The California Courier Online, October 11, 2018
1 – Commentary
Trump Administration Cancels
Two More International Treaties
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- France bids adieu to Charles Aznavour, pays tribute to Armenian roots
By Brian Love
3 – SERVICE Armenia 2018 Completes Another Successful Summer Program
4- Borough of Queens Honors Armenian Community
5 – President Sarkissian Honored with ‘Statesman Award’ in New York
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1 – Commentary
Trump Administration Cancels
Two More International Treaties
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
I wrote an article in September criticizing the Trump administration’s
dismissal of the International Criminal Court. I considered the U.S.
action to be a lack of respect for justice and the rule of law.
Last week, the Trump administration took two more scandalous actions
further flouting international law and avoiding the peaceful option of
legal recourse to conflict resolution.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States was
terminating the Treaty of Amity signed in 1955 between the U.S. and
Iran, after a unanimous ruling on October 3, 2018, by the
International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court,
that the United States had to resume the export of humanitarian goods
and spare parts for civil aviation safety services to Iran, despite
U.S. sanctions. This was certainly a victory for Iran as it had sued
the United States in the World Court. The U.S. withdrawal from the
treaty made it look like a sore loser.
President Trump renewed the U.S. sanctions after withdrawing this May
from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and several other major powers.
The sanctions covered dollar transactions, food exports and sales of
aluminum and steel. In November, the U.S. will add new sanctions
against Iran’s oil sales, energy and shipping sectors and foreign
financial transactions.
After the verdict, ICJ President Abdulqawi Yusuf announced that “the
court’s order applies to medicines and medical devices; foodstuffs and
agricultural commodities; and spare parts, equipment and repair
services for civil aviation. The United States must also ensure that
licenses and authorizations are granted and that payment for such
goods and services are not subject to any restrictions,” the
Washington Post reported.
Although the rulings of the International Court of Justice are
binding, they are not enforceable. U.S. National Security Adviser John
Bolton, during his appearance at the White House press briefing on
Oct. 3, stated that Iran had “made a mockery” of the Amity Treaty. In
response, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the
United States “an outlaw regime.”
Ironically, the United States files cases against other countries in
the International Court of Justice when it suits its interests. Back
in 1979, the United States sued the government of Iran after the
takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Iranian militants. The U.S.
won that case and the ICJ ordered Iran to release all American
hostages and pay compensation. It is strange that the United States
government is now cancelling its treaty with Iran and not in 1979
during the hostage crisis.
The Washington Post reported that “during meetings at the United
Nations last week, Trump, Pompeo and Bolton railed against Iran and
berated various other member states and U.N. bodies for not bending to
American interests. Their approach elicited an icy reaction. At a
Security Council session chaired by President Trump, every other
member of the U.N.’s most powerful body scolded Washington for its
rejection of the nuclear deal, an agreement the council had endorsed.”
On Oct. 3, 2018, Bolton also announced that the United States would
withdraw from the “optional protocol” under the Vienna Convention of
Diplomatic Relations. This decision was prompted by the filing of an
ICJ complaint in September 2018 by the Palestinian Authority against
the United States for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv
to Jerusalem.
The Vienna Convention is an international treaty which sets out
diplomatic relations between states and provides immunity to
diplomats. Ironically, Bolton stated: “the United States remains a
party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and
we expect all other parties to abide by their international
obligations under the convention.”
Bolton further announced that the United States will review all other
international agreements to safeguard U.S. sovereignty. In less than
two years of Trump’s presidency, the United States has withdrawn from
the nuclear agreement with Iran, the global climate agreement, the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
threatened to distance itself from NATO, left the UN Human Rights
Council, and cut off funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works
Agency) which has been providing humanitarian aid to millions of
Palestinian refugees for the past 70 years.
Constitutional lawyers may question the legal right of the Trump
administration to abrogate international treaties which are ratified
by the U.S. Senate. Shouldn’t the Senate give its consent to the White
House before it withdraws from such treaties? In the first 189 years
of America’s history, 40 treaties were abrogated after both houses of
Congress agreed to do so. Just two treaties were abrogated by the
Senate only, after a vote by two-thirds of its members. Unfortunately,
in recent years, due to congressional ineptitude and historical
inactivity, the Executive Branch has taken the initiative of
unilaterally abrogating international treaties. This is an issue that
the U.S. Congress should review, particularly if Democrats win the
majority, in order to restrain Pres. Trump’s arbitrary decisions which
embarrass the United States in the eyes of the world.
Hopefully, the next more responsible U.S. President will reverse
Trump’s deeply flawed decisions on international agreements and other
vital issues.
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2- France bids adieu to Charles Aznavour, pays tribute to Armenian roots
By Brian Love
PARIS (Reuters)—France said farewell to Charles Aznavour on Friday,
October 5, in a tribute that reflected the late singer’s status as a
national icon at home as well as the country of his roots, Armenia.
