Month: October 2016

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative are partnering to fund a research program that will enable the IRC to provide vital assistance in the form of reliable and accountable cash distribution to those affected by the conflict in Syria.

With the US $100,000 support of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, the IRC is chartering the development of a Cash First Roadmap—a yearlong campaign which will propose a methodology to identify the country-level barriers to wider cash transfer programming but also inform the means to address them.

The outcome will provide an established framework for the IRC and wider humanitarian community to follow.

“Every day, the number of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world steadily grows. Now is the time to redouble our efforts not just to raise the necessary resources, but to put in place the evidence-based programs that transform lives,” said David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC. “It is crucial that the humanitarian community continues to look toward and adopt the most cost-effective measures for providing relief, in order to maximize impact to the greatest number of beneficiaries.”

In contrast with other forms of humanitarian aid, which use donor funds to purchase and distribute relief items, cash transfer programming is a proven effective and efficient means to deliver assistance. Evidence shows that delivering cash is cheaper and faster than alternative forms of aid that require procurement, shipping, storing and distribution. Notably, cash transfer programming gives beneficiaries a greater degree of choice and dignity, allowing them to prioritize their own needs and become agents in their own recovery process. Additionally, evidence shows that the provision of cash to communities to spend on existing markets has a multiplier effect on the local economy.

“We’re glad to work with the IRC to further our shared goals of helping those who are most in need,” said Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Co-Founder Ruben Vardanyan. “Like those special few who intervened with courage on behalf of Armenians one hundred years ago, we are proud to continue in their spirit today by supporting organizations addressing today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. We are pleased to support a more innovative means of delivering aid—one which provides faster assistance and greater satisfaction to recipients.”

The IRC, which currently deploys cash assistance to more than 113,000 beneficiaries in 19 countries, will use the Roadmap to further increase its capacity to implement cash programming, and shift focus away from the provision of less-effective, in-kind assistance.

Jose Mourinho and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were snapped leaving the Lowry Hotel this morning after Manchester United’s stalemate with Liverpool last night, reports.

Manchester United were held to a goalless draw at Anfield and Mourinho looked a little worse for wear the morning after.

The Old Trafford boss was seen getting into a waiting car complete with a personalised ‘JM’ backpack before being whisked away to Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was also snapped leaving the Lowry as he too headed off to training sporting a white BALR hoodie, dark jeans and black wash bag.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today French Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier.

Stressing the special friendly nature of the Armenian-French relations, the Prime Minister praised the rich and comprehensive agenda of bilateral cooperation in different spheres and attached importance to the intensification of joint economic projects.

In this respect, Karen Karapetyan emphasized the significance of the second conference on Armenian-French decentralized cooperation to be held in Yerevan in December.

Jean-Francois Charpentier voiced his willingness to cooperate with the Armenian Government towards implementation of joint programs, further development of bilateral relations and expansion of economic ties.

The Ambassador said the French Development Agency will maintain support for the improvement of infrastructures and is going to invest about $40 mln for that purpose. He also stressed the willingness of a number of French companies to launch activity in Armenia.

The parties pointed to the fields of agriculture, information technologies, tourism as promising spheres of cooperation.

Member of the Turkish Parliament representing HDP Party Garo Paylan has filed a criminal complaint over “Armenian bastards” slogan, which audience shouted during President Erdogan’s speech in Trabzon, reports.

HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan filed a criminal complaint against “Armenian bastards” slogan, which audience shouted during President Erdogan’s speech in Trabzon on October 15. Paylan appealed to Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Law that bans “inciting hatred and hostility among peoples and denigration”.

In the complaint, Garo Paylan stated: “On October 15, there was a rally in Trabzon, where President Erdogan gave a speech. The audience, which is claimed to be AKP members, repeatedly shouted ‘Armenian bastards cannot discourage us.’ The president, ministers and member of organization committee didn’t do anything to prevent people from shouting that slogan. This slogan, apart from the fact that it insults Armenian people who have been living on these lands for centuries, is considered as hate speech under the international laws to which Turkey is a party and the practices of ECHR. Unfortunately, such expressions about Armenian people are nothing new. It is self-evident that hate speech has the power of leading to public indignation and constitutes a danger to safety of life and property of Armenian citizens, for this fact has been a part of the rulings of national and international judicial authorities. Especially the silence of the president, who is supposed to treat equally to all citizens, increases the power of hate discourse and facilitates the targeting of Armenians. In addition, by constituting an obstacle to the practice of living together peacefully, this slogan incited hatred and hostility against a section of the population on the basis of their racial difference and denigrated Armenian people.”

Five days after Bob Dylan was named the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, no one knows how he feels about the prestigious award — not even the Nobel judges, the Associated Press reports.

The Swedish Academy, which bestows the annual honour, says it hasn’t been able to reach Dylan since the award was announced last Thursday.

Permanent Secretary Sara Danius told Swedish Radio she’s been in contact with a close associate of Dylan, but not the laureate himself.

“I am not worried at all. I have a feeling that he will get in touch,” she said.

Danius said the academy isn’t making further efforts to reach him, but hopes he will accept the invitation to collect his award at the annual Nobel ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10.

“If he doesn’t want to come then he doesn’t want to come,” she said. “It will be a big and nice party anyway.”

Only two people have declined a Nobel Prize in literature. Boris Pasternak did so under pressure from Soviet authorities in 1958 and Jean-Paul Sartre, who declined all official honours, turned it down in 1964.

Dylan, who is currently on tour in the U.S., hasn’t mentioned the Nobel Prize during his concerts since the announcement.

As of Tuesday, his official webpage made no mention of the prize except in the “books” section, where a post dated Oct. 17 about his lyrics collection The Lyrics: 1961-2012 noted in all caps that he was a Nobel Prize winner.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan received the delegation headed by Major-General Nasrollah Kalantari, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support.

The parties discussed issues related to Armenian-Iranian bilateral cooperation, regional problems and settlement of conflicts. The interlocutors attached importance to the intensification of military-political contacts.

The same day the delegations of the two countries held a meeting in an extended format to discuss issues related to continued cooperation in the fields of logistics, education, etc.

Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman has labeled Azerbaijani President’s statements on Nagorno Karabakh settlement as “an attempt to turn the truth upside down.”

Speaking to RIA Novosti today, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said “reasonable compromise on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is possible,” and suggested that “the region could become an autonomous republic.”

“The statement of the Azerbaijani leader can be judged as yet another unsuccessful attempt to turn the truth upside down and distort the negotiation process,” MFA Spokesman Tigran Balayan said in comments to Radio Liberty.

“It is clearly enshrined in the statements of the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries Aliyev refers to that the status of Nagorno Karabakh should be determined by a legally binding expression of will of the people of Nagorno Karabakh,” Balayan reminded.

“It would be better for the leadership of Azerbaijan to cease deluding itself and misleading its own public. A week ago the leader of Azerbaijan publicly confessed the real essence of negotiations, stating that Baku was being urged to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Spokesperson stated.

Speaking to Public Radio of Armenia earlier today Spokesman for the NKR President

Photo: AFP

 

An Iraqi operation to recapture the city of Mosul, the last stronghold of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in the country, has started.

Artillery began firing on the city early on Monday, in a long-awaited assault from Kurdish Peshmerga, Iraqi government and allied forces.

Tanks are now moving towards the city, which has been held by IS since 2014.

The UN has expressed “extreme concern” for the safety of up to 1.5 million people in the area.

“Turkey has no place in and should be kept away from the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process,” Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said.

“The only positive impact Ankara could have on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is the opening of the border with Armenia and ceasing of encouraging Azerbaijan’s provocative and destructive steps,” Kocharyan said in comments to News.am.

The remarks come after some media reports quoting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that “Turkey could play a positive role in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

“The statement on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue, adopted by the Presidents of the CSTO member-countries in Yerevan on October 14, expresses its support to the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg aimed at the prevention of escalation of situation in the conflict zone, stabilization of situation and creation of conditions for the advancement of peace process. The exclusively peaceful settlement should be based on the three well-known principles of International Law – non use of force or threat of force, the territorial integrity of states and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples,” Shavarsh Kocharyan added.

“The position of the Russian Federation on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is expressed by the abovementioned statement, not through the distortion of Sergey Lavrov’s words by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey as presented in the Azerbaijani media: a qualification, which previously was ascribed to the Azerbaijani side for its misrepresentation of the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process,” the Deputy Foreign Minister stated.

Photo: AP

 

Pope Francis on Sunday canonized seven new Saints including Argentina’s “gaucho priest” Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, reports.

Know as “Cura Brochero”, the Argentinian who made it his mission to take the Gospel message of salvation to the peripheries, was proclaimed a Saint together with six others in a Mass in St. Peter’s Square.”

During his homily the Pope said “saints are men and women who enter fully into the mystery of prayer. Men and women who struggle with prayer, letting the Holy Spirit pray and struggle in them.”

The others to be canonized were  two Italians, two from France, a Spaniard and a young Mexican martyr, José Sanchez del Rio who died during the Cristero struggle upholding his faith.

Some 80,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square for the occasion, including many flag-waving Argentinians who had made the journey to Rome to see Brochero elevated to sainthood.

Amongst them was also Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his family.

Two of the new Saints are martyrs:  José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government’s anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies. Under torture José refused to disown his faith; a handwritten note addressed to his mother and found on his dead body read: “I promise that in heaven I will prepare a place for all of you. Your José dies defending the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe”.

The first martyr belonging to the La Salle Order, killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. His name is Salomone Leclercq; he too chose to die in the defense of his faith.

Then there is “Cura Brochero” (José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero), an Argentinean priest “’who smelt of sheep’ and travelled enormous distances on the back of a mule during the 19th century to bring consolation and Jesus’ message of salvation to the poorest of the poor.

The Spanish Bishop of Palencia Manuel González García, founder of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, the Disciples of Saint John, and the Children of Reparation.  He was known for his strong devotion to the Eucharist and became known as the “Bishop of the Tabernacle”. He died in 1940.

Father Lodovico Pavoni of the Italian city of Brescia, founder of the religious congregation ‘Sons of Mary Immaculate’ or ‘Pavonians’. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century he set up an Oratory for Christian education and together with his ‘labourer brothers’ he taught the poor and the marginalized trades and religious education in the belief that improving social conditions would  improve the spiritual life, and improving the spiritual life would improve social conditions..

Alfonso Maria Fusco, a priest from the southern Italian city of Salerno, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Baptistine Sisters. Their mission was to evangelize, educate and promote youth, especially those who were most poor, abandoned and at risk. He was particularly close to the impoverished and neglected farmers of the South of Italy after the unification of Italy in 1861.

Finally the French Discalced Carmelite mystic and writer Elizabeth of the Trinity who died aged just 26 in 1906 from Addison’s disease, which in the early 20th century had no treatment with which to cure or allieviate the suffering of its victims. Even though her death was painful, Elizabeth gratefully accepted her suffering as a gift from God. Her last words were: “I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!”