Month: May 2008

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

PRIME MINISTER FOUAD SINIORA HOLDS A PHONE CONVERSATION
WITH CATHOLICOS ARAM I

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora held a phone conversation with
Catholicos Aram I on May 29 in the wake of his reappointment as Prime
Minister by the president of Lebanon. Siniora expressed his intention of
forming a national unity government in Lebanon and sought the Armenian
Pontiff’s support in this endeavor.

The Catholicos welcomed Siniora’s reappointment to head the new Lebanese
government, expressing hope that a new phase in the history of Lebanon will
start with the formation of a national unity government. He reminded the
Prime Minister, that as one of the seven main communities of the country,
the Armenian community should be assured its full rights in the new
government.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

30 May 2008

Heritage Holds Executive Session:
Party Convention Slated for July 11

Yerevan–The Heritage Party’s Governing Council today called a special
meeting devoted to a number of pressing agenda items, including the
nationwide institutional crisis flowing from February’s presidential
elections and reflected in the well-known April resolution of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Raffi K. Hovannisian, chairman of the Heritage Party, opened the
meeting, expressing his profound gratitude to the 31 assembled
delegates, all party members and public supporters for their civic
activity carried out, and righteous commitment demonstrated, on a
daily basis throughout the year. Hovannisian then reflected on the
current situation in Armenia: "Regardless of Heritage’s current
mandate at the National Assembly, during this one year the party
further consolidated its pivotal role in domestic and international
affairs and justified in large measure the vote of confidence it
received from the people. Regrettably, certain political actors who do
not comprehend–or do not wish to accept–this truth have not given
appropriate reactions to a long string of substantive Heritage
initiatives, including the recent ‘Summary Program of Priority
Reforms’ which the party has proposed. This notwithstanding, Heritage
will persistently press on its chosen path and, together with the
nation, will ultimately execute the imperative of resolving the
current political turmoil and securing an institutional system change
for the Republic."

During the ensuing deliberations, the Council members, invited guests,
and other session participants confirmed that the requirements of PACE
Resolution 1609 to date have not in essence been met by the Armenian
authorities. In addition, the ruling powers also have not yet replied
to Heritage’s proposal to launch a meaningful dialogue, including a
full consideration of its "Summary Program of Priority Reforms" which
the party’s board made public on May 19.

The Heritage Council members then expressed their support for the
party’s parliamentary group and its initiative to formally request
that the president of Armenia grant citizenship to Zhirair Sefilian, a
devotee of Artsakh’s struggle for liberty and self-determination. The
Council also decided to reiterate the demand, in the framework of the
same formal request, for the release of Vardan Malkhasian, Sasun
Mikaelian, Miasnik Malkhasian, Ararat Zurabian, Alexander Arzoumanian
and all other prisoners of conscience, as well as the immediate
cessation of any and all political pursuit with regard to members of
the opposition and civil society at large.

The Heritage delegates then proceeded to examine the proposals for
amendments to the party’s charter, bylaws, and political platform.
Council member Movses Aristakesian presented the primary policy
changes which will be moved during Heritage’s forthcoming party
convention. For the most part, these amendments embody the points laid
down in the party’s election program that was adopted prior to the
2007 parliamentary polls. Hovsep Khurshudian, chairman of Heritage’s
Constitutional Commission, subsequently introduced the proposed
amendments to the charter’s provisions on electing the party chairman
and constituting its Council. In line with these changes, the party’s
regional representatives will now receive the right simultaneously to
be elected to the Council. The participants in today’s special sitting
also contemplated new guidelines for the correlation between
Heritage’s executive board and its parliamentary group.

In her turn, Zoya Tadevosian, Heritage’s representative at the Central
Election Commission, broached several matters concerning the local
government elections to be held this autumn. In the exchange of views
and outlooks which followed, the Council members spoke largely in
favor of active involvement in these elections by supporting
Heritage’s own as well as other alternative candidates. During the
session, Stepan Safarian of Heritage’s parliamentary fraction also
presented an accounting of its one-year activity. Heritage board
member and MP Vardan Khachatrian then offered concluding remarks.

