Month: November 2006

–Boundary_(ID_wUqERIl5lwMwjaFCcShzHA)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822

From: Rich Sanikian <[email protected]>
Subject: Don’t sidestep issue
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed
Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT

Don’t sidestep issue
11/28/06
Fresno Bee Editorial

Speaker Pelosi says she supports Armenian genocide recognition.

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has long supported the idea of American
recognition of the genocide committed against the Armenian people by the
Ottoman Turks in the last years and aftermath of World War I. Now she has a
chance to do something concrete about that.

U.S. policy under administrations of both parties has been to sidestep the
issue in order not to offend Turkey, whose geographic position has long made
it a vital geopolitical ally in the eyes of generations of State Department
officials.

That strategic consideration has diminished after the end of the Cold War,
when Turkey, a member of NATO, was seen as a bulwark against Soviet threats
against the rest of the Middle East.

But that cold calculation has been a slap in the face for Armenian
Americans, survivors of the genocide and their descendants, as well as for
many others whose notion of justice outweighs such foreign policy concerns.
Some 1.5 million people perished in the genocide, and many hundreds of
thousands of others were rendered homeless refugees.

Pelosi has promised to launch a new effort in Congress to get official
recognition of those historical facts. Just last month she said this to the
California Courier, an Armenian newspaper:

"I have supported legislation, including House Resolution 316 that would
properly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. It is imperative that the United
States recognize this atrocity and move to renew our commitment to eliminate
genocide whenever and wherever it exists. This effort enjoys strong
bipartisan support in the House, and I will continue to support these
efforts in the 110th Congress."

Last spring, during April 24 commemorations of the genocide in Washington,
Pelosi said: "First, at the time of the Iron Curtain, [opponents of the bill
cited] the strategic location of Turkey, after that it was the Gulf War and
Turkey’s strategic location … Turkey’s strategic location is not a license
to kill."

Pelosi has supported genocide recognition since she was first elected to
Congress in 1986.

Earlier this month, State Department official Matt Bryza appeared to signal
that the Bush administration would continue to oppose any legislation
recognizing the genocide. That might make it hard for Republicans in
Congress who have supported recognition, such as Mariposa’s George
Radanovich, to vote to override the veto of a president from their own
party, however much they may see the justice of doing so.

Perhaps Bush will decide to support recognition legislation, though he is a
president not much given to changing his mind.

In any case, Pelosi’s strong support for justice in this matter means the
official American recognition of the long-ago genocide is closer to reality
than ever. Let’s hope her principled stand of the past isn’t trumped by the
realities of geopolitics, State Department-style – as has happened too often
before.

.html

PRESS OFFICE
Department of Communications
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 160; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

November 28, 2006
___________________

DIOCESE JOINS MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY IN ORGANIZING ARMENIAN ALPHABET EVENT

The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) recently joined
Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, to celebrate the beauty and
lasting power of the Armenian alphabet.

As part of the 1,600th anniversary of the creation of the alphabet by St.
Mesrob Mashdots, the Diocese and university joined together in organizing
"Armenian Alphabet in Word and Image: A 1,600th Anniversary Exhibition,"
featuring unique artifacts highlighting the importance of the alphabet in
the life of the Armenian people. It ran from November 6 to 9, 2006.

"Our alphabet is uniquely tied to all aspects of our heritage," said
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese. "Working with
our new friends at Monmouth University, we created a compelling exhibit that
highlighted the fact that our alphabet has been the keystone to the
continuance of our unique Armenian Christian heritage."

The exhibit included artifacts from the Diocesan collection dating from the
17th century, along with items loaned by Congressman Frank Pallone of New
Jersey. The items helped explain the origins of the alphabet, the inventor
of the alphabet, its importance in religious practices, and historical
examples of various styles and forms of script.

The exhibit came about by chance. The brother of Gilda Buchakjian-Kupelian,
Diocesan coordinator of Armenian studies, mentioned to an official at
Monmouth that his sister worked in education. He introduced the two, and
the week-long exhibit was the result, thanks to a dedicated committee of
Diocesan staff, Monmouth University leaders, and parishioners from the St.
Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ.

"I am exhilarated about the whole exhibit," Buchakjian-Kupelian said. "The
fact that we have come out of our enclave to present one of the living
vestiges of our heritage to the general public makes this exhibit special."

Along with the public exhibition of artifacts, the week included a keynote
address by historian Aram Arkun on November 8, 2006. More than 100 people
joined the Primate at the lecture in the university’s Wilson Hall, including
Monmouth University President Paul Gaffney, Armenia’s Ambassador to the
United Nations Armen Martirosyan, and Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian.

A doctoral candidate in Armenian history at the University of California in
Los Angeles, Arkun is a specialist in Armenian history. He is also editor
of the literary quarterly Ararat and secretary of the board of directors of
the Armenian Center at Columbia University. His main area of study is on
the Armenians of northern Cilicia after World War I.

