Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan Foundation Canada Inc.
All-Armenian Fund
280 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 215,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2N 3B1
Tel: (416) 332 0787
Fax: (416) 332 0736
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIA FUND TORONTO BANQUET, A BIG SUCCESS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE SCHOOL AT SPITAKASHEN VILLAGE

Toronto, June 8, 2009 – On Sunday, June 7, at the Armenian
Community Centre, Mr. Ara Vardanyan, the Executive Director of
"Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund, the key-note speaker at the annual
banquet of Armenia Fund Toronto, kicked off the fundraising for
the completion of another school project in Artsakh.

Amongst some thirty projects realized, the Toronto chapter of the
Fund has already built four schools in Artsakh. The 5th school is
for the Spitakashen village, in the Martuni Region of Artsakh.
With the help of previous fund-raising campaigns, the construction
is well underway.

The MC of the evening was Tenny Nigoghossian, who gave a high
level overview of the Fund and emphasized its humanitarian purpose
of helping our compatriots who needed basic infrastructure. Before
blessing the tables, Rev. Father Meghrig Parikian, of St. Mary’s
Church, spoke about the virtues of "giving".

After the cultural program, the status of the construction and the
financial status of the project were presented. Through video, the
principle of the Spitakashen school, Mr. Hayrabetyan made a direct
appeal and offered his thanks to the Toronto community for
building a modern school for the village.

Mr. Vardanyan, who was recently elected to the Director’s position
in May, gave an eloquent speech about the recent activities of the
Armenia Fund’s office in Yerevan, where over the last year in his
"Acting Director" capacity, had come up with a lot of innovative
fund raising ideas vastly expanding the base of the internal
donors throughout Armenia and Artsakh. Mr. Vardanyan also
presented an overall strategy of the Fund worldwide for the coming
years.

"We are very excited about building our fifth school in Artsakh
because we are convinced that in 2040, the president of the
Republic of Armenia or NKR will be from one of the graduates of
our schools. If not the position for the president, we believe
that our schools will graduate students who would become renowned
scientists, diplomats, artists, doctors and other professionals."
said Migirdic Migirdicyan, the chairman of the Toronto Chapter,
answering his own question of "Why are we doing all this?"

Mrs. Calabrina Boyajian, who in 2008, had organized and led a
joint Toronto-USA West Coast Armenia Fund Bike-a-thon, announced
the new ride for 2009, which will take place in September, from
Monterey to Los Angeles, again for the construction of the
Spitakashen school.

Mr. Vazken Terzian emphasized the importance of "National Giving".
After that, Messrs. Kourken Sarkissian and Sarkis Yacoubian, long
time benefactors of the Toronto Chapter, offered a challenge to
the audience, of "matching funds for every new dollar raised"
during this function. The offer electrified the donors bringing
the grand total of the drive from this evening to $200,000.
Another high point of the evening was the presentation of a $5,000
cheque to Mr. Vardanian, by two student representatives, Victoria
and Ari. This amount was collected under the motto "From the
students of Toronto Armenian schools to the students of Artsakh".

The banquet ended on a very high note with a presentation to Mr.
Ara Vardanyan, of a special book containing one of the best
portrait photography collections by Yousuf Karsh, who was a world
renown photographer and the only Canadian-Armenian listed in the
"Top 100 People of the 20th Century" by the Time magazine.

###

Hayastan Foundation Canada Inc. All-Armenian Fund is a non-profit
organization established in 1993 with the aim of facilitating
humanitarian assistance and infrastructure development in Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts
47 Nichols Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel. (617) 347-2833
Email. [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

June 10, 2009
Contact: Shari Ardhaldjian
Tel: (617) 347-2833

MASSACHUSETTS COURT DISMISSES LAWSUIT DEMANDING
INCLUSION OF GENOCIDE DENIAL IN SCHOOLS

WATERTOWN, MA ? In a major setback for genocide denial, U.S.
District Court Judge Mark Wolf today dismissed a case initiated at
the prompting of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations
(ATAA) that would have compelled the inclusion of historically
inaccurate Armenian Genocide denial materials in the Massachusetts
education curriculum, reported the Armenian National Committee of
Massachusetts (ANC of MA).

"Today’s judgment sends a clear message that the federal court
system cannot be abused by genocide deniers to spread their lies
across America’s classroom," said ANC of MA Chairperson Shari
Ardhaldjian. "We welcome this decision and the powerful precedent
its sets for the future of genocide education here in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and throughout the nation."

The ATAA, according to media accounts, solicited the assistance of
two local teachers, a student, and his parents to file the case
against the state of Massachusetts in 2005. In February of 2006,
the Armenian National Committee joined the Armenian Bar
Association, Irish Immigration Society, Jewish Alliance for Law and
Social Action, and the NAACP in filing an amicus brief in support
of the Massachusetts Commonwealth’s calls to dismiss the case.

In his opinion, Chief Judge Wolf dismissed the case stating that
the plaintiffs are "are not entitled to relief in federal court."
The dismissal at this early stage of the proceedings is viewed in
legal circles as meaning the cased lacked even minimal merit.

This case is part of a larger strategy by Turkish American groups
to use the legal system to harass human rights advocates on issues
relating to the Armenian Genocide. The most recent instance is the
lawsuit filed against the Southern Poverty Law Center for articles
detailing Turkish government efforts to manipulate U.S. academia to
deny that crime against humanity.

The Massachusetts Genocide teaching guide was mandated to include
the Armenian Genocide, following the August, 1998, unanimous
passage of House Bill 3629, "An Act Relative to the Instruction of
the Great Hunger Period in Ireland, the Armenian Genocide and the
Holocaust." ANC chapters throughout Massachusetts had worked with
bill authors, State Senator Steve Tolman and House Member Warren
Tolman in support of the measure, which stated that, "The Board of
Education shall formulate recommendations on curricular materials
on genocide and human rights issues, and guidelines for the
teaching of such material." The law specifically calls for the
teaching of "the period of the transatlantic slave trade and the
middle passage, the great hunger period in Ireland, the Armenian
Genocide, the Holocaust and the Mussolini fascist regime and other
recognized human rights violations and genocides."

The ANC of MA continued to work with the Massachusetts Board of
Education, providing information on peer-reviewed, teacher tested
resources for inclusion in the teaching guide. In June of 1999, the
ANC of MA protested the proposed inclusion of denial propaganda in
the teaching guide that lobby groups, among them the ATAA, had
pressured the Board of Education to add in its second version of
the guide. In a letter to Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci, the
chairmen of the state’s four ANC chapters argued that inclusion of
such websites "is directly counter to the intent of the law." The
letter went on to note that, "careless intermingling of genocide
denial with the documentary sources it aims to obscure, will only
serve to confuse students and undermine academic integrity."

In August of 1999, in a letter to the ATAA, made public as part of
the lawsuit, the Board of Education argued that "since the
legislative intent of the statute was to address the Armenian
Genocide, and not to debate whether or not this occurred, the Board
and Department of Education cannot knowingly include resources that
call this into question." By October of 1999, the denial material
was removed from the teacher’s guide.

In 2002, the ANC of MA again took action regarding the genocide
curriculum, when a revised version which was up for review in May,
against a proposal to remove the Armenian Genocide from the
curriculum and replace it with a euphemistic and evasive reference
to Armenian "slaughter." Community leaders again worked with
Department of Education Commissioner David Driscoll to ensure that
the proper terminology was maintained.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER DELIVERS LECTURE AT OPENING CEREMONY OF PROGRAM OF LECTURES ON CRISIS BY "FINANCIAL BANKING COLLEGE" FOUNDATION

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 8, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan on June 5 took part in the
opening ceremony of the program of lectures entitled "The Crisis as
an Opportunity" organized at Moscow House by "The Financial Banking
College" Foundation.

The purpose of the initiative is to develop professional capacities
of about 900 graduates of more than 50 Armenian and foreign higher
educational institutions under "The Financial Banking College"
Foundation’s long-term programs. The majority of these graduates
work in Armenia’s financial system. The lectures will have a
continuous nature and be given by Armenian state officials, local
and international experts.

The program was welcomed by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan who
delivered the first lecture on the subject "The Fiscal and Monetary
Policy of Armenia Before the Financial Crisis and At the Present Time".

Those present had an opportunity to have a talk with the head of
Armenian government concerning issues of interest to them. Tigran
Sargsyan presented the government’s opinions about the current
processes of globalization in the world, the global financial and
economic crisis, as well as the measures being taken to overcome the
impact of the crisis on Armenian economy.
From: Baghdasarian

NEWLY ELECTED YEREVAN CITY COUNCIL MEETS

2009/06/0 8 | 17:17

The first convening of the Yerevan City Council took place
today. According to the law, it was chaired by the eldest member of
the council, Astghik Gevorgyan, President of the Union of Journalists
. There were two issues on the agenda – holding the first inauguration
ceremony for the mayor of Yerevan and fixing the date for the first
session of the city council.

As a result of the elections of May 31, the seats in the city Council
were distributed thusly – the Republican Party got 35 seats, Prosperous
Armenia Party and the HAK (Armenian National Congress) received 17
and 13 seats respectively.

HAK did not participate in today’s session. Pro-government members
of the Council think that their absence will certainly affect its
activity. "The more keen eyes, the better the work will be," Astghik
Gevorgyan said.

Armen Musinyan, HAK Press Secretary told "Radiolur" that they would
not participate in the council. "We think that the Central Electoral
Commission has committed a crime by forging the elections. We have
declared that we refuse to assume our mandates," he said.
From: Baghdasarian

>From Ankara to Dresden:
Truth vs. point of view when diplomacy is the real issue

By John Hughes
ArmeniaNow editor

Baseless. Ignorant. Hateful.

Where are those three words when you need them?

Not in Washington, D.C.

Surely, not in Ankara, Turkey this April.

They were in Dresden Friday, rolling off the lips of my hero and president,
Barack Obama, and the words were truthful and surgery sharp and divided
sensible people from fools who think accepting history is one of life’s
options.

`To this day, there are those who insist that the Holocaust never happened –
a denial of fact and truth that is baseless and ignorant and hateful,’ Obama
said. `This place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of
our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history.’

Substitute `Holocaust’ with `Armenian Genocide’, and the language would
belong to the man I still believe him to be, rather than the one who has
replaced a ! with a ? in the estimation of many Armenian Americans and some
of us who are convincingly more the latter than the former.

I’m struck at his use of the words `our history’.

Ours?

Who owns the franchise on the bit of history that was shaped in the 1915-18
Ottoman Empire? To this day, the Turks, that’s who. They are the ones who
get to manipulate it into revisionist history that eliminates ownership.
`We didn’t do it, the war did.’

Is anybody’s family less dead depending on the language that is used to
describe why hate killed them? Does the Jewish burden weigh heavier than the
Armenian? No, the Holocaust burden enjoys shared suffering because it is
`our history’.

And whether from Hrazdan or Harvard, who doesn’t seen the hypocrisy of the
world leader laying flowers in Dresden, but wilting from the obligation of
truth in Ankara?

Why could my president bow his head in Dresden for the Holocaust, but not
straighten his back in Ankara and use the word `genocide’ to answer a
reporter’s question about the `atrocities’ of early-20th century Turkey?

For those of you tuning in late: On April 6, Obama visited Turkish President
Abdullah Gul in Ankara and during a press conference was asked whether he
would use the `g-word’ in his April 24 address on Remembrance Day.

"I want to focus not on my views right now, but on the views of the Turkish
and Armenian people. If they can move forward… the entire world should
encourage them," the president said.

It was brilliant diplomacy. He at least implied that he knew the truth, even
though he wasn’t going to say it. Perhaps that’s a start, considering that
this president – who has supported Armenian Genocide recognition – still has
more than three years on his tenure.

Still, thinking of the president’s word in Dresden, `ignorant’: Is it worse
to deny that evil happened, or to know that it did and not say so, for sake
of diplomatic expediency?

I really wish my president would have stopped short of saying this in
Dresden: `This place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder
of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history.’

What’s the difference between telling a lie, and not shouting the truth when
empowered to do so?

Apparently it is the difference between `our history’ and `my views right
now’.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN FMS PREPARING SAAKASHVILI’S VISIT TO YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
08.06.2009 14:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbanidan met
Monday in Tbilisi with his Georgian counterpart Grigol Vashadze, RA
MFA media relations division head Tigran Balayan told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"The Ministers focused on organization of Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili’s visit to Armenia. They also referred to bilateral
cooperation and problems of Armenians in Georgia," Mr. Balayan said.

Minister Nalbandian also attended the ceremony of unveiling a monument
to Sayat-Nova.

According to Georgian media reports, Saakashvili’s visit is expected
on June 24 and 25.
From: Baghdasarian

YEREVAN HOSTS PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK DEVOTED TO JOHN KIRAKOSYAN’S LIFE AND ACTIVITIES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
05.06.2009 16:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan has today hosted the presentation of the book
"John Kirakosyan: Origins of Statehood and Political Armenology". The
book is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of outstanding historian
and politician John Kirakosyan. The presentation was held in Armenian
National Library.

Published by National Academy of Sciences and Armenian Oriental
Studies Institute, the book comprises documents, memoranda, telegrams,
excerpts of personal memoirs, notes, stories and essays written by
or addressed to John Kirakosyan.

"The book depicts not only John Kirakosyan’s life and activity
but also his relationship with the both Soviet people and Diaspora
representatives," historian Vladimir Barkhoudaryan, John Kirakosyan’s
friend, said during the presentation.

The book was published in 500 copies. Publication costs were covered
by the Government. During the presentation, National Academy Director
David Sargysan presented a posthumus award – Hakob Meghapart medal,
to the great historian’s son, who is the editor of the book.

John S. Kirakosyan was born in 1929 in Yerevan. After graduating
from Yerevan State University, Faculty of International Relations,
he furthered his education as a post-graduate student in the same
department. Beginning the 1960’s, Kirakosyan started studying the most
complicated problems of Western Armenia’s history. And he devoted
all his life to revealing the shady and improperly studied aspects
of the Armenian Issue.

John Kirakosyan’s political views began to mature during in the
period of Khrushchev’s Thaw (late 1960’s). His activities were
aimed at the creation historic values, as well as the development
of Armenian national ideology. As a result, Kirakosyan wrote works
devoted to the new and newest stages of Armenian history, Armenian
Genocide and the Armenian Issue. In 1960-1969, John Kirakosyan was
the Chair of the State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasts,
and in 1975-1985 he was the Foreign Minister of Soviet Armenia.
From: Baghdasarian

YEREVAN HOSTED SEMINAR ON FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.06.2009 19:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Seminar on fight against corruption was
organized in Yerevan upon the initiative of Armenian Young Lawyers
Association. Discussion focused on country’s security issues and
low corruption rate which fluctuates between 0-2.5%. Participants
estimated such result as positive.

Anti-corruption program consists if two stages. The first stage
was the seminar in Yerevan with the participation of Czech and
Polish representatives who introduced their anti-corruption
programs elaborated before EU integration. After the seminar,
Armenian representatives decided to set up a group consisting of 9
members who will conduct extensive research into those countries’
anti-corruption programs.
From: Baghdasarian

MOLDOVA, ARMENIA, RUSSIA AND KAZAKHSTAN ECONOMIES DAMAGED BY CRISIS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.06.2009 12:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The CIS statistical committee has published social
and economic index of member states.

Different in scale and structure, the economies showed multidirectional
results. However, Azerbaijan fixed 4,3% GDP growth. Economies of
Moldova, Armenia, Russia and Kazakhstan appeared to be most of all
damaged by the crisis.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION FOR STATE AND LEGAL ISSUES POSTPONES DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT LAW SUBMITTED BY ARRESTED PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR 30 DAYS

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 15:51:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Standing Parliamentary Commission for State
and Legal Issues has postponed the discussion of the draft law
"On introduction of amendments in the Armenian National ssembly’s
decision on depriving arrested MPs Myasnik Malkhasyan, Hakob Hakobyan,
Sasoun Mikayelyan and wanted MP Khachatur Sukiasyan of immunity"
for 30 days. Head of the Commission David Haroutyunyan told ArmInfo
correspondent that the relevant decision was taken at today’s sitting
of the Commission.

Haroutyunyan said that the ground for taking the specified decision
was the fact that the initiators of the draft law M.Malkhasyan,
H.Hakobyan and S.Mikayelyan didn’t participate in the sitting of the
Commission. "The initiators’ participation is obligatory as this
is required by the law "On Regulations of the Armenian National
Assembly",- Haroutyunyan said.
From: Baghdasarian