Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

DIALOGUE SUR LA MOTION DE RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE
[email protected]

armenews.com
jeudi 15 septembre 2011

Villiers-le-Bel

Après plus d’un an de blocage, Didier Vaillant, maire de
Villiers-le-Bel, s’est declare pret a envisager le vote en conseil
municipal de la motion de reconnaissance du genocide et de soutien
a la loi de penalisation de sa negation.

Lors d’une rencontre, le 29 août, avec Philippe Haroutiounian
et Daniel Auguste, auteurs du texte et conseillers municipaux de
Gonesse et Villiers-le-Bel, le maire a neanmoins pose une condition :
” il nous a demande de mener un travail de sensibilisation auprès
des Beauvillesois avant de proposer la motion au vote “, raconte
Philippe Haroutiounian. Selon Jean Borzakian, president de l’Union
franco-armenienne de Gonesse, ” nous ferons tout pour convaincre du
bien-fonde de notre demarche “. ” Esperons que les choses bougent
cette fois “, ajoute Daniel Auguste.

La question du genocide gene Deposee en mai 2010 a Villiers-le-Bel,
la motion n’a encore jamais ete presentee ou debattue en conseil
municipal. Aucune explication officielle n’a ete avancee pour motiver
cette inertie. Il aura fallu attendre fin mai dernier pour que Didier
Vaillant accepte d’ouvrir le dialogue sur la question en recevant une
delegation d’associations armeniennes. Contacte par NAM, a plusieurs
reprises, le maire n’a pas souhaite s’exprimer sur le sujet.

Si les porteurs de la motion paraissent aujourd’hui circonspects c’est
qu’a l’echelle du Val d’Oise, Villiers-le-Bel n’est pas un cas isole.

Deja votee a Gonesse, Arnouville, Sarcelles et, en avril 2011, Sannois,
la motion est bloquee voire rejetee dans d’autres communes telles que
Goussainville, Garges-les-Gonesse, Ecouen, Cergy, Saint-Brice ou le
conseil regional (cf. NAM n°168 – Novembre 2010).

Certains expliquent ne pas vouloir se prononcer sur l’histoire,
d’autres affirment se focaliser uniquement sur les affaires
communales. La question du genocide des Armeniens et du negationnisme
gene.

Motives plus que jamais Une position qui etonne, voire choque, d’autant
plus que les instances les plus recalcitrantes sont dirigees pour la
plupart par des socialistes, habituellement fervents defenseurs de la
cause armenienne sur le plan national. Le texte a meme entraîne une
polemique au c~ur de la federation socialiste du Val d’Oise. Son
premier secretaire, Dominique Lefebvre a notamment critique les ”
injonctions ” de Philippe Haroutiounian et Daniel Auguste (cf. NAM
n°170 – Janvier 2011), elus socialistes.

Après ces diverses blocages et la deception du 4 mai au Senat,
les defendeurs de la motion se declarent toutefois ” motives plus
que jamais “. ” Gonfles a bloc “, leur objectif reste toujours de
presenter le texte dans un maximum de communes au-dela du clivage
gauche-droite. Parmi les dossiers prioritaires de la rentree,
l’instauration d’un monument commemoratif a Gonesse.

Marion Perroud

Credit photo : Marion Perroud Legende : Daniel Auguste, Jean Borzakian
et Philippe Haroutiounian

From: Baghdasarian

UN NOUVEL AMBASSADEUR AMERICAIN DEVRAIT ETRE NOMME
[email protected]

armenews.com
jeudi 15 septembre 2011

ARMENIE

John Heffern devrait etre le nouvel ambassadeur americain en Armenie
avec le soutien du Comite des relations etrangères du Senat americain.

Le comite a vote a l’unanimite mardi soir pour la nomination d’Heffern
qui a ete annoncee par le president Barack Obama en mai. Ce vote
devrait etre adopte au Senat.

Heffern a servi comme chef adjoint de la Mission des Etats-Unis au
siège de l’OTAN a Bruxelles où il a ete nomine pour le poste vacant
diplomatique a Erevan. Il etait auparavant le chef de mission adjoint
a l’ambassade americaine en Indonesie.

Sa nomination a ete votee en juillet. Le vote a ete reporte auprès du
senateur Robert Menendez. Ce dernier a affirme qu’il necessitait de
plus de temps pour examiner les reponses d’Heffern a ses questions
concernant la Première Guerre mondiale et le genocide de quelques
1,5 million d’Armeniens dans l’Empire ottoman.

Heffern a refuse de decrire les massacres de ” genocide ” au cours
d’une audience du comite tenue en juillet. Il a affirme que la
caracterisation de ces evenements doit etre decidee par le president
des Etats-Unis.

Obama a refuse d’utiliser le mot genocide lors d’une declaration,
contrairement a sa promesse donnee a l’influente communaute
armeno-americaine pendant la course presidentielle americaine.

Menendez a exprime son mecontentement le 13 juillet a propos d’Heffern
concernant ce sujet sensible. ” Nous avons une connaissance historique
des faits que nous acceptons et cela reviendrait a nommer ce massacre
de genocide, mais nous sommes peu disposes a y faire reference et a
le qualifier de genocide “, s’est-il plaint.

Le democrate du New Jersey, connu pour son soutien indefectible a la
cause armeno-americaine, n’ a exprime aucune objection a la nomination
d’Heffern avant le vote de mardi.

Menendez a bloque en 2007 la confirmation du Congrès quant a
la nomination pour un poste diplomatique a Erevan de Richard
Hoagland. Ce dernier n’avait pas souhaite qualifier le massacre de
1915 de genocide. L’administration d’alors George W. Bush a ete force
de prendre un autre ambassadeur.

La confirmation au Senat de la nomination de Francis Ricciardone pour
etre ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en Turquie est encore plus polemique.

Ricciardone a irrite la communaute armeno-americaine lorsqu’il a
declare le mois dernier que plus de 2000 eglises armeniennes qui
existaient en Turquie avant 1915 sont encore en fonctionnement.

Ricciardone n’a pas reussi a apaiser les dirigeants communautaires
et les legislateurs pro-armeniens.

Menendez a indique mardi qu’il a ” perdu confiance ” en Ricciardone.

Sa reponse indique un manque d’attention ou d’interet concernant les
questions qui affectent la communaute armenienne.

Cela n’a pas empeche les autres membres de la commission du Senat
d’approuver la nomination du diplomate.

From: Baghdasarian

THE ISSUE OF ESTABLISHING AN INSTITUTE OF MILITARY OMBUDSMAN IS RIPE IN ARMENIA

Mediamax
Sept 14 2011
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Today, the Director of the Center for National and
International Studies, Richard Kirakossian, suggested the Armenian
Defense Ministry establishing the institute of a Military Ombudsman.

Richard Kirakossian said this during the discussion on “Situation in
the Armenian army”, Mediamax reports.

According to the expert, the establishment of this structure will
allow not only controlling the sphere but also ensuring the solution
of urgent problems at a higher level.

Richard Kirakossian also suggested that the Ministry of Defense
create a new mechanism within the armed forces – an institute of
staff retraining, particularly the officers, as well as adopt a
disciplinary code.

From: Baghdasarian

DIRECTOR OF OSCE CONFLICT PREVENTION CENTER HOLDS MEETINGS IN YEREVAN

Mediamax
Sept 14 2011
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Director of OSCE Conflict Prevention Center Adam
Koberatski held meetings with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan and Secretary of the National Security Council Artur
Baghdasaryan in Yerevan today.

Presenting the recent developments in settling the Karabakh conflict,
Edward Nalbandyan noted that Armenia is committed to exclusively
peaceful settlement of the conflict through the mediation of the OSCE
Minsk Group, Mediamax reports.

During the meeting with Artur Baghdasaryan, the parties discussed
issues related to the cooperation between Armenia and OSCE in the
security sphere. In particular, the parties mentioned the spheres of
cyber-security and combating human trafficking since relevant documents
were worked out in Armenia with participation of the OSCE experts.

Artur Baghdasaryan presented the process of the implementation of the
border management program through the EU funding and UNDP support. The
construction estimation within the framework of the program is
already completed on 3 checkpoints in the north of Armenia and an
international tender on construction works is due to be announced in
the nearest future.

Adam Koberatski noted that in the future, the OSCE is ready to
get involved into the process of border reforms through advisory
assistance.

From: Baghdasarian

OSCE HELPS TO FIGHT WILDFIRES IN ARMENIA

hetq
16:10, September 14, 2011

Assessing the risk of wildfires and developing and implementing
national fire management policies was the focus of an OSCE-supported
roundtable meeting in Yerevan today.

The event, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the United
Nations Development Programme and the Armenian Ministry of Emergency
Situations, brings together some 100 representatives from all state
institutions involved in fire management, local self-government bodies,
civil society and the international community.

“Strengthening the national capacity to fight fires will help make
our region safer,” said William Hanlon, the Economic and Environmental
Officer at the OSCE Office inYerevan.

Participants discussed issues affecting forest and wildland fires
inArmenia, achievements in forest and fire protection, development
of emergency response capabilities and legislation, and regional and
international co-operation.

Sergey Azaryan, the Director of the Armenian Rescue Service of
Armenia’s Emergency Situations Ministry added: “Vast forest fires
can destroy thousands hectares of forests, orchards and grasslands
and the failure to organize a comprehensive and consistent fight may
result in ecological disaster. That is why the topic of the discussion
is urgent and of strategic importance toArmenia.”

The discussion follows a two-day training course and practical exercise
held in Syunik, a southern province of Armenia, where around 50 local
fire brigade representatives learned about international best practices
and modern techniques for forest fire management. The training course
was conducted by Johann Georg Goldammer, the Director of the Global
Fire Monitoring Centre, and two representatives of the Regional Forest
Fire Network from theformer Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaandTurkey.

“Climate change in the region will increase the threat of forest fires
in the South Caucasus: extended droughts will heighten the risk of
high-intensity fires resulting in environmental and economic damage,
and lead to secondary disasters, such as landslides, erosion and loss
of soil fertility,” said Goldammer, who has analyzed forest fires in
Armenia and neighbouring countries in recent years.

He added that lack of adequate supervision of fires for agricultural
purposes was the main cause of forest fires and this could be reduced
if the authorities worked with farmers to avoid unnecessary burning.

This event is part of a regional project for theSouth Caucasuswhich
is supported by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) initiative,
which is a partnership of six organizations – the OSCE, UNDP, UNEP,
UNECE, REC and NATO as an associate partner. A similar training course
was organized under this project inGeorgialast year.

From: Baghdasarian

FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION HEAD TO REMAIN RPA BOARD MEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 14, 2011 – 12:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia,
MP Gagik Melikyan advised against seeking hidden motives in resignation
of Karen Karapetyan, former head of the presidential administration.

“Mr. Karapetyan resigned on his own accord but he will remain on
board of the Republican Party of Armenia,” Melikyan said.

On September 9, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree
to relieve Karen Karapetyan from the post of the presidential
administration head. The President thanked Mr. Karapetyan for his
activity and wished him every success in further career.

From: Baghdasarian

EURONEWS ON YEREVAN INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL

Tert.am
12:11 14.09.11

Euronews has prepared coverage on the Yerevan International Animation
film Festival ReAnimania.

Referring to the history and long tradition of Armenian animated
films. the author of the report notes that the industry suffered a
lot after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and its rebuilding was
not easy in the past 20 years.

“After the collapse of the Soviet Union everything was left behind
and we needed to rebuild it. That’s why we gave the festival the name
ReAnimania to re-animate, rebuild and give life again to the industry,”
Festival Director Vrezh Kassuni told Euronews.

“At the beginning we had concentrated on special program to create
the festival and bring people together but now we are focusing mainly
on regional issues and regional exchange which will bring it to the
international exchange,” he added.

Dwelling on the festival’s goals, the Euronews reporter notes that it
is aimed at developing the art of Euronews on Yerevan International
Animation Festival.

From: Baghdasarian

THEY MULTIPLY AND BECOME MORE AWARE

Lragir.am News

15:14:48 – 14/09/2011

Ara Nedolyan, publicist, says independence is at the center of
attention of all the conscious people, and the Constitutional movement
lasting for the fourth year running, the Constitutional revolution,
are evidence to the maturity of the independence.

According to him, it is not enough to ensure all the legal actions
for the independence of the country, independence is achieved when the
society becomes conscious, uses the tool of freedoms and human rights
laid down in the Constitution which become rules for organizing their
real life.

Today there are a lot of people (their number is growing) who,
according to Ara Nedolyan, are able to perceive independence and
constitutional rights as freedom of their person, consciousness,
activities, the right exercised in their own life.

“And only when the Constitutional order, the independence of everyone,
rather than a tentative general independence, is established,
recognized, will we be able to say that we are living in the world
of independence of man, not just in an independent country.”

Today’s Constitutional movement, according to Ara Nedolyan, is a
conscious survival, which neutralizes all the factors which led
to the temporary retreat of the movement for independence in 1988,
survives and rejects militarism and worship of force, populism and the
temptation to settle issues rapidly and unlawfully, ethnic nationalism,
the wish to act without clarifying the basic principles, the vicious
adventurism to achieve material miracles with an oligarchic economy.

“All those people who are left out of the Movement are possibly but
not totally misled and this time the future of the Movement is free.

They stay and multiply and become more aware, bearing the values of
pure independence, the constitutional law,” Ara Nedolyan says.

The publicist recalled that in the late 1980s and early 1990s we were
full of a feeling of advantage over imperialistic Russia, and at the
same time, we had the wish to become free.

“I remember how we showed up in Moscow as representatives of a
society which had achieved a higher level of self-consciousness, as
illuminators of Russia from their own imperialism. And the Russians
looked at us with love, hope and belief, they came to Yerevan to visit
the Freedom Square, to smell freedom, to see the miracle of a sovereign
society, which were our rallies. Now it will return. The degree of
imperialism is in inverse relationship to the inner independence of
the society, the people.”

Ara Nedolyan said this is related to the continued intensity of
rallies, interest, a clear mental structure which underlies a society
with a strong basis.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN RANKED AS THIRD-MOST REQUESTED LANGUAGE IN LA

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 14, 2011 – 15:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A report released by Language Line Services, the
global leader in interpretation and translation services, shows that
while Spanish remains the most popular language nationwide behind
English, demand for Arabic and Vietnamese grew strong across 20 major
U.S. cities between Q2 2010 and Q2 2011, according to PRNewswire.

The report, titled the Language Line® LanguageTrak “Interpreter Demand
Index(SM)” (IDI), uses proprietary data to rank the top 10 languages
in each city by number of over-the-phone interpreter requests in
the government and healthcare sectors. The LanguageTrak IDI(SM) also
shows percentage growth in each language between Q2 2010 and Q2 2011.

Interpreter requests in Arabic are rapidly growing, however, with
increases in 13 of the 20 cities. The highest increases are in Houston
(45.8 percent), San Antonio (39.7 percent) and Philadelphia (37.4
percent). Arabic also is among the top-five most requested languages
in 11 of the 20 cities.

Requests for Vietnamese also increased in 13 of the 20 cities. The
highest increases are in New York City (66.2 percent), Houston
(45.9 percent) and Dallas (25.5 percent). Vietnamese is also among
the top-five most requested languages in 14 of the 20 cities.

In addition to the report signaling Arabic and Vietnamese as rapidly
emerging languages, Provenzano pointed to other surprising findings:

Armenian was the third-most requested language in Los Angeles, where
Armenian interpreter requests increased 13.7 percent.

Chicago saw interpreter requests increase in Gujarati (146.2 percent)
and Russian (38.5 percent). San Antonio saw major surges in requests
for Cantonese (423 percent) and Spanish (141.3 percent). Cantonese
was its fourth-most requested language.

From: Baghdasarian

MENIAN ARMED FORCES DESTROY AZERBAIJANI UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

ARMENPRESS
12:57, 14 September, 2011

Armenian Armed forces eliminated Azerbaijani unmanned aerial vehicle
in the territory of Askeran, Nagorno Karabakh. The vehicle was trying
to spy in the territory. “It was trying to enter our territory and
it shows the “level of technical development” of the Azerbaijani
unmanned vehicles”, spokesman for the Armenian Defense Minister Davit
Karapetyan said, adding that Armenian Armed Forces will present its
unmanned vehicles on September 21 at the event dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of Independence.

From: Baghdasarian