Author: Vardanian Garo

NOAH’S ARK RECONSTRUCTED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Nirvana International, UK
May 31 2007

Greenpeace has climbed one of the world’s most famous mountains in
Turkey to demonstrate about climate change.

Mount Ararat is Turkey’s tallest peak and is believed to be the spot
where Noah’s ark rested after the flood.

Next week, a declaration will be read out at the site where Turkish
and German craftsmen have built a replica wooden ark.

Organisers hope the publicity stunt will draw world leaders’ attentions
to global warming ahead of the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany
next month.

The activists have been working on the construction since the beginning
of the month and used 40 horses to carry timbers to the site, some
2,500 metres (6,500 feet) above sea level.

Gerwald Hers, Greenpeace project coordinator, told Reuters why they
had chosen to build the ark.

"There is a connection between the flood, which happened a long,
long, long time ago and our climate change now, so we came to the
idea that we need again a new ark to survive," hesaid.

The declaration will be read about by Turkey’s famous television host
Okan Bayulgen, who supports the project.

The replica will measure 32 feet by 13 feet when it is finished and
will be open to the public at the end of the month.

Mount Ararat is located in the northeast corner of Turkey near the
Iranian and Armenian borders.

ATOMIC ENERGY SAFETY COUNCIL IS IN SESSION

Panorama.am
18:51 30/05/2007

The 9-th regular sitting of Atomic energy safety council assigned
to President started today. Several reports on increase of safety
level of Metsamore Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) will be presented to
participants. President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, chairman of
Atomic energy safety council Adolf Birkkhoferan, NPP director Gagik
Makosyan and Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan spoke at the sitting.

The final paper will be prepared on the basis of the reports and
suggestions of the sitting and be presented to President. According
to the head of Atomic energy controlling state agency Ashot
Martirosyan, Armenian NPP operates according to international safety
requirements. IAEA representatives also took part in the sitting.

EXPERTS SAY PRESSURE ON POLITICIANS WILL HELP END GENOCIDE IN DARFUR
By: Mark Noack | Freelance Reporter |

Oregon Daily Emerald, OR
May 29 2007

PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 2 next > A panel of experts and
academics on the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan argued Thursday
at 7:30 p.m. in the EMU’s Fir Room that asserting public pressure on
politicians and media outlets will help end the crisis.

The event, titled "Not On Our Watch: Perspectives In Genocide In
Darfur" and organized by Amnesty International and the Lane County
Darfur Coalition, aimed to raise public awareness of the Darfur
genocide, which has received limited media attention.

The genocide in the Darfur is estimated to have killed between 200,000
and 400,000 people and has displaced 2.5 million into massive refugee
camps in surrounding nations. Beginning in the wake of a 2003 revolt in
southern Sudan, the Sudanese government has supported armed guerrilla
groups in an ongoing campaign of murder and rape against villagers
in the southwest Darfur region. The oil-rich East African nation
has been embroiled in war during the past three decades yet the
blooming crisis has become removed from any single cause, instead
encompassing a variety of complex religious, ethnic, geographic and
economic conflicts domestically and internationally.

While the U.S. government has called the crisis in Darfur genocide,
it has been slow to act, said University professor of psychology Paul
Slovic, one of the three panelists.

Beginning with the Armenian genocide, Slovic noted the international
community has largely ignored the 20th century’s series of genocides.

The same is true today, as U.S. media outlets have also generally
shied away from the Darfur crisis since it began in 2003, said Slovic.

Working as a photojournalist in Darfur, panelist Paul Jeffrey said
media outlets faced huge obstacles to gaining access to Darfur,
including high expenses, a violent, repressive government and a lack
of public interest in the issue.

"While the majority of international politicians continue to decry
the genocide in Darfur, little has changed on the ground in the
country," Jeffrey said. "To get even a visa into the country is a
diplomatic dance."

