Author: Boshkezenian Garik

OUTSOURCING FOR ARMENIA – IT IS NOT SO BAD
Aram Gareginyan

arminfo
2008-04-19 17:13:00

ArmInfo. April 15, 2008. It is no secret that development of
information technologies in Armenia rests on the outsourcing, first
of all, i.e. execution of orders from abroad. Moreover, producers of
all the kinds of computer articles are specialized in this area. The
matter also concerns the developers of Â"independentÂ" programmes and
producers of drivers, that is, software for computer items, as well
as producers of microchips. However, is IT-sector of Armenia able
to establish a full process cycle of production of programmes and
items? Perhaps, a literally planned outsourcing industry is able to
become the primary driving force of IT-sphere development in Armenia
as it already successfully happens in many countries of the world:
quick development of IT-sphere in the countries of South-Eastern Asia
is a convincing example here, Director of the "Competitive Armenian
Private Sector – CAPS" organization, set up in Armenia in 2006 under
assistance of USAID, Hayley Alexander told ArmInfo correspondent about
it and other problems of IT-sphere in Armenia. He also said about the
current programmes of CAPS in the sphere of information technologies,
tourism and pharmaceutics.

Mr. Alexander, will you please tell about the current programmes of
the Fund and their implementation process?

First, I shall start with the programmes in pharmaceutics. We have
recently launched a consumer demand programme on April 10, as one
of the programmes in this sphere, aimed at analysis of assessments
of the present state of the medicines market in Armenia by final
consumers. The results of the poll will be used for consultation
of local producers. We have set two tasks here. The first task is
improvement of the product quality. We are willing to implement
the international production standards in Armenia named GMP (Good
manufacturing products). These standards envisage adherence to the
high level quality at all the production stages. The second task is
implementation of a successful marketing strategy, which includes
correct creation and support of the brand, public information, etc.

At present, the majority of medicines are imported in Armenia from
outside.

Do the Armenian pharmacists need creating new drugs for themselves
or they should tighten the relations with foreign exporters?

I think that both are necessary. Such a small country like Armenia is
hardly able to produce all the medicines it needs. However, there are
products Armenia is quite able to produce at such a level as to meet
the domestic demand, as well as rise the interest of foreign customers.

What drugs is Armenia capable to produce today?

The Armenian companies produce wide-spectrum of drugs. These are pills,
injection preparations and others.

What can you say about the homeopathic drugs, for example, the herbal
medicines?

This is the sphere, where the Armenian producers can achieve serious
success in the international market, as herbal drugs are presently
in a stable demand in the European market, moreover, their production
and use in Armenia are widespread.

What can you say about your projects in tourism, including such a
new direction for Armenia as an Â"adventure tourism?

The adventure tourism – rock climbing, alpinism, crosses, etc. has
great potential for development in Armenia. First of all, this is
an interesting alternative to today’s tourist industry of Armenia,
the main resource of which is the historical and cultural heritage
of Armenia. In fact, Armenia is a country with an ancient history
and there are many valuable monuments of the world culture here,
however, the wider the service spectrum is the more the potential
clients are. In 2007, we organized a fact-finding trip of the Italian
tour operators to Armenia, who were kindly surprised at the perfect
opportunities available here for development of an Â"adventureÂ"
tourism.

Will the new kind of tourism require retraining of guides and other
specialists of the tourist business?

Of course. However, the point is that there are no such specialists in
Armenia, so it is necessary to organize trainings with participation
of foreign specialists. Moreover, employees of the rescue services
may partially replace instructors of the "wild" tourism. Therefore,
we schedule joint programmes with the Rescue Center of the town of
Spitak. I must say that the market potential here is very great,
including from the USA, where both the native Americans and the
Armenians, living in the United States, who have never seen their
historical motherland or left it long ago, show the interest in
Armenia. Such a trip will be an excellent opportunity for them to
know Armenia from inside.

Will you please tell about your projects in the sphere of information
technologies? A visit to the Silicon valley in June, 2008, will become
one of the main events of the year in IT-industry.

