Author: Karapetian Hovik

YERVAND ZAKHARYAN PRESIDENT OF REAL ESTATE CADASTRE

Panorama.am
15:10 03/04/2009

The President of Armenia signed a decree on 2 April dismissing
the President of Real Estate Cadastre Manuk Vardanyan from his
position and appointing Yervand Zakharyan the President of Real
Estate Cadastre. The press service of the President’s Administration
reports that Manuk Vardanyan has been appointed the consultant of
the President of Armenia. Note that Yervand Zakharyan is the former
mayor of the capital city of Armenia Yerevan. He was the 8th mayor
of Yerevan since the independence of the country.

AOUN RELEASES NAMES OF BEIRUT 1 CANDIDATES

NaharNet
April 1 2009
Lebanon

MP Gen. Michel Aoun announced on Wednesday his bloc’s parliamentary
nominations for Beirut 1 district, which includes Ashrafiyeh, Rmeil
and Saifi.

The candidates, who appeared next to Aoun at his press conference,
were identified as deputy premier Issam Abu Jamra, Nicolas al-Sehnawi,
Massoud al-Ashkar in addition to Tashnag’s nominees Freij Saboungian
and Krikor Kaloust.

Aoun said the list was reached through "consensus" and urged supporters
and partisans of the Free Patriotic Movement to "put their weight
behind the list and exert the necessary effort to ensure its success."

He said his bloc’s complete ticket will be made public "once it has
been finalized." He said Tashnag’s alliance with MP Michel Mur in
the Metn district was "unilateral."

THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY TO BUY POSTS IN THE COMMISSIONS

LRAGIR.AM
15:36:22 – 01/04/2009

Did the ARF Dashnaktsutyun try to buy the Heritage’s posts in
the electoral commissions? On April 1, at the Urbat press club
this question was asked to the Dashnaktsutyun candidate for Mayor
Artsvik Minasyan, noting that the Heritage representative to the
Central Election Commission Zoya Tadevosyan stated that one of the
coalition forces attempted to buy the Heritage’s posts in the electoral
commissions. The Republican Party and the BHK have already refused to
have done such an attempt and what the Dashnaktsutyun is going to say,
the reporters tried to find out. The Dashnaktsutyun candidate first
asked smiling: "Is this a serious question?" Then continued saying
that such a question should not be given to ARF Dashnaktsutyun. Artsvik
Minasyan noted that the ARF Dashnaktsutyun does not have enough money
to buy those posts and if it had, the Dashnaktsutyun would spend it
for the electoral campaign. Artsvik Minasyan noted that they attach
great importance to the question of incorruption of the commission
members and will follow attentively the members’ behavior and they
are also ready to help the Heritage in the struggle against corruption.

ANTI-GENOCIDE CONGRESSMEN TRY TO SHIFT FOCUS
By Ara Khachatourian

cle=41021_3/31/2009_1
Tuesday March 31, 2009

A group of House members, traditionally and vocally opposing
Congressional resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide, wrote
a letter to the presidents of Armenia and Turkey expressing their
support for what they called "lasting Armenian-Turkish rapprochement."

These notorious Genocide deniers representatives Robert Wexler, a
member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (D-Fla.), Ike Skelton
(D-MO), the Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, John
Murtha (D-Penn.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Defense
Appropriations, and Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Co-chairman of the
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, are the lead
signatories of the letter.

"As members of Congress who agree that lasting Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement should be a top priority for the United States, please
know we are ready to assist your nations efforts to normalize relations
and build a better future for generations of Armenians and Turks,"
the representatives wrote in the letter.

"It is essential that the building blocks of trust and cooperation are
established between Armenia and Turkey to heal open wounds, mend broken
hearts and create a better future for both nations and peoples," "This
process is difficult and at times painful, but we remain hopeful that
ongoing bilateral engagement will lead to a positive breakthrough that
forever changes the dynamics of the region and opens the door to new
possibilities and brighter futures for Armenia and Turkey," they added.

The objective of this letter is to divert attention from H.Res. 252,
which was introduced by representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and
George Radanovich (R-Calif.), to properly recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

On the eve of President Obama’s planned visit to Turkey and Turkish
government’s efforts to shift the focus from Genocide recognition
to the so-called Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, this letter goes on
record as an almost organic follow-up to Turkish propaganda efforts
and its current posturing on Capitol Hill.

This effort should be viewed as nothing more than an insult to the
Armenian-American community, whose history is being summed up as an
effort to "mend broken hearts" while at the same time fueling the
cycle of Genocide.

