Author: nina hovnanian

Armenian teacher exchange brings Watertown photo project to South
Hamilton school

December 28, 2012 11:33 AM

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Armenian community members from all over the state are collaborating
to bring their culture to the forefront of a South Hamilton school in
January and February by hosting teachers from Armenia, displaying
culturally significant exhibits, and putting together an assembly on
the country that is open to the public.

Two teachers from Armenia will visit the Pingree School in South
Hamilton in early February as part of the first exchange between an
American independent school and an Armenian school.

Following the visit of the Armenian teachers, Pingree’s Director of
Multicultural Education Trina Gary and English teacher Michelle
Ramadan will travel to Armenia to visit a school there in March.

The teachers visiting from Armenia and those from Pingree will spend
time in each other’s classrooms with students and faculty, sharing
culture, history, teaching methods, philosophies of education, and
more for close to two weeks.

The exchange was facilitated by Jack and Eva Medzorian of Winchester,
who worked with the staff and administration of Pingree School on the
project.

In addition to the teacher swap, Pingree will feature Armenian
exhibits around the school, including photographs from Project SAVE
Armenian Photographic Archives in Watertown. These photographs
represent life in Armenia before and after 1915, as well as
Armenian-American life in the United States.

The library will also host several fiction and non-fiction Armenian
books from the private collection of John Soursourian of Beverly,
whose wife works at Pingree. Soursourian’s father was born in Armenia
when it was part of the Ottoman Empire, the school said.

The school will also set up a display in the main lobby’s cabinet with
Armenian objects on loan from the Medzorians’ private collection,
including jewelry, carved and ceramic vases and bowls, dolls,
miniature models of churches and musical instruments, handmade lace,
and other items.

School officials will also host an assembly on January 10, where Ruth
Thomasian of Project SAVE of Watertown will present the organization’s
photographs, discussing their significance and the power of seeking
and discovering one’s family roots.

Her presentation will be followed by a film trailer screening by Nubar
and Abby Alexanian of Gloucester, who have traveled to old Armenia to
document their family roots. They will also talk about their venture
and goals, the school said. Nubar is a renowned photographer whose
work has appeared in many books and periodicals including National
Geographic magazine.

Members of the community are invited to view exhibits and attend the 9
a.m. assembly on January 10.

For more information, call the school at 978-468-4415.

—
Follow us on Twitter: @yourwatertown, @jaclynreiss

Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at [email protected]

“TANGO” COMPANY DID NOT REFUSE TO PURCHASE FMA BUILDING

15:48, 27 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: “Tango”company did not refuse
to purchase Government number 2 building. The head of Property
Management Department, Armenian Government Arman Sahakyan stated in the
briefing with Armenpress, a preliminary agreement will be signed with
“Tango”company yet in condition there are higher price suggestions,
FMA building will be sold to them, if not the negotiations will
continue with Argentinean Armenian businessman Eduardo Ernekyan.

“There is nothing extraordinary in the decision of selling the
building by auction. Any legal or physical entity can participate in
the launched auction and acquire the property” Arman Sahakyan stated.

By Executive Body’s October 4 decision Government number 2 building
was directly sold to Eduardo Ernekyan’s “Tango” CJSC. The overall sold
area makes 14.2 thousand square meters. By Government decision the
deal price amounts 51 million 271 thousand US dollars equivalent AMD.

Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Territorial Administration and Energy
and Natural Resources are located there.According to Government’s
previous decision the treaty comprises the deadlines of leaving
Government’s 2 building too.

JOURNALISTS’ ACCREDITATION BEGINS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FROM JANUARY 8

27.12.2012

>From January 8, 2013 the journalists’ accreditation to cover the
activities of the third session of the National Assembly of the fifth
convocation of the Republic of Armenia will begin.

The deadline for accreditation application submission is January
31, 2013.

In accordance with the order of the journalists’ accreditation in
the National Assembly, the media outlet, which is engaged in media
activity applies in written form to the Head of the Public Relations
and Media Department of the National Assembly, stating the full name
of the media outlet, the legal status, its venue, the journalist’s
first and last names, position with two attached photographs (3×4),
e-mail, telephone and fax numbers (if there are) of the media outlet
and the journalist.

The representative implementing the media activity functioning on
the basis of the legislation of the foreign state shall also submit
a copy of the certificate submitted by the RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs enclosed with the application designed for the accreditation
of the journalist in the Republic of Armenia.

KIRO MANOYAN: DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION IN 2012 POSED NEW CHALLENGES TO ARMENIA
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
15:41 27.12.2012

The developments in the region in 2012 posed new challenges to
Armenia, Kiro Manoyan, Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office, told a press conference
today. In particular, he pointed to the events in Syria. He said the
Armenian authorities are doing their best to defend the rights of
Syrian Armenians.

As for the Nagorno Karabakh issue, the analyst said there were no
expectations even at the beginning of the year, and the process
reached a deadlock as a result of the Azerbaijani-Hungarian deal.

However, according to Manoyan, this does not mean we have nothing to
do any more. “We must think about the international recognition of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,” he said.

Speaking about Azerbaijan’s position, Manoyan said it continued
its anti-Armenian policy, trying to take some steps by bribing the
international community.

Referring to the Armenian-Turkish relations, Kiro Manoyan said no
progress was registered in 2012 mostly because of Turkey.

Nevertheless, he is concerned by the behavior of the Armenian
authorities, who leave Turkey at the helm.

According to Kiro Manoyan, the Armenia-EU talks are rapidly moving
forward, as both Armenia and EU are interested in the process. The
analyst says EU’s interest is connected with the activeness of Russia
on the Eurasian Union. The EU is trying to get closer to the states
that could possibly join the Eurasian Union, he said.

Manoyan said the Armenia-Iran relations also remained an important
direction in 2012. Summing up the results of 2012, he said nothing
extraordinary happened in the field of foreign policy.

DID LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN FORBID PASHINYAN AND ZURABYAN TO ANNOUNCE THEIR CANDIDACIES, IN ORDER THAT BAGRATYAN WAS NOMINATED?

DECEMBER 26, 2012 15:21

“In the case of certain arguments, it seems Levon Ter-Petrossian
helped Bagratyan announce his candidacy, not allowing either Levon
Zurabyan or Nikol Pashinyan from the Armenian National Congress
(ANC) to announce their candidacies,” Styopa Safaryan, a member of
the Heritage Party, said to

According to him, Ter-Petrossian’s postponing his statement on his
nomination caused a congress convened by one of the ANC member parties
and a nomination, “In that situation, self-nominations would have been
more than strange, it would have shown that the ANC didn’t exist,
rather than that it had a candidate. The ANC has to solve the issue
of one candidate. I repeat in this sense, Ter-Petrossian’s postponing
his decision was beneficial for Bagratyan with regard to solving the
dispute in his favor.”

However, Mr. Safaryan puts forward another scenario and doesn’t rule
out that the very decision of Bagratyan not to announce his candidacy
prevented Ter-Petrossian, “On the

other hand, Bagratyan himself caused Ter-Petrossian to face a dilemma
either to announce his candidacy and be disgraced, or to realize his
chances and not announce his candidacy, making way for Bagratyan. It
is hard to say at this point in time which of these two scenarios is
more realistic. Ter-Petrossian solved Bagratyan’s problem smoothly
or Bagratyan solved Ter-Petrossian’s issues.”

Arpine SIMONYAN

IRAQI MP DISCLOSES ANKARA’S PLOTS AGAINST BAGHDAD

FNA
18:27 | 2012-12-26

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iraqi legislator warned against the plots
hatched by Ankara against Baghdad, and said Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought assistance of some Iraqi tribal
leaders to wreak havoc on Iraq.

Speaking to FNA in Baghdad on Wednesday, Shakir al-Daraji said that he
has found access to “some secret information indicating that Erdogan
has invited some tribal leaders from (Iraq’s) al-Anbar province to
direct Iraq’s current crisis in Turkey’s interest”.

“Turkey is trying to make use of the crisis which started after the
recent apprehension of the Iraqi Finance Minister’s bodyguards in a bid
to secure Turkey’s political and economic interests,” al-Daraji added.

The remarks came after Iraq, in a new upsurge of crisis, arrested
the bodyguards of Iraq’s Finance Minister Rafie al-Essawi for several
terrorist operations.

Essawi, a prominent member of the al-Iraqiya political bloc, however,
told a news conference on Thursday that about 150 of his bodyguards
and staff members were arrested after security forces raided the
ministry and his home “in an illegal act”.

The head of the minister’s protection force has reportedly confessed
and admitted taking part in terrorist attacks, including bombings
and assassinations.

Al-Daraji reiterated that the Turkish government’s attempt is a
serious threat to the security of Iraq and the region.

Earlier this week, another senior Iraqi legislator also warned
against the plots hatched by Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia against
his country, and called on his fellow citizens to be vigilant about
such attempts.

Speaking to the Iraqi news website, al-Masalah, on Monday, Ezzat
al-Shabandar called on the Iraqi government and the country’s national
political forces to be vigilant about a big plot paving its way to
Iraq from the Turkish and Saudi borders.

Al-Shabandar also lashed out at Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, saying that Erdogan should not think that Iraq is the backyard
of his armed forces because Iraqis can protect themselves well.

Erdogan, who acts in line with the US and Saudi interests in Syria,
is trying to make Baghdad change its stance on Damascus through
exerting pressures on the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and
making provocative statements in this regard.

On Sunday, Erdogan told the media that he travels to the US not only
for Syria, but also because he has Iraq on his agenda.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ISSUED CONDOLENCE LETTER TO NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV

20:10, 26 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: Today, President Serzh Sargsyan
sent a letter of condolences to the President of Kazakhstan Republic
Nursultan Nazarbayev on death of Kazakh servicemen in a result of
military aircraft crash near Shymkent.

As Armenpress was informed from Presidential press service Serzh
Sargsyan asked to accept deepest condolences of Armenian nation as
well as conveyed his heartfelt condolences to families of all victims.

KUWAIT ASSISTED SYRIAN ARMENIANS WITH 100 000 DOLLARS

19:05, 26 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: On behalf of State of Kuwait
extraordinary and plenipotentiary Kuwaiti Ambassador to Armenia Bassam
Muhammad al-Kabandi handed a certificate of 100 000 to ~SCenter for
Coordination of Syrian-Armenians~R Issues~T organization to provide
humanitarian assistance to Syrian Armenians.

Armenpress reports that within this sum of money Syrian Armenians
will be provided with the coupons showing the amount that will give
them the opportunity to get food.

~SI want to express my deepest gratitude to the State of Kuwait for
the charity. We decided that the assistance will present in form of
coupons with the help of which our compatriots will be able to buy
any food from Yerevan City supermarkets, except tobacco and alcohol,~T
Ministry of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan said.

~SLet the New Year bring peace to Syria, stop the bloodshed, the
senseless murders, and let Armenian community flourish and give chance
to return to those who want to go back,~T she said.

Kuwaiti Ambassador to Armenia Bassam Muhammad al-Kabandi noted that
Armenia-Kuwait relations were dynamically developing and that new
joint projects would be implemented in future.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM DREAMS TO REPRESENT ARMENIA SOME DAY
Artak Barseghyan

“Radiolur”
18:11 26.12.2012

WBO Champion Arthur Abrahamn has been named the best boxer in Germany.

he has arrived in Armenia to celebrate the New Year.

Abraham won all four bouts this year, therefore 2012 was successful
for him. He told reporters in Yerevan that he never underestimates
his rivals on the ring and informed he’s not going to quit his career
in the coming three years.

Although Arthur spends eight months a year training, next year he
will find time to marry. Abraham, who represents Germany, said he
wishes to fight under the Armenian tricolor some day.

Arthur Abraham will not engage in politics like Klichko brothers of
Ukraine. Instead, the boxer receives a number of invitations to star
in films.

BAKO SAHAKYAN MEETS ARTSAKH BUSINESSMEN

TERT.AM
26.12.12

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic Bako Sahakyan
received on Wednesday representatives of the country’s business
community.

Speaking at the meeting, the president particularly addressed the
key trends of the country’s socioeconomic development, and the
existing problems. He congratulated the guests on the coming New
Year, expressing hope that their active collaboration would promote
more success.

According to a press release by the NKR Presidential Office, the
meeting was also attended by speaker of the country’s National Assembly
Ashot Ghoulyan and other officials.