After conducting a complete examination of the situation in Armenia,
the Heritage Party’s Council unanimously adopted its decision on
Heritage’s role, objectives, and policies in the run-up to the party
convention which it called for July 11. The decision reads:

"Deeming crucial the task of surmounting the national-institutional
crisis that resulted from the presidential elections of 19 February
2008, and implementing to that end PACE Resolution 1609 of 17April
2008, the Heritage Party underscores for the record that:

a) The overcoming of the contemporary nationwide turmoil demands from
all government and opposition forces and individuals that they fully
and equally comprehend the new state of affairs created in the country
and adopt a constructive and inclusive work ethic which rules out
reciprocal annihilation, marginalization, imitation, and
crisis-derivative demeanor.

b) Being guided by precisely this sense of duty, throughout April and
May the Heritage Party launched initiatives–and made comprehensive
proposals–to bridge the divide existing between the citizens and the
administration, to encourage a public discourse among all political
forces which are responsible for the current situation, and to carry
out the requirements of PACE Resolution 1609 in mutual cooperation and
with combined forces; unfortunately, instead of being accepted and
comprehensively studied, these initiatives and proposals at best
received superficial, spurious, and parochial interpretations which
amount to excuses for not engaging in true dialogue.

c) Honoring the PACE resolution is not a mere matter of accountability
before European institutions but rather represents the necessity of
bringing to fruition the dignity and interests of Armenia’s citizens
and of its newly independent statehood; we must be the first to expect
the highest of democratic standards for our nation.

d) The looming isolation from the family of civilized nations–and a
deepening deadlock for authority and opposition alike–is the price
Armenia might indeed pay should it not come to its senses; the
alternative, on the other hand, is the delivery of a quantum leap onto
the country’s main artery of real democratic development, which can be
accomplished solely by way of critical introspection and the firm
precedence of national interests over partisan positions.

Based on these affirmations, the Heritage Party’s Council hereby decides:

1. To support the party’s leader in his continuing quest to realize
rational proposals for political and societal discourse and to make
use of every available means to that end;

2. To instruct the Heritage Party’s parliamentary group to prepare
legislative initiatives for the implementation of the measures
outlined in the "Summary Program of Priority Reforms" which Heritage
made public on May 19 and which reflect the terms stipulated in PACE
Resolutions 1601 and 1609;

3. To call Heritage’s Fifth Convention on July 11 and to constitute a
task force comprising board members, party activists, and
freedom-loving citizens which will assume responsibility for the
organization and conduct of this public congress;

4. There to deliver a complete and conclusive assessment of the
nation’s political phase preceding the Fifth Convention and of the
party’s activities, accomplishments, and setbacks during that span,
and to redefine by resolution of the Convention the challenges,
objectives, and policies for the years to come.

30 May 2008
Yerevan"

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected], and website
at

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext. 202
Fax: +37410. 565601
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Defence Minister Seiran Ohanian
participated in North Atlantic Council

On May 28 in Brussels Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and
Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian participated in the meeting of
North-Atlantic Council in 26+1 (NATO member states plus Armenia) format.
At the meeitng, Ambassadors of NATO member countries, discussed the
Assessment document of the Armenian-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan
Program (IPAP).
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and the Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian
spoke at a meeting.
Minister Nalbandian said in his speech that Armenia regards IPAP as a
leading format of cooperation with the Alliance. Head of Armenian Diplomacy
presented to the Ambassadors of the NATO member states the cooperation of
Armenia with European structures. While speaking on Nagorno Karabakh peace
process, Minister Nalbandian reiterated Armenian position to solve the
question by the means of negotiations. Touching upon Armenian-Turkish
relations, Minister Nalbandian pointed out that Armenia is ready to
normalize relations with its neighbor without any preconditions. Minister
noted that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations it’s one of the
IPAP goals.
In his speech Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian presented the process of
reforms in the defense sphere, the measures undertaken to review strategy of
military security and steps directed to the interoperability development.
Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian also spoke legislative changes in military
sphere.
Ambassadors of NATO member countries noted in their speeches that Armenia
has carried out the IPAP goals in accordance to the schedule and expressed
readiness of their countries to continue supporting Armenia in the process
of reforms.
On the basis of the results of the assessment, steps will be undertaken in
order to make relevant changes in Armenian-NATO IPAP.
Armenian delegation also met with the NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio
Bisogniero.
On May 29th , Minister Nalbandian will leave for Moscow on a two-day visit
at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

5 Members Of Turkish Family of Armenian origin Found Dead In US

Today’s Zaman
May 30, 2008

The decomposed bodies found last weekend in an oceanside home were
identified Tuesday as three generations of a Turkish family.

Manas Uçar, 58, and his wife, Margrit, 48, immigrated from Turkey
years ago, and their twin 21-year-old daughters, Margo and Grace, had
just completed bachelor degrees in biology. The fifth victim, the
family’s maternal grandmother, 72-year-old Fransuhi Kesisoglu, was a
legal resident, said Lt. Erin Giudice, spokeswoman for the Orange
County sheriff. Turkish news reports said the family was of Armenian
origin.

Deputies had visited the home overlooking the Pacific twice in the
past two weeks, prompted by calls from a concerned neighbor and
worried relatives. But deputies found nothing suspicious, and the
callers conceded the family may have taken a vacation. On Sunday, two
brothers forced their way into the house, only to discover the bodies.

Giudice said neither homicide nor suicide had been ruled out, but she
stressed that the community was not in danger and no suspects were
being sought. Autopsies are not yet complete and toxicology results
could take up to eight weeks, she said.

Manas and Margrit Uçar were found in a downstairs closet, with two
handguns near the bodies. One of the handguns was registered to
Margrit Uçar and both husband and wife were shot, Giudice said. The
daughters and grandmother were found in the attached bedroom and the
twins were in the bed, she said. Their bodies were too decomposed to
identify any gunshot wounds. Because the house was built into a cliff,
the bedroom suite where the bodies were found was below ground level,
shielded from view and well-insulated, Giudice said. "Everything was
closed up," she said. "The family and the neighborhood thought they
were on vacation."

Margo and Grace Uçar both finished work toward bachelor degrees in
biology at the University of California, San Diego, this past winter,
said Pat Jacoby, a spokeswoman for the university. Manas Uçar came to
the United States in the 1970s and was on the Syracuse University
faculty about five years, said Eugene Drucker, a retired Syracuse
professor who supervised Manas Uçar’s doctoral dissertation in
mechanical engineering. Uçar’s wife, Margrit, also immigrated from
Turkey and received her US citizenship in 1987 while in Syracuse,
according to an article in the newspaper The Post-Standard.

Manas Uçar became a consulting engineer after leaving the university,
then moved to California in the mid-1990s, Drucker said. The Web site
law.com lists Uçar as an expert on accident reconstruction,
specializing in fires, explosions and seat belt use.

29 May 2008, AP SAN CLEMENTE

Auction record set to tumble at Christie’s New York

Friday, May 30, 2008

There is every chance that the world record price at auction for an
oriental carpet will be surpassed at Christie’s Rockefeller Center
rooms in New York on Tuesday 3 June 2008. The rug in question, a very
beautiful and delicate central Persian `Polonaise’ style silk rug,
probably made in Esfahan around 1600, is no newcomer to the market,
having last been sold at Sotheby’s inNew York in December 1990 for
$506,000 (see HALI 55, p.162), when it was presumably bought by the
American heiress Doris Duke, who died in 1993. What sets it apart from
the mainstream of the `Polonaise’ weaving genre is its all-silk
foundation and the lack of precious metal-thread brocading. With an
illustrious provenance that also includes Kouchakji Frères, Hagop
Kevorkian, Mrs Grace Rainey Rogers (sold at Parke Bernet in 1943) and
Doris Duke, it is being sold from the Doris Duke Collection on behalf
of the Newport (Rhode Island) Restoration Foundation. Estimated by
Christie’s Elisabeth Parker at $1-1.5 million, it is perfectly likely
that in the present buying climate, where the best classical carpets,
especially those with the added allure of good provenance, perform
well above reasonable expectations, that it will pass the current
record, which stands at just under $2.5 million, paid at Christie’s in
London in July 1999 for the Rothschild Tabriz medallion carpet, now in
the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

A Conversation with Barbara Coloroso, author of "Extraordinary Evil: A Brief
History of Genocide=80¦and why it matters"

idx/0/2736/article/A_Conversation_with_Barbara_Col oroso_Author_of_Extraordinary_Evil_A_Brief_History _of_Genocideand_why_it_matters.html

Title: Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide… and why it matters
ISBN: 10:0670066044:
13:978-0670066049

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com is honored to have as our
guest, Barbara Coloroso who is an internationally recognized speaker and
author in the area of parenting, teaching, school discipline, non-violent conflict
resolution and reconciliatory justice. She is the author of three
best-selling books dealing with parenting and she has now turned her attention to
writing about the history of genocide with her recently published tome
"Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide=80¦and why it matters." Good day Barbara
and thanks for participating in our interview.
Norm:
Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional
background and what motivated you to write Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History
of Genocide which is far different than your other books? As a follow up,
what compelled you to write the book?
Barbara:
I write Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide=80¦and Why It Matters
as an educator, parent, and former nun. All three of these influence and
color this text. I work in Rwanda with orphans from the 1994 genocide. I
began the work shortly after I finished writing The Bully, The Bullied, and the
Bystander. Asked to speak at the University of Rwanda on that book, I
agreed with the understanding that I would demonstrate that it was a shortwalk
from bullying to hate crimes to genocide. It is not a giant leap.
As survivors of the genocide began identifying the various bully and
bystander roles that were played out in 1994, it became apparent to me that the walk
was even shorter than I had thought and that it was true that genocide had
its roots in utter contempt for another human being. Genocide is not an
unimaginable horror. Every genocide throughout history has been thoroughly
imagined, meticulously planned, and brutally executed. The pain of a =80=9Cmoral
world turned on its head’ does not begin with the machete cuts of the Hutu Power,
the gas chambers of the Nazis, the death marches of the Young Turks.
Norm:
What is the underlying message or theme of Extraordinary Evil: A Brief
History of Genocide?
Barbara:
The underlying theme is that it is a short walk from bullying to hate crimes
to genocide-genocide is the most extreme form of bullying-a far too common
system of behaviors that is learned in childhood and rooted in contempt for
another human being who has been deemed by the bully and his or her
accomplices, to be worthless, inferior, and undeserving of respect. The tragedy of
genocide has many rehearsals that weaken the moral inhibitions against
violence, publicity that spreads bigotry and intolerance, a backdrop that establishes
the climate, ominous sounds that signal the beginning and the end, scripts
that heighten the tension and fuel the contempt, six scenes that seal the
victim’s fate, a slew of character actors, and an international audience that
either fails to hinder or actually helps energize the performance of
extraordinary evil by ordinary people.
Norm:
Why do you think this is an important book at this time? What are you goals
for this book? What do you hope to achieve?
Barbara:
Through an examination of three clearly defined genocides—of the Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire; the Jews, Roma, and Sinti in Europe; and the Tutsi
in Rwanda, I try to deconstruct the causes of genocide and its consequences,
both to the immediate victims and to the fabric of the world community at
large. Through the study of this deconstruction, I propose conditions I think
must exist in order to make the commitment of `Never Again=80=9D into more than
an empty slogan. The acts of genocide are occurring more frequently and are
in the public’s consciousness. If that consciousness can be informed perhaps
the empty slogan of Never Again can become real. .
Genocide is not an unimaginable horror. Every genocide throughout history
has been thoroughly imagined, meticulously planned, and brutally executed.
The pain of a `moral world turned on its head’ does not begin with the machete
cuts of the Hutu Power, the gas chambers of the Nazis, the death marches of
the Young Turks. To recognize the beginning is step one in eradicating this
horror.
Norm:
Can you explain some of your research techniques, and how you found sources
for your book? How did you go about deciding which material to include and
which to exclude?
Barbara:
As concept and as a fact, the slaughter of whole groups of people by other
seemingly ordinary human beings has been a subject of enduring, increasingly
urgent interest to me. My introduction was a copy of Elie Wiesel’s Night,
which I picked up from a large bin of used books while passing through an
airport in the early 1970’s. I had a basic knowledge of the genocide of the Jews
and was familiar with Wiesel’s writings, but nothing prepared me for his
terrifying personal account of the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration
campy.
Haunted by Wiesel’s story, I began my own study of what Hannah Arendt has
described as the `banality of evil.’ In particular, I wanted to explore what
in our dispositions and situations could possibly allow such evil to be
perpetrated by ordinary people, without shame, compassion, or mercy. As an
educator, I found my `side study’ of genocide seeping intomy lectures and
writings.
On my lecture tours, I extended stays in Germany, France, Belgium, North
and South America, Australia, and New Zealand to visit genocide museums.
Memorials both formal and makeshift, mass graves marked unceremoniously with
wooden plaques, landmarks of slaughter around the world. I sought out
movies and surfed the Internet for the history that was omitted from my high
school and university courses. I listened to survivors, and immersed myself in
the ever growing library of books written about particular genocides and
genocide in general. I narrowed my writing down to the three readily identifiable
genocides of the twentieth century and made reference to others as they
related to the premise of the book. No easy task. As people heard that I was
writing this book, they shared so many stories of their own survival, of the
deaths of friends and relatives, grandparents, parents, siblings, and children.
I wanted to include them all to give voice to those who had been silenced.
Norm:
What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How
did you overcome these challenges?
Barbara:
The biggest challenge was narrowing the material-every story I hadto cut
felt like one less voice heard. Another was to be immersed in the study of
such evil day on and day out. I had to remind myself that I was only studying
genocide-those telling me their stories had lived the horrors.
Norm:
You state in your book: `the concept of genocide in general and the Rwandan
genocide in particular, are macrocosms of the drama known as bullying.=80=9D
Please explain to our readers why you believe there is a connection between
genocide and bullying.
Barbara:
Both have their foundation in the contempt for another human being. Instead
of seeing the other as a `Thou,’ both bullies and genocidaires see the
other as an `it,’ a cockroach, snake, vermin, dirty dog. Dehumanization is
step one towards removing someone or an entire group of people from our`circle
of moral concern.’ Once someone or a group is placed outside that circle,
those inside can do anything to the `its’ and not feel anyshame or
compassion.
In genocide, a bully rises to power, is elected to political office, or
seizes control of a government. The bully then espouses a murderous racial,
ethnic, or religious ideology, brings along an entire cast of characters,
(bystanders) and goes about creating increasingly sinister scenes of what
psychiatrist Robert Lifton calls `atrocity producing situations.’ These situations
in turn invite and sustain ordinary citizens as they participate in the
extermination of relatives, neighbors, and fellow citizens. The more thatordinary
people perform such tasks as hacking someone to death, the more they become
socialized to the atrocity, the more the atrocity becomes normalized=80’made
ordinary.
Norm:
Why do you think it has been so difficult for the situations in Sudan,
Rwanda and elsewhere where similar atrocities are committed daily to capture the
interest of the West?
Barbara:
Stereotyping and prejudice play a part in enabling us in the West to turn a
blind eye, but so does the failure of the international community to
recognize it for what it truly is-often masking the killing with`fighting’ terms-`
It’s ethnic conflict;’ `Those people have been fighting for generations;’
`it’s a civil war, and we have no business interfering;=80=9D or worse, we in
the West see no reason to step in because we have no vested interest in the
country or region-no oil or gold or diamonds-just human beings being
slaughtered.
Norm:
Do you think that democratic societies have enough stability that minorities
are safe from severe persecution?
Barbara:
In a true democracy where everyone matters, yes. But stereotypes, and
prejudices can easily morph into discrimination that all too readily can slip into
persecution. A strong democracy that is a vibrant entity consists of people
who can develop documents, laws, rituals, and traditions that honor Martin
Buber’s `I and Thou’ and `We’=80’the uniqueness of each individual and our
common humanity. In a democracy, when bullying or hate crimes are committed,
they are quickly dealt with and those committing these act are held
accountable, thus the spiral into severe persecution of a group of people is stopped in
its tracks.
Norm:
Do you believe the media has done an adequate job in calling to our
attention the bullies of the world? If not, what would you suggest to improve the
situation?
Barbara:
Media was a tool of each of the genocides I studied. The genocidaires
utilized it to spread prejudice, fear, and hatred. Media was also used to alert
the world to what was really happening. Journalists as witnesses gave voice
to those who were being persecuted, raped, and slaughtered. But speaking
truth and describing the horrors does not mean that those viewing or reading
the media will respond in a deeply caring, compassionate or effective manner to
stop the genocide and offer help[ to those who are targeted.
Norm
How will you be marketing your book?
Barbara:
Same as I promote all of my books-through my lectures, articles, interviews,
and now, starting with your interview, the internet. Thankyou for this
fascinating opportunity.
Norm:
Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered and what is
next for Barbara Coloroso?
Barbara:
My next project flows from my book on ethics, Just Because Its Not Wrong
Doesn’t Make It Right and this book on genocide, Extraordinary Evil. In both of
these I mention people who were resisters, defenders, and witnesses=80’those
who stood up for those who were targeted, protected them and gave witness to
their plight, who rally against injustice, who are willing to step in at great
cost to themselves. I want to find out what makes them tick-and can we as
parents, educators, and leaders can learn from them. Can they give us a clue
as to how we can raise a generation of children who care deeply, share
generously, and help willingly? Can they show us the antidotes for the most
virulent agents ripping apart the fabric of our humanity– hating, hoarding, and
purposely harming one another?
Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

CATHOLICOS ARAM I CONGRATULATES THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF LEBANON

His Holiness Aram I offered his warm congratulations to the newly elected
President of Lebanon, General Michel Suleiman, during a phone conversation
with the President on the morning of May 27.

The Pontiff pointed out that at such critical times taking this
responsibility is a great challenge. He also expressed hope, however, that
the new President will succeed in opening a new page of understanding
between the Lebanese communities, as well as development and progress in the
country. The Catholicos offered his full support and endorsement to the new
President.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

ARMENIAN YOUTH AND TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE TO BE ORGANIZED IN ANTELIAS THIS SUMMER

A conference of teachers of Armenian Language, Armenian history and religion
will be convened in the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias on July 17-19
on the initiative of the Catholicosate’s Armenological-educational
department.

The "Armenian Education Today" conference convened in Antelias in 2004 had
decided to continue discussions on issues and concerns related to Armenian
education with further depth and professionalism and to devise projects in
line with these discussions.

The Armenian school, with its mission of formation-both of people and
Armenians- is one of the important fields of the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s
mission. With this in mind, Catholicos Aram I continues organizing
initiatives, in cooperation with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s
Armenian Department, that bring to the fore issues related to the Armenian
school.

It is in this context that the conference of Armenian history, Armenian
Language and religion teachers will be convened as a follow-up the above
mentioned pan-Diaspora conference four years ago. The conference will
comprehensively discuss issues related to all three subjects: language,
methodology, teachers, textbooks, curriculum, etc. Teachers in these
subjects in Armenian schools throughout the Diaspora will participate in the
conference. Those interested can contact the director of the Catholicosate
of Cilicia’s Armenological-Educational Department, Mr. Sarkis Giragossian.

On August 14-16, 2008 a pan-Diaspora youth conference will be held in
Antelias. The conference was planned two years ago but was postponed at the
time due to the unstable political situation in Lebanon. Under the theme
"The Armenian youth in front of the challenges of the 21st century" the
conference will feature lectures, round tables and group discussions. Over
100 youths from the various Dioceses of the Catholicosate of Cilicia will
participate in the conference. Those interested can contact the director of
the Catholicosate’s Youth Department, Rev. Father Sahag Yemishian.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

ON BEHALF OF HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

BISHOP KEGHAM KHATCHERIAN CONGRATULATES
THE NEW PRESIDENT OF LEBANON

The election of General Michel Suleiman as the new President of Lebanon
inspired hope in the Lebanese people to turn over the black pages of the
past and start a new phase in the history of the country of Cedars through
this historic event.

After his election as President by the Lebanese Parliament on Sunday, Gen.
Suleiman attended the luncheon organized by Parliament Speaker Nebih Berri
in "Biel" in the honour of the new President and high level Lebanese and
foreign officials.

The Primate of the Diocese of Lebanon, Bishop Kegham Khatcherian, attended
the luncheon on behalf of His Holiness Aram I. The Bishop congratulates the
new President, wishing him a peaceful and successful term in office, during
which all the communities in Lebanon would have the opportunity to live and
work harmoniously and to reconstruct their country.

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE MEETING
OF TRUSTEES OF THE "ALL-ARMENIA" FUND

The 17th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the "All-Armenia" Fund was
convened on May 27 2008, and chaired by the President of the Republic of
Armenia, His Excellency Serge Sarkissian.

The two Catholicosates of the Armenian Church and their Pontiffs have been
members of this Board since its establishment and through its activities,
they contribute to rebuilding and developing the homeland.

His Holiness Aram I delegated the Primate of the Diocese of Aleppo, Syria,
Bishop Shahan Sarkissian, to participate in the meeting. The Bishop conveyed
His Holiness’ greetings to the other participants and once again reaffirmed
the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s full participation in and endorsement of the
Fund’s initiatives. Also attending the meeting were the President of the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, Pago Sahakian, The Prime Ministers of Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh, Dikran Sarkissian and Arayig Haroutyounian, Ministers
Edward Nalbandian and Dikran Tavtian and other members from both Armenia and
the Diaspora.

The executive director of the Fund, Vahe Aghapegian, presented a detailed
report on the activities carried out by the Fund and its future projects. He
spoke about the Fund’s long-term, as well as short-term, immediate plans
both in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

During a ceremony held in the Presidential Palace on May 26, the evening
before the meeting, President Serge Sarkissian awarded 13 people for their
valuable contributions to the activities of the All-Armenia Fund.

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.