Author: Maral Takmazian

ANCA Hopes for Massachusetts Court to Turn down Anti-Armenian Lawsuit
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.07.2006 14:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A hearing date on whether or not to consider an
Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) backed lawsuit to
compel the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to include denialist material
in their Armenian Genocide curriculum resource materials has been
set for September 18th, reported the Armenian National Committee of
Eastern Massachusetts. U.S. District Chief Judge Mark Wolf scheduled a
hearing for oral arguments on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts motion
to dismiss the lawsuit, filed by the ATAA, two teachers and a student.
“We welcome the scheduling of a hearing date and look forward to
the court taking this opportunity to dismiss this clearly unfounded
and deeply flawed lawsuit,” said ANC of Eastern Massachusetts Chair
Sharistan Ardaljian. “The authors of this suit – in acting as effective
surrogates for Armenian Genocide deniers in Ankara – have committed
a grave disservice to the truth, to the cause of tolerance, and the
growing worldwide movement to prevent genocide.”
The ATAA lawsuit calls for the inclusion of their website in a list
of educational sources for teachers, as part of a teacher’s guide on
genocide education provided by the State. The ATAA lawsuit also calls
for the addition of other websites, including that of the Embassy of
the Republic of Turkey, which the ATAA had lobbied to include in the
guide, but were disqualified because they denied the Armenian Genocide,
in direct contravention of the Massachusetts statute requiring the
teaching of the Armenian Genocide.
Soon after the lawsuit was introduced, the Massachusetts District
Attorney’s office had filed a motion to dismiss the case. The Armenian
Bar Association joined with the Armenian National Committee of America,
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Irish Immigration
Center, in filing a friend of the court brief in March 2006, in support
of the dismissal, arguing that inclusion of Genocide denial materials
in the curriculum would fly in the face of repeated Massachusetts
proclamations and State Resolutions properly characterizing the
Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide.’

ARMENIA CONCERNED OVER AZERBAIJAN’S INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 7 2006
Baku, March 6, AssA-Irada
An Armenian top defense official has cited as a “direct threat” for
his country what he called Azerbaijan’s attempts to take the talks
on settling the long-standing Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict out
of the mediating Minsk Group’s framework to the level of the UN,
NATO and the Council of Europe.
“Moreover, these attempts being made with the aid of Azerbaijan’s
propaganda machine earn official Baku benefits in the international
arena,” said Armenian Defense Minister, Security Council secretary,
Serzh Sarkisian.
Sarkisian indicated in his special report on the country’s security
that Armenia should boost its diplomacy and the work of Diaspora
organizations.
“The key issue for us today is ensuring security. The impact of
international military and political processes on the South Caucasus
region is gradually increasing. For this very reason, the forces
interested in the region and superpowers are becoming more active. In
this case, a special focus should be on the security issue.”
In conclusion of the report, Sarkisian urged international
organizations to provide assistance. He said Armenia believes that
solving the Garabagh problem is possible only with the mediation of
the Minsk Group and supports peace while ensuring the physical safety
of the Armenian residents of Upper Garabagh.
The Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Taghizada said that
restoring the ethnic and demographic composition of the region that
was observed prior to the outbreak of the conflict and ensuring the
security of its residents bear great importance for the determination
of the Upper Garabagh status during the second stage of the conflict
resolution.
“There are no grounds for concerns over the physical safety of Upper
Garabagh’s Armenian population.”
As for drawing other international organizations to the peace process,
Taghizada admitted that Azerbaijan is interested in this.
“At the same time, we remain committed to the current mechanism and
structure. But if diplomatic efforts yield no fruit, we may resort
to other means,” he added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. OFFICIAL MEETS AZERI CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
Today Daniel Fried, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of
European and Eurasian Affairs, met with civil society representatives
in the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. Human rights activists, politicians
and experts took part in the meeting.
Human rights advocate Rena Sadaddinova told TURAN that the November
6 parliamentary elections, public and political situation in the
country, political prisoners, protection main freedoms and human
rights, Karabakh conflict and situation in Iran were discussed at
the meeting. Daniel Fried was informed about the Azerbaijan public’s
concerns about these matters.
