ARMEN RUSTAMIAN INTRODUCES APPLICATION ON RELIEVING HIM OF COMMISSIONS OF MEMBER OF RA NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
Noyan Tapan
May 7, 2009
YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. On May 7, Chairman of RA NA Standing
Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Rustamian applied to RA President
Serzh Sargsyan for relieving him of the commissions of RA National
Security Council member.
According to the RA President’s Press Office, S. Sargsyan signed the
respective decree in that connection.
‘JOINT COMMISSION A DANGEROUS TRAP’
Hurriyet
May 6 2009
Turkey
ISTANBUL – US historian Richard Hovannisian says a joint commission
of historians to examine the events of 1915 is a dangerous trap for
the Armenian side as it would be a backward step for Armenians to
research whether the events were genocide or not.
A U.S. historian with Armenian roots has said he will not take part
in a joint commission to research the events of 1915, as the offer
is a dangerous trap for Armenians, reported Armenian Reporter magazine.
"The creation of such a commission is very dangerous," said Richard
Hovannisian from the University of California when asked about
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s statement that Armenia would
not oppose the creation of a joint commission if Turkey opened the
border between the two countries.
Last month Turkey and Armenia agreed on a road map toward restoring
relations. Although the content of the road map has not been
disclosed, the prevailing view is that it includes the establishment
of a commission to investigate the details surrounding the events of
1915. Armenians believe that the World War I killings of Armenians
at the hands of the Ottomans amount to genocide, a claim refuted
by Turkey.
Hovannisian said if asked he would refuse to be part of the
commission. He said that it would be a step backward for the
Armenian side and that even the offer of a joint commission to
examine whether it was an act of genocide or not suggested there is
doubt surrounding events. "[The commission] is acceptable only under
certain conditions. First of all, the genocide must be accepted as
a fact, then we can study as to why the genocide happened, what were
the factors, etc," he said.
According to Hovanisian, the Turkish side is relying on the 1948
UN Convention on genocide, where it states that genocides must be
premeditated. "The Turks will stress that, yes, there were Armenian
victims – 200,000 or 300,000, but you cannot prove that this was
premeditated," he said. In Turkish archives and at that time it was
already planned, to send telegrams from the provinces, where supposedly
Armenian revolts and desertions from the Ottoman army were recorded,
Hovanisian said, adding that Turkish historians can come up with
these arguments and try, at least in part, to place the blame on the
Armenians. "The Turkish side will never accept that what happened
was genocide," he said.
Opening the border Hovanisian also said that opening the
Turkish-Armenian border would bring more benefits to Turkey than
Armenia. "Of course, open borders will also be beneficial for Armenia,
because we need access to the sea, toward the Western world. We will
then have an alternative to the Georgian routes. Open borders is
also good for Turkey, because its eastern regions will develop. It
is also good for the Turks because they will have access to expand
to the East. The Turks have always had their eye on the East," he said.
Hovanisian is the father of Raffi Hovanisian, the first foreign
minister of Armenia, the daily Vatan reported yesterday.
FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS ALREADY AFFECTED 90% OF ARMENIAN COMPANIES
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.05.2009 20:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A poll, involving 60 small and major companies
in Yerevan and RA regions, showed that the crisis has affected 90%
of them, Economy and Values Research Center stated.
According to Economy and Values Research Center Chairman Manuk
Hergnyan, 70% of organizations’ main issues are caused by reduced
sales volumes, untimely payments and even non-fulfillment of
payments. "35-40% of companies had difficulties in attracting
financial means, " he said, adding that majority of companies plan
to cut administration expenditures and delay planned investments.
40% of organizations polled plan job cuts, and 20% – salary reductions,
especially in industrial spheres. On the other hand, the crisis has
had a positive influence on a number of Armenian companies, as far
as competitors’ weakened positions, raw material and equipment price
reductions are concerned.
"Around 80% of entrepreneurs polled believe that the crisis will
exacerbate in 2009," Hergnyan reported.
