Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

91ST COMMEMORATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY
By Amihai Zippor

Judeoscope.ca, Canada
May 4 2006

Jews, Armenians Both Feel Need For Israel To Be At Forefront Of
Recognition

(IHC News, 04 May 2006) The Hebrew University in Israel held its
commemoration of the Armenian genocide at its Givat Ram Campus
in Jerusalem on Wednesday 26 April 2006 with some 200 people in
attendance.

The annual event, organized by Armenian Studies Professor Michael
Stone, came two days after 24 April, the official day Armenians mark
the deportation and murder of 1.5 million of their people between
1915 and 1917 by the Ottoman Turks.

As in previous years, the commemoration of the genocide coincided
with the State of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, which pays
tribute to the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis in World War II.

The striking similarity in the history of both peoples is often
spoken about in Jewish and Armenian circles as both have experienced
tragic periods and ironically, when Hitler was asked how he planned
to get away with the systematic extermination of the Jews he answered,
“who remembers the Armenians?”

However, despite overwhelming documented evidence, the genocide,
to the dismay of many Armenians, is not recognized by much of the
international community, most notably the State of Israel.

“I feel pride that the Jewish community is interested and sympathizes
with the Armenian people and it makes me happy to be a citizen of
Israel whose people really do care about the genocide,” said Jerusalem
resident Serop Sahagian whose grandparents were survivors.

“But, I am very disappointed with the government’s policy. Israel
should have been the first nation to recognize the Armenian genocide
and now they are one of the last and that is very bad,” Sahagian said.

During the course of the evening, several of the Jewish and Armenian
speakers touched on this sensitive matter.

At one point, His Excellency Mr. Tsolag Momjian, Honorary Consul of
the Republic of Armenia read a letter he received the previous week
from Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada that was sent to the
Armenian community.

In it Harper stated Canada’s support for Armenians and their right to
have the genocide recognized by all nations. The declaration prompted
Mr. Momjian to say, “I read this tonight because I have a question
for the Prime Minister of Israel,” referring to the Jewish State’s
official silence on the issue.

Meanwhile, Keynote speaker Yossi Sarid, a former Education Minister in
the Israeli government who fought to have the genocide placed in the
Israeli curriculum, said there were two reasons for Israel’s silence.

The first, he explained was relations with Turkey.

“Who doesn’t think we should have relations with Turkey? They are
important? But, when you are talking about the murder of a nation,
all self-interests must be overlooked,” Sarid said.

“When we talk about the democratic State of Israel, Israel must be
the state, if necessary the only state, that says to all the people
of the world ‘we won’t make considerations because we know, we were
born out of genocide,” he added.

Sarid presented the second reason as a worry in the Jewish community
that recognizing any other genocide will take away from the enormity
of the Holocaust and said, “there is no greater educational mistake
than this.”

Also in attendance was the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, His
Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian who cited the Jewish US
Ambassador to Ottoman Turkey, Henry Morgenthau, and his first hand
account of the genocide as it was happening.

“When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for deportations of
the Armenian people, they were merely giving the death warrant to a
whole race,” the Archbishop read, “they understood this and in their
conversations with me they made no attempt to hide the fact.”

The concluding remarks were given by distinguished Fulbright Scholar,
Professor Abraham Terian who warmly thanked Jewish people for their
efforts to help stop the denial of the Armenian people’s tragedy.

“We Armenians whether here in Jerusalem, in the US or wherever we
are in the world are so truly grateful to our Jewish brothers and
sisters who so conscientiously stand by us as we decry genocide and
perpetrators of inhumanity,” Terian said.

Born in Jaffe near Tel Aviv but currently the Academic Dean of a small
Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, New York, the professor returned
to the topic of the commonality that exists between Jews and Armenians.

“We have so much in common that we speak the same language, our Jewish
brothers and sisters have theirs and we Armenians have ours but beneath
it all there is a subtext that is existentially the same,” said Terian.

“Who should know genocide or holocaust any better than people that
have experienced it and we of all people should be foremost in decrying
what is generally called genocide, something that needs no explanation
or definition anymore,” he said.

He explained that Armenians understand why at the official level,
Israeli leaders are slow to acknowledge the genocide but believe,
just as many Israeli scholars believe, that Israel it strong enough
to tell Turkey:

“In all matters of political expediency, whatever the mutual interests
are politically, all is fine. But, when it comes to denial of the
Armenian genocide, somehow it goes against the grain of Jewish
conscience after what happened to the Jewish people in their recent
past.”

