Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIA’S GOVERNANCE SYSTEM HAS TO CHANGE

By Suzanne Simonyan, Yerevan, 16 August 2013

How to describe today’s Armenia? An Armenian tourist would describe it
as a complex of shining skyscrapers, fashionable hotels, cars (many
Mercedes, BMW), high-end restaurants, cozy cafes and the indifferent
people shuffling through Yerevan’s centre.

Yes, most of our brothers and sisters who come to Armenia for vacation
admire this veneer and don’t see the real Armenia. They mostly see
only the centre of Yerevan, and some places of tourist interest not
too far from the capital. Travel agencies never take visitors on
tours which would show them the reality of Armenia. They don’t take
them to places where one can see the miserable life of the people,
stooped by the burdens of a harsh life.

Missing from the postcard are soldiers killed in the army at peacetime
and their mourning mothers, the military doctor killed in broad
daylight in the restaurant and his orphaned children, the suicides
because people can’t cope with a cruel reality anymore. The abandoned
villages and towns, the unprotected and vulnerable senior citizens,
the lacerated forests and mountains, mineral waste dumps, the ruined
agriculture, the insecure life of the fearful, those in despair,
the emigration, the crime statistics, the absence of justice and the
rule of law…all are covered or erased.

The above lack of security in our lives runs parallel to the
cooperation of the new colonialists and the domestic criminal
oligarchic system.

Our society has traditionally believed that the state should dictate
the lives of its citizens. For most Armenians the state is an invisible
body, with supreme authority, to govern any way it wants. In fact,
a state is just a mechanism through which people are guaranteed
security and development. States are established and formed to serve
their citizens and to give an adequate response to the challenges
faced by its people.

What’s going on in our country? Does our state take care of its
people? Has it established an honorable or respectable life for
its citizens?

The state should guarantee the security of its people, starting with
military security, security of culture, financial-economic security,
and security in foreign affairs, etc. But every day we witness how
the fake balloons of those securities keep exploding around us.

What are the conclusions to be drawn from this state of affairs? Of
course, it’s the absence of the state. Actually, we haven’t had a
state for a long time. The current state serves and protects only
the oligarchic clans. It serves the elite and the foreign political
power centres. And in response, those centres protect today’s fake
and subservient statesmen and politicians. This is the primitive
mechanism through which the management of our country has been
handed to the new colonialists. The management levers are no longer
in Armenia. They are in the hands of the new colonialists who have
become the decision-makers of our country.

Worried with the above-mentioned, 33 citizens united and established
a political-civil action group called Nakhakhorhrdaran. The group
initiated new political process aimed at changing of the management
system in Armenia.

Nakhakhorhrdaran aims to establish a new system capable to set and
to pursue national goals and tasks. We call on Republic of Armenia
citizens and all Armenians living in the Diaspora to stand up for
the human, national and state dignity, freedom and justice in our
Homeland. We call on all Diaspora Armenians to participate in the
necessary process with Armenians living in Motherland, because the
current management system has created a crisis of moral-psychological,
socio-economic and demographic character which is threatening the
existence of our Motherland.

The deepening crisis is reflected in the enforcement of the criminal
oligarchic value system on society, by the social polarization
incompatible with a vibrant social life, by the legal system which is
a satellite of the political powers, by the predatory exploitation
of natural resources, the destruction of the natural systems and
biodiversity, by the pulverization of the cultural heritage, by
Armenia’s increasing dependence on foreign powers.

Today’s systemic crisis has caused widespread despair toward the
future resulting in colossal emigration which threatens not only the
statehood, but also the physical existence of the Armenians living
in the Homeland.

