Author: Badalian Vardan

DASHNAK LEADER FANCIES OPPOSITION MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT
Ruzanna Stepanian, Tigran Avetisian

Armenialiberty.org
Oct 31 2011

Armenia’s main opposition forces are capable of winning next year’s
parliamentary elections, a leader of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said on Monday.

“I think that if proper work is done and if the society is awakened,
it is very possible that the combined representation of opposition
forces in parliament will exceed 50 percent,” Vahan Hovannisian
told journalists.

President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and its
two junior coalition partners control at least 100 of the 131 seats
in the current Armenian parliament. In a joint statement issued in
February, they expressed their intention to gain even more seats in
the next National Assembly to be elected next May.

Dashnaktsutyun and the two other major opposition groups — the
Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party
— condemned that statement as a clear sign that the authorities will
try rig the 2012 elections. Accordingly, they dismissed subsequent
government pledges to ensure their proper conduct.

Hovannisian, who ran for president in 2008 and now leads
Dashnaktsutyun’s parliamentary faction, denounced in that context
Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s warning last week that political
groups challenging the HHK would “end up empty-handed.”

“In essence, a critic is regarded [by the government] as an enemy in
our country,” he said. “We will not allow anyone to govern with ease
while constantly committing mistakes.”

Opposition victory in the 2012 elections will be complicated by
uneasy relationships between Dashnaktsutyun, Zharangutyun and the
HAK. The latter has repeatedly questioned opposition credentials of
the two parties.

Artush Shabazian, another Dashnaktsutyun lawmaker, deplored the lack
of opposition unity on Monday during a public debate with three
other political figures. He said that the ruling coalition is far
more united than the “fragmented” opposition.

Shahbazian also described as “almost impossible” the formation of an
electoral alliance between his party and the HAK.

Armen Martirosian, a Zharangutyun leader, downplayed the significance
of such alliances for Armenia’s political future. “If we really care
about the state we should hold decent elections in the first instance,
regardless of what alliances will or will not exist,” he said.

For his part, HAK spokesman Arman Musinian declined to specify whether
the bloc is ready to join forces with other opposition groups. “We
find it meaningless and untimely to talk about that now,” Musinian
told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).

Dashnaktsutyun’s Hovannisian, meanwhile, reacted rather positively
to HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrosian’s announcement on Friday that the
opposition alliance will aim to win a parliamentary majority and
impeach President Sarkisian “single-handedly or in alliance with
other forces.”

“That is a way of struggle,” said the Dashnaktsutyun leader. “I
have no doubts that one should go for a victory in the parliamentary
elections.”

NAIRIT LOAN FROM EURASEC ANTI-CRISIS FUND STILL UNDER QUESTION

Vestnik Kavkaza
Oct 31 2011

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has commented on the loan
for the Nairitu chemical plant, Armenia Today reports.

The loan will be issued for 10-15 years from the EurAsEC anti-crisis
fund. The enterprise requested the loan last year. A document was
composed with prospects for the factory. Nairitu currently needs an
operator to manage it.

An operator is essential for the loan, it will allow the government
to take up additional risks. Sargsyan noted that they are currently
working on the issue.

ARMENIAN UNIVERSITIES AMID ACCREDITATION PROCEDURES

Tert.am
31.10.11

Thanks to a World Bank grant, the universities in Armenia have launched
a pilot accreditation program.

The National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance
(NCPEQA), which is the coordinator of the process, has already
organized expert groups’ visits to the Armenian State Teachers Training
University, and the State Architectural and Construction University.

Based on international standards, two separate groups will continue
their studies in the above institutions until November 4.

The international experts are from the Netherlands and Great Britain.

Dr Klas van Veen is a Leiden University professor who has been engaged
in teacher training programs and quality assessment for several years.

Richard Louis has been a guest lecturer at the Washington University.

as well as a former president of the International Network for Quality
Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) .

The Center has already studied the universities’ self-analyses
submitted ahead of the visits. It has finished its preparatory work,
having elaborated the assessment principles and criteria. An action
plan drawn up with the Center’s representatives now serves as a
guideline for the experts. After completing the visits, group will
sum up the monitoring results. The final report will be submitted by
the head expert.

Fourteen universities have been involved in the WB-funded pilot
program.

SEISME EN TURQUIE : L’ARMENIE ENVOIE UNE AIDE HUMANITAIRE
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 31 octobre 2011

Un avion du ministère armenien des Situations d’urgence a transporte
vendredi 40 t d’aide humanitaire dans la province turque de Van
(sud-est) ravagee dimanche dernier par un seisme de magnitude 7,2,
a annonce le service de presse du ministère armenien.

L’Armenie a envoye plus de 100 tentes, 500 sacs de couchage, des
toilettes mobiles et des couvertures aux regions sinistrees après
avoir recu une demande d’aide turque via le Centre euro-atlantique
de coordination et le Croissant Rouge.