We foster great hopes with this trip, so, we started preparing for that
beforehand. In February, we started receiving applications from the
Armenian developers for participation in the trip. The pretenders had
to present a marketing programme or even its project. The best of these
projects were later selected on a competitive basis. During selection,
we were guided by clear perception of the Armenian developers regarding
what they are ready to offer to American companies and what they are
expected of. The projects, where the producers understood the market
requirements and the nature of demand, were selected for participation.

Who else takes part in the trip?

The Armenian delegation will also include representatives of
the state bodies. It is still difficult to call the names of the
participant-companies and representatives of government institutions,
as their staff may change.

The final stage of the competition of Armenia’s IT developers
"Imagine Cup" will be held on April 25, and the main topic of the
competition projects this year is echo-technologies, perhaps, for
the best programmes to be used in practice.

Our partners – Â"Enterprises Incubator FundÂ" (EIF) and the Armenian
representation of Microsoft played a great part in organization
of the competition. Thanks to Microsoft, these projects may become
well-known in abroad and attract investors. As for their implementation
in Armenia, it is quite probable that the state agencies will pay
attention to some of these projects, as the Imagine Cup will be widely
covered in the press.

It is no secret that IT-production in Armenia is mostly based on the
outsourcing. What can be done to overcome the situation, and does it
need overcoming?

To some degree, the outsourcing may be considered as a "fatal evil"
for the countries with transient economy. You see, not every country is
able to develop large-scale projects. However, a number of advantages
may be taken out of it . Many countries – India, China, the countries
of the South-Eastern Asia have built their own IT-industry just on
the outsourcing.

It is also important that there are always the companies among those
in IT leader-countries, for example, in the USA, for which it is of
profit to entrust the developers from another country, including
Armenia, with part of their work. I must say that the Armenian
IT-sector is actively developing today: new companies appear, and
rather serious tasks may be set under these conditions. For this
purpose, we are going to hold a business-forum on June 21-22 jointly
with the Association of IT-developers of Armenia (UITE), during which
possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation of IT-developers and
companies of various economy branches will be discussed.

UITE achieved great success having come through to the final of the
European competition of IT-developers in Stockholm…

It is a great success. Undoubtedly, such a success attracts attention
not only to a specific company but to the country in general. People
start thinking: Â"Information technologies in Armenia? If this company
reached such a serious success, perhaps, the rest ones lag behind it
not so muchÂ".

Taking into account all this, can we say that Armenia is able to
develop the competitive private sector, in the sphere of information
technologies, in particular?

If the state wishes for any branch of economy to develop successfully,
it should assist it. Tax and customs advantages for IT-producers
will become the most efficient support. For example, full exemption
of IT-producers in Armenia from tax and customs may be of a great
benefit. Let them export their developments abroad and sell there
without restrictions. In this case, not only local but also the foreign
producers will show interest in IT-industry in Armenia. Meanwhile,
though they would like to open their business here but high VAT and
duties stop them. One should not forget that there is always a choice
among several possible versions when carrying out investments in any
country, and a foreign investor should have sound reasons to prefer
Armenia to another countries. You know, the sphere of information
technologies develops so headily that all the expenses on it will be
paid off without fail.

Thank you for the interview.

–Boundary_(ID_OZqKn8vVCPE4ddf4jV20og) —

AZERBAIJAN THE MOST DEMOCRATIC REGIONAL STATE – ALIYEV

Interfax News Agency, Russia
April 18 2008

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has blamed the West for applying double
standards in relation to Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan is the most democratic
state in the region. But for some reason, the moment some petty
provocation occurs here, the world community raises a lot of noise,
foreign ambassadors start making improper statements, and the foreign
press goes the whole hog to accuse Azerbaijan of not being democratic,
the Azeri president said on Friday.

"How long are we going to tolerate that? This suggests that double
standards are being applied to us. We reject these accusations and
will never accept them," Aliyev said.

The world community’s indifference to massive abuses of human rights
in Armenia is an example of double standards being applied in the
region, he said.

TEERMINOLOGICAL AND SPELLING REFERENCE BOOK PUBLISHED

Noyan Tapan
April 18, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Terminological Council
adjunct to the RA State Language Inspection (the council is legal
successor of the former Terminologioacl Committee that stopped
functioning in 1990) published the Terminological and Spelling
Reference Book, the head of the inspection Lavrenty Mirzoyan announced
at the April 17 press conference. According to him, the reference
book contains the decisions of the Terminological Committee since 1956.

MATTHEW BRYZA: "WE URGE TO FREE ALL WHO WERE ARRESTED IN ARMENIA FOR POLITICAL REASONS"

Today.Az
olitics/44390.html
April 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Matthew Bryza, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and US co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, called on the Armenian authorities to free
all persons, detained for political reasons".

"We condemn the Armenian authorities for the actions, undertaken
to restrict freedom and urge to free everyone who were detained
for political reasons", said Bryza at the hearings arranged by the
Helsinki Committee of the US Congress, held previously.

Matthew Bryza noted that mass detainments of opposition figures,
with most of them still arrested, occurred after March 1.

According to Matthew Bryza this process has "political trends". Bryza
called lifting emergency state within 20 days following its imposing
as a progress and said: "Nevertheless, we continue considering the
law on conduction of meetings, rallies and demonstrations as limited.

Unfortunately, we see that the tax bodies hold inspections in the
opposition mass medias, which is considered a persecution. Moreover,
we have witnessed incredible things-people gathered in Yerevan,
doing nothing in real, just talking or holding silent rallies and
were detained by the police in the result", Bryza said.

The US diplomat pointed out several directions of work to find a
way out from the situation, placing the need to define the level of
strictness the United States blame violence of March 1, regardless
of who has committed it, among them.

"It is now difficult to say who was the initiator but in such cases
the elected government is to be blamed for everything", said Bryza. He
noted that it is necessary to hold a biased investigation and punish
those who are responsible irrespective of who they are.

"We hope that main rights will be restored both on the level of law
and in the practice and the investigation will be carried out with
the offenders of the Electoral Code punished.We also hope to see the
national dialogue with participation of the opposition, powers and
civil society", said Bryza.

He also voiced hope for restoration of democracy and noted that the ban
for conduction of meetings will not reduce the mass resentment: "The
suppression of the opposition will not get the opinions closer, while
deterioration of the democratic institutes will not lead to stability".

TRANSCAUCASIA AFTER NATO SUMMIT IN BUCHAREST: CUMULATION OF THREATS
Andrei Areshev

1 8.04.2008

Caucasia, Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Armenia, Karabakh, NATO
At the summit in Bucharest in early April, NATO members were split
over Ukraine’s and Georgia’s accession to the alliance, and it was
decided to postpone their membership process till December. There
could be no dual approach to the issue.

Some experts believe that the time factor will serve the purposes
of Moscow and other countries of the "old Europe" which are against
NATO`s forced expansion. They think that by December Kiev and Tbilisi
may face some problems that will make their NATO membership process
less probable and even removed from the agenda.

If there were even slightest possibilities that everything would happen
in such a way, we should find this process the most suitable for all
sides concerned, and, first of all, for the peoples of Georgia and
Ukraine, who are being persuaded by the mass media that the accession
to the western military alliance will their countries prosperous.

Let us abandon our illusions. The process of NATO`s eastward
expansion has gone too far, and there`s little doubt that in the
long run Ukraine and Georgia will be given the green light to join
the alliance. U.S., the ground slipped from under their feet in Iraq
and Afghanistan, is now preoccupied with gaining control over the
most important geopolitical regions in the post-Soviet territory-
Ukraine, Transcaucasia and Central Asia, where NATO’s first ever
Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert
Simmons, had already arrived to demonstrate the Atlantic Alliance’s
willingness to expand its relations with the partner countries
of those regions. In fact, Washington sees these territories as a
springboard for their influence on Russia, Iran and China. That was
not by chance that some politicians in Kiev have been insisting that
some vast territories in Russia belong to Ukraine.

The current process of Ukraine’s and Georgia’s transition to NATO
membership is not a hypothetic but a real threat to the Russian
security. If we analyze the recent anti-Chinese hysteria over the
August Olympic Games in Beijing, we may get a clear picture of what
Russia is in for ahead of its 2014 Winter Olympiad in Sochi. The
regions of Transcaucasia, integrated in NATO, Georgia in the first
place (especially in case of successful annexation of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia), will be serve the U.S. interests aimed at destabilization
of the North Caucasus.

"Of course, Russia will take adequate measures to protect its
interests, – Russia’s Military Chief of Staff, Yuri Baluevsky, said.-
It will be something more than just military measures". The sooner
Moscow makes these steps, the better, as it is clear nowadays that the
verbal protests do not work and won`t stop NATO`s eastward expansion.

It is very likely that Tbilisi dares to launch military aggression
against Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Speaking at the mountain troops`
training center in Sachkher (near Kutaisi) on April, 8, Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili boasted that the country had purchased
a few billion dollars in arms deals. "Our lives are dedicated to the
future unity of Georgia, and we won`t give up until Georgia becomes
free and united. All our victories are before us".

Neither the Abkhaz people nor the South Ossetians or other national
minorities living in Georgia and Ukraine need be explained that
further integration of these two countries into NATO together with
"consolidation" of the Georgian and Ukrainian "political nations"
on the anti-Russian basis would only make their lives worse.

The signs of aggression are becoming more evident. Some Georgian
political analysts say "Russia is pushing Georgia to launch a military
action in Abkhazia". According to the head of the International Center
for Conflists and Negotiations, Georgy Khutsishvili, "Russia may take
active steps and officially recognize the self-proclaimed republics
or annex them and thus provoke a harsh reaction from Georgia".

In an interview with Estonia’s daily "Postimees", Georgia’s Prime
Minister Lado Gurgenidze leaked a word, saying that Georgia was
in principle prepared to recognize Kosovo. The official Tbilisi
accused Estonian journalists of misinterpreting Gurgenidze`s words
but "Postimees" reporter Igor Taro, who conducted the interview
with Gurgenidze, played the recording of the interview to prove that
Gurgenidze had really made that statement. However, these words could
be interpreted in another way: Gurgenidze wanted to say that Georgia
could recognize Kosovo as the Albanian state soon after Tbilisi founded
the solution to Abkhazian and South Ossetian issues as a result of a
military operation. And a possibility of such an operation is becoming
more real as Georgia receives informational and diplomatic support
from Washington. The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Daniel Freed
has repeatedly promised that Moscow would face serious problems if
recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, while only the recognition of
the two self-proclaimed republics (even in a form of bilateral defence
agreements) would prevent Saakashvili from large-scale provocations
and military campaigns.

The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has also grown out of hand. A
U.S. diplomat Matthew Bryza said at the summit in Bucharest that
the talks on the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh should result in a
bilateral agreement. It must be noted that Mr. Bryza meant not the
negotiation process as such but the revision of the region’s status,
which presupposes concessions from Armenia. In order to make the
new Armenian government more tractable, some pro-Western experts in
Armenia, guided by the International Crisis Group, have spoken in
favor of economic sanctions against their homeland.

Observers say the constructors of the "new world order" are aimed at
presenting the "Abkhazian", the "South Ossetian" and the "Karabakh"
precedents a direct opposite to the "Kosovo" issue. And a key role
is assigned to NATO here. Neither the CIS nor the OSCE could set
anything against this. Even Kazakhstan opposed Russia’s decision to
withdraw from the regime of sanctions towards Abkhazia, and this is
only one of the examples of the existing differences between the CIS
and the OSCE over the "frozen conflicts" in Transcaucasia.

The position of Iran, which is strictly against NATO`s presence in
the Caucasus, turns out to be a more significant factor in stabilizing
the whole situation.

Too much depends on Moscow. Russia is expected to have a nerve to
prevent new bloodshed in the region.

University of Michigan
Armenian Studies Program
Gloria Caudill Administrator
1080 S. University
Ste., 2603 SSWB
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
Tel: (734) 763-0622
Fax: (734) 763-4918

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GEORGIA PLANNED
BY ARMENIAN STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Conference to be broadcast live on the Internet

The Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
is pleased to announce the convening of a major international
conference on "Georgia: The Making of a Nation," to be held at the
International Institute of the University on May 15-18, 2008.

More than 30 scholars from Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Japan,
Canada and the United States will take part is this unique event. The
themes to be considered by the conference include: "Christian
Georgia:  Culture and Identity in the Middle Ages and Early Modern
Period," "The Emergence of Modern Georgian Nationalism," "Diversity
and Unity in the South Caucasus:  Discourses of Division," "Expressing
the National, Performing the Nation," "Evolution and Revolution in
Georgian Political Development," and "Challenges of the Modern
Moment:  Georgia in the Globalizing World."

Details of the program can be found on the website of the Armenian
Studies program:

The conference is part of the series "Armenia and Its Neighbors." The
conference is open to the general public. Equally important is the
fact that the conference proceedings will be broadcast live on the
Internet. Interested individuals can follow the presentation of papers
and the discussions at the following web address:
  sp/asp052008.asx. (Michigan is in
the the Eastern US time zone, the same as New York.)

Professor Ronald Suny is the main convener of the
conference. "Considering the increasing importance of the South
Caucasus region to the international community and of Georgia
particularly, we think this gathering will constitute a milestone that
will not only make this important country known to our audiences but
also bring together scholars from around the world who have devoted
time and energy to understand it," stated Professor Suny. "From the
Armenian point of view," he added, "it is essential that all neighbors
be understood first in their own context."

The conference is co-sponsored by Department of History, the Rackham
Graduate School, the International Institute, the Center for Russian
and East European Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern and North
African Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and by the
American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC, based at the
University of Chicago).

NEW ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TAKES OFFICE, KEEPS UP REPRESSION
By Emil Danielyan

Eurasia Daily Monitor
April 15 2008
DC

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian Serzh Sarkisian was sworn in as
Armenia’s new president on April 9 amid a lingering political crisis
triggered by his extremely controversial victory in last February’s
presidential election. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the
53-year-old former prime minister sought to reach out to hundreds
of thousands of Armenians who voted for his main challenger, former
President Levon Ter-Petrosian, and who refuse to accept the official
outcome of the vote. His calls for national "reconciliation" rang
hollow, however, as the ruling regime continued its harsh crackdown
on the opposition, ignoring criticism from Western powers and human
rights organizations.

The crackdown began even before the deadly clashes between heavily
armed security forces and thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters
in Yerevan on March 1. The official death toll from the country’s
worst street violence ever rose to ten on April 14 as a 29-year-old
opposition supporter died in the hospital of severe injuries sustained
during the clashes.. The precise circumstances of this and other,
mainly civilian, fatalities remain unclear. The Armenian authorities
defend the use of lethal force against the protesters, saying that they
had barricaded themselves outside the Yerevan mayor’s office as part
of Ter-Petrosian’s attempted coup d’etat. The opposition leader and
his allies insist, however, that the protest erupted spontaneously
following the brutal break-up earlier on March 1 of Ter-Petrosian
supporters’ 10-day peaceful sit-in in the city’s Liberty Square.

In his inauguration speech delivered during a special session of
parliament held in the national opera house, Sarkisian mentioned
the violent unrest and urged Armenians of differing political
convictions to "seek and find the path of reconciliation." "Even if a
wall of misunderstanding stands between us, I urge you to join us in
eliminating that wall," he said, appealing to the disgruntled segment
of the electorate (Armenian Public Television, April 9).

That "misunderstanding" was only deepened, however, by the
unprecedented security measures taken by the authorities on April 9.

In an effort to stave off opposition demonstrations in the vicinity
of the opera house, thousands of baton-wielding police cordoned off
much of downtown Yerevan hours before the swearing-in ceremony. The
area off limits to cars and pedestrians stretched for hundreds of
yards away from the building. "The impression was that all roads were
leading to a blind alley and that the new president was shielding
himself from his own people," the Yerevan newspaper 168 Zham commented
the next day. "Three hundred miles north of Baghdad, Yerevan had its
own ‘Green Zone’ on Inauguration Day," editorialized an independent
website,

In a coincidence that opposition leaders find symbolic, Sarkisian
took office 40 days after his government had put a bloody end to
the post-election demonstrations. By Armenian Christian tradition,
the souls of the deceased are remembered on the 40th day after their
death. As Sarkisian took oath and addressed the nation in his new
capacity, several hundred opposition supporters converged on the site
of the March 1 violence to pay their respects to the victims.

The first days of Sarkisian’s presidency produced no easing of the
government’s crackdown, with dozens more opposition activists rounded
up by the police across the country. Some of them were charged and put
under arrest, swelling the ranks of more than 100 opposition leaders
and activists jailed for their involvement in Ter-Petrosian’s bid to
return to power. Most of them are set to go on trial on coup charges,
while others stand accused of committing other crimes, including
illegal arms possession and vote rigging.

Ter-Petrosian supporters, rather than government loyalists, have become
the first Armenian citizens imprisoned for election-related crimes. A
court in the eastern town of Gavar sentenced two of them on April 11
to three years in prison for allegedly pressuring the chairwoman of a
local election commission to forge the vote protocol in Ter-Petrosian’s
(and strangely enough, other major candidates’) favor. The commission
chief got off with a suspended jail term in a trial denounced as a
travesty of justice by the oppositionists’ lawyers (Haykakan Zhamanak,
April 12). Nobody has been prosecuted so far, however, in connection
with the beatings of dozens of Ter-Petrosian supporters, vote buying,
multiple voting and other irregularities reported on election day,
irregularities that helped Sarkisian score a first-round victory in
what was arguably the most violent election in Armenia’s history.

Sarkisian has thus stuck to his hawkish predecessor Robert Kocharian’s
uncompromising stance on the opposition, betraying a deep sense of
insecurity and making a mockery of his pledges to "deepen democratic
reforms." The pledge was made in a power-sharing agreement signed
between his Republican Party and three other pro-establishment parties
on March 21. Their coalition cabinet is expected to be formed by
the end of this week. Sarkisian appointed the long-time chairman of
the Armenian Central Bank, Tigran Sarkisian (no relation to Serzh)
as prime minister immediately after his inauguration.

The new Armenian leader appears to have calculated that the benefits
of continued repression outweigh the resulting internal and external
risks. With the vast majority of his associates in jail or on the
run, Ter-Petrosian has so far refrained from defying a de facto
government ban on opposition rallies. He may well be waiting for
the regime to bow to mounting pressure from the European Union and
the United States to enter into discussions with the opposition,
release all political prisoners, restore civil liberties and agree
to an independent investigation into the unrest of March 1.

As always, the United States is more assertive than the EU, having
threatened to freeze multimillion-dollar economic assistance to
Armenia. And unlike European leaders, President George W. Bush
declined to send a congratulatory message to Sarkisian. Matthew
Bryza, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for European
and Eurasian affairs, attended the inauguration but made it clear
to Sarkisian that he had to take "dramatic steps" to repair damage
caused to U.S.-Armenian relations (RFE/RL Armenia Report, April 9).

Bryza also used the occasion to meet with some of the few Ter-Petrosian
allies not arrested by the authorities as well as with the wives of
several prominent detainees.

In separate statements issued on April 8, the International Crisis
Group (ICG) and Human Rights Watch again condemned the Armenian
crackdown and urged the West to put pressure on Yerevan. "Unless
prompt steps are taken to address the crisis, the United States and
EU should suspend foreign aid and put on hold negotiations on further
and closer cooperation," said the ICG.

ARMENIAN JUDOISTS RECEIVE NO PRIZES IN EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
April 14, 2008

LISBON, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Europe Judo Championship finished on
April 13 in the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon. Representatives
of Armenia Hovhannes Davtian (60 kg, Gyumri) and Armen Nazarian
(66 kg, Hrazdan) gained 3 victories, had 2 defeats, and took the 7th
place. Vilen Tavadian (73 kg, Yerevan) failed at the start and did
not qualify.

ADL’S ABE FOXMAN DISPUTES CRITICISM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE POSITION

armradio.am
15.04.2008 14:51

Responding to a question about the Anti-Defamation League’s
reluctance to unequivocally recognize the Armenian Genocide, Abe
Foxman, National Director of the ADL said, "No one can dictate to
you to use the word that you want us to use. We will use the words
that we feel comfortable with."

Foxman’s statement was part of a somewhat rambling answer to a
question posed at the conclusion of a speech in San Francisco related
to his book, "Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish
Control." The speech took place at the Jewish Community Center on
April 7, 2008. Foxman spoke about international anti-Semitism directed
towards Jews and Israel. He repeatedly condemned and called for an
end to the use of racist, anti-Jewish euphemisms.

The first question posed to Foxman asked why he has chosen to use
euphemisms in regard to the Armenian Genocide. Foxman prefaced his
response by informing the audience that some people are not happy
with the Anti-Defamation League’s position the issue of the Armenian
Genocide, and he went on to state that the issue should be resolved
between Turks and Armenians.

After years of lobbying against Armenian Genocide recognition in
Congress and refusing to unequivocally acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide, Foxman’s position was publicized last year in the New
England media, prompting a public outcry which included conflict among
ADL officials. As a result, on August 21, the ADL published an ad in
several Boston-area community newspapers, stating in part, "In light of
the heated controversy that has surrounded the Turkish-Armenian issue
in recent weeks, and because of our concern for the unity of the Jewish
community at a time of increased threats against the Jewish people,
ADL has decided to revisit the tragedy that befell the Armenians. We
have never negated but have always described the painful events of
1915-1918 perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians as
massacres and atrocities. On reflection, we have come to share the
view of Henry Morgenthau Sr. that the consequences of those actions
were indeed tantamount to genocide. If the word genocide had existed
then, they would have called it genocide."

Although some applauded the ADL’s new position, it also prompted
criticism for it’s use of the qualifier "tantamount," and the term
"consequences of those actions" suggesting the Armenian Genocide was
not carried out with the intent to destroy a people, as defined by
the U.N. and the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The ADL has also recently reiterated its opposition to U.S. recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, as well as Turkey’s call for an "impartial
study" of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has repeatedly called for a
"historical commission," despite it’s prime minister’s statements
that Turks could never have committed a genocide, and its continued
criminal prosecutions of citizens who discuss the Armenian Genocide.

Turkish press has reported that the ADL wrote to Turkish Prime Minister
Erdogan, expressing its sorrow for the discomfort the acknowledgement
of the Armenian Genocide caused Turkey’s leadership and people. Erdogan
announced, "The wrong step that has been taken is corrected … They
said they shared our sensitivity and expressed the mistake they made
[and] will continue to give us all the support they have given so far."

The national ADL’s position on the Armenian Genoicde runs counter
to the position of a wide range of Jewish organizations in the Bay
Area. In November, 2007, the San Francisco Bay Area’s Jewish Community
Relations Council re-iterated its support for official recognition
of the Armenian Genocide. As the Jewish community’s public affairs
arm, the JCRC represents more than 80 Jewish organizations across
the Bay Area. The organization, which includes the membership of
the San Francisco chapter of the ADL, overwhelmingly approved a
policy statement re-issuing a 1989 letter to Armenian community
leader Bishop Aris Shirvanian, expressing support for the Armenian
Genocide resolution pending in the U.S. Senate at that time. Senate
Joint Resolution 212 sought to designate April 24th as a national
day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

Foxman’s full answer to the question about his position on the
Armenian Genocide was: "The question is, this is a public issue,
a public debate.

There are people out there who are not happy with the Anti-Defamation
League’s position on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. To reply
to your question, the Anti-Defamation League, has for as many year
as I know, and I’ve been involved for 43 years in the league and its
director for 21 years, has always described, the events of 1915-1918,
between Turkey and/in the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian people as
a massacre, as a terrible tragedy, and an issue, that, it should be
resolved between the Turkish people and the Armenian people.

