Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARS IN JAVAKHK: “DINNER DAY” PROJECT

Noyan Tapan
2012-04-11

ARS Georgia has launched the “Dinner Day” Project in Javakhk. Despite
its limited financial capabilities, ARS Georgia decided to go ahead
with the project so that those in need, including the retired and
homebound, feel- even if for just one day – wanted and cared for and
to show them that they are not forgotten or ignored.

This project, which took shape on April 5, 2012, on the occasion of
the Easter Holidays, involved 47 retirees, indigents and recluse
persons from the town of Akhalkalak and surrounding villages of
Olaverd, Samsar, Bavra, Diliska and others. The oldest participant
was 94-year-old Granny Mariam, who really needed to socialize with her
peers. The meals were served at the “Syuze” Restaurant in Akhalkalak,
which welcomed the guests and treated them with a rich variety of
dishes served in a gracious atmosphere.

To put the participants at ease, as they were overwhelmed by the
unusually warm welcome and affable treatment by the hosts, the
Chairperson of the ARS/Georgia Executive Board, Karine Tatevosian,
explained to them that this kind of service to those in need is nothing
unusual for the Diasporan ARS entities, and that they should feel at
home and enjoy their meal. The Chairperson continued by describing
the global structure, the wide scope of activities, and current
programs of the ARS to the participants. Over the meal, ARS members
conversed with the participants about the meaning and message of
Easter and Resurrection, ending with pleasantries and good humor,
affording them a few hours of enjoyment, away from daily concerns.

Sarkis, an inhabitant of the village of Samsar, expressed his best
wishes, thanking the Armenian Relief Society not only for that
evening’s hospitality – which was attended also by his wife and
their grandchildren – but also for ARS Georgia’s continuous support
of his family.

After a feast that lasted for almost 4 hours, the participants departed
with assurances of meeting again, “thanking the Society for the happy
hours made possible by this program, wishing the ARS success in all
its endeavors”, as described by an ARS Georgia executive board member.

It is worth noting that the ARS Georgia executive also took care of
the transportation expenses of the participants in its “Dinner Day”
from and to the villages. Many of the participants also received
donations of clothes and shoes.

DAVID ZAKARYAN IS BEST ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYER OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY – INTERVIEW
By Paruir Siniavsky

news.am
April 12

The 130th annual chess tournament between England’s University
of Oxford and University of Cambridge was held recently. And David
Zakaryan is the first Armenian chess player who competed in the event
as part of the Oxford University team.

NEWS.am Sport interviewed Zakaryan, and below is an excerpt.

How is this tournament played?

Each team has eight players. They are primarily professional chess
players. The tournament is very well known.

How did you become a tournament participant?

I left Armenia in 2000. I lived in Greece; I am a citizen of that
country. I took part in numerous chess tournaments, and I represent
the Chess Federation of Armenia.

On the invitation of Oxford University, I moved to England two years
ago with my family. I am working on my “Women in Medieval Armenia”
doctoral dissertation.

At the same time I am a member of the Oxford Professional Chess Team.

What success have you accomplished in the chess confrontations of
the universities?

I am taking part in this tournament for the second time. Our team
won last year, but I have won my two games. For the two consecutive
years I have received the Bob Wade Briliancy Cup for the best game.

I represent Armenia and the Chess Federation of Armenia in this
tournament, too, and I am proud to leave an Armenian trace in Oxford’s
history.

COMMUNIQUE DU GIT FRANCE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 12 avril 2012

Ragýp Zarakolu et quatorze autres personnes emprisonnes en vertu
de l’application de la loi anti-terreur ont ete liberes aujourd’hui
mardi 10 avril.

Ainsi en a decide la 15e cour penale d’Istanbul. Il avait ete arrete,
en meme temps que la constitutionnaliste Buþra Ersanlý et quarante-huit
autres personnes le 28 octobre 2011 et detenu dans la prison de haute
securite de Kocaeli.

Le 19 mars 2012, le Procureur public d’Istanbul, Adnan Cimen, avait
requis respectivement 15 a 22,5 ans d’emprisonnement contre Buþra
Ersanlý pour son rôle comme ” responsable d’une organisation illegale
” et 7,5 a 15 ans Ragýp Zarakolu pour avoir ” soutenu et aide une
organisation illegale “. L’acte d’accusation de 2 400 pages a ete
transmis au tribunal (15e cour). 193 personnes etaient visees par
les actes d’accusation, dont 147 detenus preventivement.

