Month: October 2008

THE FACTUAL ACCOUNT OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN BERLIN EXHIBITION CHAMBER
By Anahit Hovsepian

AZG Armenian Daily
04/10/2008

Armenian Genocide

The exhibition of Armin T. Vegner’s (1887-1978) photographic works
opened October 1 in Berlin Guardini Gallery. The photos picture the
mass exile of Armenians from their native Anatolia in 1915-16.

The source, German "Berliner morgenpost" then mentions that Vegner
is considered as one of the undeservedly forgotten authors of the
20th century mentioning that the Turkish officials till today deny
the Genocide of 1,5 mln Armenians committed by Turks during the World
War I.

Vegner became famous in 1920s due to his travel works. In April
of 1933 the author’s letter addressed to Adolph Hitler expressed
his indignation at anti-Semitism and foresaw the collapse of
Germany. In August he was already imprisoned. Vegner spent the years
of National-Socialism in Italian exile. His wife Jewish Lola Landau
was banished to Palestine.

Vegner’s voluminous heritage, among them 6700 photographs is now in
the archive of Marbach German Literature.

Vegner’s exhibition is planned to be open until November 21, from
Tuesday to Friday at 14.00- 19.00, the newspaper reports.

BEDIAN: ‘I’M DEBBIE DOWNER’
By BILL HARRIS

Edmonton Sun
Oct 4, 2008
Canada

When Canadian Anne Bedian first auditioned for the new comedy The Ex
List, she thought there was some mistake.

"I read the script and I thought, ‘I’m excited and I want to do this,’
but I also thought, ‘They obviously haven’t seen my demo reel, because
if they had, they wouldn’t bring me in for this part,’ " Bedian said.

"I’m Mrs. Lost, CSI, Law & Order, very dark stuff. I love my work in
episodes of all those shows. But I’m Debbie Downer.

"I guess because I looked like such a fit for this character — as
someone who is authentically of Armenian heritage, and the character
is Armenian –my agents obviously put in the word and said, ‘She’ll
deliver.’ "

So Bedian had to get in touch with her funny side for The Ex List,
which debuts tonight on Global and CBS. Bedian plays a fortune teller
who informs Elizabeth Reaser (Grey’s Anatomy) that she has to marry
within the next year or she never will; the catch is, Reaser already
has met her potential husband.

"As an actor, I’ve been working on my funny side for a long time,"
said Bedian, a Montrealer who also has acting credits under her full
surname, Nahabedian.

"For years I’ve been telling people I’m funny, and everyone is like,
‘Uh, OK, sure.’ Then they’ll say, ‘We need someone a little more
soft.’ And I’ll be like, ‘I’m soft! What is wrong with you people?’ No
one listens to me!"

Well, Elizabeth Reaser sure does.

BOOB TUBERY

Returning tonight: The Ghost Whisperer (CTV, CBS), Numb3rs (Global,
CBS), Wife Swap (A, ABC) and Supernanny (CTV, ABC) … Sunday on CBC
Newsworld’s The Passionate Eye, the timely documentary Liberty USA
visits six of the more than 200 towns and counties in the United
States named Liberty. The doc features interviews with memorable
residents who are grappling with the issues at the core of the
U.S. presidential campaign.

GOVERNOR OF ROSTOV REGION IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA
02.10.2008
Armenia

On October 2 Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Mr Hovik Abrahamyan received the delegation headed by the
Governor of Rostov Region, Mr Vladimir Chub, comprising Armenian
businessmen. RA Consul General in Rostov Mr Ararat Gomtsyan attended
the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, the NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan expressed
satisfaction for hosting them in the parliament and referring to the
Armenian-Russian traditional friendship, assured that as NA Speaker
he would do his best to strengthen those ties. Mr Abrahamyan stressed
that being well familiar with the potential of the Armenians living
in Rostov, he highlighted the role of the Armenian community in
expanding cooperation.

