Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

AAA ANNOUNCES NATIONWIDE MEDIA CAMPAIGN ON GENOCIDE AFFIRMATION

news.am
April 26 2010
Armenia

"Washington, DC- On the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) launched a nationwide
media campaign to educate the public and explain the importance of
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide," Armenian National Assembly of
website reports.

"Given Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide, the Assembly
is redoubling its efforts to ensure that the lessons of the Armenian
Genocide are not forgotten and urges passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution in the House and Senate," stated Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "These videos, which started airing nationally today, promote
genocide education, affirmation and prevention," Ardouny continued.

The first video, Armenian Assembly Urges U.S. affirmation of the
Armenian Genocide, aired earlier today (April 24th) and will air again
tonight at 11:15pm on the Fox Business Network, which reaches nearly
60 million households. It will also air on April 25th at 10:15pm.

The second video, Armenian Assembly: Education and affirmation,
distributed to Public Television stations across the country was
made available for airing on April 24th. Established in 1972,
the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
From: Baghdasarian

EuroNews, France
April 24 2010

Turks mark mass 1915 killing of ethnic Armenians

24/04 19:04 CET

For most Turks the very idea would be unthinkable, but earlier around
200 Turkish intellectuals, human rights campaigners and artists
commemorated the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

The gathering in Istanbul was the first of its kind in Turkey and
activists held photos of victims and laid flowers in their honour.

Armenia insists the massacre of some 1.5 million people was genocide,
something Ankara vigorously denies. It contests the number of victims
and argues the killings were part of a larger struggle during the
First World War. However, the US, France and a number of other foreign
states all back Armenia’s opinion.

The massacre remains a defining element of Armenian national identity
and tens of thousands marked the 95th anniversary at a hilltop
memorial in the country’s capital.

The service, attended by Armenia’s president Serzh Sarkisian, comes
against a backdrop of renewed tensions between Yerevan and Ankara
after a peace deal fell apart on Thursday.

s-mark-mass-greater-than9-greater-than5-killing-of -ethnic-armenians/
From: Baghdasarian

Targeted News Service
April 23, 2010 Friday 9:14 PM EST

Mayor Villaraigosa Issues Statement in Honor of Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day

LOS ANGELES

The office of the Los Angeles Mayor issued the following statement:

"Today on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, we honor the memory of
those who unjustly perished in one of the world’s worst tragedies. It
is a day to dedicate ourselves to the mission of full recognition of
this atrocity and similar acts of hatred that have occurred in the
past and are still prevalent around the world today.

"I stand determined with the Armenian community, here in Los Angeles
and around the world, to put a halt to decades of denial. It is time
we acknowledge the pain, suffering and horror of ethnic cleansing that
has been endured by too many for too long."
From: Baghdasarian

FEDERATION EURO-ARMENIENNE Pour la Justice et la Démocratie
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel/ Fax: +32 2 732 70 27/26
Website :Eafjd [1]

Faites un Don [2]

Rejoignez-nous sur Facebook [3]
————————-
COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE

_Pour diffusion immédiate_
DIMANCHE 25 AVRIL 2010

CONTACT : VARTéNIE ECHO

TEL. / FAX. : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27

ARMéNIE-TURQUIE : LES PRéCONDITIONS TURQUES FONT GELER LES
PROTOCOLES

La Fédération Euro-Arménienne pour la Justice et la Démocratie a
accueilli avec satisfaction la décision de l’Arménie de geler la
ratification par le Parlement arménien des protocoles d’accord avec
la Turquie.
Un an après le début du processus, le Président arménien, Serge
Sarkissian, tout en réaffirmant son attachement à la normalisation
des relations avec la Turquie, a fait le constat de l’absence en
Turquie d’un environnement propice, et de dirigeants prêts Ã
engager ce processus. Les dirigeants turcs avaient, en effet, mis des
conditions supplémentaires, sans relation avec les deux pays, à la
ratification de ces protocoles, en espérant ainsi maintenir
l’Arménie sous pression.

« La condition première pour réussir de telles négociations est
la bonne foi des parties : or, nous avions déjà constaté un
déséquilibre flagrant : l’Arménie espérait clairement cette
normalisation, et la Turquie dont nous avions dénoncé le manque de
sincérité des dirigeants » a déclaré Hilda Tchoboian, présidente
de la Fédération Euro-Arménienne.
La Fédération Euro-Arménienne rappelle que le 6 avril dernier,
Catherine Ashton, Haute représentante de l’Union pour les affaires
étrangères et la politique de sécurité avait elle-même affirmé
le soutien de l’Union européenne aux protocoles en indiquant, comme
convenu dans les accords, que ces derniers devraient être mis en
application sans conditions préalables.
« Les conditions d’un accord véritable entre les deux pays
étaient biaisées d’avance : l’Arménie était appelée à payer
très cher la levée du blocus turc » a ajouté Hilda Tchoboian. «
Cette décision confirme que l’Arménie a été bernée par une
Turquie qui veut maintenir l’Arménie comme un voisin otage ».
La Fédération rappelle que l’attitude de la Turquie la met en
infraction avec les critères de Copenhague qui stipulent que les pays
candidats établissent des relations de bon voisinage avec les pays
environnants.
« Nous appelons l’Union européenne à prendre acte de la
responsabilité de la Turquie dans l’échec de ces accords ; et de
prendre des mesures efficaces et rapides pour la levée du blocus de
l’Arménie » a conclu Hilda Tchoboian.
————————-
Vous recevez ce communiqué de presse de la part de :
European Armenian Federation
for Justice & Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
Brussels, 1000
La Fédération Euro-Arménienne est la plus grande et la plus
influente organisation arménienne en Europe
Si vous souhaitez vous désinscrire de cette liste de diffusion,
envoyez s’il vous plaît un email à cette adresse optOut.1.452.1057754.49020be0c31ba53a150ebba199504 [email protected]
From: Baghdasarian

MARK UDALL CALLS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WHAT IT WAS — "GENOCIDE"
Michael Roberts

Westword , Denver, CO
rk_udall_calls_armenian_geno.php
April 23 2010

In politics, a single word can get in the way — especially when that
word is "genocide."

During his presidential campaign, candidate Barack Obama left little
doubt where he stood when it came to the events of April 24, 1915, when
Turks exterminated somewhere north of one million Armenians. In 2008,
he said, "The Armenian genocide is not an allegation… but rather a
widely documented fact." But as president, Obama has avoided using
this term for fear it would sabotage a border deal between Turkey
and Armenia — one that appears to be collapsing anyhow.

Senator Mark Udall isn’t playing that game. In a statement about the
anniversary, he makes frequent use of the g-word while emphasizing
that this crime against humanity should never be forgotten. Here’s
what he had to say.

Udall: We Must Never Forget this Atrocity Washington, D.C. — Today,
U.S. Senator Mark Udall released the following statement regarding the
importance of commemorating the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide:

"Tomorrow marks the 95th anniversary of the campaign of genocide
against the Armenian people. In just eight years, beginning in 1915,
more than half of the Armenian population was murdered — one and
a half million men, women, and children — and a half million more
were forced into exile.

"Tomorrow, commemorations will be held in countries all over the
world, with all of them sending out a common message: ‘We shall never
forget this atrocity.’ It is because of the organized efforts of the
Armenian community that every year so many people come together to
remember those who suffered and to ensure that younger generations
draw lessons from this enormous tragedy.

"After the events of 1915, we said ‘never again.’ We haven’t kept faith
with those words in the years since — but we must keep faith with them
now. I thank all of those around the world, who continue to keep alive
the memory of the atrocities of 95 years ago and who remind us all
that by working together, we can make a difference in the world today."
From: Baghdasarian

SATURDAY MARKS 95TH SINCE OTTOMAN GENOCIDE OF ETHNIC ARMENIANS

Itar-Tass
24.04.2010, 07.45

YEREVAN, April 24 (Itar-Tass) – Armenians all over the world are
marking the 95th anniversary since the start of the genocide of their
ancestors in the Ottoman Empire.

On the orders from the Empire’s rulers, mass pogroms and deportations
of ethnic Armenians began April 24, 1915. They led to the eventual
loss of life by about 1.5 million people.

Commemorative events will be held in all parts of the world. Monuments
to the genocide victims have been built practically in all countries
where the Armenians live today.

The Armenian global community outside Armenia exceeds 5 million people,
including 2.5 million living in Russia, about a million in the U.S.,
and from 450,000 to 500,000 people in France.

The main ceremony is to be held in Yerevan at the memorial to victims
of the genocide. It was built by the government of the Armenian Soviet
Socialist Republic in 1967 on the Tsitsernakaberd hill.

The memorial symbolizes the grief over those who died and the nation’s
revival.

Dozens of thousands of people of different age groups and political
affiliations are expected to bring flowers to the memorial Saturday
morning.

Many representatives of Armenian communities abroad have come to
Yerevan to take part in the April 24 memorial procession.

International efforts to attain recognition of the fact of Ottoman
genocide are a priority of Armenia’s foreign policy.

Expansion of the movement for prevention of genocides is inevitable
and does not have an alternative, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
said in an address to the nation in connection with the date.

"The crime that was committed exactly on this day 95 years ago did
not have a precedent either in the history of the Armenian people or
in world history in general in terms of scale, heinousness and the
scope of aftermaths," the address said.

Sargsyan expressed gratitude "to all the people in many countries,
including Turkey, who understand the importance of preventing crimes
against humanity and who stand side by side with us in this struggle."

"This is a process the expansion of which is inescapable and does
not have an alternative," he said.

"Together with the entire Armenian nation, I bow my head today to the
memory of all the innocent victims of that genocide," Sargsyan said.

"The best they left to us demands that we live and work in the name
of goodness and beauty, for the benefit of our Armenian homeland and
our national aspirations, and in the interests of entire humankind.

"We will not betray their memory or their commandments," the address
said.

The genocide has already been recognized by a number of countries
/France and Greece went farther than others and passed appropriated
laws/ and the European parliament.

In 1995, Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament issued
a statement condemning the genocide.

A museum and institute of the history of genocide opened next to the
memorial in Yerevan in 1995.
From: Baghdasarian

IDENTIFICATION, CONDAMNATION, REPARATION
Stephane

armenews
23 avril 2010
ARMENIE

Une conference internationale consacree au 95ème anniversaire du
Genocide armenien a commence mardi a Erevan. " La conference intitulee
"l’identification, la condamnation, la reparation" a reuni des experts
locaux et etrangers et des historiens. Les sujets s’etendent de la
nouvelle etape de la reconnaissance internationale aux occasions
d’elimination des consequences du genocide.

" Les evenements consacres au 95ème anniversaire du Genocide aspirent
a donner des evaluations et determiner des actions concrètes avant
lr 100ème anniversaire du Genocide armenien " a declare Hayk Demoyan,
le Directeur de l’Institut-Musee du Genocide armenien.

Hayk Demoyan a ajoute " le but principal du programme des evenements
consacres au 95ème anniversaire doit provenir de l’etape de
l’identification a l’etape de l’elimination des consequences du
genocide. "

" Si nous prenons l’identification comme point de depart, nous
atteindrons une impasse, parce que nous comprenons que la Turquie
n’est pas un pays qui pourrait reconnaître le Genocide armenien
aujourd’hui. Quant a l’elimination des consequences, nous devons
commencer a mettre au point et appliquer un mecanisme correct, "

L’ambassadeur allemand en Armenie Hans Jochen Schmidt a parle du recent
documentaire diffuse en Allemagne. Ecrit et realise par Eric Friedler,
le film " " Aghet-Ein Volkermord " depeint la grande calamite subie
par le peuple armenien en 1915.
From: Baghdasarian

REQUIEM IN PROVIDENCE SET FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Providence Journal
April 22 2010

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Dikran Kaligian, the former chairman of the
Armenian National Committee of America, Eastern USA, will be the
keynote speaker at the 95th anniversary commemoration of the 1915
Armenian Genocide, set for 12:30 p.m. Sunday at the North Burial
Ground.

Held at the Armenian Martyrs Memorial, near the cemetery’s main
entrance at North Main Street and Branch Avenue, the requiem service
pays tribute to those who died during the genocide in Armenia and to
those who survived.

Clergy from all three Armenian churches in Providence will take part
in the commemoration, which will be moved to Sts. Sahag and Mesrob
Armenian Apostolic Church at 79 Jefferson St. in the event of rain.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. James Langevin will also participate.

Kaligian, is a historian and managing editor of the Armenian Review,
and author of the book "Armenian Organization and Ideology under
Ottoman Rule 1908-1914." He has also taught at Clark University,
Regis College and other schools.

For more information call or write Joyce Yeremian of the Armenian
Martyrs Committe of Rhode Island at 354-8770 or [email protected]
From: Baghdasarian

IRANIAN, ARMENIAN SCHOLARS DISCUSS THEATRICAL EXCHANGES

Tehran Times
April 22 2010
Iran

Tehran Times Culture Desk

TEHRAN — Prominent members from the Iranian Center for Armenian
Writers and the Iranian Playwrights Society discussed the two
countries’ dramatic literature at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF)
on Tuesday.

Iranian stage artists including Behzad Farahani, Alireza Naderi,
Kurosh Narimani, Mohammad Yaqubi and Babak Vali attended the event.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Iranian stage artist Behzad Farahani
spoke briefly on the brilliant history of Armenian theater in Iran
and highlighted boosting of cooperation in publishing Iranian and
Armenian books in bilingual forms.

He went on to say that the Armenian theater has had a great influence
on Iranian theatrical development.

The Center for Armenian Writers Director Leon Ananian said that he made
a proposal to publish a joint book on Persian literature in Armenian
and Persian to Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

"I proposed to sign agreements between the two centers to make it
possible to introduce the dramatic arts of the two countries to each
other," stage director Mohammad Yaqubi mentioned during the session.

Stage director Faares Baqeri proposed the publication of books on
Armenian dramatic history to introduce Armenian stage artists and
literati.

At the end of the event, Ananian pointed out that several Armenian
works have been translated into English and Romanian, and expressed
his hope that Persian versions of some of them will be available in
Iran in the near future.
From: Baghdasarian

DECLINE IN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR EVIDENCE OF ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION, ARMENIAN PREMIER STATES

news.am
April 22 2010
Armenia

"With 5.5% growth in general, we still register a decline in the
construction sector. On the one hand, it is evidence of diversification
of the economic system and of less dependence of the construction
sector’s development. On the other hand, it means that private
investments are not yet directed to the construction sector," RA
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated at the RA Government’s sitting
on April 22. He pointed out the erroneous opinion that, under its
anti-crisis program, the Government has funded the construction
sector. "Nothing of the kind has been done. We have not directed our
cash to the construction sector. Rather we encouraged commercial banks
to fund incomplete construction projects, particularly the ones with
the larger portion of works completed and the market value of the
mortgaged property rather high," the Premier said.

According to him, the financial guarantees totaled 5bn AMD, while
the funds directed to mortgage lending are at least three times as
much as the funds provided to commercial banks for completing the
construction projects.

"Of importance is an increase in the retail trade, as well as an
increase of about 6% in services the first trimester. Exports showed
a 60% increase, and imports a 23% increase. Of course, the mining
industry, and improved world economic situation, account for the
increase in exports," Sargsyan said.

"Yesterday the International Monetary Fund stated it would have to
upgrade its forecasts for 2010, as the results of the first trimester
proved to be better than forecast. This means the world economic
recession is getting mild. The Russian and Ukrainian Premiers made
similar statements. They are countries exerting serious influence on
the Armenian economy," T. Sargsyan said.
From: Baghdasarian