It no surprise that the Turkish and Azeri press hailed this effort
by prominently placing it on their Web sites. It is also a bit
discomforting that the Armenian press, similarly, trumpeted this
development without providing proper perspective to their readers.

The opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and establishing of
diplomatic relations should not be confused with the imperative to
recognize the Armenian Genocide. One has nothing to do with the other
and the effort by the aforementioned members of the House should
be deplored as a cheap effort to water down the Genocide issue and
compare apples with oranges.

FILM ON MORGENTHAU OPENS LENS ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Chris Bergeron

Daily News
Monday March 30, 2009

FRAMINGHAM, MA–Descended from survivors of the Armenian genocide,
filmmaker Apo Torosyan hopes his art transforms prejudice and hate
into tolerance and compassion.

Growing up in Turkey, he learned his father’s parents had both starved
to death after the genocidal massacres of 1915. As a teenager in
Istanbul, he saw mobs hang Christian priests and rape Armenian women
while his pregnant sister cowered in their apartment preparing to
kill herself if necessary.

Yet when Torosyan screens his newest film Wednesday in the Framingham
Library in Massachusetts, it will honor a man who fought oppression
at great personal risk while refusing to preach hate.

His hour-long film, "The Morgenthau Story," will be shown at 7
p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 in the Costin Room of the library at 49
Lexington St.

"I’m trying to reach out and warn people genocide is still with us
today," said Torosyan. "Too often we don’t see it. But when you say
‘us’ and ‘them,’ you’re already prejudging people."

A shorter version of his film will be shown Monday, April 23 at 11
a.m. in Peabody City Hall at 24 Lowell St.

The son of a Greek mother and Armenian father, Torosyan earned his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts
in the 1960s.

He has exhibited his rich, moody paintings in more than 40 solo and
20 group shows in Europe and North America. His paintings are in the
permanent collections of several museums, including the Museum of
Modern Art in Bordeaux, France, the Armenian Library and Museum of
America in Watertown, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.,
and the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Now 67, Torosyan has made seven documentaries, including four
dealing with aspects of the genocide and three others he describes
as philosophic "meditations."

Since immigrating to the United States in 1986, he fears he can’t
return to Turkey because on an earlier visit he expressed his opinion
about the Armenian genocide, which puts him in danger of imprisonment.

Torosyan’s documentary incorporates interviews with the three
descendants of Henry Morgenthau Sr., ambassador to Constantinople
from 1913 to 1916, and archival footage about Turkish oppression of
the Armenian minority.

He credits Morgenthau for trying to alert the world to the Ottoman
massacres of Armenians and other Christians and later, as chairman
of the Greek Resettlement Commission, saving thousands after the 1922
Smyrna massacre.

While often regarded as the 20th century’s first holocaust, Toroysyan
fears Westerners know little about the Ottoman Empire’s murderous
policies against Christians.

He said in April 1915, civilian and military authorities of the
then-Ottoman Empire now present day Turkey launched attacks, massacres
and forced marches to drive Armenians, as well as Greeks and Syrians,
off their lands and into exile. While exact figures remain in dispute,
Torosyan said it’s "generally accepted" that between 1915 and 1923
1.5 million Armenians died and another 2 million, representing nearly
half the group’s population, were driven from the country.

Rather than "play the blame game," Torosyan said his films present
history objectively so future generations can recognize the symptoms
of ethnic, religious and racial prejudice before they take effect. "I
believe history should be known so we don’t forget the past,"
he said. "I’m trying to reach out to youth in high school and
college. They should know what happened."

While the Republic of Turkey, which succeeded the Ottoman Empire,
refuses to describe the deaths and forced relocations as genocide,
Torosyan insisted he "holds no prejudice toward Turkish people today."

Whether painting or making films, he said his art is intimately
connected to his personal history.

"What else is mine? My roots, my family history? Starving family
members dying during the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocide,
including my grandparents," he said. "…I started making my films,
which are not all related to human rights, but to life itself. My
documentaries have been shown in places I’ve never been to and seen
by thousands of people I’ve never met. And through the Internet,
I have met a lot of new friends with the same message: Hope not hate."

ITEL.AM WEBSITE OF ARMENIA’S COMMUNICATION SECTOR LAUNCHED

Noyan Tapan
March 26, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The operation of itel.am website is
important from the point of view that users will have the opportunity
to learn news about big, medium and small companies operating in the
communication sector. Director General of K-Telecom company Ralph
Yirikian expressed this opinion during the March 25 presentation of
Mediamax information agency’s itel.am website.

