Category: News

Willoughby City Council, in Sydney’s North Shore, has passed a motion recognising the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia).
On Monday 11th May 2015, Willoughby City Council – the municipality that is home to many thousands of Sydney-Armenians, as well as to Armenian churches and community centres – considered the motion, which reads: “Willoughby City Council recognises the genocide of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrians peoples by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922 and condemns these and all other acts of genocide and crimes against humanity as the ultimate act of intolerance”.
The motion was introduced in what is the Armenian Genocide’s Centenary year by long-standing friend of the Armenian-Australian community, Councillor John Hooper, and was seconded by Councillor Judith Rutherford. It passed unanimously, making Willoughby City Council the second Australian local government to recognise the Armenian Genocide after Ryde City Council.

ANC Australia’s executive director, Vache Kahramanian, addressed the Council meeting to speak in favour of the motion and on the importance of Armenian genocide recognition as a mechanism to prevent future instances of genocide being perpetrated.

Upon passage of the motion, Kahramanian remarked: “I thank Councillor Hooper and Willoughby City’s Councillors for adding their formal recognition of the Armenian genocide. Such motions send the clearest signal that genocide denial has no place in the twenty first century.”

“There is a national movement in Australia towards recognition which will ultimately lead to the Commonwealth Parliament also affirming the historical reality of the Armenian genocide,” Kahramanian added.

The motion adopted by Willoughby City Council comes only weeks after 

The text of the Willoughby City Council motion reads:
That:

1. Willoughby City Council recognises the genocide of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrians peoples by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922 and condemns these and all other acts of genocide and crimes against humanity as the ultimate act of intolerance.Z
2. Willoughby City Council endorses the resolution of the NSW Parliament on 17 April 1997 that it:
   1. recognises and condemns the Genocide of the Armenians by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922, and designated 24 April of every year thereafter as a day of remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who fell victim to the first genocide of the twentieth century;
   2. recognises that Assyrians and Greeks were subjected to qualitatively similar genocides by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922;
   3. reaffirms its condemnation of the genocide of the Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks, and all other acts of genocide as the ultimate act of intolerance;
   4. recognises the importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated;
   5. acknowledges and pays tribute to the contribution of the Anzac servicemen who aided the survivors of the genocide; and
   6. acknowledges the significant humanitarian relief contribution made by the people of New South Wales to the victims and survivors of the genocide.

 

Borussia Dortmund picked up another vital three points in their quest for European football next season with a 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

However, with Marco Reus out injured, the responsibility to guide Jurgen Klopp’s side through another tricky tie fell upon the shoulders of Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan. And he didn’t disappoint, the writes.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang misfiring of sorts at the moment, with just two goals in his last six Bundesliga games, as well as an out of form Shinji Kagawa and Kevin Kampl, it was Mkhitaryan who stood up and stood out in this rather temped front line.

Playing on the right side of the front three, the attacking midfielder was the go-to player for all things attacking for Klopp’s team on the day. Sure, Kagawa can make a pass and Kampl has heart, but it was Mkhitaryan who was constantly skipping past players and always in the right place at the right time.

This was best illustrated in the manner of Mkhitaryan’s passing which was seen across the pitch as he drifted from right to left and through the middle of the pitch. A number of his passes were directed straight at goal, with a number of short, completed passes on the edge of the Hertha box.

According to the author, “with Mkhitaryan in the team we see a little bit of creativity that certainly goes a long way.”

Another aspect of that vital creativity is in the way Mkhitaryan dribbles past players with such ease when he is at the top of his game. Unlike Kampl, Kevin Grosskreutz and Jakub Blaszczykowski, Mkhitaryan has lately shown exactly what he’s capable of in shaking things up in attack and offering something that Dortmund simply wouldn’t have without him.

A welcome sign for a player who Dortmund spent so much money on and entrusted so much hope in bringing them success. This season may well be something of a write-off for the whole squad, but with form like this Mkhitaryan may well be looking towards a very big campaign later this year.

Former Turkish President Kenan Evren died on Saturday at the age of 97, the BBC reports.

On 12 September 1980 General Evren launched a coup that overthrew the government. He went on to serve as president until 1989.

He was put on trial in his nineties and was handed a life sentence for the coup in 2014.

Some 600,000 people were detained and 50 executed by hanging in the coup. All political parties were banned, with left-wing activists heavily targeted.

The former president died at a hospital in Ankara.

