Author: Karapetian Hovik

TURKEY: DO THE KILLINGS CONSTITUTE GENOCIDE?
Abbas Djavadi

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
April 23 2007

On April 24, Armenians around the world will commemorate the 92nd
anniversary of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks. Armenians refer to this chapter in their history as
genocide — a term the Turks firmly reject. The issue has strained
relations and closed the border between the two countries. RFE/RL’s
Azerbaijani Service director Abbas Djavadi gives his perspectives on
the issue. The views are his own and do not represent those of RFE/RL.

"Few in Turkey would deny that Armenians were killed in 1915 during the
course of World War I. Opinions vary, however, on how the deportations
and killings of Armenians came about; and whether the killings can
be labeled a ‘genocide’ in a similar vein to the Holocaust.

While only a few extreme nationalists dispute the mass killings of
Armenians, some liberals have recognized it as a ‘genocide.’ Most
Turkish intellectuals, political analysts, and historians believe
that local Armenians, with the help of Russia, were trying to create
an independent Armenian state in eastern Anatolia.

Despite the ensuing chaos, they maintain the Turkish state acted
accordingly to save mainland Turkey from being swallowed up by the
victors in the war, Russia, Britain, and France.

They also say that Armenians, traditionally described by Ottomans
as ‘the loyal nation,’ were not targeted because of their race or
religion, but due to the ‘treason’ of a large group of local Armenians
who fought, some with the Russians, against the Turkish army in the
eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire.

The Turkish side says that in 1915, Russian troops, accompanied by
Armenian armed militias, advanced through Turkish territories. They
say that tens of thousands of Turks were also killed or deported from
their homes during this period.

Turkey has said that Turkish, Armenian, and other international
historians and intellectuals should openly discuss the history. They
say they have opened their archives and asked for the Armenians to
do the same.

The Turks believe that the Armenians have used the ‘genocide’
issue as a political tool, and have shown little desire to reach an
understanding and move forward. ‘Moving forward’ would also include the
opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, which all Turkish governments
have said will not be possible as long as Yerevan maintains its
genocide-related claims against Turkey and as long as Armenia does
not recognize the two countries’ current borders. Ankara says that
Armenia’s 1991 declaration of independence considers eastern parts
of Turkey to be ‘western Armenia.’ "

MINISTER OSKANIAN MEETS WITH FILM DIRECTOR CARLA GARAPEDIAN

ArmRadio.am
23.04.2007 17:40

On April 23 RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received the director
of the "Screamers" documentary Carla Garapedian. The famous film has
been shot jointly with the "System of a Down" band.

The film director informed that these days the film is being shown
in Yerevan and presented the reactions after the first screening of
the documentary in the US. Currently the film is on display in Canada,
France and Lebanon. In the near future viewers in Russia and Argentina
will have the opportunity to watch it.

Highly appreciating the initiative of the authors, Minister Oskanain
attached importance to the fact that the film turns not only to the
Armenian Genocide, but also other genocides. The interlocutors stressed
the importance of the activity in the direction of recognition of
the Armenian Genocide in different countries from the perspective
of preventing the reoccurrence of similar crimes against humanity in
the future.

TURKEY’S TROUBLES AND CHANCES SURROUNDING THE ENERGY STRATEGY
Ahmet Turker

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
April 23 2007

Turkey’s energy strategy designed as a "hub" and/or "market (trader)"
is not an easy goal to achieve. Being a rather stable country in an
unstable region, passing through transitions to be a European country,
geopolitics are all have positive impacts on this strategy.

However, are these political and diplomatic parameters are enough to
make Turkey a strategic energy corridor?

Maybe the question is wrong. After all, with its gas and oil pipelines,
Turkey is already an energy corridor. But turning this into a strategic
asset requires more than steel pipes and ports.

Turkey, among other countries in the region, is not free of problems.

These problems may constitute a big obstacle in front of EU membership
which may only happen in the very long run.

This also depends what Turks and Europeans understand from being a
"European country". If it is based on economic integration, Turkey’s
energy strategy and its growing population (and domestic market)
is an advantage to EU. But if we understand a "social integration"
as well, that may take some time.

