Author: nina hovnanian

1-MLN-EURO PROGRAM EASING SOCIAL IMPACT OF LABOR MIGRATION LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, April 3. /ARKA/. “Social response to labor migration in
Armenia” program was presented in Yerevan on Wednesday.

The three-year program cost 1 million euros.

It will be financed by the European Union and UNICEF.

Head of EU Delegation in Armenia Traian Hristea said the program is
targeted at easing the social consequences of labor migration for
families and communities in Armenia.

He also noted the program will mainly cover the four regions of
Armenia : Lori, Tavush, Gegharkunik and Shirak.

The program may help to reduce the number of labor migrants and ease
the vulnerability of communities in these regions by providing them
with social services and maximally rational use of financial and
intellectual potential of migrants, he clarified.

A number of special events within the framework of the program will
be organized. Mainly, they will aim at ensuring effective use of
financial and intellectual abilities of the migrants and Diaspora,
elaboration of social programs for the migrants’ native communities,
improvement of public awareness.

Hristea noted the EU attaches great importance to advancing migration
management in Armenia thus eliminating illegal and fostering cyclical
migration as well as ensuring reintegration of those migrants who
returned home.

UNICEF Deputy Regional Director Kirsi Madi, on her side, said the
social migration has long been a means for families and communities
in Armenia to overcome the issues related to poverty and unemployment.

Nevertheless, the negative impact of the labor migration on women and
children is vivid now, according to her. She clarified the problems
are of socio-psychological nature, STDs, inaccessibility of medical
and educational services, child abuse, etc.

Madi added the labor migrants who obtained some skills outside
Armenia, could apply them professionally now thus contributing to
the development of their native communities.

On his side, Artem Asatryan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
of Armenia, said Armenia’s main capital is human resources, and this
program will foster saving these resources.

He also highlighted the citizens of Armenia can already feel the
better social services in the near future as the integrated social
service system is rolled out.

On December 23, 2010, Armenia’s government approved the concept of a
single system for integrated social services. All the social services
will be offered to the people under the principle of “one window.”

According to the concept, there are fifteen centers for integrated
social services in Armenia.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, some 1, 221,
612 citizens of Armenia entered the republic in 2012, whereas some 1,
271, 272 citizens left it. The negative migration balance stood at 49,
660. -0-

LA CHAENE DE TELEVISION AMERICAINE PBS VA DIFFUSER ” ORPHANS OF THE GENOCIDE ”

La chaîne de television americaine PBS va diffuser ” Orphans Of The
Genocide ” le 18 avril a 19h.

Orphans of the Genocide est un voyage emotionnel visuel a travers
des images d’archives jamais vu sur la memoire des orphelins qui
ont vecu le premier genocide armenien de 1915. Le documentaire suit
Maurice Missak Kelechian dont les recherches devoilent l’emplacement
d’un orphelinat armenien situe dans l’actuel Antoura College, près
de Beyrouth, au Liban où 1000 orphelins du genocide armenien avait
vecu et ont ete convertis de force et ” turquifies ” au cours de la
Première Guerre mondiale

En plus du site d’Antoura , le documentaire devoile de nombreux autres
orphelinats où les orphelins armeniens ont ete loges – dont une jeune
fille orpheline qui a ete adopte et est devenu plus tard en Turquie une
icône nationale en tant que fille d’Ataturk, le fondateur de la Turquie
moderne. Le documentaire retrace la vie de nombreux orphelins qui
ont vecu les horreurs de la guerre, la perte de leurs parents et des
frères et s~urs qui ont ete separes et envoyes dans differents pays.

Le documentaire explore egalement la tâche herculeenne de l’American
Near East Relief Foundation pour sauver, nourrir et abriter plus de
150 000 orphelins du genocide armenien entre 1919 et 1926 par la mise
en place de plus de 200 orphelinats temporaires et permanents dans
l’Armenie historique, la Turquie et au Moyen-Orient. L’un de ces
orphelinats a ete construit a Gumri, la deuxième plus grande ville
de l’Armenie, et a loge 22000 orphelins.

En outre, Orphans of the Genocide comprend des entrevues avec de
nombreuses personnalites dont le journaliste britannique Robert Fisk –
dont l’article “Living Proof du genocide armenien “, publie en 2010
par The Independent inclus bon nombre des epreuves d’archives.

mardi 2 avril 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

A KAPAN, RAFFI HOVANNISSIAN VEUT DONNER UN NOUVEAU SOUFFLE A SA CAMPAGNE DE PROTESTATION

Le leader de l’opposition et adversaire malheureux du president
Serge Sarkissian aux elections presidentielles du 18 fevrier, Raffi
Hovannissian, a mis un terme a la grève de la faim qu’il observait
en signe de protestation contre les resultats officiels du scrutin.

Il s’est affiche aussi aux côtes du president de la Republique
armenienne et des membres du gouvernement sous la coupole de la
cathedrale d’Etchamiadzine où il assistait a la messe de Pacques,
officiee par le catholicos Karekine II avec lequel il avait eu un
echange peu cordial quelques jours auparavant ; il avait en effet
accuse le chef de l’Eglise apostolique armenienne de cautionner la
reelection illegitime selon lui de S. Sarkissian, et le catholicos
a son tour l’avait invite a mettre un terme a sa grève de la faim,
lui reprochant en termes a peine voiles son incivilite.

Pour autant, Raffi Hovannissian n’a pas renonce a son combat et il
l’a montre en mobilisant ses partisans lors d’un meeting dans la
ville de Kapan, au sud de l’Armenie, le lundi 1er avril.

L’ambiance etait pour le moins electrique, les adversaires du
candidat presidentiel, bien decide a perturber l’investiture du
president Sarkissian le 9 avril prochain, s’etant egalement invites
au rassemblement de Kapan.

La foule relativement petite des partisans de Raffi Hovannisian
rassembles dans la capitale de la province meridionale de Syunik
a ete vite debordee par les partisans du pouvoir en place, alors
que le leader de l’opposition reiterait son refus de reconnaître
les resultats officiels du scrutin du 18 fevrier et appelait a la
demission du gouverneur controverse de la region, Surik Khachatrian, un
personnage politique a la reputation sulfureuse proche du gouvernement.

Une habitante de la region a interrompu R. Hovannissian durant son
discours, l’accusant de n’etre anime que par la soif de pouvoir et
de n’avoir “rien fait pour le peuple”.

Elle avait manifestement le soutien de nombreux partisans du pouvoir
qui ont perturbe le rassemblement, et sommer l’opposant de quitter
Kapan. S’en est suivie une vive altercation entre les participants
au meetin et les partisans de S. Sarkissian, que M. Hovannissian a
accuse d’etre des “provocateurs” a la solde du gouvernement.

Les forces de police qui assistaient plutôt impassibles a la scène
se sint enfin manifestees pour declarer le rassemblement illegal car
non autorise par les autorites locales.

Raffi Hovannisian avait annonce quelques jours avant son intention
d’organiser un meeting a Kapan après que S. Khachatrian l’eut
publiquement menace. Le gouverneur de la province aurait declare
qu’il allait ” casser la gueule de Raffi “, lui reprochant notamment
la falsification de l’histoire armenienne dont serait selon lui
coupable le père de l’opposant, l’universitaire armeno-americain
Richard Hovannissian dont les recherches sur l’Histoire armenienne
font autorite.

Raffi Hovannisian avait releve le defi et s’etait montre pret a
affronter le gouverneur au sang chaud sur ses terres, sur la place
centrale de son fief de Kapan. A l’issue de ce meeting mouvemente
qui etait cense redonner un souffle a son mouvement de protestation, R.

HOvannessian deplorera que S. Khatchatrian n’ait pas eu le courage
de l’affronter et ait prefere envoyer ses sbires pour perturber le
rassemblement.

S.Khachatrian, de son côte, a recuse toute responsabilite dans les
incidents qui ont provoque la dispersion du meeting. Il declarera que
s’il avait quelque chose a lui dire, R. Hovannissian n’avait qu’a le
rencontrer dans son bureau de Kapan plutôt que de vouloir provoquer
un debat public devant des dizaines de personnes.

Quant aux menaces qu’il aurait proferees contre R. Hovannissian,
le gouverneur du Syunik ne semble pas vouloir les recuser.

“S’il n’y a pas parmi eux de falsificateurs [de l’histoire], alors
pourquoi ont-ils l’air si mal a l’aise ?”, a declare S. Khatchatrian.

R.Hovannisian avait deja fait une tournee a Kapan et dans d’autres
villes du Syunik, dans le cadre de sa campagne nationale de
protestation avant d’entamer sa grève de la faim sur la place de la
Liberte de Erevan le 10 mars.

mardi 2 avril 2013, Gari ©armenews.com

LEVON ARONIAN WON THE MATCH AGAINST T. RADJABOV

01.Apr.2013 – 22:01

On the last round of the Candidates Tournament Armenian GM Levon
Aronian won the match againts the Azerbaijani chess-player Teymur
Radjabov.

