Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

FROM THE MARGINS: RULES GO OUT THE WINDOW
By Patrick Azadian
Glendale News Press, CA
Aug. 28, 2006
Long before the movie “The Wedding Crashers” hit the silver screen,
my friend and I decided to crash an Armenian wedding. At the time,
my office was conveniently located across from the Royal Palace
banquet hall.
As we casually stepped into the lobby, a Russian security guard
greeted us.
He asked us which side of the family we belonged to. “We are Armen’s
friends,” I said. The guard was not impressed and inquired about
Armen’s last name.
“Armen Sarkissian,” I said, and followed it up with a question to
distract him. “Can you call him out for us?” I asked.
Within seconds we were being escorted out to the front door.
Meanwhile, I had a chance to squeeze in a few words to save face:
“Armen’s going to be very disappointed; he was looking forward to
seeing us.”
I could hear the Russian mumble: “Da, da…” advertisement
Recently, after seeing “The Wedding Crashers” on cable, I received
an invitation to a local Armenian wedding. This was my opportunity
to test the “crasher’s rule book” in a real-life situation.
I lived close enough to the hall to be able to walk there. MGM
Banquet Hall is right around the corner from my apartment. The name
MGM (associated with Kirk Krikorian, the Armenian version of Donald
Trump) is a common name for many Armenian establishments. Apparently,
it’s a source of pride by association.
As I stepped into the hall, the mother of the groom was personally
greeting all guests. She immediately identified me as a potential
outcast and asked about my wedding credentials. Thankfully, they
already had a table card in my name.
I realized there would be little room for improvisation for potential
crashers.
Rule No. 2 of the rule book, which suggests never using your real name,
seemed obsolete.
To meet any women at these weddings, the process should start with some
kind of eye contact. Rule No. 13 states, “bridesmaids are desperate:
console them.” Well, not at an Armenian wedding.
First, because the bridesmaids are not desperate; they know exactly
to whom they will be married, even if the guy has no idea.
And second, making eye contact is considered a health hazard. Most
girls are taken at young age. Focusing your eyes on the floral
centerpiece is highly recommended, no matter what the rum and coke
are telling you to do.
Making that ill-advised eye contact may be enough to cause you to
hit the pavement hard.
Rule No. 11 states that “sensitive is good.” Rule No. 53 is similar
in spirit. During the ceremony it’s suggested to get choked up. The
logic is for girls to think you’re sensitive.
As large segments of the Armenian community remain homophobic, it is
dangerous to show any signs of emotion as a man. As a matter of fact,
being sensitive, managing to be slim after high school or wearing a
pink shirt can eliminate you from the competition for all the wrong
reasons. This is no place for softies.
Rule No. 58: “The Ferrari is in the shop.” Whether the Ferrari is
actually at the shop or not, regardless of income level, the right
car is a basic requirement, not an advantage. Keep your dignity;
don’t brag about what’s not at the shop.
Rule No. 108 recommends knowing your swing and salsa steps. Girls
supposedly love to get twisted around.
Standing a the edge of the dance floor, I realized all the years of
salsa lessons in an effort to meet my own version of Eva Mendes had
gone to waste.
My money would have been better spent taking up “kazachok” (A
Russian/Ukrainian folk dance in which high kicks are made from a
squatting position). The dance is a firm favorite at Armenian weddings.
At the expense of sounding like an ingrate, at some point I realized
I was not having much fun. No disrespect to the hosts, the wedding
was great; but it’s not easy when you don’t know anyone, and staring
is not an option.
And although by this time I had decided the crasher’s rule book was a
total waste, Rule No. 12 sounded quite reasonable: “When it stops being
fun, breaking something is recommended.” I had my eyes on the pair
of large porcelain lions (symbolizing MGM) near the dance floor, but
I could not reach them without bringing too much attention upon myself.
I left quietly with my tail between my legs.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
August 28, 2006
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: [email protected]
STUDENTS EXPERIENCE LIFE IN ARMENIA THROUGH ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY SUMMER
INTERNSHIP
Yerevan, Armenia – Fourteen Armenian-American college students from
across the U.S. traveled to Yerevan to take part in the Assembly’s
largest summer internship class in the program’s history. College
students from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska,
New Jersey, New York and Texas participated in the eight-week program
to gain a better understanding of living and working in Armenia – one
of the most culturally rich countries in the world.
The Yerevan internship program was established in 1999, following the
popularity and success of the Assembly’s Washington program, known as
the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program. In fact, four of
this year’s Armenia interns are alumni of the Washington program.
While in Armenia, students said they gained a better understanding of
the lifestyle, work ethic and culture in Armenia and felt a deeper
connection with their Armenian heritage.
“I have learned so much about being Armenian that it’s hard to put
into words,” said Foreign Ministry intern Justin Kalemkiarian who is
an alumnus of the 2005 Washington program. “I knew hard facts about
the country but it’s completely different when you actually experience
what those facts can’t explain. After seeing the creativity,
intelligence and work ethic of the Armenian people I am more
optimistic about this country’s future than when I left home.”
While some of the Assembly interns spent their summer working in
Government offices including the Constitutional Court, Ombudsman’s
Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of
Urban Development, and the NKR Representation Office in Armenia,
others worked at non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical
centers and media outlets.
WORKING IN ARMENIA
This year’s intern group found their internships very rewarding and
were placed in some of the most exciting and interesting fields. Three
of the students spent their summer working in medical centers
including the Armenian-American Wellness Center, the Nork Marash
Medical Center, the Markaryan Medical Center and the Van Dental
Clinic.
“The most important thing I gained from this internship is the ability
to express myself in Armenian within the medical field,” said intern
Ani Sinanyan who spent her summer interning at the Armenian-American
Wellness Center and the Markaryan Medical Center. “Hearing medical
professionals speak helped advance my language skills which will be
useful with Armenian patients I may have in the future.”
Other students interned at organizations such as the Armenia Tree
Project, the Armenian International Policy Research Group (AIPRG),
International Center for Human Development, Habitat for
Humanity-Armenia, Orran Chlidrens Center, the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), as well as at media
outlets including Armenia TV and Bars Media.
Cate Norian interned at Bars Media working on a USAID project and had
the opportunity to travel throughout Armenia, visiting towns, villages
and meeting with people from all walks of life. “I’m seeing the future
of Armenia,” Norian said. “I’m seeing the ingenuity, know-how, and
drive needed to push Armenia past the status quo.”
MEETINGS WITH ARMENIAN OFFICIALS
During their time in Yerevan, the interns met with several government
officials including Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, Justice Minister
Davit Haroutiunian, Ombudsman Armen Haroutunian and Deputy Mayor of
Yerevan Vano Vardanian. During these meetings, interns learned more
about the inner workings of the Armenian Government as well as the
important role of the Diaspora in the homeland. They also met with
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans.

Some of the major highlights of the internship program were the
cultural activities the students attended including a performance of
the Anoush Opera. They also participated in the annual “One Nation,
One Culture” festival and enjoyed the Armenian holidays of Vardavar
and Constitution Day.

Interns familiarized themselves with Armenia’s business sector and
toured the Grand Candy, Tamara Ice Cream Factory and Yerevan Brandy
Factory.
TRAVELING AROUND ARMENIA AND NAGORNO KARABAKH
In addition to gaining a better understanding of life in Yerevan, the
interns traveled outside of the city, visiting historic sites such as
the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the Garni Temple, the Geghard Monastery,
Khor Virab, and Zvartnots Church. Interns also toured the city of
Gyumri with Aram Khachadurian formerly of New York. Afterwards, they
traveled to Ashotsk Village where Khachadurian gave them a tour of
Voske Ser, Khachadurian’s dairy farm and cheese factory. During a
two-day visit to Lake Sevan, the interns spent some time enjoying the
beautiful weather.

Interns took a three-day trip to Nagorno Karabakh. On the way, they
visited the Noravank, Tatev and Gandzasar Monasteries and the city of
Goris. In Karabakh, the interns toured the capital city of Stepanakert
where they met with President Arkady Ghoukassian and Parliament
Speaker Ashot Ghulian. They also visited the HALO Trust De-Mining
Center where they learned about the deadly landmines that continue to
threaten the people of Nagorno Karabakh. The students traveled to the
town of Shushi and visited the 19th century Ghazanchetsots Amenaprkich
Church and a newly-opened lavash factory.
“The Armenian Assembly internship program not only helped me
understand the way of life in Armenia, but also opened my eyes to the
endless opportunities awaiting my homeland” said Ministry of Finance
intern Gregory Bandikian.
Intern Raffi Haroutunian of Demarest, NJ has chronicled his
experiences and those of his fellow interns on an online blog. To
access this blog go to:
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues.  It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

### NR#2006-074
Photographs available on the Assembly Web site at the following links:
4/2006-074-1.jpg
Caption: Interns met with Ambassador John M. Evans (center) at the
U.S. Embassy in Armenia.
074/2006-074-2.jpg
Caption: Interns met with NKR Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulian to
discuss the government, education system and economy of Karabakh.
-074/2006-074-3.jpg
Caption: Board of Trustees Treasurer and Birthright Armenia Founder
Edele Hovnanian (far left) along with Assembly interns and Birthright
participants met with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
(center).
ress/2006-074/2006-074-4.jpg
Caption: (L to R) Interns Anoush Dekmezian, Justin Kalemkiarian and
Arman Avedisian spent the summer interning at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
ss/2006-074/2006-074-5.jpg
Caption: Assembly interns at the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi.
74/2006-074-6.jpg
Caption: (L to R) Interns Armine Bazikyan and Ani Sinanyan at the
Tamara Ice Cream Factory.

EGOYAN’S STUDY OF HUMAN DARKNESS MOVES TO OPERA
by Julie Mollins, Reuters
Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia)
August 27, 2006 Sunday
Final Edition
TORONTO — Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, renowned for award-winning
movies that explore the dark sides of human behaviour, is taking a
turn at helming a grand opera with similar brooding features.
Egoyan, 46, the Egyptian-born son of Armenian immigrants, has examined
incest, the horrors of war and the mysteries of fate in such deeply
psychological films as Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, Felicia’s Journey
and Ararat.” He will revisit some of those themes for an upcoming
Canadian Opera Company production of Richard Wagner’s 19th-century
opera Die Walkure (The Valkyrie).
The Wagner classic, the second of the four-part epic cycle Der Ring des
Nibelungen, is a complex tale in which incestuous love, the will of the
gods and fate combine to advance the overall themes of the Ring Cycle.
During an interview at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts in Toronto, where a production of the entire Ring Cycle will
open for a three-week run on Sept. 12, Egoyan described similarities
in his approach to making movies and opera.
“In my films I am very interested in subtext and what makes people
act the way they do,” he said. “I try and bring that detail to the
way I direct the opera but also the way I stage it, the way I create
visual ideas which can reinforce the psychology of the piece.”
This is not Egoyan’s first foray into directing opera. He began with
a 1996 Canadian Opera Company production of Salome. He directed an
earlier production of Die Walkure — the source of Wagner’s famous
Ride of the Valkyries — for the company in 2004. He most recently
directed the play Eh Joe in London’s West End.
When the Toronto-based director was first presented with the
opportunity to direct Die Walkure, he was full of doubt, he said,
because he could read music but at the time had no background in opera.
“It’s that doubt and that fear that actually creates an excitement,” he
said. “And I think if you don’t feel that, then maybe there’s something
a little bit wrong. You have to be able to rise to the material.”
The director cites the central conflict in the Ring as being “the
power of love versus the love of power — that’s the theme that
comes up over and over again because in order to get power you have
to relinquish love.”
The narrative of the Ring Cycle, which was written by Wagner between
1848 and 1874, was inspired by a German tale and Norse legends.
An emphasis on the bloodlust and horror of war will be a major focus
in the Egoyan production.
“Wagner was not really criticizing the war machine,” Egoyan said,
“and I think this production is showing quite explicitly the horrifying
results of that approach where war becomes an economy unto itself.”

35,283 PENSIONERS IN NKR BY JULY 1, 2006
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 23, 2006
STEPANAKERT, August 23. /ARKA/. A total of 35,283 pensioners had
been registered the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) by July 1, 2006 –
a 3.8% (1,399 people) decrease compared to the corresponding period
of last year.
The NKR Statistical Service reports that a total of 9,613 disabled
people had been registered by July 1, 2006 – 27.2% of the total number
of pensioners. 809 of them (8.4%) have the first disablement group,
6,545 (68.1%) the second disablement group, 1,752 (18.2%) the third
disablement group and 506 people (5.3%) are invalids under 18.
A 3.5% increase in the number of disabled people has been recorded
in the NKR compared to the corresponding period of last year.
According to the final results of the 2005 census, the NKR’s resident
population was 137,737 people.

OFFICIALS AND DIPLOMATS VISIT RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA TO EXPRESS THEIR CONDOLENCES
ARMENPRESS
Aug 24 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS: Representatives of Armenian executive
and legislative powers, diplomats from USA, France, Germany, Italy,
Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Iran, Bulgaria, Romania, Syria, Turkmenistan
visited today Russian embassy in Armenia and put down their condolences
in the mourning book opened there today in connection with the crash
of the Russian airplane.
“We express our deep sorrow to the relatives of the victims of the
plane crash. They must feel that on this difficult moment they are
not alone,” Georgian temporary charge d’affaires in Armenia Georgi
Saganelidze told Armenpress.
Official from the embassy said that many people visited today the
embassy and expressed their grief and brought flowers.

NEXT MONITORING TO TAKE PLACE ALONG THE AZERI-ARMENIAN INTERFACE
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 21, 2006
The next monitoring along the Azerbaijani-Armenian forces interface is
scheduled to August 22. Officials of press service with the Ministry
of Defense of Azerbaijan familiar with the situation told Trend the
monitoring would take place 8 km southwest of town of Terter.
>From Azerbaijani side, the monitoring will be lead by Gunter Volk and
Peter Kee, field assistants to special envoy of OSCE acting chairman.
>From Armenian side, this task will undertake Andzhey Kaspsik, special
envoy of OSCE acting chairman, and his field assistant Irzhi Aberle.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 18, 2006
Armenian Armed Forces launch large-scale trainings in occupied
Azerbaijani lands
[ 18 Aug. 2006 12:24 ]
Armenian Armed Forces begin large-scale military trainings in the
Azerbaijani region of Agdam’s occupied areas, APA’s Garabagh bureau
reports.
The enemy uses heavy artillery and armored equipment. It is not known
when the trainings will finish. Armenian military maneuvers can be
observed from the dwelling places in the contact front line. /APA/

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
August 18, 2006 Friday 2:05 AM EST
Controversial Berlin exhibition sparks Polish ire =
Clive Freeman, dpa
DPA CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT Germany Culture Poland FEATURE:
Controversial Berlin exhibition sparks Polish ire = Clive Freeman,
dpa Berlin
Wilfried Rogasch stands in the foyer of Berlin’s Kronprinzenpalais
shaking his head in disbelief at the hostile reactions in Poland to
the exhibition he has organised.
It depicts the plight of millions of European refugees, among them
many Germans, who either fled or were expelled from their homes at
the end of World War II.
When it opened last Thursday, the Polish government and a large
section of the Polish media were quick to criticise it. Warsaw’s
mayor Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz even cancelled plans to visit Berlin.
Rogasch told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa, he was surprised by the
“hysterical reaction” in Poland. “Even without seeing the contents of
the show the Polish premier, foreign minister and culture minister
had decided it was, anti-Polish,” he said.
At the heart of the current dispute is a campaign spearheaded by German
expellee groups aimed at creating a centre in Berlin remembering the
mass expulsions of 12-14 million ethnic Germans from several countries
of Eastern Europe after World War 11.
Rogasch frankly concedes that the Berlin exhibition, which lasts for
three months, is the “first step towards a permanent documentation
centre here in Berlin.”
There has been a fiery debate over such plans, with German Nobel
Literature Prize winner Guenter Grass – himself now in the news over
his admission he was a teenage member of the wartime Waffen SS –
warning three years ago that the creation of a centre in Berlin would
open old wounds with Germany’s eastern neighbours.
As a result of the controversy caused by the current exhibition,
Rogasch said he had returned several exhibition art loans back to
Poland in order, as he put it, to “avoid curators there any possible
embarrassment.”
He added: “It was my decision. They did not ask that l should do
so. So, yes, I am disappointed. I saw myself as a bridge-builder
between Germany and Poland, not as a trouble-maker.”
The curator also praised several Polish museums for “standing firm”
during a trying period.
“Pressure has been put on these institutions by the (Polish)
government, and by a large proportion of the Polish press,” he claimed.
“I find this quite outrageous in a country which belongs to the
European Union, and in which scientific and cultural institutions
should be independent of the prevailing government.
“We are all members of the International Council of Museums, which
is a part of UNESCO. As such, museums should be able to decide freely
with whom they co-operate and to whom they send loans.
“No sitting government has a right to put pressure on these
institutions, which has been the case in a way I never would have
expected,” he added, with irritation.
Rogasch says while the Berlin exhibition involves the fate of 12-
14 million German refugees who either fled or were ousted from their
homes in Poland, Czechoslovakia and several other countries in eastern
Europe after World War II, it also clearly defines the traumatic
experiences of millions of other expellees from other countries.
Entitled “Forced Paths – Flight and Expulsion in Europe During the
20th Century”, the exhibition fills three rooms of the newly revamped
Palais building on the Unten den Linden.
In the biggest hall, nine mass expulsion episodes get pin-pointed,
ranging from the Armenian massacres in 1915 to the German persecution
of the Jews between 1933-45, and the ethnic cleansing terror in
Bosnia-Herzegovina in the early 1990s.
Supporters of the centre, like German Expellees’ leader Erika
Steinbach, who is a conservative (CDU) deputy, argue that it would
serve as a warning against future expulsions.
To its advocates, the centre is deemed a natural development, an
effort to remember and understand an often forgotten fact: That, in
the two years after Germany’s World War II defeat in 1945, millions
of ethnic Germans were forced to leave countries where they and their
ancestors had lived in some cases for centuries, and resettle in
Germany itself.
But in Poland, such talk provokes considerable uneasiness. Most
critics in Poland worry the planned Berlin centre could be misused by
historical revisionists to marginalise or cast aside Nazi Germany’s
responsibility for the colossal civilian suffering which occurred
during the Second World War.
Wladslaw Bartoszewski, an Auschwitz survivor and former Polish foreign
minister argues that if a centre is created then it should be
located in Wroclaw, which prior to World War II was for hundreds of
years the German city of Breslau.
Wroclaw was almost entirely destroyed during the war, when it was
bombarded and eventually over-run by Soviet troops after a desperate
14 week German defence that lasted until four days after the fall of
Berlin in the spring of 1945.
Subsequently it became a classic “refugee city.” Those who settled in
Wroclaw after the war were Polish refugees from the eastern city of
Lvov, which at the end of World War II became Soviet Ukraine’s Lviv,
where mainly ethnic Ukrainians resettled.
Rogasch, who has made numerous visits to museums in Poland in recent
years for talks with fellow curators, insists that Germany has
since the 1939-45 conflict worked painstakingly at documenting the
“outrageous criminal aspects of Germanys history.”
“Now,” he says, “this country has every right to focus on groups
whose German members were also victims 60 years ago. Now they are
in their 70s or 80s. Then, they were children. So they would neither
have voted for Hitler or known anything about the concentration camps.”
“We cannot deny such groups their personal right to remember that
they were victims – victims of Nazi dictatorship and also of Stalinist
expansionism,” says Rogasch.
Aug 1806 0205 GMT

46 MINES BLOW UP OF FIRE ON BORDER ZONE
IJEVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. 46 mines blew up on August 13 at the
border zone of the village of Voskevan, Tavush marz. As the Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed at the Voskevan village head’s office,
inhabitants of the Ghushchi Ayrum village of the Ghazakh region of
Azerbaijan set fire to fields on that day, in the consequence of what
the fire spread and blew up mines placed in the neutral zone. There
are no injured people.

ARMENIANS MAY GAIN SENATE POWER
By Vince Lovato
Burbank Leader,CA
Aug. 16, 2006
Plan for caucus is long overdue, according to candidate for 43rd
district seat.
GLENDALE – A bipartisan group of legislators formed the Assembly
Armenian American Legislative Caucus on Monday, which they hope will
support and create legislation that benefits the state’s 700,000
Armenian Americans.
Co-founders Dario Frommer, a Democrat who represents Burbank and
Glendale, and Greg Aghazarian, a Republican who represents Stockton,
hope the state Senate will soon recognize the bi-partisan group.
“Our intent is for it to be a working caucus and a group of folks
who reach out and educate others,” said Frommer, Assembly majority
leader. “Here in California we have a large and vibrant Armenian
community, not just in my district, but in Fresno and other places,
and we want to bring those folks together.”
The Assembly also passed a resolution on Monday designating Sept. 21,
2006, as Armenian Independence Day.
The group is modeled after the 11-year-old Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues, which is 159 members strong, he said. The caucus has
pushed for American recognition of the Armenian Genocide and free-trade
issues with the 15-year-old former Soviet state, Frommer said.
Armenians have a century-old history in the state and they play a
role in shaping public policy at every level of government, Frommer
said. advertisement
California is the first state to form an Armenian caucus, said Savey
Tufenkian, a 30-year Glendale resident and member of the Armenian
Assembly of America.
“I think it’s wonderful and it’s about time,” Tufenkian said. “We
would like to be part of the whole community as Armenians. We want to
be recognized as a country and that our genocide should be recognized.
Though California has a trade office in Armenia, Tufenkian would
like to see an expansion of trade between the landlocked country and
the state.
“We need to do whatever is needed to improve the lives of Armenians,”
she said.
Such a caucus is long overdue, said Burbank Unified School Board member
Paul Krekorian, who won the Democrat primary for the 43rd District,
which Frommer will vacate this year because of term limits.
“I’ve been a little surprised that legislators who consider themselves
friends of the Armenian community did not create one like this years
ago,” he said. “But what matters to most to Armenians is the same that
matters to all Americans: Excellent public schools, good jobs, health
care for seniors and the opportunity to send their kids to college.”
California is home to the largest Armenian community in the United
States, Frommer said.
About 70,000 Armenian Americans – the largest concentration of
Armenians outside of Armenia – live in his district, Frommer said.