Month: October 2008

— PRESS RELEASE
The Civilitas Foundation
One Northern Ave. Suite 30
Yerevan, Armenia
Telephones: +37494.800754; +37410.500119
email: [email protected]
web: <;

Vart an Oskanian Speaks About "The Greatest Challenge Facing Us"

Founder of the Civilitas Foundation, former foreign minister of Armenia,
Vartan Oskanian spoke in Toronto and Los Angeles at two community
gatherings.

In Toronto on October 24, Mr. Oskanian was the guest of the Canada Armenia
Business Council. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
organization.

In Los Angeles, on October 25, Mr. Oskanian was named Professional of the
Year by the Armenian Professional Society which is celebrating its 50th
anniversary.

In his remarks, he addressed Armenia¹s international and domestic
challenges, but also what he characterized to be ³the most important issue
facing us, the issue of identity for our young people, in Armenia and in the
Diaspora.² Below is the text of his speech.

Dear Friends,

This is my first public appearance since I left the office of foreign
minister.

As I was gathering my thoughts about what to say, I realized that we’ve come
a long long way these 17 years.

If I was still in office, I would tell you about Armenia’s successes and
challenges. Today, as a private citizen, I am going to do the same. But the
reason I wanted to be a private citizen, is to be more outspoken about and
to work for all that still needs to be done. I believe that my
responsibility, our responsibility together, to Armenia and its future is
the same whether one is in government or not.

My commitment to Armenia and its future did not begin when I became foreign
minister. It will not cease now that I am no longer foreign minister.

I have been here since the inception and I’ve seen the ups and downs. I
served as foreign minister since the beginning of President Kocharian’s
term. I served as deputy minister and first deputy minister under President
Ter Petrossian. In other words, I have served not a man, but a people and a
country. Just as it is not in my nature to follow blindly, it is also not in
my nature to be in bitter opposition. I believe in carrying out the
responsibilities I have undertaken. I believe I have done so these 10 years,
sometimes before the TV cameras but more often behind the scenes.

My responsibility now is to speak and act honestly and openly. That is both
commitment and responsibility.

The Civilitas Foundation which I have created believes in the concept of a
citizen’s responsibility to society. We, in Armenia and the Diaspora,
professionals, committed Armenians of all generations, across the world,
together, make up Armenian society. Around the world, we have attained a
level of professionalism, integration and wealth that our grandparents could
never have imagined and that obligates us to give back to our community –
here and in Armenia.

But you already know that. Your organizations, by their existence,
understand the inextricable links between Armenia and Diaspora.

I have often spoken of the Armenia – Diaspora interdependence. I don’t think
it is any longer a question as to whether one needs the other. I think the
only question is how one can build on and benefit from the capacities of the
other.

All of us in our consciousness, in our minds, in our dreams, we imagine our
own Armenia, and we strive to reach it. But in order to see the real
Armenia, to perceive it correctly, I think we must find the right
correlation, the right balance between our expectations of Armenia and
Armenia’s capacity.

It is not easy to build a state. It’s true that one can have expectations,
but they must also be realistic expectations.

Let’s look at what we have. We have built a state that is stable, and
advancing economically. Today, if we compare Armenia to other similar
countries, we see that despite our limited potential, despite the war,
despite the blockade – and in fact we even forget about these sometimes – we
are competitive with our neighbors.

The situation in our region today is changing very quickly. The challenges
are not the same today as they were 10 years ago, five years ago, or even
one or two years ago. And they are many. The Baku-Tbilisi-Çeyhan pipeline is
operational and prospects are improving for the construction of the
Trans-Caspian pipeline. These will seriously enhance Azerbaijan’s influence
and leverage over Europe and the US. Those countries in our region facing
self-determination issues have united and created a common front. The
punitive posturing towards Iran, our strategically important neighbor, is
growing. The likelihood of the creation of divisive lines in our region is
also increasing, and nothing demonstrated that better than the conflict, in
August, between Russia and Georgia. Finally, the Turkey-Azerbaijan
relationship is becoming deeper and broader, with Turkey more openly and
overtly assisting Azerbaijan militarily, politically and economically. Every
day, we see new manifestations of Turkey’s state policy of denial and
non-recognition of the Genocide. Add to that their hesitation to make the
only move that will have any meaningful impact on the region – opening
borders – and you can see that our foreign policy challenges are serious.

Actually, I believe that many of these will be with us in some form or
another, for a long time. Our neighborhood is not going to change.

But our domestic challenges – these are the ones that are in our hands to
fix, once and for all.

Many of our domestic problems are economic. The hopes of Armenia’s aspiring
young men and women rest on a fair, open, economic system. This means
respecting civil liberties, believing in democracy, actually allowing a rule
of law. Only then can will the individual citizen be unafraid to risk and
venture, and only then will we harness the energy of our society –
economically and politically.

Only then will be able to create jobs so that they see their future in
Armenia, and they see Armenia’s future in themselves.

Only then will we manage to eradicate poverty so that all our people begin
to believe that living in a country that is ours is better than living in
someone else’s empire.

Only then will we succeed in identifying corruption as the evil that limits
options, suffocates innovation, restricts enterprise and slams the door on
opportunity

Only then will we do away with nepotism so that it is what you know not who
you know that counts.

Only then will our government institutions be more effective because the law
makes each citizen powerful, and it is not the powerful who make their own
laws.

In other words, the stories of today’s rising generation must be stories of
prospects and convictions and successes, not stories of frustration,
discontent and disillusionment.

But we will not be able to tackle today’s ills if we do not heal our
political environment and change the psycho-social and moral environment in
which we live.

