Month: March 2007

NEW ADPS FOR ARMENIA

Reuters, UK
Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
March 30 2007

In 2007, World Vision Armenia is to launch two Area Development
Programs (ADPs) in Gavar, East of Armenia and Alaverdi in the North,
bringing hope and new opportunities to 20 more communities.

Gavar and Alaverdi were selected as locations for the new ADPs taking
into consideration the difficult social and economic conditions of the
regions. Up to 50% of the population in Gavar and Alaverdi is not able
to meet their basic needs, and 10% of children live in extreme poverty.

‘We have a chance to serve new communities across the country.

Working with communities enables us to represent them with authority
and knowledge to regional and national level government,’ said World
Vision Armenia’s National Director Mark Kelly.

Both districts face major problems with infrastructure. Most water
reservoirs and internal systems are currently not functioning; as a
result, some villages are completely deprived of irrigation and depend
on rainfall and snow to irrigate their arable lands. Along with the
infrastructure problems, land cultivation in Gavar and Alaverdi is
also complicated by the lack of agricultural machinery.

The majority of families for whom agriculture is the main source of
income struggle to provide their children with daily bread. The focal
problems of the rural communities also include poor community roads,
sewage and drinking water systems, health and educational facilities.

All previously operating factories and production plants of Gavar and
many of Alaverdi are no longer in operation, resulting in a high rate
of social vulnerability and migration to find employment.

In January 2007 assessments of the current situation, identifying
opportunities, vulnerabilities, and capacities, and creating a basis
for designing the future interventions of the ADP were all started.

The assessment was conducted in close cooperation with the future
stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders,
NGOs, churches and the general population.

‘Assessment is an essential step in the development of a new program.

A good assessment also enables communities to better understand
their own reality and its implications,’ said Astghik Movsisyan,
World Vision Armenia Program Officer.

Interventions in Gavar and Alaverdi will include sectors where
World Vision Armenia has extended experience, in particular;
economic development, health, education, child protection, Christian
Commitments and Community Partnership as crosscutting themes to all
the above. World Vision Armenia is likely to consider environmental
protection as a priority sector of intervention.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and
not of Reuters. ]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NSU STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE SLAUGHTER IN DARFUR
By Aliza Appelbaum

Miami Herald, FL
March 30 2007

College students learned about the atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region,
where hundreds of thousands have been murdered.

Critics and movie buffs often cite classic films such as To Kill
a Mockingbird or Schindler’s List as iconic and life-changing. But
for Careen Hutchinson, it was 2004’s Hotel Rwanda, which chronicled
atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s.

Hutchinson, a 28-year-old graduate student at Nova Southeastern
University, said the movie made her want to learn more about the
current crisis in another embattled region across Africa — Darfur,
Sudan.

After conducting research, Hutchinson contacted activists around the
country. Then she put together the "Colloquium on the Darfur Crisis,"
a day-long event at NSU on Thursday featuring 12 speakers — including
two Darfuri refugees, representatives from the United Nations and
the State Department, and the Sudanese ambassador to the United States.

Sasha Noel, an NSU sophomore, said the event inspired her to want to
learn more about the crisis.

"We, as students, kind of live in a bubble," Noel said. ‘Until now,
I never really thought, `this is what people my age on the other side
of the world are going through.’ "

Darfur has been involved in a violent conflict since 2003. An Arab
militia linked to the Sudanese government has been terrorizing black
Africans, causing more than 400,000 deaths and another 2.4 million
refugees, according to the Save Darfur Coalition. The underfunded
African Union troops are the region’s only protection.

Hutchinson said it was important to raise awareness about Darfur
among college students because they will soon be in a position to
make crucial decisions.

"We are the future leaders of the country," Hutchinson said.

"People need to know about these issues to effect change. And if we
don’t do it, who will?"

Other students are asking the same question.

Growing student interest in Darfur prompted Miami Dade College’s
dean of students, Malou Harrison, to invite U.S. State Department
representative Gregory L. Garland, of the Bureau of African Affairs,
to speak on campus. Garland, who will speak this morning about U.S.

involvement in ending the genocide and bringing peace to the region,
was also one of the speakers at the NSU colloquium.

But many Darfur events focus on the political aspects of the conflict,
and Hutchinson said she tried to highlight the human rights issues
at the NSU colloquium.

"There are so many people who have stories to tell but no way to
tell them," Hutchinson said. "We are giving them a forum to voice
their experiences."

The audience seemed especially attentive when Darfuri refugees Motasim
Adams and Fatima Haroun spoke. Both mentioned that the global community
has been slow to act when it comes to aiding Darfur.

"This is not the first time this has happened," Adams said. ‘After the
Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, the Rwandan genocide, the world said
`never again.’ But it has happened again."

Hutchinson said she hoped more of her peers would have a similar
reaction.

"I think more students are becoming aware of the global situation,"
Hutchinson said. "They’ve opened their eyes."

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NKR MIGRANTS ENJOY A NUMBER OF PRIVILEGES

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

Thousands of families have returned and moved to the Nagorno-Karabagh
Republic since the Azeri-Karabagh military confrontation was finished.

A number of privileges have been established for the migrants
by the NKR government’s corresponding decree. In part, a family
is to be ensured with an individual house or apartment and
monetary assistance. Financial help has also been provided for the
transportation of the family’s members and property or compensation
for traveling expenses. The migrants’ families are released from pay
for housing and communal services for 5 years. Other privileges have
also been granted.

According to NKR PM Anoushavan Danielian, the issue of strategic
importance held peculiar position in the governmental programs.

241 families (872 people, 395 of whom are children) moved to permanent
residence to NKR in 2006, NKR MFA Press Centre reports.

FOREIGN MINISTRY: ARMENIA WILLING TO START DIALOGUE WITH TURKEY

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ÀÐÊÀ/. Armenia wants to start a dialogue with
Turkey over the past and the future, Armenian Foreign Ministry’s
Acting Spokesman Vladimir Karapetyan said Thursday in a statement
placed on the ministry’s website.

"Armenia and Armenians want to enter a serious dialogue with Turkey
over our painful past and common future with our neighbors", he said.

"We don’t want to be involved in endless game of gestures, which
pursues propagandist goals and shifts international community’s
attention from real problems instead of seeking reconciliation",
Karapetyan added.

In his words, Armenia urges international community to persuade Turkey
to open borders and establish normal relations with Armenia.

Diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey are not established so
far. Armenian-Turkish border closed in 1993 on Ankara’s initiative.

Turkey puts forward a number of preconditions. In particular, Turkish
leadership demands Armenia to stop seeking international recognition of
Armenian Genocide fact and to make some concessions on confrontation.

Yerevan has repeatedly said that Armenia is willing to establish
diplomatic ties with Turkey without preconditions.

–Boundary_(ID_ZAJ6r3d6eVOL8U6Xp3B Eqg)–

CONFERENCE ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. Conference on Rural Development in
Armenia is to be held in Yerevan on March 30, 2007. The purpose of
the conference is to learn from each other about what works and does
not work and what has been learned about rural development projects
in Armenia. Governmental, international, and local organizations with
projects in rural development in Armenia will attend the conference,
make presentations, and share their experiences.

Among the participants are Ms. Consuelo Vidal, Resident Representative,
UNDP/Armenia Dr. Haroutune Armenian, President, AUA Mr. Vartan
Oskanian, RA Minister of Foreign Affair Mr. Samvel Galstyan, RA Deputy
Minister of Agriculture Mr. Sean Carmody, USDA Center for Agribusiness
and Rural Development Ms. Eliza Minasyan, Jinishian Memorial Foundation
Ms. Susanna Khachatryan, Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development
National Center of Armenia Mr. Arthur Hayrumyan, Oxfam Great Britain,
Armenia Branch Ms. Lusine Torchyan, Aregak Mr. Albert Stepanyan,
Armenian Social Investment Fund Mr. Artavazd Hakobyan, World Bank
Ms. Zhanna Harutyunyan, Armenian Caritas Ms. Arpie Balian, Children of
Armenia Fund Ms. Armine Toukikyan, Shen Mr. Nicholas Bruno, Academy
for Educational Development.

The sponsors of the conference are United Nations Development Programme
Armenia Country Office American University of Armenia Turpanjian
Rural Development Program.
From: Baghdasarian

"PRE-ELECTION GAMES" INTER-COMMUNAL YOUTH FORUM TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. The "Pre-election games" inter-communal
youth forum will be held in Armenia’s resort city Tsakhkadzor on
March 31.

The organization "Civil society network" says that the program includes
strategic games and public hearings on electoral processes.