Les travaux de sauvetage continuent dans la province de Van où le
seisme a fait 575 morts et 2.608 blesses selon le dernier bilan. Les
autorites locales distribuent l’aide humanitaire qui arrive de toutes
les autres regions turques et de l’etranger. Au total, 12 pays dont
la Russie ont deja accorde une assistance humanitaire aux victimes
du tremblement de terre.

L’Armenie accorde une aide humanitaire a la Turquie pour la troisième
fois depuis la rupture des relations diplomatiques entre les deux
pays. La frontière armeno-turque est fermee depuis 1993 a l’initiative
d’Ankara.

Le soutien de l’Azerbaïdjan par Ankara lors du conflit azeri-armenien
dans le Haut-Karabakh et la reaction negative de la Turquie suite a
la reconnaissance internationale du genocide armenien de 1915 figurent
parmi les facteurs qui ont contribue a la deterioration des relations
turco-armeniennes.

COMMUNIQUE DES QUATRES ECOLES QUOTIDIENNES ARMENIENNES DE LA REGION PARISIENNE
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 31 octobre 2011

Les quatre ecoles quotidiennes armeniennes de la region parisienne
(Hamaskaïne – Tarkmantchatz d’Issy, Hrant Dink d’Arnouville, St Mesrop
d’Alfortville et Tebrotzassere du Raincy,) ont tenu le vendredi 21
octobre, leur première reunion commune dans les locaux d’Ayp Fm,
en presence des representants de leurs Conseils d’Administration
respectifs et de leur Direction, afin d’echanger et de mutualiser
leur experience, et de programmer des initiatives communes.

L’organisation, le financement et le mode de fonctionnement de chaque
ecole a fait l’objet d’une presentation succincte de la part de chacun.

Dans le cadre des initiatives de principe, il a ete convenu de
concevoir des projets realises par les elèves des quatre etablissements
et de les soumettre aux instances de tutelles – Rectorats, Academies,
Ministère de l’Education Nationale.

Cette reunion fut egalement l’occasion d’envisager des initiatives
communes très ciblees telles que :

La validation de la langue armenienne comme matière a developper (avec
les 4 ecoles) dans le livret personnel de competences du socle commun
( programme de l’Education Nationale).

L’organisation de ” classes de neige ” ou de ” classes verte ”
impliquant durant une semaine, la participation des elèves d’une
classe de chaque ecole (s) dans un lieu adapte, comme par exemple la
colonie de la Croix Bleue des Armenien de France, a Bellefontaine.

L’organisation de competitions sportives inter- ecoles,

Mais egalement de permettre aux elèves des autres ecoles de visiter
l’atelier scientifique mis en place par l’ecole Hrant Dink,

Cette première entrevue a mis en evidence la necessite de resoudre
ensemble les problèmes rencontres par chaque etablissement et de
developper l’indispensable reflexion autour de la mise en place
d’une demarche coordonnee, en ayant toujours presents a l’esprit
les deux objectifs fondamentaux de l’ecole : permettre a nos elèves
d’atteindre le niveau d’excellence scolaire et leur transmettre une
solide conscience et education armenienne.

C’est dans cet esprit que les responsables des ecoles quotidiennes
armeniennes de la region parisienne ont convenu de maintenir
regulièrement leurs reunions de travail.

Hamaskaïne-Tarkmantchatz d’Issy

Hrant Dink d’Arnouville

St Mesrop d’Alfortville,

Tebrotzasser du Raincy,

CHURCH NOT A CAT WALK

Keghart.com Team Editorial

31 October 2011

We live according to long-established laws-civil, moral, humane and
religious. We also live by rules–written or unwritten. There are
rules and etiquette guidelines which nobody tells us about but we
somehow-innately, by osmosis or otherwise-observe. Such rules govern,
for instance, our manner and the way we present ourselves at church.

Whether one is a believer or not a civilized person, when within the
walls of a house of worship, respects the faith demonstrated by the
clergy and the congregation. These are givens which one would assume
do not require a reminder. Unfortunately, the absence of decorum by
some North American Armenian faithful at Badarak Holy Mass forces us
to comment.

A female worshipper’s long, curly and bottle-blonde tresses spread like
a fan well below her uncovered shoulders. Perhaps she rejected the
traditional hair covering because it would have hidden her physical
allures. Once in a while (in case the men had not noticed her silken
locks?) she would sway her big hair, like a lion gently shaking his
golden mane.

A man in his early forties had his hands in his pockets throughout
Badarak, except when he was not kneeling. His hefty belly projecting
way ahead of his torso, the man’s posture seemed to say, “I am not
impressed: make me another offer.” When the collection plate was
passed around, the man with the generous belly dropped all of 25
cents in it. He didn’t seem to be embarrassed by the clinking sound
his miserly metal made as it hit another coin. As everyone knows,
a North American altar boy can’t buy even a single candy with 25 cents.

