Author: Kanayan Tamar

LES ETUDIANTS MANIFESTENT POUR SOUTENIR LEUR RECTEUR
Gari

armenews.com
vendredi 20 avril 2012

Le limogeage par le ministre armenien de l’Education Armen Ashotian
du recteur d’une universite d’Etat de Erevan a provoque un important
mouvement d’etudiants qui ont manifeste le 18 avril pour soutenir leur
recteur et denoncer son renvoi. M. Ashotian avait decide la veille
le renvoi de Suren Zolian de son poste de recteur de la Faculte de
Langues et linguistique de Erevan, une sanction disciplinaire qui
semble devoir etre mise sur le compte d’un differend entre les deux
hommes. Leurs rapports s’etaient envenimes après que le minister
Ashotian eut mis en cause formellement le 6 avril le recteur Zolian
coupable selon lui de s’etre absente d’Armenie du 19 au 23 mars sans
lui en avaoir demande la permission au prealable. Le recteur n’avait
pas cache sa colère a l’encontre du jeune ministre qu’il avait etrille
par voie de presse, ce qui lui a valu une deuxième ” reprimande sevère”
en debut de semaine. Zolian, qui dirige cette universite depuis 1997,
a refuse la decision de renvoi, contre laquelle il a fait appel en
vertu d’un article de la legislation armenienne sur les universites et
autres organismes d’Etat. Il a fait valoir que seul le gouvernement
etait habilite a le relever de ses fonctions. “J’ai refuse le decret
du ministre et je reste recteur”, s’ext exclameM.

Zolian devant des centaines d’etudiants qui lui avaient apporte leur
soutien dans un amphitheâtre de l’universite.

Les etudiants ont aussi manifeste dans la soiree devant le ministère
des Sciences et de l’Education pour exiger une rencontre avec le
ministre Ashotian. Ce dernier a accepte de rencontrer une delegation
d’etudiants mais les manifestants ont refuse cette proposition,
exigeant que le ministre s’adresse a l’ensemble des etudiants. M.

Ashotian a justifie la legalite du decret de renvoi, en se referant
a un autre paragraphe de l’article de loi cite par M.Zolian. Il a
dans le meme temps propose que le recteur fasse appel de ce decret
devant les tribunaux. ” Il ne revient pas a un ministre ou a un
ancien recteur d’interpreter la loi”, a declare M.Ashotian devant
les journalistes. De son côte, M. Zolian a informe les etudiants
qu’il etait pret a entreprendre une action en justice pour retrouver
son poste.

ONE DREAM CREATED A SCHOOL: TAVLIAN ARMENIAN PRE-SCHOOL IN PASADENA

asbarez
April 19th, 2012

Hasmig and Levon Tavlian

PASADENA-When William Saroyan famously wrote, in August of 1935 in
New York City, of two Armenians being able to create a new Armenia
anywhere in the world, he must have had in mind Levon and Hasmig
Tavlian. This remarkable couple, born of genocide survivors from
Yozgat and Sis in historic Armenia, created a new Armenia in the
City of Pasadena by supporting the creation of a pre-school that
today, proudly bears their name. The school, launched in 1992, was
the brainchild of Hasmig Tavlian and begun after her passing by her
proud sons Vazken, Vatche and Vahe.

Today, the Levon and Hasmig Tavlian Armenian Pre-School is among
the most pre-eminent educational centers in southern California,
serving as the only Armenian kindergarten in Pasadena accredited
by The National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC). For knowledgeable parents, the NAEYC Accreditation has
become the mark of quality, helping parents find the best possible
early childhood experience.

The story of Levon and Hasmig Tavlian is a wonderful one. Having grown
up in Beirut, they married in 1951. Levon was a jeweler, who began
his career working for others, but quickly opened his own store in
the bustling streets of Beirut. His wife and life partner Hasmig, was
a dedicated member of the Armenian community in Lebanon. In addition
to being a loving mother to her three sons, Hasmig was engaged in
the life of the Armenian Church through the Ladies Guild.

When Levon and Hasmig moved to America in 1978, they settled in the
City of Pasadena, with their sons who had come to the country years
earlier. Their sons Vatche and Vahe completed their education in Civil
Engineering and would later pursue successful careers in real estate
development. Levon and his son Vazken continued their work as jewelers
and Hasmig continued her efforts with the Ladies Guild for the Armenian
Apostolic Church of Pasadena. Yet, despite her deep involvement in
the church, it was always Hasmig’s fervent dream to start a pre-school
in Pasadena. For her husband Levon, his wife’s dream was also his own.

“My mother believed that at a young age you can instill the Armenian
spirit within a child through a strong Armenian school,” recounted
her son Vahe Tavlian. “My mother was well read and was especially
focused on safeguarding the Armenian language, which she believed,
is an essential part of creating an enduring Armenian identity with
a new generation of Armenian American children. When she passed away
in 1991, my father and two brothers knew the best way to honor her
life was to honor her dream, to create an Armenian pre-school in the
City of Pasadena,” Tavlian added.

By donating the seed money to start the school in 1992, the Tavlian
family was able to launch the school with a grand total of four
students. Soon thereafter, Vahe Tavlian would begin an eight year term
as chairman of the church Board for the Armenian Apostolic Church of
Pasadena and later the Tavlian School Board, which gave him a front
row seat to all the challenges his family and the community would
face in keeping his mother’s dream alive.

In recounting the early years of the Levon and Hasmig Tavlian Armenian
Pre-School, Vahe Tavlian remembered two distinct facts. First, his
entire family was committed to supporting the school, through charity
events and old-fashioned hard work. Second, he does remember dark
moments, when it seemed like the school’s future was in jeopardy.

During those dark moments, Tavlian recounted, it was the faith of
his mother that inspired him and his family to rally the community to
ensure the success of the pre-school. That faith, it turns out, was
well placed, because Tavlian’s success as an educational institution
has exceeded all expectations.

As he recounted his memories of the school and his sense of pride
for the educational institution that bears his parents name, Vahe
Tavlian wistfully added this. “The success I have had in my life
has no comparison to the brilliant success of the Tavlian School and
the joy I feel when I hear the children at the school sing the school
anthem at their year-end performance, or hantes. That feeling makes me
spiritually proud, proud of my parents, and proud of their children
who never stopped believing in their dream to establish an Armenian
pre-school in Pasadena. Every success in my life has no comparison
to hearing the sweet Armenian melodies that the children sing in
the safe and welcoming environment that their school provides. I
only wish my mother and father were present to hear them with me,”
he added with a smile. He concluded with a wish, “that every Armenian
would emulate the idea of pursuing a dream that benefits our community
and our collective future.”

On May 4 a broad and diverse number of dedicated Armenian Americans
will gather at a celebratory banquet to mark the 20th anniversary of
the Tavlian Armenian Pre-School. The banquet will be held at Armenian
Society of Los Angeles Additional information on the banquet may be
secured by contacting the school office by phone at 626-398-8199.

Consistent with their longtime support for the school, the Tavlian
brothers are sponsoring the May 4th banquet.

Background on the Tavlian Armenian Pre-School, which has served our
community with distinction for over two decades, may be found at the
school’s user-friendly website:

FUEL CHEAPER IN ARMENIA THAN IN GEORGIA

The Messenger
April 19 2012
Georgia

Fuel prices in Georgia are higher than they are in Armenia. Some
analysts suggest that monopolies in the Georgian market have created
higher prices artificially. Others suggest that Armenia receives and
sells contraband fuel, whereas in Georgia exchanges are above-board
and subject to taxes and tariffs. Petrol station services in Georgia
are generally considered to be of higher, more Western standards.

Regardless, the price of fuel in Armenia, while still lower than
Georgia, is rapidly rising.

EXPERTS ON ARMENIAN ELECTIONS

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 19 2012
Russia

The parliamentary election in Armenia will be held on May 6, 2012.

Nine political parties will take part in the polls. VK asked several
experts to comment on the campaign and the possible results of
the vote.

Alexander Iskanderyan, the head of the Caucasus Institute, told VK that
the competition is fair and real. He believes that from 4 to 6 parties
will enter the parliament in the result. They are the Republican Party,
the Flourishing Armenia party, the Armenian National Congress, the
Dashnaktsutyun party and possibly the Heritage party and the Orinats
Yerkir party.

Alexander Markarov, the head of the Armenian office of the CIS
Countries Institute, told VK that the number of voters still undecided
for whom they will vote constitutes up to 30 per cent, which will
definitely affect the results of the polls.

Andrey Areshev, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Center
for Caucasus and Central Asia Studies, believes that the sitiuation
in Armenia is tense. That is why it’s hard to predict any certain
results, he says. However it’s pretty clear that all four major
political forces will enter the parliament.

MEPS PUSH FOR AGREEMENTS WITH BAKU, YEREVAN
By Kostis Geropoulos

New Europe

April 19 2012

STRASBOURG – On 18 April, European Parliament Members adopted
by a large majority two resolutions that make recommendations to
the Council and the Commission on lines to take when negotiating
association agreements with Azerbaijan and Armenia. MEPs approved the
EU-Azerbaijan resolution with – 520 votes in favour, 32 against and
24 abstentions and the EU-Armenia one with 508 in favour, 29 against
and 27 abstentions.

In a debate that went into the night on 17 April, most MEPs highlighted
Azerbaijan’s importance in EU energy security and the creation of
the Southern Gas Corridor, but also warned against human rights
breaches. The MEPs praised Armenia’s reform ambitions, but stressed
the need to ensure that its parliamentary elections on 6 May are free
and fair.

The Azerbaijan resolution’s rapporteur MEP Anneli Jaatteenmaki from
Finland, Vice-Chair of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and a member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, told New Europe on 18 April that it’s important to get
the association agreement “and I understood yesterday evening that
we agree on that. We want it as soon as possible; we don’t know yet
how long it would take, but it’s important that the European Union
has very good co-operation with both of the countries and also with
Georgia”. “For Europe the oil and gas is very important. But it’s not
only a question of oil and gas; it’s also a question of co-operation,
human rights and democracy,” Jaatteenmaki said.

MINISTER CONFRONTED BY ANGRY STUDENTS
Elen Chilingaryan

19.04.2012

Armenia – Students at Yerevan State Linguistic University protest
against the dismissal of its rector Suren Zolian, 19 Apr 2012.

Education Minister Armen Ashotian was confronted on Thursday by
hundreds of angry students of a state-run university in Yerevan
protesting against the controversial sacking of their rector Suren
Zolian.

Ashotian visited Yerevan State Linguistic University to explain and
defend his decision which Zolian has denounced as illegal. He again
said that the rector can challenge it in court.

The sacking resulted from a bitter dispute that was sparked by
Ashotian’s decision on April 6 to formally reprimand Zolian for being
absent from Armenia from March 19-23 without his permission. The rector
reacted furiously and lambasted the young minister through the media
before receiving a second “strict reprimand” earlier this week.

Armenia – Education Minister Armen Ashotian (L) is confronted by
students at Yerevan State Linguistic University prtesting against the
dismissal of its rector Suren Zolian, 19Apr2012.xArmenia – Education
Minister Armen Ashotian (L) is confronted by students at Yerevan
State Linguistic University prtesting against the dismissal of its
rector Suren Zolian, 19Apr2012.

â~@~Kâ~@~KAshotian agreed to meet the university students when more
than 100 of them demonstrated outside his office on Wednesday.

The meeting was due to take place in a university auditorium. But
the room proved too small to accommodate all students, leading the
deputy rector, Gabriel Balayan, to ask the minister to address them
in the university courtyard.

“The students standing downstairs are the people with whom you agreed
yesterday to meet,” Balayan said. “We represented those students at
the meeting with you.”

Ashotian was reluctant to hold the meeting outdoors. “Are you concerned
with the quantity or quality?” he asked.

“Listen to what they are saying,” Balayan replied as the mostly female
crowd chanted “Come down, minister!”

The ensuing outdoor meeting turned chaotic and was cut short as word
spread of police detaining one of the students supporting Zolian. The
student, Narek Samsonian, was released shortly afterwards. Samsonian
told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that police officers
accused him of trying to provoke a brawl before letting him go.

FIRED UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR MEETS WITH PRESIDENT

news.am
April 19, 2012 | 18:58

YEREVAN. – Yerevan State Linguistic University (YSLU) former Chancellor
Suren Zolyan, who was dismissed by the Education Minister order,
met with the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday as a
member of the Public Council, Zolyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Asked which issues were discussed, the Chancellor said that it was
a closed meeting, hence he has “no comment.”

Zolyan said that he was a member of the Council when the YSLU student
was detained. However, he was released in a short while. Yet, it is
a violation of the University autonomy. Many states have fixed it
legally that the police has no right to break into the University
unless agreed by the administration or in case of a serious crime. It
discredits a state, which claims to assume the secretariat for the
Bologna process and be an etalon for Europe.

Asked whether he is still considered to be the Chancellor, Zolyan
said that he carries responsibility for it anyway.

OUTSTANDING CULTURAL EVENT HELD AT WEILL HALL
By Lucy Ishkanian

April 19, 2012

A splendid concert took place at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
on Friday evening March 30. It was the annual “Musical Armenia”
concert sponsored by the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
and the Prelacy Ladies’ Guild.

Marta Bagratuni and Hayk Arsenyan hold the 2012 Musical Armenia poster.

The artists presented this year were cellist Marta Bagratuni and
pianist Hayk Arsenyan, who performed selections from both the
classical and Armenian repertoire. There was a special, compelling
introspective moment, with the deeply moving interpretation by
Bagratuni of the Armenian sharagan, “Oor Es Mayr Im” (“Mother,
where art thou”), arranged for cello and piano by composer Vache
Sharafyan, and entitled “On the Wings of the Hymn.” The rarely heard
“Visionary Landscapes, Twelve Armenian Folk Songs, Suite” by composer
Alan Hovhaness, expertly performed by Arsenyan, revealed a period of
development in Hovhaness’s music as he was exploring the realms of
modern 20th-century Armenian music.

Both Marta Bagratuni and Hayk Arsenyan showcased technical proficiency,
stage presence, and aplomb, but most important, solid knowledge and
command of the compositions they were performing, thereby projecting
and communicating with the audience. It would be superfluous to make
“professorial” comments on this or that point, which would make no
difference on the impact or detract from the performances.

The success of a concert is always expressed on the faces of the
audience departing from the concert hall. If the audience members
have enjoyed themselves, you will see it reflected in their eyes,
on their smiling faces, and with their comments, as each is anxious
to express their feelings to one another and to the artists. This is
the criteria of a successful concert.

The elated, beaming capacity audience proclaimed its appreciation for
a most exciting cultural experience with a well-deserved standing
ovation, as the artists appeared together on stage to acknowledge
the applause at the conclusion of the concert.

TURKS DESIRE TO JOIN EU WITH 1.5 MILLION SLAUGHTERED ARMENIANS – CARICATURE AT FRENCH SCHOOL

NEWS.am
April 19, 2012 | 17:07

A caricature shown by a teacher during the geography class in France
made local Turks indignant, Turkish Dogan reports.

The teacher showed the caricature, which depicted a man carrying a
sack full of human skulls. The sack symbolizes Turkey carrying the
skulls with the Armenian Genocide inscription. A person standing near
is France. The man is climbing the mountain with EU flag on the top.

The teacher of a school situated in Montbeliard city showed the
caricature and asked how the pupils can interpret it and why Turkey
cannot join the EU.

However, the Turkish pupils told their parents about the caricature.

The parents rushed to complain to the French Education Ministry and
organizations protecting foreigners’ rights.

WE INTEND TO FURTHER STIMULATE PARTNERSHIP WITH ARMENIA – KUWAITI PM

NEWS.AM
April 19, 2012 | 16:49

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Fadey Charchoglyan,
was received Wednesday by the Kuwaiti PM, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak
Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

The Ambassador conveyed to Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Armenian PM’s
and the Government’s warm greetings and well wishes, MFA informed
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The interlocutors reflected on the Armenian-Kuwaiti cooperation, and
the prospects for deepening the ties between the two friendly states.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak expressed his satisfaction by the current
level of bilateral relations, and noted that Kuwait intends to
further stimulate the mutually beneficial partnership. Also, the
Kuwaiti PM underscored the activities of the Armenian-Kuwaiti Joint
Intergovernmental Economic Commission.

Armenia’s ambassador and Kuwait’s PM pointed to the Armenian Embassy’s
effective activities, and noted that these will give new impetus to
the reaching and implementation of bilateral arrangements.