KIDS LEARN ABOUT GENOCIDE
‘iWitness’ gives teachers sense of 1915 tragedy
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News
April 4 2006
The Armenian Genocide – once observed primarily by Armenian-Americans
and marked by events in parochial schools and annual protests at
the Turkish Embassy – is taking on a greater role in the culture of
Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has launched a genocide
curriculum that more effectively teaches students about the killing
of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 – considered the first large-scale
genocide of the 20th century.
City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo hosted the first in a series of
training workshops Monday, with more than 300 teachers reading witness
testimonials and looking at survivors’ photographs in the “iWitness”
exhibit on display at his office.
“I run an office where every day truth is powerful. It leads us to
justice, and I think the images out there speak truth and justice,”
Delgadillo said. “This isn’t a huge demonstration, but, hopefully,
it will inspire these kids and teachers to follow that same lead and
demonstrate courage at every turn.”
The Genocide Education Project developed the curriculum. It focuses on
the 1915 genocide by the Ottoman Empire against its Armenian citizens,
but it also includes materials on other genocides of the 20th century –
the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia and Darfur.
California schools are required to discuss the Armenian Genocide in
their 10th-grade modern world history classes.
Two El Camino Real High School history teachers said “iWitness” –
with its stark portraits and poignant stories of victims – brought
to life for them horrors from nearly 100 years ago.
“We have a world history book – and it’s an excellent one – but it
only has two or three paragraphs devoted to this time,” said James
DeLarme, a 10th-grade teacher. “This really opens your eyes and makes
it real as to what happened. It will help when I teach students about
what happened.”
Teacher Devon Krodle said it was the emotion of the stories that
impressed him.
“When you hear these stories and see the pictures, it gives you a
better sense of the reality of that period,” he said.
The Turkish government blames the deaths of Armenians on civil war
rather than an orchestrated massacre, and the U.S. government has
not yet formally recognized the killings as a massacre.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, has been trying for years to push
through a bill officially recognizing the genocide, but has met with
resistance from Congress because of America’s relationship with Turkey.
“I think we need to do whatever we can do to help educate the public
by teaching its youngest members what genocide really means, to help
them understand their own history and what’s going on elsewhere in
the world like in Darfur,” Schiff said.
L.A. Unified’s goal is to expose its students to facts about human
rights violations in the world. In March, district teachers attended
training on a new Holocaust curriculum that helps them put the
topic in perspective and increases their sensitivity to the events,
officials said.
“As a people, if we’re not aware of how prevalent genocide has been
in (the last) century, then it will keep happening,” Clay said. “The
key point we want to make is that we want to impart to students the
factual material and let the students make up their own minds.”
The idea is to study the similarities and differences of all genocides,
because no genocide can be studied in isolation, said Raffi Momjian,
executive director of the Genocide Education Project.
“The key is training teachers on how to address human rights topics,
and our ultimate goal is to empower students to learn why and how
these things happen,” said Momjian, whose nonprofit group develops
instructional materials about human rights and genocide.
“As they grow up and hear about these things, hopefully they become
an informed and active citizenry.”

AZERI AMBASSADOR TO THE UK: “BAKU READY TO TALK WITH ETHNIC ARMENIANS RESIDING IN NK”
Today, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006
Major principles in the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict are based on the Constitution of Azerbaijan, which implies the
observation of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, inviolability
of borders and sovereignty.
They are also the principles of the international rule of law that
we have based on, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador
of Azerbaijan to the UK, Rafael Ibrahimov, said in an interview for
BBCRussian.com.
“As to timeline, I can’t say that it exclusively work for us without
any exclusion in the relationships, but the point is that as times goes
by there appears a critical mass and the attitude of the international
community changes in favor of intensification of a decision making
process,” he underlined.
He noted that changes occur on the accents, estimations and Azerbaijan
holds rather favorable position. Truth about this conflict becomes
known everywhere.
The diplomat underlined that the territorial integrity was the major
principle and Azerbaijan regards it as a basis. As to implementation
of an agreement, if it is achieved it is planned to place peacemaking
forces following the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. It is to be followed by the
repatriation of the Azerbaijani internally displaced people (IDP) to
their native territory. Azerbaijan has always supported preventing
any authorities for monopolization of the issue of the composition
of the peace-keeping forces. We have always considered the issue on
international peacemakers, Ibrahimov underlined.
Moreover, the Azerbaijani diplomat voiced his disappointment hat every
time when Azerbaijan speaks about its legal demands for rehabilitation
of the territorial integrity, Armenia accepts it as tensioning of the
situation. Azerbaijan continues the negotiation process and is firm
on its ground. Obviously, we have definite short-term, middle-term
and long-term tasks in the issue on the liberation of the sovereign
Azerbaijani territory, he underscored.
At preset the issue of repatriation of the Armenian refugees to
Azerbaijan is also under consideration, Ibrahimov underlined, adding
that the issue must be considered in the context of repatriation of the
Armenian refugees and Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, which currently
number over 1 million. It is also considered in the context of the
repatriation of Azerbaijani IDPs, who were driven out from the native
lands as a result of Armenian occupation. However, for the time being
it is too early to speak about achievement of a principle agreement
on the conflict resolution unless the exact order, ways and format
of provision of security of the refugees and IDPs are determined and
obviously, a process of repatriation starts.
Compromise by Azerbaijan is obvious. We hold peace talks with Armenia
on the topic of definition of a way and format for peaceable resolution
of the conflict. Over many years Azerbaijan has been imposed to the
aggression and occupation of Armenia.
Azerbaijan does not refuse from the talks and with Karabakh, but it
still depends on the format, he stressed. Baku is ready to speak
with the Azerbaijani citizens, the ethnic Armenians residing in
Nagorno-Karabakh. If they appeal to Baku in this respect, Azerbaijani
will never refuse from talks. In the opposite such dialogue is
desirable to take place, but only on the base of the Constitution
of Azerbaijan and a principle of sovereignty of Azerbaijan. In this
case Azerbaijan could make compromises and discuss the issue with
the subjects of the Azerbaijan Republic. The ethnic communities of
Nagorno Karabakh – Armenians and Azerbaijanis would participate in
this process.
The position has been exactly determined. The UK supports negotiation
process in the context of the OSCE Minsk Group and recognizes the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. As a UN Security
Council member the country backed all 4 resolutions (822, 853, 874
and 884), adopted by the organization in 1993 and chaired in one of
them. London attentively observes over the talks and supports the rapid
resolution of the conflict in a peaceable way. The UK is not member
of the OSCE Minsk Group. The special envoy of the British government,
Brian Fall, regularly visits the region and holds meeting and exchange
of opinions on large specter of issues including the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Since the beginning of the conflict London supported the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and remains loyal
to this position, according to the Azerbaijani ambassador.
URL:

U.S. EXPECTS UPCOMING ARMENIAN ELECTIONS TO BE FREE, FAIR
NewsBlaze, CA
April 4 2006
The United States expects Armenia’s parliamentary and presidential
elections in 2007 and 2008 to meet international standards for free
and fair elections, the State Department’s Daniel Fried said in a
speech in Washington March 27.
Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian
affairs, said the Bush administration views the elections as “key
tests” of whether Armenia is meeting its commitments under the terms
of the Millennium Challenge Compact it signed March 27.
A Millennium Challenge Compact is a bilateral aid agreement with the
United States that involves a commitment on the part of the recipient
country to encourage economic freedom, rule justly and invest in
its people.

AZERBAIJAN, ARGENTINE SIGN TWO DOCUMENTS ON BILATERAL CO-OP
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006
Two documents on the development of bilateral cooperation have been
signed during Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s visit
to Argentine, Tahir Tagizade, the head of the Press and Information
Department of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend. He was
commenting on the current visit of the Azerbaijani FM to Argentine.
The visit started with a meeting with Argentine’s FM Korkhe Tayane.
The talks focused on the perspectives of bilateral relationships,
opening of Azerbaijani embassy in Buenos Ayres, as well as plan
on exchange of visits on the top, in particular, perspectives for
Argentine’s FM to Azerbaijan. As a result of talks the Ministers two
documents: Memorandum on cooperation between the Foreign Ministries
and Agreement on non-visa visit of people holding diplomatic passports.
As part of his visit to Argentine Mammadyarov also held a meeting
with the Minister for Public Investing and Planning of the federal
services, Khulio Migel de Vido. Moreover, the minister also met
with the Chairman of the Senate and Vice President of Argentine,
Daniel Skiole. The Azerbaijani FM answered some questions of media
representatives accredited in Buenos-Ayres. The Minister informed
them about the situation in the region, on the development of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and efforts taken
for peaceable resolution of this conflict, development of Azerbaijan
and economic, political, and social reforms, development of Caspian
energy resources.
Upon completion of a visit to Argentine the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister left for Brazil. On Tuesday he is scheduled to have meetings
with the Deputy Minister for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade,
Ivan Gimaraesh Ramalio, Tagizade informed.