He attached importance to "Executive" section of blogs of companies’
heads, noting that it provides an opportunity to answer questions of
users. In the words of R. Yirikian, there are moments that people want
the company head to answer their question, and the indicated section
is an occasion to get in direct contact with users or possible users
of the section.

In the opinion of the Head of ArmenTel company’s PR Service Anush
Beghloyan, itel.am has increased the number of websites in Armenian,
and the lack of such websites is a serious problem. She said that
the website will also enable journalists to make analyses of the
communication sector.

The Director of Mediamax agency Ara Tadevosian explained that it is
envisaged turning itel.am into a site of interactive coverage and
discussion of communication, Internet, IT and innovation sectors. The
website has three major sections: information (news, analyses,
interviews), offers of mobile communication, Internet access and
fixed phone service providing companies and their comparison, and
"Executive" blogs of heads of companies.

UNITED ARMENIAN FUND
1101 N. Pacific Avenue # 204
Glendale, CA 91202
Tel: 818.241.8900
Fax: 818.241.6900

PRESS RELEASE
March 21, 2009

UAF’s 151st Airlift Delivers $3.5 Million of Aid to Armenia

Glendale, CA – The United Armenian Fund’s 151st airlift arrived in Yerevan
on March 21, delivering $3.5 million of humanitarian assistance.

For this flight, the UAF itself collected $2.1 million of medicines and
medical supplies donated by AmeriCares ($1.1 million); the Catholic Medical
Mission Board ($932,000); Health Partners International of Canada ($56,000);
MAP International ($14,000) and Direct Relief International ($4,000).

Other organizations which contributed goods for this airlift were: Armenian
American Cultural Foundation ($280,000); Arkray USA/Dr. Samuel Malayan
($253,000); Fund for Armenian Relief ($245,000); Armenian EyeCare Project
($111,000); American University of Armenia ($79,000); Dr. Stephen Kashian
($60,000); Armenian Students’ Association ($44,000); Armenian Bone Marrow
Donor Registry ($33,000); Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corp. ($31,000)
and Armenian Missionary Association of America ($31,000).

Also contributing supplies to this airlift were: Foundation Semra of
Switzerland ($24,000); Fletcher School ($20,000); Dr. Hagop Hovaguimian
($18,000); St. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church ($15,000) and Dr. Tigran
Arakelyan ($13,000).

Since its inception in 1989, the UAF has sent $555 million of humanitarian
assistance to Armenia on board 151 airlifts and 1,662 sea containers.

The UAF is the collective effort of the Armenian Assembly of America,
Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Missionary Association of
America, Armenian Relief Society, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America,
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and The Lincy
Foundation.

For more information, contact the UAF office at 1101 North Pacific Avenue,
Suite 204, Glendale, CA 91202 or call (818) 241-8900.

CANDIDATES OF ELDERS’ ELECTIONS APPLIED TO ELECTORAL COMMITTEE

Panorama.am
10:52 23/03/2009

The Central Electoral Committee received applications to participate
in the elders’ elections of Yerevan from 6 political parties and one
alliance. The parties and the alliance to take part in the forthcoming
elders’ elections scheduled on 31 May are "People’s Party", "Prosperous
Armenia", "Republican Party", "Country of Laws", "Workers’ Socialist
Party", and "Armenian National Congress" alliance. "Heritage" party
will not participate in the elders’ elections.

The first three horizontals of the list of "Prosperous Armenia" are
nominated the Health Minister Harutyun Qushkyan, National Assembly
Deputy Mkhitar Mnacakanyan and Yerevan State University Deputy
Margarita Matevosyan.

The working mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan, the head of Avan
Community Taron Margaryan and Hrach Poghosyan are nominated in the
"Republican" list.

National Assembly Deputy Heghine Bisharyan leads the list of "Country
of Laws", and the other two candidates are Henrik Bakunts and Grigori
Vahanyan.

Armenian National Congress candidates are Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Stepan
Demirchyan and Levon Zurabyan.

THERE CANNOT BE TOLERANCE WHEN LAW IS NOT OBSERVED
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
12:17:07 – 16/03/2009

In Armenia, discussions are being held on tolerance and intolerance,
but the sides of the discussions are not certain. The point is there
seems to be such a dilemma, there are social-political rumors that we
need tolerance, that the intolerance is going to destroy us but the
sides of these dilemma-discussions are not known because everybody
speaks about the necessity of tolerance. In this case, the question
occurs: who is intolerant. A new wave of discussions rose after the
annual report of the Human Rights Defender, where the Defender called
for tolerance and dwelled on the misdeeds and duties of the government
and the opposition in this relation.

Tolerance is surely good. It is even an important and necessary quality
especially for Christians. But whether it grows when increases the
number people who speak about it. Of course it does not. It does not
grow, because the tolerance is directly proportional to the level
of legality in the country. Tolerance exists in those countries
where laws are observed. In the opposite case, the intolerance may
be sleeping creating an impression of tolerance, but it wakes up
immediately when, for example, the statue of Saadam Husseyn is pulled
down in the central square. After this, total robbery, destruction
and intolerance rein. The reason of which is the absence of law and
of th e culture of legality in the country.

In Armenia, the intolerance is merely determined by the absence of law.

Consequently, we do not need to deal with tolerance and intolerance
but with legality and illegality. The tolerance and legality, and
intolerance and illegality are not always synonyms for each other. Very
often, the citizen becomes intolerant because the law tolerates the
superiority of some people or groups of people on the others, in case
the advantage is based on physical force and material richness. If
citizens are deprived of announcing their stances, holding rallies,
marches, protests, sure if this entire is not organized in connection
with the Holiday of Vardan and if the church and the government do not
lead the march, so the citizen becomes intolerant. In other words,
law allows violation of their rights and they turn out to become
intolerant little by little.

Or, the government does not tolerate the law which gives an opportunity
to the opposition of free activities. The government closes all the
ways at any cost when feels that the opposition is able and soon will
reach a legal change of government. In other words, the government
assaults the peace protesters in the morning, involves the army in
the process of clearance its relations with the opposition. Is not
the response of the opposition and the citizens appropriate to such
kind of government? In other words, everything is determined by l
egality or, better by its lack. The first to carry responsibility of
law in the country is the government. Consequently, the question on
tolerance-intolerance should not be brought up but the question on
legality which is much more concrete and clear and needs concrete
answers. After all, we deal with the State and not with the cartoon
"Adventures of cat Leopold".

"EDUCATION IN MOTHER TONGUE FOR ALL MINORITY CHILDREN!"

BIA
/kategori/english/113168/education-in-mother-tongu e-for-all-minority-children
March 16 2009
Turkey

A Minority Rights Group reports calls on the Turkish government
to introduce necessary amendments in law to allow education in
mother tongues as well as clearing curriculum of nationalistic and
discriminatory approaches.

The Turkish government must act to stop discrimination against minority
children in schools, which ignore their distinct culture, language,
history and religion, says Minority Rights Group (MRG) International
in a new report, released today.

In the report titled, "Forgotten or Assimilated? Minorities in the
Education System of Turkey" , MRG accuses the education system in
Turkey of working to assimilate minorities and promote Turkish identity
and nationalism. Turkey recognizes only Armenians, Jews and Rums as
minorities and denies other minorities the right to open their own
schools. No minority language can be used at public schools as the
language of instruction.

"Turkey has to change its minority policy and recognize the
existence of diverse groups such as Assyrians, Kurds, Roma, Laz
and Caucasians. It must guarantee their education rights and take
affirmative action where necessary" Nurcan Kaya, MRG Turkey Coordinator
and author of the report said in a written statement.

"All schoolchildren must attend mandatory classes on religious
culture and ethics. Only Christians and Jews are permitted to opt
out but must disclose their religion to do so, a contravention of
the Turkish Constitution."

The report found that minority pupils in these classes were sometimes
asked to observe Muslim rituals that are not listed in the curriculum,
such as performing ablutions, prayer and attending mosque.

Turkey’s most disadvantaged communities, such as displaced
Kurds and Roma, remain extremely marginalized, including in
education. Demolitions of Roma areas for ‘urbanization’ projects
have left many Roma displaced and hundreds of children unable to go
to school.

The report found that more than 30 per cent of the children of
internally displaced Kurdish families living in Diyarbakır and
Istanbul do not attend school, mainly due to poverty and the need
to work.

"These conditions exacerbate the discrimination, harassment and
humiliation that children from minority communities already face
in Turkey, to such an extent that they often hide their ethnic and
religious identities. Many minorities fear that ultimately their
unique cultures will disappear", adds Kaya.

European Union (EU) accession process has had some positive impact
on the education rights of minorities in Turkey, but much remains
to be done. MRG calls for the EU to put more emphasis on minorities
in Turkey in its accession progress reports, and urges the Turkish
government to consult with minorities on measures to promote and
protect their access to education rights.

The report, which includes interviews with teachers, pupils and workers
in minority NGOs and looks in detail at the issues of language,
religion and discrimination in education and textbooks, recommends
a complete review of the curriculum to remove discriminatory and
nationalist expressions and to promote multiculturalism, tolerance
and peace.(EU/AGU)