He spoke of how the Armenian alphabet played an important role in the
development and maintenance of the Armenian identity for over 16 centuries.
"Perhaps no other people are as attached to their alphabet as the
Armenians," Arkun said. "What other background displays its alphabet in the
home, like a work of art, the way Armenians do?"

The link between Monmouth University and the Armenian community arose
through Dr. Tavit Najarian, a university trustee who has worked to establish
an Armenian institute at the institution. Congressman Pallone recently
requested $500,000 in federal funding for the project.

"This is a wonderful start of a journey between Monmouth University and the
Armenian community," said Dr. Saliba Salasar, the associate vice president
for academic program initiatives at Monmouth University whose introduction
to Gilda Buchakjian-Kupelian initiated planning for the exhibit. "What
better way than to celebrate the Armenian alphabet."

— 11/28/06

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, joined by Dr.
Tavit Najarian, a trustee of Monmouth University, left, the university’s
president, Paul Gaffney, and Armenia’s ambassador to the United Nations,
Armen Martirosyan, during a lecture at the school on November 8, 2006, which
was part of the exhibit organized by the school and the Diocese to celebrate
the Armenian alphabet.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): From left, Gilda Buchakjian-Kupelian, Diocesan
coordinator of Armenian studies, and Dr. Saliba Salasar, associate vice
president of Monmouth University, whose introduction spurred the recent
exhibit on the Armenian alphabet at the school are joined by Susan
Doctorian, counselor to the university’s president.

PRESS RELEASE
American University of Armenia
300 Lakeside Drive, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Contact: Maggie Mead
Tel: 510-987-9125
Fax: 510-208-3576
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

The American University of Armenia celebrates its 15th Anniversary with a
Gala Banquet

LOS ANGELES – As Armenia commemorates its 15th year of independence as a
republic, the American University of Armenia also celebrates the 15th
anniversary of its own founding. The University hosted a gala banquet to
honor the efforts of all who have contributed to the rapid development of
the University. In particular, a moving tribute was given to Gerry & Pat
Turpanjian, and the late Vartkes Barsam and his wife, Jean Barsam, all
dedicated supporters of AUA since its founding. The banquet took place on
November 12th at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California.

AUA has truly filled a niche in Armenia, by providing Western-quality
graduate education that prepares the region’s youth for leadership in social
and economic development. AUA anticipates a largely increased enrollment due
to the institute’s candidacy for accredition by the Western Association for
Schools and Colleges. Proceeds from the 15th anniversary banquet will
support the completion of an earthquake-reinforced educational facility,
which will house additional classroom, lecture hall, and laboratory space to
accommodate the University’s growth.

The evening began with an introduction by Charles Ghailian, Master of
Ceremonies, after which both the American and Armenian national anthems were
played. The Invocation was given by Father Bartev Gulumian, representing
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian. Welcoming words were offered by Sinan
Sinanian, the banquet committee chair and CEO of Sinanian Development of
Tarzana. Following this was a warm greeting from Dr. Rory Hume, Provost of
the University of California system and the new Chairman of the AUA Board of
Trustees. AUA was honored to welcome Dr. Hume and include him as a speaker
in the evening’s program.

Dr. Haroutune K. Armenian, the President of AUA, presented an emotive speech
on the theme of excellence and integrity in education. He concluded that,
"Our motto at the AUA will continue to be excellence through relevance to
the broader Community.. Thus, AUA is not just about the youth in Armenia,
but is of relevance to your own children and grandchildren. Soon it will be
possible for them to attend a university in Armenia that is US accredited. "

Keynote speaker, the former California Governor George Deukmejian, addressed
the banquet guests after dinner by lauding AUA’s commitment to its original
goals and taking a visionary look at the future. He spoke of the Turpanjian
Rural Development Project to expand educational opportunity across Armenia,
as well as the numerous opportunities now open to AUA as a result of its
accreditation candidacy. The audience responded to Deukmejian’s words with
rousing applause and enthusiasm.

The honorees of the evening’s festivities were then introduced by Dr.
Haroutune Armenian and AUA President Emeritus, Dr. Mihran Agbabian. Jean
Barsam and her son, Charles Barsam, on behalf of Vartkes Barsam, and Gerry
and Pat Turpanjian graciously accepted honorary plaques and framed State of
California resolutions as symbols of appreciation for their service. Charles
Barsam and Paul Turpanjian, sons of the honorees, offered a personal
response on behalf of their family members. A stirring video captured the
spirit of the unflagging energy and care given by these individuals to the
cause of AUA. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian then invited Gerry and Pat
Turpanjian to the podium and read the encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, praising them for their benevolence, and he
pinned on their lapels the Medal of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. The
touching ceremony was brought to a close with a message and benediction by
His Eminence.

