Author: Badalian Vardan

ZARDUSHT ALIZADEH TO ATTEND TWO EVENTS ALONG WITH ARMENIANS

APA, Azerbaijan
April 30 2014

[ 30 April 2014 13:27 ]

“We are not the carriers of state secrets and trust in our minds only”

Baku. Ramiz Mikayiloglu – APA. Politician Zardusht Alizadeh will
participate in an event to take place in Istanbul within the
framework of “Impact of the three states on the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict” project implemented by Chairman of the
Analytical Centre of Globalization and Regional Cooperation of Armenia,
political scientist Stepan Grigorian with the support of Friedrich
Ebert Foundation.

Alizadeh told APA that he also takes an active part in the “Takali
process” carried out with the support of chairman of the Caucasus
Center of Peace-Making Initiatives, Georgi Vanyan. Member of Divan
of Musavat Party professor Niyazi Mehdi, writer Seymur Bayjan,
representative of Azerbaijan National Committee of Helsinki Citizen’s
Assembly in Gazakh region Khamis Mammadov, Leader of the Greens Party
Mayis Gulaliyev are also involved in this process. The “Takali process”
aims at creating a peace market with the participation of Azerbaijanis,
Georgians and Armenians.

Zardusht Alizadeh said the Constitution of Azerbaijan or any other laws
do not forbid “public diplomacy”. He also noted that he had played an
active role in public diplomacy since 1989, when Karabakh War began,
and that he had regularly been attending events in Russia, Georgia,
and Armenia.

He named a number of the meetings he attended and added that his
articles had been published by Georgi Vanyan’s newspaper, and on
reqnum.ru which is known to serve Armenian interests. The politician
said they are not the carriers of the state secrets and trust in their
minds only. He then stressed that the main purpose is to persuade
the Karabakh Armenians to live in Azerbaijan and reach a peaceful
resolution of the conflict.

THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF ARMENIAN HISTORY

Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 30 2014

For the genocide industry, the labeling of the Armenian tragedy as
genocide is a matter of life and death: If the Armenians did not
suffer a genocide, then many genocide scholars would be unemployed

by Tal Buenos

Published : 29.04.2014 20:37:37

In addition to asking how one feels about what happened to many
innocent Armenians in Anatolia during World War I, one might find it
an interesting and cerebral exercise to ask: Why is the history of
these events immersed in political controversy to this day, especially
on April 24?

Edward A. Freeman, who was appointed at the recommendation of Prime
Minister Gladstone to chair the University of Oxford’s prestigious
Regius Professorship of Modern History in the late 19th century,
famously announced it as true “that history is past politics and
that politics are but present history.”He embodied both history
and politics. While Freeman failed in his three political bids for
parliament, as a historian he was the progenitor for a long line of
Turcophobic historians and politicians in Britain, including James
Bryce and Arnold J. Toynbee, authors of the wartime propaganda that
serves as the basis for the Armenian narrative today.

Freeman taught that “the Turk and the Jew are leagued against the
Christian,” and that Europe is “the common possession of Aryan blood
and speech.” He tirelessly incited all Ottoman Christians to rebel
against the Turks whom he considered to be strangers in Europe and
unfit to rule, and proclaimed that “every nation has a right to get
rid of strangers who prove a nuisance, whether they are Chinese in
America, or Jews in Russia, Serbia, Hungary, and Romania.” Freeman
also held the conviction that America would be a better place “if
every Irishman should kill a negro and be hanged for it.”This is the
man who intensified the calls for “the Turkish horde” to be “driven
back to its native deserts, or else die out” in the 1860s, before
inspiring Gladstone’s Bulgarian Agitation and, yes, before tutoring
Bryce into first problematizing the Ottoman Armenian condition in 1876.

To a great extent, Freeman, whose influence is vastly understudied,
is responsible for the fact that the Armenian issue, as a subplot of
Britain’s Eastern Question, was fated to be a case of politicized
history.However, when considering the current map of international
politics, why is the history of the Armenian tragedy still politicized
rather than remembered?

