Author: Kalantarian Kevo

The Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education
Chapman University
Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866-7126
Tel: 714-628-7377
Web:

Richard Hovannisian on Smyrna at Chapman University on September 5

Professor Richard Hovannisian will lead off the Fall Lecture Series at
Chapman University on Wednesday, September 5, at 7 p.m., with an
illustrated presentation titled “War and Ethnic Cleansing: Smyrna
1922-2012.” The program coincides with the 90th anniversary of Great
Fire and the end of its thriving Greek and Armenian communities in
Western Asia Minor in September 1922.

The event is sponsored by Chapman University’s Rodgers Center for
Holocaust Education; Stern Chair in Holocaust Education; and Sala and
Aron Samueli Holocaust Memorial Library, under the Direction of
Dr. Marilyn Harran. The lecture will be held in Beckman Hall, Room
404, of the Bush Conference Center. Parking is available in the Fred
L. Barrera Structure (P7) on Sycamore Street and the Lastinger
Structure (P4) on Walnut Avenue on the Chapman campus in Orange,
California.

Professor Hovannisian has been invited to serve as the first
distinguished Chancellor’s Fellow in the Department of History for the
Fall Semester, during which he will offer a 15-week course for history
majors on the Armenian Genocide and its historiography.

408,109 Armenian tourists visited Georgia this year

news.am
August 20, 2012 | 20:33

Armenia occupies the third place on the number of visitors to Georgia
over the last seven months of this year. A total of 408,109 people
visited Georgia this year, as compared to the same period last year,
which is by 22 percent more.

Turkey occupies the first place with 810,698 visitors, which is by 107
percent more as compared to the same period last year, while
Azerbaijan is the second with 483,317 visitors, which is by 29 percent
more. At the same time a total of 237,950 Russians visited Georgia, by
81 percent more as compared to the same period last year.

Overall, the foreign visits to Georgia increased by 54 percent making
2,211,000 over the last seven months, as opposed to the same period
last year, Novosti Gruziya reports quoting the Georgian National
Tourism Agency.

Armenian Bar Association Petitions the United States Supreme Court in
Genocide Recovery Lawsuit

hetq
21:13, August 20, 2012

The Armenian Bar Association has prepared and filed written legal
arguments with the United States Supreme Court in an effort to reverse
an appellate court decision in Movsesian v. Versicherung AG, which
nullified a California statute allowing for the pursuit of
Genocide-related life insurance recoveries. Earlier this year in the
Movsesian case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a
California law which extended the statute of limitations for
Genocide-era life insurance claims on the grounds that the United
States’ alleged position of non-recognition trumped California’s
efforts to allow for the legal redress of these insurance claims. The
Armenian Bar Association urged the Supreme Court to reconsider the
errant appellate decision and to allow for the enforcement of the
California insurance-oriented law which pertains to an area of
fundamental state sovereignty.

Joining the Armenian Bar Association on its amicus brief, which was
written and assembled on a pro bono basis by a team of lawyers from
the law firm of Bingham McCutchen and helmed by the Armenian Bar’s
founding Chairman–the renowned David Balabanian–are the esteemed
Attorneys General of the States of California, Michigan, Nevada, Rhode
Island and several federal and state legislators.

Edvin Minassian, the two-term immediate past Chairman of the Armenian
Bar Association, is owed a huge debt of gratitude for his wise counsel
and active participation in the joint effortS to serve and protect the
legal interests of the Armenian community, this time all the way to
the steps and through the doors of the country’s ultimate and final
tribunal. With Mr. Minassian’s sharp focus and commitment and with the
compelling advocacy of Mr. Balabanian, the Armenian Bar Association
has, for the first time, weighed in with the Supreme Court asking that
it uphold the rights of the Armenian Genocide’s victims and their
heirs.

Due to the leadership of our former Chairmen Edvin Minassian and David
Balabanian, our resolve is clearly at an all time high. Claims for
unpaid life insurance policies dating back to the Armenian Genocide
were first brought by plaintiffs’ attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan, a
Lifetime Honorary Member of the Armenian Bar Association. Attorneys
who have also been representing plaintiffs include Armenian Bar
members Mark Geragos and Brian Kabateck, and Lee Crawford Boyd. Igor
Timofeyev of the law firm of Paul Hastings filed the original appeal
on behalf of plaintiffs, urging the high court to overturn the Ninth
Circuit’s en banc ruling.

Also lending support to the Supreme Court petition are our partners,
the ANCA, the Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research and
Documentation, Inc., Genocide Education Project, Jewish Alliance for
Law & Social Action, the Center for the Study of Law & Genocide, and
the International Human Rights Clinic of the University of Southern
California Gould School of Law. The ANCA, through the crucial efforts
of its Legislative Director Kate Nahabetian, also an ArmenBar member,
played a
critical role in securing the on-the-record support of the
aforementioned States Attorneys General.

Armenian Bar Association

Turkish-Cypriot tycoon Asil Nadir found guilty of theft

August 20, 2012 – 18:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkish-Cypriot tycoon Asil Nadir, formerly one of
Britain’s most notorious fugitives, was found guilty of three counts
of theft on Monday, August 20.

According to AFP, the jury at the Old Bailey in London was still
considering a further nine counts of theft after Nadir, one of the
highest-profile businessmen in Britain in the 1980s, denied stealing
£150 million ($235 million, 188 million euros) from his business
empire.

He was cleared of one count of theft.

Nadir was arrested in 1990 after his company Polly Peck International
went into administration with debts of £550 million, and he was
charged with more than 60 counts of theft.

Three years later, he fled for Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus,
which does not have an extradition treaty with Britain.

He returned to Britain two years ago in a dramatic bid to clear his name.

Armenian Government builds houses for homeless people of Lori region

16:57, 20 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS: 1720 families from 24 village
communities of Lori region who are in turn to receive flats 1400 are
candidates for receiving houses in the framework of flat construction
program which is implemented in governmental support. Armenpress was
informed from Ministry of Urban Development that 980 families have
been recognized participants of the program and houses of 552 of them
are already built. Around 380 houses are in process of construction
and 170 of them are planned to finish in September.

On August 18 in Vanadzor took place the session of the committee which
is involved in construction and allocation process of newly built
houses under the presidency of the Minister of Urban Development
Samvel Tadevosyan. During the session of the committee the document
packages of 70 homeless families was discussed. Taking into
consideration the problems raised by the heads of villages connected
with construction process Minister Tadevosyan gave orders to organize
meeting during the coming week with the heads of communities and heads
of construction companies.

Orientalist: Armenian-Turkish protocols have introduced discrepancies
in ruling party of Turkey

arminfo
Monday, August 20, 16:13

The Armenian-Turkish protocols have introduced discrepancies in the
ruling Justice and Development Party of Turkey, Orientalist Vahram
Ter-Matevosyan said at today’s press conference in Yerevan.

He said that some members of the Party understand that the
Armenian-Turkish protocols should be ratified and the border should be
opened, as the process has been launched and the international
community is waiting for the results; the others refuse to take any
measures for progress. The expert added that serious changes will take
place in Turkey, as the incumbent authorities of Turkey are planning
to switch from the parliamentary system of governing to the
presidential one.

“The changes in Turkey may seriously influence the foreign policy of
the country, including the Armenian- Turkish relations. So, artificial
problems may be created for the Armenian Foreign Ministry”, he said.
The expert pointed out at the same time that no changes in the
political field of Turkey will cause any problems for the Armenians
living in Turkey.

To note, the Armenian-Turkish protocols were signed in Zurich on 10
October 2009. However, the protocols have not been ratified by the
Parliaments of Armenia and Turkey, as Ankara was constantly laying
down preconditions. On April 22 the process of ratification of the
protocols in the Armenian Parliament was frozen by the decree of
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

The situation is peaceful in Aleppo National Diocese

13:12, 20 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS: Syrian Armenians do not verify the
video speculated in the Internet, as if rebel forces had captured
Aleppo Jdide area square, located at 100 meters away from Cilicia
College and 400 meters away from Aleppo National Primacy . Armenpress
failed to establish connection with the Primacy: the telephone and
internet connection were again paralyzed. However Great House of
Cilicia informed us, the state of Primacy and nearby places is calm,
there are no information on the occupation of Armenian district and
the control of it.
`’ Everything is peaceful, yet the concerns do not stop” Cilicia
Patriarchate announced.
Overall the situation in Aleppo keeps deteriorating, the clashes
between Government loyal forces and opposition is ongoing.
Aleppo-based Facebook users inform shelling voices are heard in
Armenian districts, yet no military actions are orchestrated there.
The number of the people leaving the country keeps escalating; our
compatriots are deeming about jetting for Armenia, the ones already in
their Homeland think about extending the terms of staying in Armenia.
In accordance to the info a large number of people are heading to
Jordan and US.
Syrian SANA agency informs Syrian Armed Forces continue to pursue
armed rebels. Many of them have been killed, the weapons have been
seized.

Armenian tourism centers assure: number of visitors increases year by year

09:42, 20 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS: The zones which are considered tourism
centers are improved year by year and provide service of high quality
which is greatly favorable for increasing the number of visitors.
Armenpress was informed from a chief specialist of Tsaghkadzor
municipality Gerasim Lazarian that tourism and rest conditions in the
city have improved in comparison with last year. “The illumination of
the city has increased, seats have been located, the issue of clean
water is also solved and the streets of Tsaghkadzor are clean” he
mentioned. All these facts have been favorable for the increase of
tourists’ number. “A great number of people come from Yerevan
especially to use the ropeway” he says.

At present 23 hotel complexes and rest houses operate in Tsaghkadzor.
In Gerasim Lazarian’s words the city is ready to receive almost 5000
visitors daily and provide with highest quality service and “the
prices correspond to the quality of provided service”.

Specialist from Sevan tourism center David Torosyan informed that most
part of foreign and Armenian visitors to Sevan are not recorded in the
center and the data about their number can not be correct. However
Torosyan assures that the number of visitors increases year by year.
“Last year only 150 people visited the office. Many people are not
aware about the center” mentioned the specialist. The municipality
tries to improve the external look of the city for stimulating
tourism. Among those who organize their rest in Sevan the majority are
from Yerevan.

Jermuk is also a city which has great tourism importance and is famous
with its resort houses. In the city operate six resort houses – “No. 1
resort house”, “Gladzor”, “World”, “Ararat”, “Olympia” and “Armenia”.
In these resort houses assure that their service corresponds to all
standards: they have high quality. A great number of people visit the
ropeway in summer and winter.

According to the data of National Statistics Service of Armenia in the
first half of 2012 281 034 tourists visited Armenia. The number has
increased by 5.1 percent in comparison of the same period of last
year.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is compared with Lionel Messi

12:28, 20 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS: Ukrainian HotSport.ua portal
commenting on the last successes of midfielder of Armenian national
football team and `Shaktar’ Donetsk compared him with Argentinean
forward of Catalonian Barcelona Lionel Messi. Armenpress reports that
Ukrainian sports portal has written:

`Armenian midfielder of `Shaktar’ Donetsk scored three goals against
`Chernomorets’ Odessa maiking is own record – he scored 10 goals in 6
matches of Ukrainian current championship. With such results Armenian
midfielder reminds Lionel Messi: he scores his goals so easily and
unbending’.

At the same time in results of 6th round of Ukrainian championship
Football.ua football portal formed the symbolic team of the round and
Mkhitaryan was again included in it.

By the way, Ukrainian authoritative website this decided not to
comment the including of our player in the symbolic team and only said
three words: `Without comment. Again’.

ARMENIE
L’Orchestre des jeunes d’Arménie ne se rendra pas à Bakou

L’Orchestre des jeunes d’Arménie ne donnera pas de concert en
Azerbaïdjan a annoncé le service de presse de l’orchestre rejetant les
informations parues dans la presse arménienne annonçant leur
participation au projet international de musique classique I,CULTURE
prévu du 24 août au 2 septembre.

Les concerts doivent avoir lieu à Lublin, Varsovie, Minsk, Kiev,
Chisinau, Tbilissi et Bakou.

`Le concert prévu à Bakou n’aura pas lieu tant que le pouvoir de
l’Azerbaïdjan n’a pas garanti la sécurité des musiciens arméniens.
Outre les musiciens arméniens, mais l’ensemble du groupe a refusé de
partir pour Bakou` a annoncé le service de presse.

Le projet I,CULTURE a été créé en 2011 par l’université Adam Mitskevich.

L’événement de deux semaines à Lublin comprend des masters classes de
grands orchestres.

I, CULTURE sera dirigé par le chef Vénézuelien Ilitch Rivas.

lundi 20 août 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com