Warmly congratulating Mr Hovik Abrahamyan on being elected the Speaker
of the National Assembly, Governor of Rostov Mr Vladimir Chub expressed
confidence that the economic and cultural ties with Rostov region
will continue developing. According to him, Armenians make a great
contribution to the political and economic life of Rostov.

RA Consul General in Rostov Mr Ararat Gomtsyan also congratulated Mr
Hovik Abrahamyan and noted that when he worked as Deputy Prime Minister
of the Republic of Armenia a consulate of Armenia was opened in
Rostov. He also expressed confidence for deepening further cooperation.

SERGEY LAVROV: "SEVERAL PRINCIPAL ISSUES HAVE BEEN COORDINATED IN SETTLEMENT PROCESS OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Azeri Press Agency
03 Oct 2008 15:10
Azerbaijan

Yerevan-APA. "Several principal issues have been coordinated in
settlement process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

These issues have been documented by OSCE MG Co-Chairs and kept in
OSCE. There are several uncoordinated issues as well, but there
is chance to solve these issues using various versions", Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists after meeting with
Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan, APA reports quoting
Novosti-Armenia.

Lavrov stated that planned meetings and negotiations on settlement
process would make opportunity to step forward. Lavrov added that
Russia and Armenia supported peaceful solution to all conflicts.

"We have paid special attention to situation occurred in Caucasus after
aggression of Saakashvili’s regime in South Ossetia. We consider that
any conflict should be solved within the framework of negotiations
basing on international laws", he said. To him, it is impossible to
solve critical conflicts by force.

YEREVAN CELEBRATES PERCH ZEYTUNTSIAN’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY

AZG Armenian Daily
04/10/2008

Culture

The National Academic Theatre after Sundukian starts its new
theatrical season on October 5 with a performance dedicated to the
70th anniversary of well-known prose-writer and playwright Perch
Zeytuntsian. The performance is based on the playwright’s drama
"Arshak II".

Perch Zeytuntsian’s anniversary has been also celebrated in other
cultural centers – National Library of Armenia and Dramatic Theatre
after H. Ghaplanian. On the occasion of the jubilee the theatre
performed Perch Zeytuntsian’s drama "Jesus from Nazareth and his
second disciple".

At the anniversary celebrations Chairmen of the Unions of Writers
and Journalists in Armenia Levon Ananian, Astghik Gevorgian, RA
Deputy Minister of Culture Davit Muradian, President of the Armenian
Theatrical Company Hakob Ghazanchian, General Director of Stanislavski
Theatre Aleksandre Grigorian and others welcomed the writer.

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian’s address has been published,
"Armenpress" reported.

CANADIAN COMMUNITIES UNITE TO REMEMBER VICTIMS OF CRIMES OF COMMUNISM
[email protected]

Observatorul
S aturday, Oct 04, 2008
Canada

Representatives from Canada’s ethno-cultural communities have created
a non-profit organization, Tribute to Liberty, to establish a memorial
in Ottawa to the Victims of the Crimes of Communism.

"Because of this project Canadians will have an opportunity to learn
about the Crimes of Communism, and how they have affected the lives
of so many Canadians. Public awareness is very low in terms of the
huge number of Canadians who have suffered under Communism in the
countries they came from, and this memorial will change that," says
Philip Leong, Tribute to Liberty Board Chair.

"Ambassadors and their delegates from 14 countries have written to
the Prime Minister calling for the creation of a memorial," says
Leong. "We hope to build on that broad international endorsement with
comparable support from Canadians coast to coast to coast."

Proponents of the project are engaging with representatives from a
range of communities in Canada including Afghan, Armenian, Chinese,
Cuban, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian,
Mennonite, Polish, Russian, Slovakian, Tibetan, Ukrainian and
Vietnamese, among others.

The members of the Tribute to Liberty Board of Directors are Philip
Leong, Chair; Alide Forstmanis, Treasurer; Reet Marten-Sehr, Secretary;
Alexandra Chyczij; and Wladyslaw Lizon.

