En primer plano sociedades multietnicas y complejidad politica

Expansion (Madrid)
Lunes,13 Diciembre 2004

EN PRIMER PLANO SOCIEDADES MULTIETNICAS Y COMPLEJIDAD POLITICA

El federalismo parece la formula mas razonable para ilustrar y
orientar las soluciones que cada caso merezca de cara a establecer
valores comunes entre intereses opuestos.

El sociologo frances Alain Touraine ha pronosticado que el siglo XXI
estara dominado por “la cuestion nacional”, como el siglo XX lo
estuvo por la cuestion social. “En todas las partes del mundo
-senala- es visible el desgarramiento entre el universalismo
arrogante y unos particularismos agresivos. El principal problema
politico es, y sera, limitar ese conflicto total, establecer unos
valores comunes entre intereses opuestos”.

La realidad le esta dando la razon. Basta echar una mirada a nuestro
alrededor para descubrir que la mayoria de los conflictos politicos y
de las guerras actuales responden a la complejidad multiidentitaria
de las naciones diversas o a los nacionalismos exacerbados en
territorios o en estados cuya integridad esta cuestionada.

Los Balcanes fueron el primer gran estallido y todavia no se ha
resuelto, porque la convivencia en Bosnia, cuando las fuerzas de EEUU
y Europa dejen de ejercer el orden, puede obligarnos a reconocer
otros dos estados, y porque Kosovo sigue siendo un problema
irresoluble: un territorio que pertenece, indudablemente, a Serbia,
con un 80% de poblacion albanesa que odia al 20% serbio y viceversa.

Pero miremos ahora al sur del Caucaso y veremos a los armenios que
odian Turquia por el genocidio de principios del siglo XX.

Georgianos divididos por sus intereses para con Rusia o EEUU.

El conflicto de Nagorno-Karabaj expresa bien esta complejidad.

Territorio de Azerbaian poblado totalmente por armenios. Un enclave
cristiano rodeado por musulmanes. Los ejercitos de ambos paises estan
en una escalada armamentista: los unos para defender su territorio y
los otros para defender a sus ciudadanos.

Mas arriba y al Este esta Chechenia, cuyo conflicto, mejor diremos
guerra, con Rusia no tiene ni facil ni rapida solucion. Incluso en el
actualisimo problema electoral surgido en Ucrania late un gravisimo
problema de convivencia multiidentitaria. Los ucranianos del Norte y
del Este son pro-rusos por origen, afinidad, cultura e intereses y el
resto es pro-occidental y europeo. Un grave cisma de orden politico y
social se cierne sobre ese importantisimo pais en el que ya se han
empezado a escuchar llamamientos separatistas de una comunidad
dividida.

Todo el Este europeo es un polvorin identitario que ha estallado con
la caida del comunismo y el fracaso de las fronteras creadas por
Stalin y los grandes movimientos poblacionales que organizo aquel
regimen politico. Pero ya mucho antes, desde la caida del imperio
austro-hungaro, las minorias etnicas, linguisticas o nacionales en
paises distintos presentan una complejidad no por conocida menos
importante: el enclave ruso de Kaliningrado en Polonia, hungaros en
Rumania, albaneses en Serbia y Montenegro, serbios en Croacia y
Bosnia, turcos en Bulgaria, armenios en Azerbayan, polacos en
Lituania, uzbekos en Tajakistan, etcetera

Tampoco nosotros escapamos a esta complejidad. El nacionalismo
catalan y el vasco, con la deriva violenta de este ultimo,
representan, objetivamente, una dificilisima problematica para la
construccion de la nacion espanola. Pero los franceses tienen
Corcega, y en menor medida la Bretana. Los ingleses, Escocia y Gales;
los italianos, la Padania del Norte, y no digamos los belgas, que no
son dos Estados porque les queda el Rey y el nombre, y la historia de
un solo pais, aunque walones y flamencos parecen dos.

?Que hacer?, que diria Lenin. Hay una falsa solucion: crear nuevos
estados alla donde una comunidad cultural o etnica lo reclama, bajo
el llamado principio de la autodeterminacion. En definitiva, alterar
el statu quo de los limites territoriales y las fronteras y guiarse
del principio nacionalista en la construccion de los estados, que
atribuye esa condicion a las naciones puras, basadas en una lengua,
cultura e historia comunes y en una voluntad ciudadana ampliamente
respaldada (como la escision de la Republica Checa y Eslovaquia, por
ejemplo).

Pero ese principio nos arrastra a una progresiva tribalizacion del
mundo. En plena globalizacion, cuando mas necesario es crear espacios
supranacionales e implementar politicas mundiales en las finanzas, en
la multilateralidad internacional o en el medio ambiente, resulta
paradojico y completamente contradictorio que el mundo se fragmente
en su organizacion politica aplicando el principio de que donde hay
una lengua o una etnia hay una nacion, y donde hay nacion debemos
construir un estado. Conviene recordar que, como nos dice el
historiador britanico E. Hobsbawn, en la actualidad hay no menos de
seiscientas lenguas vivas y mas de cuatro mil grupos etnicos
diferentes. ?Es esta la organizacion del poder politico que
propugnamos para la diversidad y la multietnicidad del mundo?

Tiene que haber otras soluciones. La mia es el federalismo en los
estados complejos por su diversidad identitaria y en los espacios
supranacionales que estamos creando sobre los estados actuales, es
decir, en la Union Europea, en nuestro caso.

El federalismo responde a un triple principio que inspira una triple
exigencia de las comunidades intraestatales. El primero es la
subsidiariedad, que garantiza una organizacion administrativa del
poder politico de abajo a arriba, es decir, de lo local a lo
supranacional con predominio de la gestion local. El segundo es la
identidad, que asegura el respeto y el fomento de los elementos
culturales y politicos distintivos de la comunidad de referencia.

Implica el autogobierno politico de la region-nacion o comunidad.

El tercero es la cohesion que garantiza la unidad y la solidaridad
del Estado y de este como garante de derechos, deberes, igualdad y
seguridad.

El federalismo como cultura politica, como modelo de articulacion del
poder al territorio, con todas sus variables y con todos los
adjetivos que se le quieran anadir, constituye la formula mas
ingeniosa y democratica para resolver las demandas de las
nacionalidades sin estado en el seno de estados plurinacionales.

Es, ademas, la mejor formula para orientar la construccion de los
espacios supranacionales y resolver los mecanismos de subsidiariedad
e identidad de los estados-nacion, con la necesaria cohesion y
coordinacion entre los estados.

El federalismo constituye la formula mas generosa y profunda de
descentralizacion politica, entendiendo por tal no la mera delegacion
o descentralizacion administrativa sino la disposicion de un Poder
Legislativo, Ejecutivo y Judicial, con competencia propia para
decidir, mediante organos elegidos en el ambito de la comunidad y con
reglas democraticas propias, sobre los problemas economico-culturales
y sociales de su interes.

En definitiva, y para establecer esos valores comunes entre intereses
opuestos a los que se referia Touraine, el federalismo parece la
formula mas razonable para ilustrar y orientar las soluciones que
cada caso merezca. Federalismo es union, lealtad y libertad; es
autonomia en cooperacion. Federalismo es soberanias compartidas
sometidas a un orden jerarquico y organizado de decidir en un marco
de cooperacion y no de competencia. Federalismo es hacer compatibles
espacios concentricos de organizacion territorial del poder politico
a traves de un orden constitucional basado en una cultura y unos
principios de respeto mutuo y de colaboracion desde la autonomia.

La mayoria de los conflictos politicos y de las guerras actuales
responden a la complejidad multinidentaria de las naciones

El federalismo es hacer compatibles espacios concentricos de
organizacion territorial del poder politico Portavoz del PSOE en la
Comision Constitucional del Congreso de los Diputados

Ramon Jauregui Atondo

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“TURKISH BORDERS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED”

“TURKISH BORDERS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED”

Armenia Suffers Losses Amounting to $1 Billion

Azg/arm
14 Dec 04

“The Turkish Foreign Policy should keep in line with the policy
conducted by Brussels. This means that the Turkish borders with its
old neighbors shouldn’t be closed,” Vartan Oskanian stated in the
interview to Reuters, emphasizing that in the course of the last 10-15
years Armenia suffered losses amounting to $1 billion, as a result of
the closed borders.

“The membership to the EU should contribute to the formation of a more
open society in Turkey that will open the border-gates with Armenia
and will recognize the Armenian Genocide”, Freedom radio station
quoted Vartan Oskanian as saying.

“Armenia would like the issue of opening the borders be touched upon
at the EU more consequently, loudly, even aggressively, as it is an
important issue for the EU, as well,” Oskanian said, touching upon the
December 17 decisionto begin the negotiations around Turkey’s
membership to the EU.

Oskanian said that the opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders
achieved under the pressure of the EU member countries could
contribute to the development of trade, support the Eastern poor
regions of Turkey and the economic development of Armenia. Reminding
that Armenia together with Georgia and Azerbaijan was included in
“Enlarged Europe. New Neighbors,” program, Oskanian said: “If Turkey
doesn’t want to meet the commitments it undertook and use the created
opportunity, the whole program is not in time, at least for Armenia.”

As for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Oskanian said that
he is optimistic in the issue of establishing peace with Azerbaijan in
this complicated period, when Ilham Aliyev came to power after the
death of Heydar Aliyev who led Azerbaijan for many years.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Why in Calcutta?

The Hindu, India
December 13, 2004

WHY IN CALCUTTA?

BURIED IN the Armenian Church’s well-kept, well-shaded cemetery on
Armenian Street is the Rev. Harathun Shimavonian, who died in 1824.
Having lived a hundred years, his longevity itself made him a
noteworthy figure. But as his tombstone marked by an open book
attests, he was even more noteworthy for a signal contribution he
made to the Armenian nation, at the time scattered in many parts of
the world – including Madras and Calcutta. That contribution was “the
first Armenian Journal in the World”, Azdarar , which he printed and
published in 1794 in a printing press he established near the church.
The founder-editor of Azdarar could not make a success of the paper,
given the small number of Armenians in and around the city, but he
did, it is believed, print several Armenian classics in Classical
Armenian.

One of Armenia’s best-known sculptors, Levon Tokmajian, is now at
work in Calcutta, which still has an Armenian presence – though much
diminished in numbers – sculpting a 5-foot marble statue of the
Armenian priest who spent most of his life in the Madras church of
the Armenian Orthodoxy.

But the statue is to be raised in January in front of the Armenian
Church on Armenian Street in CALCUTTA. Now, I wonder why that is
being done when the Rev. Harathun Shimavonian’s achievements were in
MADRAS. Do the Armenians in Calcutta consider the tombstone in Madras
memorial enough to a pioneer in the world of printing?

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Georgia will not impose economic sanctions agaiinst Armenia

ArmenPress
Dec 13 2004

GEORGIA WILL NOT IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST ARMENIA

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: In an interview with France
Press agency Georgia’s foreign minister Salome Zurabichvili said her
government enjoys good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Her remarks came amid Georgian and Azeri officials’ attempts to find
a way out of a problem caused by Azerbaijan’s suspicions that Georgia
allows hundreds of railway carriages to pass to Armenia across its
territory.
Currently hundreds of carriages are stooped at Georgia-Azerbaijan
border crossing. Zurabichvili said her government will prevent
transportation of weapons across its territory, but added that
“Georgia will refuse any attempts to force it to impose economic
sanctions against Armenia.”
She also said that if Georgia took any of the sides it would
further exacerbate the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
Nagorno Karabagh, which would become “destructive not only for
Georgia and its two neighbors but also for the entire region.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Arakel Movsisyan Elected Deputy of Parliament, Reps District 27

ARAKEL MOVSISYAN ELECTED DEPUTY OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT REPRESENTING
DISTRICT NO.27: PRELIMINARY DATA

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMINFO. According to preliminary data, in the
course of Dec 12 parliamentary elections, Arakel Movsisyan, is elected
a deputy of the Armenian Parliament representing the election district
No.27.

The CEC press-service informs ARMINFO that Arakel Movsisyan received
27,032 votes. On the whole, 27,474 electors participated in the
voting, According to the course, the number of inaccuracies was equal
to naught. No complaints were received by 12:00.

To note, Arakel Movsisyan was the only candidate to the parliament
representing the district No.27. He is the brother of the MP
representing the same district Mushegh Movsisyan who was killed in an
accident.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Natl Academies Press Publishes Assessment of S&T Sector in Armenia

PRESS RELEASE
December 13, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:

National Academies Press Publishes an Assessment of S&T Sector in Armenia

The National Academies Press in Washington, DC has just published a report
assessing Armenia’s scientific potential, entitled “Science and Technology
in Armenia: Toward A Knowledge-Based Economy.” The report was prepared by
the ad-hoc Committee on Science and Technology in Armenia, functioning under
the auspices of National Academies’ National Research Council, following the
Committee’s fact-finding mission to Armenia in February 2004. The Committee
members have visited and met with representatives of Armenian government
agencies, National Academy of Sciences and scientific research institutions,
major Armenian universities, private Science and Technology (S&T) companies,
and NGO’s.

The fact-finding mission and the assessment of Armenia’s S&T potential was
commissioned by the U.S. State Department and financed by U.S. Agency for
International Development to gauge the existing capacity of research
institutions and higher education capabilities and trends, and to identify
sectors to be support by public expenditure and investors, as well as by
development assistance from foreign donors, including U.S. Government. The
report will be presented to U.S.-Armenia Task Force on Economic Issues.

The main findings of the report by the National Research Council’s Committee
on S&T in Armenia note the long tradition of excellence in science,
technology and education and the positive legacy of a developed network of
research and higher education institutions. At the same time, the economic
transition and subsequent reduction of government funding have considerably
eroded the existing of S&T capabilities, although many Armenian institutions
persevered and achieved significant results, such as maintaining the
Byurakan Observatory’s international status as center for optical astronomy;
development of a vibrant information technology sector; and some
modernization of the agricultural sector leading to increased exports. The
report makes a number of specific and valuable recommendations to address
the problems and to build upon the many success stories in Armenia’s S&T
sector, including creation of centers of excellence, continued modernization
of institutions of higher learning, and strengthening the intellectual
property rights system.

As Armenia’s Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Arman Kirakossian noted, “this
report should be of particular interest to the Armenian-American community,
especially private investors seeking to make profit in promising science and
technology sectors and researchers looking for international collaboration
in Armenia.” Dr. Kirakossian perspectives on future of science in Armenia,
made during remarks at a meeting with NRC Committee members, are included in
an appendix of the report.

“Science and Technology in Armenia: Toward A Knowledge-Based Economy,” can
be obtained from the National Academies Press. Please visit
for information on the book.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11107.html
www.armeniaemb.org

Azerbaijan seeks global help in Karabakh dispute

Azerbaijan seeks global help in Karabakh dispute

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan’s president called on the
European Union and United Nations to do more to resolve a long-running
territorial dispute with neighbouring Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region on Monday.

Ilham Aliyev, who has vowed never to give up the breakaway territory
populated by ethnic Armenians but which has been legally part of
Azerbaijan since the Soviet era, said his oil-rich country was
committed to a peaceful resolution.

But he stressed years of talks had yielded no results and said the
global community should get involved.

“Other international organisations should play a more active role —
the EU, the Council of Europe and the United Nations,” Aliyev told an
audience at London’s Royal Institute of International Affairs.

“I think that broad international attention and keeping this issue on
the agenda of international organisations will help bring peace,” he
added, giving no further details.

Western companies, including Britain’s BP have invested heavily in
Azerbaijan, most notably in the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline which will
deliver oil from the Caspian to the Mediterranean.

The dispute over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region began 16
years ago but it erupted into one of the bloodiest ethnic wars in the
dying days of the Soviet Union, when an estimated 35,000 people were
killed.

About 1 million refugees fled to Azerbaijan and thousands of ethnic
Armenian refugees also fled to Armenia.

A truce was agreed in 1994 but there has been little movement to end
the dispute.

Last month Azerbaijan urged the U.N. General Assembly to intervene but
France, Russia and the United States asked the body not to interfere
with efforts they were making on behalf of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“Azerbaijan will never agree to occupation and we will do what we can
and make sure our land will be free,” said Aliyev.

The president has signalled some impatience and does not rule out
military action if Armenia does not pull out.

Experts also note that Azerbaijan is actively working on defence
projects and increasing its defence budget.

12/13/04 13:16 ET

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey ‘must admit WWI genocide’; Turkey must improve HR record

Turkey ‘must admit WWI genocide’

France has said Turkey must improve its human rights record

BBC News
Monday, 13 December, 2004

France has said it will ask Turkey to acknowledge the mass killing of
Armenians from 1915 as genocide when it begins EU accession talks.
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Turkey had “a duty to
remember”.

Armenians say 1.5 million of their people died or were deported from
their homelands under Turkish Ottoman rule. France is among a group of
nations that class the killings as genocide. Turkey denies any organised
genocide, claiming they were quelling a civil uprising.

Mr Barnier said France did not consider Turkish acknowledgement a
condition of EU entry, but insisted his country would raise the issue
once talks opened.

Where Turkey’s bid stands

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss
plans to invite Turkey for accession talks, Mr Barnier said Turkey “must
carry out this task as a memorial”.

In addition, France believes that accession talks should not begin
before the second half of 2005, Mr Barnier said. Turkey has pushed for
immediate negotiations.

“I believe that when the time comes, Turkey should come to terms with
its past, be reconciled with its own history and recognise this
tragedy,” Mr Barnier said.

‘So-called genocide’

His comments drew no immediate official response from Turkey, which has
consistently denied orchestrating genocide and the Armenian figures. A
foreign ministry spokesman in the Turkish capital, Ankara, told Reuters
that Turkey has never and will never recognise “any so-called genocide”.

Armenia alleges that the Young Turks, in 1915 the dominant party in the
Ottoman Empire, systematically arranged the deportation and killing of
1.5 million Armenians. Turkish relations with independent Armenia, which
borders Turkey to the north, have long been coloured by the issue.

Around 300,000 Armenians live in France, more than in any other European
country, and community leaders have pledged to pressure French President
Jacques Chirac on the genocide issue during Turkish accession negotiations.

France passed a law officially recognising the Armenian genocide in
2001, cooling relations with Turkey and scuppering a major arms deal.

Another 14 nations, including Switzerland, Russia and Argentina, also
classify the killings as genocide.

PHOTO CAPTION: “France will pose this question. I think that a big
country like Turkey has a duty to remember” — Michel Barnier, French
foreign minister

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANC Mixer Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of Glendale
721 S. Glendale Ave
Glendalve, CA 91205
Contact: George Garikian
Tel: 818.243.3444
Fax: 818.243.3009
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Glendale, CA – Over 90 community leaders and elected officials gathered at
The Cove Thursday evening for a mixer hosted by the Armenian National
Committee, Glendale Chapter. The event provided guests an opportunity to
meet the new Executive Director, Alina Azizian, as well as the 2004-2005
board members. Guests included State Senator Jack Scott, representatives
from Congressman Adam Schiff’s office and Assemblyman Dario Frommer’s
office, Mayor Bob Yousefian and Councilmembers Rafi Manoukian, Frank
Quintero, and Dave Weaver. Other guests included: Glendale Unified School
District Superintendent Dr. Michael Escalante, GUSD Assistant Superintendent
Alice Petrossian, Glendale Fire Chief Christopher Gray, Assistant Fire Chief
Donald Biggs, Assistant Police Chief Ronald DePompa, City Attorney Scott
Howard, City Manager James Starbird, Glendale Teachers Association President
Sandra Fink, Armenian National Committee of America Western Region
Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian, Glendale Unified School District
Board chairman Greg Krikorian and board members Chakib Sambar and Pam Ellis,
Glendale Community College Board of Trustees members Ara Najarian and Anita
Quinonez Gabrielian, and numerous commissioners from the various city
commissions.

`During the holiday season it’s difficult to get so many busy people in the
same room,’ commented Azizian, `but we had a fantastic turnout. It was
great to meet the people that help make this city so wonderful. We have a
great coalition of community leaders working together to make this city even
better, and I look forward to working with them.’

Board members also spent the evening informing the community about the five
sub-committees within the ANC Glendale Chapter. Board Chairman Pierre
Chraghchian noted, `This year we have established five separate committees
to handle fundraising, media relations, community relations, elections, and
Genocide commemoration.’ With the busy election season around the corner
and a new director to run the operations, the five subcommittees will play a
key role in the organization.

Alina Azizian was appointed in November as the organization’s first
Executive Director. The Armenian National Committee, Glendale Chapter, is
located at 721 South Glendale Ave. in Glendale. You can reach ANC Glendale
at 818.243.3444. To find out more about the subcommittees (or to join),
please email [email protected].

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

http://www.ancglendale.org