Author: Maral Takmazian

The Armenian Government today approved the proposal to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation, Licensing Agreement and Government Security Program with the Microsoft Company.

The decision is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Armenian Ministry of Economy and the Microsoft Company within the framework of the ArmTech 2014 global high-tech industry business forum on September 26, 2014.

The agreement envisages creation of a regional center for “cloud” and mobile solutions in Armenia on the basis of the “Microsoft” Innovation Center, cooperation in the fields of education, programs targeted at the protection of intellectual property and implementation of other initiatives.

The First Semi-Final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest takes place tonight, 19th of May, live from the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna.

Sixteen songs will participate in the first Semi-Final, and professional juries in each of the participating countries, as well as in Spain, Austria, France and Australia, voted on yesterday’s dress rehearsal. They account for 50% of the overall total.

Each jury member ranks all the songs in the show by judging each song, each jury member should focus on the vocal capability of the artists, the performance on stage, the composition and originality of the song, and the overall impression by the act.

The EBU’s televoting partner Digame will merge the points given by the jury and the televoters tonight per individual country. If there is a tie between two or more songs between jury votes and televotes, then the song gaining the most televotes will be ranked higher.

Armenia is represented by Genealogy, a band that consists of six singers who were internally selected by the Public Television of Armenia to sing Face The Shadow in Vienna, a powerful anthem about peace, unity, and love.

The Contenders

1. Moldova: I Want Your Love sung by Eduard Romanyuta
2. Armenia: Face The Shadow sung by Genealogy
3. Belgiumm: Rhythm Inside sung by Loïc Nottet
4. The Netherlands: Walk Along sung by Trijntje Oosterhuis
5. Finland: Aina Mun Pitää sung by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät
6. Greece: One Last Breath sung by Maria Elena Kyriakou
7. Estonia: Goodbye To Yesterday sung by Elina & Stig
8. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Autumn Leaves sung by Daniel Kajmakoski
9. Serbia: Beauty Never Lies sung by Bojana Stamenov
10. Hungary: Wars For Nothing sung by Boggie
11. Belarus: Time sung by Uzari&Maimuna
12. Russia: A Million Voices sung by Polina Gagarina
13. Denmark: The Way You Are sung by Anti Social Media
14. Albania: I’m Alive sung by Elhaida Dani
15. Romania: De La Capat sung by Voltaj
16. Georgia: Warrior sung by Nina Sublatti

 

 

 

Famous doctor and clown Patch Adams is visiting Armenia.  Adams and his fellow doctor-clowns visit about 10 countries a year to organize performances in hospitals, orphanages and retirement homes.

Patch Adams believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process; they strengthen the immune system, promotes the production of endorphin. With the help of friends, he founded the Gesundheit Institute in 1971 in order to address all the problems of health care in one model.

Many know about Adams from a 1998 film, featuring Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams.

Within the framework of a week-long stay in Armenia, Patch Adams and his team will visit the orphanages in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor and Dilijan, as well as children’s hospitals to present a unique program famous in the world.

“Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a normal person in a world, where the authorities and money have become ultimate values, while love and laughter are dangerous phenomena. For example, in the US keeping the public in unhappiness, loneliness and boredom is the best means to control the society,” Adams told a press conference in Yerevan.

“Remember that happiness and unhappiness are just means to control the population. It’s no accident that the most beautiful thing in the world – love – is never praised anywhere. At last, it’s hard to control loving people, controlling unhappy people is much easier,” he added.

Asked what percentage of people he thinks are happy, Patch Adams said “just 5.”

On May 13, the Center on the United States at Brookings (CUSE), together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for International Studies, the Hrant Dink Memorial Human Rights and Justice Lectureship at MIT, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will hold a conference with several leading scholars of the Armenian genocide and other international experts.

Speakers will consider the historical record and circumstances of the genocide amid the disorder of World War I; how Turkey, Armenia, and other key actors have dealt with the legacy of 1915; and how this legacy continues to reverberate in the region today, with protracted conflicts in the Caucasus and where religious and ethnic minority groups have been deliberately targeted for expulsion and death amid the upheavals in Iraq, Syria, and other states that emerged from the rubble of the Ottoman Empire.