PRESS RELEASE
The Paros Foundation
918 Parker Street, A14
Berkeley, CA 94710
Contact: Peter Abajian
tel: 310 400 9061
email: [email protected]
web:
Yerevan, Armenia, Unison, the leading non-governmental organization in
Armenia, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities,
is pleased to announce the launch of its new bilingual website
[].
"Our new website will serve as a tremendous resource for not only
people with disabilities, but also international organizations,
prospective donors and anyone who would like to learn more about
our organization, available resources for or the issues facing
people with disabilities in Armenia," said Armen Alaverdyan,
Executive Director of Unison. "Our new website’s functionality
allows visitors to download most of the publications and videos
produced by Unison free of charge. Our photo gallery illustrates
the success of our many projects and achievements from 2003
until today. In addition, the disability related resources
section provides valuable information on many important issues
including: Accessibility, Education, Employment, Rehabilitation,
Laws and others."
The website redesign and build was made possible through a grant
from The Paros Foundation. The website was designed and built
through a collaborative effort by the capable team of Lilit
Khudoyan and Sevan Amirians.
"Bringing Unison’s valuable message and resources to people
throughout the world via this website and the internet was an
attractive investment for the Paros Foundation. I am certain
that the visitors to this site, both disabled and not, will
appreciate Unison’s capable and important work," said Peter
Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. "Our hope is
that Unison’s website will serve as a gateway and catalyst to
attract other project sponsors and resources."
Founded in 2002, Unison has aggressively worked to improve the
lives of people with disabilities. As the first and most
effective non-profit organization of its kind in Armenia, Unison
helps protect, advocate for, and shape the rights of people with
disabilities. Beginning in 2006, The Paros Foundation has
supported the work of Unison through annual grants. In addition,
as part of its philanthropic model, The Paros Foundation
provides quality office space rent-free to Unison. The Paros
Foundation is also the Principal Organizational Sponsor of the
Paros Chamber Choir, a project of the Unison, NGO.
Please visit Unison’s new site at [] and
tell us what you think!
ARMENIAN ECONOMY MINISTRY HAS POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS FROM OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER
/ARKA/
April 29, 2009
YEREVAN
The RA Ministry of Economy has positive expectations from aftereffects
of opening Armenian-Turkish state border, RA Minister of Economy
Nerses Yeritsyan said answering a question from ARKA.
On the night of April 23 Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Turkey,
with mediation of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
made a joint announcement on regulating bilateral relations. The sides
also announced about establishing a "roadmap" for normalization of
bilateral relations.
He stressed both sides will benefit from open economic and trade
markets.
"Closed borders are the most negative manifestation of protectionism
and both sides suffer from it," he said. Besides, according to the
Minister, the nations of both countries will receive a psychological
transformation. "This is very important for introducing new initiatives
from the both sides and possibilities to think wider," said Yeritsyan.
Minister also stressed the significant decrease in transport
expenditure which will be possible when borders open as immediate
access to Mediterranean Sea will ensure a significant economy of
means in the sector of business.
There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and the
state border has been closed since 1993 on Ankara’s initiative.
Turkey has set a number of pre-conditions for improving bilateral
relations, namely, Armenia’s abandoning the policy of international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire during WWI,
when some 1.5mln Armenians were massacred. Besides Turkey has an open
pro-Azerbaijani stance in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Yerevan, in its turn, is ready to establish bilateral relations
without any preconditions.
Mannig’s Own Testimony! – The Armenian Genocide 1915-1923
Harry Hagopian
Ekklesia
009article10.html
April 25, 2009
London
I was six years old when we were deported from our lovely home in
Adapazar, near Istanbul. I remember twirling in our parlour in my
favourite yellow dress while my mother played the violin. It all
ended when the Turkish police ordered us to leave town.
The massacre of my family, of the Armenians, took place during a
three-year trek of 600 kilometres across the Anatolian Plateau and
into the Mesopotamian Desert. I can’t wipe out the horrific images
of how my father and all the men in our foot caravan were shipped to
death. My cousin and all other males 12 years and older were shoved
off the cliffs into the raging Euphrates River. My grandmother and the
elderly were shot for slowing down the trekkers. Two of my siblings
died of starvation. My aunt died of disease, and my mother survived
the trek only to perish soon from an influenza epidemic.
Of my family, only my sister and I were still alive. The Turkish
soldiers forced us, along with 900 other starving children, into the
deepest part of the desert to perish in the scorching sun. Most did.
But God must have been watching over me. He placed me in the path of
the Bedouin Arabs who were on a search and rescue mission for Armenian
victims. They saved me. I lived under the Bedouin tents for several
months before they led me to an orphanage in Mosul. I was sad about
our separation, but the Bedouin assured me that the orphanage was
sponsored by good people.
To my delight, I was reunited with my sister at the orphanage. She,
too, was saved by the Bedouin Arabs. The happiest days in my life
were at the orphanage. We had soup and bread to eat every day and
were sheltered under white army tents donated by the British.
Above all, my sister and I were family again.
This is Mannig Dobajian-Kouyoumjian’s spine-tingling testimony of
her own experience as a survivor of the Armenian genocide. Last year,
she had asked her daughter Aida Kouyoumjian from Seattle to write her
story for the US Holocaust Centre. It is a moving witness, a powerful
declaration and a sobering story of the pain and humiliation of one
victim of this genocide-driven mass campaign. Yet, it is also a story
of how our faith helps us when we are coerced to drink from the bitter
cup, a reminder of how the tenacity of hope overcomes deep despair,
and evidence of how the compassionate Arab and Muslim worlds helped
Armenian victims and welcomed them into their families and hearths
across the whole Middle East.
The Armenian Genocide: as historians have asserted on the basis of
ample archival evidence, this first genocide of the 20th century
was perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish government between 1915 and
1923 when it systematically and relentlessly targeted and killed
Armenians within its Empire. Ultimately, well over one million ethnic
Armenians, who incidentally were Ottoman and later Turkish citizens,
lost their lives.
As an Armenian born after this grisly period of our history,
I often wonder how our forbears managed to persevere in the face
of such immense suffering and adversity. Not only did they, their
families or friends undergo the most harrowing experiences, they
also managed to pick themselves up and rebound from the devastation
of their orphaned situations. It is their intrepid steadfastness and
their belief in their collective identity as Armenians, that we –
the younger generations – can now lead our lives more freely and with
more confidence.
But what does this say about modern-day Turkey on the day when
Armenians commemorate the 94th anniversary of the genocide? Equally
importantly, what does it say of those across the world who still
resist tooth and nail the idea of genocide – any acts of genocide,
be they the Armenian one or other subsequent ones – with denial, and
who debase human life and dignity for spurious political and economic
considerations? How can we possibly claim to defend a political order
based on human rights and common decency on the one hand only to
stifle it on the other? Do denialists not recall George Santayana,
a principal Afigure in classical American philosophy, asserting
that "those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
(in The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905).
As the American NPR broadcaster Scott Simon wrote in ‘Genocide’ is
a Matter of Opinion, there are times when one has to utter the word
‘genocide’ in order to be accurate about mass murder that tries to
extinguish a whole group. That is why the slaughter of a million
Tutsis in Rwanda is not called merely mass murder. This is also why
any politician who goes to Germany, for instance, and describes the
Holocaust of European Jews merely as ‘terrible killings’ would be
reviled without mercy and even prosecuted without appeal.
After all, did President Obama not also assume the high moral ground
during the US presidential primaries by stating clearly that the
Armenian people deserved "a leader who speaks truthfully about the
Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides"? Mind you,
despite the high expectations and an air of suspense in the USA, this
American president prevaricated in his Armenian Remembrance Day on
24th April when his written statement from the White House referred
twice to the Armenian genocide as medz yeghern – translated literally
as "great catastrophe" rather than "genocide" – and thereby joined
a host of former US presidents who have relented from20using the
‘g-word’. Is there a sad moral in this unfortunate recurrence? Is
it that in a showdown between realpolitik and the truth, in other
words between contemporary political expediency and the burden of
past atrocities, the former seems to win most times? And if so, does
this not sadly alert us – believers and humanists alike – how the
values of our global world today often obviate words such as truth,
conscience and honour?
24 April 2009: six years shy of a century and denial – no matter
whether individual, collective or institutional – still contaminates
the truth. Is it therefore not high time to put the record straight? Is
it not time for Turkish officials to put jingoism, let alone misplaced
pride or fear aside by recognising this unfortunate chapter of their
Ottoman history during WWI?
Is it not time for the Turkish judicial system today to stop invoking
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and charging reporters or
writers, including the Nobel laureate Orthan Pamuk, with the risible
crime of ‘insulting Turkish national identity’ simply because
they refer to the massacres of Armenians as genocide? Is it not
time also for Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdo?an to prove their EU-friendly credentials and
reformist integrity by mustering the political fortitude let alone
moral rectitude to acknowledge past aberrations? Moreover, is it not
time for the world community to embark upon a veritable phase of
genocide education by underlining the eight stages of genocide that
culminate with denial – as elaborated by Dr Gregory H Stanton in his
Eight Stages of Genocide in 1998 when he was president of Genocide
Watch? Or as the chartered clinical psychologist Aida Alayarian
elucidated in her book Consequences of Denial, does the denial of
the Armenian genocide not deprive its victims the opportunity to make
sense of their experience, as much as render Turkish society unable
to come to terms with its past, and therefore with itself?
Such recognition is not solely for the sake of Armenians. After all,
I consider this genocide a historically-recognised reality even if
some governments dither, equivocate and refuse to admit to it for
reasons that have more to do with political weakness than historical
truthfulness.
Rather, it is also for the memory of all those righteous Turks who
assisted, harboured and supported Armenians during this wounded
chapter of history.
But as a firm believer in forgiveness and reconciliation, it is
ultimately for the sake of both Armenians and Turks alike so they
can begin the painful but ineluctable journey toward a just closure
of this open sore.
PAUL KREKORIANS RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED IN CA
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.04.2009 00:42 GMT+04:00
Sacramento’s (California, USA) Assistant Majority Leader Paul
Krekorian’s resolution to commemorate the 94th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide was unanimously passed by the Assembly today. The
measure sailed through with broad, bipartisan support and featured
impassioned pleas from multiple members of the Assembly, from both
parties, who voted for the measure, Asbarez reports.
"Today, we stood up for truth and justice; not just in memory of the
Armenian Genocide, but for all modern-day horrors that have blackened
this earth since 1915," Assemblyman Paul Krekorian said. "This
resolution gives all of us an opportunity to re-commit ourselves to
building a society free of bigotry and inhumanity. And if we can do
that, we will be able to say at long last, truthfully and finally,
never again.’"
AJR 14 will designate April 24, 2009, as a "California Day of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923." Preceding the
73-0 vote, a number of Democratic and Republican speakers called on
the Assembly to pass the resolution, noting that supporting AJR 14
was less a vote for Armenian Genocide remembrance than a call for
justice everywhere.
Before that, the Very Reverend Father Baret Yeretzian of the Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America read the morning’s
prayer and a trio of musicians called "The Winds of Passion" played
two stirring songs in tribute to the memory of 1.5 million Armenians
who perished from 1915-23.
Krekorian is also the author of the Justice for Genocide Victims Act,
AB 961, which would require California companies to certify that they
do not hold wrongfully obtained assets from a modern-day genocide
victim and bars companies from doing business with California if they
cannot submit that certification.
TCA Arshag Dickranian Armenian School
1200 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Tel: 323-461-4377
Fax: 323-461-4247
Contact: [email protected]
Web:
DICKRANIAN SCHOOL STUDENTS MEMORILIZE GENOCIDE VICTIMS AND BENEFACTOR
ARSHAG DICKRANIAN
Los Angeles, April 27, 2009 – On Thursday morning, April 23, the
students of the TCA Arshag Dickranian School walked the half block
with their teachers and filled the pews of St. John Church to partake
in the requiem service in observance of the 94th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide and the 15th anniversary of the passing of
benefactor Arshag Dickranian.
Honoring the solemn event with their presence were the benefactor’s
wife Mrs. Eleanor Dickranian, daughters Cinthya Norian, Laurel
Karabian, and the school Board chairman George K. Mandossian.
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese presided
at the ceremony assisted by the church’s pastor Archpriest. Manoug
Markarian and joined by school choir.
Following the requiem service the students paid tribute to their
benefactor and the 1.5 Million victims of the Armenian Genocide in a
fitting program. Eleventh grader Ani Taglyan acted as MC, in turn
calling upon the program participants to present their speeches and
poetry recitations, while the school choir intermittently joined in
with hymnals and patriotic songs. The program also included a slide
presentation depicting the horrors of the Genocide.
Born on January 26, 1905 in Izmit, Turkey, Arshag Dickranian was a
survivor of the Genocide. The Dickranian family immigrated to the US
in 1923, thereupon setting off young Arshag to get into the fruit and
vegetable trade business, and eventually open the Premier Market in
Beverly Hills. Throughout his life he selflessly dedicated himself to
promote goodwill among the Armenian communities sharing his fortunes
generously wherever the needs were impending.
Dickranian’s proudest accomplishment became establishment of the
Tekeyan Cultural Association Arshag Dickranian School in 1981. Since
then, the school has become lasting legacy of his belief that the
Armenian spirit could only be preserved by educating the young
generations and nurturing their commitment to the Armenian cause.
Mr. Dickranian remained faithful to his beliefs until his death in the
early hours of April 24, 1996.
In his closing remarks Archbishop Derderian congratulated the students
for marking April 23 as Dickranian School’s annual day of remembrance
for the victims of the Armenian Genocide and for the school’s
benefactor. `Our ancestors chose to die rather than give up their
Armenian identity,’ said the Archbishop, `Therefore, it is up to you
to act like Mr. Dickranian and take the responsibility to preserve and
cherish that identity.’ He concluded.
Located at 1200 North Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, the TCA Arshag
Dickranian Armenian School is a federally tax exempt, Pre-K to 12th
grade private educational institution. Call (323) 461-4377, or visit
the school website at for more
information.
States News Service
April 24, 2009 Friday
PELOSI STATEMENT ON 94TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
WASHINGTON
The following information was released by the office of Speaker Nancy
Pelosi:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today to
commemorate the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide:
Today, we commemorate the 94th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
and pay tribute to the victims and survivors. We know from their
testimony and historical records that the Armenian genocide was
conceived and carried out by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire from
1915 to 1923.
It is estimated that more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and
children were killed and more than two million others were expelled
from their homeland. International observers and diplomats to the
Ottoman Empire, including U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, watched a
nightmare unfurl and provided detailed accounts about a campaign of
race extermination.
It is long past time for the U.S. Government to formally recognize the
Armenian Genocide. If we ignore history then we are destined to repeat
the mistakes of the past. The genocides in Rwanda and Darfur remind us
that we must do more to prevent this from ever happening again.
On this anniversary, we must remember the victims and survivors of the
Armenian Genocide. We must also provide the leadership to ensure that
this human tragedy is not repeated.
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 23 2009
Turkish president says "no coldness" in relations with Azerbaijan
Ankara, 23 April: Turkish President Abdullah Gul said [on] Thursday
[23 April] he had a "great phone conversation with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev today".
Speaking to reporters at the 23 April National Sovereignty and
Children’s Day reception at the Turkish parliament, Gul said that
"contrary to what has been reflected, there is no coldness in Turkey’s
relations with Azerbaijan".
"It is not merely Turkey-Azerbaijan, Turkey-Armenia … [agency
ellipsis] Russia, the United States and the European Union are all
involved in a process of diplomacy never witnessed before on relevant
topics," Gul said.
If all the efforts end successfully, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and
the whole region would benefit from this, Gul also said.