Pallbearers carried Aznavour’s coffin into the courtyard at Les
Invalides military museum in Paris, where Napoleon is buried, to the
sound of haunting music played from a duduk. Aznavour passed away
overnight last Sunday, at his villa in Mouries, a village in the
southern French Alpilles region, at 94.
“In France, poets never die,” French President Emmanuel Macron said,
standing before the coffin draped in France’s blue-white-and-red flag.
Alongside the casket lay a wreath in the tricolor of Armenia.
Macron is expected to travel to Armenia this week on an official visit
that Aznavour had hoped to take part in.
“Armenians of all countries today, I am thinking of you,” Macron said.
“He was supposed to be one of us next week in Yerevan, his absence
will leave a giant void.”
Celebrities including the now-frail actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and
Macron’s two predecessors attended the ceremony under clear blue
skies. Among his best-known songs—he sold upwards of 100 million
records—were “Hier Encore” (Yesterday When I Was Young), “Apres
l’Amour” (After Love) and “La Boheme”. Aznavour was born in Paris on
May 22, 1924, to Armenian parents. His birth name was Shahnour
Aznavourian.
He grew up on the Left Bank of Paris and began performing at the age
of nine. His first public performances were at Armenian gatherings
where his father and older sister Aida sang while he danced.
He broke from the shadows penning songs for Edith Piaf in the years
after World War Two, and later brought rapt audiences to their feet at
venues as far away as New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Macron embraced and exchanged words with Aznavour’s widow Ulla and
relatives before standing side-by-side with Armenian leaders for a
ceremony that began with an army band rendition of Armenia’s national
anthem, then France’s.
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan paid tribute to the artist
too, saying: “Charles Aznavour is the man who pitched the flag of
Armenia on the roof of the world.”
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3 – SERVICE Armenia 2018 Completes Another Successful Summer Program
The Paros Foundation’s SERVICE Armenia 2018 group wrapped up another
great summer of service, touring, and fun bringing the number of
program alum to over 100. The nine participants and coordinator from
around the United States joined us in Armenia to work on impactful
service projects. During the one month program, participants also
visited historic sites and developed lifelong friendships. Service
Armenia was established in 2013 and provides Diaspora youth ages 17-22
years the opportunity to work on meaningful service projects and to
have fun in Armenia. Next year’s program will run from June 23 to July
23, 2019.
This summer’s service work included renovations at the Zorakan Village
School in the Tavush region. SERVICE participants painted six
classrooms as part of the second floor remodel. The remainder of the
second floor was completed prior to the start of classes, however,
$75,000 is still needed for the renovation of the first floor of the
school. The Zorakan Village School services 135 secondary school
students. At the Kanakeravan Art School in the Kotayk region,
participants poured the subfloor and installed new flooring in three
rooms. This combined with the complete renovation of these classrooms
has created a beautiful environment for the art school students.
One of the highlights of SERVICE Armenia is always visiting the Debi
Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri. This year minor renovations were
done at the Center and a “Packs on Backs” distribution was carried
out, providing 185 children with the necessary school supplies and
backpacks. SERVICE youth had a chance to get to know students at Debi
Arach through a fun day of dancing, playing sports, and socializing.
While in Gyumri, Dustin Hochmuth, a repeat participant of SERVICE
Armenia, also spearheaded the “Groceries for Gyumri” distribution for
100 families. His efforts included raising the necessary funding,
obtaining and assembling food packets with his SERVICE Armenia peers,
and coordinating the delivery of basic grocery staples, fresh fruits
and vegetables, and personal hygiene products to families in need.
Other 2018 highlights included four exciting excursions with the
Yerevan Children’s Home, the Vanadzor Orphanage, the Kharpert Home for
Special Children and the Ghoghanj Children’s Center. The SERVICE
Armenia group also toured many monuments and important historic
locations throughout the country, along with overnight stays in the
Lori Region and Artsakh. In addition to the well known religious and
cultural sites, the group was able to experience hikes at the Hunot
Gorge and the Kobayr Monastery, a tour of the Areni Caves and the
Historic Noy Cognac Factory, and to visit the World UNESCO Heritage
sites, Sanahin and Haghpat Monasteries. From Artsakh to Zorakan,
SERVICE Armenia 2018 was definitely a summer to remember.
“This program was executed perfectly for the age and the interests of
our group,” said Ani Shahinian. “In the three times I’ve been to
Armenia, this was my favorite experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the
trip!”
Applications for SERVICE Armenia 2019 are available at
www.parosfoundation.org. The program is open to both Armenian and
American young people. Knowledge of the Armenian language is not
required. The deadline to submit the application is April 1, 2019.
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4 – Borough of Queens Honors Armenian Community
By Victoria Zunitch
Armenian Americans received the permanent honor of a street named
after their ancestral homeland on last Sunday’s beautifully crisp and
clear afternoon. The corner of 210th Street and the Horace Harding
Expressway was named “Armenia Way” to recognize the significant
contributions of the Armenian community to Bayside.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian of the Armenian diocese declared the day a
“blessed” one, marking the journey of Armenians to the shores of the
United States and making use of the opportunities in their new
homeland to become good citizens. Barsamian said he always encourages
young Armenians to remember that they are both 100 percent Armenian
and 100 percent American.