Professor Terian added that for Armenians, just as for Jews, the
psychology of denial in 2006 is sometimes what hurts most. Still,
Jews and Armenians can form a concerted voice because they “understand
each other as to how it feels when they encounter those who deny the
veracity of the Armenian genocide or the Jewish Holocaust.”

Today, Turkey is a strategic ally for Israel and the United States
and while every US president has voiced support for recognizing the
genocide, none have taken that important step.

While Turkey continues to blatantly deny the atrocity ever took place,
the US and Israel are not willing to step forward and condemn the
deniers as they do when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls
the Holocaust “a myth.”

However, there is renewed optimism that Turkey may soon come clean
with its past.

Turkish intellectuals are beginning to openly write about the genocide
and a milestone was achieved in March when for the first time, Henry
Morgenthau’s personal chronicle of his service as the US ambassador
and witness to the massacres was published in Turkey.

That book was first published in November 1918.

Finally, all the speakers on the evening, including Professor Terian,
reiterated that the magnitude of the Holocaust far surpasses any
genocide in the 20th century till today and that there was no intention
of drawing parallels as it was unique in human history.

However, Armenians say they expect the Israeli government not to wait
for the right time to officially acknowledge the genocide just for
acknowledgment’s sake.

In the words of Professor Terian, “if there is any country that should
be leading the way, Israel should be at the forefront of telling the
Turks how it is.”

FIRST FLIGHT WITH CORPSES OF VICTIMS TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN 10 P.M. LOCAL TIME

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2006 21:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Corpses of victims of the crash of A-320
Armenian liner will be delivered to Yerevan at about 10 p.m. local
time. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamyan,
who leads the intergovernmental commission on delivery of corpses
and organization of funeral, stated it at a briefing today. In his
words, 20 or 30 identified corpses will be delivered to Armenia
to all appearance. “Today we will visit Zvartnots airport and will
discuss all organizational matters with its administration – how will
the corpses be delivered and conveyed to the relatives,” he said,
reports Novosti Armenia.

RA AMBASSADOR TO POLAND ASHOT GALOYAN APPOINTED PLURALISTICALLY RA AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ESTONIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 02 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Ashot Galoyan,
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic
of Armenia to the Republic of Poland was pluralistically appointed
by RA President Robert Kocharian’s April 29 decree the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the
Republic of Estonia (residence in Warsaw). Noyan Tapan was informed
about it by the RA President’s Press Office.

MAY 5 – A MOURNING DAY IN RUSSIA

A1+
[01:03 pm] 03 May, 2006

RF President Vladimir Putin has condoled with RA President Robert
Kocharyan on the crash of the Armenian airplane flying from Yerevan
to Adler. He announced that it is the tragedy of the Armenian and
Russian nations.

In Russia too, like Armenia, May 5 has been announced a mourning
day. Let us remind you that 26 of the passengers of the plane were
citizens of Russia.

RECOGNIZING FACT OF GENOCIDE SHOULD BE BY-PRODUCT OF HISTORIAN’S WORK

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2006 00:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the books “The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman
Turkey: A Disputed Genocide” by Guenter Lewy and “The Great Game of
Genocide: Imperialism, Nationalism, and the Destruction of the Ottoman
Armenians” by Donald Bloxham, the authors pay special attention to
the term “genocide”. Both Bloxham and Lewy dwell at length on genocide
denial, and the appropriateness of genocide as a term. “Genocide,” says
Bloxham, is a 1940s word being applied as a “retrospective projection”
upon historical events of decades before: [p.95] “…the killing
did constitute a genocide – every aspect of the United Nations’
definition of the crime is applicable – but recognizing that fact
should be a by-product of the historian’s work, not its ultimate aim
or underpinning.” The sticking point is the perpetrator’s intent:
without intent there cannot be genocide. But intent need not be a
clear-cut, one time manifestation: it can develop, grow, and feed
upon itself and events. Hence, says Bloxham: “[p.96]…Pinpointing
the precise time within that period of radicalization at which a
state framework that is demonstrably permissive of murder and atrocity
becomes explicitly genocidal is extremely difficult and unlikely ever
to be achieved definitively.”

