Month: May 2008

PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVES NEW TURKMEN AMBASSADOR

ARMENPRESS
May 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: Parliament Chairman Tigran Torosian
received today new Turkmen ambassador to Armenia, Shokhrat
Jumaev. According to the parliament press office, the ambassador
spoke about ongoing political and economic reforms in his country
saying that his country and the people of Turkmenistan are willing
to deepen relations with Armenia in all spheres.

The ambassador underscored the need for stepping up economic
interaction to raise them to the level of political ties. He also
spoke about the need of expansion of contacts between the parliaments
of Armenia and Turkmenistan. He said establishment of parliament
friendship groups will help achieve this.

The ambassador said he is ready to do his best during his tenure
in Armenia to help boost bilateral relations. He then thanked
Tigran Torosian for participation in the inauguration of Turkmen
president. The ambassador also recalled the contribution of Armenian
builders to rehabilitation of Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabad after
the destructive earthquake years ago.

He said the government heeds big attention to holding different tenders
and Armenian builders are welcome in Ashgabad. He also said 60 young
Turkmen students are majoring at Armenian universities.

Tigran Torosian expressed hope for his part that the ambassador’s
tenure in Armenia will be marked with strengthening of
inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary relationships.

He also said economic ties create new opportunities for expansion
of mutually beneficial cooperation. He too emphasized establishment
of inter-governmental economic cooperation commission. He said a
friendship group will be set up in parliament before the end of
spring session.

The parliament press office said the two men discussed a set of
other issues.

VERDICT BY ADMINISTRATIVE COURT ON CLAIM BY DIPLOMATS DISMISSED FROM ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY TO BE MADE PUBLIC ON MAY 29

arminfo
2008-05-14 16:34:00

ArmInfo. Wednesday on May 14 the Administrative Court of Armenia
studied the claim by 4 diplomats dismissed from the Foreign Ministry
of Armenia. Judge Hovsep Bedevyan chaired over the sitting .

To recall, the claimants, the former press secretary of the Armenian
FM Vladimir Karapetyan, the former head of the Department for America
and Canada Karine Afrikyan, the former head of the Department for
NATO Marta Ayvazyan and the former adviser of the Department for
Europe Arakel Semirjyan were dismissed in February 2008. A group of
Ambassadors, including the deputy foreign minister Armen Bayburdyan,
on February 23 made speeches during the opposition rallies in the
Liberty Square on 23 February. The next day a group of diplomats and
employees of the Foreign Ministry made another statements. Both the
statements were perceived as political and all those who signed the
statements were dismissed. However, a group of diplomats believes
that they were dismissed illegally and intend to apply to the court
for restoration of their positions and compensation of average salary
for the period of their idleness.

The sitting started with a petition by the respondent, the Foreign
Ministry of Armenia represented by Head of the Juridical Department
Satik Abgaryan and Adviser of the Foreign Ministry Staff Secretariat
Levon Amirjanyan.

Respondent Abgaryan insisted on interrogation of the opposite part
as witnesses. The judge did not consider the petition necessary and
rejected it.

Representative of the claimants, lawyer Levon Baghdasaryan said the
provision of the Law ‘On Diplomatic Services’ on the basis of which
his clients were dismissed bans any actions within the interests of a
political party or religious organization. ‘There was nothing similar
in the actions of my clients. They just expressed their opinion on
the situation in the country and election rigging. It is evident
that there were violations during the election process. Since both
the opposition and international organizations indicated at them. My
clients did not speak and did not want to speak of the influence of
these violations on the voting result’, Levon Baghdasaryan said. He
also added that the statement was civil not political.

In response, Vladimir Karapetyan said that though civil that
statement reflected the stance of the country’s leadership, and
particularly, the stance of the Foreign Ministry, in that period
of time. Not appealing against the statement that diplomats joined
the statement by Ambassadors, the claimant mentioned that there
were also other statements, including by Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan who expressed concern about possible developments yet in
January 2008 and called on everyone to refrain from application of
force. The question by the respondent if V. Karapetyan sent in his
resignation before his dismissal, was left without an answer. After
mutual accusations of neglecting questions and of making declarative
statements, the respondent demanded the party of plaintiff to mention
specific violations of the election process and asked why they did
not make relevant statements during the previous elections if they
were so concerned about their civil duty.

