American, British Experts Ready To Support The Implementation Of Ref

AMERICAN, BRITISH EXPERTS READY TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORMS IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
16.03.2012 12:08

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received US and British
experts, who have arrived in Armenia to provide assistance in the
personnel management in the Armenian Armed Forces.

The Ambassador great Britain to Armenia Catherine Leach and U.S.
Charge d’Affaires Bruce Donahue reiterated the willingness of their
countries to support the implementation of reforms in Armenia.

The experts briefed Seyran Ohanyan on the results of the work done
in cooperaton with the task force of the Armenian Ministry of Defense.

PM Tigran Sargsyan Condoles With His Belgian Counterpart

PM TIGRAN SARGSYAN CONDOLES WITH HIS BELGIAN COUNTERPART

armradio.am
16.03.2012 11:01

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences
to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Elio Di Rupo on the
tragic coach crash in a tunnel in Switzerland.

The message reads, in part: “I’m deeply saddened for by the tragedy
in Sierre, Switzerland, which claimed the lives of 28 Belgians.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia and on my
own behalf I extend deep condolences to you, the friendly people of
Belgium and the relatives of the victims, and wish you strength and
patience at this hard moment.”

At least 28 people – including 22 children – have been killed in a
coach crash in a tunnel in Switzerland.

Another 24 children were injured in the crash near Sierre, in the
canton of Valais, close to the border with Italy.

The coach, carrying 52 people back to Belgium, hit a wall in the
tunnel head-on late on Tuesday. Both of the coach’s drivers were
among those killed.

Une Manifestation D’ecologistes Brutalement Dispersee a Erevan

UNE MANIFESTATION D’ECOLOGISTES BRUTALEMENT DISPERSEE A EREVAN
Gari

armenews.com
vendredi 16 mars 2012

Un important dispositif policier avait ete deploye le mercredi 14 mars
au soir sur la place Machdotz de Erevan où s’etaient rassembles une
poignee de militants ecologistes. Les manifestants ont ete disperses
sans menagement par les forces de l’ordre, qui ont tente de resister
en s’allongeant sur le sol. Les policiers, qui etaient au nombre
de plusieurs centaines selon les temoins, ont saccage la tente qui
constituait le QG des manifestants et les ont pourchasses dans les
allees du parc, fendant avec brutalite la foule de curieux voire
de simples promeneurs qui se trouvaient sur les lieux. L’usage
manifestement disproportionne de la violence par les forces de
l’ordre lors de ce rassemblement pacifique invite a s’interroger
sur l’opportunite d’une loi que vient de faire voter le gouvernement
au Parlement, relative au recours aux forces armees en vue de faire
respecter des mesures d’exception comme l’etat d’urgence….

Western Prelacy News – 03/16/2012

March 16, 2012
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

PRESENTATION OF GARO BEDROSIAN’S NEW BOOK
“JOURNEY TO THE ARMENIAN HERITAGE”

As previously reported, in response to the proclamation of 2012 as
the “Year of the Armenian Book” by H.H. Catholicos Aram I, earlier this year
the Western Prelacy published the latest book by distinguished educator Garo
Bedrosian titled Journey to the Armenian Heritage..
The presentation of the book will take place under the auspices of
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, on Wednesday, March 28, at
8:00 p.m., at the Prelacy “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall.
The book will be presented by prominent editor and community
activist Harut Sassounian.
The author will be present to deliver his remarks and to autograph
copies of his book.

“YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN BOOK”
LITERARY LUNCHEON TO BE HELD AT THE PRELACY

The Prelacy Ladies Auxiliary has organized a series of literary
luncheons in celebration of the “Year of the Armenian Book”.
The first in the series will be held on Thursday, March 29, at 11:00
a.m., at the Prelacy “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall.
The luncheon is being held under the auspices of the Prelate and
features keynote speaker Mrs. Khatoun Pakradouni who will be speaking on the
importance of the Armenian book in our collective life.

NAME DAY CELEBRATION OF FORTY MARTYRS CHURCH
IN ORANGE COUNTY

Saturday, March 17, is the Feast of the Forty Martyrs, which is also
the name day of Forty Martyrs Church in Orange County.
By the ordinance of the Prelate, who is currently participating in
meetings in Lebanon, Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian will celebrate Divine
Liturgy, conduct the blessing of madagh, and deliver the sermon at Forty
Martyrs Church.
At the conclusion of the service, requiem prayers will be offered
for departed sponsors and servants of the church, after which the blessing
of madagh will take place.
A luncheon will follow at the church hall. Fr. Muron will attend
and convey the Prelate’s blessings.

A.R.S. JAVAKHK FUND ANNUAL GALA DINNER CRUISE

On Sunday, March 18, the A.R.S. “Javakhk Fund” Committee 8th annual
gala dinner cruise will be held aboard the Electra Crystal Yacht in Newport
Beach.
Rev. Fr. Ashod Kambourian will attend and convey the Prelate’s
blessings on this occasion.

www.westernprelacy.org

La Ligne Sarkozy A Fait Sortir La France Du Relativisme Et De Ses Le

LA LIGNE SARKOZY A FAIT SORTIR LA FRANCE DU RELATIVISME ET DE SES LECHETES
Stephane

armenews.com
samedi 17 mars 2012

par Yves Roucaute, agrege de philosophie et de science politique,
professeur a Paris-Ouest-Nanterre

La France est de retour sur la scène internationale, faudrait-il bouder
notre plaisir sous l’etonnant pretexte qu’il est donne par le president
Nicolas Sarkozy ? “Il y a un pacte vingt fois seculaire entre la
grandeur de la France et la liberte dans le monde”, disait le general
de Gaulle. Marianne distingue moins les coqs par leur couleur que par
leur fidelite a ses valeurs. Las !, nous le savons : le pacte a trop
souvent ete rompu. Aujourd’hui encore, les idolâtres du marche tentent
de conduire le pays chez “Mondial and Co”, insensibles aux souffrances
de leurs frères en humanite tyrannises. Et les demagogues idolâtres de
l’Etat s’acoquinent avec l’extreme droite ou l’extreme gauche, prets
a toutes les concessions pour l’emporter, renoncant, ici, a denoncer
le genocide armenien, la, a soutenir des interventions militaires.

Dès 2008, la Georgie m’a convaincu : Nicolas Sarkozy ne serait pas le
prisonnier du relativisme et de ses lâchetes. Rassemblant l’Europe, il
sauva cette nation du knout russe, passant outre les tergiversations
americaines. Un style volontariste qui se retrouva dans sa gestion
des crises où la France joua le premier rôle, comme le reconnut Barack
Obama. Resultat : la debâcle humanitaire internationale de 1929 n’aura
pas lieu.

Tout son quinquennat fut marque de ce sceau. Ecoutez-les, ces opprimes
de Côte d’Ivoire, remercier le pays qui envoya les petits-fils des
soldats de l’an II a leur secours ! Ecoutez-les, ces enfants de Libye,
qui virent soudain dans leur ciel surgir les avions de la patrie des
droits de l’homme ! Ils en revent tous, ces peuples tyrannises, de
cette France de la puissance d’humanite et de ses “French doctors” aux
doigts de fee. De cette France qui a retrouve le chemin de sa grandeur
en ne cedant pas sur son devoir d’assistance aux peuples en danger.

Aujourd’hui encore, les Syriens se tournent vers la France de Nicolas
Sarkozy qui se bat pour eux. Se pourrait-il qu’il reussisse une fois
encore ? Et s’il ne le peut, qui le pourrait ?

Je sais les maladresses du president : paradoxalement, elles m’ont
plus encore rapproche de lui. En 2009, il voulut dedier l’Annee du
Mexique en France a Florence Cassez, une Francaise enfermee pour
soixante ans. Le Mexique rompit l’accord, les festivites se feraient
sans eux. Une vie ne valait pas une fete ? Je crois tout le contraire
: l’avenir appartient a ceux qui mettent l’humain au centre, au lieu
du dollar, du yuan ou du yen.

Il se trouve pourtant des consciences pour prôner l’indifference,
pourvu qu’elles ne soient pas elles-memes menacees. Que des soldats
tombent en Afghanistan sous les tirs des talibans, et voila le
retrait demande. Que 100 millions de femmes soient infibulees dans
la Corne d’Afrique, et chacun devrait cultiver son seul jardin dans
le respect des civilisations. Qu’une Turquie persiste a refuser la
reconnaissance du genocide armenien et differencie droits de l’homme
et de la femme, et il faudrait neanmoins suivre les Etats-Unis en
acceptant son adhesion a l’Union. Au pays de Nicolas Sarkozy, cela
ne se peut. Et si cela se pouvait, je ne le soutiendrais pas.

Dit-on la France denuee des moyens de son ambition, puissance
de seconde zone ? Le temps n’est-il pas venu d’en finir avec ce
denigrement systematique qui n’existe nulle part ailleurs ? Deuxième
zone economique exclusive du monde avec onze millions de km2,
presente sur les cinq oceans et tous les continents, troisième
puissance militaire nucleaire, membre du Conseil de securite des
Nations unies, premier contributeur militaire de l’Union… la France
n’est pas l’île de Nauru. Tenir son rang, cela se peut et cela se
doit eu egard a ses valeurs de liberte, d’egalite, de fraternite.

Dit-on, au contraire, que la France ne fait pas assez ? Quelle que
soit la couleur politique, difficile de rompre avec la Chine pour
le Tibet, de ne pas recevoir les Hosni Moubarak en exercice. Plus
difficile encore, quand le prix humain se mesure parfois au baril de
brent ou a la balance commerciale, de convaincre nos amis americains.

Mais cette France bouge les lignes, entraîne ses allies, bouscule
l’ONU trop souvent soumise a des jeux immoraux – tels ceux de la Chine
qui protège la dictature syrienne ou patronna, en 2008, une dictature
birmane qui preferait laisser mourir 130 000 humains sous un cyclone
a l’aide alimentaire, par crainte d’une insurrection. Sur l’Iran meme,
convaincue par Nicolas Sarkozy, la Russie commence a saisir le danger
d’un feu nucleaire tourne contre Israël.

Nouvel imperialisme francais ? Nenni. Partout, la “ligne Sarkozy”
associe les forces democratiques a partir de l’Elysee, sans
s’embarrasser des positions politiques ou religieuses, mais seulement
du partage des valeurs de dignite humaine. Une facon de traduire
l’appel de Benoît XVI pour aller au-dela du juste, vers le pardon,
en sortant de la vengeance, de la defiance, de l’epuration qui firent
le lit des forces obscures a Bagdad. Compassion, pardon et finalement
don, car le chemin de la fraternite ne se peut sans eteindre la haine
et celle-ci exige des vainqueurs d’aller vers les vaincus, de donner
sans contre-don.

La strategie de Nicolas Sarkozy ? Une facon pour la France de rappeler
au monde que le temps de gagner les guerres est termine : il s’agit,
a present, de gagner la paix, la paix d’humanite. Une facon pour la
France des valeurs universelles d’etre elle-meme.

Une Eglise Assyro-Chaldeenne Vandalisee

UNE EGLISE ASSYRO-CHALDEENNE VANDALISEE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
samedi 17 mars 2012

L’eglise catholique chaldeenne de la ville de Troy (comte d’Oakland),
dans le Michigan, a ete la cible de vandales, dont les motivations
seraient en rapport avec les evenements en Syrie.

Plusieurs tags insultants et menacants les fidèles de l’eglise
Saint-Joseph ont ete decouverts sur les murs du lieu de culte, tel que
“On va vous tuer”.

Depuis 30 ans, c’est la première fois qu’une eglise Assyro-chaldeenne
fait l’objet de degradations dans cette ville qui compte près de
5000 Assyro-chaldeens-syriaques.

“Notre mission a toujours ete de precher la parole de Dieu. Nous
continuerons a le faire “, a commente le père Rudy Zoma.

Une enquete est en cours.

Vers Un Jumelage Entre La Valette Et Erevan

VERS UN JUMELAGE ENTRE LA VALETTE ET EREVAN
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 17 mars 2012

10 000 Armeniens vivraient a Malte

Erevan pourrait bien se jumeler avec La Valette. C’est du moins ce
qu’affirment les membres de la communaute armenienne de la capitale de
Malte où vivent entre 350 et 500 Armeniens. Il y a un an, des contacts
furent etablis entre la capitale de Malte et Erevan. Les Armeniens
de Malte, estimes a près de 10 000 membres selon certaines donnees,
disposent d’une seule association ” la communaute armenienne de Malte
“. Les Armeniens -dont la plupart ont emigre au cours de ces vingt
dernières annees- ne sont pas presents dans la vie politique maltaise.

Pas un seul Armenien au sein des 69 deputes du Parlement, meme s’il
existe un Groupe d’amitie parlementaire armeno-maltais. Les Armeniens
de Malte ne disposent d’aucune eglise ou ecole. L’Ambassade d’Armenie
pour Malte, se trouve…en Italie.

Teghood

TEGHOOD
Garen Yegparian

I have intentionally used Western Armenian pronunciation and an
otherwise differing spelling of a very threatened forest’s name. I have
to address a minor point that’s a major irritant to me. It’s one thing
to use Eastern Armenian pronunciation to transliterate Armenian words
to English. It is, after all, the official, linguistic, convention
to do so. No problem there. What’s ridiculous is the rendition, in
this case as Teghut instead of Teghoot, leading to a pronunciation
similar to the first part of the word “utter,” and looking like a
Turkish mutilation of one of our place-names!

On to the substantive stuff-Teghoot, a forest in the north-eastern
part (Lori Provice) of the Republic of Armenia (RoA), was last in
the news half a decade ago. But it seems the money ran short in the
land-rapists’ pockets until recently, and the problem went dormant.

The issue is mining of copper and molybdenum in what is now an old
growth forest with all its attendant biodiversity and natural service
provision (clean water, food, recreation, etc.). And, to my best
understanding, it would be a strip mining operation.

Policy Forum Armenia (PFA) addresses the Teghoot issue in a recent
publication on environmental issues in the Republic of Armenia.

Between that, some blog postings on Armenian Environmental Network’s
website, and the panel discussion organized by the ARF Shant Student
Association last Sunday (for full disclosure- I was a speaker at that
event), I’m left with a heightened sense of disgust and inclination
to fight this abomination-in-the-making.

The consequences of this mining operation would be devastating to
the agrarian economy of the area- the villages of Shnogh & Teghoot,
and the ecology- destruction of the forest, mining wastes and tailings
stored untreated and unsafely, pollution and other damage of the rivers
in the area. Of course, there is an up-side. There would be a roughly
two-decade period of employment for the locals, but… then what? The
ruin of their environment would leave future generations bereft of any
viable local economy, leading to more rural-urban (Yerevan) migration)
and subsequent expatriation. Is that what we want as a nation?

Yet, the locals’ desire for jobs is very legitimate, understandable,
and reasonable. We must support the area through eco-tourism, and
fast. All those traveling to Armenia this summer should make it a
point to go there, spend some money, and be sure to make known to the
locals that it’s the local beauty which attracted you. In the longer
term, more structured trips with hikes, animal watching, perhaps
water-sporting, even hunting, etc. must be organized. Meanwhile,
massive public pressure must be brought upon the government of the
RoA, both internally and internationally. PFA cites dozens of laws
and international agreements being violated by this mining project
as currently being implemented, so there’s a good basis for heat to
be applied.

But that’s not enough. The greed that leads to this kind of destructive
behavior must be checked. The anticipated income over the life of this
project is well above $20 billion. Yet the benefits to the country
are a paltry $600+ million. Meanwhile, the hastily and inadequately
prepared Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would lead to locals
being compensated in pennies for their lost trees, property, and
livelihood. The full glare of public scrutiny and sunshine on these
outrageous inconsistencies is another avenue of slowing down this
process to a manageable pace. If there’s mining to be done, let
it be done in a safe, environmentally sound, human-health-neutral,
and non-destructive way.

There’s also a shadiness to this whole proposition. The outfit that
will do the mining is Armenian Copper Program. It is a subsidiary
of Vallex which, in turn, is owned 19% by Valeri Mejlumyan, and
the rest…

Who knows? It is registered in Lichtenstein (think about what you
know of how money is “hidden” in Switzerland), therefore ownership
is masked. Rumors, impossible to confirm or refute because of the
secrecy enabled by Lichtenstein, attribute some interest in this firm
to President Sarkissian’s family. Meanwhile, the EIA was prepared by
Lernametalurgiai Institute cjsc (LMI), which evidently has a de facto
monopoly on preparation of these documents for all mining projects in
the RoA. It is also a wholly owned subsidiary of Vallex Group and ACP.

Can you say “conflict-of-interest”?

You get the idea. It’s sickening how a project that could be a boon
for all concerned- local population, RoA’s economy, and its investors-
can be perverted into a monster.

Applying public pressure, insisting on full application of the
appropriate procedures (relevant laws seem to be in place in RoA),
and exposing the greed and shadiness of the companies proposing
to implement this project, buy time to develop viable, sustainable
options and alternatives while educating all concerned about them.

Watch for action alerts emanating from the homeland and the Diaspora.

Start contacting RoA’s diplomatic establishments (embassies,
consulates) in your area expressing your concerns. Let’s build a
movement to save this forest, provide for the locals, and build up and
entrench the rule of law in the RoA. After all, a despoiled, desolate
country is useless as a homeland. We can stop this ruinous process!

http://asbarez.com/101734/teghood/

BAKU: Status-Quo In Nagorno Karabakh Conflict Must Not Continue-Germ

STATUS-QUO IN NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT MUST NOT CONTINUE-GERMAN FM
by Aynur Mehtiyeva

SIA INFORMATION AGENCY
March 16 2012
Azerbaijan

The status-quo in Nagorno Karabakh conflict must not continue, said
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle at the press conference
in Yerevan.

According to him, the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict will
bring dividends to entire region, including Armenia. He emphasized
the importance of finding a compromise solution within the OSCE
Minsk Group: “I took advantage of my visit to Baku as an opportunity
to discuss the Karabakh issue in detail. I would like once again
emphasize that the German government supports finding a balance
between the principles of territorial integrity and the right to
self-determination”.

The minister noted that Germany supported the normalization of
Armenia-Turkey relations: “It will meet the interests of both Armenia
and Turkey”.

Op-Ed: In Armenian Nation, Men Must Take On Gender Equality

OP-ED: IN ARMENIAN NATION, MEN MUST TAKE ON GENDER EQUALITY

ianyan magazine

March 15 2012

The Armenian Nation is a complex and curious one. Where once regarded
as disjointed, the nation should be characterized as Homeland and
Diaspora in constant communion with one another. Armenia is what we’ve
come to call this transnational minority. Despite any divisions set
by borders, the nation is preserved.

In this nation, the stories of the unknown and unimportant are often
torn from the roots and lose meaning as they pass through the filters
of ideology and dogma.

The filters we use to construct our cultural, historical, and national
narrative often mask the great individual moments of many and pose them
as a creation of the few. The narrative of a people is a reflection
of the internal power-structure of that tribe.

The few that we attribute with the maintenance of our relative
importance are almost always, with little deviation, men. Men have
constructed a narrative that determines the norms and values of this
nation- they have established an order, a way of doing things.The
pillars of Armenia, those bastions of our current condition, are all
men. The story has been penned by men. The great heroes of yesteryear,
martyrs of the past century, thinkers and tinkers of a budding Zartonk
or Awakening- those deemed worth remembering- are rarely, if ever,
presented as women.

The omission of half the population from history is at the core of
the current distortions of contemporary society; distortions that
are acted out in the lives of all Armenians.

Though the biasses of history might reflect the inequality of the
past it is more so an expression of the present, where both men and
women act in accordance with what’s traditionally expected of them.

Just like women, men are prisoners of their own complex. This power
imbalance has created an unequal system where women have been regulated
as cogs in a machine.

Politicians and their elections, reformations and revolutions,
sometimes war, and anything else that moves a people through the epochs
are all thresholds of history. As this nation passes through the next,
grievances should be redressed. This not a task set to any single
person, it requires dialogue between both genders. Only by consensus
could the modes of oppression be properly identified. By consensus,
where both men and women can come together, identify and address the
imbalance of power and then work to reform it. Men should step-up,
step-back, and allow for the dialogue to flow.

The history of Armenia and the resuscitated Zartonk becomes
meaningless, almost vain, if not coupled with the cause for gender
equality. Men must take on this cause.

Though class is established on material foundations, according
to differences in capital and relationships towards the means of
production, it is characterized by the gender inequalities which run,
like veins, through all its ranks. Because women are the underclass
in the current power-structure they are the revolutionary class,
and the conditions are ripe for revolution.

Each revolution is entitled to relevant language.

There is nothing inherent in language that allows for the maintenance
of any patriarchal structure or any other form of authority. It is
the way that language is utilized that upholds the existing forms of
authority and domination. In this, language is a tool of oppression.

Only a few brave fools have called it into question and dared to
redefine it.

The people’s history of Armenia has yet to be presented in its full
scope. Though written, one realizes that it remains incomplete. To
make up for this, our words need new meaning.

Words are interesting. How we choose to use them changes everything.

The word ‘feminist,’ is as significant to the future of Armenia as the
idea of Zartonk. How it would be defined in Armenian is a difficult
subject to consider. What it means to be a Feminist, and what Feminism
looks like, will be articulated over the period of many years.

Men can no longer afford to stand separate from this process. The
movement won’t reach its full potential otherwise.â~@¨To paraphrase a
wise man: the liberation of men is directly tied to the liberation of
women.â~@¨The phrase, “I am a Man, I am an Armenian, I am a Feminist,”
will one day echo through the streets of Yerevan.â~@¨The Women’s
Movement within the physical borders of Armenia has begun to take
on recognizable form- not solely as a result of specific campaigns
but because of a myriad of conditions that have led to a new wave of
activism in the country.

Now, there is real hope that an already existent road may widen and
allow for the inclusion of voices hitherto unheard.

-Saro

Saro lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He is an artist,
a writer, a musician.

http://www.ianyanmag.com/2012/03/15/op-ed-in-armenian-nation-men-must-take-on-gender-equality/