Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Corrections.com
May 15 2013

Armenian Prison Officials Hope To Learn From Wisconsin’s Prison System

By wpr.org – Gilman Halsted
Published: 05/15/2013

Armenia decided to partner with the Wisconsin Department of
Corrections (DOC) because of its centralized system for classifying
prisoners when they enter the prison, and then preparing them for
release from the moment they begin serving their sentences. Nikolay
Arustamyan of the Armenian Ministry of Justice is leading the team.
Speaking through an interpreter, he says the seminar will help prison
staff who will work in a new state-of-the-art prison the government is
building that will use cell block units – unlike the barrack-style
prisons the country now uses.

Wisconsin prison staff are also learning something from their Armenian
counterparts. DOC policy advisor Tony Streveler says he’s impressed by
the difference between the sentencing policies in the two countries.
He says the maximum prison sentence in Armenia is 25 years…

`Whereas here we have a large population of lifers. We have a lot more
elderly inmates here, and the issues associated with that such as the
medical and health needs – just the ambulatory needs that they have,
where they’re not necessarily faced with that in the management of
their institutions.’

From: Baghdasarian

Topeka Capital Journal, Kansas
May 15 2013

Armenia benefits from Kansas partnership

Armenian defense official viewing American legal system

By The Associated Press

The Kansas adjutant general and top officials with the Armenian
Ministry of Defense say a 10-year relationship between the state and
the former Soviet republic has yielded benefits for both groups.

Delegations from Kansas and Armenia have worked since 2003 to forge
ties within their military, government, business and legal
communities.

Sergey (SIR-gay) Abrahamyan, (Aah-bruh-MY-ahn) a defense ministry
official from Armenia, says Wednesday his central Asian country has
learned a lot from Kansas that it is using in its new democracy. His
visit this week was a follow up to a recent delegation visit to view
the American legal system.

Previous Kansas delegations to Armenia have helped establish a
noncommissioned officer program in the military and emergency medical
services.

From: Baghdasarian

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 15 2013

Air Arabia to make Armenia-UAE flights

15 May 2013 – 11:21am

Air Arabia will plans to launch flights between Yerevan and the
Sharjah Emirate, not far from Dubai, NEWS.am cites Grant Mirzoyan,
head of the directorate for regulation of air traffic of the Main
Directorate of Armenian Civil Aviation.

Fly Dubai makes four flights a week from Armenia to the UAE and
requested permission to make seven flights.
120-130 out of 189 passenger seats are taken, Mirzoyan says.

Fly Dubai spokesman Vachagan Sarkisov said that the planes were not full.

From: Baghdasarian

Traditional Vardaton dedicated to Sayat Nova to be celebrated on May 19
17:57 15.05.2013

Alisa Gevorgyan
`Radiolur’

The traditional Vardaton (Feast of Roses) dedicated to Sayat Nova will
be held on May 19 thanks to joint efforts of the Armenian Ministry of
Culture, the Sayat-Nova Culture Union and the Yerevan City Hall.
Vardaton is traditionally celebrated in Georgia every year. This year
the event will take place on May 26 in the yard of St. Gevorg Church
in Tbilisi.

Vardaton was first celebrated in Tbilisi in 1914 at the initiative of
Hovhannes Tumanyan and landscape painter Gevorg Bashinjaghyan. Every
year participants lay one rose each at Sayat Nova’s grave. Since 2005
Vardaton has been celebrated in Armenia, as well.

According to RA People’s Artist Tovmas Poghosyan, Artistic Director of
the Sayat Nova Ensemble of Public Radio of Armenia, the feast is a
unique call to learn about the phenomenon of Sayat Nova and pass his
huge legacy to the coming generations.

`There are heavenly rewards, which are a blessing to the people and
age they belong to,’ Tovmas Poghosyan quoted Valery Bryusov as saying
about Sayat Nova.

`He was a cultural genius, whose legacy has enriched the cultural
treasury of three nations,’ Tovmas Poghosyan said.

From: Baghdasarian

*Last barcode- new scourage*

*
*2013-05-15 13:40:37

Presidential elections, municipal elections, consecration of St. Hovhannes
church – all these, and not only these, but all the phenomena are already
in past, it’s time for the work, which requires these elections and opening
ceremonies.

New government, old faces, and, as it has been ascertained, new gas tariff,
that is, the restoration of the government has also restored the price of
gas in Armenia, almost making it double.

But according to data before the elections, neither the price of gas, nor
electricity, nor water will be increased, but today the country is in a new
platform where the dependence of the government is not on people, such as
during elections. This time dependence radically differs from the previous
one. Today’s the society and people are dependent on the regime and the
government. That was supposed to be understandable on May 5 after the
victory of regime.

Even though it is difficult to accept, but, yes, Armenians in their
homeland have appeared in the regime, when it cheats on you, looking in the
eyes.

Sure, gas prices were expected to rise last year, even the current version
of increase after the elections, but the government either denied it, or
ruled out, and here we have what we have.

Today the political elite marks joy of victory, and the focus is PAP leader
Gagik Tsarukyan’s “Paraoh” entertainment complex, where all respected
political personalities will be there, because Gagik Tsarukyan has invited
all.

However, in the increase of gas price it is interesting that the same
Samvel Karapetyan, the same Serzh Sargsyan, the same Gagik Tsarukyan, who
is always with people and next to people, mark the joy as if they were
waiting for a settlement of all of this, but the context of which is, we
did what this nation deserved.

Yes, it is true, that is, all those who chose voluntary or independent of
their will were given this game, which was planned too long ago, are
condemned the caprices of the authorities.

Today, there is sharp increase of gas price, expects inflation rate, which
may be the pumping power, which will influence the pace of emigration on
unheard and unseen level, as Serzh Sargysan promised to rise pensions,
wages sharply, and balance of the budget could be brought only in the case
of inflation, which is already starting to become a new scourage for the
citizens of the state, new motivation and incentive to leave the country.

In this case, the national interest and ideas, arising from the national
interests, turn into into populist works, that may become threat for the
national security and the basic and primary consumer, leaving only the
issue of conflict of interests between individuals for RA modern life
activity.

Gevorg Avetisyan

From: Baghdasarian

Big Issues Are Solved Through Small Tools

What will Russia demand from Armenia to come to terms with Armenia on
the price of gas? After ARG’s application to the Public Services
Regulatory Commission it is clear that Russia and Armenia have not
been able to agree, and Moscow has decided to move one step forward.
Perhaps the Kremlin thinks it did everything it could and waited till
the end of elections not to hit the Armenian government from the back.
Later, however, Russia may have thought that it is the Armenian
government that hits Russia from the back by its aspirations to
formalize its relations with the EU in November.

The government is in a difficult situation. The rising gas bills will
intensify social tension, producing a multiplier effect for other
sphere, resulting in inflation. The prices of some products, notably
dairy products have gone up.

The government is facing a complicated issue indeed. It is also very
subtle. The government may try to find a solution to prevent or
postpone the gas bill. It will relieve dissatisfaction and distract
attention from the growth of other prices. So the gas price may appear
on the agenda. Serzh Sargsyan may address people in the nearest future
and say that they will not allow aggravation of the social situation
of the population and afterwards the Public Services Regulatory
Commission may find the application groundless and dismiss it or
accept it partly and instead of 67% growth have a 17, 27 or 37%
growth, as well as postpone the date by one year.

This would produce a tangible effect for the government. No doubt the
government must find a solution because due to the damage of crops by
recent hails agricultural products will be very expensive in summer.
The situation will culminate in the autumn, and if any other force
handles this discontent skillfully, the government may face real
complications. Then the government would hardly fancy Europe, and
Russia could be interested in supporting efforts to generate social
protest in Armenia.

The Armenian government inevitably needs to come to an agreement with
Moscow to resolve the problem of gas price. There is an alternative,
of course, namely establishment of a fair distribution mechanism and
efficient management, as well as Western investments. However, it
objectively will take time, so agreement with Russia is inevitable.

So now the urgent issue is what Russia will demand and whether the
demand will be in the form of a new strategic enterprise,
infrastructure or branch of economy or the demand will be political or
geopolitical, or even military, aiming at expansion of the Russian
military factor in the region or practical application of the existing
factor in any scope to produce a political effect.

Official Yerevan may expect the support of the West to confront this
demand because the government has not established public support
resources. The problem is whether the West will agree to support
Armenia. There is another interesting circumstance. The application
for gas price arrived after important negotiations between the West
and Russia during the successive visits of the U.S. secretary and the
U.K. prime minister to Russia.

These visits produced controversial impressions because on the one
hand an agreement over holding an international conference on Syria
was announced, on the other hand, another U.S.-Russian spy scandal
burst. It is not a surprise that the results of these meetings could
be expressed somehow in Armenia. Not because the West and Russia are
competing for influence on the Caucasus and Armenia and a favorable
correlation of forces. The problem is that the Syrian issue supposes a
wide range of interests and influences, and Armenia is inside it.
Simply, in Armenia big issues are solved through small tools.

Hakob Badalyan
17:18 15/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

From: Baghdasarian

Ethnographer: We should try to maintain experience of traditional
Armenian families

12:56 15/05/2013 » SOCIETY

Parent-children relations have weakened considerably in recent years,
and one of the reasons is social networks. `Real communication has
become less frequent,’ psychologist, professor Sedrak Sedrakyan told
today’s news conference.

According to him, as a consequence of it parents fail to pass their
children values inherited from their parents, who, in turn, had
inherited them from their parents.

Ethnographer Svetlana Poghosyan, for her part, said that Armenian
families face problems caused by globalization. She stressed that we
should try to maintain the experience of traditional Armenian
families.

Ms Poghosyan noted that Armenian children should be brought up among
heroes and be familiarized with folklore. `We should accept new
traditions and at the same time maintain values inherited from our
ancestors,’ she said.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

‘Freedom fighters demand same as Ministry tells government every year’

Wednesday,
May 15

Freedom fighters today demand the same as the Defense Ministry tells
the Armenian government before the budget’s approval every year,
Armenian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisian told
Aysor.am when commenting on the protests staged by freedom fighters.

