Author: Nalbandian Albert

Yerkir, January 28, 2005
Alert film
Within only December, 31 homeless peopled died in basements or
construction premises of cold in Yerevan. Only 15 of them died of
freezing on December 19.
The atmosphere at the Narekatsi cultural center was depressing. It
hosted the event of demonstration of `The nameless graves’ documentary
organized by Yerkir Media TV company and accompanied by photos of Onik
Grigorian. Many bums shot in the film by Hayk Ordian (director), Edik
Baghdasarian and Irina Hovhannisian (script writers) are no longer alive.
`Let us honor the memory of those 31 dead people for whom nobody said a
prayer or lit a candle,’ said Edik Baghdasarian. `Perhaps, it will make
us less negligent to these people.’
The tombs in the Nubarashen cemetery only have numbers: no names, no
birth or death dates. And each tomb covers a whole human history, would
the great German writer Goethe say.
;exp=culture&month=01&year05&number=28&id=5102

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Feb 4 2005
Erdogan Criticizes Cypriots and Armenians
While meeting French Parliament Speaker Jean Louis Debre, Prime
Minister Erdogan criticized Cyprus over the failure of the
UN-initiated referendum. Answering Jean Louis Debre’s questions about
Cyprus, Erdogan recalled that Turkish Cypriots had voted in favor of
the Kofi Annan settlement plan but also highlighted the fact that it
was the Greeks who rejected it.
The premier said “We are constantly asked about what will happen in
Cyprus next. Why should we pay the price of a mistake that wasn’t
actually caused by us?”
On the subject of Armenians, Erdogan told Debre that Turkey has
opened its archives about Armenians but that there will be no
improvements in the situation until Armenians decide to collaborate
on the issue, which they are presently refusing to do.
Source: Hurriyet, 4 February 2005

Former employee of US embassy in Armenia arrested for illegal issuance of
visas
Mediamax news agency
4 Feb 05
YEREVAN
A former employee of the consular department of the US embassy in
Armenia, 45-year-old Piotr Zdzislaw Parlej, has been arrested in
California on charges of taking bribes for illegal issuance of visas
during his tenure in Armenia, the US State Department and Justice
Department say in a joint official statement released by the US
embassy in Armenia today, Mediamax news agency reports.
If the charges laid against him are proved, Parlej will spend from
five to 15 years in prison.
The charges say that from April 2004 to January 2005, Parlej, together
with a group of accomplices, took bribes in Yerevan and forged
American visas. The investigation is processing six separate cases, in
which Piotr Parlej took bribes of 10,000 dollars for issuing US entry
visas.
Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein and Assistant Secretary for the Bureau
of Diplomatic Security Frank Taylor have stated that they highly
assess the actions of special agents of the US diplomatic security
service, the embassy staff in Armenia and the Armenian law-enforcement
bodies which helped solve the crime.
For its part, the US embassy in Armenia “thanked the Armenian
authorities for their cooperation in investigating the case and would
like to express special thanks to the Armenian National Security
Service for its invaluable help”.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 31, 2005, Monday
ARMENIA AND NAGORNY KARABAKH HELD NEGOTIATIONS
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met with Arkady Gukasyan, leader
of the Nagorny Karabakh republic, on Wednesday. The leaders discussed
the socio-economic situation in Nagorny Karabakh and programs of
co-operation between Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh in 2005. The major
part of the budget of Nagorny karabakh consists of the credit given
by Yerevan.
Source: Kommersant, January 27, 2005, p. 9
Translated by Alexander Dubovoi

PRESS RELEASE
BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA
January 31, 2005
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
[email protected]

STRING OF BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA OPPORTUNITY FAIRS PROVES SUCCESSFUL
Hundreds of young diasporans interested in learning more about the wide
array of volunteer and study programs currently being offered in Armenia,
participated in six opportunity fairs sponsored by Birthright Armenia in
January. To test the efficacy of a unified promotional and recruitment
event of this type, Birthright Armenia organized pilot runs in the cities of
Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, by
extending invitations to all the organizations that implement youth oriented
programs in Armenia to join in with presentations and recruitment tables.
Based on the huge turnouts and interest generated from each of the fairs,
proving to be both timely and beneficial for participating organizations and
attendees alike, Birthright is already working on an expanded schedule for
2006.
One important goal of the opportunity fair was to provide young diasporan
adults with a one-stop shop of information pertaining to volunteer and study
abroad opportunities in the Homeland, making it much easier for them to
learn about the dozens of options available to them and their generation.
Another desired goal was for participating organizations to get a jump-start
on their recruitment for the coming summer’s programs they implement in
Armenia.
Eleven different diaspora-based organizations, including the ACYOA, AAA,
ASA-NY, Armenia Tree Project, Armenian Volunteer Corps, AYF, Canadian Youth
Mission to Armenia, FAR, Habitat for Humanity, LCO, and the Student
Association for Medical Aid (SAMA) of McGill University, presented their
organizations’ mission, activities and programs in Armenia. Each and every
organization approached by Birthright Armenia mobilized their staff, program
alumni and volunteers to participate in as many fairs as possible in order
to speak to interested youth, to share first hand experiences with fair
attendees, and to encourage early submission of applications.
Executive Director of Birthright Armenia, Linda Yepoyan, opened each fair
with a short introduction that focused on a `come and belong’ theme,
emphasizing the importance of experiencing Armenia for study or volunteerism
now, rather than falling back on the `wait and see’ approach of the past.