After their Baku visit Daniel Fried and Steven Mann, U.S. co-chairman
of OSCE Minsk Group, will depart for Georgia, and from there to
Armenia and Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Public Television of Armenia
Oct 7 2005
Cooperation with Russia, NATO guarantees Armenia’s security – defence
minister
[Presenter] The parties to the Karabakh conflict were very close to
reaching an agreement in 2001, but they failed to achieve a final
result. The mediators are tired of delays in the conflict settlement.
In order to settle the conflict, the Armenian and Azerbaijani
leaderships need to demonstrate political will and NATO and the USA
have sufficient will and resources to assist the conflict settlement,
the US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, has said at NATO’s Rose
Roth seminar.
Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan spoke about conflicts in
the South Caucasus, noting that the armies of the region’s three
countries were established in wartime and are still far from
international standards. Armenia is in favour of regional cooperation
within the framework of the Partnership for Peace programme, an idea
which Azerbaijan has rejected. The minister said that now it is
necessary to achieve stable and guaranteed truce.
[Serzh Sarkisyan speaking at the Rose Roth seminar] Armenia is taking
an active part in various security projects in order to set up a
strong security system. Armenia is cooperating with the [CIS]
Collective Security Treaty Organization and NATO today, which allows
the Armenian armed forces to establish cooperation in line with
different international military standards. Armenian-Russian
bilateral military cooperation within the framework of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization and the development of cooperation with
NATO and the USA guarantee Armenia’s security.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS UNITY BETWEEN ARMENIA AND DIASPORA
A1+
| 15:07:50 | 05-10-2005 | Politics |
Today during the reception in the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies in connection with the 11th anniversary of the
Center the RA ex Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian who has never
had a strictly oppositional attitude made a speech about the present
political state in the country.
The leader of the Heritage party criticized severely the authorities
“which have privatized the foreign policy and the economy
of the country and are not even able to make simply political
calculations”. “The authorities who tell tales on democracy abroad
evict the people of their houses inside their own country in order
to build houses for the so-called elite”.
Raffi Hovannisian also reminded those present about the Mass Media
field where after banning “A1+” and Noyyan Tapan of air the television
has been privatized too filling it with programs testifying to the
lack of taste of their makers.
“There can be no void in the nature, and if there is no democracy,
usurpation comes to take its place”, announced Raffi Hovannisian and
noted that Armenia which has become a totalitarian country has lost
its place in the international community. “Our voice is no more heard
in the world”, he announced and reminded that the first step to euro
integration was made the very first year of independence, when he
himself as the first RA Foreign Minister made the step. And today,
according to him, Armenia is moving farther and farther of Europe.
As for the economy of the country, Raffi Hovhannisyan noted that
both in rich America and in poor Armenia petrol costs 80cents. And
in Armenia the sums taken from the people are used by several families.
Referring to the Constitutional reforms, Raffi Hovannisian noted
that they were made under the CoE pressure, but it is not possible
“to cover cracked up walls with Euro repairing”. The only way out of
the situation created, according to Raffi Hovanissian, is unity not
only inside Armenia but also that between Armenia and the Diaspora.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
October 3, 2005
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:
Armenian Independence Day Celebrated in Washington, D.C.
The fourteenth anniversary of Armenia’s Independence Day was celebrated in
Washington, D.C. with a traditional reception held at the Embassy on
September 21, 2005. More than 150 U.S. government officials, foreign
Ambassadors and high-rank diplomats, U.S. and foreign military officers and
Embassy’s counterparts from Washington-based think tanks and private
organizations came to celebrate Armenia’s National Day. Also present were
representatives of the Armenian-American political organizations.
