Author: Chakrian Hovsep

ARMENIA TO HOST CONCERT FEATURING EMERSON STUART AND CHRISTOPHER SHEBEN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.06.2009 20:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On June 10-11, Vayots Marz will host a concert,
featuring tenor Christopher Sheben and pianist Emerson Stuart within
"2009 German Culture Weeks" program framework.

German musician’s concert programs feature works by Mendelssohn,
Brahms, Shubert, Strauss.

On June 10 the musicians will perform in Jermuk, and the next day –
in Yeghegnadzor.

Representatives of German Embassy in RA will attend the concert.

MEDVEDEV AND PUTIN TO BE AWARDED WITH MEDALS "FOR GENEROSITY"

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.06.2009 20:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Teacher of Penza Art school Alexander Khachaturyan
intends to award Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin and Vasily Bochkarev
(governor of Penza region) with medals "For Generosity", "Komsomolskaya
Pravda" reports.

Khachaturyan designed the medals on his own. One side of the decoration
represents the profile of Nickolay Seliverstov, Governor of Penza
region in 1867-1872, and the other side bears the inscription "For
Generosity". The preparation of each medal will cost 3-4 thousand
Russian Rubles.

As noted by the sculptor, Nickolay Seliverstov "didn’t spare means
for developing art in the town". Khachaturyan expressed hope that
President, Prime Minister and current Governor would follow his
example."

Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Putin are to visit Penza early in June. They
will be present at the opening of student sports contest.

ACCORDING TO FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIANS, ARTSAKH’S CONSENT AND PARTICIPATION ARE COMPULSORY FOR FINAL SETTLEMENT OF CONFLICT

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 10, 2009
STEPANAKERT

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 10, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 9, NKR President Bako
Sahakian met with Francois Rochbluan, a deputy of the French National
Assembly, the Chairman of the France-Armenia Friendship Group,
and figures accompanying him, who had arrived in Artsakh the day
before. Issues regarding bilateral relations, as well as settlement
of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict were discussed at the meeting.

B. Sahakian highly assessed the work of the France-Armenia Friendship
Group aimed at development and expansion of relations between the
two peoples.

Speaking about the current stage and prospects of Nagorno Karabakh
settlement he mentioned the constructive role of France as an OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairing country.

According to the report of the NKR President’s Press Office, the
guests gave assurance that the consent and participation of Artsakh
and its people are compulsory for problem’s final settlement.

NKR NA Speaker Ashot Ghulian was also present at the meeting.

WRITER-PUBLICIST ROUBEN HOVSEPYAN IS 70

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.06.2009 18:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In May 2009, Armenian writer-publicist Rouben
Hovsepyan became 70. Upon the initiative of RA Ministry of Culture,
the great writer’s birthday will be celebrated today in Hakob Paronyan
Musical Comedy Theater.

Jubilee celebration program will not probably be a surprise to the
writer as directors received his prior agreement before making the
scenario.

Rouben Hovsepyan was born on May 5, 1939 in Yerevan. Geologist
by profession, he was member of a geological exploration group in
Turkmenistan. His experiences of the period are reflected in the story
entitled "The First Woman". Hovsepyan did a perfect translation of
"One Hundred Years of Solitude", a novel by Gabriel García Marquez. He
recently finished his novel devoted to great enlightener Khacahtur
Abovyan. Rouben Hovsepyan worked as department head in "Avanguard"
newspaper and "Sovetakan Grakanutyun" magazine. He has also been a
correspondent of "Grakan Tert" and editor-in-chief of "Sovetakan
Grogh" and "Nork" periodicals. Hovsepyan is also a member of RA
National Assembly. Along with his creative activities as writer,
Rouben Hovsepyan has also worked as Secretary of RA Writers’ Union.

KEEPING ARMENIA ALIVE IN THE CAPITAL OF SUDAN

TIME Magazine
, 8599,1903175,00.html
June 9 2009

"If Armenians are to be great then they have to pray," says Father
Gabriel Sargsyan. "As long as there is one Armenian left, there will
be a church." Perhaps, but only a handful of the 50 or so Armenians
left in Khartoum have turned up for mass — held in the evening,
because Sunday is a working day in the capital of predominantly Muslim
Sudan. After the service, the small group sits on the porch of the
St. Gregory Armenian Church, sipping sugary coffee and remembering
the days when the pews used to be full.

