Author: Kanayan Tamar

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : NOUVELLE FEUILLE DE ROUTE DE L’ARMENIE ET DE LA DIASPORA

Publie le : 22-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cet article publie sur le site Repair le 20 avril 2015.

Repair

La Declaration Pan-Armenienne sur le Genocide, nouvelle feuille de
route de l’Armenie et de la Diaspora

lundi 20 avril 2015

Hrant Melik-Chahnazarian

Journaliste d’Armenie

En revenant sur la journee du 29 janvier 2015 date de la ceremonie
liee a la publication de la Declaration pan-armenienne du centenaire du
genocide des Armeniens, Hrant Melik-Chahnazarian explique pourquoi la
publication decette declaration constitue un facteur important pour le
retablissement de la justice historique. Notant que >

C’est le 29 janvier dernier au Tsitsernakaberd (Memorial du genocide
des Armeniens), qu’a eu lieu la ceremonie liee a la publication de
la Declaration pan-armenienne du centenaire du genocide des Armeniens.

Celle-ci a ete lue par le president Serge Sarkissian puis son
exemplaire original a ete mis en depôt au Musee-institut du genocide,
conformement a la decision de la commission d’Etat de coordination des
manifestations du Centenaire. Le president de la Republique d’Armenie a
egalement signale qu’un exemplaire serait envoye au secretaire general
de l’ONU, tandis qu’un autre serait remis aux Archives nationales de
la Republique d’Armenie (RA).

Les observateurs des evolutions politiques regionales auront
certainement remarque que la publication de la Declaration
pan-armenienne du centenaire du Genocide des Armeniens a fait l’objet
d’un ceremonial appuye. Le complexe de Tsitsernakaberd etait orne
du drapeau tricolore armenien et on notait la presence d’une garde
d’honneur confiee aux forces armees, ainsi que d’invites venus du
monde entier. Il est evident que tout cela n’a pas ete organise
par hasard. On peut certainement considerer que la redaction de la
declaration et sa publication sont la plus importante de toutes les
manifestations dediees au Centenaire. Comme aiment a le repeter
les plus hauts fonctionnaires de l’Etat, ce document exprime la
volonte collective du peuple armenien et >
(1). Tourne vers l’avenir, il servira apparemment desormais de guide
fondamental a la lutte du peuple armenien en vue du retablissement
de la justice historique.

Mais avant d’analyser le fond de la Declaration pan-armenienne du
centenaire du genocide, il est necessaire, bien sûr, de repondre
a quelques questions de nature >, et en premier lieu
a celle qui a trait a ce qu’on appelle la legitimite. Dans quelle
mesure ce document represente-t-il le point de vue de l’ensemble du
monde armenien ? Telle est la question principalement soulevee par
les detracteurs du document. Comme on le sait, la majorite absolue
du peuple armenien vit en dehors des frontières de la Republique
armenienne. En 2008, un ministère de la Diaspora a ete cree au sein du
gouvernement dans le but de coordonner le travail avec l’ensemble de
la communaute armenienne mondiale. Dès lors, grâce au travail mene par
ce ministère, le lien entre les communautes de la diaspora et l’Etat
armenien s’est sensiblement renforce. On a cree des canaux de diffusion
rapide de l’information, des structures locales et pan-armeniennes
permettant de prendre des decisions communes. C’est cette experience
accumulee dans le passe qui a servi de base a la commission d’Etat
de coordination des manifestations dediees au Centenaire.

Cette commission visant a stimuler le processus de condamnation et
de reconnaissance internationales du genocide et a coordonner les
manifestations dediees a la commemoration du Centenaire, regroupe des
fonctionnaires des Republiques d’Armenie et d’Artsakh Haut-Karabagh),
des prelats representant les Eglises apostolique, protestante et
catholique, les dirigeants des partis politiques ayant une grande
influence en Armenie et en diaspora, des acteurs du champ culturel,
scientifique et mediatique, les dirigeants d’institutions a la
dimension pan-armenienne. En outre, la commission est egalement
soutenue par les representants des commissions territoriales mises
en place a l’occasion du Centenaire dans de nombreuses communautes
du monde. En un mot, tout a ete fait pour que la commission soit
parfaitement habilitee a representer l’ensemble de la communaute
armenienne mondiale, de sorte que l’on peut dire que la question de
la legitimite est reglee.

La seconde question > de la Declaration concerne
son importance et sa signification politique pour l’Armenie et la
diaspora. Aussi etrange que cela puisse paraître, de larges pans des
Armeniens attendaient beaucoup plus des manifestations du Centenaire
que ce que l’Etat armenien entreprend actuellement, tant en interne
qu’a l’exterieur. Il faut d’ailleurs noter que ces attentes n’etaient
pas vraiment formalisees. Ainsi, personne ne pouvait precisement
definir la nature de ses attentes en liaison avec le Centenaire. La
seule chose, eventuellement, que les gens attendaient, etait de voir
le maximum de hauts representants etatiques et de chefs d’Etat venir a
Erevan pour le 24 avril, encore que la encore la reponse a la question
> restait en suspens. Telle est sans doute la raison
pour laquelle la majorite des gens n’ont pas considere l’adoption de
la Declaration pan-armenienne comme un evènement très important. Tous
attendaient quelque chose de plus, au moins la stricte condamnation
internationale de la Turquie, son opprobre. Voire une reparation.