As a reply the plaintiff party recalled that there has never occurred
such a political situation in the country. Incidentally, it has
become clear that the answering party submitted mutilate text of
the ambassadors’ statement to the court and the latter took it into
consideration. Abgaryan asked the judge how he is going to clarify
originality of any paper. Representative of the respondent party Levon
Amirjanyan said the statement was made very diplomatically without
mentioning specific names but one should take the ‘context’ into
account. Asked what party won because of such a statement, Abgaryan
replied the opposition won or could win. The plaintiff party recalled
that earlier Deputy foreign minister Gegam Garibjanyan had given an
interview of the political nature, and the former consul of Armenia in
St.Petersbourg Rouben Hakopyan was openly taking part in campaigning,
but as Vardan Oskanyan said he was dismissed ‘because rotation’.

Today the court studied the written proofs of the case and went to
the consulting room to make a decision. Verdict will be published on
29 May.

TERM ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN BRITISH GOVERNMENT

AZG Armenian Daily #092
15/05/2008

Armenian Genocide

The Government of the United Kingdom finally condemned the desecration
of the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Cadiff committed on the Holocaust
Day.

In a reply to MP David Barrows, Minister Paul Murphy said, "I hope
that when the vandals are caught and prosecuted for this crime, this
will go some way to easing the pain and distress that has been caused
by this terrible act".

"It is a very significant development", said the spokesman of "Armenia
Solidarity " organization, "In the past the ministers of the government
tried to avoid using the term Armenian Genocide". Taking into account
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Wales MPs of UK Government,
the Minister mentioned that it is impossible to avoid using that term
any more. "The fact of the Armenian Genocide is already adopted in
Wales and the vandalisms of the extremists may make other political
figures stand for the truth", he added, "Noyan Tapan~R agency reported.

THE PRICE OF THE SHARES OF VIMPELCOM REACHED ITS BOTTOM ON NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

arminfo
2008-05-14 23:24:00

ArmInfo. The price of the shares of Vimpelcom has reached its bottom
and will now begin to grow to average $38 per share.

A source from ArmenTel (subsidiary of VimpelCom) has informed Interfax
that in Jan-Mar 2008 the price dropped from $43 to $31. In 2007 the
price of VimpelCom’s shares grew by over 100%, they were in high demand
and the drop was inevitable. One more reason was the mortgage crisis
in the United States and the stock exchange crisis in the world. As
a result, investors withdrew their money from securities and put it
in less risky instruments like bonds.

This had a negative effect of some Russian companies, particularly,
on VimpelCom.

However, most experts believe that the price will no longer fall and
will go back up to an average $38 per share.

NEWTON’S DAVID BOYAJIAN RECOGNIZED FOR ROLE IN COUNTERING GENOCIDE DENIAL

Watertown TAB & Press
867421906/Newton-s-David-Boyajian-recognized-for-r ole-in-countering-genocide-denial
May 13 2008
MA

WATERTOWN – The Governor’s Council issued a resolution at the
Massachusetts State House on April 30 honoring Newton resident David
Boyajian for his role in the campaign against the Anti-Defamation
League’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and for questioning the
appropriateness of towns’ affiliation with the ADL’s No Place for
Hate anti-bias program.

The resolution was introduced by Marilyn Petitto Devaney, a Governor’s
Council member and Watertown Town Councilor.

The resolution cited Boyajian’s leadership in "successful efforts to
have communities sever ties with the ADL’s No Place for Hate and to
end the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s sponsorship" of the
program. The resolution further described the ADL’s opposition to
Congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide as "depriving the
Armenians of their history."

The ADL has yet to unambiguously acknowledge the genocide and has
opposed recognition of it by the U.S. Congress.

Boyajian, Armenian-Americans and human rights advocates have argued
that No Place for Hate’s human rights mission is incompatible with
the stance of the ADL on the widely recognized genocide committed
against Armenians by Turkey from 1915 to 1923.

Boyajian’s letter in the Watertown TAB on July 6, 2007, and his
subsequent activism sparked the issue, which soon became international
news.

In acceptance remarks, Boyajian thanked the Armenian National
Committee of America for its efforts in the campaign and praised
"the human rights commissioners, elected officials and citizens" in
the towns that dropped No Place for Hate. Boyajian urged people to
"strive for consistency, not selectivity, in recognizing genocide
and human rights violations."

He also thanked the people "even in other countries, of all ethnic,
religious and political backgrounds" who supported the campaign to
censure the ADL.

Boyajian singled out "Jewish Americans who have stood for principle"
by criticizing the ADL "when they could have remained silent."

He concluded by saying, "If you think you see injustice, speak
up. Individuals and organizations will hear you, and sometimes the
world may wind up being a better place because of it."

