ARMENIAN REPORTER
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April 21, 2007 — From the community section
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1. Tufenkian Foundation reaches out in New York and California (by
Tamar Kevonian)
2. Fresno Games attract more than 300 young athletes (by Paul Chaderjian)
* Annual tournament brings together teams from all over the Golden State
3. Travel author advises young Armenians to build a bridge to their
homeland (by Bedros Safarian)
4. The Leitner family pledges to match donations for a new parish
education and recreation complex
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1. Tufenkian Foundation reaches out in New York and California
by Tamar Kevonian
For proof that one person can make a difference one need go no further
than James Tufenkian and the work accomplished by the Tufenkian
Foundation, a nonprofit foundation he began in 1999 to improve the
quality of life in Armenia. To date the foundation has sponsored more
than 50 worthy projects throughout the country in such diverse fields
as citizen’s rights, agriculture, environmental protection and social
issues.
Set up as three separate branches – Yerevan Office, Stepanakert
Office, and Armenian Forests – they each deal with a myriad of ills
facing Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh today. An event held April 12 at
the Tufenkian Carpets Showroom in Los Angeles was an opportunity to
introduce the foundation to the public. About 50 people attended.
Similar events were held in New York and San Francisco. Nareg
Keshishian, the host of the evening, introduced the organization as a
"grassroots organization without the grass roots," stressing the
ultimate purpose of the evening: fundraising. "This is the first time
we are reaching out to the community," he explained. Until now, Mr.
Tufenkian himself has provided the necessary means to establish and
develop the work of the foundation but now, with their staff of 40,
they are ready to expand outside the boundaries of the basic
necessities that one person alone can provide.
* Armenia Forests
Jeffrey Tufenkian, head of Armenian Forests, described the current
state of Armenia’s forests as "a rape of natural resources of the
country." With the current awareness of environmental issues in the
United States – Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth just won
an Oscar as the year’s best documentary – we are in a unique position
to appreciate the dire environmental consequences caused by
deforestation. The primary goal of Armenian Forests is the
reforestation of the country and re-engaging communities in
environmental issues. "Environmental concerns are not an imported idea
to Armenia," Jeffrey Tufenkian explained. "The Armenian independence
movement grew out of environmental concerns raised by the nuclear
power plant." Back in a.d. 1100, Armenia’s forests covered 35 percent
of the country. A survey conducted in 1991, the last during the Soviet
era, showed that proportion reduced to 11 percent. Today about 7-8
percent of the total area of Armenia is covered by forests. "Loss of
forests cause loss of rivers and streams and harsher weather, which
impinges on the quality of life," said Jeffrey Tufenkian. He went on
to say that the government claims that poor villagers are the ones
cutting down trees, while the reality is that it is done by much more
powerful forces such as the oligarchs operating in the country and
exporting this natural resource. Armenia did not export trees in the
Soviet era. Until the country’s independence, there were massive
reforestation efforts, with 700 acres a year planted. Now the
Tufenkian Foundation has undertaken part of that effort and has
reforested 1,700 acres by planting 1.2 million trees in last few
years. The first-year survival rate is a remarkable 91 percent.
"These were relic forests which grew under different conditions 800
years ago and are difficult to regrow," Jeffrey Tufenkian laments,
"But there are still forests remaining near Tsaghkadzor with rare
(Oriental) plane-trees."
There seems to be a ray of hope on the horizon. Recently the
Tufenkian Foundation banded with other organizations, such as the
Armenia Tree Project, to fight the proposed highway that was to run
through Shikahogh, Armenia’s premier nature reserve, which had
remained relatively intact. The highway, which would connect Armenia
with Iran, was expected to run through 17 kilometers (11 miles) of the
reserve, which boasts 1,074 types of plants, many of them endemic, as
well as Armenian mufflon (wild sheep) and the endangered Caucasian
leopard.
The project threatened to destroy at least 3,000 acres of the
reserve’s territory and would have inevitably led to the deforestation
of some of Armenia’s unique virgin oak forests. The highway would have
divided the forest into two and provided easy access to illegal
poachers and loggers. Through the joint efforts of these
organizations, the Ministry of Nature Protection revised their plan
and Shikahogh was saved.
Despite all these efforts there are still many environmental issues
facing Armenia today, such as strip mining and unfiltered processing
plants that threaten fresh water supplies and the quality of life of
the people living in the region.
"James supports the basic operation but we need outside donors to
penetrate more deeply in engaging locals to make a difference,"
stressed Jeffrey Tufenkian.
* Yerevan Office
The Yerevan office is involved on a different front with programs such
as the Manana Youth Education and Cultural Center, Achilles NGO
(nongovernmental organization), Makur Yerevan, and Zangadun. They have
carried out 50 projects so far and deal with a variety of social ills
such as extreme poverty, citizen’s rights, and children’s development.
The focus of the office has changed several times in the last eight
years but the unifying theme has always been to scout out individuals
and organizations that have initiated programs and provide them with
resources to expand and make a difference. Currently they have a
two-pronged approach: grant giving and direct Tufenkian Foundation
projects. In the first category is the Manana NGO started in the early
1990s by Ruzan Baghdasaryan to provide a comprehensive education to
gifted youth in the visual arts, media, and creative writing. Ms.
Baghdasaryan started the project in her own apartment, supported by
neighbors and friends. The foundation provided the means to help
Manana to expand and within five years the children who attend pursue
artistic endeavors such as photography and film, entering and winning
international competitions like their recent success in Amsterdam of
Dinner Time, a three-minute film.
In the second category is Zangadun which proves assistance to
indigent families. Poverty in Armenia is a serious issue; 30 percent
of the population lives below the poverty line and 5 percent are in
extreme poverty, trying to survive on an average daily income of $1 a
day. "In these severe situations, financial aid is not enough,"
explained Margaret Hovhannisyan, the director of the office. "The
families have gotten used to the poverty and it is difficult to pull
them out." The program does not distribute clothes or food since many
other organizations provide for those needs. Rather, it offers things
like psychological and social services, counseling, and job training.
The children are particularly vulnerable since their parents cannot
provide for them and they usually drop out of school, remain
illiterate, and end up with no means of securing a job, thus
continuing the cycle of poverty and dependence.
"I wish the poor were not poor and the rich wouldn’t shut their
doors in front of misery." So said 12-year-old Marianna, one of the
once illiterate children who has received the benefits of the
foundation.
* Stepanakert Office
The foundation’s goal is to develop self-sufficiency and nowhere is
that more prominent than the projects done through the Stepanakert
office. "We help people to grow and be sustainable," says Antranig
Kasbarian, the program director, "The aim is not to save the Armenian
people but to plant a seed so the recipient organizations can grow
wings and fly and we can move on to other projects."
Mr. Kasbarian’s focus on Karabakh is critical beyond the need to
help individuals. The border zones are the most vulnerable and remote
areas of the region are lacking in the most basic necessities. "We
try to go where no one has gone before and try to push the envelope by
talking on projects that are unseen, unwanted, or ignored by other
organizations," said Mr. Kasbarian. He went on to explain that the
borderlands have the fastest rates of population depletion, while the
people who remain tend to be older. Thus they focus on resettlement
issues employing two methods. First is building a village from scratch
and providing all of its needs, from housing and employment to
infrastructure and social services, such water, power, roads, and
medical care facilities. Second is improving the existing
infrastructure and bolstering economic growth.
Arajamugh, a village developed from scratch in 2003, currently has
20 families and a waiting list of dozens even though it is located in
an area of Karabakh that would be the first stop on an Azerbaijain
incursion. The success of Arajamugh lies in the fact that it is more
that a mere collections of houses, but a village designed to provide
livelihoods. It reinforces the foundation’s belief that people would
stay if they had a means of economic sustainability.
The work to improve existing villages is taking place in the Lachin
corridor, a strategically hard-won territory connecting Armenia to
Nagorno-Karabakh; it is vital for the region’s future existence. In
the last few years the difficult conditions, lack of work
opportunities, and government corruption have caused an estimated 30
percent of the population to seek a life elsewhere. Here the
foundation improved the existing infrastructure by doing minor road
repairs, providing power sources, and bolstering economic incentives
for people to settle there by building a flour mill, opening a clinic,
and resurrecting a 40-acre grape vineyard now employing 50 people.
"Overall we want to give people hope and the belief that there’s a
future there," stresses Mr. Kasbarian.
connect:
1-201-221-1055 or
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2. Fresno Games attract more than 300 young athletes
* Annual tournament brings together teams from all over the Golden State
by Paul Chaderjian
FRESNO, Calif. – In five gymnasiums in Central and South Fresno over
the weekend, more than three hundred Armenian basketball players
between the ages of 10 and 14, competed in the annual Fresno Games.
These division D and division E tournaments were hosted by the Fresno
"Sassoon" chapter of Homenetmen, the Armenian General Athletic Union
and Scouts.
Raffi Khatchadourian, a member of the Homenetmen regional executive
from Northern California says the Fresno Games take place every April,
usually the weekend after Easter. "It’s Fresno’s major athletic
activity for the year," he says. "What is interesting about these
divisions, which are for younger kids, is that you see the families
involved. These kids don’t drive, so when they come here, their
families come with them."
The Fresno Games are one of a series of tournaments Homenetmen
Western Region chapters host throughout the year. The San Diego
"Sevan" chapter hosts the first games of the year in February. The
Fresno Games take place in April, followed by the Orange County
"Sardarabad" F and G division games, which will take place this
weekend (April 21-22) in Fountain Valley. After the Fourth of July
weekend international Navasartian Games, San Francisco hosts the last
of the regional games, followed by the Winter Invitational from
October through November in Los Angeles.
"All of these Homenetmen tournaments are special to us," says Alec
Araradian, Homenetmen "Shant" Chapter treasurer and co-athletic
director. "It gives us a chance to visit our brothers and sisters in
Fresno, San Diego, Orange County, and San Francisco. It gives us a
chance to visit them, see some friends, make some new acquaintances.
It’s an enjoyable event for us."
Outside the McLane High School gymnasium on Saturday, the parking
lot was full of high profile black SUVs and kids and their parents
coming in and out for one of the games, which began at eight in the
morning and continued until ten at night. For most who had driven from
Northern or Southern California, creating an Armenian community for
their kids was more important than which team was winning the
tournament.
"The Armenian community has to have something unifying it, something
that kids can be a part of that is cool for them," says Armen Alayan
from Daily City in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Over time, we are not
going to be able to maintain speaking, writing Armenian. America is a
country that assimilated everybody, and a couple of generations later,
there’s not going to be a lot of Armenian speakers."
Alayan says having an organization like Homenetmen that brings young
kids together can be that unifying entity. "It might be Homenetmen. It
might be something else," he says, "but so, far it’s Homenetmen.
That’s why it’s important to bring my son and daughter to these games.
It’s also as much fun for us as it is for them. We like to see how
they play. We meet our friends. It’s fun."
Another San Francisco resident, Art Babayan, says he has been
bringing his 13-year-old to the Fresno Games for four years. Art’s
kids have also been participating in the Navasartian Games for the
past eight years. "Fresno has a big Armenian community in the United
States," he says. "It’s important for kids to know who they are, where
their roots are from, and have more friends from the Armenian
community."
"The Homenetmen organization has just been wonderful in keeping
Armenians together," says Los Angeles resident Armik Agakanian.
"That’s the most important thing. I’m not too crazy about the games,
and it’s doesn’t matter who wins. Just to have the kids get together
and bond, that’s the most important thing as far as I’m concerned."
Armik says he drove his 11-year-old and 12-year-old kids from
Southern California, because he believes social bonds form early.
Armik says he wants his kids being comfortable in Armenian communities
away from home. "This year is my son’s second year," says Armik. "Last
time he was here, they lost all the games. This morning, he was so
excited that he woke up at 4:30. He had his uniform on, ready to go,
even though his game is not until two o’clock."
Excitement ran rampant on both Saturday and Sunday. Ten-year-old
Suzie Guekguezian from Pasadena was practicing her shots outside the
gym with her two friends from Southern California. "This is my first
time coming to Fresno," says the Chamlian School student. When asked
what the best part of the weekend was, "Playing basketball," she
answers.
For 10-year-old Natalie Nalbandian from La Crescenta, her first
visit to Fresno meant a big win for her team. "Beat Azadamard from
Pasadena," she boasts.
Natalie’s and Suzie’s friend, 10-year-old Aleen Babaian says she
plays lots of different positions on her team. "There’s defense.
There’s offense. There is zone defense," she says.
"I think that the first thing that Homenetmen does," says organizer
Raffi Khatchadourian, "it gives a chance for newer generations of
Armenians to remain in the Armenian environment, which is a safe
environment. They learn the heritage. They make new friends. Their
parents make new friends."
Raffi says he has watched his 16-year-old son develop relationship
with young Armenians from all over the state over the years. "It’s
very interesting," he says. "We think they only come here, play and
then go home and forget about it. But text messaging, e-mail and the
Internet is keeping them connected."
Coach, mom and Homenetmen A-division player Anita Derderian says she
likes the idea of her daughter forging new friendships with Armenians
everywhere. The Pasadena "Azadamard" coach brought eight teams of more
than 100 athletes to Fresno with her.
"It’s good competition and keeps them in the Armenian community,"
she says. "In addition to basketball, I try to teach them to eat
healthy, do a lot of cardio, and we always have conversations about
how it’s not just about winning, but it’s about having a good time."
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3. Travel author advises young Armenians to build a bridge to their homeland
by Bedros Safarian
FAIR LAWN, N.J. – The coauthor of the bestselling travel guide The
Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh spoke to more than 170 people
on March 18 at the St. Leon Church in Fair Lawn, N.J., and encouraged
them to send their children to study or volunteer in Armenia as a way
of helping the country thrive.
The author, Matthew Karanian, made his comments as part of an
illustrated presentation and photography exhibit. The presentation was
one of several that he made during March on the East Coast.
Mr. Karanian said the purpose of the book tour was to inspire more
members of the community to become "engaged" in helping Armenia to
prosper.
"I’m a not a travel agent and I don’t have any special interest in
promoting tourism to Armenia just for its own sake," said Karanian. "I
want you to go to Armenia because if you go, I’m sure the experience
will change your life and inspire you to help Armenia to prosper and
thrive," he said.
"Send your kids and grandkids to Armenia," Mr. Karanian told the
group in response to a question about how one can help Armenia without
just writing a check.
"If you have children who are in college, send them to Armenia to
study for the summer, or to volunteer. If your kids are younger, take
them with you," Mr. Karanian said. "The experience will make them
life-long advocates for Armenia, and they’ll forge lasting
relationships with the people there."
Everyday living conditions in Armenia are likely to be less
comfortable than they are in the U.S., especially for visitors who
avoid the tourist-class hotels. But the sacrifice of material comforts
is educational in itself, said Mr. Karanian, and will "contribute to a
greater appreciation" of the challenge of supporting our homeland.
Mr. Karanian’s opinion is influenced by his own experience. He and
co-author Robert Kurkjian first traveled to Armenia in 1995 to teach
at the American University of Armenia (AUA). They have returned every
year since then, and Kurkjian’s children (the youngest of whom is 3)
have all traveled to Armenia and Karabakh.
Mr. Karanian recently completed three years of service as associate
dean of AUA’s law program and as the director of the university’s
Legal Research Center. He practiced law in Connecticut for 10 years
before turning his attention to Armenia. Mr. Kurkjian served for
several years as the founding director of AUA’s Environmental
Conservation and Research Center. They are both Armenian-Americans who
grew up on the East Coast and now live in the Los Angeles area.
"Except for a brief blip in 1918, this is the first time in hundreds
of years that Armenia has been independent," he said. "Why wouldn’t
you want to go and help?" he asked.
* An open-air museum … and more
The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh contains a section on
volunteering, with a list of organizations that accept volunteers.
"And language isn’t a barrier," Mr. Karanian said. "The American
University of Armenia sometimes has opportunities for professional
volunteers and everything is done in English. In Yerevan, almost
everyone speaks English."
Mr. Karanian’s presentation at St. Leon Church was one of several
events on the East Coast in March. He also spoke at the St. Thomas
Church in Tenafly, and at the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s
headquarters in New York City. Later this year his tour will take him
and co-author Robert Kurkjian to St. Vartan Cathedral in New York, to
the Armenian Library Museum of America in Watertown, Mass., and
elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada.
The highlight of each presentation is a 35-minute slide show that
features photography from throughout Armenia and Karabakh. The images
depict the stark differences between urban Yerevan and the most remote
parts of Karabakh.
"It’s true that Armenia is an open-air museum, but it’s also so much
more than that," said Mr. Karanian. "It’s also a thriving, modern,
republic." With those comments, Mr. Karanian proceeded to show images
that looked as if they had been made in New York or Florida, rather
than Armenia: a young man riding a jet ski on Lake Sevan; a
bikini-clad woman dipping her toe in the water at a Sevan resort; and
a woman shopping at a fashionable Yerevan boutique.
"These images accurately depict one part of Armenia, and are just as
accurate as the other images of historic sites or time-worn villagers
that you have come to expect" he said. The photographs were a sample
of the 135 images that appear in Karanian’s and Kurkjian’s book.
Since its release in September 2006, the second edition of Armenia
and Karabagh has become the bestselling English-language book on
Armenia. The previous edition was a 2005 finalist for Best Travel
Guide by the Independent Publishers Association. Sample pages of the
book are available online at A list of
outlets where the book is sold can be viewed at
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4. The Leitner family pledges to match donations for a new parish
education and recreation complex
FAIR LAWN, N.J. – Even the area’s largest rainfall since 1892 couldn’t
keep parishioners of Fair Lawn’s St. Leon Church away from a
groundbreaking ceremony for their new education and recreation
complex. Despite the nor’easter that ravaged the eastern seaboard,
over 300 parishioners gathered on Sunday, April 15, for a badarak
celebrated by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of
the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), followed by a ground
blessing ceremony for the parish’s new project.
Because of the rain, soil from the construction site was brought
indoors for the blessing.
"This is a great day for St. Leon, and a wonderful day for the
entire Armenian Church," Archbishop Barsamian said. "The young people
whose cultural, national and faith identities were first nurtured in
their homes at the hands of their parents will be furthered here, in
the parish."
Also present at the ceremony was Fair Lawn Mayor Steven Weinstein,
who presented the attending parishioners with an official letter of
congratulations.
Planned for construction on land purchased by the parish in 2003
adjacent to the existing church facility on Saddle River Road, the
ambitious multi-million dollar building project will provide greater
resources for the parish’s children. The building was designed
following an exploration of the needs of the parish’s various
organizations and parishioners.
The complex, designed by architect Thomas Ashbahian, who is also a
parishioner of the church, will hold classrooms, meeting rooms, and a
full-size regulation gymnasium suitable for competitive play. The new
complex will also provide parking for almost 100 additional cars.
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.
* A matching funds challenge
The parish is in the midst of a $5 million fundraising effort. So far,
the parish has raised $3.4 million for the project. Major gifts have
issued from several individuals, including Charles and Grace Pinajian,
Mrs. Siran Gabrellian, and Jim and Sandra Leitner – all of whom were
all recognized during the ground blessing service.
To encourage others to become stewards of the new recreational
center, parish leaders James and Sandra Leitner announced their intent
to create a grant that will match, dollar-for-dollar, all new
donations made to the building project for one year, or until the
outstanding $1.6 million is raised.
Speaking to the assembled parish at a reception and celebration
following the badarak and ground breaking service, Sandra Leitner
said, "Ever since we joined St. Leon 17 years ago, our family has been
inspired by so many in this community, whose deepest satisfaction and
joy come from their commitment to others."
The Leitners hope that their appeal will not only help the project
reach its goal, but will also bring others closer to the community.
"We hope that this challenge grant will encourage anyone who has not
yet made a donation to jump on the bandwagon and experience the
satisfaction it will bring," Mrs. Leitner added. "A donation will be
your statement that you want to build an improved future for this and
future generations of Armenians, in the embrace of the Armenian
Church."
Donations can be sent to St. Leon Church at 12-61 Saddle River Road,
Fair Lawn, NJ, 07410.
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