Author: Tadevosian Garnik

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

April 29, 2009
Contact: Andrew Kzirian

ANC-WR Raises Awareness of Armenian Genocide through Commemoration Activities

–       Joins Community at Montebello Commemoration to Honor Armenian
Genocide Victims

Los Angeles, CA – Several communities in the Western United States
held 94th Anniversary Commemoration events in honor of the victims of
the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee –
Western Region (ANC-WR). ANC-WR Board Members and staff were invited
to, and participated in, various events ranging from vigils and
demonstrations for human rights to educational and community events
and school assemblies. In addition to these events, several ANC
Chapters throughout California and numerous other states scheduled
local genocide commemoration activities.

`The ANC-WR takes its role in working with the community to promote
understanding of the Armenian Genocide and ending the cycle of
genocide very seriously,’ stated ANC-WR Executive Director Andrew
Kzirian. `We can only prevent genocide in the future by working hard
to ensure that its evils are fully understood and that potential
perpetrators are effectively deterred – education is paramount to
achieving this goal,’ he added.

Under the auspices of the United Armenian Genocide Commemoration
Committee, the ANC-WR joined the community at the Armenian Martyrs
Monument in Montebello situated in Bicknell Park.  The Commemoration’s
Divine Liturgy and requiem service was conducted by His Eminence
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of
the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, assisted by clergy from the
Armenian Apostolic, Catholic and Evangelical Churches. His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church delivered the sermon.

The Montebello memorial, the first to be built honoring the victims of
the Armenian Genocide on public land, has served as the gathering
ground for thousands of Armenians in the Los Angeles area to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide.  Guests and speakers at the
monument included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Congressman
Adam Schiff, State Senator Carol Liu, Assemblymember and Assistant
Majority Leader Paul Krekorian, Citycouncil President Pro-Tempore and
City Controller-Elect Wendy Greuel, Consul General Grigor
Hovhannissian and various local officials.  Glendale City Clerk and
former ANC-WR Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian served as Master
of Ceremonies.

Later, the Armenian Youth Federation conducted its annual human rights
demonstration at the Turkish Consulate.  Over 10,000 activists took to
the streets to voice their outrage over the Turkish government’s
constant denial of the Armenian Genocide and President Obama’s breach
of his pledge to recognize this crime.

That evening, a commemoration ceremony was held at Alex Theater in
Glendale featuring performing artists and government leaders who
voiced their support for recognition of the Armenian Genocide and an
end to the denial of this crime by the Turkish government. Congressman
Adam Schiff and Assemblymember Paul Krekorian delivered remarks at the
event.  Former Glendale Mayor and current Glendale City Councilmember
Ara Najarian served as Master of Ceremonies, while former Los Angeles
Times reporter Mark Arax delivered the keynote address.  In 2007, Arax
wrote a story on the Armenian Genocide which was censored by then
editor Douglas Frantz.  The controversy resulted in Arax leaving the
paper and Frantz being fired from the Times. Various dignitaries and
public officials were also present during the moving ceremony.

Please see below a listing of community events in commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR promotes
awareness of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

###

Local ANC chapter and community commemorations held in April:

April 18, 2009:

Crescenta Valley – Walk to City Hall (throughout the day).

April 19, 2009:

Glendale – Blood Drive held at St. Mary’s Armenian Church.
Las Vegas – Commemoration at the University of Las Vegas.
Orange County – Walk to Remember held at St. Mary Armenian Church.

April 21, 2009:

Los Angeles – Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Commemoration.
Pasadena – Commemoration, Candle Light Vigil and Discussion at
Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center.

April 22, 2009:

Glendale – School Assembly at Glendale High School (Auditorium).
East San Fernando Valley – Commemoration held at 13050 Vanowen Street.

April 23, 2009:

Burbank – General Assembly at John Muir Middle School.
San Gabriel Valley – Commemoration at Armenian Martyr’s Monument (Montebello).

April 24, 2009:

Los Angeles – Los Angeles City Council Commemoration
Montebello – United Commemoration Committee Event at Bicknell Park
Arizona – Commemoration at Wesley Bolin Plaza (Phoenix, AZ).
Fresno – Commemoration at Fresno City Hall.
Glendale – Commemoration at Alex Theatre.
San Diego – Commemoration and Candle Light Vigil at UC San Diego.
San Francisco – Commemoration at Armenian Community Center.

April 26, 2009:

Riverside – Commemoration in Norco.
West San Fernando Valley – Commemoration in Encino (5300 White Oak).

April 28, 2009:

Burbank – City Council Resolution and Candle Light Vigil Ceremonies at
City Council Chambers.
San Francisco – Film screening at San Francisco Public Library.

For more information please visit ,
or call the ANC-WR office at 818.500.1918.  Note: the
above is not an exhaustive listing of all events in the western United
States.

BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
16:51 28/04/2009

Forty eight countries sent applications to the Boxing Federation
of Armenia to get opportunity to participate in world boxing youth
tournament in Yerevan, in May, the press service of the boxing
federation reports.

About 500 people, including 283 sportsmen arrive in Yerevan to
participate in the boxing championship issued on 23-30 May. The
deadline to sent application was on 23 April, but the federation
still receives more and more applications of participation.

According to the source the countries to participate in the
championship are Korea, Cyprus, Latvia, Wales, Sweden, Morocco,
Australia, Nigeria, India, China, Finland, Israel, Cuba, Turkey,
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, Dominique Republic, Lithuania,
Moldova, Greece, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Algeria,
Georgia, Iran, Armenia, Ireland, Belarus, Argentina, Poland,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Germany, England, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Romania,
USA, Croatia.

ARMENIAN FM HAD A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE US SECRETARY OF STATE

ARMENPRESS
April 28, 2009
Yerevan

On the initiative of the American side the Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian yesterday had a phone conversation with the US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Media relations department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told
Armenpress that during the phone conversation the sides discussed
issues connected with the development of Armenian-USA relations.

During the conversation they also referred to the process of
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and Karabakh conflict
negotiations. The Secretary of State Clinton greeted the joint
statement of Armenian, Turkish and Swiss Foreign Ministries assessing
it as a historical step towards the establishment of normal relations
between the two states.

Hillary Clinton expressed her support towards the negotiation process
within the frameworks of the Minsk Group and expressed hope that a
progress will be registered in this process.

US’S JEFFREY SUMMONED TO FOREIGN MINISTRY OVER OBAMA STATEMENT

Turkish Press
April 28 2009

US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey was summoned to the Foreign
Ministry over the weekend to hear of Turkey’s dissatisfaction with US
President Barack Obama’s recent message for April 24, the so-called
Armenian "genocide" anniversary. Reportedly there was no official
protest during the meeting, but ministry officials expressed Turkey’s
firm reaction to the statement. Ankara denies claims that Armenians
were subjected to genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire,
saying that the incidents of 1915 occurred when the empire tried
to quell an Armenian revolt in cooperation with Russian forces then
invading eastern Anatolia during World War I. During these incidents,
many Turks lost their lives as well. In his statement, Obama did not
use the English word "genocide" but called the incidents a great
atrocity, and also employed an Armenian phrase which some say is
equivalent to "genocide." Turkish leaders’ reaction to the statement
was negative.

President Abdullah Gul said that the Turks who perished at the hand of
Armenians should also be remembered and that everyone’s grief should
be shared. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the statement
an unacceptable and untruthful interpretation of history, adding that
historical issues should not be used as political fodder. Erdogan
also warned that such statements could harm ongoing reconciliation
efforts between Turkey and Armenia. Opposition party leaders also
criticized the statement. /Turkiye/

A DECENT COMPROMISE (II)

American Conservative Magazine
6/a-decent-compromise-ii/
April 27 2009

Alex Massie and Michael Crowley are less impressed with Obama’s
statement on the Armenian genocide than I was. Ben Smith records
the official lobby reactions, which I think are mistaken on both
sides. Contrary to the Turkish Coalition’s awful statement, Obama did
not "defer" to historians (by which they mean embrace whitewashing
of the record), but he made quite clear that he regarded it as one
of the great atrocities of the last century and used an Armenian
phrase, Meds Yeghern, to describe it that conveys the message that
these were criminal acts. Not unfortunate incidents or unavoidable
wartime excesses, as the hacks and paid-off spokesmen would have it,
but crimes and atrocities. That implies willful mass murder directed
against an entire people, which in the end is quite close to what
people understand when someone refers to genocide. In my modern Eastern
Armenian dictionary, yeghern means "slaughter, carnage, genocide"
or a "crime" or "evil deed," and the word yeghern has been and can
be used in the context of referring to the genocide.

The one thing lacking from the statement, which we know is lacking
not for any good historical reason but obviously because of sheer
politicking and interest group lobbying, is the word itself and the
attribution of responsibility to the elements of the Ottoman government
that organized and carried out the genocide. The statement is therefore
incomplete, and it does fall short of what Obama promised he would do,
but there is little cause for the pro-Turkish side to be particularly
pleased about the result. It is understandable that advocates of
recognition are disappointed, but one need only compare statements
of the last two Presidents to appreciate how much of an improvement
this statement is over what we have been offered before. In his last
statement in 2000, the same year he scuppered a House resolution
acknowledging the genocide, Clinton referred to the genocide as a
"great tragedy," which is rather less strong than referring to it
as a great atrocity. Bush’s 2001 statement was relatively stronger,
inasmuch as he described it as "forced exile and annihilation,"
but did not go so far as to call it an atrocity, and by 2008 the
word annihilation had dropped out all together to be replaced by
"mass killings." By comparison, Obama’s statement is a significant
improvement, especially when he says:

I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915,
and my view of that history has not changed. My interest remains the
achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.

In every way short of using the word, he is saying that it was a
genocide, and I think he reasonably refrains from using the word,
which might badly damaged U.S.-Turkish and Turkish-Armenian relations*,
while all but conveying the same meaning.

* It is worth noting that Reagan publicly referred to "the genocide
of the Armenians" almost thirty years ago, and somehow our alliance
with Turkey endured. I am still inclined to think that waiting
until relations are somewhat better is the wiser thing to do, but
a President has already acknowledged the truth and our relationship
with Turkey survived intact because of shared interests. My guess is
that the Turkish Coalition’s boast that "his administration will not
sacrifice long-term strategic allies for short-term political gains"
will be thrown back in their faces in the event it becomes clear that
neither Washington nor Ankara is willing to end our long-term strategic
alliance over this question. Indeed, my guess is that over the next few
years we will find out that Ankara has been engaged in an extraordinary
bluff that multiple administrations have never had the courage to call.

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 26 2009

OBAMA’S STATEMENT ON EVENTS OF 1915 SERIOUSLY HARMS NORMALIZATION
BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA, PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TOPTAN

ISTANBUL (A.A) – 26.04.2009 – Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan said
Sunday statement’s like U.S. President Barack Obama’s remarks on
events of 1915, seriously harmed the process for normalization of
relations between Turkey and Armenia. Toptan told reporters that
Turkey might have to take some measures in the future. He said despite
Turkey’s efforts Obama was misinformed about what happened in 1915.

Referring to Turkey’s call to open its archives to parties interested
in finding the truth regarding these events, Toptan said nobody was
interested.

"We are ready to open our archives. Whoever is curious may use our
archives. All related countries should open their archives," said
Toptan.

Toptan said certain circles were trying to exert pressure on Turkey
based on speculations without making through research and warned
Armenian officials that this way relations could not be normalised.

Also commenting on relations with Azarbaijan in the face of the
normalization process with Armenia, Toptan said there was
disinformation about recent developments.

He said the course of Turkey’s relations with Azarbaijan would not
change in this process, noting that Turkey would never sign any
document that would have negative implications for
Azarbaijan. (OZG-BRC)

Obama Follows ADL Line on the Armenian Genocide

by Ciaran Dubhuidhe Friday, Apr. 24, 2009
Indymedia, Cleveland, OH
Obama denies the Armenian Holocaust

One day after vowing to battle Holocaust Denial, President Obama has
publicly denied the Armenian Holocaust. In an exhibit of hypocrisy
matched only by the "Anti-Defamation League’s Abraham Foxman’s denial
of the Armenian Holocaust, President Obama has dishonored anniversary
of the start of the genocide by releasing a statement describing the
Armenian Holocaust as an "atrocity." Apparently, to President Obama,
history is something to be twisted to the wishes of those who hold
more power. Obama, like Foxman, values the cooperation of the
Government of Turkey more than he values the principles that give rise
to the dictum: `Never again!’

By denying the Armenian Holocaust, President Obama broke yet another
campaign promise. We can now add `Holocaust Denial’ to the long list
of his other disappointments: the abandonment of single payer health
care insurance, the escalation of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,
the failure to address `Don’t ask, don’t tell,’ the failure to produce
a stimulus plan that aides American workers, the failure to oppose
outsourcing of American jobs, and the failure prosecute those who
ordered and participated in torture.

As if these broken promises were not enough, President Obama has
sought to defend and expand the NSA’s abililty to spy upon Americans,
give the Government the ability to search personal computers at will,
and to shut down the Internet at will. Despite these grievous
violations of our trust, the American left has failed to organize
against President Obama’s Administration. Shall we add ourselves to
the list of American hypocrites?

2009/04/37583.php

JEWISON LAMENTS CORPORATE NATURE OF TODAY’S FILMMAKING
Beverly Thomson

CTV Television, Inc., Canada
April 21, 2009 Tuesday

GUESTS: NORMAN JEWISON, WRITER AND DIRECTOR

THOMSON: Legendary Canadian film director Norman Jewison was honoured
in Los Angeles this weekend for his more than six decades of work
in show business. The event also marked the 20th anniversary of his
Canadian Film Centre. Cher, Enhanced Coverage LinkingCher, -Search
using: Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days Faye Dunaway
and Carl Reiner all turned out to celebrate Jewison, who began in
live television in the ’50s, quickly moving to the success of films
like "The Cincinnati Kid" and the Oscar-winning "In the Heat of the
Night". He went on to direct a number of hits, including "A Soldier’s
Story", "Moonstruck", and "The Hurricane".

[Taped segment begins]

THOMSON: You have had many awards before, not the least of which was
an Oscar in recognition of your work. But what was it like to sit on
stage and chat with Faye Dunaway and Cher once again? Because it’s
been a while since you’ve seen them.

JEWISON: It was like a high school reunion. To see Carl Reiner who
I worked with — he wrote one of my first pictures. I directed his
first screenplay.

The thing is, I don’t see people too often. So, it was like a wonderful
reunion of old members of your family almost, you know?

THOMSON: But they have such enormous respect for you. And even in
the stories of Cher saying and Faye Dunaway saying — I mean, they
feel that you are an actor’s director.

JEWISON: Well, she called me a curmudgeon.

THOMSON: Yeah, at the time. [laughter]

JEWISON: Oh yeah. Well, I think that’s what makes good relationships,
good films. It’s when the actor trusts the director, and the director
trusts in turn the actor. So, you get that kind of mutual respect
for each other.

And also every actor I’ve worked with knows that they were chosen.

THOMSON: When was it growing up that you knew that you wanted to do
something in that business?

JEWISON: I started out as an actor and a writer and it wasn’t until I
got to the CBC in Toronto that I really had the opportunity to write
a television show. And I started at the bottom. I was a floor director
and worked my way up. And I never really thought about making movies.

It was when I was doing — I had the opportunity to do "The Judy
Garland Show". That was her first big show on television. It was Frank
Sinatra and Dean Martin. And I was out here doing that. I was living
in New York at the time, after I left the CBC. And Tony Curtis came
to a reversal. And he said, "Have you ever thought of doing a movie,
kid? I’d like to send you a script."

THOMSON: But then when you did get that break there’s a moment —
and you talk about it in your autobiography — where I think Tony
puts his arm around you and walks you around the set, saying this is
the camera and —

JEWISON: Right. [laughs]

THOMSON: It must’ve driven you crazy!

JEWISON: He was introducing me to the crew. And all these grizzled,
Hollywood veterans were there, looking at me, this schmuck from New
York, this kid. And he said, "Now, Norman, this is a camera. And this
is the mic. This is the boom." But he broke the ice.

THOMSON: I want to mention just a couple of names of the so many great
names that you’ve worked with, and that you in part discovered. So,
tell me a little bit about Cher at the time, when you first got to
know her for "Moonstruck".

JEWISON: Well, she didn’t want to do the film because she didn’t
see herself as Loretta Castorini. She kept saying, "I’m not from
Brooklyn. I don’t have the accent." She was worried about the
Italian-Brooklyn accent. She just didn’t see herself in the part. And
I told her, I said, "Well, you look Italian to me and everybody else."

THOMSON: [laughs] Did you?

JEWISON: "I know that you’re part Armenian and part Cherokee Indian
and whatever. But if you don’t play Loretta Castorini you’ll regret
it for the rest of your life."

THOMSON: Steve McQueen?

JEWISON: Steve McQueen was a loner. There was nothing better for
Steve than to get on a motorcycle and drive out into the desert.

He was affected by the moon, I felt. And so, whenever there was a
full moon coming up — I was always watching the lunar calendar so
I could shoot around him. Because when we would come to a full moon
all of a sudden he’d disappear.

THOMSON: Of all your achievements, I probably don’t have to say of what
you’re most proud, because you would probably say the film school. And
celebrating 20 years that you’re giving back. And what you’ve seen —
I think 17 or 18 films have come out of the film school, the Canadian
film school. What drove you to give back? I mean, you were busy enough.

JEWISON: When I came back to Canada I realized there was no centre for
advanced film studies. And there was the British Film Institute and the
Cinematheque in Paris and there was an Australian film institute. Even
Israel had a film centre. Canada didn’t have one.

And so, that’s what drove me, I think, to try my best to establish
a place where we could nurture young talent.

THOMSON: When you look back over the years, six decades of filmmaking,
being involved in the industry, you’ve seen an enormous amount of
change over the years. You know, even in terms of its size surely
would be one aspect. But also the attitude has changed. For the better,
do you think?

JEWISON: I don’t think Hollywood right now is interested in the
art of filmmaking or telling stories. And I think that’s kind of
sad. Everything is bottom line here in America at the moment. And
especially the studios. Because the studios are now owned by
multinationals, multi-global corporations. So, everything is part of
a corporate thinking. And that’s bad for art if you think that film
is an art form. And I do.

Film is forever. Like books and like great sculpture and great
paintings, film is there. Forever, really. And especially with the
digital reproduction.

And it’s such an important aspect of our lives. It’s probably the most
important art form in the last 50 years. And it expresses the soul
and passion of people. Their fears, their joys and their sorrows. And
they’re all there on film.

And that’s why I think it’s important for Canada also to have a
thriving film industry of its own.

[Taped segment ends]

TURKISH MEDIA: POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA NEXT MONTH IN SWITZERLAND IS SEEN AS VITAL

ArmInfo
2009-04-24 13:19:00

ArmInfo.’As stated many times by top Turkish officials, the
normalization of relations and reopening of the border with Armenia are
expected to happen as soon as a breakthrough on the Nagorno-Karabakh
front is made’, Hurriyet reported.

‘As such, a meeting between Azerbaijan and Armenia next month in
Switzerland is seen as vital. Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan
and his Armenian counterpart, Serge Sarkisian will come together in
Switzerland on May 7 to continue efforts to settle the dispute.

According to sources familiar with the talks, the parties are very
close to a solution and if they can clear the few remaining obstacles
in the way of Armenian troop withdrawal from the region then it is very
possible there will be a settlement by June’, the newspaper reported.

This will also free the hands of Turkey to proceed with the road
map and enable them to announce the establishment of diplomatic
ties this year. As Sarkisian put it earlier, it may be possible for
both countries to proceed before Oct. 7, the day the Turkish and
Armenian national football teams will play their second 2010 World
Cup qualifier, the source reported.

KARABAKH CONUNDRUM: INTENSIFIED DIPLOMACY VS. DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY
Anahit Danielyan

hetq.am/en/politics/lxh/
2009/04/23 | 15:04

Nagorno Karabakh important politics

Statements and developments regarding a settlement of the Karabakh
conflict have intensified of late and have lead to speculation that
a break-through in the talks is soon in coming. Such speculation
is based in part on the recent statements of U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, alluding to the prospect in a solution to the Karabakh
conflict within the next several months.

Such increased activity is clearly conditioned on the stepped-up
measures taken by the super-powers and various international
institutions regarding the normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations. The spokesperson for the U.S. Secretary of State office
has even declared that the normalization of relations between Armenia
and Turkey must be achieved without preconditions and according to
a sensible timetable.

In the coming days the Minsk Group Co-chairs will once again visit the
region. Who they will meet while in Karabakh, besides the president,
is still unclear. But the signs of increased activity regarding a
settlement are quite apparent.

Against this back drop of swirling activity, both the authorities and
rank and file citizens in Karabakh exhibit amazing calm. All are caught
up in the mundane concerns of everyday life, as for the example the
negative effects of ill weather. Everything is a topic for discussion
except for a possible settlement of the Karabakh issue. In fact, the
topic is discussed more outside of Karabakh than within its borders.

The calm exhibited by the people of Karabakh can be interpreted in
several ways. The first is that the residents believe that they have
solved the problem already, through their own actions on the ground,
and thus the statements of foreigners do not concern them in the
least. Or else, they don’t find it necessary to state their position
on the matter for the umpteenth time, even though they occasionally
do so. Or else they simply believe that in the end, come what may,
the determining factor will be the voice of the Karabakh people. As
to what extent these arguments of theirs will prove to bear fruit,
only time will tell.

But it is more than clear that on-going developments demand a higher
sense of preparedness and alertness than presently exists. For isn’t
it the case that in the geo-political game such reasoning, however
sincere, is simply brushed away on the diplomatic back-burner.