Author: Kanayan Tamar

AZAD REHIMOV: THE MATCHES WITH ARMENIA MAY TAKE PLACE ONLY IN NEUTRAL FIELD

Azeri Press Agency
March 6 2007

"We cannot raise the flag, or play the anthem of a country that has
occupied 20 percent of our lands"

Youth and Sports minister Azad Rehimov interviewed by APA-Sport agency

-Is there any latest news about the place of the matches between
Azerbaijani and Armenian national squads?

-Azerbaijan has over one million refugees and displaced people. Their
parents and relatives were killed by Armenians. We cannot guarantee
that none of them will attack and beat Armenian players during the
matches. We cannot raise the flag, or play the anthem of a country
that has occupied 20 percent of our lands. This is our last decision.

We don’t want Azerbaijan-Armenia matches to take place neither in
Baku nor in Yerevan. Azerbaijan has already expressed its position
to the UEFA. The matches may take place only in neutral field.

– May any problem occur in a neutral field?

– It has been many times that the countries at war played in
neutral fields. If the UEFA passes a decision about the matches
to take place in Baku and Yerevan, we may receive technical 0-3
defeat. We are ready even to admit it. While being in Switzerland,
I asked the UEFA vice-president and chief of the commission for
place of Azerbaijan-Armenia match if any sanction will be imposed on
Azerbaijan in case if Armenian players are injured by the fans. He said
"yes". Then I asked what they want. I asked if they want us to line
soldiers and police officers from airport to the hotel. It is not
a football. How it is possible that our enemies arrive at the hotel
with security. The negotiations are being carried out on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict between the countries. Any event in the stadium in
Baku may negatively influence the negotiation process. May the UEFA
officials ensure that such events will not ruin the talks?

But we haven’t received any answers yet.

– What do you think about the matches to be in a closed stadium?

– Not all the factors I stated concern the fans. I don’t speak about
raising Armenian flag and playing its national anthem. There are many
refugee families settling in the hostels near the ministry. How can
they be calm if they know Armenians are playing in the other side of
the fence? The guaranty is a very serious issue.

– Why did you accept Armenians’ participation in the world wrestling
championship to take place in September in Baku?

– Armenia has no strong wrestlers. They have included 5 wrestlers from
Ossetia in their national team. They will attend the competition. As
the wrestling is not very popular, no Armenian fan will come to
Baku. Taking into consideration all these factors, we accepted that
they come to Baku. It is possible to ensure security of few Armenian
sportsmen in Sports Concert Complex.

– Armenians in Russian national team also refuse to come to Baku…

– It is up to them. They had also refused to join world boxing cup.

They refuse because they are afraid. Armenian champion Punik club
refused to play against Azerbaijani Neftchi in the Unity Cup last year
in Moscow. They said Russian Federation didn’t guarantee their safety.

– You have proposed to play in Austria, Switzerland or Ukraine. Did
you have any discussions with these countries?

– The AFFA addressed to the football federations of the UEFA member
states when we decided to play in neutral fields. More than half of
the countries gave positive answers. The AFFA chose three of them. I
think this is a right choice.

– Youth and Sports Ministry has announced to build a stadium admitting
70.000 people if Azerbaijan will be allowed to host Olympiad. Have
you choose place for the construction yet?

– There is a large field around the road to the airport. It is possible
to build not only a stadium, but also a Olympian town there.

There are also suitable places in Hovsan and Nobel Avenue. But for
now the main objective is to pass to the second stage among those
who intend to host 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

– What steps are you taking forward on the issue?

– We will present all necessary documents in time. We are working on
this. The other ministries also assist us as well.

– Foreign players are being included in the national football team of
Azerbaijan. How heartily can they play at the matches against Armenia?

– First of all, this is the selection and strategy of the head coach.