So, the economic and social parameters are the tides for Turkey’s
EU membership. No decision is easy for both sides. But energy and
energy security may play a great deal in this decisive process in
the following years.

Turkey’s huge experience with terrorism and number of experiences with
externally inflicted instabilities is a chance for Turkey in this
unstable region. Being a NATO member and getting on fine -not well-
with the problematic Bush government is also the country’s success.

Of course, one can argue that Turkey had no choice but to be a NATO
member during the cold war era and US’s influence on Turkey as the
dominant foreign effect on the country, but this doesn’t change the
fact that Turkey is a Muslim NATO member and has started membership
process with EU.

Turkey does not have any significant hydrocarbon resources of itself.

It is Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan or Iraq that
will be using the Turkish corridor. Most of these countries are not
stable, democratic regimes which is a trouble for the corridor, but
their reserves and willingness to have alternative ways for accessing
world markets are a chance for Turkey

Recently, Financial Times reported that Iraq’s reserves may be 100bn
barrels more according to IHS, well known for their CERA. These
reserves, if happens to be easily extractable and profitable may also
be a chance for Turkey, too. But can we talk about an Iraqi security
regardless of Syria and Iran?

Syria and Iran, being neighbors of Turkey, are problematic too. Any
instability caused in these countries may well be harmful to Turkey’s
regional security. US has not achieved control in Iraq and seems
like failing.

These countries are essential for Turkey’s and Iraq’s security. So
it is not only internal stability that adds value to Turkey’s energy
strategy, but these countries development and opening to the world
is essential. Iran for example is losing power due to underinvestment
in the energy sector.

On the other hand, Turkey is badly affected by Iraq war during Bush
Senior and now Bush Junior. Turks welcoming of the Iraqi Kurds during
Saddam’s chemical attack on them has been a one-sided friendship
towards the pragmatist Kurds. This is also the curse of the whole
region; the leaders thinking themselves wiser than the others fail
to make up long term good relations.

However, Turkey once again may change this, if it is really a major
power in the region. A stable pipeline transit between these areas
and Turkey will transform both sides. The challenge is how to bank
the selfish pragmatism of these tribal leaders in favour of Turkey
and avoiding any one sided -from Turkey’s side- "brother" rhetoric.

In the Caucasus, BTC pipeline is a great success, but how much of
this is Turkey’s or major oil companys’ may be disputed. But the
BTC’s success has also woken up the bear for a move. Burgas-Dedeagac
(Alexandropolis) pipeline is a small but a "should be watched
carefully" Russian counter move.

Burgas-Dedeagac is also a chance for relieveing the highly
crowded Bosporus, but what about the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline? The
oil transferred is in control of Russia and with the choice of
Burgas-Dedeagac, Russia showed that it’s reluctance for Samsun-Ceyhan.

Turkey’s other chance is Azerbaijan, or we should say Azerbaijan’s
chance is Turkey and of course Georgia. Unfortunately, Armenia is the
common problem for both countries. But Azerbaijan has a rapidly growing
economy and has nearly the same language with Turks of Anatolia.

As Azerbaijan being a chance for Turkey, it will not be an exaggeration
to condemn Turkish political and diplomatic circles of not giving
enough importance to this "relative" country. If Turkey has given the
same importance of Northern Cyprus and Armenian problem to Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan, the energy strategy may have been designed in a more
multilateral and beneficial way for both three countries.

It should be emphasized that with this strategy Turkey should enjoy
more foreign direct investment and petrodollars as well as cultural
richness of these countries. Unfortunately, who will do this? It all
boils down to humans.

If the chance knocks your door and if there is no one inside or if
everyone is busy for another thing to welcome the chance, the chances
may be wasted. The geopolitical chance needs man power to be welcomed.

Even the discussions of Kyoto agreement has been reduced to merely
signing or not signing the agreement instead of a progressive plan
to get ready for signing the agreement. Public has not been preached
wholly other than "signing will harm our economy".

So, how many diplomats, "real" energy specialists, energy departments,
research and development efforts is going on in Turkey?

In the hands of international relations experts, the chances will
be wasted within the realist and liberalist competition. Turkey
needs more economists, energy law experts, energy specialists and
environmental scientists.

Saying more is even an underestimation, playing energy politics in a
region of instability, Putin nationalism and insecurity needs a lot
of experts those whole heartedly knows the dynamics of the region and
energy. Without this man power, Turkey’s energy strategy will only be
a lucky or damned boat swimming through the tides of chance and curse.

This commentary is from USAK’s Energy Review Newsletter

DO NOT DESTROY POLITICAL POSTERS

Yerkir.am
April 20, 2007

The candidates running under majoritarian vote in constituency N4 in
Arabkir community had a joint press conference yesterday in "Pastark"
("Argument") Club.

At the press conference the candidates informed that they are planning
to meet residents of Arabkir community to answer their questions.

Hrayr Karapetian (ARF), Aram Manukian (Pan-Armenian Movement), Zohrab
Zohrabian (Republican Party), Hayrapet Hayrapetian (Prosperous Armenia
Party), Suren Mamikonian (Rule of Law Country Party) participated
in the joint press conference. Representative of the National Unity
Sargis Murakhanian and Armen Manukian nominated under civic initiative
were not present at the press conference.

These candidates had signed a memorandum on free and fair elections
on April 9.

Suren Mamikonian (Orinats Yerkir) noted that it will not be possible
to rig the elections in this constituency because all famous parties
are represented here.

However, some violations can already be observed – the posters of some
candidates are being destroyed, mostly at night. Some people go to
the voters’ apartments telling that they are conducting sociological
surveys and tell the voters that only one candidate is registered in
this constituency.

"They are asking the voters whether they will support this
candidate. They even tell that the Rule of Law Party is also supporting
that candidate.

Meanwhile, the Rule of Law Party has its own candidate in this
constituency," Mamikonian said.

Karapetian noted that the memorandum signed between the candidates
was a good initiative. All the candidates have signed the memorandum
and not should adhere to its principles.

"We are closely following the pre-electoral processes and I cannot
say that the principles of the memorandum are 100% preserved. We
will present all the facts on May 5 if we believe that such facts
constitute a violation of the memorandum," Karapetian said.

Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues is strongly
disappointed that the United Nations cancelled an exhibit commemorating the 13th
anniversary of the Rwanda genocide

Arminfo
2007-04-21 18:05:00

Congressman Frank Pallone, a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues, is strongly disappointed the United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon has given in to Turkey’s demands and cancelled
an exhibit commemorating the 13th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide.

The Armenian National Committee of America told ArmInfo that F.Pallone
pointed out that as a representative of the international community,
the United Nations must be the leading voice against genocide. That
includes all genocides, including the Armenian genocide. Unless the
United Nations takes a stand against Turkey’s denial, its value to
the international community is greatly undermined. " As the 92nd
anniversary of the Armenian genocide approaches, Turkey’s recent
behavior is yet another example of why it is so important for Congress
to reaffirm the Armenian genocide by passing H. Res. 106. Over the past
year, Turkey has pulled out of NATO exercises after France affirmed
the Armenian genocide. They have threatened U.S. troops in Iraq if the
U.S. reaffirms the Armenian genocide. And now they are preventing the
U.N. from honoring the victims of the Rwandan genocide. Their denial
has no limits. The United States must never allow crimes against
humanity to pass without remembrance and condemnation. As a society,
we cannot effectively work to end crimes against humanity without
recognizing those that have previously occurred," he emphasized. He
added that Turkey’s policy of denying the Armenian genocide gives
cover to those who perpetrate genocide everywhere. If the cycle is
to end, there must be accountability for genocide. "Genocide denial
is the last stage of genocide," he stressed. "As a global community
we must collectively stand for historical truth and recognize the
worst humanitarian crimes that we have seen," F.Pallone said.

To remind, on April 9 the United Nations cancelled the long-awaited
exhibit on the Rwanda Genocide of 1994 because one of its display
panels included a reference to the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish
Government considers unacceptable to refer to the origin of the word
"genocide" first used by Raphael Lemkin, a famous lawyer and human
rights campaigner, under the impression of the crime committed
against Armenians.

New Times leader rules out a possible foreign interference with the
parliamentary election in Armenia

Arminfo
2007-04-21 18:00:00

Aram Karapetyan, a political expert and the leader of the oppositionist
New Times party, rules out a possible foreign interference with the
course of the parliamentary election in Armenia.

At today’s press-conference at the Azdak club, A.Karapetyan referred
to the April 20 statement made by Stanislav Chernyavsky, the Director
of the CIS International Institute of Monitoring Democracy Development
and a member of the observation mission of the CIS Interparliamentary
Assembly. To remind, yesterday S.Chernyavsky said: "We can’t be
completely objective when estimating the election in Armenia, as
we are interested in consolidation of stability and progress in
the country". Commenting upon the Russian observer’s statement at
ArmInfo correspondent’s request, A.Karapetyan pointed out that it
means the international observers will approve the choice of the
people. At the same time, he pointed out the fact that the foreign
diplomats accredited in Armenia, as well as the heads of international
organizations’ missions seem to dissociate from the parliamentary
election, preferring either to keep silence or to leave the country
for the election period.

As for the Russian high-ranking officials’ visits to Armenia that have
recently become too frequent, A.Karapetyan thinks that one shouldn’t
qualify these visits as Moscow’s attempts to support the Republican
Party of Armenia and Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. "Russia
is interested not in Armenia but the whole region, and it is a weak
PR action to show this as a support," he said.

Turkish Daily News , Turkey
April 21 2007

Not many satisfied with race hate law
Saturday, April 21, 2007

The EU justice ministers’ agreement to criminalize incitement to
racial hatred and xenophobia on Thursday in Luxembourg after long
and fractious negotiations, which took nearly six years left many
parties across Europe dissatisfied with the outcome and shed light
on major differences between member states, wrote the Guardian and
Financial Times.

According to the British daily Guardian, anti-racism campaigners,
Jewish groups and the EU term president Germany were disappointed with
the fact that the law does not ban Holocaust denial and Nazi symbols
as such. The European Jewish Congress expressed its uneasiness about
the law by emphasizing Europe’s special historic responsibility to
combat anti-Semitism, which was not included in the final version of
the draft. The draft has also made apparent the difference between
European countries such as Germany, Austria and France, which already
have laws banning denial of the Holocaust and Britain, Ireland and
the Nordic countries that resisted such a measure in the past so as
not to compromise academic or artistic freedom unless it specifically
incites racial hatred.

The business daily Financial Times reported on the other hand that
the Armenians were also displeased with the law since the events
of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire during World War One, which Armenians
insist should be recognized as genocide were not included in the text
of the law. Laurent Leylekian, the executive director of the European
Armenian Federation expressed fierce criticism and said the law showed
"a great amount of hypocrisy". "Excluding Armenia’s suffering would
be a moral failure," he said.

According to the FT, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as the
eastern European states were also unhappy with the ultimate wording
of the law that does not contain any special reference to the Stalin
and communist era crimes. ISTANBUL-Turkish Daily News

La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
21 avril 2007 samedi
Edition DEUX SEVRES

Un film et un debat pour l’annee de l’Armenie

A l’occasion de l’annee de l’Armenie en France, l’association des
Radioamateurs de Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole s’associe a l’evenement en
proposant une projection audiovisuelle et un debat.

L’association des Radioamateurs saint-maixentais a prevu vendredi 27
avril prochain a 20 h 30, salle Balizy, la projection d’un film
documentaire realise en 2006 par une cineaste-conferencière niortaise
Marie-Dominique Massol et commente par elle-meme.

Mme Massol est la presidente du conservatoire audiovisuel sur les
peuples (CAP-Monde). Et en 1991, Daniel Barot avait participe a une
operation humanitaire dans ce pays suite au terrible tremblement de
terre.
Très marque par la culture mais aussi par l’incroyable hospitalite de
la population, il y est retourne dix après. A travers ce film, il
veut nous faire partager la vie de ce pays du Caucase mais aussi son
histoire.
L’Armenie, terre de culture et d’emotions a l’honneur dans notre pays
toute l’annee 2007, possède une architecture unique. " Le voile se
lève enfin sur ce dernier bastion de la chretiente. Est-ce encore
l’occident, ou est-ce deja l’orient ? "
Après la presentation, Marie-Dominique Massol et Daniel Barot
animeront un debat sur ce pays et ses habitants si genereux et
attachants, l’Armenie mise a l’honneur par la France durant toute
l’annee 2007.
Ses monastères, ses forteresses, les " Katchkars ",ces pierres en
croix sculptees si finement qu’on les croirait de dentelles brodees,
temoignent du genie artistique d’un peuple a travers ses deux mille
ans d’histoire.

Une Armenie " a fleur de vie "

Dans cet univers montagneux, a la beaute sauvage, resonnent encore
aujourd’hui ses mythes fondateurs, a l’ombre du celèbre mont Ararat
(5.165 mètres) où, selon la Bible, s’arreta l’arche de Noe et qui
aujourd’hui, se trouve en Turquie.
Helas, l’histoire de l’Armenie est aussi faite de douleurs. Le
terrible genocide, le Karabagh, enclave chretienne en terre
musulmane, les larmes des guerres sont toujours dans les âmes, mais
le Karabagh " fait preuve d’un dynamisme surprenant ".
L’association des Radioamateurs et Mme Massol invitent le public a
venir decouvrir Erevan, la ville rose toute de tuf vetue, Gumri qui
efface peu a peu les traces du seisme, le quotidien des Armeniens qui
se racontent avec pudeur et sincerite. Marie-Dominique Massol fait
partager " son " Armenie, celle qu’elle a ressentie " a fleur de vie
".

Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole, vendredi
27 avril a 20 h 30, salle Balizy.
Entree : 5 , demi-tarif pour
les scolaires et etudiants.

GRAPHIQUE: Daniel Barot et Marie-Dominique Massol animeront la soiree
vendredi prochain a 20 h 30, salle Balizy.
Paysage typique et rugueux de l’Armenie, entre les puissants massifs
du Caucase, de l’Iran et de l’Asie mineure.

–Boundary_(ID_7+Ec+YiesJasmEDrWEVehg)–

STATE DEPARTMENT REVISES MISSTATEMENT REGARDING NAGORNO KARABAGH

ArmRadio.am
20.04.2007 12:16

The US Department of State has revised the mistaken assertion, within
the Armenia section of its recently released annual human rights
report, that, "Armenia continues to occupy the Azerbaijani territory
of Nagorno-Karabagh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories,"
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The amended language, released this week, has been posted on
theDepartment’s website. It reads as follows: "Armenian forces
occupy large portions of Azerbaijan territory adjacent to Nagorno-
Karabakh. Armenian officials maintain that they do not ‘occupy’
Nagorno-Karabakh itself." The Azerbaijan section, which included
nearly identical language, has yet to be revised.

"We take note of the fact that the State Department has responded
to our concern that the report’s mischaracterization of Nagorno
Karabagh’s status would be detrimental to the U.S. government’s role
as an impartial mediator of the Minsk Group negotiations," said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We remain concerned that
the amended text continues to fall short of accurately describing
the situation, as well as by the fact that the Azerbaijan section of
the report continues to make incorrect assertions, thus making its
text inconsistent with the State Department’s own revision of the
Armenia section."

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in an April 3, 2007 letter to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, expressed the Armenian American community’s
profound concern that, "such statements fundamentally misrepresent the
well-documented reality in the region, contradict the Department’s
previous human rights reports, and undermine the credibility of the
United States as an impartial arbiter destined to a leadership
role in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process." He added that,
"These unprecedented assertions are both factually inaccurate and
counter-productive to our government’s aim of reaching a durable
resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. To say that Nagorno
Karabagh is an Azerbaijani territory and that Armenia occupies Nagorno
Karabagh and other territories is to ignore the very fundamentals of
this conflict. These statements only serve to send the wrong message
to the Azerbaijani side and further complicate the peace negotiations."

CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY FEAR MORE ATTACKS AFTER KILLINGS AT PUBLISHING HOUSE
Benjamin Harvey

AP Worldstream
Published: Apr 20, 2007

The slayings of three Christians in eastern Turkey highlight the
country’s uneasy relationship with its minorities, and Christians
expressed fear that growing nationalism and intolerance could lead
to more violence against them.

Police detained five more suspects Thursday in the attack at a
Christian publishing house that distributes Bibles. Some reportedly
said they carried out the killings to protect Islam.

The three victims _ a German man and two Turks who converted to
Christianity _ were found a day earlier with their hands and legs
tied and their throats slit. Their faces were bruised, and the ropes
had cut into their wrists.

On Friday, the Hurriyet newspaper reported that at least one victim
was stabbed many times.

"There were so many stab wounds that we couldn’t count them," Hurriyet
quoted Dr. Murat Ugras as saying. "It was clearly torture."

The attack added to concerns in Europe about whether the predominantly
Muslim country _ which is bidding for European Union membership _
can protect its religious minorities.

Christian leaders said they worried that nationalists were stoking
hostilities against non-Turks and non-Muslims by exploiting growing
uncertainty over Turkey’s place in the world.

The uncertainty _ and growing suspicion against foreigners _ has
been driven by the faltering EU bid, a resilient Kurdish separatist
movement and by increasingly vocal Islamists who see themselves _
and Turkey _ as locked in battle with a hostile Christian West.

"Our lives are in danger because of this mind-set," the Rev. Ihsan
Ozbek, pastor of the Kurtulus Church in Ankara, told a news conference
in Malatya. He said there was a "witch hunt" under way against
Christians and other minorities.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state is
Pope Benedict XVI’s top aide, called the attack "an insane act by a
fanatic minority."

"We must not waste the fruits of the pope’s visit to Turkey, which
has really brought us closer," Bertone was quoted as saying by Italian
news agency ANSA.

The pope visited Turkey in November, promising greater understanding
and dialogue with Islam.

Nationalists, who have long dominated public debate in Turkey, have
also begun to call for Turkey to withdraw its EU bid and make its
own way in the world. Some young men indoctrinated with a vision of
Turkish greatness _ and with a view of the West as intent on keeping
the Islamic world weak _ view non-Muslims with suspicion.

"The problem is our education and our media," Mustafa Efe, head
of Mujde FM, or Miracle FM, a Christian broadcasting station, said
after traveling to Malatya to meet Protestant pastors. "They always
say Christianity is dangerous because Christians are trying to break
up Turkey."

Christians make up just a fraction of 1 percent of Turkey’s population
of 71 million.

"There is this general atmosphere of fear _ that Turkey will be
segmented," said Orhan Kemal Cengiz, a human rights lawyer who
represented one of the slain Christians, Necati Aydin, 26, in an
earlier court case. Aydin was charged with insulting Islam and spent
a month in jail after he was found distributing Bibles in the Aegean
city of Izmir.

Hurriyet newspaper quoted one unidentified suspect as saying: "We
didn’t do this for ourselves, but for our religion. Our religion is
being destroyed. Let this be a lesson to enemies of our religion."

Besides the five suspects detained Thursday, four others were taken
into custody at the publishing house Wednesday, as well as a fifth
who underwent surgery for head injuries after he apparently tried
to escape the crime scene by jumping from a fourth-story window. All
were in their late teens or early 20s.

Since last year, Turkish youths have killed a Roman Catholic priest
while he prayed in a church in Trabzon, threatened other priests and
killed a prominent Armenian Christian editor in Istanbul.

The latest violence comes ahead of presidential elections next month, a
contest that highlights fears among Turkey’s secular establishment that
a candidate from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted
party, or even Erdogan himself, could win the job and strengthen
Islamic influence on the government.

Erdogan has rejected the label of "Islamist," citing his commitment
to Turkey’s effort to join the EU.

Christians and other minorities have watched Turkey’s struggling
EU bid with alarm. Many worry the papacy of Benedict XVI, who when
he was still a cardinal spoke against Turkey’s bid for membership,
would only contribute to their problems.