We believe it is possible to overcome the systemic crisis through
radical reconsideration and through the transformation of the current
political and management systems. In such a situation the mobilization
of the capable forces of society and the support and mobilization
of Diaspora Armenians is a must. We are in active struggle now,
organizing demonstrations, public actions, etc. We are also working
to establish an alternative court of justice. New Armenia’s Strategic
Concept, prepared by Nakhakhorhrdaran, shall start its hearings in
September. Many Armenians from Diaspora visit our office in Armenia
and take part in the discussions of the concept and our activities
in general. Their suggestions are always taken into consideration.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, it is high time to be active in these
processes and to show that you are not indifferent to what is happening
to Armenia, to our Motherland. The desire for change is well planted
in the country, and many youth groups have stood up and made their
demands for a just society. The Diaspora should take active part in
these processes. The Diaspora should join the processes in any way
they prefer. Diaspora should make its voice heard. Tomorrow might be
too late.

Suzanne Simonyan is the deputy coordinator of Nakhakhorhrdaran
in Armenia.

ARMENIA TO GAIN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MENTAL DISORDERS TREATMENT

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

15:28, 30 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS. Sanofi announced a partnership with
the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Armenia and the World
Association of Social Psychiatry to develop access to care for people
with mental disorders in Armenia, and therefore help them to reduce
the morbidity and premature mortality linked to these conditions. As
reports “Armenpress” the two year public-private partnership was
announced by the Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Armenia
Derenik Dumanyan, Professor Driss Moussaoui of the World Association
of Social Psychiatry, and Doctor Robert Seddag, the Vice President,
Access to Medicines, Sanofi.

By training local healthcare professionals, educating patients,
and their families, and raising awareness about mental disorders
among communities, this partnership aims to improve the management
of people with these diseases.

“We are well aware of the increasing burden that these diseases
represent; this is why Sanofi has taken the lead in developing programs
to improve access to healthcare for people with mental disorders,”
Doctor Robert Sebbag said.

ARS OFFICE DEDICATED TO DONALEE BOUJIKIAN

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

Donalee Boujikian at the naming ceremony

LOS ANGELES-On June 9, 2013, the dedicating and naming ceremony for
the Executive Director’s office in honor of its benefactor was held
in the presence of the ARS CEB Executive members and the staff of
the ARS, Inc. Central Office.

In appreciation of the generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. Manas and
Donalee Boujikian, the Director’s office was officially given the
name of “Ungh. Donalee Boujikian.”

ARS CEB Chairperson Vicky Marashlian said in her statement of
appreciation, “Across the Diaspora and the Homeland, the century-long
service of the ARS, through programs dedicated to the welfare of the
Armenian nation, would not have been possible without the generous
support of our benefactors. This is clearly illustrated by the
significant contribution by Mr. and Mrs. Manas and Donalee Boujikian,
which, added to similarly generous donations, makes the efficient
continuity of all ARS humanitarian activities possible.”

Ungerouhie Donalee Boujikian is a founding member of the South Bay
region’s “Arax” Chapter since 1964. For many years she has been in
executive positions, often as chairperson, morally and financially
supporting all the activities of the chapter, and bringing her valuable
contribution to the progress of the South Bay community with the
dedication and commitment of a model HOMouhi.

The Boujikians are the proud parents of seven children, giving each
of them an Armenian education – Ungh. Boujikian’s love and devotion to
the Armenian spirit and heritage is demonstrated in all her endeavors.

Today, as grandmother and great-grandmother of 21 grandchildren and
2 great-grandchildren, she continues to encourage all members of her
family to remain true to their heritage and serve their community to
the best of their abilities.

Greatly appreciating the commitment shown by Mr. and Mrs. Boujikian to
the realization of the ARS mission through its countless programs and
projects, the ARS Central Executive Board expresses its deep gratitude
for their generous contribution, assuring them that the Armenian Relief
Society will continue its century-long humanitarian mission, caring
for all who need assistance in both the Homeland and the Diaspora.

ARMENIANS IN A HURRY TOWARD THE 19TH CENTURY?

