Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

EMERGENCY BUILDING INHABITTED ILLEGALLY FALLS INTO RUINS IN GYUMRI
Panorama.am
12:29 27/03/06
On March 24 at 14.45 it has been informed that that the roof of the
two-storied building on Gorky Street, 30 in Gyumri fell.
The operative group of Shirak Regional Saving Board sent to the site
of occurrence found out that on March 21 the stones of the Southern
wall of the building fell into ruins. As it has been informed in
RA Saving Service press centre there are no victims. To note, the
building was built in 1968, it is an emergency building and was
dwelled illegally.
From: Baghdasarian

US Fed News
March 23, 2006 Thursday 1:18 AM EST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER BUILDS CROSS-CULTURAL
RELATIONSHIPS IN ARMENIA
WASHINGTON
The Peace Corps issued the following press release:
When Nicole “Nicki” Hendrix, a Peace Corps volunteer from Los Angeles
arrived at her site in the former Soviet republic of Armenia in 2004,
her presence caused quite a stir: the 35-year old community
development volunteer was the first African-American to ever live and
work in the village.
Upon her arrival, Hendrix had large groups of people, young and old,
who came running up to her while calling out the “n-word” – one of
the most hurtful racial slurs imaginable to Hendrix. She didn’t know
it then, but this was the only word most of the local Armenians knew
for “African-American.” She later learned that during the Soviet Era,
although students were taught about the history of African-Americans
in America, school books referred to African-Americans by the racial
slur. Many Armenians, Hendrix discovered, were not aware of the
negative connotation that word has in the United States.
Changing perceptions: Nicki Hendrix and the mayor of her host
community in ArmeniaAlthough she was shocked by the greeting that
first day, she didn’t turn around and leave – she had a job to do, a
job that became even more critical as a result of that initial
greeting.
“I use each encounter involving the word’s usage as a chance to teach
Armenians about African-Americans and our history, if they are not
familiar with it. It also gives me the opportunity to tell those who
do not already know that the U.S. is a very ethnically diverse
country with people from many different nationalities and ethnic
groups that live and work there,” Hendrix said of her experience of
dispelling stereotypes in an ethnically-homogeneous society like
Armenia.
Hendrix set out to not only accomplish her goals as a community
development volunteer, but also to help change the perception of
African-Americans in Armenia by helping to eradicate the use of the
racial slur. “The challenge is getting people to see things
differently and to embrace the unfamiliar, instead of the familiar. I
know this will not happen overnight, but I am at least planting the
seed for change in the people that I meet. I believe these
experiences define my minority Peace Corps volunteer experience:
educating and introducing a different aspect of American culture to
the people of Armenia,” she said.
Since she arrived in Armenia, Hendrix feels she has made a real
impact on her village. Working with the members of her community,
Hendrix helped renovate a local park (“Peace Park”), which services
not only her town, but also the seventeen surrounding villages.
During the Soviet Era, the park was once considered the central
meeting place for the exchange of culture, business and fun for
children and adults. But when the Soviet Era ended, the town could no
longer afford to maintain it; the equipment became dilapidated and
was later taken away for fuel and heating during the initial
tumultuous years of becoming a newly independent state.
For nearly a decade, the renovation of the park had been a top
priority among community members, businesses, and the town’s
municipality, to provide the villagers with a place to rest, exercise
and communicate with each other – and to prevent people from taking
the park land for their own personal use. Hendrix said she was glad
to be able to help assist the members of her community in making
their dream come true. The park now serves a population of over
100,000 people.
Nearly two years have passed and Hendrix’s service in Armenia is
almost finished. “I can honestly say that I am not the same person I
was before becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. I am a better person. I
am able to see all sides of an issue or situation. My views on life
and people are no longer narrow – they are multifaceted and global. I
am confident and self-assured in my skills and abilities, and best of
all, I am a more compassionate person,” Hendrix said.
Serving as a minority volunteer has not been easy for Hendrix, but
she has learned a great deal from the experience. “The most prominent
challenge I faced upon arriving to my host country was getting the
host country nationals to see me as a person instead of an object. As
an African-American living in Armenia, I received a lot more
attention than my fellow Caucasian Peace Corps volunteers,” she said.
“I find that some Armenians are still learning how to treat
foreigners who look differently than them.”
Hendrix noted that her presence in Armenia has also helped some host
country nationals see that all African-Americans are not just
entertainers and athletes, because she is neither. According to
Hendrix, her presence also showed Armenians – who are unfamiliar with
the concept of volunteerism – that African-Americans volunteer to
serve others, too.
“Being a minority Peace Corps volunteer has made the world seem
smaller. We all have the same fears, hurts, pains, problems, issues,
and we all want to be loved, respected, heard, accepted, successful,
happy, and needed. We just say it in different languages and with
different customs,” said Hendrix.
“We can all help each other if we have a desire to do so. In every
country, there are the ‘haves and have-nots,’ and in each country,
there are those who are trying to rid the world of divisiveness and
make the world a better place for everyone. I believe that the U.S.
Peace Corps is one of many organizations that is trying to make the
world a better place for everyone, regardless of race, class, creed,
or educational background. I believe that my service as a minority
Peace Corps volunteer helps to get this message across to the people
in my region and the country at large.”
The Peace Corps has been sending volunteers to Armenia since 1992.
Throughout the country, volunteers work in the fields of business and
community development, education, health and environment. There are
currently 86 volunteers serving in Armenia and, since the program’s
inception, 442 volunteers have served. To learn more about Armenia,
please visit the Where Do Volunteers Go? section.
The Peace Corps is celebrating a 45-year legacy of service at home
and abroad, and a 30-year high for volunteers in the field. Since
1961, more than 182,000 volunteers have helped promote a better
understanding between Americans and the people of the 138 countries
where volunteers have served. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S.
citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a
27-month commitment.
From: Baghdasarian

RA GOVERNMENT AFFIRMS ORDER OF GIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the RA law “On Social
Protection in the Case of Employement and Unemployment of the
Polulation,” the RA Government affirmed at the March 23 sitting the
list of documents to be presented by people addressing to the state
employment service with issues of getting job, getting information on
vacancies, consultation on professional orientation, professional
education, the order of people’s registrating and taking out of the
registraion as well as the list of necessary documents for giving the
people addressing to the state employment service a status of an
unemployed. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by
the RA Government’s Information and Public Relations Department, the
order of giving unemployment benefit was affirmed by another
decision. It’s fixed by the order that the process of giving the
unemployment service is implemented by an organization serving payment
service according to the order fixed by the RA law “On Purchases.” The
type of the list of payment presented to the organization branches by
the regional employment services as well as other issues connected
with definition of the payment terms of the unemployment benefit,
stopping the payment process, information exchange will be regulated
by an agreement signed with the above-mentioned organization branches
by the fixed order. Issues of giving benefit by a warrant as well as
in the case of being appointed but not getting the benefit before the
day of sentence or arrest of a citizen got the rigth of the
unemployment benefit and being arrested or sentenced, giving the
unemployment benefit not got in the case of death of the unemployed
getting benefit are regulated by the document. It was fixed that the
unemployment benefit not got by an unemployed till the day of his
death is given to an adult member of his family, or the wife (husband)
of the died person, one of the parents, and the model representative
of the under-age children, tutor or trustee, if they present death
certificate or passport of the unemployed person. As Sona
Haroutiunian, the Chief of the “Employment Service” agency of the RA
Ministry of Labour and Social Issues informed journalists after the
sitting, no order of giving employment benefit existed before. And
it’s fixed by the newly adopted order who has a right to get
benefit. Unemployed people having up to 1 year insurance experience,
who died: payment of death benefit is envisaged for them as well. She
also mentioned that if in the past the status of unemployment was
given during 10 days, it will be done at present during 7 days.
According to the Chief of the agency, at present the number of those
looking for job makes in the republic 116 thousand people, and the
number of those unemployed makes 88.5 thousand. 7400 people got
unemployment benefit in 2005. At the same S.Haroutiunian confessed
that official data concerning the level of unemployment are far from
the reality.
From: Baghdasarian

Turkish Press
March 23 2006
Lutem: Ottoman Empire Granted Broad Religious Freedoms To Non-muslim
Minorities
Published: 3/22/2006

NEW YORK – ”Non-Muslim minorities were granted broad religious
freedom under Ottoman Empire,” Omer Lutem, chairman of the Institute
of Armenian Studies, said on Wednesday.
Taking the floor in a seminar at the New York Columbia University on
”Minorities in the Ottoman Empire” Lutem said: ”according to
sources, nearly 2 million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire.
During the World War I, Armenians collaborated with the enemy, i.e.
Russian forces. Therefore, the Ottomans had to fight against both
Russians and Armenians. On the contrary of all allegations, Armenians
were not deported. They were merely relocated in different parts of
the empire. Some of them died during the transfer. However, Armenians
exaggerated number of casualties and qualified the relocation as
‘genocide’. In fact, number of killed Muslim civilians was much
higher.”
”On the other hand, Armenians signed the Gumru Treaty in 1920 and
acknowledged the borders drawn with the Treaty of Sevres. Therefore,
they cannot have territorial claims from Turkey,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eurasia Strategic Studies Center Chairman Gunduz Aktan
said, ”there are personal and collective memories on one hand, and
history on the other. Memories belongs to the Armenian diaspora. But
the history is much more objective. We (the Turks) have also memories
about the events. Dialogue and cooperation are necessary to form a
common recollection. Actually, Turkey is the party which has launched
initiatives to this end. Lately, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan proposed to set up a joint commission, however, the Armenians
rejected the proposal.”
From: Baghdasarian

Panorama.am
17:50 22/03/06

KOBZON AND LUZHKOV INFLUENCE POLITICAL FIELD IN ARMENIA
`We have become Russia’s both political and economic attaché,’
announced member of Armenian National Movement Aram Manoukyan at the
National Press Club today. As he said the Armenian present government
is to blame for all that. The latter has lost not only its present,
but its past as well. As he said even if the coming government is more
democratic, patriotic and pragmatic nevertheless they are going to
face serious problems concerning energetic system.
Aram Manoukyan is sure the roles of Kobzon and Luzhkov in Armenia are
more serious than that of certain representatives of political field.
As the politician assures the policy of the RF is wrong in Russia as
they serf and humiliate their people. As the ANM member stated it
would be wrong to put an end to Armenian-Russian strategic relations,
but we as well shouldn’t let Russia impose its will on Armenia without
reckoning with as stuff arms was brought to Armenia from
Georgia. /Panorama.am/
From: Baghdasarian

POPE VOICES DESIRE TO MEND A 1,500-YEAR SPLIT
Zenit News Agency, Italy
March 21 2006
Promotes Unity With Armenian Apostolic Church
VATICAN CITY, MARCH 20, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI signals
his desire to promote unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church,
a Christian confession that separated from Rome in the fifth century.
The Pope expressed his desire for unity today when he received in
audience His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Catholic patriarch
of Cilicia of the Armenians, Lebanon, with members of the patriarchal
synod and a group of pilgrims.
The Mideast-based patriarch leads 600,000 Catholic faithful in
communion with Rome, assisted by 120 priests and about 90 women
religious, according to Vatican Radio.
By contrast, more than 90% of the Armenian Christians are under the
Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate, which separated from Rome after
the Council of Chalcedon in 451. A key step toward overcoming this
division was taken in 1996 when Pope John Paul II and Patriarch
Karekin I signed a joint declaration on the nature of Jesus.
Benedict XVI, in his address to guests of the Armenian Catholic Church
in communion with Rome, recalled the sufferings of the Armenian people
“in the name of the Christian faith.”
At the same time the Holy Father manifested his satisfaction because
in recent years “a cordial and fruitful dialogue” has begun among
the Armenian Christians for unity with Rome.
“I encourage this renewed fraternity and collaboration hoping that it
may give rise to new initiatives for a joint journey towards full
unity,” he said, “with its own hierarchy, in fraternal interior
harmony and full communion with the Bishop of Rome.”
Benedict XVI concluded: “We all wish to be instruments at the disposal
of Christ. May he — who is the Way, Truth and Life — enable us to
continue with all our strength, so that, as soon as possible, there
may be one flock with one pastor.”
From: Baghdasarian

CRISIS “SPECIALISTS” APPEAL TO EU TO COMPETE MORE ACTIVELY WITH RUSSIA AND USA IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Regnum, Russia
March 21 2006
“Defending its own security, the European Union should be
closer involved in conflict settlement in South Caucasus, to
prevent the conflicts from breaking out as scaled wars immediately
neighboring Europe,” is said in report of International Crisis Group
non-governmental organization. In its “Settlement of Conflicts in
South Caucasus. EU Role” report, the ICG tries to analyze current
efforts of EU “in strained situations, arisen around Nagorno Karabakh,
Abkhazia, and South Ossetia”, and also denotes additional expectations
from EU to settle these conflicts. “Just recently, Brussels started
reacting to the challenges more profound,” stated, in particular,
Director of ISC Caucasus program Sabine Freizer.
According to her, “several very promising steps were made, but a long
way is still ahead to be gone through.”
As it is mentioned further, the UN is occupied with settlement in
Abkhazia, and the OSCE – in Nagorno Karabakh and South Ossetia.
However, decades later, talks are not crowned with peaceful
agreements. “Having authority of ‘honest mediator’, various soft and
hard instruments of influence, as well as ability to offer closer
European integration, EU can play more significant role, and add to
UN and OSCE efforts,” believe ICG authors.
“In order to avoid destabilization of its own borders, the EU
wishes to establish around itself a circle of states with effective
governing. It is interested in South Caucasus because of one more
reason; it wishes to guarantee access to oil and gas of Caspian
region, to develop communication corridors between Europe and Asia,
as well as to restrict such threats as trafficking, smuggling, and
environmental pollution. It is hard to imagine, that the EU will let
have its membership to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan within the next
few years, and that is why it should find new approaches to ground its
assistance and use it as instrument of influence. Action program of
New European Neighborhood policy is now at stage of generalization. It
provides a good opportunity to strengthen EU role, especially if
peaceful conflict settlement will be fixed as a necessary one. New
special EU representative is to become observer at talks on settlement
of Abkhazian, South Ossetian, and Karabakh conflicts. The European
Union has considerably contributed to reconstruction of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia. It must evaluate, what it may do in Nagorno Karabakh
and neighboring areas,” pointes out the ICG.
“The EU tries to define its role in new neighborhood, where there
is neither peace nor war,” says Director of ICG European program
Nicolas Wait. “If the EU is not able to implement strategy of safe
neighborhood, then, trust in it will suffer comparing with Russia
and the USA. Most of all, the fact worries, that if the conflicts
in South Caucasus continue to escalate, then, the EU can turn out to
be not ready for looking for answers in wars between its neighbors,”
believes Wait.
From: Baghdasarian

AIR FRANCE OFFERS DISCOUNTS FOR NEW PARIS – YEREVAN FLIGHT
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The French company Air France, which
will operate three flights a week in Paris-Yerevan destination starting
March 28, intends to offer considerable discounts. NT correspondent was
informed at the company’s office in Yerevan that in case of purchasing
a ticket until April 9 for a Yerevan-Paris-Yerevan flight, the price
will be 332 dollars. The purchased tickets may be used until June
15. The price of a ticket outside this move makes 472 dollars. To
recap, the company Armavia that also operates Yerevan-Paris flights
is offering discounts as well – the price of a return ticket will
make 299 dollars until June 30, whereas the price of a ticket in this
destination is 474 dollars.
From: Baghdasarian

THEY CONTINUE TO VIOLATE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
A1+
02:49 pm 17 March, 2006
“The fact which faces the “A1+” staff today comes to prove that in
Armenia they still continue to oppress the activity of free Mass
Media”, leader of the party “National Renaissance” Albert Bazeyan
said. The latter had come to the editorial office in protection of
“A1+”.
“The Government could carry out direct sale and give priority to the
company which has been carrying out all the responsibilities according
to the contract for the last 15 years”, the ex mayor of Yerevan said.
Albert Bazeyan noted that whatever happens to “A1+” today is
connected with all the previous cases of violation of human rights,
“Unfortunately we do not succeed in the protection of the rights
of the citizens, and the authorities continue the policy they have
adopted. As people say, “the appetite comes with eating”; we know
many cases when state property was sold to this or that official for
very little money”.
And today “A1+” is deprived of the area it has been occupying for
more than ten years.
“Today the authorities of any country want to have more power, and
the society of any country, of course if it exists, does not allow the
authorities to have more power. Unfortunately, our society allows the
authorities to do anything”, advocate Avetiq Ishkhanyan spoke about
the indifference of the society. “The society must be strong and
protect its rights. In Armenia they behave like they are sentenced
and their words have no value. That’s too bad”, Ishkhanyan says.
Asked the question who had to be next to “A1+” that is not, he
answered, “Any person who considers himself a citizen, learning about
this had be here today. This refers firstly to social-political bodies,
and of course to journalists”.
By the way, the majority of the supporters of “A1+” today were
journalists.
From: Baghdasarian

Regnum, Russia
March 18 2006
Chances are high that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be settled
in 2006 (Semneby, EU Special Representative for South Caucasus)
Baku, 18 March 2006 (Regnum – website) – “To be sure in rightful
coordination of initiatives on settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
I will regularly keep in touch with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group,” EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby
has announced.
According to him, chances are high that the conflict will be settled
in 2006: “Taking into consideration that the latest meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents failed to justify hopes, it is
difficult to say how strongly these hopes are bound to the reality.
For closer examination of the situation I should visit Azerbaijan and
Armenia, exchange opinions with the co-chairs. But if I had not been
so sure in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, I would not have
given my consent to the appointment,” Day.az quotes Semneby as saying.
From: Baghdasarian