Author: Babajanian Karo

NEW ARMENIA BORDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM LAUNCHES

15:20, 18.03.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Russia
Theme: Politics

YEREVAN. – Over the next five years, 45 border communities in
Armenia’s Tavush region, with an overall population of 62,000, will
have the opportunity to develop their own community plans, prioritizing
activities – such as infrastructure and income generating activities
– for financing within the framework of “Integrated Support to Rural
Development: Building Resilient Communities” project.

The project is funded by the Government of the Russian Federation
and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in Armenia, in close partnership with the Ministry of Territorial
Administration and Emergency Situations of Armenia. The project budget
is over USD 5 million.

Bradley Busetto, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative
in Armenia, Armen Yeritsyan, Minister of Territorial Administration
and Emergency Situations, and Ivan Volynkin, Ambassador of the Russian
Federation to Armenia, on Wednesday signed the relevant documents to
launch the project.

Representatives of government agencies responsible for rural and
community development, as well as international organizations,
diplomatic corps, and media attended the event.

“UNDP, as a global development organization, tries to reach remote
communities in Armenia with the support needed not to provide short
term emergency aid, but sustained development support. Our added value
has several facets – neutrality, impartiality, flexibility, as well
as innovation, which makes UNDP special as a development partner for
Armenia. For more than two decades UNDP has worked closely with the
government and other development partners to make Armenia a better
place to live and work. In this context, I would like to express my
gratitude to the Governments of Russian Federation and Armenia for
the excellent collaboration and for this important partnership to
support vulnerable communities. By working together, we can make a
difference to peoples lives,” said Busetto, in his welcoming remarks.

“We have 915 communities in Armenia and they have unique problems and
challenges. In order to make the country’s territorial administration
more efficient, it is necessary to engage in each community and
village, especially in bordering regions. Bordering communities are
always in the focus of the Government of Armenia, which carries
out various measures aimed at their support and development. We
are confident that this project will be an invaluable investment to
mitigate the burden felt in bordering communities,” noted Yeritsyan,.

“Russia consistently builds up its efforts in providing support to
its foreign partners in achieving sustainable development. Priority
recipients of the Russian international development assistance are CIS
countries and its partners in Eurasian integration. The importance
of this UNDP programme is its focus on complex development of the
vulnerable bordering communities in Tavush region and the positive
experience of its realization could be transferred to other communities
of the country. It should be noted that UNDP is a reliable partner
of the Russian Federation which has an excellent reputation and huge
experience accumulated within years of work globally,” said Volynkin.

A LESSON TO BE LEARNED BY ALL FROM THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The Oakland Press, MI
March 18 2015

By Robert Kachadourian, Special to Digital First Media

The Armenian Genocide Centennial is compelling evidence that humanity
hasn’t learned very much in the previous millennia of its existence.

The genocide in the Middle East we currently see so vividly portrayed
in our living rooms perpetrated by evil incarnate, unfortunately
isn’t a new manifestation.

The last century has been called the bloodiest in the history of
mankind. The Armenian Genocide was the beginning of those events —
and was a precursor to those devastating occurrences that followed.

The Centennial Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide this year marks
the carnage that resulted in slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians.

Another 500,000 were orphaned.

The Armenian Genocide took place because of man’s inhumanity to man,
indifference and the world’s very short collective memory.

Most of us read history in a vacuum and really think we aren’t affected
by events that take place thousands of miles away. We also feel events
that occurred years ago are far removed from us.

As we are already midway in the second decade of the 21st century,
the events that affect us aren’t “over there”. The world has come
into our living rooms through the communications explosion that has
jettisoned us into the age of super telecommunications. Cyberspace
has turned outer space into an obtainable dimension.

The Armenian Genocide was a wake-up call no one woke up to! The Jewish
Holocaust wouldn’t have occurred if the Armenian Genocide had been
recognized as an event that needed world attention.

When Hitler in 1939 was commenting about the carnage he was to lead
the world to as he prepared for World War II, he was asked about his
policies of extermination.

