Category: News

ARMENIANS WHO LOST THEIR HOMES IN MARAKHA START NEW LIFE IN BERDZOR
Azg/arm
12 Jan 05
Author of “The Black Garden” British journalist Tom de Waal wrote in
his book that the Azeris invaded Marakha village on April 10 of 1992
but Armenian forces fought the village back the next day and buried 43
beheaded and burnt bodies of Armenians. 50 more Marakha Armenians were
captured 19 of whom didnot return anymore.
The village with a rich economy became an enemy territory and its
inhabitants spread all over Russia, USA and elsewhere. Some of them
began a new life in the region of Qashatakh, in the river gorge of
Hakar. Four families settledin Berdzor, former Lachin. Roza Avanesian,
82, says that her Marakha house has turned into a vantage point for
snipers. “I’ve left there my two-storied house and my pregnant cows. I
shudder to think of that. Lamentation accompanied us on our way out of
the village”, Roza Avanesian tells.
The Avanesian’s family was one of the first to settle in Berdzor.
Armenian forces conquered Lachin in May 18 of 1992, a month later
after the Marakha pogroms. On November 26 of 1991 the Supreme Council
of Azerbaijan ordered the ministries of defense and home affairs to
clear Nagorno Karabakh off Armenian population and to defend local
Azeris. But the Karabakh forces managed not only to defend the
Armenian population of the region but also to conquer strategic
territories out of the administrative territory of Karabakh.
“We left our homes naked. We went to Hrazdan at first but it was
impossible to make a living there. We were going to leave for Russia
when learnt aboutthe chance to settle at the liberated Berdzor. And we
have been here since 1994”, Valiry Avanesian says.
Angela, Valiry’s sister, also settled in Berdzor with her husband and
4 children. “We fled from the Turks, and now they live in our houses”,
Angela Avanesian says.
Berdzor is the administrative center of Qashatakh region and was
formed in 1994 including Hakar river gorge, regions of Lachin,
Khubatlu (nowaday Qashunik) and Zangelan (nowaday Kovsakan) that were
forcibly united with the Soviet Azerbaijan at the beginning of the
past century.
Plumber Slavik Grigorian notes with pain that 5 more villages of
Martakert region together with his native Marakha are still under
Azeris’ control. “I left my home in overalls, leaving everything we
had. We feel in safety her, though we are not as rich as we were in
Marakha”, Slavik Grigorian says praising God.
Armenian refugees of Azerbaijan and of the Northern Martakert region
are not the only inhabitants of Berdzor and Qashatakh. There are also
people from Armenia each of whom has his own reason for settling in
the Hakar gorge.
Father Atanes Movsisian serving at Qashatakh region, settled in
Berdzor for8 years ago. “We have great spiritual legacy in these
territories liberated at the price of our martyrs. There were churches
once but unfortunately most of them lie in ruins today.
Tsitsernakavanq, a church of 4th century, has been reconstructed.
Today there are 3 churches that hold weekly services in Qashatakh”,
father Atanes says.
The Holy Ascension Church of Berdzor was built after the territory was
liberated, Tsitsernakavanq was reconstructed on the money the Najarian
family from the US and another church was built in Aghavno village.
There are dozens of semi-ruined churches and hundreds of khachqars
(cross-stones) in Qashatakh.
The regions of Khubatlu, Zangelan and Lachin that are included in
Qashatakh were once Armenian regions in Syuniq province. Muslims,
mainly Turkish-speaking Kurds, penetrated the territories in 18th
century. In 1923, when Stalin created the autonomous region of Red
Kurdistan, the Armenian Qarvatchar, Qashatakh, Qashunik and Kovsakan
regions were included into newly formed unit.
On m y way back to Yerevan, Kamo, the taxi driver, was telling that if
the Azeris had opened the Lachin corridor in 1991-92 when the Karabakh
forces were retreating and Azerbaijan had half of Karabakh, then
Armenians would possibly leave Karabakh for Armenia. He reminded that
Karabakh forces broke through enemy ‘s defense on May 18 and opened
the humanitarian corridor. Now Kamo’s taxi was picking up speed on the
corridor’s paved road.
By Tatoul Hakobian

WILL REFERENDUM DECIDE KARABAKH’S FATE?
Azg/arm
12 Jan 05
Oskanian And Mammediarov Resume Bilateral Meetings
The regular meeting of RA and Azeri foreign ministers will be held
with the participation of f the OSCE Minsk group mediators in Prague,
on January 10. Vartan Oskanian said in the interview to Interfax
agency before departing to Prague that “the negotiations of this year
will qualitatively differ from the first stage of the Prague process.”
“At present we will touch upon certain issues and details, while in
the course of the first stage of the Prague process we discussed
general principles. The more we deepen in details the more the
negotiations get complicated. When we begin work with details we
should be ready to make mutual concessions,” Oskanian said, expressing
hope that in 2005 “we will be able to fix a progress in the Nagorno
Karabakh issue.”
The Associated Press informed that few days ago Azeri President said
in the sitting of the security council that the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict enters “a new, positive stage”. “Certainly, I don’t
mean that the conflict is settled. The negotiations are still on and
we spare no efforts to make them go in the way beneficial for us,”
Ilham Aliyev said, adding that the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh has
entered “a new stage.”
On his turn, Yuri Merzliakov, Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group
told the Azeri press that Armenia agreed to make some concessions in
the course of the Prague negotiations. “Now, it is Azerbaijan’s turn,”
Merzliakovsaid.
During the December 22 press conference, 2004, Oskanian advised the
journalists to pay attention to the article published in the French Le
Figaro. According to him, the article reflects “today’s general
trends in the Nagorno Karabakh issue.” Pierre Lelouche, head of the
NATO parliamentary Assembly, and Anna Palacio, former Spanish foreign
minister, the authors of the article, visited Nagorno Karabakh in
autumn and expressed the opinion that “Armenia should have the
temporal control of Nagorno Karabakh who’s further fate will bedecided
though a referendum in 5 or 10 years.”
According to daily Azg’s information, it is not excluded that Armenia
and Azerbaijan will agree an agreement on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, according to which, the Karabakh forces should quit
several Azeri territories under their control, while Baku will agree
to hand the control of Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia under the condition
that in 5 or 10 years the status of NKR will be decided through a
referendum.
By the way, in the course of the December 22 press conference,
Oskanian said that Yerevan will be able to ratify the right of
Karabakh people for self-determination and achieve its international
recognition, on the other hand, he added that the realization of the
right of Karabakh’s self-determination can be indirect from the aspect
of the time.
Last year, in the course of one of his public speeches, RA President
Robert Kocharian drew the attention to the trends of the settlement of
the current conflicts in the other corners of the world, particularly,
he pointed out the crisis in the South Sudan, where interesting
developments take place.
A historical event took place in Kenya on January 9, with the
participation of Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, and Colin
Powell, the US State Secretary, as well as the leaders of some African
countries. The South and North authorities of Sudan have signed an
agreement, according to which the status of the unrecognized Blue Nile
and Nuba Mountain’s Country will be decided in six years through a
nation-wide referendum.
It’s worth mentioning that the international community led by the US
has chosen the referendum as a settlement of the conflicts. The same
happened in 2004, when two simultaneous referendums were held in
Cyprus among the Greek and the Turkish communities of the island. It
is not excluded that the fate of Kosovo will also be decided though a
referendum.
As for Sudan, it is worth mentioning that the sides in conflict came
to agreement in the following issue. The Southern part of the country
will be announced an autonomy and be governed according to the
principles of autonomy from the July of 2005.While in six years the
country will decide through referendum whether it stays in the
structure of Sudan or it becomes an independent state. John Garange,
leader of the separatists for many years, will become the first rime
minister of Sudan. The oil profits of Sudan that amount to $ 4 billion
annually will be equally divided between the Northern central
government and the Southern autonomy in the course of the coming six
years.
BBC states that if the referendum is held tomorrow, the South will
vote for its independence. John Garange, who signed a cease-fire with
the authorities of Sudan two years ago, is for a united state of Sudan
that has two centers.