La liberation de Ragýp Zarakolu, de la journaliste du quotidien
kurde Ozgur Gundem et des 13 detenus (ainsi que six personnes dont
une journaliste de l’agence kurde DIHA dont l’elargissement a ete
prononce par un tribunal de Van), est une première victoire et le
resultat d’une intense mobilisation internationale et nationale
dont le GIT et ses differentes branches en Turquie, aux Etats-Unis,
en France, en Allemagne, en Grande-Bretagne, en Suisse, en Italie,
en Grèce, ont pris toute leur part.

Ce premier succès en appelle d’autres, et d’abord la liberation
de tous les prisonniers d’opinion en Turquie a commencer par notre
collègue universitaire Buþra Ersanlý, par le doctorant de sciences
politiques Deniz Zarakolu et par bien d’autres etudiants detenus
au terme d’un usage exorbitant d’une loi d’exception. L’abandon des
poursuites demeure l’objectif de ceux qui se battent pour la liberte
de recherche et d’enseignement en Turquie. Car les charges demeurent
pour tous les inculpes, et les liberations d’aujourd’hui ne sont
que conditionnelles. Le procès de Ragýp Zarakolu est toujours prevu
pour le 2 juillet a Silivri. Sa liberation pourrait cependant etre en
relation avec le vide du dossier d’accusation, en depit des efforts
du procureur pour convaincre du contraire.

En prison, Ragýp Zarakolu n’a cesse de se battre, de correspondre
avec ses amis, d’aider ses co-detenus. Nul doute qu’en liberte,
il continuera ce combat qui l’honore depuis tant d’annees.

Le GIT France a ete cree le 21 novembre 2011 a Paris en meme temps
que l’Initiative GIT. Il s’agit d’un engagement international de
chercheurs, d’universitaires, d’etudiants, de traducteurs, d’editeurs,
en faveur de la ” Liberte de recherche et d’enseignement en Turquie “.

CLINTON HAILS IMPROVEMENTS IN TURKISH RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
by Umit Enginsoy

Hurriyet
April 9 2012
Turkey

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised the improvements
the Turkish government has secured in the field of religious freedoms
in a letter sent to a prominent congressman.

“I am encouraged by concrete steps the government of Turkey has taken
over the past year to return properties to religious communities,”
Clinton wrote in last week’s letter to congressman Howard Berman, a
Democrat from California and the ranking Democrat in the U.S. House
Foreign Affairs Committee. Berman was one of the sponsors of a bill
on the return of properties confiscated from Christian communities,
which was accepted last year. The U.S. Senate has also endorsed
the resolution.

“In August 2011 the government issued a decree allowing religious
minorities to apply to reclaim churches, synagogues, and other
properties confiscated 75 years ago. Several properties have already
been returned to the 24 religious minority foundations that have
applied thus far,” Clinton wrote. “Separately, in November 2010, the
government of Turkey returned the Buyukada orphanage to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, in line with a ruling by the European Court of Human
Rights,” she wrote.

“Turkish officials at the most senior levels have told me they are
committed to reopening the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Halki Seminary
in the near future. In March, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag
stated, ‘there are no laws in Turkey against opening a seminary to
train Christian clerics; the state will also support such a move,'”
Clinton wrote. “The government is redrafting its 1982 military-drafted
constitution to fully embrace individual rights, including those of
religious and ethnic minorities. Significantly, Parliament Speaker
Cemil Cicek reached out to Orthodox, Jewish, Armenian and Syriac
leaders during this process,” she wrote.

“In response, on February 20, the Ecumenical Patriarch addressed the
Turkish Parliament for the first time in the history of the republic,
noting the positive changes taking place in Turkey: ‘Unfortunately,
there have been injustices toward minorities until now. These are
slowly being corrected and changed. A new Turkey is being born,'”
Clinton wrote.

“These steps are encouraging and we are urging the government of Turkey
to continue returning other properties confiscated from minority
religious communities to their rightful owners, as well as moving
forward with needed legal reforms in its constitutional redrafting
process,” she wrote. “We will continue to remain vigilant of the
situation for religious communities and encourage needed reforms in
the country.”