Ten minute presentations from each of the participating diasporan
organizations, intermingled with interesting Powerpoint presentations and
slide shows followed next, and then an overview of Birthright Armenia
incentives and eligibility criteria. Each fair then concluded with an open
recruitment session including a designated table for each organization,
filled with promotional materials of brochures, photographs, slide shows,
applications and more.
Over 250 young diasporans interested in programs available to them in
Armenia attended the North American Fairs and in the words of one young
attendee, `I knew I wanted to go to Armenia but did not know how to find out
what options were available to me. This fair made it so easy that I have no
excuse not to go now.’
Mr. Haik Gugarats, who spoke on behalf of Ambassador Arman Kirakossian at
the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Washington, DC, said in his
opening remarks to the youth in attendance, `It’s a great pleasure to host
Birthright Armenia this evening, because their mission is of great value to
Armenia and the Armenians. There is nothing more noble, creative, and
uplifting than the process of self-discovery, especially if you also help
Armenia, and forge a personal connection to our ancestral land. And
Birthright Armenia will help you do just that: be Armenian and care about
Armenia. Remember that nobody can prevent you from being Armenian. You can
only lose your `Armenianness’ if you exclude yourself.’
`I was delighted to participate in the Opportunity Fair hosted by Birthright
Armenia in New York and present the FAR Young Professionals Trip to Armenia
and Karabagh,’ said Edina Bobelian, FAR’s director of development and
communications. `Birthright Armenia created the ideal forum for people of
all ages to learn about the different ways to go to Armenia. Under one
roof, we were able to showcase various journeys to the Homeland. This is
not only beneficial for those curious about traveling to Armenia, but also
for the organizations that offer these unique experiences to spread
awareness about their trips and activities. FAR is proud of its partnership
with Birthright Armenia, a pioneering organization that enhances our ability
to reach out and educate the Armenian Diaspora about philanthropic
opportunities in the Homeland.’
Executive director of the Armenia Tree Project, Jeff Masarjian, presented
the activities of his organization and its internship program in Armenia to
the Boston fair attendees. `The Birthright Armenia opportunity fair is a
wonderful forum for learning about the exciting work so many organizations
are doing to build a future for our new nation,’ he stated. ` I would
encourage any young person of Armenian descent who has an interest in
possibly offering his/her time and talent to making a real difference in
Armenia to attend any future fairs.’  
With the North American circuit now successfully over, Birthright Armenia
will continue promoting the idea and importance of community service in
Armenia during its European tour of London, Paris, Lyon and Marseilles in
early February to engage the interest of diasporan youths of the U.K. and
France wanting to experience land, history and people in all their
fascinating dimensions.
Since going public with this pilot program, Birthright Armenia has received
calls from numerous communities through the Mid-western, Southern and
Western United States, requesting that the organization consider their city
as the 2006 Fair schedule is developed. Also communities in Munich and Milan
have also requested a Fair be held when Birthright Armenia Opportunity Fairs
expand throughout Western Europe.
If you wish to have Birthright consider holding an Opportunity Fair in your
city, send an email to [email protected]. If you are interested in
learning more about Birthright Armenia and the organizations offering
youth-oriented volunteer and study abroad programs in Armenia, please visit
for more information.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
01/28/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Pope Calls For Real Peace in Karabakh 2) Hovhannisian Addresses Possible Consequences of PACE Resolution 3) Ecologists Want Government Control of GM Food in Armenia 4) Eight Armenian-Americans File for April 5 Glendale City Council Elections 5) Return to the Promised Land: London Armenian Film Festival 6) Captivating Workbook Makes Math Fun for Kids 7) New Children's Book Teaches about Love and Morality in Armenian 8) Elizabeth Jones's Diary: Over the Edge of Reason 9) Vizhetzoom 1) Pope Calls For Real Peace in Karabakh (AP, AFP)--Pope John Paul II told Armenia's president on Friday that the Holy See supports all efforts for a peace settlement in Mountainous Karabagh Republic. The pope's call for "real and lasting peace" in the region was a major theme of John Paul's talks with President Robert Kocharian, on a visit this week to the Vatican and Italy. "I hope that a real and stable peace will spring forth in the Nagorno-Karabagh region where you, Mr. President, come from," the pope said in a speech in Russian read for him by an aide. He called for "the decisive rejection of violence and a patient dialogue between the parties, under active international mediation." John Paul, who visited Armenia in 2001, sent his greetings to Armenians all over the world, describing them as people "always linked to their culture and Christian traditions." Kocharian was scheduled to meet later Friday with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, then travel to Venice for visits over the weekend to an Armenian monastery and church. He held talks with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi on Thursday. 