The Armenian Weekly On-Line: AWOL
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Armenian Weekly On-Line, Volume 73, Number 15, April 14, 2007
Commentary:
1. The TARCification of Noble Goals?
By Khatchig Mouradian
2. Is He Talking to Us?
By Garen Yegparian
Features:
3. Armenia’s Architectural Language: Getting Lost in Translation
An Interview with Jane Britt Greenwood, AIA
By Khatchig Mouradian and Jason Sohigian
(Joint Exclusive: Armenian Weekly/Hetq Online)
4. Plankton at the Edge of the World
An Interview with Antarctic Marine Biologist Dr. Deneb Karentz
Letters to the Editor:
5. ‘Giavour Slave’
By Kevork K. Kalayjian, Jr.
6. Relative Search
By Najda Sadyan
Community
7. The Long Road to Cleaner Ways
Edik Baghdasaryan and Margaret Hovhannisyan talk on Citizens’ Rights in
Armenia
By Andy Turpin
—————————————— ————————–
The TARCification of Noble Goals?
By Khatchig Mouradian
NEW YORK (A.W.)-Fourteen Chemistry, 14 Physics, 12 Medicine, 6 Economics, 5
Peace and 2 Literature Nobel laureates co-signed a letter drafted by the
Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and addressed "to the peoples of Turkey
and Armenia," urging tolerance, contacts and cooperation.
The letter (see p.3), dated April 9, calls on Armenians and Turks to
encourage their governments to open the Turkish-Armenian border, generate
confidence through civil society cooperation, improve official contacts and
allow basic freedoms-doubtless, all noble goals. It also refers to the
killings of Armenian in 1915 as the "Armenian Genocide."
Yet, the wording of the letter and its timing has led many Armenians-and
Turks, but that’s another story-to take it with a grain of salt rather than
welcome it wholeheartedly.
Here We Go Again
Commenting on the letter, ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian said, "Here
we go again. If there’s one thing we learned about David Phillips [the
former moderator of the now-defunct TARC and current executive director of
the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Peace] during the past seven years-through
his involvement in the discredited Turkish Armenian Reconciliation
Commission (TARC) enterprise, including the International Center for
Transitional Justice (ICTJ) study and a variety of other incarnations, it’s
that he will use any means-honest or dishonest-to prevent U.S. recognition
of the Armenian Genocide."
"The ICTJ-a group tied closely with the U.S. State Department-was asked by
TARC to prepare a report on the Armenian Genocide. ICTJ asked someone to
write this report. They will not say who. Very likely the U.S. government
was deeply involved. The report concludes that the Armenian Genocide is a
true historical fact. This is not new. The whole world already knows this.
The report also says that the Armenians have no rights to reparations under
the Genocide Convention. This is not true. Clearly, the people behind TARC
in the U.S. and Turkish governments used the ICTJ report to try to create
the false impression that Armenians cannot legally regain their rights,"
Hamparian added.
I spoke with David Phillips about the identity of the author of the report,
and he again declined to answer. "I’m not in a position to share that
information with you."
Nobel Goals?
I also asked Phillips why the letter was drafted. He said, "It was drafted
subsequent to the assassination of Hrant Dink in order to provide a set of
recommendations for Turks and Armenians to carry his life’s work forward,
his life’s work being on Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and on freedom of
expression in Turkey."
That the letter was drafted following and in reaction to Dink’s
assassination may fail to convince many. Dink was killed almost three months
before the letter was released. Instead, the timing may have more to do with
the upcoming vote on the Armenian Genocide resolution in the U.S. Congress.
For, the letter addressed "to the peoples of Turkey and Armenia" suggests
that this is an issue Armenians and Turks should figure out alone, and that
third parties should only encourage dialogue.
I asked Phillips what effect passing the Genocide resolution would have on
Turkish-Armenian relations. "The appeal doesn’t address the Armenian
Genocide resolution, so I’m not well qualified to answer that question," he
replied.
"Turks and Armenians have a huge gap in perception over the Armenian
Genocide," the letter reads. Yet the letter refers to the International
Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and a 2003 legal analysis conducted
by non-Armenians. Since both the IAGS and the legal analysis have concluded
that what took place was genocide, the "huge gap in perception" lies between
Turks and the rest of the world, not between Turks and Armenians. The
wording of the letter also gives the impression that Turkey and Armenia
share equal responsibility in the continued blockade against Armenia.
Test Tube Solutions
I pointed out to Phillips that some scholars and analysts have publicly
expressed surprise to the large number of signatories-40 out of 53-that come
from the hard sciences and thus have little, if any, knowledge of the
intricacies of Turkish-Armenian issues. I asked how the signatories were
selected. "We contacted laureates with whom we have collaboration and
provided some information about Armenian-Turkish issues," he said. "We asked
if they would associate themselves with the recommendation in the appeal."
TARC-2 Diplomacy
David Hovannisian, a member of TARC, told Iskakan Iravunk that the letter
will be taken very seriously by the international community. Hovannisian
added that the laureates’ call on Armenia to "reverse its authoritarian
course" shows just how closely the West will be watching the upcoming
parliamentary elections.
It Doesn’t Work that Way
In many Armenian circles, TARC is widely regarded as a State Department
initiative to derail the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
On March 31, at a symposium organized by Armenians and the Left at Harvard
University, Turkish-born professor Halil Berktay made the following
revelation about TARC:
"I’ll tell you something funny about TARC. In, I think, March 2000, the
first ever conference on or between Turkish and Armenian historians took
place at the University of Chicago, initiated by professors Muge Gocek and
Ron Suny. And I took part in that conference and went back to Turkey
afterwards and one thing led to another.
"An atmosphere of stifling hypocrisy sadly had overtaken Turkish society at
that time, precisely because at that time there was yet another motion
before the French parliament to recognize the Armenian Genocide and
simultaneously another motion before the U.S. Congress to recognize the
Armenian Genocide, and the atmosphere in Turkey had become absolutely
suffocating.
"Day in and day out, large numbers of journalists, media people, etc., were
towing this national line so to speak, not to say party line, of ‘the
so-called Genocide’ and ‘Armenian slanders’ and ‘baseless fabrications,’ so
on and so forth. This vocabulary, this verbiage was being repeated ad
nausea.
"It was in that atmosphere that to a large extent out of sheer anger and
irritation, when a leading journalist contacted me and wanted to do a very
long and full-page interview with me in the pages of the Left-Center Daily
Radikal, I consented.
"As a result, without realizing it, I seemed to have become the very first
established Turkish historian inside Turkey to speak out on the Genocide in
a mainstream publication, in a mass circulating daily, and then all hell
broke loose.
"But one thing that happened was that one of the American organizers of TARC
came to me in unbelievable and unexpected anger to tell me that I had
virtually ruined their pet project, and that I had, in fact, dealt a
devastating blow to the TARC initiative. I said, ‘Why? I would have thought
that the presence of the realization that there are many, many dissident
intellectuals and scholars inside Turkey who do not abide by the
establishment line on the Genocide would facilitate reconciliation efforts
like TARC.’
"I was told, very brutally, ‘That is not how it works. That is not how
Turkish or Armenian dialogue should work. That is not how second track
diplomacy works. You have just made things very, very complicated and
difficult for us.’"
***
Did the Nobel laureates who signed the letter have any knowledge of the
anti-reconciliatory behavior of TARC and its "American organizers"? How
would they view a letter from a group of (otherwise brilliant) individuals
who have little idea about their work, yet offer a "road map" on how to get
things done?
——————————————– —————-
2. Is He Talking to Us?
By Garen Yegparian
I really wondered whether Sam Harris, in his Letter to a Christian Nation,
was addressing Armenians.
We certainly do make loud and proud pronouncements about being the first
Christian nation. Most of that is bereft of substance though. I know of only
a relatively small percentage of Armenians who are serious in their
Christianity. Much of what passes for faith among us often seems more like
superstition. Not that we’re exceptional-many adherents to other Christian
denominations also take the CYA "just in case approach" to faith and
religion.
An excellent example of this artificiality is the e-mail I received just a
few minutes ago. It was one of those "read this, then send it on to a
bjilliion people and you’ll get your wishes granted" messages. But, in this
case, it was a prayer that included all the supplicant’s friends, including
the one that sent the message. The enticement? Sending it on assured that
others would be praying for you. How phony!
But I digress. Harris’ analysis is blistering and logical. While addressed
primarily to the whack jobs who bequeathed us George Bush, he also
challenges "moderate" believers. He draws parallels among all religions. And
we could probably learn a few things from his analysis.
The examples he cites from the Bible are chilling. The circularity of
accepting the "Good Book" as the basis of one’s own morality is elegantly
exposed (though this is nothing new). Very interesting is his unapologetic
counter positioning of science and religion as irreconcilable, despite
efforts, many in recent years, to demonstrate how the two can and do coexist
and are not mutually exclusive.
While the Armenian Apostolic Church serves far more than the propagation of
Christianity, there are those among its flock who would degrade that to a
strictly religious job description. That mindset underlies the activities of
those Armenians who are taken in by the fundamentalist sects of Christianity
who then turn around and, for all intents and purposes, attack our national
institution on the grounds of deviation from Christianity. You might
remember I’ve mentioned these destructive creatures before for their
essentially anti-Armenian, anti-national, anti-common sense approaches.
This last group of people might profit most by reading Letter, unless of
course they are so blinded by their fervor that all reason and logic has
left them. It’s a very quick read, a whopping 95 pages of children’s book
sized print. Everyone reading it would probably see things in a different
light.
Do yourself a favor, pick up the book.
——————————————– ——————
3. Armenia’s Architectural Language: Getting Lost in Translation
An Interview with Jane Britt Greenwood, AIA
By Khatchig Mouradian and Jason Sohigian
(Joint Exclusive: Armenian Weekly/Hetq Online)
WATERTOWN, Mass.-Jane Britt Greenwood has seen some of Armenia’s struggles
first-hand. An associate dean at the College of Architecture, Art, and
Design at Mississippi State University, Greenwood and her husband went to
Armenia after the earthquake of 1988 to assist in the establishment of the
American University of Armenia (AUA).
After leaving Armenia, Greenwood began looking for ways to be involved in
the reconstruction of the country she had come to love. As an architect, the
rebuilding of Armenia’s infrastructure interested her, but she was
disappointed to find that the new buildings generally lacked the traditional
Armenian character.
Working with the environmental organization Earthwatch Institute, Greenwood
is now organizing four 11-day architectural research expeditions that will
take international volunteers to Gyumri in June and July 2007.
Volunteers will identify and document the historical architectural elements
and patterns in the historic districts, which will contribute to a database
of architectural information that can be accessed by planners, architects
and designers in Armenia.
For more information about this project or to join as a volunteer, visit:
Th e following interview with Greenwood was conducted by phone on April 4.
***
Armenian Weekly-How did Earthwatch Institute become interested in the
Armenia expedition?
Jane Britt Greenwood-I proposed a project to Earthwatch a few years ago in
Haiti related to vernacular architecture. They were interested in that
project, but there was a coup in Haiti so it was put on hold. My program
manager for that project knew about my interest in Armenia, and he asked me
for another proposal that dealt with architecture.
Earthwatch gets a lot of proposals for projects that do things like work
with endangered species like turtles and manatees, but they don’t have many
projects that deal with architecture. When Earthwatch tries to promote
sustainability and the environment, they recognize that architecture is a
part of the issue of sustainability, so they asked me to write another
proposal that dealt with vernacular architecture. Since my interest has been
in Armenia for so long, I wrote a proposal for this Armenia project.
AW-What specific observations do you have about Armenia’s architecture? What
are the traditional features and what is being built today?
J.G.-From a scholarly point of view, the information that is being been
written has been mostly about churches. That is part of the cultural
identity of Armenia, but there are other smaller structures that have just
as much to do with establishing the identity of this country. People often
don’t see the value of smaller buildings such as houses and municipal
buildings, but they have a lot to do with placing a country within a context
of social and political issues.
In recent years there has been an economic boom in Armenia, especially in
Yerevan, and I have seen a homogenization that is taking place within the
architecture there. Near the Opera, the buildings are like a mini Times
Square where you have billboards that are illuminated and you’ve got these
modern office buildings going up with the horizontal ribbon windows. And
when you take photographs of them they could be going up anywhere in the
world.
My fear is that-and this is typical for many cultures that are trying to
move forward from an economic point of view and trying to position
themselves on the world stage-they look at what is being built in other
parts of the world and they think, "We need to build glass boxes, we need to
be like everybody else." While that is certainly good, it causes people to
not understand the value of their history and their architectural history
and heritage.
>From my point of view, a lot of that heritage in terms of housing has
already been destroyed in Yerevan-you just don’t find it anymore. In Gyumri,
in the Kumayri Historic District and the old Alexandrapol area, there still
are existing examples of Armenian architecture from the early 20th century.
And I haven’t seen anything like that in other parts of Armenia.
In the long term, I would like to see this project branch out into other
areas, because I think Goris has great a vernacular cave typology, and
Dilijan has a different type of housing typology. You start to see that the
architectural structures are really specific to a location and the different
regional influences of the community and the people. From an architectural
point of view and a research and an academic point of view, that is
information that needs to be documented and preserved.
It would be a terrible shame for Armenia to lose that part of their culture
and history.
AW-In some historic parts of the U.S., you can’t even paint your house a
certain color. Yet in a place as old and historic as Armenia, it seems like
you can build just about anything. What is going wrong with architecture in
Armenia?
J.G.-There are a few factors, from a housing point of view, and at least in
Gyumri. People fundamentally want shelter, and they want shelter that is
safe, dry and comfortable. In Gyumri, a lot of people are still living in
domiks, or in one or two rooms of a house because the rest of house was
damaged in the 1988 earthquake. Many of these families don’t have the
resources to repair the houses, or when they do they are not as concerned
with maintaining this sort of historic character. It’s not a high
priority-and I certainly understand that.
While there is the Ministry of Culture and there are some entities that deal
with preservation, I don’t know how well standards are enforced. It really
has to occur at the local, municipal level, but a lot of people are still
struggling with the day-to-day issues of living and surviving, so these
issues really aren’t in the forefront for them right now.
AW-What are you expecting to get out of this expedition? What could it lead
to?
J.G.-It is fundamentally an educational process, it’s a way to educate
citizens of the value of historic structures. There is value in the long
term. There can be tourism value, if it can be promoted so people will
travel to Gyumri to look at the houses in this historic district.
But we also have to be careful. Through the development of a "pattern
language," I would like to be able to establish design guidelines and a
strategy for growth. When people want to build in this area, it’s not that
everyone has to build like historic Alexandrapol. But there are qualities
and components about these buildings-in the way windows are designed, for
example-there are sustainability issues that need to be maintained. There is
a lot that we can learn from these structures that will help the planning of
the future of Gyumri.
If and when the border of Kars and Gyumri opens up, there is going to be a
big economic boom in Gyumri. So, that historic district is at risk of being
destroyed through this whole notion of economic development, and if we go
through this process of education and documentation and look at restoring
some of these structures, we can get a foothold in helping people recognize
the value of what they have.
AW-What are the prospects of getting work done on the ground in terms of
implementation? Is there a framework for future suggestions for approaching
the government or municipalities?
J.G.-One of my long-term goals is to purchase one of these historic
structures and actually go through a preservation/restoration process. This
is a way to create jobs in the area, because there are a lot of skills in
masonry and ironwork.
Gyumri has a rich history of artists, so there is an artistic culture and
crafts culture that is being lost. It’s a way to create jobs for people, to
create a niche in the country for creating these kids of artifacts,
returning to ironwork, stonework, masonry work, and educating the public and
educating people with specific skills. Through that we can approach the
government, if we can show that we are creating jobs and creating an
environment that is becoming pleasing for people.
I think Gyumri is a welcome relief from the heat and smog of Yerevan in the
summer. It is a matter of trying to sell the vision of what Gyumri could be.
I’m just one architect with these ideas-all I can do is start with my
project. And with awareness at the grassroots level people will become more
interested in this and we can see where it goes.
The politics in Armenia are very complex and I’m not the person to get into
that, but through this project and by raising awareness maybe someone can
work from these ideas and help move the government, or at least the Gyumri
government, toward these ideas. I know it is not going to happen
overnight-it is a very complex problem from a political point of view-but as
an architect all I can do right now is try to document, preserve and gather
oral histories from people about their lives in these houses, what has been
important to them about these houses, what is the social structure of family
life as a result of these houses.
AW-There is pressure on people if they speak out about these matters and
say, for example, that construction projects are destroying the heritage of
Armenian cities. The atmosphere in Armenia is difficult in that respect. Do
you have local partners in Armenia that are helping you with this work so
you can be successful?
J.G.-I have been working in Gyumri with the City Research Center. Over the
past 5-6 years, they have been developing a digital database of the
buildings-they have been photographing and cataloguing the buildings, which
has been great. But they have not been analyzing the buildings, looking at
trends, and looking at it from a social behavioral point of view. So my
research is trying to take that to the next step. But I have heard that it
is difficult if people try to speak out, so all I can realistically do is
document it.
AW-Are the construction projects in Armenia following any guidelines or do
you think they maintain the heritage of the country?
J.G.-My impression is that there are some guidelines but they are not being
followed. But it is the complexity of the political system and the building
codes. And you find that in the U.S. as well, so it is not something that is
specific to Armenia. Even developers in the U.S. know there are rules but
they try to get around them, and it really depends on how strong the entity
is that is trying to monitor it. If you don’t have a strong municipal
government or preservation group, you really don’t have a way to find out if
the preservation guidelines are being followed.
Quite often money speaks louder than anything, especially in a country that
has been deprived of economic development for so many years. And it is hard
to argue with that-I understand that. So it is a matter or trying to take
one step at a time so we can document this. These buildings could be
destroyed by earthquakes-and a lot of the buildings have been damaged by
water over the years. There may be a point where someone says it is not
financially responsible or feasible to maintain the buildings. Even in the
U.S. when they look at restoring a structure there is a financial bottom
line.
AW-You mentioned earthquakes-is it true that some of the new buildings going
up begin to crumble before they are even finished? Is the new construction
being built to withstand earthquakes?
J.G.-It is my understanding that things are supposed to be built to meet
earthquake standards, but whether or not they are, I can’t answer without
speaking to architects and building inspectors there. But that’s what I find
interesting about these historic buildings. A lot of the buildings in the
Kumayri Historic District have withstood two earthquakes, while those built
after the Second World War didn’t. There are a lot of things we can learn
about the way those buildings were constructed-there are thermal qualities
to those buildings, and there are a lot of lessons we can learn from that to
help guide us in the future.
AW-How is this expedition being promoted in the international community? How
are you trying to recruit volunteers for the trip?
J.G.-Earthwatch has an aggressive marketing strategy for all of their
projects. They are contacting people like yourself and other Armenian media,
promoting the expedition among their own volunteer networks internationally,
and there is information about the expedition on their website,
In Armenia, we are going to distribute material at
hotels around Gyumri and Yerevan, and we are hoping to do a TV spot when we
get there in the summer.
AW-If this trip is successful, is there potential for other Earthwatch
expeditions in Armenia?
J.G.-Absolutely. There are plenty of archeological areas that could be
investigated. Earthwatch has expeditions that document flora and fauna. From
my point of view, Armenia has some beautiful flowers and wildflowers. There
is a lot of opportunity for Earthwatch to be involved in Armenia-it is just
a mater of finding other individuals like myself who are interested in
trying to do something like this.
AW-How did you get interested in Armenia?
J.G.-My husband and I were living in Boston and he was teaching and saw an
ad in the Chronicle of Higher Education about an American university
[American University of Armenia] that was being initiated by the Diasporan
community in California. His background is in business and engineering, and
those are two areas in which they were starting programs, so we went over in
1992.
The Armenian government had given AUA some property in Abovian to build a
new American style university, and they hired me to be the university
architect. So I was the liason with architects from the University of
California.
There were a lot of changes. The original site we looked at was a munitions
storage area, and the site literally blew up the day after I went to look at
it, so we spent a lot of time looking for another site. My final
recommendation was that they stay in downtown Yerevan because transportation
was an issue for people and no one knew what the future would look like.
Being there for a year and a half, I found the people to be very warm and
everyone makes you a part of their family. It is a beautiful country, with
so many different facets-it is so small with a varied landscape. I really
fell in love with it and was fascinated with it, and I was looking for some
way over the years to get involved architecturally with what was going on
there.
I left in 1993 and I didn’t return until five years ago, and I have been
going back every summer since then to develop partnerships and look for
projects. And I finally connected with the City Research Center in Gyumri
(). I have a real passion for the country and the people
and I am interested in learning about the culture that built this
architecture.
AW-In the Earthwatch Institute’s catalogue you say, "Join me on this
exciting expedition to Armenia-it will truly be a life changing experience."
How do you think people’s lives will change if they participate in this
expedition?
J.G.-They will have a better appreciation of another country and they will
learn a lot about themselves. Going to Armenia was a life changing
experience for me at many levels-I realized I was stronger than I thought I
was both emotionally and physically, and I think other people will find this
as well. It is still a hard life in Armenia, and people will understand from
a sustainability point of view that, for example, you don’t need to take a
shower for 15 minutes and use that much water.
Those sorts of life experiences are what I mean-and with architecture we
talk about sustainability, green design and waste-but when you can
experience another culture that really does so much with so little, then
people will understand that you can do a lot with a little, and there are a
lot of things we can cut back on in our lives in the U.S. or in the UK or
Australia or wherever you are from, and you can still have a rich and
fulfilling life.
Volunteers will learn about themselves from this experience, and they will
learn about Armenia and architecture. It will make them look at their
environment in a different way. It will make them realize they can make a
difference in their own environment. Any time you have an educational
process, if you can reach one or two of your students each semester, you
have done a good job because they can go and reach other people. Whatever
little progress we make will be a big step toward change somewhere down the
line. I may never see it, but someone else might see the work we are doing
and carry on from there.
You have to start somewhere, and I think this is that start.
——————————————- ———
4. Plankton at the Edge of the World
An Interview with Antarctic Marine Biologist Dr. Deneb Karentz
WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)-Marine biologist Dr. Deneb Karentz is currently a
U.S. representative to the Group on Life Sciences for the Scientific
Committee on Antarctic Research. Speaking about her prosperous career as a
scientist in Antarctica and how she got involved, she said of her interest
in marine biology, "I’ve just always been interested in it, since I was a
little girl."
Karentz has spent 17 field seasons in Antarctica, including research at
Palmer Station (U.S.), McMurdo Station (U.S.) and projects in the
Bellingshausen and Ross Seas. She first got to go to Antarctica in 1985 when
she was doing postdoctoral work. "I met a friend from graduate school who
was looking for volunteers for an expedition," she said. "I was just in the
right place at the right time." Karentz received her Masters degree from
Oregon State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island.
A specialization of her research over the years has been the ecology of
plankton, though her work is now more related to the effects of ozone
depletion, particularly the effects of ultraviolet light.
In the Antarctic, she said, "there are three U.S. stations. McMurdo is the
largest one. It’s beautiful there and an incredible place to work. The U.S.
Antarctic Program takes care of everything. Someone is cooking my meals, and
they provide all the necessary clothes and equipment, etc. All I have to do
is concentrate on the work in the field and the lab."
When asked about how long polar research has been used as a yardstick to
gage global warming and climate change, Karentz said that "for at least the
last 20-25 years and longer, polar regions have been used as environmental
indicators. The waters of the Southern Ocean eventually move into the
Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, affecting global oceanic and
atmospheric circulation patterns. A lot of the information on climate change
comes from the scientists that study ocean circulation and currents, both
horizontal and vertical," she added.
"In terms of ozone depletion, there are a lot of regulations in place to
prevent further depletion; an example is the Montreal Protocol (1987). Over
the Antarctic ozone, depletion is cyclic and still continuing despite
declines in the use of ozone-depleting chemicals. Recovery of the ozone
layer is expected, but it will probably take 50-100 years."
Karentz was an instructor for the advanced international integrative biology
course taught in the Antarctic and a previous associate program manager for
biology and medicine at the NSF Office of Polar Programs. She’ll be
returning to Antarctica in December. "One of the things I’ve gotten very
involved in is teaching a graduate course at McMurdo Station," she said. "It’s
an international course with about 20 students who haven’t worked in the
Antarctic before. The course is funded by the National Science Foundation
and was initiated in 1994. It’s in its seventh season now."
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an
international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone
depletion. The treaty was opened for signature on Sept. 16, 1987, and
entered into force on Jan. 1, 1989. Since then, it has undergone five
revisions: in 1990 (London), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1995 (Vienna), 1997
(Montreal) and 1999 (Beijing). Due to its widespread adoption and
implementation, it has been hailed as an example of exceptional
international cooperation. Kofi Annan was quoted as saying that it is
"perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date."
The U.S. Committee on Antarctic Names recently honored Karentz for her
scientific contributions over the years by naming an Antarctic lake after
her. Lake Karentz lies West of Mount Swinford and Ringer Glacier.
(Photos of Antarctica by Deneb Karentz)
—————————————– —————–
Letters to the Editor
5. ‘Giavour Slave’
Dear Editor,
The feedback received from many readers of my letter to the Secretary of
State Madam Condoleezza Rice was primarily encouraging and supportive. "I
couldn’t have said it better" wrote one; "your courage is commendable," said
others. I thank all those who had words of encouragement for me.
My thanks and gratitude also goes to all those who were startled with my
letter, those few who found my tone "angry", those who thought my
comparisons and analogies to slavery were "irrelevant, objectionable or flat
out insulting" both to Madam Secretary and to Americans of Armenian
extraction.
This explanation is intended to all my American friends who happen to be of
Armenian descent, and who do not realize that they are still "Giavour
Slaves" of Turkish oppression. Giavour is a Turkish word meaning infidel,
and was used for Armenians under Turkish occupation, just as Kaffer was used
for blacks in South Africa, and "nigger" was used for blacks in America.
1- You are a "Giavour Slave" as long as the government that committed the
Genocide against your ancestors can come here to your country and convince
your own government to deny the fact that your ancestors experienced such an
injustice.
2- You are a "Giavour Slave" as long as your own tax dollars are used to
deny your own history and to make a villain out of you.
3- You are a "Giavour Slave" as long as you think that the Armenian Genocide
is a political issue and you do not get involved in politics.
4- You are a "Giavour Slave" as long as you think that you are not an
Armenian anymore and this genocide issue is not your problem, it is someone
else’s problem.
5- You are a "Giavour Slave" as long as you think that now is not the right
time to pursue the genocide recognition issue; that you should wait till the
next Democratic or Republican landslide, or wait till you have developed the
atomic bomb.
6- No matter how successful you are in your art, intellect, professional or
financial accomplishments, you are still a "Giavour Slave" if you cannot
make your own government honor its promises to you.
7- You are a "Giavour Slave" if you believe that you are spiritually so
connected that you have overcome this genocide issue.
Kevork K. Kalayjian, Jr.
Palisades, N.Y.
6. Relative Search
Dear Editor,
I am contacting you from Turkey regarding a relative search. I hope you can
help me. My aunt is looking for her brother-in-law who moved from Istanbul
to Boston in mid 1900’s.
My aunt’s brother-in-law’s name is Robert Krapos Lazar. He is most probably
deceased. However, his children, Barbara Lazar, Norman Lazar and Bobby
Lazar, should still be living in Boston. Their ages range between 50-60, she
supposes.
Robert Krapos Lazar’s wife’s name was Gladys Lazar.
I would be thankful for any help you can offer.
Thank you,
Najda Sadyan,
On behalf of Sona Lazian
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7. The Long Road to Cleaner Ways
Edik Baghdasaryan and Margaret Hovhannisyan talk on Citizens’ Rights in
Armenia
By Andy Turpin
WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)-On April 2, HETQ [Investigative Journalists of
Armenia] Online news magazine editor Edik Baghdasaryan and Tufenkian
Charitable Foundation director Margaret Hovhannisyan presented a talk on the
issue of "Citizens’ Rights in Armenia."
The Tufenkian Foundation sponsored the talk, and Antranig Kasbarian of the
Tufenkian Foundation provided introductions to both speakers.
Hovhannisyan gave a brief slide presentation on the lack of legal rights
facing the Armenian consumer, and the virtual nonexistence of protection for
pedestrians and motorists in Armenia. She described the wide range of unsafe
products that pervade the retail market, including children’s toys made from
hazardous materials in factories that no longer face strict regulations or
inspections following the Soviet era.
Regarding the roadway, Hovhannisyan emphasized that there are little to no
driving laws in Armenia, and that the traffic officers who should be
enforcing the laws are exceedingly corrupt. She advocated the the Foundation’s
grassroots efforts with both the "Achilles" and "Consumer Union" NGOs, which
champion the above causes for change in Armenia.
Baghdasaryan then spoke about a number of disturbing issues that have been
the subject of journalistic investigations for HETQ Online. "Our
correspondents did investigations of 80 firms in Lorri Marz," he explained.
"Not one had a bathroom or kitchen facilities. After our report was
published, several of these firms were closed. HETQ performed similar
investigations of women’s perfume and found many came from China and had yet
to be tested, resulting in a great many breakout cases on faces." He added,
"Many children’s toys contain harmful chemicals in materials."
He commented on the many stories that have been covered by HETQ, saying
modestly, "I am by training a TV journalist, but as no TV station will have
me, I’m forced to stick to print journalism."
"We’re under constant surveillance by the government," he added, which is
due to HETQ’s sterling reputation for investigating injustice everywhere,
including within the Armenian government. "If one thing were out of place,"
he continued, regarding the strict licensing and business permits needed to
operate in Armenia, "they’d pluck our feathers."
He said international organizations operating in Armenia are often selective
in what they choose to expose to the world, and that many problems-such as
the abysmal conditions that exist for the elderly, homeless and mentally
handicapped in Armenia-are often passed over or neglected.
Baghdasaryan then showed a short expose film created by HETQ that
illustrated the plight of the Armenian homeless. In the film, we see how the
majority of Armenia’s homeless are former Nagorno-Karabakh veterans,
comparable to the high numbers of Vietnam veterans who compose U.S. homeless
population. One man shown is even a five-time Armenian team champion and
triathlete.
Many in these invisible populations keep dogs as companions and as their
sole sources of warmth during the cold winter nights when death by freezing
is common. One man, once a former playwright and poet in better days, said,
"These dogs are more faithful than my wives, my brother or my children. They
come to wake me."
In perhaps one of the most crushing documentary moments I’ve ever seen, a
homeless woman in her 50s declines food offered to her by HETQ journalists,
asking only for a chance to call her son on a cell phone. Speaking lovingly
into the receiver from a pile of rags, she asks, "Can you come today, or
tomorrow? Mom is there, will you come? Do you know the place, by the bazaar?
Mom will be there."
Following the film, Baghdasaryan spoke about the issues confronted therein,
stating, "Generally, nobody knows who lies in the [pauper] graves [in
Yerevan], and they are marked only with a serialized number. There is no
state body dealing with the homeless in Armenia or counting their numbers."
Relating the uphill battle of getting recognition for such issues, he said,
"We wrote for more than a month on this. The authorities responded by
saying, ‘Armenia doesn’t have a homeless problem.’ Eventually, though, they
felt obligated to create a dormitory for them." Another result that came
from HETQ’s investigation was that "Some of the elderly women were taken in
by their grandchildren. This was a small result."
Baghdasaryan continued, "Many of these people are veterans who suffer from
post-war syndromes. But the government ceases to acknowledge these issues as
existing. Also in Armenia, there is no such thing as Alcoholics Anonymous or
any similar structure."
He was lightly self-deprecating of the nature of his journalism, saying,
"Some people criticize me for always focusing on negative stories. I’m
sorry. I’ve done positive stories, but my own publicity has been primarily
negative."
"The justice ministries do not in fact deal with justice," Baghdasaryan
said, in an attempt to trace the root of the above problems. "They reach
verdicts with money."
During the question and answer session that followed, Baghdasaryan presented
the best incremental options he knew to combat these problems. "One solution
is for young Armenians to learn values abroad and bring them back to
Armenia. In this way, the responsibility for reforming Armenia lies with the
Diaspora."
Mixed audience reactions followed this comment; Baghdasaryan explained that
uncorrupt moral values may be exported to Armenian youth, but younger
generations are still responsible for reclaiming Armenia on their own terms.
He quipped with sincerity, "I’m teaching at a university and I tell my
students to start the revolution."
When asked if he is optimistic that change would be enacted as a result of
the upcoming May 12 parliamentary elections, Baghdasaryan responded
skeptically. "The first parliament was much more educated than the second,"
he said. "I anticipate the future parliament will be less educated than the
one we have today."
He reasserted his opinion that younger Armenians must pick up the gauntlet
of politics, saying, "The revolution has to start through the local people
and not from the outside, not from international organizations.
Unfortunately, the youth are very passive. They are more concerned with
leaving and having a comfortable life."
He noted the large number of young Armenians who left Armenia before 2000 in
search for opportunities, and said, "They had the same capability to do
things within Armenia."
Returning to the topic of elections, Baghdasaryan stated, "I’m a bit of a
pessimist towards these elections. There is no real opposition. I’m always
telling Diasporans not to trust the officials and put faith in them. Even if
you like them, don’t trust them."
www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/greenwood.html
www.earthwatch.org.
www.alexandrapol.org