“This can only happen here in the United States,” Barsamian said. “It
is a free land which gives opportunity for everyone to keep his or her
faith, his or her ethnic background, identity, but also the way of
America also encourages people to be part of this great land of the
United States.”
Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens), who helped the
Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs obtain the designation for the
street abutting the church’s property, served as emcee of event.
Hundreds of parishioners attended.
“I actually first heard about this church when I attended middle
school at IS 74, just one block away,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng
(D-Flushing.) “And I had so many friends who attended this parish, and
I started to learn about the tremendous relationship and dedication
that the church shows and shares with the surrounding community.”
Meng complimented the church for maintaining a “stellar” relationship
with the community, adding that she is a proud member of the
Congressional Armenian Caucus.
The ceremony was held on the steps to the church, an institution
dedicated both to the lives of its parishioners and involvement in the
community. The church runs three schools. It also runs an annual
Oceania Street Festival that is attended by many of its neighbors,
whom church pastor Father Abraham Malkhasyan thanked for their
neighborly support of the event and the church.
“It’s a wonderful community,” New York state Assemblyman David Weprin
(D-Flushing) told the Chronicle after the ceremony.
The church has taken a lead in local interfaith work, Weprin said,
including forming relationships with a nearby mosque. Weprin said the
church, finding common ground because of the history of the Armenian
Genocide, has taken the lead in working on Holocaust awareness with
the Kupferberg Holocaust Center at Queensborough Community College and
with the Bellerose Jewish Center.
Bellerose Jewish Center’s Rabbi Menashe Bovit said the work grew in
part out of his relationship with members of the Armenian community,
including his “significant other” and his friendship with Pastor
Malkhasyan.
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) complimented the Armenian
community for retaining its culture and traditions as a community
within America. Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meadows) said the
church’s school was one of the first she had visited as a public
official.
This article appeared in The Queens Chronicle on October 4, 2018.
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5- President Sarkissian Honored with ‘Statesman Award’ in New York
NEW YORK—The EastWest Institute held its Annual Gala on Wednesday
attended by prominent state, public, and political figures,
ambassadors, entrepreneurs and included members of the
Armenian-American community.
At the gala ceremony in New York, President of Armenia Armen
Sarkissian was awarded the prestigious John Edwin Mroz Global
Statesman Award named in the honor of a Co-Founder of the Institute,
American diplomat John Mroz. The institute is a global network of
influential stakeholders committed to and engaged in building trust
and preventing conflict around the world.
The organization bestows its annual awards on the individuals who have
been singled out for their exceptional leadership, innovative spirit
and ability to be game changers. Past awardees include President
George Bush, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair, former German Chancellor
Helmut Kohl, former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel,
former President of Finland, winner of the Noble Peace Prize for year
2008 Martti Ahtisaari.
“The selection of the President of the Republic of Armenia has come to
augment his vast experience in the areas of Physics, private sector,
and state administration. In the times, when Armenia is going through
the period of great changes, Sarkissian was entrusted with ensuring
stability and creation of a new vision for his country which, we are
confident, he will lead towards a more democratic and prosperous
future,” said the institute’s chairman Ross Perot in his welcoming
remarks.
The EastWest Institute is committed to the development of innovative
and creative solutions to solve current problems and get ready for the
future challenges. Individuals like Sarkissian make our efforts
possible.”
The President of the Tavitian Foundation, the Armenian-American
benefactor Aso Tavitian spoke of Armenia’s role as a bridge between
the East and the West. The President of the Carnegie Corporation
Vartan Gregorian presented his vision of Armenia’s future. The
President of Armenia expressed his gratitude for the award and noted
in his speech that the award is very important to him while the
EastWest Institute is not just a think tank among many in the world
but a special institution. According to the President, when there is
an idea, an important one, the institute participates in its
implementation. “You have this great energy of thinking about
something, believing in something and going to implement and trying to
make that small but very important change.”
“It’s a great honor for me to represent my nation and my country here.
I really have a dream or a vision for the future and that dream or a
vision which includes also the fact or the reality that we are facing.
i.e. where this world is moving to,” President Sarkissian noted.
“If the 20th century was the century of natural resources and based on
that the age of other political forces, the 21st century is going to
be deferent. The 21st century is the century of research, development,
new technologies. The 21st century is the century when things will be
done and ruled by new ideas, by new research conducted by those who
are quick, by those who are young and energetic regardless of how old
they are. That will be the 21st century. The politics will be done
differently,” added Sarkissian.
“And I do truly believe that the 21st century is Armenia’s century.
That’s why I think we will be victorious. I am happy to be part of the
Armenian nation. We are a small state but a global nation. There are
not many nations of that sort. But I do believe that small states but
global nations that have the global connectivity can get together and
build their own country. That’s the future, and I do believe that the
institutions like the EastWest Institute are going to be among the
leaders of the 21st century,” said Sarkissian.
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