The banquet was organized and staged by a hard-working volunteer committee
based in Los Angeles. Its members included Sinan Sinanian, Charles
Ghailian, MC, Elizabeth and Mihran Agbabian, Nellie Arslanian, Charles
Barsam, Flora Dunaians, Vahe Imasdounian, Hermine Janoyan, Silba Karayan,
Lori Muncherian, Aline Patatian, Savey Tufenkan, Dr. Harout Yaghsezian, and
Jenny Yazedjian. Other contributors included Arno Yeretzian, video
production; Arpiar Janoyan, decorations; Varujan Markarian, music; Roubina
Begoumian, reception; and Tony and Lisa Truisi, who donated banquet gifts
and memorabilia.

—————————–
Attach ment:
Text of Dr. Haroutune Armenian’s speech at the AUA 15th Anniversary Banquet

As a new student at the American University of Beirut I was applying for a
partial scholarship that needed a faculty sponsor. I approached Professor
Khosrov Yeramian. He asked to see me and he agreed to recommend me for the
scholarship. However, he had a word of advice "As an Armenian student – he
said – you do not have to be good to succeed but you have to be better".

I remembered Professor Yeramian’s advice two months ago during our AUA WASC
Accreditation review process. The first formal meeting of the distinguished
review panel is with the University President and I was asked by the
Chairman of the WASC panel President Jim Appleton to explain our
understanding of excellence. In my response I said we achieve quality by
getting to a level of an established standard in structure and process, but
that excellence is a moving target and should be judged not just by
structures and processes but by outcomes and results. I said our motto at
the AUA will continue to be excellence through relevance to the broader
Community.

As I ponder about the future of Armenia and Armenians in general, I have
come to realize that if we have to survive as a nation worthy of its
forefathers, then we need to be beyond standard quality and aim for
excellence. We need to move away from some of the mediocrity that we see
mushrooming in some sectors. Armenia can be once again, a country with a
well defined niche in the world economy and an effective contributor to the
development of human civilization. And in order to achieve it we need to
invest in excellence. During our recent expedition to climb Mount Ararat and
the subsequent visit to the area of Lake Van, organized by my wife Sona and
colleagues from the AUA, we discovered that the two masterpieces of Nareg
and Aghtamar, Nareg in poetry and philosophy and Aghtamar in architecture
and visual arts, were produced within a couple of miles of each other and
within a few decades at the end of the first millennium. A fascinating
confluence in time and place.

The American University of Armenia breeds excellence whether in Armenia or
beyond. Its first 15 years have demonstrated that it can achieve beyond
standard quality within a relatively scarce resource environment. For our
accreditation review we produced a document that lists the contributions of
the AUA that were firsts in Armenia, it is a document which is more than a
dozen pages of single line listing. Of this long list AUA’s contribution to
Armenia through its graduates is probably the most significant. It is such a
sheer joy to sit with some of the over 1500 masters’ degree graduates of the
AUA and hear of their daily achievements. The two persons we are honoring
this evening; Jirair Turpanjian and Vartkes Barsam, have treasured and
witnessed the role that AUA has played and will continue to play in the
future of Armenia and Armenians everywhere.

Of the long list of achievements beyond our graduates, I would like to
highlight the Digital Library of Classical Armenian writings. Today, thanks
to the AUA we can be proud as a nation to have completely digitized our
literature from the fifth to the seventeenth centuries. The importance of
having that literature in electronic format is equivalent to the work done
over three hundred years when that literature was transformed from the
manuscript format to the printed expression. Recently, this idea was picked
up by Mr. Jirair Turpanjian, and through his sponsorship, we have embarked
to digitize over the next two years the equivalent of 60,000 pages of
Western Armenian and Diasporan literature. AUA has been able to make the
best expressions of Armenian culture available to people everywhere and for
all times. The Armenian digital library will be part of the life of your
children and grand children. We are removing the problem of access to our
literature and culture for all times.

Thus, AUA is not just about those kids in Armenia but is of relevance to
your own children and grandchildren. Soon it will be possible for them to
attend a university in Armenia that is US accredited.

AUA has helped to achieve excellence because it is an institution that can
be sustained and a fortress of integrity. AUA is not a one person show it is
a model institution that others continue to emulate.

This talk is about excellence but in order to achieve excellence we need to
invest in time and money. Proceeds of this evening’s event will go to
complete the Avedisian Building at the AUA. This excellent facility has
already introduced a number of firsts to Armenia in architecture and
construction technology. We have a valuable naming opportunity in this
unique building from small classrooms to major halls and Centers. Let us all
participate in building the future and let us give to AUA generously.

Hayrapetyan’s Armenian mission
Tuesday, 28 November 2006

The Football Federation of Armenia has held its fifth
presidential election, with the incumbent Ruben
Hayrapetyan winning a second four-year term in office.

Armenia’s football future
The 43-year-old Hayrapetyan, the only candidate in the
federation’s first uncontested election, said: "I am
happy I could win your trust – the fact we had only
one candidate shows that nobody else wanted to take on
the task of plotting a future for football in Armenia.
I will do my best to continue our development."

Youthful promise
When Hayrapetyan took the post in 2002, there were
only 2,000 associated young players in the country.
Under his tutelage, the Armenia Under-17 team has
participated in the qualifying round for the UEFA
European U17 Championship, while the national U19s
qualified for the final tournament of their European
Championship in Northern Ireland in 2005. "These
youngsters will eventually break into the senior team
and we will do our best to keep them progressing,"
Hayrapetyan said.

uefa.com 1998-2006.

Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
November 28, 2006

Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918

ANCA-WR DONATES FILM LIBRARY TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INSTITUTE-MUSEUM IN
YEREVAN

GLENDALE, CA – Earlier this month, Armenian National Committee of America –
Western Region announced the donation of the Armenian Film Foundation’s
documentary series to the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum in Yerevan.

During a meeting at the museum this past August, ANCA-WR Chairman Steven J.
Dadaian and museum director Dr. Lavrenty Barseghian discussed ways in which
the ANCA-WR could assist the museum and its research efforts. As a first
step, the ANCA-WR found it fitting that the Armenian Film Foundation
documentary series would be a valuable resource to the institute’s
collection.

On October 28, 2006, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western U.S. Central
Committee Chairman Avedik Izmirlian and member Hagop Tufenkjian visited the
Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum, a division of the National Academy of
Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, to deliver the documentary series on
behalf of the ANCA-WR. The gift was cordially accepted by Yeranouhi
Margaryan, Deputy Director of the Institute.

"I was impressed with the professional work the Institute has done at the
Museum, as well as the politeness and knowledge of Ms. Yeranouhi Margaryan,"
remarked Izmirlian. "I believe that the J. Michael Hagopian Film Library
donated by the ANCA-WR fills an important gap and is a great contribution to
the Museum".

Established in 1979, the Armenian Film Foundation (AFF) is a non-profit,
educational and cultural organization dedicated to the documentation and
preservation of Armenian heritage in multi-media formats. The ANCA-WR
honored AFF founder and board chairman, J. Michael Hagopian with its "Man of
the Year" award at its 2000 Annual Banquet.

The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots
political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of
the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.

#####

ANC PAC
104 N. Belmont St.
Suite 200B
Glendale, CA 91206
PRESS RELEASE

ANC-PAC Discusses Withdrawal of Hoagland Nomination With Senator Biden
Urges Incoming Foreign Relations Committee Chairman to Call on
White House to Propose a New Candidate to Serve as
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
November 28, 2006
LOS ANGELES, CA — Armenian National Committee-Political Action Committee
(ANC-PAC) Chairman Leonard Manoukian and former Clinton Administration
official Michael Mahdesian engaged in a discussion with Senator Joe Biden
(D-DE), the incoming Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, regarding
the increasingly controversial nomination of Dick Hoagland to serve as U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia.
The meeting was held in connection with a November 17th fundraising
reception in Santa Monica, California honoring the Senator in advance of his
anticipated bid for the U.S. Presidency in 2008.
During the course of the evening, Manoukian discussed the Armenian
American community’s opposition to the nomination of Richard Hoagland, noting
that the nominee had, by denying the Armenian Genocide, disqualified himself
from serving as an effective U.S. Ambassador in Yerevan. In light of the
major liabilities that Ambassador-designate Hoagland has imposed upon himself
– and the subsequent "hold" on his nomination placed by Senator Bob Menendez
(D-NJ) – Manoukian discussed with Senator Biden the need for the White House
to move this process forward by proposing a new candidate for this important
diplomatic post.
Hoagland was nominated earlier this year to replace U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, John Marshall Evans, who was relieved of his ambassadorial duties as
the result of his remarks to the Armenian American community in February 2005
in which he openly and accurately referred to the Armenian Genocide. During
his confirmation process, Ambassador-designate Hoagland went far beyond the
bounds of the Administration’s already deeply flawed policy on the Armenian
Genocide, actually calling into question the reality of this crime against
humanity. His denials prompted bipartisan opposition to his confirmation
within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and ultimately resulted in his
nomination being blocked by a "hold" place by New Jersey Senator Bob
Menendez.
On November 8th, the day after the Congressional elections, the ANCA
restated its opposition to Hoagland’s confirmation and called on members of
the Senate to seek the withdrawal of his nomination.
"We welcomed this opportunity to support Senator Biden’s presidential
aspirations, to thank him for his many years of friendship, and to exchange
views with him about the status of the Hoagland nomination," said Manoukian.
"We left our conversation secure in the knowledge that the Senator, who has
spoken eloquently on the need for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
shares our view that respect for the truth serves as the foundation of all
good governance – both at home and abroad."
The ANC-PAC is a non-partisan federally registered political action
committee established to support campaign committees for Members of Congress
who share the values of the Armenian American community. The ANC-PAC is at
the forefront of efforts to ensure that the voice of the Armenian American
community is clearly heard in our nation’s capital. The ANC-PAC continues a
century old tradition of Armenian Americans engagement on the public policy
issues facing national political leaders, both in the U.S. Congress and the
White House.

INTERVIEW

MISSION EAST – Values in Action
Saryan 6, apt. 4
Yerevan, 375002, Armenia
Tel.:(374 10) 52.15.34, 566718
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Raffi Doudaklian
Web:

November 27, 2006
PRESS RELEASE

Up Close and Personal

Kim Hartzner’s Yearlong Sojourn in Armenia
Can Mean a World of Difference for Disabled Children

Sona Hamalian

Kim Hartzner’s bond with Armenia goes back to 1980,
when he first visited the country as a tourist. Little
did he know then that he would come back in the future
to lead large-scale relief efforts and unprecedented
advocacy programs to improve the lives of handicapped
children. In 1991 Kim Hartzner and his father, Rene,
founded Mission East, an international relief and
development organization, in their native Denmark.
Armenia became Mission East’s very first recipient
country, when in 1992 the organization established a
hospital here. Since then Mission East has distributed
thousands of tons of food to vulnerable communities in
Syunik and beyond. Beginning in 1998, Mission East has
focused increasingly on initiatives to help change
negative attitudes toward children with special needs,
promote better education and healthcare for such
children, and increase socio-economic opportunities
for the disabled and their families. In 1999 Kim
Hartzner was appointed Managing Director of Mission
East, called to oversee the organization’s expanding
aid operations in Armenia, Afghanistan, Bulgaria,
Nepal, Romania, Tajikistan, and elsewhere. In August
this year, Hartzner, who is a medical doctor, moved to
Armenia with his family for a year, aiming to gain a
broader insight into local issues and help optimize
the impact of Mission East programs throughout
Armenia.

1. You have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to
your organization’s objectives in Armenia by deciding
to live and work in the republic for a year. What do
you expect to achieve during this time, especially in
terms of Mission East’s recently-launched project for
disabled children?

The goal is twofold: first, I hope to form a better
understanding of the country’s root issues; and
second, I’d like to help expand awareness of these
problems on a wider, international level, including
the Armenian Diaspora. I’ve spent considerable
stretches of time in Armenia in the past, but today,
as Mission East approaches its 15th anniversary in the
republic, I think it’s critically important for me to
actually live here for a year or even longer, in order
to gain first-hand knowledge of the problems affecting
stakeholders, children in particular, throughout the
marzes, as well as to be better informed about
existing programs and the government’s response, about
specific policies and patterns of dealing with the
issues. I think first-hand knowledge of this order
will help me design more effective fundraising and
public-awareness campaigns, building on a long
tradition of assisting the Armenian people. You know,
Mission East has been in Armenia during the war and
the drought of 2000, providing emergency relief and
other aid to ease the pain of the population. I’d like
to engage the Armenian Diaspora and the broader
international community in our work. I’d like to have
donors and our Ministry from Denmark come and visit
Armenia to see what we’re doing here. And I would like
us to be available to the Armenian and international
media, to tell them how we see the situation.
Our two main programmatic areas in Armenia are health
and education. I think these are fundamental issues in
terms of helping get Armenia back on its feet. Some 50
percent of the country is underdeveloped. About 1.5
million Armenians live below the poverty line. And the
country is still gripped by an economic blockade. The
challenge of turning things around is indeed huge, and
it’ll probably take 10 to 15 years. But the situation
is far from hopeless. Armenia has many advantages,
including a well-educated population, a rich history
and an ingrained Christian tradition, as well as solid
connections worldwide.

2. The plight of disabled children in Armenia is a
complex issue that owes mainly to a lack of systemic
resources on the one hand, and negative social
attitudes toward vulnerable and marginalized children
on the other. How do you go about addressing these
core problems?

Basically, we address them through a comprehensive
approach. Take, for example, our 1998 pilot program at
the Nubarashen Orphanage. Imagine, the children did
not know their own birth dates; they didn’t know how
to tie their shoelaces; they didn’t know what money
looks like; they didn’t know how to buy a bus ticket.
They were socially handicapped. The orphanage
administration’s attitude was, `Why bother to teach
them if they’re not going to use it?’ The curriculum,
too, was a watered-down version of the mainstream
curriculum, with no real effort to foster actual
learning and understanding. So kids spent years in
first grade without being able to move on to second
grade. We began addressing the issue by first adopting
a hands-on methodology to impart practical knowledge
to the kids. We then implemented a more systemic
approach in terms of changing the very way that
children with special needs are taught. For the past
two and half years, we have worked to introduce a
novel curriculum designed specifically for such
children. At the same time, through our local partner,
the Bridge of Hope organization, we have successfully
lobbied the government to pass a law guaranteeing the
right of special-needs children to a good education.
As fundamentally, we are working to change the way
children’s mental aptitude is assessed in schools, the
way many children are automatically labeled as `unable
to learn.’ Well, there may be several reasons why a
child cannot keep pace: psychological issues,
developmental disorders, physical disorders, etc. We
need a team of psychologists, developmental
pediatricians, and even speech therapists to correctly
assess a children’s aptitude. We are now working to
introduce a thoroughly modern assessment tool to
assist children in the educational process, according
to their unique conditions. And we have worked
extensively to train teachers. All of these watersheds
now need to be applied in as many schools as possible,
step by step. As of today, there are seven schools
that have adopted our programs. We must continue to
train teachers, and also the trainers themselves.
We take a similarly comprehensive approach to the
children’s health situation, which is an enormously
complex issue. Aside from a lack of financial
resources, many medical practitioners in Armenia do
not have adequate training and generally function with
the Soviet belief that a child with a special need is
a child with a disease. Thus doctors are too quick to
give up on children with special needs. They’re not
trained to deal with conditions such as autism or
other developmental problems; they’re not equipped to
provide long-term treatment. Already there is a grave
social stigma attached to children with special needs,
with parents feeling ashamed of such children and even
going to great lengths to hide them from society.
Medical practitioners’ attitude only exasperates the
situation.
What Mission East does is to address the issue at all
the levels. For instance, we work through Dr.
Babloyan’s Arabkir Pediatric Center to train doctors
in diagnosing developmental conditions. Bear in mind
that of the 200 hours of pediatric training in
Armenia’s medical schools, only one hour is dedicated
to child development. We currently have a specialist,
trained in Switzerland, who trains doctors throughout
the marzes in identifying and diagnosing developmental
conditions. In Armavir alone, where we worked with 11
communities comprising a population of some 70,000, we
have identified 460 households that have children with
medical needs and/or needs for social assistance. This
is an alarming figure and it’s only getting worse, in
large part because parents are embarrassed of their
children and often don’t even take them to doctors,
fearing the family’s reputation will be ruined. The
problem is so widespread, so complex, that the
challenge is to address it in a truly comprehensive
manner – at the individual level on the one hand, and
the systemic level on the other.

3. Do you believe that Armenia’s ongoing bid for
democratization, coupled with the positive influence
of organizations such as Mission East, can lead to
more equitable treatment of disabled people,
particularly children, in Armenia? In other words, do
you believe it’s possible to achieve change not just
in actions, but also in an entrenched societal
mind-set?

Yes, it is possible. I think it is going to take a lot
of time, it is going to take a lot of work, effort and
energy, but I do think that people want to change. For
instance, at Yerevan State University, a facility has
just been created to assist students with
disabilities. This, I think, is a big step forward.
Another example is that of Mr. Ashot Yesayan, the
former Minister of Social Affairs (with whom Mission
East has worked since 1992), who is planning to
publish a manual for social workers. Such efforts
enjoy the support of a number of leaders, including
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and his wife, Nani. I
think it is important to persevere, and yes, I do
believe fundamental change is possible, otherwise I
wouldn’t be here.

4. You have three implementing partner organizations
in Armenia: Nairi, Bridge of Hope, and Arabkir. How do
they contribute to the realization of your projects?

Our three partners are involved in three different
stages of work. Let’s take Bridge of Hope first. Once
a minor organization, it has grown into a nationally
recognized organization as the country’s top
disability-rights advocate. Bridge of Hope has just
celebrated its 10th anniversary, and we are very proud
of them as we have played a great role in their
development during the past four years. Right now
Bridge of Hope and Mission East are conducting a huge
public-awareness campaign, with posters displayed in
metros, theatres, and all over town. We’re having
posters and other material sent to all
parliamentarians. We launched the campaign, which
included a recent press conference, with the theme
`your attitude toward me means more than my
disability,’ meaning societal attitudes have a major
and direct bearing on the lives of the disabled.

The Arabkir Pediatric Center is a highly specialized
facility with a superbly motivated, Western-trained
staff. Ara Babloyan is this big, charismatic driving
force behind the organization. Through local clinics
in the regions, Arabkir locates children with special
needs, provides critical help, including long-term
treatment, and trains medical professionals in
identifying and treating developmental conditions.
Arabkir depends on foreign assistance and help from
Mission East. Currently we are supporting them
financially to pay the salaries of their experts.

Our third implementing partner is Nairi, which is a
grassroots NGO providing direct relief, such as food,
clothing, etc., to children with special needs. We are
working with Nairi to make it capable of providing
children with medical help and education.

In addition, we are helping all three of our
implementing partners develop their organizational
capacities and become more sustainable in the long
run.

5. Beyond your implementing partners, how would you
characterize the level of support demonstrated by the
government of Armenia and other stakeholders toward
Mission East projects?

The Armenian government has always been positive
toward our work, partly because it sees us as an
organization with a long-term commitment to Armenia.
Of particular note are the Ministry of Social Affairs
and the Ministry of Education and Science. They have
supported us in designing a curriculum for
special-needs students and establishing clinics in the
Syunik region. Furthermore, they have actually bucked
the trend by taking responsibility for things. Our
work will have a much greater impact if we receive
this kind of support from other government agencies as
well.

We also have other partners, such as COAF (Children of
Armenia Fund), which is very supportive of Mission
East. This organization is currently funding the
construction of community centers and clinics.

6. For both the short and long terms, what are Mission
East’s main challenge and main asset in Armenia?

I think the main challenge is to change people’s
attitudes and ensure that reforms are actually
implemented. It is easy to draft a law, to draft a
plan, to even draft a curriculum, but it is important
to see it in practice. This is all doable.

We have an excellent staff in Armenia, an excellent
reputation with the government, and we are recognized
as a trustworthy organization. People believe in us.
They recognize us as honest, respectable, sensitive,
and thoroughly accountable and transparent as an
organization. This is probably our biggest asset.

7. Mission East considers Armenia a `pioneer’ country
in its work. Is this merely a reference to the
country’s early inclusion in Mission East programs, or
can it also point to Armenia as a model for other
transitional nations?

Both. Armenia was our first operational country. We
had Russia, Ukraine, but Armenia was our first
public-sponsored program. ‘Can it also point to
Armenia as a model for other transitional nations?’
This is a very interesting question. Inna, our program
officer, was in Georgia recently, attending a
conference, and representatives from Tajikistan came
to her and asked, `Can you please help our country in
the area of special-needs education?’ Which tells me
that what we have done in Armenia can be replicated
elsewhere.

8. Mission East’s `values in action’ comprise honesty,
integrity, compassion, valuing the individual, and
respect for all people. Based on your considerable
experience in Armenia, how would you assess its
connection to these values, at both the official and
societal levels?

I think I have said this in many other ways. Integrity
is about doing what you say you will do. Promising
something is very easy; doing it is much more
difficult. Compassion: if you do not have a heart for
the people, you cannot work here. If you’re biased, if
you are discriminating or have hang-ups about certain
sorts of people, I think you will not be able to work
here. Mission East is a Christian organization and we
see these as Christian values. In many ways these are
universal values. God is helping Armenia through
concerned people.

9. You were determined to learn to speak Armenian by
the end of this year. Will Kim Hartzner give a press
conference in Armenian anytime soon?

I hope so. Armenian is a far more complex language
than I first thought, but I will definitely learn it.
I’ll get there within a few months.

—
Sona Hamalian is a philanthropic consultant based in
Yerevan. She also heads Creative Networks, an
international public-relations firm promoting
nonprofit organizations, cultural and educational
institutions, and artists.

IRAN BANS WOMAN WRITER`S BESTSELLER

Zee News, India
Nov 28 2006

Tehran, Nov 27: Iran’s conservative cultural body has banned a female
writer’s award-winning bestseller, which deals with a married woman’s
secret and unrequited love for another man, a press report said
on Monday.

"The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has prohibited
publication of ‘I will turn out the lights’ by Zoya Pirzad," the
Kargozaran paper quoted publisher Alireza Ramezani as saying.

"We have not been informed of the reasons for the ban," he said,
adding the vetting officials had refused to renew the publication
permit for the book, which has sold more than 200,000 copies in 23
editions since 2001.

Pirzad’s novel, which has bagged four prestigious literary awards in
Iran, tells the story of a bored Armenian housewife who falls in love
with a melancholic widower in early 1960s in the oil-city of Abadan.

Production of music, films and books is subject to supervision by the
Ministry of Culture, which has introduced a new initiative requiring
publishers to renew permits for new editions of the same book.

The Ministry has held up the publication of hundreds of new titles
and reprints over the past months, publishers say.

Among the books banned are Persian translations of Tracy Chevalier’s
bestseller "girl with a pearl earring", which had reached a sixth
edition, and Dan Brown’s "The Da Vinci Code".

Widely-acclaimed Iranian classic, the "Blind Owl", written in 1930s
by Sadegh Hedayat has also been banned.

Iranian press and publication enjoyed some freedom under the reformist
presidency of Mohammad Khatami from 1997 to 2005, with scores of
women joining the Iranian literati and sweeping awards.

THINK TANK CONDEMNS AZERBAIJAN FOR SILENCING MEDIA AND OPPOSITION

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Nov 27 2006

The Azerbaijani government’s aggressive moves to silence independent
media and the leading opposition party last week not only raise obvious
human rights problems but will have a detrimental effect on efforts
to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said the Brussels-based
think tank, the International Crisis Group, Monday.

On November 24, the Azeri authorities took the country’s first,
biggest and most professional independent TV and radio broadcaster,
ANS, off the air.

