Author: Babajanian Karo

DEFEATING THE PURPOSE: EXPENSIVE BIO TOILET GETS BROKEN, BECOMES A LAUGHING MATTER IN TATEV

SOCIETY | 19.09.13 | 20:47

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The two biological toilets purchased by the government to spur tourism
development and placed next to Syunik’s most popular, but remote
Tatev monastery and St Gregory the Illuminator church in Yerevan,
have failed to work.

The “Not Working” sign attached to the toilet in Syunik that cost the
taxpayer quite a fortunate – the two were purchased for 124 million
drams ($340,000) – stirs even higher interest among people, who
approach, study and leave thinking “what a pity”. Residents of Tatev
village running their small businesses next to the monastery offer
their explanation of why the toilets worked only two days, then failed.

“A few people entered it together, and the computer system collapsed,”
they mock and laugh.

Tatev village head Murad Simonyan says he is tired of answering
questions about the bio-toilets.

“They say it was ruined by a lightening. Craftsmen came to repair it
some time ago, but it only worked one day. I have no idea why it’s
not working, but would very much like to ask people in charge to come
and take it away, so that I don’t have to answer questions about it
anymore. I cannot answer those,” says Simonyan.

Deputy Minister of Economy Ara Petrosyan told the press that the great
number of visitors at the tourism destinations of Armenia makes it
a necessity to have such toilets.

“For example there are also places, where the flush toilets built of
tile and pumice concrete don’t last a winter. This is culture that
has to be introduced gradually,” he says. “This is a pilot project,
by which we are trying to show its advantages to the private sector,
in particular that one such toilet can be acquired for $170,000 and
then profit. Modern technologies are used to keep them clean.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the project is
profitable from business perspective and the state budget would bring
back the money allotted for their purchase via 200-dram charges.

Nonetheless, the Control Chamber looked into the Ministry of Economy
expenses and established that the money spent on the two bio-toilets
was an unjustified expenditure. The one installed in Yerevan functions
only periodically, while the one in Tatev is totally non-functional.

Minister Vahram Avanesyan believes the utilization of the toilets is
out of the ministry supervision and respective repair-related warrants
were given to the National Competitiveness Fund. The fund was, hence,
in charge of installment and utilization. The fund representatives
counter that their responsibility was to utilize, not to repair.

The Tatev village head says the money spent on the toilets was enough
to carry out the community development project, including opening
an agro market, building ‘tonratun’ bakeries (to make Armenian flat
bread and barbecue), by which 16 families would have jobs, while many
leave the 860-resident village for lack of employment opportunities.

President of the Association “For Sustainable Human Development”
Karine Danielyan says she has done internet research and has not
found any bio-toilet that would cost more than $1,500.

“It is unreasonable to spend that kind of money on bio-toilets given
the general situation in the country. They can still be spent on
tourism development by advertising the Armenian culture and history
to the international community,” says Danielyan, adding, “If we want
Armenia to have foreign visitors other than from Diaspora, part of
that money could be spent on cleaning up the roads. I traveled to
almost half the world, but have not seen a country like Armenia,
where nature and historical-cultural monuments come hand in hand.

Regrettably, we are unable to present it to public at its best.”

ARMENIAN SOCKS AND TIGHTS DEMANDED IN UAE, GEORGIA AND FRANCE

10:24, 19 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESSO~I The socks and tights produced
in the Republic of Armenia are mainly sold in the local market,
but they are demanded abroad as well. As Armenpress was reported
by the Deputy Director of the Lentex LLC Anush Haykyan, about 80%
of the production is sold in the Republic. “The socks and tights
are not inferior to the imported products with their quality. They
are demanded also in Georgia, the United Arab Emirates and even in
France”, – said Anush Haykyan.

The company produces 350-500,000 pairs of socks and tights monthly.

Lentex produces about 100 products. The cotton fiber is being imported
from abroad.

The volumes of the import of the socks and tights to the Republic of
Armenia in the first half of 2013 made more than 2,2 million pairs
and about 12,000 pairs were exported.

At the beginning of its activity only women’s tights were manufactured
with brand “Viva”. Afterwards a new department with socks-knitting
machinery was actuated.

Today Lentex LLC is the only Armenian factory with the absolutely full
range of socks and hosiery, from babies to adults, of different color
and size, suitable for every season. The production is made according
to state standards and has got all appropriate licenses. Lentex
performs high quality output in the assortment of more than 100 types.

Renovation of color range and design every season, wonderful design
in accordance with the latest fashion tendencies make the production
actual at the product market. The increase of the brand acceptance
confirms year-to-year growth of Lentex output.

Thanks to flexible marketing policy the company reacts to consumers’
demand as quickly as possible. Customers can have tights or socks made
to order, according to their desires. In Armenia the company has three
brand shops, where the full variety of Lentex production is presented.

FOREIGN MINISTER OF NKR RECEIVES BRITISH MPS

Thursday,
September
19

On September 18, NKR Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan received members
of the Armenian-British Friendship Group Stephen Pound and John
Whittingdale at the NKR Permanent Mission to RA.

The NKR Foreign Minister highly appreciated the British MPs’ interest
in the Republic of Artsakh.

During the meeting, Karen Mirzoyan presented, at the request of the
guests, the process of state building in the NKR and the current
stage of settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Karabakh.

A range of regional issues was also touched upon at the meeting,
according to the press service of NKR MFA.

TODAY, 12:39

Aysor.am

INDIA TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIA’S HIGHER EDUCATION DIPLOMAS

September 19, 2013 | 00:13

YEREVAN. – The governments ofArmenia and India are preparing to
sign an agreement on mutual recognition of higher and postgraduate
education qualifications.

Upon the proposal of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science,
this matter is put on the agenda of Thursday’s Government session.

The aforesaid agreement will enable to mutually recognize the diplomas
given by the higher and postgraduate education institutions of Armenia
and India.

To note, numerous students from India currently study at the
institutions of higher education in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan,
and if this agreement is signed, their number will grow.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ZHOGHOVURD: WIKILEAKS DOCUMENTS THROW LIGHT ON ARMAVIA AIRLINE BANKRUPTCY

09:30 19.09.13

Wikileaks documents contain rather interesting information on Armenia’s
domestic life. In studying one of the documents one can surmise the
causes of bankruptcy of Armavia Airline.

The businessman Mikhail Bagdasarov met with US diplomats on March 20,
2009. He was critical of Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan a
“mismanager.” Bagdasarov views Armenia’s premier as a presidential
advisor directing funds to banks and knowing the language of bankers.

According to Bagdasarov, the premier is “doing what he knows well,
but not what the country needs.”

The businessman believes that Armenia’s Minister of Energy Armen
Movsisyan is the next candidate for premiership.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ISABEL KAPRIELIAN-CHURCHILL : SOEURS DE MISERICORDE ET DE SURVIE

Publie le : 19-09-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire la traduction de Georges Festa d’un article en anglais
de Karin Saghdejian publie sur le site The Armenian Weekly, mise en
ligne sur le site Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies le 18 septembre 2013.

Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies

dimanche 15 septembre 2013

Legende photo : © Richard and Tina Carolan Literary Fund, 2012

Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill Sisters of Mercy and Survival : Armenian
Nurses, 1900-1930 [S~urs de misericorde et de survie : les infirmières
armeniennes, 1900-1930] Antelias (Liban) : ” Richard and Tina Carolan
” Literary Fund, 2012

par Karin Saghdejian

The Armenian Weekly, 13.09.2013

C’est une photographie, prise en 1921, d’infirmières armeniennes a
l’hôpital du Memorial Annie Tracy Riggs, situe a Mezreh (l’actuelle
Elazig, en Turquie), ainsi qu’un souvenir d’enfance lors d’une
commemoration du 24 avril a Hamilton, dans l’Ontario, qui ont amene
l’historienne Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill a ecrire son dernier ouvrage,
Sisters of Mercy and Survival : Armenian Nurses, 1900-1930.

Publie en 2012 a Antelias, au Liban, le livre s’interesse au rôle des
infirmières armeniennes au sein des institutions medicales administrees
par des Occidentaux dans l’empire ottoman et le Moyen-Orient, avant
et après la Première Guerre mondiale.

L’ouvrage est aussi une enquete detaillee sur la formation et le
fonctionnement des reseaux hospitaliers americains et des ecoles
d’infirmières dans les diverses provinces de l’empire ottoman et du
Moyen-Orient. Il s’agit d’une enquete unique, visant a eclairer le
devouement de la generation pionnière des infirmières armeniennes,
heroïnes meconnues d’une nation, qui ~uvrèrent inlassablement au
sein de ces structures medicales, a une epoque de catastrophe majeure.

Utilisant des documents en cinq langues, provenant de plus de quinze
fonds d’archives en Amerique du Nord, en Europe, en Armenie et au
Moyen-Orient, Kaprielian-Churchill campe le cadre historique dans
lequel les institutions medicales occidentales furent creees, tout
en detaillant leurs actions, ainsi que l’aide humanitaire apportee
par les organisations caritatives armeniennes.

L’A. fait remonter la pratique de la medecine armenienne au Moyen Age
a Mekhitar de Her [Mkhitar Heratsi] (vers 1110/18 ou 1120 – 1200),
jusqu’aux 18ème et 19ème siècles, lorsque des praticiens armeniens,
formes en Occident, etaient les medecins personnels du sultan et
introduisaient les pratiques les plus recents dans l’empire ottoman.

Bien avant que les missionnaires ne missent sur pied leurs
dispensaires, les Armeniens bâtirent des hôpitaux et engagèrent des
Armeniennes, afin d’exercer comme infirmières, un progrès remarquable
compare a leurs homologues turques, qui ne commencèrent a etre formees
a l’occidentale qu’a la fin des annees 1920.

Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill explique minutieusement le système
des hôpitaux, des dispensaires et des ecoles de formation, que les
missionnaires occidentaux construisirent dans les provinces, ainsi que
leur rôle dans les progrès de la medecine dans l’empire, a la fin du
19ème et au debut du 20ème siècle. Les hôpitaux prosperèrent a Aïntab
(hôpital du docteur Azariah Smith), a Mezre [Mezireh – actuelle Elazig]
(hôpital Annie Tracy Riggs), a Van, Marsovan, Sebastia [actuelle Sivas]
et Marash.

Une des consequences du developpement des hôpitaux des missionnaires
fut le besoin en infirmières. Les Armeniennes furent engagees en
grand nombre et formees dans la medecine generale, particulièrement
en obstetrique, d’après les pratiques et methodes occidentales les
plus avancees. L’A. conclut que les personnels de sante missionnaires,
ainsi que leurs homologues armeniens, ont ainsi seme les germes d’un
système de sante moderne dans l’empire ottoman.

Par un cruel revers du destin, ces memes structures sanitaires et
personnels de sante furent contraintes de servir la machine de guerre
turque, lors de la Première Guerre mondiale, puis les survivants du
genocide qui s’ensuivit.

Durant la guerre, le Near East Relief (N.E.R. – Secours Proche-Orient),
une initiative caritative americaine, apparut, afin de procurer
une aide alimentaire, des abris et des services medicaux d’urgence
aux milliers d’orphelins et de refugies armeniens. La encore,
les infirmières armeniennes furent appelees a jouer un rôle
capital dans les hôpitaux et les orphelinats du N.E.R. a Sivas,
Aïntab, Alep et Kharpert. En fouillant dans les archives du N.E.R.,
Kaprielian-Churchill detaille les types de services de soins proposes
et les nombreux cas traites dans ces hôpitaux.