2) Hovhannisian Addresses Possible Consequences of PACE Resolution YEREVAN (RFE/RL-Yerkir)--National Assembly Vice Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian said on Friday, that the resolution on Mountainous Karabagh, adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe earlier this week, is completely void of the causes of the conflict in the region, making it difficult to reach a final settlement. "The most dangerous thing about the resolution is that it seems to devaluate the work done by the Minsk Group," said Hovhannisian. Peace proposals put forward by the French, Russian and US co-chairs of the group since 1998 have been largely accepted by the Armenian side. Hovannisian, a member of the government coalition's Armenian Revolutionary Federation, also revealed that the Armenian government failed to heed his party's warnings about Azerbaijan's efforts to expand the circle of international organizations dealing with the conflict. "We had long been warning that discussions [on Karabagh] in that forum, hold little promise for us," he told reporters. "However, no attention was paid to that. There was confidence that everything would be done within the framework of the [OSCE's] Minsk Group." The non-binding PACE resolution accuses Armenia of occupying parts of Azerbaijan. He added that parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian has agreed to an ARF proposal to set up an ad hoc commission to coordinate the work of Armenian delegations at various inter-parliamentary organizations. The proposal was made after the PACE debate on Karabagh last Tuesday, he said. 3) Ecologists Want Government Control of GM Food in Armenia (RFE-RL)Environmental and consumer rights organizations are sounding the alarm over the virtual absence of government controls on the spread of genetically modified (GM) food in Armenia. Biotech crops, widely cultivated in the United States but banned across Europe, have been rapidly spreading around the world. According to some studies, last year saw a 20 percent jump in their production levels compared to 2003. Armenia has no laws or government policies regulating imports and domestic production of GM foodstuffs, the impact of which is still a matter of great contention. Local environmentalists say the apparent government complacency could lead to negative consequences. "The danger facing both nature and human beings is enormous. We are violating the most important laws of nature," warned Karine Danielian, a former environment minister who now heads the Association for Sustainable Development, a non-governmental organization opposed to genetically engineered crops. Anush Galstian of the Armenian Ecological Club, another NGO, shared Danielian's concerns, arguing that the authorities do not even check the genetic origin of crop seeds imported to the country. "We don't have laboratories to conduct such studies," she said. "Nor do we have laws obliging every importer of foodstuffs to go through such procedures." "We have yet to clarify what we are importing and growing," Galstian added. The Armenian Ministry of Environmental Protection did recognize the problem in 2003 when it received a $156,000 grant from the United Nations to develop a "national framework for biological security." Artashes Ziroyan, a ministry official who runs the project, told RFE/RL that the document has already been drawn up and will serve as a basis for a special law to be drafted by the government. Ziroyan could not say whether GM seeds are already used by Armenian farmers and, if so, to what extent. According to Melsida Hakobian, chairman of the Association of Consumers, the unusually big size of some vegetables sold in the markets indicates their GM origin. "The farmers do not know what [genetic engineering] is," she said. "But when we explain the risks involved, some of them start having second thoughts. But other say proudly, 'See how big our tomatoes are'." The possibly negative effects of biotech crops has prompted concern from environmentalists and farming specialists around the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a UN agency based in Rome, held a special conference on the problem this week. In a statement released afterward, FAO called for thorough consultations and checks on the impact that GM food might produce on natural resources such as soil and water, as well as of rural livelihoods. "The need to monitor both the benefits and the potential hazards of released GM crops to the environment is becoming ever more important with the dramatic increase in the range and scale of their commercial cultivation, especially in developing countries," Louise O. Fresco, assistant director-general of the agency's agriculture department, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying on Thursday. 4) Eight Armenian-Americans File for April 5 Glendale City Council Elections GLENDALE--(Glendale ANCA)--City Hall was buzzing with campaign talk late Thursday afternoon as candidates stopped by to turn in their nomination papers. Only City Council, College Board of Trustees, and City Treasurer candidates were required to meet the 5:00 pm deadline Thursday. Glendale School Board and City Clerk candidates are given until February 1st to finish filing. Nevertheless, numerous candidates were present from both City Clerk and School Board races, getting their own completed paperwork out of the way. As of 5:00 pm, 20 of the 25 candidates for City Council had completed their paperwork and petitions. Among those who have completed paperwork is Anahid Oshagan, the only Armenian-American woman running for City Council as well as Ara Najarian, current member of the Glendale College Board of Trustees. Also among the 20 names were all three City Council members who are up for re-election: Mayor Bob Yousefian, Frank Quintero and Dave Weaver. Numerous candidates had started their campaigns for the 4 open city council seats prior to the filing deadline, hosting campaign kick-off parties and starting campaign websites. The fourth lowest vote getter in the April 5th election will be elected to complete the final two years of former Councilmember Gus Gomez's term, who left the seat on January 3, 2005 after being elected Superior Court Judge for Los Angeles Country. Gus Gomez's wife, Glynda Gomez is one of 20 candidates competing for the open seats. The complete list of candidates (in alphabetical order) includes: Vrej Agajanian, Aram Barsoumian, John Drayman, Hovik Gabikian, Glynda Gomez, Shirley Yap Griffin, Chahe Keuroghelian, Joe Mandoky, Larry Miller, Ara Nadjarian, Richard Seeley, Pauline Field, Garry Sinanian, Anahid Oshagan, John Stevenson, Odalis Suarez, David Weaver and Bob Yousefian. All three current members of the College Board of Trustees who are up for re-election filed their paperwork. In addition to the three current members, Linda Sheffield also filed her papers. Ms. Sheffield's entrance into the College Board race will force the college to contribute around $80,000 to the City Of Glendale for Election costs. The current Board members who are up for re-election are Dr. Armine Hacopian, Anita Quinonez Gabrielian, and current Board President Victor I. King. In the race for City Treasurer, Ronald Borucki, current City Treasurer as well as Phillip Kazanjian submitted their paperwork. The City Clerk will verify the petitions to certify that the candidates have been nominated by a minimum of 100 registered voters. The list of qualified candidates and the order in which the names will appear on the ballot will be announced on Feb. 2. In the school board race, 5 people have already submitted their paperwork including current President Greg Krikorian as well as current member Chuck Sambar. In the contested City Clerk race only 4 of the 10 potential candidates have submitted their final paperwork although that number is expected to go up by the February 1st deadline. 