FIRST ANCA TELETHON RAISES $2.7 MILLION
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 23 2006
WASHINGTON, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In an overwhelming
display of unity behind the Armenian National Committee of America’s
mission to educate, motivate and activate our communities, Armenian
Americans, organizations and communities across the United States
raised $2.7 million during the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) Telethon on May 21st with additional donations still coming
in, the ANCA reported. The groundswell of donations came from the
entire spectrum of the Armenian community. “The Telethon was one
of the ANCA’s most ambitious endeavors to date, pulling together
every part of our grassroots network, and the results demonstrate
the overwhelming support for our mission to unite the community
behind the Armenian Cause – Hai Tahd,” said Ken Hachikian, National
Chairman of the ANCA. “We are gratified by the confidence Armenian
Americans across the nation have placed in us and pledge to the
Armenian community that we will make every dollar count as we work to
vigorously pursue and represent the interests of the community in the
local, national and international political and policy arenas.” The
Telethon touched a common emotion and desire in people to support the
Armenian Cause in all the different parts of Armenian communities,
regardless of organizational affiliations or politics. Countless
organizations, volunteers, churches, community leaders, ANC local
chapters, performing artists, Members of Congress and state legislators
from across the nation participated in the Telethon contributing to
its enormous success. The Telethon featured several documentaries
that highlighted the various ANCA programs and numerous results the
ANCA has achieved over the years largely through its volunteer and
grassroots network. In addition to hundreds of thousands of viewers
who watched the Telethon on TV in all major U.S. media markets,
thousands nationally and internationally also watched the Telethon
online via a simultaneous webcast over the Internet and donated
online. While the Telethon raised funds for the ANCA Endowment, it
also served to expand the level of knowledge and understanding among
many parts of the community on the important work that is being done
on a daily basis by the ANCA. One of the ANCA’s goals is to engage
and activate more segments as part of the ANCA’s grassroots network
and the Telethon helped expand that reach. Donations are still being
accepted for the ANCA Telethon and those interested in contributing
should call 1-866-402-2622 (ANCA) or go to and click on
the Telethon logo to make a donation online.

VARTKES MAHDESIAN ELECTED ARMENIAN COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE OF CYPRUS PARLIAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 23 2006
NICOSIA, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vartkes Mahdesian
was elected the Cyprus Armenian community representative of the
Parliament of Cyprus at the elections held on May 21. According to
the Beirut “Azdak” daily, V. Mahdesian participated in the elections
as an independent candidate though he enjoyed assistance of the ARF
Dashnaktsutiun and accompanying unions.

GEVORG AND DAVID FROM STAVROPOL TERRITORY NEED URGENT HELP
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 23 2006
STAVROPOL, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Gevorg Simonian,
a teenager from the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol territory, needs
an expensive operation (100 thousand roubles). The 15-year-old youth
suffers from inborn funnel-shaped deformation of thorax and it becomes
more and more difficult for him to breathe. Doctors consider that
unless he is operated on he can die soon.
The Yerkramas (Territory) newspaper of Armenians of Russia asks you
to apply with offers of help to the Armenian church or library-branch
N 5 of the city of Budyonnovsk, the contact phone number: (865-59)
3-36-93 on any working day, at working hour, except Friday. David
Davidov from the village of Edissia, Stavropol territory, is 5
years old, he has been suffering from inborn serious blood disease
(thalassemia). He cannot live without mass blood transfusions more
than a fortnight: he feels worse. Only an operation, transplantation
of marrow, can stabilize the state of his health a little. The parents
do not fit as donors and there is no completely compatible donor in
the international register, either. In the Israeli medical center
“Rambam” on treatment of such diseases after the consultation the
doctors decided that they can carry out marrow transplantation to
the patient and not from a fully compatible related donor (father
or mother). This operation costs 127 thousand dollars, which the
child’s family lacks. David Davidov’s parents ask people to do what
they can to help in fund-raising and to give hope for healing of
their child. You can get additional information about the child by
the telephone (87964) 7-20-39 (Stella Davidova – mother).

ALMOST ALL SCHOOLS OF ARAGATSOTN MARZ TO BE RESTORED IN ONE-TWO YEARS
Noyan Tapan
May 23 2006
ASHTARAK, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The school construction has a great
place among the programs being implemented in the marz of Aragatsotn
during the recent years. So, about 527.53 mln drams (about 1.2
mln U.S. dollars) were spent for that purpose. As Ashot Davayan,
the Chief of the Urban Development Department of the Regional
Governor’s Office staff informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
voluminous works are done this year as well. Ashtarak No2, Zarincha,
Shgharshik, Kaqavadzor and upper Agarak schools are being fundamentally
restored by the financial resources of the state budget. Educational
institutions of Karmrashen, Nerkin Bazmaberd and a number of other
settlements are being reconstructed by financial resources of other
departments. According to A.Davayan, in the case of a similar care,
almost all the schools of the marz will be reconstructed during the
coming one-two years.

2008.3 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID IMPORTED TO ARMENIA IN JANUARY-MARCH
Noyan Tapan
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. 2008.3 tons of goods with a total cost
of 10.1 mln USD were imported to Armenia on the line of humanitarian
aid in January-March of the current year. 1415.5 tons of goods with
a total cost of 11.5 mln USD were imported in the same period of
2005. According to the data of RA National Statistical Service,
devices made 30.8% of the aid, machines, equipments and mechanisms
13.7%, paper and goods made from paper 11.6%, textile goods 8.7%.

GREEK NIKEA TO ASSIST SISTER TOWN OF IJEVAN IN COMMUNAL, HEALTHCARE, CULTURE, TOURISM SPHERES
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Greek Nikea will
provide assistance relating to the development of communal, healthcare,
culture, tourism, sport spheres to the sister town on Ijevan. This was
announced at the May 18 joint press conference of Ijevan Mayor Varuzhan
Nersisian and Nikea Mayor Stelios Benetatos. According to V.Nersisian,
Nikea Mayor’s Office will give equipments to Ijeven town hospital,
will help to buy rubbish-gathering machines for Ijevan, as well as
to organize concerts of dance ensemble of Ijevan art school pupils
and will provide Ijevan’s participation in the sculpture symposium
to be organized in 2006 in Nikea. S.Benetatos in his turn said that
the first steps of cooperation between the sister towns will be taken
in the spheres of tourism and culture. In the respect of development
of cooperation between Nikea and Ijevan he attached importance to
participation of the Armenian community of Nikea in the joint programs,
as it is the Armenian community that was the initiator of establishment
of sister relations between the two towns. To recap, the memorandum
on cooperation between Nikea and Ijevan was signed on September 23
2005. Nearly 3 thousand Armenians live in Nikea, the population of
which is 120 thousand people and more than 15 thousand Armenians live
in the whole Greece. The Armenians settled in Nikea 83 years ago.

ARMENIAN MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM DEFEATS NIGERIANS WITH A SCORE OF 3 TO 0.5 AT TURIN CHESS OLYMPIAD
Noyan Tapan
May 23 2006
TURIN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian men’s national team defeated
the Nigerian team with a score of 3 to 0.5 in the second tour of
the Chess World Olympiad being held in Turin. After this victory
the Armenian chess-players have gained 6.5 points and share 15-23th
places. In the men’s competitions the only leader is the Russian
national team, which has maximum, 8 points. The Armenian national team
ended the competition with Croatia in a draw, with a score of 1.5 to
1.5 in the women’s competitions. After the second tour the Armenian
women’s national team shares 22-28th places with 4.5 points. And the
teams of China, France, Lithuania and Latvia are in the lead with 6
points each.
The games of the 3rd tour are being held on May 23 at the Olympiad. The
Armenian men’s team is competing with chess-players of Denmark and
the women’s team with the chess-players of Mexico.

STRONGEST ARMENIAN USHUISTS TO TAKE PART IN EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. A regular Armenian championship of ushu
was held at the Dinamo training ground of Yerevan. Over 260 sportsmen
performed in two competition styles, taolu (exercises without arms and
with different arms) and sanda (single combats). At that, 45 of the
sportsmen were from the neighboring Georgia. It is the second time
the Georgian sportsmen take part in the competition on taolu. The
competitions of sanda-ushu were especially tense.
They were held in 6 age groups. The two-day competitions made clear
what sportsmen will prepare for the Europe Championship to be held
on November 2-12 in the Italian city of Venice. Tigran Chobanian,
Chairman of the Traditional Ushu Federation of Armenia, mentioned
in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent that we can expect the
Armenian sportsmen to perform successfully in the sanda competition
style, where Armen Grigorian, Arman Avetisian, Haroutiun Simonian,
Arman Grigorian and world silver medal-winner Felix Smoyan perform
very well. But, according to him, the same cannot be said about the
sportsmen performing in the taolu competition style.

EUROPEAN SICKNESS
Aram Abrahamian
Aravot.am
23 May 06
The fact that the overwhelming majority of TV viewers gave their votes
to the Finnish “Lordi” group in “Eurovision-2006” isn’t accidental
at all.
Certainly we can console ourselves that it was a “protesting” polling;
people have got tired of sweet melodies of pop-music and inclined
to the strong, ” monstrous” appearances. But that inclination is the
epicrisis of a serious sickness. If I would A European I would stop
for a moment and think whether they go in a right way.
Let’s give a simple example; let’s suppose that a person is a
homosexual. It’ s his own business, let him do what he likes at his
own house. He can’t be pursued for it and deprive of his rights or
work. This is the limit of tolerance. But the point is that the modern
Europeans aren’t satisfied with that limit. They think that women and
men of non traditional orientation have a right to organize parades
performing their ugliness in the streets. And it is the infringement
of my rights because I don’t want my children to see demonstrations
of those spiritual invalids.
In the same way, if you are leprous or evil spirits are inside you,
go and receive a treatment or pray at home. But you take you sickness
to the stage knowing that millions of young people suffer from the
same sickness. They even call their ”song” ”Haliluya” /which is
translated from Hebrew ”Praise the God” /. We can affirm that the
“Lordi”-s were praising the Satan. And the mode of “Satanism” in
Europe, which is a dangerous signal.
Today the authorities of Armenia and almost all political powers,
sincere or hypocritical take oaths of faithfulness to European
values. It is a positive process in general; Armenia must indeed
become a state where the best ideas of European thinkers of 17-18
centuries must be embodied. But we must also know the limit and not
to pass the limit of above-mentioned tolerance.
It is known that our officials who sent singers to the ”Eurovision”
have been led by the following principle up to the present day; to
imitate the former winners of that contest. We can say that principle
won in Athens. But we should know the limit in using the approach. We
shouldn’t make for example Inga and Anush Arshakians take on the
masks of leprous and send to Finland.
–Boundary_(ID_PIBgAmbEWPV9HOB4kiVyyw)–

“PHARISAISM”
Anna Israelian
Aravot.am
23 May 06
The oppositionists described in this way the circumstance that the
former members of the coalition taking leave of each other were saying
“Thank you”.
“I declare that I refuse of the post of the NA chairman”,- Tigran
Torosian read Arthur Baghdasarian’s resignation in the parliament
sitting. Then Mr.
Baghdasarian made a speech and thanked to his partners for three-year
joint work. He also mentioned during this speech that the OEP in the
NA hall during last three years has tried to represent its approaches
and positions “in case of every project which opposes the interests
of the people. He also promised for the future; “We’ll criticize each
omission and wrong step from the most radical angle, whoever does it,
the Ra President, Government, each political power and structure. At
the same time, we’ll be for the authority or opposition if they are
good to the people.”
The chairman of the commission of Defense NS and IA Mher Shahgeldian
and the chairman of the commission of Social, Health, Nature protection
Gagik Mkheyan sent in their resignation. They also thanked to the
Parliament for joint work. The NA deputy chairman Tigran Torosian also
thanked. And though it wasn’t greeted with cheers, everything would be
over in this civil and “warm” atmosphere if the oppositionists didn’t
discuss round the NA chairman’s resignation using the opportunity
of making a speech round the agenda. The NA chairman ‘s resignation
isn’t foreseen by the NA code. And NDP leader Shavarsh Kocharian
mentioned that the code didn’t correspond to the situations, which
could be formed in Armenia. “If the third figure of the country sends
in his resignation, producing very serious accusations to the NA that
antidemocratic laws have been adopted then in this case not having the
opportunity of discussing means that the code does only a function;
not allow the political powers to make a normal discussion.” The
secretary of “Justice” group Victor Dallakian mentioned that the fact
of exploding the OEP inside it was very dangerous; so the legislative
authority must remark it. And Hmayak Hovhannisian complained; “Arthur
Baghdasarian says that there is atmosphere of fear in the country, you
thank each other. I don’t understand what a pharisaical atmosphere”.
Later he also added ”the parliament isn’t a collection of noble
girls”.
Tigran Torosian tried to oppose to the attempts of breaking the NA
code in vain; ”I’m sure the OEP has taken a deserving step. And now
each of us must have a deserving position proper to our political
system. He considered discussions unnecessary mentioning that they
won’t have any influence. ”I’m sure that the OEP doesn’t need in
anyone’s defense. And trying to say something and defend is just
a pharisaism”. ”OEP has said whatever it has wanted”. ”People
irrespective of different standpoints must thank to each other for
the joint work”. He also noticed that a lot of people didn’t bear
that trial. ”You must bear, it isn’t our business”, – ADP leader
Aram Sargsian cried.
–Boundary_(ID_VynRQDHZQi0Z4EQ7SuBzqw)–