Author: Harutyunian Christine

ALLA LEVONYAN BECOMES UNICEF ARMENIA GOODWILL AMBASSADOR

ArmRadio.am
18.04.2007 13:37

Armenia’s renowned singer Alla Levonyan joined today the ranks of
200 celebrities around the world who have partnered with UNICEF to
advocate for children ‘s rights.

"Ms. Levonyan’s appointment as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador is not
just a recognition of her fame and talents, but more importantly, a
recognition of her commitment to improving the situation of children
in this country that she has demonstrated by participating in various
benevolent activities and campaigns benefiting vulnerable children,"
UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett told a press conference at UN
House in Yerevan.

"People of all ages in this country enjoy Ms. Levonyan’s music. We
at UNICEF Armenia hope that Alla Levonyan’s voice will help us focus
attention on the most pressing needs of children in Armenia," the
UNICEF Representative stressed.

Celebrating Alla Levonyan’s appointment, Mr. Yett presented the
newly appointed Goodwill Ambassador with a UNICEF T-shirt and a cap
symbolizing her commitment to UNICEF’s mission to ensure every child’s
right to health, education, equality and protection.

"I am truly honoured to accept this new and challenging role. Before
this appointment I was responsible for my two children only, now
my responsibility has grown to embrace all children of Armenia. I am
excited to begin doing what I can to bring more attention to children’s
issues," said Alla Levonyan.

Alla Levonyan is one of the most popular and respected singers in
Armenia, whose unique voice and talent charms Armenians and others
from all over the world. She is known for contributing proceeds from
her concerts and sales of her albums to help persons with disabilities
in Armenia.

"We are confident that Alla Levonyan will be a highly respected and
effective National Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF who will be able
to use her talent and fame for the benefit of Armenia’s children,"
Sheldon Yett said.

ARMENIA’S PRIORITY IS NOT RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE BUT OPENING OF BORDER WITH TURKEY
By H. Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
17/04/2007

The issues of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and of the
adoption of the Resolution by the US Congress remain the most important
topics of discussions in Ankara, capital of Turkey, in despite of
threatening statements of Masoud Barzanee, President of the "Iraqi
Kurdistan" and political insinuations of Prime Minister Tcep Tayyip
Erdogan on the eve of presidential elections

On April 13 co-chair of the Armenian-Turkish Business Union Kaan
Soyak in an interview to "Cihan" new agency commented the political
situation and the relations between Armenia and Turkey.

Mr. Soyak said that the adoption of the US Congress Resolution on the
Armenian Genocide will have negative consequences both for Armenia and
Turkey. He assured that the Resolution is lobbied by political powers
interested in preventing reconciliation between the two states. To
Soyak’s opinion recognition of the Genocide is not a priority for the
Republic of Armenia, although it has became an industry – a theme for
various films and books, and a means of persevering national identity
for the Armenian Diaspora. He stated that Armenia’s real priority is
the opening of the border with Turkey.

Soyak expressed an opinion that Armenia is merely unable to prevent
the discussion of the Resolution, as its economy essentially depends
on foreign capital.

"By now Armenia has not done anything so as to aid passing the
Resolution. Neither did any Armenian politician come to the USA in
order to start lobby activity," he said. To Soyak’s opinion the
Armenian authorities are interested in establishing diplomatic
and economical relations with Turkey irrespective of Diaspora’s
position. He stressed that the Diaspora does not need Armenia. Turkey,
coming to agreement with Armenia will weaken the positions of the
Diaspora. That is why the Armenian Diaspora is doing everything
possible to prevent reconciliation between the two states and keep
the border close.

Soyak also referred to the murder of Hrant Dink and the "We Are All
Armenians" slogan, which was proclaimed on the funeral. He considers
that the slogan revealed that there is no contradiction between
the Armenian and Turkish people. He reminded that after the great
earthquake of 1999 in Turkey Armenia rendered considerable humanitarian
aid. He noticed that the Turkish American community donated $600.000
to the victims of the earthquake and famous Armenian philanthropist
Kirk Kirkorian alone – $1.000.000.

Kaan Soyak said that when meeting with his Armenian colleagues he never
speaks about history. Both the nations need peace, he thinks. "Gestures
are made by great states. Opening the border is such a gesture.

And a s a great state Turkey will determine the conditions, " he
said. Soyak refused to elaborate what are those "conditions", although
the Turkey’s demands of Armenia are well known from 1991. Instead he
tried to create illusion that the Republic of Armenia is against the
Resolution on Armenian Genocide, as if forgetting about obviously
offensive position of the Turkish authorities against Armenia and
its pre-conditions for establishment of diplomatic relations.