Jeffrey said the Chinese government has been the predominant defender
of Sudan’s genocide campaign, consistently blocking any UN peacekeeping
actions in the region. China is a huge importer of Sudanese oil,
and a recent Amnesty International report has accused the Russian and
Chinese governments of supplying weapons to the Sudanese government.

University Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Erickson said rape by Sudanese
soldiers and government-sponsored militiamen has been a particularly
powerful weapon, used systematically in the destruction of Darfur.

Compounding the tragedy, she said, is the rise of rape in the refugee
camps.

"There is no punishment for perpetrators," said Erickson. "Women will
often see their attackers again; this often happens in the camps."

In order to help change the situation in Darfur, Slovic said public
pressure is the only way to force politicians to do more than express
outrage. In regard to China, which will be in the international
spotlight for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a focused public
effort could result in dramatic change.

But without that pressure, Slovic warned, change is unlikely.

LET US APPRECIATE INDEPENDENCE

Yerkir.am
May 25, 2007

In May 1918, the Armenian nation restored its right to live
independently and build its own state. This achievement cost great
sacrifices and heroic battles. However, this independence lasted
too short.

In September 1991, the Armenian nation restored its independence for
the second time and has been following this difficult road for over
fifteen years.

Of course, there is a direct link and succession between the three
Armenian republics of the XXI century. Had the first Republic not
existed we wouldn’t have had the second and the third. There is a
direct connection between the First and the Third Republics from the
perspective of independent statehood.

We can state with confidence that the present Republic of Armenia is
the successor of the First Republic of 1918 in the modern reality.

Freedom and Independence are ultimate universal values. Independence
means that the given nation is the master of its future, it builds its
own history, its present and future in accordance with its national
spirit and traditions.

Independence means freedom of this or that nation state from any
external interference. It means a state’s ability to implement
autonomous domestic and foreign policy, etc.

Toady we must appreciate the independence and try to materialize it
so that it becomes an unalienable property of every citizen causing
his national pride. This can be achieved with positive shifts in the
life of the Republic and improvement of the quality of life rather
than merely campaigning and celebrating independence anniversaries.

ONE MORE SOLDIER, WHO CROSSED KARABAKH BORDER AND WAS RETURNED HOME UNDER PROSECUTION IN BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2007 18:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Under the chairmanship of Iskender Gadjiev in
the Military Court for Grave Crimes a process will launch on June
1 on Eldaniz Nuriev’s case, who is accused of parricide. E. Nuriev
is prosecuted under the 274 Article (state parricide) of the Azeri
Penal Code.

Private of the Azeri army 1979-born Eldaniz Nuriev crossed the border
in the night of December 31, 2006 in the direction of the Fizouli front
line between Nagorno Karabakh and Azeri armed forces. He was detained
by servicemen of NKR Defense army. In the result he was returned home.

Last week judge Djamai Ramazanov in the Military Court for Grave
Crimes finished the criminal case of private Vusal Garadjaev. He was
sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment. V. Garadjaev was prosecuted
under the 274 Article (state parricide) and 338.1 (violation of sentry
change rules) of the Azeri Penal Code. Vusal Garadjaev crossed the
border and was detained by NKR Defense Army soldiers together with
his weapon December 7, 2006 in the Aghdam direction of the front
line. On December 21 he was handed to the Azeri side.

RA MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE LEVON MKRTCHIAN SENDS CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO SCHOOL-LEAVERS

Noyan Tapan
May 25 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On May 25, RA Minister of Education and
Science Levon Mkrtchian sent a congratulatory message to leavers of
Armenian comprehensive schools.

The Minister’s message, in particular, read: "You are the first
generation, which was born in the free and independent Armenia and
will enter "great life" in a few days. And it is too important that
this entrance be full of hope, inspiration, expectations of fulfilment
of goals and dreams."

In the message L. Mkrtchian also touched upon introduction of the new
examination system mentioning that the leavers are the young force of
"our state free of the complexes of the past, having victoriously
overcome many difficulties."

L’INVENTIVITE – RIGOUREUSE DE RUBEN MELIK
Jean-Baptiste Para

L’Humanite, France
23 mai 2007

Decès . Le poète est mort lundi. Un autre poète, Jean-Baptiste Para,
lui rend hommage.

Ruben Melik nous a quittes. Pour tous ceux qui l’ont connu, son
elegance et sa discretion donnaient une couleur particulière a son
affectueuse presence humaine. D’ascendance armenienne, il etait ne
a Paris en 1921. " Ruben je viens, mon nom le dit, des autres zones
", ecrivait-il dans le Veilleur de pierre. À la Fete de l’Humanite,
nous avons plusieurs fois dejeune ensemble dans un stand armenien. La –
fidelite a ses racines etait chez Ruben Melik une forme de tendresse,
elle etait aussi memoire d’une – tragedie. Il savait que ses racines
doivent etre pour l’homme le lieu premier de son essor, mais qu’elles
se dessèchent et se sclerosent dans le repli identitaire.

Derrière ses fines lunettes cerclees d’or, ses yeux toujours
s’illuminaient lorsqu’il evoquait ses anciens professeurs,
Jacques Decour, Ferdinand Alquie et Gaston Bachelard. Engage dans
la Resistance, il avait fait partie du comite de Liberation du 18e
arrondissement de Paris. Charge de mission au ministère de l’Education
nationale puis au ministère des Affaires culturelles dans les annees
1954-1970, producteur et critique a la radio, directeur litteraire
des Editeurs francais reunis, membre du comite de la revue Europe,
la poesie fut toujours au coeur de son existence. C’est lui qui
veilla au destin de la celèbre collection " La Petite Sirène " où
furent publies nombre de poètes majeurs de notre temps, de Nazim
Hikmet a Yannis Ritsos, de Guillevic a Aïgui, de Bernard Vargaftig
a Lionel Ray. C’est lui aussi qui dirigea une très belle Anthologie
de la poesie armenienne des origines a nos jours (1973).

En 1946, Joë Bousquet avait ete l’un des premiers a – saluer les debuts
poetiques de Ruben Melik : " Je me sens attire vers l’oeuvre de ce
jeune poète, d’abord parce que j’y rencontre une notion très virile
de l’espoir, un optimisme nourri de force et non d’illusion ; et pour
d’autres raisons aussi, dont l’une ne manque pas de pedanterie : il
reussit la grande strophe en alexandrins sans epouser les rythmes qui
nous ont lasses d’elle… " C’etait remarquer d’emblee l’originalite de
ce poète, dont la magie du verbe aura toujours mele des accents très
neufs et singuliers a une – intense memoire de la poesie francaise
classique, tout particulièrement celle de la fin du XVIe et du debut
du XVIIe siècle.

" Le classicisme n’est que la corde la plus tendue du – baroque ",
observait Francis Ponge. Et sans doute est-ce dans le meme sens que
Ruben Melik comprenait le classicisme. C’etait chez lui une – facon de
manifester une haute exigence, de poursuivre sa route sans concession
a – aucune mode, de respecter et de casser d’un meme geste le vers
classique pour lui offrir la chance d’une nouvelle articulation. Ce
travail sur le vers lui permettait de donner au poème une architecture
ample et inquiète, riche de nuances, de surprises, d’ouvertures
imprevues et de – fecondes deviations. Comme le remarquait Marie-Claire
Bancquart dans un essai publie en postface a la Procession : " Cette
clarte, cette regularite presque ostentatoire, sont employees par
Ruben Melik pour dire une immense derive qui, par elles, est renfermee
dans une forme en – apparence fixe. " Outre la Procession, livre dans
lequel il avait reuni et redistribue – selon un ordre architectural
et non chronologique l’ensemble de ses oeuvres parues de 1942 a 1984
(Messidor-Rougerie, 1984), on lira et relira Ruben Melik dans un
autre volume essentiel qui rassemble ses poèmes des annees 1989-1994
: En pays partage (Le Temps des cerises – Les Ecrits des forges,
2000). En attendant, peut-etre, la parution de poèmes inedits…