Mais il ne s’agit la, comme je l’ai dit, que de la vision et des
attentes de la societe civile. Pour les cercles etatiques politiques,
scientifiques et d’experts, la Declaration a une signification plus
qu’importante pour le cours futur de la revendication armenienne et
de la lutte contre le deni turc. Elle constitue un document original
qui fait la synthèse du point de vue et des exigences politiques
armeniennes. Mais le plus important, c’est que la Declaration est
vraiment devenue pan-armenienne, et a ete reconnue sans reserve
comme la pierre angulaire de l’action commune de l’Armenie et de la
diaspora a l’avenir. De sorte que meme si les attentes de la societe
visaient d’autres resultats, il faut reconnaitre qu’il est difficile
de surevaluer la Declaration, tant du point de vue de l’importance
des processus ayant eu lieu dans le passe que du point de vue des
developpements politiques qui auront lieu a l’avenir.

Concernant la Declaration, je trouve qu’il y a encore d’autres points
qui ont echappe a un examen critique sur le fond. Par exemple, Lèvon
Ter-Petrossian a estime qu’avec un tel document, nous ne pouvons pas > au monde civilise. Mais monsieur Ter-Petrossian ne precise
pas pourquoi l’Armenie devrait tenter de plaire au monde. Sa version
de la Declaration pan-armenienne n’a aucun rapport avec l’approche
et les methodes qui ont ete celles du peuple armenien durant un
siècle de lutte et jusqu’a aujourd’hui, en faveur du retablissement
de la justice historique. Pire, l’approche du premier President de
la Republique d’Armenie contredit egalement la ligne fondamentale de
la politique exterieure officielle. C’est sans doute la raison pour
laquelle beaucoup, tant en Armenie qu’en Diaspora, ont considere les
propositions de Ter-Petrossian comme un petit essai de provocation
politique, qui n’a eu en tout et pour tout qu’une demi-journee
d’existence. Pour economiser le temps et en raison de l’absence
de sujet veritable a etudier, je propose au lecteur de ne pas se
focaliser sur des thèmes secondaires ou des >
sans importance, et de passer directement a l’examen du fond et de
la signification politique du document.

Une lecture rapide du texte de la Declaration suffit a montrer qu’elle
constitue un document dans lequel le point de vue et les exigences
politiques armeniennes s’appuient entièrement sur le droit. En fait
il se divise en quatre parties principales dont la première souligne
et renforce la base juridique du combat pour la condamnation et la
reconnaissance internationales du genocide armenien. En dehors des
references liees a la Declaration relative a l’independance de la RA
et a la Constitution de la RA, cette Declaration repose sur des points
très importants et meme capitaux du droit international, a savoir la
Declaration generale des droits de l’homme de l’ONU du 10 decembre
1948, la Resolution 96 (1) du 11 decembre 1946 de l’AG de l’ONU,
la Convention onusienne du 9 decembre 1948 sur >, la Convention onusienne du
26 novembre 1968 sur >, et l’Accord international du 16 decembre
1966 sur >, ainsi que sur tous
les principes et les thèses derives des autres actes internationaux
relatifs aux droits de l’homme.

La constitution d’un dossier juridique de la condamnation et de la
reconnaissance internationales du genocide a toujours ete au centre
de l’attention des institutions etatiques armeniennes, des experts et
des specialistes du droit international. Il s’est constamment etoffe
d’arguments, d’exemples et d’analyses complementaires, devenant
au cours du temps l’un des obstacles fondamentaux a la menee des
entreprises anti-armeniennes de la Turquie. Ce n’est donc pas du tout
par hasard si en soulignant l’un des points les plus importants de la
Declaration, a savoir que celle-ci exprime >, les representants de la commission d’Etat
s’appuient sur les points sus cites du droit international. Et
puis il y est rappele l’existence de plusieurs documents importants
qui, d’un côte sont des exemples de defense de la condamnation et
de la reconnaissance internationales du genocide des Armeniens,
et de l’autre, des fondements importants au retablissement de la
justice historique. C’est la raison pour laquelle la Declaration met
particulièrement l’accent sur la qualification de >. Le
document publie par la commission d’Etat remercie egalement les
peuples, les institutions et les individus qui, . Et le 6ème point traite des travaux en cours
pour surmonter les consequences du genocide, en particulier pour la
creation d’un dossier de reclamations juridiques.

D’un point de vue general, il faut noter que la Declaration
s’accompagne d’un survol hautement qualifie des processus passes et
presents, et explicite tous les liens de cause a effet qui constituent
le noeud des problèmes regissant les relations armeno-turques. On voit
que les auteurs du texte ont tout fait pour que la Declaration soit
plus dirigee vers l’avenir que vers le passe. Et qu’ils considèrent
que seule la suppression des consequences du genocide des Armeniens
peut garantir leur securite future.

Il est egalement important de noter que la partie dite politique de
la Declaration s’appuie moins sur la question de la condamnation et
de la reconnaissance du genocide, que sur la necessite, en general,
de prevenir a l’avenir la realisation de tels crimes contre l’humanite.