SYNOD: 253 BISHOPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD BUT NONE FROM CHINA

AsiaNews.it
10/03/2008 17:53
Italy

VATICAN

Sunday the Synod Assembly opens in the sign of the Pauline Year. The
Ecumenical Patriarch, and for the first time, a rabbi are expected
to address the gathering. Forty-one Synod Fathers are from Asia.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The 12th General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops opens this Sunday with a solemn Mass celebrated by Benedict
XVI. Dedicated to "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of
the Church", it brings together 253 bishops from the Churches of the
world, except those from Communist China, Vatican Press Office Head Fr
Federico Lombardi said today at a press conference. "It was clear that
there would be no agreement [with Beijing] and they [Chinese bishops]
won’t come," he said "because the conditions weren’t there."

There will be however, as delegates directly appointed by Benedict
XVI, Card Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, archbishop of Hong Kong, Mgr José
Lai Hung-seng, archbishop of Macau as well as a Taiwanese bishop,
Mgr Peter Liu Cheng-chung.

The bishops will take part in activities scheduled to last until
26 October "to reflect", said Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary
general of the Synod of Bishops, "on the Word of God, on its central
role in the life of the Church and on its dynamism which encourages
Christians in mission to announce in words and deeds the Good News
and the presence in our midst of the Risen Lord Jesus."

For the first time the Synod will open in the St. Paul’s
Outside-the-Walls Basilica, not in the Vatican, because of the ongoing
Pauline Year. and this will not be the only reference to the Apostle
to the Nations.

In the Synod Hall on 18 October, the Holy Father Benedict XVI and the
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will preside at first Vespers. Each
will then pronounce an address on the subject of the Word of God,
with particular reference to the Pauline Year.

This will be the first time the Ecumenical Patriarch addresses the
Synod Fathers. "He will bring the greetings of Orthodox Churches
that the Apostle to the Nations founded before going to Rome where
he suffered martyrdom," Archbishop Eterovic said.

The Synod will be ecumenically important for fraternal delegates from
ten Churches and ecclesial communities will attend.

Representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be present along
with others from the Patriarchates of Moscow, Serbia and Romania, from
the Orthodox Church of Greece and the Armenian Apostolic Church, as
well as from the Anglican Communion, the World Lutheran Federation, the
Church of the Disciples of Christ and the World Council of Churches.

The Synod Fathers will represent 13 sui iuris Eastern Catholic
Churches, 113 Bishops’ conferences, 25 dicasteries of the Roman Curia
and the Union of Superiors General.

Of the 253 Synod Fathers 51 are from Africa, 62 from America, 41 from
Asia, 90 from Europe and 9 from Oceania. Of these 173 were elected
(72.3 per cent), 38 participate ex officio (15 per cent), 32 were
appointed by the Pope (12.6 per cent) and 10 were elected by the
Union of Superiors General (4 per cent).

Forty-one experts and 37 auditors from 21 and 26 countries respectively
will also be in attendance, including six women experts and 19 women
auditors, one more than the men.

The Synod Three will also receive three special papal guests. The
first one is Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen of Haifa, Israel, who on
6 October will address the assembly on how the Jewish people reads
and interprets Sacred Scripture. As such it will be the first time
that a rabbi, and a non-Christian, has addressed the Synod Fathers.

The other special guests are Rev A Miller Milloy, secretary general
of the United Bible Societies, and Frère Alois, prior of the Taizé
Community.

–Boundary_(ID_KF1xcF YH8BuHrJYyMpd36w)–

WERE U.S. WRITERS DISSED? YOU BETCHA’
Chris Sinacola Sina-cism, [email protected]

Worcester Telegram
Friday, October 3, 2008
MA

Firestorm ignited at Swedish Academy

In case you were too busy reading John Grisham’s latest novel and
missed it, the head honcho of the Swedish Academy, Horace Engdahl,
opined the other day that Americans are too ignorant to compete with
Europeans for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

"The U.S. is too isolated, too insular. They don’t translate enough
and don’t really participate in the big dialogue of literature,"
Engdahl told Sweden’s leading daily paper, Svenska Dagbladet. "That
ignorance is restraining."

