Author: Kanayan Tamar

BAIRAMIAN: A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
By: William Bairamian

Thu, Jun 2 2011

The United States is a big country, and it has Armenians strewn across
every single state.

Despite the strength of Armenian Americans on the national political
stage, there aren’t any events that allow all politically motivated
members of the community to congregate in one place to discuss the
future of our efforts-except one. The ANCA Leadership Conference,
hosted by the ANCA National Headquarters is the only such event.

It is the premiere occasion event where Armenian American activists
can gather to learn about the challenges the Armenian Cause faces
and an opportunity for them to discuss, face to face, ways to improve
the approach to our work.

In the past half century, a lot has changed for Armenians. An
independent Armenian state was founded. An historic Armenian land
was fought for and regained by the brave sons and daughters of the
Armenian nation. The Armenian Genocide went from the brink of being
forgotten in many places and denied in others to being discussed on
the international stage, with nary a serious denier to be found today.

These developments didn’t happen by accident-activists made them
happen. Whether they were declaring independence in Armenia, fighting
for independence in Artsakh, or bringing the issue of justice for the
Armenian Genocide to the fore, activists were the ones who accepted
the personality responsibility of advancing the Armenian Cause.

Now, as the Cause has reached a crossroads, active and powerful but
facing resurgent enemies with financial resources greater than that
of all Armenians combined, it must change to adapt to the current
environment. That’s why the ANCA has entitled this year’s Leadership
Conference “Armenian Cause 2.0.”

It’s all about the direction to take, learning from the great successes
and the occasional shortcomings, while using the community’s potential
resources-financial, human and, especially, technological-to forcefully
promote the Cause and to unapologetically stand up for what’s right.

This conference is for every Armenian American. The decisions made in
Congress are affected by constituents on the ground in their districts
and those decisions in turn affect everyone. We as a community must
be better prepared to confront the challenges that we will undoubtedly
face in the near and distant futures.

We have been fortunate to have dedicated leaders, activists, and
benefactors to clear the path over the past decades. Now, with a
large, more widely educated, and better integrated Diaspora, we have
to seize the power that is ours for the taking. There is no better way
to learn how to do this than to hear it from the seasoned veterans
of the Armenian Cause while meeting the new generation of leaders
who will carry the mantle for the coming many decades.

Do not wait for next time. Armenia can’t wait. Arstakh can’t wait.

Javakhk can’t wait. Justice for the Genocide can’t wait. Go to
Washington, DC and come back to your community with a renewed vigor and
the skills necessary to take the Armenian Cause to the next level-2.0.

To read more about the conference and to register, click here.

BARCAMP YEREVAN 2011 IS COMING

hetq
15:51, June 2, 2011

About 500 IT specialists, engineers, developers, bloggers, online
journalists and social media activists will gather on June 4-5 to
participate at «BarCamp Yerevan 2011» unofficial conference.

At the Paramaz Avedisian building of the American University
of Armenia, the participants will discuss the development of
technologies and social media in the region and world. BarCamp is
a brand new event, originating in the Silicon Valley of USA in 2005
that has become widespread throughout the world. BarCamp is usually a
~Snon-conference~T in the sphere of information technology or ~SIT,~T
new media and Internet.

A ~Snon-conference~T is the unofficial, informal part of the conference
supporting open discussions and a free exchange of ideas and opinions.
The philosophy of BarCamp is the following: all presentations are
given by participants themselves, with no formally invited guest
speakers and without the formality of traditional conference.

Most revealing, the schedule of events is ~Sproduced~T by the
participants of the conference and is formed only after the conference
opens, as participants add the presentations they want to hold on a
white board. Sponsors and supporters of the «BarCamp Yerevan 2011» are
Beeline, Internews in the framework of the «Alternative Resources in
Media» program supported by USAID, Opera Software, Deem Communications
and PanARMENIAN.Net.

“THE JERUSALEM POST”: “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DENY HISTORICAL FACTS ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 1 2011
YEREVAN

Despite the Turks’ denial policy, it is impossible to deny the
historical facts on the Armenian Genocide. Armenpress reports citing
“The Jerusalem Post” that Rebecca Anna Stoil, editor of the newspaper,
stated today in her article on the international recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.

“If it is difficult for us to forgive the peoples, which ignore our
tragedy, we cannot ignore the tragedy of another nation: it is our
moral debt both as human beings and Jews,” Rebecca Stoil noted. “For
years the Israeli governments following each other rejected the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide motivating it with the issue of
the relations with Ankara; however this time the Government did not
suspend the discussion of the issue,” the editor wrote.

THE PAST AND PRESENT OF THE ARMENIAN TYPOGRAPHY

Noyan Tapan

02.06.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 02.06.2011) In the National Library of Armenia, the
two-day conference titled ~SThe past and present of the Armenian
typography~T was summarized. The conference was dedicated to the
500th anniversary of the Armenian typography. Welcoming the people the
director of the library and the head of the conference Rafik Khazaryan
happily mentioned that it was the first time that representatives
of the young generation also made speeches at the conference. ~SIt
is pleasant, that young people study the history of the Armenian
typography~T, noted R. Khazaryan.

The cultural figures of the Armenian Diaspora Perch Terzyan (Egypt)
and Jirayr Danielyan (Lebanon) were also present at the conference.

Not only the specialists of RA National Gallery made reports,
but also famous specialists, philologists, literary critics and
those who study this sphere, nearly 20 persons. They represented
the history and the present of the Armenian typography. The vice
director of M. Abekhyan Literature Institute Vardan Devrikyan made a
detailed speech on ~SImages of Holy Echmiatsin in the engravings of
the Armenian ancient book~T.

The speech made by playwright Bakhtiar Hovakimyan was about the role
of the Armenian typography in the activation of theatre life.

The head of the subdivision of the bibliography of Armenian Book and
Diaspora press of RA National Library Ofelya Gyulumyan made a speech
about the history of the Armenian typography of Constantinople during
20s of the 20th century.

The first sitting of the conference was summed up by the speech made
by Turkologist Hasmik Stepanyan. She spoke about the Turkish literature
written in the Armenian letters.

The second sitting of the conference was opened by the speech
of the member of “The National Centre for Armenian Studies” NGO
Arpine Simonyan. She introduced the engravings and decoration art of
publications by Tovma Vanandetsy. A. Simonyan mentioned that T.

Vanavdetsy’s books there is a system of illustration which includes
thematic images.

Then the head of RA National Assembly’s Ancient, Unique and Archival
Literature Department Melanyan Karapetyan made a speech about the
ancient period of the Armenian-Indian typography. According to her,
in the 18th century, three Armenian prints: Hakob Shahamiryan, priest
Harutyun Shmavonyan (Madras) and priest Hovsep Stepanyan (Kalkata)
existed and worked in India.

The speech of the Academic Secretary of Khnko Aper National Childish
Library Gayane Karapetyan referred to the origination of the Armenian
typography and the pole of libraries in book history.

The Candidate of Philological Sciences Aytsemik Korkotyan spoke
about the Armenian typography in Holland. She divided the history
of the Armenian typography in Holland into three periods: the first
period is the origination of printing in 1660-1666, the second period
referred to the Voskanyan printing during 1666-1670, and finally the
third period referred to Vanandian people printing, in 1685-1717.

The work of the conference continued on June 1. This time politician
Ruben Galchyan, the representative of American University in Armenia
Merujan Karapetyan, colleges of RA National Library and Masters of
“The National Centre for Armenian Studies” NGO introduced the Armenian
Mapping in 17th and 19th centuries, Armenian book of the newest era,
“Azatamart” Daily as an annalist of the life of Western Armenians and
the Information about the Armenian typography put in the Internet. For
example, the student of Master’s Degree of “The National Centre
for Armenian Studies” NGO analyzed the “Terunakan series” in Voskan
Erevantsy’s publications.

Summing up the conference the vice director of RA NL R. Khazaryan
noted that by this step the National Library wished to fix the
attention of all the stratus of our society on the 500th anniversary
of the Armenian Typography. The National Library will organize such a
conference in the autumn of this year too. It was suggested to print
all the reports made during the conference in a book. The president
of “The National Centre for Armenian Studies” NGO Gevorg Nersisyan
promised to cover all the financial expenses.

Soon the reports will be posted of the website of the National Library
of Armenia:

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER, WORLD BANK REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS DISCUSS BILATERAL COOPERATION-RELATED AGENDA

/ARKA/
June 2, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 2, /ARKA/. Armenian prime minister Tigran Sarkisian
received June 1 World Bank Regional Director for South Caucasus Asad
Alam. The parties have discussed a bilateral cooperation-related
agenda, including the status of Country Partnership Strategy (CPS)
program, the government press office reported.

They referred to those questions discussed at the 2010 September
forum held in Dilijan town with the Bank~Rs support which bore on the
possibilities for boosting investments, exports and economic growth,
as well as addressing poverty in a post-crisis environment.

In turn, Asad Alam said he joined Armenian vice-prime minister Armen
Gevorkian for a recent visit to Syunik province during which he was
able to familiarize himself with the status of World Bank-supported
projects and activities. In particular, visited Goris Medical
Center as overhauled under the World Bank~Rs Healthcare System
Modernization program where he got also a first-hand view of the
irrigation infrastructures-related projects and the activities of
Meghri customs house.

He next evoked his trip to Tatev monastic complex where he got
acquainted with the status of the road leading to Satani Kamurj from
Halidzor which has been rehabilitated with the World Bank~Rs support.

The interlocutors discussed ways of enhancing efficiency of joint
programs and, in this context, looked at the possibility of getting
technical assistance for some of them.

In conclusion, they discussed the possibility of modernizing the
system of public governance in Armenia through capacity building and
PIU integration with ministry staffs.

ISTANBUL POLICE DETAIN NATIONALIST ‘HERO’ OF KARABAKH WAR

Tert.am
02.06.11

The Istanbul police have detained a prominent figure of the
Nationalistic Movement party and participant of the Karabakh war,
Yusuf Zia Arpacik.

According to the Turkish TV channel NTV, Arpacik was among the 18
detainees arrested yesterday in Istanbul and Dyarbekir on suspicion
of arranging a terrorist plot at the party’s leader Devlet Bahceli’s
rally in Diyarberkir.

Arpacik is said to have been a respected Turkish field commander. He
was the personal bodyguard of Alparslan Turkesh, the founder and
former leader of the Nationalistic Movement party and the Grey Wolves
terrorist organization. A participant of the Nagorno Karabakh and
Iraqi wars, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and is reported to
have twice taken to flight. He is also said to have connections with
retired general Veli Kucuk, a chief defendant in the Erhgenekon case.

In 1992, Arpacik joined the Turkish Union of Winds organization (a
detachment of retired servicemen of the Turkish armed forces) as a
commander and left for Nagorno Karabakh to fight against the Armenians.

Earlier this year, Arpacik announced that if the war in Karabakh
resumes he will join the Union’s struggle once again to liberate what
he called Azerbaijani lands.

CHAMLIAN GYMNASIUM ARGUMENTS HEARD AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING
By Cassandra Morris

Montrose Patch

June 1 2011
CA

The City Council listened to nearly three hours of public comments
about the Chamlian Armenian School gymnasium.

Over 150 people attended the public hearing regarding the Chamlian
Armenian School gymnasium on Tuesday. After nearly three hours, the
City Council unanimously approved the construction, overturning the
Planning Commission’s January decision.

Here are some of the remarks heard by the council:

In Favor of the Gymnasium

“We get hurt when we play on the asphalt… Having a gym has been a
dream for most of us.”

-Armen Baghdasarian, Chamlian Armenian School 6th grader and volleyball
player

“…We take our physical education program very seriously. Chamlian
students have two class periods of P.E. each week. We have a
structured program that encourages regular exercise, speed,
coordination, teamwork, strength and endurance. Sports include
basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, flag football track and
field, jump rope,table tennis and simplified softball. Our students
participate in the Physical Fitness Presidential Challenge program
which encourages active and healthy lifestyles.

“However, as you might imagine, it becomes extremely challenging or
our PE coaches to run a strong program when they have to deal with
inadequate facilities and cancellation of classes due to poor weather
conditions. Building a gym would no doubt alleviate all these issues
and help us to continue providing our students with a well rounded
postive educational experience at Chamlian.”

-Annette Baghdasarian, Chamlian Armenian School Academic Director

“Some of our neighbors are concerned about the possiblity that we may
use the proposed gym to hold sports tournaments on our school grounds.

I would like to assure you… that will not be the case.

Quite honestly, it is illogical that we would be willing to spend
over $1 million to build a gym just so we could hold two to three
tournaments on our campus once a year. It should be obvious by now
that our only purpose for this project is to enhance our daily physical
education classes for our students.”

-Vazken Madenlian, Chamlian Armenian School Principal

“The difficulty I deal with at school is trying to play any sport
on asphalt. I can’t say how many times I’ve skinned my knees or gone
injured because we don’t have a gym to safely play games. Instead we
have asphalt.”

Our teams suffer because we can’t practice in bad weather… it would
be nice to practice in a gym.”

-7th grade Chamlian Armenian School soccer player

Against the Gymnasium

“The zoning has not changed but the school has. Lowell Elementary
was a benefit to the surrounding neighborhood as a local school. It
is a much different place now, with added new buildings and many
more students after many generous variances for building, reduced
parking and increased enrollment…. It is no longer a benefit to
the surrounding neighborhood.

Chamlian is a commuter school… Lowell Ave is clogged twice a day
from drop off and pick up. Now Chamlian wants to build a large gym
on an already overbuilt property.”

-Rick Larson, Second Ave. resident

“The council needs to consider the needs of the community versus the
values of a private group.”

-Thomas Hall, Abella St. resident

“Respect our neighborhood in spite of the politics, please.”

-Steve Johnson, neighborhood resident

“I don’t want this big monster standing above us. The school has
done well without it and it can continue. We have a lot of traffic
problems in our neighborhood because of the school. There’s gridlock
when I come home from work.”

-Neighborhood resident

Maria Muriello, a Dilbeck realtor, described having to disclose the
gymnasium construction to a recent buyer interested in a home on
Second Ave. “That’s a hard disclosure to make,” she said.

SISLI QUALIFIED TO THE FINAL OF TURKISH TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Panorama
June 1 2011
Armenia

“Sisli” Armenian club of Istanbul won in the last two matches of the
semi-final of the Turkish Team Championship. Armenian chess players,
leaded by GM Hrant Melkumyan, had victories over “Taksim” (5:3) and
“Ozel Deniz Adi” (7,5:0,5).

“Armchess.am” informs that “Sisli” won in four of the five matches in
the semi-final and received a right to take part in the final which
is to be held in Konya from July 3 to 10, 2011.

NEW YORK TIMES’ SHAMEFUL BREACH OF STANDARDS
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

The New York Times headquarters in Manhattan

In a page four article in Wednesday’s edition of New York Times,
titled “‘Frozen Conflict’ Between Azerbaijan and Armenia Begins
to Boil,” reporter Ellen Barry describes in detail makeshift and
government-sanctioned sniper schools teaching Azeri youth the fine
art of sniper fire to fight Nagorno-Karabakh.

In what can be described as a breach of simple journalistic standards,
Barry provides a detailed account of Azeri “refugees” living in
squalor and turning to the sniper schools to prepare for war against
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Her story is peppered with official
and person-on-the-street accounts of how war is the only option to
resolving the Karabakh conflict.

It is ironic. After all it was Felicity Barringer of the New York
Times who broke the news of the 1988 peaceful demonstrations in
Armenia and Karabakh, prompted by Glasnost and Perestroika, that
started what is now known as the “Karabakh conflict.” Her newspaper
diligently chronicled the savage Azeri pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad,
Baku and Shahumian and the resulting war that Barry now references
in her disheveled piece and attempt at reporting.

Barry quotes a 34-year-old and a 15-year-old student, both of whom
express their willingness-and readiness-to go to war and in one
instance also talks of the young Azeris’ shame for living in squalor
as the impetus for their military outlook.

It was also the New York Times that expressed outrage and condemnation
at the Madrassas being operated in Pakistan that trained young Muslims
to fight Osama bin-Laden’s Jihad against the West.

Barry’s piece seems to endorse the Azeri belief that the only way
out of the situation is to establish free sniper schools to teach
the young to fight. One wonders how the same publication can have
such divergent views on what is essentially the same approach.

The reporter also discusses the matter with Azerbaijan’s presidential
adviser, Ali Hasanov, who tells Barry, “There is no guarantee that
tomorrow or the day after tomorrow a war between Azerbaijan and
Armenia won’t start,” adding, “If necessary we are ready to give our
lives for territorial integrity.”

An obvious question for a presidential aide perhaps would have been:
why isn’t Baku spending all the riches it has amassed from oil and
gas deals to provide better living conditions for these refugees,
who Barry describes as “living along a dank, fetid hallway, on one
floor of a former office building” with “three rough, foul-smelling
holes in the concrete floor served as toilets for 21 families.”

Barry’s attempt to provide clarity of the international context of
the conflict also echoes the Azeri cries that they have been left
alone to fend for themselves.

“The United States, France and Russia do not do what they promised,”
Barry quotes Hasanov. “America now thinks Afghanistan and Iraq are
more important – and North Africa, and the missile defense shield in
Europe – than such regional conflicts as Nagorno-Karabakh.”

There is no mention of the OSCE chairman’s appeal-which Azerbaijan
unequivocally rejected-to both sides to withdraw their snipers from
what is known as the “line of conflict.” No mention again of last
week’s statement by president Obama, Sarkozy and Medvedev calling on
the sides to finalize the so-called “basic principles” and condemned
use of force in resolving the conflict. Nor, was there any mention
of the Azeri threats to down civilian aircraft. The latter threat
was even condemned by the most pro-Azeri US diplomat, Matthew Bryza.

The most incendiary part of Barry’s article is her conclusion where she
quotes Shafag Ismailova, a 34-year-old student at the sniper school
as saying: “We had a genocide, and no one helps us. Not America, not
Russia.” The New York Times, which covered the Armenian Genocide as
it was happening, should not allow such callous use of the word and
must warn its reporters to be more sensitive in such matters.

The timing of the piece is also suspect. During a period when
international attention has been focused on Karabakh, including a
meeting by Armenia’s foreign minister with Hillary Clinton on the
matter, the New York Times has mentioned the conflict in passing only
once when reporting on Azerbaijan’s victory in the Eurovision 2011
song competition.

Could it be that Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s current
visit to New York has promoted such a despicable piece in the New York
Times? Or, has Azerbaijan’s $35,000-a-month contract with Patton,
Boggs, LLC. to promote its interests in the US finally breached the
most impenetrable walls of the Gray Lady?

Whatever the case, it is pieces such as Barry’s and those editors
who approve their publication that might bring this “frozen conflict”
to a “boil.”

ILLEGAL COOPERATION BETWEEN VODAFONE EGYPT AND KARABAKH TELECOM REVEALED AND STOPPED

Azerbaijan Business Center
June 1 2011

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijani Embassy in Egypt has revealed the
fact of Vodafone Egypt ‘s cooperation in roaming area with mobile
communication operator Karabakh Telecom illegally operating on occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.

MFA of Azerbaijan reports that in connection with this Azerbaijani
Embassy in Cairo has sent a note to MFA of Egypt. The Embassy held
meetings with the Ministry’s authorities at which it was noted that
Vodafone Egypt ‘s cooperation with Karabakh Telecom was illegal and
did not correspond to international law principles and basic documents
of International Telecommunication Union and demanded to stop that
cooperation at once.

In response to this address of Azerbaijan MFA Egypt MFA has reported
of ceasing cooperation of Vodafone Egypt company with Karabakh Telecom.