About 50 people attended the proceedings, many of them
Armenian-Americans. A group of Wellesley High School political science
students on a field trip to the State House also attended. Wellesley
is affiliated with No Place for Hate.

Watertown decertified its No Place for Hate on Aug. 11, 2007. In the
months following, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Lexington, Medford,
Needham, Newburyport, Newton, Northampton, Peabody, Somerville and
Westwood followed suit.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association, the umbrella organization for
the state’s cities and towns, voted April 8 to cease its sponsorship
of all No Place for Hate programs. The program still exists, however,
in more than 40 Massachusetts municipalities and in several states,
including California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The ADL established No Place for Hate in 1999 in Massachusetts towns
and owns the federal trademark for the program’s name.

On April 22, the Watertown Town Council issued a proclamation sponsored
by Council President Clyde Younger also honoring Boyajian for his
journalism and activism regarding genocide denial.

In a recent article in TAB newspapers, Boyajian called on Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Massachusetts to stop funding No Place for Hate and
to drop its designation as a No Place for Hate company.

"KAROT" INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL IN MOSCOW
By Marietta Makarian

AZG Armenian Daily #092
15/05/2008

Culture

On May 13, Armenian Culture First International Festival under
heading "Karot" opened in Moscow Glinka Musical Culture Museum with
the exhibition of the Armenian artists. The festival will continue
until May 19.

Concerts, exhibitions, meetings with writers, film exhibitions and
also the Armenian kitchen contest will be held in the framework of
the festival.

On May 14, a performance based on Perch Zeytuntsian~Rs dramatical
piece will be premiered in Armen Dzigarkhanian Theatre.

The main event of the festival will be the gala concert in Kremlin
on May 15.

The same day, well-known composer Arno Babadzanian~Rs memorial plaque
will be opened in Moscow.

President of the Union of Armenians in Russia Ara Abrahamian assured
that the festival will become annual. "Similar events are uniting
the nations, and they are very important not only for the Armenians
in Russia, but also for all the Russian people".

Business Wire (press release), CA
May 12 2008

Noubar Afeyan Receives 2008 Ellis Island Medal of Honor

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D., managing
partner and CEO of Flagship Ventures, was among this year’s recipients
of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor given by the National Ethnic
Coalition (NECO) on May 10th in New York City. The Ellis Island Medal
of Honor is awarded to outstanding Americans who have distinguished
themselves as citizens of the United States and have enabled their
ancestry groups to maintain their identities while becoming integral
parts of American life.

In choosing Dr. Afeyan as a Medal of Honor recipient, NECO recognized
his achievements not only as a successful technologist and
entrepreneur, but also as a humanitarian who has had a positive impact
on his local community and in his ethnic home country of Armenia. He
is a co-founder of Armenia 2020, an international economic development
project focusing on the former Soviet Republic of Armenia. He was
recently appointed to the board of the National Competitiveness
Council of Armenia, a quasi-governmental foundation based in
Armenia. In addition, Afeyan is a co-founder of YerazArt, a foundation
sponsoring young musicians from Armenia and providing them with
opportunities to compete, study and perform throughout the world. In
the US, Afeyan serves on the Board of trustees of the Armenian
Assembly, the largest Washington-based nationwide organization
promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. Afeyan is also a member of the Boston University Board of
Overseers and a member of several advisory boards including the
Whitehead Institute at MIT, the Harvard-MIT Division of Health
Sciences and Technology (HST) and the Skolkovo School of Management in
Moscow.

In addition to Dr. Afeyan, this year’s medal of honor recipients
include former US Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell; Gen. Duncan
J. McNabb – US Air Force Vice Chief of Staff; Human Rights Activist
and Genocide Survivor Advocate Jacqueline Murekatete; renowned
cardiologist Valentin Fuster of Mount Sinai Medical Heart; Actor and
Founder of `Operation Iraqi Children’ Gary Sinise; and WWII Veteran,
Olympian & Motivational Speaker Louis Zamperini. They received their
awards at the annual ceremony filled with patriotic pageantry at Ellis
Island followed by a gala reception in Ellis Island’s Great Hall.

`Noubar Afeyan and the other 2008 Medal of Honor recipients are known
for both their professional successes and their acts of philanthropy –
which have helped those in need here in America and abroad. They join
a prestigious list of Americans who have been honored for fostering
goodwill and making their communities and the world a better place,’
explains National Ethnic Coalition Executive Director Rosemarie
Taglione.

`Dr. Afeyan exemplifies the American Dream. I congratulate him and all
Medal recipients and thank them for their continued efforts that touch
the lives of so many. You make America proud,’ Nasser J. Kazeminy,
NECO Co-Chairman, added.

Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of Honor pay
tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise America’s unique cultural
mosaic. To date, more than 1,000 American citizens, including former
Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter,
Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon; Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme
Court William Rehnquist; Muhammad Ali; Rosa Parks; Elie Wiesel; Frank
Sinatra; Bob Hope; Her Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa,
President of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly; and Quincy
Jones, have received medals.

Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients are selected each year through
a national nomination process. Screening committees from NECO’s member
organizations select the final nominees, who are then considered by
the Board of Directors. Both the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives have officially passed resolutions recognizing the
Ellis Island Medals of Honor, which rank among this country’s most
prestigious awards. Each year, Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients
are listed in the Congressional Record, honoring those who have made
enduring contributions to our nation and to the world. For a full list
of the 2008 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Awardees, go to

About NECO

NECO’s mission is to create the world of the future today, by honoring
our diverse past, advocating for positive change in the present, and
building strong leaders for the future. The foundation partners with a
wide variety of organizations, both national and international. It
supports diverse ethnic cultural events, sponsors life-saving surgery
for children, assists emergency relief efforts worldwide, and produces
educational materials and programs that mentor youth to become the
leaders of tomorrow.

About Flagship Ventures

Flagship Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on creating,
financing and building innovative companies. Founded in 1999, Flagship
manages over $600 million in early-stage funds and operates from its
offices at Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA. With an active portfolio
of over 40 companies, the firm’s strategy is to balance its
investments across three principal business sectors: Therapeutics,
Life Science Tools & Diagnostics, and BioEnergy/Cleantech. During the
past two decades Flagship’s principals have been involved as founders
or investors in many highly successful ventures including: Adnexus
Therapeutics, Alere Medical, Aspect Medical, Celera Genomics,
ChemGenics Pharmaceuticals, Color Kinetics, Cytyc, Helicos
Biosciences, Hypnion, IDEXX, Morphotek, PerSeptive Biosystems and
TripAdvisor. For more information please visit

Contacts
For Flagship Ventures
Bill Koteff, 617-218-1613
VP Communications
[email protected]
or
For NECO
Miller Ryan Media Relations
Lonni Miller, 973-686-3660
[email protected]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: +374-10-517 163
Fax: +374-10-517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
May 14, 2008

Second Message of His Holiness KAREKIN II, Catholicos of All Armenians,
To His Holiness BENEDICT XVI, Pope of the Catholic Church
Vatican City, 09 May 2008

Your Holiness, Dear Brother in Christ,
We express our greetings of brotherly love to Your Holiness, with a
prayerful heart and a joyful soul. United in our joy today are the
clergy and faithful sons and daughters of our Holy Church who have
come together from throughout the world..

We offer gratitude to the Almighty in heaven, as successor to Saints
Thaddeus and Bartholomew, and the saint co-equal to the apostles,
Gregory the Illuminator, that we are enjoying the light of this good
day when we exchange the divinely ordained kiss of peace with Your
Holiness, worthy successor to the See of Saint Peter, seven years
after experiencing the joy of receiving your predecessor of blessed
memory under the gaze of biblical Mount Ararat. It is even more joyous
that this kiss of peace is exchanged on this day, the 9th of May, when
we are celebrating Victory and Peace Day in our homeland – the day
which commemorates the conclusion of World War II – the cause of great
human tragedy and misery; as well as the triumph of our people in the
national liberation struggle for Mountainous Karabagh.

We come from an ancient land, where the first Christian state was born
through the evangelization of the Holy Apostles, and where the faith
was never vanquished. Our people bowed their heads and kneeled down
before the divine love and hope of salvation, and overcame manifold
difficulties and tragedies through the power of the Cross of Jesus
Christ, believing that `¦we suffer with Him, in order that we may also
be glorified with Him.’ Romans 8:17. Truly, our Christian history
itself became like the life of Christ, and its pa are living readings
of the Gospel.

