Author: Kalantarian Kevo

TURKEY’S CULTURE MINISTER CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

Hurriyet
April 13 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Turkey’s culture minister calls on Armenia to cooperate
in restoring the Ani ruins on the Turkish side of the border, but
says that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue must be resolved first.

Turkey and Armenia should cooperate to restore the ancient town of Ani,
said Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay, adding that any such effort would
require a resolution of the problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The ministry’s plans for cooperation between the two countries are
not limited to restoration work, Gunay told the Hurriyet Daily News &
Economic Review. He said he hoped to undertake many joint cultural
projects with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ancient town of Ani was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia
between 961 and 1045. Its ruins are situated in the Arpacay region of
the northeastern province of Kars, on the Turkish side of the border
between the two countries.

According to Gunay, cultural efforts to establish peace in the
Caucasus region cannot be maintained if they ignore Azerbaijan. "We
cannot treat the people of Azerbaijan as if they don’t exist while
trying to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia," he said. "We
should never forget that the province of Nagorno-Karabakh is still
under Armenian occupation."

Gunay said world-renowned Turkish piano virtuoso Idil Biret would
hold a concert in Armenia in the next few months as part of her
Caucasus tour. "We have certain sensitivities, but we also are aware
that cultural activities can play a key role in resolving political
issues," he said. "This [the concert] is a first step."

A stone quarry on the Armenian side of the border across from Ani has
caused conflict in recent years, with Turkey blaming the explosions
at the quarry for accelerating the destruction of the ancient
town. Turkey’s complaint at the International Council on Monuments and
Sites, or ICOMOC, a sub-department of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, resulted in Armenia
halting blasting activities.

The Turkish government’s practice of calling the town "Anı," rather
than Ani, in order to give it a more Turkish character has also been
a source of controversy. When asked about the matter, Gunay implied
that it would soon be resolved. "I find changing the original names
of historical sites meaningless," he said. "Such names harm no one."

The culture minister said the current restoration efforts in Ani
would soon turn their focus to the town’s cathedral and that Armenian
experts had recently attended a meeting on the project. The World
Monuments Fund would support the restoration of the cathedral, he said.

‘Ready to help’ with Diyarbakir church Gunay added that the ministry
was also ready to contribute to the Turkish-Armenian community in
Istanbul’s efforts to find the funds to restore the 500-year-old Surp
Giragos Church in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

But the community fears any application for help would result in the
church being restored as a museum rather than a place of worship that
would serve the community, as happened with the Surp Church on the
island of Akdamar in the eastern province of Van.

Gunay said if the community filed a request, his ministry would be
glad to be of assistance, adding, "We have the utmost respect for
all beliefs."

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE 20BLN GUARANTEES FOR CONSTRUTION DEVELOPMENT

/ARKA/
April 13
YEREVAN

The task group formed at the Armenian Government decided to provide
government guarantees to the developers that carried out 20bln AMD
construction at the first stage.

"This new initiative by the task group is aimed to promote construction
in Armenia," stated RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. He said that the
construction sector is one of the most important engines of economic
development in Armenia. The domestic developers were the first to
feel the impacts of the global crisis because a sharp decrease in
foreign investments in the construction sector affected the GDP.

"The construction sector produces the most serious multiplicative
effect on the GDP structure, and the decrease in investments is of
essential importance for the entire economic system," he said.

The Premier pointed out that the government guarantees will enable
developers to attract bank credits.

"Banks have extremely sound liquidity and accumulated funds now. Risks
are the only factor keeping them from increasing crediting,"
T. Sargsyan said. He added that the Government cannot but interfere
and assume some of the risks to stimulate economy.

To take part in the contest for government guarantees on April 13,
all the developers can apply to the task group. The information on
the necessary documents is available on the=2 0RA Government’s website.

"We have held preliminary discussions with the developers, and the
Central Bank has held discussions with commercial banks. Our terms
are acceptable for both sides," T. Sargsyan said.

The Premier said that the Government gives priority to the construction
projects implemented 75%.

"We are doing it for new flats to be finished and put up for sale as
soon as possible," he said. T. Sargsyan pointed out that unencumbered
real estate is to be pledged as security for the repayment of the
government loans.

The Armenian Premier stressed that if the Government fails to implement
the 20bln AMD measures and assess the risks," we do not rule out that
the Government will add 20bln AMD more."