Well, I guess you can bet Americans are out of the running again
this year. The last American to win was Toni Morrison in 1993, and
while a dozen or so Americans are mentioned each year as contenders,
they consistently lose to such household names as Elfriede Jelinek,
Dario Fo and Wislawa Szymborska.

The Stockholm News offered this online gem for its English readers:

"Every automn the Swedish academy reveals who will be granted the
nobel price in litterature, the perhaps most prestigious nobel price
of them all. During the last thirty year, only three Americans have
be awarded."

Ja, and every automn I wait with baited breathing to see what the
price of litter will be this year, and to which obscure Europan litter
maker or poetess the price will go.

It’s not that I have anything against the obscure, mostly left-wing
European writers who win the prize year after year, sparking a small
flurry of sales among Americans such as myself desperate to be cool
and accepted in Parisian cafés, should such a café ever open in
Central Massachusetts. It’s just that I can’t stand to see American
literature get dissed.

We Americans have a Hall of Fame lineup, including Irving, Poe,
Hawthorne, Twain, Emerson, Thoreau, Melville, Whitman, Dickinson,
Faulkner, Cather, Hemingway and Frost, to mention only a few scribblers
from our past. You’ll notice that first names are unnecessary in that
list, whereas a sample of last century’s European Nobel winners —
Heyse, Eucken, Mommsen, von Heidenstam, Spitteler, Benavente and
Karlfeldt — doesn’t exactly ring a bell.

Nor is America all that isolated from the world’s cultures. Washington
Irving gained fame spinning tales of Dutch settlement in New York’s
Hudson River Valley. Willa Cather and Olé Rolvagg wrote of the lives
of Scandinavian settlers in the Midwest. Our nation is blessed with
many literatures. We have Jewish-American writers such as Joseph
Epstein, Philip Roth and the late Saul Bellow, who did win the Nobel
Prize. There are Italian-Americans such as Don DeLillo, Gay Talese,
and Mario Puzo, whose "Godfather" novels are far more widely read
than anything by writers such as Kenzaburo Oe or Gao Xingjian, two
Nobel winners you have probably never read, and perhaps never heard of.

America offers a rich African-American literature, from Frederick
Douglass and W.E.B. DuBois to Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston
and August Wilson. We have master prose stylists who penned the
Declaration, Federalist Papers, and dozens of pamphlets that
ignited the flames of freedom. Our literary heritage boasts great
historians, such as Francis Parkman, Henry Adams, William H. Prescott,
and even Lewis and Clark, whose journals are a treasure trove for
historians. We have Asian writers, French-Canadian writers, Armenian
writers, and Hispanic writers. America has produced master essayists
such as E.B. White, accomplished novelists such as the late William
Maxwell, and beloved children’s authors such as Dr. Seuss. Do you
want Westerns? Science fiction? Post-modern fiction? Crime noir? Beat
poets? Welcome to America.

Moreover, we Americans have no need to denigrate European
writers. Personally, I think very highly of quite a few European
Nobel laureates, including Thomas Mann, Francois Mauriac, Alexander
Solzhenitsyn, Winston Churchill and recent winner Orhan Pamuk of
Turkey. All were or are superb and important writers. Another laureate,
Irish poet Seamus Heaney, deserves eternal thanks for having rescued
Beowulf from the shackles of bad translations and reintroduced its
glory to American readers.

Perhaps our American literary tradition doesn’t come with enough Left
Bank cafés. I’ll just have to console myself at the local bookstore
café as I reread Fitzgerald, raft down the Mississippi with Huck Finn,
or go globetrotting with Mark Twain.

Oh the insularity!

–Boundary_(ID_fRn9CcR1Dyf5OMd9bCbjrA )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FROM REVOLUTION TO REFORMS
Armen Tsaturyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
03 Oct 2008
Armenia

Armenian National Congress Changes Its Strategy

If we try to thoroughly study the strategy used by the camp headed
by Levon Ter-Petrosyan during the recent two months, then we will
definitely record their course of action.

It is well known that after February 19 Presidential elections
the strategy of the various political forces gathered around Levon
Ter-Petrosyan was aimed at staging "colored revolution" and after
the tragic events of March 1 it became more evident.

But after the post-election "storm and attack", very noteworthy changes
took place in this political camp. Whole spring and summer of 2008,
was a period of "indefinite expectations" for Levon’s followers.

They were trying to convince themselves and their supporters that
the regress of the "pan-national movement" is temporary. Immediately
after the hot summer people will return from holidays, they will over
again start complaining from the "criminal administration" and the
movement will become more powerful. Which is why, after closing the
spring-summer season of the demonstrations Levon Ter-Petrosyan and
his followers promised fiery autumn.

But autumn came, September is over and it was really fiery, but in
terms of not internal but external political events. And during the
whole period the opposition, which=2 0was trying to transform from
"pan-national movement" to "Armenian National Congress" and its
leader, was evidently controlling the activeness of their most active
supporters, reasoning it by the external political processes taking
place in the region that could have allegedly harmed our country’s
interests.

But everyone knows that during the 8 years of his power the before
mentioned circle of the political figures have many times demonstrated
classical examples of the violation of national interests.

Which means the problem is quite different. Ter-Petrosyan and the
Congress formed by the latter were trying to gain time, waiting for
the failure of the new authorities. Which is why they postponed the
rally of September 5, under the plea of the visit of Turkish President
Abdullah Gyul to Yerevan, allegedly not to harm the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations.

But the period of not harming national interests is also over. Armenian
National Congress postponed the demonstration of September 12; they
decided to hold it on September 15, because Yerevan municipality
endowed to hold meetings that day.

Our modern revolutionaries, who were accustomed to holding illegal
meetings manifested restraint and didn’t take any illegal step on
September 15.

Judging from all Levon Ter-Petrosyan was getting prepared for a
long-term political struggle. Substituting the discredited name
"Armenian Pan Na tional Movement" by "Armenian National Congress" our
ex-president intentionally moves forward the strategy of squeezing like
a sponge all the parties that have joint the congress. Representatives
of different parties and whole parties become members of the congress;
as a consequence many active representatives of "Nor Jamanakner"
and "People’s Party of Armenia" gradually but consistently leave
their parties.

The slogan of becoming a "long-term political factor" presumes, strong
and united party with lots of members, based on the political platform
of Armenian Pan National Movement. This means Ter-Petrosyan already
recorded for himself the end of the post election "storm and attack",
which is why the newly established congress slowly but consistently
gets prepared for the next parliamentary elections.

The main obstacle for the final clarification of the reformist
political guideline was the issue of the release of the detained. This
issue also seems to find its solution.

Thus during the recent weeks noteworthy and prospective processes take
place in Armenia’s political life. The period of the post-election
developments comes to a close, which was prolonged only due to the
summer holidays. And radical opposition slowly but consistently
substitutes its revolutionary course of action by reformism.

UNITED STATES – READY TO SUPPORT ARMENIA
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
03 Oct 2008
Armenia

Mary Jovanovich, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in
Armenia, yesterday convened her first press-conference to introduce
her country’s viewpoints on the developments in and around Armenia.

The newly appointed Ambassador arrived in Armenia about a fortnight
ago, and is impressed by the "unprecedentedly favorable attitude"
towards her. "I have been in diplomatic service for 22 years now,
and this is the first country that gives me such a good reception,"
Ms. Jovanovich said, expressing satisfaction that she had had the
opportunity to participate in the events devoted to the independence
of Armenia and the ceremony of consecrating the chrism.

The new Ambassador was also pleased to announce that her tenure begins
in a historically important period when the ice in the Armenian-Turkish
relations is beginning to melt, and the Karabakh settlement issue is
returning to its normal course after the temporary rollback.

The United States highly appreciates "President Sargsyan’s bold
initiative of inviting the Turkish President to Armenia and Abdullah
Gul’s willingness of accepting the invitation and arriving in Armenia.

This also creates opportunities for the opening of the border, the
formation of diplomatic ties and the normalization of the relations.

