Author: Badalian Vardan

STATUS OF WOMEN CANADA – MEDIA ADVISORY/

Canada NewsWire-PR Newswire
March 2 2014

OTTAWA, Feb. 28, 2014 /CNW/ – The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch,
Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, will celebrate
International Women’s Week in Toronto at events with the Armenian
Relief Society of Toronto and the Red Shawl organization. She will
be highlighting the importance of women entrepreneurs in all sectors
of the economy and how the Government of Canada is supporting women
in leadership roles.

Minister Leitch and other event participants will be available for
a photo op and to answer questions following each press conference.

Please note that this advisory is subject to change without notice.

The details are as follows:

Date: Sunday, March 2

Armenian Relief Society of Toronto Time: 11:30 a.m.

Place: Sheraton Hotel 600 Highway 7 Richmond Hill, Ontario

Red Shawl Time: 3:15 p.m.

Place: Mississauga Training Centre 6341 Mississauga Road Mississauga,
Ontario

SOURCE Status of Women Canada

For further information:

Barbara Mottram Director of Communications Office of the
Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P.

Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women Tel: 819-953-5646
Fax: 819-994-5168

Aujourd’hui en France
Dimanche 23 Février 2014

Arsène, le dernier des Manouchian

par: Clément Chaillou

Pour se rendre chez Arsène Tchakarian, Ã Vitry-sur-Seine
(Val-de-Marne), on peut passer par la place du 19-Mars-1962 et son
monument aux morts. On peut aussi prendre l’avenue du
Groupe-Manouchian… réseau de résistants dont il est, Ã 97 ans, le
dernier survivant.

Le teint mat et le regard vif, l’homme ouvre le portail de son
pavillon en pointant du doigt une voiture française garée dans la rue.
« Je conduis encore, lance-t-il avec fierté. D’ailleurs, depuis la
Libération, je n’ai dû prendre le métro que deux ou trois fois. »
Arsène Tchakarian se tient droit, parle bien. Beaucoup. « Je suis
assez bavard », prévient-il en s’asseyant derrière son bureau, aménagé
sous une véranda en bordure de jardin.

Armé de ses notes « pour ne rien oublier », le patriarche (il a 25
arrière-petits-enfants) assure avoir raconté ses aventures dans « plus
de 220 conférences », une « histoire magnifique », sourit-il. Né en
Turquie, élevé en Bulgarie, Arsène est arrivé Ã Paris avec sa famille
au début des années 1930. En 1943, il a 27 ans et fréquente déjà son
ami Missak Manouchian, issu comme lui de la communauté arménienne et
de la CGT. « Un homme très intelligent et très cultivé, se
souvient-il. Il avait été journaliste et poète. Entre 1940 et 1942,
nous distribuions ensemble des tracts anti-hitlériens. » Une guerre
des mots, prémices d’une action plus pre.

Après l’unification de la Résistance, Tchakarian et Manouchian
prennent part à la première armée secrète. « C’était quelque chose de
très organisé. Nous étions des commandos, nous utilisions des faux
noms. Je ne connaissais l’identité de personne, excepté Manouchian. »
C’est avec lui et Marcel Rayman qu’il commet le 17 mars 1943 un
premier attentat à la grenade contre une vingtaine de feldgendarmes, Ã
Levallois-Perret. « Pour passer à l’attaque, il fallait être rusé,
mais il fallait aussi avoir du courage. Moi, j’ai toujours eu beaucoup
de sang-froid. Si je haïssais les Allemands ? J’ai beau être un petit
immigré arménien, j’ai subi l’occupation comme tout le monde. J’ai eu
froid, j’ai eu faim et je suis allé au front en 1939. Je me suis plus
battu pour la France que certains Français. J’étais un dur. »

Un dur ?qui, 70 ans plus tard, ne se laisse pas déborder par ses
émotions en racontant la dizaine d’actions auxquelles il a participé,
à la tête d’un petit groupe. « Tout ce que je peux dire, c’est que
mettre des obus dans un canon, ce n’est pas pareil que de se dresser
en face d’un homme et pointer une arme vers lui », concède-t-il avec
pudeur.

Ce n’est que lorsqu’il évoque celui qui l’a aidé Ã se cacher, un
camarade de bataillon, que l’oeil se met à briller. « Frédéric
Navar… vous pouvez noter son nom. Ce qu’il a fait est juste
formidable. » Quand les 23 du groupe Manouchian sont arrêtés, Arsène
se terre dans un petit appartement de Montrouge (Hauts-de-Seine). A sa
sortie, l’Affiche rouge est placardée sur les murs de la capitale. «
Ce que j’ai ressenti ? Des fois, il vaut mieux arrêter de penser »,
soupire l’homme qui rejoindra ensuite la Résistance, notamment en
Gironde.

Après 1945, Arsène explore les archives, écrit des livres et en vient
à la conclusion que les Manouchian sont tombés du fait d’un traître,
une version contestée par les historiens. Dernier encore debout, il se
sent toujours investi d’une mission. « Il faut que je raconte cette
histoire parce que je ne serai pas toujours lÃ. Mais je n’ai pas peur
de la mort. J’ai eu une vie bien remplie. »

Turan news agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 28 2014

Azeri pundits split on prospects for European integration

Baku, 28 February: There is no alternative to European integration for
Azerbaijan. This was the leitmotif of the debates the National Council
of Democratic Forces organized in the media centre on Friday [28
February].

Members of opposition parties, experts and civil society activists
attended the discussion. Developments in Ukraine make topical public
debates on signing with the EU an association agreement, which
Azerbaijan refrains from.

Association agreement with EU

“Soon Georgia and Moldova will sign an association agreement with the
EU, while the rejection of this agreement by the former Ukrainian
government caused a revolution in Ukraine. Hence, Azerbaijan too must
sign an association agreement,” Gultakin Hacibayli, member of the
National Council of Democratic Forces, said.

The debaters criticized the Azerbaijani government for delaying
membership of the World Trade Organization. This happens because
bringing the customs system in line with international standards and
liberalizing the domestic [market] does not suit interests of state
officials.

“Azerbaijan wishes to sign a strategic partnership agreement. But an
associative agreement is in line with national interests. It envisages
full integration of Azerbaijan into Europe,” expert Leyla Aliyeva
said.

Energy and democracy

During the debates it was pointed out that over the past 20 years
Azerbaijan has moved further from European values towards
authoritarianism. The EU in its relations with Azerbaijan relied more
on energy resources, rather than on democratic values. The EU also
displayed double standards when admitting Cyprus and rejecting
Turkey’s membership bid. Armenia has practically become a part of
Russia, but the EU still does not change its treatment of this
country. Influence of the EU on settling conflicts in Georgia and
Azerbaijan is not felt. Therefore, Azerbaijani voters doubt that EU
membership will facilitate a fair solution to the Karabakh conflict,
head of the REAL movement’s board, Erkin Qadirli, said.

“The money of the corrupted regime and bribe-taking state officials
are not kept in Russian banks, but in those of Europe and the USA.
Then they channel these funds to Azerbaijan in the form of foreign
investments,” lawyer Aslan Ismayilov said.

Regional integration

During discussions it was said that the European integration process
will only expand. Soon the interests of the European Union and the
Azerbaijani authorities may clash and this can happen as early as in
the 2015 parliamentary election. The Azerbaijani regime may face the
pressure that was put on [Ukrainian President] Yanukovych. The events
of 2008 in Georgia also showed this. The EU and NATO show no interest
in integrating states individually. Therefore, integration must be
conducted on the regional level. The South Caucasus countries may
integrate between themselves, further within the post-Soviet state and
later within the framework of the European Union. European integration
is necessary and geographic borders of Europe are turning into
political borders.

Azerbaijan falls short of European standards

The head of the National Council of Democratic Forces, Camil Hasanli,
believes that Azerbaijan is moving away from European integration.
There can be no talk of European standards in a country where 600,000
families, or 2m people, receive targeted social welfare and half of
the population has left [the country] to earn money. According to
Hasanli, [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev explains the rejection
of WTO membership by caring about the domestic market. However, in
reality the authorities pursue their own monopolist interests. The
course of the incumbent Azerbaijani regime runs counter to interests
of the people and European values, Hasanli said. He also reproached
European countries for weak support for democracy in Azerbaijan. The
EU and OSCE countries should not have recognized the [2013]
presidential election outcome, he said.

[Translated from Russian]

17:29 27/02/2014 » IN THE WORLD
Islamists demand levy from Christians in Syrian city

An al Qaeda splinter group has demanded that Christians in a Syrian
city it controls pay a levy in gold and curb displays of their faith
in return for protection, according to a statement posted online on
Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), mainly composed of foreign
fighters, is widely considered the most radical of the groups fighting
President Bashar al-Assad, and is also engaged in a violent struggle with
rival Islamist rebels.

Its directive to Christians in the eastern city of Raqqa is the latest
evidence of the group’s ambition to establish a state in Syria founded on
radical Islamist principles, a prospect that concerns Western and Arab
backers of other rebel groups fighting Assad.

ISIL said it would ensure Christians’ safety in exchange for the levy and
their adherence to restrictions on their faith, citing the Islamic legal
precept of ‘dhimma.’

It said Christians must not make renovations to churches or other religious
buildings, display religious insignia outside of churches, ring church
bells or pray in public.

It demanded every Christian man pay a tax of up to 17 grams of gold, a levy
that was common in Muslim states centuries ago.

The directive also bans Christians from owning weapons and from selling
pork or wine to Muslims or drinking wine in public.

ARMENIE
130 000 citoyens arméniens travaillent en Russie officiellement

Svetlana Stepanova de l’ambassade russe en Arménie, a déclaré que 130
000 citoyens d’Arménie ont un permis légal afin de pouvoir travailler
dans la Fédération de Russie

S’exprimant lors d’une conférence de presse, Mme Styepanova a déclaré
que les citoyens arméniens avaient reçu 37 200 permis de travail et 92
500 brevets de travail en Russie l’année dernière.

La principale différence entre un permis de travail et un brevet pour
les citoyens de la CEI, c’est que le permis autorise les travailleurs
migrants à être utilisés par les sociétés, entreprises et des
entrepreneurs individuels, tandis que d’un brevet permet à un étranger
de travailler seulement pour les individus comme jardiniers,
chauffeurs personnels , cuisiniers, aides, etc.

Interrogé sur un ensemble de modifications récentes apportées à la loi
russe sur l’immigration, elle a dit que les citoyens arméniens qui
cherchent un emploi en Russie peuvent acheter des brevets du travail à
30 $ par mois dans les dix jours. Les brevets sont étendus
automatiquement.

En ce qui concerne les permis de travail, elle dit que la loi exige
désormais que les travailleurs migrants fournissent un certificat
médical qu’ils sont exempts de maladies >
comme le sida.

dimanche 2 mars 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

FIFA.com
March 1 2014

Challandes set for Armenia coaching role

Experienced Swiss coach Bernard Challandes told radio in his home
country on Friday that he is to take charge of the Armenian national
team. The head of the Football Federation of Armenia, Ruben
Hayrapetian, later confirmed the appointment on Armenia TV.

Challandes, 62, is set to begin work next week, after Armenia’s
friendly match against Russia in Krasnodar on 5 March.

A former coach of the Swiss U-21 side and several clubs in his
homeland, including FC Zurich and Young Boys, Challande will lead
Armenia into the UEFA EURO 2016 qualifiers.

The republic in the southern Caucasus have been drawn in qualifying
Group I alongside Portugal, Denmark, Serbia and Albania.

Stepan Demirchian: March 1 crimes have no statute of limitations

Saturday, March 01, 2014

“The March 1 crimes have no statute of limitations,” Armenian
parliamentary deputy, member of opposition Armenian National Congress
(HAK) faction Stepan Demirtchian said today at the rally in Liberty
Square of Yerevan.

“The March 1 page will be considered closed only when those
responsible for these crimes are punished,” Demirchian stated.

In his words, the March 1 crimes were a result of the rigged
elections. “The crime is a consequence of impunity,” Demirchian said.

TODAY, 17:27
Aysor.am

ARF WELCOMES OCALAN LETTER TO ARMENIANS WITH ‘RESERVATIONS’

Friday, February 28th, 2014

Hagop Der-Khachadourian, Turkey’s Kurdish-leaning Peace and Democracy
Party (BDP) co-chairman Salaheddin Demirtas, BDP foreign relations
director who is elected from Van, Nazmi Gur pictured in October, 2013

YEREVAN–In a recent interview with the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Press Office, ARF Bureau member and head of the party’s
Political Central Council Hagop Der-Khachadourian spoke about a letter
published last month by the Istanbul-based Agos Armenian newspaper
from Kurdistan Workers Party’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. In the
letter addressed to Armenians, Ocalan calls on Ankara to recognize
the Armenian Genocide. Below is the text of the interview:

ARF Press Office: About four weeks ago, on the occasion of the
anniversary of Hrant Dink’s assassination, PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan’s letter was first published in Istanbul’s “Agos” weekly. So
far, the ARF-D has not officially commented on this letter; what is
the party’s official position?

HAGOP DER KHACHADOURIAN: First, I should say that Ocalan’s letter was
published later than expected, presumably because it had to go through
the corresponding Turkish state structures. About twenty days before
the publication of the letter, Ocalan had announced that on “the day
of the anniversary of Hrant’s assassination”–that is January 19–
he will send such a letter “directed to our Armenian compatriots.” It
was exactly then that Bese Hozat, a co-chair of an organization led by
Ocalan, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), had made controversial
statements about Armenians. Ocalan, in response to the indignation
regarding the statements by Hozat, had announced that he will send a
letter to convince the Armenians. However, Ocalan’s letter does not
clearly fulfill the required rectification.

ARF Press Office: Do you mean to say that you are dissatisfied with
the letter?

H.DK.: We welcome the fact that the imprisoned leader of the Kurdish
people’s liberation struggle, Apo, has sent a letter to the Armenians.

The circumstances, in his words “the difficult conditions” in which
Ocalan is, should absolutely be taken into consideration and the
contents of the letter should be understood and evaluated accordingly.

We are glad, that once again, Ocalan gives the Armenian Genocide the
proper characterization and considers that the Republic of Turkey
will inevitably have to confront this painful history.

What are incomprehensible in Ocalan’s letter are the references
to “lobbies” and “cemaat” (communities). In a letter addressed to
the Armenians these references at the minimum cause bewilderment:
are these references regarding Armenian communities and lobbies in
the Diaspora? Especially that Ocalan calls on the Armenian people to
“continue its struggle without falling into racist-nationalist traps”
and, against all those, “calls for a careful, clear examination of the
issue.” There were negative expressions about Armenian lobbies in the
Diaspora or in Turkey in Hozat’s comments too, and, about a year ago,
in purported comments by Ocalan himself. In the Diaspora, what are
called “Armenian lobbies” are the active structures which express
the political will of large popular masses of the Armenian people.

I do not comment on evaluations and criticism which appeared in the
Armenian media regarding thoughts expressed or not expressed in the
letter. Apart from all this, we have strong reservations –to put it
mildly– about Apo’s reference to Turkey’s prospect, that it can become
“a republic crowned with democracy, which will both come to terms
with the past and be a republic in which all different identities
will live freely.”

However, I repeat that this appeal by itself, in spite of its
shortcomings and contradictory thoughts, is a welcome step which can
pave the road to the development of Armenian-Kurdish relations. Of
course, those relations should be based also on justice for the
Armenian Genocide and the rights of the Armenian people, as assurance
to the establishment of real democracy and equal rights.

GEORGIAN, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS EXCHANGE VIEWS ON COOPERATION

Rustavi-2 TV, Georgia
Feb 27 2014

The Georgian and Armenian presidents, Giorgi Margvelashvili and
Serzh Sargsyan, respectively, have stressed the importance of further
deepening bilateral economic relations.

“Ethnic Armenian residents of our country play a special role in
our country’s economic, cultural and political development and it
is proved by the fact that ethnic Armenian MPs and politicians are
members of my delegation during my visit [to Armenia]. Despite the
fact that Armenia’s political, or more precisely, economic vector,
and Georgia’s future economic development and contacts are developing
in different directions, we share the same views with regards to
our relations. We are waiting for the Armenian president’s arrival
in Tbilisi with great expectations and hope that he will find time
[to come]. We have invited our Armenian colleague to visit Tbilisi,”
Rustavi-2 showed Margvelashvili saying in Georgian at a joint briefing
with Sargsyan in Yerevan.

For his part, Sargsyan also stressed the importance of further
deepening relations with Georgia.

“We traditionally attach great importance to further deepening
good-neighbourly relations with Georgia. Warm and friendly relations
between Georgia and Armenia guarantee beneficial inter-state
cooperation and represent the best way to maintain the stability in the
region. Strengthening partnership with Georgia is one main component
of Armenia’s foreign policy. We fully agree with the president that
existing conflicts can only be resolved in peaceful ways and in line
with international principles. We certainly discussed further deepening
of cooperation in economic, educational and cultural spheres,” Sargsyan
was shown saying in Armenian with Georgian translation overlaid.

[Translated from Georgian]

ARMEN RA AND THE THEREMIN

Byron Shire News (New South Wales), Australia
February 27, 2014

ARMEN Ra, the master player of the Theremin, will be at the gala
opening of the Byron Bay Film Festival 2014.

Don’t feel bad if you have never heard about him. Just check out his
performances online and get tickets to the event.

Both Armen Ra and his instrument of choice, the Theremin, are cinematic
gold in their own, and a unique experience when combined.

Picture this, a very slim Middle-Eastern looking man with heavy makeup
and a sequin-cladded overall moves his hands above an instrument but
never touches it, while making a sound that can easily be related to
ghostly movies, psychodelic music or avant-garde art performances.

Armen Ra is an American artist and performer of Iranian-Armenian
descent.

Born in Tehran, Iran, he was raised by his mother, a concert pianist,
and his aunt, an opera singer and Ikebana master.

Armen Ra had a cameo appearance in the film Party Monster and currently
resides in Hollywood, California.

He taught himself to play the Theremin.

The Theremin, originally known as the etherphone, is an early
electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by
the performer.

It is named after its Russian inventor, Léon Theremin.

The instrument consists of two metal antennas which sense the relative
position of the Thereminist’s hands and control oscillators for
frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other. For
more informati0n visit armenra.com.