"So we hope that developer will promptly respond to our statement, and
we will be able to ensure large-scale crediting, which, in turn, will
improve the economic growth indicators," the Premier said.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER COULD OPEN THIS FALL – SARGSYAN

Interfax
April 9 2009
Russia

President Serzh Sargsyan has not ruled out that the Armenian- Turkish
border could be opened by the time he pays a return visit to Ankara
on the occasion of the football match between the two countries’
teams in October 2009.

"Our path towards negotiations is difficult, but useful, and I think
we are approaching the completion of these talks. And I hope that
maybe, when I go to watch the return game between the Armenia and
Turkey football teams, the border will be either opened or about to
be opened," the Armenian leader said in an interview with the Russian
Vesti-24 television channel on Thursday.

The return match between the Turkish and Armenian football players is
due to take place on October 7, he said. Last year Turkish President
Abdullah Gul made an unexpected visit to Yerevan and attended the
first match between the two countries’ teams together with his
Armenian counterpart.

As for the bilateral relations, Sargsyan said: "We share the historical
memory with Turks. There is not a single Armenian in this world who
would question the genocide. Everyone is unanimous but Turks and the
Turkish keep denying it. But nevertheless, we offered to Turks to
establish diplomatic relations without any pre-conditions, to open
roads, and to set up an inter-governmental commission which would be
able to discuss all kinds of issues."

AUSTRALIAN SENATOR APOLOGIZES TO ARMENIANS FOR QUESTIONING GENOCIDE

1306_4/10/2009_1
Thursday, April 9, 2009

ADELAIDE, Australia–Senator Alan Ferguson has apologized for calling
the Armenian and Pontian-Greek Genocides "debatable." In a speech
made to the Federal Parliament’s upper house two weeks ago, Senator
Ferguson brought into question the historical truth of the Armenian and
Greek Genocides by stating they "cannot be accurately depicted" today.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) and
leaders of the Greek and Assyrian communities immediately presented
objective academic material regarding the Armenian Genocide and
demanded that Senator Ferguson apologize for casting doubt over the
accuracy of these crimes against humanity, which have been condemned
by the International Association of Genocide Scholars.

Senator Ferguson subsequently reviewed his position and in his letter
of apology, stated that he was "deeply sorry" as his speech was never
intended to cause "distress".

It continued: "I accept the findings of the International League for
the Rights and Liberation of Peoples in relation to the atrocities that
were committed against the Armenians, Assyrians and Pontian Greeks…"

ANC Australia President, Varant Meguerditchian said the community
accepts Senator Ferguson’s apology and looks forward to establishing
a strong working relationship with him.

"We accept the Senator’s remorse as genuine and believe that the
Senator now realizes the great impact this crime against humanity
has played in the lives of so many descendants of the Armenian and
Pontian-Greek Genocides who now consider Australia their home.,"
said Mr. Meguerditchian.

‘LATE’ BALLOTING IS LIKELY TO BE REVIEWED
By Jason Wells

Glendale News Press
April 9 2009
CA

City Council candidates say influx of mail-in ballots shouldn’t have
been aided by local group. City clerk rebuffs claims.

GLENDALE — Radio transmissions between poll workers Tuesday belied the
usual election day stressors — coping with slim staffing, responding
to public complaints over electioneering, handling overzealous campaign
staff — but this year brought its own set of gripes.

They started March 31, when several City Council candidates complained
that the Armenian National Committee Glendale chapter representatives
were overstepping when they transported and then assisted seniors
with their vote-by-mail ballots in the lobby of City Hall.

March 31 was the deadline for obtaining an absentee ballot, but dozens
of seniors, nearly all of Armenian descent, continued to stream into
City Hall through Monday for late ballots that are typically reserved
for those who cannot meet the application deadline due to an illness
or disability.

Elections officials contend those provisions can be set aside if
the voter fills out the late-issued ballot and returns it within the
clerk’s office.

There were roughly 400 vote-by-mail ballots issued past the deadline.

As of Wednesday, they had yet to be counted with the 866 provisional
ballots dropped off at polling stations on election day, city
officials said.

"The council has to address it," Mayor John Drayman said. "City
Hall lobby should never become a rodeo, and it was, at a minimum,
that for several days."

Councilman Frank Quintero, who was reelected Tuesday with 14.7%
of the vote, agreed, saying he was "not comfortable" with political
action committees for groups like the Armenian National Committee
organizing a late voting process.