Another man had his dark sunglasses resting on his head, as if he
was passing through the church on his way to the beach or some other
sybaritic venue.

A number of women were dressed in tight pants and seemed to
precariously balance themselves on high heels. The concept that at
church the faithful should cover their physical attributes rather than
expose them is obviously a bizarre or arcane idea to these women who
ostensibly had come to church to re-live the passion of Christ.

Someone should tell them what passion means in the context of Badarak.

A middle-aged man had brought along bottled water. He noisily guzzled
from the bottle and then furtively wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

A girl in her late teens, dressed in layered shirts, exposed
her glossy, suntanned shoulders. Two of her friends were chewing
gum… once in a while a cell phone rang shattering the ecclesiastic
aura.

One doesn’t have to be religious to object to the above disgraceful
behavior. In addition to insulting the Christian faith and Armenian
traditions, these insolent or ignorant people also insult the priest,
the Armenian people, our history and culture.

What did the rest of the faithful think about these fashionably-dressed
barbarians? What did the poor priest, reciting our 1,500-year-old
Badarak… the words of Christ, Nerses Shnorhali and Krikor Naregatsi
…think as he watched the shameless, uncouth, if not sinful, pageant
from the altar? Would he hesitate to condemn such behavior from the
pulpit, fearing that he might lose a number of his congregants?

To paraphrase the lyrics of “Eleanor Rigby,” where do these people come
from? Who were their parents? What school did they go to? What makes
them behave the way they do? Do they realize that there’s a difference
between a cat walk, the beach, the street and the house of God?

At the beginning of Badarak Armenians recite “Havadamk”-the cornerstone
of the Christian faith. At the end of that collective statement,
they say that those who don’t believe the doctrines expressed in
“Havadamk” should leave the church. Perhaps the Armenian Church
should put an addendum to “Havadamk”-a few words which would remind
people, who do not respect the sacred ground, that they should take
their uncovered hairs, their tight pants, their shades, stilettos,
bottled waters and chewing gums and vacate the church post haste.

A youthful Christ grabbed the whip and lashed at the money-changers
of the temple, driving them out.  In the same spirit perhaps someday
an Armenian priest should order these brazen “faithful” out of the
house of God. Their presence is a “beeghdz” the Armenian Church and
congregations have tolerated long enough.

COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES LAUNCHED FOR TRCHKAN WATERFALL PROTECTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 29, 2011 – 13:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – “Save Trchkan Waterfall” initiative group launched
collection of signatures against the construction of a hydropower
plant at Trchkan Waterfall.

The activists urge the government to ban the construction of the plant
on Trchkan Waterfall, which is the highest in Armenia, EcoLur reported.

Minister of Nature Protection Aram Harutyunyan assures that the
construction, which is expected to provide 20-25 job opportunities,
will not damage the waterfall.

ANCA-WR TO BESTOW HACOP BAGHDASSARIAN WITH LEGACY AWARD AT 2011 ANNUAL BANQUET

asbarez
Friday, October 28th, 2011

Mr. & Mrs. Hagop and Hilda Baghdassarian

GLENDALE-Long time community activist and public servant Hacop
Baghdassarian will receive the Legacy Award at the 2011 Armenian
National Committee of America-Western Region Annual Banquet for his
decades of service to the American American community and dedication
to the Armenian Cause.

Hacop M. Baghdassarian was born in Tehran, Iran on March 30, 1948 to
Petros and Marous Malek Baghdassarian. Hacop grew up in Tehran with
his four sisters – Nora, Emma, Rima and Asiah. He attended Kooshesh
Armenian School in Tehran until the age of fifteen when his father
Petros unexpectedly died from a heart attack. Baghdassarian cut short
his educational aspirations to attend to his father’s paint supply
business. He maintained his father’s reputation as a fair and honest
entrepreneur and was sought out by young Armenians arriving in Tehran
looking for work.

In 1973, Hacop married Hilda Voskanian and later had two sons,
Peter and Gevik. In 1979, leaving behind the turmoil of the Islamic
Revolution in Iran, Baghdassarian and his family immigrated
to the United States. In Los Angeles, Baghdassarian followed
his entrepreneurial inclination and opened the first of four
restaurants named “Massis Kabob” in Glendale. For over four decades,
Baghdassarian has worked tirelessly to make his businesses successful
– his motivations always being providing for his family as well as
contributing to the Armenian community to the best of his ability.

