Author: Emil Lazarian

‘THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915′ SHOWN AT BOSTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
By Ruzan Poghosian
AZG Armenian Daily
26/05/2006
According to the press release of “Archive of Genocide Materials’
Project”, “The Armenian Genocide of 1915” 32-minute documentary was
shown at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. The film includes testimonies
of the genocide survivors. There are three of them, namely Armine
Dedekian, born in Bandirma, Peter Bilezekian from Marash and John
Gasparian from Van. They gave interview to the Boston Globe daily in
2005. The producer of the project is David Davidian and Franko Lyubin
is its director. They tried hard to contribute to the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“Archive of Genocide Materials’ Project” is a non-profit
organization. Its main goal is to increase the awareness of the
society about the Genocide materials.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTION IS ASTONISHED BY THE RA FM
A1+
[09:28 pm] 25 May, 2006
Today the annual review of the company “Human Rights Watch” was
the key issue of discussions in Armenia which mainly relates to the
Armenian problems.
Judging by the answer to the RA Foreign Ministry to the company “Human
Rights Watch” Armenia doesn’t “counter any problems especially in
connection with speech and press freedom. The letter of the Foreign
Ministry says that the company made a mistake speaking about the
national Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) and broadcast
tendencies.
In answer to this accusation, Rachel Denver, representative of “Human
Rights Watch” replied on the telephone. According to the news of
“Radio Free,” the content of the reply is as follows, “The Foreign
Ministry presented the mistakes of our company in connection with the
tendency contest rather thoroughly in its reply but it didn’t answer
an important question; why there is not an independent electron media
in Armenia so far?” Mrs. Denver said that she was surprised by the
RA Foreign Minister’s answer, as for the first time in her practice
she counters a case when the government of any country responds to
the annual review of “Human Rights Watch” in this way.
By the way, let us remind you that it was mentioned in the letter
of Foreign Ministry addressed to the company “Human Rights Watch”
that the contest of tendencies is already announced but “A1+’ doesn’t
participate in it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS ARMENIA AND GEORGIA MUST SUPPORT EACH OTHER
Armenpress
May 25 2006
DUSHANBE, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS: Georgian deputy prime minister Georgi
Baramidze discussed a wide range of issues during a friendly meeting
with Armenian prime minister Andranik Margarian on the sidelines of a
meeting of heads of governments of CIS member countries in Tajikistan’s
capital Dushanbe.
“Armenia and Georgia are moving in the same direction and this is
why we should support each other. Georgia enjoys good relations
with Azerbaijan as well and we shall continue our efforts that all
disputes in the South Caucasian and Black Sea areas be solved in a
peaceful way,” Baramidze said to Armenpress. He also underscored the
anticipated resumption of the railway that connects Russia, Georgia
and Armenia, saying it will be of great importance for Armenia. “We,
naturally, support the program because we hope that it will promote
the peaceful regulation of the Abkhazian conflict,” he said.
Baramidze also said first the focus should be on fostering
bilateral economic ties. “We are proud that we have been able to
create conditions for free movement of Armenian citizens through
our territory,” he said adding that they have managed to eliminate
corruption in the police and the Armenian motorists are not forced
into extortion any more by Georgian road police officers. “As a result
of all this thousands of Armenians spend their holidays in Georgia,
particularly in Ajaria,” said Georgian deputy prime minister.
According to him, the third forces are trying to spoil the
relations between the two peoples and create some artificial
problems. “Particularly, some anti-Armenian leaflets were disseminated
in Akhalkalaki which, of course, is the work of the enemies of Armenia
and Georgia,” he said adding that Armenian and Georgian leaderships
and peoples as well as the population of the region are smart enough
not to give way to such provocations.
He said Armenian and Georgian leaders always use the opportunity to
meet and discuss issues of reciprocal interest.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY TO BE HELD IN HOLLYWOOD
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.05.2006 16:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Cultural Foundation and Armenian
Youth Federation – Western Region (AYF-WR) have organized a festival
celebrating Armenian Independence Day to be held on Sunday, May 28,
in the heart of Little Armenia. This year, Hollywood Blvd.
will be blocked off between Vermont and Alexandria just for the
event. A variety of vendors, diverse entertainers, live performers,
writers and organizations will be on hand from 10 AM to 6 PM to
celebrate Armenian culture, reported Asbarez.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PAN-ARMENIAN FESTIVAL IN GYUMRI
A1+
[01:06 pm] 26 May, 2006
The 7th pan-Armenian festival of intellectual games took place in
the cultural house after gousan Ashot.
The participants of the festival came from different regions of
Armenia – Tavoush, Shirak, Lori, Syunik, Yerevan and Artsakh.
The festival was held with groups. The groups included doctors,
lecturers and people of other professions.
The team of Goris was represented by the professors of the Goris State
University. The team of Gyumri took the first place, Goris was the
second, and the third place was shared between Artsakh and Noyemberyan.
TV Company “Last” of Goris.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW PHASE OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MOSCOW AND YEREVAN
A1+
[03:47 pm] 26 May, 2006
Head of the Yerevan Kentron community Gagik Beglaryan and head of
the Central administrative part of Moscow Sergey Boydakov signed an
agreement today.
Moscow is the first city Yerevan has started to cooperate
with. According to the agreement the two cities will cooperate in the
local governing field, culture, sport and ecology fields. Cooperation
started in 2004 when the delegation of the Yerevan municipality went
to Moscow at the invitation of Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Gagik
Beglaryan was in the delegation too. On his own initiative by the
Armenian project and the financing of the Moscow side the Moscow
park was constructed opposite the Drama Theater. By this agreement
a Yerevanian park will be constructed in Moscow.
“The cooperation of these years yielded good results.
The ratification of this agreement marks the beginning of the new
phase. This year a number of events will be organized, including
housing issues. In autumn days of Yerevan will be organized in
Moscow. They too will have a good effect on our relations”, Sergey
Boydakov said.
At the end of the ceremony the sides exchanged souvenirs in token
of friendship.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE MONTENEGRIAN INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM IS COMMENTED ON IN KARABAKH
A1+
[04:20 pm] 25 May, 2006
“The fact of holding a Montenegrin independence referendum and the
readiness of the international community to recognize its results
is a positive step on the whole. We are convinced that the respect
of national self determination expressed through national spirit
serves as a cornerstone for the regulation of such situations and is
a real means to enhance political stability in any conflict region,”
this is a quotation from the speech of the NKR Foreign Minister.
The Ministry deems it appropriate to remind that the violation of
the rights of the Karabakh residents who voted for the independence
on December 10, 1991 made a ground for the exertion of the Azeri
further military aggression towards the NKR residents which resulted
in a multiple human losses and ruins.
The announcement of the MKR Foreign Minister said, “The
self-determination and political independence of the NKR population,
the further neglect of the right on economic and military guarantees
delay the prospect of mutually admissible solutions and stable peace
in the region.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THEY DON’T WANT TO SEE THE FILM “THE DA VINCI CODE”
A1+
[02:47 pm] 25 May, 2006
Today a number of organizations released a joint letter to RA Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan with the request to prohibit the screening
of the film “The Da Vinci Code” in the Armenian cinemas.
The content of the letter was as follows, “Don’t let them scold our
God, the faith of our ancestors for the sake of which Vardanants
saints died in the field of Avarair. Keep our children away from that
guilty temptation.” The letter was signed by the representatives
of the Armenian Constitutional Remedial Centre, Armenian Centre of
Integration and Democracy, “Husaber” Charity Fund and the Organization
“Mission to Armenia.”
“St. Echmiadzin Cathedral clearly announced about the inadmissibility
of the demonstration, but we need your order to prevent that God –
denying act. We beg you to prohibit the screening of the film as
quickly as possible,” said the letter.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FIGHT AGAINST XENOPHOBIA SHOULD START AT SCHOOL
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
26/05/2006
The Union of Armenians of Russia held a sitting in Moscow yesterday to
present a report on 5 years of the Union’s activity and to elect a new
chairman and a central supervision commission of the UAR. UNESCO Good
Will Ambassador and Ara Abrahamyan was re-elected chairman of the UAR.
Making the summary report, the Armenian community leader said that
he considers “contribution to strengthening of the Russian state,
international peace and accord in the society” as a major task.
Besides, the largest NGO representing interests of 2.5 million
Armenians intends to “actively participate in the public and political
life of Russia, building of civil society valuable institutions,”
PanARMENIA.net reports.
“We also consider boosting and developing self-organization of our
Diaspora, which is the largest in the world, for the benefit of Russia
and Armenia,” Ara Abrahamyan said. In his words, the UAR also intends
to counteract to demonstrations of ethnic extremism, xenophobia,
racial and national intolerance and terrorism. “Our task is to bring
up the young in an environment of tolerance, as well as to strengthen
centuries-old traditions of friendship and fraternity of the Armenian
and Russian peoples. Meanwhile, if there are extremist organizations
that means they enjoy someone’s support. Many would like to see Russia
burdened with interethnic issues and would like to see instability
here,” Abrahamyan PanARMENIAN.net report referring to Interfax.
Ara Abrahamyan stated that the Armenians have no problems in the
sphere of interethnic relations.
“Armenians live in Russia since the 9th century; this is our home,”
he said.
Russia and Armenia are equally interested in maintaining the power
balance in the South Caucasus, in fostering stability and security
in the region, the UAR chairman stated. “In this regard, Russia is
not indifferent to the situation in the region and Armenia’s role in
it. The Armenians of Russia are also able to foster stability in the
South Caucasus.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MUSIC AWARDS SET FOR TONIGHT
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News
May 25 2006
Peter Bahlawanian has produced a variety of different live shows in
his career. The Armenian Music Awards is always the one that gets
him in the most trouble.
With five nominees per award and only one winner, artists are bound
to get upset – even if Bahlawanian is not doing the judging.
“In the Armenian community, everybody knows everybody,” Bahlawanian,
35, said. “So it’s like I have all these people that love me, but
then there’s all these people that don’t win and they hate me that
year. So it’s personal.”
As personal as the show is for Bahlawanian, the show’s creator, it
also has an audience all over the world. This year, the show will take
place at the Hollywood Palladium and it will be beamed via satellite
TV to Armenian audiences worldwide.
The show’s performers and presenters are a mix of local artists
Bahlawanian sees in the community and international stars who fly in.
The result is an event that showcases the wide variety of musical
talent among Armenians. This year’s show will feature everything from
a four-person group called Winds of Passion playing duduks, ancient
woodwind instruments made of apricot wood, to the Armenian-American
rock band Slow Motion Reign.
“Before this show started in 1998, the biggest way of finding out
who was a popular singer was how many weddings they would perform,”
Bahlawanian said.
“The awards became a tool of promoting for all these artists” not
doing pop music, he said. “And at the same time, we still have the
popular categories … We’re bringing everybody together.”
This year, celebrity attorney Mark Geragos will host the show, along
with Canadian beauty queen Alice Panikian, a contestant in the Miss
Universe 2006 pageant.
“I just got back from Armenia and I can’t tell you how many people
in Armenia have either watched this live or on one of the DVDs,”
said Geragos, an
Armenian-American who promoted bands such as the Ramones and the
Go-Go’s before he became an attorney.
The Armenian Music Awards started at Glendale’s Alex Theatre and has
grown and changed over time. From 2001 to 2003, it was shown live
overseas and in the United States.
But organizers found the production costs were too high to justify a
live show, Bahlawanian said, so now they broadcast it on a tape-delay.
Organizers expect anywhere from 800 to 1,500 to attend tonight’s show.
In a dress rehearsal Wednesday, a performer from the United Kingdom
tickled the piano keys onstage as dancers chatted and Bahlawanian’s
aunt and his fiance spread white tablecloths on guest tables.
Bahlawanian, a Los Feliz resident originally from Montreal, pledged
this year’s show, titled “From Roots to Youths,” would have something
for everyone.
“Not everybody loves every part of the show, but they love some part
of the show,” he said.
Bahlawanian can only hope that the award show’s losers walk away as
happy as the audience.
IF YOU GO
The eighth annual Armenian Music Awards will be held at 8 tonight
at the Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd. Tickets are $150 for
orchestra seats and $65 for the balcony. For more information, call
(323) 469-7356.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress