Author: Andres-Papazian

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR PHOTO SERVICES

Noyan Tapan
11.11.2011

Background:

The United Nations Office in Armenia intends to sign long term
agreements (LTAs) with individuals who will solicit photography
services to the UN Armenia Agencies, Funds and Programmes.

Job description:

The incumbents will take photos of the UN projects, activities
and events, as well as thematic photos related to population and
development, democratic governance, poverty reduction, economic
development, crisis/conflict prevention and recovery, energy and
environment, refugee/internally displaces persons, food security,
nutrition, education, child protection, gender issues, health issues,
HIV/AIDS, media related issues, human rights, and all other issues
on which UN works.

UN-paid transportation to the field to perform the requested task
will be provided if necessary.

Qualifications and Skills:

Proven professional track record as a photographer, relevant to the
areas mentioned above (provide a portfolio)

Have minimum 3 years of relevant work experience as a photographer
(experience with UN or other international organization is an asset)

Provide at least 2 reference letters from the previous contractors

Have professional knowledge of PhotoShop and/or other photo processing
software

Possess or have access to professional photo equipment

Strong interpersonal skills, reliability, punctuality, cultural
sensitive communications skills, articulateness.

Initiativeness and creativity

Ability to deliver tasks in time, respecting deadlines.

Ability and willingness to work as a member of team with people of
different cultural and religious backgrounds, different sex and diverse
political views, whilst maintaining impartiality and objectivity.

Payment Terms:

The contract holder will be paid upon successful accomplishment of the
work in electronic format, acceptance of the final product (photos
cropped if necessary, photoshopped if necessary, minimum resolution
300 dpi, size: minimum 3 MB) by the relevant representative of the
UN institutions and presentation of an invoice.

Unified mode of payment will be finalized with selected incumbents.

Application procedure:

A complete application should consist of full CV, UN P.11 form, copy
of diploma(s), certificate(s), reference letters, portfolio and be
submitted electronically through
site or delivered in hard copies to the UN House Security
Desk, 14, P. Adamyan str. in a closed envelope marked as
“UNLTA/Photographer”. Short-listed candidates will be invited for
an interview.

Only Armenia citizens are eligible to apply. The United Nations
shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women
to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in
its principal and subsidiary organs (Charter of the UN – Chapter 3,
article 8).

From: A. Papazian

LEVON BARSEGHYAN SUES KENTRON POLICE FOR VIOLATING HIS RIGHTS

Tert.am
11.11.11

Levon Barseghyan, Board Chairman of Asparez journalist’s club has
filed a lawsuit at the Administrative Court against Yerevan’s Kentron
(Centre) Police.

With the lawsuit Barseghyan demands that the court hold the Kentron
Police officers accountable for infringing his right to freedom of
expression, speech, assembly, movement, personal freedom and impunity.

In a statement released on Friday, the Asparez noted that the incident
took place on September 21 this year when Barseghyan, together with
Arno Kuri, was taken to police after they started a march near Martiros
Saryan statue in central Yerevan.

They had held the Armenian national flag and chanted “Free,
independent, Armenia”.

“Those detained were held at the police station against their will, for
three hours on they did not allow them to leave the area of the police
station, nor did they allow their lawyer to meet them, keeping him
waiting outside for more than half and an hour,” read the statement.

Further, it said that perhaps realizing that their actions ran counter
the law, the police released next day a statement in which it said
on that day the police invited two citizens near the Saryan statue
to find out their identity.

However, Asparez Club claims that the video footage made by reporters
clearly shows that the police violently intervened in the march,
initiated by some 10-12 people, and pushed Barseghyan and Kuri into
the police vehicle with the use of force.

Artak Zeinalyan, Levon Barseghyan’s lawer, said they would be
consisstent so that to hold the police officers accountabe,
irrespective how long it will take.