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

BY LAURENT LEYLEKIAN

The recent protests and turmoil in Turkey fostered an already existing
– though curious – trend among Armenians worldwide. Some members
of the Armenian diaspora expressed strong support for the Turkish
protesters in their struggle against the more and more authoritarian
regime driven by the AKP. This trend has certainly been facilitated by
the fact that the Gezi Park events arose just after the commemoration
of the Armenian Genocide by some Turkish activists in Istanbul and in
other places in Turkey. Therefore, members of the Armenian diaspora who
were there on this occasion may have taken part in – or may have at
least been witness to – the confrontation between the Turkish regime
and its opponents. The unarticulated – and sometimes thoughtless –
mentality that drives these Armenians to such an attitude probably
comes from the vague belief that the Turkish state is an arch villain,
that any opponents of it partake in the longstanding struggle of
the Armenian people and could eventually share their fate. Thus,
in the minds of these people, an odd connection may have developed,
bolstered by some nascent, romantic fraternalism in the teargas: that
the non-democratic nature of the Turkish state and its stubbornness in
denying the Armenian Genocide are somehow linked and that, conversely,
a democratic Turkey would necessarily pave the way to the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide.

In my humble opinion, this representation is deficient, potentially
dangerous, and surely confused. In particular, it neglects or bypasses
the key issue of what do we want for the Armenian Nation?

Let’s put aside the straightforward contradiction that exists in
Armenians supporting the main force opposing the AKP, i.e. the
Kemalists who directly bear the legacy of the notorious Young Turks.

Let’s even assume that this support stands for Turkish democrats,
however dubious some of them may be, and that it could potentially
lead to a genuine Turkish democracy. Would it be better? For the Turks,
certainly yes, as it is commonplace to consider democracy as the most
suitable form of government for an advanced nation. For the Armenians,
on the contrary, it could be a worse nightmare.

We should remember that democracy is nothing but the tyranny of
the majority. In this regard, it is quite audacious to think that a
democratic Turkey would be less reluctant to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, not to mention to accept the idea of compensations. It
is a sad and maybe a cynical position, but the past and current
authoritarian nature of successive Turkish regimes has been a
strong incentive that has driven some third parties to support the
Armenian Cause and has been an advantage for the Armenian Cause. On
the contrary, a democratic Turkey would be considered by many as
an appropriate framework to get rid of this old issue and to leave
Armenians and Turks alone to “solve” it face-to-face. Armenians
were a substantial minority in 1915 and we know how the Turkish
government “solved” the issue. Now that the scattered, diminished,
and impoverished Armenian Nation is only a negligible fraction of the
Turkish one, there is no reason to think that the outcome would be
more fair and we could just be glad if this hypothetical democratic
Turkey would formally adopt a more acceptable way to proceed.

Turks are not to be blamed for that: they just know what their national
interests are and how to defend it. Unfortunately, the same could not
be said for the Armenians involved in such rapprochement. It seems
that – consciously or unconsciously – they are trying to reload the
Ottoman Empire and the place that was devoted to Armenians within
it: The Sadik-i Millet as the midwife and the ferment of the Turkish
Hakim Millet. A kind of technical role that gives up any political
claim not to speak about any political role for the greatest benefit
of their overlord. With regard to the increasing takeover by Russia
of the Republic of Armenia, it seems that we could rapidly go back to
the 19th century where Armenians were a useful and educated minority
both in the Turkish and Russian empires.

In this respect, whatever the true reasons behind the Armenian
government’s current attempt to escape from the Russia-led Eurasian
Union, whether it’s a reasonable decision or not and whether it will
finally succeed or not, it should be seen as a remarkably courageous
act of sovereignty in light of the current geostrategic position of
Armenia. We are thus able to consider that if Armenia is able to resist
strong Russian “incentives”, Armenians worldwide could far more easily
resist Turkey’s teasing belly-dance made of Aghtamar shows, fairy
tales of a “common past,” and elusive pledges for border opening. The
past criminal record of Turkey against the Armenian Nation and its
current criminal denial should forever dismiss any whim of a common
future in the minds of cognizant Armenians. It should encourage
the government of Armenia to step further along the way recently
pioneered by prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepian. Armenia could, for
instance, declare that it is closing the border with Turkey, which
would change nothing in practical terms, but would confer another
political meaning to the current situation. After all, Armenia has
achieved some significant developments without Turkey these last twenty
years and if any Turkish extremist group would have blasted Aghtamar,
it would just have deprived Turkey from a communication tool, whereas
Armenians would not have been more deprived from their already looted
assets and territories.