EXPERT: WILL RUSSIA BUILD RADAR STATION IN ARMENIA INSTEAD OF THAT ONE IN GABALA?

Trend
April 11 2012
Azerbaijan

The editor in chief of the Bulletin of the Caucasus information
and analytical agency, the deputy dean of the History Department
of Moscow State University, a member of the Trend Expert Council,
a political scientist, Alexei Vlasov, specially for Trend.

Will Russia build a radar station in Armenia instead of the radar
station in Gabala, price on which has been increased by Azerbaijan
from $7 million to 300 million?

Moscow has not yet answered to the proposal, announced by Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan in an interview with Kommersant. The
Armenian and Russian experts comment this proposal currently, and
mostly positive. There is even an opinion that Russia’s proposal is
revolutionary in terms of regional security.

In fact, everything is much more conservative. Simply, for many years
Armenian authorities can not achieve Russia to build anything in
Armenia. Armenia sought to build an oil refinery on the border with
Iran during Robert Kocharian’s presidency but Russia has refused,
saying that it was an unprofitable project.

Then Armenia wanted Russia to invest in the companies obtained by
the latter as a result of Armenia’s external debt, but Russia did
not use these companies and the establishment of free economic zone
on the territory of “Mars” plant is still very doubtful.

Then, Armenia wanted Russia to build a new nuclear power plant, but
Russia has only assumed the right to build, and stated that it was
ready to finance one-fifth of the necessary funds.

Then, Armenia wanted Russia to build the Iran-Armenia railroad, but
Moscow refused. It also refused from the North-South highway project
and Armenia hopes only for the Asian Development Bank.

Apparently, Russia is guided by the principle of refusing to build
in Armenia. Russia comes and takes everything that has been already
constructed – the laid Armenia-Iran gas pipeline, the communication
sector, the energy sector. Russia has created nothing new in
independent Armenia.

Now Armenia wants Russia to build a radar station for Moscow to make
at least some investments here. Perhaps, Armenia believes that Russia
will not refuse at least from a military-political project.

But, apparently, Moscow won’t do it. The refusal from construction
in Armenia is the strategy of Russia, a matter of principle. Perhaps,
this comes from the logic of the Russian elite, which understands that
it would be impossible to keep Armenia under Russian influence for
a long time, and national interests will win there. Russian orbit in
its current capacity, retrograde and philosophy is entirely inadequate
to this interest.

DEPORTED / A DREAM PLAY
By Amy El Khatib

Suffolk Voice

April 11 2012

“Deported / A Dream Play” was hosted by The Suffolk University Modern
Theater in association with the Boston Playwrights’ Theater during
the month of March.

Written by Joyce Van Dyke, and directed by Judy Braha, “Deported”
focused on a woman named Victoria who had to suffer through the
experiences of having to leave Armenia and losing her loved ones
during what has become known as the Armenian Genocide.

Centered upon Victoria’s pain is the play’s main focus on friendship
during such hard times. Throughout her life, Victoria has to live with
the effort of becoming a better person by moving on with her life in
America while dealing with the loss and failure of a friendship she
lost during the genocide, which haunts her days and nights throughout
the story.

The play had a unique blend of acting and dancing, with many dancers
and “dreamers” in the play coming from Students who are a part of
the Suffolk University Theater Department. Through her strong acting
throughout the play, lead actress Bobbie Steinbach helped to hold this
play high above expectations. Not only did she act with great talent,
but she was a natural in playing the bi-lingual, aging character who
had lived through more pain than most could ever imagine.

Actor Ken Baltin, playing Victoria’s husband, holds his part in the
story just as well. Playing a man whose pain resonates throughout each
of his lines, he shows that even through his actions, the audience
must have compassion for all the loss he had suffered during the
genocide as well.

One negative note on the 100-minute play; the final act was not as
tightly depicted as the first two. Although the first and second act
worked to portray the emotion and pain between the Armenians and Turks,
the dream-like state of the third act seemed like an odd conclusion
to such a powerful story.