From: A. Papazian

CZECHIA U-21 BEATS ARMENIA 2:0 IN EURO 2013 QUALIFIER

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 11, 2011 – 19:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The 2nd half of U-21 EURO 2013 Group 3 qualifier
starting with a 0:0 tie, Czechia launched an attacking game, scoring
the 1st goal 76 minutes into the match.

The second Czechia goal was struck during the extra time, ending the
Group 3 qualifier vs. hosting Armenia’s 0:2 loss.

Having suffered its 1st loss in Group 3, Armenia has 7 points to its
score; Czechia is leading Group B with 10 points, followed by Andorra
(9 points).

Armenia vs. Wales qualifier is due November 15.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA-NETHERLANDS, ARMENIA-SERBIA IN SEMIFINALS

news.am
Nov 10 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenian men team will play with the Netherlands, while
Armenian women team with Serbia in the semi finals of the European
Team Chess Championships.

Armenian men team got victory over French team with 2.5:1.5 in the
seventh round. It occupies the second position currently with 11
points. Azerbaijani team tops the standings with 12 points.

Armenia’s Sergei Movsesian won the match, while the rest three matches
ended in a draw.

Etienne Bacrot – Levon Aronyan 0.5:0.5

Sergei Movsesian – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 1:0

Laurent Fressinet – Vladimir Akobyan 0.5:0.5

Gabriel Sargsian – Christian Bauer 0.5:0.5

Armenian women team lost to Russia (1:3) in the seventh round. It
is ranked 10 with 8 points. Russian team tops the standings with
13 points.

From: A. Papazian

THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE CHANGES AND PROGRESS IN ARMENIA, HEAD OF EU DELEGATION SAYS

Mediamax
Nov 9 2011
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. “Looking back we may see that mush has been done
in Armenia,” Head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Raul
de Luzenberger, said today.

The official said this today at the conference “Eastern Partnership:
National and European Dynamics”, Mediamax reports.

“It’s more difficult for you to notice as you live here, but looking
from outside, one can see considerable changes and progress,” Raul
de Luzenberger said.

According to him, EU renders not only financial but also political
support and assistance to Armenia.

“This assistance will continue if Armenia continues the process of
changes by “more for more” principle,” the European official noted. He
also highlighted the importance of continuing reforms taking into
consideration the forthcoming elections in Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN BENEFACTOR IS “DROPPED” AND “DAMAGED” – NEWSPAPER

news.am
Nov 10 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – During her press conference back in July, Armenia’s Diaspora
Minister Hranush Hakobyan had said that a promenade of Armenian
benefactors would open in Armenia in September, Yerkir daily writes.

“It will be created between [capital Yerevan’s downtown] Republic
Square and the area nearby the Myasnikyan Statue. The statues of
Alexander Mantashyan, Michael Aramyants, Boghos Noubar, Calouste
Gulbenkian, Grigor and Karapet Melkonyan brothers, and Alex Manoogian
are planned to be placed on the promenade. September passed, yet
the promenade did not open. Diaspora Minister’s spokesperson Anahit
Andreasyan informed Yerkir that the promenade would open by the year’s
end. According to our information, the promenade’s opening is delaying
because one of the statues was dropped and damaged while transferring.

And, behold, Andreasyan merely noted that the reason was certain
technical problems,” Yerkir writes.

From: A. Papazian

DO DIPLOMAS IN ARMENIA GUARANTEE SKILLS TO OBTAIN JOBS?

WorldBank.org
,,contentMDK:23042630~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html
Nov 10 2011

The World Bank regional report on education titled “Skills, Not Just
Diplomas” addresses this question by discussing the bottlenecks of
the education systems in the countries of Europe and Central Asia
(ECA), all of which face skills gap as a result of declined education
quality and relevance over the past twenty years. To close this gap,
the report recommends, inter alia:

To focus more on measuring education outputs-whether students learn
and graduates find jobs, and use this information to improve teaching
and learning, rather than on measuring inputs into learning-such
as the number schools and teachers; To use incentives and grant
greater autonomy to institutions on curriculum and teaching methods
and increase accountability, instead of following detailed norms to
manage the education system; Increase efficiency in expenditures to
enhance learning outcomes.

The “Skills, Not Just Diplomas” report was launched in Yerevan on
October 21, 2011. The event was chaired by Sachiko Kataoka, World Bank
Education Economist. Over 60 participants from Armenia’s universities,
colleges, schools, government, donor community and NGOs attended. In
her keynote speech, Karine Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of Education
and Science, spoke of Armenia’s reform achievements in the education
sector from independence to date, and the lingering challenges ahead.

Lars Sondergaard, World Bank Senior Economist and lead author of the
report presented the key findings. “One reason we know that the skill
gaps exist in Armenia is that firms report not being able to find
skilled workers. Specifically, when surveyed in 2008, 54% of Armenia’s
firms reported that “skills” is a constraint to their growth, and 23%
of the firms reported that it was a major or severe constraint,” said
Sondergaard speaking to journalists on the day of the report launch.

“This is based on the results of a 2008 survey conducted for more
than 10,000 firms in the countries in Eastern Europe and Central
Asia in which almost 400 firms in Armenia were surveyed about the
constraints they face.”

Like many countries in the region, Armenia faces the challenges of
shrinking workforce and student population due to demographic factors,
and firms increasingly complain about not finding workers with the
skills they need. With fewer workers, each worker needs better –
and different – skills and knowledge than what was needed in the past.

“Throughout the world, there has been an increase in the demand
for skilled labor for the global knowledge economy. The traditional
concept of “manpower” made a transition to “mind-power.” The world’s
economy has also moved from industrial to knowledge economy where
productivity gains are driven by innovation and information and
communication technology,” said Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank Armenia
Country Manager, in his opening remarks.

Questions and comments from the audience included the following: the
need to establish a sustainable and effective system of internship
and on-the-job training for beginner teachers at schools; how the
World Bank can help Armenia participate in the OECD’s Program for
International Students Assessment (PISA); whether emerging economies
need to perform and score as highly in international tests as
developed countries, given that the requirements of their job markets
and expectations of firms are different; and the acknowledgement of
the difficulty in addressing the efficiency dilemma of the country’s
small schools in remote areas.

Twenty years ago, countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet
Union, including Armenia, prided themselves on providing high quality
and universal education. But most countries in the region have seen a
decline in quality ever since. International test results show that
many students – outside of a handful of countries – fail to acquire
more than the most basic literacy and numeracy skills. Evidence also
suggests that the rapid expansion in higher education has led to a
decline in the quality and relevance of education provided. Armenia
is one of the countries where visible quality improvement at the
general education level has been observed in recent years, but little
is known about Armenian students’ skills beyond the 8th grade.

The “Skills, Not Just Diplomas” report is ECA’s new beat on the
education system reforms in the region. It is the major regional
publication on education for the last several years, and gives us
insights about how to improve education based on the recent experience
of the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

To download the “Skills, Not Just Diplomas” report, please visit the
World Bank Armenia website at

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN REGULATOR WANTS ACCESS TO SECRET INFORMATION AT SRC

Tert.am
10.11.11

Armenian State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition
(SCPEC) wants to have access to the secret information at the State
Revenue Committee (SRC), the commission’s chairperson has said.

The SCPEC Chairperson Artak Shaboyan raised the issue at the cabinet
meeting on Thursday, saying that very often the commission needs such
information but has no rights to obtain it.

Therefore, the procedure needs changing, Shaboyan said, as he unveiled
the draft decision.

“Very often it is necessary to have information about entrepreuners’
activities, scales of their turnover. The information is at the
taxing bodies, but the commission has no right to receive it,”
explained Shaboyan.

State Revenue Committee Chairperson Gagik Khachatryan asked two days
to discuss the issue with the SCPEC.

From: A. Papazian

VIVACELL NEONATAL CARE PROJECT EXPANDS TO NEW REGIONS OF ARMENIA

Aysor.am
Thursday,November 09

VivaCell-MTS, a subsidiary of “Mobile TeleSystems” OJSC, announces
that today VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian and BirthLink
NGO Director Kathy Mellor, as well as a group of neonatologists,
visited neonatal departments in Maralik and Artik hospitals.

All maternity hospitals need essential equipment for saving the lives
of the newborn, when unexpected complications occur in pregnancy or
the woman delivers prematurely.

This essential equipment is necessary for maintaining the baby’s
temperature and stabilise or sustain the baby until transfer can
be undertaken to a regional centre or to Yerevan. Some babies with
potentially life-threatening problems, who receive immediate and
appropriate care after delivery, may need no further intervention.

This equipment can be the difference between life and death.

“This is our second visit to Shirak region in frames of the Neonatal
care project. Last year VivaCell-MTS visited two hospitals in Gyumri to
deliver similar equipment, which will help reduce the infant mortality
rate. This project is about improving access to medical services in
the regions, including geographical access as the project will result
in drastic reduction in the rate of transfers to hospitals in Yerevan,
which is connected to expenditures. People in the regions should have
equal opportunities to receive medical services, especially when
it comes to infants,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian
commented. “Each child’s life is a gift, and as a caring company
VivaCell-MTS is committed to helping maternity hospitals in eradicating
the biggest challenge that we have today – the infant mortality rate.”

Artik has an increasing number of deliveries with more than 800 babies
born in 2010. In frames of the project the hospital received a newborn
intensive care incubator with resuscitation equipment incorporated, a
phototherapy unit for treating jaundiced babies, a pulse oximeter for
monitoring oxygen levels, an infusion pump for delivering intravenous
fluids and a heated mattress to keep babies warm. Babies can die from
hypothermia, and keeping babies warm is an easy but essential part
of care of the newborn.

Maralik is a smaller department and had nearly 300 deliveries in 2010.

It is still essential that this facility can provide appropriate care
to babies with complications. This department has received a radiant
warmer with resuscitator in the delivery room for immediate warmth and
resuscitation for babies. They have also received a pulse oximeter for
monitoring oxygenation, an infusion pump for delivery of intravenous
fluids and a heated mattress for keeping babies warm. This method
for maintaining warmth allows the baby to stay close to their mother.

Every year, more than 4 million infants die in the first year of life.

98 percent of the cases are registered in the developing countries. 65
percent of lethal cases are registered within the first month, with
two third of them – during the first week, and more than half – within
the first 24 hours after the birth. The World Health Organization
says the level of infant mortality in Armenia exceeds the level in
countries like US and Great Britain for four times.

For the fourth year in a row VivaCell-MTS together with BirthLink NGO
makes efforts aimed at reducing the level of infant mortality in our
country. Within this period of time, the equipment for a total of
about AMD 298 million has been installed in 23 medical centers of
Yerevan and the regions. The specialists say the positive results
are already obvious.

From: A. Papazian

MASS MEDIA: ARMENIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY IS AGAINST GAGIK TSARUKYAN’S FUND

arminfo
Thursday, November 10, 14:09

Armenian Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan has charged
rectors of higher education institutions of Armenia not to cooperate
with the fund of the Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan.

As some mass media reported, Ashotyan purposefully let such information
leak so that to please the leadership of the country and the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia.

Such demarche by the minister finds room in the election campaign
which has been already started between the two coalition parties.

Nevertheless, the leaders of the higher education institutions
understand nonsense and inexpediency of such a taboo and go on
cooperating with Tsarukyan’s fund, which finances education of
numerous students.

A member of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Vahe Enfiajan, told
ArmInfo correspondent he is not aware of such information and added
that several months ago he sent letters to the rectors of higher
education institutions asking to present till 1 November the list
of socially vulnerable students which have progress in studies, to
be given personalized scholarship form Gagik Tsarukyan’s Fund. But
the rectors have not presented the list yet and some of them asked
to prolong the term of the deadline.

From: A. Papazian