ENP Newswire Friday -World Bank Group Launches New Advisory Project in Armenia to Support Women and Help Reduce Poverty The World Bank Group is launching a new advisory project in Armenia to support women engaged in the wild harvest sector, to help increase productivity, reduce poverty, and spur economic growth. The three-year Armenia Gender project, implemented by IFC-a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group-will help women engage in more productive activities in the sector, and foster their links with buyers and producers. Wild harvesting is composed almost entirely of women and provides a vital source of income for many of Armenia's poorest citizens, especially in remote areas. However, its productivity is hampered by challenges including a poorly developed value chain, with low turnover and profits. Lilit Asatryan, Chairwoman of the Armenian Young Women's Association, said: 'Developing the wild harvesting sector's value chain has real potential to improve the lives of many in Armenia's remote areas. For that to happen, the currently disjointed system needs to be improved and made more efficient, with standardized collecting procedures, and close links to buyers and markets.' The project will work with the Armenian Young Women's Association to improve entrepreneurs' skills and enhance value-chain participation through business education, mentoring, and networking activities. The project will also provide advice to the Ministry of Agriculture to improve the regulatory environment. To ensure the efficient implementation of regulatory reforms and women's involvement in the decision-making process, the project will foster coordination among key stakeholders, including women's business associations, buyers, industry networks, and the government. 'Women's employment is vital to driving economic development, so supporting women's participation in the labor market is a 'win-win' for Armenia,' said Jan van Bilsen, IFC Regional Manager for the South Caucasus. 'This new project aims to help women employed in this sector reach new markets, by working with key stakeholders to remove obstacles and adopting regulations that will help develop the sector.' The Armenia Gender project is funded by Austria's Federal Ministry of Finance and the World Bank's multi-donor Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality. Armenia became an IFC member in 1995. Since then, IFC has provided over $ 480 million, including nearly $ 118 million mobilized from other lenders, to finance 49 projects across a range of sectors, including financial markets, manufacturing, agribusiness, services, and mining. In addition, IFC has also supported trade transactions worth more than $ 130 million through its trade finance program, and implemented advisory projects focused on private sector development. About the World Bank Group The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It comprises five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each institution plays a distinct role in the mission to fight poverty and improve living standards for people in the developing world. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.
Author: Kalantarian Kevo
Round table "Security and stability in the Black Sea region – challenges and opportunities" was held in Yerevan
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia December 2, 2017 Saturday Round table "Security and stability in the Black Sea region - challenges and opportunities" was held in Yerevan Yerevan December 2 Mariana Mkrtchyan. The experts and diplomats in Yerevan discussed the issues of security and stability in the Black Sea region at the round table "Security and Stability in the Black Sea Region: Challenges and Opportunities", organized by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Armenia in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. As the press service of the Bulgarian embassy told ArmInfo, the round table was devoted to the 10th anniversary of Bulgaria's accession to the EU and on the occasion of the forthcoming Bulgarian presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2018. The aim of the event was to create a platform for a balanced discussion of complex issues of security and stability of the Black Sea region from different points of view, and taking into account the interests and interdependent nature of relations between the states of the region. Various groups of experts representing academia and NGOs from Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, as well as regional organizations, exchanged views on the complex security situation in the Black Sea region and challenges in the region as a whole. The event allowed the exchange of views and exploring perspectives on the main problems facing the Black Sea region, which is one of the most dynamic and strategically important zones in Europe. The participants of the event mutually stated that in difficult times to ensure security, it is important to make efforts aimed at maintaining open communication channels, de- escalation and risk management. The event was aimed not only at outlining the main issues arising from various strategic, military and economic interests and priorities in the region, but also in seeking constructive approaches to revitalizing and intensifying regional cooperation by all possible means, including economic opportunities, domestic reforms in regional states and regional economic cooperation. The participants of the meeting noted that Armenia will chair BSEC in 2018, thus having the opportunity to contribute to the activation of regional constructive projects. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan, Bulgaria's Ambassador to Armenia Maria Pavlova, German Ambassador Matthias Kiesler, attended the event. The ambassadors congratulated the Armenian government and the Armenian people on the historic signing of the framework agreement with the European Union.
Ferrahian Armens Victorious Again
The Ferrahian Armens soccer team after a win on Thursday
BY NYREE DERMEGERDICHIAN
As the final whistle blew and the fans began pouring onto the field, the Ferrahian Armens Varsity Soccer team became the International CIF Fall League champions knowing full well they had made history by being the only Armens soccer team to make it through the season undefeated.
“We knew we had to play hard, smart, and leave everything out on the field. Being a senior and this being my last game, nothing was going to stop us from success,” co-captain of the team Armond Mnatsakanyan expressed excitedly during the post-game celebrations.
The Armens beat the Le Lycee Francais Lions 1-0 after a late goal in the second half of extra time. There was a definite revenge factor because the Lions had knocked the Armens out of the playoffs for two straight years and had proved to be a difficult team to beat.
The Armens played the game with passion and perseverance. With 14 seniors on the team, all had an extra motivation to win their last game and end their careers on a memorable note. Co-captain Patrick Aharonian’s reaction was honest when he added, “Last year we had regrets and throughout this season we told ourselves that nothing was going to stop us. Coach Arshag prepared us very well and as a team we came into the game knowing that there was no possible way we weren’t going to pull through with the win.”
Six championships in eight years –some may call it a dynasty. The Armens soccer team will let others have those conversations as they will have only one goal in mind and that is to defend their title next year. Whichever way, the school and the team have made us proud.
Entertainment: ‘RHOC’ Star Peggy Sulahian Names Her Biggest ‘Bully’ After Being Pushed to Her ‘Limit’ in Iceland
Entertainment Tonight
nov 6 2017
By 7:46 AM PST, November 6, 2017
Peggy Sulahian admits she hasn’t loved every minute of her Real Housewives experience.
“[It was] very challenging,” she confesses. “One percent of the time I enjoyed it. The other 99, I was trying to figure it out. But, it was a good experience, because I met the ladies and they’re nice women — when they’re not in front of the cameras.”
ET caught up with Bravo’s 100th Housewife at The Quiet Woman restaurant and bar in Corona Del Mar, California, to get her thoughts on her first season on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
The only two women Peggy says she can count as “true friends” after her first season on the show are Lydia McLaughlin, who introduced her to the group, and Vicki Gunvalson. She alleges her other co-stars are nasty just for the sake of TV, which has led to what she calls the biggest misconception about her — that she’s hard to understand.
“That’s B.S., because I know four languages,” Peggy says. “I know how to read and write Armenian, all my friends went to an Armenian school, all my friends are Armenian, even after high school they are all Armenian. Even in college, when I turned up at UCLA, there’s Americans around me, there’s different cultures, but it was very difficult for me to adapt to.”
‘RHOC’ Star Tamra Judge on Reconnecting With Vicki Gunvalson in Iceland — and Why It Didn’t Last (Exclusive)
“For them to say, ‘We don’t understand you,’ because I’m bilingual — Armenian is my primary language. So, if you want me to say anything in Armenian, I can tell you a lot of idioms, but I won’t insult you because you don’t know it. Just because I’m raised here, I’m still Armenian.”
Peggy is referencing the cast’s confusion over her lack of knowledge about American sayings and phrases, like “monkey in the middle” and “peanut gallery.” Her co-stars repeated questioning of her seemingly comes to a head on the all-cast trip to Iceland, wrapping up on Monday’s episode.
“I set people in place, because I’m not one to shut up,” Peggy teases of the trip. “Go ahead, think you’re going to walk away from me. Go ahead … once you keep touching me, you know, I’ve given you that leeway, it’s not going to happen. And I’ll put you in a position that you don’t even know how to get out of.”
Who Is Peggy Sulahian? Her ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ Co-Stars Break Down What You Need to Know!
She says it took her that long to get comfortable with the women and break out of her shell. Peggy is adamant that she was “bullied” by almost all the women this season on the show, and that she was pushed to her “limit” while in Iceland.
“Everybody does it differently, I gotta say,” she claims. “Everybody does it according to their personalities. Kelly [Dodd] was [the biggest].”
Still, Peggy says she’s open to returning for a second go-around… maybe.
“Depends who’s in it,” she says with a laugh. “If they like me, and they want class and not trash, they’ll have me back.”
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. Check out the video below to get Peggy’s co-star, Tamra Judge’s, thoughts on a possible cast shakeup for season 13.
Azerbaijani Press: Azeri NGO urges US chef to edit Karabakh footage out of cooking show
APA, Azerbaijan Nov 3 2017 Azeri NGO urges US chef to edit Karabakh footage out of cooking show [Armenian News note: the below is translated from the Azeri edition of APA] An Azerbaijani NGO has urged a US celebrity chef to edit footage filmed in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh out of his show, Baku-based APA news agency reported. The letter, signed by the NGO called the Azeri community of Nagorno-Karabakh and also by women who survived a 1990s deadly military attack on an Azerbaijani town, was addressed to Anthony Bourdain. The latter had travelled to the disputed region while filming an episode devoted to Armenian cuisine for CNN's Parts Unknown. Baku blacklisted Bourdain for the trip, which was made without its consent. Azerbaijan says that those wishing to visit the breakaway region must receive official permission from Baku; those who fail to do so are declared personae non gratae. The letter, a summary of which APA published, said that Armenian troops attacked the town of Khojaly with the support of a Soviet military unit during the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The troops destroyed the town and killed a total of 613 civilians, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people. Another 1,000 residents were injured, 1,275 were taken hostage and 150 went missing, the letter said. The signatories to the letter said they respected Bourdain's professionality and programmes about international cuisines. However, the letter said, although culinary exchanges bring people together in peacetime, a "cultural programme like this one at a time of war may be understood by people like us, who are victims of war crimes and lost their loved ones and native lands, as support for a policy of ethnic cleaning and forcible seizure of land". The letter urged Bourdain to "take into account the sensitivity of the situation and the suffering that many of us went through". "Also, we call on you to revise your decision to include on your show the part filmed in Azerbaijan's occupied territories which were subjected to ethnic cleaning," it said. The letter added: "Please, understand that we are even deprived of a possibility to visit the graves of our parents and our other loved ones in the occupied lands." It added that the people who wrote the letter had for the past 25 years longed to go back to their native lands, build their homes again and cook rice gruel, "which is an Azerbaijani national meal" again for their children in the town of Shusha, "in which Armenians hosted you". APA news agency carried a summary of the address on its website. On the right-hand side of the webpage, it placed an image of an English-language version of the text of the address.
Fun of illegal hunting is clergyman
There are still appearing photos of illegal hunting.
This time EcoNews.am faced a case with a hunter clergyman. This clergyman is also actively engaged in hunting, and in the published photos, animals registered in the Red Book can be found, which is considered illegal hunting.
There are still appearing photos of illegal hunting.
This time EcoNews.am faced a case with a hunter clergyman. This clergyman is also actively engaged in hunting, and in the published photos, animals registered in the Red Book can be found, which is considered illegal hunting.
The only water source of Poqr Ayrum brings with it “every kind of garbage” (video)
The villagers of Poqr Ayrum are not satisfied with the water quality of the village’s only water source.
Recently, villagers notice silt and other things in the water; for example, the animal’s hair or threads, or as they say, “every kind of a garbage.”
There are views that some animals are entering the water or some villagers are washing clothes there. In any case, after 11 am, the water is clean.
Two Australian Lawmakers Call Out Azerbaijan
The Hon. David Feeney (ALP) on the left and Government MP, John Alexander (Liberal) on the right (Photo: ANC-AU)
CANBERRA, Australia – Following meetings with the Armenian National Committee of Australia’s (ANC-AU) largest ever Advocacy Week delegation, two Members of Federal Parliament rose in the House of Representatives on Thursday to condemn Azerbaijan for failing peace in Nagorno Karabakh.
Opposition MP, the Hon. David Feeney (ALP) blasted government Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who after a recent visit to Azerbaijan spoke in favor of the oil-dictatorship’s “territorial integrity” when referring to Artsakh. His speech also exposed the Azerbaijani Laundromat saga, which has revealed the “cash for favorable coverage” campaign being run by the Aliyev regime in Western countries.
Government MP, John Alexander (Liberal) followed Feeney, exposing the fact that the Republic of Artsakh is ready for extra monitoring to promote peace in their region, but Azerbaijan was not.
Feeney, who is the Member for Batman in Victoria, said: “In recent weeks leaked data has revealed that Azerbaijan’s ruling elite operated a secret $2.9 billion scheme to launder money and pay prominent Europeans, including journalists and politicians.”
“This unfolding scandal shows that the Azerbaijani leadership, already accused by Amnesty International and other NGOs of serial human rights abuses, systemic corruptions and rigging elections, made more than 16,000 covert payments from 2012 to 2014 through a network of opaque British companies.”
“Investigations led by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project have revealed that these illicit payments, using reputable banks and secret companies, aimed to buy political influence and launder Azerbaijan’s international image. Just this week, the ASIO annual report warned that foreign governments have been attempting to shape the opinions of the public and the media in covert influence operations.
Snapshots from Advocacy Week in Australia (Photo: ANC-AU)
Turning to Fierravanti-Wells’s contribution to this issue, Feeney added: “New South Wales Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells visited Azerbaijan recently. Upon her return she stated on the public record, ‘Australia is a forthright supporter of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and strongly supports Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh.’”
“This bold statement rewrites Australian foreign policy and disregards Australia’s longstanding support of the OSCE Minsk Group peace efforts for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the principles of equal rights and the self-determination of people. I urge the senator to not give in to caviar diplomacy.”
Alexander, who is the Member for Bennelong, told the House of Representatives: “On 17 October the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe called for a meeting with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss the de-escalation of tensions on the border of the still unrecognized Armenian-populated Republic of Artsakh, previously known as Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“Since the ceasefire between the two countries in 1994, the OSCE has been responsible for promoting negotiations, ceasefire monitoring and conflict resolution.”
He explained: “Three immediate priorities for the de-escalation of tensions have been proposed. The first is the removal of snipers along the line of contact, the second is the increase in the number of OSCE monitors in the region and the third is the establishing of gunfire locator systems as an investigative measurement to determine which side is responsible for future ceasefire violations.”
“These suggestions apply to both sides of the conflict. Armenia is ready to accept the OSCE recommendations; Azerbaijan is not. OSCE suggested that confidence- and security-building measures are a prerequisite for not only the advancement of negotiations but also the stabilization of the region through deterring future aggression.”
“As an OSCE Partner for Co-operation, Australia has a role to play.”
The two speeches completed a week of advocacy for the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), where issues including justice for the Armenian Genocide, Artsakh’s rights for self-determination and more local community issues, including refugee resettlement, were discussed with over 30 legislators and bureaucrats.
“We thank Mr. Feeney and Mr. Alexander for their statements,” said ANC-AU Managing Director, Vache Kahramanian. “It is a groundbreaking day for Artsakh advocacy in Australia when two politicians from the country’s two major parties rise consecutively to condemn an aggressive and corrupt Azeri regime, while promoting the rights to self-determination that will bring peace and protect the Armenians of the Nagorno Karabakh region.”
On the evening of Tuesday 17th October, a special screening of the Armenian Genocide-era Hollywood epic, The Promise took place at the Australian Parliament House (click here to read report).
The 11-strong ANC-AU delegation was joined by ANC America Communications Director, Elizabeth Chouldjian, who is the organization’s guest speaker at its Annual Banquet on Friday, 20th October.
Watch video of Feeney statement by clicking here.
Watch video of Alexander statement by clicking here.
Sur le chemin de Guiragos
Le Journal International–
19 oct. 2017
Sur le chemin de Guiragos
Crédit photo Louison Bojuc
L‘objectif de ce « Saint Jacques de Compostelle » oriental est de ne pas oublier les Arméniens, Syriaques et Chaldéens déportés puis massacrés dans les déserts syriens et mésopotamiens. Ce fut, notamment le cas, le long du lac de Van et dans les hauts plateaux de la province de Mouch. Durant ce cheminement spirituel, militant et introspectif, chacun pouvait se joindre à sa cause ou suivre son avancée sur Internet. « Une aventure individuelle à l’origine devenue collective » à laquelle s’est notamment joint Jacques Avakian, compagnon de route et co-réalisateur de l’exposition.
Crédit photo Louison Bojuc
Pour Pascal Maguesyan, le réveil de la société civile turque face à un gouvernement progressiste a été l’un des facteurs essentiels de la réalisation de cette marche. « Jusqu’à l’été 2015 tout semblait possible.» Une société en ébullition dont le journaliste immortalise la mobilisation et les visages au cours des 900 kilomètres qui le séparent de son objectif. D’ailleurs, il y consacre une des trois parties de son exposition.
Les deux autres parties de cette dernière font état de ce qu’il appelle « les charniers de pierre ». Il s’agit des 2 500 églises et des 500 monastères qui ont été détruits en Arménie Occidentale. A travers ses photographies, Pascal Maguesyan témoigne d’un patrimoine arménien à l’état de ruines, souillé et pillé. Seules l’église Sainte-Croix d’Aghtamar et la cathédrale Sourp Guirados ont pu être restaurées.
L’attentat de Suruç, le 20 juillet 2015 et la militarisation de la région ont contraint Pascal Maguesyan à interrompre cette marche. Il n’a donc pas pu fêter la revivification de la région le 16 août 2015 à Sourp Guiragos. Pourtant, des milliers de personnes étaient attendues à l’occasion des fêtes de l’Ascension.
Crédit photo Louison Bojuc
« Entre le nécessaire et le possible, il y a le rêve », lui confiera un ami. « Il est raisonnable de rêver », lui dira un autre de ses proches. Cette expérience est un moyen de partager avec la communauté arménienne les vestiges d’une tragédie passée.
Celle-ci reste toujours tiraillée entre sa reconnaissance par une partie de la Turquie qui demande pardon d’une part et le négationnisme inspiré par l’État turc et certains milieux politiques et intellectuels de l’autre. Pour Pascal Maguesyan, c’est aussi un moyen de faire échos à l’ensemble des peuples qui souffrent dans les sociétés orientales.
Crédit photo Louison Bojuc
Travel: 10 amazing facts you might have missed about Armenia: Top Desat
Pan Armenian, Armenia
Oct 13 2017
10 amazing facts you might have missed about Armenia: Top Desat
26 years have passed since Armenia declared independence from the Soviet Union, and Slovakian media platform Top Desat offers 10 amazing facts about the country for those of you who have no idea what Armenia is.
1. Archaeologists claim to have discovered the oldest wine cellar on the planet in a cave near the Armenian village of Areni.
The Areni-1 winery is a 6100-year-old winery wherea large, well-preserved 60-centimeter deep vat, along with a one meter long basin made of clay and covered with malvidin was unearthed.
2.Christianity spread in the then Armenian kingdom shortly after the death of Jesus, though it took until the beginning of the 4th century when the kingdom adopted it as a state religion.
3.Since its independence from the Soviet Union, Armenia has proven itself as a world leader in chess: the national team won the European Championships in Cooperatives (1999), the The Chess World Cup 2011, the Chess Olympics (2006, 2008, 2012), and the European Championship (2003).
4.In 1915, the Ottoman Empire launched the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, known as the Armenian Genocide. Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies it is genocide, but the governments of some three dozen countries – including Britain, Russia and France – recognize these events as genocide.
5.The Genocide of 1915 forced millions of Armenians to flee abroad to establish strong communities, especially in the U.S., Russia and France. It is estimated that some 6 million people of Armenian descent live abroad, twice as much as the population of Armenia (3 million).
6.In Armenia, there is widespread belief that the Noah’s Ark ended up landing on Mount Ararat following the Genesis flood. Though the ark has never been found, it is nonetheless featured on the Armenian coat of arms.
7.The Armenian capital, Yerevan, is one of the world’s oldest inhabited settlements, built around 29 years earlier than Rome. The city overlooking the snow-covered peak of Mount Ararat has an incredible number of historic buildings, not to mention the excellent museums. Yerevan is often referred to as the “pink city” for the amazing pink hew of volcanic rock, which was used to build many buildings.
8.According to the Guinness Book of Records, Wings of Tatev is the longest aerial tramway ever, which connects the village of Halidzor with the Tatev Monastery and offers a magnificent view of the Vorotan gorge.
9. Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan deteriorated since the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh erupted.
10.Many Armenians were delighted to hear about the tremendous Shakira incident during a concert in neighboring Azerbaijan, where the Colombian singer came out to the podium, carrying her national flag upside down, basically turning it into an Armenian flag.