Author: Andres-Papazian

FURTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FILM FIGURE OF ARMEN, ARMENIA, MY LATE CAT, AND A BOOK SUGGESTION

Montreal Gazette, QC, Canada
April 28 2013

Armenian farmers Shakro and Raya Ghazarian are among the people seen
in Marlene Edoyan’s documentary film Figure of Armen.

So, I watched Figure of Armen, Montrealer Marlene Edoyan’s documentary
film about Armenia and Armenians, for a second time. I had first seen
it at RIDM, Montreal’s documentary film festival. You can watch it
this afternoon, Sunday, April 28, 2013, at 5 p.m. at Cinema du Parc.

Figure of Armen prompted many thoughts, mostly serious, with one
exception.

What do we mean when we talk about a homeland, or motherland or
father land?

Is it the very earth that our ancestors cultivated, and (possibly)
shed their blood defending? Is it the plains, mountains, rivers and
ancient buildings of that place?

The spirit of a country also resides in the myths, songs, stories and
poems handed down through the generations, so can the homeland also
exist in the heart or the collective memory? Can we somehow take it
with us if we leave?

Some of the people in Figure of Armen are determined to remain in
Armenia no matter what, and they hope that their children will stay
there, too, while others say, better to earn your bread in a foreign
land than to starve at home.

Either way, they haven’t got it easy.

So many say that there is no work, there is no government assistance,
that life is hard and their children have already gone to Russia
and Belarus.

One woman says that she and her children would go to the U.S. in a
heartbeat, if only they could.

We might think that our infrastructure, here in Montreal, is falling
apart, but it doesn’t look quite so bad, when compared to some of the
ramshackle conditions in the film. One family is living in “temporary”
housing that was built after the 1988 earthquake.

Material conditions might be difficult, but it seems that young and
old can recite their national poetry at the drop of a hat.

Can we say the same, in North America these days?

Sometimes you just can’t win. In one town, back in the old days, almost
everyone worked at the copper refinery. Their cultural and social needs
were looked after. On the other hand acid rain would eat right through
their umbrellas and stockings. Now, after cutbacks at the smelter and
the collapse of the Soviet Union, only 5 per cent of the townspeople
have work, though presumably the rain no longer ruins umbrellas.

The cats!

In one scene, two white cats with orange markings are seen in a yard.

I once had a beautiful, friendly, affectionate cat that looked just
like that. I got him at the SPCA. He seemed quite distinctive and
looked like what my cat book called a “Turkish Van.” Look it up.

(Since Turkey and Armenia share a border, they might share cats, too.)

For further information: The film visits Javakhk, a part of Georgia
with many ethnic Armenians in it. There are some photos of Javakhk
here. (They are not connected to the film in any way, but you might
find them interesting.

Of course, you can find lots of information about Armenia in general,
and the Armenian genocide, in particular, on the Internet. But you
might also like to read a book that I enjoyed several years ago –
Passage to Ararat, by Michael J. Arlen. It won the (U.S.) National
Book Award in 1976.

Here is a link to it on Amazon.ca.

Quotes from professional book reviewers on the Amazon page:

“More than an excursion into a place…the whole work glows like a
jewel with the warmth of humanity and the appreciation, hard won, of
both strength and weakness.” -Eugenia Thornton, Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Beautifully written and stunning in its insight and honesty… One
comes to see that the object of Arlen’s search is not only, or even
primarily, Armenia or Armenians, but himself and his father.” -David
Milofsky, Milwaukee Journal

“[A] moving, passionate book….written with a mixture of passion,
puzzlement, sorrow, and outrage.” -Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post

“Beautifully moving…. The reader becomes captivated with exotic
tales from the past and joins Arlen’s journey with zest in this quite
marvelous record.” -William Hogan, San Francisco Chronicle

Both Amazon.ca and Amazon.com also have reader reviews, but Amazon.com
has more of them.

Passage to Ararat was excerpted in the New Yorker. You can read a
summary of the story on the New Yorker web site. And if you happen
to be a New Yorker subscriber, you can read the entire article.

Figure of Armen, Sunday April 28, at 5 p.m., at Cinema du Parc,
3575 Park Ave. In Armenian with English subtitles, 74 minutes long.

(When shown with French subtitles, the film is called Figure d’Armen.)

From: A. Papazian

UNCONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH OF “ONE OF THE SIDES” HAMPERS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS – ARMENIAN MINISTER

Interfax, Russia
April 25, 2013 Thursday 12:22 PM MSK

The Russian and Armenian foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Edward
Nalbandian, have confirmed the absence of progress in efforts to
settle the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh

“So far, no steps forward have been taken [in the settlement process],”
Lavrov said at a press conference after talks with Nalbandian in
Moscow on Thursday.

“I would also say that there is no progress [in resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]. But I cannot say that we are facing a
deadlock. The negotiating process continues. Arrangements are being
made for a new meeting of the foreign ministers, who will most likely
meet in Krakow in May. A meeting at the highest level cannot be ruled
out either,” Nalbandian said.

The Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers have met on three occasions
in the past few months, and the Russian, U.S. and French co-chairmen
of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk
Group have visited the region as well, he said.

“It means that the process continues. Another thing is that it lacks
progress because one of the sides pursues an unconstructive approach
and has effectively rejected all offers presented by the co-chairmen,”
the Armenian minister said.

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Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
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From: Katia Peltekian
Subject: Unconstructive approach of “one of the sides” hampers Karabakh
settlement process – Armenian minister

Interfax, Russia
April 25, 2013 Thursday 12:22 PM MSK

Unconstructive approach of “one of the sides” hampers Karabakh
settlement process – Armenian minister

MOSCOW. April 25

The Russian and Armenian foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Edward
Nalbandian, have confirmed the absence of progress in efforts to
settle the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh

“So far, no steps forward have been taken [in the settlement
process],” Lavrov said at a press conference after talks with
Nalbandian in Moscow on Thursday.

“I would also say that there is no progress [in resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]. But I cannot say that we are facing a
deadlock. The negotiating process continues. Arrangements are being
made for a new meeting of the foreign ministers, who will most likely
meet in Krakow in May. A meeting at the highest level cannot be ruled
out either,” Nalbandian said.

The Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers have met on three occasions
in the past few months, and the Russian, U.S. and French co-chairmen
of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk
Group have visited the region as well, he said.

“It means that the process continues. Another thing is that it lacks
progress because one of the sides pursues an unconstructive approach
and has effectively rejected all offers presented by the co-chairmen,”
the Armenian minister said.

From: A. Papazian

IRAN READY TO MEDIATE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH DISPUTE: LARIJANI

Press TV, Iran
April 29 2013

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has stressed Tehran’s readiness
to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute.

In a Monday meeting with Secretary of Azerbaijan’s National Security
Council Ramiz Mehdiyev, Larijani said that regional countries are
capable of solving their problems through close cooperation.

“In this regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses its readiness to
contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis,” he said.

Larijani pointed to numerous cultural, religious and geographical
commonalities between Iran and Azerbaijan two countries and described
their relations as brotherly and friendly.

He underlined the significance of using the potentials of the two
countries to develop bilateral political, economic and cultural ties,
adding that Majlis supports any approach aimed at boosting cooperation
and relations based on mutual respect and common interests.

Mehdiyev, for his part, said that Iran is a friend of Azerbaijan and
there are deeply historical bonds between the people of the two states.

He warned against efforts by certain foreign countries to disturb
friendly relations between Tehran and Baku, urging the consolidation
of relations.

He also welcomed Iran’s efforts to help the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Both Azerbaijan and Armenia claim the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh,
which is largely populated by Armenians but located in Azerbaijan.

Ethnic Armenian forces took control over the enclave which accounts
for 16 percent of Azerbaijan in the early 1990s during a six-year
war with the country that took place from February 1988 to May 1994.

The conflict left an estimated 30,000 people dead and one million
displaced before the two sides agreed to a cease-fire in 1994.

However, a peace accord has never been signed and the dispute still
remains unsettled.

Iran has on several occasions offered to intervene in the dispute.

AR/HGH

From: A. Papazian

KARS-TBILISI-BAKU RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION IS SUSPENDED

April 29, 2013 | 14:40

The construction of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, which plans to
bypass Armenia, is suspended indefinitely, stated Turkey’s main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP Ensar Ogut, the local
newspapers of the City of Kars report.

The Turkish MP noted that the construction of the Caucasus door
is halted, and the Turkish authorities are responsible for this
development.

“I ask the Azerbaijani president, the Georgian authorities, and our
persons in charge, alike, to hold a meeting, in a short jump of time,
and to accelerate the completion of the Kars-Tbilisi railway. The
railroad should have opened in 2013, but even the years 2014 and 2015
raise doubts,” Ogut noted, and stressed that once the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku
railway opens, the railway freight of Turkey will increase by 20
million tons.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

PLATFORM TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR TURKEY TO PAY REPARATION FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

April 28, 2013 | 19:17

The French Bureau of the Armenian Cause and the Defense Committee of
the Armenian Cause issued a joint statement, Nouvelles d’Armenie
monthly of France reports.

In the statement, they announce about the establishment of a new
platform to seek reparation for the damages which Turkey caused to
the Armenian nation as a result of the Armenian Genocide.

“[Wednesday,] April 24, 2013 became the start of a new phase for the
Armenian cause. It is time for the Turkish state to pay heed to the
righteous demand for reparation for the damage caused to the Armenian
nation. The reparation is along the lines of a clear recognition of
the Armenian Genocide,” the aforesaid statement reads in particular.

Subsequently, the two abovementioned organizations inform about the
establishment of a platform for Turkey to pay reparation.

“We will make all efforts so that Turkey is engaged, before the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide [i.e., in 2015], in the
process of reparation for the damage caused to the Armenian nation,
which [that is, the process] is the only way to ensure stability,
peace, and development in relations between Armenia and Turkey,”
the statement also notes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN MP URGES SPEAKER TO HOLD PROTEST ACTIONS AGAINST ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS

April 29, 2013 | 12:23

YEREVAN.- Heritage party MP said shameful Armenia-Turkey protocols
must be withdrawn from the agenda of the Armenian parliament.

Speaking in the parliament on Monday, Zaruhi Postanjyan called on
parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamyan to take moves to remove protocols
from the parliament’s agenda.

In response, Speaker Abrahamyan said withdrawal of the protocols is
beyond his power.

“Being a speaker of the National Assembly, you have leverage to
struggle for withdrawal of the documents,” Postanjyan said, addressing
Abrahamyan. She urged to be more active, to organize protest actions
to avoid including similar documents in parliament’s agenda.

However, speaker Abrahamyan did not agree with the assessments,
adding that it would be possible to develop economy if the protocols
were ratified by the parliaments of two states.

“The protocols have no relation to the Genocide or political
processes. The borders should have been opened without any
preconditions. This would have a good affect on the development of
economy,” he added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

VIOLENCE TOOLS HAVE BEEN IMPROVED

Interview with Arthur Sakunts, head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly
Vanadzor Office, member of Real Army Initiative

Mr. Sakunts, there was another non-combat victim a few days ago,
parents do not believe that it was a suicide. How will this issue be
settled? Isn’t murder the same as inducing to commit a suicide?

Cover-up of a crime is also impunity. Humiliation of dignity,
corruption, violence, fraud is covered up, not their revelation
is limited. Methods have been elaborated so that the possibility of
revealing is zero, now the instruments eliminating revelation of crimes
are improved. Here comes the main issue: without political will and
the rule of law there are two tendencies, the actions to prevent them
and the actions to implement violations. The hierarchies which regulate
life in prisons and the armed forces exist in parallel to the hierarchy
which is provided by law. Hierarchies, procedures defined by law are
declarative in nature. Issues are settled interpersonally, the methods
of psychological pressure may have a deciding role for a person. There
may be no traces of violence. Sometimes a citizen undergoes violence
at a police station but cannot prove it because no bruises are left,
they have learned how to hit so as not to leave any traces. In the
army interpersonal settlements may have consequences because military
service lasts for two years, and as a result of interpersonal relations
a person appears in the state of a slave, and such treatment may make
one sick and tired of life. The Criminal Code puts it as “inducing
to suicide”, which relieves the essence of a crime. This is violence
itself, the tool of the same crime which deprives a person of life,
and it is necessary to change the criminal policy fundamentally.

Should some articles of the criminal code reviewed?

Because one shoots oneself, the act of the person who induced one
to that step should not be attenuated. This is real murder but the
mechanics of murder, the tools of murder have been improved. There are
specialists in the world who can diagnose psychological violence. We
do not have such tools, we need to develop the methods of detecting,
diagnosing, recording psychological and physical violence. I also
proceed from the presumption of innocence that the investigative
bodies want to reveal but they lack abilities. It repeats from case
to case that the commander did not exercise due control, field manuals
are not observed duly due to the quality of officers. In other words,
small accidents are ignored but they accumulate and blast into death or
murder. It is absurd to raise awareness and ensure better discipline,
as the minister instructed a few days ago.

The minister of defense was reappointed. Does it mean Serzh Sargsyan
likes the style of the Ministry of Defense and expected such reforms
there?

No reforms have been carried out in the armed forces, reforms were
only spoken about. The peacekeeping battalion can be considered a
new achievement but not a reform because it is a separate unit which
is formed in compliance with international standards. There are some
cosmetic decisions while there were more non-combat victims in 2012
than in 2011. Is reform when the eggs of the Ministry of Defense
are sold in shops? Considering the high rate of violations of the
ceasefire, how come the number of victims caused by them is only 18%
of the rate of death in the army? This rate is evidence to lack of
reforms in the army.

Siranuysh Papyan 11:39 29/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: A. Papazian

OPPOSITION FAILS TO RESPOND TO UNIFICATION CALL – ARF-D REP.

16:57 ~U 30.04.13

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun’s (ARF-D) proposal
for uniting the opposition parties after the Yerevan city council polls
has not received any response so far, according to Vahan Hovhannesyan,
a member of the ARF-D Supreme Body.

“Perhaps they have spoken of that somewhere, I don’t know, but our
proposal is exactly that. If the unification plan fails before the
election, they may join their efforts after the election not to
let the Republican seize power. They had better unite and ensure a
majority together,” the politician told Tert.am.

But Hovhannesyan said he has no idea whether there have been any
meetings or agreements.

“I am not aware of any meetings or preliminary agreements. I will be
only happy to know they are being held,” he told our reporter.

Hovhannesyan further expressed his unwelcoming attitude to the mutual
criticism among different political forces.

“That’s regrettable and needless. I think all should have a common
target to achieve a power change in Yerevan,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

GREECE SUPPORTS THE OSCE MINSK GROUP EFFORTS

17:00 30.04.2013

Greece supports the Minsk Group’s efforts to find a solution to the
Nagorno Karabakh, Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos told
a press conference in Baku.

“The peaceful settlement of conflicts basing on the international
law and principles of international sovereignty is the fundamental
principle of Greece’s foreign policy. Greece is the member of OSCE
and of course, we support Minsk Group’s efforts to find a solution
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict satisfying both parties,” the Foreign
Minister said.

“The most important is the will, the political will of the parties to
the conflict. If there is a political will, dialogue and negotiations
will produce results,” he stated.

From: A. Papazian

THE RESULTS OF ARTSAKH IN THE “RENAISSANCE” 5TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL CONTEST.

Monday, 29 April 2013 14:32

The “Renaissance” 5th international festival-contest of musicians
and performers was completed, the prizes were delivered, the curtains
dropped.

The contest was conducted among different age groups in 13
nominations such as piano, wind instruments, stringed instruments,
chamber orchestra, concertmaster proficiency, academic singing, folk
instruments, variety singing, etc. The festival was participated by
2400 representatives from Sweden, Estonia, Sudan, Spain and Russia.

Some world famous musicians who partook in the festival as well
conducted master classes with the participants during the 10 days of
the contest.

Artsakh also had its delegation in the contest which returned with
quite serious achievements. Thus in the “National singing” nomination
Vladimir Mirzoyan won the 1st prize in the 8-10 age group, Michael
Mayilyan took the 2nd place in the 11-14 age group, Poghos Abelyan
and Khandut Avetyan won the 3rd places in the 15-23 and 23 plus age
groups, respectively.

In the “Academic singing” nomination the 1st place was won by Vladimir
Mirzoyan in the 8-10 age group and the 2nd place by Nikolay Balasanyan
in the 11-14 age group. In the “Variety singing” nomination Artak
Dadayan and Meri Simonyan won the 3rd places in the 15-18 and 23
plus age groups, respectively. In the “Author song” nomination
Dzhuletta Arstamyan was awarded the 2nd prize in the 19 plus age
group. In the nomination “National instruments” Roza Dumikyan won
the 3rd prize in the 11-13 age group /Kamancha, Armenian national
stringed instrument/, Artur Mkrtumyan took the third place in the
12-18 age group /duduk/, in the “Wind instruments” nomination Nelson
Aslanyan and Aren Nasibyan were awarded the 2nd prizes in the 11-14
/trumpet/ and 15-18 /clarinet/ age groups, respectively. Besides
the prize-winning places some participants from Artsakh were awarded
diplomas in different nominations.

Armine Hayrapetyan

From: A. Papazian