The forum participants will be representatives of Armenian youth,
various political parties and NGO experts.

The Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for May 12.

Under the proportional representation system 24 parties and one bloc
will struggle for 131 deputy seats, and under the majority vote system
-141 candidates.

ARMENIA STILL RECEIVES CONDOLENCES IN CONNECTION WITH MARGARYAN’S DEATH

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. Armenia still receives condolences from
Russian politicians, public figures, diplomats and heads of huge
companies and regions in connection with the death of the Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.

The RA Government’s Public Relations’ Department reported that the
telegram of Saint Petersburg’s Government Valentina Matvienko said that
"a real citizen of his country deceased".

"Being a true politician, he did a lot to implement democratic
reforms and strengthen Armenian state. Andranik Margaryan made a
great contribution to the strengthening and development of friendly
relations between Armenia and Saint Petersburg," Matvienko said.

She said that Margaryan’s death is a great loss for Armenia. "I
deeply grieve with those who knew and loved Andranik Margaryan. We
will always retain his memory in our hearts," she said.

Russia’s Ambassador to the Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin also sent a
telegram of sympathy. "A wonderful person, talented organizer and real
leader left this life. The loss is indeed irreplaceable. On such a sad
day I bow head before the blessed memory of Andranik Nahapetovich,"
said Chernomyrdin.

Condolences were received from Ruslan Aushev, Chairman of the committee
for the affairs of warriors-internationalists under the CIS Council
of Heads of Government, "RUSAL" Chairman of Board Alexander Livshic,
Head of "RAO UES" Anatoly Chubays, Governor of the Rostov, Sverdlov,
Astrakhan, Ulyanovskaya regions, and Secretary General of the Council
of the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly Mikhail Krotov.

Armenian Prime Minister, Chairman of the Republican Party Andranik
Margaryan died from heart attack at the age of 55 on Sunday morning.

His body was committed to the earth in the Pantheon after Komitas,
where all the prominent statesmen, Armenian cultural workers and
artists are buried.

ARMENIA HOPES RECONSTRUCTION OF SURB KHACH ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY NOT TO BE SINGLE CASE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. Armenia hopes that reconstruction of Surb
Khach (Saint Cross) Armenian Church on the Akhtamar Island (Van Lake)
of Turkey will not be a particular case, says the statement of Press
Secretary of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry Vladimir Karapetian posted
on the Foreign Ministry website.

According to Karapetian, the reconstruction and opening of the Surb
Khach church by the Turkish authorities is a positive phenomenon as
it is one of the most prominent Armenian medieval cultural monuments
neglected since 1915.

Karapetian pointed out that the Turkish authorities and the mass
media do not mention the historical and cultural value of the church
and its Armenian and apostolic origin to cut short the attempts
of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Surb Khach
church is just one of the numerous Armenian architectural monuments,
thousands of which are already annihilated (e.g. Tekor Church, Surb
Karapet Monastery in Mush, Sub Hovhannes Cathedral in Bagaran, tens
of churches in Ani) or being destroyed, Karapetian said. According
to him, the reason is indifference and Armenian origin of the churches.

"But, they speak about "Anatolian culture" in Turkey, which cannot
be imagined without its Armenian component," the statement says.

Karapetian reported that Armenian official delegation of the Ministry
of Culture and Youth will participate in the Surb Khach opening
ceremony, which is a positive step. He expressed his regrets though
that many residents of Armenia ancestry of which had built the church
will not have the opportunity to participate in the opening.

"Armenian side would really like to consider this event a real step
aimed at reconciliation and rapprochement of Armenian and Turkish
peoples. But it is very difficult to do when the Turkish authorities
fail to give a real historical and cultural evaluation and perception
of the monument and the people and civilization that created it:
even in the museum of "Anatolian civilizations" it is very difficult
to find the word "Armenian", Karapetian said adding that restoring
the church is important for both Armenian and Turkish societies.

A country that lays a claim to become a part of today’s civilization
cannot deny historical presence of a whole people, its culture and
civilization, Karapetian said.

Armenian delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of Armenia’s Ministry
of Culture and Youth Gagik Giurjian is to participate in the opening
of the restored Surb Khach church.