As a ministry, we cannot interfere with the plans of the coach. I
think Azerbaijani football needs foreign players now, because we
need better games to attract people and to make football popular in
Azerbaijan. It is a pity that local players cannot play well. It is
good to pick foreign players in the first stage. Thy play, they win
and people become interested and come to the stadium. It makes the
children to be interested in this sport. You can see how well the
national underage teams play. It serves to a gradual development of
football. As for foreigners’ playing heartily, of course, they won’t
be as selfless as Azerbaijanis. But they are paid salary and they
play well. I think they can achieve result.

– But there is no improvement in the national team though foreign
players have included in there…

– The most titled club of the world Real has only two qualified
Spanish players-goalkeeper Iker Casilias and forward Raul Gonsales.

But Real is famous as a Spanish club. Foreign players represent not
their homeland but the team they are playing in.

– 3+2 legionary limit have been put in our clubs. How expedient is
it to pick 6 foreigners in lineup?

– We have proposed the AFFA to discuss the limitation in the
conference, because the appeals and complaints by the clubs should
be reconsidered. It is in AFFA’s authority to put the issue in
discussion of football society. If clubs have proposals on the
limitation of players, it is better to hold a conference. The issue
will be reconsidered on April 26.

– There will be new elections to the AFFA at the end of the year.

Considering the problem that occurred between former leadership of
the federation and the ministry, how would you assess the activity
of current leadership?

– Former leadership of the AFFA had problem with not only the
ministry, but also with whole Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani football has
been entrusted to the AFFA. They operate by analyzing their duties. I
can assess them. Actually, they may be assessed according to the
results. Personally, I think football needs ten years to be improved.

– As far as is known, state officials in the national federations will
be replaced with a business people. Don’t you think this process should
be accelerated in order to ensure the freedom of the federations?

– I should state that our federations are free. If federation
chairman is a state servant, it doesn’t mean this organization is not
free. Sport is not a dividend field in Azerbaijan. The players don’t
earn much salary. The channels spend a great amount to broadcast any
international competition. But they don’t earn enough money from the
ads. Our sportsmen have no deal with foreign companies. Football is
not a beneficial field in Azerbaijan. We spend a lot of money to this
field to develop it. The players have problems which needs someone
to solve them. Youth and Sport ministry does everything possible to
solve financial problems. State officials can afford it. It is not
any financial problems. That’s why the various kinds of sports have
been entrusted to state servants.

– When is the president of Fencing Federation elected?

– We have no candidate who can be engaged in the problems of fencing.

The problems on this field should be raised in state, Parliament or
some ministry. We haven’t chosen anyone-sportsman, businessman or
state servant. We have offered the post to the businessmen as well
as state servants. Some have much work and some intend to be engaged
in other fields.

– Freestyle wrestling and lawn hockey federations are led by the same
person. Azerbaijan has opportunities to be represented in Olympic
Games in both fields. Won’t it be difficult to focus on both fields?

– Minister of Taxes Fazil Mammedov is the president of both
federations. But as we are informed, minister and his deputy have
shared the fields. Thus Fazil Mammedov is engaged in freestyle
wrestling and deputy minister Namig Aliyev is engaged in lawn hockey.

Fazil Mammedov is de-jure the president of both federations. The law
doesn’t forbid this.

– The attention to non-Olympic games differs from Olympic ones. Is
it connected with that non-Olympic games are not so popular?

– Karate is the second most popular sport after football in Azerbaijan
as well as in the world. We cannot say that karate is out of the
attention. 15 karate federations have united lately and formed a
Council. The ministry has allocated money to the Council. The Council
is to inform the ministry about honorary titles, categories of coaches,
foreign passports, military service of the sportsmen and etc. Sambo
was created during the former USSR period. It becomes less popular
in the world. But we contribute to the Sambo Federation and sambo
fighters. We also help chess players, kick boxers and powerlifters
in Azerbaijan. Baku will host European bodybuilding championship in
May. We focus on the organization of the competition and contribute
to it. Of course, there is a difference in financial support to the
Olympic games and non-Olympic games. Olympic sport games are of great
importance for the country.