L’immense concentration de survivants du genocide armenien, couplee a
l’afflux de ce qui subsistait de la population armenienne en Turquie,
suite aux purges nationalistes kemalistes des annees 1920-1924,
reduisirent la nation nouvelle de l’Armenie pratiquement sans
ressources. L’A. refait le compte du montant enorme des ressources
humanitaires du N.E.R., lesquelles contribuèrent a contenir les
epidemies et a abriter les orphelins en Armenie. Le rôle central du
N.E.R. consista peut-etre a evacuer quelque 22 000 Armeniens depuis
la Turquie entre 1920 et 1923.

Après la guerre, une autre organisation americaine, l’American Women’s
Hospital (A.W.H.) arriva en Turquie, dans le Caucase et en Grèce,
où elle joua un rôle très important en abritant et en s’occupant des
survivants de l’après-genocide, notamment les femmes et les enfants.

Entre 1923 et 1933, l’A.W.H. crea des dispensaires et des ecoles
d’infirmières en Armenie et en Grèce, dans lesquels près de 100
000 refugies armeniens furent admis. Kaprielian-Churchill evoque en
detail les hôpitaux de l’A.W.H. a Salonique, Kokkinia et Dirgouti,
où des dizaines de milliers de femmes et d’enfants armeniennes,
victimes de tortures, furent soignes.

L’A. remarque que le genocide modifia fondamentalement les
attitudes traditionnelles a l’egard des infirmières. Desormais,
il ne s’agissait plus d’un travail subalterne, degradant, mais
d’une activite essentielle au regard de la survie de ce qui restait
de la nation armenienne. Des programmes de formation d’infirmières
reprirent a l’hôpital Annie Tracy Riggs de Mezre, ainsi qu’a l’ecole
d’infirmières Winchester a Gumri, qu’elle considère comme la première
ecole de formation de type occidental en Armenie.

Parallèlement aux structures sanitaires americaines dans la region,
l’A. distingue trois hôpitaux qui pratiquaient une medecine avancee, et
où les Armeniennes constituaient une composante majeure du personnel
medical : l’hôpital Sourp Prguitch [Saint-Sauveur] a Constantinople,
l’hôpital prive Altounian a Alep (qui proposait un programme de
formation d’infirmières et disposait du seul appareil de radiographie
existant alors dans tout l’empire ottoman), et le Collège Protestant
Syrien de Beyrouth (future Universite Americaine de Beyrouth, où
un programme de formation d’infirmières fut cree en 1905, avec deux
infirmières armeniennes comme premières diplômees).

Kaprielian-Churchill eclaire aussi l’activite des organisations
humanitaires armeniennes, a savoir la Croix Rouge armenienne (futur
Secours Armenien), l’Union Generale Armenienne de Bienfaisance
(U.G.A.B.) et, durant une certaine periode, le Hay Bedagan Khatch
[Croix Nationale Armenienne] (organisation caritative de gauche,
pro-sovietique), en tant qu’acteurs principaux de l’activite
humanitaire, au plan national, pendant et après le genocide. Elle suit
les episodes marquants de leur creation au debut du 20ème siècle,
avec leurs nombreuses sections et delegations en Amerique du Nord,
en Angleterre et au Moyen-Orient. Elle detaille longuement leur aide
a Alep, emplie de refugies, et dans l’Armenie frappee par la famine
et les epidemies.

L’apparition de la Croix Rouge Armenienne et de l’U.G.A.B., qui
tentèrent meme de fusionner en Amerique du Nord en 1921, a une epoque
de crise nationale, les legitima aux yeux de la nation. Lorsque toutes
les structures anterieures a la guerre s’effondrèrent, elles furent
les acteurs centraux au plan des services sociaux et sanitaires,
conclut l’A.

En fin d’ouvrage, Kaprielian-Churchill livre de courtes biographies
d’infirmières armeniennes de l’hôpital Annie Tracy Riggs de Mezre,
l’ecole d’infirmières la plus en avance dans l’empire ottoman et
qui joua un rôle fondamental dans la mise en place et les progrès
de l’infirmerie occidentale dans cette region, devenant ainsi des
pionnières dans ce domaine.

Les douze chapitres du livre sont ponctues par une toute une serie
de photographies historiques, a la fois rares et instructives,
des hôpitaux, des patients, des infirmières, des medecins et des
orphelinats. Dans l’esprit de l’A., ces documents composent un album
racontant le vecu des infirmières armeniennes.

Cet ouvrage represente une etude precieuse, faisant revivre ces
Armeniennes travailleuses et innombrables – souvent oubliees –
qui jouèrent un rôle majeur a un moment critique de l’histoire de
notre nation.

___________

Source :

Traduction : © Georges Festa – 09.2013.

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies

LE THEATRE NATIONAL D’OPERA ET DE BALLET ALEXANDRE SPENDARIAN VA CELEBRER SON 80EME ANNIVERSAIRE

ARMENIE

Le theâtre national d’opera et de ballet Alexandre Spendarian debutera
sa 80e saison theâtrale le 20 Septembre par l’opera “Anush” d’Armen
Tigranyan.

Kamo Hovhannisyan, directeur du theâtre national d’opera et de
ballet Alexandre Spendarian , a souligne : ” C’est devenu une bonne
tradition d’ouvrir la saison theâtrale avec “Anoush”. Nous ne ferons
pas exception cette annee aussi “.

Le theâtre national d’opera et de ballet Alexandre Spendarian a
prepare un certain nombre de surprises pour son public dans le cadre
de sa 80e saison theâtrale. Le personnel du theâtre de 400 artistes
presentera un certain nombre de long spectacles avec des figures de
l’art distingues a l’etranger.

Le theâtre national d’opera et de ballet Alexandre Spendarian d’Erevan
a ete inaugure officiellement le 20 Janvier 1933. Le bâtiment a ete
concu par l’architecte armenien Alexander Tamanian.

Le theâtre a egalement accueilli des concerts donnes par Charles
Aznavour, Ian Anderson, John McLaughlin et bien d’autres.

jeudi 19 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

EGEMEN BAGIS A RECU L’ARCHEVEQUE ARAM ATESYAN

TURQUIE

Le ministre turc des Affaires europeennes Egemen Bagis a recu a
Istanbul le 14 septembre le Patriarche en exercice du patriarcat
armenien en Turquie, Aram Atesyan, qui a mene la semaine dernière,
les ceremonies de la Divine Liturgie annuel a l’eglise armenienne
d’Aghtamar, dans la province orientale de Van .

L’archeveque Aram Atesyana declare qu’au cours des 10 dernières annees,
les minorites ont connu de grands changements dans un sens positif.

> a-t-il dit.

Pour sa part, Egemen Bagis a explique qu’il avait rencontre le
Patriarche Atesyan pour la première fois il y a trois ans lors d’une
visite a Aghtamar avec les ambassadeurs des pays membres de l’UE.

a declare
Egemen Bagis aux journalistes.

Egemen Bagis a dit qu’il a voulu ecouter parler du voyage officiel
de Monseigneur Atesyan dans son pays natal. >
a-t-il ajoute.

Lors de son voyage dans le sud du pays, le Patriarche Atesyan a dirige
une messe dans l’eglise Surp Giragos de Diyarbakýr, assiste par le
maire Osman Baydemir et le celèbre ecrivain d’origine armenienne,
Migirdic Margosyan.

jeudi 19 septembre 2013, Stephane (c)armenews.com

AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY CONDEMNED THE TRIP OF MEMBER OF THE BUNDESTAG TO KARABAKH

Turan Information Agency
September 17, 2013 Tuesday

Baku/16.09.13/Turan : The journey of the German Bundestag deputy Jurgen
Klimke on September 12 to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
is a provocation directed against the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. This is stated in the statement of the Azerbaijani embassy
in Germany.

The statement said that the embassy sent a protest letter to Jurgen
Klimke, demanding an explanation from him about this illegal trip. In
addition , the Embassy has asked the Bundestag faction CDU / CSU to
express their attitude to the matter.

“The position of the Government of Germany on the issue of the
Armenian- Azerbaijani conflict known. The German government does
not recognize the breakaway regime in the territory of Azerbaijan,
or any of its representatives, ” the statement said.

Recall that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan includes
in the list of undesirable persons those

who without the consent of Baku visit Nagorno -Karabakh and other
occupied territories .

At present, the list includes 315 names.

THE ‘FRIENDS OF HRANT’ AND THE ‘FRIENDS OF HIS MURDERER’

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 16 2013

NURAY MERT

My friend Hrant was killed six years ago, in front of his office,
a few minutes’ walk from my home. I was unfortunate enough to see his
body lying on the pavement. I ran to his office to get more information
right after I learned that he was attacked; at the time, I didn’t know
that he was killed there, less than half an hour beforehand. Needless
to say, it was a devastating moment, and since then, I have refrained
from talking and writing about the emotional part of this tragic
event. Besides, there were so many personal accounts about “being
one of Hrant’s friends.”

At first, I thought that the murderer could be a nationalist thug who
had acted individually in a politically suitable environment; even
if it had been so, it would have been horrible enough. After that,
however, we started to learn the details of the case and that it was an
orchestrated murder. The public outrage against Dink’s assassination
was the only consolation, as thousands marched at his funeral,
shouting, “We are all Armenians!” It seemed that the era was over
for those who thought that killing an Armenian could go unpunished.

Alas, seven years on, Dink’s outspoken lawyer, Fethiye Cetin, has
stated “we are behind the point that we were at before,” after a
long process of trials and verdicts. Tomorrow, another Dink trial
will begin after the Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that it was not
an individually motivated but organized crime.

Cetin, however, has stated that it is not an improvement but the
opposite, as the Supreme Court decided that the “organization behind
the crime” was limited to those who were already sentenced to prison.

It means that the court refuses to acknowledge or even question the
links between the murderers and the security services (and civil
bureaucracy) despite so much evidence provided by Dink’s lawyers.

The lawyers and the followers of the Dink case who call themselves
“Friends of Hrant” have made a public statement and called for “a
trial of those who are really responsible for the murder, not a show
trial.” In fact, it is not a call for justice just for Hrant, but
it has ultimate political significance. There is a lot of evidence
that hints that Hrant was murdered by a youth gang that had links to
the security services. Moreover, it was an initial court case against
Hrant and the public humiliation after the court’s verdict that paved
the way for his ultimate murder.

At the time (2006) the case against Dink was opened with reference
to one of his newspaper articles that he was accused of “publicly
insulting the Turkish nation” under controversial Article 301. The
Supreme Court of Appeals then approved the sentence (July 2006).

I am sure most of you know the whole story; I just want to note
that after all, one of the judges who approved the sentence when he
was a member of the Supreme Court, Mehmet Omeroglu, was elected as
ombudsman of Turkey on Nov. 27, 2012. In fact, there is no need for
further comment. So far, I have often refrained from writing my doubts
about the hopes of a fair trial in the Dink murder, since, from the
beginning, I was very skeptical about the supposed elimination of
the deep state in Turkey under the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) government. The Dink trial is very important for observing
what happened to the so-called “deep state” after the AKP altered the
status quo ante. So far, it seems that it is only the patrons of the
state that have changed and that there is still a very long way to go.

I never thought that skepticism should stop us from fighting for more
democracy and the rule of law; I always thought that skepticism was
an essential part of political criticism that works as a tool to put
more pressure on politicians.

Unfortunately, this is a country where “skepticism is confused with
cynicism” by democrats themselves. It was a fatal mistake, and now
we are paying the price. Still, we should keep going and asking for
justice to be done.

The Friends of Hrant should never give up until the judges feel truly
obliged to inquire who the “friends of Hrant’s murderer” were.

September/16/2013