Earlier, the All-Armenian Catholicos Garegin II refused the invitation
of Van Governor to participate in the opening ceremony saying that
the church will be operating as a museum and that the secular opening
ceremony will not be in conformity with the canonical devotions of
the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church is a prominent monument of
Armenian medieval architecture. The church was built in the golden
age of Vaspurakan kingdom in 915-921 by Manuel architect.

Under the pressure of the international community Turkey allocated
$1.5mln for the restoration of the church. The restoration works were
carried out by the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Tourism and the
municipality of the City of Van.

Armenian Genocide is considered to be the first genocide of the 20th
century, organized and systematically executed by the Young Turkish
government. More than 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered in
different regions of Western Armenia that was part of Ottoman Empire
at that time.

The Armenian Genocide is recognized by many countries, among them
Uruguay (the first state that officially recognized the Genocide
in 1965), Lithuania, Russia, France, the Lower Chamber of Italian
parliament and the most of U.S. states, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus,
Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber
of Commons of Canadian parliament and Seym of Poland.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONFERENCE ON FACILITIES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN ARMENIA TO BE HELD IN FRANCE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. The international conference dedicated
to the facilities of information and communication technologies in
Armenia will be held in the French city Issy les Moulineaux, on March
30, reported the Enterprise Incubator Foundation.

Among the participants are Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic
Development Tigran Davtyan, OSCE Yerevan Office Economic and
Environmental Official Jeannette Kloetzer, Associated Director
McKinsey Belgium Pierre Gurdjian, Director of Enterprise Incubator
Foundation Bagrat Yengibaryan, Microsoft Corporation Vice-President
Vahe Torossian.

Mayor of Issy les Moulineaux Mr. Andre Santini and Armenia’s Ambassador
to France Edward Nalbandian will say the welcome speech.

The presentation of the Armenian companies Aviainfotel/AIT systems,
Boomerang Software/Gallery Systems, EpygiArm, Damaris, Systronics
will take place during the conference.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"BANK ANELIK", CONVERSEBANK, ARMECONOMBANK, UNIBANK, ARDSHININVESTBANK, BANK VTB (ARMENIA) LEADERS BY END OF 2006 IN PRESS RATINGS OF ARKA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. ARKA information agency published the press
ratings of Armenia’s banks as of the end of 2006. The following banks
are in the list of the leaders: 1. "Bank Anelik", 2. Conversebank,
3. Armeconombank, 4. Unibank, 5. Ardshininvestbank and 6. Bank VTB
(Armenia).

According to the analysis of press signals, the information activity
of Armenia’s commercial banks increased in the period under review,
but the informational saturation of the signals decreased a little.

A 1.2% increase in number of press signals was recorded in the period
as compared with 2005, with the grand total index being reduced by
10.1% down to 5133. The share of negative press signals increased
from 2.4% to 3.1% in the period.

The analysis of press signals showed that the 1st quarter of 2006 was
the most intense one accounting for by 38.9% of annual press signals,
whereas the 3rd quarter was the most passive one (16.7%). The 2nd and
4th quarters were accounted for by 26.7% and 17.7% of the informational
signal flow respectively.

The share of signals under the "general" topic increased from 40.2%
to 50.6% in the flow in 2006.

The volume of information on "Clients and Service" remained unchanged
against 2005 and made 1.6% of the total volume. Reduction was recorded
in informational activity on other topics – "Bank Development Policy"
(from 24.4% down to 20.6%), "Digitized Illustration of Banking
Activity" (from 26.7% to 21.7%) and "Staff’s views and forecasts on
economy" (from 5.9% to 5.7%).

According to the press ratings of ARKA for 2006, Armeconombank became
the leader under the "General" heading and in the "Bank Development
Policy" section. Conversebank demonstrated the highest activity in
"Digitized Illustration of Banking Activity". "Bank Anelik" became
the leader of "Clients and Service" and "Staff views and forecasts
on economy".

The following banks were leading in the press ratings in 2005:
1. Armeconombank, 2. Ardshininvestbank, 3. Conversebank, 4. ACBA
Credit Agricole Bank and 5. HSBC Bank Armenia.

The press ratings of ARKA are calculated based not on the financial
and economic indicators, but on the facts of banking activities
communicated to the public through mass media. The higher is
the awareness of a bank’s activities, the more efficient is its
communication policy. Advertising information was not considered in
the analysis. See the details in the bulletin "Press ratings of banks"
#01 (32) for 2006.