Author: nina hovnanian

Have You Voted In Burbank Yet?

Friday, February 15th, 2013

The slate of candidates endorsed by ANCA-Burbank

BURBANK – Burbank ANCA reported that its ballot spotters called in last
Saturday with news that ballots for Burbank’s all-mail February 26
Primary election had arrived in people’s homes.

`Based on a decade of all-mail election experience, we established our
ballot spotter program this time,’ explained Hagop Hergelian, Armenian
National Committee of America – Burbank’s ballot spotter coordinator.
`Because of the vagaries of the Post Office’s ballot delivery, we’ve
always had trouble knowing when to start with our targeted voter
outreach. This time, we wanted to be prepared and had three people
watching for the arrival of their ballot in each of Burbank’s five zip
codes.’

Arrival of the ballots triggered Burbank ANCA’s get-out-the-vote
effort and volunteers were calling voters by Saturday and canvassing
homes by Sunday.

Continuing the process of raising the level of civic participation by
members of Burbank’s Armenian community is a prime goal for Burbank
ANCA this year. `We hope to break all previous records of Armenian
voter turnout with this election,’ said Gaidzag Shahbazian, Burbank
ANCA Electoral/Political Chair, `because our vote is our voice.
Please vote, and vote early. This gives us more time to help others
who may not be as familiar with the voting process.’

Voting is easy. Just fill in the bubbles next to the names of the
candidates endorsed by the ANCA. (See the accompanying picture of the
completed, two sided, ballot). Then, tear off the top stub of the
ballot and insert the ballot in the secrecy sleeve. Finally, put the
ballot/secrecy sleeve in the envelope provided, sign the envelope, and
drop it in the mail. This year, for the first time, the envelope is
postage-paid, so voters don’t have to put a stamp on it.

As a reminder the endorsed candidates are:
City Council: David Gordon, Robert `Bob’ Frutos, and Jess Talamantes
Board of Education: Armond Aghakhanian and Larry Applebaum
City Clerk: Zizette Mullins

If you have not received your ballot yet, contact the Burbank City
Clerk’s office, 818/238-5851, and request a replacement ballot. If
you encounter difficulties doing this, need help with the voting
process, or have any questions, please call the Burbank ANCA at
818/562-1918 or e-mail at: [email protected].

The Armenian National Committee of America – Burbank advances the
social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the area’s
Armenian community and promotes its increased civic participation at
the grassroots and public policy levels.

AUA to Change Landscape of Economics Study in Armenia

Friday, February 15th, 2013

Students attend an AUA panel

YEREVAN-The American University of Armenia reaffirmed its commitment
to developing the study and practice of quantitative economics in
Armenia at a public launch of its new Master of Science in Economics
program on Thursday, February 7. The Open House event introduced the
program to prospective students, finance professionals and the broader
community.

`AUA is proud to do what we can to improve the state of quantitative
economics, econometrics, and economic modeling in Armenia,’ said AUA
President Dr. Bruce Boghosian, stressing the significance of the new
program, specifically designed with Armenia’s needs in mind. `It is
with these goals in mind that this program has been developed. We see
it as a natural priority to build this kind of human capacity in
Armenia, and a central component of Armenia’s economic future.’
The new program, devised by AUA with the cooperation and encouragement
of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), will prepare students for
careers and advanced studies in a wide range of fields in economics.
Career options include sectors such as public and private banking,
insurance, consulting, quantitative analysis, and others.

`The Central Bank of Armenia is proud to support AUA’s MS in Economics
program, which has come at an ideal time for Armenia, to build human
and institutional capacity for conducting cutting-edge economic
research and policy analyses,’ said CBA Deputy Chairman Nerses
Yeritsyan. `The Research and Training Centre of the CBA in Dilijan
will serve as an excellent venue for students by hosting some of the
MS in Economics program courses.’

The new Dilijan centre will also provide internship and job
opportunities for students, as well as engage students and graduates
in extensive research and policy analyses projects under the guidance
of prominent international and senior CBA researchers and policy
makers.

`In this way, we will build the next generation of competitive public
policy makers and institutions to understand the mechanisms driving
the global economy while developing local potential,’ Yeritsyan added.

Last week’s event also served as an opportunity to welcome Dr. David
Blake, the recently appointed Interim Dean of AUA’s College of
Business and Economics. Dr. Blake has joined AUA from the University
of California Irvine, where he previously served as Dean of the Paul
Merage School of Business.

`The use of economic modeling and `big data’ is an integral part of
the chain of discovery, innovation, and implementation which the
College of Business Administration and Economics is all about,’
explained Dr. Blake.

Following opening remarks, Director of Admissions Arina Zohrabian
highlighted AUA’s mission as an American institution of higher
education, stressing the university’s principles and values. `AUA’s
programs combine Armenia’s excellence in higher education with the
American ideals of academic freedom, critical thinking, strong faculty
and student governance, social responsibility and public service,
interdisciplinary study, and the embracing of modern technologies,’
she said.

Zohrabian also presented the targeted learning outcomes of the program
and practical applications of a Master of Science in Economics degree,
underscoring the theoretical knowledge, quantitative skills, and
analytical abilities students will gain.

After a brief reception, prospective students gathered for a detailed
presentation about the university as whole, as well as the structure
of the Master of Science in Economics program.

AUA’s Financial Aid Coordinator Gayane Davoyan described financial
assistance and scholarship opportunities, while Admissions Coordinator
Karina Satamyan outlined the application process.

Prospective students then participated in a brief Q&A session and
received a guided tour of the campus.

The 15-month program is a division of the AUA College of Business and
Economics and is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2013. The early
admission deadline for applications is February 15, 2013 while the
regular admission deadline is April 22, 2013. For updates and
information, please send inquiries to [email protected].

The American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent
university located in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded in 1991, AUA is
affiliated with the University of California. Through teaching,
research, and public service, AUA serves Armenia and the region by
supplying high-quality, graduate and undergraduate education,
encouraging civic engagement, and promoting democratic values.

The AUA is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior
Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and
Colleges, 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510-748-9001.

National Gallery to host Mkrtich Sedrakyan exhibition

February 15, 2013 – 12:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On Feb 16, National Gallery of Armenia will host the
opening of an exhibition of famed painter Mkrtich Sedrakyan
(1922-2009), to mark the artist’s 90th birth anniversary.

The exhibition will comprise exclusively portrays, most of them to be
showcased for the first time

Sedrakyan’s artwork is distinguished by large paintings depicting the
country’s heroic past and the current national struggle.

Accountants face problems resulted by new Income Tax

01:16 pm | February 15, 2013 | Social

Under the newly amended Law on Income Tax, starting January 1, 2013,
all taxpayers in Armenia are to submit tax invoices to the tax
authorities in an electronic version.

The new law has created additional difficulties for accountants as it
stipulates that they must acquire electronic codes and ID cards.

“We are facing problems connected with the acquisition of the ID
cards,” accountant Grigor Arakelyan told A1+.
In order to receive an ID card the accountant filed an application
with the Passport and Visa Department of the Armenian Police ten days
ago. Mr Arakelyan says ID cards are issued within a month, if the
taxpayer pays the fixed 20 000 drams for the state property and
another 3 000 drams mandatory for all taxpayers, than he receives the
ID card within a day.

“If it is possible to give ID cards in one day, what is the use of
delaying the process? There are problems even in tax offices. You will
hear them complaining of programs on and off,” he said repeating that
ID cards are issued by the Passport Department.

The police promised to answer our questions after the February 18
presidential election. Police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan said passport
departments will work twenty four hours in the coming days.

Grigor Arakelyan was told to return after the ID card on February 18.
This implies that the company, Arakelyan is working with, will be
fined as the account is to submit the electronic tax invoice before
February 20.

The accountant believes that only the government can save the
taxpayers from the pending fines by extending the deadline for
submitting tax invoices.

BBC: Azeri writer Akram Aylisli hounded for `pro-Armenian’ book

13:17 15.02.2013
Akram Aylisli, Armenia, Azerbaijan

His books have been publicly burnt. He has been stripped of his
national literary awards. And a high-ranking Azeri politician has
offered $13,000 as a bounty for anyone who will cut off his ear.

But 75-year-old Akram Aylisli, one of Azerbaijan’s most eminent
authors, does not regret having written his short novel Stone Dreams,
the BBC writes.

The book has shocked many Azeris. But could it also prove the first
tentative step towards peace with the country’s longstanding enemy
Armenia?

`I knew what I was writing. They say I offended the nation. But I
think quite the opposite: I think I have raised my nation up,’ he told
the BBC by phone.

`I could predict they would be unhappy. But I could never have
predicted such horrors, such as calls for a writer to be killed, or
his book to be burnt. It is very sad that our nation is humiliating
itself in this way.’

A country that can burn books will not be respected by the rest of the world.

Akram Aylisli

The book describes Azerbaijan’s conflict with neighbouring Armenia
through the 20th century. But it details the massacres of Armenians by
Azeris, portraying the tragedy of war from Armenia’s perspective.

Even some of the book’s critics, such as Azeri opposition activist
Murad Gassanly, condemn the persecution of its author.