After nearly a hundred years of statehood – including the Soviet period
– and centuries under the Ottoman yoke, it is more than time for
Armenians to think and act again as a Nation. And, as a politically
aware community, a Nation does not necessarily consider that the foe
of its foe is a friend. A very old Indo-European legend claims than
thousands of years ago, the horse was afraid of wolves and asked the
man to climb on his back to hunt and kill wolves. The man proceeded and
when he finished, the horse said to him, “It’s fine, now you can get
down.” But the man replied that his new position was quite comfortable
and useful… And up to now he is still on the horse’s back.

Let’s avoid being again the horse of the various foreign factions.

Neon Tommy
Aug 31 2013

100 Years Ago Near East Relief Launched To Help Refugees In Syria

Syuzanna Petrosyan
Executive Producer

The death and destruction of Syrians in the two-year conflict is one
of the biggest human disasters of our time. The horrific images of
burned children, the wrapped bodies suffocated from chemicals, and
millions of refugees scattered in the region in the dismal heat take
us back to the same region about one hundred years ago, when the world
again watched quietly as hundreds of thousands perished in the death
marches throughout the Syrian deserts.

In 1915, Ottoman Turks began to clean Eastern Turkey of its
minorities; millions of Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and members of
other minority groups were displaced. Over a million and a half
Armenians died as a result of deportation, forced marches, starvation
and execution.

According to the locals, to this day, the bones of those who perished
during the Genocide lie scattered in open graves in the Syrian
deserts.

In the same year, however, one U.S. organization, called the `American
Committee for Syrian and Armenian Relief,’ was initiated as a response
to the massive humanitarian crisis in the region.

The organization’s founders – including the American Ambassador to
Turkey, Henry Morgenthau – established a small-scale relief operation
and began soliciting donations from the American public.

As Emma Green notes in The Atlantic, the organization raised millions
of dollars to feed, clothe and provide shelter to Armenian
refugees – including many orphans who had lost their parents in the
killings.

In 1916, the New York Times reported that the organization asked the
public for donations to `relieve 1,000 destitute, exiled, and starving
Armenians scattered broadcast over Turkey, Persia, Syria, and
Palestine.”

In its diligent response in the years following the Armenian Genocide,
the organization saved the lives of over 1 million refugees,
establishing a tradition of `citizen philanthropy’ in the U.S.

Today, known as the Near East Foundation, the organization operates in
Armenia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, Palestinian
Territories, Sudan and Syria.

More posters from Near East Relief Campaigns:

BoxingScene.com
Aug 31 2013

Darchinyan Training in Mountains of Armenia For Donaire

by Ronnie Nathanielsz

Former three division world champion, hard-hitting southpaw Vic
Darchinyan is curently training in the mountains of Armenia, the
country of his birth, in preparation for his long desired rematch with
former WBO, Ring Magazine junior featherweight/super bantamweight
champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire on November 9, which Top
Rank promoter Bob Arum has indicated will takel place at the American
Center in Corpus Christi, Texas .

The manager of Darchinyan, Frank Espinoza told BoxingScene.com/Manila
Standard that Darchinyan “has been training in the mountains of
Armenia and will arrive in Los Angeles next Wednesday.”

Espinoza said “this is a good fight for Vic and he’s been waiting for
many years” for the rematch after Donaire scored a stunning 5th round
knockout to win the IBF/IBO flyweight belts of Drachinyan on July 7,
2007, adding that “at this point in his career he (Darchinyan) is
going to get this opportunity.”

The manager confirmed that the ten round bout will take place at 126
pounds and allayed earlier concerns by Darchinyan who told the
Standard some two weeks ago that he wanted to face Donaire at a
catch-weight of 123-124 pounds.