His answer was, “Who today remembers what happened to the Armenians”?.

The die was cast.

Indeed no one really remembered enough to do anything about it.

However, there were many future Nazis who were soldiers in the German
Army in Ottoman Turkey during WWI who knew.

Rudolph Hoess, the commandant of Auschwitz, and many of Hitler’s
henchmen, saw what happened to the Armenians. It was genocide in
its totality.

Based on the lack of ultimate concern by any entity who could make
a difference, 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered, half a million
were orphaned and the remnant were scattered to the four corners of
the world.

What’s our response today? Genocide still continues. Sometimes it’s
called ethnic cleansing. The results are the same.

The epic motion picture story of “Schinder’s List” captures the
appropriate response. This award-winning masterpiece is the saga of
what one individual did to save many hundreds from the Holocaust.

Oskar Schindler was an entrepreneur in occupied Poland who saw that the
Jewish laborers he was using would eventually be sent to death camps.

He constantly created a list stating that he needed these people for
the war effort. Thus, his response when he saw the need was responsible
for saving several thousand lives.

“Schindler’s List” gave the appropriate response of “Never Again”.

It’s screenplay was written by Steve Zaillian. Zaillian stated he
drew upon the experience of his own Armenian background to compose
such an outstanding drama depiction of the Holocaust.

The irony is that a person writing about the Holocaust drew from his
grandparents experience in the Armenian Genocide. Was a thread of
commonality there?

After 100 years, there’s a message here. People collectively at
sometime, some how and some where must say unequivocally “Never Again”

So far we have failed. Current events are a stark reminder of this.

Therefore, as you view programs, events and general references to
the Genocide made in our area for this Centennial Year Commemoration,
remember not to forget.

Indeed the “Forget Me Not” flower is the symbol of all the ceremonies.

That says it all.

The “Forget Me Not” flower in reality must be thought of as having two
parts. The first part states that we should never forget the Genocide.

The second portion should elicit the response “Never Again”.

Genocide, Holocaust and other like manifestations must be eradicated
from civilization’s vocabulary. Indeed there can be no civilized
society if the barbarous acts referenced are present whatsoever.

The Armenian Genocide began 100 years ago. May it be said us that
a century later marked the beginning of the end of such useless
atrocities. In the meantime, “Forget Me Not”. That’s a beginning.

Robert Kachadourian of Bloomfield Hills is an area resident media
consultant. He hosts ‘FYI’ which can be viewed in southeast Michigan.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY UNVEILS KEY EVENTS

Buenos Aires Herald, Argentina
March 18 2015

Leaders of the Armenian community in Argentina yesterday announced
a number of activities to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary
of the Armenian genocide on April 24. Events will include a mass at
the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral and an open-air concert of
composer Santiago Chotsourian. Organizers also unveiled the official
image of these events — a violet flower with the slogan “don’t forget
about me.”

NEEDLEWORK EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OPENED IN ALEPPO

11:42, 18 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 18 MARCH, ARMENPRESS: On 17 March, within the framework of
events of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a needlework
exhibition of the Western Armenia and the Armenian provinces of
Cilicia has opened in the hall of Aleppo’s Holly Mary Church.

The editorial office of “Kantsasar” newspaper informed “Armenpress”
about this. The exhibition is organized by the regional Department of
the Syrian-Armenian Assistance Cross, headed by the Primate of Armenian
Diocese of Beroea, His Grace Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian and sponsored
by the Syrian central body of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

The three leaders of Syrian-Armenian communities, General Consul of
Republic of Armenia to Aleppo, the representative of the Armenian
Relief Fund, members of Assistance Cross organization and other guests
attended the opening ceremony.

The Armenian provinces’ history, traditions and habits, embroidery,
dialects and delicious meals have been introduced during the
exhibition.

TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Porterville Recorder, CA
March 18 2015

Michael Carley / A Different Drum Recorderonline.com

When one thinks of the word genocide, what often comes to mind is the
Nazi holocaust of World War II during which Germany killed millions.

