Author: Khoyetsian Rose

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: EVERY PEOPLE HAS A RIGHT TO DETERMINE THE WAY IT WANTS TO FOLLOW BY ITSELF

ArmInfo
2010-05-10 16:28:00

ArmInfo. Armenians made a ponderable contribution to the Victory,
and many a generation of Armenians is brought up by the example of 119
heroes of the Soviet Union and 27 Cavaliers of the Order of Glory of
three degrees, awarded during the Great Patriotic War, President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Vesti 24 TV channel.

"It is no mere chance that I started my visit with laying of wreathes
to the graves of the eminent sons of the Armenian people: Marshals
Baghramyan, Babajanyan, Khudyakov and Admiral Isakov", Sargsyan said.

He emphasized that just the generation of Armenians, who have seen the
inhuman cruelties of 1915 Armenian Genocide at close quarters, took
part in this Great war. "It is no mere chance that Armenians fought
against the fascism not only among the Soviet Army but also among
Resistance and other troops of the Anti-Hitler coalition. We still
consider that fascism is an ideology which divides the people into
ethnic groups, and ideology which may lead to the genocide of other
peoples, so, it may have no justification", S. Sargsyan said. The
Armenian president also urged to remember the lessons of the World
War II. "One should remember that division of people on grounds of
ethnos or race always leads to negative consequences; that one’s own
well-being cannot be built on others’ grief; that every people has
a right to live and develop where it has been living for centuries,
and that every people should determine the way it wants to follow by
itself", S. Sargsyan said.

"ULIS" MADE "MIKA" RECEDE

Aysor
May 10 2010
Armenia

On the sidelines of the 7th round of the highest league of the
Armenian Football championship one more meeting took place. Yerevan
"Ulis" ended the match with "Mika" in draw and made the latter lose
its position of the leader. "Pyunik" regained its position in the
first place, while "Mika" is on the second place.

"Ulis"-"Mika" 0:0 Yerevan, "Hrazdan" stadium Trainer Tigran Hovsepyan.

THE ARMENIAN DELEGATION OF PACE IS HAVING A TEAM WORK

Aysor
May 5 2010
Armenia

On the PACE session the Armenian Delegation is realizing a very serious
team work, while, very often, the press is spreading a disinformation
about it, informed Artsrun Aghajanyan today on the press conference.

"In the Parliamentary Assembly they are all working together, it is
a team work which refers the Armenian Republic. And regardless the
political views the delegates should be united for realizing one
work," he said and mentioned that one of the results of the work
of the Armenian delegates was that they accepted the statement on
accusing the Armenian Genocide.

"Besides the members of the Armenian delegation it was signed also by
21 other delegates. The document was calling on the all CoE countries
to recognize the Genocide and to condemn it. Turkey as well is to
accuse it and accept the fact of the Genocide," the deputy mentioned.

JOVANOVICH: WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

Lragir.am
04/05/10

In the opinion of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, by the decision to
suspend the ratification process of the Armenian and Turkish protocols,
Serge Sargsyan made it clear that he does not stop the normalization
process but only waits for Turkey to be readier for it.

In an interview with Radio Liberty, U.S. Ambassador said, "We think
that the sides have the possibility to work in the direction of peace,
stability and reconciliation. U.S. continues to support both countries
in the process of normalization of their relations as well as urges the
parties to do the maximum to keep the window of normalization open".

In answer to the question of Radio Liberty whether Washington admits
that the fault for the suspension of the ratification process is
of Turkey, Marie Jovanovich responded, "I am not sure that looking
for those to blame would be constructive in this case. I can affirm
that the position of the U.S. in relation to the Armenian and Turkish
process has always been clear. Let me reiterate that the process is
to move forward in reasonable periods and without preconditions".

U.S. Ambassador focused on the fact that during the last three years,
especially last year, we witnessed the aspiration of the Armenian and
Turkish people to know each other better and to establish ties. "I
have seen many groups of Turks here in Armenia- students, tourist
managers who are interested in business in Armenia. I think all this
is positive. The fact that in Turkey for the first time April 24 was
commemorated is also positive", said the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.

UN SECRETARY GENERAL: 77 JOURNALISTS KILLED FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXPOSE WRONGDOING OR CORRUPTION

Panorama.am
03/05/2010

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has issued a message on World Press
Freedom Day:

"Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But around
the world, there are governments and those wielding power who find
many ways to obstruct it.

They impose high taxes on newsprint, making newspapers so expensive
that people can’t afford to buy them. Independent radio and TV stations
are forced off the air if they criticize Government policy.

The censors are also active in cyberspace, restricting the use of
the Internet and new media.

Some journalists risk intimidation, detention and even their lives,
simply for exercising their right to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas, through any media, and regardless of frontiers.

Last year, UNESCO condemned the killing of 77 journalists. These were
not high-profile war correspondents, killed in the heat of battle.

Most of them worked for small, local publications in peacetime. They
were killed for attempting to expose wrongdoing or corruption.

I condemn these murders and insist that the perpetrators are brought
to justice. All Governments have a duty to protect those who work in
the media. This protection must include investigating and prosecuting
those who commit crimes against journalists.

Impunity gives the green light to criminals and murderers, and
empowers those who have something to hide. Over the long term, it
has a corrosive and corrupting effect on society as a whole.

This year’s theme is Freedom of Information: the right to know. I
welcome the global trend towards new laws which recognize the universal
right to publicly held information.

Unfortunately, these new laws do not always translate into action.

Requests for official information are often refused, or delayed,
sometimes for years. At times, poor information management is to
blame. But all too often, this happens because of a culture of secrecy
and a lack of accountability.

We must work to change attitudes and to raise awareness. People have
a right to information that affects their lives, and states have a
duty to provide this information. Such transparency is essential to
good government.

The United Nations stands with persecuted journalists and media
professionals everywhere. Today, as every day, I call on Governments,
civil society and people around the world to recognize the important
work of the media, and to stand up for freedom of information,"
the message reads, according to UN Yerevan office.

City finds bike ideas in the Bay

Officials glean concepts to make Glendale friendlier to bicyclists.

By Melanie Hicken

Thursday, April 29, 2010

CITY HALL – City officials were looking for inspiration last week when they
hit the streets of Berkeley via bike.

Six city employees from a range of departments joined Councilwoman Laura
Friedman and consultant Colin Bogart, a liaison with the nonprofit Los
Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, for a two-day trip that included a bike
tour of Berkeley’s amenities for local cyclists.

"I thought it was valuable for people to see firsthand what Berkeley has in
place for bicyclists and pedestrians," said Bogart, who organized the visit
as part of his efforts to help Glendale implement a Safe and Healthy Streets
plan. "It’s easier to visualize the possibility of implementing the same
infrastructure here in Glendale."

It was the second city Glendale officials have looked to for inspiration as
they attempt to catch up to neighboring cities with more bicycle- and
pedestrian-friendly infrastructure improvements.

Earlier this year, officials twice visited Long Beach, which last year
publicly proclaimed a mission to become the most bicycle-friendly town in
America.

"The most striking thing about both cities is their commitment to bicycles
as a viable alternative source of transportation and their recognition that
the more they can make it safe and easy for people to use bikes to get
around town, the more people will use them," Friedman said.

Glendale bike advocates have said the relative lack of bicycle amenities and
safety concerns are likely keeping potential cyclists from hitting the
streets.

In Berkeley, Friedman said, the bicycle improvements have helped treat
traffic safety and congestion problems similar to those that plague
Glendale.

"They are really managing to deal with their traffic congestion all around
the city by trying to get people off the roads . . . and onto public
transportation, foot and bike," she said. "And it’s working so well that
their bike stations are so jammed that they are opening new bike stations."

A plethora of bike racks and other bike storage options is one of the
improvements that Bogart said city officials noted on the recent trips.
Others included miles of marked bike routes and way-finding signs and maps
to help cyclists with their routes.

City officials were especially struck by Berkeley’s bike boulevards, where
diversions – such as forced right turns – that were initially installed as
traffic-calming measures have been used to shield cyclists from vehicles,
Bogart said.

While Glendale is far from the sophistication of Berkeley’s bike network,
strides are being made, Bogart said.

Public works officials have added bike racks downtown and begun to
incorporate bike improvements – such as the addition of "sharrows," which
designate shared vehicle-bicycle lanes – into regular street maintenance
projects.

Friedman said the biggest challenge will be changing public perception about
the roads, which are dominated by cars.

"You can’t have both the safe streets and the complete freedoms of the cars
as well," she said. "That’s going to take a real understanding and a buy-in
from the people of Glendale."

Copyright © 2010 – Glendale News Press

MoneyGram International announces low money transfer fees

May 1, 2010 – 12:26 AMT 07:26 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

MoneyGram International, a money transfer company, announced
significant lower fees for money transfers from Russia to CIS and
Israel, effective May 1, 2010, coinciding with the Labor Day holiday
celebration across Russia and the CIS. The lower fees are intended to
make MoneyGram money transfer services more affordable for CIS
immigrant workers in Russia who

remit money back home to support family members. The new fees will be
offering our customers greater choice, convenience and reliability.

`MoneyGram has steadily grown its network across Russia and the CIS
region to provide fast, convenient and reliable money transfer
services to a global network of over 190 countries and territories,’
said Peter Hnatiuk, MoneyGram’s Regional Director for Russia, the CIS
and Israel. `The Central Bank of Russia estimates workers in the
region send more than $18 billion from Russia to the CIS. Our lower
fees will encourage anyone who hasn’t tried MoneyGram services yet to
discover how convenient, safe and affordable our service is. For our
current customers, this new pricing will give them even greater
value.’

MoneyGram fees from Russia to CIS start from just $2* USD to send up
to $100 USD, $5* USD to send $300 USD or $8* USD to send $500 USD to
Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Israel.

Hnatiuk added, `The new low fees are very competitive and provide a
strong compelling reason to use MoneyGram to send funds to the CIS and
Israel.’

MoneyGram’s extensive network in Russia includes Rosbank, Uralsibbank,
Raiffeisenbank, Moscomprivatbank, Vostochniy Express, Russian Standard
Bank, Asia-Pacific Bank and others. In addition, funds can be
collected at over 160 CIS banks with more than 14,000 locations
throughout the entire region.

MoneyGram International offers more choices for people separated from
friends and family by distance or those with limited bank
relationships to meet their financial needs. A leading global provider
of money transfer services, MoneyGram International helps consumers to
safely send money around the world with funds arriving at available
agent locations in as little as 10 minutes, subject to agent hours and
availability. Its global network is comprised of 190,000 agent
locations in more than 190 countries and territories. MoneyGram’s
convenient and reliable network includes retailers, international post
offices and financial institutions.

RA GOVERNMENT TO SOLVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF REFUGEE FAMILIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 29, 2010 – 11:03 AMT 06:03 GMT

During the April 29 session, the Armenian government adopted a decision
on privatization of residential spaces occupied by persons, who were
forced to migrate from the Azerbaijani Republic from 1988-1992 and
obtained citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

The decision aims to provide legal guarantees to and solve housing,
social and economic problems of numerous refugee families, which
temporarily reside in dormitories in Yerevan and Abovian.

The government has approved the list of persons, who will be provided
with apartments purchased in an apartment building constructed in
Yerevan. The Government instructed the Armenian Ministry of Urban
Development to implement the apartments’ distribution through a drawing
and, based on its results, to sign deeds of gift (unpaid privatization)
with these persons on behalf of the Republic of Armenia.

DIASPORA POLITICS INEVITABLE IN NATION OF IMMIGRANTS
By Haroon Siddiqui

Toronto Star
e/801811–siddiqui-diaspora-politics-inevitable-in -nation-of-immigrants
April 29 2010
Canada

>From the prevalent negative public discourse on immigrants, one would
think that we want immigration but not immigrants. That obviously
cannot be. Similarly, we cannot have immigrants without their
religions, cultures, customs and memories, political or otherwise.

Yet we keep peddling the myth that immigrants ought to develop amnesia
the moment they land here and cast aside their old country baggage.

Few ever did. Fewer still will, given our global village.

In the past, some immigrants did keep a tactical silence. But even
they nurtured and passed along their heritage to their children.

Witness the attachment of third- and fourth-generation Ukrainian
Canadians to Ukraine. Or the campaign by Armenian Canadians to
have the Turkish killing of Armenians 100 years ago acknowledged as
genocide. Greek Canadians objected to independence for Macedonia. Sikh
Canadians voiced anger about goings-on in India. Tamil Canadians
complained about the Sinhalese war on the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Less noisily, Bangladeshi Canadians have been protesting the
presence in Canada of one of the alleged murderers of the founding
father of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his family. They
were assassinated in 1975 in Dhaka in a military coup. After a
much-delayed trial, five former soldiers were hanged in January. Six
others convicted are at large. One, Nur Chowdhury, lives in Toronto,
his refugee claim rejected.

Bangladesh wants him extradited. A few dozen Bangladeshi Canadians
marched on Parliament Hill last month demanding that he be deported.

But Canadian policy prohibits sending anyone to a country where he may
face capital punishment. Adding poignancy to the diplomatic request
is that it comes from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the
slain leader. She survived the slaughter because she happened to be
out of the country at the time.

Diaspora politics is not confined to immigrants. Witness the Jewish
community’s advocacy for Israel — trying to ban books, plays and
conferences critical of Israel, as well as pressuring governments,
universities and media to muzzle criticism.

It’s the most active lobbying in Canada on behalf of a foreign country
or people. Nothing illegal about it, as a group of Canadians exercises
its rights peacefully, even if at times to justify Israeli wars. The
effort is also the most successful, given the Harper government’s
almost unquestioning support for Israel, in contrast with the Obama
administration, which has decided that some Israeli actions run
counter to American interests.

Canada being a microcosm of the world, it’s only natural that foreign
issues have become domestic issues. Sometimes, they transcend ethnic
communities.

The war on Iraq, initially opposed by Arab Canadians, was vehemently
opposed by a majority of Canadians. The Afghan war is obviously not
just an Afghan Canadian issue. Iranian Canadian protests about the
stolen election in Iran have had resonance among Canadians.

How to distinguish between what’s acceptable diaspora politics and what
is not? The primary dividing line has been between the peaceful and
the violent, the lawful and the unlawful. Another has been the Canadian
national interest, which should not be held hostage to any group.

Public opinion plays a role. Some foreign causes are seen as more
legitimate than others. That’s why groups try to make their cause sound
worthy of support. Some are better at media manipulation and political
organizing, while the less sophisticated and the less powerful take
to the streets. The latter are mostly the newer minorities.

It is these groups that are routinely admonished to "respect our
customs," "conform to our way of life," and "adopt Canadian values."

What those might be beyond the rule of law is rarely defined.

What do we mean when we hector someone to "be Canadian"? Play hockey?

At least watch it, preferably on a couch with a beer in hand? Or,
in Quebec, eat poutine and listen to Céline Dion? What else? If one
can’t catalogue it all, how can we implement it?

Values are forever evolving and are best absorbed voluntarily. So we
have to be conscious that the admonition "Be Canadian" is not a club
that we can use on those we don’t like.

AKKUM: LET’S GIVE ARMENIANS WHAT WE TOOK FROM THEM
Gulisor Akkum

The Armenian Weekly
April 2010 Magazine

"The history of civilization" started in Anatolia, a geographic region
that harbored the riches necessary for "sedentary life." This richness
made it an attractive place throughout history, and resulted in its
being constantly invaded.

However, it never saw a massacre as horrible as the one during World
War I, and never went through such homogenization.

In this war of apportionment between western imperialism and the
Ottoman Empire, the latter committed a social and cultural genocide to
peoples such as the Armenians, Syrians, Alevis, Kurds, Pontic Greeks,
and Yazidis, destroying, in just a few years, all the tangible and
intangible treasures of humanity formed in the past 14,000 years.

Approaching these policies of genocide and deportation from only a
biological and social point of view makes it harder for us to see
the costs for humanity. This event demolished all the scientific and
cultural values in the region, where the foundations of the history
of civilization were laid.

These genocides in Anatolia, the cultural heart of the Middle East,
weren’t confined to it, but caused a historical decline for all
"Oriental communities."

Such a fragmentation in Anatolia almost turned the reconstruction of
the Middle East into a puzzle.

And in this puzzle, Kurds have come very close to finding their real
place within Anatolian unity. Nevertheless, they know that their
place will remain incomplete until the other pieces of the puzzle
find their own places as well.

This awareness has not evolved into a concrete theory within the
Kurdish movement. In connection with this theory, which must be formed
without delay, Kurds can play a crucial role in this puzzle of the
century, provided that the right steps are taken.

The most sensitive point regarding the formation of this theory is
that the puzzle is composed of "organic" pieces, and that therefore
it can be made whole not by rational and crude political calculations,
but by sincerity only.

Kurds must come to terms with their history, remember their brotherhood
with Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Greeks, Alevis, and Yazidis-with
whom they wrote the history of civilization in Anatolia-and recapture
this organic connection with them.

These peoples, who have suffered genocides, are dispersed throughout
the globe. Their eyes and ears are turned toward Turkey, and what
they expect most is sincerity.

A few weeks ago, I thought it might be a good symbol of the Kurds’
sincerity if a house that once belonged to an Armenian in Diyarbakir,
Turkey, were bought and returned to an Armenian in need. I got an
appointment from the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality to talk
about the legality of such a proposal.

Before the appointment, however, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan threatened Armenia by stating that he would deport these
Armenians.

That is why I cancelled my appointment with the municipality. And
now I am making my proposal to those who really count:

"None of these peoples, with whom we share our songs, stories, dances,
and sufferings, is an immigrant on these lands. Let’s give them back
what we took away from them, so that they don’t have to live on their
lands as ‘immigrants!’"

Of course, I don’t expect this proposal to be accepted by Turkey. But
I want those who are sincere about this to gather around the proposal.