For Britain, the unraveling of the Armenian narrative would mean
an embarrassing review of a British historiography that is based on
interpersonal ties to Liberal leaders, unchecked prejudice, and the
pretense of “moral” imperialism. A long list of revered politicians,
scientists and historians in the late Victorian era would have to be
viewed in a different light in order to fully contextualize the spirit
of anti-Semitism and Turcophobia among the Liberal opposition during
Benjamin Disraeli’s premiership from 1874 to 1880. Understanding
why certain Armenian representatives in Europe were empowered to
perpetuate conflict with the Ottoman state and jeopardize the lives of
many Armenian communities in Anatolia would necessarily cast a dark
shadow on the memory of Gladstone, who was elected to lead Britain’s
government more times than any other in the kingdom’s history.

Moreover, an examination of the Armenian narrative would not only
call into question the accuracy of Britain’s wartime reports but
reveal a clear British motivation to organize Armenian rebellion in
World War I for the very purpose of having it result in bloodshed
and effective propaganda.

For France, the position on the Armenian narrative is mainly dictated
by the political commitment to please an Armenian population
that is largely concentrated in certain electoral districts, and
this has led to a draconian bill that was designed to force the
public into accepting a biased narration of history.For instance,
it is no coincidence that the main supporters of the notorious
genocide bill represent Armenian constituents, be it Valerie Boyer of
Bouches-du-Rhône in the National Assembly (2011) or Herve Marseille of
Hauts-de-Seine in the Senate (2012). Passing such a bill is tantamount
to robbing Turks of the freedom to speak about their own history,
all because of French domestic politics.

For the EU, the demand that Turkey should recognize the Armenian
tragedy as genocide is one of several political options through which
Brussels may deny Turkish membership and still make it seem as if it
is Turkey’s own doing. Thus, Turkey will be made to appear as stubborn
and non-cooperative while certain European governments will continue
to harbor their Islamophobic denial of Turkish progress.

In truth, had there not been an Armenian issue, there likely would
have been another European pretext to block Turkey out of Europe.

For Russia, the politicization of the Armenian narrative is an
indirect manner of dancing around the next round of cold-warring with
the West. As evidenced by Russia, Today, a TV news network owned by
Russia, and The Independent, a London newspaper owned by a Russian,
the Armenian issue seems to resurface every time there is need to
harass Turkey in hope of disrupting its NATO alliance with the West
and tilting the balance of power in the Middle East.

For the U.S., when considering Turkey’s pivotal role in several
regions, the Armenian issue is a leverage better kept than discarded.

In this fashion, the U.S. is balancing a convenient push and
pull:Turkey’s compliance with American interests is procured by
both incentives and pressures. While there are plenty of carrots in
U.S.-Turkey relations, the Armenian issue is one clear stick that
the U.S. is waving at Turkey. This is achieved by the constant threat
of officially labeling the Armenian tragedy as genocide in Congress
or the U.N. It should seem odd that in the U.S. more scholars and
politicians talk about genocide in the Armenian context than in
the context of both slavery and America’s indigenous population;
it would only be odd if politics were not involved. Throughout this
practice, Turkey is made to appear as if it was “saved” by the White
House from the ramifications of international condemnation that a
genocide label entails. Along these lines, it is made to appear as if
the Turks are taking advantage of American pragmatic considerations
of foreign policy, and as if the reason to support genocide labeling
is a moral one.