Despite the Khartoum government having ‘Islamized’ the north of the
country through the imposition of Shari’a law, there is no sense of
religious persecution here at St. Gregory’s. Leaders of the Armenian
and the neighboring Ethiopian Orthodox churches say they feel safe
in Khartoum, and that the persecution of Catholics and Protestants
from southern Sudan is a product of the country’s north-south power
struggle — the small Orthodox Christian communities pose no threat
to the predominantly Muslim government. "We respect the law of the
land and stay out of trouble," says Eyasu Tadele, an official of
Khartoum’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church. (See pictures of Darfur.)

The Ethiopian Church, in fact, fares somewhat better than its Armenian
neighbor, attracting a flood of worshippers every Sunday. That may
be a product of shifting patterns of immigration. Many Armenians
came to Sudan as refugees from the mass murder in Turkey that began
in 1915, while a second wave of immigrants arrived in the 1950s,
seeking opportunities in the newly independent country. St. Gregory’s
opened its doors in 1957, and at its peak, the congregation was 2,000
strong. But many have since left in search of opportunity in Europe
and North America, while the Ethiopian expatriate community in Sudan
has steadily grown. "First they were coming because of the political
crisis and now because of economic reasons," says Tadele.

As much as he appreciates the company of his Christian neighbors,
Father Gabriel is concerned that several Armenians have married
Ethiopian Christians and Copts, producing children who are taught
Arabic or Amharic rather than Armenian. "When one person stops speaking
Armenian, our Diaspora is lost," he says. That’s why he’s working hard
to resuscitate the old church school to teach the Armenian language,
although with wealthier members of the community having emigrated, he
struggles to find the necessary funds. More families are contemplating
leaving for fear of a new season of instability as fallout from the
international arrest warrant accusing President Omar al-Bashir of war
crimes in Darfur. Only a few children remain at the school, but Father
Gabriel would be happy to teach even just one student. "Armenia lives
through our language," he says.

One Sudanese Armenian who claims he will never leave is Jeriar Homer
Charles Bozadjian, whose family history in Sudan dates back 100
years. Bozadjian runs a restaurant called Big Bite in Khartoum. "I
have never seen Armenia," he says. "Sudan is my home."

Despite the imposition of Shari’a law, "This is not like Saudi Arabia,"
says Wafaa Babikier, who studies Management at Ahfad University for
Women in Omdurman city. "Girls have the freedom to do everything." Not
everyone answers the call to prayer; women drive cars and attend
co-ed universities; and they outnumber men in many offices and
educational institutions. Others, like Alfred Taban, editor of the
Khartoum Monitor, demur, warning that behind the facade of tolerance
is a more hard-core Islamist outlook. "A foreigner would not notice,"
he says. Taban claims to have been whipped for drinking alcohol in
a traditional toast at the birth of a relative’s son.

But Bozadjian aggressively defends his homeland’s plurality. "Sudan is
a unique country," he says. "Muslims helped to build this church." But
others note that many Armenians left Sudan after their properties were
confiscated under the radical regime of President Jaafar Nimeiri during
the 1970s. Elizabeth Jinjinian, a 70-year-old businesswoman, recalls
how the land of the Armenian club was taken away when the community
began to shrink, "We used to have many balls, picnics and parties."

Often tempted to join her sons in London or New York, Jinjinian has
stayed on to run her small cosmetics business, which has survived
years of war and sanctions. "Exports and imports dried up," she
says. "We had to get goods into the country in suitcases."

Despite the resilience of many of the community’s veterans, the efforts
of Father Gabriel to sustain his culture in this corner of the Armenian
Diaspora face mounting odds. Indeed, the priest himself is slated to
leave soon, because the community no longer has the funds to support
him. He hopes someone in the community will step forward to run his
school. "If you have a school, your nation is going on," he says.

The collective memory of the horrors of 1915 may be the most powerful
factor in sustaining the community’s identity. On the dusty church
verandah, Jinjinian animatedly narrates the tale of her mother’s
escape from Turkey after her grandparents were killed. "She was
at the dressmakers so she was saved." Her tale is well known to the
congregants, but everyone listens respectfully as a warm breeze ushers
in another hot summer.

