Author: Karakhanian Suren

Artsakh President attends opening ceremony of Children and Youth Sports grounds in Khantsq

Karakhanian Suren

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 11:30, 23 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan partook in a solemn ceremony of opening of a children and youth sports ground built with funds of “Future generations” Charitable Foundation in the Khantsq community of the Askeran region, the Artsakh presidency said in a press release.

According to the President, development projects of the community are in the spotlight of the Government of Artsakh, and next year it is planned to asphalt the road leading to the community with state funds.

The Head of the State also visited St. John the Baptist Church in Khantsq.

Head of the Artsakh Republic President’s Office Karen Shahramanyan, State Adviser to the President, Founder of “Future generations” Charitable Foundation Grigori Gabrielyants, and other officials accompanied the President during the visit.

ECHR rejects Azerbaijan’s lawsuit against Armenia

Karakhanian Suren
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 24 2022
ECHR rejects Azerbaijan’s lawsuit against Armenia
17:32, 24.08.2022

On August 18, Azerbaijan appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to immediately and unconditionally oblige Armenian-controlled forces and structures to stop destroying property in the town of Berdzor and nearby villages, including burning houses, and to provide information about the measures taken.

According to the office of Armenia’s representative for international legal affairs, the ECHR rejected Azerbaijan’s claim on Monday, noting that no new interim measure was necessary.

Sports: Opponents claim IBA did not have all information when awarding Congress to Armenia

Karakhanian Suren
Aug 23 2022
  • By Michael Houston

Opponents are continuing to call on the International Boxing Association (IBA) to move the upcoming Extraordinary Congress from Armenia, claiming the Board of Directors did not have “complete and accurate information” from an investigation at a competition in the country.

The Common Cause Alliance (CCA) – a group of boxing administrators saying their goal is to keep the sport in the Olympic Games – have sent another letter to the IBA, relating to the Richard McLaren investigation into the Men’s European Boxing Championships.

It said the event should not have been awarded to the country when the Armenian Boxing Federation (ABF) and European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) Board of Directors are subject to an ongoing investigation.

Boris van der Vorst, the Dutch Boxing Federation (NBB) President and IBA Presidential challenger to incumbent Umar Kremlev, is part of this group of critics; although he did not sign the letter.

Jeroen van den Berg, vice-president of the NBB, did sign the letter.

ABF is one of the National Federations (NFs) alleged to have influenced referees and judges at the European Championships, as well as intrusions on the field of play.

It also said the EUBC worked outside of their Constitutional Authority by overriding the direct authority of competition officials.

The CCA also called for the IBA Board of Directors to vote by email to approve the minutes of its meeting in Algiers on July 15, where discussions were held over Yerevan becoming the host of the Extraordinary Congress.

Previously the IBA said the European Championships investigation was “not connected with the host city of Yerevan, but with the officials who worked at the competition”, stating it would not affect the running of the Congress.

CCA called this “inaccurate and misleading”, saying the ABF and the EUBC were under investigation.

Host nations usually organise events through their NFs.

The IBA declined to comment on the most-recent letter from the CCA when approached by insidethegames.

The IBA Extraordinary Congress is scheduled to take place in Yerevan on September 25, with this being arranged after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found that van der Vorst and three Board candidates should have been deemed eligible to stand for election.

They were sanctioned on the eve of the first Extraordinary Congress in Istanbul in May by the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit, meaning Kremlev stood unopposed for re-election.

When the CAS made its ruling, the IBA announced another Congress would take place for the Presidency.

Van der Vorst had previously called for the event to take place in Lausanne, but this request has not been repeated in the latest letter.

The IBA stated it would not move from Yerevan as preparations were already fully underway for staging the Congress in the Armenian capital.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1127271/iba-boxing-extraordinary-congress

SAS and NAASR to hold an international conference on the technologies of communication and Armenian narrative practices through the centuries

Karakhanian Suren
 The Society for Armenian Studies Announcements 0

BELMONT, Mass.—The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will hold a major international in-person conference on September 17-18, 2022 at NAASR’s headquarters. Titled “Technologies of Communication and Armenian Narrative Practices Through the Centuries,” the conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary conversation with researchers working across historical periods and different themes pertaining to communication and narratives.

From Cilician era Armenian manuscripts to nineteenth-century newspapers, to exciting new forms of digital storytelling today, Armenians have always taken advantage of the most contemporary technologies for conveying information and producing knowledge. In adopting these information technologies, Armenians have made them their own: Armenian iconographic and book arts are in conversation with imperial neighbors but develop their own styles; Armenian newspapers became a vehicle for the development of the modern Armenian vernacular and an opportunity to plumb the depths of Armenian history; and TUMO, the Center for Creative Technologies in the Republic of Armenia pushes boundaries of digital storytelling. Focusing on technologies of communication (i.e., manuscripts, print, visual, and digital media) this conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary conversation with researchers working across historical periods around the question of how technologies of communication have impacted Armenian narrative style and practices (such as modes of storytelling, narrative structure, and exegetical principles), and reversely how Armenian narrative practices have shaped each new technology.

Scholars from Armenia, the US, Hungary and Australia, will deliver exciting papers on the topic. The conference will feature four panels: Narrative Practices and Power; Adapting to Change: Mobility, Changing Socio-Economic Patterns, and Technologies of Communication; Technologies of Communication and Identity Making; Can the Provinces Speak? Mainstreaming Peripheral Narratives and Perspectives on Ottoman-Armenians. “Most of the papers delivered at this conference are by young and uprising scholars. The interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives and the depth of the topics of the papers are just breathtaking,” noted SAS president Prof. Bedross Der Matossian. He continued, “It is indeed an honor to cooperate with NAASR on hosting its first in-person conference in the newly renovated Vartan Grigorian Building. I would like to thank Drs. Dzovinar Derderian and Christophe Sheklian for spearheading this project and extend my gratitude to the different Armenians Studies programs and chairs for co-sponsoring the conference.”

NAASR’s director of Academic Affairs Marc Mamigonian commented, “NAASR is excited to cosponsor and host this important conference. It is the first chance to have a major academic event at our new building and a welcome opportunity to continue our collaboration with SAS and the other co-sponsors.”

Drs. Derderian and Sheklian are thrilled by the depth of the papers that will be offered at the conference. “We believe that the variety of the papers, spanning disciplines and historical eras, will foster a unique and productive conversation. Our hope is that the arrangement of panels will create intellectual connections that will push Armenian Studies in new and exciting directions,” they added.

The conference was made possible with the support of University of Southern California, Institute for Armenian Studies; Mashtots Chair in Armenian studies, Harvard University; Armenian Studies Program, California State University, Fresno; Armenian Studies Program; University of California, Irvine; and Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center, NYC; and the Center for Armenian Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The conference is open to the public.

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The Society for Armenian Studies is an international body, composed of scholars and students, whose aims are to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature and social, political and economic questions; to facilitate the exchange of scholarly information pertaining to Armenian studies around the world; and to sponsor panels and conferences on Armenian studies.


Mer Hooys Smiley Packs Support Children and Families of Artsakh

Karakhanian Suren
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Artsakh, Latest, News, Top Stories

Mer Hooys delivered 50 Smiley Packs to the children of Artsakh in June


LOS ANGELES—This summer, Mer Hooys completed its fourth Smiley Pack program supporting the children and families of Artaskh who fled their homes and economic livelihood in the fall of 2020 to escape the war.  Thousands of mostly women and children from Artsakh are now living in Armenia. Many of the fathers have been killed, and others were severely injured and are unable to return to the work they did before the war.

The Smiley Pack program provided packages of clothing, toys and sweets for the children, as well as vocational training for their parents.  The program targeted those families most in need.  Launched in December 2021, the program brought “smiles” to approximately 200 children in total, and provided hair styling and manicure tools and training for 20 parents to enable them to support their families.  

“The Smiley Pack program was developed by Mer Hooys’ professional social services team in Armenia,” said Judge Adrienne Krikorian, Mer Hooys President.  “We wanted to help the families who had to leave everything behind in Artsakh, and the girls in our residential program wanted to be involved.”

“Our girls were so happy to be able to help the children from Artsakh, and they enjoyed designing, filling and delivering the packs,” said Dr. Garo Garibian, Mer Hooys Board Member from Philadelphia.  “Not only did the Smiley Packs provide some joy and support to these children and their mothers, but our Mer Hooys girls learned the importance and value of helping those less fortunate by ‘paying it forward’.” 

In June, Mer Hooys brought a Children’s Day celebration to the Permanent Headquarter of Artsakh in Yerevan.  Fifty Artsakhian children enjoyed a bubble show, pizza, music and sweet treats, along with the Smiley Packs lovingly designed and prepared for each child by the girls of Mer Hooys.

The Smiley Pack program was funded through generous donations raised by the Mer Hooys Board from diaspora supporters and the Helpful Hands Foundation in Armenia.  In addition, businesses and individuals in Armenia provided in-kind contributions of toys, treats and other items for the Smiley Packs.

“Mer Hooys is grateful for the support from our donors for this important program that brought some desperately needed respite, support and joy for families from Artsakh,” said Dr. Garibian.  

Mer Hooys continues to achieve its mission of empowering young girls in Armenia ages 8 ½ to 22 from seriously disadvantaged backgrounds, by providing them with a safe home, comprehensive educational programs, tutoring, psychological counseling, life skills and job training, and, where possible, family counseling and reunification strategies.  The program continues to enjoy high regard in Armenia, and is a unique model for providing needed services to unwanted or underprivileged youth, teens and their families.  

“Mer Hooys saves and transforms the lives of our girls, helping them to become selfassured young women with promising futures,” said Judge Krikorian. “Community support enables Mer Hooys to continue its vital work saving the lives of vulnerable girls in Armenia and giving them the chance for successful, safe, and happy futures.”  

Help Mer Hooys make a difference – consider becoming an annual sponsor of $5,000 or more, or making a generous donation.   Please make your donation payable to House of Hope – Mer Hooys, Inc., and mail it to P.O. Box 8507, Calabasas, CA  91372-8507.  You may also donate with a credit card or PayPal on our website at www.mer-hooys.org.  All donations will be acknowledged and are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  Visit our website for regular updates and to enjoy our Facebook feed.

2022 Aurora Prize designated organizations announced

Karakhanian Suren
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – Aug 19 2022


“Aurora is based on the universal concept of Gratitude in Action. It implies that people around the world who have received aid in time of crisis can best express their gratitude by offering similar assistance to someone else. As we celebrate the global humanitarian community and its impact, we are excited to use this occasion to tell the world about the organizations chosen by the 2022 Aurora Humanitarians and raise further awareness about Aurora’s movement,” said Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of Aurora Prize Selection Committee and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

The 2022 Aurora Humanitarians have decided to support organizations that provide humanitarian relief, promote peace, defend human rights, help distressed and displaced communities and facilitate access to medical care.

Jamila Afghani (Afghanistan),a peace activist and founder of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO) who has dedicated over 25 years of her life to ensuring the women of Afghanistan have access to education, has designated the following organizations:

  • Women International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
  • Noor Education and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO)

Hadi Jumaan(Yemen), a mediator and body collector who regularly risks his life to facilitate the exchange of prisoners of war and recover human remains from the front lines, has designated the following organizations:

  • Yemen Aid
  • Partners Yemen

Mahienour El-Massry(Egypt), a lawyer and political activist who promotes political freedom and human rights in her home country by organizing peaceful protests and defending political prisoners in courts, has designated the following organizations:

  • Action For Hope
  • Mersal Foundation

“World Humanitarian Day is a great opportunity to honor people like the Aurora Humanitarians who put themselves at risk to save others. The non-profits selected by this year’s Humanitarians and their vital work have already changed the lives of thousands of people, and we’re hopeful they would be able to achieve even more with support from Aurora,” noted Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member. 

The 2022 Aurora Prize Ceremony and special events will take place in Venice, Italy, on October 14–16, 2022. Aurora will bring together the world’s leading humanitarians to honor modern-day heroes, celebrate the spirit of humanity, and empower the next generation of saviors.

Since its launch, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has benefitted over 2,600,000 people worldwide.

Today, on World Humanitarian Day, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is pleased to reveal the designated organizations selected by the 2022 Aurora Humanitarians, one of whom will be named the 2022 Aurora Prize Laureate in Venice, Italy, on October 15, 2022. On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the 2022 Aurora Prize Laureate will have a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by allocating part of the $1,000,000 award to their designated organizations.

“Aurora is based on the universal concept of Gratitude in Action. It implies that people around the world who have received aid in time of crisis can best express their gratitude by offering similar assistance to someone else. As we celebrate the global humanitarian community and its impact, we are excited to use this occasion to tell the world about the organizations chosen by the 2022 Aurora Humanitarians and raise further awareness about Aurora’s movement,” said Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of Aurora Prize Selection Committee and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

The 2022 Aurora Humanitarians have decided to support organizations that provide humanitarian relief, promote peace, defend human rights, help distressed and displaced communities and facilitate access to medical care.

Jamila Afghani (Afghanistan),a peace activist and founder of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO) who has dedicated over 25 years of her life to ensuring the women of Afghanistan have access to education, has designated the following organizations:

  • Women International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
  • Noor Education and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO)

Hadi Jumaan(Yemen), a mediator and body collector who regularly risks his life to facilitate the exchange of prisoners of war and recover human remains from the front lines, has designated the following organizations:

  • Yemen Aid
  • Partners Yemen

Mahienour El-Massry(Egypt), a lawyer and political activist who promotes political freedom and human rights in her home country by organizing peaceful protests and defending political prisoners in courts, has designated the following organizations:

  • Action For Hope
  • Mersal Foundation

“World Humanitarian Day is a great opportunity to honor people like the Aurora Humanitarians who put themselves at risk to save others. The non-profits selected by this year’s Humanitarians and their vital work have already changed the lives of thousands of people, and we’re hopeful they would be able to achieve even more with support from Aurora,” noted Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member. 

The 2022 Aurora Prize Ceremony and special events will take place in Venice, Italy, on October 14–16, 2022. Aurora will bring together the world’s leading humanitarians to honor modern-day heroes, celebrate the spirit of humanity, and empower the next generation of saviors.

Since its launch, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has benefitted over 2,600,000 people worldwide.


ANIF Chairman of Board of Directors calls for ban on fireworks

Karakhanian Suren

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 10:07,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of ANIF (Armenian National Interests Fund ) Tigran Avinyan is calling for a ban on the use of fireworks and restriction on the sale of pyrotechnics after the deadly Yerevan explosion.

“Back in 2020 we were discussing the issue of heightened regulations for fireworks,” Avinyan, a former deputy prime minister, said in a statement on social media. “In 2021 the initiative gained the government’s consent and was submitted to parliament. Realizing the economic interests of businesses, nevertheless I believe that the free trade of pyrotechnic products must be banned as envisaged in the regulations we had proposed.

The bill we had proposed would allow fireworks to be used only in governmental and municipal events and the free sales of pyrotechnic products would be banned. Their free use not only breaches public life and peace but also often leads to injuries. Fireworks continue being used even during these days, causing anger among our citizens.

I am convinced that the free use of fireworks must be banned and I am calling on our colleagues in parliament to initiate this.

I extend condolences to the families of those who died and I wish swift and speedy recovery to those injured,” Avinyan said.

How an Armenian startup plans to use a new innovation to tackle the billion-dollar phishing industry

Karakhanian Suren
Aug 9 2022
Mike Butcher@mikebutcher

So-called ‘Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance’, or DMARC, is a technical standard that is designed to protect the senders and recipients of email from spam, spoofing, and phishing. Before you fall asleep, it’s worth pointing out that this is a booming tech sector.

What the fast-growing DMARC protocol is doing now is what “https” did the web: making email more communication secure. There were 6 million domains using DMARC in 2021 and 10m in 2022. It’s growing, fast.

Companies in the space include Valimai (raised $84M) and RedSift (raised $64.8M), among others.

And they are tackling a big problem. According to Statista, 333 billion emails are sent every day. And email remains an enormously powerful brand communication platform. But 84% of emails are spam (July 2021). Meanwhile, a vast number of cyberattacks are carried out through simple phishing emails. And yet email remains one of the few non-proprietary method of communication online, given so much of our interactions are now effectively owned by platforms like Facebook and Google.

Back in 2016, Gerasim Hovhanisyan says he was working as an information security consultant, when he was asked to look into the aftermath of a severe email phishing attack on a multi-billion dollar company.

He looked into the latest email security technologies but decided that there were a variety of solutions, but none which packed the DMARC protocol into something relatively easy for businesses to use. So together with co-founder Avag Arakelyan, in 2018 they launched their startup to tackle this problem.

The resulting EasyDMARC is a B2B SaaS solution that claims to make email authentication simple for SMEs by securing domain and email infrastructure, protecting from phishing and increasing email deliverability. It does this by making sure there are security protocols for a business that stop hackers from sending phishing emails on their behalf, among others things.

The startup now says it has 30,000 clients from 130 countries and has analysed a staggering 9 billions emails.

Now, after a period of bootstrapping, EasyDMARC has raised a Seed round, of $2.3M in a round led by Acrobator Ventures (lead investor, Joachim Laqueur), Formula VC and an unnamed US-based public security company.

The deal marks a significant moment in the Armenian tech startup ecosystem, since both Hovhannisyan and Arakelyan are alumni employers of Picsart, the country’s main unicorn at this time.

 

International Youth Day to be celebrated in Gyumri

Karakhanian Suren

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 11:27,

GYUMRI, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. Gyumri city is inviting everyone to join in celebrating International Youth Day on August 12.

The Center of Youth Initiatives of Gyumri will organize various public events on this occasion.

The program features a seminar at the Gyumri Technological Center, followed by an EXPO-fair and other events.

The Center of Youth Initiatives of Gyumri is organizing public events on International Youth Day since 2015.

This year the center is carrying out the programs jointly with the UNFPA Armenia, Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps programs information center, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and the Gyumri Technological Center.

China calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to “avoid escalating situation”

Karakhanian Suren

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 16:22, 8 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The People’s Republic of China is calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid escalating the situation in the region, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing, RIA Novosti reported.

“We hope that both sides will adhere to the ceasefire agreements, and will avoid further escalation of the situation,” Wenbin said.

The spokesperson added that Armenia and Azerbaijan are friendly countries for China.

He expressed hope that Yerevan and Baku will find opportunities to resolve disputes within the framework of political dialogue.