Author: Kanayan Tamar

Las Vegas Community Gathers for St. Garabed Church Cultural Center and
Koujakian Hall Opening

Friday, October 24th, 2014

The Prelate leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony

LAS VEGAS–The weekend of October 18 and 19 was a momentous one for
members of St. Garabed Church of Las Vegas who celebrated the grand
opening of the Cultural Center and Koujakian Hall, signifying the
successful completion of the project which had begun in 2009. The
weekend’s festivities commenced on Saturday, October 18 with a
celebratory banquet held at Cili Restaurant of Bali Hai Golf Course.
The official opening of the new complex was conducted by Western
Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian on Sunday, following Divine
Liturgy. Executive Council members participated in the events.

On Sunday morning the Prelate celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered
the sermon at St. Garabed Church, assisted at the altar by Parish
Pastor Rev. Fr. Arsen Kassabian. His Eminence began his address by
congratulating and commending the parish members on their latest
achievement, in particular Mr. Larry Barnes, the Dream Fund at UCLA,
and the Fattal, Yemendijian, and Koujakian families whose generosity
was vital to the project. His Eminence reminded the parish that though
they have completed the final phase of their project, their mission is
not over, stating “The mission of maintaining this church and cultural
center, of fostering our faith and heritage, is an ongoing one”.

He turned their attention to the day’s Gospel reading to hear what is
expected of all of us as faithful and active Christians. The passage
is of Jesus reading a Scripture by Isaiah proclaiming Him as the
Savior, with the spirit of the Lord upon Him, sent to proclaim “The
Good News of Salvation”. The Prelate went over the mission of our Lord
found in the passage; to preach the good news of God’s love and mercy,
to heal the brokenhearted and bring comfort and hope to others, to
free those bound by sin, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, to
free the weak and oppressed, and to proclaim the day of judgment. His
Eminence noted that the day before was the feast of the Holy
Evangelists, the four Gospel writers who faithfully fulfilled the
commission entrusted to them by Christ and in doing so taught us how
we too can and must do the same. “The spirit of the Lord is with us
today in this sacred house of worship. As children of God and devotees
of Christ, His mission, detailed above, is one that is required of us
each and every one of us. In our unique capacities, we are all
commissioned to continue the work our Savior, in the example He set
forth during His earthly ministry”, exhorted the Prelate.

The Prelate stated that the progress achieved by the community is
proof of their commitment to carrying out the mission entrusted to
them. However, he urged for continuous work to maintain both the
church and the cultural center; to preach the Gospel of Christ and
draw new faithful to the church, and to preach the beauty and value of
our language and culture and bequeath our heritage to generations.

At the conclusion of the service, guests gathered in the courtyard for
the grand opening ceremony, which began with the ribbon-cutting.
Inside the complex, sponsors were in attendance for the unveiling of
plaques. The newly renovated Koujakian Hall, sponsored by the Fattal,
Yemenidjian, Koujakian families, was unveiled by the grandchildren of
Apraham and Verjine Koujakian in whose memory the hall is dedicated.
The grandchildren of Dr. and Mrs. Raffi and Shoghag Hovanessian
unveiled the three paintings by artist Sarkis Hamalbashian donated by
the sponsors. Also unveiled were the kitchen by Mr. and Mrs. Raffi and
Siran Nersessian, the Boardroom by Mr. and Mrs. Adroushan and Nora
Armenian, two classrooms by Alex Karabajakian and Mari Rose Simon, and
the Game Room by Oshin Harootoonian. The ceremony culminated with the
unveiling of the St. Garabed Church and Cultural Center dedication
plaque of main benefactor Larry Banes, in memory of his wife Seda Der
Garabedian Barnes, and the Courtyard sponsor plaque of Mr. and Mrs.
Adroushan and Nora Armenian.

Guests enjoyed a reception hosted by the Fattal, Yemendijian, and
Koujakian families in memory of their parents. A cultural program
followed in the newly remodeled courtyard where students of the ARS
Verjine Koujakian Saturday School recited poems and sang Armenian
songs, and students from the Armenian Dance School of Las Vegas
performed dances.

The Prelate once again congratulated and commended the parish members,
benefactors, and faithful on their great accomplishment and wished
them continued successes in the years to come.

Lighting of candles by the sponsors was a highlight of the banquet

Banquet
On Saturday evening the Prelate presided over the celebratory banquet.