Currently, Baghdassarian serves on the board of the Armenian Education
Foundation and works with several Armenian charities including
Homenetmen, Armenian Relief Society, and the Armenian Eye Care Project,
among a number of other community organizations. Although he has
no formal training in construction or engineering, Baghdassarian
often travels to the rural villages in Armenia to review plans
for the renovation of dilapidated elementary schools. To date,
Baghdassarian has been responsible for the construction or renovation
of several schools in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Javakhk. In 2005,
Baghdassarian’s philanthropy and dedication were officially recognized
when he received the Yerakhtagitutiun Award from the then President
of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghoukasyan. In December 2006,
Baghdassarian was honored by the Armenian Education Foundation and
named its Most Valuable Member. In March 2010, he was honored by the
Armenian Relief Society’s “Javakhk Fund” Committee for his work raising
contributions supporting many worthy projects including the sponsorship
of the renovations of eight schools. In 2010, His Holiness Catholicos
Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia bestowed upon Baghdassarian the
Knight of Cilicia Medal.

The central tenets in Baghdassarian’s life are his family, abiding
faith and dedication to the Armenian American community. Now
approaching the second half of his life, Baghdassarian’s greatest
joy is taking time out of his busy schedule to play with his four
grandchildren – Anthony, Michael, John and George.

“Hacop Baghdassarian is a shining example of a dedicated public
servant, who has given so generously of his time and energy to the
Armenian community through his participation in many organizations. He
has instilled those same values in his children and grandchildren,
who will certainly carry on his legacy throughout the years,” said
ANCA-WR Board member Pattyl Aposhian-Kasparian.

The Annual Banquet will take place at the Universal Sheraton Hotel
on Saturday, November 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the Annual Banquet are
$200, and discounted tickets are available to students with valid ID.

Purchase tickes and get more information.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

BUSTE DE KOMITAS SIGNE TOROS
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

armenews.com
samedi 29 octobre 2011

COMMUNAUTE-VALENCE

en souvenir de Yersa, la mère de Toros, dans la cour de l’Eglise
Saint Sahag de Valence

La foule etait fort nombreuse dimanche 23 octobre a l’issue de la messe
dans la cour de l’eglise armenienne Saint Sahag. Un public qui avait
largement repondu present pour l’inauguration du buste du Reverend
Père Komitas don du sculpteur romanais Toros en souvenir de sa mère
Yersa. Henri Siranyan, president de l’union cultuelle de l’eglise Saint
Sahag en francais et le père Antranik Maldjian en armenien et francais
ont tour a tour presente l’~uvre et la personnalite de Toros. Le père
Garabed representant Mgr Norvan Zakarian etait egalement present a la
ceremonie. Toros, très emu face au visage de Komitas derrière lequel
il imaginait la souffrance de sa mère Yersa rescapee du genocide,
presenta une partie de sa famille, son frère Hovhannès ainsi que ses
s~urs. Par des gestes simples mais eminemment symboliques, Toros
leva les yeux au ciel pour quelques instants d’eternite, invoquant le
souvenir de sa mère Yersa qui a tant souffert du drame armenien. Puis
appelant sa fille qui porte egalement le nom de sa mère, Yersa,
ensemble ils devoilèrent le buste de Komitas. Ces scènes intenses de
bonheur et de douleur marqueront a jamais la memoire armenienne de
Valence qui a vecu des moments forts par la magie Toros.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: CONFLICT ON ICE

The Economist
Oct 28 2011

DURING the late 1980s and early 1990s the conflict between Armenians
and Azeris over the Nagorno-Karabkh region was often in the news.

Thousands died in fighting; hundreds of thousands fled, or were
ethnically cleansed. Nagorno-Karabakh is an Armenian-majority region
inside Azerbaijan. During Soviet times it enjoyed autonomy. In
September 1991 it declared independence, triggering war. The region
doubled in size, but the problem was not resolved.

Twenty years later, Nagorno-Karabakh is often called a “frozen
conflict”. For most people outside the Caucasus, it is more of a
forgotten one.

No Azeris remain in Nagorno-Karabakh. Towns like Aghdam, which
were Azeri-dominated before the war but that lie outside the
old autonomous region, are in ruins. But there has been some
reconstruction in in areas within the pre-war borders. Equally
importantly, Nagorno-Karabakh’s 140,000 Armenians have built a small
but functioning state. (Not even Armenia, on which the statelet
depends, formally recognises its independence.)

Peace talks have ground on for years, but a breakthrough is never
made. Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians want recognition for their
breakaway state, but Azerbaijan is unwilling to grant anything more
than autonomy. Azeri refugees also want to return to their homes.

The conflict impedes economic development and regional co-operation in
the south Caucasus. But Westerners forget it at their peril. In 2005
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline opened to pump Azerbaijani oil to
a terminal in Turkey to lessen dependence on piplines through Russia.

The pipeline runs close to the line where Nagorno-Karabakh’s soldiers
confront those of Azerbaijan. In the event of a new conflict it could
be cut by rocket fire within hours.