Meanwhile, Lewy finds little tangible evidence of premeditated mass
homicide (i.e. genocide), of Armenians. Perhaps this evidence will
be found, he allows, but it is not there yet. Apparently, crucial
archival documents have gone missing, or have been destroyed, or have
not been made available by Turkish authorities (even now, possibly
due to archival disorganization). In addition, documentation might
have been deemed spurious to begin with, or was used selectively for
political purposes (e.g. to deflect blame for Armenian massacres,
or, on the other hand, to build a case for creating an Armenian
state in eastern Anatolia, or for keeping land and property out
of Armenian hands after the collapse of the Ottoman empire). Lewy
concludes that there is plenty of testimony and documentation that
atrocities and massacres occurred, but, he cautions, premeditation
has yet be ascertained.

Lewy analyzes what he calls the “politicization of history” regarding
Ottomans and Armenians, and believes both sides are stuck in a semantic
bind. He says that the legalistic definition of “genocide” has been
conflated with the common use of the word as a term of opprobrium,
and proposes that separating these two meanings just might provide
the basis for more productive discussions between Turks and Armenians
today. This is a point worth pondering, while not forgetting that the
1948 UN definition of genocide was based on writings by jurist Raphael
Lemkin – who had precisely the Armenian, and other, massacres in mind.

ARMENIAN PM DOWNPLAYS PURPORTED DAMAGE OF OPEN BORDER WITH TURKEY

Armenpress
May 1 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik Margarian
has endorsed efforts seeking reopening of Turkish-Armenian border
saying open border is instrumental in boosting regional cooperation.

“Relations with Turkey will not damage Armenia,” Margarian said in an
interview posted on his Republican Party’s official website. Margarian
said Armenia had been saying repeatedly that it is ready to establish
unconditional diplomatic relations with Turkey.

“Unfortunately, Turkey makes opening of border contingent on a set
of conditions which Armenia cannot accept,” he said. Margarian also
downplayed apprehensions that open border would result in a flow
of cheap Turkish goods and hit Armenian economy saying Armenian
businessmen would have to revise some of their priorities.

“It is not clear what kind of goods would be imported, should Turkey
open the border, and in what volumes, but concerning the currently
imported Turkish goods we can say that the economy would not damage,”
he said.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS MEET IN MOSCOW TOMORROW

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 1 2006

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs– Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Steven Mann
(the USA), Bernar Fasie (France) and personal representative of OSCE
chair- in-office Andrzey Kasprzyk will come together tomorrow in
Moscow, Baku Office of Andrzey Kasprzyk has informed APA.

The co-chairs will precise new details on regulation of Nagorno
Garabagh conflict. In tomorrow’s meeting the co-chairs will identify
the date of the next visit to the region. During the visit to
the region new proposals will be submitted to Azerbaijan-Armenia
leadership.

California Courier Online, May 4, 2006

1 – Commentary
Turkish Consul Exposes True Colors
By Insulting Armenians on April 24
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

2 – Public Invited to AGBU’s Centennial
Celebration on May 7 in Pasadena
3 – Publisher Zarakolu Faces 13-Year Sentence
If Found Guilty by Turkish Court Proceeding
4 – Armenian Assembly Merges
Trustees and Board of Directors
5 – ACC Student Simon Maghakyan
Earns USA Today’s National Honors
6 – Fundraiser for Western Diocese’s
Mother Cathedral Set for May 20
7 – Boyajian Helps Promote Sister Universities
Between US, Taiwan, Mainland China
8 – Armenian History
Book Translated
Into Spanish
9- AAREA Organizes
Candidate Forum
May 8 in Glendale
***************************************** ********************************
1 – Commentary
Turkish Consul Exposes True Colors
By Insulting Armenians on April 24

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
As a growing number of parliaments, international organizations, members of
the media, Turkish scholars and prominent world figures have come to
acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish government has
been frantically looking for ways to counter the rapid progress of the
Armenian Cause.
The Turkish government has alternately offered economic inducements and
issued ultimatums to the fledgling Armenian Republic, in order to compel it
to give up its pursuit of the international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. Neither tactic has borne any fruit. Of course, the real aim of
the Turkish leaders is to drive a wedge between the Republic of Armenia and
the Diaspora on this issue.
In recent years, the Turkish government has spent millions of dollars to
hire the best lobbyists that money could buy and put on Ankara’s payroll
scores of Turkish and foreign hired pens who are expressly tasked to
disseminate anti-Armenian propaganda worldwide. The infamous
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) was another diversionary
tactic. Funded by Washington with the tacit support of Ankara and the
participation of a handful of misguided Armenians, TARC was quickly
abolished when it was met with almost unanimous resistance both in Armenia
and the Diaspora. This ill-fated stratagem, under the guise of fostering
dialogue, was in reality intended to stall the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
The New Anatolian newspaper published an article last month disclosing that
Ankara is seriously concerned with “the rapid rise” of the number of
countries recognizing the Armenian Genocide. It quoted a Turkish official
as saying that Ankara has been looking for ways of stopping this “very
negative [trend] from the Turkish point of view.”
The New Anatolian reported that Turkey is alarmed by the fact that the
Armenian Diaspora is moving beyond securing the recognition of the Genocide
to having its denial punished by law. Such an initiative is being
introduced in the French Parliament later this month. Turkish officials are
also very concerned about the incorporation of the Armenian Genocide in the
school curricula of various countries.
The New Anatolian also disclosed that a high-ranking official from the
Turkish Foreign Ministry met with unnamed representatives of the
Armenian-American Diaspora on the eve of April 24. However, a Turkish
official was quoted as saying: “Turkey did not get any concrete results
from its contacts with the Diaspora.” The Zaman newspaper reported that the
Turks met with “moderate” Armenians.
The reason for this failure could be that Turkish officials are simply
seeking to exploit their Armenian interlocutors rather than trying to
resolve outstanding Armenian-Turkish issues. Ankara is probably pursuing
three objectives with such meetings: 1) to remove one of the roadblocks in
the way of its application for membership in the European Union; 2) to
abort further consideration of U.S. congressional genocide resolutions by
creating the false impression that Turkey is already reconciling with
Armenians; and 3) to drive a wedge not only between Armenia and the
Diaspora, but more importantly, to split the Diaspora itself. On a personal
note, because of the above-mentioned concerns, this writer has turned down
all invitations for meetings with top Turkish leaders. Such meetings could
be meaningful only when the Turkish government is seeking honest dialogue
with Armenians.
The Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles, Engin Ansay, has been tasked
with the launching of these deceptive initiatives in Southern California.
He has been wooing a few members of the local Armenian community by
inviting them to private luncheons and briefings at the Turkish Consulate.
Regrettably, this handful of misguided Armenians have fallen into his trap
of false rapprochement. One would hope that these individuals would see
through this Turkish ploy and extricate themselves from it forthright.
Last month, Consul General Ansay showed his true colors when he lashed back
harshly and undiplomatically at the Armenian community on the eve of April
24. This is an unbecoming behavior for a Turkish official who has the rank
of an Ambassador and has served in many important diplomatic posts around
the world. The Turkish Consul General’s offensive message was in response
to a letter from Steven Dadaian, who had written to the consulates of
various countries in Los Angeles, on behalf of the 91st Anniversary
Commemorative Committee, inviting them to attend the annual commemoration
of the Armenian Genocide in Montebello, California.
Dadaian received the following rude reply from Consul General Ansay, who
sarcastically said that he would like to attend the Armenian Genocide
commemoration in order to “address the gathering with regard to the first
genocide of the 20th Century initiated and committed against millions of
Muslims and Turks by Armenian forces armed and trained by Czarist Russia
during the First World War.”
Hopefully, the Turkish Consul General’s insulting reply would open the eyes
of the gullible Armenians who were mistakenly led to believe that they were
helping “reconcile” Armenians and Turks by cultivating a personal
relationship with the official representative of the Turkish denialist
regime.
************************************************* *************************

2 – Public Invited to AGBU’s Centennial
Celebration on May 7 in Pasadena
PASADENA, Calif. – The Armenian General Benevolent Union Southern
California District will be celebrating the organization’s 100th
anniversary with a celebration event on May 7, at 5 pm, at the AGBU Alex
Manoogian Center in Pasadena under the auspices of Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese.
Governor George Deukmejian, California’s 35th governor and a dedicated
member of the AGBU, will give the evening’s English keynote address.
Assadour Guzelian, a prominent intellectual from London, will speak in
Armenian. The event will feature performances by violin virtuoso Haroutune
Bedelian accompanied on the piano by Dr. Lorna Griffitt, and the prominent
Glendale Hamazkayin Koussan Choir led by Professor Ara Manash and
accompanied by the well-known pianist, Lydia Teluntz. Anahid Nercessian and
Ruben Teluntz will also perform. Dr. Mihran Agbabian, Maral Kojayan and
Alec Pezeshkian will present the participants. A reception will follow the
event.
The AGBU is a leader in Armenian education, cultural, humanitarian and
youth-oriented activities worldwide. The historic anniversary milestone
will be celebrated throughout 2006 by the organization on an international,
national and regional level with year-long activities, festivities and of
course, continued philanthropy. Presently AGBU is headquartered in New York
City. One of the most vibrant and active regions of the AGBU is in
Southern California. Its local activities include the AGBU
Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park and the soon to be inaugurated
high school in Pasadena, chapters in San Fernando Valley, Orange County and
San Gabriel Valley, cultural activities such as the Ardavazt theatre and
dance groups, the Generation Next program, “Hye Geen” women’s group, the
Young Professionals, AYA Youth Association as well as sports and scouting
programs.
The Glendale Hamazkayin Koussan Choir, founded by Manash forty years ago,
is the oldest and most sought after Armenian choir in the community.
Koussan, under Manash’s leadership, has performed extensively for Armenian
as well as general audiences. The key of their success has been the high
caliber and talent of the singers.
Manash was born in Romania and is a graduate of the Bucharest Musical
Academy, having received his degrees in professorship and conducting. He
has been on the musical staff at the “House of Creative Arts” in Bucharest,
at the same time serving as conductor to the Armenian Cultural Home
Ensemble and the Gomidas Choir. In addition to conducting, teaching and
lecturing, Maestro Manash has composed and arranged many Armenian and
non-Armenian songs. He was invited by Vazken I, Catholicos of All
Armenians, to conduct the Holy Etchmiadzin Choir in Armenia. He has
received numerous honors In recognition of his talent and services to the
Armenian community and the people of Los Angeles which include the Saint
Mesrob Mashdotz Medal with a Gontag from Catholicos Aram I, of the See of
Cilicia; a special Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles;
and the Highest Medal of the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural Association, from
its Central Committee.
The members of the AGBU Centennial Celebration Committee – the organizers
of the event – are chairman Haig Messerlian, Tomik Alexanian, Ara Babayan,
Sonia Babayan, Yenovk Balikian, Arda Deramerian, Samuel Ilanjian, Hermine
Janoyan, Angele Karayan, Karnig Karayan, Cecile Keshishian, Avedis
Markarian, Dr. Guiragos Minassian, Varteni Yerjanian and artistic director
Krikor Satamian, with Vahe Imasdounian, Chairman of the Southern California
District Committee. Additional support has been contributed by Shake
Toumayan, Manoug Satamian, Nercess Yerjanian and Barkev Azadian.
The AGBU Alex Manoogian Center is located at 2495 E. Mountain Street,
Pasadena.
************************************************** ************************
3 – Publisher Zarakolu Faces 13-Year Sentence
If Found Guilty by Turkish Court Proceeding
By Erol Onderoglu
ISTANBU; (BYA) – In addition to a number of cases launched against him over
the past years for his publishing activities, Belge Publications owner and
journalist Ragýp Zarakolu now faces up to 13.5 years imprisonment if found
guilty for printing and distributing the Turkish translations of two books
related to Armenians in Turkey.
Zarakolu appeared in court once again, this time on trial for the Turkish
language publication of Prof. Dora Sakayan’s book “Garabed Hacheryan’s
Izmir Journal: An Armenian Doctor’s Experiences, ” and George Jerjian’s ”
The Truth Will Set Us Free: Armenians and Turks Reconciled.”
The prosecution demands 7.5 years imprisonment for the Turkish translation
book “The Truth Will Set Us Free” for which the court has assigned Korkmaz
Alemdar and Cafer Yenidogan of the Galatasaray University and Prof. Dr.
Emin Artuk of Marmara University as expert witnesses. They are to read and
analyze the book for an expert report.
“Garabed Hacheryan’s Izmir Journal: An Armenian Doctor’s Experiences”
promises Zarakolu up to 6 years imprisonment if he found guilty of the
charges but the court decided this week that statements taken were
fulfilling and an additional expert witness report was not required for
this publication.
Appearing before Istanbul’s number 2 Court of First Instance on Wednesday
and defended by attorney Osman Ergin, Zarakolu submitted a petition to the
bench where he explained that author Sakaryan was a lecturer at the McGill
University in Canada and that his book put on trial in Turkey had been
translated into nine different languages.
Zarakolu said Sakaryan had been honored by the German Presidency for his
eminent services in recognition to 50 years of his contributions to the
German language.
He said that Sakaryan was author of the most comprehensive work on the
“Western Armenian” spoken in Turkey and requested the court to interview
the author for his views.
Judge Sevim Efendiler adjourned the case until June 21.
Zarakolu faces six years imprisonment for the Turkish translation
publication of Sakaryan’s book on grounds that he violated the law by
publishing context that “degraded Turkism” and “insulted and ridiculed the
Army.”
He faces 7.5 years imprisonment for Jerjian’s book on charges of “insulting
and ridiculing the State and Republic” as well as “insulting the memory of
Ataturk.”
The two consecutive hearings were held in the presence of International PEN
representative Eugene Schoulgin, International Human Rights Federation
(FÝDH) deputy chairman Akýn Birdal, Pencere publications executive Muzaffer
Erdogdu, Aram publications editor Fatih Tas and author Oner Eyuboglu who
attended the court in support of Zarakolu.
**************************************** ***********************************

4 – Armenian Assembly Merges
Trustees and Board of Directors
WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to streamline the effectiveness of the
organization, Armenian Assembly Trustees added their support to the merger
of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors into one governing
body.
The approved merger was announced during the Assembly’s Annual Trustees
Meeting, led by Chairman Hirair Hovnanian, in Washington, DC last month.
Nominating Committee Chair Van Krikorian reported that an overwhelming 90
percent of Assembly Trustee Members voted to approve the historic merger.
The vote by the Trustees followed the official approval of the Board of
Directors Members and comes after careful deliberation in which the
Assembly concluded that given the complex issues confronting all of us,
such a merge would provide increased efficiency and greater effectiveness
to best address today’s demands and meet tomorrow’s challenges.
“We had an outstanding meeting and appreciate the continued support of our
membership,” said Hovnanian. “We have important work to do in Washington
for the benefit of the Armenian people and I was pleased to be in the
company of such dedicated activists,” he continued.
The merged Board includes the following Members: Hirair Hovnanian,
Chairman; Carolyn G. Mugar, President; Robert A. Kaloosdian, Counselor and
Vice Chair; Edele Hovnanian, Treasurer; Van Krikorian, Counselor; Anthony
Barsamian – Board of Directors Chairman (through June 30th, 2006)/Executive
Committee Member; Lisa Kalustian, Secretary; Joyce Stein, Assistant
Secretary; Lisa Esayian, Executive Committee Member; Jirair Haratunian;
Executive Committee Member; Annie Totah, Executive Committee Member;Peter
Vosbikian, Executive Committee Member; Albert Momjian, Solicitor; Berge
Ayvazian, Daniel Ajamian, Noubar Afeyan, Gerard L. Cafesjian, Lu Ann
Ohanian, Richard Mushegain, and John Waters
Also during the Annual Trustees Meeting, Assembly leaders reviewed
operations in the Washington, Los Angeles and Yerevan offices and discussed
the 2006 operating budget, received updates on legislation pending before
Congress, the ongoing Massachusetts lawsuit, the Mission to Armenia and the
Armenia Tree Project. Having concluded its official business, the Assembly
honored one of its own, outgoing Board of Directors Member Ralph Tufenkian.
Outgoing Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian thanked Tufenkian
for his longstanding support and commitment to the Assembly and said that
in honor of his service, the Assembly planted 10 trees in Armenia in
Tufenkian’s name.
Executive Committee Member Lisa Esayian also presented an award to ARAMAC
State Chair for Kansas Alex Kotoyantz for his grassroots activism and
ongoing work to strengthen the Kansas-Armenia partnership.
********’**************************** *************************************
5 – ACC Student Simon Maghakyan
Earns USA Today’s National Honors
LITTLETON, CO – Arapahoe Community College (ACC) student Simon Maghakyan,
of Littleton, Col., has been named to USA Today’s All-USA Community College
Academic First Team. This honor, co-sponsored by USA Today, the American
Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Phi Theta Kappa International
Honor Society, was bestowed at the April 24 AACC convention in Long Beach,
California.
Maghakyan, originally of Armenia, received an All-USA Academic Team
medallion and commemorative trophy, as well as a cash award. Annually, 20
students are named to the First Team out of approximately 1500 nominees
from two-year colleges across the nation. The nominees must have a 3.25 GPA
and an extensive record of community and campus activities. Judges
considered how well the students applied their academic and intellectual
skills in the various communities in which they live, work and learn.
While attending the AACC convention, Maghakyan was also the community
college student representative for the State of Colorado and honored as a
New Century Scholar along with 49 other students.
Prior to attending the American Association of Community Colleges
Convention, Maghakyan was recognized as a Guistwhite Scholar at the 88th
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society Convention in Seattle,
Washington. He was selected to the 20-member group out of 600 applicants.
Maghakyan served as president of ACC’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society
chapter during 2004-2005, and is currently leading ACC’s Student Leadership
Council. One of his academic successes was the completion, in summer 2005,
of the graduate-level “Genocide and Human Rights Studies” course organized
by the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies in
Toronto. His participation in the program was made possible by a full
scholarship from Colorado-based philanthropists Kaloust and Arous
Christianian.
Maghakyan will be graduating from Arapahoe Community College on May 13 and
plans to continue his political science studies at a four-year university.
USA Today published Maghakyan’s photograph and biography in the April 24
issue.
************************************************* ******************
6 – Fundraiser for Western Diocese’s
Mother Cathedral Set for May 20
LOS ANGELES – Excitement reigns high as the Mother Cathedral Fundraising
and Celebration Gala of May 20 nears. This significant event is an
opportunity for all the Armenian faithful to participate in this historic
occasion.
The Diocese, under the auspices of Primate, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,
will host an evening of celebration at the Arshag and Eleanor Dickranian
Complex in Burbank, beginning with a reception at 7 p.m. in the Galleria,
followed by dinner in the Nazareth and Sima Kalaydjian Banquet Hall.