We never denied it… We never challenged or questioned… We didn’t
use the words that you use… And it’s not a moral question of,
to use your words. We could use your words. Usually a certain word
becomes a political issue. And it would be as if we, the Jewish people,
would say to you or everybody else, ‘Unless you use the word [Shoah]
and Holocaust to describe the events of 1933-1945, unless you use
our words, you are a Holocaust denier.’ That’s nonsense. We have
used the word. We have used it in the context of what we believe in
applying it. But we have never, never, in terms of an organization,
and a people, denied the tragedy, of the massacre.

But we haven’t used the word that you want to use. And you use this,
and this is for all you here now, not only to accuse us, but to point
to the Anti-Defamation league, to prevent us from teaching diversity,
I think that’s wrong. But we’ve all, you know, wanted to share the
pain. But no one can dictate to you to use the word that you want
us to use. We will use the words that we feel comfortable with. And
we’ve used the word genocide…

And so now it’s, "Not only do you have to use the word, but you have
to support legislation in Congress,’ which we don’t, and we don’t,
we’re "immoral," etc. And we have articulated our position. I’ve
used the word genocide… Some people don’t like exactly how we’ve
formulated it, but that’s what makes this country a democracy. And
we have never denied it, we don’t deny it, but again you don’t have a
right to dictate to us how the word should be formed, in what manner,
and what shape…"

Flyers detailing the ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide, which
were being distributed on the sidewalk in front of the Jewish Community
Center, were destroyed by security guards.

The ANC of San Francisco advocates for the social, economic, cultural,
and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and
promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the
grassroots and public policy levels.

"AFTER TEN YEARS OF INTERRUPTION, WE HAVE A PERSON AND A PARLIAMENT HAVING POLITICAL VIEWS"
By Nairi Muradian

AZG Armenian Daily
12/04/2008

Opinion

Since December 1, 2007, National Self-Determination Union has taken
a decision to support the presidential candidate who will support the
political programs of the party led by democratic and national values.

The Union mainly mentioned the following provisions: to reject
recognition of March 16, 1921 agreement directly or indirectly;
to stop all the negotiations with Azerbaijan on Artsakh issue and
recognize the right of self-determination of Artsakh and its right
to be a negotiation party; to negotiate with Azerbaijan about lifting
of Armenian blockade and returning of Nakhijevan illegally handed to
Azerbaijan through Ataturk-Lenin agreement.

Paruyr Hayrikian had met with Serge Sargsian and presented their
party’s conditions. In case of implementation they will work with
the authorities, the political figure informed in "Hayeli" club on
April 10.

According to Hayrikian’s model, Armenia should become the most
democratic country in the world. He wants the model to be first
implemented in Nagorno Karabakh.

Mr. Hayrikian mentioned that after ten years of anti-political
government of Robert Kocharian today we have already a political
president and a parliament.

According to Hayrikian, Robert Kocharian was governing 10 years not
being a political figure and a member of a party.

Regarding Serge Sargsian as a political president, the politician
means that Serge Sargsian is a clear part of the political system
and has a party membership.

To the question what will induce Serge Sargsian to carry out changes
in the country, Paruyr Hayrikian said, "First, the opinion of the
international community, and second, the fact that the Republican
Party considers itself as descendant of National United Party and
bearer of its values.

Touching upon March 1 incidents, Chairman of NSU mentioned that if
it happens in any country the first responsible are the authorities,
as they are to prevent that kind of development. According to him,
if the authorities had information that the demonstrators were armed,
then they should appeal to the demonstrators and suggest for carrying
out a search together with them.

According to Hayrikian, it is necessary that the country is led by
the people who haven’t "checklist" psychology, and Robert Kocharian
was led by that kind of psychology. Kocharian announced that after
lifting of the state of emergency it would not be appropriate to hold
rallies and go on marches.

Not the whim of Kocharian but the country’s constitution should be
a determinant in the country, underlined the Chairman of NSU.