Praise and thanks to God in heaven, that the testimony of fidelity on
the part of our small nation, was crowned with victorious glory and
worthily decorated our lives, making us God’s own people. Our nation
became recipients of the Lord’s grace once again when the flag of
independence was raised over our homeland. Through the light of the
Savior’s resurrected life, our people – in spite of the ongoing
illegal blockade by neighboring countries and countless external and
internal challenges, are living in spiritual renaissance and with
their new hopes of an indivisible life. Today, we have the happy
opportunity to convey to Your Holiness the greetings and best wishes
of the new president of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsian, who
is investing his efforts to deliver the expectations of a better
quality of life for our people, and to lead the country on the
continued path of democracy and development. We also bring with us the
greetings of all our sons and daughters, of a reinvigorated Diaspora,
and of a free and self-determined Republic of Nagorno Karabagh, the
international recognition of which shall be achieved, through the Will
of God and the assistance of humanitarian and righteous governments.

Dear Brother in Christ, through the blessings of our Lord’s
All-Provident Right Hand, we stand alongside one another today, to
strengthen and testify to the fraternal love between our two
Churches. Faithful to the holy Church fathers and their legacy,
despite our differences and unique characteristics, we shall place
greater importance on that which unites us. It is especially pleasing
for us to confirm that the spirit of love and collaboration between
the Armenian and Catholic Churches finds its tangible expressions in
our time, confirming the words of the psalmist: `Behold how good and
pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!’ Psalms
133:1. Expressions of that fraternal and kind attitude can be found
here in the Vatican itself, through the erection of the statue of the
Illuminator of the Armenians – our patron Saint Gregory; and the
naming of the plaza after the great saint, as well as the use of the
Church of San Biagio, a historic site of prayer for Armenian pilgrims,
made available once more to the Armenian community of Rome. We extend
our thanks to you, and through you, to the Catholic Church, for the
courtesies and assistance afforded to the Armenian people.

The love received from our Lord Jesus Christ bears much good fruit in
the field of ecumenism today. We welcome the ongoing dialogue between
the Catholic Church and the family of Ancient Oriental Orthodox
Churches. In our present, fast-paced world where developments and
changes rapidly occur, many environmental, social, political,
economic, and moral issues urgently need attention, especially in the
process of globalization, when true respect for life and man, and love
for God, is diminishing. The greater consolidation of diligent efforts
and partnership are an imperative for Christian Churches, because only
through inclusive cooperation shall we be able to better serve the
establishment of peace in the world and to better defend human rights,
and the rights of nations, families, and those classes of society
which are at-risk. The transfiguration of life through the values of
the Gospel, shall be our path to the creation of a prosperous and
virtuous world.

Dear Brother in Christ, our soul joyfully responds to your call to
action directed to the entire globe during your most recent pontifical
visit, exhorting all who yield power, that instead of confrontation,
violence and war; religions, nations and governments should choose the
paths of dialogue and mutual understanding.

Your vigilance aimed at strengthening Christian understanding,
knowledge and instruction is dear to our hearts, as is your attentive
care for educational institutions, so that the new generation of young
men and women bear witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and Christian
truths with a renewed spirit – through their actions, their deeds and
their very lives. The plans and efforts of our Church are aimed at
this same goal, where Your Holiness continues to support us,
especially in the sphere of the preparation of clergymen. The spirit
of fraternal love between the Armenian and Catholic Churches, and the
results which we see today, encourage us to make our consolidated
efforts more productive, for the sake of our one mission, whose guide
and leader is Christ our Lord.

It is with this optimism that we greet all servants and laity of the
Catholic Church and bring our commendation and blessings to Vatican
State Secretary, His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone; to His
Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity; to your nuncio in the Southern
Caucasus, His Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, and to all
those individuals through whose tireless efforts, bilateral relations
between our two Churches and states continue to develop and progress
with growing understanding and reciprocal respect.

As we conclude our remarks, we extend to Your Holiness our invitation
and the invitation of the President of the Republic of Armenia, to
visit Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. We and all of
our faithful people will always be happy to receive you in the
spiritual center of all Armenians, where we shall offer our united
prayers to our Lord heaven under the sacred arches of the Cathedral
where Christ Himself descended.

We pray that Almighty God grant many years of unshaken pontifical
reign to Your Holiness, to make manifest all your visions and
aspirations for the vibrancy of the Catholic Church and her faithful
sons and daughters.

We pray for our Lord Jesus Christ to keep and protect the entire world
under His benevolent and watchful gaze, in love, solidarity, harmony
and peace for His glory and for the welfare of mankind.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us and with all, now and
always. Amen.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Watertown Tab and Press
Watertown, MA
Tuesday May 13, 2008

Newton’s David Boyajian recognized for role in countering genocide denial

By James E. Walker

WATERTOWN – The Governor’s Council issued a resolution at the
Massachusetts State House on April 30 honoring Newton resident David
Boyajian for his role in the campaign against the Anti-Defamation
League’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and for questioning the
appropriateness of towns’ affiliation with the ADL’s No Place for Hate
anti-bias program.