Communists, gays and minorities of all stripes were among the targets,
but Jews in particular suffered with an estimated six million of
their number killed, a substantial portion of the European Jewish
population of the time.

But, the word genocide was actually coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish
attorney from Poland, with regard to a different historical event,
one not discussed as widely, the Armenian genocide.

The Armenian genocide wasn’t simply one event. Persecution began long
before the main attacks in 1915. As Armenians began to organize for
improvement of their lot in the late 19th century, they fell victim
to persecution by authorities of the Ottoman empire. Massacres of
Armenians took place as early as 1894, taking the lives of thousands.

Further persecution took place, including more massacres, over the
next twenty years. In what would become a prelude to Nazi propaganda,
the Ottomans began a campaign in 1914 arguing that Armenians were a
threat to their society. But the genocide began in full in April 1915,
a century ago next month.

Among other events, the Ottomans arrested about 250 intellectuals
and began the mass deportation of thousands. Others were sent on what
would later be called a “death march” through the desert toward Syria
where many perished. Property was confiscated, extermination camps
were established, some temporary, others contained mass graves. Many
were drowned.

Again presaging the Nazis, many were killed through medical
experimentation, including overdoses of various drugs, including
morphine.

Estimates of those killed vary substantially, but the numbers are
likely between one and one and a half million Armenians.

Some Americans did speak out against the genocide, including former
president Theodore Roosevelt, populist Williams Jennings Bryan,
Rabbi Steven Wise and feminist Alice Stone Blackwell.

The Republic of Turkey is the successor state to the Ottoman Empire and
it staunchly opposes using the term genocide. Nonetheless, the Armenian
Diaspora has consistently pushed for recognition of it, as they should.

To date, 22 countries have adopted resolutions acknowledging the
Armenian genocide as have 42 of the 50 US states.

Numerous congressional resolutions have been put forward to formally
recognize the Armenian genocide, only to fail due to lobbying by
the Turkish government. Relationships with a key ally have taken
precedence over historical accuracy.

President George W. Bush and his state department opposed recognition
during his tenure in office. While campaigning for president,
candidate Obama promised to recognize the genocide if elected,
but reversed course once in office, adhering to the same policy of
his predecessors, his administration opposing several congressional
attempts. The same goes for potential candidate Hillary Clinton who
lobbied against recognition during her tenure as Secretary of State.

As the century date approaches next month, it would be a good time
to do the right thing and simply acknowledge history as it happened.

If we’re looking for silver linings, one only has to turn to our
neighbors to see the positive impact Armenian immigrants have had on
American society.

Armenian immigration began well before the 1915 events, with a wave
coming through the early massacres and the genocide period and another
wave coming from the 1960s onward, largely Soviet Armenians who had
not fully integrated into Soviet society.

The most recent American Community Survey (formerly the Census long
form) estimates that there are nearly half a million Armenian-Americans
in the US, though some estimates place the number far higher. The
highest concentration has been in the Los Angeles area, comprising
more than 40 percent of the national total.

Going back even further, some of the earliest Armenian immigrants
came here to the Central Valley, many of them settling in the Fresno
area as early as 1874. A number of them became Valley farmers and in
the early years, discrimination against Armenians was common.

Best known of these was William Saroyan. Born in Fresno in 1908,
Saroyan was the celebrated writer of short stories such as The Daring
Young Man on the Flying Trapeze and many others. Saroyan won the
Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1940 and an Academy Award in 1943 for
the film adaptation of his novel The Human Comedy.

You can see cultural events at the Saroyan Theatre, near the Fresno
Convention Center. One you might consider would be tonight’s town hall
event, From the Ottoman Empire To Today: The Time for Reconciliation.

Michael Carley is a resident of Porterville.

HAYRIKYAN CRITICAL OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS, CALLS FOR NEW “OPPOSITION” POLE

POLITICS | 18.03.15 | 14:37

Alina Nikoghosyan
ArmeniaNow intern

Several opposition forces are trying to create a new political pole
in Armenia, according to the leader of the National Self-Determination
Union (NSDU), Soviet-era dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan.

Hayrikyan told reporters Wednesday that he had meetings with
Heritage, the Armenian National Movement (ANM), Free Democrats,
Founding Parliament, and the Democratic Fatherland parties. However,
the Founding Parliament later said that they will not participate in
those meetings anymore.

“We have reached the point when each Armenian must decide whom
they side with, with Paruyr Hayrikyan and his followers, or other
semi-educated, unaware or at best some predisposed bodies,” he said.

According to the NSDU leader, another meeting will take place on
Wednesday, and discussions over constitutional changes will be on
the agenda.

“If before I did not see Armenocide in the logic of constitutional
changes, during these couple of days it became clear to me that this
is an attempt to kill the politics of the Armenian nation,” he said.

Last week President Serzh Sargsyan held a series of meetings with
seven political forces to discuss the concept of the constitutional
reform, which was later, on March 14, approved by him.

EU LENDS 95 MILLION EUROS TO ARMENIA-GEORGIA POWER LINK PROJECT

Energy Monitor Worldwide
March 17, 2015 Tuesday

The construction of a power line linking Armenia and Georgia is
getting a boost, thanks to a 95.2 million euro (approx. $100 million)
loan announced Monday.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) said it is providing 10 million
euros (approx. $11 million) while German bank KfW is lending 85.2
million euros (approx. $90 million) for the project.

The cash will be used to build the new electricity transmission line
and a high-voltage direct current station between the two nations,
designed to meet the growing power demand.

EIB Vice-President Wilhelm Molterer, responsible for EIB lending in
Armenia said: âEURoeThe project will also foster regional trade,
increase the potential for the use of hydro energy generation and
facilitate FDI [foreign direct investment] by ensuring the reliable
electricity deliveries needed by foreign investors.âEUR

Earlier this month UK energy regulator Ofgem launched a consultation
on its proposals to approve three new electricity interconnectors.

The total cost of the program âEURoeCaucasus Power LinesâEUR is 320
million euros, Armenian energy and natural resources minister Yervand
Zakaryan said Monday.

He said the program will be implemented in three phases -the first
was launched in 2014 and will end in 2018, the second phase will end
in 2021 and the third in 2026.

In the first phase Armenian and Georgian energy systems will be
united through a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line to be built
in Armenian Ayrum on the border with Georgia. The new substation and
the transmission line will enable Armenian and Georgian power grids
to work in the same mode and make electricity swaps.

The total cost of the first phase of the project 105.2 million euros.

This phase is co-financed by the European Investment Bank and the
EU Neighborhood Investment. Another 85.2 million euro loan will be
provided by German KfW bank. The agreement with KfW was signed in
2014 December and the agreement with European Investment Bank was
signed Monday in Yerevan.

âEURoeThis project will enable Armenia and Georgia to integrate their
power grids and contribute to their economic development. We are also
negotiating a possible integration of the power grids with neighboring
Russia and Iran,âEUR said Zakaryan.

The head of KfWâEUR(tm)s Energy Department Ian Blum said
ArmeniaâEUR(tm)s high level energy security depends largely on energy
cooperation with neighboring countries, and a stable and strong system
of transmission lines will bring the energy security of Armenia and
Georgia to a new level. He said the involvement of the EU and the
European Investment Bank in this program is evidence that the EU as
a major donor is willing to continue to assist Armenia both in the
framework of investment projects and development programs.

The KfW loan will be provided in two tranches â- 75 million and 10.2
million euros. The first is repayable in 15 years with a five-year
grace period and the second is provided for a period of 40 years at
0.75% interest rate. 2015 Global Data Point.

SERZH SARGSYAN: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S POSITION IS THAT THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO PEOPLES’ RIGHT TO SELF- DETERMINATION

by Ashot Safaryan

Wednesday, March 18, 08:25

The keys to the Karabakh conflict settlement are not in Paris, Moscow
or Washington, but in Baku, Stepanakert and Yerevan, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan said on March 17, at the Opening Meeting of the Fourth
Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

The press office of the Armenian President quotes Serzh Sargsyan as
saying, “We are not going to transform this platform into a propaganda
tool or conduit to sow interethnic hostility, as it has been the case
in Azerbaijan. We will try to take best advantage of the opportunities
provided by this Assembly for the benefit of peaceful coexistence
and cooperation of our nations. The best testimony to what I just
stated was active participation of the Armenian delegations in a wide
range of events that took place in Azerbaijan, including the Ordinary
Session that took place in Baku back in 2012.

I regret that Azerbaijani side evades meeting us halfway by responding
to our steps towards constructive dialogue. It is though more
disturbing that our neighboring State demonstrates unconstructive and
maximalist stance in the very process of the peaceful resolution of
the Karabakh conflict by backtracking on the already agreed points,
by consistently trying to change the format of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairmanship or to launch negotiations on the great treaty without
registering agreement on the basic principles. It should be obvious
that the keys to the settlement of this issue are not located in Paris,
Moscow or Washington, but in Baku, Stepanakert and Yerevan.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan invents far-fetched excuses in order to avoid
the settlement based on the principles proposed by the Co-Chairs.

I think such tactics of that country deserves unequivocal assessment
of the international community and European institutions.

Regardless of Azerbaijan’s unrealistic claims and periodic provocations
carried out on the Line-of- Contact there is no alternative to the
peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It has been the
position of international community, especially in the recent years,
that there is no alternative to the comprehensive settlement of this
conflict but by the exercise of the people’s right to free expression
of their will and self-determination, which is grounded in the
European and universal values. This conflict can be comprehensively
settled through the free exercise of this right by the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh. That is the approach upon which the proposal of
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs is built.”

MOST MINE EXPLOITERS IN ARMENIA AREN’T MAKING THEIR PROMISED INVESTMENTS

17:21, 18 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 18 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Out of the 55 mining companies
in Armenia, 30 aren’t performing their duties referred to in
their contracts and aren’t making adequate investments. The issue
has become so serious that Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Yervand Zakharyan called the representatives of all the companies to
a meeting and tried to find out the reason for such behavior. During
the meeting held in the presence of presses, the minister declared
that based on estimates, there will only be AMD 24 billion worth of
investments, but only four companies have submitted reports on the
activities that they have carried out.

“This has an impact not only on the field and the economy, but also
the development of the Republic of Armenia. Many promises are made,
but evasion of duties referred to in the contracts is troubling,”
the minister said, emphasizing the fact that he views this approach
as inadmissible and that the situation needs to be fixed rapidly.

A NEW WAY TO COLOR EASTER EGGS–THE ARMENIAN WAY!

Daily Press, Virginia
March 18 2015

Challenge Your Family Members to an Egg-Cracking Contest

By Posted by pomegranatepub, Community

We have all dyed Easter eggs the traditional way with store bought
food colors. This year try something different using your leftover
onionskins. That’s right! No need to buy anything. So easy to make.

Just put the discarded skins from yellow onions into a pot of water
with your eggs, and voila! You will have beautiful and uniquely colored
eggs that you can use in your egg-cracking contest, another Armenian
tradition. This would also be a special way to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

The recipe and egg-cracking instructions are included in my new
children’s book, Mariam’s Easter Parade. In this light-hearted story,
Mariam might be too small to help with the Easter preparations,
but she is clever enough to celebrate with her own special parade!

The book is based on grandmother’s life in “the old country.” Easter
is a major holiday for the Armenia people. Not only do they celebrate
their Christian religion, but they also mark the occasion with food,
festivities, and egg-fighting contests.

To obtain the recipe and pictures, please write to
[email protected]. Mariam’s Easter Parade is available on
Amazon.com as well as many independent books stores.