Author: Antonian Lara

NATO DOESN’T OBJECT TO RUSSIAN TROOPERS IN ARMENIA – OFFICIAL

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 11 2006

BAKU, April 11 (Itar-Tass) — NATO does not object to the deployment
of Russian forces in Armenia, special representative Robert Simmons
told a Tuesday press conference in Baku.

He said the alliance does not compete with Russia in the South Caucasus
and does not plan to interfere in regional conflicts. The conflicts
are being settled, and the alliance thinks that the sides are capable
of settlement, he said.

The NATO opinion of the Karabakh conflict is similar to that of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), he said.

The deployment of peacekeeping forces is up to the sides, if Armenia
and Azerbaijan make this decision, he added. If they reach the
agreement and make the request to the alliance, NATO is ready to
discuss the deployment of peacekeepers, Simmons said.

Regional conflicts do not hamper NATO cooperation with South Caucasian
countries, he said, adding that settlement of the conflicts would
make the partnership more efficient.

Simmons described Azerbaijan as a leading regional partner to NATO and
said that both sides are interested in the development of cooperation,
which needs to be updated to modern realities, and related changes
need to be made in the Azerbaijan-NATO individual partnership plan.

GENOCIDE HAUNTS SURVIVORS: TESTIMONIALS MARK 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF RWANDAN TRAGEDY
by Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star

Windsor Star (Ontario, Canada)
April 10, 2006 Monday
Final Edition

Her parents, grandparents, five siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins
were all murdered.

Later, when the extermination squads of the Rwandan genocide came
for her, Grace Mukasekuru — then 13 years old — survived by hiding
beneath the body of a murdered family friend and playing dead.

“I’ve seen so much that no one should ever have to see, at any age,”
said Mukasekuru, 25. “I’ve seen people get killed, I was lined up
waiting for my turn to get killed.”

Mukasekuru was an organizer on the weekend of a three-day memorial
commemorating the 12th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

For 100 days following the murder of ethnic Hutu president Juvenal
Habyarimana, extremist Hutu authorities organized the slaughter of
about 900,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Events this weekend included a gathering Saturday at the University
of Windsor, with testimonies from survivors of the Rwandan genocide,
the Jewish holocaust and atrocities in Armenia, Cambodia and Sudan.

Sunday, there was a prayer service at Assumption Church.

Organizer Hiram Gahima, 42, who lost his family to the genocide,
said holding remembrance ceremonies brings awareness, which can help
to end such atrocities.

“Genocide is a tragedy, it’s an evil we need to fight against and
never allow to happen again,” said Gahima, an engineer in Windsor.

“It happened all over the world. It’s still happening. We need to
stand up as a community, as one people, and fight this evil.”

The evil is etched in Mukasekuru’s brain. When she left Rwanda 11
years ago, bodies literally filled the streets.

“It was before they started burying people,” she said.

When the genocide began, her father and brother fled because the
Hutus were only killing the men. The restraint didn’t last long.

“They started killing everybody, the mothers, the kids,” said
Mukasekuru, who still has two siblings with her in Windsor. “That’s
when I lost my mom.”

It was a pitch black night when killers came to the house in which
she and others were hiding. The men said they would let their victims
live if they handed over their valuables. It was a lie.

“They started killing and killing,” Mukasekuru said.

“Everything became chaotic.”

In the chaos, she fell to the ground from a blow to the head. Lying
there, she watched the murder of a man who worked for her family.

“He fell on top of me, so I pretended to be dead,” Mukasekuru said.

“That’s how I survived — that’s how I survived that night. The rest
of the story is just a long story.”

She said it’s a tale that will never finish for her.

“The genocide ended 12 years ago,” she said. “But it doesn’t end
for me. Every day is a scar. Every day it is something I have to
deal with.”

VARTAN OSKANIAN HAS MEETINGS WITH SYRIAN PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 10 2006

DAMASCUS, APRIL 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The delegation
headed by RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian arrived on a working
visit to the Arab Republic of Syria on April 8. In Damascus, on
April 8, Minister Oskanian met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
al-Moualem. During that meeting, the two spoke at length about
bilateral as well as regional matters. They specifically focused on
cooperation in international forums, educational and economic exchange,
as well as institutional cooperation. They also spoke at length about
the Nagorno Karabakh negotiation process, Armenia-Turkey relations, as
well as the situation in Iraq and other matters in both regions. As
Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press amd
Information Department, earlier in the day, Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad also received the Armenian delegation. Minister Oskanian
informed him about political and economic developments within Armenia
and in the region. President Assad expressed his appreciation at the
traditionally warm relations between Armenians and Syrians and said
that should serve as a foundation for deepening ties, especially
in the economic sphere. The Minister’s Damascus visit concluded
with a reception at the embassy, attended by representatives of
community organizations and religious leaders. On Sunday, the Minister
participated in Aleppo in the 100th anniversary celebration of the
Armenian General Benevolent Union and the 75th anniversary celebration
of the Armenian Youth Association.

ARF Bureau representative meets with US ambassador

07.04.2006 17:50

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau
representative Hrant Margarian met on April 7 with US Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans at the US Embassy in Yerevan. The parties
exchanged views over the Armenian processes, relations between the US
and Armenia and the regional developments.

Following the meeting, Margarian said, “I saw it important to directly
present some of our views to the US ambassador. I expressed our
concerns over provoking anti-Armenian sentiment in Iran by Azerbaijan
as well as the escalation of the relations of the United States and
Iran. Armenia has good relations with both the US and Iran and Armenia
prefers to see normal relations between those countries.”

CENTRAL ASIA’S RAPID GROWTH TO CONTINUE IN 2006-2007, SAYS ADB

Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 6 2006

Central Asia will maintain its rapid economic expansion with GDP growth
in the region projected at 10.3% in 2006 and 9.8% in 2007, according
to a major ADB report released today. The region grew 10.9% in 2005.

Regional inflation is expected to rise slightly to about 7.9% in 2006,
but the current account is now expected to post a strong surplus due
to high oil prices.

“Many Central Asian economies are benefiting from a range of reform
measures under way. But the overall picture masks a large gap between
growth in the oil-producing nations and the rest,” said ADB Chief
Economist Ifzal Ali in launching the 2006 edition of ADB’s flagship
annual economic publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO).

“As a region, Central Asia would benefit most from an aggressive
campaign to remove barriers to trade and foster closer economic
cooperation,” he said.

ADO 2006 forecasts overall growth for the 43 countries of developing
Asia of 7.2% in 2006 and 7% in 2007.

In Armenia, rapidly rising incomes and falling poverty rates
abetted by well-sequenced economic reforms are the country’s current
hallmarks. GDP growth is forecast between 6% and 7% in 2006-2007 as
inflation is expected to be well contained, and the current account
deficit is expected to narrow further. The medium-term outlook is
favorable although prospects would brighten if an agreement to resolve
the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh was concluded and the country’s
borders were fully open to trade.

Azerbaijan experienced unprecedented GDP growth of 26.4% in 2005.

This momentum is set to build further to 30.5% in 2006 and nearly that
rate in 2007, driven by oil and gas production and exports as recent
large investments come fully online. The 2006 budget calls for a very
large increase in spending and the Government will need to carefully
manage expenditure to avoid stoking inflation, which started to pick
up last year. Key challenges are controlling inflation, preventing
excessive appreciation of the Azerbaijani manat, and diversifying
the economic base.

Ambitious structural changes, foreign investment, high prices for
hydrocarbons, and political stability have spurred Kazakhstan’s
economy and improved living standards in recent years. GDP growth is
projected to average 8.5% in 2006-2007 as high investment continues
in this oil-driven economy. The challenge ahead is to maintain
past successes and ensure broad-based development and employment by
expanding non-oil manufacturing, raising productivity in agriculture,
and extending the reach of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In the Kyrgyz Republic the “Tulip Revolution” and the fall in gold
production at the country’s major mine adversely affected the economy
in 2005. The outlook is for recovery and GDP growth is projected at
5% in 2006 and 5.5% in 2007 based on implementation of an economic
program supported by the Poverty Reduction and Growth facility of
the IMF. The new Government has declared its commitment to addressing
the three main challenges facing the country: low living standards,
unemployment, and widespread corruption.

GDP growth in Tajikistan slowed to 6.7% in 2005 due mainly to falling
cotton production and deterioration in the terms of trade. The
outlook is for a recovery in activity with GDP growth projected at 8%
in 2006 and then moderating to 6% in 2007. Progress has been made
in implementing a poverty reduction and growth strategy in recent
years, despite the legacy of weak institutional capacity and a limited
resource base. Medium-term economic prospects are promising in view of
the start of major foreign-invested projects and intensified efforts
to advance structural reforms.

The outlook for growth in Turkmenistan is subject to considerable
uncertainty because of the economy’s heavy reliance on exports of a
handful of energy and agricultural products. If prices for exports
of natural gas rise in 2006 this will provide a short-term stimulus
to the economy and GDP should grow 5%-7% a year in 2006-2007.

Uzbekistan has posted strong growth over the past two years with
significant contributions from agriculture and robust performance
on external trade. This growth momentum is expected to continue in
2006-2007 with GDP projected to expand about 6% annually, aided by
greater foreign direct investment in the hydrocarbon sector.

Medium-term prospects are bright; however, a sustained, broad-based
high-growth track would require undertaking the critical mass of
reforms needed for private sector-led growth.

FUEL PRICE DECLINES BY 0.1% IN ARMENIA IN MARCH

Noyan Tapan
Apr 04 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. A 0.1% price fall was registered in the
fuel commodity group of Armenia in March on Febraury 2006. According
to the RA National Statistical Service, the price of gasoline remained
unchanged in March on February 2006, while the price of diesel fuel
grew by 0.1%. The gasoline and diesel fuel price growth made 14.4%
and 12.4% respectively compared with March 2005, and 33.3% and 58.9%
respectively compared with March 2002.

Armenia: Independent TV Station Faces Renewed Pressure

Embattled channel sees political motives behind eviction order.
By Gegham Vardanian in Yerevan (CRS No. 333, 30-Mar-06)

Caucasus Reporting Service

Four years ago, Armenia’s A1+ independent TV station was forced off
the air in what its journalists maintain was a government-inspired
vendetta.

Now, A1+ says the authorities are behind moves to force the TV station
out of its offices.

For 15 years, A1+ has rented space on Grigor Lusavorich Street in
downtown Yerevan.

But the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, which owns the building,
is suddenly demanding that A1+ leave.

“The academy is just a tool. I am deeply convinced that had it not
received ‘instructions’, [the academy] would not have resorted to
such a step,” human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanian told IWPR.

“All this is aimed at creating new obstacles for A1+, in order
to complete the process started four years ago of closing the TV
station down.”

Last year, the Academy of Sciences filed a suit demanding the eviction
of A1+ from the building, and eventually won the case.

Court officers suddenly showed up at A1+ on March 16. They told the
journalists to gather their equipment and get out within 17 hours.

“The court officers have two months to implement the court’s
decision. How can it be explained that a company is given a few hours
to empty the premises when they understand full well that this is
impossible to do in such a short time?” said Olga Safarian, a lawyer
for the NGO Internews, which promotes the development of free media.

A1+ was forced off the Armenian airwaves on April 2, 2002, when the
National Television and Radio Commission, appointed by the president,
took away A1+’s licence and gave it to another company.

The Council of Europe, the OSCE, and international watchdog groups
have defended A1+ on several occasions over the last few years.

“The government continued to restrict full media freedom in the
country,” said Human Rights Watch’s 2005 report on Armenia. The
report noted that as well as A1+, Noyan Tapan television and Russia’s
state-controlled NTV also remain unable to broadcast because the
government has taken away their frequencies.

Over the past four years, A1+ has filed eight applications to obtain
TV frequencies and two applications to obtain radio frequencies. Each
time the National Television and Radio Committee refused.

A1+ has also brought numerous legal actions in various Armenian courts
to win the right to a license. These suits have similarly failed,
and the TV company is now trying to press its case at the European
Court of Human Rights.

Academy of Sciences manager Ermir Grigorian denied politics were
behind the decision to try and evict A1+.

“A1+ should leave those rooms, because our language institute is to
be located there,” said Grigorian.

But on March 17, the day that A1+ was told to vacate the building,
human rights activists, public figures, and journalists assembled at
the broadcaster’s offices. The court officers postponed their visit.

Thereafter, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian met with academy
president Fadey Sargsian and promised that A1+ would be given
alternative premises to rent.

“We offered A1+ appropriate space and promised to resolve the problem,”
the prime minister told journalists in the national assembly on
March 22.

“Until the problem of the new premises is resolved, A1+ will have
no problems and the TV company will not leave its current premises,”
National Academy of Sciences head Sargisian told the Haikakan Zhamanak
newspaper.

But A1+ director Mesrop Movsesian, who claims A1+ spent 34,000 US
dollars on upgrading the facilities at its present offices, said
the government was already trying to force the company to accept far
inferior premises.

“The size of the offices is satisfactory, but everything is ruined
there. We cannot go and work in a dirty building. We will need
financial expenditures to repair rooms and the corridor,” Movesian
told IWPR. He said that even if A1+ did accept the space, it could
be impossible to empty its current premises within two months, as
the Academy of Sciences is demanding.

“A1+ should retain its premises, especially as it has been an honest
tenant which has invested money in the building,” Boris Navasardian,
head of the Press Club in Yerevan, told IWPR.

“Providing suitable new premises for A1+ would be a positive step
which would demonstrate a commitment to enhance media freedom and
pluralism in Armenia,” said Bojana Urumova, Special Representative
of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to Armenia.

“Any move from one place to another creates additional problems for
any organisation. Although A1+ is not broadcasting now, it continues
to be an active player in the information field that produces serious
products,” said Navasardian.

The station continues to produce TV shows, and publishes a weekly
edition and daily news through the internet.

Every year, Armenian journalists and human rights activists organise
protests on the April 2 anniversary when A1+ was deprived of the
license.

“The media and those in the journalist community who are ready to
fight for freedom should assist A1+ in whatever decision it might
make,” said Navasardian.

Gegham Vardanian is a journalist for Internews in Armenia.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

MARCH 30, 2006

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN ATTENDS
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CEREMONY
On Monday (March 27) His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan attended the
ceremony of the signing of a five-year, $235.65 million Compact between the
Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Republic of Armenia.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation was established in 2004 following
President Bush’s call for a “new compact for global development.” With
funds provided by Congress, the Corporation provides aid to those countries
that “rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic
freedom.”
Attending and addressing the gathering were Ambassador John J.
Danilovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) and Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State and chair of the MCC Board.
The Compact was signed by Ambassador Danilovich and His Excellency Vardan
Khachatryan, Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Armenia.
Also attending were Ambassador John Evans, U.S. Ambassador to the
Republic of Armenia; His Excellency Tatoul Markarian, Ambassador to the
United States from the Republic of Armenia; His Excellency Vardan Oskanian,
Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Mr. Vahran Nercissiantz,
Economic Advisor to the President of Armenia; and Mr. Kenneth Hackett, MCC
Board member.
The main goal of the Compact-a five-year program-is to reduce rural
poverty in Armenia. About 750,000 people, or 75% of the rural population,
are expected to benefit from the economic advances achieved through the
Compact.

“GENOCIDE THEN AND NOW” AT UNITED NATIONS
Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian attended a forum,
“Genocide Then and Now: Lessons Learned for the 21st Century,” at the
United Nations this afternoon, Thursday, March 30. Speakers included:
Ibrahim Gambari, Under Secretary General, Special Advisor on Africa at the
UN; Vahakn Dadrian, Director of Genocide Research, Zoryan Institute; and
Juan Mendez, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention
of Genocide. Ms. Andrea Kanapell, Assistant Foreign Editor of the New York
Times, moderated the discussion. The forum discussed the first and last
genocides of the 20th century with respect to lessons learned for the 21st
century and for United Nations reforms.
PRELATE AND VICAR VISIT THE ELDERLY
Yesterday morning, Wednesday, March 29, Archbishop Oshagan and V. Rev.
Fr. Anoushavan, paid a visit to the Old Age Home in Flushing, New York,
where they conducted a Lenten Arevakal (Sunrise) service for the residents,
followed by personal visits.
In the afternoon the Prelate and the Vicar went to St. Sarkis Church in
Douglaston, New York, where they shared lunch and fellowship with the
church’s seniors group.

VICAR TO ATTEND PREVIEW OF PBS DOCUMENTARY
V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General, will attend a preview of
the PBS documentary on the Armenian Genocide, produced by Andrew Goldberg,
on Monday, April 3. The documentary (without the controversial panel
discussion) is scheduled to be shown on the PBS station in the New York area
(channel 13) on Monday, April 17, at 10 pm. Contact your local PBS station
for scheduled viewings in your area.

PRELATE WILL ATTEND SERVICES AT ST. ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL
Archbishop Oshagan will attend and preside over the Divine Liturgy at St.
Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City, this Sunday,
April 2.

LENTEN SERIES CONCLUDES NEXT WEEK
The final Lenten meditation will take place next Wednesday, April 5. V.
Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian will conclude this year’s Lenten series on the
popular prayer by St. Nerses Shnorhali, “In Faith I Confess” (Havadov
Khosdovanim), focusing on the final three stanzas (22 to 24) of the prayer.
The Lenten programs take place Wednesdays during Lent at St.
Illuminator’s Cathedral, 221 East 27th Street, New York City. Husgoom
Service begins at 7:30 pm, followed by a short mediation at 8 pm. The
evening concludes with a light Lenten dinner and fellowship. The annual
Lenten program is sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council
(AREC) and the Prelacy Ladies Guild.

BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES AT PRELACY
The 8-session Bible study, based on the Book of Revelation, continues at
the Prelacy, 138 E. 39th Street, New York City, this Monday, April 3.
Sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC), the classes
are conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, executive director of AREC. The
sessions take place on the first and third Mondays. For information,
[email protected] or 212-689-7810.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
CULTURE OF CILICIAN ARMENIA
An International Conference on the “Culture of Cilician Armenia” will
take place next year through the initiative and patronage of His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, in cooperation with the
Mashtots Matenadaran of Yerevan.
The conference is scheduled to take place January 18 to 20, 2007, in
Antelias, Lebanon. The conference will cover many aspects of Cilician
Armenia including history, education, law, art, economics, and ethnography.
For more information visit the following two web sites:
and

ARMENIAN FESTIVAL AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The Armenian Club at Columbia University is hosting an outdoor Armenian
Festival this Sunday, April 2, 1 to 5 pm. The Festival which will feature
food and entertainment will take place on the campus at Low Plaza, 116th
Street and Broadway, New York City. Admission is free.

ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR COMMITMENT TO THE PIT
This Saturday, April 1, the Armenian Church commemorates one of three
days in the Armenian liturgical calendar in memory of St. Gregory the
Illuminator, the founder of the Armenian Church. The three days are:
Entrance into the Pit; Emergence from the Pit, and Discovery of his remains.
This Saturday is the commemoration of his commitment to the pit, or deep
dungeon (Khor Virap).
Gregory stood steadfast to his faith and refused to renounce Christ. He
endured many tortures and his final punishment was banishment into a deep
pit (Khor Virap), where he remained for 14 years. Miraculously he survived
the ordeal, thanks in large part to a woman (whose identity is not known)
who secretly lowered food into the pit.
Khor Virap is now a popular pilgrimage site. The church of St.
Asdvatsatsin built on the site dates to the 17th century. The area is one of
the most beautiful in Armenia.

SUNDAY OF ADVENT
This Sunday, April 2, is the Sunday of the Advent (Galstyan Kiraki), the
last Sunday of Lent. On Advent Sunday we are asked to ponder on the mystery
of the first coming of Christ and especially His second coming, which is
mentioned in the prayers read this Sunday. Christ came to the world for the
salvation of humankind. He will come again for the judgment of sinners, and
when the righteous will become worthy of entering the Kingdom of God.
Advent Sunday has its own special hymn, which proclaims that the apostles
knew the mystery of the advent of Christ. The story of the expulsion from
paradise is repeated and an appeal is made to Christ to ask the Heavenly
Father to establish peace on earth.

SPRING FORWARD….
Yes, it is that time of the year again. Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins
2 a.m. Sunday, April 2. So, turn your clocks one hour ahead. The main
purpose of DST is to make better use of daylight. Supposedly it also saves
energy. Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii and the
territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa are the
only places in the United States that do not observe DST but instead stay on
“standard time” all year long. Perhaps those areas just don’t need
another hour of sunlight!
For the past twenty years the dates of clock changes have been the first
Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. This will change in 2007 to
the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November, thus adding
about a month to daylight saving time.
Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour ahead this Sunday.

WINTER PLANNING TURNS INTO SPRING PLANTING
Winter in the garden is a great time. While the snow covers the ground
and sub-freezing temperatures harden the soil, a diehard gardener’s mind
turns to catalogs and paper grids marking all the hoped for crops with the
coming of spring. Like most things, it looks so easy on paper. Then the
reality of spring brings expectations down a notch or two once you are
outdoors tools in hand. But still, those winter dreams are so vital to the
overall success of a garden and to the human spirit. My father used to live
from planting season to planting season. The winter months were filled with
anticipation, as he instructed my sisters to order this and that from the
various catalogs he loved to peruse until his eyesight gave way. The year he
stopped talking about the approaching spring and the planting that needed to
be done, I knew he would not see another spring. He died in early March of
2001, at age 96, and that year for the first time in memory his abundant
garden remained unplanted and dormant.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 2-Annual Ladies Guild Lenten Luncheon, Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts. Immediately following church services.

April 2-Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, 635 Grove Street,
Worcester, Massachusetts, traditional Lenten Dinner in Danielian Hall
immediately following church services. For additional information,
508-852-2414.

April 8-Ladies Guild Annual Bake Sale, 10 a.m., Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church,
Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

April 17-“The Armenian Genocide,” a new documentary will be shown on most
PBS stations. Please check your local listings.

April 23-Commemoration of the 91st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at
Times Square-the crossroads of the world. Organized by the Mid-Atlantic
Knights and Daughters of Vartan, co-sponsored by ArmenPac and with
participation of area Armenian organizations. Featuring Prof. Israel W.
Charny, Andrew Goldberg, Edward Korkoian, Asien Surmeian, Annie Totah, Aram
Hamparian, Curtis Sliwa, and more. More details to follow.

April 29-Presentation by comedian Vahe Berberian at St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York. For details 718-224-2275.

May 5-Reunion of all students beginning from the 1930s who attended St.
Illuminator Armenian School in New York. Dinner Dance at Terrace on the
Park, Corona, NY. For reservations or information contact the St.
Illuminator’s Day School, 718-478-4073.

May 7-Mothers’ Day celebration at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York.

May 8-Mothers’ Day Luncheon by Prelacy Ladies Guild, St. Regis, New York
City.

May 12-Exhibition of the works of artist Emma Gregoryan at the Prelacy, 138
E. 39th Street, New York City.

May 13-Dinner-Dance organized by the St. Sarkis Church Ping-Pong Club. For
details 718-224-2275.

May 17-19-National Representative Assembly (NRA), hosted by Sts. Vartanantz
Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.

May 16 and 17-Conference of Yeretzgeens in conjunction with the National
Representative Assembly, hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New
Jersey.

May 20-Saturday School year end Hantes, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New
York.

May 21-Sunday School year end Hantes, St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New
York.