5) Return to the Promised Land: London Armenian Film Festival The first major season of Armenian cinema, and only the second ever in the UK in 25 years The London Armenian Film Festival will feature works from the country itself and from the extensive global Armenian diaspora, offering an eye-opening glimpse into a culture that is all too little known in Britain. Armenians have been prominent players in international cinema for as long as the medium itself, whether as actors, producers, writers or directors. However, the focus of this season is distinctive. Showcasing shorts, features, documentaries and artists' film, Return to the Promised Land: the London Armenian Film Festival presents works that deal directly, but in always invigorating and imaginative ways, with Armenian history and identity. Themes of exile, migration, place and belonging are constantly being revisited in fresh and dynamic ways, as different communities consider what such important issues mean to them. Such concerns change of course depending on whether the film-maker lives in contemporary Armenia or in the many countries, especially Canada, France and the United States, that have significant, and very successful, diaspora populations. Among this latter group, perhaps the work of Toronto-based auteur Atom Egoyan which has bought Armenian issues to wider public attention, most notably in his features Calendar and Ararat, the latter being the most prominent film yet made on the Armenian Genocide and its huge repercussions on subsequent generations. This theme has also been dealt with by the Berlin-located director Don Askarian, whose Komitas creates a poetic biography, reflective and surprisingly calm, of the life of the iconic composer Komitas, who was driven into silence and insanity as a result of the horrors he witnessed. But the works are also celebrations--of endurance, resistance, continuity and of the extraordinary culture itself. Nowhere is this more abundantly clear than in the undisputed classic that is Sergei Paradjanov's The Color of Pomegranates. Unique in world cinema, this cine-poem creates tableaux of unsurpassed beauty and insight around the writings and times of the celebrated poet Sayat Nova. In a cinematic sense, it can be said to contain the enduring spirit of Armenian identity. Multi-layered approaches like Paradjanov's have also influenced Canadian resident Garine Torossian, one of the few Armenian women film-makers, who brings a resolutely contemporary tone to her textured and articulate short works around diaspora relationships to the homeland. The festival will also screen lost gems and work by overlooked directors of great skill. Tigran Xmalian, who opens and closes the season with his two recent features, also runs the Capital's Yerevan Film Studios and is a key figure in maintaining and developing an active film culture in Armenia today, despite the serious economic pressures the country as a whole is facing. Meanwhile, director Haroutiun Khachatryan creates meditative documentary dramas that feel closer in mood to the resurgent Iranian cinema. Less concerned with conventional narrative, they look at landscapes and lives with a philosophical and empathetic eye. The festival also features works of Artavazd Pelechian, whose collective works might last no longer than three hours, but the short films of are among the most astonishing in the history of cinema. His profoundly intense examinations of human and cosmic themes, largely wordless, are edited with a mastery of scale and rhythm which makes all life on earth swarm and bloom through the celluloid. The festival runs February 11 17 at London's Ciné lumière Pierlequin Lighter than Air Armenia | 2000 | b&w | 102 mins | dir. Tigran Xmalian, with Vladimir Msrian, Hrach Harutunian, Anush Khorenian Xmalian's charming feature is a surreal, bittersweet love story to his homeland and culture. Moving from the 1960s to the '90s and centered around the iconic figure of a clown who was beloved of Armenian audiences, Pierlequin creates a world of tenderness and magic among the challenges facing contemporary Armenia. Gariné Torossian Artists' Film Program Short Films Program | 90 mins Toronto-based Gariné Torossian will present a selection of her strikingly multi-layered shorts. Like Egoyan, Torossian's work is informed by migration and she has turned to experimental film-making to conjure the primary forces of the Armenian diaspora. Vodka Lemon Armenia / France / Italy / Switzerland | 2003 | col | 89 mins | dir. Hiner Saleem, with Romen Avinian, Lala Sarkissian, Ivan Franek | cert. PG A laconic love story focused on a solitary widower and a woman tending a roadside bar, Vodka Lemon is a droll and charming hymn to endurance and fellowship, building its off-center world calmly and steadily, much in the manner of Otar Iosseliani. Calendar Canada / Armenia / Germany | 1993 | col | 74 mins | dir. Atom Egoyan, with Atom Egoyan, Arsinée Khanjian, Ashot Adamian | cert. 15 Provocatively, Egoyan takes the lead role in this fascinating meditation on relationships - to one's lover, country, history, memory and to images. A witty, playful and always intriguing exploration of his abiding themes, this was, before Ararat, Egoyan's most explicitly 'Armenian' feature. Armenian National Cinema A broad consideration of the unique qualities of Armenian cinema, both within the country and diaspora, and reflections on its place in soviet and world cinema, and on the difficulties facing contemporary production in the country. With Armenian cinema specialist Nora Armani, film-makers Gariné Torossian and Tigran Xmalian and film critic Artsvi Bakhchinyan. Moderator: Gareth Evans, editor of Vertigo magazine and festival co-programmer. Artavazd Pelechian Short Films Program | 120 mins Among the most astonishing short works in the history of cinema, the profoundly intense films of Artavazd Pelechian are visionary examinations of human and cosmic themes. Largely wordless and rhythmic, they are edited with a mastery of scale and rhythm which makes all life on earth swarm and bloom through the celluloid. Return to the Promised Land Armenia | 1991 | b&w & col | 80 mins | dir. Harutiun Khachatryan Katchatryan's audacious film is a strikingly photographed study of an Armenian farmer and his family surviving in a harsh landscape in an abandoned, snow-clad village. As the first crops come to life, the village children smile again and dance to the tunes of the visiting tightrope walkers and musicians. However, danger still lurks in the distance. Preceded by 2 short films: Terra Emota & Lux Aeterna Arm/Fr | 1999 | 10 mins each | both dir. Levon Minassian and Serge Avedikian Impressionistic dispatches from the fault line: an earthquake in 1988 devastated Gyumri, Armenia's second city. Levon Minassian was in the city at the time and caught the destruction on film. Ten years later, he returns to find a city still dealing with the legacy of such a disaster. Last Station Armenia / France / UK | 1995 | col | 93 mins | dir. Harutiun Khachatryan and Nora Armani, with Nora Armani, Gerald Papasian, Armen Djigarkhanian A stage couple from the Armenian diaspora travel the world performing a play about their national identity and history. Shot on location with its real-life protagonists, Last Station skillfully mixes documentary and fiction to explore love, exile and the artistic dilemma of belonging. The Color of Pomegranates Armenia / USSR | 1969 | col | 78 mins | dir. Sergei Paradjanov, with Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Aleksanyan, Vilen Galstyan | Director's Cut | cert. 12A Paradjanov's extraordinary film, unique in world cinema, is a visual poem loosely inspired by the life and death of Armenian poet-troubadour Sayat Nova. A work of astonishing beauty, mystery and dreamlike authority. Ararat, Genocide Remembrance and Armenian Cinema A consideration of the legacy of the Armenian genocide and its cinematic incarnations. Is it even possible to represent such a vast and traumatic subject on film? With Nouritza Matossian (biographer of Arshile Gorky and consultant to Ararat), critic Artsvi Bakhchinyan, genocide historian Ara Sarafian and Nora Armani. Ararat Canada / France | 2002 | col | 115 mins | dir. Atom Egoyan, with Arsinée Khanjian, Charles Aznavour, Elias Koteas, Marie-Josée Croze | cert. 15 Perhaps Egoyan's most personal work, this multi-layered examination of the legacy of genocide is a dramatic and intriguing hall of mirrors, in which history and memory, reality and fiction all prove unpredictable and fluid. Komitas West Germany | 1988 | b&w & col | 96 mins | dir. Don Askarian, with Samuel Ovasapian, Onig Saadetian, Margarita Woskanjan A portrait of the great Armenian composer who was traumatized into silence following the 1915 Genocide, Komitas is an episodic and poetic meditation that seeks to find a visual language, somewhere between Tarkovsky and Paradjanov, to convey the suffering of an entire people. Lovember Armenia | 2004 | b&w | 99 mins | dir. by Tigran Xmalian In Xmalian's latest lyrical feature, an odd young couple - a nurse and a street musician - meet first as the witnesses of accident. Troubles pursue them and they decide to challenge fate in an extraordinary way by giving birth to a new God. Dialogue-free, the film is threaded through with the music of Prokofiev. For more details, visit <; 6) Captivating Workbook Makes Math Fun for Kids By Ani Shahinian Asbarez Staff Writer Though most might not necessarily use the words "fun" and "math" in the same sentence, Viken "Vik" Hovsepian and Michael Hattar have found a way to not only make mathematics understandable, but also attention-grabbing. Their workbook, "Math is Fun," printed by Harcourt School Publishers, was written for the sole purpose of encouraging students to explore math problems they may encounter in everyday life. As the subject may not be the easiest for many students, it is nevertheless the teacher's job to make it seem simple and fun. "Math is Fun is for the use and benefit of young students who are eager to learn, as well as for entertainment of mathematics instructors in teaching the subject," say the authors. The booklet contains a select number of fascinating problems and puzzles that Hovsepian and Hattar have compiled and created over the years--as they say humorously, "with lots of sweat, lots of tears, lots of love, and maybe even a little blood." Viken Hovsepian, a graduate of UCLA, has taught many age groups--from 3rd grade to the college level. He is currently a mathematics instructor and department chair at Glendale Unified School District's Hoover High School, as well as a Professor of Mathematics at Rio Hondo College and Pasadena City College. He is one of the writers of the current k-12 California Mathematics Framework and Math Content Review Panelist for the State of California. Michael Hattar has also been a mathematics instructor from grades 8 through college. He is the winner of numerous educator awards, and is currently a Professor of Mathematics at Don Bosco Technical School, Mount San Antonio College, and Rio Hondo College. Imagine this: It's a regular school day at Hoover High School and you're sitting in Mr. Hovsepian's math class. US billionaire and philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian shows up as a guest in his classroom, accompanied by GUSD Board President Greg Krikorian, Superintendent Dr. Michael Escalante, and Hoover High School Co-Principals Hasmik Danielian and Kevin Welsh. Kerkorian presents a challenge to the students--without giving too many details, he mumbles something to Hovsepian in Armenian about the possibility of an all expense paid trip to Europe, along with matching funds as a donation to Hoover High. The catch: You'll have two payment options and must choose the best one, present it in writing, using mathematical analysis, in the next 10 minutes. Two students win and pack their bags as they head off with Mr. Kerkorian. Although this dream come true didn't actually happen, it is one of the exciting mathematics fantasies included in the latest edition of the workbook. For more information email: [email protected] or [email protected]. 7) New Children's Book Teaches about Love and Morality in Armenian LOS ANGELES--Author and educator Jeanette Kassouny's new children's book "Mangagan Ashkharh Ou Pem" (Children's World and Stage) is the most recent in her latest compilation of short stories. Published in Los Angeles, "Mangagan Ashkharh Ou Pem" is targeted for children and teenagers 7-14 years old. It contains 16 short stories and 7 plays, all of which have subtle messages of ethics, morality, and love of Armenian culture and heritage. Jeanette Kassouny is an author and educator whose passion for children is the inspiration behind her many teaching and literary accomplishments. Kassouny's talent became evident early on when she began writing short stories, several of which were published in many literary magazines. After receiving a BA in Education from the American University of Beirut, she embarked on her professional teaching and writing career, while also serving on the editorial committees of many prominent publications. In addition to winning numerous prestigious teaching and literary awards, Kassouny's compilation of short stories and plays has been published in various publications. AIM Magazine says,"More quality and accessible Armenian can be found in Kassouny's new book of plays. Even if you don't run an elementary school, get this book and watch the kids acting out characters and scenes in Armenian." "Mangagan Ashkharh Ou Pem" contains over 20 color illustrations created by artist Dicran Kassouny. Copies of the book are available at your local Armenian bookstores or from the author's website at: Abril Bookstore (818) 243-4112 Sardarabad Bookstore (818) 500-0790 Berj Bookstore (818) 244-3830 8) Elizabeth Jones's Diary: Over the Edge of Reason By Skeptik Sinikian WARNING TO READER: What you are about to read is filled with a dose of sarcasm that is above the daily required intake. Should you feel any of the following side effects: nausea, anger, desire to bang your head against a wall, call your elected officials immediately. When thinking of the historic Armenian region of Artsakh, it is not uncommon that one is confused by all of the alternative names floating around. For years, Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) was the popular nom de guerre. This was followed by a rejection of the Russified Nagorno in favor of the more politically correct "Mountainous," or "Lernayin" in Armenian. Whatever name you chose, one that never came to mind was the epithet that US Assistant Secretary of the State Elizabeth Jones used a few weeks ago during a policy briefing. Apparently Jones referred to Mountainous Karabagh's leaders as "criminal secessionists," and called for their removal from power. This is one of those things that makes you go "hmmmm." Criminal Secessionists? This made me think really hard. Criminal Secessionists? I knew I had heard that somewhere before. Now, Ms. Jones, if you're reading this, you might want to take notes. Criminal Secessionists. That's odd. The last time I checked the records, when the Azeri government began massacring and beating Armenians in the streets of Sumgait and Baku, the US was nowhere to be found to assist the people of Artsakh. So when these folks actually took up arms to defend themselves, they were God-given, inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or eating khash for breakfast. Double "hmmmm." So a system of government, that was created to defend the rights of its citizens, abused its powers and tortured the people of Artsakh, eventually leading to wholesale murder. The Armenians of Artsakh peacefully voted to dissolve the Stalinist-imposed borders in a referendum which passed overwhelmingly. In other words, when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Sound familiar? That's because it's from the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE! But I guess revolution, wars of independence are all passé in the National Geographic map age right? I mean, who's ever heard of countries splitting apart and creating new ones out of nothing. What's that you say? Yugoslavia's not around anymore? It's split into HOW many countries? Hmmm...(scratching my head). I guess I don't have the education and superior intellect of Ms. Jones to figure all of this out. Maybe our Government sold the rights to the Declaration of Independence to Microsoft, or Enron, and now any people that want to assert their own rights to self determination have to purchase the use of these rights. I guess that would be the only explanation as to why the Armenian leaders of Artsakh are "criminal secessionists." I can hear the baritone off screen voice of the announcer now. "People of Iraq. This liberation was brought to you by General Electric--"We bring good things to life"--AND the people at Lockheed--"We bomb things back into the stone age." Now here's some news for you Ms. Jones and all your Ivy League, prep school, wannabe pundits and strategists. You cannot take a person's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness away. Remember that the founding fathers of this great nation were also considered "criminal secessionists" by a certain crown wearing, royal pain in the you-know-what named George. But gosh darn it, we took up arms at Bunker Hill, Lexington and Concord, Valley Forge and everywhere else we had, in order to ensure that our God-given rights were preserved. So just remember this, the next time you point a finger at anyone, you have three fingers pointing back at you! God bless the Criminal Secessionists of United States of America and God bless anyone who stands for freedom and liberty! You go Artsakh! (Cue patriotic music..............now!) Skeptik Sininkian is a Yankee Doodle do or die; he's a real live nephew of his uncle Samvel, born on the fourth of July. He can be reached at SkeptikSinikian@ aol.com, or visit his outdated blog at <; 9) Vizhetzoom By Garen Yegparian Yup, I'm doin' it, takin' the plunge, and hittin' one of the biggies, ABORTION. Hell, it might even prompt someone to reply with a letter to the editor! You may have heard it in Armenian as vizhoom, but that's used for "miscarriage" as well, which is a passive event as opposed to the active intervention required for a vizhetzoom. At least among those with any sense, decency, and compassion, I hope no one is left who questions that abortions should be readily available, safe, and private. Certainly there can be no question in cases of rape and incest. And certainly in cases of minors, some parental involvement, engagement, and moral support may be required. Equally certainly the lunatic fringe in this country trying to impose its sense of what's 'right' by banning abortion, ought to find a time machine and return to the period that spawned the Victorian (I'm being nice, I could have said Neandethalyou now those Europe-dwelling pre-humans who went extinct) notions they espouse, just to see how they like life under those circumstances. Finally, abortion ought not become a form of birth control for lack of proper, inexpensive, and readily available means to the same end. This unfortunate situation seems to have existed even in Armenia, and likely most of the former-Soviet zone. It may even persist there to this day. Basically, abortion is here to stay and is not something that should even be a bone of contention. However, there is one circumstance that has stumped me for at least a decade, and for which I've still no solution. When we say it's a woman's body and it's her right to choose, we neglect, overlook, or disregard one very real conditiononly females of the human species can bear children (at least for the foreseeable future, who knows what science will bring us temporally further out), males cannot. So the conundrum is when two consenting adults have conceived a child, especially if both initially intended to rear it, what gives one partner the right to unilaterally decide otherwise? What happens to the other's stake in the matter? Remember, the male has no choice. He can't go off and get pregnant and bear a child. In essence, there exists a biological compact between the two. Conversely, it is absolutely true that it is an onerous imposition on the female. Not being a lawyer, I don't know if case law exists on parallel issues that might shed some light on this, at least in a US context. In oral discussions of this topic, I've encountered many arguments minimizing the import of this circumstance. However, it is an issue, no matter how small a slice of the whole abortion pie it may represent. Let's hear it. What do you think? All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

ARMENIA DOES ITS BEST TO PROTECT NAGORNY KARABAKH: NKR PRESIDENT
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. Armenia is doing its best to protect
Nagorny Karabakh. One thing is when issues are raised by Karabakh
representatives the other thing is when they are presented by Armenia,
says Karabakh’s President Arkady Ghoukassyan.
In this context our opportunities are enlarging and if Karabakh is
involved in the talks it will be able to defend its position
itself. Ghoukassyan notes that the Armenian army is the key guarantor
of the security of the Karabakh people and state. “If we have a fully
fledged structure this is our army. I am sure that having a strong
army we will have future. The situation is so that so far the regional
problems have been settled by the army. May this not be the case in
the future and we can settle our problems in political ways.”

NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL
50 Khanjian Str., Yerevan 375010, Armenia
tel: (3741) 551582, 571798
fax: (3741) 574639
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
PRESS RELEASE
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian
organization that has worked actively for more than 50 years to create a
safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs), regardless of their race, religion, nationality or political
convictions. We work for the rights of refugees and IDPs, assisting with
food, shelter and education – and offering counseling on repatriation.
In Armenia, NRC has invested more that 10 million USD in refugee-targeted
projects since 1995. These include primarily housing construction, but also
school construction and rehabilitation, construction of drinking and
irrigation water pipelines, as well as human rights education and an IDP
mapping survey. So far, NRC has provided new homes for over 600 refugee
families in Armenia.
_____________________________________________
On January 25th a ceremony was held to mark the completion of the renovation
of 186 houses and drinking water system in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur village in
Tavush marz. Nearly every resident of the village came out into the sunny,
spring-like whether to mark the end of the year-long project and the start
of a new,
positive chapter in the life of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur.
This bordering village was the most damaged during the conflict
and was identified for the project through close cooperation with GTZ and
World Vision. The project was implemented with active participation of the
local authorities and community members. It is hoped that this program will
lead to some return of IDPs to the village, and hinder further emigration.
As villager Zvart Sharyan stated ‘now that our house has been improved and
expanded, my youngest son can marry and stay in the village. This was
never a possiblity before NRC came. This is a joyous day!’
Profiles of some of the other beneficiaries of the project can be seen on
our website:
Yerevan, 25.01.05

Publishers Weekly
January 10, 2005
In Defense of History;
PW Talks with Deborah E. Lipstadt
by by Sarah F. Gold
PW talked with Deborah Lipstadt by phone while she was in Israel to
speak about Jewish education and the danger of fighting “the
so-called new anti-Semitism” by teaching the young to see the
Holocaust as a motivation for Jewish identity.
PW: Your case received much media coverage, and books have been
written about it. Why did you feel a need to write your own book,
History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving [reviewed above]?
Deborah E. Lipstadt: First of all, nobody except me has been able to
tell the whole story from the inside… the fund-raising effort, the
assembling of the legal team, how we built our legal strategy,
because we very carefully never talked about that.
But even more importantly, [I wrote it] to give the perspective of
what it was like to be the defendant in a case like this: what it was
like to go from being a relatively obscure… professor to being on
the world stage.
And probably the third reason was that I had these powerful
interactions with [Holocaust] survivors and with children of
survivors and various people in the course of the trial, and I felt
that was a story I also wanted to tell.
PW: What has been the long-term impact of the trial on your life and
career?
DEL: On the one hand, I’ve gone back to being a professor [at Emory
University] and to doing what I love most: teaching and writing and
doing research. On the other hand, to be honest, on some level,
people listen more when I speak out in terms of the new
anti-Semitism, as it’s called. I’ll tell you another place where I’ve
been able to use my voice in a new kind of way. I’ve worked with a
number of people who have been fighting in terms of increased
recognition of the Armenian genocide. Whereas people listened before
because of my work on Holocaust denial, when I work in [the Armenian]
area, I’ve been able to get more of a hearing, and that’s been very
gratifying.
I didn’t choose this area of study to be called to the bar to defend
history, but… even though it took a lot out of me… I feel on some
level gratified to have been the one, as Irving said, “pulled out of
the line” not, as he meant, to be shot but to defend history.
PW: In the book, you’re quite harsh about a New York Times article
that appeared before the trial. In general, how did you feel about
media coverage of the case?
DEL: I think at first they bent over backward to make sure that
Irving got a fair hearing. And it annoyed me, but I understood why
they did it. But if you watched the press coverage over the course of
time, you saw the shift, from reporters who sat in that courtroom day
in, day out, how they began to see the measure of the man in terms of
David Irving, that he lied, that he distorted, that he invented, that
he misquoted, all the things that the judge said that he did, and
that was very gratifying to watch. I’m not one of those who beat up
on the media.
PW: I heard at some point that a movie was being made about the case.
DEL: There was supposed to be a movie. It wasn’t being done based on
the book, because the whole thing was in the works before the book
was done. Ridley Scott’s production company had hired Ronald Harwood
(who did The Pianist for Polanski), and he wrote a screenplay, and
HBO was going to put it on. HBO asked Harwood to put in some
fictional elements… and Harwood refused to do that. He said… on a
case that’s about truth, for you to ask me to put in fictional
elements just doesn’t cut it. So the movie died.

Chicago Daily Southtown, IL
Jan 23 2005
Soprano to hit high at Music Festival in Salzburg
By Stephanie Gehring
Staff writer
It may be family lore, but Barbara Ann Martin Green’s mother tells
her she was singing up the musical scales at 8 months old, repeating
after her mother, a nurse with a musical background.
When she began voice lessons, the girl from Queens, N.Y., had a
three-octave range. Not bad for a 10½-year-old.
In high school, the soprano was introduced to opera.
Her Norwegian mother and her Armenian father, an optician with a
musical background, were pleased when their daughter gave up popular
American music to focus on the classics.
Later at The Juilliard School – from which she received a bachelor’s
and a master’s degrees – Martin decided to explore the works of
contemporary classical composers.
She found the works of composer George Crumb, and then he found her.
After hearing Crumb’s work “Ancient Voices of Children,” the Palos
Hills resident said she was determined to perform it.
When she was in her 20s Martin, her professional name, and Crumb met
in Maine at a music festival where Martin performed for Crumb.
The meeting started a relationship that has spanned 30 years.
Martin considers Crumb and his wife, Liz Crumb, like a second set of
parents.
To this day she estimates she has performed Crumb’s “Ancient Voices
of Children” more than 100 times including her acclaimed 1981
performance with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic.
“That was when everything came to a point,” Martin said. “This piece
expresses so much of what I believe in. I felt such a power and a
presence.”
A recording of the work with Orchestra 2001 was released in 1999 and
nominated for a Grammy.
While Martin spends a fair amount of time on stage and traveling to
Winnetka for work, she loves to come home to what she calls her “new
old home” in the Southland.
She moved from New York to the Southland in 1994 after her
three-month courtship with Jim Green ended in marriage. Her husband,
an Illinoisan, had bought the house before they married.
The couple’s home was totally redone and expanded over a two-year
period.
“We love being down here,” Martin said. “My work is just there. I
don’t mind the trip.”
Martin, who has performed throughout the world including the renowned
Music Festival in Salzburg, Austria, said she always hoped Crumb
would compose something just for her.
She got her wish with Crumb’s four-volume American Songbook. Volumes
II and IV were written for Martin to sing. Crumb’s daughter, Ann
Crumb, performs I and III.
Martin, Ann Crumb and Orchestra 2001 will be in concert this summer
at the festival in Salzburg. George Crumb will be the composer in
residence.
Martin said she premiered Volume II in November, but has yet to
premier Volume IV.
While readying for the concert Martin will also be teaching during
the festival at the Internatonale Sommerakademie Universitat
Mozarteum.
“In combining performing and teaching I have to be very careful,”
Martin said. “When I go up to perform no one cares how many students
I have. I have to sell the product.”
Martin, who has taught at the college level on the East Coast,
teaches voice at the Music Institute in Winnetka and at her home. She
began teaching a two-week course at the Mozarteum in 1992.
“I plant seeds there that spread,” she said. “It’s so exciting to do
it on an international scale. A lot of performance opportunities come
from the festival.”
In fact, Martin said, she goes to Denmark each year for an
international arts festival because of one of her Mozarteum students.
Martin loves teaching, but she also loves performing.
She said she thinks her students respect the knowledge she tries to
pass on to them, in part, because she still is performing.
“I’m told not everybody can do both (teach and perform) effectively,”
she said. “I love my students. I love teaching them, but it’s no
substitute for getting up and doing it myself. I love performing,
communicating with an audience, giving to an audience.”