While acknowledging that the late vote-by-mail balloting at City Hall
was a "campaign tactic," Senior Assistant City Atty.

Lucy Varpetian said the clerk’s office handled the situation in
accordance with legal interpretations from state and county elections
officials.

"Our actions were consistent with the direction we received both from
the secretary of state and the county of Los Angeles," she said.

City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian rebuffed claims that the late balloting was
illegal or part of some sort of organized attempt to take advantage
of the elections code, attributing the criticisms to a "lack of
understanding, or fear based on a lack of understanding" of the law.

"It’s best that they leave this to the professionals, who have had
years of experience in conducting elections," he said.

Even if no rules were broken, Drayman and others said the issue
begged a public evaluation to erase any perception that anything
"untoward" happened.

Zanku Armenian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee
Glendale chapter political action committee, said Wednesday that his
organization "worked hard during this election to ensure that every
voter was able to exercise their right to vote. Late vote-by-mail
provisions in the election code give citizens unable to vote on
election day for last-minute reasons the ability to cast their ballot
and have their vote count."

Any move by certain council members to change the voting process
"smells of yet another attempt by certain council members to create
barriers to voting," he added.

Beyond the huffing over election code interpretations, elections
officials said the citywide process Tuesday went relatively smoothly.

Coordinating hundreds of volunteers and poll workers across 57
precincts and ensuring all the stations are adequately equipped and
prepared is never an easy feat, officials said.

Complaints over perceived violations of state election codes in
the field were addressed immediately to head off any flare-ups,
Varpetian said.

"We didn’t leave anything for tomorrow," she added.

Still, as in years past, dissent over the role of candidate campaign
election monitors at polling stations reemerged with a vengeance
Tuesday.

Accusations of unfair voter influence and coercion on the part of
campaign-supplied poll watchers and interpreters were especially
prevalent at polling stations in south Glendale.

At a polling station at 700 S. Adams St., elections officials had
to disperse dozens of poll watchers who at one point outnumbered a
handful of voters.

Some of the election monitors were registered with council candidate
Aram Kazazian’s campaign.

"I don’t think it’s appropriate that we have to provide safeguards
for other candidates to make sure they’re not degraded," Kazazian
said Wednesday.

The accusations were nothing new, and Kassakhian cautioned against
policy making in response to political complaints, especially when
Glendale administers its municipal elections in a way "that is
replicated in cities across the nation each year."

"People need to get over some of these fears that are peddled by some
of the candidates and council members," he said. "They have to see
beyond that."

-dangerous-shift/

The Washington Times
COHEN: Turkey’s dangerous shift

But Obama blithely takes no notice of Europe’s concern

By Ariel Cohen | Friday, April 10, 2009

COMMENTARY:

After attending three summits – of the Group of 20 richest countries,
NATO and the European Union – President Obama ended his European trip
in Turkey. His messages there highlight the importance Washington
attaches to this regional player bridging Europe and Asia, a veteran
NATO ally, and an influential Muslim country.

In his speeches, Mr. Obama emphasized that Turkey is a Muslim nation
that respects democracy, the rule of law and is founded on a set of
modern principles. In view of the Islamist Justice and Development
Party’s (AKP) stranglehold on power, this may be an overstretch.

Mr. Obama also voiced support for Turkey’s membership in the EU. This
did not endear him to many Europeans, especially French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, who rebuked the idea. Absent from these speeches was
any mention of recent trends that have raised legitimate questions
over Turkish leadership’s commitment to secular democracy, as well as
its trajectory toward the West in general and NATO in particular.

Until the AKP rose to power in 2002, a secular Turkey founded by
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire after World
War I was considered a reliable U.S. partner that aspired for EU
membership. Today, however, the AKP appears to be moving Turkey away
from its pro-Western and pro-American orientation to a more Middle
Eastern and Islamist one.

Turkish secular elites are worried about their country’s direction.
They argue that the AKP promotes a creeping Islamic agenda – one close
to Muslim Brotherhood’s fundamentalism.

While the AKP has enjoyed popular support since it came to power, for
the first time since 2002 it lost support in the local elections. The
global economic crisis is in part responsible, but voters are
disappointed that AKP has strayed from its promises of a more liberal
Turkey in the EU. Prominent supporters of democracy are concerned that
the right of dissent, tolerance and government accountability are
being eroded.

