Author: Chatinian Lara

PRESS RELEASE
WESTERN DIOCESE
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504
Tel: (818) 558-7474 Fax: (818) 558-6333
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Diocesan News
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RETIREMENT DINNER FOR G. STEVE SIMONIAN
August 3, 2006
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese, conducted the Invocation during a dinner celebrating the
retirement of G. Steve Simonian, Chief of the LA County District
Attorney Bureau of Investigation.
( ws/story.php?id=133)
ACTIVITIES BY VERY REV. FR. DAJAD YARDEMIAN
August, 2006
Within the ecclesiastic, religious and cultural realm, Very
Rev. Fr. Dajad Dz. V. Yardemian, aside from his daily responsibilities
and Sunday Divine Liturgies and Sermons, as the Vicar General of the
Diocese also participates in several projects and events within the
Armenian community of Los Angeles, as well as the community at large
(cultural, interfaith and interreligious), officially representing the
Western Diocese and the Primate.
( ry.php?id=132)
DIOCESAN SUMMER CAMP BEGINS FINAL SESSION
Primate Blesses Plaques
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese, visited the Camp on Monday and Tuesday, August 7-8, 2006. At
the camp His Eminence met with the youth and engaged in one-on-one
dialogues. On Monday His Eminence conducted a blessing ceremony of two
commemorative plaques, in the name of John Hovhannes Vartan Kertchoyan
and Vartkes Barsam.
( y.php?id=134)
PRIMATEÂ’S VISIT TO FRESNO, TURLOCK
Blessing of the Grapes
On Sunday, August 9, 2006 His Eminence celebrated Divine Liturgy at
the California Armenian Home in Fresno and conducted the ceremony of
the Blessing of Grapes.In the afternoon the Primate was present at
Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Armenian Church in Turlock, during which
he honored Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Patricia Aydenian for their many
years of service.
( ry.php?id=135)
DIVINE LITURGY IN YETTEM
Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
On Sunday, August 13, 2006, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin
Mary, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, will
celebrate Divine Liturgy and conduct the ceremony of the Blessing of
Grapes at St. Mary Armenian Church in Yettem.
( y.php?id=136)
NEW ACTIVITIES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Activites of Dioecse Expand
The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America has
initiated various projects in the field of religious education in
order to cater to the spiritual needs of our faithful.The projects
include the preparation of religion textbooks, various The television
programs, and Bible study.
( .php?id=137)
ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF CANADA
New Location for Liturgy
We would like to inform the faithful that the structure located at
4476 Foothill Blvd. which we were renting has been sold and as such
Divine Liturgy will no longer be held at that location. Upon the
arrangements of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate,
beginning Sunday, August 6 we invite you to attend Divine Liturgy at
the Lanterman Auditorium in La Canada.
( y.php?id=138)
PRIMATE MAKES A PLEA TO AID VICTIMS OF LEBANON WAR
Fundraising Efforts Continue
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese would hereby like to make a plea to the faithful of the
Diocese to contribute and extend a helping hand to those affected by
the war in Lebanon. We urge the Armenian-American community in
California and throughout the Western United States to show solidarity
with the Armenian community of Lebanon – one of the largest Armenian
communities remaining in the Middle East.
( php?id=139)
EVENING OF APPRECIATION
Dedicated to the AGBU
An evening of appreciation will be held at the the Western Diocese
dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the AGBU, on October 22, 2006 at
5:00 p.m. ( =140)
Upcoming Events
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8/6: Summer Camp – Session 3
( .php?id=24)
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The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, providing
spiritual guidance and leadership to the Armenian Apostolic community,
is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization comprised of 47
churches in 16 western states. It was established in 1898 as the
Diocese of the Armenian Church encompassing the entire United States
and Canada. In 1927 the Western Diocese was formed to exclusivly serve
the western United States.

STATISTICS OF ALL-ARMENIAN ADMITTANCE EXAMS
Lragir.am
9 Aug 06
On August 8, with still 8 days to go until the end of admittance exams,
the Republic Admittance Commission published statistics of the first
20 days of admittance exams in 2006. The facts were presented by
the secretary of the commission Sasun Melikyan and the head of the
Calculation Center Ruben Topchyan.
The statistics is ordinary. The secretary and the “chief accountant”
to put it so, say the statistics is normal compared with the previous
years. 25 625 exams were held from July 20 to August 7, 23 509
applicants showed up. Compared with the past 6-7 years, 8 percent
absentees is a normal index, Ruben Topchyan says. He says mainly
applicants from rural areas do not attend the exams because at the
last moment they feel that they are not ready and want to work for
some more days. Ruben Topchyan says he has statistical data, which
support his words and will gladly provide it to everyone who doubts
that the absentees are mainly from rural areas. And the doubters are
mainly news reporters who were the first to hear Topchyan’s observation
about the rural origin of absentees.
Before and maybe afterwards too most news reporters, as well as
the majority of the public believe that mainly those applicants do
not show up who are going to enter the university by the biographic
achievements of their parents rather than their knowledge. They do not
show up at the exams in the beginning and wait until the picture of
the competition becomes more or less clear and it is easier to state
how many points they need for the first places in the competition or
scholarship. They use different methods, including health problems
and lost documents.
Sasun Melikyan, the secretary of the Republic Admittance Commission
says on the first 20 days the exams of 43 applicants were postponed
for help problems, and almost this much for lost documents. There
were 56 cases of being late for the exams. Sasun Melikyan says he
does not think that the exams postponed for health problems have not
been taken yet, because the exam must be taken within 5 days after
recovery. But it is possible that the applicant has not recovered
yet or will just start recovering.
6501 applicantsa got high marks, 18-20, from 25 625 exams. The better
reasults in English and Armenian remain, compared with the previous
years. The results are lower in mathematics, physics and the Armenian
history. Nobody got 20 points in chemistry, biology, Armenian history,
general history, geography, oral French, oran Russian and Italian,
compositions.
Ruben Topchyan says there were 1046 appeals as of August 8. In 263
cases the marks were increased, including 123 cases when the results
were 18-20 points. In two appeals the marks were inreased by 6-8
points. The mark of one test were decreased. Ruben Topchyan says last
year there were more cases when the marks of tests were made lower.
There were 95 second appeals, the marks remained the same for 75 cases,
in four tests the results were made lower by 0.5-1 point, the mark was
increased by 0.5-1 point in 16 tests. Sasun Melikyan says this year the
cases of second appeal went down 3 times. Nevertheless, accepting the
explanation of Sasun Melikyan, it should not be excluded either that
the experience of the previous years showed it is no use appealing.

“ASHTARAK KAT” COMPANY LAYS FIRM BUSINESS FOUNDATION
Yerevan, August 8. ArmInfo. The general assembly of shareholders of
the producer of whole milk products, “Ashtarak-Kat” CJSC, approved
the principles of the company’s corporate behavior in July 2006.
Narine Melikyan, Vice Chairwoman of “Ashtarak-Kat” Board of Directors
for Corporate Management informed ArmInfo of this practice unique
for Armenia.
Thus, the principles of corporate behavior are totality of moral and
ethical norms and principles of business activity. Adoption of these
principles and norms is a necessary but not final step in the way to
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
N. Melikyan said unlike Armenia, the USA and Europe have been
practicing CSR since the middle of the 20th century. CSR is a voluntary
contribution of business to public development in social, economic and
ecological spheres directly connected with the activity of a company.
She said the principles of corporate behavior were worked out on the
basis of the major definition of CSR and human values. In addition, the
principles are based on the Declaration adopted in 1994 in Switzerland
by the leaders of the largest transnational world corporations,
as well as on the UN Global Agreement. N. Melikyan brought the
following key goals of the company: stable business, which depends
on how the company’s activity meets the expectations of consumers,
personnel, country, local authorities, shareholders, business partners
and other parties interested; vector of company’s development for
long-term outlook, which is the international market wherein socially
responsible business is a standard. Moreover, a socially responsible
business testifies to the stability and attractiveness of a company.
She said CSR is perceived as development of responsible business
advantageous both for business, state and public. Hence, social
responsibility is a trilateral interest. Thus, the public must
be aware of its demands and must form social order. The state
must exactly determine the priorities. Business, in its turn,
must effectively create economic value added (EVA), fulfill social
obligations stipulated by the law, involve more interested persons
in the corporate responsibility related measures.
N. Melikyan said building a firm business foundation is the first and
the most important phase of social responsibility for “Ashtarak-Kat.”
As a result, the company aims to secure high quality production;
provide adequate work and living conditions of employees; provision
of stable wages; participation in social projects and charitable
actions. The company’s mission is not only to ensure economic growth,
but also to create a society of socially responsible citizens.
All this does not mean that the company had no problems. The principles
of corporate behavior are not a panacea for problems either. The
adoption of the principles having a human basis meant the company’s
progress as a corporate citizen whose strategy of development will
be in accord with the interests of his employees, business partners,
consumers, the economic management territory and the public, on
the whole.

MULTIPLE CHAMPION OF ARMENIA “PYUNIK” CONTINUES HEADING TOURNAMENT TABLE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Meetings of the 15 round of the
football highest group championship of Armenia took place on August 5
and 6. The following results were fixed: “Pyunik” – “Gandzasar” 5-1,
“Shirak” – “Mika” 0-0, “Ararat” – “Banants” 3-0 and “Ulis” – “Cilicia”
2-3. Multiple champion of Armenia “Pyunik” heads the tournament table
with 43 points. Meetings of the 16th rounds are appointed on August
12 and 13.

At Mostly Mozart, a Tousle-Haired Newcomer Joins a Returning Hero
By STEVE SMITH
New York Times
August 7, 2006
The notion of viewing Mozart from the vantage point of what followed him –
both in close proximity and at a farther remove – is a central principle of
this year’s Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. The program presented
by the guest conductor Osmo Vanska and the festival orchestra at Avery
Fisher Hall on Friday evening neatly illustrated the concept, with a major
work by Mozart preceded by a modern homage and followed by a masterpiece by
Beethoven, whose revolutionary gestures were built on Mozart’s foundation.
Mr. Vanska, whose debut in the festival last year was a star-making event,
was greeted as a returning hero. An exacting musician, he quickly revealed a
care for textural balance and a predilection for extremes of dynamics in the
Swiss composer Frank Martin’s `Overture in Homage to Mozart,’ a tart but
genial Neo-Classical curtain-raiser commissioned in 1956 to celebrate the
200th anniversary of Mozart’s birth.
Taking advantage of the improved acoustics of the reconfigured Avery Fisher
Hall, Mr. Vanska established a subdued base-line dynamic. Hushed pianissimos
compelled listeners to lean in close, and accented notes and louder passages
leapt out in striking contrast.
Wielding his baton with an urgent sweep, Mr. Vanska propelled Mozart’s
Symphony No. 35, the `Haffner,’ at a tempo that initially seemed too driven
to sustain. Fine details of articulation were occasionally lost in the
headlong surge of the Allegro con spirito; that the ensemble never lost
cohesion was a testimony to its marked improvement over the last few
seasons.
Violins that were divided left and right on the stage yielded heightened
clarity in the clockwork Andante. Mr. Vanska led a courtly Menuetto free of
expressive quirks, and spurred a breathless Presto finale.
The Armenian violinist Sergey Khachatryan, a 21-year-old past champion of
the Jean Sibelius and Queen Elisabeth competitions, made his New York debut
in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, a work that expanded Mozart’s model of a
virtuoso showcase into a forum for philosophical rumination. Lanky and
tousle-haired, Mr. Khachatryan projected intense concentration in the first
movement, his sweet tone and strikingly introverted phrasing suggesting
vulnerability and internal debate. He shaped his lines fastidiously and
executed them cleanly. Mr. Vanska, departing from his previous metronomic
precision, provided ideally flexible accompaniment.
Clocking in at 26 minutes, the opening movement felt slightly prolonged and
episodic. Still, Mr. Khachatryan’s rapt account of Fritz Kreisler’s cadenza
was quietly dazzling, and his gentle sound against the muted strings of the
Larghetto was bewitching. The orchestra seemed to breathe a collective sigh
of relief when unleashed at last in a buoyant Rondo, which elicited Mr.
Khachatryan’s most effusive playing.
The audience responded with a tumultuous ovation, and Mr. Khachatryan
rewarded those who lingered with the Largo from Bach’s Unaccompanied Sonata
No. 3, broadly spun and richly expressive.

Scripture provides inspiration for poet
By Rich Barlow | August 5, 2006
Boston Globe,MA
Aug 5, 2006
For 30 years, Patricia Giragosian labored in journalism and teaching,
but those were always a holding pattern while she sought her heart’s
destination, a poet’s career. “I felt I was being Lois Lane,” she
says of her newspaper days. “My poetry is me.”
Yet the need to pay the bills, plus literary stage fright, gave her
a stiff-necked resistance to publishing her work.
Then Giragosian, 53, of Boston, began exploring her family’s Christian
roots in the Armenian Apostolic Church. In particular, the counsel
in 1 Corinthians (“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then
face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also
I am known.”) reminded her that human time is short, that all can’t
be known now, that trust in the future is a precursor to living.
“To get to this point, I’ve had to clutch onto something, and my
spirituality has been a great source of strength,” she says.
At last, things are breaking her way; she has been published in
several forums, was a finalist in a New York poetry competition,
and is writing full time.
It is a cultural stereotype, the solitary scribbler toiling for a
literary breakthrough by the dim light of a desk lamp. To struggling
writers, there’s little that’s romantic about this monastic
lifestyle. Last winter, a discussion sponsored by The Writers’
Room of Boston about the occupational hazards of penury, isolation,
and deadlines drew a crowd, reports Rabbi Susan Schnur, a writer who
assembled the panel.
Not all wordsmiths seek their solace and their muse in spirituality,
of course. But when you’re a writer and a rabbi, faith is as essential
as the word processor. Schnur compares spirituality in handling
inevitable literary setbacks with the Jewish mourning tradition of
sitting shiva. In writing, she says by e-mail, “one must learn to `sit
with’ and even `welcome’ the hard stuff: The first draft necessarily is
awful; the time spent on material that you later decide is irrelevant
to your project is par for the course; the days when all you do is
put in a comma and then take it out — yes, that’s what it means to
be a writer.”
“Writing is lonely,” says Myrna Patterson, a Cambridge poet and writing
teacher who fuses her Jewish heritage with Buddhist practices to combat
that loneliness. From Buddhism comes the idea that we shouldn’t grow
attached to anything, be it material goods or the loneliness of the
present moment; Patterson tries to pass on that wisdom by encouraging
students to meditate.
If writers’ block is their problem, pluck out preconceived notions,
she advises, and discard “any fixed idea of how things are going to
turn out.”
Giragosian says she finds her poetry topics by the compass of faith.
The New Hampshire Review, in its current issue, published her “Portrait
of Gertrud Lowe,” a haunting meditation prompted by the fate of the
title character, a real-life woman who posed for a painting in her
youth and who later perished in a Nazi concentration camp.
The poet gazes at the portrait, juxtaposing the innocent’s pose
with knowledge of what was to come. “No white dress / can save you /
from the Anschluss,” she writes, continuing later:
Facing the easel, it was natural that your shoulders folded toward
your breasts to avert the artist’s gaze, just as they will turn the
moment you witness history’s obscenity one afternoon when stormtroopers
shoot the locks on the French doors of your house and kick down the
screen of your dressing room to pull you, napping from the burgundy
velvet cushions.
“I wanted to remember this particular woman,” says the poet. “[She]
ended up in circumstances where her remains cannot be found, where no
one knows what happened. . . . I felt guided by my sense of spiritual
yearning and seeking some kinds of answers about why evil happens.”
Her spiritual choices aren’t always grim. “Fenway,” an ode to the
ballpark currently among poems on display at Boston City Hall,
is about generations passing on values to their successors and the
bonding that takes place when people visit that landmark. But whether
as cheery as a summer ball game or as chilling as Nazi pathology,
a writer’s subject can fulfill William Faulkner’s definition of his
craft’s spiritual mission:
“It is [the writer’s] privilege to help man endure by lifting his
heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride
and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of
his past.”

MICHAEL PLATINI TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN FOOTBALL
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug 4 2006
YEREVAN, August 4. /ARKA/. Michael Platini, vice-president of the
French Football Federation, member of the executive committees of the
FIFA and UEFA, will do its utmost to promote the development of the
Armenian football, Platini stated during his meeting with Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.
The press service and public relations department of the Armenian
government reported that Platini thanked the Armenian government
for the practical support to the Armenian Football Federation, that
without its support and investments it will be very difficult to
develop the football in the country.
Platini pointed out that visiting in Armenia for the first time,
he is infinitely impressed with the attitude of Armenians towards
football. “When small football fields were being opened, we noticed
how much energy and love children have towards football, and how eager
they are for sports. It is promising,” Platini said and mentioned
the footballers of Armenian descent who made a contribution to the
development of the French football.
In his turn, Margaryan pointed out that he attaches much importance to
Platini’s visit, especially now, when Armenia is going to celebrate the
days of Armenia in France on a large scale. Margaryan pointed out the
big contribution of the legendary footballer to the development of the
Armenian football, particularly his assistance with the implementation
of useful initiatives for the Armenian football.
Margaryan emphasized such investment programs on football development
in Armenia as Goal FIFA, Het Trick UEFA, and also the program of
Small Football Fields.
According to him, these are the first large-scale projects. At the
present time about 15 sports fields are opened, and soon their number
will reach 40. On the whole, the prime minister welcomed such decisions
of the FIFA and UEFA, which will contribute to the development of
football in developing countries. R.O. –0–

Regnum, Russia
Aug 3, 2006
Karabakh human rights activist: “There are no Azerbaijani prisoners
of war in Nagorno Karabakh”
“The Azerbaijani authorities have been exaggerating the subject
of Azerbaijani prisoners of war in Karabakh captivity to conceal
the true number of its Army losses in the war imposed upon Nagorno
Karabakh. Instead of cooperating with Armenian and Azerbaijani NGOs
in solving this humanitarian problem, Baku is politicizing it,”
Karen Ohanjanyan, head of Helsinki Initiative ’92 organization,
commenting on a report by TURAN news agency, which says that allegedly
“Azerbaijani prisoners of war are being exploited in tunnels of gold
mines in Kelbajar District.”
“Since May 12, 1995, there has been no prisoners of war and hostages
in Nagorno Karabakh. All of them were extradited to Azerbaijan. Today
there are only separate cases of Azerbaijani servicemen becoming
prisoners of war because of their attempts to carry out subversive
activity, however, Nagorno Karabakh authorities immediately inform
Stepanakert Office of the International Red Cross Committee and in
two or three months these prisoners are extradited to the Azeri side
with the Red Cross assistance,” Karen Ohanjanyan stressed.
It is worth mentioning, recently, a regional conference on issues of
missing people with participation of Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian
and Nagorno Karabakh representatives initiated in the framework
of The Yellow Tulips Project with support of The Interchurch Peace
Council (the Netherlands) was held in the Nagorno Karabakh capital,
Stepanakert. The reporters spoke on carious aspects of the missing
people problem, gave a brief on history of cooperation of the Helsinki
Citizens Assembly in South Caucasus, role of mass media in solving
the problems of missing, attitudes of the governmental institutions
to the problem of missing.

Nizami Bahmanov makes serious remarks to Matthew Bryza
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 1, 2006
Head of Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh Nizami Bahmanov met
with the US co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza in Baku today.
Mr.Bahmanov started the meeting with making remarks to the US
co-chair. APA reports Bahmanov told journalists. “My first remark
was that why our meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry not in
the office of the Azerbaijani community. The representative offices
of the executive powers of the occupied regions are located in our
office. We receive appeals from between 100 and 200 people every
day. So, I think our meeting there would be very efficient. As this
office directly reflects the consequences of the occupation it would
make the co-chair get some picture of the conflict,” the Azerbaijani
community head underlined. Bahmanov’s another remark was about the
ignorance of international organizations, Minsk Group member states
as well as the co-chairs and their not criticizing the Armenian side.
“The entire world ignored the deportation of Azerbaijanis from
Armenia. International organizations, including the UN ignored
Armenians pursuing ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Garabagh and adjoining
regions supported by Russian military units. Arsons were committed in
the houses, historical monuments in the occupied Azerbaijani regions.
Despite the co-chairs’ regular visit to the region, no reaction was
given to this savagery, this crime. Neither the co-chairing states nor
the international organizations reacted to Armenians for the Khojali
genocide and striking of two Azerbaijani helicopters in 1992. However,
they demand the Azerbaijani government to demonstrate a political
will. What will is concerned? Azerbaijan is the most powerful state
in the region for its economic and military development. However,
Azerbaijani President has demonstrated his political will. I mean
to say since the powerful Azerbaijan is participating in the peace
talks, there cannot be more political will than that. Despite all
the crimes, since official Baku agrees to grant the highest status
to Armenians within the framework of territorial integrity, what
political will is concerned? I brought the co-chair’s attention to
all of these underlining that he’d better address to the aggressive
Armenia not to Azerbaijan,” he said. Bahmanov also told the US
co-chair it is unacceptable to have negotiations under the flag of
the separatist regime. “My serious remark to the co-chair was that
he is negotiating in the cabinet of Arkadi Ghukasian, head of the
Armenian community under the flag of the separatist regime, which is
not recognized by any state, including the United States. Armenians do
not see any importance of these negotiations, it is like advertisement
for them. The co-chair agreed to these remarks saying that they wil
work on the plan of organizing meeting of Foreign Ministers after the
co-chairs’ meeting in Paris. He also added that Armenian authorities
have a political will to continue new proposals and the peace talks,”
he underlined.
Bahmanov also brought attention to Armenia’s intention to send its
citizens evacuated from Lebanon to Nagorno Garabagh. “Mr. Bryza
said the co-chairs will voice strong protest against this. He said
this is an unacceptable step contrary to international law norms. And
they aim to achieve peace through the negotiations between the heads
of states. He considers it impossible to send evacuated Armenians to
Nagorno Garabagh,” Bahmanov said. As coming to the US co-chair’s new
proposals, Bahmanov said the elements of the negotiations remain the
same, “There are problems regarding pull-out of troops from Lachin
and Kalbajar and regarding the referendum.”/APA/

US Senate Again Discusses Candidacy of New Ambassador to Armenia
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2006 13:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ August 1 the US Senate will again discuss candidacy
of the new Ambassador to Armenia Richard Hoagland. According to the
regulations, the discussion may be stopped, if even one Senator
is against him and this happens very seldom. Nevertheless, the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) expects that at least
one Senator will do that. As already reported, the ANCA demands that
the US Congress do not confirm Richard Hoagland, as he did not express
a clear attitude towards the fact of the Armenian Genocide. Today
9 out of 18 Senators, who are members of Foreign Affairs Committee,
are against the new Ambassador, reports ANCA.