Our elections were not the cause of the damage to our spirit. They were the
consequence of our inability to bring civility to our society, to bring
civil society to our political stage, and to transform our political arena
into a competition of ideas and programs, not a battleground for defending
power and wealth/resources.

This failure is not just Armenia’s but also the Diaspora’s. The challenge
then is also not just for Armenia, but for Karabakh and the Diaspora, too.
In this, as in all things, we are together. There is no Armenia without
Diaspora, no Karabakh without Armenia, there are no divisions. We all belong
to one nation, have one identity, one past.

The most important challenge facing all of us is our young people’s issue of
identity. You in the Diaspora think this is just a Diaspora worry. But it is
not. This is as real a question for those who are growing up today in
Armenia and Karabakh. To what do they link their identity? To a divided and
injured society? To apathy and hopelessness? To endless cycles of poverty?
To third world villages? To homelessness and earthquake? To the mentality of
a warrior — victorious but always under siege? To the economy of a petty
merchant?

Or to an Armenia that has a knowledge-based economy, where education is
valuable for the windows that it opens, where villagers like villagers
everywhere feel protected? To an Armenia with an economic and political
independence that is secure, to a prosperous Armenia, to an Armenia that is
fair and just.

Our young people – in Yerevan and here in Diaspora, too – want to believe in
Armenia. But that Armenia must be the Armenia of their imagination, the one
they have heard about from their grandfathers, the Armenia their parents
have dreamt about. If we can’t give this generation that Armenia, then in
the years to come, we will lose them to other dreams.

But if we can? If Armenia, the Diaspora and Karabakh join hands and use our
know-how and our dedication, see what miracles we will work.

The 21st century – the century of social and professional networks, of
globalization and of knowledge-based economies – is a century that will see
new countries and new diasporas. Our diaspora was created by the forces of
history. Ironically, so was our country.

Now we cannot leave them to the forces of history again.

It is that diaspora and that country that will define us as a nation in the
21st century. We must write that definition ourselves.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Yervant Zorian Joins AGBU Central Board of Directors

AGBU is pleased to announce the election of Yervant Zorian to its
Central Board of Directors on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the AGBU’s
85th General Assembly in Aleppo, Syria.

A lifetime member of AGBU and a graduate of Aleppo’s AGBU Lazar
Najarian-Calouste Gulbenkian school, Zorian currently serves as the
chair of AGBU Silicon Valley Chapter and the AGBU Armenian Virtual
College. He is the program chair of the ArmTech Congress, and a trustee
of the American University of Armenia (AUA). He holds an honorary
doctorate from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

After his election to the Central Board, Zorian was invited to address
the Assembly. "With great pleasure and excitement, I look forward to the
opportunity to cooperate with each one of you individually and as teams
in order to continue serving our nation through AGBU. And, I wish our
beloved organization every success in the years to come," he said.

Yervant Zorian is the Vice President and Chief Scientist of Virage Logic
Corp. Previously, Zorian was a distinguished member of technical staff
at AT&T Bell Laboratories and the chief technology advisor of
LogicVision Inc. He serves as director on the boards of several
semiconductor technology start ups, and is an adjunct professor at the
University of British Columbia.

Zorian received an MS degree in Computer Engineering from the University
of Southern California, a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from
McGill University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University
of Pennsylvania. He served as the President of the IEEE Test Technology
Technical Council and the Vice President of IEEE Computer Society. He
also serves as the editor-in-chief emeritus of the Journal on Design &
Test of Computers and associate editor of the Journal on Electronic
Testing: Theory and Applications (JETTA). He founded and chairs the IEEE
1500 embedded core test standards working group and serves on the Board
of Governors of CEDA.

He has authored more than 300 scientific papers and four books, holds 18
U.S. patents, and has received numerous best scientific paper awards and
Bell Labs’ R&D Achievement Award. A Fellow of the IEEE, Zorian was
selected by EE Times among the top 13 influencers on the semiconductor
industry since the invention of transistors. He was the 2005 recipient
of the prestigious Industrial Pioneer Award, and the 2006 recipient of
the IEEE Hans Karlsson Award.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.

AMIC’s Newsletter, Montreal, Canada
AMIC’s Info-Flash
2340 Chemin Lucerne # 30
Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec
H3R 2J8, Canada
Tel: 514 739 8950
Web:
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
October 2008

1. Article 1: A Postcard campaign from the New York Congress Organizing
Committee
2. Article 2: News from our member associations of Washington D.C. (AHAGW)
3. Article 3: The abstract of an article from Dr. Armen Gasparyan published
in the Journal of American Coll. Cardiology (2008, May 13; 51 (19): 1829-43.
4. Article 4: An appeal from Armenia
5. Article 5; What is AMIC?
*******************************************

I- A Postcard campaign from the New York Congress Organizing Committee

The 10th Armenian Medical World Congress organizing committee has launched a
Postcard campaign last month. 10,000 postcards were printed and mailed all
over the world. 3,000 were mailed in the United States; in Canada, France,
England and Armenia, AMIC office and member medical associations have
received packages of the cards and mailing to the members is being
completed.

If you are receiving this Info-Flash and have not yet received your
postcard, that can only mean that your mailing address is not updated in our
database. Please send us by email your latest mailing address. That would
help us to send you the postcard and future mailings. Otherwise, follow
carefully from now on the announcements made in the coming Info-Flashes and
visit regularly the website of the Congress:

In a forthcoming special issue of Info-Flash the registration fee and the
hotel room rates will be given to our readers. When you receive that
information and if you already have the firm intention of attending the
congress, the Organizing Committee would like you to register and make your
room reservations very quickly. By January 2009, the hotel management and
the Organizing Committee should have a clear idea of the number of
attendees. So register early, as late registration will be more expensive.
**************************************

II- News from our member association of Washington D.C. (AHAGW)

Following a well established tradition, the Armenian American Health
Association of Greater Washington (AHAGW), held its annual health fair at St
Mary’s Church Hall on June 8, 2008. Different physicians made
presentations: Dr. Viken Poochikian discussed about diabetes, Dr. Hayk
Kaftarian spoke about general health, Dr. Ghevond Wartanian presented
osteoporosis, and Arpi Simonian, a specialist in nutrition, conveyed to the
audience the healthy eating and vitamins. Dr. Zareh Khachikian mentioned the
importance of the prenatal care. Dr. Grigor Khachikian, the president of the
association was the moderator of the Question and Answer session.
On June 21, a fund raising stamp show was organized: Dr. Khachikian
presented the history of the Armenian philately, with a few examples of his
stamp collection exhibited in the show.
In November, 2008, AHAGW will hold a second fund- raising with a classical
concert at Stratmore music hall. All those who will be in Washington in
November, should contact Dr. Khachikian for details, [email protected]

****************************

II I- The abstract of an article from Dr. Armen Gasparyan published in the
Journal of American Coll. Cardiology (2008, May 13; 51(19): 1829-43.

"The role of aspirin in cardiovascular prevention: implications of aspirin
resistance"
Haemostasis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Unit, University Department of
Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Aspirin is well recognized as an effective antiplatelet drug for secondary
prevention in subjects at high risk of cardiovascular events. However, most
patients receiving long-term aspirin therapy still remain at substantial
risk of thrombotic events due to insufficient inhibition of platelets,
specifically via the thromboxane A2 pathway. Although the exact prevalence
is unknown, estimates suggest that between 5,5% and 60% of patients using
this drug may exhibit a degree of "aspirin resistance," depending upon the
definition used and parameters measured. To date, only a limited number of
clinical studies have convincingly investigated the importance of aspirin
resistance. Of these, few are of a sufficient scale, well designed, and
prospective, with aspirin used at standard doses. Also, most studies do not
sufficiently address the issue of noncompliance to aspirin as a frequent,
yet easily preventable cause of resistance to this antiplatelet drug. This
review article provides a comprehensive overview of aspirin resistance,
discussing its definition, prevalence, diagnosis, and therapeutic
approaches. Moreover, the clinical implications of aspirin resistance are
explored in various cardiovascular disease states, including diabetes
mellitus, hypertension, heart failure, and other similar disorders where
platelet reactivity is enhanced.

Dr. Armen Gasparyan is a young cardiologist living in Armenia. He passed
research fellowship in the UK (2007), internship in internal medicine in
Graz (Austria, 2002), and is member of editorial boards of several
international journals (J Cardiovascular Medicine, formerly Italian Heart
J., Archives of Medical Science, Archives of Iranian Medicine, the Journal
of Tehran University Heart Center), and of reviewers boards of Thrombosis
Research, Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Central European J Medicine, Medical
Science Monitor, J Human Hypertension, Southern Medical Journal. He recently
joined World Association of Medical Editors as a member. He would like to
establish contacts with Armenian colleagues-cardiologists, and to know more
about their interests, events and publications. His email address is
[email protected]
************************* ******

IV- An appeal from Armenia

AMIC office received the following from Dr. Ara Locinyan, a surgeon in the
hospital complex of Vanadzor. The hospital lacks modern medical equipment.
There is no Laparoscope. "In the name of his patients", as Dr. Locinyan
says, he would like your support in receiving a Laparoscope with all its
accessories.
Dr. Ara Locinyan’s email address is: [email protected]
Thank you in advance for your help.
***********************

IV- What is AMIC?

The Armenian Medical International Committee was created 18 years ago. It is
an umbrella organization that unites and promotes Armenian medical
associations throughout the Diaspora, creating thus a large network through
which information and data are exchanged.
AMIC organizes Armenian Medical Congresses. So far nine have been held in
different cities of the Diaspora. In 2007, the "Second International Medical
Congress of Armenia" organized by Armenia, was held in Yerevan (June 28 to
June 30).
The 10th AMIC Medical World Congress will take place in New York, in 2009,
from July 1 to July 5.

Since 1998 AMIC has published an online newsletter which is sent free of
charge to all Armenian Health Care Professionals. If you are a health care
professional and are interested in receiving Info-Flash, please send us your
email address ([email protected]). To all those who already receive the Info,
please do not forget to send us your new e-mail address when you change it.
For further information, visit our website:
As of 2005, AMIC in collaboration with Regimedia, publishes a scientific
journal, the `Armenian Medical Review’. The third issue was published in
July 2007. The 4th is under way. To subscribe please contact [email protected]

Useful information to remember: You can send free of charge from wherever
you are located, medical equipment/medicine through the services of the
United Armenian Fund: Contact: U.A.F. President Mr. Harout Sassounian
([email protected])

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, October 30, 2008

AGBU 85th General Assembly in Aleppo Prepares for a New Century of
Accomplishments

Proud pages in the annals of AGBU were recorded during the
organization’s 85th General Assembly which convened in Aleppo from
September 30 to October 7, 2008. The AGBU Central Board of Directors and
Council of Trustees, headed by President Berge Setrakian,
representatives of chapters and affiliated bodies, members and friends
had come to Aleppo from across the globe to review the past two years
and plan the next century of work in light of new challenges facing
diasporan Armenians and Armenia.

Starting October 1, President Berge Setrakian and members of the Central
Board of Directors convened a series of consultative meetings in the
Aleppo Sheraton Hotel with chapter chairpersons, representatives of
executive committees, as well as the organization’s representation in
Armenia and those coordinating projects there. The meetings were an
opportunity for AGBU leaders to discuss the changing demographics of
their communities and the role Armenia plays as a focal point of
Armenian communities everywhere.

The following day, a welcome reception was held in the AGBU Calouste
Gulbenkian Center, attended by General Assembly participants,
representatives of bodies of the organization’s Syrian chapters, His
Excellency Arshak Poladyan, ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to
Syria, representatives of the Republic of Armenia’s consulate in Aleppo,
local Armenian religious leaders, headed by Bishop Shahan Sarkissian,
Prelate of the Diocese of Aleppo, as well as representatives of the
community’s cultural associations.

Over 4,000 Attend Artistic Showcase in Aleppo’s Citadel

On October 3, an unprecedented artistic festival, under the high
patronage of Syria’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr. Diala
Al-Haj [Hajj] Aref, took place in the historic citadel of Aleppo, which
dates back many millenia. More than 4,000 local Armenians filled the
amphitheater for the unique celebration, the likes of which had never
been seen before in Aleppo. Approximately 600 AYA scouts, students and
youths participated in the event. The festival was organized by AGBU’s
Syrian District Committee and the Armenian Youth Association (AYA).

The evening began as standard bearers, scouts, athletes and all the
participants in the gala presentation ascended to the stage from three
entrances to the tune of bells, which filled the expanse of Aleppo’s
historic citadel, and "Ov Hayots Ashkharh" (Oh, Armenian World). The
introductory extravaganza was followed by a documentary film about
AGBU’s illustrious history and continuing mission to promote the
Armenian heritage around the world.

After the playing of the national anthems, over a dozen doves and
thousands of balloons were released in the air to mark the occasion. The
AGBU anthem was played, followed by the procession. One after another,
an extensive roster of performers and ensembles took to the stage to
celebrate AGBU’s continuing impact on Aleppo and the world beyond.
Performing in the artistic festival were AGBU Aleppo Spendiarian chorus,
Antranik dance ensemble, Gomidas chamber orchestra, children’s dance
group, as well as soloists and reciters Salpi Darakjian, Raffi
Kalayjian, Tamar Injeyian, Nanor Mikayelian, Lila Vartanian-Boghosian
and Armen Khorozian. The well-known head of the Armenological Department
of AGBU Lazar Najarian-Calouste Gulbenkian Secondary School of Aleppo,
Hagop Mikayelian, conducted the program. The festival concluded with an
awe-inspiring display of fireworks, which illuminated the Aleppo skyline
and impressed all the citizens of this city of four million.

Visiting artists from Armenia, including Hrachya Ashughian, Ashot
Hambardzumian and Ashot Sargsian, as well as Hovhannes Mubayed (director
of AYA Gomidas Chamber Orchestra), Shahe Keshishian and Berge Yeretzian
(conductors of the Spendiarian chorus), presented a show-stopping
program to the festival goers. Later on the same evening, a traditional
Middle Eastern dinner was held at the Kassir El Wali restaurant of
Aleppo.

General Assembly

On Saturday, October 4, 2008, the first session of AGBU’s 85th General
Assembly convened in the Aleppo Sheraton, under the patronage of AGBU’s
Central Board of Directors. Present by special invitation was Hranush
Hakobian, the Republic of Armenia’s Minister of Diasporan Affairs.

This General Assembly, with the title "New Century, New Vision," which
was the first at the threshold of the organization’s second century, was
significant in terms of its scope and particularly its setting of
Aleppo, which symbolizes the revitalization of Armenian culture and
community in the post-Genocide era. "It is not the result of chance that
we are convening the first General Assembly of the new era in the
historic city of Aleppo. It is here that the providential role of our
great organization and its gallant members became manifest at one of the
most critical moments in our history. Aleppo, which was planned to be
the preliminary station for the death of our people, became a beaming
center and a foothold near the homeland. It is the place from where many
of our intellectuals, including those who repatriated to Armenia, as
well as shining stars in the arts and other cultural realms in our new
diasporan communities, were born," Setrakian explained.

In his opening remarks, AGBU President Berge Setrakian summarized the
importance of this convention, and remarked on the organization’s
emphasis on Armenia as a crucial player in the Armenian diaspora.

"The 85th General Assembly of AGBU…is an occasion to become conscious
of the primary and responsible role that is entrusted to us, as the
largest all-Armenian organization at this juncture that marks a turning
point in the history of our nation and AGBU alike. Our homeland, with
its democratic structures in the formative stage, is prospering in a
complex political situation, both regionally and internationally. The
Diaspora, which makes up two thirds of our world population, presents
new organizational realities to us, with its new territorial
distribution and new understandings defining its identity. New ways and
means of work are necessary for the preservation of the identity of the
generation bound to assume leadership roles."

Speaking about AGBU’s future programs and orientation, Setrakian said,
"Today, the focus of our activities and initiatives is our future
generations; in particular, the formation of their national identity and
the preservation of their profile. We must realistically admit that
those belonging to the new generation are no longer living in the past;
they are integrated with the social and cultural fabric of their
environment and, for that very reason, they are subject to losing their
identity and falling out of touch with the traditional activities of
Armenian life, especially in communities that are far away from the
homeland. We must be circumspect when it comes to the expectations and
aspirations of our youth, and adapt our initiatives to them, through
high-quality and effective educational and cultural measures."

At the recommendation of the Nominating Committee of the AGBU 85th
General Assembly, President Berge Setrakian, Aris Atamian, Joseph
Basralian, Nazareth Festekjian, Vahe Gabrache, Arda N. Haratunian,
Sarkis Jebejian, Levon Nazarian and Sam Simonian were reelected as
members of the Central Board of Directors, while Yervant Zorian, Silicon
Valley chapter chairperson, was unanimously elected as a new member of
the Central Board.

Upon his election, Zorian addressed the Assembly. "It is a distinct
honor for me to join the Central Board of AGBU. This unique Board
continues to shape our future, the future of our nation, based on the
vision of AGBU. In its second century, this board probably has an even
more critical role to play, than its role in the first century. With a
free and independent Homeland, on the one hand, and a global Diaspora,
on the other, only an organization such ours can serve this nation in
its entirety, with full dedication, with state-of-the-art methods and
without self-interest," Zorian said.

The AGBU 85th General Assembly also served as the occasion to honor
those individuals, who have made an important contribution to the
strengthening of ties between the Diaspora and Armenia, as well as the
expansion of the organization’s activity.

President Setrakian bestowed awards on Hranush Hakobian, Diaspora
Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Vartan Oskanian, former Foreign
Affairs Minister of the Republic of Armenia (in absentia); Levon
Sargsian, former ambassador of Armenia in Syria; Samvel Shukurian, an
Armenian scientist and one of the directors of the new AGBU Armenian
Virtual College program; Romen Kozmoyian, one of the former top
officials of Soviet Armenia’s Committee for Cultural Relations with
Armenians Abroad; and Gueguel Khatchadourian, executive committee member
of the organization’s Milan Chapter.

Expressing their thanks, the honorees praised AGBU’s activity for the
benefit of the Armenian nation. During her speech, Minister Hakobian,
who was on her first official visit to the diaspora, spoke about issues
pertaining to the preservation of the Armenian identity, utilization of
the Armenian people’s potential and the vision of repatriation to a
prosperous Armenia, as well as cooperation with AGBU.

The same evening, a Gala dinner took place at the Sheraton with over 400
people in attendance.

On Sunday, October 5, the General Assembly participants and guests
visited the AGBU Lazar Najarian-Calouste Gulbenkian Secondary School,
where they were greeted by the school’s student body and staff, who
presented an artistic program in the Gulbenkian auditorium.

Official Visit to Damascus

On Monday, October 6, a delegation, headed by AGBU President Berge
Setrakian, was received at the presidential palace by Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad. The ceremonial meeting was an opportunity to discuss
the work of AGBU and its chapters in the country and around the world.

Touring Der Zor & Syria’s Historic Sites

In addition to the extensive schedule of meetings and festivities, AGBU
members and guests took time to explore the rich history of Syria and
its vibrant Armenian and Christian communities. On Wednesday, October 1,
and Thursday, October 2, they made a pilgrimage to Der Zor, with a
tourist stop in the ancient desert ruins of Palmyra. A requiem service
was performed in the Der Zor chapel in memory of the martyrs of the
Armenian Genocide and deceased benefactors of the organization. The
group also traveled to various other historic sites.

The 85th General Assembly of AGBU generated new excitement among the
representatives of the organization’s worldwide chapters, who returned
to their communities with the best of memories and impressions and eager
to serve the mission of this pan-Armenian organization with the goal of
benefiting the Armenian nation as a whole.

To view the online photo gallery from the 85th General Assembly, please
visit

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.

ARMENIA HIGHLIGHTS DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS WITH EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.10.2008 20:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met today with EU
Envoy for South Caucasus Peter Semneby to discuss regional processes,
Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabkh process, the RA leader’s
press office reported.

"Armenia highlights relations with the European Union and hopes for
further cooperation," the RA President said.

For his part, Mr. Semneby noted that the coming visit of the Armenian
President to Brussels will offer a possibility to assess the Armenia-EU
relations and outline the cooperation agenda.

Touching on the Karabakh problem, President Sargsyan stated that the
only format for the conflict resolution is the OSCE Minsk Group and
its Co-chairs.

The EU Envoy welcomed Armenia’s initiatives to normalize relations
with Turley and said that the EU is willing to help normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey.

He also appreciated highly formation of an expert group for
investigation of the March 1 events.

LAW AND JUSTICE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Oct 2008
Armenia

What is the state without justice?

The recent criminal developments which deprived five people of life
and caused six people to suffer from injuries in the towns of Spitak,
Stepanavan and Yerevan, were an additional and obvious propf that
our society has considerably changed for the worse. In our deepest
conviction, one of the main reasons of such transformation of the
public consciousness is the loss of the people’s faith in justice.

Back in the IV century, Augustine the Blissful wrote, "What is the
state without justice? A band of robbers."

If we recall the history of public transformations, wars, rebellions
and revolutions, we’ll see that all this was very often caused by
the motives of reinstating the ruined justice, as perceived by some
participants of the events which took place in the remote past.

That’s why no transitional government likes the people who struggle
for justice.

Those in power start to complain that they are not allowed to work,
i.e. they are oppressed by the stupid recommendations of those who work
honestly and voice populist slogans saying that the re-distribution of
the spheres of influence will bring no good and so on and so forth. As
a matter of fact, all that is nothing more than concern over one’s
own welfare.

Justice is what each citizen expects from the state. It is in
anticipation of justice towards his/her closest ones that a human
being pays taxes, expresses readiness to take the arms and protect
his state and votes in the elections.

A human being wants to hope that his/her children will have a future
and manage to be a little bit happier than their parents; as to the
grandchildren’s life, it will simply be perfect in all senses.

Furthermore, it will be regrettable if the thief appears in prison,
the officials refrain from plundering others and the one who works
well earns more than the one who doesn’t.

And besides, it is desirable for all the young people to have equal
starting opportunities regardless the purse of their parents, so as
they will be able to enter the university with their knowledge and
the army service will be compulsory for all the conscripts and not
just the ones who are poor.

In short, what all the people want to see in society is equality of
rights vs. primitive equality, e.g. equality of courts, police and
doctors; they desire to see that the human being is evaluated by
his/her human features and not by the trademark of his car or the
gorgeousness of his private residence. A human being wants to feel
that he is a full citizen and not just someone’s hostage on account
of some arithmetical or moral problems.

Such is the general picture of normal people’s ideas about a dignified
and fair life. Isn’t it fair though?

But each person perceives justice in his own way. For instance, some
officials consider that justice means to be paid much, get bribes and
dear presents, be treated with respect and not to be sent to prison for
all kinds of trivial misdemeanors such as theft and illegal practices.

The norms of justice (the definition of what can be considered
fair and what cannot) are not enshrined in any state document. The
concept "justice" can be said to be beyond the domain of the legal
terminology. And the whole collection of laws only defines what is
legal for our state and what isn’t, and what liability is envisaged
for the failure to abide by the laws. That’s all.

Then, we can recall the proverb about the law, which says that the
law is like a high column; you can never jump over it, but you can
circumvent it.

And when the experience of one’s own life adds to that, one will
have no choice but to scratch his neck and ask, "How to live, kind
people? Where to look for justice?"

What to do when, for instance, a gangster who has ruined lots of lives
is conditionally sentenced to several years of imprisonment by the
decision of the court, and the hungry vagabond who has stolen chicken
from the shop is sentenced to imprisonment for a real term of 1.5 year?

So, what comes out? Does that mean that not all are fair in our
reality? Or, is the interpretation of the judges far from our ideas
about justice? Or maybe the concepts of justice and lawfulness are
very often on parallels levels not intersecting with one another,
and we don’t know what we want from the officials, judges, lawmaker
and the country’s top leadership?

If we take a close look on our everyday life, we’ll see that all the
three factors mentioned above are present.

However… ! All that is missing in the state normative acts is present
in the consciousness of the people. Because law is not absolutely
something invented by the army of officials who think about their
own convenience; it is the natural perception of harmony and order,
a perception that is a gift from heaven and over millennia, has
transferred from one generation to another in the form of simple
precepts.

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: 30 October, 2008

Hayastan All Armenian Fund Sets in Motion Activities to Raise Funds for
Telethon 2008

Yerevan, October 28, 2008 – With the Hayastan Fund fundraising telethon to
take place on November 27, Thanksgiving Day, the Fund’s executive board has
been implementing a number of promotional activities, including some new
ones, which inform the public of the forthcoming telethon and intend to
increase public participation in varied projects of the Fund. These
improvements include the recently concluded agreement with Haypost CJSC,
press conferences, presentations in educational institutions on the Fund’s
past and current activities, dissemination of flyers and other promotional
materials heralding the forthcoming telethon and the Fund’s current course
of activities through electronic and printed media, as well well-visited
business and service sector establishments.

The agreement with the Haypost CJSC promotes a more accessible mechanism of
donation on the territory of Armenia to start with. The idea is to make
people, including the youth, more aware of the Hayastan Fund’s initiatives
so far and inform of the projects and areas it can tackle. The message is
that if given the support of every single Armenian who can access Haypost
offices across Armenia, the Fund can implement many more vital projects for
us and our generations to come.

This activity will strengthen the idea of small and medium-size donations
during the months proceeding and following the annual telethon. Thanks to it
small donations will no longer be considered a sensitive issue. The
mechanism will encourage donations made by ordinary people who wish to bring
their share into the "big basket". It is believed that many more items of
infrastructure – gas and water lines, school and hospitals, roads in
Armenian and Karabakh will be upgraded, thanks to the support and
partnership of Haypost within this initiative.

In the press conference held on October 27 in the Golden Tulip Hotel,
founders of the Gallery of Funds announced about their wish to donate
proceeds from the closing concert of the Second Return Classic Music
Festival to Telethon 2008. Stephen Prutsmen, piano (USA) and Suren
Bagratuni, celloi (USA), accompanied by the Armenia State Chamber Orchestra
conducted by Aram Gharabekyan made a memorable appearance at the
above-mentioned concert.
Hrant Tokhatyan and Armen Hambartsumanyan, producers of the show "Mea Culpa"
also made a public announcement in the October 28 press conference of their
wish to donate proceeds from shows run on November 3, 4 and 5 to Telethon
2008. Gyumri theatre is among the cultural establishment supporting the Fund’s
fundraising activity; proceeds of the series of William Shakespeare shows
will be directed to Telethon 2008 too.

"Armenians are all over the world, and it is important that, though
scattered around the globe, they get together to make the dream of a
developed and sustainable country happen. I believe people will be attracted
to participate in the Fund’s telethon, to later feel proud of the fact that
they had their input in the newly built or reconstructed infrastructure
supporting a school, a hospital, a monastery or a resident house", says the
Hayastan Fund Acting Executive Director Ara Vardanyan.

###

Hayastan All Armenian Fund

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 24-30, 2008

HIGHLIGHTS:

"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER INSTITUTION AND
COVERAGE OF ELECTIONS TO THE LOCAL SELF-ADMINISTRATION BODIES

THE SESSION OF THE MEDIA ETHICS OBSERVATORY HELD

LIFE IN THE PHOTOCAMERA LENS OF A JOURNALIST AND AN AMATEUR

AWARDEES OF BIODIVERSITY REPORTING COMPETITION FOR THE CAUCASUS REGION

"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER INSTITUTION AND
COVERAGE OF ELECTIONS TO THE LOCAL SELF-ADMINISTRATION BODIES

On October 29 another show of "Press Club" cycle went on air of "Yerkir
Media" TV company. It is produced by Yerevan Press Club with support of the
Open Society Institute Human Rights and Governance Grants Program. The
guests of the "Press Club" host, the YPC President Boris Navasardian, were
RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian, Chairman of the Helsinki
Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanian and RA National Assembly deputy,
member of " Dashnaktsutiun" faction Artsvik Minasian. The subject of
discussion was the institute of Human Rights Defender in Armenia.

The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Wednesday, November 5, at 23.00.

On October 25 another show of "Press Club+" cycle went on air of "Yerkir
Media". It is produced by Yerevan Press Club with support of the Embassy of
Great Britain in Armenia. "Press Club+" participants, President of the
Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression Ashot Melikian, Executive
Director of "Lori" TV company Narine Avetisian and Board Chairman of
"Asparez" Journalists’ Club Levon Barseghian, discussed the issue of local
self-administration elections coverage by media. The audience composed of
representatives of NGOs and media of Lori and Shirak regions also
participated in the talk-show.

The next program of "Press Club+" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Saturday, November 1, at 17.40.

THE SESSION OF THE MEDIA ETHICS OBSERVATORY HELD

On October 29 the office of Yerevan Press Club hosted another session of the
Media Ethics Observatory. The mission of MEO (formed on March 10, 2007 by
the heads of Armenian media who supported the YPC self-regulation
initiative) consists in considering the complaints-appeals regarding the
violation of the Code of Conduct of Media Representatives and giving its
opinion on them (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 9-15, 2007). Currently the
Code of Conduct and its addendum, the Declaration on Election and Referendum
Coverage Principles, are signed by heads of 31 media. The initiative is also
supported by 8 journalistic associations.

During the session of October 29 three issues were considered. The first one
dealt with the possibilities of mediation by the MEO in cases when a
complaint is brought against a medium that has not signed the Code of
Conduct. The second issue regarded the procedure of presenting MEO expert
opinion, if a medium/journalist who is a party of a court suit applies with
a corresponding request. And finally, it was agreed upon to hold in the
nearest future another meeting of media heads that joined the
self-regulation initiative.

LIFE IN THE PHOTOCAMERA LENS OF A JOURNALIST AND AN AMATEUR

On October 27 an exhibition opened in "Moscow House" of Yerevan. The
exposition "Life in the Camera Lens" introduces works made in Armenia and
Russia by Armen Ter-Mesropian, a photo journalist, Deputy Chief Editor of
Russian magazine "Region-Center", and by Anton Fedorov, an amateur, First
Deputy to the Plenipotentiary Representative of Russia President in the
Central Federal district. Previously the exhibition was held in Moscow and
in eight regional centers of Russia. In Yerevan it will be open till October
31, 2008.

AWARDEES OF BIODIVERSITY REPORTING COMPETITION FOR THE CAUCASUS REGION

On October 27 in Yerevan the ceremony of awarding the Armenian
journalists-winners of Biodiversity Reporting Awards Competition in Caucasus
was held. This annual competition is administered by the International
Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Washington, D.C., and is open to media
representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia.

Winners-2008 were announced journalists from Armenia and Georgia. Arpi
Harutiunian, Correspondent of ArmeniaNow online publication won first prize
for the article "Conflict of Man and Beasts: Armenian wildlife in danger of
extinction". Second prize went to Karine Simonian, Correspondent of the
Armenian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for the report "Those in
Teghut Can’t Make It! Which is more important – Environment or Jobs?" Rezo
Getiashvili, Correspondent of "Kviris Palitra" Georgian newspaper, got the
third prize for the article "The Failure of Forestry Reform – A New
Legislation Could Break Villages".

Honorable Mentions were awarded Eka Lomidze, Correspondent of "Kviris
Palitra" for the article "Borjomi Forests are Cut Severely"; Marianna
Grigorian, Correspondent of ArmeniaNow for the article "Copper Controversy
Haunts Armenian Town", published in EurasiaNet, and the President of
"Ekolur" NGO Inga Zarafian for the TV-documentary "Victims of the Black
Bull".

Award ceremony of the Georgian journalists was held in Tbilisi on October
22.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OUR GOAL IS TO TURN AZERBAIJAN INTO DEVELOPED COUNTRY IN A SHORT-TERM PERIOD: FOUNDER OF IRALI MOVEMENT

Trend News Agency
Oct 29 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 October /Trend News/Interview of Trend News with
the founder of the republic youth movement ‘Irali’ and graduator of
the Program for Leadership Development of the Harvard University,
Jeyhun Osmanli.

Question: What do you think of the recent past and current development
way of the Independent Azerbaijani Government?

Answer: Probably, each of us, visiting one of the developed countries,
for example Norway, gets into a deep thought. The thought about whether
his country would develop in this way or would the consciousness of
people in ongoing process in the public reach the same level. We
think how we can make our country, community and level of our
individuals to meet high world standards. I think over the issues
very much. Perhaps, the thought on this issue looked like Utopia
twenty years ago. In general, there was not an independent state
under the name of Azerbaijan in the world map. Now we have a state
with 17 years independence experience. However, the independence
does not mean a political stability, state building and economic
development. Therefore our national Leader Heydar Aliyev needed ten
years to maintain the independence of Azerbaijan; to restore all
national signs related to restoration of our state; create priorities
in our policy and form the Independent Azerbaijan. So, while 17 years
ago Azerbaijan was recognized an independent state constitutionally,
now it won the political and economic independence thanks to the
efforts by the Great Leader of Azerbaijan. The very complicated
process of establishment of independent country, which took several
years in many other countries, was carried out in short period of
time in Azerbaijan. Besides aforesaid achievements, the half of
the population was poor five years ago, and Azerbaijan was amongst
non-developed countries. Though five years have passed since then,
Azerbaijan is a developing country. At present, Azerbaijan is not
a non-developed African country, but it is compared with developing
countries in the east Europe and American contingent. This factor is
proved with comprehensive development way, which Azerbaijan has passed
through for last five years. This means the incumbent President Ilham
Aliyev has carried out his mission with success.

This success increased confidence of the population to its leader
and resulted in Aliyev’s winning in the presidential election with
majority. As to my previous idea about the wish to see Azerbaijan as
the all-round developed country, I want to say that as a young man I
believe that Azerbaijan will turn into developed country. I believed
in the further development of our country most after listening to
the speech delivered by the President at the inauguration ceremony.

Question: You touched upon the very interesting topic. What statements
Ilham Aliyev made at the inauguration ceremony attracted your
attention most?

Answer: The inauguration ceremony, which lasted an hour, was enough
for the President to deliver his statements related the further
development in Azerbaijan. The opinion made at the ceremony depicted
Azerbaijan into the next five years. One of the main moments that
attracted my attention was the President’s goal to turn Azerbaijan into
developed country. President said that Azerbaijan has all necessary
conditions – human resources, economic and political stability. He
said modernization and reforms are needed to be carried out in many
spheres. In particular, Mr. President stressed for three times the
need for innovations in the political sphere.

Question: What do you mean by "innovations in the political sphere"?

Answer: By political reforms I mean, mainly, institutional reforms
and creating strong human capital as every stage of development
requires respective management and structuring. If we have set a
task to turn into a developed country, it should be conditioned on
by the presence of relevant bodies and personnel the level of which
should meet development. Human capital is especially important as
human beings are the key factor of a development. Today’s economic
miracles in Germany and Japan are implemented not by aliens, but
their people. If Azerbaijani President makes an historical call to
the citizens to turn Azerbaijan to developed country, everybody,
officials, teachers and others should possess a potential meeting
this call. People should consider their duty to serve their country
and people, but not strive for money and prestige.

Question: What is your view of President’s position on human capital?

Answer: Mr. President’s statement he made in the inauguration ceremony
"Azerbaijan needs professionals loving their country" points to human
capital. This issue stands on the agenda and President signed a decree
to educate 5,000 young people abroad due to public funds. However,
if our aim is to make Azerbaijan a developed country in a short-
term period, policy of human capital should officially enter to the
country’s life and all human resources in Azerbaijan and abroad must
be analyzed for strategic purposes. At present, there is already public
request to set up Human Capital Fund engaged in these issues. In think,
besides educational programs, there is a need to open improvement
programs abroad. For example, German Invekt holds improvement programs
for 2,000 managers from Russia annually. I think we should use this
practice. In addition, higher schools of Azerbaijan should act under
modern education standards which will contribute to stronger human
resources on the local level.

Question: During the inauguration ceremony, President put a special
emphasis on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. What can you say
about it?

Answer: Statement of Mr. President "regardless of how many years will
go by from now on, Nagorno-Karabakh will never be independent" is an
open and clear message to the entire world in form of rejection. By
this message, President shattered hopes of all forces who wished
solution of the conflict in favor of Armenia. I support this resolute
statement and the reason behind it. Our youth realizing the core of
this statement, say "Be prepared for a war, if you wish a peace". It
is high time the opposite side made its choice.

ARMENIA FM WELCOMES THE IDEA OF A TRILATERAL MEETING

armradio.am
30.10.2008 15:54

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will meet in
Moscow tomorrow. The next day the Ministers will meet the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs. These two meetings will prepare ground for the meeting
of Presidents of the three countries, the Foreign Minister of Armenia,
Edward Nalbandian told a press conference today. The Foreign Minister
reassured that the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict settlement
proceed within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group on the basis of
the Madrid Proposals.

Edward Nalbandian noted that the Minsk Group is an acting format,
enjoys the support of the international community and there is no
need to search for a new format. The Foreign Minister welcomed the
initiative of Russia to organize the meeting of the three Presidents,
underlining that Russia has always demonstrated a balanced position
on the issue.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey had a short
meeting in New York, during which they discussed Turkey’s proposal
of creating a Cooperation and Stability Platform in the Caucasus. The
meeting took place at the initiative of the Turkish Foreign Minister.

"Turkey’s mediation in the Karabakh settlement is out of the
question. Turkey can contribute to the process by normalizing the
relations with Armenia, opening the borders and, maybe, exerting
some influence on Azerbaijan by making the latter demonstrate a more
constructive stance in the talks. Turkey could do something useful
in this sense," Edward Nalbandian said.

We are negotiating the issues of establishment of diplomatic
relations with Turkey, opening of the border and normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations, in general. This means that the Karabakh
issue cannot be a precondition, either.