 

“A farce of a trial against NKR citizen Arsen Baghdasaryan completely fits into the logic of the policy of systematic violation of the international humanitarian law by Azerbaijan,” Spokesperson of the NKR Foreign Ministry Ani Sargsyan said, commenting on sentencing NKR citizen Arsen Baghdasryan to 15 years in jail in Azerbaijan.

“It has also become the norm for the Azerbaijani side to use the media to disseminate materials on prisoners of war and hostages, which put them in the most humiliating and degrading situation,” she said in comments to News.am.

“Gross violations of international humanitarian law on the part of Azerbaijan are a challenge for the entire international community. According to the first article of the Geneva Conventions, the Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the conventions in all circumstances,” the Spokesperson said.

“In this regard, we are confident that the international community should use all the forms and means of pressure on Azerbaijan to urge the Azerbaijani authorities to fully comply with international humanitarian law, particularly, with regard to prisoners of war and hostages,” she added.

She further explained that “At the time of detention Arsen Baghdasaryan was suspended from military service for a regular unauthorized abandonment of a military unit and was in civilian clothes. The Azerbaijani side itself confirmed that he had no firearm with him. The accusations of the Azerbaijani side against Arsen Baghdasaryan are not only groundless, but also contradict the common logic,” Ani Sargsyan said.

“Even if take into consideration the version of the Azerbaijani side that Arsen Baghdasaryan was in military service, the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities run counter to international humanitarian law, which prohibits the trial of combatants for their participation in hostilities, if they did not commit war crimes. A lawful combatant must be given a POW status upon capture and immunity from criminal prosecution for acts that do not violate the laws and customs of war,” she concluded.

The Embassy of Greece in Armenia and VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for diplomatic missions and governments, commenced today their visa application services in Armenia for visas to Greece, with the opening of the Visa Application Centre for Greece. Catering to the growing demand of Greece bound travellers in the region; this new initiative is aimed at offering new services, facilities and benefits to visa applicants, and boost tourism, trade and investments, between Greece and Armenia.

VFS Global will operate Visa Application Centre for visas to  Greece, located at : Nalbandyan 48/1 , Sakharov Business Centre, 02^nd floor, 0010 Yerevan, Armenia

Mr Prabuddha Sen, Regional Head – RCIS, VFS Global said, “It is our privilege to be the trusted partner to the Embassy of Greece in Yerevan in providing services to facilitate visa application process for travellers in Armenia. We are committed to provide professional and convenient services to all applicants applying for a visa to Greece  in the region. VFS Global is privileged to be associated with the Embassy of Greece in Armenia. This extension of our association with the Greek Government reflects their faith in our abilities, and we are sure this will go a long way in forging a longstanding partnership with VFS Global.”

The key features of the new centre are:

• Conveniently located and easily accessible state-of-the art Visa Application Centre
• Longer operating hours allowing applicants to visit at a time of their convenience
• Professional and responsive staff dedicated to handle visa queries and applications
• Automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants, providing better crowd management
• Dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements and check-list, applicable fees and application status
• Dedicated call centre and email support to answer queries and status of application

• 100% secure handling of passports, documents and personal information
• In-VAC feedback kiosks and forms, and online feedback services for applicants to share their recommendations and feedback about the services
• Tracking of application status and SMS alerts for visa status update on mobile phones
• Door-step delivery of passports

The Visa Application Centre will remain open from 09:00 to 16:00 hrs from Monday to Friday, keeping in mind the convenience of the applicants.

VFS Global will be responsible only for acceptance of applications and return delivery of passports and documents. All applications will continue to be assessed and processed by the Consular Office of the Embassy of Greece in Yerevan.

DISTINGUISHED EXPERTS DISCUSS ASSIMILATION, REVIVAL AND REPATRIATION WITH YOUTH AT ANNUAL SEMINAR

Asbarez
May 20th, 2010
BIG PINES

CA-Several dozen youth gathered at AYF Camp this past weekend for
the Armenian Youth Federation’s annual Educational Seminar, where the
issues of assimilation and repatriation were explored through lectures,
discussions, debates, and other group activities.

The seminar kicked off Friday night with Director Elizabeth Chouljian,
ANCA’s Communications Director and an AYF alumna herself, presenting
the opening remarks and asking the campers to introduce themselves
individually. Chouldjian created a welcoming environment, insisting
that everyone call her Ungerouhi Yeghso.

The educational portion of the weekend started on Saturday morning.

The first guest lecturer, Ara Mgrdichian, challenged participants
to see themselves and their community from an "out-of-the-box"
perspective by questioning conscious and subconscious notions of
identity. The second guest lecturer, Dr. Hagop Kouloujian, spoke
about the phenomenon of assimilation through the prism of language.

Chouldjian presented her own lecture on the ANCA and its role
in preserving Armenian identity and community. The campers then
participated in a group discussion led by Ungerouhi Yeghso to explore
the theoretical and practical motivations and challenges surrounding
the issue of repatriation to Armenia.

"Having a solid educational foundation within the membership is
essential for any community organization, and even more so for AYF,"
said organizer Aris Hovasapian. "We want to be able to train the
future leaders of our community, and exposing our members to new
ideas or challenging them with new concepts is certainly a step in
the right direction."

The AYF’s Educational Council, which organized the event, was
optimistic about achieving the goals of introducing ideas that are new
to the participants, and presenting concepts they can apply in daily
life. "The type of education that we stress has limitless applications,
but the greatest act would be for someone to take what they learned
over the weekend and use it as a catalyst to do something greater
that could eventually benefit the community at large." said Hovasapian.

Mgrdichian, an AYF alumnus and a violence prevention counselor at
Hoover High School, presented "Assimilation and the Youth Living in
the Diaspora," which exposed the campers to an alternative vantage
point on the problems Armenian youth face today. He challenged
participants to define Armenian identity and what encompasses being
Armenian. With identity crisis in the modern Diaspora being a very
crucial and controversial topic, the discussion quickly turned
into a debate. Mgrdichian concluded that Armenian youth need not
label themselves and put boundaries on what precisely defines being
Armenian. The focus, he stressed, should be on bringing Armenians
together to propel the Armenian Cause forward.

Dr. Kouloujian, a professor of Armenian language at UCLA, presented
"Assimilation and the Importance of the Armenian Language," which
showed an historical evolution of the Armenian language, from its
inception and eras of expansion to its current phase of atrophy and
endangerment. Dr. Kouloujian prepared his lecture specially for this
event, and the participants were very appreciative that he spent the
time to gather so much research and create a PowerPoint presentation.

Organizer Berj Parseghian welcomed Dr. Kouloujian’s unconventional
approach: "A fresh new perspective was offered by Professor
Kouloujian. He explained that if a language does not evolve and
remains stagnant, that language will eventually disappear," he
recalled. "We need innovation, new words, new poets, new writers,
a 21st century Armenian language… Let’s create a critical mass
around this concept… A 21st century Armenian."

"Every educational was amazing," said participant and AYF-WR Central
Executive chairperson Arek Santikian. "Ungerouhi Yeghso broke down
her points very well in relation to Hye Tad and the AYF’s role in it.

Additionally, the lecture regarding the Armenian language was a true
wake up call to me. I realized that it is extremely important to pick
up a book or two, every month or so, and simply read it. It is up to
us to not only cherish our culture and history, but to maintain it,
preserve it and evolve with it."

Chouldjian shared Santikian’s sentiments and had similar words of
praise for the participants. "These young people had such depth in
all of the information and all of the discussions that they had," said
Chouldjian about the interaction she witnessed throughout the weekend.

"During the actual lectures themselves, the participation was great,
but even in the off sections when kids were trying to take a break,
the whole discussion was how do we make Armenia better, how do we make
our nation better, and how do we work better here in the Diaspora. It
was just absolutely inspiring to see that."

The organizers said they were very pleased with the amount of
participation by attendees, and impressed by all the new faces. "It
is always great to see new members excited and actively participating
in discussion because their input is greatly valued. Many people had
a few different chances to speak and express their thoughts on all
the different topics discussed" said organizer Aline Karakozian.

The educational portion of the seminar was followed by an oath ceremony
Saturday evening where 10 AYF novices were officially welcomed into
the AYF. "The room was filled with mostly our younger membership,
which made me extremely happy." Said Santikian "A number of novices
also came up to participate and eventually take their oath.

The energy was at a high level throughout the entire weekend, and
it showed during the discussion portion of the seminar. I was very
impressed with the viewpoints of many of our members."

When asked to gauge the success of the event, Karakozian said, "We
definitely had a successful weekend with plenty of positive feedback."

The seminar, she continued, was fun and educational and gave
participants a unique "opportunity to discuss issues that have become
very important to our people."

Karakozian was happy that participants "were able to share our ideas
on what we should be doing as Armenians and as AYF members to help
prevent assimilation and how to begin a movement of repatriation to
our homeland."

Parseghian summed up the general feeling of the seminar’s participants:
"Our measure of success comes from the weekend being a catalyst for
youth to think, innovate, and struggle… it was awesome."

ARMENIAN YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM TO PLAY AGAINST ESTONIA MAY 20

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 19, 2010 – 16:17 AMT 11:17 GMT

Armenian Youth Football Team will be playing against Estonia in the
second group of 2011 European Championship qualifier due May 20 in
Tallinn, FFA press service told PanARMENIAN.Net

In the second group, Armenian team has taken the 5th place, having
scored 7 points; Estonians came 3rd with 9 points to their score.

Switzerland is leading with 16 points.

AN EVENING DEDICATED TO GRIGOR GURZADYAN IN "HAYART"

Aysor
April 1 2010
Armenia

On April 2 in the "HayART" cultural center will take place an event
dedicated to Grigor Gurzadyan, academician, painter, writer and
astrophysicist.

On the evening around 60 works of Gurzadyan will be presented. There
will be introduced also the books "The space in the palm", "A love
story", "A cosmic catastrophe", "Thoughts… thoughts…", "My son
on the Top of Ararat", "The mystery of Kakavaberd", will also be
presented the film "The space in the palm".

As the press service of the "HayART" cultural center told to Aysor.am
film "The space in the palm" was shot by Rita Sharoyan who is the
director of the "HayART" culyural center and the auther of many
documentary films. The film lasts for 35 minutes.

The source also informed that "The space in the palm" film is divided
into several subtitles; it has been shot based on the archive materials
of Rita Sharoyan and Grigor Gurzadyan. Exceptional materials have
been used form Moscow. There are also some episodes showing the
establishment of "Orion". The meetings, discussions, debates are
presented in the film.

Born in October 15, 1922 in Baghdad, he became the postgraduate of
Victor Hambartsumian, who had just moved to Armenia.

Being in Hambartsumian’s founding team of Byurakan Observatory, he
later headed a Laboratory, in 1960s became deputy director of the
Observatory for space research.

Then he moved to design space orbital observatories. The highlight
was Orion 2 Space Observatory. It was in April, 1971, when the first
space station Salyut 1 carried into orbit Orion 1 Space Observatory,
the first space telescope with an objective prism.

MP COMPLAINS ABOUT COLLEAGUES

news.am
Feb 8 2010
Armenia

Zaruhi Bostanjyan, an MP of the Heritage Party, addressed a letter to
Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, complaining about the Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA) MPs Arakel Movsisyan and Vazgen Karakhanyan,
who insulted her.

In her letter Bostanjyan reminded the NA Speaker of his duty, namely,
calling the MPs to order. Otherwise, she stressed, it is evidence
that the Speaker himself is patronizing the activities aimed against
the Heritage faction.

Vazgen Karakhanyan and Arakel Movsisyan made offensive remarks about
Zaruhi Bostanjyan while she was making a statement in Parliament. In
response, she offered Karakhanyan to leave the hall.