ASBAREZ Online [04-18-2006]

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04/18/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Armenians in Greece Demonstrate 2) 'Cultural Genocide' Exhibition Held at YSU 3) Armenian Memorial Vandalized in France Prior to Unveiling 4) New Case Filed against Turkish Publishers of British Blue Book 5) UCLA Conference on Sustainable Development in Armenia 1) Armenians in Greece Demonstrate In order to commemorate the Armenian genocide, hundreds of Armenians gathered in Athens, Greece Saturday morning to demonstrate in front of the Turkish Embassy. The peaceful gathering was broken up by police officers who used batons to disperse the demonstrators. The demonstrators attempted to submit a memorandum to the Embassy, but Turkish diplomats refused to take it. The following day, a wreath honoring the victims of the Genocide was placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the central square of Syntagma. Community members, Armenian Embassy staff, and Greek political figures were present at the event. 2) 'Cultural Genocide' Exhibition Held at YSU YEREVAN (Armenpress/Yerkir)The Nigol Aghbalian Student Union of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) opened Tuesday an exhibition of 70 photos, shot by Samvel Karapetian and Hrayr Baze, which COMPARE the past and present state of Armenian monuments in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iran. The exhibition titled "Cultural Genocide" will run for three days outside the Yerevan State University. The photos on display show how Armenian monuments are gradually destroyed in the neighboring countries. While last year's exhibition showed only photos of the Armenian monuments in Western Armenia, this year it was expanded to include the pictures from all four neighbors of Armenia. "It is not an accident that Iran was included in this exhibition," said NASU Chairman Iskhan Saghatelian. "The situation in that country is completely different. Iran is the best example of the dialogue of civilizations. Although the Iranian government works to preserve Armenian monuments, this is not the case in Georgia, where numerous Armenian monuments were destroyed and as more declared as "being Georgian." The fate of Armenian monuments in Turkey and Azerbaijan is even worse. The governments of these countries sanction the destruction of monuments. Answering the question on how the international community is to know about this exhibition, Saghatelian said the ARF youth organizations hold similar exhibitions in other countries and, in addition, the NASU plans to send the electronic version of the exhibition to the foreign missions in Yerevan. "We believe it will help," Saghatelian said. "The Council of Europe condemned to destruction of the Armenian khachkars (cross stones) in Old Julfa thanks to the efforts of the ARF Hay Tad offices and other organizations. If we put efforts we would ensure that such vandalism is prevented." 3) Armenian Memorial Vandalized in France Prior to Unveiling (AP)--A memorial in southeast France honoring those killed in the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turks was vandalized just a week before it was to be unveiled, Armenian organizations said. The memorial in Lyon was scrawled with graffiti reading, "There was no genocide," according to the Committee for the Defense of the Armenian Cause and the Council of Armenian Organizations in France. The groups expressed indignation at the incident, which occurred Monday, and demanded tight security for the unveiling of the monument April 24, which French President Jacques Chirac will attend, and for other commemorations that day around France. 4) New Case Filed against Turkish Publishers of British Blue Book ISTANBUL (BIA)Retired Turkish Ambassador and Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy, Sukru Elekdag is suing publisher Muzaffer Erdogdu for the Turkish translation of "The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, 1915-1916," also known as "The Blue Book." The book covers the correspondence and memoirs of witnesses and officials including refugees and foreign dignitaries, as well as newspaper articles, about the Armenian genocide between the years of 1915 and 1916. Elekdag, a member of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Commission and the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, is demanding 20,000 Turkish Liras ($15,000) in libel damages from those involved in the publishing of the book, claiming he was insulted in a section of the book edited by historian Taner Akcam. The book's publisher Erdogdu, historian Akcam, and translator Ahmet Guner will appear in court on May 30 as defendants in the case. Akcam is also being accused by Elekdag for an article he wrote last year. In his suit, Elekdag claims Akcam committed libel in the section of the book titled "A Scandal: Where is the letter of the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) Sukru Elekdag and Justin McCarthy dragging this country?" as well as in Akcam's article published in the May-June 2005 issue of the Birikim magazine. Elekdag charges that both the book and the article insulted him and that his individual rights had been attacked. He also says both his professionalism and credibility were damaged due to Akcam's articles. 5) UCLA Conference on Sustainable Development in Armenia LOS ANGELESThe University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will host an international conference titled "Armenia: Challenges of Sustainable Development," on Saturday, May 6, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. in the Court of Sciences 50 (Young Hall). The conference, featuring specialists in economics, finance, and governance, is dedicated to UCLA Professor Emeritus of Economics, Armen A. Alchian, a world-renowned economist and teacher who was born in Fresno in 1914 and has been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1946. The conference is organized by the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA and the Armenian International Policy Research Group (AIPRG), with support from the UCLA Von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies and the Department of Economics. AEF Chair Holder Richard Hovannisian will open the morning session with introductory comments on "The Economic Factor," followed by the presentation of Professor Alchian and his contributions to economic theory by a similarly distinguished Professor of Economics, Harold Demsetz. Enrique Gelband, Deputy Division Chief and former Mission Chief to Armenia of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will give the keynote address on "Growth and Poverty Reduction in Armenia: Achievements and Challenges," the title of his recent book published by the IMF. A panel discussion on the subject will be moderated by UCLA Professor of Economics Michael Intriligator and include William Ascher, McKenna Professor of Government and Economics at Claremont McKenna College; Daniel Mazmanian, Director of the Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public Enterprise at the University of Southern California; and Ara Khanjian, Professor of Economics at Ventura College. The Saturday afternoon session moderated by Professor Lee Ohanian of the UCLA Department of Economics focuses on specific topics relating to Armenia's economic development. David Grigorian of the IMF will speak on "Tax Potential versus Tax Effort: Factors behind the Stubbornly Low Tax Collection in Armenia"; Bryan Roberts of the Department of Homeland Security, "Remittances, Poverty, and Growth in Armenia"; and Nerses Yeritsyan, Central Bank of Armenia, "Financial Sector Development in Armenia: Problems and Challenges." A discussion period will conclude the afternoon session. Richard Hovannisian stated: "I am pleased that after sixteen wonderful semi-annual conferences on Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, we shifted the focus to contemporary issues in 2005 with 'The Enduring Legacy of the Armenian Genocide' and 'Three Turkish Voices on the Armenian Question.' Now, for the first conference of 2006, the economic and fiscal challenges facing the Republic of Armenia will be addressed. I am thankful to David Grigorian for arranging much of the program, especially as Ascher, Khanjian, Roberts, Yeritsyan, and Grigorian are also associated with AIPRG. The subject of this conference is of critical importance to Armenia and all those concerned with the welfare of its people." The conference is open to the public and free of charge. Parking is available in Structure 2 at the Hilgard and Westholme Avenue entrance to UCLA. A map of the UCLA campus can be found at the web site: <; map or the UCLA Armenian Studies web site at <;www.uclaarmeni an.org. For additional information, e-mail Richard Hovannisian at [email protected] or David Grigorian at [email protected]. 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. 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