The resolution was introduced by Marilyn Petitto Devaney, a Governor’s
Council member and Watertown Town Councilor.

The resolution cited Boyajian’s leadership in `successful efforts to
have communities sever ties with the ADL’s No Place for Hate and to
end the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s sponsorship’ of the
program. The resolution further described the ADL’s opposition to
Congressional affirmation of the Armenian Genocide as `depriving the
Armenians of their history.’

The ADL has yet to unambiguously acknowledge the genocide and has
opposed recognition of it by the U.S. Congress.

Boyajian, Armenian-Americans and human rights advocates have argued
that No Place for Hate’s human rights mission is incompatible with the
stance of the ADL on the widely recognized genocide committed against
Armenians by Turkey from 1915 to 1923.

Boyajian’s letter in the Watertown TAB on July 6, 2007, and his
subsequent activism sparked the issue, which soon became international
news.

In acceptance remarks, Boyajian thanked the Armenian National
Committee of America for its efforts in the campaign and praised `the
human rights commissioners, elected officials and citizens’ in the
towns that dropped No Place for Hate. Boyajian urged people to `strive
for consistency, not selectivity, in recognizing genocide and human
rights violations.’

He also thanked the people `even in other countries, of all ethnic,
religious and political backgrounds’ who supported the campaign to
censure the ADL.

Boyajian singled out `Jewish Americans who have stood for principle’
by criticizing the ADL `when they could have remained silent.’

He concluded by saying, `If you think you see injustice, speak
up. Individuals and organizations will hear you, and sometimes the
world may wind up being a better place because of it.’

About 50 people attended the proceedings, many of them
Armenian-Americans. A group of Wellesley High School political
science students on a field trip to the State House also
attended. Wellesley is affiliated with No Place for Hate.

Watertown decertified its No Place for Hate on Aug. 11, 2007. In the
months following, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Lexington, Medford,
Needham, Newburyport, Newton, Northampton, Peabody, Somerville and
Westwood followed suit.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association, the umbrella organization for
the state’s cities and towns, voted April 8 to cease its sponsorship
of all No Place for Hate programs. The program still exists, however,
in more than 40 Massachusetts municipalities and in several states,
including California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The ADL established No Place for Hate in 1999 in Massachusetts towns
and owns the federal trademark for the program’s name.

On April 22, the Watertown Town Council issued a proclamation
sponsored by Council President Clyde Younger also honoring Boyajian
for his journalism and activism regarding genocide denial.

In a recent article in TAB newspapers, Boyajian called on Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Massachusetts to stop funding No Place for Hate and to
drop its designation as a No Place for Hate company.

Watertown Tab and Press
Watertown, MA
Watertown Town Council in 60 seconds
By Jillian Fennimore, Staff Writer
Wednesday April 23, 2008

WATERTOWN – Here’s a quick update of what went down during Tuesday’s meeting

· The Council honored this month’s Armenian Genocide commemoration by
presenting Newton resident David Boyajian with a
proclamation. Boyajian was instrumental in bringing the
Anti-Defamation League’s stance toward the Armenian Genocide to light
with a letter to the TAB & Press last year. Since then, many
communities have severed ties with the ADL and their `No Place for
Hate’ program.

· John Bartley and John Airasianwere re-appointed to the Traffic
Commission. Stuart Bailey was reappointed to the Zoning Board of
Appeals.

· Planning Director Greg Watson and representatives from the
Massachusetts Office of Business Development and Mass Development made
an informal presentation on planning for Pleasant Street, including an
`economic target area’ and an expedited permitting plan slated for the
redevelopment of Boston Scientific, which is currently vacant and up
for sale.

· Councilors accepted a proclamation recognizing Arbor Day.

· Reports were given to update the Council on work done with the
Personnel and Town Organization Committee, Public Safety Committee,
and Economic Development and Planning Committee.

· A resolution was voted on authorizing the acceptance and expenditure
of a cash settlement of at least $300 received by the Watertown Free
Public Library.

· Town Manager Michael Driscoll submitted the fiscal 2009 budget.

· Council President Clyde Younger announced the fiscal 2009 budget
hearing dates inside the Council Chamber at the Town Hall. The Council
will take a final vote of the budget on Tuesday, June 10.