Speaking of the Armenian-Turkish relations, Soyak never used the
word "genocide" whjen referring to the events of 1915 as if urging
to forget about them. He said nothing of the activity of Turkes,
called by the press "the founder of neo-fascism in Turkey" and the
"Turkish Furher". Turkes in the 70’s organized a number of numbers
of progressive and prominent Turkish social and political workers. In
the early 90’s, during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh he sent 3 thousand
militants to aid the Azerbaijani aggressors. After the World War II
Turkes started close cooperation with terrorist organizations from
the USA and "Mossad" from Isreal, organizing terrorist acts against
the peaceful Armenian population of Beyrut in the late 80’s.

Soyak’s words would be of little importance, unless "Zaman" had
reported that he, being equally respected both by the Armenian
and Turkish authorities, is working for rapprochement between the
countries.

However it is obvious that the efforts of Mr. Soyak remain fruitless.

HAYRIKYAN COMMENTS ON ZOHRABYAN’S ANNOUNCEMENT

A1+
[09:21 pm] 16 April, 2007

Razmik Zohrabyan, member of the Republican Party of Armenia, advisor
to the RA Prime Minister, called Paruyr Hayrikyan, leader of the
Union for Self-Determination, a vicious man and a USA spy.

In reply to this offence, Mr. Hayrikyan said that the story has its
background. "Last year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the
National United Party, and I had the last tete-a-tete meeting with
Prime Minister Mr. Margaryan. At first Andranik Margaryan agreed to
celebrate the party’s anniversary but later he told Manuk Topuzyan,
one of our friends, there is no need to celebrate the anniversaries
of all parties.

Nevertheless, Andranik Margaryan admitted that the National United
Party is the very Union for Self-Determination. "

The anthems of the two parties under question were also the
same. Margaryan had to admit this fact as Haykaz Khachatryan, founder
of the National United Party noted that National United Party had
turned to the Union for Self-Determination

Alongside with acute criticism, Mr. Hayrikyan thanked the Republicans,
"for their former support and service to him. The same is true about
Razmik Zohrabyan. He obeyed Azat Arshakyan and carried out his orders,
that’s to say, he implemented my indirect orders. "

In respond to Razmik Zohrabyan’s accusations, Mr. Zohrabyan has
written 9-page answer. "Zohrabyan has done nothing since he returned
to Armenian in 1984. He didn’t even attempt to protect his superiors
as he was afraid of the acting regime. "

Over the past years the Republicans tried to eradicate the Union for
Self-Determination. Andranik Margaryan assigned the marzpets not to
secure any votes for the Union for Self-Determination. Their main
objective is to come to power. Let them do it in decent way and not
via defaming others.

ARMENPRESS

WEST-BENDING PARTY LEADER RESOUNDS KEY SIGNIFICANCE OF
MAY 12 ELECTIONS

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS: The chairman of a
west-bending Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia
echoed last Saturday leaders of pro-government and
opposition parties saying the May 12 parliamentary
elections are extremely important to Armenia.
"These are not just words and everyone understands
that the polls will be a watershed choice between two
directions,’ the party chairman Hovhannes Hovhanesian
said to a news conference today.
Asked to explain why his party decided to boycott
the elections Hovhanesian said the first reason is
that the elections will not reflect the real extent of
popular support to political parties and the second
reason is that the political landscape of the country
is not rational yet.
"We decided to drop out of the race to let bigger
parties with bigger platforms fight for the National
Assembly’s seats,’ he said.
Nevertheless Hovhanesian said he believes that 40
percent of his country fellows support and sympathize
with his party’s ideology, ‘but the trouble is that 95
percent of them ignore the elections."
He said participation is of key importance since by
going to the polls voters will minimize the
authorities’ chances to rig the vote.
At the end of his news conference Hovhanesian
defended a proposal for shifting to one hundred
percent proportional electoral system under which all
131 members of the parliament are to be elected by
party lists, but despite it he is running in a
single-mandate constituency in Yerevan.

St. Catharines Standard, Canada
April 14 2006

Remembering a Titanic survivor; Family reflects as 95th anniversary
of sinking nears

Amy Lazar / Standard Staff
Local News – Friday, April 13, 2007 @ 01:00

Most of what Angeline Krekorian knows about her father’s escape from
the sinking Titanic has come from newspaper articles.

"He just never spoke about it," said Angeline, 76. "He told us the
story once and that was it."

The youngest of the late Nesham Krekorian’s three children learned
early on to keep questions about her father’s past to herself.

Still, over the years she has collected newspaper articles, magazine
stories and books, which she and her brother, George, leafed through
at her St. Catharines home Thursday, just days before the 95th
anniversary of Titanic’s sinking.