`With the exception of ultra-liberal circles, very few people actually
liked the book or its message,’ he explained.

`(But) the book burnings, street protests and calls for violence
against the author were orchestrated primarily by pro-government
circles.

`There is no freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan – it is impossible to
gather and collectively read books, let alone burn them! The fact that
these protests were allowed, protected by police and then shown on
national state TV suggests that they were orchestrated from the top.’

The BBC did not reach Azeri government officials could for comment.

President Ilham Aliyev himself signed the decree stripping Aylisli of
his national awards and monthly literary stipend.

Ruling party parliamentarians demanded he leave the country or that
his DNA be tested to see if he was really Azeri, and not in fact
Armenian. And high-ranking government officials called him a traitor,
saying `public hatred’ was the correct response. Aylisli’s wife and
son both lost their jobs in state-controlled institutions.

The calls for violence against Aylisli have sparked strong
condemnation from abroad.

Suddenly aware of the harmful effect a state-sanctioned bounty against
a writer could have on Azerbaijan’s international image, on Wednesday,
after a warning from the government, the head of the Modern Musavat
party retracted his call for Aylisli’s ear to be cut off.

Many analysts believe the vitriol against the author was an attempt by
the authorities to divert attention from a wave of anti-government
protests, which had swept the country in January.

`It’s not unusual for the government to find a common enemy and unite
around it,’ said Giorgi Gogia from Human Rights Watch. `And it’s not
the first time that freedom of information and free speech are under
attack.’

`This book tackles the issue which needs to be discussed in society:
looking at the past,’ says Mr Gogia, who believes Aylisli was
extremely brave by being the first high-profile Azeri author to show
sympathy towards victims from the other side.

`Freedom of speech applies not only to those ideas that are
favourable. But even more so to those that shock and offend,’ he said.

`Peace can only be achieved by kindness, not with anger. With anger
you can never solve this issue,’ said Aylisli.

ANCA asks White House about foreign fraud safeguards for `We the
people’ petition site

18:56, 15 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) has formally asked the White House for information
about the types of safeguards that the Administration has put in place
to protect its popular “We the People” on-line petition system against
foreign attempts at fraudulent manipulation of American civil society
discourse, reports Armenpress citing ANCA official site.

In a letter to White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian referenced the Armenian American
community’s concern regarding “a number of petitions addressing
Armenian topics, including one that echoes, nearly word for word, the
message of Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev’s well-funded, unfounded
and hateful campaign to misrepresent Azerbaijan’s well-documented
history of aggression against Armenia and the independent Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh.’ Hamparian went on to ask for greater clarity
regarding rules related to international participation, and an
explanation about any safeguards that have been put in place against
`against fraud and to protect this important arena for dialogue with
our government from being abused by foreign entities.’

Several petitions echoing Azerbaijani government attacks on Karabakh
rapidly collected tens of thousands of on-line signatures in recent
days. The text of one in particular, titled `pay close attention on
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 20% of Azerbaijan territory was
occupied by Armenian military,’ has a direct link to the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation, a project headed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s
multi-billionaire wife, Mehriban Aliyeva. Unlike other `We the
People’ petitions, where the city and state of a majority of signers
is typically posted, the anti-Armenian petitions, by and large, do not
have any geographic identification.

News of Azerbaijani government manipulation of online metrics and
social media statistics to boost the image of authoritarian dictator
Ilham Aliyev came out earlier this month in Azadlyg newpaper, with
reports of pressure on government employees to `like’ President
Aliyev’s Facebook page in the run up to his 2013 election.

President Aliyev, who has repeatedly announced that, `our main enemies
are Armenians of the world,’ flew into an anti-Armenian tirade on
Twitter a few months ago, stating that `Armenia is a country of no
value.’ He has also called Yerevan an Azerbaijani city, occupied by
Armenia. The ANCA documents and, on a consistent basis, informs
Congress, the Administration, and the media about Azerbaijan’s threats
and acts of aggression against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Kurdish intellectual speaks of Armenian Genocide

15:07 – 15.02.13

Mr Recep Marasli (first on the left), a member of the Initiation for
the Dialog and Solidarity with the Victims of the Genocide,
headquartered in Berlin, Germany, who recently published a book
entitled `Armenian national democratic movements and 1915 Genocide’,
is visiting Yerevan.

Expert in regional problems Sargis Hatspanyan told journalists on
Friday that the author’s mother is a Kurdish woman and father is a
Turk. He spent years in Turkish prisons as a political prisoner.

`He wrote his book after being released. Not to be imprisoned again he
left Turkey for Germany,’ Mr Hatspanyan said.

Mr Marasli noted that he founded the organization in cooperation with
other Kurdish intellectuals. The only aim is to make the Kurdish
people face its own history. `We are aware of our forefathers’
involvement in the Armenian Genocide. The issue of the Armenian
Genocide is a social problem, and each one bears his responsibility,’
he said.

Mr Marasli stressed the importance of a dialogue over the issue. `I
want Armenians and Kurds, their organizations to conduct a dialogue,’
he said.

Bako Sahakyan raised issues of mining industry sector

15:16, 15 February, 2013

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: President of the Artsakh
Republic Bako Sahakyan convoked an enlarged working consultation
dedicated to the development of the mining industry in 2012 and the
activities to be carried out in 2013 on 15 February.

As central information deaprtemnt of the office of the Artsakh
Republic President told Armenpress, adviser to the NKR President,
academician Grigory Gabrielyants, head of the department of
environment and natural resources Vazgen Michaelyan, heads and
responsible representatives of the geological prospecting and mining
industry enterprises delivered corresponding reports.

In his speech President Sahakyan noted that mining industry was the
youngest and at the same time one of the strategic and perspectives
sectors which had promising opportunities to become the driving force
of economy and among the important sources of employment, already
providing considerable share of industrial output and state budget
revenues.

According to the Head of State the volume of capital investments in
the sphere has increased in recent years both through the channels of
state budget and private sector, considering important the absence of
monopolistic manifestations in the sphere, which boosts sound
competition and dynamic economic development.

The President emphasized that the development of mining industry must
be accompanied with strict maintenance of nature and environment
protection norms. The Head of State stressed that both mineral
resources and nature are the wealth of Artsakh, and development in one
direction should not be at the expense of another, adding that we must
leave for future generations a healthy environment and a dynamically
developing economy.

President Bako Sahakyan also touched upon the current problems and
future plans in the sphere, giving appropriate assignments to the
heads of concerned structures.

National Assembly speaker Ashot Ghoulyan, Prime-minister Ara
Haroutunyan, mining industry representatives, prominent specialists
from Armenia and abroad, other officials partook at the consultation.

Serzh Sargsyan candidature meets the interest of West and Russia:
Sergey Markedonov

13:56, 15 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: Neither Russia nor West have an
impact on the electoral processes taking place in Armenia. Sergey
Markedonov, Russian expert on the Caucasus Center for Strategic and
International Studies in Washington told in the briefing with
Armenpress reporter.

”Both Russia and West are favoring Sargsyan’s candidature. In one
hand there is an established cooperation with Russia, and agreement to
continue deployment of Russian military base in Armenia. What refers
to West, they are also considering Sargsyan best candidate of
Armenia’s February 18 Presidential elections, considering him
flexible candidate. Political scientist deems considerable Serzh
Sargsyan is sober-minded and never crosses the hot lines. ”When
Sargsyan does not like something, he never rejects it , instead offers
” Let us try”. Sargsyan is flexible, therefore meets the interest of
the West and Russia. The candidate seems to be acceptable almost by
all.

Presidential elections are due in Armenia on February 18.

Mayor’s office of Armenia’s Tsaghkadzor to make town year-round
tourist destination, newspaper says

YEREVAN, February 15. ARKA/. Mayor’s office of Armenian Tsaghkadzor is
planning to promote the town as an all year-round tourist destination,
the mayor Artur Harutiunyan told Sobesednik Armeniyi newspaper.

Tsaghkadzor is ready to host up to 5,000 people every year,
Harutiunyan said. There are 30 hotels, as well as houses and
apartments for rent in the town, but they are not enough for
organizing services in a proper way, according to the mayor.

`Hence, we have elaborated a town development program that envisages
opening of leisure and entertainment centers to enable tourists not
only relaxing, but also enjoying their time and playing sports’,
Harutiunyan said.

He also reported plans to create a recreational park and build a
ropeway to it from Kecharis monastery complex. The park will be
located on a hill and will have the entire required infrastructure.

`We have also considered tourists’ suggestions and wishes and will try
to fulfill them’, Harutiunyan said.

The mayor informed that the town hall developed a system of discounts
to attract tourists anytime and any season.

`Spending holidays in Tsaghkadzor will become affordable to all social
groups’, he promised.

Tsaghkadzor (`valley of flowers’) is one of the most popular and
oldest resorts in Armenia. The town gained in popularity among skiers,
after a new 4.5-kilometer long ropeway was built on the slope of
Teghenis mount (2,900m).

Tsaghkadzor is considered to be also a cultural tourism center with
its Kecharis monastery complex consisting of four churches and two
chapels. -0-