Donaire who last month was walking around at 145 pounds told us last
week that he would have to struggle to even make 126 but had been
jogging and working out and his weight had come down to 135 which is
still nine pounds over the
featherweight limit.

Espinoza didn’t seem bothered by the weight and told us Darchinyan
“won’t have a problem” pointing out that both Donaire and Darchinyan
“have never fought at 126 before” and that he expects the fight to be
“a fair contest ” among two worthy opponents.

With former WBO featherweight champion Mikey Garcia relinquishing his
title to move up to junior lightweight he told us during the Manny
Pacquiao-Brandon Rios press conference in Macau that he and Donaire
were very good friends and would never fight each other and he was
moving up to 130 pounds so Donaire could eventually get a crack at the
featherweight title.

Garcia will face Roman “Rocky” Martinez for the WBO junior lightweight
title while in a third exciting fight on the card Vanes Martirosyan
will clash with Demetrius Andrade for the vacant WBO junior
middleweight title.

Espinoza described the Top Rank Promotions card as a “great card and a
great night of boxing.”

Police detain several participants in protest action near Indoor
Market in Yerevan

by Karina Manukyan

ARMINFO
Saturday, August 31, 17:10

The police have detained several participants in the protest action
near the Indoor Market in Yerevan. ArmInfo’s correspondent reports
from the scene that the action is still going on, the police have
managed to separate the activists and the crowd of the so-called
“local residents”. To note, those who introduce themselves as “local
residents” support the construction of the supermarket in the area of
the Indoor Market.

Unlike the members of the civil movement “Let’s save the monument from
the oligarch”, the so-called “local residents” are rather aggressive
and try to get through the police’s blockade and talk to the
activists.

The protesters are discontent with the fact that despite the Armenian
Culture Ministry’s numerous statements about the illegality of the
construction, the Indoor Market will open as an ordinary supermarket
on September 15. To note, the owner of the Indoor Market is
oligarch-parliamentarian Samvel Alexanyan.

Karabakh war veterans announce about setting up of militia

by Alexander Avanesov
Saturday, August 31, 17:31

Karabakh war veterans, which have been holding rallies for more than
30 days at the Liberty Square every Thursday, announce about setting
up of militia, which will unite Yerevan residents and the residents of
the regions around itself and in case of necessity will prevent
failure of Armenia through the regime change, Karabakh war veteran,
Khachik Avetisyan, told Radio Liberty.

“If the people agree, we shall set up militia, the purpose of which is
not to take a gun and fight, but to change the regime without
bloodshed”, – he said.

A part of veterans have started a protest action at the Liberty Square
about three months ago and put forward only social demands. Another
part of the veterans announced the all-national unity and are intended
to gain the system change in Armenia through setting up of militia.
They said that if the authorities go on ignoring their demands, they
will start the regime changing process.

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Lithuanian press:It should be disclosed who recorded and posted
conversations of ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Hungary into Inte

16:16 31/08/2013 » IN THE WORLD

Ramūnas Bogdanas in the Lithuanian site Delfi.lt writes, that there is
one main question regarding the disclosed phone conversations of two
Lithuanian ambassadors: who recorded them and leaked on youtube?

According to the author focusing on the content of the conversations
would mean swallowing the bait. `Let’s begin with the location of the
`long ears’ ` leaker(s). There are two possibilities: on the inside or
on the outside. Who on the inside would be interested enough? First of
all, in Lithuania there are institutions monitoring the flow of
confidential information. Secondly, the people responsible may be
professionals or daring amateurs. What is more, these are people with
access to recordings of diplomat conversations. The leaker must have
been an interested person or institution. Lithuanian institutions are
capable of finding less painful ways to replace an unsuitable
employee,’ Bogdanas writes.

Things are slightly different with persons, he notes. Nowadays, we are
bombarded via all possible channels that global competition is a good
thing. It also exists in the civil service where the number of
important posts is smaller than the number of people who want them. It
is fact that Lithuania has (and must have) ambassadors in reserve.
Some of them are working really hard, some ` idling through the
corridors of the Ministry, gathering information about the countries
that will have an ambassador rotation and plotting to take the free
seat.

But this version, though still plausible, is less possible than the
assumption that the leaker(s) is on the outside. First of all, the
disclosed conversations of the ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Hungary
have one thing in common ` both are related to Azerbaijan. Even though
supposedly two different persons uploaded the videos on youtube ` a
Lithuanian and a Turkmen ` both titles and visual styling are the
same. From a philological point of view it would seem that the same
person made the English subtitles. The conversations were uploaded on
8 July. They become publicly known at the end of July.

The author also says that the dissemination of the phone conversations
of the two ambassadors are linked to Russian President Vladimir
Putin’s visit to Baku, `Russia is doing all it can to subdue
Azerbaijan. Recently, it has destroyed Baku’s plans to lay a pipeline
on the bottom of the Caspian Sea: purportedly, the sea’s status isn’t
defined and every coast country has to give its permission. It seems
that our ambassadors were on `silovik’ Sechin’s to-do list to create a
favorable atmosphere for Putin’s visit. Aliyev is being set against
Lithuania, the future Eastern Partnership’s summit host. At the same
time, a shadow is cast on the EU’s diplomacy,’ Bogdanas writes.
Talking of the translator who had prepared the subtitles of the
record, the author notes that it seems they tried to disguise as a
translator from the West.

The author wonders, would it not be better to take example from the
court practices ` illegally obtained evidence is simply rejected. `I
listened to both recordings thoroughly. And I didn’t find anything
tragic in them,’ notes the journalist and adds that the ambassadors
were talking in a slightly smug style, considering themselves knights
on an invisible front. `I heard there were recordings much more
scandalous than these. But that is just the way our diplomatic corps
is. We have what we have,’ he writes.

Summing up the author says, `This entire story shows clearly that the
security of governmental communications has to be taken care of;
otherwise, we will be serving others as a card during high-stakes
games.’

In its turn, as Delfi.lt reports, Andrius Kubilius, the leader of the
Homeland Union ` Lithuanian Christian Democrats, claims that the
Lithuanian government’s response to the scandal, in connection with
the disclosure of the phone conversations of Arturas Zhurauskasa and
Renatas Yushki, the ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Hungary, was to be
more rational.

“I have the impression that our eastern neighbors wanted to show by
this story that they see, hear and watch over all. That is, all the
talks, not specifically this or that ambassador’s; everything is fixed
and then at some point they do with it what is more profitable for
that moment,” the politician says.

According to `15min.lt’, records of Lithuanian Ambassadors to
Azerbaijan and Hungary were posted on YouTube in July, where, as
stated, the two ambassadors talk to the diplomats and businessmen in
Vilnius. On the record they informally share their personal
observations about the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, as well as the
visit of Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius to Russia, etc.

After the publicity of these conversations in the network Ministry of
Foreign Affairs received the resignation petition of Arturas
Zhurauskas, the Lithuanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan. Lithuanian
officials called the publicity of these conversations in the network
an Information provocation.

Last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas LinkeviÄ?ius reported that
the leaders of the state had lost their confidence in the ambassadors
and the latter can no longer hold the office. On Thursday, the
President of Lithuania Dalia Gribauskaite has signed a decree
recalling Zhurauskas and Yushki from their diplomatic mission.

Source: Panorama.am

Knitted garment and carpet production levels increase in Armenia

17:27, 31 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS: Production levels of carpets in the
Republic of Armenia in January-July of 2013 increased by 2.9
times compared with the same period of previous year. According to
information from National Statistics Service during the first seven
months of this year in Armenia have been produced 6.2 tones of carpets
(2.6 tones in the same period of 2012).

`Armenpress’ reports that in January-July of 2013 in the Republic of
Armenia have been produced 1 409 400 pairs of hosiery (437 200
in the same period of 2012). The knitted garment production level
increased by 37.7 percent during the first seven months of 2013
compared with the same period of previous year.