For the genocide industry, the labeling of the Armenian tragedy as
genocide is a matter of life and death: If the Armenians did not suffer
a genocide, then many genocide scholars would be unemployed.These
centers and organizations, which are dedicated to “genociding” most
cases of mass deaths from famine to tsunami, may have the appearance
of nonstate actors but are closely aligned with the interests of
state institutions. They are programed to deny the uniqueness of the
Holocaust in order to weaken Turkey’s position in the international
political system.For Armenia, the genocide narrative is the foundation
of its obsession with playing the role of victim.Since the 1990s,
the constant networking to associate Armenians with suffering has
had the deliberate effect of diminishing the level of international
criticism on Armenia’s vicious annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the
displacement of nearly one million Azeris. In other words, for Armenia
to successfully cover up its offenses against Azerbaijan it has been
enough to keep parading the genocide claims as a symbol of Armenian
victimhood without even having to prove that what happened in World War
I corresponds with the U.N. definition of genocide.Sadly, as in the
days of Armenian rebellion against the Ottoman state, decisions that
affect the common Armenian in the Caucasus are made by the diasporic
Armenians of power and wealth. For the Armenian Americans, the genocide
extravaganza is not only a source of identity, but the source of
their political participation and relevance in Washington, D.C.

And for Turkey? Why are there calls for genocide recognition in
Turkey? Many Turkish scholars and journalists, who continuously search
for opportunities to showcase their Euro-lust, hear the persisting
calls against their Ottoman predecessors and jump on the genocide
bandwagon. Their wish to be accepted by Western intellectuals, in
keeping with their imagined society, has led them to choose the cheap
semblance of liberalism over the study of facts and the demonstration
of loyalty to their own people’s history. Should the quest for European
acceptance mean that Turkey has to accept lies and derision?

Truly progressive intellectuality would have the Turk debate other
Europeans, equal among equals, historiography to historiography,
rather than yield to political dictations of history.

* PhD candidate, University of Utah

TURKEY EXPECTS US TO EXTRADITE FETHULLAH GULEN

Turkish Press
April 30 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Turkey’s PM Erdogan says Gulen threatened Turkey’s national security,
had attempted a civil coup against the Turkish gov’t

ANKARA – Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday
that he expected the U.S., as Turkey’s strategic partner, to extradite
U.S.-based scholar Fethullah Gulen because Gulen threatened Turkey’s
national security.

Erdogan, speaking with PBS’s Charlie Rose, said that bureaucrats and
officials linked to Gulen had tapped the phones of top officials of
the government, including prime minister and government ministers,
in an attempt to make a civil coup against the elected government.

Erdogan claimed that Gulen-linked elements had seized power through
Turkey’s security forces and judiciary. “We were aware of their
efforts, but we were blindfolded and did not expect any bad faith,”
Erdogan said.

Erdogan said that his Justice and Development (AK) Party and the
Gulen movement had good relations leading up to the 2010 referendum
to amend the Turkish constitution.

Erdogan added that the first step that the Gulen movement took against
the government was the release of records of an Oslo meeting between
agents of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and
Kurdish separatists, working towards the resolution process.

“The Oslo talks were steps in good faith, and the intelligence agency
of any country can be expected to take such steps if they lead to
peace,” Erdogan said.

In response to a question about his condolences to Armenians for
the events of 1915, Erdogan said that the relocation of Armenian
communities by officials in the late Ottoman Empire cannot be defined
as “genocide,” as there are still Armenians living in Turkey, either
as Turkish citizens or refugees fleeing the Armenian state.

When asked about the normalization of Turkish-Israeli relations,
Erdogan thanked U.S. President Barack Obama for arbitrating between
the two states and urged Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize
to Turkey for the attack by Israeli forces on the Mavi Marmara
humanitarian aid ship, which killed eight Turkish citizens and a U.S.

citizen of Turkish origin.

“There remain two conditions for normalization, compensations for
the Mavi Marmara attack and for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to
be delivered to Palestinians from Turkey or through Turkey,” Erdogan
told Rose.

Erdogan added that the first step for normalization would be the
appointment of ambassadors.

Responding to allegation of authoritarianism in Turkey, Erdogan asked
how he could be considered a dictator given that he received 45.5
percent of the votes in the municipal elections, while opposition
parties received only 27 percent or 15 percent.

Erdogan said that in a dictatorship, no-one can insult the dictator,
while in Turkey opposition party leaders, journalists and social
media users regularly insult the prime minister, whom they describe
as a dictator.

Concerning the ban on Twitter, Erdogan said that since Twitter did
not have an office in Turkey and does not pay taxes in Turkey, and
hadn’t obeyed Turkish court decisions, the state had to take actions
against it.

“Just as the Twitter pays taxes within the U.S. or other countries,
and obey the laws of other countries, it has to obey those of Turkey
as well,” said Erdogan.

Stating that the Turkish constitutional court had broken the law by
choosing to lift the Twitter ban, Erdogan said that the court had
ruled before the other judicial options were exhausted.

“We obeyed the decision, but we criticized as well. The decision was
not in accord with the law but was political,” added Erdogan.

Referring to the speech last week by constitutional court president
Hasim Kilic, criticizing the government, Erdogan said that Kilic had
tried to lecture the president, prime minister, parliament speaker
and other cabinet members, and was clearly out of his depth.

Asked about the 2013 Gezi Park protests, Erdogan said that protests
and demonstrations are common around the world including in the U.S.,
England, Germany, Ukraine and Spain, but resorting to violence with
the provocation of some illegal groups is problematic.

Stating that most of the people who died during the protests in Turkey
were not killed by guns, Erdogan said that the government would not
accept violence, vandalism and terrorism, even if they disguised
themselves with the mask of peaceful demonstrations.

Stating that external forces were involved in last years’ protests
in Turkey, and also in Ukraine and Egypt, Erdogan said that some
elements in the U.S. may have been involved in these events, but he
would never accuse the U.S. government for instigations in Turkey.

Concerning Turkey’s campaign for full membership of the EU, Erdogan
said that Turkey could be a bridge between Europe and Islamic world
and added that despite accepting this, the EU has not acted sincerely
towards Turkey.

Stating that global developments were pushing Turkey to turn away
from the EU, Erdogan said that there are other organizations in the
world with which Turkey may consider membership.

Addressing the Syrian civil war and saying that Turkey has hosted
more than 700 thousand refugees, Erdogan said that Turkey has spent
about $3.5 billion on housing refugees.

“Around three million people are displaced and 200 thousand people
have been killed, but we haven’t seen any concrete step by the UN
Security Council. Geneva talks have also failed,” Erdogan complained.

When asked what Erdogan sees as a solution to the crisis, he pointed
to Libya and argued that Syria also needs international intervention
to end the bloodshed.

Erdogan said that the world opposes the use of chemical weapons while
they remain silent about the use of conventional weapons, adding,
“While 2,000 people were killed by chemical weapons, 200 thousand
people have been killed by conventional weapons.”

Charles Aznavour to attend Hayak National Cinema Awards ceremony in Yerevan

16:20 02/05/2014 » CULTURE

Hayak National Cinema Awards ceremony will be held on May 13 at
Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet,
Ruzan Bagratunyan, a spokesperson for the Armenian National Cinema
Center, told Panorama.am.

World famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour, French-Armenian film
producer Alain Terzian, actor and director Serge Avedikian and other
guests will attend the awards ceremony, Mrs Bagratunyan added.

The first Hayak National Cinema Awards ceremony was held in 2012. It
is an annual open contest of films of Armenian cinematographers. Its
aim is to promote and develop national film industry, reveal new
names, return the Armenian audience to cinemas, bring together
Armenian cinematographers, support new film projects and preserve the
best traditions of the national film industry.

Source: Panorama.am

Avetisian: Full participation of NKR in negotiations should be restored

Friday, May 02, 2014

Permanent Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the
Unites States Robert Avetisian participated in the roundtable held by
the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University,
according to the press service of the NKR MFA. The event was organized
by the Tavitian Scholarship Program 2014.

The roundtable entitled `In Pursuit of Peace’ was attended by
Professors Michael Glennon, Alan Henrikson and Ruben Shugarian,
regional experts, and students of the Fletcher School and other
universities. The discussion was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of
the ceasefire agreement signed by Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan and
Armenia.