By the way, Sudan and Azerbaijan a number of things in common. The
most important is that both Baku and Khartoum have turned for help to
Osama bin Laden, World’s terrorist N1, to settle the Nagorno Karabakh
and South Sudan conflicts, relevantly. The US exerted punishment
measures on Sudan for giving shelter to bin Laden years ago. But
Heydar Aliyev felt the danger in time and agreed to cooperate with the
US in its anti-terrorist combat.
The conflict burst out in Sudan in 1983, when Khartoum authorities
tried to impose the rules of Islamic law on the population of the
Southern part of the country that don’t speak Arabic. About 2 million
people died in thearmed conflict that lasted for 20 years.
It’s worth mentioning, that the humanitarian crisis that is still on
in Darfur, the Western part of Sudan, should not be confused with the
conflictbetween the South and the North of the country. Darfur
conflict began in 2003, when the rebels of this region began attacking
the authorities, condemning them in racism. About 70 thousand blacks
died in Darfur in two years and 2 million quitted their homes. The US
characterizes Darfur crisis as a genocide.
By Tatoul Hakobian

TURKISH SINGER DISTORTS “ADANA LAMENTATION”, A SONG DEVOTED TO GENOCIDE
Azg/arm
12 Jan 05
She Calls this Sacrilege a Wish to Talk of Genocide
The first song of Turkish singer Seden Gurel’s “Bir Kadin Sarki
Sylyor” album (2004) is the Armenian song known as “Adana Lamentation”
devoted to the massacres of Adana’s Armenian population in 1909. In
her album “Adana Lamentation” turned into a love song titled “Sebebim
Ask” – “The Reason is Love”.
Sibel Alas is the author of the words, and Istanbul Armenian Shirak
Shahrikian ‘s duduk accompanies the song. The latter’s participation
in this sacrilege aroused the indignation of the Armenian community in
Istanbul. Shahrikian wrote an article in Turkish for
Armenian website trying to justify himself where he says that the
Armenians’ disapproval was expressed by numerous phone calls. Seden
Gurel, in her turn, wrote a letter in Septemberof 2004 where she tries
to convince that the aim of the song was to tell the Turkish people of
the Genocide (Gurel used the word “soykirim” – genocide- thus
recognizing the Armenian genocide).
It’s hard to say how the Turkish society learns about the Armenian
Genocide by listening to “The Reason is Love”. The song was
broadcasted by one of Turkish state TV channels on April 24 with the
accompaniment of semi-naked Turkish women’s dance.
The song’s video clipping is available at

SHORT BY DUTCH FILMMAKER DISAPPOINTS COMPATRIOTS
AzerTaj News Agency
January 11, 2005
A short documentary entitled “Hope Dies Last” made by Dutch filmmaker
Susanne Kroger has caused serious discontent among Azerbaijani community
of Holland.
According to the State Committee for Working with Azerbaijanis Living in
Foreign Countries, the film tells the story about 3 Armenian and 2
Azerbaijani soldiers missing in the battles for Karabakh during the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. After the film was first presented in
Amsterdam, over 100 members of the Society “Netherlands – Azerbaijan”
and organizations of Azerbaijan Diaspora exchanged views on what they
had seen with representatives of the Dutch National Council of Churches
and Red Cross, and Armenian community. The members of the Azerbaijani
Diaspora exasperated by the facts that the film allots 21 minutes to
Armenia against 8 minutes to Azerbaijan, presents the missing soldiers’
parents as well as cities of the countries in sharply different ways,
refers to towns and villages of Karabakh under Armenian names. They
resolutely condemned the work noting it does not represent the reality
but distorts the facts in favor of Armenians. The claims were supported
by Dutch specialists, as well.
;catid=&news_year=&news_month=&news_day=&newsid=88422&themes_viewing=&themes_page=&themeid=&news_page
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
01/11/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. Armenia Demands Corrections to Atkinson Report on Karabagh Conflict 2. Russia Ready to Act as Intermediary in South Caucasus Conflicts 3. Oskanian, Mammadyarov Meeting in Prague 4. Armenia Hails New Russian-Georgian Ferry Link 1. Armenia Demands Corrections to Atkinson Report on Karabagh Conflict In a letter to the President and Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, (PACE), Armenia has requested that several corrections be made to the January 26 PACE report on the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, reports the Trend news agency. In their letter to PACE president Peter Schieder and secretary general Terry Davis, Armenia's parliamentary leadership accuses the European Commission of one-sidedly supporting Azerbaijan's position [in the conflict], and demands the removal of the term "separatist forces," among others. Armenia also expresses serious concern that the report fails to reflect issues tied to the regions of Ketashen and Shahumian. Overall, the Armenian side requests changes in 14 articles of the report that deal with the status of Mountainous Karabagh, format of negotiations, and the history of that conflict. Authored by PACE rapporteur David Atkinson, the report will be reviewed on January 22 PACE's Political Committee during a Council of Europe leadership summit. 2. Russia Ready to Act as Intermediary in South Caucasus Conflicts MOSCOW (Combined Sources)--Russian president Vladimir Putin affirmed his readiness to act only as an intermediary in the settlement of the Karabagh conflict. "Russia will do everything possible to settle the conflicts remaining on post-Soviet space, including the long-lasting Karabagh conflict," Putin announced. "However, we will do it only as an intermediary and guarantor of agreements which are going to be reached by conflicting sides." Meeting with Turkish businessmen in Moscow, Putin said that although the Karabagh conflict was not discussed specifically, general issues of relations between countries in the region were on the agenda. Both sides, he stated, expressed the desire to establish friendly relations among neighbors. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan again ruled out an unconditional reopening of his country's border with Armenia, saying that official Yerevan should first take unspecified "positive" steps. Putin, meanwhile, pledged to assist in the normalization of relations between the two historical foes. "If we see positive approaches from Armenia's government, we will open the border. But we don't see such approaches now," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with Putin during an official visit to Moscow. He did not elaborate. The Turkish premier's stance contrasted with Putin's positive assessment of the Armenian leadership's efforts to improve relations with Turkey. Putin said Moscow is holding "constant consultations" with Ankara on the normalization of Turkish-Armenian ties. "Armenia is looking for ways of improving relations with Turkey," he said. "Russia will assist in this process as much as possible." Putin was also pleased with the current state of Russian-Turkish relations, pointing in particular to the booming trade between the two nations seen as longtime geopolitical rivals. "Our most optimistic forecasts about economic cooperation have come true," he told Erdogan. According to Putin, Russia and Turkey need to "continue developing an effective infrastructure of bilateral trade." Erdogan, in his turn, promised to support Russia's admission to the World Trade Organization. "Turkey is expected to demonstrate its full support for Russia's membership in the WTO at a meeting of the working group on Russia's admission to the WTO in Geneva on January 24," he said. He highly commended the high level of trade and economic relations between the two countries. "We couldn't even dream about this 10-15 years ago," Erdogan said. Ways to broaden cooperation will be discussed by the Business Council on Wednesday, which will be attended by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Putin thanked the Turkish businessmen for their concrete proposals, assuring them that "all those proposals will be thoroughly studied by Russian experts and ministry officials." 3. Oskanian, Mammadyarov Meeting in Prague PRAGUE (RFE/RL)--After three-hour talks with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian revealed that no specific agreement for a resolution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict had been reached. "I wish I could say that there is a full agreement on the principles [of the settlement]," he said. "But we are still not there. There is a general framework of issues [discussed by the parties], but as this meeting showed, they need to be further consolidated." The meeting took place in Prague on Tuesday, in the presence of French, Russian, and US mediators; it marked the start of the second stage of "the Prague process." Oskanian refused to go into details of the discussions, saying that much remains to be done for hammering out a compromise agreement acceptable to both parties. "This is a fairly difficult and complex process and it will continue to be like this during further meetings," he said. "On the whole, I consider the overall mood and the atmosphere positive. "It is still too early too disclose any details. Once we have agreements on concrete issues, I think we will be able to talk about them little by little." Asked about chances of a breakthrough in the peace process this year, Oskanian said, "We are working toward achieving that goal. But it is still too early to make definite statements to that effect." 