The program began with welcoming remarks by Master of Ceremonies Mrs.
Houry Darakjian, followed by the invocation by Parish Pastor Rev. Fr.
Arsen Kassabian and congratulatory remarks by Congresswoman Dina
Titus. Guests then enjoyed dinner accompanied by a musical
performance. On behalf of the Parish Council, Adroushan Armenian gave
an overview of the three phases of the construction process, beginning
from 2009. He thanked the donors and supporters for their generosity
and encouragement, owing to which he said the parish has made great
strides in the last five years. Keynote Speaker Arda Yemenidjan
expressed gratitude to all those who made the dream of a Church and
Cultural Center a reality. She thanked the Prelate for his leadership,
benefactor Larry Barnes and Dream Fund at UCLA for their generosity,
Parish Pastor, Parish Council, and Building Committee members for
their tireless work, and the Armenian Relief Society for planting the
seeds of education in the community. Consul General of Armenia Sergey
Sarkisov addressed the gathering, conveying his congratulations to the
community.

The Prelate was then invited for the presentation of plaques, which
were awarded to Building Committee members Levon Gulbenkian and Koko
Darakjian in appreciation for their dedicated service to the project
since its inception, and to Mr. and Mrs. Greg and Annie Gevorkian for
completing the construction in a timely and efficient manner. In honor
of the Year of the Elder, Parish Council Chair Mr. Garabed Bedirian
and his wife Zaruhi received special recognition for their service to
the parish and community.

The Prelate began his message by thanking God for the occasion and
praying for His blessings upon the parish as they begin a new phase of
their mission. “The Western Prelacy family rejoices with you today,
evidenced by the number of Executive Council members here tonight, the
presence of the honorable Consul General Sergey Sarkisov, and the
guests who have come from near and far to share in this joy with you.
You are a wonderful example that with faith and trust in God, nothing
is impossible”, stated His Eminence. He applauded the unity and
collaboration of the community, which he said has led to the
successful completion of the complex where faithful of all ages can
safely gather in a warm family atmosphere to celebrate our language
and culture and pass down our heritage to the younger generations. The
Prelate expressed joy especially for the upcoming launch of the Sunday
School and programs for the elderly. Thus, he commended all those who
had a hand in this latest accomplishment, the Parish Pastor, Parish
Council, Building Committee, generous sponsors, most notably Mr. Larry
Barnes and the Dream Fund at UCLA, donors, and faithful friends. He
commended also the Fattal, Yemenidjian, and Koujakian families for
their generosity in sponsoring the hall memorializing their parents.
The Prelate concluded his message by urging the parish to continue
their service with faith, humility, brotherly love, enthusiasm, and
harmony.

The cutting of the cake and candle-lighting ceremony followed. The
official program came to a close with the benediction, Cilicia and the
Armenian national anthem.

Karen Movsisyan at World Senior Championship

14:37 25/10/2014 >> SPORT

Armenia’s Grandmaster Karen Movsisyan started with a win at the World
Senior Chess Championship (50+) in Katerini, Greece, the official
website of Armenian Chess Federation reported.

Source: Panorama.am

Beeline and Cafesjian Center for Arts launch two new learning programs
for school-age children

YEREVAN, October 24. / ARKA /. ArmenTel telecom (trading as Beeline)
and the Cafesjian Center for the Arts have announced today the launch
of two learning programs, designed for school-age children.

ArmenTel said in a press release that the first program called
“Kochar: Challenging the Time” is dedicated to the 115th birthday
anniversary of the renowned Armenian artist Yervand Kochar. It will
offer tours of the gallery and a documentary about the artist.

The second program is part of an exhibition called “The choice of the
Yerevan collectors: Ruben Angaladyan – letters in the plate.”

The exhibition presents famous Armenian culturologist, writer and
collector Ruben Angaladyan, featuring a selection of unique art plates
from his rich collection. It brings together seventy-seven works by
sixty-four artists, revealing the bright character and aesthetic
mindset of the Collector, as well as the rich cultural environment, in
which those pieces of applied arts found their artistic expression.

Tatev Harutyunyan, the head of ArmenTel’s public relations unit, said
the joint programs with Cafesjian Center for the Arts will allow
children and their parents to learn about the history of art and
replenish their knowledge.

Astkhik Mehrabyan from the Cafesjian Center for the Arts said, “We
believe that these programs, as well as all the previous ones will
serve as an incentive for children to make new discoveries that will
contribute to the development of their ‘s imagination and creative
thinking.”

The programs are free. For more information and pre-registration one
should call 37410 54 19 32; 37410 54 19 34.

Beeline and the Cafesjian Center for the Arts have been collaborating
since 2011 by conducting joint creative workshops, children’s and
youth programs, classical music concerts and other educational
projects focused on the aesthetic education of children and the youth.

ArmenTel is owned fully by Russian VimpelCom. It provides fixed and
mobile telephony as well as high-speed Internet.

The Cafesjian Center for Arts in Yerevan, which opened in 2009, is one
of the foremost centers for contemporary art. It consists of Visitor
Center, a shop, a lounge and an area for special events and
exhibitions on 11,000 square meters. -0-

ARMENIE
Les cultures de blé d’Arménie en hausse de 85,4%

Les cultures de blé brut en Arménie ont augmenté de près de 156 000
tonnes ou 85,4% au cours des quatre dernières années et elles
atteignent environ 340 000 tonnes en 2014 a déclaré le ministre de
l’agriculture Sergo Karapetian lors d’une réunion du gouvernement.