The participants exchanged views on political, legal and humanitarian
aspects of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and on regional and
geopolitical processes.

In his speech, Robert Avetisian stressed the importance of a
comprehensive and constructive negotiating process, restoration of the
NKR’s participation as a full-fledged party in talks, and trust
building measures between the conflicting parties.

R. Avetisian also presented some ideas about intensifying efficient
talks with the aim of maintaining the ceasefire and promoting a
peaceful resolution of the conflict with Azerbaijan.

TODAY, 16:36
Aysor.am

Real press freedom situation graver in Armenia than stated in Freedom
House report

16:19 ¢ 02.05.14

On the threshold of World Press Freedom Day marked on May 3, the Media
Center has hosted a debate on the latest press freedom index,
published by the international human rights watchdog Freedom House,
which rated the Armenian media “Not Free”, recording a slight setback
in the country compared to last year.

Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee to protect Freedom of
Speech, said that it is a good occasion to discuss the current
problems.

`Numerous cases of journalists’ activities being impeded, as well as
violence, were reported during the elections,’ he said.

Journalists overcame the difficulties, which, however, does not mean
we have no problems, and the report is actually mildly put.

MARSEILLE
Arthur Haroutioun Ohanessian est à 23 ans le benjamin de la majorité
municipale de Marseille
Adjoint au Maire des 4e et 5e arrondissements

Arthur Ohanessian, 23 ans, étudiant à la Faculté de Droit et de
sciences politiques d’Aix, habite dans le 5ème arrondissement de
Marseille, où ses parents sont commerçants depuis de nombreuses
années. Arrivé d’Arménie en 2000 Ã l’âge de dix ans, ce passionné par
l’histoire et de politique, s’est tout naturellement porté vers un
engagement associatif et militant en se lançant dans la campagne des
élections municipales marseillaises de mars 2014.

Arthur Ohanessian nous confie « les notions traditionnelles des
parents je les ai acquises par une éducation tournée vers
l’enrichissement de l’autre au sein des valeurs de la République
française. Ces notions ont entraîné chez moi un amour de la France.
J’aime mon pays, j’aime ma ville, c’est par un engagement quotidien
que je souhaite participer à l’amélioration de notre cadre de vie au
sein des équipes de M. Jean-Claude Gaudin, afin de continuer le long
travail de développement qu’il a mis en Å`uvre ».

Ainsi Arthur Ohanessian a intégré l’équipe de campagne de M. Bruno
Gilles, actuel sénateur maire des 4ème et 5ème arrondissements de
Marseille, dans laquelle il peut exprimer son enthousiasme et prôner
les valeurs qui lui sont chères. Un travail payant. Car au terme d’une
campagne longue et difficile Bruno Gilles s’est imposé lors des
élections dans les 4ème et 5ème arrondissements de Marseille face à la
ministre socialiste Marie Arlette Carlotti avec 18 points d’avance.
Arthur Ohanessian a alors été promu parmi ses adjoints. Ainsi le
benjamin de la majorité municipale est en charge des quartiers Camas,
Conception, Baille, délégué aux Emplacements, Marchés, Edifices
Cultuels, Anciens Combattants, Affaires militaires, et à la
Citoyenneté.

Nouvelles d’Arménie Magazine « Vous êtes un des plus jeunes adjoint au
maire de France, est-ce un atout pour avoir de bonnes idées ? »