In foreign policy, there are important signs that Turkey is drifting
away from the West. In 2006, Turkey became the first NATO member to
host the leader of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal. Turkey also enthusiastically
hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir, whose government has been accused of genocide.
Turkey’s geography justifies its relations with Iran, but not with
Hamas or Sudan; only Islamist solidarity and anti-Western sentiment
can explain these ties.

Although Turkey has been trying to facilitate an Arab-Israeli
rapprochement by sponsoring Syrian-Israeli proximity talks and several
other initiatives, it is losing its impartiality and, therefore,
credibility.

This was evident when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
spoke about Israel’s operation in Gaza and attacked the dovish Israeli
President Shimon Peres before he stormed out of a panel at the recent
Davos World Economic Forum – only to get a hero’s welcome back home.
AKP and other Islamists also sponsored a flood of anti-Israel
demonstrations, billboards and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Turkey could potentially play a role in U.S.-Iranian negotiations.
However, Mr. Erdogan’s judgment has been called into question after he
said last year that `those who ask Iran not to produce nuclear weapons
should themselves give up their nuclear weapons first.’

Developments in Turkey’s Black Sea and Caucasus policies have also
been worrisome. During the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Turkey
proposed the `Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform,’ a
condominium of Russia and Turkey, together with the three South
Caucasus countries, but initially omitted the United States and EU as
well as Iran.

Turkey also temporarily blocked the transit of U.S. warships
delivering humanitarian aid to Georgia. And it prioritized
rapprochement with Russian ally Armenia over the ties with the
secular, pro-Western Azerbaijan. These developments underscore
Turkey’s cozying up to Russia, as Moscow provides nearly two-thirds of
its gas supplies.

Turkey is critical to Europe’s efforts to reduce its dependence on
Russian energy, including the proposed Nabucco gas pipeline that would
bring Caspian Basin gas to Europe, bypassing Russia. However, Turkey
is currently stalling a critical intergovernmental agreement on the
Nabucco pipeline. Thus, Turkey is throwing away a decade of progress
on the East-West energy corridor.

According to Mr. Erdogan, Turkey is open to providing assistance for
the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq through Turkey. This statement
was borderline offensive in view of Turkey’s refusal to allow U.S.
troops to cross its territory into Iraq in 2003. Yet the planned
withdrawal of troops from Iraq raises the importance of the Incirlik
U.S. Air Force Base through which 70 percent of supplies to Iraq move.
Beyond this, Turkey has long-standing ties to Afghanistan and Pakistan
and continues to play a positive role in both countries.

Mr. Obama attended a meeting between Turkish and Armenian foreign
ministers, signaling U.S. support to the rapprochement between the two
old foes. Mr. Obama avoided alienating a key ally by not by using the
`G’ word (genocide) when talking about Turkish-Armenian relations. He
may face a domestic political blowback for this. Yet a strong U.S.
endorsement for the enhanced Turkish-Azerbaijani cooperation is also
necessary, and hopefully forthcoming.

Despite Turkey’s movement away from the West, the country continues to
play a key role in NATO and the region. Washington should devote more
attention to U.S.-Turkish relations. Strong bilateral security
relations are particularly important for cooperation on the Iraq
withdrawal, Afghanistan, dealing with Iran, and addressing a resurgent
Russia. The administration should stress that it is in Turkey’s
long-term interests to remain politically oriented toward the West.

Ariel Cohen is senior research fellow in Russian and Eurasian studies
and international energy security at the Heritage Foundation’s Shelby
and Katherine Cullom Davis Institute.

JAVAKHK IN PERIL: GEORGIAN STATE MACHINATIONS AND ARMENIAN APATHY
Kristine Aghalaryan

HETQ
2009/04/06 | 19:05

Region politics

The situation in Javakhk has been in the news of late and the problems
confronting the Armenian community there are being discussed and
debated in various social and political circles. But the debate seems
to be polarized.

The Georgians seem to be arguing that the only problems in Javakhk
are socio-economic in nature and it would appear that the Armenian
authorities share the same opinion, as witnessed by their parroting
of the words uttered by the Georgian foreign minister or by tacking
on the hackneyed phrase, "all outstanding issues will be resolved
within the framework of Armenian-Georgian friendship".

Players and Points of View

"The primary problems in Javakhk are of a social nature and those
forces or institutions that artificially seek to paint a different
picture and to increase tensions are simply carrying out the
wishes of outside third parties." This was the comment made by Hayk
Sanosyan, member of the directorate of the "Georgian-Armenian Unity"
NGO and Armenian national assembly deputy, at a March 18th press
conference. Mr. Sanosyan added that Javakhk Armenians do not presently
face issues regarding the preservation of their Armenian identity and
that there are no concerns along these lines in general. This statement
by the deputy, a Javakhk native, caused a degree of concern to Javakhk
Armenians in general and within their social-political organizations
in particular. Their response came in the form of a joint statement.

Mels Torosyan, president of the "Akounk Union" and editor of the
"Akounk" paper, responding to the statements of Hayk Sanosyan and
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, noted that there is a
flawed perception of the issue by Armenian intellectuals and within
government circles since they haven’t examined the origins of the
problem nor its root causes.

Mr. Mels Torosyan says that, "Certain individuals have made a variety
of statements depending on their state of mind on the particular
day, their business interests or their desire to hold on to their
government job. They haven’t reflected on the possibility that their
statement might have a boomerang effect and negatively impact on
Javakhk Armenians and lead to their problems being overlooked."

The "Akounk" editor adds that they are in the midst of an information
war all over the world and that they cannot resist the blows
that are hailing down on them today. "Since the state mechanism is
working against us, there are forces that seek to pit us against one
another. For example, one such force was the Armenian parliamentarian
Hayk Sanosyan. Javakhk Armenians didn’t allow for the completion
of the jail’s construction or the destruction of a scenic piece
of nature for the health resort. In response, he makes statements
such as the Armenian community in Javakhk doesn’t face a national
problem. Someone should ask him just what he means by a "national"
problem," Mr. Torosyan asks.

It is the opinion of Mr. Torosyan that the Georgian state apparatus
has placed Hayk Sanosyan into such a corner that he is now longer
capable of stating what he thinks but rather must repeat what they
say. "Mr. Sanosyan is so deeply involved in various Georgian state
circles due to his business dealings that he is vulnerable to the
pressures they are exacting on him. His brother is now managing the
gasification project in Javakhk and a sewing factory bearing their
name operates in the city of Ninotzminda."

Mr. Hayk Sanosyan responds to the accusations being directed at him in
the following manner, "I’d answer those statements thusly. There are
two women in a village in Javakhk who are quarreling. One is immoral
and the other normal. The immoral one takes the initiative and attacks
the other, calling her immoral. The villagers gather and tell her
that they know she is the real immoral one and ask her why she is
slandering the other innocent woman in such a fashion. It’s the same
principle at work. Those individuals that really have connections to
these institutions are accusing us of the same thing. Not only do we
not have personal business interests in Javakhk but for the past five
years we’ve been making investments with funds from our pockets. And
we haven’t seen any profit in return till now. The only profit we
have seen is that people are now working in Javakhk. We have started
various businesses there with the aim of securing a livelihood for
the people, so that Javakhk Armenians stay put and don’t emigrate."

By naming the factories owned by his family in Javakhk, the flour
mill, the cheese plant in Akhalkalak and other smaller businesses,
Hayk Sanosyan argued that if the government was paying for gasification
in all the regions of Georgia, it was "family money" that was carrying
out gasification in Javakhk.

"It will be fifteen years until we recoup what we’ve spent. We have
other business elsewhere, like in Russia. We use those profits to
invest in Javakhk. It’s still not clear when we’ll see a profit out
of the Javakhk businesses," Mr. Sanosyan commented.

National Assembly Deputy Sanosyan doesn’t see any national problems in
Javakhk. "Maybe I’m not inclined to see such problems. Perhaps they
do exist. I always simply state that we shouldn’t constantly whine
about such problems but rather take steps to expand activities in
Javakhk and not always complain about this or that government policy,"
he states, adding that, "Georgia is, to a certain degree, dependent
on Turkey and Azerbaijan due to economic interests. Naturally, the
Georgian authorities can sometimes exhibit certain anti-Armenian
overtones to gain favor, but I wouldn’t say that they are intended
as anti-Armenian policy."

Where are the leaders in this community of 300,000?

Nevertheless, Mels Torosyan states that the situation in Javakhk
is getting worse by the day because the Georgian authorities are
operating according to a system previously set-up centuries ago and
not under the influence of the present moment.

"They have a problem with those national minorities that still reside
in concentrated clusters and they execute a policy towards them
that is beneficial to the central state authorities and the Georgian
nationality that makes up the government. Those national minorities
must either dissolve, or as they put it, integrate.

But their comprehension of integration is to change ones
national make-up, to give in, to forget our national interests and
values. Otherwise, they say , if you don’t want to go this route you
must leave this land because I must resettle the region with other
nationalities that can better protect my borders against outsiders,"
Mels Torosyan states.

Historical Sciences Candidate Khachatur Stepanyan also claims that,
in general, a political issue confronts the Armenian community
in Georgia. "Armenians make up ten per-cent of the population and
we have many noted professionals but there is not one Armenian in
Tbilisi who is employed in the mayor’s office or who has a normal
government job. There are many professionals out there but none
ever get appointed to government posts. They get passed over because
they’re Armenian. They persecuted, plundered and killed Armenians in
the Ottoman Empire because they were Armenians and the same situation
exists in Georgia. There may be some situational differences, but
the essence of the problem is the same," Mr. Stepanyan notes.

Mr. Stepanyan states, "There is no socio-economic explanation for the
fact that in the Akhalkalak region, where Georgians comprise only 5%,
they can have 30% representation in the regional council."

In the estimation of Davit Rstakyan, President of the "Virk Party"
and a deputy in the Akhalkalak regional council, the pressure exerted
by the Georgian authorities on Armenians is being carried out quite
deftly via the legislative process. Bills are being passed in the
Georgian parliament that directly infringe on the rights of national
minorities. Mr. Rstakyan singled out the "Education and Science Law"
that is now in practice and gradually be enforced. According to
Article Five of this law, all classroom instruction in schools in
Georgia must be in Georgian.

Furthermore, the Georgian education ministry has assumed the task of
securing Armenian textbooks for Armenian schools in Georgia. Vachagan
Rstakyan, an Armenian language instructor with over thirty years
experience at the Akhalkalak "Hovhannes Tumanyan" school, believes
that the Georgian education ministry wants to "make ends meet" by
using this textbooks in Armenian language schools in Georgia without
creating a prior academic or methodological base.

"If we were to show these texts of theirs to any professional standards
committee, we’d see that the books do not meet any accepted norms,
neither academically or in terms of methodology. This is a serious
blow to academic progress," the language instructor states.

The second legislative obligation, according to Davit Rstakyan, stems
from Article 9 of the local self-government charter where it states
that all sessions must be conducted in Georgian, even though 90% of
the deputies to the regional council cannot speak Georgian with any
proficiency. Furthermore, the Georgian law regarding employment if
the public sector states that in order for a citizen to be employed
at any government agency he/she must be proficient in Georgian. The
vast majority of Javakhk Armenians aren’t proficient in Georgian.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Looking to the Next Generation in Armenia: AGBU FOCUS 2009 Honors Hye
Geen Pregnant Women’s Centers

Since 2001, each AGBU FOCUS weekend pays tribute to a specific AGBU
program that has touched the lives of young Armenians. Looking to the
next generation in Armenia, AGBU FOCUS proudly honors AGBU Hye Geen by
dedicating its 2009 fundraising campaign to benefit the new Pregnant
Women’s Center in Talin, Armenia. The Talin Center will be the third of
its kind in Armenia and the first in that city.

Established by the AGBU Hye Geen Committee of Los Angeles in response to
the country’s high infant mortality, lack of nutrition and the shortage
of resources for potential mothers, the first Hye Geen Pregnant Women’s
Center opened its doors in Gyumri in 2002 with the encouragement of the
Republic of Armenia’s Minister for the Protection of Women and Children.
Two years later, a second center in Vanadzor was opened. This year, the
Hye Geen Committee plans to open its third center in Talin, which is in
desperate need of help, as many villages in the region are poor and
practically abandoned.

These community-based health resource centers provide critical pre-natal
care to pregnant women who often suffer from malnutrition, lack the
funds for proper medical care, and have little access to accurate health
information. Expectant mothers who gather daily at the centers benefit
from vital medical exams, a congenial social atmosphere, individual
meetings with counselors, nutritious meals, and vitamins provided by Hye
Geen. Center participants are recommended by local clinics and spend 4-5
hours a day at the facilities. Meals are prepared and served by the
women themselves in order to encourage good nutrition habits which are
taught by the trained center staff. Each center has three local
employees on staff, including a social worker, who work with the women
to ensure that their babies are born healthy. Various medical personnel
are invited to the centers periodically, or as required, to monitor each
woman’s progress and needs. The superintendent of the centers, Nara
Sahakian, who is a lecturer in psychology at Yerevan State University,
travels from Yerevan for weekly visits to each center and ensures that
each facility is operating at its utmost.

To date, hundreds of healthy babies have been born to the mothers who
have participated in the programs at the AGBU Hye Geen Pregnant Women’s
Centers.

AGBU FOCUS believes that every child born in Armenia deserves a chance
at a healthy life unfettered by preventable medical issues. Honoring
AGBU Hye Geen’s latest project, FOCUS has launched a large-scale
pre-event fundraising effort to ensure that the Talin Center will open
with all the resources it needs to carry out its mission of serving the
pregnant women of Armenia.

To make a donation to the AGBU FOCUS 2009 initiative, please visit
, email [email protected], or call 212-319-6383 x.128.
Businesses interested in donating to this worthy cause may choose to
purchase an ad in the FOCUS booklet. More information is available on
the FOCUS website.

AGBU FOCUS is a biennial weekend event designed for young Armenian
professionals from all over the world to congregate and share their
international perspectives, as well as provide a venue to showcase
notable contributions and achievements made by AGBU’s diverse
youth-oriented programs. Building on the impressive achievements
experienced during the premiere weekend in New York in 2001, AGBU FOCUS
has since united more than 1,500 young Armenians from cities around the
globe, with weekends hosted in New York (2001, 2007), Montreal (2003),
Miami (2005), and now heading west to Chicago. Additionally, well over
$125,000 has been raised for many AGBU programs, including Generation
Next, the Scholarship Program and the New York Summer Intern Program.

>From July 16-19, 2009, FOCUS will welcome hundreds of Armenians to
Chicago for this unique celebration. Rooms have been reserved at the
Westin Michigan Avenue Hotel and a special discounted rate is available
for reservations made only through AGBU beginning in mid-April. Plans
have also been set to host the Gala Evening, the highlight of the FOCUS
weekend, at the Art Institute of Chicago’s new modern wing, which is set
to open this summer.

Since 1994, AGBU Hye Geen in Southern California has worked to preserve
and honor achievements of Armenian women, provide a forum for them
throughout the world, promote their role in family and society through
research, education, and advocacy, and provide overall support to
empower Armenian women as carriers of the Armenian cultural heritage.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving some
400,000 Armenians on five continents.

JOAN GEORGE LAUNCHED HER NEW BOOK AT HOLY TRINITY PARISH CENTRE, LONDON

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.04.2009 19:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Joan George, of School Lane, has released a
publication about British Armenians in London, entitled Merchants to
Magnates, Intrigue and Survival: Armenians in London from 1900-2000.

Joan, who is a British Armenian herself, and in her 80s, held a tea
party and intimate gathering to celebrate the release of her second
book on Apr. 5 in London.

Merchants in Exile: The Armenians of Manchester, England, 1835-1935
book was published in 2002 by Komitas British Institute engaged in
the study of the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

OBAMA SHOULD PRESS FOR RIGHTS

AZG DAILY
07-04-2009

International; Turkey

US visit an opening to urge respect for dissent and diversity

President Obama should use his upcoming visit to Turkey to press the
Turkish government on human rights and reform issues, Human Rights
Watch said in a letter to the US president made public today.

The organization said that subjects to be raised should include
protecting minority rights, ending restrictions on free speech,
addressing the lack of accountability for gross violations of human
rights in the recent past through the current Ergenekon trial, and
full constitutional reform.

"Right now, at the beginning of the new administration’s relationship
with Turkey, is an important time to signal strong support for reform
process and to urge the government to reaffirm its commitment to
human rights and democratization," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey
researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Obama’s visit to Turkey on April 6 and 7, 2009 comes at a critical
moment in the country’s history. After a hopeful period of progress
under the previous Justice and Development Party (AKP) government,
political and human rights reforms in Turkey have stalled since 2005,
and there has been backtracking on a number of important human rights
concerns.

President Obama is scheduled to meet with the Turkish government
in Ankara on April 6 and to attend the UN Alliance of Civilizations
forum in Istanbul on April 7. He is expected to focus on a number of
foreign policy concerns, and Human Rights Watch has urged him also
to use the opportunity to focus on the pressing need for the Turkish
government to restart human rights reforms at home in the wake of
the government’s win in the March 29 local elections.

To read the letter from Human Rights
Watch to President Obama, please visit:
r-president-obama-advance-his-trip-turkey