Visit our website at

NEW TENSIONS COMPLICATE RELATIONS BETWEEN BAKU AND TEHRAN
By Fariz Ismailzade

Regnum, Russia
March 30 2006

More than 600 representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations
in 49 countries assembled in Baku on March 16 for the second World
Azerbaijani Congress. The event was organized by the State Committee
on the Affairs of Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, which was established
in 2003 by a decree from then-President Heydar Aliyev to help unite
all Azerbaijanis abroad.

The event was grandiose both in scale and impact. The goal of showing
the unity of millions of Azerbaijanis around the world for the sake
of an independent, strong, and prosperous Azerbaijan was achieved.

The Congress discussed issues regarding coordination among the
Azerbaijani diaspora organizations, strengthening relations with other
nations’ diaspora organizations, promoting information about Azerbaijan
around the world, and building relations with foreign governments.

As a result of the Congress’ work, a new strategy was developed
regarding the activities of the Azerbaijani diaspora in other countries
and the joint activities of the Azerbaijani and Turkish diaspora
organizations. Moreover, Congress participants adopted a resolution
addressed to Azerbaijanis around the world, foreign governments,
and international organizations regarding Armenian aggression toward
Azerbaijan.

Yet, the Congress made news not so much for its work, but for a row
that erupted between Azerbaijan and Iran after the Congress. The
Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Afshar Suleymani, reacted
very angrily and emotionally to the speeches given at the World
Azerbaijani Congress by some representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora
organizations in Europe. These delegates called for the unification
of North Azerbaijan (the independent Republic of Azerbaijan) and South
Azerbaijan (in northern Iran, populated by Azerbaijanis and considered
by Azerbaijanis as part of a once-unified Azerbaijani state). The
speech by Javad Derekhti, an Azerbaijani from the Iranian Azerbaijan,
was particularly provocative, because he talked about human rights
violations suffered by ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran (Trend News Agency,
March 16).

The Treaty of Turkmanchai in 1828, which ended the three-decade
Russian-Iranian War eventually divided Azerbaijan into two parts
along the banks of the Araz River. It is estimated that more than 25
million ethnic Azerbaijanis currently live in Iran, but they have no
rights to be educated in their native language and any attempts to
organize movements for cultural autonomy are strongly repressed by
the authorities in Tehran. Iran is extremely touchy about this issue
and has kept its distance from official Baku for most of the 1990s
exactly because of the issue of Azerbaijani separatism in Iran.

Suleymani tore into these speeches in a press release from the Iranian
embassy on March 17. “Iran is deeply upset about the participation
of some anti-Iranian elements in the Congress and their provocative
statements on the issues of Iran’s domestic affairs,” it read. “The
Embassy considers these steps to contradict the friendly relations
between the brotherly nations and those commitments taken by the
Azerbaijani government in the treaty of 2002, sighed in Tehran. The
Embassy is very surprised about the references at the Congress
to the Turkmanchai Treaty of 1828 and mentioning Azerbaijan as a
divided country.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also sent a protest note to the
Azerbaijani ambassador in Iran. The row intensified after remarks
by the Iranian ambassador regarding Azerbaijani poets Nizami and
Shahriyar, whom he called “Iranian poets.” This caused an immediate
protest from the Azerbaijani Writers Union, saying, “The Union deeply
regrets and is surprised that the ambassador made such remarks and
demands an immediate end to such uneducated discoveries” (APA News
Agency, March 24).

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the Iranian
ambassador’s complaints by asking him to calm his emotions. Speaking
at a press conference the next day, Tahir Tagi-zadeh, the head of
the informational department of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said, “The speeches made at the World Azerbaijani Congress
by representative of the public organizations are their personal
opinions. The emotional speeches of the ambassadors might spoil
the cooperation based on the principles of friendship and good
neighborliness” (day.az, March 17).

Nazim Ibrahimov, head of the State Committee on the Affairs of
Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, also downplayed the significance of
speeches, saying they were private opinions of Congress participants.

“The State Committee has functioned for three years already, and we
have never interfered in the internal issues of Iran” he explained
(AzTV, March 20).

The issue continues to be a hot topic of discussion in the local
press, with a majority of Azerbaijani politicians and intelligentsia
condemning the actions of the Iranian ambassador and calling for a
renewed discussion of the human rights situation of Azerbaijanis in
Iran. Yet some diplomats and experts in the country believe that the
Iranian ambassador’s remarks were intentionally aggressive, meant to
scare off the United States from using the ethnic card to weaken the
regime in Tehran.

POINT OF VIEW: THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Florida Baptist Witness, FL
March 30 2006

If you are a Southern Baptist, what do you need to know about the
Cooperative Program? Is it merely a way to support the denomination,
or is it a relevant, viable process that makes a difference in people’s
lives beginning where you live and extending around the world?

The Cooperative Program has the potential, when rightly employed,
for moving Southern Baptist missions and ministries from the ordinary,
the average, the good – to superlative, outstanding, great fruitfulness
for the Kingdom of God.

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GREAT RESULTS

Only our Lord knows all the eternal good that has been done because
of Cooperative Program missions and ministries. Too many Baptists are
not hearing about the great results flowing directly from Cooperative
Program-supported endeavors. We need to tell our stories better. You
need to know about the great results.

You need to know about a Yezidi Kurd we will call Milo (not his real
name). Soviet schools taught him, growing up in Armenia, that God
was not real. But as an adult, Milo grew desperate. Milo knew that
Yezidi priests teach Yezidis to kill other Yezidis who embrace a
different faith. For two months Milo went to church, listening to
preaching about Jesus Christ. Milo also thought about killing the
Yezidi Christians. After a personal encounter with Jesus, Milo became a
believer. Despite persecutions, he is a light among Yezidis. He heads
a church of Armenian and Yezidi believers. He wrote and compiled a
Kurmanji Christian songbook. And because Yezidis love stories, he
has written and published parables that flow from biblical principles.

Your love for the Lord and commitment to reaching people through
Cooperative Program missions supports churches such as the one where
Milo met Christ.

You need to know about Carlos and Cristina De La Barra who, 14 years
ago, sold their computer business and left a financially secure life in
their native Santiago, Chile, to help start Spanish-speaking churches
in Hispanic areas in South Carolina, Indiana, and now Kentucky. “I
am a product of Southern Baptist missions,” says Carlos.

“I am a Christian and a missionary because a missionary couple answered
God’s call to Chile many years ago.”

You need to know about our disaster relief work. Recent hurricanes
have shown the country and the world the heart of Southern Baptists.

We were among the first to respond and we are still on the job. Yet,
in spite of responding to the greatest natural disaster in our
nation’s history, not one missionary had to be recalled due to lack
of resources.

You need to know about the university students and campuses that are
being reached by the nearly 700 collegiate ministers supported by
Baptist state conventions. Student ministry researcher Steve Shadrach
identified Southern Baptist collegiate ministry as one of the top ten
in the nation and the one that reached the most students. The next
largest ministry, the very fine Campus Crusade for Christ organization,
has many more campus ministers (2,500+) but reaches only about 43,000
students.

You need to know about the revival taking place in the Louisiana
Penitentiary at Angola because of the New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary extension courses being taught there and the scores of
Baptist volunteers coordinated by the evangelism division of the
state convention who conduct Bible studies and evangelistic events.

In May of 2005, 94 inmates and 30 prison employees’ family members
prayed to receive Christ, and nearly 50 Christian inmates received
Bible degrees from New Orleans Seminary. These graduates are leading
the “church” inside the prison walls. The Cooperative Program is
changing lives.

The Cooperative Program supports thousands of missionaries, thousands
of seminary students, and hundreds of workers in children’s homes
and other helping ministries. All of them have inspirational stories
of how God is changing lives. By God’s grace, Southern Baptists are
caring people and together we are touching the world.

This column is the third of four adapted from “One Sacred Effort”
by Chad Brand and David Hankins. Copyright 2005. Used with permission.
All rights reserved.