campers and counselors have learned vital facts about Armenian history and culture, shared in games and crafts, all while making lifelong friends at AYF Camp--now in existence for over two and a half decades. It is difficult to explain how a group of people that hardly know one another at the beginning of a week can come together--sleep, eat, and play--to become like family after only seven days. There are a myriad of reasons why we return to Camp each year--whether it is the pride you feel when you see an eight-year-old tearfully and passionately talking about his great grandparents and the importance of genocide recognition or watching a group of campers sing "Verkerov Lee" in unison. As we have all grown older, it is these memories that encourage us to volunteer our time in maintaining and improving camp for future generations. No matter what your age, you always feel a sense of connection to camp. As a camper, you would eagerly wait all summer long for those one or two weeks that you and your friends had talked about all year long. All of those detailed discussions about what color group (Red, Blue, or Orange) you wanted to be in or what counselor you hoped you had--or in some cases for the ones who were a little strict you hoped you wouldn't have--were of utmost importance. As 17-year-olds, many of us suffered from AYF Camp withdrawal. The camper age range is 8-16; however, you must be at least 18 years of age to be a counselor. That leaves a one-year gap away from AYF Camp, and for many it is a year too long. Most counselors are college students, who work part time, but choose to volunteer their time to the camp for a number of reasons. Most counselors feel a deep sense of loyalty and responsibility not only to AYF Camp, but most importantly, to the campers. Passing on what they have learned at Camp and continuing the traditions is an integral part of that process. They want to be remembered as "great counselors" and positive role models for their campers. Ultimately, many counselors aspire to be director one day. It is, once again, that sense of connection that draws the director back. Usually settled with family and career, a director takes a week of his or her vacation time and decides to spend it at camp. While the safety of campers is of paramount importance, the director also has to ensure that the campers are having fun while also learning about the Armenian Cause. A good director will know how to ignite that "spirit" inside the campers and counselors. Unfortunately, "spirit" alone is not enough to sustain our camp structurally, as AYF Camp is in dire need of renovation. In recent years, the Management Board has made it a priority to upgrade the facilities and as a result, a master plan was implemented for the renovation of AYF Camp. Improvements were prioritized according to importance and necessity. It was immediately assessed that the roofs on all of the cabins would not withstand another harsh winter; the Board, subsequently, planned to replace the roofs on all of the cabins. Beginning in May 2003, the Board organized the first of a series of camp improvement weekends. The Board members, along with a core group of volunteers, undertook the implementation of this project. These twelve volunteers removed two to three layers of asphalt shingle roofing, cut and installed new plywood panels, and installed a new 40-year asphalt shingle roof on cabins 4,5,6,7, and 10. In June 2003, a new walk-in freezer, along with a new motor, was installed in the kitchen. The installation was completed by a volunteer who donated his time, tools, and a portion of the materials at no cost to the camp. In July 2003, three new commercial grade hot water heaters were installed in all of the camper bathrooms. The volunteer provided the three 1,000 gallon water heaters at his cost, as well as his time, tools, and a portion of the materials. Also in July 2003, the ARF Shant chapter organized a work weekend, where members assembled and installed 33 new bunk beds, installed curtains in all of the cabins, and painted the interiors of cabins 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8. In October 2003, the Board members and a group of volunteers removed and replaced the roofs of cabins 8 and 9. In addition, cabin 8 was essentially rebuilt from the ground up, starting from the framing, to the installation of new windows, doors, siding, and a new electrical panel. A member of the Management Board donated the majority of the materials for cabin 8. In March of 2004, the same group of volunteers removed and replaced the roofs of cabins 2 and 3. In May and June 2004, a contractor was hired to completely renovate the Boy's bathroom downstairs. The framing was replaced one stud at a time. New sheathing, weatherproofing, exterior plywood, and siding were installed. The old plumbing and electrical were also replaced. In addition, new shower fixtures, toilets, urinals, sinks, windows, and doors were installed all accented with a natural slate stone tile. In June 2004, a small group of volunteers installed the interior drywall and painted the exterior of cabin 8. In October 2004, volunteers removed and replaced the roofs of cabin 1 and the roof of the boy's bathroom. All these improvements were necessary for Camp to continue its daily operations. They are, however, just the beginning. The AYF Camp Management Board has made this revitalization effort its top priority and is counting on you for your support. In December 2004, Dr. Garo Chalian pledged to sponsor the renovation of the infirmary ($25,000) in memory of his father. Actions have always spoken louder than words for the Chalian Family as a whole. Whether as campers, counselors, directors, or board members, the Chalian Family has always been involved in the Camp. Their role as activists within our community has truly benefited us all. We are confident Dr. Chalian's generosity will be contagious amongst our community members and that it will start the 2005 year with the momentum needed to see our revitalization project through to its fruition. The improvements on the infirmary are scheduled to start in May 2005. The following is a complete list of future improvements for which the board is seeking sponsorship: *Renovation of the Girl's Bathrooms--$25,000 *Renovation of the Infirmary--(Sponsorship Secured - Dr. Garo Chalian) *Renovation of the Camp Fire Pit--(Sponsorship Secured Garo Madenlian Fund) *Renovation of the Pool and Pool Bathrooms--$75,000 *Renovation of the Kitchen--$50,000 *Renovation of Cabins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10--$12,000 Each *Renovation of the Staff Cabin--$15,000 *Renovation of the Lodge--$100,000 *Renovation of the Arts and Crafts--$30,000 *Construction of a New Cabin--$15,000 *Renovation of the Caretaker Cabin--$15,000 If you choose to become a sponsor, your name will be listed on the structure you have chosen and will remain there for as long as the Camp is in operation. Donations are not limited to sponsorships--any and all donations are welcomed and appreciated. For more information regarding sponsorship and donations, please contact Aram Madenlian at (714) 719-4608. 8) Electoral Idiots By Garen Yegparian It's all I can do to not use names in this piece--all in the interest of protecting the pride of the guilty. In a place called Glendale, a very heated contest is raging for the office of City Clerk. Who'd have thought that was possible? Well, it's true and we, as Armenians, are overly well represented-- accounting for four of the nine candidates. Two have earned the title above. Just this week we've learned that one hasn't voted in the last six years. That's nine elections! Remember, the City Clerk is the ELECTIONS officer of the city in question. What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when the candidate doesn't even consider it important enough to vote! The other candidate has seen fit to misuse the city seal for electoral purposes and been outed by another of the nine and the local newspaper. Remember, the City Clerk is the keeper of documents and records for the city. In this case, the candidate is also a long-time city employee and should have known better. What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when the candidate doesn't even respect the city they propose to represent! But they're not alone, in another race where our community is well represented, two school board candidates chose to boycott (I can't think of a better characterization) a forum organized a few weeks ago by the Western Diocese, and reported in this column. Why? Who knows. They were there, but not on stage. This was a panel that, if you'll remember, odars were dying to appear on. What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when they don't even see fit to respect our institutions and the programs they organize! Nor is Glendale alone in its submissions for this grand title. In other local elections, one candidate who seeks our community's support is constantly offending those who assist the campaign. There's no appreciation for the efforts on that candidate's behalf. On the contrary, only denigration of such support issues from the candidate's mouth, both publicly and privately. Add to this the offense given to broader, non-Armenian circles as well, and it's time yet again to exclaim: What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when they don't even see fit to respect community activists who support the campaign! And our final contender is someone who might actually have promise in the future, given the energy and enthusiasm exhibited in running for office. Tragicomically though, this candidate ran against a well entrenched incumbent and garnered a 'whopping' one-sixteenth of the votes. Why attempt political suicide but doing things like this? Build yourself up among the constituencies you'll be serving, then go for it! Here's my plea to all those with electoral ambitions. Once this round of elections is over, all those who are considering running next time should sit together with representatives of Armenian political organizations to hash out who has the best chance of winning in what seats. Then, let's get behind those people and support their campaigns. We'll all do better, both individually and as a community. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. 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