Author: Arpi Talalian

The International Armenian Literary Alliance, in partnership with h-pem, announced the third annual Young Armenian Poets Awards, a contest for exceptional Armenian writers between the ages of 14 and 18.

Over the past two years, the Young Armenian Poets Awards has provided a space for young Armenian writers from all over the world to express themselves and have their voices heard on the global stage. This year is no exception.

This year’s entrants are asked to submit work that grapples with the notion of visibility as it relates to Armenian identity and experience. How visible are Armenia and Armenian issues on the world stage? What is the extent to which we feel visible as Armenians in our respective communities outside of Armenia?

Submissions – to be read by IALA board members and judges Gregory Djanikian, Armine Iknadossian, and Raffi Wartanian – are encouraged from any young writer who identifies as Armenian, no matter gender identity and _expression_, sexual orientation, disability, creed, national origin, socio-economic class, educational background, personal style/appearance, citizenship and immigration status, or political affiliation.

Monetary prizes will be granted for the top three poems, which will be published online on the h-pem website and shared on IALA’s social media platforms in the fall. Winning authors will be invited to read their work at IALA’s annual Emerging Writers Showcase.

“Literature is a vital element of a people and a culture⎯we are our stories,” says founder Olivia Katrandjian. “As writers, we must support each other if we want to thrive not only as individuals, but as a literary community. As a people, Armenians must support our writers if we want the world to listen to our stories. IALA will provide a platform through which young Armenian writers can be heard.”

“We continue to honor and create a platform for the next generation of exciting Armenian poets who have so much to teach us,” says contest director Alan Semerdjian, “and we’re thankful for those who will spread the word about this fantastic opportunity.”

“Being involved in the Young Armenian Poets contest gave me a way to put the feelings I had been struggling to understand for years into flowing sentences and share them with the world, enabling me to see how my words can truly affect others and touch their hearts,” says 2022 YAPA winner, Ani Apresyan. “Winning recognition and hearing what other like-minded Armenian youth have to say fills me with indescribable hope for the future that Armenia is taking steps towards fostering.”

For more details, full submission guidelines, and more information on past winners, please visit IALA’s website, or contact Alan Semerdjian, Young Armenian Poets Awards Founder and Director, at [email protected].

The International Armenian Literary Alliance is a nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that supports and celebrates writers by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language. A network of Armenian writers and their champions, IALA gives Armenian writers a voice in the literary world through creative, professional, and scholarly advocacy.

H-Pem (stylized as h-pem) is a collaborative English-language Armenian cultural online platform and publication established by the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society. Launched in 2019, h-pem’s mission is to reach Armenian communities around the world and help Armenians — particularly Armenian youth — (re)connect with their homeland and culture in new, creative, and cooperative ways.

City of Burbank Elections flyer

Burbank’s City Council in January unanimously adopted a Resolution to initiate a transition from an at-large election system to a by-district system for electing future Council members. The district formation process is important because it determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing members of the City Council.  

The City will be hosting public hearings, community forums, and provide two interactive mapping tools to gather your suggestions for how the district boundaries are drawn. The “Draw Your Neighborhood” tool invites community members to identify communities of interest that share cultures, languages, histories, and interests. The District-Drawing Tool invites community members to suggest proposed City Council district boundaries.   

The districting process will kick-off with three community forums to provide an overview on the districting process, learn mapping tools and how to submit your maps. The three forums will present the same material and will have Spanish and Armenian simultaneous interpretation available. Please email [email protected] to request language assistance in any other languages. 

• Thursday, March 30 at 6 p.m. 
  Buena Vista Public Library 
  300 N. Buena Vista St Burbank, CA 91505 
  RSVP here.

• Thursday, April 6 at 12 p.m.  
  Via Zoom Link

• Saturday, April 8 at 10:30 a.m.  
  Community Services Building Rm 104 
  150 N 3rd St Burbank, CA 91502 
  RSVP here.

Please visit the Burbank Council Districting website for additional details. The website has other valuable information such as an overview of the districting process, instructions on the mapping tools, and the entire schedule of community forums and public hearings.

A screenshot of a video showing Azerbaijani forces executing Armenian soldiers

The inhumane and brutal treatment of several female Armenian soldiers in the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia has been mentioned in the State Department’s annual human rights report, which also cites the illegal execution-style killing of Armenian troops at the hands of Azerbaijani soldiers.

Soon after the aggressive breach by Azerbaijan of Armenia’s sovereign territory in September, footage depicting the brutal treatment of an Armenian soldier surfaced. Soon after, another video showing a different female Armenian soldier also made the rounds on social media sites, picked up by news organizations.

At the same time, another video depicting the execution-style killing of Armenia soldiers who were captured by Azerbaijani forces, created further uproar at the time, with Armenia’s human rights defender’s office dispatching special reports to international organizations.

The State Department cites reports by Human Rights Watch and the Belingat news portal, both of which separately investigated the killing of Armenian soldiers.

Azerbaijan’s attacks on civilian infrastructures, specifically the targeting of emergency vehicles has also been mentioned in the State Department report.

“There are credible reports that during the September conflict, Azerbaijani forces committed unlawful killings involving summary executions of Armenian soldiers in Azerbaijani custody,” said the State Department.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross studied the cases of missing persons as a result of the conflict with Azerbaijan. It is noted that after the 2020 war, 203 people (including 20 civilians) are considered missing, and three military personnel are considered missing as a result of the September 13-14 conflict,” added the report.

The State Department also presented cases of violations of human rights in Armenia, including the use of force by the security forces, bad conditions in prisons, arbitrary arrests, and restrictions on freedom of speech.