According to Armchess.am, Gelfand and Grischuk ended the game in
drawn. The results of Carlsen-Svidler and Ivanchuk-Kramnik matches
are not announced yet.

BALCANICAUCASO.ORG: HEYDAR AND ILHAM ALIYEVS’ VIEWS ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT DIFFER

19:14 01/04/2013 ” REGION

In recent months, a number of incidents have taken tensions between
Armenia and Azerbaijan to very high levels. On the Azeri side,
the rhetoric is more and more explicitly anti-Armenian and warlike,
as clearly exemplified by the Safarov case and the story of writer
Akram Aylisli. Yet, things have not always been such, the Italian
news site Balcanicaucaso.org says in one of its analytic articles.

A fragment from the speech of Heydar Aliyev is presented in the article
pronounced in the presence of Armenian and Georgian journalists on
July 1st, 1999.

Unfortunately, the conflict that took place in 1988 in the period
of Soviet Union caused difficulties and relations between Armenia
and Azerbaijan that have never existed before in the history. If
we look at the history we can see that there were conflicts between
Armenians and Azerbaijanis on different levels. They caused victims
and bloodshed, however, later on this conflict was solved and the
peaceful situation was restored. For example, let`s take the event
of 1905 or 1918, some years later the relationships were resumed,
people became friends and the bad was forgotten. That is clear and
natural. People don`t want bad things, they want good ones. This is
not the case of only Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Let`s recall how many countries were engaged in the World War II and
how severe was the war between Russia, the Soviet Union and Germany.

And now look how perfect relationships they have now. One can say the
same words about many European countries that have been fighting for
many decades. All this was left in the past, now they have friendly
relationships, the European Union was even established in Europe,
they keep integrating and approaching. […]

We adhere the peaceful settlement of the conflict. I think that
we will find the way of settlement of the conflict and it will
be in conformity with interests of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. I
don`t think that Armenia and Azerbaijan will always be in conflict
situation. I don`t think so. Because the history proves that it is not
possible. […] However, not only Azerbaijan suffered losses, Armenia
had losses as well, there are handicapped people in Armenia too.

Therefore, it is necessary to establish the atmosphere of trust in
order to go towards peace and settle the conflict peacefully.”

Then H. ALiyev stated that journalists of two countries could play
a special role in thisprocess.

“I quote now an excerpt from a recent speech by President Ilham
Aliyev, son of Heydar, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary
of the founding of the Azeri ruling party, the New Azerbaijan Party,”
the author who wishes to make parallels says.

“The main focus of our foreign policy is the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We will continue
our efforts. I want to reiterate that our position is very firm, it
is based on international law, history, justice and on our growing
strength. We are conducting talks and at the same time building up
our military strength. The gap between Armenia and Azerbaijan is
already very large and keeps expanding day by day. Azerbaijan grows
stronger and more powerful by the year, while Armenia weakens and
declines every year. Evidence of this is the mass exodus of people
from Armenia to other countries,” Ilham ALiyev stated.

The current president of Azerbaijan also noted, “We will continue
our efforts to isolate Armenia. This policy is working. We see its
results. We will continue to expose Armenia’s aggressive policy in all
international organizations. The number of our friends in the world is
growing. A growing number of countries want to cooperate with us. We
have started to invest in various areas in foreign countries. This is
a new process. We will step it up. Thus, our political and economic
relations with all countries of the world will become even stronger
in the future.”

I. Aliev also noted that Azerbaijan will strive to make as many
countries as possible recognize Aghdam events that took place in 1991
as an act of genocide.

“So from a medium- and long-term perspective, the restoration of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is beyond doubt. Neither we nor the
mediators involved in the matter have any doubts about that. That is
why we believe that international mediators have been more active
in addressing the issue lately. Everyone knows that the growing
political, economic and military power of Azerbaijan will lead to a
complete resolution of the issue in favor of Azerbaijan. I want to
reiterate that we are involved in negotiations. But along with that,
we take all other steps and are ready for all the other options. I
repeat that Azerbaijan has strong legal, historical and political
grounds. I have no doubt that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial
integrity. The solution to this problem is possible on the basis of
these principles,” Ilham Aliyev continued.

President also stated that there are “such forces – pro-Armenian,
anti-Azerbaijani and Islamophobic forces which can’t come to terms
with our success and development.” “Our main enemy is the Armenian
lobby. I have often talked about it, I want to say it again without
fearing anyone – our enemy is the Armenian lobby. Because Armenia
as a country is of no value. It is actually a colony, an outpost run
from abroad, a territory artificially created on ancient Azerbaijani
lands,” Ilham Aliyev stated.

According to the author of the article Aliyev does not hide the fact
that Azerbaijan is strengthening its military power and trying to
isolate Armenia, which he calls “a country of no value”, suggesting
also that the territory of contemporary Armenia is historically Azeri.

“No sign of the need for a reconciliation process, of an agreement
that satisfies both countries, of the inevitability of peace and
friendship between two neighbouring peoples that characterized the
speech of Aliyev father in 1999. I quoted two excerpts from public
speeches by Ilham and Heydar Aliyev, separated by over 10 years. These
are individual speeches in different contexts that, as meaningful as
they may be, certainly cannot reflect the complexity of the Aliyevs’
approach towards the Armenian-Azeri conflict under their presidencies.

They do, however, signal that something has changed. The rhetoric of
Aliyev father seems remarkably conciliatory and pacific compared to
his son’s,” the article says.

Source: Panorama.am

KHOREN ABRAHAMYAN WOULD TURN 83

05:11 PM | TODAY | SOCIAL

Khoren Abrahamyan, a famous Armenian actor and director, a true
citizen of Yerevan, would become 83 on April 1, 2013.

He held many leading roles in theater productions and cinema-and later
became a director-with over 30 films to his credit-including “The Song
of the First Love, “The Saroyan Brothers,” and “We and Our Mountains”
which portray his dramatic taste, psychological restraint and depth,
chiseled speech and image.

Abrahamyan’s art was unique and bold with a deep sense of modernity.

He was not only a great actor, but also a wonderful director whose
entire life was linked to the Mother Theater. Abrahamyan played
numerous roles at the Sundukyan Drama Theater, such as Romeo, Pepo,
Othello, Ara Geghetsik and many others.

Khoren Abrahamyan graduated from the Acting Department of Yerevan
Fine Arts and Theatre Institute in 1951. Since then he worked as an
actor, later – director and the executive director of the Sundukyan
Drama Theater. He was also the artistic director of the Ajemyan
Drama Theatre of Leninakan. Unfortunately, Abrahamyan did not live
in Armenia for several years. He returned to Yerevan in 2004 and died
of heart attack in the same year.

Abrahamyan’s body was carried on the arms of admirers and colleagues
accompanied by the music of his most famous film “The Song of the
First Love”. His body was carried through the streets of Yerevan to
the Sundukyan Theater where he first performed, then he was laid to
rest at the Komitas Pantheon.

Today there is a need for his type of intellectual.

Happy birthday, Big Armenian and Dear Master!

ARMENIAN TV CHANNELS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO DEAF AND DUMB – SPECIALIST

18:47 ~U 01.04.13

The Armenian TV channels’ coverage of the 2013 presidential election
failed to address the the deaf and dumb population’s needs, says
Zubeyda Melikyan, a sign translator.

According to her, the channels’ failure to provide simultaneous sign
language interpretations during the campaign left many of those people
in the dark about the process. She said many of them never learned
anything about the candidates and the programs they offered.

“They were so eager to receive information, but they never did, and
were somewhat disappointed,” the specialist told Tert.am, considering
such an attitude a kind of indifference to the deaf and dumb.

Melikyan noted that only two TV channels in Armenia – Kentron
and Shoghakat – offer children’s broadcasts with sign language
interpretations for children.

“Suppose you are a person with disability and want to make out what
the given candidate is going to do for you [in case of being elected].

The information offered is zero. It’s good at least that the young
are computer-literate and capable of communicating through computers
to collect information and let others know of what is going on,”
she added.

Asked whether the deaf and dumb did anything at all to protect their
rights in the pre-election period, Melikyan said those people are
somewhat isolated in their communities, with their understanding of
political developments being limited only to the information collected
from here and there.

“My parents are deaf. Whenever my mon asks me something that interests
her, I try to give her an answer to the best of my understanding,
in the meantime expressing my opinion. The election process for the
deaf is largely based on the opinion ‘heard’,” she said, recommending
TV channels to spend resources to ensure sign language interpretations.

Melikyan said the deaf and dumb are not going to ask any government
body to reinstate their violated rights ahead of the Yerevan
municipality elections.

“They have complained for years, demanding and requesting sign
language interpretations on TV,” she said. “They don’t want to read any
more, but they are forced to. They are make us read the bottom line
news. They have difficulty writing words. It’s absurd; you can ask
[TV channels] not to spend extra money on that because very few of
them read. If one has a right, why shouldn’t he or she exercise it? ”
she asked.

Melikyan noted at the end that many countries, including the
neighboring Turkey, provide sign language translations 24 hours a day.

Armenian News – Tert.am

POLITICAL ANALYST: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS DID NOT REVEAL TRUE CORRELATION OF POLITICAL FORCES

17:42 01/04/2013 ” POLITICS

If Yerevan elections did not immediately follow the presidential
elections, they would be perceived as local elections. But since they
immediately follow the presidential elections, the results of which
are being disputed, they become political in content, chairman of the
Union of Political Scientists of Armenia Hmayak Hovhannisyan told a
news conference today.

According to him, the presidential elections did not reveal the
political and ideological preferences of Armenian citizens or the
true correlation of the political forces because under the serious
social polarization, not only the key parliamentary forces but also
representatives of left-sided political forces did not run in the
elections.

“No discussions were held during the presidential elections regarding
the way the country should develop,” said the political scientist.

Asked about the likelihood of formation of united opposition
headquarters for Yerevan Elections, Hmayak Hovhannisyan said that
it will not be a success if the opposition forces unite around the
shaky non-governmental platform.

The Central Electoral Commission of Armenia (CEC) has registered
the lists of all seven political forces for the May 5 elections of
Yerevan Council of Elders. Six parties (Republican Party of Armenia,
Orinats Yerkir Party, Prosperous Armenia Party, Armenian National
Congress, ARFD, Mission) and one bloc (“Barev, Yerevan”) run in
Yerevan elections. The election campaign will kick off on April 7,
and will run through May 3.

Source: Panorama.am

ALL EUROPEAN STATES MUST CONDEMN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST

April 01, 2013 | 18:02

It will be difficult to achieve an unbiased consideration of tragic
historic events, unless the governments and people of Europe condemn
the Armenian Genocide, Ukrainian journalist said.

Arthur Rudzitsky, president of the Association of European Journalists,
called the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire “a
genocide and crime against humanity”.

“I am confident that all European states must adopt a bill condemning
this terrible chapter of the world history,” Analitika.at.ua quotes
Rudzitsky.

The fact of the Armenian Genocide is recognized by many states. It was
first recognized in 1965 by Uruguay. In general, the Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Turkey has already been recognized by 21 countries and 43
out of 50 U.S. states.

Turkey denies accusations of mass killings of Armenians during the
First World War and is extremely sensitive to criticism voiced by
the western states.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ANCA ASKS TREASURY DEPARTMET TO REVISIT U.S.-ARMENIA TAX TREATY

15:32, 1 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian asked newly sworn-in Secretary of
the Treasury Jacob Lew to revisit the Obama Administration’s past
reluctance to negotiate a new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty aimed
at facilitating increased bilateral trade and investment, reports
Armenpress refering to ANCA.

In a March 27th letter, Hachikian restated the ANCA’s longstanding
view that the 1973 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Tax Treaty is clearly insufficient
to the needs of the present-day U.S. economic relationship with
Armenia, and reaffirmed the organization’s position that a new
treaty would substantially ease potential burdens upon potential
investors. “The present situation’s lack of clarity, resulting, as
it does, in uncertainty, potential costs, and new risks, represents
a substantial deterrent for potential U.S. investors,” explained
Hachikian. “Without an updated Tax Treaty, U.S. businesses will
continue to face significant burdens on investment and cross-border
services and payments, as well as a lack of transparent information
exchange and obstacles to cooperation on tax and related matters.”

Parallel to efforts with the Department of Treasury in support of a
Double Tax Treaty, the ANCA is also working to encourage pro-active
U.S. leadership across a broad array of economy-related platforms,
including the U.S.-Armenia Joint Economic Task Force, and a potential
Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), Social Security
Agreement, future trade missions, and business visa relaxation.

Last month, representatives of the Department of State, the Armenian
Embassy, and the Armenian American community shared views and explored
practical paths toward expanded U.S.-Armenia bilateral trade and
investment at a roundtable talk hosted by the ANCA.