We also ha ve certain hopes related to the settlement of the
Karabakh issue. These initiatives create opportunities for making
transformations in the region in terms of security and welfare. They
may be useful especially to the people of Armenia, from the point
of view of the opening of the borders, trade relations and economic
development, and may essentially impact on the population’s welfare."

The Ambassador assured the participants that the United States will
continue to assist in these developments to the best of its efforts
and promised "to do everything possible" on her part.

"The Armenian-American relations began 90 years ago when President
Wilson received the credentials of the first Ambassador to
Armenia. Those relations are based on such factors as the presence
of a great number of Armenians in the United States and the existence
of common values and interests. The United States is hereafter ready
to assist the Armenian people and the Armenian government in making
progress in the spheres of economy and democratic development.

The economic and democratic reforms, the formation of rule of law, the
implementation of all these principles by everybody and for everybody
are issues that require time. The people and the government of the
United States will support Armenia while passing through that path."

The first question addressed to the speaker concerned the
post-electoral developments, more specific ally – the issue whether the
"numerous pro-opposition figures" arrested after the mass disorders
of March 1 are political prisoners or criminal offenders.

"Every time there are people who are deprived of freedom on
account of their political views or political activities (such as
participating in rallies), there are always grounds for concerns. We
have expressed those concerns to the government and introduced our
considerations. But it is also necessary to make a distinction as to
whether the conversation is about the political freedoms, e.g. the
freedom of speech and the freedom of holding rallies, or whether those
people were involved in illegal activities. It is required for any
government to be able to make this distinction," the Ambassador finds.

In connection with Turkey’s initiative of establishing a Caucasian
platform, Ms. Jovanovich noted that the project is at the stage of
elaboration, and it is still early to make any comments in this
regard unless the details are clarified. "In general, the United
States welcomes all the initiatives aimed at achieving regional
security, stability and integration." According to some sources,
the initiative of the recent Armenian-Turkish contact and the agenda
of the "football diplomacy" were prepared in the United States. Can
the diplomat refute or confirm that information?

"I believe this initiative was proposed by Presidents Sargsy an and
Gul, as well as their advisors. Inviting the Turkish President was a
very bold step by President Sargsyan. And President Gul’s accepting the
invitation can also be estimated as a very bold and brave step. These
were steps towards the development of the relations between the two
countries, and the United States expresses its satisfaction that such
development is possible," the speaker answered.

With regard Turkey’s pretensions to being involved in the Karabakh
settlement process, the Ambassador said that "Turkey is already
involved in the Minsk Group process, like all the other member states
of the group apart from the Co-Chairs. The Turkish President proposed
a trilateral meeting on the level of the Foreign Ministers. Armenia,
Turkey and Azerbaijan are neighboring countries, and the trilateral
meeting of the Foreign Ministers is a positive phenomenon. And we will
naturally welcome such developments. Besides, a meeting was held in
New York within the frameworks of the Minsk Group, and the Co-Chairs
met with President Sargsyan and the two Foreign Ministers. This is
also a positive phenomenon."

The fact that the Sargsyan-Aliev meeting in St. Petersburg was held
in a constructive atmosphere, and the negotiation process continues
"in the same spirit" inspires the Ambassador with optimism that "it
is really possible to anticipate a certain progress with regard to
this impor tant issue."

The United States periodically makes statements that it protects the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Is there any sense in continuing
the talks if it is already "predetermined" that the problem should be
solved based on the principle of territorial integrity? Why wasn’t
the clause on the "immunity of borders" considered prevalent for
the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Serbia but it is being considered
prevalent for Azerbaijan.

In response to this question of "Hayots Ashkharh", M. Jovanovich
said, "Any conflict has its specific features, and it is necessary
to find a specific kind of solution for each conflict. Yes, there
is the principle of territorial integrity, but there are also other
principles; for example, the principle of not using force or the
principle of self-determination. And it is necessary to view each
conflict as a separate case. As far as this particular case is
concerned, there is a progress in the conflict settlement process,
and it is possible to record a positive development."