Her father was just 25 years old when the majestic Titanic sunk April
15, 1912.

He rarely recounted his journey on the ship’s maiden voyage.

However, before he died at the age of 92 in 1978, Krekorian shared
some of his memories with Alan Hudak, who wrote the book Titanic: The
Canadian Story.

In April 1912, Krekorian fled the village of Keghi, in
Turkish-occupied Armenia, with a group of friends who wanted to
immigrate to Canada.

According to one account, he made his way to Southampton, England –
though his family never got a straight answer about how – and boarded
the oceanliner as a third-class passenger.

Another account has Krekorian embarking from the first port Titanic
stopped at, Cherbourg, France. And that’s not the only mystery.

In Titanic’s List or Manifest of Alien Passengers, Krekorian is
listed as Nishan Krikorian, 27, and married.

The name of his wife is given as "Dilbar Arokian Krikorian," but it
is possible he gave his mother’s name and it was recorded by the
immigration official as his wife, since his family believes he was
single at the time.

"He had no formal training or education in English," George, 80,
said. "He picked it up, he knew how to sign his name, but for lack of
a better way to say it, he was an illiterate immigrant."

Krekorian told Hudak he remembered hearing the crash and feeling the
ship "scud back and tilt to one side" the night the ship hit the
iceberg.

Then confusion and panic set in.

Affluent passengers on the higher decks were loaded into lifeboats,
while steerage passengers were stuck on the lower levels.

"I think my father was above the engine room, but they automatically
closed all the gates," George said. "He told me there was an axe and
he had to break the door down and get up three levels."

Once he was there, the story takes a horrific turn.

He saw men watching from the deck as women and children were lowered
in lifeboats to float in the icy Atlantic.

Eventually, there was pushing and shoving as the number of boats
decreased and people realized they would have to fight for a seat.

Though it has been reported that Krekorian was a stowaway on one of
the lifeboats, the family insists he saw an opportunity and jumped at
it.

"There were two male rowers in a boat in a death grip and one went
overboard, so my dad leapt into the water and got into the rowboat,"
George said.

The records show he was on Boat 10, which was rescued about six hours
later by the Cunard line passenger steamer Carpathia.

He was among about 700 survivors who were brought to New York City
and there, he was treated for pneumonia. About 1,500 people died.

Ship owner White Star Lines gave Krekorian a ticket to Brantford,
where he stayed for a few years before moving to St. Catharines in
1918.

Krekorian found a job at McKinnon Industries Ltd., a foundry later
purchased by General Motors. He married Persa when he was 38 and they
had three children: Alice, who lives in Toronto, George and Angeline.

The siblings plan to visit Krekorian’s grave at Victoria Lawn
Cemetery to mark the anniversary in silence.

[email protected]

ges/content.asp?contentID=485382&catname=Local +News

PARUYR HAYRIKIAN: RPA HAS CHOSEN THE MOST VICIOUS WAY BLAMED BY FATE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The opposition forces taking part
in the forthcoming parliamentary elections cannot counteract to
power levers on their own. As Paruyr Hayrikian, leader of National
Self-Determination Union, not taking part in the elections stated
on April 10 at the Urbat (Friday) club, everybody realizes this with
the exception of some "super-happy ones."

In his words, opposition’s hope to change something will die away
soon when the opposition is no better off than at the start. As
P. Hayrikian affirmed, parties not having a possibility to get over 5%
barrier of votes can come to agreement on making appeal for renouncing
the electoral struggle and giving their votes to opposition parties
having a possibility to pass. And some responsibility should be also
reserved for forces having come out of electoral struggle in the
staff of the government to be formed in case of opposition’s victory.

He also said that as long as the council coordinating opposition
forces is not created, the National Self-Determination Union does not
officially support any party, but "to some extent it has given freedom"
to its territorial structures permitting the members of the latters
to promote activity as individuals, but not on behalf of the party.

P. Hayrikian also declared that the main force interested in forcing
the National Self-Determination Union out of active politics is
RPA. He blamed the latter for being engaged in political pillage,
in particular, for proclaiming RPA, the "son," during the lifetime
of the "parent," National Self-Determination Union, as inheritor of
conservative wing of the National United Party, while, "the hiding
wing" of National United Party is represented in RPA.

"RPA has chosen the most vicious way blamed by the fate and RPA
as a force bearing ideology, which yesterday was tseghakron and
today pseudo-conservative, did not do and cannot do a good thing,"
P. Hayrikian stated.

FIRST STAGE OF "AREVORDI" REGIONAL ECOLOGICAL FESTIVAL TO COMPLETE WITH TREE PLANTING ON APRIL 12

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. An ecological march was held in the
capital on April 11, the last but one day of the "Arevordi" (Sunchild)
first regional ecological festival started at the same time in six
settlements of Armenia, Garni, Goghtn, Dilijan, Gyumri, Urtsadzor and
Yerevan. The march was held with participation of representatives
of ecological public organizations and schoolchildren arrived from
marzes. The participants walked from Matenadaran (Armenian repository
of ancient manuscrips) to the Azatutian (Liberty) square with posters
on the ecological theme, giving seeds of flowers to by-passers.

The children participated on the same day in the April march prepared
in Azatutian square nests for birds (to place in parks), sculptures
from plastic dishes, painted posters on ecological themes.

Hasmik Hovhannisian, the Director of the festival programs stated
that the first stage of the festival will complete on April 12,
in Nor Nork, with tree planting.

H. Hovhannisian also stated that the second stage of the "Arevordi"
festival held in Armenia on the initiative of the Fund for Protection
of Wild Nature and Cultural Values will take place on October 6-10:
a film festival in which representatives of Turkey, Georgia, Iran,
Russia, Azerbaijan will participate will be organized in those days.

NO MASS SETTLEMENT BY TURK-MESKHETIANS IS EXPECTED IN JAVAKHETI

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2007 15:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Meskhetians’ desire to resettle in Georgia is
too exaggerated. According to the latest information, there are
130 000 Turk-Meskhetians residing in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and
other countries, only 20 000 of which want to return," member of the
Republican Party of Georgia, political scientist Paata Zakareishvili
stated to the PanARMENIAN.Net journalist. He said, a lot of them do
not want to leave from a Muslim country and reside in a Christian
one -Georgia. "They’d rather go to Turkey.

It is not expected a mass settlement by Turk-Meskhetians in
Samtskhe-Javakheti, no Georgia government will initiate such
a step. Most likely Armenians and Georgians of Javakhk will join
against Meskhetians," he said.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CRITICIZES TURKEY FOR BLOCKING UN GENOCIDE EXHIBITION

Arminfo
11 Apr 07

Yerevan, 10 April: Armenia will not tolerate heartless and cynical
ignoring of the suffering of the peoples of Rwanda and Darfur and the
memory of the crime against the Armenian people, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said in a statement on the delay in
the opening of the exhibition at the UN dedicated to the genocide
in Rwanda.

The statement also noted that it is unacceptable that a country (Turkey
– editorial), which has responsibilities before the international
community to preserve peace and is a member of the UN, has been so
impatient towards the UN.

"It is ironic and shameful that the delay affected an event that
presented an opportunity to protect human rights and prevent acts
of genocide. The mere fact of the incident proves a complete lack of
respect for history and historical memory," Oskanyan said.

Turkey blocked the opening of the UN exhibition dedicated to the
1994 Rwanda genocide because of an indirect mention of the Armenian
genocide. The Turkish mission detailed its protest, saying that
it regards as unacceptable the reference to the origin of the word
"genocide", which was first used by prominent lawyer and human rights
activist Rafael Lemkin under the impression of the crimes against
Armenians.

LIKE A BIG FAMILY
Susanna Balayan

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
10 April 07

The home of old and disabled people of Stepanakert was founded in
1995, a year after the cease-fire. Elderly people who lost their
homes and relatives during the war found shelter there. Presently
the Old People’s Home has 67 inhabitants. Another 150 people live in
their apartments but the staff of the Home takes care of them. Irina
Sargisian, the director of the Home since 1997, says that unfortunately
the number of elderly people who need their help grows. Irina Sargisian
found it difficult to answer why. "It is difficult to say without
analyzing the cause. As to me, I wish these people lived surrounded
with the love and care of their families. But since they lack family
warmth, we try our best to be careful and attentive to them," she
said. "It is like a big family." Irina Sargisian says the Home holds
different events for the elderly people. The folk band of Shushi,
Nairuhi Alaverdian, Rashid Gharabagtsi, the folk choir, the students
of the art school after Gyurjian, Erudite School, the school of the
village of Shosh have performed for the elderly people.

Usually the old people watch TV, listen to music, and in good whether
they work the garden. The Home is sustained by the government. "The
government pays the salaries of the workers of the Home, nevertheless,
we would like to have sponsors, Irina Sargisian says. Shant Ltd and
the Armenian Evangelical Society sometimes help us, but one-time aid
is not enough. If we had a sponsor who would provide at least 1000
drams per pensioner for small expenses every month, it would relieve
some of our problems. They get 25 percent of their salary in cash,
the rest is spent on their needs, nevertheless, it is too little,"
she says. Another problem is the building. "Last time it was repaired
8 years ago," Irina Sargisian said.