`Every year the Defense Ministry asks the government to solve the
problem of a social package of freedom fighters and retired officers.
On the other hand we don’t want to send the ball into the government’s
court, so to speak, and sit by. In fact, it means serious
expenditure,’ A. Hovhannisian noted, adding:

`During his visits to freedom fighters, the head of the Defense
Ministry’s social service tried to clarify their demands and make them
more well-founded’.

We would remind you that a group of freedom fighters led by retired
Colonel Volodya Avetisian ended their sit-down protest in Liberty
Square of Yerevan yesterday. They announced that they will set up a
NGO to continue their struggle.

TODAY, 13:57
Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian MP asks to freeze farmers’ loans due to consequences of hail

May 15, 2013 | 12:35

YEREVAN. – An independent deputy of the Armenian parliament Edmon
Marukyan sent a letter to the chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) Arthur Javadyan requesting to discuss with commercial banks the
issue of freeze on loans granted to the villagers.

In a letter to the CBA chairman, Marukyan said he had been approached
by residents of Armavir and Aragatsotn regions who told that hail
damaged crop acreage and orchards of thousands of farms.

`Deprived of the harvest, and having no other source of income, these
people have found themselves in a desperate situation. Under existing
circumstances, borrowers cannot even take care of their families, not
to mention the repayment of loans. Many of them have already made
the decision to leave the country to work abroad,’ the letter reads.

Marukyan asked to consider the possibility of freezing loans granted
to the farmers by commercial banks and to give borrowers time to
recover from the suffered damage.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Jeb Bush Honored as `Friend of Armenians’

13:20 – 15.05.13

As the son and brother to two US presidents, and a two-term governor
of Florida, John Ellis `Jeb’ Bush is one of the most influential
figures in America today. He’s viewed as a trailblazer on the national
scene, an innovator in policy and governance, and a voice of wise
counsel on issues facing our country and the world, reports the
Armenian Weekly.

But it was thought to be a tender act of compassion in a time of
desperate need that drew Jeb Bush into the hearts of the Armenian
people, in America and Armenia. It was in the earliest days after the
Armenian earthquake – mere weeks after the cataclysm of December
1988 – Jeb Bush announced he had volunteered to travel to the stricken
country to deliver supplies to the victims. He would make the trip in
the company of his 12-year-old son, George.

The fact that the son of the president-elect at the time would travel
on such a mission to a Soviet republic drew international headlines.
But Jeb Bush’s response was that it was merely an example of the
`thousand points of light’ his father had spoken about during the
recent presidential campaign.

Even so, the reality that greeted the Bushes on the ground in Armenia
was even more desperate than they had expected. `Just about every
structure was off of its foundation,’ a family member said. `There
were people literally walking through the street with very little
clothes on and starving.’ In a television interview, Jeb Bush
described a hospital visit to children injured in the tragedy as
`something that’ll be with me and my son for the rest of our lives.’

A newspaper account painted a touching portrait of the trip. `With
tears in his eyes, the son of President-elect George Bush presented
food and gifts today to brighten the Christmas of children injured in
Armenia’s earthquake,’ it read. And then the article added this
poignant quote from Bush himself: `This is probably the greatest
Christmas gift I could give myself or my own son.’

In later years, President George H. W. Bush would say how his son’s
act of compassion had even larger repercussions; he recalled Soviet
Premier Mikhail Gorbachev `telling me afterwards that when Jeb went to
church in Armenia and shed a tear there, it did more for the
U.S.-Russia relationship than anything I could possibly imagine.’

That theme of the power of outreach at a time of need would later
drive Jeb Bush’s approach to executive governance. During his eight
years as governor, from 1999 to 2007, he was widely applauded for
leading improvements in Florida’s economy, environment, and
healthcare, as well as for reforming its education system.

And his experience among the Armenian people, viewing their suffering
as well as their will to survive, likewise left a strong impression – as
shown in his proclamations designating April 24 as Armenian Martyrs
Day. Jeb Bush has called on `the people of the United States to
observe [the date] as a day of remembrance for all the victims of
genocide, especially those of Armenian ancestry,’ in the conviction
that `recognition of this tragedy [would] educate people about
genocide and may prevent future occurrences of genocides.’

In choosing Jeb Bush as the `Friend of the Armenians’ for 2013, the
Diocese cited his impressive tenure as the governor of Florida, and
also recalled with great fondness that trip to Armenia after the
earthquake. `Your expressions of compassion at that time – and the
images of you and your son standing side-by-side with the Armenian
people – truly fortified the friendship between America and what would
shortly become the free Republic of Armenia.’

Marta Batmasian, a member of the FAR Board of Directors, accepted the
award on behalf of Governor Bush at the Grand Banquet of the 111th
Diocesan Assembly in Boca Raton, Fla., on Fri., May 3.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian