Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIE
Les jeunes handicapés toujours mis dans les institutions en Arménie

Deux décennies après la fin du régime soviétique en Arménie, les
jeunes handicapés continuent d’être logés dans des foyers pour enfants
de style ancien qui les isolent du reste de la société.

Sur les 1000 enfants vivant dans 12 établissements, dont huit sont
financés par l’Etat, 360 ont des déficiences mentales ou physiques.

« Dans toutes ces institutions, il y a des enfants qui demeurent après
l’ge de 18 ans », a déclaré Yelena Kiraksoyan, qui dirige Warm
Hearth, une maison innovante pour les jeunes adultes handicapés à
Erevan, la capitale.

Le centre de Warm Hearth a été créée en 2005 pour fournir des soins à
12 jeunes ayant des déficiences physiques ou mentales. La
quasi-totalité d’entre eux a commencé dans les foyers pour enfants
gérés par l’État.

Parmi les maisons d’enfants classiques, l’une à Kharberd, fondée en
1953, est parmi les rares qui sont spécialement conçus pour les
personnes handicapées. Elle est surpeuplée, avec 277 enfants qui y
vivaient au lieu des 160 prévus à l’origine.

Un nouveau bloc d’hébergement ouvert l’année dernière à fournir des
logements séparés pour les pensionnaires qui ont atteint l’ge adulte,
mais elle a déjà 118 personnes qui y vivent au lieu des 30 ou 40 pour
lesquels il a été conçu.

Le personnel de la maison de Kharberd dit que la surpopulation et le
mélange des groupes d’ge créent des problèmes.

« Nous opérons naturellement de façon différente quand ils ont plus de
18 ans » a déclaré Irina Yaghubyan, qui gère des programmes
d’éducation à Kharberd. « Mais quand ils se retrouvent dans le même
groupe que des enfants de dix ans, ou quand il y a tout simplement
trop d’enfants, il y a moins de chances pour une approche individuelle
». Le gouvernement admet qu’il est en train de travailler sur une
prestation spécialisé pour les différents groupes d’ge et sur les
efforts pour les intégrer dans la communauté, mais il dit qu’il n’a
pas l’argent pour faire mieux. « C’est un grave problème et même les
pays européens n’ont pas entièrement résolu ces questions. Nous sommes
donc obligés d’avoir des maison [pour adultes] aux côtés des enfants »
a déclaré le ministre du travail et des affaires sociales lorsque la
nouvelle unité a été lancé en Septembre.

Avant que la section adulte ne s’ouvre, le seul endroit où les jeunes
adultes de Kharberd pouvaient être déplacés, le cas échéant, était un
hôpital psychiatrique de la ville de Vardenis. Mais les experts disent
que l’hôpital n’est pas adapté pour ce genre de thérapies nécessaires
dans les cas où des troubles psychiatriques relativement bénins sont
impliqués.

« Les personnes souffrant de troubles du comportement sont sur le bord
et peuvent afficher des tendances antisociales, mais cela n’en fait
pas des handicapés mentaux, » a déclaré Diana Galstyan, une thérapeute
par l’art indépendante à Erevan.

Bien que Warm Hearth n’ait qu’un seul résident avec un trouble
psychiatrique diagnostiqué plutôt que les autres formes de handicap,
elle se spécialise pour des soins psychiatriques et Yelena Kiraksoyan
dit que la maison se porte bien.

Le centre a été fondé par Natalie Rizzieri, une volontaire de l’
American Peace Corps qui a passé deux ans à travailler dans une maison
d’enfants en Arménie. eNatalie a eu un véritable choc quand elle a
découvert qu’en Arménie, les jeunes qui ont besoin de voir des
thérapeutes et des psychologues sont envoyés hors des hôpitaux
psychiatriques » déclaré Olga Dabaghyan, l’un des directeurs de Warm
Hearth.

Warm Hearth a demandé un financement au gouvernement, jusqu’ici sans
succès, et est actuellement soutenu par des donateurs étrangers.

Ses dirigeants ont exhorté le gouvernement à fournir une douzaine de
résidences pour les jeunes handicapés, au lieu de les enfermer dans
des institutions.

Jusqu’à présent, cependant, Warm Hearth reste une expérience unique,
et la plupart des enfants et jeunes adultes handicapés restent dans
les maisons comme celle de Kharberd, où l’isolement rend difficile
pour eux de se faire des amis à l’extérieur ou se préparer à la vie et
au travail à l’extérieur de l’institution.

« Ces questions peuvent être traitées dans la nouvelle loi sur
l’intégration sociale des personnes handicapées », a déclaré Anahit
Gevorgyan, chef adjoint du département des Affaires d’invalidité au
ministère des affaires sociales et du travail. « L’Arménie est loin
d’être le modèle européen d’intégration sociale, mais nous nous sommes
engagés à atteindre ce niveau ».

Karin Grigoryan est une pigiste en Arménie.

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

dimanche 20 octobre 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

‘599

From: Baghdasarian

Armenians of Los Angeles to welcome Turkey’s Deputy PM with protest rally

17:45, 19 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, ARMENPRESS. On Monday, October 21, Ali Babacan,
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, will speak to the Los Angeles World
Affairs Council about Turkey’s economic and foreign policy, including
the US-Turkey business relations and the future of economic investment
in the region.

As reports “Armenpress” citing Asbarez, a protest rally will be held
at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City, where Babacan will be
addressing the World Affairs Council.

The American-Armenians must protest the representative of the
government responsible for the first genocide of the 20st century and
the continued occupation of Western Armenia and over 1/3 of Cyprus.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: Baghdasarian

NATO rep. talks Karabakh settlement, Russia-Armenia ties, democracy

October 18, 2013 – 18:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – NATO hopes for rapid settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for
the Caucasus and Central Asia said.

As James Appathurai told a news conference in Armenia, though
uninvolved in the Karabakh conflict settlement NATO, supports
mediatory efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. He reiterated NATO stance,
supporting peaceful settlement of the conflict through negotiations
and mutual concessions. He also noted that the settlement of the issue
will bring political as well as economic benefits to all the countries
in the region.

`With a meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents planned in
Minsk, we hope for rapid settlement of the conflict through the
mediation of the OSCE MG co-chairs,’ Armenia Today quoted Appathurai
as saying.

Appathurai specifically noted Armenia’s active participation in
provision of international security as a part of peacekeeping
missions.

`NATO cooperates with Armenia in forming a new defense system and well
as improvement of military education,’ he said.

According to Appathurai, NATO believes Armenia’s developing strategic
partnership with Russia to be the country’s sovereign choice. However,
he said, cooperation with Russia does not prevent Armenia’s
partnership with NATO with the country always adhering to a balanced
policy line.

As Appathurai noted, NATO never intended to establish presence in
post-Soviet states, however, the Organization, true to its principles,
was always open for democratic countries.

From: Baghdasarian

Azerbaijani activist makes border claims while calling for peaceful
deal over Karabakh

15:56 – 19.10.13

Ramil Hajili, the president of European Movement Azerbaijan, held
Saturday a news conference in Yerevan to address the Nagorno-Karabaakh
issue.

His visit to to Armenia has been organized by European Movement
International’s local council.

Speaking at the meeting, the Azerbaijani activist said that though a
vast majority of his country’s population seek for a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he has his own land
demands.

Hajili said he was born in the Nagorno-Karababkh region of Fizuli
which, in his words, did not have an Armenian population at the time.

`I was 10 years old when the war began, and I found myself in the
status of a refugee. I settled in a town of tents, which lacked normal
conditions,’ he said.

Asked about any plans to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, Rajili and his
assistant unanimously gave a positive answer. To the journalists’
remark that they may appear on the Azerbaijani authorities’ `black
list’, Hajili have a somewhat joking response. `We are already on a
black list as we have visited Armenia. ‘

Hajili then continued to introduce his country’s propaganda on
Karabakh, calling for the `return of the six occupied regions’.

Journalists, however, reminded the activist that Armenia is a winning
side in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and it returned its land at the
cost of blood. A remark was even made that the Azerbaijani man
probably has a problem with memory that he doesn’t remember Armenians
living in Nagorno-Karabakh. `I don’t say Armenians do not live there;
I just haven’t seen them in the region where I lived,’ Hajili
answered.

`It is just important for the sides to reach a common agreement. I
don’t want you to think that I am addressing calls only to Armenia.
Being here, I am just using the occasion for doing that. Azerbaijan
too, has to make concessions.’

Asked what exactly the country is ready for, Hajili first pointed to
the six regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. He said if those lands
are ceded to them, the country will agree to give more to Armenia. But
he didn’t elaborate further.

`I don’t consider the Armenian nation an animal and agree to
[President] Serzh Sargsyan’s remark that `Azerbaijan is not our
enemy’,’ said Hajiev.

The meeting was also attended by President of European Movement
Armenia Victor Yengibaryan and Secretary General of European

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

Kaspersky opens Training and Certification Center in Armenia

18:26 18.10.2013

Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, received an
honorary doctorate from the State Engineering University of Armenia
(SEUA), the country’s leading technical university. Eugene Kaspersky
and the company’s top IT security experts met representatives of the
education and the business community, as well as students from local
technical universities during the visit to Armenia. They spoke about
current cyber threats in Armenia and the wider world and discussed
ways to combat them.

`The number of cyber threats is constantly growing, so it is
especially important to train more experts who can combat them. The
world’s next generation of specialists needs more than just good
knowledge of the IT security field and strong practical skills – they
also need to be able to think one step ahead and come up with
something really new. I am glad to see that today’s students in
Armenia are interested in cyber security and are willing to improve
and develop in this area. And I’ll be doubly happy if Kaspersky Lab
can help them do that,’ said Eugene Kaspersky.

One of the highlights of Eugene Kaspersky’s visit was the presentation
ceremony where he received a doctorate for his outstanding services to
science. The Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab also took part in the
official opening of the Kaspersky Lab Training and CertificationCenter
within the State Engineering University of Armenia. The Center will
help bridge the gap between theoretical and practical education. It
also provides future IT security professionals with the necessary
knowledge of contemporary technologies, enabling them to gain
Kaspersky Lab certification while studying at the university.

`We are deeply appreciative of the role that Kaspersky Lab is playing
in the development of information security and the personal
contributions Eugene Kaspersky has made as one of the leading experts
in information protection. We are sure that Kaspersky Lab’s expertise
will help our students become excellent IT professionals,’ said Ara
Avetisyan, Rector of the State Engineering University of Armenia.

Kaspersky Lab’s successful association with Armenia began four years
ago following the signing of a memorandum of understanding entitled
`Safe Armenia’ with the Ministry of the Economy. This information
security project led to the implementation of a number of educational
programs in Armenian schools, specialist training for IT
administrators in state and commercial organizations and discounted
licenses for some Kaspersky Lab products used within government
structures.

The cooperation between Kaspersky Lab and the State Engineering
University of Armenia began in 2009 when a student of the university
won first prize in that year’s edition of the international conference
CyberSecurity for the Next Generation. After that, the university
registered as a member of Kaspersky Lab’s educational program and
signed an agreement on cooperation within the KasperskyAcademy program
which remains in effect. In February 2013, SEUA hosted the latest
regional round of CyberSecurity for the Next Generation for Russia and
other CIS countries.

From: Baghdasarian

Pupils Take Part in SOS Culture Project Closing Ceremony in Yerevan

Narek Aleksanyan

12:56, October 19, 2013

Scores of pupils from border villages and towns in northern Armenia
travelled to Yerevan to take part in the closing ceremony of the
Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets’ EU
funded SOS Culture project, on October 18 at the Ani Plaza Hotel.

During the ceremony, project results were presented along with
screenings of the films made by the youth, the project website and
blogs they created.

The project lasted for two years, during which the youngsters attended
training, after school classes and a camp designed to teach them how
vital it is to preserve the local environment and cultural sites.

The youngsters only regret was that the project was coming to an end.

From: Baghdasarian

About 180 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side
reported in the past week

14:17 19.10.2013

ceasefire violation

According to the data of the NKR Defense Army, about 180 cases of
ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were registered at the
line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijan from October 13 to 19.

The rival fired more than 800 shots from weapons of different caliber
in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The activeness of the rival was pressured as a result of the response
actions taken by the front divisions of the NKR Defense Army.

From: Baghdasarian

SITUATION FORCED SERZH SARGSYAN TO STAKE ALL

Interview with Andrias Ghukasyan, political scientist

Mr. Ghukasyan, was the September 3 decision to join the Customs Union
made under pressure? And did it promote Russia by one step?

Obviously, that was a force majeure. Serzh Sargsyan’s and Vladimir
Putin’s decision indicates that the regular course of foreign policy
of Armenia has been disrupted. In other words, there were serious
motives for that and obviously the issue was not just refusal of
the Association Agreement. After all, as of today we have broken
relations with the EU. If there was a reason for not signing the
Association Agreement in Vilnius, there was a way of doing it:
publish the agreement, hold public discussions, collect all the pros
and cons, and Serzh Sargsyan would have an opportunity to tell the EU
that the society is not ready yet. This is the right way of doing it,
whereas he agreement was not published, and a step was taken which not
only blocks the way of association with the EU but endangers regular
relations between Armenia and the EU. Such things are a force majeure
which stops the regular course of policy. I think this situation
and Serzh Sargsyan’s move are both related to the settlement of the
conflict over Artsakh. I can see this link.

Do you mean that force majeure was the sale of weapon of 3 billion
dollars to Azerbaijan and threat of war?

The situation pushed Serzh Sargsyan to stake all. Soon we may hear that
Armenia is preparing for unilateral concessions. You know that Turkey
stipulates the return of at least two regions, and in 2014 it will be
20 years since the conflict has been frozen, and the line of contact
is not defended by international trips, and one may suggest that
Serzh Sargsyan has proposed deployment of CSTO troops in Karabakh for
peacekeeping purposes. Hence, the decision to join the Customs Union is
the logical consequence because thereby two issues are resolved: first,
Armenia associates with Russia, second, opportunities open up for
opening the Armenian-Turkish border. Most importantly, Artsakh is in
a situation when Russian forces stand between Artsakh and Azerbaijan,
and there is a BCP of the Customs Union between Artsakh and Armenia,
and all movement to and from Artsakh is controlled by Russia.

Such a solution may interest the United States because opening the
Armenian-Turkish border by 2015 is an important goal for the United
States. It will be a big achievement for the Democratic Party. Over 2
million people live in the United States, and the Democrats should
be interested in their support. Such an arrangement leads to a
perception that membership to the Customs Union is the consequence of
the necessity for a dramatic change in the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. We can see that what happened gave a surprise to Europe,
not the United States and Russia. I think Serzh Sargsyan’s meeting
with the French president was meant to make amends because actually
the rules of international diplomatic relations had been violated.

Serzh Sargsyan stated that Armenia is ready to sign the Association
Agreement. There is an opinion that this is Moscow-Brussels, not
Armenia-Europe relations after all.

In reality, Russia is quite limited by the Olympic Games in Sochi
which prevents Russia from taking abrupt steps against the European
Union. The response could be boycott of the Olympic Games, resulting
in an internal crisis for the top layer of Russia as, besides the
public money, the money of the Russian oligarchy has been invested in
Sochi. A red line runs across the Moscow-Brussels relations, and the
Kremlin cannot cross this line. This means that despite what happened
both Moscow and Yerevan hope that this will be accepted by the EU as
an argument, and Brussels will ignore it because there is a matter
of loss of political reputation and honor. The net output is: Serzh
Sargsyan used the EU in the 2012-2013 electoral processes and threw it
away as something unnecessary. We also felt this from Serzh Sargsyan’s
address to the PACE. And all those evaluations of elections which
the Europeans actually gave in advance were returned to the European
members of parliament. Usually, if contracts are terminated early, the
sides return what they received. Now France and the EU need to make a
political decision whether or not to restart the political processes
in Armenia. Should they create a situation which will lead to Serzh
Sargsyan’s resignation and restart the political system or will the
Europeans have to admit the arguments that are on the table so they
may not pick up the gauntlet that Serzh Sargsyan threw down to the EU.

This is a slap in the face of the EPP as well because the RPA which
is a member of this party decides to join the Eurasian Union which
cannot be explained in any way because how could an EPP member make
such a decision?

Do you mean that Europe could cause a revolution in Armenia? Are such
u-turns possible?

Trade with Armenia amounts to two billion. If the EU changes its
economic policy on Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan may have to resign.

Mr. Ghukasyan, the opposition proved once again its bankruptcy,
and the political field seems unable to find its place.

Today the civil movements need to review this state of things and
change the strategy of the movement. As to the systemic opposition,
it has been destroyed. Now the problem is whether the opposition that
is outside the system will pass this important stage or not. If the
relations between the EU and the West are over, and Armenia appears
under Russia’s influence, the Russian forces are deployed in Artsakh,
Armenia joins the Customs Union, and we forget about democracy. We
saw the examples of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia. At this important
stage the society needs to identify whether it is going to have a
role in these processes or not. If not, these important issues will
be resolved within a narrow circle of the regime and great powers.

However, the society does not understand that change depends on it, it
does not consider itself to be a participant of foreign policy making.

For years the stereotyped thinking was that foreign policy is a
closed area, and people learn about its developments post factum. The
examples are many – the Armenian-Turkish process, the Karabakh
settlement. The society is very little aware of these processes,
what has been happening in the Minsk Group over the past 20 years,
the society learned about the Armenian-Turkish protocols when they
had been initalled, the Association Agreement was discussed behind
closed doors for 3.5 years but the society was not aware of what the
EU was offering. The decision on joining the Customs Union was also
published post factum, the society learned about it from TV. Earlier
was the agreement on prolonging the period of deployment of the
Russian military base by 40 years. This is the consequence of the
regime undergoing a deep crisis which is not able to discuss any
geopolitical issue with the society. The regime cannot publish any
information about foreign policy. So, the society needs to figure
out the path of development of the country and prevent the criminal
regime from bargaining national interests. The destiny of Armenia
depends on the civil society.

Siranuysh Papyan 10:51 19/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: Baghdasarian

UNE FAMILLE ARMENIENNE MENACEE D’EXPULSION A GRENOBLE

education-immigration

GRENOBLE, (AFP) – Le collectif Reseau education sans frontières
(RESF) a organise vendredi soir une reunion de soutien a une famille
armenienne, dont les enfants scolarises a Grenoble sont menaces
d’expulsion.

David, 13 ans, elève en 5e dans un collège de Grenoble, son frère
Sergey, elève de CM1, sa petite soeur Gayane, 2 ans, nee en France,
et leurs parents Kolya et Arpine Vardanyan, de nationalite armenienne,
ont recu une obligation de quitter le territoire francais (OQTF)
suivie au mois d’octobre d’une assignation a residence dans un centre
d’hebergement.

“Je crains qu’on vienne a tout moment chercher mes enfants a l’ecole
ou au collège”, a temoigne vendredi soir la mère de famille qui a
depose avec son epoux un recours en annulation auprès du tribunal
administratif. Le demande devrait etre examinee dans les 72 heures,
selon RSF 38.

“Aucune decision d’expulsion n’a ete prise”, a de son côte indique
la prefecture de l’Isère qui a refuse de s’exprimer sur l’affaire.

La famille, qui s’estime en danger en Armenie depuis que le père,
chauffeur de bus, a assiste a un meurtre, a raconte Mme Vardanyan,
a quitte precipitamment son pays il y a trois ans.

Arrivee en France en decembre 2010, elle a effectue une demande de
titre de sejour a titre exceptionnel et humanitaire, laquelle a ete
rejetee cet ete par la prefecture. Des demandes d’asile et un recours
auprès de la Cour nationale du droit d’asile avaient egalement echoue.

“Les enfants sont très bien integres a l’ecole, au collège et très
appliques. Ils sont apprecies de leurs camarades de classe, de leurs
professeurs”, a souligne Valerie Neyret, membre du collectif RSF 38 et
“marraine republicaine” de la famille.

“Cette famille doit etre regularisee afin que les parents puissent
travailler et les enfants soient en mesure de poursuivre leur
scolarisation dans un climat serein”, a ajoute le collectif qui
desormais en appelle aux elus.

Une petition de soutien a recueilli plus de 560 signatures.

samedi 19 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S SOLE GOAL IS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF KARABAKH REPUBLIC: DEPUTY FM

16:03, 18 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Minks Group is the format,
due to which Armenia tries to reach the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh issue. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan stated this at the course
of the session of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia dedicated to the project
of the law “On Recognition of the Independence of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic”. As reports “Armenpress” Shavarsh Kocharyan emphasized:
“In the negotiations regarding the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
issue, we follow the conditions put forward by the OSCE Minsk Group;
i. e. peaceful regulation of the issue, territorial integrity,
self-determination of the nations and equality of rights.” Also,
Shavarsh Kocharyan stressed that Armenia will continue following
standards put forward by the OSCE Minsk Group.

Among other things the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan underscored that currently
the sole goal of Armenia is to reach the international recognition of
the Artsakh Republic. Notwithstanding, the recognition of Artsakh’s
independence by Armenia is not expedient at the present moment.

From: Baghdasarian