ACTIVITY OF FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON STUDY OF 2008 MARCH 1-2 EVENTS STOPPED OFFICIALLY

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 8, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 6, RA President Serzh Sargsyan
signed an order on invalidating RA President’s 2008 October 23 order
On Establishing the Staff of the Fact-finding Committee of Experts
and Order of Organizing Its Activity. Noyan Tapan was informed about
it by the RA President’s Press Office.

IF YOU WANT TO TRY ME, DO IT!"

A1+
08:41 pm | June 08, 2009 | Politics

"Do you want everything to be unveiled or not? Do you want this country
to take a normal path or not? If not, let’s forget everything and I
shall serve my time in prison. Aren’t you ashamed at all?" announced
Hakob Hakobyan, charged with last years’ post-election unrest.

The defendant made the announcement after Judge Hovsep Sargsyan
protested against Advocate Melania Arustamya’s motion.

The advocate petitioned the Court to attach the examinations of the
two witnesses for the defence.

One of the witnesses, Lavrent Gasparyan had refused his pretrial
testimony against defendant Hakob Hakobyan as the witness claimed
to have done it under duress. Note that Lavrent Gasparyan had been
arrested on alleged charges of shoplifting and assault on a policeman.

The prosecutor mainly relied on Lavrent Gasparyan’s pre-trail testimony
according to which Hakob Hakobyan had held a meeting in a Malatia
fair on March 1 while the other witnesses stated Hakobyan had been
at Liberty Square.

Hakob Hakobyan says he was at the National Security Service on March 1.

The Judge’s objection made Hakobyan indignant: "My dear Prosecutor! You
are entitled to protect the interests of your state and not of an
individual. Otherwise, an ordinary man charged with shoplifting turns
out to be prosecuting an MP. If you want to try me, do it. I have
nothing against. But who is that Lavrent?" shouted Hakob Hakobyan.

The next witness, 18-year-old Gevorg Muradyan also stated to have
given testimony under threat.

The next court sitting is scheduled for June 9. The Prosecutor is
expected to make a speech for the prosecution.
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Content-Description:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
From: Mihran Kalaydjian <[email protected]>
Subject: If you want to try me, do it!"

If you want to try me, do it!"

A1+
08:41 pm | June 08, 2009 | Politics

"Do you want everything to be unveiled or not? Do you want this country to take a normal path or not? If not, let’s forget everything and I shall serve my time in prison. Aren’t you ashamed at all?" announced Hakob Hakobyan, charged with last years’ post-election unrest.

The defendant made the announcement after Judge Hovsep Sargsyan protested against Advocate Melania Arustamya’s motion.

The advocate petitioned the Court to attach the examinations of the two witnesses for the defence.

One of the witnesses, Lavrent Gasparyan had refused his pretrial testimony against defendant Hakob Hakobyan as the witness claimed to have done it under duress. Note that Lavrent Gasparyan had been arrested on alleged charges of shoplifting and assault on a policeman.

The prosecutor mainly relied on Lavrent Gasparyan’s pre-trail testimony according to which Hakob Hakobyan had held a meeting in a Malatia fair on March 1 while the other witnesses stated Hakobyan had been at Liberty Square.

Hakob Hakobyan says he was at the National Security Service on March 1.

The Judge’s objection made Hakobyan indignant: "My dear Prosecutor! You are entitled to protect the interests of your state and not of an individual. Otherwise, an ordinary man charged with shoplifting turns out to be prosecuting an MP. If you want to try me, do it. I have nothing against. But who is that Lavrent?" shouted Hakob Hakobyan.

The next witness, 18-year-old Gevorg Muradyan also stated to have given testimony under threat.

The next court sitting is scheduled for June 9. The Prosecutor is expected to make a speech for the prosecution.

_________________________________________________ ________________
Windows Live?: Keep your life in sync.
BR_life_in_synch_062009

Sweden to be developing relations with Eastern Partnership member states
06.06.2009 16:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Development of relations between EU and Eastern
Partnership member states will become one of Sweden’s priorities
during its EU chairmanship.
Energy security provision, promotion of Russia’s dialogue with other
eastern partners, overcoming financial crisis circumstances will be
other important tasks for new EU-chairing country, Swedish MFA Press
Service reported.
Sweden will assume EU chairmanship on July 1, 2009.

Golden Apricot Festival to launch contest movies screening
06.06.2009 19:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 8 Moscow Movie Theater will launch movie
screenings for Armenian journalists within Golden Apricot 6th
International Festival framework.
Golden Apricot 6th International Festival, due on July 12-19 in
Yerevan, consists of 3 main programs – international contest of
feature and documentary movies and Armenian panorama contest.
This year, the festival will feature around 300 movies from 60
countries.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS GET $2.6 MILLION BOOST FROM ANCA ENDOWMENT FUND TELETHON

ity-education-and-development-programs-get-strong- boost-from-26-million-raised-at-anca-endowment-fun d-telethon/
Jun 5, 2009

LITTLE ARMENIA – In a strong show of grassroots participation that
reinforced the power of national community participation, $2.6 million
was raised during the May 31st six-hour nationally televised ANCA
Endowment Fund Telethon.

"Once again, our community has demonstrated its enduring faith and
commitment to the ANCA Endowment Fund’s efforts to expand Armenian
American civic participation and youth development programs,"
said ANCA Endowment Fund President Ken Hachikian. "Each donation –
large and small – will also play a pivotal role in educating elected
officials, and the media – locally and nationally – about pressing
Armenian American concerns facing our community."

Bolstered by a matching donation of $150,000 by Kirk Kerkorian’s
Lincy Foundation, the telethon attracted a broad cross-section of
the community and the final results proved the commitment of the
Armenian-American community to the advancement the Armenian Cause.

Thousands of Armenian-Americans took part in the fund-raising effort,
with hundreds more volunteering their time, services and other
resources to ensure the telethon was a success.

"This telethon was more than a 6-hour broadcast," said Telethon
Outreach Coordinator Pattyl Aposhian Kasparian. "The outcome reflects
the importance of bringing together the entire community around the
work of the Armenian Cause and truly reflects our grassroots power. We
thank each and every donor."

The program, aired nationally on Horizon Armenian Television and
the Armenian Russian Television Network (ARTN) and local television
stations acros the country, featured segments highlighting the ANCA
Endowment Fund’s achievements and activities in Genocide education,
youth empowerment, advocacy training, the advancement of an enduring
relationship between the United States and Armenia and the promotion
of public awareness of the circumstances surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.

The telethon, which was filmed live in the Horizon studios,
also featured appearances by Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, leader of the Armenian Catholic Community Father Antoine
Saroyan, Rev. Joe Matossian of the Armenian Evangelical Church, Los
Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, ANCA Endowment Fund President Ken
Hachikian, Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director
Aram Hamparian, as well as major donors and sponsors.

Video messages were provided by Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, California State Assemblyman Paul Krikorian, San Francisco
Mayor and California gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom, as well as
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and California State Assemblyman Kevin de Leon.

The 2009 Telethon Committee, which has been planning and executing
the project for the past several months, had produced a well-executed
program hosted by 11 community and media leaders from throughout the
United States, all of whom emphasized the importance of the ANCA
Endowment Fund to the advancement of Armenian- American community
aspirations.

Hosts Karine Birazian, Paul Chaderjian, Alina Dorian, Saro Haroun,
Silva Harapetian, Ari Killian, Roxanne Makasdjian, Steve Mesrobian,
Anahid Oshagan, Aram Sarafian and Manoug Seraidarian adeptly navigated
the audience through the six-hour broadcasts, which was intertwined
with information and education segments, live in-studio appearances,
and pleas from community leaders.

"Organizing a 6 hour live broadcast which is to air throughout the
country is complicated but we were fortunate to have a number of
professionals and volunteers who were up to the task," said ANCA
Endowment Telethon Chairman Leonard Manoukian. "They each brought
to bear their special skills, talents and experience, but most
importantly, they brought with them the passion which sets Hai Tahd
apart from other causes."

Another highlight of the telethon was the participation of community
organizations, churches and schools, which had activated their
membership and raised funds that were presented on behalf of the
respective groups.

The funds raised during the telethon will be allocated to furthering
the mission of the ANCA Endowment Fund to educate and empower the
community toward advancing issues of concern to Armenian-Americans.