Author: Tambiyan Samvel

OSCE HOLDS HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING FOR LAW ENFORCERS
Civil Georgia, Georgia
Sept 13 2005
Twenty law enforcement officials in Samtskhe-Javakheti started a
three-day OSCE course on international standards for human rights
protection, including the rights of ethnic minorities, the OSCE
Mission to Georgia reported on September 12.
The training course aims at improving the capacity of judges,
prosecutors, lawyers and police officers in the region, which is
mainly populated by ethnic Armenians.
Experts from various Georgian NGOs and the Public Defender’s Office
are presenting the course, which also focuses on combating torture
and ill-treatment.

PresseMesse, Buchclub, Orhan Pamuk
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12.09.200 5
Parallel zur Frankfurter Buchmesse findet in diesem Jahr erstmals
die PresseMesse statt. Der “Kontakter” hat nachgefragt, welcher Ruf
der Gemeinschaftsschau in der Branche vorauseilt.
“Ein Blick auf die Referentenliste zeigt, dass hier nicht
die Geschaftsfuhrer der großen deutschen Verlage auf der
Buhne stehen. … Holger Busch, Geschaftsfuhrer Marketing und
Anzeigen im VDZ erklart: ‘Fur Publikumszeitschriften ist jeder Tag
Messetag.’ Interessierte Leser brauche man nicht unbedingt auf der
Buchmesse zu suchen. Schließlich seien Zeitschriftensortimente an
jedem Bahnhofkiosk einsehbar. Interessant sei die Veranstaltung eher
fur Herausgeber von Fachzeitschriften, meint Busch. … Sabine Voss,
Leiterin des Berliner Buros der Deutschen Fachpresse, beurteilt
die Situation zunachst ahnlich. Allerdings glaubt sie, dass die
PresseMesse in einigen Jahren fur alle Special-Interest-Anbieter
eine Chance darstellen kann – nicht nur fur diejenigen, die ihre
Magazine ausschließlich uber Abonnements verkaufen. Es werde etwas
Zeit brauchen, meint Voss, bis sich die PresseMesse etabliert.”
Die Marketing-Offensive des Bertelsmann-Buchclubs ist Thema im
“Handelsblatt”:
“Nun soll der Verlustbringer mit einer Fokussierung auf das
Buchgeschaft und neueren Laden aus den roten Zahlen kommen. Von den
300 Laden in Deutschland sind aber nur 80 renoviert. ‘Der Club galt
lange als Nachspieltheater’, sagt Clubchef Marc-Oliver Sommer. Kunftig
will er stattdessen exklusive Bucher verlegen wie zum Beispiel eine
aufwendige Neuausgabe von Dantes ‘Gottlicher Komodie’ mit Bildern
des spanischen Malers Miguel Barcelo. Den Billigheimer wollen die
Bertelsheimer nicht mehr machen. ‘Wir sind kein Discounter und werden
auch nie einer sein’, sagt Sommer.”
Es sei kein Zufall, dass der Friedenspreistrager Orhan Pamuk ebenso
wie sein Vorganger, der 1997 mit demselben Preis ausgezeichnete
Yasar Kemal, mit der Justiz zu tun bekommt, meint die “Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung”.
“Das macht sozusagen den Ehrentitel turkischer Autoren aus, dass
sie seit den Tagen des Tanzimat, der Reformen in der zweiten Halfte
des 19. Jahrhunderts, immer wieder mit Verbannung, Gefangnis oder
juristischen Nachstellungen zu rechnen haben. Pamuk hatte die
Armenier-Massaker beim Namen genannt und die ungloste Kurdenfrage
in einer Art und Weise angesprochen, die dem Staatsanwalt mißfiel.
Zuvor hatte es schon ein Kesseltreiben gegen den Autor wegen seiner
Äußerungen gegeben; er spielt namlich so gar nicht die nationale Leier,
deren Tone man noch immer gerne hort in der Turkei.”
–Boundary_(ID_hli3WezMttKCAnWK4+R4HA)–

ARMENIANS GATHER TO DISCUSS PAST AND PRESENT (HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY)
By Jessy Chahine
The Daily Star – Lebanon
Sept 13 2005
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
BEIRUT: In a three-day conference entitled “The Armenians of Lebanon:
Their Past and Present,” a number of experts from various countries
gathered yesterday at Haigazian University to discuss aspects of the
current status of an influential yet minority group in the country.
Starting on Monday, 16 papers will be presented by scholars coming from
Canada, the U.S., France, Argentina, Egypt, Syria, Armenia, Germany,
Italy and of course, Lebanon in the presence of a number of invitees
from the academic community in Lebanon, both Armenian and non-Armenian.
In his welcome speech, Dr. Paul Haidostian, the president of Haigazian
University, said: “It was recognized that despite the undisputedly
important role that the Armenian community plays both within Lebanon
and the rest of the Diaspora, its history, culture and other aspects of
its community life have not been studied adequately to date according
to internationally accepted scientific standards.”
Among the topics that will be covered during the conferences will be
the political, socio-economic history of the community within both
the Lebanese and pan-Armenian contexts, the aspects of the influx
and exodus of Armenians to and from Lebanon, the Armenian identity,
literature, music, and contemporary concerns of the community.
A doctor in Human Geography, Aida Boudjikanian, the opening session’s
keynote speaker, held a lecture showing the different roles and
functions that Lebanon has held for Armenians spanning four centuries.
“The significance lies not only in their variety but in their
length and continuity or succession in time. In the 19th century,”
Boudjikanian said. “For Lebanese Armenians, Lebanon will always
represent, in my opinion, the country of consensual co-existence,
a social and political model,” she said, explaining that “all the
leaders, civil and religious, commonly share the advocacy for the
success of this experience and the success of the State of Lebanon.”
“For the Armenian Diaspora, Lebanon represents a land of reference and
history, a land of cultural heritage. Every summer, groups of young
Armenians coming back from around the world gather in Lebanon to delve
back into their culture, to learn and practice their ancestral language
and visit the country,” Boudjikanian said. The last statistics in
Lebanon date back to 1975 and place the community at 186,000 Armenians
in Lebanon, according to Boudjikanian, who gathered the data.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 9 2005
ELMAR MAMEDYAROV: BAKU IS READY FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH
CONFLICT BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
`Azerbaijan is ready for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
based on the principle of the country’s territorial integrity’,
stated AR Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov speaking at the OSCE
Regular Council session in Vienna.
In his words, the status of Nagorno Karabakh should be worked out
with participation of both, Armenian and Azeri, communities of the
region, Interfax reports.

Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Sept 9 2005
By-election for Armenian Rep. in October

09/09/2005

The by-election for a new representative of the Armenian religious
group to the Cyprus House of Representatives will take place October
9th, 2005.
The new representative will succeed Bedros Kalaydjian, who died last
week at the age of 71.
Candidacies must be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer Monday
26 September 2005, between 0900 and 1230, local time.
The Ministry of Interior calls upon all Armenian Cypriots who will be
18 before or on October 9th to register at their district offices to
be able to vote.
The three religious groups, belonging to the Greek Cypriot community,
Latins, Armenians and Maronites, elect a representative each to the
House, who does not take up one of the 56 parliamentary seats.

YEREVAN MAYOR: RESIDENTS OF BYUZAND STREET DEMAND TWICE AS MUCH MONEY
COMPENSATION AS THE COST OF THEIR PROPERTY
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9. ARMINFO. “Residents of Byuzand street demand
twice as much money compensation as the cost of their property,”
Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharyan told journalists today.
He said for each sq.m of floor space the authorities provide
$900-$1,000, and resident demand $2,000-$2,500. Mayor said during the
last 3-3.5 year Yerevan Municipality concluded 997 contracts on
alienation of lands for construction of Northern and Main
avenues. Only 25 contracts are under legal proceedings. Yerevan Mayor
does not rule out that some omissions and lacks are possible in the
process of implementation of such large-scale programs. However,
irrespective of anything, these programs will be fulfilled, Mayor
assured journalists. Yervand Zakharyan said city authorities are
guided with the orders of realty estimation money compensation
approved by the Armenian Government. The Municipality does not
interfere into the process of estimation, independent evaluators. “If
the results do not satisfy owners, they have a right to appeal against
them to the court,” Yervand Zakharyan said. Moreover, when providing
money compensation, the government issues a definite sum as
encouragement which covers 10% of the income tax imposed on the
residents of the alienated territory. Mayor Zakharyan said during
construction of the 30th quarter (Firdousi street) not money but
apartments will be provided as compensation. As regards the special
report by Armenian Ombudsman on mass violations of property rights,
Mayor said he was not informed of it and that “it is the personal
opinion of Larisa Alaverdyan only.”
Yervand Zakharyan also touched upon the issue of development of Kond
community subject to alienation for construction of the Main Avenue
under the project. He said no construction and alienation works will
be started until the issue of property certificates is settled. At
present, the Municipality has already started settling this issue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
September 8, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ARMENIAN AMERICANS JOIN WITH DIVERSE ANTI-GENOCIDE COALITION
IN MARKING “A DAY FOR DARFUR” WITH WHITE HOUSE RALLY
— ANCA Calls upon 1,000 Activists to
Work to End the Cycle of Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian Americans joined today with a thousand
activists brought together by Africa Action and a broad-based
coalition of religious, ethnic, and human rights groups at a White
House rally calling for decisive U.S. action to end the genocide in
the Darfur region of Sudan, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA.).
The demonstration marked a year of inaction by the Administration
following the President’s declaration that a genocide is taking
place in Darfur. The aim of the gathering was to kick off a period
of renewed activism by people of conscience across the country to
encourage the President to take every step necessary to ensure an
urgent multinational intervention to provide security to the people
of Darfur. To date, over 400,000 people have been killed; hundreds
are dying every day and hundreds of thousands more are at risk in
the coming weeks and months unless urgent action is taken.
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, in his remarks at the close
of the program, stressed that:
“If we have learned anything in the year since the President
declared that genocide is taking place in Darfur . . . If
we have learned anything from a century of genocide – in
Armenia, during the Holocaust, in Cambodia, Rwanda and
today in Darfur – it is that having the facts on your side
is not enough. We have seen 400,000 deaths, 2.5 million
displaced. But the facts are not enough.”
“Having morality on your side is not enough, for what could
be a greater moral imperative than our nation working to
prevent genocide?”
“The fact is that it will take advocacy, it will take
organization – sustained organization – if we are to live
in a nation that does not measure our interests in dollars,
barrels of oil, or military bases, but rather in lives
saved, suffering alleviated, and humanity served.”
Several speakers, notably Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General
Secretary of the National Council of Churches, Ruth Messinger,
President of American Jewish World Service, and Salih Booker, the
Executive Director of Africa Action noted the Armenian Genocide in
their remarks.
Among the media assigning reporters and film crews to cover the
event were CNN, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, NBC news,
MTVu, Nippon TV (Japan), Inter Press Service, ARD TV (Germany),
Voice of America, Radio France International and Yahoo News.
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “As
Americans struggle to cope with the President’s failure of
leadership on the domestic front in the horrific aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina, we must also condemn the President’s failure of
political leadership on the international front, where he has
failed to act to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur, and the death
toll continues to mount.”
Speakers and activists at today’s event emphasized the urgent need
for protection for the people of Darfur, and called on President
Bush to take every step necessary to ensure an immediate
multinational intervention to support the African Union and provide
security to Darfur.
Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service, said,
“As Jews who understand the consequences of silence and
indifference in the face of genocide, we must respond to the crisis
in Darfur and increase pressure on the international community to
end the violence and suffering. No-one can stand silently by.”
Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council
of Churches, said, “It is unacceptable for us to sit idly by as
people die. This is true whether it is in the Deep South or Darfur,
Sudan. This genocide is one of the greatest horrors of our day. We
urge people of conscience everywhere to call on our leaders to take
action now before events force us to one day have to confess our
sin of negligence and complicity.”
Today’s event also saw the release of a petition signed by over
100,000 Americans, calling on the President to act urgently to
provide protection to the people of Darfur. Across the country,
citizen engagement on the crisis in Darfur continues to grow, as
Americans raise their voices to emphasize that genocide cannot be
ignored.
Rev. Jim Wallis, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners
Magazine, said today, “People of faith are united in their call for
bold and immediate Presidential leadership in order to restore hope
and security to the people of Darfur. Now is the time to put real
meaning behind the words ‘never again’.”
Fatima Haroun of the Sudan Peace Advocates Network said today, “The
people of Darfur have suffered more than enough already. It is time
for international action to stop the violence and bring relief and
peace to this troubled region.”
David Rubenstein, Coordinator of the Save Darfur Coalition, said
today, “The Save Darfur Coalition’s 134 member organizations
represent more than 130 million Americans. We call on President
Bush – one year after he recognized the genocide in Darfur – to
take decisive and effective action to end the violence that is
brutalizing innocent civilians in Darfur.”
Among the groups working with the ANCA in this Africa Action-led
initiative were: American Jewish World Service, Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America, Faithful America, Greater Washington
Jewish Task Force on Darfur, NAACP, National Council of Churches,
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Save Darfur Coalition,
Sojourners, STAND, Sudan Peace Advocates Network, TransAfrica
Forum, and the United Methodist Church.
Following the rally, organization leaders gathered at the ANCA
headquarters for a reception. That same evening, the Lutheran
Church of the Reformation hosted a candle-light vigil marking the
one-year anniversary of the Bush Administration’s statement on
Darfur.
For more information about Darfur:
To send a free ANCA WebFax protesting the Darfur Genocide:
#####

ARMENIAN PLANS TO UPGRADE ARMED FORCES IN LINE WITH NATO BY 2015
Armenpress
Sept 7, 2005
RIGA, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: Latvia’s defense minister Ejnar
Repse was quoted by LETA news agency as saying that after Latvia’s
accession to NATO it wants to step up bilateral military cooperation
with Armenia.
His remarks came after he and his visiting Armenian counterpart, Serzh
Sarkisian, signed a cooperation agreement in Riga. Armenian defense
minister was quoted as saying that Armenia plans to upgrade its armed
forces in conformity with NATO standards by 2015. He said Armenia
does not yet meet EU and NATO requirements because of lack of money,
but expressed hope that the country would be able to do so in future.

CONFERENCE TO LOOK INTO TIGRAN THE GREAT RULE
Armenpress
Sept 5, 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Academy of Sciences
in cooperation with the Church and Armenian Educational and Cultural
Union will hold a conference on November 2-3 to mark the enthronement
of one of the greatest Armenian kings, Tigran the Great that was in
95 BC.
The conference titled Tigran the Great: Armenia in the Epoch of
Hellenism will try to look into his role in the consolidation of
Armenian state and nation. Tigran the Great ruled from 96 BC to
56 BC and his rule was described by historians as “renaissance of
Armenia.” Tigran proclaimed himself “King of Kings.” Under Tigran II,
Armenia grew to a great degree of military strength and political
influence.
According to the Greek biographer Plutarch, the Roman general Lucullos
said of this king, “In Armenia, Tigran is seated surrounded with
that power which has wrested Asia from the Parthians, which carries
Greek colonies into Media, subdues Syria and Palestine and cuts off
the Seleucids.” And Cicero, the Roman orator and politician, adds,
“He made the Republic of Rome tremble before the powers of his arms.”

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 1, 2005
___________________
NEW PRIEST IN DIOCESE APPOINTED TO CHARLOTTE
By Jake Goshert
The Armenians of Charlotte, NC, had prayed for a church to call their
own for years before a benefactor provided the final financial boost
needed to build the St. Sarkis Church, which was consecrated earlier
this year.
While God was answering those prayers, a former rock-and-roll
musician-turned-priest in Bulgaria was dreaming of visiting the United
States. Then his wife won a Green Card in a lottery and now that priest
is not only visiting but living and working in the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
And as if to complete the prayers of the people of Charlotte, Fr. Daniel
Karadjian was appointed the parish’s pastor starting September 1, 2005.
“This is a miracle, because these people from Charlotte, they didn’t
know if they would have a church, and I always dreamt of visiting the
United States,” said Fr. Karadjian, 45. “But look at God’s work: it is
mysterious. These people have a church, and now they have a priest from
Bulgaria.”
HONORING A PROMISE
Growing up in communist Bulgaria, Fr. Karadjian was never able to attend
church, because spies would turn Armenians in as traitors if they freely
practiced their faith. He did learn about prayers and making the sign
of the cross from his grandparents, but never really was taught what
they meant.
But faith percolated through his family. After the fall of Communism,
his father became active in the local Armenian Church. As more people
began worshipping openly, there was a shortage of priests and the
community asked Fr. Karadjian’s father why his son couldn’t become a
priest.
“I told him I wanted to be a rock-and-roll musician, not a priest,” Fr.
Karadjian said. “But later I made a promise to my dying father, and
told him I would make his last dream come true.”
Fr. Karadjian traveled to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where
he studied and was ordained in 1994. During his studies in Jerusalem he
was joined by his wife, Mariam, and their two sons: Hagop, now 20, and
Harut, 19. Carrying on the family flame, his two sons served on the
altar in Jerusalem and are now helping Fr. Karadjian with a
deacon-training class in Charlotte. Already, four young people have
signed up.
After being ordained, Fr. Karadjian worked on “Gantegh,” the newspaper
of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem, and later published a monthly
religious magazine for the St. George Church in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where
he served as pastor.
NEW SPIRITUAL HOME
While he is making his new home in Charlotte, Fr. Karadjian sees his job
as making a new spiritual home for a diverse community. Many of the
Armenians in Charlotte are fairly recent immigrants, and many come from
areas such as Baku, Armenia, and Russia, which were under atheist
communist control for most of their lives.
“I am the same as these people, since I come from Bulgaria,” Fr.
Karadjian said. “Charlotte is fantastic. This is a little community of
Armenians whose members came from all over and they are like new
believers, so we are just starting our spiritual work. After growing up
under the Soviet Union, without permission to visit a church and be
Christian, we are now starting from the beginning, and our work is going
to be very hard and difficult.”
While he admits that the challenges of building a new parish, one made
up largly of immigrants who grew up under Communism, and one with
parishioners with diverse backgrounds and cultures, is a challenge that
will require 24-hour, seven-day-a-week efforts, Fr. Karadjian said the
importance of his work will keep him going.
“I will work more or less 24 hours a day, because the church is new, the
community is new, and everything is new; and to be a success everyone
needs to work hard,” he said. “But we must succeed, because we are all
children of God in need of the church.”
Before being assigned to St. Sarkis, Fr. Karadjian took classes at St.
Nersess Seminary and studied English for a year at Concordia College.
While at St. Nersess Fr. Karadjian also was assigned to work with Fr.
Karekin Kasparian, pastor of the St. Gregory the Enlightener Church in
White Plains, NY, for a year to be introduced to parish life in the
United States.
Along with his studies in America, Fr. Karadjian studied at the Seminary
of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and at St. Kliment Ohridski’s
Theological University in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he earned a master’s
degree.
“Fr. Karadjian is an example of the power of our Christian faith to
overcome darkness,” said Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Eastern Diocese. “And many of the people of Charlotte have faced such
challenges as well, so I know they will greatly benefit from Fr.
Karadjian’s background. But, more importantly, they will benefit from
his true Christian spirit and love of the Lord.”
— 9/1/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Fr. Daniel Karadjian, front, the new pastor for the
St. Sarkis Church of Charlotte, NC, joins Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate, and Fr. Daniel Findikyan at the consecration of the new church.
# # #