Under the Chairmanship of Antranik Zorayan, the members of the committee
comprised of distinguished members of the Armenian community, have been
working for approximately two years to meet the formidable challenge of
raising funds for the Mother Cathedral.
The primary objective of the May 20 fundraiser is bring the amount
collected thus far to a level that will enable the Diocese to launch the
construction of the Mother Cathedral.
The committee announced that Hovig Krikorian’s voice and songs will ensure
the night to be an evening of celebration.
Dr. Varoujan Altebarmakian, Chair of the Diocesan Council, will serve as
Master of Ceremonies for the gala.
The construction of the first and only Mother Cathedral of the Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America will soon become a reality
since its inception 107 years ago. The Mother Cathedral will further
strengthen the bridge between the Diaspora and our Motherland Armenia and
Etchmiadzin.
As “Together We Build” the foundation of our community and instill wisdom
and pride within our youth, we also continue the work of the late
Catholicos Khrimian Hayrig which began in 1898. At that time with his
Encyclical he called upon a handful of immigrants to organize this Diocese.
the construction of the Mother Cathedral will be a new momentum in the
history of the Western Diocese.
Attendance to the banquet is by invitation only.
For your invitation, contact the Diocesan Office at 818-558-7474.
************************************************* **************************
7 – Boyajian Helps Promote Sister Universities
Between US, Taiwan, Mainland China
EL MONTE, Calif. – George R. Boyajian, the chairman of the United States
Pacific Rim Chamber, is working closely with Prof. Paul Pai of Cal State
University, San Bernardino, and Deputy Director of the Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office in Los Angeles, to recruit students from Taiwan and
Mainland China to study English and Business at CSUSB.
Their goal is to promote student and professor exchanges between Taiwan and
universities in the United States.
“We shall continue to assist wholeheartedly in the creation of Sister
Universities with various provinces in Taiwan and Mainland China,” Boyajian
said.
Upon finishing their courses at CSUSB, many students return to their
homeland and successfully enter into hotel management.
In addition, US Pacific Rim Chamber has been working with the Confucius
Institute, based in Beijing, China.
The Institute, Boyajian said, focuses on Chinese language and international
business. The Chinese language course will be specifically oriented towards
economics and trade. The institute will use existing classrooms in US
universities and colleges to implement the new program.
Initial funding will come from the Beijing Confucius Institute, whose
immediate goal is to create 15 Confucius institutes in 2006 in the US and
30 additional ones in 2007.
Boyajian noted, “The cooperation we have received from Cal State
University, San Bernardino and the Taiwan Economic office has been
overwhelming.”
Taiwan’s Chen observed that Taiwan is the 8th largest trade country and
entrepreneurs flourish throughout the country, and noted, “We hope to
build, ever strongly, the friendly relations we have with the United
States, especially in the areas of culture, economics and trade.”
UCUSB Professor Pai is an expert in English literature and international
trade and management studies. In addition, he has successfully implemented
Sister Universities like state-run Gaoxiong Science and Technology
Institute of China and the Taiwan Science and Technology Institute.
For more details, contact US Pacific Rim Chamber at (626) 527-5854.
**************************************** **********************************
8 – Armenian History
Book Translated
Into Spanish
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Armenian-American historian George Bournoutian’s
“A Concise History of the Armenian People” has been translated into
Spanish.
Considered by many to be the best textbook and one-volume reference on
Armenian history, the work places the history within the global historical
context.
The volume titled “Historia Sucinta del Pueblo Armenia (Desde la antiguedad
hasta la epoca actual) was translated by Mariet Flores Tiravanti de
Margossian, and was published by the AGBU of Argentina with the financial
support of Vera Nazarian in honor of her parents. The book can be obtained
from the AGBU bookstore.
*************************************** ************************************
*
9 – AAREA Organizes
Candidate Forum
May 8 in Glendale
GLENDALE – The Armenian American Real Estate Association (AAREA) has
organized a Candidate Forum on May 8 for the State Assembly’s 43rd
district. The 43rd district covers the cities of Glendale and Burbank as
well as Los Feliz, Silverlake, Atwater and North Hollywood areas of City of
Los Angeles.
The candidate Forum will take place at the Glendale Pacific Community
Center auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.
Candidates participating at the forum will be: Democrat Paul Krekorian, the
President of the Burbank School Board.;
Republican Michael Agbaba, Environmental Safety Consultant; and
Libertarian, Steve Myers, Computer Engineer.
The primary election is scheduled for June 6, with the general election set
for November 7, 2006.
The public is encouraged to attend this free civic event and participate in
the democratic process.
For additional information, contact Zaven Khanjian, AAREA President, at
(818) 507-5071
***************************************** **********************************
*****
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PanARMENIAN.Net

Oskanian: Karabakh Subordination to Azerbaijan Ruled out

29.04.2006 19:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `When it is time to reach an agreement on principles
of settlement of the conflict, Nagorno Karabakh should take part in
the talks without fail, as its fate is decided,’ Armenian FM Vartan
Oskanian stated at a meeting with the teaching staff and students of
Artsakh State University within his two-day visit in NKR. `I cannot
now state which status NK will have, however subordination to
Azerbaijan is merely ruled out. NK has never been part of Azerbaijan,’
he emphasized.

The international situation does not allow recognizing the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic yet, however the issue of recognition of the NKR is
a political lever, which should be used at an apt moment, the Armenian
FM remarked. Touching upon mutual concessions, Oskanian said, `Mutual
compromises should be born during talks. Each of the parties has `a
read line’ that it cannot overstep. For the Armenian party it is the
guarantee of NK security and uninterrupted land communication with
Armenia,’ the Armenian FM said. In his words, in any case settlement
by force is not acceptable. `Although the probability of resumption
of hostilities is low, we should be constantly ready to these. I am
glad NK is ready to it. We work for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, however if Azerbaijan wants to solve the issue by
force, then, as stated by President Kocharian, Armenia will recognize
NKR,’ Oskanian noted. He emphasized that only after recognition of the
NKR elimination of the consequences of the war can be the point,
reports IA Regnum.

Karabakh must be involved in conflict settlement – Armenian minister

Mediamax news agency
28 Apr 06

Yerevan, 28 April: The only reason why Nagornyy Karabakh is not
participating in the negotiating process is Azerbaijan’s refusal to
hold a dialogue with Karabakh, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan said at Artsakh [Karabakh] State University in Stepanakert
today.

He said that Nagornyy Karabakh will definitely be involved in the
talks after an agreement is reached on the main principles of the
settlement.

“If Azerbaijan speaks out against Karabakh’s involvement in the talks
again, then Armenia will not be responsible for the future fate of the
settlement process,” Oskanyan said.