Autrement dit, le retablissement de la justice est considere comme
une condition sine qua non pour exclure a l’avenir la repetition de
tels crimes. De ce point de vue, l’exigence armenienne se hausse a
un niveau international inedit. D’un autre côte, elle offre aussi
une solution a la securite physique du peuple armenien. Elle fait
barrage a un eventuel et futur expansionnisme turc.

Enfin, la quatrième et dernière partie de la Declaration est un appel
aux generations futures du peuple armenien a le servir en combattant
sans retraite en faveur du renforcement de la Patrie, des progrès
d’une Republique d’Armenie libre et democratique et d’un Artsakh
independant, du rassemblement des Armeniens de la diaspora, ainsi
que de la realisation des objectifs seculaires de l’ensemble de la
communaute armenienne. De la sorte, un pont est jete entre le passe,
le present et le futur, conferant un aspect strategique aux projets
politiques actuels.

Une telle > de la Declaration est bien sûr très
conventionnelle. Il faut envisager ce document dans sa globalite.

Comme je l’ai deja note au debut de l’article, il sert de guide
original a toutes les composantes de l’armenite dans le combat
politique futur. À ce propos, ce combat ne vise pas a punir la Turquie
comme le pretendent souvent les analystes critiques internationaux.

C’est incontestablement le souci d’assurer la securite future des Etats
armeniens qui est a la base du combat armenien pour la restauration de
la justice historique. Malheureusement, quand aujourd’hui l’ensemble
du monde civilise se souvient des 1,5 million de martyrs innocents
du genocide des Armeniens, l’Armenie et l’Artsakh continuent a vivre
constamment sous la menace et le danger turco-azeris. Les analystes
attentifs de la Declaration remarquent aisement que le principal
message de la Declaration consiste precisement en la necessite de
neutraliser ce danger.

Erevan comprend bien que le poids politique de la question armenienne
freine la Turquie. Cela est bien compris aussi par les tenants du
neo-ottomanisme d’Ankara. Telle est la raison pour laquelle la Turquie
a essaye durant des annees de se defaire de la question armenienne en
neutralisant son influence dans ses relations avec les autres pays
et generalement dans les developpements regionaux. Mais a ce jour,
elle n’y a pas reussi. Les raisons de son echec sont nombreuses. La
principale reside dans l’action de la diaspora, en depit de son
caractère fragmentaire.

Malgre tout, cela fait deja dix ans que l’on a commence a parler du
“tsunami armenien” en Turquie (3). Et aujourd’hui, la Declaration
permet a la lutte pan-armenienne de se doter d’une conception unitaire
pour refrener la Turquie. C’est pourquoi j’ai note en debut d’article
que l’adoption de ce document est la manifestation la plus importante
de toutes celles qui ont lieu pour la commemoration du Centenaire.

Apparemment, la Declaration est deja devenue un des elements importants
du système de securite des Etats armeniens. Le 3 mars dernier,
l’Assemblee generale politique >
(PPE) a adopte une resolution intitulee > (4). Quelques jours plus tard, le sommet
parlementaire > a adopte une resolution semblable (5). Or
ces deux documents ayant une signification capitale pour le processus
de condamnation et de reconnaissance internationales du genocide,
s’appuient sur la Declaration pan-armenienne, ce qui signifie qu’elle
constitue d’ores et deja un facteur important pour le retablissement
de la justice historique. Et c’est cela qui est le plus important.

1/ Voir le discours du President Serge Sarkissian “Sur les
pentes du mont Ararat”, lors du 5ème Forum des medias :

2/ Declaration pan-armenienne sur le
centenaire du genocide des Armeniens
:

3/ Soyez prets pour le tsunami armenien :

4/ Le parti Populaire Europeen (PPE) a adopte une motion dediee au
centenaire du genocide :

5/ Le sommet parlementaire Euronest a adopte une motion relative au
genocide des Armeniens

Source/Lien : Repair

VOROTAN CASCADE DEAL READY TO BE SIGNED

Lragir.am
Business – 22 April 2015, 12:31

In today’s meeting of government revisions were made to the 21 November
2013 decree approving the sale of property of Vorotan Cascade.

In particular, the executive approved the property sales agreement
and the agreement on transfer of property rights revised essentially
for more balanced regulation of relations between the parties. The
new government decree authorized the ministry of energy and natural
resources to sign the foregoing agreements on behalf of the government.

Note that the buyer of Vorotan Cascade is Contour Global Hydro
Cascade CJSC.

Note that handover of property did not take place and the deal was
not completed after signing the sales agreement because the parties
resumed talks on some clauses of the agreement. As a result, some
changes were made to the agreement.

100 YEARS AFTER THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: A MANIFESTO FOR MEMORY AND JUSTICE

20:42, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On the day that marks the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the
first genocide of the twentieth century, FIDH (International Federation
for Human Rights) and its member organisations in Armenia, CSI (Civil
Society Institute) and in Turkey, IHD (Insan Haklari Dernegi), HRFT
(Human Rights Foundation of Turkey), pay tribute to the memory of
its victims.

In the continuation of the closing declarations of the FIDH Congresses
in Yerevan in 2010 and Istanbul in 2013, and on the occasion of
the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide, our
organisations adopt the following manifesto.

Preamble

Recalling the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide;

Considering that crimes of genocide affect the very essence of
humanity, defy imagination and are a profound affront to the human
conscience;

Affirming that the worst atrocities continue to affect the
consciousness and the trauma caused can be more effectively analysed
with time; that crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity
are a threat to international public order and affect the entire
international community; that it is inconceivable for the law of
“oblivion” to be applied to crimes committed against the community
of nations and humanity itself; that these crimes are by their nature
imprescriptible;

Recalling that about 1,5 million Armenians perished in the genocide at
the beginning of the 20th century, among which numerous were executed
and 1 million died during the enforced deportation and transfer of
the Armenian people from the Anatolian part of the Ottoman Empire;
and that numerous Armenians were subject to physical or mental harm;

Considering that the exact conditions of their death and the location
of their remains are, for the vast majority of victims, unknown, and
that the families and descendants of these victims could not grieve,
these enforced disappearances can be qualified as continuous crimes
under Article 8 of the International Convention for the Protection
of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;

Recalling that the right of victims and their descendants to truth,
justice and reparation is fundamental and indispensable to lasting
peace and any process of reconciliation;

Recalling the dangers of hate speech and negationist discourse
concerning international crimes perpetrated, while calling for respect
for freedom of expression which is an essential vehicle for respect
for human rights;

Recalling the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy
and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human
Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law
(Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
16 December 2005), and the second and third paragraphs of its preamble
in particular.

Manifesto

FIDH and its member organisations in Armenia and Turkey, CSI, IHD
and HRFT:

1. Pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide which haunts
the memory of humanity;

2. Salute the role of the “just” who saved Armenian lives during
the genocide;

3. Solemnly call on Turkey to officially recognise its responsibility
in the crime of genocide of Armenian populations, organised and
perpetrated by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire;

4. Call on Turkey to cease its official policy of denial and to meet
the cost of reparations due for the harm sustained and the suffering
endured by the victims, their descendants and the Armenian community
as a whole;

5. Affirm that this recognition alone, which is essential to the
task of memory, will enable Armenia and Turkey to re-establish a
relationship of trust and engage in a process of reconciliation
between the two States; a process in which civil society on both
sides is already engaged;

6. Urge Turkey to work towards a normalisation of its relations
with Armenia, without preconditions, in particular by opening the
common border;

7. Urge the Turkish government to counter hate speech and
stigmatisation of Armenians that its policy of denying the genocide
helps sustain;

Consider that complete fulfilment of human rights, particularly the
protection of rights and political freedoms, is essential to break
taboos and promote dialogue and exchange; and call on civil society
in Armenia and Turkey to campaign for grievances to be addressed,
and to contribute to building and promoting relations between the
two societies;

9.Call on Turkey and Armenia to ratify the Statute of the International
Criminal Court and to incorporate its provisions into their domestic
law, thereby clearly indicating their willingness to fight impunity
for international crimes and to guarantee regional and international
security and peace;

10. Remind governments around the world, members of the United Nations
Security Council as well as the European Union and Council of Europe’s
member states that the best way of preventing further crimes lies in
fighting impunity for past ones; to this end, urge the international
community to support this manifesto and intercede with the Turkish and
Armenian governments, so that ad hoc mechanisms are put in place to
satisfy the need for truth, justice and reparation for the genocide
committed against the Armenians.

FRENCH MEP: TURKEY MUST STOP THE DENIAL

02:55, 22.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

Turkey must finally use the term ‘genocide’ and stop the denial:
one century later, this insult must stop, French MEP Michèle Rivasi
told Armenian News -NEWS.am.

According to the MEP, the adoption og the resolution commemorating
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was an important
step for many reasons. “First, it’s a call to the European countries
to recognize the Armenian genocide at their own level, what the EU
Parliament already did in 1987, and what France did in 2001 under my
fierce lobbying when I was a Member of the French Parliament. Second,
it’s a call to Turkey to finally use the term ‘genocide’ and stop
the denial: one century later, this insult must stop. Turkey will
only find advantages in finally recognizing the Armenian Genocide and
step into History. Third, it’s a call to both Armenia and Turkey for
a genuine reconciliation, passing also by the renewal of diplomatic
relations and the opening of their common border,” the MEP said.

According to Michèle Rivasi, it’s in the interest of both countries
and also for the European Union.

“After the Pope Francis on April 12, now we learn that Germany is
ready to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Let’s hope more countries
will follow, it is our duty to pay tribute to the one-and-a-half
million innocent Armenian victims. And this is thanks to this many
new recognitions that we will be able to counterbalance Turkish denial
policy,” Ms Rivasi concluded.

On April 15, the European Parliament adopted a resolution by a majority
vote. The resolution calls on Turkey to recognize the atrocities of
1915 as genocide confront its past and make efforts in the direction
of actual reconciliation between the Armenian and Turkish people.

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES OFFER SUPPORT TO NATIONS UBJECTED TO GENOCIDE

20:26, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

A common declaration was adopted at the ecumenical session of the
global Forum “Against the Crime of Genocide” held under the auspices
of the Mother See of Holy

“Churches Against Genocides – Human Life as a Gift of God” April 21-22,
2015 Yerevan, Armenia

By the mercy of God and in glorification to the All Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we, the leaders, the representatives of
the Christian Churches and ecumenical organizations, participating
in the Ecumenical Session of the Forum in the land of Biblical Mount
Ararat – Armenia, which has been evangelized by the apostles Sts.

Thaddeus and Bartholomew under the stewardship of the Armenian Holy
Apostolic Church, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 100th
Anniversary and the Canonization of the Martyrs of the Armenian
Genocide, solemnly declare:

Guided by the Christian truth and God-given commandments on the
sacredness and inviolability of life that it is created by and belongs
to God; (Genesis.1:27; Exodus 20:13, John 1:4);

Believing in the sacred mission of the Church of Christ aimed at
establishing peace in the world and solidarity amongst people;

Bearing witness that the Church is called to the salvation of souls
and to the mission of protecting life on earth;

1. we reaffirm that the violence and killings based on national,
religious, ethnic and racial discrimination have no justification and
statute of limitations; 2. we condemn the genocides and all crimes,
which endanger peace and human security, being the manifestation
of evil and sin against humanity; 3. we condemn the ongoing ethnic
and religious violence in the world, especially in the Middle East,
which cause painful human losses and irreversible destruction of
spiritual and cultural values and heritage; 4. we are convinced that
to prevent the similar crimes in the future is of utmost importance
to recognize and condemn all crimes of genocide, absolutely reject
the denial and to pursuit the claim for reparation; 5. we offer
our support to nations who have been subjected to genocide and are
committed to stand for defending human dignity and peace among the
nations; 6. we call upon the leaders of the nations, individuals
and the people of good will to join forces in creating a just and
harmonious world free from suffering and violence; 7. we pray for
the souls of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and all victims of
crimes against humanity and ask the Almighty God to strengthen us in
our pursuit for establishing peace and justice in the world.

“SHAME ON PRESIDENT OBAMA, IT IS HIS SHAME.” RICHARD KIRAKOSYAN

April 22 2015

Ankara, Washington, London have a position of not using term “Genocide”
.This opinion has the “Strategic and National Research Center`s”
director Richard Kirakosyan. To our question whether there is a
hope that this year, US President Barrack Obama will say the word
“Genocide”, he replied. -“I cannot answer that question, but I can say
shame on him, shame on President Obama, it is his shame, not ours “.

Asked whether there are conditions that Turkey will make concessions,
the analyst said. That this is not the problem of “if”, but it is
a problem of “when”: when the Turkish government will recognize the
Armenian Genocide. And “when” should be sought in Turkish politics.

-“International pressure on Ankara as a result, I think will
increase.” Referring to the scheduled events on 100th anniversary of
the battle of Gallipoli in Turkey he said. -“It has increased focus on
the events of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, the 100th anniversary
commemoration of the events and weakened the attention of Gallipoli
events. Leading politicians rather inclined toward the arrival to
Armenia than to Turkey.” Asked whether the Armenian-Turkish relations
can have any developments he said. -“The burden of responsibility
falls on Turkey, the issue really is the issue of Turkey. Only after
the elections in Turkey on June 7 will be possible to say something
but the “problem” is on the Turkish side.”

Arpine SIMONYAN

Read more at:

FR. MESROP ARAMIAN: “WE SHOULD BOLSTER THE PRESENT”

April 22, 2015 10:13
EXCLUSIVE

On the threshold of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Mediamax
continues a series of interviews with the intellectuals of Armenia
and the Diaspora. It is an attempt to collect opinions as to whether
the Armenian Genocide Centennial will serve a certain “New Beginning”
for Armenians or not.

Our today’s interlocutor is Fr. Mesrop Aramian.

– What significance does the centenary of the Armenian Genocide bear
for you?

– It’s difficult to give one clear definition. Since childhood it
has been an oppressive topic for me and I have always had the desire
to liberate myself from it. But is it possible to liberate from the
memory, which is a constituent of your identity?

When shooting “From Ararat to Zion” movie I had the chance to be in
the land of my ancestors. I visited Mush and went to Holy Apostles
Church of Mush. It was a frightening feeling… there were bones
scattered around as some are constantly looking for the “gold of
Armenians.” You don’t know who those bones belong to. Do they belong
to Movses Khorenatsi or to David the Invincible? No trace of the
grave of our greatest figures remains.

I had the feeling of a stolen history. Genetically, we are an ancient
nation, but in reality there is the abyss of the Armenian Genocide
between our antiquity and present. The Genocide severs our natural
link with our antiquity and complicates our communication with our
own history over-the-top.

In this regard, we are also new nation and our present is somehow
accounted by the Genocide. This tragedy has rifted our identity and
it’s hard to understand how we should treat it.

The Centenary should serve as a new beginning and new thoughts. Memory
is a sanctity for us owing to which we should purify ourselves and
get rid of certain complexes and realize that our power should be in
creation. It has been the significance of our nation. We have been
a creative nation for ages. For many ages we have managed to create
our own in the sphere of art, education and spirituality. We have
managed to leave unique traces in everything. Owing to that, we can
overcome the implications of the Genocide, the complex of a victim.

The Genocide severs our natural link with our antiquity and complicates
our communication with our own history over-the-top.

I would like the millennium to be a millennium of a creative soul
for Armenians. The challenges are a myriad – we live in a painstaking
period. Nowadays, spiritual, cultural and educational genocides can be
implemented without shedding blood. Nations that will not comprehend
the gravity of the moment will very quickly appear in the margins of
the history.

-What should be done to shun it?

-Nations should be united not only by their history and present
but also by their future. If we understand where we are heading to
together and if that path is encouraging, then we can forget the
current contradictions as the goal is stately and inspiring.

Any program for future depends on human qualities and resources.

Unfortunately, Armenia and the Diaspora love erecting buildings but
they very often forget to inhabit those buildings with capable people.

Investments made in projecting human resources and creating relevant
qualities are very poor. It is vivid in the education sector. We must
understand what type of person we are preparing through education to
carry out that program.

We tend to think that if our fathers were smart, then we are ensured
against stupidity. But we are not.

What has made us strong through the ages? Which is the phenomenon
of Armenians in the history? It’s our unique spiritual values and
education. It’s owing to what we have survived at least in the
last 1500 years. In the 21st century that all people have entered a
phase of rapid development of education we have no right to cede our
positions. Today we cannot claim to be one of the leading countries
in the education sector just like we used to be in early 20th century
when the Armenian schools of Constantinople, Tbilisi and Moscow were
deemed to be the best.

Our attitude to the spiritual also needs to be changed. We tend to
think that if our fathers were smart, then we are ensured against
stupidity. But we are not. Wisdom was carved out owing to a certain
soul. If we have that soul, then we are its successor, if we don’t,
then we are poor.

Very often parallels are drawn between Armenians and Jewish people.

There do exist similarities but there are also a number of
differences. They are well obvious in the attitude of Jewish people
to their religion and spiritual values, and it’s what transforms them
into a powerful force in the world.

Culture is not just a heritage. It should be alive and live in the
human’s life. When you take something for a sacred object, you stand
ready to fight for it.

– Can the National Program for Education Excellence developed by you
contribute to overcome the mentioned issues?

– The National Program for Education Excellence is one of the most
important programs among reforms in the education sector. Based on
the elaborations and practices of Ayb Educational Foundation and
Ayb School we have worked out a program, which is competitive in all
terms. Reputable international experts and organizations assert this.

We had the wish to make our best practices available for all the
Armenian children for no child to be deprived of that opportunity.

The National Program for Education Excellence has two elements. One
of them is the educational program and the next is the teacher.

Obviously, the quality of education depends on the quality
of the teacher. Of course, the teacher should be armed with
relevant educational technologies. Our education program – “Ararat
Baccalaureate” – is currently being finalized. We are planning to
complete its international registration by late this year.

We are presently engaged in creating the procedures for teacher
training and are preparing the specialists. We are basically
establishing an entire institution, which should be able to prepare
new generation teachers.

The program has been debated over with all stakeholders in all regions
in Armenia and has passed a large phase of public discussions. The
interest to it was quite high. Thousands of people took part in
discussions.

During the discussions we felt respect, love and trust to what we
are doing. But people were coming not only to learn information about
the program but to regain their faith in doing something together.

Although the discussions were large-scale, I have observed great
lack of analytical and critical thinking and speech. In general,
the idea and speech have retreated in our society.

– What can be done to make speech and content more important in our
daily life? During one of discussions of your program you once said:
“In early 20th century, Adjarian, Manandian, Yervandian and Komitas
used to teach at Gevorkian Seminary. A meeting with them was enough
to revolutionize the souls of people and to light a fire in their
hearts.” But today we no longer have Adjarians or Komitases.

-There is really deficiency in intellectual authorities. But the
epoch has changed and today we live in an epoch of technocrat thinking.

Yes, we don’t have Adjarians and Komitases in our present-day reality.

But it does not mean we cannot have. Adjarians and Komitases should be
a result of and be born from public longings. When you live clinging to
certain ideals, in the end people complying with these ideals emerge.

If this nation has given birth to Narekatsi, it means there was
a huge army of people seeking perfection through prayers. Tens of
thousands of people had withdrawn from the world seeking spiritual
perfection and had asked the brightest and most brilliant person to
write a prayer guidebook for the spiritual life. It’s how the Book
of Prayers (a.k.a. the Book of Lamentations) was created.

We need a process which will “produce” people. I am sure that we are
continuously giving birth to talents and geniuses but they either
“dissolve” or “decay.”

Adjarians and Komitases should be a result of and be born from public
longings. When you live clinging to certain ideals, in the end people
complying with these ideals emerge.

Very often societies get caught in a trap of fake values. And today
as well the Armenian society has appeared in illusions of fake values.

You can see it from what children want to become when they are called
for interview for Ayb School admission. Almost all of them want to
become an economist and work at the bank, close to money. Obsession
with money has become one of the diseases of our society. Decadent
times happen but if people find the right impetuses, then the reality
changes. Sometimes people lie to themselves and end up confronting
their own “hollow.” What matters are the subsequent steps – how and
what to make up that hollow with.