The same day, police forcibly evicted the key opposition party, the
Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, two opposition dailies Azadlig and
Bizim Yol and the Turan information agency from their Baku offices,
said the ICG in a statement.

"Following a pattern of harassment of Azerbaijan’s independent
journalists since 2003, Friday’s events once again put into question
Azerbaijan’s commitment to protecting freedom of speech and upholding
the rule of law."

The think tank said Azerbaijan’s international partners — the EU and
its member states, the US, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and others
— should in unequivocal terms call on the government of President
Ilham Aliev to restore media freedoms protected in the Azerbaijani
Constitution and in commitments made as a member of the OSCE and the
Council of Europe, and as a recent signatory of an EU Neighborhood
Action Plan.

FELICITATION MESSAGES DO NOT MAKE FRIENDSHIP AGREEMENTS
By Sabeur Blidi

Al-Arab online, UK
Nov 27 2006

It was planned to be concluded before 2005; now we are in the end
of 2006, and nothing looms on the horizon concerning the Friendship
Agreement between France and Algeria. In fact, there is no hope for
it, because the lauding that accompanied speaking about it on the
occasion of the rapprochement between the two countries since the
beginning of the 21st Century has forgotten, or feigned to forget,
the most important elements in the bilateral relations between Algeria
and Paris.

Then the vision of decision makers in both countries was not taken
into consideration. The Muradia (government headquarters in Algiers)
looked at the Agreement as a new key to relationships based on equality
and mutual respect, and an opportunity to invest French capital in
promoting the local economy. The Elysee however viewed it as promoting
influence, making use of the enticing financial advantages, and take
monopoly of the opportunities offered by the oil prosperity.

Accordingly, the discrepancy of views and the conflict in goals floated
to the surface with the first uncovering of the French intentions. That
was with the issue of the February 2005 Act that considered the role
of the French Army overseas, and in North Africa in particular, as
a positive act, and described the French colonisation of the region
as spread of civilisation. This act provoked official as well as
popular angry reactions that set France’s recognition of and apology
for its army’s violations committed in Algeria during the 1830-1962
colonisation period a basic condition for concluding the Friendship
Agreement between the two countries.

A Normal Message in an Abnormal Time Since the ice wall is thick,
everything has gone back to point zero.

The warmth formerly circulating in the Algiers-Paris axis, where
Bouteflika and Chirac nearly signed the said agreement, has turned
into coldness. Now the relationship is limited to the diplomacy
of felicitation messages on occasions and national days of the two
countries, the latest of which was Chirac’s message on the occasion
of celebrating the 52nd commemorations of the start of November
Liberation Revolution. Though its echo cannot be bigger than its
size, it may carry a sort of qualm felt by Paris because of losing
many interests in Algeria due to its colonial mentality and haughty
attitude toward the people of former colonies.

Despite the slogans raised in the world as one of the influential
powers in world decisions in addition to its leading role in Europe,
France still looks at the human values and the human history from
a multitude of angles. Such a position, in fact, translates the
state of ethical and civilised bankruptcy reached by France, and
the West in general. Though it boasts the French Revolution trinity,
France still classifies the war victims from a region to another. In
Armenia, they are victims of a human tragedy, and therefore France
punishes anyone denying the atrocities committed by the Turkish Army
against the Armenians during the WWI, using that as pressure and an
extortion card against Ankara, which is seeking entry into the EU. On
the other hand, it does not consider as a crime the killing of millions
of Algerians by its own army throughout the decades of colonisation;
and the same applies to the people of the African Continent.

A Mark of Disgrace Perhaps it is France’s misfortune to find itself in
a tight corner because of the coinciding of the law it lately issued
with the talk raised about the violations of the French Army during
Rwanda’s civil war in the 1990’s. Rwanda is holding public hearing
sessions about France’s role in the genocide of 800,000 people in 1994.

Jacques Bihozagara, a former leader of the National Front, gave his
testimony and said that France was seeking to preserve its influence in
Africa, for its leaders saw that a Francophile state had been attacked
by an Anglo-Saxon one – alluding to the rebellion bases in neighbouring
Uganda. Bihozagara, who had been Ambassador to Paris, also said that
France had sent in soldiers and arms, trained the murderers and set
roadblocks to facilitate their mission of exterminating the Tutsi. Then
it protected these murderers when it was heading the UN delegation
in the Turquoise operation. One of the most violent massacres was
the one that took place in Bisisiru village, in the west of Rwanda,
where 50,000 Tutsis were killed. The French soldiers are accused of
having misled the victims and made them leave their hiding places.

The accusations do not come from Rwanda alone, but from Paris too. A
former French soldier has accused his army of training the militias
responsible for the killing. Also, six Rwandans put a case to a French
court against Paris accusing it of participation in the genocides. A
French Parliamentary Committee had acquitted the Government from this
accusation in 1998, although it alluded to genocide by ‘strategic
mistakes’.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress