PRESS RELEASE
Zavarian Student Association
Yerevanian Bldg, 4th floor, Bourj Hamoud, Lebanon
Tel: (961) 01-240167, (961) 01-265078
Mob: (961) 70-102403
Fax: (961) 01-265078
e-mail: [email protected]
YOUTH AND STUDENT SEMINAR ON “THE ROLE OF THE ARMENIAN STUDENTS IN THE
STRUGGLE FOR THE ARMENIAN CAUSE”
On Sunday the 14th of May, the A.R.F. Zavarian Student Association
organized a seminar entitled `The Role of the Armenian Students in the
Struggle for the Armenian Cause’. The seminar was held at 11 A.M. in
Armenian National Yeghishe Manougian School.
The participants were representatives of Armenian Youth and Student
Associations, Armenian Clubs of the Lebanese universities, and
secondary students of the Armenian schools. Among the people present
at the seminar were the Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon, Vahan Der
Ghevontyan, the representative of the Prelate of the Armenian Orthodox
Church, Mesrob Kezezian, members of the A.R.F. Lebanese Central
Committee, and some principal, and teachers of various Armenian
schools.
After the opening speech by Salpi Kiurkjian, the representative of the
Prelate of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Mesrob Kezezian, and the
Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon, Vahan Der Ghevontyan, delivered
their speeches by praising such events that gather the Armenian youth
and students together.
The seminars first lecturer was Mr. Hagop Pakradouni who lectured
about the Armenian Cause today and its difficulties which was followed
by a lecture by Mr. Mgerditch Mgerditchian about the importance of the
associations and schools in the molding of the Armenian youth and
students.
In the second part of the seminar, Dr. Hovhannes Taslakian lectured
about how the Armenian students can play an active role in the
activities done for the Armenian Cause. The day’s final speech was
presented by Dr. Nora Arisian, who talked about the ways of promoting
the Armenian Cause to foreign students. After the lectures a debate
also took place between the participants and the lecturers.
The seminar ended by the reading of all the ideas discussed and
approved during the seminar.

EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICANEWS RELEASE
1 AMERICAN AVENUE
YEREVAN, ARMENIA
TELEPHONE (+374 10) 464700
FAX (+374 10) 464742
E-MAIL: [email protected]
On May 10, 2006 Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians visited
the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.
On May 10, 2006, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of all Armenians, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, visited the U.S. Embassy
in Yerevan. His visit marked one year since the opening of the new Embassy
compound. He spoke briefly to Embassy employees and offered a prayer of
blessing upon the peoples of Armenia and the United States of America, and
upon the work of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon
HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S AUXILIARY RECOGNIZES DISTINGUISHED LEBANESE
MOTHERS
As a continuing tradition, for yet another year, Haigazian University’s
Women’s Auxiliary honored five distinguished women from Lebanon, who have
inspired, mentored, nurtured and cared for their communities. All women
were recognized for their role in developing their people, by giving them
room to grow and inspiring them to realize their full potential.
The event, under the high patronage of H.E. Mrs. Leila Solh Hamade, the
Vice President of the Al-Waleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in
Lebanon, took place on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut.
Present were two hundred women from various regions and communities in
Lebanon, among whom were wives of government ministers and parliament members.
The honorees of this year were:
Mouftieh Sabahat Sabounji from Tripoli. She represents the symbol of
motherhood in the North, as her home is considered to be the place where
all disputes are settled and solved. Mrs. Sabounji had started and presided
over many educational, religious, and social associations, all aiming at
empowering women.
Ms. Ani Boudjikanian from Beirut, an exceptional social worker and
pharmacist, was honored for her achievement of the EHLAN Social Housing
Project, which provides decent housing for needy Lebanese Armenians. Ms
Boudjikanian represents the coexistence of a loving heart and an
intellectual mind in one body.
Mrs. Zeinab Osseiran from Saida was appreciated for her establishing the
Jabal Amel Women’s Association, for building a nursing school and reviving
the silk industry in the South. Mrs. Osseiran is a woman of vision and a
believer in continuous learning.
Mrs. Maya Chami was recognized for founding the “Association de Dame de la
Charite”. She has succeeded in developing a teamwork spirit amongst the
social workers.
Princess Hayat Arslan was honored for founding the Society of Lebanon the
Giver, an institution which deals with social problems, and generates
income through creating various social projects.
After a welcoming word by the Haigazian University Women’s Auxiliary chair
Mrs. Terine Hasserjian, HUWA member Mrs. Mayda Keleshian led the audience
in a half hour audio-visual journey, “down memory lane”, presenting the
lives of the five honorees in mesmerizing detail. In her conclusion, she
praised the women who have tried hard to restore and strengthen the dignity
of those who had lost it, and badly needed to regain it.
Mr. Abdel Salam Marini, director of the Al-Waleed Bin Talal Humanitarian
Foundation in Lebanon, praised Haigazian University for its pioneering role
in the Lebanese society. On this special occasion, the institution was
generous in offering the university a fully equipped exam room, in addition
to LCD projectors for all the classrooms. Mr. Marini announced that this
donation represented the beginning of cooperation between the university
and the Al-Waleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation.
Haigazian University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian explained the
concept of servant leadership. “The mmission of Haigazian University from
the beginning has been to appreciate, encourage and promote an
understanding of leadership that is well-equipped, well-trained, but also
well-prepared to serve”, said Haidostian. Moreover, he considered an honor
for Haigazian University to be recognized and appreciated by the Al-Waleed
Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation.
Then each of the five honorees received a special plaque from the hand of
Mrs. Solh and in return President Haidostian awarded her excellency with a
golden plaque of appreciation.
The program was concluded with a luncheon of fellowship during which the
attendees had the opportunity to meet the various members of the HUWA,
converse with Mrs. Solh and familiarize themselves with the academic
services of Haigazian University.
In addition to the enjoyment of the event as a whole, the attendees
expressed deep appreciation for the participation of some Haigazian
University students who during the celebration presented a special musical
interlude, and an Armenian traditional dance during the luncheon.

Turkey, Armenia and denial
International Herald Tribune
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006
Turkey’s self-destructive obsession with denying the Armenian genocide seems
to have no limits. This week, the Turks pulled out of a NATO exercise
because the Canadian prime minister used the term “genocide” in reference to
the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey during and after World War I.
Before that the Turkish ambassador to France was temporarily recalled to
protest a French bill that would make it illegal to deny the Armenian
genocide occurred. And before that, a leading Turkish novelist, Orhan Pamuk,
was charged with “insulting Turkish identity” for referring to the genocide
(the charges were dropped after an international outcry).
Turkey’s stance is hard to fathom. Each time the Turks lash out, new
questions arise about Turkey’s claims to a place in the European Union, and
the Armenian diaspora becomes even more adamant in demanding a public
reckoning over what happened.
Granted, genocide is a difficult crime for any nation to acknowledge. But to
treat any reference to the issue within Turkey as a crime and to scream
“lie!” every time someone mentions genocide is absurd. By the same token, we
do not see the point of the French law to ban genocide denial. Historical
truths must be established through dispassionate research and debate, not
legislation, even if some of those who question the evidence do so for
insidious motives.
But the Turkish government considers even discussion of the issue to be a
grave national insult and reacts to it with hysteria. Five journalists who
criticized a court’s decision to shut down an Istanbul conference on the
massacre of Armenians were arrested for insulting the courts. Charges
against four were subsequently dropped, but a fifth remains on trial.
The preponderance of serious scholarship outside Turkey accepts that more
than a million Armenians perished between 1914 and 1923 in a state-sponsored
campaign. Turkey’s continued refusal to countenance even a discussion of the
issue stands as a major obstacle to restoring relations with neighboring
Armenia and to claiming Turkey’s rightful place in Europe and the West. It
is time for the Turks to realize that the greater danger to them is denying
history.

Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Tel: 818-500-1918
Fax: 818-246-7353
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Maral Habeshian (818) 500-1918
May 11, 2006
Communities Unite in Support of ANCA Telethon
(Washington, DC – May 11, 2006) – Armenian Communities and
organizations across the United States are uniting in overwhelming
support of the May 21st Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Telethon. In the last several weeks individual communities have
mobilized to build support for the Telethon including early
community-level local fundraising initiatives. With less than a week
before the Telethon air date, there is a groundswell of widespread
interest across the entire spectrum of community organizations coming
together with a united purpose of supporting the Armenian Cause, “Hai
Tad.” With this in mind, representatives of various communities and
organizations are planning on appearing live during the Telethon to
show their moral and financial support. The Telethon will be on May
21 from 3-9pm Pacific Time (6pm-Midnight Eastern Time) and will be
broadcast nationally on i Network (formerly known as the PAX network
which can be viewed on local cable systems); Horizon TV, which is
carried on cable and the DISH satellite network; and will be web cast
on To obtain local channel details, viewers can go to
the Telethon page of the ANCA website ( ) where they will
find a station locator by entering their zip code.
“Representatives from communities throughout the United States will be
traveling to Los Angeles to participate in the Telethon live,” said
Raffi Hamparian, member of the ANCA National Board and Telethon
Organizing Committee. “The Telethon has touched a common emotion and
desire in people to support the Armenian Cause in all the different
parts of our communities, regardless of organizational affiliations or
politics. It is worthwhile to note this very positive development
because ‘Hai Tad’ is a calling that should be awakened in every
Armenian. As the Telethon will demonstrate, we all have an important
and critical role to play.”
Representatives from ANCs, community organizations, churches and
performing artists from across the nation are scheduled to appear
during the Telethon in addition to an unprecedented number of public
officials including mayors and representatives from city and state
governments; dozens of members of Congress and the Congressional
Armenian Caucus; and leaders from the Republic of Armenia.
Representatives of ANCA chapters around the nation will show the
tangible results of their grassroots advocacy and activism during the
broadcast with in-depth documentaries about the many activities on
Armenian issues in every community.
“We are eager to share the progress we are making in Pennsylvania on
key issues of importance to the Armenian community and that’s why I’ll
be making the trip to Los Angeles for the Telethon,” said Dr. Ara
Chalian, Co-Chair of the ANC of Pennsylvania. “The surge in interest
and activism demonstrates we’re on the right track and when we put the
additional financial resources behind our volunteer work of our
grassroots network we will see even greater results. That’s what
makes this Telethon so critical to our united future.”
To make a donation in advance of the May 21st ANCA Telethon or find
out channel information, call 1-866-402-2622 (ANCA) or go to
and click on the Telethon logo to make a donation online.

PRESS RELEASE
ARMENIAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
Web:
Email: [email protected]
The Armenian Economic Association (AEA) is a newly formed organization
dedicated to the advancement of Armenian scholarship in economics, finance,
and the related management sciences. It is organized with the student and
educator in mind and its mission is to promote academic excellence.
Through its web site (), AEA provides online teaching resources
such as lecture notes and textbooks. These may go a long way in tackling the
widespread shortage of textbooks in Armenia, particularly at the graduate
level. The site also provides guides to writing term and research papers, as
well as links to relevant research on Armenia.
In addition to the teaching materials, the site contains economic databases
as well as links to a number of raw survey data. The goal is to make data on
economic activity in Armenia accessible to researchers with minimum search
time and at no cost. Most importantly, the site gives writers and
researchers the opportunity to post their research and working papers online
for the widest possible dissemination prior to their submission to journals
and presentation at conferences. It is hoped that this visibility may
enhance the recognition of the authors’ works, and potentially lead to
collaborations among various researchers.
How can AEA help you: If you are a student and in need of textbook or
reading materials, then visit the “Online Resources” page of the web site.
Also visit the same page if you are writing a research paper or need to
review existing research on Armenia. Visit the “Data” section if you need
data on economic activity (GDP, exports, etc.) or if you need survey data
for more in depth analysis of business and household behavior. If you have
written a paper and would like to disseminate it and solicit feedback, then
visit the “Working Papers” page and follow the instructions for submissions.
Note that access from outside Armenia is at times slow.
How you can help: If you are an educator, then consider having your lecture
notes posted online and share your knowledge. If you have an expertise in a
particular field and are familiar with research data sources, then please
help update the data sources. If you are a good writer, then consider
helping some of the young authors in having their manuscript edited and
proofread in preparation for submission to journals and presentation at
conferences.
The AEA is envisioned to have a structure similar to that of many
associations with membership and elected board members. As AEA evolves, your
comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

OFFICE OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN THE USA
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: (202) 223-4330
Fax: (202) 315-3339
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site:
PRESS RELEASE
May 15, 2006
BOOKEXPO AMERICA 2006 FEATURES “JOURNEY TO KARABAKH” AUTHOR
Baratov’s New Book Showcases Armenian History, Culture and Heritage
Washington, DC – Boris Baratov, the acclaimed traveler and writer,
will be featured at this year’s BookExpo America taking place at the
Washington Convention Center this week. Baratov’s new book, “The
Armeniad,” follows the author’s two highly praised works on Karabakh
– “The Angel of Artsakh: Monuments of Armenian Art in Nagorno
Karabakh” and “The Paradise Laid Waste: Journey to Karabakh.”
“It is in examining the past that our contemporary world is able to
gain a glimpse into its future,” said Baratov, commenting on the
driving force behind his new work.
“The Armeniad” is the result of many years of extensive travel and
research in Western Armenia and Cilicia, Iran, Iraq, Germany, France
and Great Britain. Printed in Italy, this richly illustrated volume
(600 color illustrations!) offers a panorama of the civilization of
ancient Armenia. The literary portion of “The Armeniad” is based on
the works of Armenian historians and on the latest research of a
number of European scholars. It tells of the principal stages in the
formation of the Armenian identity and the Armenian civilization in
the mountainous basin of Lake Van, and in the Ararat and Mush
Valleys from the 4th-3rd millennia onwards.
The reader will be able to obtain an impression of a civilization
which has traveled in parallel with the great cultures of Sumer,
Assyria, the Hittite Kingdom, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and
Byzantium. In leafing through the pages of this book, the reader
will learn of important 19-20th-century archaeological research into
Asia Minor, which uncovered the ‘visible pages’ of the ancient past
to an astounded world.
The BookExpo America 2006 will take place May 19-21 at:
Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Hours: 9 AM – 6 PM (9 AM -4 PM on Sunday)
Go to: Booth #4652, Hall DE, “Linguist Publishers”
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is
based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia
and the public representing the official policies and interests of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh.
* * *
Editor’s Note: the public can meet the author at the book fare this
week and also contact him directly at (215) 900-5201, fax (215)
639-3013, email: [email protected]
“The Armeniad” can also be ordered online at
* * *
This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in the USA on behalf of the Government of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S.
Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional
information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington,
D.C.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x109
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, May 15, 2006
AGBU YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF BOSTON HOST CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Watertown, MA – On April 5, 2006, the recently established AGBU Young
Professionals (YP) of Boston kicked off a two-part career development
series with an Armenian Career Advisory Panel at Boston University’s
School of Management.
Guest speakers representing the fields of Human Resources (HR),
Technology, Public Relations and Finance included Seta Marangoudakis,
HR Recruiter, United Technologies Corporate; Dr. Setrag Khoshafian,
Vice President, BPM Technology, Pegasystems Inc.; Elizabeth
Yekhtikian, Account Supervisor, Blanc and Otus Public Relations; and
Kim Yacoubian, AGBU YP Liaison and former Manager/Divisional Vice
President, UBS.
Mentoring over 20 university students and young professionals,
panelists shared their professional experiences with up-and-coming
young Armenians, providing insight into their respective industries
and guidance on career development.
The second part of the series, a Resume Writing Workshop, took place
on April 22 at Northeastern University. With professional assistance
provided by Mary Pitino, Boston Symphony Orchestra HR Manager and
Shannon Rafferty, Cambridge Associates Recruiter, a dozen young
attendees learned how to improve their resumes and received pointers
on networking, interviewing and hiring.
The AGBU Young Professionals of Boston are committed to preserving and
promoting the Armenian identity and heritage through educational,
cultural and humanitarian programs. For more information on YP Boston,
please email [email protected].

12 YEARS SINCE SIGNING OF AZERI-ARMENIAN CEASEFIRE
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 14 2006
Baku, May 12, AssA-Irada
12 years have passed since Azerbaijan and Armenia signed ceasefire
on the conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
With the signing of the Bishkek protocol in 1994, the two countries
reached a ceasefire accord after large-scale hostilities that were
launched by Armenia without a declaration. Nonetheless, only Azerbaijan
has honored the agreement over the past years, while Armenia has been
regularly breaching ceasefire on the frontline.
In January-March 2006 alone, Armenian armed forces subjected Azeri
positions to shooting 75 times, killing and wounding military men
and civilians.
Upper Garabagh, which is internationally recognized as part of
Azerbaijan, has both Azeri and ethnic Armenian population. It
was occupied by Armenia in early 1990s, along with seven other
Azerbaijani districts, after hostilities that killed up to 30,000
people and forced about a million Azeris out of their homes. Despite
the ceasefire accord, peace talks have been fruitless so far and
refugees remain stranded.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FILM PRODUCER ANDREW GOLDBERG SPEAKS TO KURDISHMEDIA.COM
Kurdish Media
May 14 2006
New York (KurdishMedia.com) 14 May 2006: On April 17, PBS aired
The Armenian Genocide, a one hour documentary written, directed and
produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Andrew Goldberg of Two Cats
Productions, in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting. Using a
variety of sources, this film tells the story of the nearly complete
elimination of the Armenian population of Anatolia at the beginning
of the 20th century. While remembrance of these events, known as the
Armenian Genocide, is a major component of modern Armenian identity,
the Turkish government and many Turkish groups actively seek to
convince the world that the Armenian Genocide never occurred and work
tirelessly to prevent any discussion of the mass murder.
Following the airing of the documentary, certain PBS affiliates
decided to air a panel discussion featuring two historians who
dispute that the Armenian Genocide ever occurred, drawing protest
from Armenian-Americans and others. Andrew Goldberg took the time
to speak to KurdishMedia.com regarding his experiences in producing
the documentary, which included having staff travel to Turkey and
Kurdistan, and his response to the controversies generated by his work.
Can you please explain what motivated you to make a documentary on
the Armenian Genocide? What do you want viewers to take away from
your documentary?
I am not an activist about this issue, I am journalist. As
a journalist, my job is to report on issues that are important for
people to know. I feel the Genocide is far too underreported and is far
too important to be overlooked. I also felt like the Armenians were
trying to get people to listen to their story, to their pain, but no
one would. So I wanted to help that effort by simply telling the truth.
Please describe the different types of research that went into
making this documentary. How long did it take to gather sufficient
information?
I had done other work on the Armenians before this project so we had a
running start… but the whole project took about two years. Research
was done on the internet and with both new and old books, and on the
telephone. Photos and old video came mostly from archives around the
world. We dealt with archives in Russia, Turkey, the US, England,
France, Germany, Yugoslavia and others. We also relied heavily on
our scholars – Peter Balakian, Ron Suny and Fatma Muge Gocek.
Did you face any difficulties doing firsthand research in Turkey?
What, if any precautions did you staff take?
We generally traveled undercover. Still, our “tourist” camera
crews were stopped several times by the army and police. It was very
frustrating. We also hired a Kurdish cameraman and producer to travel
to eastern Turkey and Kurdistan. He went there *very* undercover and
asked that we not disclose his name for fear of Turkish reprisal.
We know that you conducted a few Kurdish-language interviews for this
film. Was it easy traveling through Kurdistan and finding people able
and willing to speak on the Armenian Genocide? Was there anything
unique about the Kurdish perspective on these events?
See above question for the first half of this and yes, it is Kurdistan
and must be called that! The Kurdish voice is tremendously important
because they tell the truth about the events and are not wrapped up
the nationalism of many Turkish people – a nationalism that prevents
them from telling the truth. Kurds do not suffer from denial, which
I believe is a psychological issue for many Turks, and not just an
issue of what people “say in public.”
How do you feel about the current state of scholarship and awareness
on the Armenian Genocide?
Far too little is done. And far too much is done by Armenians only.
Also, the work in my opinion has too much of an activist tone. Others
need to help the issue. The community can be very closed and often
are not inclusive of others. This needs to be overcome so other
scholars enter the field. Also, the amount of photos and film around
the world is immense. This is first hand witness material to the
events in ways that paper documents can never equal – for example,
we have Raphael Lemkin actually saying he invented the word genocide
because of what happened to the Armenians. That is why this material
is so important. Philanthropists need to give millions and millions
more to this effort.
Are you surprised by the controversy generated by your documentary?
What kind of feedback have you received from viewers and cultural
and political organizations with respect to this controversy?
The controversy with the Armenians themselves had to do not only with
my show but with the after panel. I was not at all surprised that
that happened over the after panel. It was kind of obvious (to me
at least) that that would be the response from the Armenians. The
Turkish reaction on the other hand was less public but they did
aggressively go after PBS to stop the film from showing. This effort
included getting several congressmen to ask PBS to drop my film from
the schedule. This is typical Turkish government and nationalist
behavior, though, so it did not surprise me either.
Do you have any future plans to further explore the Armenian Genocide
or other historical events in the region?
No. This was a very upsetting experience for me. Seeing PBS get so
incredibly assaulted by the whole world – justified or not — was very
upsetting to watch. Seeing congressmen try to stop PBS from showing
either the film or the panel, regardless of the value of either,
reminded me of Turkey where government controls the media.
Terrifying. For the record, I never want to live in a country where
the government tells the press what to do. The people can always
speak out instead. Our government cannot even build a sidewalk and
yet we are take seriously their nonsensical efforts at censorship?
Again, no matter how offensive something is – the government cannot
be the ones to tell us what we can and cannot say. It must only be
the people and the viewers.
Going on, being attacked, often with fabrications, by nationalists in
the Armenian press in California was very upsetting and uncalled for.
In my opinion, it is press like this that only harms efforts at
recognition. It divides rather than unites and prevents any consistent
voice to speak for the issues.
Furthermore, raising money was nearly impossible. I was told by one of
our funders that a man named Walter Karabian actually suggested that
supporting our efforts was a mistake! But we were able to finish the
film and we are very, very proud of what we achieved for journalism
and for human rights.
As for the Armenian organizations such as ANCA (Armenian National
Committee) and the Armenian Assembly? We tried to work with them
many times but we found them to be entirely non-responsive. The AGBU
[Armenian General Benevolent Union] on the other hand was amazing,
outstanding and incredible. They were truly wonderful to work with
and I wish I had such talented and generous people to work with on
all our projects.
We wish you the best of luck with this and other efforts. Thank you
for your time.
Thank you!