Armenia’s burgeoning cooperation with the United States in all areas was
underscored by the presence of many officials from different U.S.
departments and agencies. In his remarks at the reception, Ambassador Tatoul
Markarian highlighted the main achievements of Armenia’s independence and
stressed the importance of ongoing democratic and economic progress. The
Ambassador noted that the upcoming referendum on Constitutional amendments
will present a major opportunity to make progress and further consolidate
Armenia’s political and democratic achievements since independence.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse
28 septembre 2005 mercredi 5:22 PM GMT
Génocide arménien: médiation d’Axa sur indemnisation desendants de victimes
PARIS 28 sept 2005
Le groupe d’assurance français Axa mène actuellement une médiation en
Californie portant sur l’indemnisation de descendants de porteurs de
contrats d’assurance vie décédés lors du génocide arménien de 1915, a
indiqué mercredi à l’AFP un porte-parole du groupe.
“Fin juillet, une cour de justice californienne a ordonné la tenue
d’une médiation qui a débuté en août. Elle se déroule encore en ce
moment et progresse bien. Nous sommes satisfaits des progrès
enregistrés mais elle n’est pas achevée”, a expliqué le porte-parole.
Il n’a en revanche pas souhaité donner de détails sur les discussions
car les parties sont liées par une obligation de confidentialité.
Dans son numéro d’octobre, le mensuel L’Expansion évoque la
finalisation d’un accord entre un avocat californien d’origine
arménienne, Vartkes Yeghiayan, et le groupe d’assurance français.
Cet accord –qui porte sur des contrats souscrits auprès de
L’Union-Vie, une des sociétés constitutives de l’UAP (racheté en 1996
par Axa)– prévoit “le versement de 17 millions de dollars au titre
de l’indemnisation de ses anciens clients et de leurs ayant-droit”,
indique le magazine.
Selon lui, un accord similaire a déjà été signé avec la compagnie
américaine New York Life en 2000 pour 20 millions d’euros, et le
prochain assureur concerné devrait être l’Allemand Victoria.
En juillet 2003, le groupe Axa a signé avec les organisations juives
et la Commission internationale (International commission on
Holocaust era insurance claims) un accord global d’indemnisation au
titre de contrats d’assurance vie impayés souscrits par des victimes
de la Shoah. Cet accord a également été signé par les compagnies
suisses Winterthur Life et Zurich Life.
Les assureurs avaient payé 25 millions de dollars.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS RECEIVES THE AMBASSADORS OF
LEBANON AND ARMENIA
The Ambassadors of Armenia and Lebanon to Canada flew from Ottawa to
Montreal to hold a meeting with His Holiness Aram I on the sidelines of his
Pontifical visit to Canada.
The Ambassador of Lebanon to Canada, Remon Baaklini, met the Catholicos in
his hotel in Montreal for over an hour. The two discussed issues related to
the current situation of Lebanon, the recent developments in the country and
the political situation the region.
Ambassador Baaklini informed His Holiness about the activities of the
embassy in Canada and the work being carried out in favor of Lebanon. He
also spoke about the Lebanese community of Canada and particularly the
Lebanese-Armenians living in Canada.
His Holiness Aram I praised the Ambassador’s and his assistants’ efforts,
reminding him of the love of Lebanese Armenians living in Canada towards
Lebanon and their special link with the country.
His Holiness also received the Ambassador of Armenia to Canada, Ara
Babian. The two discussed possibilities for strengthening relations and
cooperation between Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.
In this context, the two talked about the meeting between Armenian
intellectuals from Armenia and the Diaspora in Antelias in August 2005,
whose main aim was to seek for means of cooperation, in order to strengthen,
even more, brotherly ties between Armenians of Armenia and the Diaspora.
The Ambassador of Armenia also attended the ceremony organized on the
occasion of the 10th anniversary of His Holiness’ enthronement.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OUR BODIES OURSELVES, OUR PURSES
By Diana Heil, Courtesy Photo
The Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico)
September 10, 2005 Saturday
Co-author’s visit to Santa Fe will raise money for several projects,
including health guide for Latinas
Judy Norsigian, co-founder of the Our Bodies Ourselves organization
in Boston, is coming to Santa Fe.
She will visit her sister Lisa, who also goes by her Tibetan Buddhist
nun name Rinchen Lhamo. And Norsigian will speak about women’s health
issues at a house party, which is open to a limited number of guests
from the public.
Norsigian, 57, is on a fundraising tour through the Southwest.
“We’ve been facing difficult times financially in the last few years,
and so we’ve instituted this house-party routine, which is a wonderful
way to talk about issues and get support and get people to understand
how the book is certainly a source of income but it is never more
than 10 to 15 percent of our total budget,” she said in a telephone
interview this week.
The nonprofit’s operating budget is about $500,000.
Through its books, workshops and activism efforts, the group provides
information about health, sexuality and reproduction from a feminist
and consumer perspective. Our Bodies, Ourselves, the book’s founding
text, is now in its eighth edition. Tibetan and South Korean versions
are in the works.
The Latina Health Initiative, a special outreach effort of the group,
produced Nuestros Cuerpos, Nuestras Vidas. But the Spanish-language
edition hasn’t been updated since 2000.
“We’re hoping to create a collaboration with some institutions because
we don’t have the funds to do it ourselves, and the publisher is
very small,” Norsigian said. “I would love to see that begin next
year. It’s badly needed.”
The initiative also is translating a booklet called “Journeys of
Parenthood,” written by the Maternity Center Association in New York
City. It will offer practical guidance to pregnant mothers while
staying sensitive to Latina cultural practices.
In 1971, when Norsigian first met the Boston Women’s Health Book
Collective at age 23, she didn’t know much about feminism, but she
was interested in nutrition. The college graduate had been living on
a commune in upstate New York for a year, where she learned how to
rebuild Volkswagen engines and grow organic food.
Meanwhile, the dozen women she met in the collective had challenged
the medical establishment by writing a 193-page booklet called Women
and Their Bodies. Soon after, Norsigian worked on the first chapter
on nutrition for Our Bodies, Ourselves, the book’s new title. It sold
250,000 copies.
“I became very interested in reproductive-health issues, midwifery,
childbearing … and trying to keep the effect of the profit motive
down to a dull roar in health and medical care,” Norsigian said.
In 1973, the year abortion became legal, Simon & Schuster published
the first commercial edition.
Norsigian came from an Armenian-American family. Her father ranted
against religion and psychiatry, and her mother was a lab technician.
Norsigian’s mother always wanted to be a doctor. But Norsigian’s
grandfather thought it was a waste for a woman to get an education;
her role was to be a mother.
So what did her mother think of Our Bodies, Ourselves?
“Though she never really read it that carefully, she was proud we
did it,” Norsigian said. “My mom was a feminist in her own way.”
Today, at age 83, Norsigian’s mom still teaches yoga classes in Boston.
GRAPHIC: 1. Judy Norsigian, second from left, along with the other
staff members who worked on Our Bodies, Ourselves. Norsigian will be
in Santa Fe on Wednesday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN APP TO BE SUSPENDED FOR PLANNED AND PREVENTIVE REPAIR ON OCTOBER 1 2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31. ARMINFO. The Armenian atomic power plant will be
suspended for annual planned and preventive repair on October 1 2005,
Director General of APP Gagik Markosyan informs ARMINFO.
He says the power unit of APP consisting of a reactor and two
turbines will be suspended for 45 days in conformity with a relevant
schedule. In 45 days after the suspension the first turbine will be
connected to the power network of the country, the second turbine will
be connected in 10 days after the first one. Director General says
as of August 30 the Armenian APP generated 2.042 vlb kW/h electricity.
It should be noted that two power units of Russian model BBP-440,
with capacity of 815 megawatt in total have been installed at the
Armenian APP. The first unit was put into exploitation in 1976, the
second in 1980. At the beginning of 1989, the plant was closed down for
political ideas, and then the second unit was reactivated because of
acute energy crisis at the beginning of 1995. The resource of the unit
will limit in 2016. In September 2003 the Armenian APP was transferred
under financial management of the Inter RJSC UES of Russia for 5 years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress