Author: Badalian Vardan

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Library & Museum of America
65 Main St., Watertown, MA. 02472
Tel: 617-926-2562
Web:
Email: [email protected]

“The Knock at the Door”
Book presentation with author
Margaret Ahnert

DATE AND TIME
Wed., July 17
7:00PM

LOCATION
ALMA
3rd Floor Gallery

ADMISSION
Free
Open to the public
Refreshments following program

Armenian-American author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert will be discussing
the latest developments from her award-winning book “The Knock at the
Door,” at ALMA on July 17 at 7 p.m.

A journey through the darkness of the Armenian Genocide, as told by
the author’s mother Ester, the book has been translated into 10
different languages, gone through six printings, and was named “Best
Historical Memoir of 2008” at the New York Book Festival.

As she was growing up, Ahnert listened to her mother’s terrifying
stories about her deportation from her home in Amasia, Turkey, during
the Armenian Genocide. Separated from her family at age 15, Ester
underwent traumatic experiences but eventually escaped and emigrated
to America. The book also explores mother/daughter relationships and
presents an intimate view of family life and the inspiration Ahnert
took from her mother.

Born in New York City, Ahnert has an MFA from Goucher College, a BA
from Goddard College, and is a graduate of the Barnes Foundation. She
has pursued a variety of careers: producing television documentaries,
lecturing as a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the
Philadelphia Museum of Art, and teaching art appreciation through the
“Art Goes to School” program in elementary schools. She has received
numerous humanitarian awards, including the “Ellis Island Medal of
Honor,” and in 2010 established the Margaret Ajemian Ahnert
scholarship program, which supports female journalists in Armenia.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER’S UKRAINE TRIP RESCHEDULED

18:07 ~U 04.07.13

National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan’s scheduled visit to
Ukraine has been postponed until autumn, Tert.am has learned from
a spokesperson.

“The postponement has been coordinated with the Ukrainian side,”
Gohar Poghosyan, the head of the NA Public Relations Department, told
our correspondent, adding that the pan-European conference devoted
to the European standards of rule of law and the boundaries of the
governments’ discretion has caused them to reschedule the trip.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia, of which Abrahamyan is a
member, is holding an executive board meeting later today. Poghosyan
said that the decision to reschedule the visit date is not linked
with the meeting.

Armenian News – Tert.am

GAGIK GINOSYAN: PROMOTING TOURISM THROUGH FOLK TRADITIONS, NOT MORE HOTELS
Narek Aleksanyan

Gagik Ginosyan, director of the Garin folk dance ensemble, told
reporters today that Armenians should be more concerned with displaying
their national customs and traditions, rather than giving priority
to building hotels, if it wants to promote tourism.

Ginosyan said the government should be investing in the preservation
of traditions that have been passed down through the generations in
a natural, spontaneous fashion.

He also spoke about the need to pay more attention to promoting
“village tourism”, i.e., giving foreign tourists the opportunity to
visit rural homes and share a meal of traditional Armenian cooking.

Ginosyan added that Armenian song and dance should be incorporated
in such visits to afford tourists a well-rounded taste of Armenian
traditional culture.

Another important aspect in promoting such folk tourism is the
celebration of national holidays.

Ginosyan noted that while the church has kept religious holidays alive,
secular folk holiday celebrations have waned over the years. He argued
that one of the causes is most likely 70 years of Soviet rule, where
the national element was an object of ridicule.

COMPLAINT OF BUDAGHIAN’S LAWYER SENT TO MILITARY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE

Thursday,
July 04

The Office of Prosecutor General received the appeal of Colonel
Artak Budaghian’s lawyer, Hayk Alumian, against the decision of the
RA Defense Ministry’s Investigation Service, and the appeal has been
filed to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, Aysor.am was informed by
the prosecutor general’s spokeswoman Sona Truzian.

The Investigation Service of the Defense Ministry on June 24 postponed
the examination of the petition for recognizing Colonel Artak Budaghian
as an aggrieved person. Colonel Budaghian who is a military unit
commander in Karabakh was wounded in the June 1 shootout near the
house of the then governor of Syunik province Suren Khachatrian.

Let us remind you that former candidate for Goris mayor Avetik
Budaghian was killed in the June 1 shootout. His brother, Colonel
Artak Budaghian, was seriously wounded and taken to a military hospital
where he underwent three surgeries.

TODAY, 16:03

Aysor.am

PAN-EUROPEAN CONFERENCE LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENT

11:30, 3 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of Armenia’s
chairmanship in the Committee in Ministers of the Council of Europe
the Pan-European conference titled “The European Standards on the Rule
of Law and the Scope of Discretion of Powers in the member states of
the Council of Europe” launched its activities in the Session Hall of
the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on July 3. About 80
representatives from 32 countries and international structures take
part in the conference.

The Chairman of the European Court of Human Rights Dean Spielmann, who
has also arrived in Yerevan on this occasion, laid a heavy emphasis on
the significance of the conference and stated that he is hopeful that
the meetings of this kind will have traditional character. As reports
“Armenpress” the Chairman of the European Court of Human Rights Dean
Spielmann noted: “This conference is of a certain importance, as it
is held within the framework ofArmenia’s chairmanship. Armenia has
already recorded an achievement at the course of the chairmanship by
signing the 15th protocol.”

The President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio highlighted
that this has already become a good tradition for the Venice
Commission. “We are glad that this conference is held in Armenia and
it’s very good that it launched at the course of the chairmanship. I
should say that the decisions must be adopted taking into consideration
the social reality and we cannot compel the courts to follow the
laws blindly,” Gianni Buquicchio emphasized. Among other things he
stressed that the modern state must be flexible to be able to respond
all the problems.

ARMENIA COMMITTED TO EUROPEAN VALUES: SPEAKER

YEREVAN, July 3. /ARKA/. Armenia is committed to European values and
is ready to integrate into the big European family, speaker of Armenian
National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan said at the opening of a conference
on European criteria for rule of law, Novosti-Armenia reported.

The two-day conference started in Yerevan Wednesday. About 80
representatives from 32 countries and international organizations
participate in the conference.

The event is held in the framework of Armenia’s chairmanship in the
CE Committee of Ministers.

Armenian speaker said the conference makes the rule of law accessible
and understandable not only to European, but also to other countries
having still a lot to do in the field.

According to Abrahamyan, Armenia has successful experience of collating
legal norms and the national system of values.

The speaker also reminded about prominent Armenian public figure Shamir
Shamiryan who described the model of a modern democratic state back
in XVIII century.-0–

– See more at:

GEORGIAN PM PLEDGES TO REOPEN RAILWAY VIA ABKHAZIA

July 03, 2013 | 12:39

The railway link passing through Abkhazia will definitely be restored.

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili stated the aforementioned
on Wednesday, but he added that time is needed for this to be brought
to fruition.

In his words, this railway is indispensable in terms of Georgia’s
economic development and normalizing relations with the Abkhaz.

“The more roads we have, that much greater are the chances for
development, and this is an axiom,” Ivanishvili said, Gruzia Online
news agency of Georgia reports.

The Georgian PM noted, however, that problems have risen on the
road to the implementation of this project, since this matter is
“much politicized.”

“First of all, we should have explained to our people the need to
restore this railway. I think we have achieved this, and we will
begin to move forward in this direction,” Bidzina Ivanishvili stressed.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

AZERBAIJAN BREACHES TRUCE OVER 7,030 TIMES SINCE BEGINNING OF 2013

July 03, 2013 | 03:29

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire, at its boundaries with
Armenia and the Nagorno-KarabakhRepublic, more than 7,030 times since
the beginning of 2013.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces made use of sniper weaponry close to
1,120 times and large-caliber weapons, around 3,850 times-including
large-caliber sniper weaponry, close to 240 times-, the Armenian
MOD reports.

As a result of Azerbaijan’s breach of the truce, three Armenian
military servicemen were killed and nine others were wounded. In
addition, a civilian was wounded.

Azerbaijan had violated the ceasefire 16,300 times in 2012.

To note, Azerbaijan continually sets new “records” in terms of
breaching the truce in recent years. It violated the ceasefire
approximately 600 times in 2006; around 1,400 times in 2007; 3,500
times in 2008; virtually 4,600 times in 2009; 7,200 times in 2010;
and more than 12,600 times in 2011.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIA’S DOMESTIC TRADE TURNOVER AMOUNTED TO 757.7 BILLION DRAMS IN JANUARY-MAY

YEREVAN, July 3. /ARKA/. Armenia’s domestic trade turnover amounted
to 757.7 billion drams in January-May, a 4.3% increase from the same
period of the year before, ArmStat reported.

Retail trade only totaled 472.3 billion drams (3.7% increase) and
constituted 62.3% of the overall turnover, according to the report.

Wholesale accounted for 33.9% of the turnover and amounted to about
256.6 billion drams.

According to the statistics,

Most part of the retail trade (70.1% or 330.8bln drams) was the shop
trade. Consumer goods market trading amounted to about 31.5bln drams
or 6.7%. ($1=410.81drams).-0-

– See more at:

NORA ARMANI TO ORGANIZE FILM FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

Nora Armani and Mike Camoin

BY PETER BELSITO
>From Sydney’s Buzz Blog

In Cannes recently we met with Nora and Mike and were taken by their
ambitious plans to organize a new New York City and state based film
fest that deals mainly with the type of films we love the most. They
bring impressive qualifications to this new task and we look forward
next year to participating. The Rated SR “Socially Relevant” New
York Film Festival Shines New Light on Film Violence. Nora Armani,
Festival Founding Artistic Director, recently announced this new
Film Festival to launch in both New York City and Rensselaerville,
New York on March 14-20, 2014.

Entitled ‘Rated SR’ for Socially Relevant, the festival is a response
to the proliferation of violence and related social ills in today’s
movie industry. The fest aims to satisfy a market need to concentrate
more on everyday positive human stories seeking an audience.

The Downstate-Upstate event will provide Festival attendees and
public alike with the best of both worlds: the buzz of Manhattan and
the rural setting of Rensselaerville. The main goal of the Festival
is to support filmmakers who are producing films that tackle the
tough social and environmental issues of the day without relying on
gratuitous violence or sensationalism to draw in an audience.

“Rated SR aims to show that socially relevant films can be of high
artistic value, educate, enlighten, but most of all equally entertain
and be commercially viable,” said Armani who holds extensive festival
organizing and curatorial skills honed from decades of experience in
the United States and overseas markets. Armani organized film weeks
at London’s ICA, Cine Lumiere, AFI in Los Angeles and Kennedy Centre,
collaborated with Paris’s Pompidou Centre, The Edinburgh and Cambridge
Film Festivals and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Armani
had her films in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival
and is invited to attend the Producers Network at the Cannes Film
Festival this year.

Armani is joined in organizing “Rated SR” by Mike Camoin,
Founder of the Festival’s Filmmaker’s Lab that will take place
March 18-20th during the Upstate portion of the fest. Camoin is
an Albany-based filmmaker, producer and director with a number
of completed documentaries and shorts. Camoin is currently in
post-production with “An American Life: The Journey from Violence
to Hope” centered on mental illness and criminal justice featuring
David Kaczynski. Armani and Camoin met serendipitously in Rotterdam
during the fest’s synergetic industry forum and quickly discovered a
mutual interest in non-violent storytelling. It is this synergy they
want to carry over to New York with “Rated SR.”

Joining Armani and Camoin is Carol Ash, President of the Carey Center
for Global Good, in Rensselaerville, NY, which will host the Upstate
section of the Festival on its 100-acre campus. “The Carey Center
for Global Good’s mission is bringing together innovative and dynamic
people from around the world to seek creative solutions to the most
pressing challenges of the day. Rated SR’s theme of nonviolence make
this partnership particularly unique,” said Ash whose facility began
hosting dialogues through film in 2012.

“We’re quite fortunate to have found a partner in the Carey Center
for Global Good,” stated Camoin.

Keeping with the tradition of the institute, the Upstate retreat
center is an ideal facility for filmmakers to gather in a supportive
environment and move their respective and significant stories to
completion. “The screening and lab components are designed to be
complimentary,” he noted.

Henry Ford once said “Coming together is a beginning, staying together
is progress, and working together is success.” The film festival
also coincides with growing trends related to socially conscientious
consumers. A number of independent research studies show there is
a growing desire by consumers around the globe to do business with
socially conscious companies.

Armani is a seasoned actor and filmmaker who notably draws her
inspiration, among others, from the work of Sherry Lansing, Oprah
Winfrey and Nelson Mandela.

Armani studied drama and sociology in England and currently divides
her time between London, Paris and New York. Her most recent work
“Moving Stories” will screen at the Monaco Film Festival in the
official selection in May 2013.

Mike Camoin is founding member and former President of Upstate
Independents, Inc. He is an advisory board member to The New School of
Radio and Television, and serves as a consultant to the Albany Film
Commission. He’s appeared on Vox-Pop with WAMC’s public radio Alan
Chartock discussing all things independent motion pictures. Camoin
is also attending the Producers Network at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Carey Center for Global Good, located on an historic 100-acre
estate, features a unique setting for conferences, meetings, events
and retreats. The mission of the Carey Center for Global Good is to
bring together innovative and dynamic people from around the world
to seek creative solutions to the most pressing challenges of the day.