A Greek philosopher once said “what I have is within me” and this
should be adopted as an important motto for and among our people. If
we want to be free people, we should first of all understand that what
we have is within us. Money can’t make us a fortune and neither can
it enlighten us. On the contrary, it can make us even poorer and blind.

-What should make the new generation feel proud of being an Armenian?

-Our heritage makes us one of the richest nations in the world. There
are very few nations that have managed to accumulate such values.

But we also need to bolster our present. We need powerful stories and
we also need to enlarge the scale of these stories. Ayb, Tumo Center
for Creative Technologies and UWC Dilijan College are among those
strong stories. There is need for such stories to increase and expand.

The National Program for Education Excellence is already a reality. We
hope to have the international registration of “Ararat Baccalaureate”
completed this year. It will be one of the few excellence platforms
in the world and the only one in Armenian. By 2019, we will have 13
schools of “Ararat Baccalaureate” in Armenia and Artsakh. Afterwards,
this education program will make its way to all high schools. The
Diaspora has also expressed its desire to join with several schools
to this network.

We must be proud to have overcome difficulties that other nations
did not manage to overcome and simply perished. After all, we have
overcome the Genocide and have become a surviving nation. Our today’s
life is the pledge of it. There is need to reinforce that life.

It requires a dream and a vision and not reveries and ungrounded
programs. A feasible dream is conceived from faith and is a service
for all of us. We have all preconditions for a big flight and great
human potential to overcome heights. All this is indeed possible. We
just need to have faith and creation will follow.

Ara Tadevosyan talked to Fr. Mesrop Aramian

:

ARMENIA TURNING INTO SPEARHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST GENOCIDE – HRANT MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN

18:00 * 22.04.15

Armenia is turning into spearhead of an international movement against
genocide, which allows it to assume a rather interesting and important
role, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told Tert.am as
he commented on Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the
International Social and Political Global Forum against the Crime
of Genocide.

“The Armenian state’s leader positions himself as leader of universal
struggle against genocide and, in this capacity, presents solutions
to prevent similar crimes in the future. In this respect, it allows
Armenia to assume a rather interesting and important role,” Mr
Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

The best evidence thereof is the support Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary
General of the Council of Europe, and Daniel Feierstein, President of
the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), expressed
to Armenia in their speeches.

According to Mr Melik-Shahnazaryan, an international movement against
genocide must be based on condemnation of previous genocides and
aimed at preventing new genocides.

“And the Armenian president’s opening speech inaugurated this new
policy. He does not single out the Armenian Genocide. Rather, he
stated that we are seeking to start dealing with other problems after
having the Armenian Genocide internationally recognized and condemned,”
Mr Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

As regards Turkey-related messages, Mr Melik-Shahnazaryan noted that
speaking of panhuman values and universal interests, Armenia’s leader
is forming a partition between Turkey’s denialism and historical
justice.

“And the context of this movement is that it is not only by means of
this speech, but also by the adoption of a Pan-Armenian Resolution
on Genocide, followed by the Pope’s liturgy and statement and the
European Parliament’s resolution, that civilized humanity’s demand
is shaped,” Mr Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

NALBANDIAN: ARMENIA WELCOMES AUSTRIAN PARLIAMENT’S STATEMENT

15:13 22/04/2015 >> POLITICS

Armenia welcomes the statement of the Austrian parliament on the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire,
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.

“The parliament of Austria stresses that due to the historical
responsibility (the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was allied in the First
World War with the Ottoman Empire) it is their duty to recognize
the terrible events as genocide and condemn it. The parliament of
Austria in its statement stresses that it is also the duty of Turkey
to acknowledge the crimes committed against the Armenians as genocide.

“With this step Austria made an important contribution to the noble
cause of prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity,”
Nalbandian said.

DAVUTOGLU BESCHWERT SICH PERSONLICH BEI MERKEL

Die Bundestagsresolution uber den Volkermord an den Armeniern erzurnt
die Turkei: Der Ministerprasident hat sich bei der Kanzlerin personlich
daruber beschwert. Er fuhrte ein historisches Argument an.

Von Robin Alexander,Claudia Kade Foto: dpaDer Ministerprasident der
Turkei, Ahmet Davutoglu, und Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU)
bei ihrem Treffen im Januar 2015

Der Ministerprasident der Turkei, Ahmet Davutoglu, hat personlich bei
Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) gegen die Verwendung des Begriffes
“Volkermord” in einer Resolution des Bundestages interveniert.

Am Dienstagnachmittag telefonierten die beiden Regierungschefs nach
Informationen der “Welt” uber dieses Thema. Demnach argumentierte
Davutoglu dabei, die Verwendung des Begriffes “Volkermord” fur die
Massaker an den armenischen Einwohnern des Osmanischen Reiches im Jahr
1915 sei nicht zulassig, da dieser Terminus erst nach dem Zweiten
Weltkrieg ins Volkerrecht aufgenommen wurde. In der Turkei gehort
die Leugnung des Volkermordes nach wie vor zur Staatsrason.

Am Freitag wird der Bundestag uber einen Antrag der
Regierungsfraktionen abstimmen, in dem es heißt, die “planmaßige
Vertreibung und Vernichtung von uber einer Million ethnischer Armenier”
stehe “beispielhaft fur die Geschichte der Massenvernichtungen,
der ethnischen Sauberungen, der Vertreibungen, ja der Volkermorde,
von denen das 20. Jahrhundert auf so schreckliche Weise gezeichnet
ist. Dabei wissen wir um die Einzigartigkeit des Holocaust, fur den
Deutschland Schuld und Verantwortung tragt.”

Die Bundesregierung hatte zuerst darauf gedrungen, den Begriff
“Volkermord” aus diplomatischer Rucksicht auf die Turkei nicht zu
verwenden. Nachdem Papst Franziskus jedoch den Begriff verwendet hatte
und dafur vom turkischen Staatsprasidenten Recep Tayyip Erdogan scharf
gerugt worden war, rebellierten Abgeordnete und fuhrende Politiker
der Union gegen diese Sprachregelung.

Da auch Bundesprasident Joachim Gauck angedeutet hatte, seinerseits
auf einer Veranstaltung am Donnerstag den Volkermord beim Namen zu
nennen, gaben die Fraktionsspitzen nach.

Turkische Vereine lehnen Begriff scharf ab

Fuhrende Vertreter turkischer Verbande warnten die schwarz-rote
Koalition ebenfalls davor, das deutsch-turkische Verhaltnis mit dem
Volkermord-Vorwurf schwer zu belasten. Außerdem werde die Aussohnung
zwischen der Turkei und Armenien erschwert, lautete der Vorwurf. Auch
gegen den Papst und das Europaische Parlament, die die Geschehnisse
von damals ebenfalls als Volkermord eingestuft haben, teilen sie
kraftig aus.

Wenn der Bundesprasident von Volkermord spricht, uberschreitet er
seine Kompetenzen

Ali Soylemezoglu Vorsitzender des turkischen Vereins Dialog und Frieden

“Wenn das EU-Parlament, der Papst und der Bundesprasident dazu
beitragen wollen, dass das Problem gelost wird, sollten sie darauf
hinwirken, dass sich beide Seiten an einen Tisch setzen”, sagt Bekir
Yilmaz, Prasident der Turkischen Gemeinde in Berlin. “Alles andere
fuhrt nur dazu, dass sich die Fronten verharten.” Die Wahrheitsfindung
sollte nicht in Parlamenten stattfinden, sondern in Gerichtssalen.

“Ein Volkermord ist die schwerste Straftat, die die Weltgemeinschaft
kennt”, sagte Ali Soylemezoglu, Vorsitzender des turkischen Vereins
Dialog und Frieden. Nur ein Gericht habe die Befugnis, einen Volkermord
festzustellen. “Wenn der Bundesprasident von Volkermord spricht,
uberschreitet er seine Kompetenzen.” Dies sei eine Anmaßung und
bedauerlich.

Uber das Gedenken an die Verbrechen gegen die Armenier gibt es seit
Jahren Streit. Wahrend die Bundesregierung den Begriff aus Rucksicht
auf die diplomatischen Beziehungen zur Turkei lange vermied, sehen
Historiker den Begriff angesichts der systematischen Vernichtung der
Armenier mit bis zu 1,5 Millionen Toten als gerechtfertigt an.

Worte des Papstes? Fur die Vereine unwichtig

Die neue Formulierung der Koalitionsfraktionen wollen die turkischen
Verbande nicht widerstandslos hinnehmen: Die Historiker seien sich
keineswegs einig in der Einstufung der Massaker, und da auch viele
Muslime ums Leben gekommen seien, musse eher von einer Art Burgerkrieg
gesprochen werden oder auch von einer fehlerhaften Umsiedlungspolitik
der damaligen osmanischen Fuhrung, argumentieren sie.

Dass der Papst das anders sieht, habe kein Gewicht. “Der Papst war
noch nie ein Verkunder von Wahrheiten”, sagt Soylemezoglu. “Fur die
Wahrheitsfindung sind die Worte des Papstes noch nie geeignet gewesen.”

Die Bundesregierung habe bislang die Position vertreten, dass die
einschlagige UN-Konvention uber die Verhutung und Bestrafung von
Volkermord aus dem Jahr 1948 fur die Bundesrepublik erst seit 1955 in
Kraft sei und nicht ruckwirkend gelte. Nun werfe die Bundesregierung
plotzlich ihre eigenen Grundsatze uber Bord. Es werde mit zweierlei
Maß gemessen, wenn es um die Turkei gehe, kritisiert Soylemezoglu.

Sollten Bundesprasident, Regierung und Parlament bei ihrer Einschatzung
bleiben, werde ihr Ansehen Schaden nehmen.

“Eine einseitige Darstellung der Geschichte schadet der Freundschaft
zwischen Deutschland, der Turkei und Armenien”, warnt Niyazi Oncel
vom Verein Gedankengut Ataturks. Und Yilmaz mahnt: Die knapp drei
Millionen hier lebenden Turken litten ohnehin schon unter der
Debatte uber Integration, Islamfeindlichkeit und Pegida. Sollten
die Bundestagsabgeordneten die geplante Resolution beschließen,
legten sie damit “noch eine Schippe drauf”. Fur Samstag ist eine
Protestkundgebung in Berlin geplant.