THE ONE WHO BEAT UP THE CANDIDATE OF NO. 21 ELECTORAL DISTRICT AND FORCED HIM TO WITHDRAW HIS CANDIDACY IS FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA (VIDEO)

April 10, 2012 14:32

“I don’t know Mkhoyan myself, but I can surely say that it cannot
have anything to do with the Armenian National Congress (ANC),
there is only one party that can do such things in the republic –
it is the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA),” Gurgen Yeghiazaryan,
a representative of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP),
assured during a conversation with , talking about the
incident that had happened to Meruzhan Mkhoyan, a candidate for MP
who had been beaten up and had withdrawn his candidacy from no. 21
electoral district a few days before, “Something has happened. I
don’t think that someone from Belarus or the United States has come
and beaten up Mkhoyan to force him to withdraw his candidacy.”

Mr. Yeghiazaryan explained what had happened to Mkhoyan in this manner,
taking into account that Mkhoyan’s rivals in the same – no. 21 –
electoral district were representatives of the ANC and the RPA.

Talking about his rivals in no. 27 electoral district – representatives
of the RPA and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) – he assured that
he had absolute advantage over them and not only in terms of height
and age, “As opposed to them, I have never been a part of this
establishment, therefore, I easily talk today. There are villagers
living in extreme poverty in my electoral district and if I am asked
how the villagers have reached that condition, I will answer they
have brought the villagers to that condition.”

KARABAKH DEFENSE ARMY COMMANDER COMMENTS ON ARMY SITUATION

news.am
April 11, 2012 | 20:45

The Defense Army Commander of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Movses Hakobyan
explained to reporters why so many incidents happen in Yeghnikner
Military Station.

“The Officer is busy. The officers in Yeghnikner are on duty night and
day and don’t even see their families. Overwork is one of the reasons
why the work of the officers has some weak points,” he mentioned,
adding that the second reason is illiteracy because the soldier who
comes to the army from the society needs serious education.

According to Movses Hakobyan the system should not be criticized
because of some law-breaking officers.

“There are criminals, but the position is not criminal. We have no
serviceman or officer, who is not being punished for breaking the
rules,” he mentioned.

As the Defense Army Commander mentions, there are cases when a soldier
prefers suicide to serving in the army.

“It is the result of commanders’ failure when the soldier prefers to
die rather than serve,” Movses Hakobyan mentioned.

RUSSIAN EXPERT: IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE HOW CSTO MAY ENSURE ARMENIA’S SECURITY

ARMINFO
Wednesday, April 11, 18:21

Any extension has limits and it is especially relevant in case of
NATO. When they forget about it, we shall have the situation which we
now have with the European Union – the new members of the organization
could not integrate that, expert of the Russian Institute for Strategic
Studies, Aleksandr Skakov, said during an Internet-conference “NATO
and security of the South Caucasus countries”. He also added that
expediency of further extension of the alliance causes doubt more and
more, as the interests of the potential as well as real members of
the EU differ very much. “For instance, I have no doubt that Turkey
has its own interests at least along its borders, and they do not
meet interests of, let’s say, Spain. How and why Spain will protect
Turkey’s interests, for instance, in the Iraqi Kurdistan?”, – he asked.

He said that the situation is similar in the CSTO. It is hard to
imagine that Kyrgyzia will protect Armenia’s interests. For this
reason, one cannot think that the CSTO membership may ensure Armenia’s
security. “The treaty between Armenia and Russia is quite another
thing. It is not directly connected with the CSTO”, – Skakov said.

For his part, Armenian political expert Sergey Sargsyan added
that in 2011 several CSTO member-states ratified the protocol on
making alterations in the CSTO regulations regarding the cancel of
the principle of adoption of a decision only in case of reaching
consensus. He also added that this innovation will make the CSTO more
flexible in the matter of ensuring security of the CSTO member-states,
and is directly regarding Armenia.

ARMENIA’S OPERA SINGER TO PARTICIPATE IN FESTIVAL IN KOREA

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 11, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS: “April spring” friendship festival
will be held in Korea April 10-20. With the assistance of the Ministry
of Culture soloist of the National Opera and Ballet Academic Theatre
Hayk Tigranyan will participate in the event.

Press service of the Ministry told Armenpress that Arevik Gyulbudaghyan
(soprano) will participate in the qualification classes of renowned
singer Renata Scotto from April 16-May 14.