Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Ararat Eskijian Museum

Presents

An Illustrated
lecture on

$B!H(BGeneric Drugs in Your Medicine Cabinet: Facts and Myth$B!I(B

By

Vahe Apelian PhD

Sunday, September, 09, 2012, at 4:00 pm
Ararat-Eskijian Museum
Hasmik Mgrdichian Gallery
15105 Mission Hills Rd,
Mission Hills CA 91345

Text Box: The illustrated presentation will highlight the development of
drug products from their inception to their production as generics and will
cover the regulations that govern their marketing as the more affordable
alternative to their branded counterparts. Along the facts pertaining to
their development and testing to assure the same safety and efficacy as
their brand counterparts, FDA$B!G(Bs response to some of the prevailing myths
will be addressed.

Currently Vahe Apelian and his family live in Loveland Ohio.

$B!|(B Admission free (Donations appreciated)
$B!|(B Reception following program

For more information contact the Ararat- Eskijian Museum at 818- 838-4862
E-mail: [email protected]

TAZ, Deutschland [Germany]
21 aug 2012

Armenische Gemeinde flieht aus Syrien
[Armenian Community Flees Syria]

Flucht zu den verarmten Brüdern

Knapp 4.000 Armenier aus Syrien suchen Schutz vor dem Krieg in der
Kaukasusrepublik. Die Menschen dort sind bitterarm, aber sie helfen,
so gut sie können. von Tigran Petrosyan

BERLIN taz | Einen Job in einer Firma hat er schon, eine eigene
Unterkunft noch nicht. ?Das ist ein großes Problem, aber ich versuche
trotzdem, mir hier in Armenien ein neues Leben aufzubauen`, sagt Harut
Palulyan. Der 22-Jährige ist mit seiner Mutter und Schwester vor einem
Monat aus Syrien geflohen.

Die Familie lebte in Aleppo. Dort hat Harut Ökonomie studiert und
versucht jetzt an der Universität in der Hauptstadt Jerewan seinen
Master zu machen. ?Zurzeit wohnen wir bei meinem älteren Bruder in
Jerewan. Er ist verheiratet und hat ein Baby. Sechs Personen in einer
Zweizimmerwohnung. Das ist zu eng. Deshalb müssen wir schnell etwas
finden.`

So wie Harut sind in den vergangenen Monaten knapp 4.000 Angehörige
der armenischen Minderheit aus Syrien vor dem Bürgerkrieg nach
Armenien geflohen. In Syrien leben etwa 100.000 Armenier, davon allein
knapp 60.000 in Aleppo. Die armenische Gemeinde in Syrien war eine der
ersten in der Diaspora, die nach dem Genozid an den Armeniern im
Osmanischen Reich 1915 entstand.

Angesichts der explosiven Lage in Syrien hat die armenische Regierung
die Formalitäten für die Visavergabe vereinfacht. Zudem ist in
Armenien seit 2007 die doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft erlaubt. Nach
Angaben der Pass- und Visaabteilung der Polizei Jerewan haben zwischen
Januar und Juli dieses Jahres 3.663 Armenier aus Syrien um einen
armenischen Pass nachgesucht.

Extrateure Sonderflüge

Doch nicht alle Ausreisewilligen können sich auf den Weg nach Jerewan
machen. Zwar hat die armenische Fluggesellschaft Armavia Sonderflüge
zwischen Jerewan und Aleppo sowie Damaskus eingerichtet. Doch die
Ticketpreise wurden massiv erhöht. Kostete die Strecke vor dem
Ausbruch des Bürgerkriegs 245 Euro, mussten die Flüchtlinge in den
vergangenen Wochen und Monaten 380 Euro für ein Ticket hinlegen. Nach
massiven Protesten und einer Intervention der armenischen Regierung
reduzierte Armavia den Preis wieder.

Überhaupt stellen die Neuankömmlinge aus Syrien für Armenien eine
besondere Herausforderung dar. Denn das Land ist bitterarm. Ein nicht
unerheblicher Teil des armenischen Staatshaushalts wird von der
Diaspora (circa 10 Millionen Armenier) finanziert. Offiziell lag die
Arbeitslosenrate Anfang 2012 bei 6,2 Prozent, dürfte aber in Wahrheit
viel höher sein. 2011 betrugen Löhne durchschnittlich 220 Euro und
Renten 52 Euro.

Trotzdem bemüht sich die Regierung, den Flüchtlingen zu helfen. Das
Diasporaministerium stellte 17.500 Euro für ein zweiwöchiges
Kindersommerlager im August zur Verfügung. 400 Teilnehmer sind aus
Syrien und von ihren Eltern nach Jerewan geschickt worden. ?Danach
haben diese Kinder die Möglichkeit, bei armenischen Familien zu
wohnen. 150 Familien sind bereit, Kinder aus Syrien aufzunehmen`,
sagte die Diasporaministerin Hranusch Hakobyan unlängst vor
Journalisten.

Sprachkurse in Ostarmenisch

In drei Jerewaner Schulen werden Schüler aus Syrien in speziellen
Kursen unterrichtet. Auch für Studenten plant das Ministerium
Weiterbildungsangebote. Eine große Hürde für die Armenier aus Syrien
ist die Sprache. In Armenien und anderen Staaten der Exsowjetunion
spricht man Ostarmenisch. Westarmenisch wird in der Diaspora
gesprochen. Die Sprachen unterscheiden sich in Grammatik, Wortschatz
und Orthografie. Intensivsprachkurse in Ostarmenisch sollen den
Armeniern aus Syrien die Integration erleichtern.

Einige Nichtregierungsorganisationen unterstützen das
Diasporaministerium. Zum Beispiel die Facebook-Initiative ?Förderung
für Rückkehrer`. Dort können sich Helfer registrieren lassen. ?Ein
Geschäftsmann hat mit Möbeln einer Familie geholfen, ein Mädchen
wollte 10 Euro spenden`, sagt Karen Vrtanesyan, Aktivist der
Initiative. Auch juristisch könnten sich die Flüchtlinge beraten
lassen. ?Die Menschen, die vor einer Woche gekommen sind, haben
unterschiedliche Geschichten erzählt. Einer sagte, die Lage in seinem
Bezirk in Aleppo sei normal. Andere sagten, es gebe kein Brot und kein
Wasser.` Die Ankommenden klagten über hohe Preise auf Märkten in
Jerewan: 10 Kilogramm Orangen kosteten in Syrien ein Euro, in Armenien
ein Kilogramm Orangen zwei Euro.

?Die Mehrheit der Ankommenden organisiert ihr Leben selbst. Viele
möchten nicht in Armenien bleiben, sondern in ein, zwei Monaten nach
Syrien zurückkehren`, sagt Vrtanesyan. Nach Angaben des Migrationsamts
Armeniens haben sich 30 Familien um den Flüchtlingsstatus beworben.
Sie alle hätten Unterkünfte vom Staat bekommen.

Das stößt nicht bei allen Einheimischen auf Zustimmung, denn die
Wohnungsnot ist groß. ?Ich bekomme 55 Euro Rente. Die Armenier aus
Syrien können sich nicht vorstellen, wie man mit so wenig Geld leben
kann`, sagt Asja Avetisyan. Die 68-Jährige wohnt bei ihrem Sohn.
?Aber`, sagt sie, ?Wir dürfen diese Menschen nicht allein lassen.`

!100008/

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 22 2012

Armenian town hosts first-ever honey and berry festival

By Etuna Tsotniashvili
Wednesday, August 22

The town of Berd, in the Tavush district of Armenia hosted its
first-ever festival of honey and berries on Saturday. With the goal of
popularizing Armenian honey and berries the festival attracted
hundreds of visitors.

I was a member of a small Georgian delegation at the festival. The
Armenian honey event was of particular interest to government
representatives from the Kvemo Kartli region, who went to see how
their Armenian counterparts in the Tavush region work to promote the
potential of their region.

The attractions of Tavush region were in full display on Sunday: the
visitors had an opportunity to enjoy local dishes made of honey and
berries as well as view an exhibition of carpets and tapestries made
by local craftsmen. The festival was accompanied by a variety of
cultural events, including folk dancing and music performances.

“This visit by the Georgian local government officials aim to generate
double benefits,” says Mikheil Pakatsoshvili, a coordinator of the
JOIN project working in the Georgian-Armenian border region. “First,
it demonstrates how local government, civil society and the local
community work hand in hand to promote and spur local economies –
something which the Georgian officials could adopt locally. Second,
even though Georgia has its own honey production, it still is an
opportunity to explore market and investment potential across the
border, thus enhance economic ties between the bordering regions.”

The local actorsjoin for inclusive economic development and governance
in the South Caucasus (JOIN) project covers the Kvemo Kartli and
Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia and the Lori, Tavush and Shirak
marzes of Armenia. The project brings together civil society, local
government and private sector representatives that will identify
potential for economic development and attract investments to rural
areas.

Local beekeepers in Tavush say that this year the honey harvest is not
very big because there was hail twice in the season. If the weather is
good then some of them will get about one ton of honey each year. Most
of them sell their honey locally, although they hope to export soon to
European markets. They plan to market their product better which will
hopefully increase awareness and demand for Tavushian honey.

`The goal of our festival is to provide an opportunity to the
participants and the guests to familiarize themselves with the
marvelous honey and berries of the Tavush region, to stimulate
development of beekeeping in the region, as well as to contribute to
the development of tourism and infrastructure,’ Hayk Chobanyan,
Director of the Spiritual Revival of Tavush Foundation told media.

Valera Garanyan has been involved in beekeeping for 30 years and has
many regular clients. He says he will be glad if the local government
supports the increased distribution of local products.

`Now we have no other way to export our honey, I have a great wish to
sell it abroad especially in Europe. I know they don’t have natural
honey as we have here. I am sure they will like our product and its
export will be successful,’ Garanyan told The Messenger.

The idea was born one day when honorary consul of Norway in Armenia
Timothy Straight suggested to his friends some ways of promoting the
region better. `I said to my friends ‘Let’s try to start a big project
to develop the region’, so now we have a development initiative which
is part of a broader initiative to try to create business and tourism,
bring people here and increase exports. We would like to better
familiarize visitors with the Tavush region and its development
potential.’ he said adding that the organizers will try to make the
festival an annual event which will be larger and more diverse in
scope in the coming years.

The honey and berry festival was organized by the «Spiritual Revival
of Tavush» Foundation, `Serund’ and `Development and Preservation of
Armenian Culinary Traditions’ NGOs in partnership with local
government. Similar activities in Berd and other 12 municipalities
will take place throughout the lifetime of the project. JOIN is
financed by the Austrian Development Agency and implemented by CARE
International in the Caucasus together with local partners, Civil
Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia and Center for Agribusiness and
Rural Development (CARD) in Armenia.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 22 2012

Karekin II discusses situation in Syria and bilateral cooperation with
Iranian Ambassador to Armenia

The Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, and the newly appointed
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia, Reis
Muhammad, have discussed the situation in Syria, Novosti-Armenia
reports, with reference to the press office of the Holy Echmiadzin.
“We are aware of the difficulties faced by the people of Syria, an
integral part of which is the Armenian community. Human lives are
being cut, houses and shrines are being destroyed. War is evil and a
sin before God. We pray that the problem will be resolved as early as
possible and that the peaceful and secure life of the people will be
restored,” the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenians said.

Karekin II also expressed to the Iranian Ambassador and to all the
Iranian leadership his condolences over the loss of many lives and
destruction caused by the tragic earthquake that occurred a few days
ago in Iran.

In his turn, Reis thanked the Patriarch for the sympathy and
assistance of the Armenian Church, the government of the Republic and
the Armenian people.

At the meeting the sides also discussed issues of cooperation,
particularly in the area of ??intercultural and interreligious
dialogue and the implementation of joint educational programs.

The sides discussed issues related to the Armenian community of Iran
and Armenian pilgrimage to shrines, and stressed the important role of
religious leaders in the preservation of peace in the region.

Daily News Egypt
Aug 22 2012

Turkey receives terrorist threats related to the Syrian crisis

Rana Muhammad Taha / August 22, 2012

Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, considered a
terrorist group by Turkey, threatened to exercise `counter measures’

While Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil hinted at the
possibility of Al-Assad’s resignation in statements made in Moscow,
the Syrian crisis continues to affect neighbouring countries. Turkish
newspaper Today’s Zaman reported Monday a statement by the Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), considered a
terrorist group by Turkey, threatening to exercise `counter measures’
should Turkish policies towards Syria continue in a manner which
endangers the `security and the social cohesion of the Armenian
community of Syria.’

Jamil told reporters following talks in Moscow on Tuesday that `making
the resignation itself a condition for holding dialogue means that you
will never be able to reach this dialogue,’ referring for the Syrian
opposition demanding Al-Assad’s resignation. He neveretheless added
the regime’s readiness to `discuss this issue’; referring to
Al-Assad’s resignation.

Meanwhile the threat from ASALA, a leftist militant group active in
Armenia from 1975 until the early 1990s, came unexpectedly. While
active, the group was responsible for the assassination of at least 40
Turkish diplomats outside of Turkey, according to Today’s Zaman. It
was put on the United States’ list of terrorist organisations in the
1980s. Nevertheless, ASALA is not universally recognised as a
terrorist organisation; it is sometimes described as a `guerilla
force’ or `armed group.’

The ASALA’s activities are a reflection of the tense relations between
Turkey and Armenia, which do not have diplomatic relations. Their
historic animosity dates from the last days of the Ottoman Empire,
when Turkey is accused of genocide against Armenians in Anatolia, a
charge Ankara denies to this day.

The threat of Armenian terrorism is only the latest of Turkey’s
Syria-related woes. A car-bombing in Gaziantep on Monday killed nine
and has been blamed on the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), also seen as a
terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the European Union.

Though the PKK has denied responsibility for the terrorist attack,
Samil Tayyar, a member of parliament for Gaziantep representing
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, was reported by
Reuters to have blamed the bombing on a joint coordination between the
PKK and Syrian intelligence.

`Another aim of this attack was to send a message about Turkey’s
foreign policy,’ Reuters reporter Tayyar saying.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu echoed these statements,
saying possible Syrian involvement in the terrorist attack was being
investigated.

`If there is a similarity, the methods and mentality of the terrorist
organisation and Bashar Al-Assad’s forces are alike in killing
civilians during Eid al-Fitr, ‘ Reuters quoted Davutoglu saying.

An increase in the PKK’s terrorist activities inside Turkey since the
start of Turkey’s open support to the Syrian rebels has been noted by
some analysts. The Turkish support comes amid a huge Syrian refugee
influx to Turkey. Tuesday alone witnessed the arrival of 2,500 Syrian
refugees into Turkish territory, according to Reuters, which put the
number of Syrian refugees currently taking shelter in Turkey at
70,000.

Kotaku Australia
Aug 22 2012

A Video Game Based On A War You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Luke Plunkett

There’s too many games set in the Middle East, and there are/were too
many games set during the Second World War. Common complaints, which
imply a desire for people to be able to see conflicts beyond the most
prominent, but would you ever want to play a game set in a war you’ve
likely never heard of?

Farid Hagverdiev, a 19-year-old student at Baku’s State Oil Academy,
has developed a game called Ä°Å?gal Altında: Å?uÅ?a, or `Under
Occupation’. It’s set during the brief tussle between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in 1992, and lets the
player assume the role of an Azerbaijani soldier trying to liberate
the city of Shusha from the enemy.

It’s pretty rough, as you can see, but it’s interesting for a lot more
than it’s stilted knife kills. The game is basically a piece of
propaganda. Hagverdiev says `By creating the game we wanted to support
the patriotic spirit in our youth, which I hope we accomplished
successfully’, and Under Occupation also has the support of
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Atlantic, DC
Aug 22 2012

Now You Too Can Relive the Harrowing Azeri-Armenian War, as a Video Game

Aug 22 2012, 3:17 PM ET

“Under Occupation,” designed by a 19 year old State Oil Academy
student from Azerbaijan, lets players recreate the 1992 war.

Just over 20 years ago, during the spring of 1992, Armenian forces
captured the city of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh, marking the turning
point in the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control
of the territory.

Today, youngsters in Azerbaijan have the opportunity to alter history
via a video game called “Under Occupation.” The objective is to
recapture Shusha from Armenian forces. Gamers assume the role of an
Azerbaijani soldier who engages in virtual firefights with Armenian
soldiers in house-to-house combat. The gameis the brainchild of Farid
Hagverdiev, a 19-year-old student at Baku’s State Oil Academy.

Hagverdiev based Under Occupation on popular first-person,
shoot-’em-up games, such as Call of Duty and Counter-Strike. Working
with a team of developers recruited from among his classmates at the
oil academy, he said the game took two years to go from rough concept
to finished product. Hagverdiev added that the development team relied
on self-financing (with generous parental subsidies), used home
computers, and relied on a trial-and-error creative process. It is
reportedly the first video game developed solely by Azerbaijani
citizens.

Hagverdiev acknowledged that the motivation for developing the game
went beyond a simple desire to entertain. There was also a political
element to the project. “By creating the game we wanted to support the
patriotic spirit in our youth, which I hope we accomplished
successfully,” he told EurasiaNet.org. The game, which can be
downloaded for free, has gotten a successful reception from
Azerbaijani gamers.

While the video game may have been an independent initiative,
government officials have latched onto it, viewing it as a means of
raising awareness about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue among Azerbaijani
young people, and of mobilizing support for ongoing governmental
efforts to recover the territory.

In a sign that the game enjoys the full approval of President Ilham
Aliyev’s administration, the Ministry of Youth and Sports organized a
formal presentation of Under Occupation. The event, which occurred
earlier this summer, was held at the Hyatt Regency, one of Baku’s
swankiest hotels.

Talks on a political settlement for Nagorno-Karabakh have long been
stalemated. In recent years, Azerbaijani rhetoric concerning the
territory has grown increasingly bellicose. The video game dovetails
with the government’s effort to keep the patriotic mood at a slow
boil.

Under Occupation is not for the faint of heart: there’s lots of
killing and computer-generated gore. To a great extent, it’s a
celebration of violence: to advance, players must handle a variety of
tasks, including shooting lots of Armenian enemies, rescuing a wounded
Azerbaijani soldier, retrieving a document and blowing up a building
in the town of Shusha.

The game’s scenery closely resembles to Shusha’s actual appearance.
Prominent landmarks, including the House of Culture, the Govhar Agha
Mosque, Vafig Mausoleum and the city gate, all make an appearance.
Although born after the city’s capture by Armenian troops, and the
subsequent expulsion of Azerbaijani residents, Hagverdiev managed to
recreate the city by relying on old photographs.

Whether or not the video game can have a tangible effect on the
Karabakh peace process is the subject of debate. Some experts doubt
that a video game can cause a substantive spike in aggressive
sentiment in Azerbaijan. “Not enough research is available to suggest
that shooter games promote any more active hostility than the current
events themselves,” said Tom Parker, a former policy director at
Amnesty International.

Hagverdiev and his fellow developers, meanwhile, are now contemplating
a new game-related venture, one that would aim to make them some
money. “We’re graduating college soon, and we do not wish to mooch off
our parents forever,” he said.

Mediamax, Armenia
Aug 22 2012

Armenian Defense Ministry: “The Azerbaijani side was adequately responded”

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The Armenian side gave an adequate response to the
rival which violated the ceasefire regime yesterday.

Spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Minister Artsrun Hovhannisyan told
Mediamax that the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime on
the border near the Tavush marz. “We don’t have casualties and
wounded”, said Artsrun Hovhannisyan.

Mediamax recalls that yesterday evening, the Azerbaijani side fired at
the village of Aygepar and Storin Karmraghbyur of the Tavush marz.
There are no casualties among people but the roofs of the houses are
damaged.

Morningstar “enraged “Azerbaijani authorities

13:09, 22 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS: Richard Morningstar newly appointed US
Ambassadorship to Azerbaijan has already managed to “enrage “the
country’s authorities before heading to Baku.

High ranking diplomat had a meeting with active critic and opposition
figure, chairman of Azerbaijani-Americans for Democracy (AZAD), Elmar
Chakhtakhtinski.

As Armenpress reports citing azerireport.com news site,
Chakhtakhtinski stated after the held meeting with Morningstar,US
newly appointed Ambassador is one of the most experienced US
diplomats, he is deeply familiar with the situation in and around
Azerbaijan.

” Morningstar assured me he had no intentions to establish any private
business activity with Azerbaijani authorities in the future” AZAD
Chairman stated.

In accordance with Azerbaijani mass media recent reports Richard
Morningstar is scheduled to arrive Baku late August.

Expert: Aznavour concert trick to win Armenian voters to Georgian leader’s side

August 22, 2012 – 17:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sought to win
Armenian voters over to his side through Charles Aznavour’s concert,
political expert said.

`With presidential elections due in 2013, the opposition tries hard to
win the heart of national minorities including Javakhk Armenians,’
Sergey Shakaryants told a press conference, dubbing Aznavour concert
another political trick.

`Georgia’s corrupt government fulfilled another order,’ the expert
said, expressing skepticism over the concert to affect
Armenian-Georgian ties.