Author: Andres-Papazian

BORIS GRACHEVSKY, GARRI BARDIN ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 12, 2010 – 21:07 AMT 16:07 GMT

The 6th International Children’s and Youth Film Festival was launched
in Yerevan.

Moscow cinema hosted the festival opening ceremony preceded by a gala
concert. Among this year’s honorary guests, the festival welcomed
the author of Eralash humoristic film journal, Boris Grachevsky,
world-known director and animator Garri Bardin as well as actors and
directors from Poland, Great Britain, SAR, Turkey and other countries.

Honored Art Worker of Russia, composer Grigori Gladkov also delivered
a greeting speech at the ceremony.

The festival was opened with animated cartoons by Pilot studio.

Several nominations, including I’ve Got Rights nomination aiming at
spreading awareness on children’s rights will be featured at the
festival. Over 80 films from 27 countries will be featured during
the festival to last till October 16.

From: A. Papazian

HOUSING PROGRAM PROGRESSING IN ARMENIA’S EARTHQUAKE ZONE

news.am
Oct 13 2010
Armenia

On October 13, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited the Lori
region of Armenia. He issued 157 housing certificates in the village
of Sarakhart. The houses were actually built in eight settlements
under the Government Housing Assistance Program aimed at resolve the
housing problems in the earthquake zone.

Premier Tigran Sargsyan pointed out that the houses will be provided
to citizens as their private ownership, the RA Government’s press
service told NEWS.am. “This initiative is an opportunity for us to
show President Serzh Sargsyan is honoring his election pledge to
provide housing to the rest 7,000 families,” the Premier said.

Housing construction worth a total of U.S. $250m is currently under
way in the earthquake zone. “I am happy to issue housing certificates
to 157 families. However, we have not yet resolve the housing problem
for all the 7,000 families,” Premier Sargsyan said.

The Premier also visited Spitak and participated in tree planting in
the Varpetats neighborhood under the Clean Homeland program.

“I would like to thank the young people from the Together Movement,
who have consistently been supervising the implementation of
the Government-launched Clean Homeland program. This is the best
guarantee that the tasks set under the Clean Homeland program will
be accomplished,” Sargsyan said. He pointed out the advisability of
governors’ persona supervision of the program.

The 220 houses constructed in the Varpetats neighborhood were
distributed by casting lots.

From: A. Papazian

THE TRANSYLVANIAN ARMENIANS’ COLLECTION BECOMES ONE OF THE WINNERS AT 2010 BUCHAREST ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2010 – 19:54 AMT 14:54 GMT

The ninth edition of the 2010 Bucharest Architecture Biennale
designated the winners in the six sections of the competition:
architecture under 1000 sq m, architecture larger than 1000 sq
m, town planning, interior architecture, stage setting and object
design, monument restoration and the rehabilitation of buildings, and
architecture journals. The winners include the “Dinca Home, Borsa,
Maramures” (photo), “the Media and Design Academy, Mina C. Genk,
Belgium”, “PUG Berzeasca”, “Pilot exhibition – the Transylvanian
Armenians’ collection”, “the Evangelical Church Administrative Office,
Brasov, 17 Town Hall Square” or “Banat-Crisana Tourist’s guides”. The
exhibitions associated with the 2010 Bucharest Architec­ture Biennale
include “Rien Ne va Plus/ Faites vos Jeux” – a Dutch exhibition
on architecture at a time of crisis, the “Ro­ma­­nian Architecture
Com­pe­tition Exhibition” or “2010 Magic Blocks – Behind the Concrete
Curtain”, Nine oClock reported.

The Museum of the Armenians in Transylvania – Dumbraveni (Sibiu county)
was officially inaugurated on July 15th.

The initiative to establish a museum collection of the Transylvanian
Armenians belongs to the National Network of Romanian Museums and
its partners and is part of a broader project – Regeneration actions
for the Armenian community – financed by the governments of Iceland,
Liechtenstein, and Norway under the NGO Fund of the EEA Financial
Mechanism.

The museum is in the old medieval Apafi castle, in completely
refurbished hallrooms, and showcases the history, the religion and
the everyday life of the Armenians. The project is a perfect example
of public-private partnership with the town hall of Dumbraveni,
making the location available, with the Armenian Foundation providing
information about the community, and with the NGOs doing the relevant
work – rehabilitation of the historical monument, setting up the
museum collection, and training the personnel of the museum. The
project also aims at enhancing the touristic attractiveness and the
economic development of the town through the valorization of cultural
heritage. The delegation was also taken on a tour in the ancient
Armenian catholic church in Dumbraveni.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA CELEBRATES ARMEN JIGARKHANYAN’S JUBILEE WITH POMP

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2010 – 21:01 AMT 16:01 GMT

Moscow Dramatic Theatre, under the guidance of Armen Jigarkhanyan,
hosted a gala night to celebrate 75th jubilee of USSR peoples’ artist,
as well as 15th anniversary of theatre formation.

Well known directors, actors, art workers, participating in the
event, emphasized the significant contribution of Jigarkhanyan to
the theatrical and cinematographic art.

Moscow Dramatic Theatre actors and famous musicians featured their
performances.

Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev opened the event.

Armenian Ambassador to Russia Oleg Yesayan read out the celebratory
message of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian Foreign
Ministry press service reported.

From: A. Papazian

Environmentalist Concerned About Factories Along Lake Sevan’s Coast

Epress.am ()
Oct. 11, 2010

The Ministry of Nature Protection just responds to the buildings
constructed along Lake Sevan’s coast, but doesn’t provide a final
solution, said Ecolur NGO President Inga Zarafyan at a press
conference today.

As an example, Zarafyan noted the Gegamet Plus CJSC (a mining and
exploration company) processing plant along Lake Sevan’s Shorja coast.

“We met with Gegamet Plus President Vladimir Gasparyan, [and] spoke
about the plant’s dangers; however, he told us that their activities
aren’t harmful, and the tailings leaked as a result of processing
include a natural filter and do not pose a threat,” explained
Zarafyan.

The Ecolur president considered the activities of MIKA Cement as
likewise dangerous.

“MIKA Cement company also day and night takes cement from the
so-called Artanish area, however that area is likewise included in
Sevan’s ecosystem,” she said.

From: A. Papazian

Georgia to introduce visa-free travel regime for Russians from N
Caucasus.

11.10.2010

TBILISI, October 11 (Itar-Tass) — Georgia will introduce a
visa-free travel regime for Russians living in the North Caucasus,
Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said on Monday, October 11.
The new rules will apply to the residents of North Ossetia,
Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria,
Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Adygeya, and other republics in the North
Caucasus neighbouring on Georgia.

Kalandadze said the residents of these Russian republics would be
able to enter Georgia without visas in about two weeks and stay in the
country for 90 days.

She said the decision had been adopted because the residents of
these republics were in an unequal position compared to other Russians
who travel to Georgia by plane and get visas at the airports, whereas
people living in these North Caucasian republics go to Georgia by car
mainly through the Verkhny Lars (Russia) – Kazbegi (Georgia) checkpoint
on the North Ossetian section of the border and have to obtain entry
visas from the section of Georgia’s interests at the Swiss Embassy in
Moscow.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia Liberal Parties Agree to Work Together

Epress.am ()
Oct. 12, 2010

On Oct. 7, in the German city of Potsdam, a memorandum of cooperation
was signed among three liberal political parties in the South
Caucasus: the Pan-Armenian National Movement (Armenia), Musavat
(Equality) Party (Azerbaijan) and the Republican Party of Georgia
(Georgia).

Speaking with Epress.am yesterday, Pan-Armenian National Movement
Chair
Aram Manukyan, who signed the agreement, shared the details of the
meeting.

“The document has gone through many years of a preparatory phase; at
least 8 years of cooperation. We meet with the Azerbaijani, [and]
Georgian liberals, we work together: events, seminars, discussions,
meetings with youth organizations, and there’s always been the issue
that we have agreements on joint principles and for those to be
written. In Potsdam, we managed to achieve that,” he said.

Note that in the Armenian delegation were Armenian National Congress
(HAK) representatives Davit Shahnazaryan, Vahagn Khachatryan and
Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

“The important [thing] is that the liberal parties take on the
responsibility to cooperate with each other and the area of this
cooperation is [in] human rights, property rights, free elections,
governments whose activities are transparent. It was very important
that they were new provisions: the peaceful resolution of conflicts in
the South Caucasus and, most importantly, what I consider to be a
victory, not a victory over someone but for the overall affair, the
need to release political prisoners. This problem is a serious problem
for the South Caucasus, and we registered that the release of
political prisoners is a serious issue for liberals,” said Manukyan.

The Pan-Armenian National Movement chair also informed Epress.am that
beginning tomorrow, 56 European liberal parties will gather in
Helsinki for the European Liberal Democrats (ELDR) Congress. According
to Manukyan, they
now have a serious document to present at that congress.

Manukyan also said that until today, there’s never been such a
document.

“Three alternative South Caucasus political parties… if tomorrow
there’s a regime change, here [in Armenia], HAK will come, in
Azerbaijan, Musavat will come, [and] in Georgia, the Republican
[Party]. That is, these three parties are serious political units in
the South Caucasus and they had the courage to place a bid to take on
responsibility that it’s on this path that the peoples of the South
Caucasus must go. That is European integration, joint communication,
[and] the peaceful resolution of conflicts,” he said.

Aram Manukyan added that the Pan-Armenian National Movement’s aim is
the country’s peace, prosperity, as well as peaceful coexistence in
the region, people working together in the name of peace and
development in the South Caucasus.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
October 11, 2010

ATP to Partner with American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Program to Plant Locally
Grown Trees in Northern Armenia

WATERTOWN, MA–Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been working on an exciting
new partnership with the American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Campaign for the
fall planting season. Our partnership with American Forests involves
planting 175,000 new tree seedlings in the Getik River Valley of northern
Armenia, where ATP has been working since 2004.

The seedlings will be purchased from families growing trees as part of ATP’s
Backyard Nursery Micro-Enterprise Program. The Backyard Nursery Program is a
unique initiative that addresses the interrelated challenges of poverty and
deforestation.

“ATP partners with rural subsistence farmers who propagate tree seedlings in
backyard nurseries. Each family grows 500 to 1,000 seedlings which ATP
purchases when they are ready to be replanted in the forest, providing
desperately needed income,” notes ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian.
“This model rewards families for their hard work throughout the year since
we only purchase the trees that are healthy and ready for transplanting.”

“American Forests will provide a grant of $70,000 if ATP can raise the
remainder of the funds required to implement the project,” explains
Masarjian. “Our Backyard Nursery Program received the National Energy Globe
Award for Sustainability at the European Parliament in 2008 and we are
grateful that an international organization like American Forests has
decided to initiate this partnership in recognition of our efforts.”

American Forests is the oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization
in the United States. Citizens concerned about the waste and abuse of the
nation’s forests founded the organization in 1875 and one of its goals has
been to assist communities in planning and implementing tree and forest
actions to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities.

American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Campaign has been planting native trees in
rural and urban ecosystem restoration projects around the world. The
organization plans to plant 4.8 million trees this year in 14 states and 10
countries to help restore forests important for endangered wildlife, clean
water, and carbon sequestration. Since the planting of the first Global
ReLeaf project 20 years ago, more than 30 million native trees have been
planted in over 600 restoration projects.

“Our goal is to raise these matching funds in order to purchase tree
seedlings and tools, in addition to hiring workers to install fencing to
protect the new trees and maintain the site in the first few years while the
seedlings become established,” explains Masarjian. “The trees are all grown
from seeds collected locally in the nearby forests but they do require some
nurturing and care while they grow into a young forest.”

An article on the National Geographic website in August points out that
ATP’s Backyard Nursery Program in the Getik River Valley gives rural
residents hope, and that the money they receive for their seedlings will
help them maintain their homes, expand small businesses, and support their
children.

“As we approach the fall planting season, we hope Armenians will help ATP
meet the challenge offered by American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Campaign to
plant 175,000 new trees in northern Armenia. This partnership will enable us
to fulfill our commitment to these families and plant new forests that will
sustain Armenia’s people well into the future,” Masarjian emphasized.

Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than
3,500,000 trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of
jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The
organization’s three tiered initiatives are tree planting, environmental
education, and poverty reduction. For more information or to support the
American Forests Global ReLeaf Challenge, please contact ATP at (617)
926-8733 or visit the web site

From: A. Papazian

In Order to Save Lake Sevan’s Fish, We Must Fight Against Poaching:
Expert
Epress.am ()
Oct. 11, 2010

We’ve never seen the resources of fish in Lake Sevan’s in such a bad
state, said Director of the Institute of Hydro-Ecology and Ichthyology
at Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences Bardukh Gabrielyan at a
press conference today.

“Our endemic types of fish – Ishkhan [Prince], Koghak, Beghlun =80′ no
longer have commercial value,” he said.
“There are two reasons for this: the lowering of Lake Sevan’s water
level and poaching” said Gabrielyan.
He, however, said there’s a way out of the situation.
“The lake is being artificially supplemented with fish, this yields
positive results, however, it’s not enough. Complementary projects
should be implemented: otherwise, on one hand, they add fish
artificially; on the other hand, poaching increases,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

Waste Under Water: Numerous Issues Unresolved Prior to Raising Lake
Sevan’s Level

Epress.am ()
Oct. 11, 2010

The inter-ministerial government commission on Sevan has seen progress
in the issue of raising Lake Sevan’s level, said commission member and
For Sustainable Human Development NGO Chair Karine Danielyan at a
press conference today.

“When two years ago, the [Armenian] government approved a decision to
lower the level of Lake Sevan so that the adjacent buildings won’t be
disadvantaged, we decided to raise our voices since lowering the
lake’s level can
raise numerous ecological problems,” said Danielyan, adding that
regretfully, they weren’t able to apply appropriate measures, prior to
raising the lake’s level, in resolving the issue of waste and green
spaces.

“A large quantities of green spaces were submerged, which can be a
basis for stagnation, as well as garbage along the shore was
submerged,” added the environmentalist.

From: A. Papazian