Certains problèmes ont été trouvés, mais de bons résultats ont été
enregistrés au cours de la mise en oeuvre du programme de culture de la
graine, a déclaré le ministre. La productivité des semences a été
améliorée – de 21,2 quintaux à l’hectare en 2010 à 32 quintaux cette
année, selon Sergo Karapetyan.

En dehors de cela, la superficie des cultures a augmenté de 29 300
hectares, soit 18,4% au cours des quatre dernières années et est
maintenant 188 600 hectares face à la tendance à la baisse enregistrée
avant 2010.

samedi 25 octobre 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Génocide : la justice vue d’Arménie

vendredi 17 octobre 2014

Génocide arménien : reconnaissance et réparations

Point de vue d’Arménie

Génocide : la justice vue d’Arménie

Lilit Gasparyan

Journaliste d’Arménie

Les Arméniens du monde entier, en Arménie et en Diaspora, s’apprêtent
à l’échéance de 2015 pour commémorer à travers divers événements le
100èmeanniversaire du Génocide des Arméniens. La commémoration du
Génocide dans la société arménienne a été accompagnée en général
d’exigences de réparation et de revendications territoriales.
Cependant, l’absence de mention de réparation dans les résolutions et
les lois adoptées par différents parlements reconnaissant le Génocide
arménien a créé une impression erronée selon laquelle la seule
revendication arménienne vis-à-vis de la Turquie est la reconnaissance
du Génocide, ce qui est tout à fait faux.

L’exigence de réparation s’est exprimée de différentes façons à
différentes époques et de la part de divers milieux, telles que >, >, >, etc.

Dans les années 1920-30, le 24 avril était célébré principalement en
Diaspora, par des cérémonies religieuses. Pendant les premières années
de la soviétisation de l’Arménie cette date était surtout commémorée
dans les églises et plus tard, avant 1965, la mémoire des victimes du
Génocide était commémoré essentiellement dans les familles, en tant
que jour de mémoire des parents et des proches. C’étaient surtout des
organisations politiques qui revendiquaient des réparations de la part
de la Turquie sous forme aussi de restitutions territoriales en
saisissant par leurs demandes différentes instances internationales ou
milieux politiques.

Vers la fin de la Seconde guerre mondiale, en 1945, les partis
politiques et mouvements arméniens de la Diaspora se sont adressés à
l’Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU) nouvellement créée et à
d’autres instances internationales avec une demande de soutien afin
que les Arméniens puissent se faire restituer leurs territoires dont
les frontières avaient été précisées par la décision arbitrale du
président américain Woodrow Wilson, le 22 novembre 1920.

En 1946, le Commissariat du peuple de l’Arménie soviétique (ministère
des Affaires étrangères) prépare le dossier spécial N°410 intitulé > où, à grand
renfort d’arguments, explique pourquoi l’Union soviétique doit
revendiquer à la Turquie certains territoires arméniens.

Aux premières années de la guerre froide les revendications
arméniennes devinrent moins insistantes, sans cesser pour autant. Pour
les Arméniens vivant en Occident il n’était pas facile politiquement
de revendiquer des territoires à un Etat membre de l’OTAN, la Turquie,
pour les rattacher à l’une des républiques de l’URSS, l’Arménie
soviétique. Il était plus facile de parler de la nécessité de punir
les responsables des massacres arméniens que Raphael Lemkin, le père
de la Convention pour la prévention et la répression du crime de
génocide adoptée par l’ONU en 1948 avait qualifiés de génocide, sans
pour autant négliger le problème des réparations.

Le 24 avril 1965, le 50ème anniversaire de la commémoration des
victimes du Génocide arménien est célébré pour la première fois en
Arménie soviétique au niveau de l’Etat. En marge de l’événement
officiel, une manifestation regroupant des milliers de personnes sous
le slogan > porté sur des pancartes a lieu à
Erevan.

La même année, la question de la reconnaissance internationale du
Génocide arménien est soulevée à l’ONU et l’Uruguay le reconnaît par
une loi. On assiste parallèlement à la politique négationniste turque
qui va grandissant.

En 1973, l’une des sous-commissions onusiennes se penche, pendant des
années, sur la question d’inclure le Génocide des Arméniens dans son
rapport spécialisé, ce qui se concrétise finalement en 1985.

A cette période, il était question principalement du fait de génocide.
Quant à l’exigence adressée à la Turquie pour que celle-ci le
reconnaisse, comme cela était le cas pour la résolution du Parlement
européen du 18 juin 1987, il était noté que la Turquie d’aujourd’hui
ne pouvait pas être responsable de la tragédie arménienne vécue sous
l’empire Ottoman, soulignant que >.
Cette > témoigne du fait que la question de revendications
vis-à-vis de la Turquie a toujours existé, c’est pourquoi le Parlement
européen a souhaité y faire obstacle.

C’est dans ce climat que le Soviet suprême (parlement) de l’Arménie
soviétique met en place, le 23 septembre 1989, la commission >.

Dans le message à la nation du 24 avril 1998 du président de la
République d’Arménie, Robert Kotcharian, on lit : >. Le 20 avril 2005, Robert Kotcharian affirmait : >
L’année suivante, il disait à la même date : >

Le fondateur du parti >, le tout premier ministre des
affaires étrangères d’Arménie Raffi Hovhannissian qui à maintes
reprises a parlé du Génocide arménien et de la responsabilité turque,
énonçait dans son programme électoral de candidat présidentiel en 2013
:

Le 27 mai 2014, Erevan accueille la quatrième séance de la commission
d’Etat de coordination des événements dédiés au centenaire du Génocide
présidée par Serge Sarkissian. Dans son discours il explique : . Le GERGA présente les
propositions suivantes concernant les réparations du Génocide arménien
fondées sur cinq composantes de réparations complètes.

(1) Punition

>

(2) Reconnaissance, pardon, enseignement et devoir de mémoire

>

(3) Soutien aux Arméniens et à l’Arménie

>

(4) L’assainissement de la Turquie

>

(5) Restitution de biens et indemnisation des biens, ainsi que pour le
décès ou la souffrance causés. >>

Des sommes allant de 70 milliards à 105 milliards d’USD sont fixés. Le
groupe d’études considère que le territoire fixé par la décision
arbitrale du président Woodrow Wilson est la meilleure solution de
réparation politique, mais il considère d’autres solutions aussi.

Dans son discours de clôture adressé aux 700 participants à la
cinquième conférence Arménie-Diaspora Serge Sarkissian dit >

L’un des quatre thèmes de la même conférence portait sur le C’était la première fois que du haut de la
tribune de l’ONU un président arménien évoquait la perte de la patrie,
même si Sarkissian l’avait déjà rappelé à d’autres occasions.

>, >, >, >,
ce sont les maîtres mots que les Arméniens utilisent lorsqu’ils
parlent de la solution du problème du Génocide. Il semble que le
centenaire est l’occasion pour que ces mots soient entendus aussi par
la communauté internationale et surtout par la Turquie.

PARIS
Hasan Cemal à l’UGAB : l’honneur de la Turquie

Comment en venir à reconnaître le génocide des Arméniens quand on est
le petit fils de Djémal Pacha, l’un des trois organisateurs avec Talt
Pacha et Enver Pacha de l’entreprise d’extermination ? Comment
accomplir ce geste quand de surcroit votre grand-père a été victime
d’un commando de justiciers arméniens ? Ce sont les affres de cet
accouchement intellectuel, à la fois très intime et très symbolique de
la mauvaise conscience de son propre pays, dont est venu parler
vendredi soir Hasan Cemal à Paris. L’homme qui se trouvait sur
l’estrade du centre Alex Manoogian de l’UGAB avait eu une autre vie
avant de cheminer vers la reconnaissance du génocide arménien. Il
était éditorialiste à Milliyet, journaliste très connu en Turquie.
Considéré comme l’un des faiseurs d’opinion du pays, il avait de
surcroit l’oreille des autorités. Un statut social qui a subi les
conséquences de la publication de son livre événement intitulé, 1915 :
le génocide arménien, sorti en 2012.

Cet ouvrage qui a suscité la controverse et dont il est venu expliquer
la genèse fait écho au plan personnel au questionnement auquel
commence à se livrer la Turquie sur ce crime fondateur érigé en
véritable tabou national. Un interdit d’Etat qui n’a commencé à se
fissurer que dans les années 70-80, avec le surgissement de la cause
arménienne dans l’actualité internationale, puis qui a été érodé par
le travail des premiers intellectuels éditeurs et historiens turcs sur
la question dans les années 90, mais qui a surtout été fragilisé grce
à l’action de Hrant Dink. Le travail, les mots, puis le tragique
assassinat du journaliste d’origine arménienne devant le siège du
quotidien Agos à Istanbul en janvier 2007 ayant été le catalyseur de
la libération de la parole sur le génocide des Arméniens,
expliquera-t-il.

Hasan Cemal, Samson Ozararat, Alexis Govciyan.

Hasan Cémal a posé devant une salle comble une série de questions très
profondes sur les tabous, les fléaux que constituent le nationalisme,
le racisme, le négationnisme, mais aussi sur la fonction des
intellectuels dans son pays. Comment peut-on vivre dans un
environnement qui oblige à cacher son origine ?, s’est-il interrogé en
évoquant le cas de deux de ses illustres confères chroniqueurs, Mehmet
Ali Birand et Ilhan Celik, dont il a fallu attendre la mort pour
apprendre que le premier était de mère Kurde et le second de mère
arménienne. Des secrets qu’ils avaient cachés tout au long de leur
vie. Ce sont ces interdits, générés par l’idéologie dominante turque,
laquelle a aussi longtemps emprisonné sa propre pensée, qu’Hasan Cemal
a décortiqués devant un public arméno-turc qui buvait ses paroles.

Hasan Cemal à la tribune.

Evoquant a lancé Hasan Cemal à la salle. >. Et pourtant, .
Quand bien même l’exercice fut-il douloureux. Pour Hasan, celui qui a
fait le plus >, jusqu’à y perdre sa vie, c’est
Hrant Dink, avec lequel il raconte avoir noué un dialogue imaginaire,
dans l’enceinte du mémorial du génocide à Erevan, en ce jour de l’été
2008 où il s’y était recueilli. Un hommage à son ami qui clôturera ce
beau discours écrit, qu’a traduit simultanément Kirkor Adjéranian et
dont le contenu sera publié dans la presse turque du 25 octobre.

La salle pleine (photo Krikor Djidjirian)

La soirée s’est poursuivie par des questions posées par le public.
Hasan Cemal y précisera notamment qu’il a peu de famille. Juste deux
cousins qui n’ont pas critiqué son livre. Il a évoqué le petit fils
d’Enver Pacha, qui travaillait en Turquie pour une firme d’arme
américaine et la fille de Talät Pacha, chimiste, que le hasard a amené
à travailler un temps avec son père, fils aîné de Djémal Pacha, dans
une entreprise de ciment. Il n’a aucun contact avec eux. Sur la
question des réparations, Hasan Cemal a répondu qu’il n’était pas
expert en la matière et a renvoyé le public à son livre, indiquant
tout de même les réactions épidermiques que suscitait l’évocation de
ce problème en Turquie… Il pense néanmoins que la Turquie finira par
reconnaître le génocide. Citant les difficultés de la France à
regarder en face la guerre d’Algérie et même celles de l’Allemagne (
il a affirmé que 65% des Allemands s’étaient dits hostiles au geste de
Willy Brand qui s’était agenouillé à Auschwitz), il estime que la
Turquie n’est pas le seul pays au monde à refouler les pages sombres
de son passé, quand bien même il combat cette attitude. Il a qualifié
également de crime contre l’humanité le fait que les Arméniens aient
été arrachés à leurs terres dont il pense qu’ils gardent la nostalgie.
La réunion s’est terminée par la signature du livre de Cemal. Un
ouvrage en turc qui attend sa traduction en Français.

Séance de dédicaces(photo Krikor Djidjirian)

L’intellectuel était accompagné par Samson Ozararat, qui dirige avec
Kirkor Adjéranian SOS Arménie-côte d’Azur, co-organisateur de la
réunion avec l’UGAB ile-de-France.

Alexis Govciyan, président de l’UGAB-Europe, qui a introduit et
clôturé cette réunion en annonçant à juste titre qu’elle revêtait un
caractère exceptionnel, a rappelé, fort à propos, les mots de Raymond
Aron : >. Un
sentiment largement partagé par l’auditoire de cette soirée.

Hasan Cemal et Kirkor Adjeranian (photo Krikor Djidjirian)
Photo Krikor Djirdjirian
Photo Krikor Djirdjirian

samedi 25 octobre 2014,
Ara (c)armenews.com

The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 24 2014

Armenia milk producers to discuss dairy product export to Russia

Friday, October 24
If desired, a variety of dairy products can be exported from Armenia
to Russia. Ghukas Buniatyan, President of the Union of Dairy Producers
of Armenia, told the abovementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Of course the easiest is cheese exports. But I believe that other
dairy products can be exported, too. If transported on a plane, it
will be possible to preserve the [expiry] dates.

“We have not been negotiating yet on this matter, but we may discuss
[this issue] in the future with the Russian partners,” Buniatyan
added.

>From the dairy products, Armenia solely exports cheese and milk
powder, and cheese makes up 65 percent of the country’s total export.

KARABAKH: MODEST WIN FOR BUS FARE PROTESTORS

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #756
Oct 24 2014

Facebook helps mobilise protest movement.

By Knar Babayan – Caucasus

Public protests are rare in Nagorny Karabakh, where the Armenian
population has been bound by a sense of solidarity since war with
Azerbaijan ended two decades ago. But when bus fares in the capital
Stepanakert went up by 40 per cent at the start of October, commuters
felt enough was enough.

Fares went up from 70 to 100 drams a ride on October 1. Although the
new fare is equivalent to just 25 US cents, many residents of this
city of 70,000 said they could not afford it.

“I make a trip to play chess or spend some time with my friends,”
83-year-old pensioner Vachagan Sargsyan said. “If I have to spend
200 drams a day on travel, I’ll have nothing left of my pension.”

Sargsyan was among around 100 people gathered outside the city mayor’s
office on September 24 to express their concerns. One of their banners
said it all – “We’ll pay 70 but not 100,”

Another participant, Ruzanna Avagyan of the Nagorny Karabakh Refugees
group, said this was about more than bus fares.

“Today they’re raising transport fares, and if we remain silent,
they’ll start increasing the prices of gas, electricity and water
tomorrow,” she said. “I’m here because I cannot afford to pay 100
drams a trip.”

Mayor Suren Grigoryan came out and invited a delegation of 20 to come
in and discuss their concerns. Once inside, he refused to talk to
them unless the journalists accompanying them left, saying he did
not want the conversation to be blown up into something big. The
protesters refused his terms, and the meeting fell apart.

When a somewhat smaller demonstration took place on September 29
outside the Karabakh government building, Prime Minister Arayik
Haratyunyan met them.

According to Tigran Grigoryan, chief editor of the Artsakhnews.am
news site, the prime minister has gone at least some way to meeting
their demands, which were now focused on targeted subsidies rather
than a blanket fare cut.

Grigoryan, who is also a student, said Harutyunyan subsequently told
an audience at Stepanakert’s university that “the government plans
to subsidise [public] transport costs for students and vulnerable
social groups both in Stepanakert and in [other] regions of Karabakh.

Discussions are currently taking place with the labour and welfare
ministry on options for making this mechanism work.”

Grigoryan said the campaign had really taken off because of the rising
popularity of social networking websites, which had changed the whole
mood in Karabakh. At its heart was a campaigning Facebook page (here,
in Armenian) which had helped mobilise protestors.

Fellow-student Vladimir Dolukhyan argues that what really clinched
the deal was securing meetings with officials including Prime Minister
Harutyunyan.

“We believe that street protests [alone] are no longer effective, so a
decision was taken to secure individual meetings with representatives
of the relevant government institutions to press for [fare] subsidies
for vulnerable social groups,” he said.

The bus fare comes amid rising prices for foodstuffs and other
essential goods and services in Karabakh. Last year, gas and
electricity prices went up as well, although the government promised
to subsidise the latter.

When the bus operators applied to the mayor’s office for a fare
increase this May, they cited the rising cost of diesel and spare
parts. They asked for the fare to be set at 120 drams, which the
mayor’s office cut to 100 drams after commissioning a study on the
actual cost.

Levon Chalyan, director of the Stepanakert-Service company, said the
firm was constantly shelling out money to run its fleet of Hyundai
buses, which took a pummeling from the “pitiable state of the roads”
and also needed frequent repairs to their seats. In addition, bus
drivers had recently been issued with uniforms.

“All of that requires spending,” he said.

Chalyan’s company says it is running at a loss and only survives
because its debts have been covered by the Artsakh Investment Fund,
a government agency. The city’s other bus operator, Mher, which has
about a third of the market, runs at a modest profit.

Fund director Artak Mirzoyan said the fare increase would generate
extra revenue of 100 million drams (250,000 dollars) a year, more or
less what his institution was giving Stepanakert-Service in subsidies.

Chalyan said more income would mean a better bus service for the
public and a ten or 15 per cent pay rise for the firm’s 62 drivers,
who were now on 100,000 drams a month.

A driver for the company who asked not to be named said he was against
the fare rise and doubted it would translate into higher wages.

Knar Babayan is a freelance journalist in Stepanakert.

WEST HAS “DRAWN” BORDERS OF ARTSAKH AHEAD OF RECOGNITION

Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 24 October 2014, 21:41

After yesterday’s meeting of the Republican Party’s executive board
the party’s spokesman Edward Sharmazanov announced, “We established
our position ahead of Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting: there is no alternative
to the international recognition of NKR independence.”

Was the recognition of Karabakh by Armenia discussed during the
Republican board meeting as a premise of membership of Armenia to the
Eurasian Union? This idea has been put forth by the Heritage Party but
neither the ruling party, not the three non-governmental forces and
ARF Dashnaktsutyun have supported this idea. On the other hand, it is
obvious that the recognition of Karabakh may become the most topical
issue of the region in the context of redesign of the region and
international isolation of Russia, as well as several other processes.

The deputy foreign minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan has recently
warned that Armenia may recognize the independence of Karabakh at
any time. He has announced about this in answer to a question on
possible challenges that Karabakh may exposed to if Armenia joins
the Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia, however, has decided to bid on
the international isolation, said Artak Zakaryan, chairman of Foreign
Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

Who may recognize Karabakh and is it possible in the nearest future?

The question is that after membership to the Eurasian Economic Union
Russia’s role, including in the settlement of the Karabakh issue, will
grow suddenly. The balance of forces maintained by Russia-U.S.-France
triangle may be disrupted, and Moscow may monopolize the issue,
getting hold of the “keys” to the region.

The United States and France may have a plan for this case, and it
is possible that this plan is the recognition of the independence of
Karabakh. There are suppositions that this option may be discussed
during Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting in Paris. There are assumptions that
this option may be discussed during the Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting
in Paris. Recently, there have been frequent visits of European,
including French and German members of parliament and politicians to
Karabakh, which has caused Baku’s anger. The Europeans have immunity.

For example, recently the French town of Bourg de Valence and Shushi
town of NKR have become sisters, and nothing happened.

In the meantime, having bid on the international recognition of
Karabakh, Armenia must find out whether it will favor the Armenian
side or not. After all, it is important to know with what borders
Karabakh will be recognized. If the Armenians have to pay a price
for recognition that they cannot afford, it will mean that it favors
someone else but not Armenia. The one who will recognize Karabakh
the first will be the leader of the region and will identify the new
borders. Therefore, Armenia must draw its borders first before the
international recognition.

The minister of defense Seiran Ohanyan announced during the
August escalation that the Armenian side is not going to hand any
territories. If the position of the Armenian government is such, Serzh
Sargsyan must announce about it in Paris, rejecting the principles
of Madrid that assume territorial concessions.

The Karabakh conflict may be the next issue on the international
agenda. The German foreign minister Steinmeier has visited Baku
and Yerevan and spoken about Karabakh. Besides, Iran and the West
may sign a “peace” agreement on November 24, and land communication
between Iran and Europe will become urgent. And the Iran-Karabakh
border spans 100 km.

THOUSANDS TAKE PART IN ‘ARMENIAN CULTURE WEEK’ AT CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

Performers on stage during an Armenian Culture Week event

LISBON–The first ever Armenian Culture Week (from Oct. 12 to 19)
at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation generated much excitement and
interest in Lisbon, Portugal. Sixteen events took place in eight days,
including concerts, lectures, seminars and exhibitions.

“It was an intense week,” said Razmik Panossian, the Director of the
Armenian Communities Department, “as we brought to Portugal various
aspects of Armenian culture and history. I was truly and pleasantly
surprised at the great interest the Week generated among the general
public and among my colleagues at the Foundation.”

Music Five concerts highlighted traditional and classical Armenian
music as the sound of the duduk and other Armenian instruments filled
the packed the 1000-seat Grand Auditorium on several occasions.

Shoghaken Ensemble’s Road to Armenia concert kicked off the Week
on October 12. Founded in 1995, the Ensemble interprets songs and
melodies, playing them on traditional instruments. The results
“are stunning in their drive, beauty and mystery” according to the
Boston Herald.

On Tuesday night, Oct. 14, a free Armenian chamber music concert was
given by Gulbenkian Orchestra soloists and their guests, performing
pieces by Arno Babajanian, Tigran Mansurian and of course Komitas. The
audience was captivated by the delicate music and the voice of soprano
Manuela Moniz whose repertoire included the classic song of longing,
“Groung.”

Thursday and Friday nights the full Orchestra, conducted by Pedro
Neves, played Armenian and Portuguese composers as part of its regular
series: Luís de Freitas Branco and Aram Khachaturian, including the
famous Suite no. 3 from Gayane. Nareh Arghamanyan, the invited piano
soloist, enchanted the audience with her spirited interpretation of
Khachaturian. Friday’s main concert was followed by another Armenian
chamber music concert, playing compositions by Harutiun Dellalian,
Karen Khachaturian and Vache Sharafyan.

A quartet performs pieces by Armenian and Portuguese composers

The music series was closed on Sunday 19 October by the Jordi Savall’s
wonderful “Spirit of Armenia” sold-out concert. His ensemble,
including invited musicians from Armenia produced an enthralling
musical experience.

Roundtables, Lectures and Book Launch

Three public events provided much needed information about the Founder
and his culture on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

The roundtable “More than Mr. 5%: The Early Life of Calouste
Gulbenkian” focused on the Founder’s early life and his inspiring
example still relevant to us. The President of the Foundation, Artur
Santos Silva, opened the proceedings. The Director of the Library and
Archives, Ana Paula Gordo, brought the archives to life by highlighting
some of the hidden treasures it contains, including letters from a
very young Gulbenkian to his father. Jonathan Conlin, the biographer
of Calouste Gulbenkian, presented some of the early findings of
his research, leaving the audience eager for the publication of his
book. Finally, Martin Essayan, Gulbenkian’s great-grandson and Trustee,
delivered an inspiring speech aimed largely at the employees of the
Foundation. Openness, cooperation and effectiveness were key words
throughout his discourse. The roundtable was moderated by Razmik
Panossian.

The Portuguese version of Vassili Grossman’s book, An Armenian
Sketchbook, was launched on Wednesday as well. Published by Don
Quixote, it appears under the title “Bem Hajam! Apontamentos de Viagem
a Armenia.” Filipe Guerra, one of the two translators of the book
explained the context of the book and Grossman’s visit to Armenia in
the early 1960s.

The formal opening of the “Networks of Circulation and Exchange:
Armenian, Portuguese, Jewish and Muslim Communities from the
Mediterranean to the South China Seas” conference took place on
Wednesday evening. Once again, the President of the Foundation formally
opened it, emphasizing the spirit of cooperation and collaboration,
as well as the parallels between Armenian and Portuguese history. The
keynote speaker, Professor Sebouh Aslanian, a historian from UCLA, gave
a fascinating account of Armenian merchants and their international
networks in the 17th and 18th centuries. The conference continued on
Thursday and Friday.

An exhibition about Calouste Goulbenkian, titled ‘More than Mr. 5%’

Another roundtable, attended by nearly 80 people, was on the topic
of “Armenian Music: Past and Present.” Moderated by Rui Vieira Nery,
the Director of the Portuguese Language and Culture Programme, it was
not only an informative but also an emotional event. Marina Dellayan,
a Portugal-based pianist, explained the history of Armenian music and
gave an overview of Armenian culture, while musician Gevorg Dabaghyan
introduced the “most Armenian instrument,” the duduk, and graced the
audience with a private concert of three pieces, including Komitas’s
“Dle-Yaman.”

Jordi Savall too had gracefully agreed to take part in another
roundtable on Armenian music prior to his concert. Answering questions
posed by the moderator, Risto Nieminen, the Director of the Music
Department, Savall emphasized the healing power of music and how
resilient people like the Armenians have produced culture in – and
in response too – adverse conditions, violence and exile.

At the Modern Art Centre of the Foundation, Professor Kim Theriault
delivered a fascinating lecture about the life and art of one of
the most important American artists of the 20th century, “Towards
the abstract: the imaginary and imagination of Arshile Gorky.” She
discussed Gorky’s development as an artist, his work and his impact on
modern art. Gorky created, she argued, a unique abstract art that was a
bridge between European Surrealism and American Abstract Expressionism,
and that ultimately it was a visual manifestation of his displacement
as an artist of Armenian origin.

Film Premiere The Grand Auditorium was once again full for the premiere
of the documentary film “ARtMENIA,” directed by Ricardo Espírito Santo
(Terra Líquida Films), in collaboration with Helena Araújo. The movie
artfully introduced Armenian history, culture and traditions to the
Portuguese audience, weaving it through the music of Tigran Mansurian.

Seminars During the week, two two-day international seminars were
hosted by the Foundation. The first, on Monday and Tuesday, brought
together 35 leaders and prominent thinkers in the Armenian world to
discuss strategies for the future. Under the rubric of “Armenians at
2115,” the invitation only seminar was a seminal step in fostering
long term planning and strategic visioning. A separate communique
will soon be issued on this event, followed by a seminar report.

The second two-day seminar, continuing from the keynote address
of Wednesday evening, was an academic gathering on the topic of
“trade networks.” Some 40 international experts focused on the use of
commodities and paper instruments in the early modern period. Some
of the top experts in the field were present, along with younger
colleagues researching the topic. Comparisons were drawn between
Armenian, Portuguese and other trade networks. The papers will be
published as a book.

Exhibitions Two key exhibitions accompanied the Armenian Culture Week
and have received wonderful feedback from the general public.

The first is an exhibition focusing on the early life of Calouste
Gulbenkian, based on his personal papers, entitled More Than Mr.5%:
The Early Life of Calouste Gulbenkian. Among the first visitors was
the illustrious novelist Orhan Pamuk. The exhibition opened on October
2 and will run until 3 November.

The other exhibition, Arshile Gorky and the Collection is at the
Foundation’s Modern Art Centre, and runs until 31 May 2015. It focusses
on Gorky’s surrealist work “in conversation” with other modernists
of his period, including prominent Portuguese artists.

Martin Essayan, Trustee of the Foundation summed up the Week: “It
was touching to see and hear the culture of our Founder resonate in
the Foundation. The collaborative spirit in which Armenian Culture
Week was planned and executed is exemplary. The Armenian Communities
Department reached out to various other parts of the Foundation –
from the Presidency to Communications, from the Music Department
to the Museum, CAM, the Archives, and the Programme of Portuguese
Language and Culture. The success of the week was contingent upon such
collaboration. Indeed, it was a wonderful week celebrating Armenian
culture at one of the premier foundations in Europe headquartered
in Lisbon.”

For more Information visit the webpage or contact
[email protected].