Arthur Ohanessian « Etre un jeune adjoint est bien évidemment un
atout. J’arrive avec ma motivation, mon enthousiasme et ma volonté
d’agir. Pour pouvoir agir intelligemment, j’essaie d’être toujours Ã
l’écoute des élus plus anciens ou des personnes qui travaillent dans
les services, dont l`expérience et les compétences sont précieuses. Ce
qui compte, c’est l’esprit d’équipe. En choisissant de placer des
jeunes comme Marine Pustorino, Philippe Memoli, Josepha Colin, Camille
Minetti, Éric Giancarli, M. Bruno Gilles fait un beau pari, et un
geste de confiance impressionnant en direction des jeunes. Peu de
responsables politiques ont eu ce courage… Il a fait en sorte que
son équipe ressemble vraiment à la population de la ville et qu’elle
puisse ainsi mener à bien des projets efficaces ; car les meilleures
idées ne naissent pas d’une catégorie plutôt que d`une autre, mais du
dialogue entre les générations ! Militant depuis l’ge de 16 ans j’ai
appris la politique et je continue à apprendre aux cotés de Bruno
Gilles et Renaud Muselier. Ce sont mes modèles. Des hommes de cÅ`urs
qui aiment leur ville et qui travaillent pour les Marseillais dans une
relation de confiance, d’écoute, d’action et de proximité. C’est ça
que j’ai appris et c’est ça que j’essaie d’appliquer dans mes
fonctions ».

Le jeune élu rappelle aussi que ses origines arméniennes sont un
plus.« en 2001, avec la reconnaissance du génocide une première étape
a été franchie, cependant il demeure indispensable d’avoir un outil
juridique permettant de sanctionner les négationnistes. Le devoir de
mémoire envers notre peuple doit se faire par-delà les menaces
intolérables que subissent nos élus de la part de la Turquie, je suis
plus que jamais déterminé Ã m’engager pour promouvoir une telle loi,
qui ne serait que justice pour les individus victime d’un génocide »
nous confie-t-il et d’ajouter que « grce au soutien indéfectible de
Jean-Claude Gaudin et de Bruno Gilles, je suis convaincu de
l’aboutissement de cette loi ».

Krikor Amirzayan, interview réalisée à Marseille

vendredi 2 mai 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ARMENIE
Le Président de la République longuement applaudi par les Arméniens de
France le 24 avril

RFE/RL fait état de l’accueil chaleureux que les Arméniens de France
rassemblés près de la statue de Komitas à Paris ont réservé au
Président de la République française, qui a pris part à la
commémoration du 99ème anniversaire du Génocide arménien. La
journaliste de RFE/RL présente à la manifestation à Paris constate que
le discours du Président Hollande a été interrompu par des
applaudissements à plusieurs reprises, notamment lorsqu’il a estimé
que « la tragédie arménienne porte un nom : génocide. Il n’y en a pas
d’autre ». RFE/RL reproduit aussi les propos du Président de la
République, qui, commentant le message du PM turc, l’a qualifié d’«
évolution », tout en considérant que des condoléances ne suffisent
pas.

Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun reproduit les propos de l’Ambassadeur de
France, photo de l’Ambassadeur déposant une gerbe au Mémorial du
Génocide à l’appui, qui, interrogé par les journalistes, a qualifié le
centenaire du Génocide arménien d’événement important et émotionnel
pour la France et dit espérer que les pays qui n’ont pas encore
reconnu le Génocide arménien le fassent d’ici le centième
anniversaire.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Arménie en
date du 25 avril 2014

vendredi 2 mai 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 1 2014

Minsk Group agrees on resuming Azerbaijani-Armenian contacts

1 May 2014, 10:50 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova

The OSCE Minsk Group, which deals with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
reached an agreement in principle to resume high level contacts
between Azerbaijan-Armenia.

The news was announced in a report by the Russian Foreign Ministry,
which was about the results of the Ministry’s activities and main
directions in 2013, as well as medium-term goals.

“We worked closely with the other co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk
Group (France and the U.S.) as part of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
process. Thanks to our joint efforts, an agreement in principle was
reached to resume the Armenian-Azerbaijani contacts at the highest
level,” the report said.

The ministry also said the Russian Federation will continue its active
role in the political and diplomatic settlement of the conflicts in
the CIS, particularly contributing to the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in cooperation with the other OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs.

“The priority direction of the ministry’s work in the Transcaucasia
will be promoting security and stability in the region,” the report
said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the
early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, the Armenian
armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s
internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven adjacent regions.

The UN Security Council’s four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal have
not been enforced to this day.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France, and the U.S. through the OSCE
Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by
the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles.
Negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.

Virtual-Strategy Magazine
May 1 2014

Teenage Language Prodigy Tim Doner Announces Winners of His Global
Teen Polyglot Challenge

PRWeb

World’s youngest person with ability to communicate in over 20
languages awards four teens for linguistic aptitude.

New York. NY (PRWEB) May 01, 2014

Tim Doner, teenage hyperpolyglot and the youngest person in the world
able to communicate in over 20 languages, today announced the winners
of the Teen Polyglot Challenge.

In an effort to promote linguistic diversity and multilingualism, Tim
Doner launched his Teen Polyglot Challenge March 1, 2014, challenging
teens around the world to start learning a language they hadn’t
previously studied or used at home and to submit a 3-minutes video of
themselves speaking the new language after 30 days.

Tim first drew worldwide attention after he posted videos
demonstrating his unique linguistic talent, notably “American Polyglot
Practicing 20 Languages” in which he speaks 20 languages
consecutively, including Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Hebrew and
Persian) and languages from Africa (Hausa, Swahili and Xhosa), Europe
(French, German and Russian) and Asia (Chinese, Indonesian and Hindi).
Tim’s YouTube channel PolyglotPal, attracting nearly 4 million hits,
has opened a dialogue with aspiring polyglots around the world who are
encouraged by his passion for learning languages.

Teen Polyglot Challenge winners in the European category are 19-year
old Astghik Hakobyan from Los Angeles, CA, a native Armenian-speaker
who learned Spanish, and 17-year old Joshua Miguel from Brisbane,
Australia, a native English and Tagalog-speaker who learned Catalan.
Challenge winners in the non-European language category are 17-year
old Chihiro Taguchi from Kawasaki, Japan, a native Japanese speaker
who learned Tuvan, a Siberian language, and 16-year old Chris
Kumaradjaja from Briarcliff Manor, NY, a native English-speaker who
learned Mongolian.

“Knowledge of a foreign language provides huge cultural benefits for
teens, and modern technology provides countless ways for them to learn
and connect with native speakers,” said Teen Polyglot Tim Doner. “I
want to encourage teens to prove to themselves that in just a month
they can start learning a language that’s totally new to them. The
submitted videos were eye-opening and show that teaching yourself a
new language can be rewarding in many ways.”

Teenagers who took the challenge came from a wide arrange of countries
including India, Denmark, Japan, Iran and Sweden as well as the U.S.
and Canada. Tim judged the videos submitted to the Teen Polyglot
Challenge based on the entrant’s language vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation and tonality as well as ease of delivery. Winners will
receive a one-year subscription to *Rosetta Stone in a language of
their choice.

For additional information and to see videos of the Teen Polyglot
Challenge winners and entrants, please visit Polyglotpal on YouTube at

*Rosetta Stone is not connected to the management of the Challenge.

About Tim Doner
Tim Doner is a teenage hyperpolyglot and recognized as the youngest
person in the world able to communicate in over 20 languages. He is a
senior at the Dalton School in New York City and will be a freshman at
Harvard University in the fall of 2014. A frequent speaker on foreign
language learning, Tim has spoken at 2014 TEDxTeen as well as
addressing groups at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and the Baruch College. Tim has made television and radio appearances
on The Today Show, BBC World Today, NPR, Alhurra, Australia’s Sunrise
and the Morning Show, Canada’s Global News 16×9, and many other
outlets. He has also been featured in articles in The New York Times,
The Washington Post and The Economist displaying his talent for
language, and in a YouTube documentary for THNKR Channel.

Media Contact:
Jodi Einhorn
E: jodi.einhorn(at)polyglotpal(dot)com
P: (917) 716-6052