–Boundary_(ID_VsM1tMcEBFQwRGLImFlckA) —

BAKU PROTESTS AGAINST THE VISITS OF ARMENIANS TO ARTSAKH

AZG Armenian Daily
25/05/2007

Singers from Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, USA, Bulgaria
will participate at "Gift" song festival. According to "Azeri press"
agency, Azerbaijan will protest officially against the states, which
representatives officially participate in "Gift" festival.

ADVISER TO NKR PRESIDENT: "ARMENIAN REFUGEES ARE A SERIOUS FACTOR"

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 25 2007

Arman Melikian, Adviser to NKR President on Foreign Policy Issues, is
not especially optimistic about the possibility of reaching successful
outcomes in the Karabagh talks. "As soon as there is a specific result
the Karabagh party agrees with, it will become possible to display
optimism. I think such displays are premature now," Melikian noted.

As for the current stage of the conflict process, NKR President’s
Adviser stated the Minsk process had become the talks held between RA
and AR FMs and Presidents, IA REGNUM reports. Melikian again reminded
that the Nagorno-Karabagh had the right to be the talks’ participant.

Touching on the OSCE MG Co-Chairs’ statement that it had not been
the mediators, who suggested that Stepanakert’s representatives be
excluded from the talks, Melikian found a share of the Co-Chairs’
guilt, "as they have agreed to such a format".

In Arman Melikian’s words, the Co-Chairs begin to realize that Armenian
refugees are a serious factor, ignoring which will result in a deadlock
in the settlement process. "In case the Armenian refugees agree to
return to Azerbaijan, it will become possible to speak of Azeris’
return. Unless they agree, it is necessary to consider, where the
people (Armenian refugees – ed.) will live, where their new Motherland
will be. From this point of view the liberated territories are the
most suitable place", Arman Melikian said.

To remind, OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs visited Yerevan May 21-23,
within the frames of a regional visit. May 25 they will arrive in
Azerbaijan, where they are to meet with Azeri officials.

POLITICAL ANALYST: IT IS NOT WORTHY TO SEARCH FOR PRO-WESTERN OR PRO-RUSSIAN FORCES IN ARMENIA

Regnum, Russia
May 24 2007

Russia’s activity in the post-Soviet territory, particularly, in South
Caucasus has not born significant results, head of international
relations department at the Institute for Political and Military
Analysis (Russia) Sergey Markedonov told reporters today in Yerevan.

A REGNUM correspondent quotes him as saying that Russia has been
active in energy policy and in this connection discussion of Russian
energy imperialism started. Moreover, last year was a year of tough
pressure upon Georgia and Armenia as well, if we remember the twice
increase of the gas tariffs, and tough pressure upon Azerbaijan by
the end of the year, noted Markedonov. However, such activity turned
out to be ineffective, as it was grounded upon several erroneous
concepts. In particular, one of the concepts is the conviction that
work must be done with authorities only and the rest political elite
poses no interest, because there are common partners in power and it
is necessary to work with them.

The second aspect is inadequate fear of "color revolutions" and
unwillingness to be more pragmatic in finding a real corridor of
opportunities in cooperation. "The Russian policy increased the level
of mythological, as one can dislike Saakashvili as much as one can,
but one cannot say he is a US puppet and it is impossible to deal with
him; it is not true," Markedonov said adding that it does not mean
that "Abkhazia should be presented on a platter, however, there are
other spheres – economy and joint protection of the Chechen-Dagestani
section of the border."

"Everything is changing, and the dynamics should be taken into
account," said Markedonov adding that one should not be looking
for pro-Western or pro-Russian forces in Armenia: "There are only
pro-Armenian forces in Armenia and they will be using Russia and the
West in their national interests."