4. Armenia Hails New Russian-Georgian Ferry Link YEREVAN (RFE/RL--Armenian government officials and businessmen said on Monday that they are looking forward to the impending launch of a Russian-Georgian ferry link that will effectively restore Armenia's rail communication with Russia disrupted more than a decade ago. A relevant agreement was due to be signed in Tbilisi by Russia's Transport Minister Igor Levitin and Georgia's Minister of Economic Development Alexi Alexishvili. The planned regular service between the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti and Russia's Port Kavkaz is designed for cargos shipped in train cars. It is expected to become operational by the end of this month. Senior officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan were also in the Georgian capital to discuss final preparations for the launch of the service. Transport and Communications Minister Andranik Manukian, who headed the Armenian delegation, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as welcoming the Russian-Georgian agreement. Armenian businessmen involved in external trade were also confident about its positive impact on landlocked Armenia's economy. "It will have considerable effects on the cost of goods shipped from Armenia to Russia and vice versa," said Arsen Ghazarian, chairman of the Armenian Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists. He said the high transportation costs in Russian-Armenian trade could go down by 30 percent as a result. Ferries capable of carrying heavy train cars have until now operated between Poti and Ukrainian and Bulgarian ports. Armenia has relied on them heavily in its commercial exchange with the rest of the world. The Armenian government has long been pushing for the opening of the Poti-Kavkaz service and has financially contributed to the scheme. Among the costs involved was the purchase of a ferryboat that can carry up to 28 rails during a single journey. The service is expected to operate twice a week. "The volume of our cargo turnover [with Russia] is great," said Vladimir Badalian, co-chairman of the Armenian-Georgian Business Association. "According to our calculations, we need four or even more ferries." But Ghazarian disagreed. "I don't think there is a need for a second ferry right now," he said. "What we need is that the existing ferry operates at full capacity in both directions so that we have a reasonable transportation cost." Levitin's trip to Tbilisi, the second in two months, is also likely to have involved discussions on ways of reopening direct rail communication between Russia and Georgia that used to run through the breakaway region of Abkhazia. Speaking to reporters in Moscow on December 28, Levitin sounded upbeat about the possibility of doing that as early as this year. He said he believes that it is now possible to restore the rail link, once vital for the Armenian economy, before a full resolution of the Abkhaz conflict. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail:
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
George Shirinian
DATE: January 11, 2004
Tel:416-250-9807
Dr. Roger W. Smith Elected Academic Chair of Zoryan Institute
Dr. Roger W. Smith, internationally renowned genocide scholar, has
been elected chairman of the Zoryan Institute’s Academic Board of
Directors, namely, Professors Stephan Astourian, Yair Auron, Levon
Chorbajian, Vahakn Dadrian, Eliz Sanasarian, Lisa Siraganian, and
Khachig Tölölyan. Their responsibility is to recommend and approve
new scholarly projects, and to oversee and ensure the overall quality
of academic programs undertaken by the Zoryan Institute and its
subsidiary, the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights
Studies.
New Chairman’s Vision
Regarding his election as chairman, Smith says, “I have very much
enjoyed working with the outstanding scholars on the Zoryan Board over
the years. It is a challenge and honor to assume the responsibilities
of Chair of the Academic Board of Directors. In the term ahead, I hope
to continue to encourage activities that Zoryan has excelled at for
many years — sponsorship of conferences and lectures on the Armenian
Genocide, support for research and publication on the Armenian
Genocide and Diaspora Studies, and, above all, the Genocide and Human
Rights University Program (GHRUP). But I also see Zoryan
collaborating more with our colleagues at universities in Europe and
North America to offer courses based on the GHRUP model, as we have
already done with the University of Minnesota. I wish to encourage
students of all nationalities to engage in the study of other
genocides in comparison with the Armenian Genocide as a point of
reference. In this respect, Zoryan is initiating in 2005 a program
providing dissertation fellowships to Ph.D candidates. I think it is
also very important that Zoryan continue to reach out to the Armenian
community at many levels with lectures and educational programs, and
also encourage all Armenian and non-Armenian organizations and
individuals to support the Zoryan Institute, morally and financially,
in its endeavors to fulfill its mission.”
Background
A pioneer and major authority on the subject of genocide, Smith has
written widely on its nature, history, and prevention, and, in
particular, on denial of the Armenian Genocide. Educated at Harvard
and the University of California, Berkeley, Roger W. Smith is
Professor Emeritus of Government at the College of William and Mary in
Virginia. There he taught political philosophy and the comparative
study of genocide for twenty years. Dr. Smith taught his first course
on genocide, entitled “Human Destructiveness and Politics” in 1982. To
his dismay, he found that material on the Armenian Genocide was
extremely scarce, and due to the Turkish government’s tremendous
efforts to deny the event, few people outside the Armenian community
had even heard of the Genocide.
Describing how he came to his field of specialization, he stated, “My
interest in genocide, the ultimate denial of equality, is rooted in my
childhood. A moral commitment to equality was entrenched in me while
growing up in Birmingham, Alabama. It came partly out of a love for my
parents, who were strong and inspiring, despite the hierarchies and
valuations imposed on them by society, and partly from witnessing the
various socially sanctioned indignities inflicted on black people in a
deeply segregated south.”
Early Involvement with Zoryan
Recalling how he first got involved with Zoryan, Smith related that he
had been invited to attend its one-day conference on “Genocide and
Denial” in May 1986. He gave a very well received talk on the
psychological roots of denial, which he subsequently expanded and
published in 1990 as “Genocide and Denial: The Armenian Case and its
Implications.” As a result, he was invited to participate in many
scholarly and memorial forums thereafter. He began to focus his
research and teaching on Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. A
groundbreaking 1995 article co-authored by Smith, Robert Jay Lifton
and Eric Markusen, entitled “Professional Ethics and the Denial of the
Armenian Genocide,” exposed the secretive process by which the Turkish
government funds academics to discredit scholarship on the Armenian
Genocide. The article fueled a major protest by over one hundred
prominent scholars and intellectuals against the corruption of
American universities by the Turkish government.
Dr. Smith joined the Zoryan Board of Directors in 1988. “I was aware
of the institute’s Open University Program, Oral History Program,
research projects, and publications, including Hitler and the Armenian
Genocide, A Crime of Silence: The Armenian Genocide, and The Karabagh
File. As a non-Armenian, my understanding from the beginning was that
the Armenian Genocide was a crime committed not only against the
Armenian people, but also against all of humanity. I found the work on
the board that first year exciting, and my understanding of the
Armenian Genocide was confirmed, as the experience deepened my
knowledge, and perhaps made me even more of an activist on issues of
human rights and genocide.”
GHRUP
One of the experiences at Zoryan that has become exceptionally
engaging for Smith is the Genocide and Human Rights University
Program, run annually by the International Institute for Genocide and
Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute). He believes
strongly that the form of education necessary to prevent further
occurrences of genocide is one that promotes “tolerance, respect for
individuals, and a more humanistic view of the world.” His vision made
him an ideal choice in 2003 for Director of the GHRUP, which explores
the major genocides of the 20th century from historical, political,
sociological, legal, and human rights perspectives.
Many graduates of the program cite Dr. Smith as an inspiring teacher
and mentor. Smith is equally impressed with the students’ drive and
motivation to make a difference in the world. “Twenty years ago, there
were only a handful of us interested in the subject,” he recalls. “The
success of the GHRUP has made me feel overwhelmingly optimistic for
the future of genocide studies. The course plants a seed of knowledge
in every student who attends. Whether they use this knowledge to
become a human rights activist, a genocide scholar, or simply a person
who can influence others through informed dialogue, each and every one
of them now has the tools needed to spread awareness about genocide,
the world’s worst violation of human rights.”
The Zoryan Institute is the first international center in the Diaspora
devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues
related to the history, politics, society, and culture of Armenia,
Armenians around the world, and the Armenian Genocide, and in
conceptualizing Armenia’s place within a universal context. It
maintains offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Toronto, Canada.

Bulgarian Education Minister Visits Armenia
Bulgaria in Brief
Sofia News Agency (Bulgaria)
8 January 2005, Saturday
Bulgaria’s Education and Science Minister Igor Damyanov is scheduled to
pay a visit to Armenia on January 10 and 11 at the invitation of his
Armenian counterpart Sergo Yeritzyan. The two officials will discuss
issues related to the bilateral programme for cooperation in science and
education in 2003-2006.

Post-tsunami stress, grief visible on online message boards
IndiaExpress.com
09th Jan 2005
By IndiaExpress Bureau
The impact of tsunami is being felt far and wide. A cyber storm is
brewing with messages of grief and sorrow which people all over the
world are feeling, distances notwithstanding.
“I am shocked and horrified about the thousands of deaths from the
tsunamis!… It is like unreal… The photos are wrenching my heart…
Little kids and all, oh God, it’s horrible… The pics are all too
vivid,” read some of the messages on online message boards.
The death count from tsunami is staggering, but health experts caution
on the mental problems the disaster cause all over the world.
“Intense studies of recent disasters – including 9/11, Hurricane Andrew
in Florida and the 1988 Armenian earthquake provide startling numbers. A
large proportion of survivors will suffer from major depression. Many
more will get stuck in the worst part of the grieving process, a
phenomenon known as complicated grief,” says Dr Randall D Marshall,
director, trauma studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.
The scale of this mental health tsunami is difficult to imagine, says
Marshall in an online report. He says studies suggest that the mental
health consequences of a disaster are even more severe in developing
nations.
“Stress or trauma arises when you are exposed to death, accident,
disaster. It results in horror, helplessness and fear. And it is not
necessary that you have to be at the site of the accident to feel sorrow
or grief. Television has reduced distances and visuals tend to lot of
emotional arousal,” says Dr Sameer Parekh, a psychiatrist.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Colleagues, students mourn ex-U. professor
The Salt Lake Tribune
1/11/2005
By Jessica Ravitz ([email protected])
As word of the tragic fire spread Monday, past students and colleagues
mourned the loss of Leonardo “Nardo” Alishan, a poet and former
University of Utah professor.

“His untimely death has robbed us all of a wonderful person and
beautiful mind,” wrote Lucian Stone Jr. – once Alishan’s graduate
student, now a visiting professor at Ball State University in Indiana –
in a Monday e-mail that circulated across the country.

Alishan, who taught at the U. from 1978 to 1997, died early Sunday after
a three-alarm fire raged through his Salt Lake County duplex. He was 53.
The cause of the fire, which started around 2:30 a.m., is under
investigation.

“It’s a shocking thing,” Bernard Weiss, a professor of Arabic and
Islamic studies, said Monday. “He was a very gifted teacher. He lived
and breathed literature.”

After leaving the university, where he had earned awards of distinction,
Alishan focused on his poetry, for which he received great recognition.
His most recent book, Through a Dewdrop, was published in 2002.

Alishan was born to Armenian parents in Tehran, Iran. He came to the
United States in 1973 and earned a doctorate in comparative literature
from the University of Texas at Austin before moving to Utah to teach.
His family – his parents and a brother – left Iran after the Islamic
revolution of 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini deposed the Shah. They later
joined Alishan in the Salt Lake Valley, where the three preceded him in
death. He is survived by three grown children, who live in California.
Service details are being determined.

Trans-Caucasus chamber orchestra to aim at better regional relations
.c The Associated Press
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – A German conductor has announced plans to form
a chamber orchestra consisting of musicians from Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan as an initiative to promote better relations in the
fractious Caucasus region.
“We hope that this unique collective will become a symbol of
stabilization in the Caucasus,” Uwe Berkhemer said Monday. “Music
will be an ambassador of peace and mutual understanding.”
The Caucasus region is fraught with tension between Armenia and
Azerbaijan centering on the unresolved conflict over the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, and Georgia is troubled by two separatist
regions that seek either independence or union with Russia.
Berkhemer said the orchestra’s first planned performance will be in
August in Batumi, the capital of the Adzharia region which had balked
at Georgian central government control until its strongman leader
Aslan Abashidze fled amid mass protests last year.
01/11/05 11:51 EST