He had been in ill health since 2012 and was unable to appear in court when convicted.

is ranked 89th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report released by the World Economic Forum. Spain tops league of most tourist-friendly countries, followed by France and Germany.

Other countries in the region are placed as follows: Russia – 45^th, Turkey – 44^th, Azerbaijan – 84^th, Georgia – 71^st, Iran – 97^th.

The theme of year’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report is “Growing through Shocks.” The Report analyzes the performance of 141 economies through the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) and explores how the T&T sector has responded to economic, security and health shocks over recent decades. Understanding the nature and extent of the sector’s resilience to shocks is important, as a strong T&T sector is critical for job creation, economic growth and development in advanced and developing economies alike.

Published every two years, the Report provides a strategic tool for both business and governments: it allows for cross-country comparison of the drivers of T&T competitiveness, for benchmarking countries’ policy progress and for making investment decisions related to business and industry development. It also offers an opportunity for the T&T industry to highlight to national policymakers the challenges to T&T competitiveness that require policy attention, and to generate multi-stakeholder dialogue on formulating appropriate policies and action.

Lark Musical Society  continues its 100 commemorative events for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In April, UCLA and Lark premiered Ian Krouse’s Armenian Requiem at UCLA’s Royce Hall. It was a sold out, giant event. Just when you thought it doesn’t get bigger than that.

Lark Musical Society will now stage Anoush, the opera based on Hovhannes Tumanyan’s immortal ballad and set to beautiful music by Armen Tigranian. Led by Hasmik Papian and Shoushanik Barsoumian, the opera will be staged at the Ambassador Auditorium In Pasadena, California on May 23.

This opera is rightfully known as “the Armenian Romeo & Juliet”. It’s a tale of Armenian lovers caught up in the tumult of human impulses and social mores.  Anoush falls in love with her brother’s friend Saro, a shepherd. Mossi and Saro are at a wedding celebration and they are encouraged to have a friendly wrestle together. Mossi becomes enraged when Saro tries to impress Anoush by pinning Mossi during the match – violating the local code of honor and humiliating his friend. Mossi’s boundless rage ends when he shoots Saro. The heartbroken Anoush cannot live without her love, Saro. Her pain ends when she throws herself into the rivers which flow from the mountains where she met Saro.

On this commemorative centennial year, Lark brings Anoush Opera to help fuel the Armenians’ unbroken spirit to live, thrive, and create through the arts in Los Angeles.

Armenia and Azerbaijan will discuss the Karabakh conflict on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga May 21-22, RIA Novosti reports, quoting an EU representative.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said either the Foreign Ministers, or the Presidents of the two countries will meet in Riga.

He reminded that negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh are taking place within the framework of the Minsk Group co-chaired by an EU member France, as well as Russia and the United States. “This in one of the few processes the EU does not participate in,” he said.

The official noted that the format of the conflict settlement does not change. “We are absolutely confident our Russia, American and French colleagues are doing their best. But, unfortunately, this is a very complex issue,” the source said.

Two significant decisions on Aram Khachaturian International Competition were made at the General Assembly of the World Federation of International Music Competitions was held in Italy on May 8.

First, members of the Federation unanimously voted to include “conducting” in the competition program of the contest in 2016.

Moreover, the 2016 General Assembly of the Federation will be held in Armenia. That means Yerevan will host the most important event of the organization, which counts 115 members on 6 continents today.

The Aram Khachaturian International Competition was admitted as a new member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in 2013, thus becoming the first Armenian member ever joining this more than prestigious musical family.

The Aram Khachaturian International Competition is organized by “Aram Khachaturian” Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the Yerevan State Conservatory.

President Francois Hollande has become the first French leader to visit Cuba in more than a century, the BBC reports.

He is also the first Western leader to visit the Communist island since a diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the US was announced in December.

Mr Hollande is due to meet his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, later on Monday.

The French leader is travelling with a delegation of ministers and business executives.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin may also file a legal claim, demanding that Turkey return the property confiscated from the church during the years of the Armenian Genocide, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, told the in an interview.

“An instruction has been given and this matter is being studied to reveal the relevant documents. This process requires great efforts to reveal the archive documents and prepare a well-grounded legal package,” he said.

“We believe that Turkey has no alternative to facing its history, recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide and restoring justice towards our people,” the Catholicos said in the interview.

His Holoness said the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide victims in Turkey was a positive step.