Author: Andres-Papazian

Homenetmen East Coast Panagoum (Day Three)

Sat, Aug 20 2011
By:Armenian Weekly

During the presentation by Joyce S. Browning from the University of Maryland.
Despite the rain and thunder, on the third day of the panagoum,
Juliette Voskanian from Philadelphia led a 3 mile rally/hike in which
5 teams, each made up of 15 scouts, participated. Consisting of ten
stations made to challenge the scouts’ problem solving and teamwork
skills, the rally brought even more enthusiasm to the scouts. Some
stations included using Morse code to communicate with other team
members, making a stretcher, measuring a flag pole without tools, and
guessing a variety of spices by smell only. The winning team will be
announced today.

At the panagavayr (campsite) the Kayleegs and Ardzveegs (younger
scouts) learned the history of the seizure of the Ottoman Bank in 1896
as a protest against the massacres of the Armenians by Sultan Hamid
II. The day continued with a lively and animated presentation. Guest
speaker Joyce S. Browning from the University of Maryland, an
extension horticulturist, brought a stuffed fox, wolf, and raccoon,
along with live snakes and cockroaches and a sample of bear skin for
the younger scouts to see and examine during her presentation. Ms.
Browning talked about various animals and insects in this area, their
lifestyle, what they eat, and if they are a danger to scouts or others
in contact.

The scouts then worked on preparing a fun and exciting evening to
share with parents and family the next day (today). The campsite will
be open to all from 6-10 p.m. today. Please come to join us at 3799
Peach Orchard Road, Whiteford, MD 21154.

From: A. Papazian

Iranian MP calls on Russia to pressure U.S. to lift sanctions

August 20, 2011 – 12:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia should pressure the United States to lift the
sanctions imposed on Iran, Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy
Committee Chairman Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Friday, August 19.

`The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far taken important steps in
order to create transparency concerning its peaceful nuclear
activities, and the Russians, based on the step-by-step proposal,
should pressure the U.S. into lifting the sanctions imposed on Iran,’
Boroujerdi told the Mehr News Agency.

On July 13, Russia made a proposal for a `step-by-step’ approach,
according to which Iran could address questions about its nuclear
program and be rewarded with a gradual easing of sanctions.

Boroujerdi went on to say that the negotiations with Russia, which is
a permanent member of the UN Security Council, are very important,
adding that the secretary of Russia’s Security Council was invited to
Tehran to hold talks with Saeed Jalili, the secretary of Iran’s
Supreme National Security Council.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev arrived in Tehran
on Monday to discuss the `step-by-step’ approach with Iranian
officials and left on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Boroujerdi pointed to Iran’s package of
proposals, which it delivered to the 5+1 group (the U.S., Britain,
France, China, Russia, and Germany), saying it was mentioned in the
package that Iran should have the right to acquire and develop nuclear
technology meant for peaceful purposes.

`The modality plan, signed by Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog in
2007, was meant to clear up ambiguities cited by the International
Atomic Energy Agency, and Iran later provided official responses,’ he
said.

The MP also noted that the U.S. does not want Iran’s nuclear dossier
to be closed because it is using the situation as a tool to pressure
Iran to stop its nuclear activities, MNA reported.

From: A. Papazian

The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble: Music of Georges I Gurdjieff

FT
August 19, 2011 11:14 pm

By David Honigmann

The mystic’s work is brought to its roots in the Caucasus

The mystic Georges Gurdjieff composed and dictated volumes of piano
music. Levon Eskenian’s Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble reclaims
these pieces from the salons of Paris and takes them back to their
roots in the Caucasus: played on blul, kamancha, santur, saz and above
all, Armenia’s melancholy apricot-wood flute, the duduk, they reveal
their origins and themselves.

The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble

Music of Georges I Gurdjieff

(ECM)

From: A. Papazian

20 YEARS OF POST-SOVIET TUMULT
By Jan Sherbin

Philadelphia Inquirer

Aug 19 2011

In August 1991, I visited the Soviet Union on a people-to-people
mission. The trip gave me a front-row seat to history: On Aug. 19, 20
years ago today, hard-line communists staged a coup and detained the
country’s leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, in an attempt to curb his reforms.

The coup ended up having the opposite effect: Gorbachev surfaced three
days later and soon shockingly announced the end of Soviet communism.

Ukraine declared independence, followed by five more Soviet republics.

The Soviet Union would dissolve by year’s end.

“What do these events mean?” I asked a young father at his country
house one post-coup afternoon. Picking up his kindergarten-age son,
he responded: “We will not know until Slava grows up.”

Now Slava has grown up, and it’s time to ask again what those events
meant for him and his father. Many Americans assumed democracy, free
enterprise, and free expression would flourish instantly in the former
Soviet Union. But no framework existed for fashioning them from the
debris of communism – nor did post-Soviet leaders necessarily want to.

Two decades later, life has become more stable in 15 new countries.

But the new era began with euphoria – “The sense of freedom was the
best thing I felt,” Arpine Melikbekyan, an Armenian lawyer, told me –
and hurtled into disarray.

Before the collapse, many Soviets recognized that their system was
rotting. By the late ’80s, it had deteriorated to the extent that
goods had disappeared from stores. “I remember walking into a food
store and seeing nothing but salt,” said Yana Yablonovskaya, who was
in grade school in Siberia at the time. “I remember lines for bread,
milk, meat, and, yes, vodka.”

The transition from planned to market economy has been stressful.

People had to learn to budget for services once covered by the
government, notably higher education and health care. Many retirees,
with pensions geared to the old economy, are destitute.

But others enjoy a wide array of goods, including the cars that
now clog the streets. People are free to start a business, travel
internationally, and worship.

New identities have surfaced, too. Ethnic tensions suppressed in
Soviet times erupted, as in Georgia and Chechnya. Populations shifted
as people sought economic opportunity. “A lot of our people left to
become guest workers in Kazakhstan and Russia,” said Azizbek Tashbaev,
a university administrator in Kyrgyzstan.

His country experienced two revolutions. Now, he said, “we are the
first nation in Central Asia where a parliament runs the country.”

A new generation with initiative is replacing one accustomed to
waiting for instructions. “The idea that we Armenians can create
our country ourselves gives me hope,” said Melikbekyan. “The new
generation believes in building new states that will be better than
the Soviet Union,” echoed Levan Khubulava, a Georgian musician.

U.S.-funded educational programs and people-to-people diplomacy are
facilitating this nation-building.

Despite corruption, limits on the press, and the gulf between the rich
and the rest, there is cause for optimism. Ukraine will host Europe’s
soccer championship next year, and Russia the Winter Olympics in 2014.

Kyrgyzstan has seen a fivefold increase in colleges. The Baltic states
have joined the European Union and NATO.

For America’s part, we are at peace with a former enemy; the Cold
War and Evil Empire exist only in history books. That’s an excellent
resolution without a missile fired.

Jan Sherbin co-owns Glasnost Communications, a Cincinnati-based firm
that facilitates communication between people in America and the
former Soviet Union.

From: A. Papazian

GERMAN OMBUDSMAN SAYS HE IS TOLD NOT TO HARM AZERBAIJAN’S IMAGE BY CRITICIZING RIGHTS
Armen Hareyan

HULIQ.com

Aug 19 2011
SC

Germany fully supports the format of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement through the mediation of OSCE Minsk Group, but says human
rights grossly violated in Azerbaijan.

“During parliamentary elections in 2005 the situation of human rights
and freedoms in Azerbaijan was better, than now. I have been told
today that it is important to stop criticism, because it causes harm
to the country’s image,” Lening said at a round table “Rights and
Freedoms in Azerbaijan,” organized by the German Friedrich Nauman
Fund in Hyatt Park hotel on August 16.

While in Azerbaijan Lening expressed his open criticism of the human
rights’ situation in the country. He also added that he sees “gross
violation of human rights” in Azerbaijan. “I regard this as a gross
violation of human rights, as a member country of the Council of
Europe is to be relevant to the Ombudsman from another country. It
is unacceptable,” he said.

Speaking of European institutions and the conflict between Azerbaijan
and Nagorno Karabakh, Lening said his country supports OSCE’s mediation
effort to provide resolution for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “I
believe in the resolution of conflict within the Minsk Group. After
resolving the conflict all other issues will be resolved, including
the issue of refugees ” said Lening. Three days ago two Georgtown
professors published an article in New York Times calling on President
Obama and the International community to recognize the legitimacy of
Nagorno Karabakh Republic and other similar “phantom” states.

The Ombudsman of Germany visited Baku to familiarize himself with
the situation in Azerbaijan. Lening met with representative of the
Azerbaijan’s presidential administration Novruz Mamedov, leaders of
the country’s political parties, NGOs and youth organizations.

From: A. Papazian

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO FLY IN A SUPERJET
By Roland Oliphant

The Moscow Times

Aug 19 2011

ABOARD THE SUPERJET – “Ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seat
belts, make sure that your seats are in the full upright position
and pay attention as our cabin crew demonstrate the safety features
on this Superjet SSJ-100,” said the captain’s voice.

Two dozen journalist-passengers, bleary eyed after rising early to make
the two-hour journey to the airfield and another two hours spent in
departure lounges, standing on hot tarmac and being ferried by buses,
obediently took their seats and buckled up.

The engines fired up, the cabin was filled with a whining like a
distressed refrigerator, and the 100-seater plane hurtled down the
runway and lunged into the air, very quickly for a passenger accustomed
to larger, more lumbering jet aircraft.

It was a mundane procedure and could have been an ordinary scene on
any morning flight between European capitals. And that was the point.

The Superjet 100 is the first new airliner Russia has built since the
fall of the Soviet Union, and the flight from the Zhukovsky airfield
over the Moscow region was an attempt to prove that the phoenix rising
from the ashes of the post-Soviet aviation industry is as quiet,
calm and comfortable as any regional aircraft that competitors like
Canada’s Bombadier and Brazil’s Embraer can produce.

The SSJ is meant to resurrect the domestic aviation industry.

Manufacturer Sukhoi and Superjet International, the Russian-Italian
joint venture that sells the planes internationally, has set a target
of selling 1,000 planes over the next decade.

It’s a rare enough event to be a passenger on a Superjet. There are
only two in service in the world: one with Armenia’s Armavia and one
with Aeroflot. The machine in use at the MAKS air show was delivered
to the Yerevan-based carrier in April – the very first of the craft
to enter service.

Sukhoi Civil Aviation president Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk told journalists
at the show Thursday that the company plans to deliver four more
Superjet 100s to Aeroflot by the end of this year.

Production at the Komsomulsk-on-Amur factory is currently running
at one plane per month, he said, but should rise to three per month
by 2012.

United Engine Corporation plans to invest 3 billion rubles ($103
million) expanding capacity to produce the SaM-146 engine for the jet,
Oboronprom chief Andrei Reus told reporters Wednesday.

Prisyazhnyuk said the company would increase its order portfolio by
57 airliners over the course of this week’s air show, not including
a contract with UTair Airlines for 24 aircraft that was signed earlier.

The president of Superjet International said he hoped that European
certification later this year would open up “more cautious markets”
in Europe and the United States.

Following a chance to wolf down coffee and sandwiches provided by
United Aircraft Corporation in a conference hall-turned-temporary
departure lounge, the trek across the hot tarmac to the bus began.

After a ride around the airfield’s Soviet-era hangers, the
passengers who boarded the beige-liveried aircraft Wednesday morning
subconsciously slipped into the stereotypical rhythm of regional
flights in the former Soviet Union – psychologically resigned to the
prospect of a shaky flight punctuated by strange smells and a meal
of smoked fish, pickles and indeterminate processed-meat products.

But the neat cabin with its full economy-class layout, five seats
to a row – three to starboard and two to port – seemed more like an
aircraft that European budget airlines frequently use to whisk British
stag parties and the occasional price-conscious businessman to Prague.

The effect was only spoiled by uneven gaps between wall and ceiling
panels that looked as if someone had pried open the oxygen mask
compartment to conceal a stash of heroin, but had failed to reassemble
it afterward.

The lack of individual overhead ventilation vents was only slightly
irritating. The toilet at the rear of the cabin contains the cramped
but clean fixtures familiar to any air traveler. The armrests worked,
the tray table operated smoothly, and the seats reclined comfortably.

“It’s a delight to fly. A new generation plane no different than its
Airbus analogy,” the Armenian pilot told reporters after the flight.

From: A. Papazian

FEASIBILITY PLAN FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VANADZOR-FIOLETOVO RAILWAY STRETCH TO BE READY IN TEN DAYS

/ARKA/
AUGUST 19, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 19. / ARKA /. Armenian transport and communications
minister Manuk Vardanian met today with representatives of Russian
Sibgiprotrans design firm and the South Caucasus Railways, operating
Armenia’s railroads and gave them 10 days to present the feasibility
plan for construction of a 32-km long railway stretch from Vanadzor,
the administrative center of Lori province and Fioletovo village in
the same province.

Sibgiprotrans design firm and the South Caucasus Railways have been
chosen to design the stretch.

The press service of the ministry said the representatives of these
companies presented a detailed draft plan, selected from five options.

It said the work on the feasibility study will begin after the draft
project is approved.

The construction of the 32-km long stretch from Vanadzor to Fioletovo
was estimated to cost $100 million. The financing will be carried out
jointly by the Armenian and Russian sides. The Anti-Crisis Fund of the
Eurasian Economic Community has pledged $49.9 million loan to Armenia.

The remaining 50% of the project will be financed by Russia.

Sibgiprotrans has 70 years of experience in the field of research
and design and construction of transport facilities. It is one of
the leading design company of the industry with the focus of railway
facilities.

From: A. Papazian

COMPOSER KAREN GRIGORYAN TO PERFORM IN LONDON

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 19, 2011 – 17:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian composer Karen Grigoryan will start his
European tour with a performance in London’s Royal Festival Hall
with London Philharmonic Orchestra guided by world famous conductor
Marius Stravinsky.

The concert is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Republic of
Armenia and will take place under the aegis of the British Diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

From: A. Papazian

PONTIFICAL BANQUET KICK-OFF A GREAT SUCCESS AS PLEDGES EXCEED $1.2 MILLION

asbarez
Thursday, August 18th, 2011

A scene from the kick off event last week

Mr. & Mrs. Harry & Cheryl Nadjarian Pledge $250,000 Prof. & Mrs. Harut
& Tamara Barsamian Donate 500 Shares of Apple Inc. Stock Deacon
& Mrs. Mark & Margaret Shirin to Host The Pontifical Banquet LA
CRESCENTA-A capacity crowd of Western Prelacy sponsors and friends
gathered at Carousel Restaurant on August 11 to pledge their support at
the Kick-off to the Pontifical Banquet which will be held on October
16 in honor of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House
of Cilicia.

Held under the auspices of Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, the Kick-off brought together sponsors and community
members at a festive evening filled with good cheer and surprises.

Among the guests in attendance were Clergy members, Central Executive
members Khajag Dikijian and Vicken Kassabian, and representatives
from the ARF Central Committee, ARS, Homenetmen, AEF, and parishes.

Once all the guests had arrived, the program began with the invocation
by the Prelate. Masters of Ceremonies Rev. Fr. Vazken Atmajian and
Jasik Jarahian then welcomed the guests. Welcoming remarks were also
delivered by Khajag Dikijian and Executive Council Chairwoman Rima
Boghossian.

Dikijian stated that the Prelacy and its parishioners are
enthusiastically preparing for the Pontifical Visit, and expressed
confidence that this upcoming visit will be successful just as the
last visit was. Boghossian stressed the importance of collaboration
in the planning of the Pontifical Visit, and noted that the success
of the evening and the work that has already been carried out is
confirmation of the Prelacy’s strong support system of working hands,
sponsors, and friends. She also thanked the guests and members of
the various Pontifical Visit Committees for their support and efforts.

The guests were given a brief report on the schedule of His Holiness
during the Pontifical Visit. They were reminded that the visit will
take place from October 6 to the 23rd, and were informed of some of
the major events planned such as a community-wide welcoming on October
6 at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood, the event dedicated to the
Catholicosate Seminary on October 7 at the Pasadena Armenian Center,
Pontifical Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s Church and the Pontifical
Banquet at the Universal Hilton on October 16, presentation of the
Pontiff’s latest book “Taking the Church to the People,” visits to
parishes, and meetings with dignitaries and public officials.

The Prelate then delivered his remarks, first welcoming the guests
and thanking all those who have lent their efforts and support to the
planning of the Pontifical Visit. He reiterated the main foci of the
Pontifical Visit, which are spiritual renewal, the further anchoring
and continued progress of Armenian schools, and reassertion of our
spirit of national aspirations. Sharing a history of exile with our
people, the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia remains on the
front lines as we reassert our spirit of national aspirations and
is our beacon of hope and light, said the Prelate. He also stressed
that Armenian Schools have long been a primary focus of His Holiness
and of the Catholicosate’s mission, and that our schools will be the
main focus during the Pontifical Visit.

On behalf of the ARF Central Committee, Avedik Izmirlian extended
his best wishes to the Prelate, Executive Council, and all the
committees and committee members who have delved into the crucial
work of planning for the Pontifical Visit, and noted that alongside
the spiritual renewal and the furthering of the Armenian Cause is
the goal of offering full support to Armenian Schools.

The MCs then announced the sponsorship levels available, Table Sponsor
($2,500), “Pilgrim of Cilicia” Circle ($5,000), “Knight of Cilicia”
Circle ($10,000), “Duke of Cilicia” Circle ($25,000), “Prince of
Cilicia” Circle ($50,000), and “Guardian of Cilicia” Circle ($100,000),
and invited representatives of parishes to announce their pledges,
adding to the already festive mood of the evening.

The guests became more elated as the Prelate began announcing the main
sponsors and hosts of the Pontifical Banquet and Visit and revealed
some wonderful surprises. The first major announcement was that Deacon
Mark Shirin and his wife Margaret from Fresno were to be the main hosts
of the Pontifical Banquet for which they had pledged a very generous
donation. The second surprise was that Professor Harut Barsamian
and his wife Tamara, who have established a scholarship fund at the
Prelacy and are also the benefactors of the Orange County Armenian
Center, with their donation of 500 shares of Apple stocks were one
of the main sponsors of the Pontifical Visit. The third announcement
was a pledge in the amount of $100,000 by longtime Prelacy friend
and supporter Silva Tchakmakian. The evening’s biggest revelation
was the announcement of a $250,000 pledge by Mr. and Mrs.

Harry and Cheryl Nadjarian, who have also over the years so generously
lent their support to Homenetmen, the Armenian National Committee,
the Armenian Cultural Foundation, and the AMAA.

These announcements were met with great applause and enthusiastic
cheers from the guests, which only grew louder with the announcement
that the number of guests for the Pontifical Banquet had reached
almost one thousand.

After each of his announcements, the Prelate invited Deacon Mark
Shirin, Prof. Barsamian, and Harry Nadjarian to express their
sentiments. Deacon Mark, being a Seminary alumnus and long-time servant
at Holy Trinity Church, humbly announced that he and his wife were
presenting this modest sum towards the Catholicosate of Cilicia, the
Prelacy and Armenian Schools as a token of gratitude, and also took
the opportunity to congratulate the Prelate on the 35th anniversary of
his ordination as a celibate priest. Prof. Barsamian stated that it
was a great joy and spiritually fulfilling to be able to participate
with his donation to the Pontifical Visit, and reaffirmed his support
to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Western Prelacy. Nadjarian,
on behalf of his wife and personally, expressed his thanks for the
privilege and honor of participating in the welcoming and honoring
of His Holiness. He noted that there is excitement and enthusiasm
surrounding the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness and expressed his
joy for being a part of the festivities.

The evening came to a close with the benediction by the Prelate and
the singing of the Cilician anthem.

The Prelacy expressed gratitude and blessings to all the sponsors
and friends for their support and efforts.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIANS CLASH WITH YEZIDI KURDS IN ARMENIA

Today.Az
Aug 18, 2011
Azerbaijan

Clashes between Armenians and Yezidi Kurds took place in Kotayk
region of Armenia, APA reports quoting Armenia’s Aykakan Jamanak
newspaper. The clashes began when Armenians attacked Zovuni village
populated by the Yezidi Kurds.

Villagers said the attack was organized by an Armenian oligarch, who
aims to seize the lands owned by the villagers. One of the villagers
told the newspaper that the Armenian attackers were armed and they
wounded some of the villagers. The injured men were hospitalized.

The newspaper denied reports about the use of arms and added that
leader of the Armenia’s National Yezidi Community Aziz Tamoyanan was
threatened by the armed people. One of the Armenians pointed a gun
at his head.

/APA/

From: A. Papazian