– Have you taken any measure against the injustice that Azeri chess
player Teymour Radjabov faced in Mexico?

– Foreign Affairs Ministry invited Mexican ambassador to Turkey to
the Azerbaijani embassy in the same country. The embassy expressed
protest against the negligence by Patsuaro city structures to
the robbery. Patsuaro Mayor received Azerbaijan Chess Federation
vice-president Faig Hesenov and presented him a computer as
compensation. He said the event is being investigated by the police
and promised that the robbers will be found soon. Besides, we also
sent a protest letter to the International Chess Federation. We have
also suggested changing the date of competition which world famous
grandmaster doesn’t participate in.

– Sport has not been organized in high level in the Olympic Complexes
in the regions. What measures are you going to take as an adequate?

– The sport is organized well in Olympic Complex in Ganja. It is
never empty. There are always trainings and competitions. Guba
Olympic Complex also often hosts competitions. The complex provides
all opportunities for good training. Sheki Olympic Complex is being
repaired now. The complex in Shamakhi is not so active. But we are
working on it. I wish Mashtaga Olympic Complex to have competitions
more often. Olympic Complex should be near the city. Children shouldn’t
get there by bus or any other vehicles. Some complexes in the regions
are not so active because children there are interested in non-Olympic
games. Some complexes suffer financial problems. We are engaged in
this issue. There is a proposal to give a license to the complexes
free of charge. This will give the ministry an opportunity to be aware
of events in the regional complexes. The Olympic Complexes should be
closely connected and cooperate with federations and ministry.

– There is one more problem that some children are not allowed to
the complex because they don’t afford it.

– We have passed decision that time and dates should be scheduled for
national teams. The sportsmen should train in the complexes free of
charge if they have competitions or trainings in the regions.

Besides, poor children should train in the section of the complexes
free of charge. To organize a two-hour training twice or three times
a week won’t harm the activities of the complex. It won’t be damaged
by sharing 6 or 8 hours for free trainings if the complex operates
and earn all day long.

US media body laments increasing pressure on Armenian journalists

Arminfo
2 Mar 07

Yerevan, 2 March: Sixteen cases of preventing journalists from
exercising their professional duties were registered in Armenia in
2006, a study by Internews, a non-governmental organization, has
revealed. Only one of those cases has been referred to court.

David Sandukhchyan, the head of the Internews legal department, has
said the number of attacks on Armenian journalists has significantly
grown compared with previous years. Moreover, in most cases, the law
enforcers have played the role of the "pressure mechanism" on the mass
media. He described as unacceptable the situation when no individual
or entity had been prosecuted for physical violence against
journalists. Sandukhchyan said that only in few cases, some
individuals had been subjected to "minor" fines.

According to the study, only one criminal case has been launched under
Article 164 of the Armenian Criminal Code (preventing journalists from
exercising their professional duties, or pressuring them to
disseminate or not to disseminate information) since 1 August 2003; a
case was launched after a claim was filed by Aravot reporter Anna
Israyelyan. The case ended by the [assailant] paying 100,000 drams
[about 280 dollars] to the victim [Israyelyan]. So, Sandukhchyan
said, Article 164 exists only on paper. In reality, mass media
representatives are not protected by the law at all. "The country’s
government has not worked out effective mechanisms of protecting the
professional activities of journalists," Sandukhchyan said. He said
that in some cases, after journalists had turned to law-enforcement
agencies, criminal cases were launched against them (as it was the
case with photo journalist Gagik Shemshyan).

He said the situation in the country is such that representatives of
courts and law-enforcement agencies, applying brutal and illegal
methods, also cover up illegal activities of individuals and
entities. "I don’t rule out that there might be more cases of
unpunished pressure on journalists in connection with the forthcoming
parliamentary election," he said.

According to Sandukhchyan, only a stricter punishment for preventing
journalists from exercising their professional duties could change the
situation more or less. Internews has proposed amending Article 164 of
the Armenian Criminal Code as follows: actions against journalists or
their proxies when exercising their professional duties, which involve
violence and which result in harm inflicted to health or life, shall
be punished by a fine equalling 250 to 450 minimal salaries or
corrective labour for up to two years or imprisonment for up to five
years.

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
Fax: 617-484-1759
E-Mail: [email protected]

LECTURE ON ARMENIANS IN EGYPT TO TAKE PLACE AT ARARAT-ESKIJIAN MUSEUM

Sona Zeitlian of Los Angeles, CA, will give a lecture on "Armenian
Pioneers and Statesmen of Egypt," at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, 15105
Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA, on Sunday, March 4, at 4:00 p.m.
The lecture will be co-sponsored by the Museum and the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).

Zeitlian is the author of The Armenians in Egypt: Contributions of
Armenians to Medieval and Modern Egypt (2006). This is a richly
illustrated study of the Armenian involvement in the politico-military
and cultural developments of 11th and 12th centuries, as well as the
input of Armenians in the politico-economic evolution of modern Egypt,
the overhaul of its legal system and the reform of its educational
system.

Unique Perspective on Small But Significant Community

Although there have been several books written about Armenians in Egypt,
this volume offers a unique perspective on Armenians and the Armenian
community in the context of the sociopolitical reality of Egypt’s most
interesting and pivotal periods of history.

Armenians have had an uninterrupted presence in Egypt from the Roman and
Byzantine periods to modern times and, although numerically the
smallest, they rose to rank first among Egypt’s diverse minorities
mainly because of their active involvement in the fabric of Egyptian
society.

As personalities have counted far more than systems in Egypt, Muslim
Armenians have held leadership positions during the 11th and 12th
centuries, contributing to the political, economic, military, and
cultural development of medieval Egypt. Most of them were former
slaves, yet they had a palpable awareness of their identity and an
appreciation of their heritage as Armenians. During their tenure, the
Armenian See was established which functions to this day, Armenian armed
forces were instituted, and waves of Armenian refugees were given
opportunities to rebuild their lives, worship freely, and develop a
prosperous community.

The author also documents the achievements of Armenians in ministerial
and other leadership positions whose talents, foresight, and
statesmanship played a major role in shaping the Egyptian society and in
helping develop a vibrant Armenian community during the 19th and 20th
centuries.

Zeitlian offers a unique perspective on Armenian leaders, highlighting
their sense of responsibility as citizens, their respect for the law and
social justice, and the humanitarian treatment of people, regardless of
rank, economic standing, religion, or ethnic origin. They upheld these
values at a time when the concept of human rights did not even exist.

Sona Zeitlian was born in Cairo, Egypt. She has studied social sciences
and psychology at the American University in Cairo and taught in
community schools in Cairo and Beirut, and finally in Los Angeles since
1989. She has acted as senior editor of Los Angeles-based HSZ
Publications. In 1995 she was nominated to the Advisory Board of the
Gustave E. Von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA. She
has been active in educational work and community service and is highly
acclaimed for her lectures, panel discussions, and seminars.

Her previous publications include The Role of Armenian Women During the
War of Liberation (winner of the Cilician Catholicosate’s Melitinetsi
Award), The Folktales of Musa Dagh (with illustrations by Lucy
Tutunjian), Legendary Armenian Braves (four volumes, with illustrations
by Lucy Tutunjian), and The One and Only (Armenian/English folktale,
with illustration by Shushig Arslanian).

More information on Zeitlian’s lecture may be had by calling
617-489-1610, by fax at 617-484-1759, by e-mail at [email protected], or by
writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478; or by contacting
the Ararat-Eskijian Museum at 818-838-4862 or by e-mail at
[email protected].

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan 0002, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 27.00.03, 27.16.00 (temporary)
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46 (temporary)
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

February 27, 2007

Heritage Finally Allowed to Remove Property

Yerevan–Today marshals from the Service for Mandatory Execution of Judicial
Acts (SMEJA) of the Ministry of Justice at long last reopened the locked and
sealed doors of Heritage Party headquarters, and allowed the office staff to
remove the property belonging to Heritage and its founder Raffi K.
Hovannisian. The property had been held captive for nearly one year inside
the premises which Hovannisian had lawfully leased from the Paronian State
Theater.

During the inspection of the main office, which took place in the company of
SMEJA officials, Heritage staff noticed that several pieces of equipment and
other items in Raffi Hovannisian’s bureau had been moved from their original
places. Despite the demands of the party representatives, the marshals did
not officially take note of this evident fact.

The opening of the office doors followed Heritage’s numerous formal
petitions–to SMEJA, the Minister of Justice, the Prosecutor General, and
the Republic’s ombudsman–which previously had not received the courtesy,
and legal imperative, of a reply. The sole response came on February 26,
three days after Raffi Hovannisian had reminded a Yerevan press conference
that Heritage was entering the registration cycle of the upcoming
parliamentary elections still locked out of its party headquarters and
deprived of its rightful access to its property and documentary resource
base, including the party’s original bylaws which are required for election
registration. Hovannisian had promised to secure his civil rights "in
emergency fashion" if the doors were not opened immediately.

As such, the yearlong saga of Heritage’s office lockdown and subsequent
break-in moved into its next phase.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. As of
today, its central office is no longer located at 7 Vazgen Sargsian Street,
Yerevan 0010, Armenia. The new address is 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with email contact at [email protected] and website at

PRESS RELEASE

February 27, 2007

American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576
Contact: Gaiane Khchatrian
E-mail: [email protected]

AUA appoints Dr. Robert Bagramian Dean of College of Health Sciences

Oakland, CA – The Board of Trustees of the American University of Armenia
Corporation (AUAC) has approved the appointment of Dr. Robert Bagramian as
Dean of College of Health Sciences.

Dr. Bagramian is an accomplished scholar and the recipient of many awards in
the dental and public health spheres. He currently is a Professor in the
Schools of Dentistry and Public Health at the University of Michigan, where
he also served as a Professor and Chair in the Department of Community
Dentistry for seventeen years.

AUA President, Dr. Haroutune Armenian welcomed Dr. Bagramian in his new
position, "Dr. Bagramian is a highly respected academic with a distinguished
and international reputation. His teaching career spans over four decades at
major universities including the University of Michigan, University of
California, University of Berne, Switzerland and the National University of
Singapore. I am confident that Dr. Bagramian will have a significant impact
on the MPH program and AUA in general based on his academic and
administrative experiences, his ability to work with a variety of key
constituencies including governments, agencies and individuals, and his
successful development of training and health service programs both in the
United States and internationally."

Dr. Bagramian holds a Ph.D in Public Health from the University of Michigan,
School of Public Health, and a DDS Degree from the Temple University School
of Dentistry in Philadelphia. He provides consultancy services both
nationally and internationally, and serves as Chair of the Dental Health
Section of the American Public Health Association.

———————————— ——————–

The American University of Armenia Corporation (AUAC) is registered as a
non-profit educational organization in both Armenia and the United States
and is affiliated with the Regents of the University of California.
Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the
Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For more information about AUA,
visit

REQUIEM CEREMONY IN MEMORY OF WOODROW WILSON TO BE HELD IN ETCHMIADZIN AND ANTELIAS ON FEBRUARY 4

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 01 2007

ETCHMIADZIN, FEBRUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A requiem
ceremony dedicated to former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson will be
held at the end of the Sunday Surb (Saint) Liturgy at the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin, on this Sunday, February 4. Noyan Tapan was
informed about it by priest Vahram Melikian, the information system
responsible of the Mother See.

This decision was made responding the proposal presented by
Rafayel Hambardzumian, the Chairman of the "Oath of National Unity"
organization, to hold requiem ceremony in memory of the Armenian
people’s great friend every year, on Sunday nearest to Woodrow Wilson’s
death anniversary (February 3, 1924). As Mr.Hambardzumian informed
Noyan Tapan the same proposal was approved at the Catholicosate of
the Great House of Cilicia as well.

The "National Unity Oath" party presented a proposal in November
of the previous year to implement events in Armenia and Diaspora to
perpetuate Woodrow Wilson’s memory. President Wilson, particularly,
is the author of the map on territories to be returned to Armenia
by the Treaty of Sevres by which it was envisaged that Turkey was to
return about 90 thousand square km territory to Armenia.

PROPORTIONAL LIST OF REPUBLICAN PARTY IS BIASED: RPA REPRESENTATIVE

Arminfo
2007-03-01 14:16:00

The proportional list of the Republican party of Armenia is biased,
RPA member, the Head of the Commission on State-Legal Affaires Rafik
Petrosyan said at today’s press-conference. The parliamentarian’s
discontent was caused by the fact that first ten of RPA’s proportional
list included the newly-made republicans- businessmen Karen Karapetyan
and Harutiun Pambukyan. According to him, the RPA’s Council forecasts
that 40-45 members will enter the Parliament by a party list during
the May 12 elections. He also said that the parliamentary elections
in Armenia will again be held with violations. "In case the elections
are held with gross violations, Armenia will possibly be ruled out of
the Council of Europe, as well as of the program of the "Millennium
Challenges" American Corporation", he said.

To note, the proportional list of RPA was approved at the recently
held session of the party’s Council. Thus, according to the Council’s
decision, the candidates from RPA will stand for in the Republic’s
27th and 41st majority districts.

ARMENIAN ELECTORAL BODY APPROVES APPEARANCE, SIZE OF BALLOT BOXES

Mediamax news agency
27 Feb 07

Yerevan, 27 February: Armenia’s Central Election Commission [CEC]
has approved the appearance and dimensions of the ballot boxes and
ballot envelopes.

Transparent boxes will be used in the 12 May parliamentary polls. The
CEC passed a decision to reduce the size of the hole in the boxes
from 21 mm to 15 mm to prevent attempts to drop a large number of
ballots into the boxes.

The ballot envelopes for candidates under the first-past-the-post
system will be white, and those for candidates under the proportional
system will be beige. The CEC emblem will be depicted on the envelopes.

CEC chairman Garegin Azaryan said that the commission had passed
a decision on the procedure of entering data on the results of
voting. The chairpersons of all regional electoral commissions
will have to enter the results of vote counting into a nationwide
database. However, Azaryan said, in Yerevan, the old data transferring
system (using transport means) will be used because Yerevan is not
connected to the computer network. After the records arrive, the data
for Yerevan will be entered into the database too, Azaryan said.

REPRESENTATIVE OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH ALSO TO TAKE PART IN MEETING OF WCC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 27 2007

ETCHMIADZIN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Archbishop Vigen Aykazian,
the Interchurch Relations Responsible of the U.S. Eastern Diocese and
the Chairman of the U.S. National Council of Churches will represent
the Armenian Apostolic Surb (saint) Church at the next meeting of the
Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches to take place in
Geneva from February 27 to March 2. Issues relating to international
ecumenic peace-keeping meeting, the 10th congress of the WCC and
to the 10th (2001-2010) anniversary of overcoming violence will be
discussed at the meeting. The Executive Committee will also discuss
issues relating to spreading of nuclear weapons, state existing in
Africa and the role of the Church in similar cases. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the Information Services of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, the Committee meets twice a year and is elected by the
Central Committee which is the main heading body of the WCC.

CULTURE: FILM FESTIVAL FEATURES OFTEN-UNTOLD STORIES
By Claire Bigg

Radio Free Europe. Czech Rep.
Feb 27 2007

PRAGUE, February 27, 2007 (RFE/RL) — The ninth annual One World
documentary film festival opens on February 28 in the Czech capital.

>>From India to Belarus, from Kyrgyzstan to Brazil, the annual festival
offers a chance to catch little-seen documentaries on political and
social issues across the world.

One such film, "Three Comrades," tells the story of three young
men whose lives, like tens of thousands of others in Chechnya, were
shattered by the war waged by Moscow on Chechen separatists.

The film shows footage of Grozny in the early 1990s. Three friends —
Ruslan, Ramzan, and Islam — are seen driving through the streets of
the Chechen capital, listening to loud rock music on their car radio.

In voice-over, Islam Bashirov, speaking in the present, remembers that
time of his youth. "Fifteen years ago, we never would’ve believed
that this would be our story," he says in Russian. "Ruslan, Ramzan,
me. Together we were one."

"Some girls said that after a while I’d get used to it… I got used
to it all right, to alcohol, to this."

— Tatyana, Russian trafficking victim A few months after that carefree
ride through Grozny, the first Chechen war breaks out.

Ruslan is arrested and executed by Russian soldiers. Then Ramzan is
killed in an air strike on the city.

Only one, Bashirov, flees Chechnya and survives.

Mankind’s "Big Challenges"

The weeklong One World Festival, held annually in the Czech capital
since 1999, brings together little-seen documentaries like "Three
Comrades" that examine political and social issues across the world.

"The aim of the festival is to bring a more complex picture,
understanding, of what’s happening on the international arena, of
the main issues of our times, the political and social issues, the
big challenges of mankind," says Igor Blazevic, the festival director.

"We are trying to get people to re-think what they see on the news
every day or to see those things they do not see on the news. We want
to make them become active citizens."

One World, which runs in Prague cinemas from February 28 to March 8,
will show 123 films from 34 countries.

While the festival hopes to attract a broad audience, One World,
Blazevic says, targets mainly young people — "basically the new
generation, those who are looking for their values, for their places
in a globalized world, for private or generational answers to what
role they are playing in the world today."

The festival explores a series of armed conflicts, both current and
past, and the legacies they have left.

One of the documentary films, "A Story of People in War and Peace,"
tells the story of Vardan Hovhannisyan. The camera follows this
Armenian journalist as he tries to come to terms with his four years
fighting against Azerbaijani troops over the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, in the early 1990s.

"The war changed my life. It changed all our lives in Armenia,"
Hovhannisyan says to the camera. "Struggle, suffering, pain. I’ve
enjoyed 12 years of peace. I’m married with two beautiful children.

Life is so wonderful, and I don’t want to look back. But once,
my young son came up to me. He asked me: ‘Daddy, have you been a
soldier?’ And I don’t know what to say."

Global Issues, Local Stories

One World puts a human face on a wide range of hot-button topics, from
the spread of HIV, to ethnic tensions in Myanmar, ongoing violence
between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, the life of
Chornobyl victims, child rape in South Africa, or the treatment of
prisoners at the U.S. Guantanamo naval base.

Trafficking of women is also high on the festival’s agenda this year.

In "Fallen Angel," a Russian girl, Tatyana, recalls how she was forced
into prostitution in the Netherlands after her boyfriend sold her to
a pimp.

"Some girls said that after a while I’d get used to it. ‘A week or
so, and you’ll get used to all that,’" Tatyana says. "I got used to
it all right, to alcohol, to this. I wish I could turn back time and
that I’d never come to the Netherlands."

After some time, Tatyana found the strength to stand up to the abuse
and sought help. But instead of finding salvation, she became entangled
in a legal process that left her with vulnerable to a criminal gang
with no protection from the Dutch authorities.

Above all others, the main topic this year is political freedom. A
number of films are being presented under a special section called
"Democracy Report."

Festival director Blazevic says the films on this topic are not
limited to countries ruled by authoritarian regimes.

"We have films from countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus, Afghanistan,
where people are still striving to achieve democracy," he says. "But
we also have films questioning the quality of democracy in countries
like the United States, the Czech Republic, and Poland."