Author: Andres-Papazian

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710 or (973) 943-8697
E-mail: [email protected]
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** TOP STORY June 19, 2014
————————————————————
Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin
A painting by artist Yeghishe Tadevosyan depicts St. Gregory the
Illuminator’s vision in which Christ struck the ground with a golden
hammer and instructed Gregory to erect a church on the site.

** Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin
————————————————————
On Sunday, June 22, the Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast of
the Catholic Church of Holy Etchmiadzin (canonically known as
Don Sourp Etchmiadzini Gatoghiguh Yegeghetzin).

The cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was built in A.D. 303, after
St. Gregory the Illuminator had a vision in which Christ struck the
ground with a golden hammer and instructed Gregory to erect a church
on the site.

The feast day commemorates the founding of the Universal Church (the
idea that there was one church, founded by Jesus Christ and spread by
the Apostles) and St. Gregory’s vision. It follows the Feast of
St. Gregory the Enlightener (his deliverance from the pit), which will
be observed on Saturday, June 21.

Click here
()
to read about the holy Mother See of the Armenian Church, and the
feast day dedicated to it.

St. Gregory the Enlightener Church, White Plains, NY

** Deacons to be Ordained in White Plains
————————————————————
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate, will visit St. Gregory
the Enlightener Church of White Plains, NY, on Sunday, June 22. The
Primate will ordain parishioners Peter Derderian, Michael Givelekian,
and Gregory Guroian to the diaconate.

Morning service begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Divine Liturgy at
10 a.m. A brunch will follow services.

Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

** Scripture of the Week
————————————————————

Prv 9:1-6
Zec 3:7-4:9
Heb 9:1-10
Jn 10:22-30

** Prayer of the Week
————————————————————

Our Lord and Savior, you miraculously designed in luminous form Holy
Etchmiadzin. You made it a storehouse of your unfading divine grace so
that it may be the parent, teacher, and overseer of all the Armenian
churches. Keep her without blemish, firm and bright for the glory of
our churches and children until the end of the world, so that they may
always glorify your name. Amen.

** Upcoming Saints & Feasts
————————————————————

21 June: St. Gregory the Enlightener (Deliverance from the Pit)

22 June: Feast of the Catholic Church of Holy Etchmiadzin

** CHURCH NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
————————————————————
International Conference at Holy Etchmiadzin
Church leaders during one of the conference sessions, held at the
Vatche and Tamar Manougian Library on the grounds of the Holy See.

** Conference on Syria Concludes at Holy Etchmiadzin
————————————————————
Last week, Holy Etchmiadzin and the World Council of Churches
organized a two-day conference titled `Crisis in Syria: Challenges for
Faith Communities.’ His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, presided over the meeting of church
leaders, government representatives, and members of the Syrian
community in Armenia.

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, the Diocese’s Ecumenical Director and a
member of the WCC Executive Board, was influential in bringing the WCC
to Armenia to discuss the situation in Syria.

In a statement issued at the conclusion of the conference,
participants called on `all parties to the conflict to pursue an
immediate cessation of armed confrontation and hostility within Syria
and Iraq.’ Specifically, they called for a lifting of restrictions on
humanitarian assistance, the withdrawal of foreign armed fighters, and
the release of clergy and civilian abductees.

Click here
()
to read the statement in its entirety.

** DIOCESAN NEWS
————————————————————

Professor Roberta Ervine speaks about the life of Mkhitar Gosh.

** A Medieval Model of Multi-cultural Living?
————————————————————
The medieval Armenian monk Mkhitar Gosh could hardly be called a man
of the 21st-century globalized world. But in many ways he stands as a
model of ideas and ways of living that have only now come into view.

How did this man from the 12th century become a unique example of
=80=9Cmulticultural’ living? And what lessons can we derive from his
experiences? These provocative questions were answered by Professor
Roberta Ervine of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary on Wednesday, June 4,
during a multimedia presentation on Mkhitar Gosh titled, `How to be
Armenian in a Multi-cultural World?’

Professor Ervine’s talk was the final lecture of the spring season
sponsored by the Diocese’s Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information
Center. Click on the following links to read more
()
and to view a video
()
recording of the lecture.

FAR
Doctors review FAR’s `Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program’ in
Tavush.

** FAR Co-hosts Symposium on Child Malnutrition in Armenia
————————————————————
Last month, the Fund for Armenian Relief-in cooperation with World
Vision
()
and the American University of Armenia (AUA)
()
-organized a symposium in Yerevan focusing on infant and child
malnutrition in Armenia. Titled `Nutrition as a Key to Economic
Development: The Case for Armenia,’ the symposium drew experts from
Columbia University in New York.

Following the meeting, FAR staff and Columbia faculty members traveled
to Tavush to review FAR’s `Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program’
(BCPP)-a five-year initiative that addresses malnutrition,
unemployment, poverty, and infrastructure weaknesses in Armenia’s
northeastern province. The visitors made recommendations for
strengthening the program and discussed the possibility of
implementing similar projects in other parts of Armenia.

Click here
()
to read more on FAR’s blog.

Holy Cross Church in Van
Holy Cross Church, a precious jewel of Armenian architecture, on
Aghtamar island in Lake Van.

** The Clock is Ticking
————————————————————
There is still time to register for the Eastern Diocese’s pilgrimage
to historic Armenia, scheduled for September 3 to 15, 2014.

Participants will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Church on
the island of Aghtamar, and take part in prayer services at the
St. Giragos Armenian Church of Dikranagert and the St. Gregory Church
in Kayseri.

The pilgrimage also includes visits to other cities of historic
Armenia=80’Kharpert, Malatya, and Sepastia, and other locales. The
journey will include a stop in Istanbul, where pilgrims will visit the
Armenian Patriarchate.

Click here
()
to view a flyer for registration information. To view a short film
about the Diocese’s 2012 pilgrimage to historic Armenia, click here
()
.

** PARISH NEWS
————————————————————
Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church, Providence, RI
Archbishop Barsamian consecrates a new khatchkar at Sts. Sahag and
Mesrob Church, with Fr. Shnork Souin assisting.

** Providence Celebrates Centennial
————————————————————

Over the course of three days last weekend, parishioners at Sts. Sahag
and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI, celebrated the church’s 100th
anniversary. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate, traveled
to Providence to take part in the centennial events.

On Friday, June 13, Maestro Konstantin Petrossian led the Armenian
chorales and orchestra of Rhode Island and Greater Worcester in a
concert celebrating `a century of light, hope, and faith.’ The concert
drew some 550 people, and featured soloists from Armenia, Rhode
Island, Massachusetts, and New York. At the conclusion of the
evening’s program, Archbishop Barsamian presented Maestro Petrossian
with the `St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Medal’ and Pontifical Encyclical,
bestowed by His Holiness Karekin II, in honor of his contributions to
the Armenian Church.

On Saturday, June 14, the parish hosted a gala banquet at the Marriott
Hotel in Providence. Rhode Island State Representative Katherine
Kazarian served as the mistress of ceremonies. The Rev. Fr. Mardiros
Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Seminary, gave the keynote address.

On Sunday, June 15, Archbishop Barsamian celebrated the Divine
Liturgy. A centennial khatchkar was consecrated after the badarak on
church grounds. The khatchkar was crafted in Armenia and erected by
parishioner Paul Surabian. Also consecrated were two paintings of
angels, created for the sanctuary by local artist Artur Ovanesyan.

Click here
()
to view photos from these events.

Fr. Arakel Aljalian with scholarship recipients. (Click here
()
to enlarge the photo.)

** Scholarships Distributed in Watertown
————————————————————

On Sunday, June 15, St. James Church of Watertown, MA, held its annual
Scholarship Sunday event, presenting 25 scholarships totaling over
$21,000 to St. James college students.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian, parish
pastor, presented the scholarships to the recipients, and
congratulated them on their achievements. `Work hard this year, and
don’t forget that St. James is always your home,’ he said to the
college students. `We support you and wish you success in your
studies.’

This year’s scholarship recipients are: Alina Bazarian, Karina
Bekelian, Liana Bekelian, John Bogosian Trocchi, Alex Bresnee, Arlin
Cimen, Kevin Eskici, Natalie Eskici, Ari Kazanjian, Aram Gurekian, Ava
Gurekian, Shane Madden, William Musserian, Paul Pirundini, Alec
Seferian, Ari Shirinian, Simon Tacvorian, and Hagop Toghramadjian. The
scholarships are made possible thanks to various endowment funds at
St. James Church.

St. Stepanos Church, Elberon, NJ
Children take part in the Ascension Day celebration at St. Stepanos
Church.

** Vijag Ceremony in Elberon
————————————————————

At St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ, the Feast of the Ascension of
Our Lord Jesus Christ was observed with services, a concert, and a
traditional vijag ceremony.

Anna Mehrabyan, a young parishioner of St. Stepanos Church, worked
with the Rev. Fr. Daniel Karadjian, parish pastor, and members of the
Woman’s Guild to organize a concert of Armenian folk songs and Western
classical music.

Following the concert in the church sanctuary, parishioners gathered
in Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian Hall for a traditional Armenian
fortune game called vijag. The hall was decorated with flower garlands
and centerpieces, and at the center there stood a pail of water into
which parishioners dropped rings, earrings, coins, and key chains. As
everyone sang vijag songs, Anna Mehrabyan pulled out the items and
parishioner Maral Karakashian read the owners’ fortunes.

Click here
()
to view photos.

Upcoming events

** Upcoming Parish Events
————————————————————

Hye Pointe Church | Haverhill, MA
The Armenian Church at Hye Pointe of Haverhill, MA, will host =80=9CAn
Afternoon of Armenian Music’ on Sunday, June 22, beginning at 1
p.m. Vocalists Janette Khalarian and Margar Yeghiazaryan will
perform. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

** YOUTH NEWS
————————————————————

** View Holy Land Photos Online
————————————————————
The first photo gallery from this month’s Youth Pilgrimage to the Holy
Land is now online. Click here
()
to view photos from Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Jordan River, Sea of
Galilee, and other holy sites the group visited during the 10-day
program.

Check back next week for more about this spiritually uplifting
journey.

From: A. Papazian

June 18, 2014, Yerevan, Armenia

PRESS RELEASE
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)
Inessa Grigoryan, PR & Communications Manager
1 Northern Avenue, 8th floor, Suite 24
Yerevan, 0001, Republic of Armenia
Tel.: (+374 10) 53 34 12, 50 20 76
Fax: (+374 10) 50 20 76
; am.coafkids.org

COAF and VivaCell-MTS Join Hands in Bringing New Educational Opportunities
to Vanand School
Contemporary Creativity Lab & Library/Resource Center Opened in Vanand
Community of Armavir Marz of Armenia

The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)’s and VivaCell-MTS’s continuous
collaboration resulted in the opening of the third Creativity
Lab. Equipped with a smart board, modern computers, as well as special
mobile furniture, the newly opened Creativity Lab will host students
from the Vanand Community School in Armavir Marz of Armenia. In
addition to the Creativity Lab, a modern Library/Resource Center will
be functioning in Vanand.

The concept of Creativity Labs – technologically enhanced centers that
encourage creativity – was first introduced in Armenia by
COAF. VivaCell-MTS’s financial assistance and corporate social
responsibility component allows for these programs to create equal
development opportunities for rural communities and promote
integration of informational and communication technologies into
village schools.

The program that was launched a year ago has also been beneficial for
the schoolchildren from Sardarapat community in Armavir Marz and
Arteni community in Aragatsotn Marz. Creativity Labs provide a
multifunctional environment fit for classes, training sessions,
lectures, reading, discussions, projects and games, performances and
fun.

From: A. Papazian

PROSPECTS OF GEORGIA’S NATO MEMBERSHIP CAUSE A DISPUTE BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIANS

by Marianna Lazarian

ARMINFO
Wednesday, June 18, 09:13

A dispute occurred between the Azerbaijani and Armenian MPs at the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly’s Seminar in Baku, APA reports. The source says
that Georgia’s NATO membership was discussed at the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly’s 86th Rose-Roth Seminar titled “South Caucasus: Challenges
and Opportunities”.

Head of the Armenian Delegation Koryun Nahapetyan said that he
supports Georgia’s NATO membership. “We are speaking about stability,
partnership here, but Azerbaijan calls us invaders. It doesn’t serve
the stability. We want stability, not a war.”

Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to NATO PA Gudrat Hasanguliyev
accused the Armenian parliamentarian of hypocrisy: “As far as you
need to be dishonest to claim stability after occupying the territory
of the neighboring country. How can you talk about the stability? I
declare once again that Armenia has no political will. Since the public
execution in the parliament in 1999, Armenians have been suffering
“animal fear” of Russian intelligence”.

Afterwards, member of the Armenian Delegation Tevan Pogosyan pointed
out: “You said Armenia suffers an ‘animal fear’. In response, I say
that the cause of Armenia’s political and economic weakness is the
blockade of Armenia by Azerbaijan”.

To note, the members of the Armenian delegation were Koryun Nahapetyan,
Head of the Parliamentary Commission for Defense, National Security
and Internal Affairs, Tevan Poghosyan, Secretary of the opposition
Heritage Faction, and Richard Giragosian, Head of the Regional
Studies Center. The delegation has visited Baku to participate in
NATO’s Rose-Roth seminar only after receiving official guarantees of
their security from Azerbaijan. In Baku the Armenian delegation was
“welcomed” by protest actions, however, the police dispersed the
demonstrators.

From: A. Papazian

DIASPORA ADRIFT

Mirror Spectator
Editorial 6-21

By Edmond Y. Azadian

We live in a world of instant gratification. Life, death, calamities
and pleasures happen instantly before our eyes, leading us on a course
of fatalism.

The Middle Eastern Armenian communities are quickly depopulated by
political and military upheavals. Armenia is being depopulated after
the six-century dream of an independent homeland has fallen short
of providing all the answers. On the other hand, new communities are
formed in the West and especially in North America, with a different
complexion.

In short, a lopsided existence has been created with more Armenians
living outside than inside Armenia. As such, values also have undergone
an intense process of transformation.

Drifting apart from our home bases in Armenia and the Middle East,
we have come together in other parts of the world as a consequence of
globalization. We are apart yet we are bound together in a nebulous
existence.

Following the Genocide, as the survivors settled down in the New
World, the common prophecy was that within 50 years, there would
be no Armenians left in the diaspora. One hundred years after that
prediction, today, the prophesy remains the same, leading us to believe
that the momentum will carry us still for some time in the future.

But as time passes, the global Armenian community will be reduced
to an amorphous state, where the anchor of our existence, Armenia,
will have less and less relevance.

The process has already begun; indifference, hatred and animosity
have been plaguing Diaspora Armenians every time Armenia becomes a
subject of discussion.

Incidentally, now there are two strains in the diaspora. The
traditional one, which has existed for at least a century, if not
more, some even dating back to the fall of Ani, comes with a built-in
resistance to assimilation, and a new one, formed by the waves of
economic immigrants from Armenia who carry no immunity to alienation
and assimilation.

These new immigrants are forming self-contained communities in
communion and osmosis more with the outside world than the existing
Armenian communities in North America and Europe. For example, the
new 25,000-30,000-strong Armenian community in Greece has almost no
interaction with the 10,000-strong older Armenian community there,
which has struggled for a century to preserve its damaged identity
and create mechanisms for self-preservation.

The same confusing picture emerges in California, where new immigrants
have created a world of their own, their Soviet values incompatible
with the host environment: where former academicians have become
taxi drivers, others freshly arrived who believe they are entitled to
welfare, where the youth culture prides itself on its jailbirds and
where former opera singers and ballet dancers entertain the nouveaux
riches at obnoxiously opulent weddings while intellectuals form a
separate caste, seldom contributing to the overall Armenian culture.

Most of them exhibit a dangerous anti-Armenia streak, perhaps derived
from pangs of guilt at having abandoned the homeland.

The traditional diaspora, in its turn, continues its degradation,
with its institutions becoming mere shells of their former selves.

The churches have assumed a new social role, shedding their traditional
missions. Throughout history, wherever the belfry of a church arose,
a school was built adjacent to it. On the East Coast, the church has
completely shirked that responsibility and our clergy members do not
opt for a change. On the West Coast, the picture is not very different;
the Diocese only has a single school, while the Prelacy sponsors a
network of schools mostly on a utilitarian agenda, to indoctrinate
a new generation with political dogmas.

The diaspora survived for centuries because of its institutions and
charismatic leaders. Today, it is hard to pinpoint leaders who can
command the overall respect of the diaspora and mobilize communities
for a noble cause.

We have not yet succeeded in galvanizing the million-plus-member
diaspora into a political force. While politics — domestic or foreign
— determine our existence and destiny, we have a tendency to resist
the issues, instead depoliticizing the community with an atavistic
fear inherited from the Ottoman times. Many local and community
agendas could be achieved by engaging in the democratic process of
this country.

There is an indifference, a sense of ennui, with regard to the loss
of some values and institutions. No one is alarmed by the loss of
the language. It is true that the spirit can carry us some distance,
but language has an important traditional value; it is the key to our
heritage, to the sources of our history. Responsible people rationalize
that language is doomed to be lost, sooner or later, so why struggle,
why worry — let it happen sooner rather than later.

The centennial of the Genocide is around the corner. The US Armenian
community has yet to chart a course. No one is outraged that the
Genocide Museum project failed because of our general apathy and
perhaps also because of a political conspiracy. The Russian-Armenian
community has become the largest Armenian Diaspora, though it is
still in its infancy, with almost no schools, just taking pride in
putting up new churches.

Ironically, there are more Armenians in Russia than Armenia, but the
community is still in a flux to define and to determine its identity,
to be useful to itself, to the world Armenian community and especially
to our ancestral homeland.

Facing disaster, we live in a Panglossian world. The French
philosopher Voltaire published the classic satire of the Age of
Enlightenment, Candide. In the book, the protagonist, Candide, is
the disciple of Dr. Pangloss, whose optimism won’t be dampened by
any disaster. Armenians around the world live in that Panglossian
world, the motto of which is: “All is for the best in the best of
all possible worlds.”

From: A. Papazian

DISPUTE OCCURRED BETWEEN AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN MPS AT NATO PA SEMINAR IN BAKU

APA, Azerbaijan
June 17 2014

[ 17 Juny 2014 17:20 ]

Baku. Mubariz Aslanov – APA. A dispute occurred between the Azerbaijani
and Armenian MPs at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Seminar in Baku.

APA reports that Georgia’s NATO membership was discussed at the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly’s 86th Rose-Roth Seminar titled “South Caucasus:
Challenges and Opportunities”.

Head of the Armenian delegation Koryun Nahapetyan said that they
support Georgia’s NATO membership and hinted at Azerbaijan: “We are
speaking about stability, partnership here, but Azerbaijan calls
us invaders. It doesn’t serve the stability. We want stability,
not a war.”

Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to NATO PA Gudrat Hasanguliyev
demanded the head of the Armenian delegation to stop hypocrisy: “As
far as you need to be dishonest to claim stability after occupying
the territory of the neighboring country. How can you talk about the
stability? You have occupied the Azerbaijani territories for over
20 years. Is it stability? I declare once again that Armenia has no
political will. Since the public execution in the parliament in 1999,
Armenians have been suffering “animal fear” of Russian intelligence”.

Hasanguliyev reprimanded the officials of the NATO PA: “I was an
adherent supporter of Azerbaijan’s integration into Europe. But, my
opinion has recently changed. The reason is the silence and inaction
of the West in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I think
Azerbaijan should negotiate and find a common language with Russia
on this issue”.

Later on, member of the Armenian delegation Tevan Pogosyan made a
speech: “You said Armenia suffers an ‘animal fear’. In response, I
tell that the cause of Armenia’s political and economic weakness is
the blockade of Armenia by Azerbaijan”. The Armenian MP who wanted to
continue his speech in cruder form was not allowed by the moderator”.

From: A. Papazian

US CONGRESS STEPS BACK ON ANTI-TURKEY BILL

Daily Sabah, Turkey
June 17 2014

Ragıp Soylu

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
Foreign Affairs yesterday decided to postpone a scheduled markup on
an anti-Turkey bill related to confiscated Christian properties in
Turkey after receiving pressure from the Turkish government over the
ill-timing of the proposed act.

Congressional sources said that the hearing and decision on the
“Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act” will be rescheduled due
to the abduction of Turkish diplomats in Mosul by the extremist group
the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The bill was originally
expected to be considered by the committee on June 18.

H.R.4 347, if passed, would mandate that Secretary of State John Kerry
provide an annual report to monitor U.S. efforts to survey and secure
unreturned Christian properties in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, which
the bill designates as “occupied by the Turkish military.” Speaking
to Daily Sabah, Turkish officials welcomed the postponement and said
that proposing the bill in the first place was a mistake. “Such an
attempt in this critical time was not a right thing to do. We must
focus on common strategic interests and topics such as the ISIS threat
in the region,” a source stated. The sponsor of the bill was a senior
member of the Republican Party Ed Royce, who is also the chairman of
the committee. Royce was the former chairman of the Armenian-American
Friendship Group in the U.S. Congress.

From: A. Papazian

LAVROV FLIES TO BAKU TO REVIVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 17 2014

17 June 2014 – 9:07am

An official visit to Azerbaijan by the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, starts today. During the visit Lavrov will
hold talks with his Azerbaijani colleague Elmar Mamedjarov and meet
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Lavrov is flying to Baku to discuss
key aspects on the regional and international agendas. The Caspian
issue in the context of preparation for the Fourth Caspian Summit
in Astrakhan will be discussed. The agenda of the talks includes the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

Professor of the Western University, Fikret Sadykhov, told Vestnik
Kavkaza that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will probably be a central
topic for discussion during Lavrov’s visit to Baku. “The visit is
taking place in the context of a changed political situation in the
world and in the CIS space. It is implemented within the framework of
our bilateral strategic cooperation. It is no secret that Azerbaijan
and Russia have high-level relations and develop in various political,
economic and humanitarian directions. Of course the Karabakh topic
will be of high priority,” he says.

The expert also touched on the matter of Russian integration projects.

“Russia would like to see us among members of the Eurasian Union,
but Azerbaijan doesn’t agree to this. I think the Russian Foreign
Minister will continue the line, but if Russia is interested in
Azerbaijan as a member of its integration projects, we need mutual
compromises. It is obvious that Armenia depends on Russia as its
military and political partner. A lot depends on Russia’s role
in the South Caucasus, including revival of the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Sadykhov stresses.

From: A. Papazian

SYRIA IS NOT WAITING TO REBUILD

Dissident Voice
June 16 2014

by Paul Larudee / June 16th, 2014

For three years, most residents of the old city in the center of Homs
had not seen their homes, shops, churches and mosque. Homs was one of
the first cities where armed fighters decided to take on the Syrian
army, and those fighters named it “the capital of the revolution”.

That revolution ended in May, 2014 for the fighters in Homs, when they
negotiated a retreat from the old city. Starving and running low on
ammunition, they accepted the government offer to remove themselves to
a different front, taking only their light arms. Some of the fighters
gave up entirely, putting their trust in the government amnesty.

Homs old city after some of the debris has been cleared

This allowed weary Homsi citizens to assess the damage and think
about recovery of their beloved and historic central district. They
didn’t waste any time. By good fortune and good contacts I found
myself a fly on the wall at a meeting of Christian community leaders
and municipal officials, discussing reconstruction less than a month
after the district had been liberated and only two days after the
national presidential elections.

Church representatives and municipal officials discuss the
reconstruction of the old city of Homs

Spread out on the table were five blueprint-size maps of the old city,
each showing different details. For several hours, they discussed
reconstruction plans down to the individual buildings, preservation
of the original character, the preferences of the property owners,
financing by public and private foundations, interface with Muslim and
other community and government leaders and many other considerations.

How did they do all this preparation in a matter of weeks? The next
day we went to the old city and surveyed the destruction. I found
myself in the car of a man who was entering the destroyed area for
the first time. It was clearly difficult to witness. There were
many beautiful churches with shattered frescoes, mosaics and icons
to rebuild. One was the ancient Church of Mother Mary, built in 59
AD and considered the first Christian Church in existence. However,
the most precious losses were to the lives of the people who called
it home, including the beloved Father Frans van der Lugt, assassinated
only a week before the fighters left.

Destruction of historic sites in Maaloula

Of course, Homs is not the only place that is rebuilding. I also
happened to be briefly present for discussion of restoration in the
recaptured pilgrimage town of Maaloula, where Aramaic, the language of
biblical times, is still spoken. In addition, I visited the recently
recaptured Qalamoun region along the Lebanese border. Residents are
gradually returning, and by some miracle some communities never left.

Most recently, the Armenian village of Kassab near the Turkish border
north of Latakia was retaken by the Syrian army after being overrun by
fighters in March, 2014. Many of the residents returned the next day.

What these and similar stories have in common are the determination of
Syrians to recover and rebuild their communities as soon as government
authority can be reestablished.

Of course, government authority is not universally applauded in Syria,
and many Syrians have grievances against that authority. However,
it appears to be the only force in Syria that is at present capable
of bringing some semblance of normal life to its people. Accordingly,
the government is adding to its already clear support amongst most
Syrians, who appear to have placed bread and butter issues above
reform, while maintaining their concern for both.

* All photos by Paul Larudee

Paul Larudee is one of the founders of the Free Gaza and Free Palestine
Movements and an organizer in the International Solidarity Movement.

From: A. Papazian

PROMOTING INNOVATIVE RURAL TOURISM IN THE BLACK SEA BASIN REGION: EXCHANGE VISIT TO ARMENIA

18:39 17/06/2014 ” SOCIETY

Heifer Armenia with the support of the European Union is happy to
announce that it will be hosting a regional group of tourism sector
service providers from Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria visiting Armenia
in the framework of the EU funded Promoting Innovative Rural Tourism
(PIRT) project. The project is implemented by Heifer Armenia as a
lead partner in cooperation with other three partners from Georgia,
Turkey and Bulgaria, the press service of Heifer Armenia reports.

The regional group of tourism sector service providers will be
in Armenia on exchange visit to discover the beauty of Armenia,
the potential for developing rural tourism, as well as learn the
specifics of Armenian rural tourism from Armenian tourism service
providers and travel agencies who will be sharing with the visitors
their best practice and skills. The exchange visit to Armenia will
start on 17 June and will end on 20 June 2014. The regional group will
be visiting touristic attractions of Armenia starting from Ararat marz
getting to Vayots Dzor and Syunik marzes of Armenia. The group will
be visiting and admiring such touristic treasures of Armenia as Khor
Virap, Aghavnadzor, Tatev, Vorotan, Ukhtasar, Jermuk, Lake Sevan etc.

The PIRT project is directed at supporting regional cooperation and
cross border partnerships for economic and social development in four
Black Sea Basin countries (Armenia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia) based
on combined resources through creation of rural tourism networks in
order to promote joint tourism development initiatives and traditional
products.

In the framework of the project, a network of trained and capable
local service providers in rural tourism and travel agencies will be
established which will develop and sell a unique touristic product
Single Cross-border Visitor package (SCBV package). The SCBV package
will increase the inter-flows of visitors on the regional level and
contribute to unprecedented cooperation between national authorities
in the region and intra-country, aimed ultimately to sustaining the
cross-border impacts of rural tourism.

PIRT is co-financed by the European Union in the amount of 472,923.43
EURO through the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument. The
project began in November 2013 and its duration is 18 months.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TO CREATE ITS OWN SATELLITE: CHINA WILING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT

18:42 17.06.2014

Armenia plans to create a communication and broadcasting satellite
and the Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communication is seeking
cooperation with different countries in the sphere, Armenian Minister
of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan said at the meeting
with representatives of the China Great Wall Industry Corporation
(CGWIC) and the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

“The program was launched in 2012, and today we are in the stage of
coordinating the orbital position. We have a number of proposals on
consulting and governance,” the Minister said.

Vice President of the China Great Wall Industry Corporation, the
Chinese party is willing to cooperate with Armenia in engineering
the Armenian satellite, providing support in its maintenance and
governance, retraining of Armenian specialists.

From: A. Papazian