KEEP ALI OUT OF PROBE, MICHUKI SAYS
Story By David Mugonyi
Daily Nation, Kenya
April 4 2006
Cabinet minister John Michuki has written to Speaker Francis Kaparo
seeking to stop police chiefs from giving evidence to a parliamentary
committee.
In the letter, Mr Michuki says he had answered all the questions and
did not see why his juniors were being asked to appear before the
Parliamentary Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs.
He said: “I have already explained all there is as the minister in
charge and I am, therefore, deeply constrained by the committee’s
widely publicised intention to summon the director of Criminal
Investigations Department and the Commissioner of Police.”
“Precisely what policy issues does the committee expect to receive
from my subordinates?”
Mr Michuki also complained that the committee had leaked to the media
his submissions, which was contrary to House rules.
He described the decision to summon Police Commissioner Hussein
Ali and CID director Joseph Kamau to cross check his submissions as
“scandalous”.
“It is totally unfair for the committee to use its privileged position
to advance an agenda which is obviously not in the best interest of
the public,” he said.
So far, Maj-Gen Ali and Mr Kamau have not appeared before the
committee, which is led by Kabete MP Paul Muite, despite having been
summoned to do so.
In his letter to the Speaker dated March 28, Mr Michuki says the
planned interview of his subordinates was likely to “demean and lower
not just the integrity of the said committee, but that of the House
as a whole.”
Sources said the committee had resolved to issue further summons
to Major-Gen Ali and Mr Kamau, this time round threatening to take
action against them should they fail to before the team.
Maj-Gen Ali is on record saying he had not been briefed on the raid,
which raised question as to who ordered. It also raised question as
to whether there was a parallel force within the police force.
His attempts to sack Mr Kamau who was said to have participated in
a meeting that planned the raid were thwarted.
As Mr Michuki wrote, President Kibaki’s special adviser on policy and
strategy, Mr Stanley Murage, was yesterday grilled by the parliamentary
committee on the alleged presence of mercenaries in the country.
Mr Murage was also asked whether he attended a meeting that planned the
raid on the Standard Group. But he denied all the allegations. He also
refuted allegations that he hosted two Armenians – Artur Margaryan
and Artur Sargasyan – at State House Nairobi, sources within the
committee told the Nation.
The Armenian brothers have been in the news on allegations that
they were mercenaries. But they have refuted the claims, which were
originated by Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga. They have since sued Mr Odinga
over the allegations.
Mr Murage was the third witness to be summoned by the committee after
Mr Michuki and Internal Security permanent secretary Cyrus Gituai.
Mr Murage recently described the claims that he hosted the Armenians as
“untrue, uncalled for and outright malicious.”
He termed the utterances as “propaganda by sections of politicians”
and said he would seek legal redress.
When Mr Michuki appeared before the committee two weeks ago in
company of Mr Gituai, he said the raid on the Standard was planned
and implemented by the Government for security reasons.
Mr Michuki denied that there were foreigners involved in the raid.
He also told the committee that the Government was in process of
decoding information from the computers that were taken during the
March 2 raid.
He also denied that the two Armenians in the country were not
mercenaries but businessmen.
However, some leaders led by LDP’s Mr Odinga have insisted that
foreigners were involved in the raids.

FM OF NKR: “MEDIATORS MUST REALIZE THEIR MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVATION OF CEASE-FIRE REGIME”
Regnum, Russia
April 3 2006
Importance of realization by all mediators, and interested
international institutions and organizations their moral responsibility
for preservation of cease-fire regime, as well as inadmissibility
of resorting to force or this threat in Nagorno Karabakh conflict
zone, stressed Foreign Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Georgy Petrosyan
during meeting with co-Chairs of American-Russian Working group of
the Dartmouth Conference on regional conflicts Harold Saunders (USA)
and Vitaly Naumkin (Russia), who stayed in Nagorno Karabakh during
their regional visit.
As a REGNUM correspondent was informed at the NKR Foreign Ministry,
the parties discussed draft framework agreement on peace process,
developed in accordance with results of a nine-round dialogue between
Azerbaijan, Armenian, and Nagorno Karabakh public representatives
in the framework of the Dartmouth Conference. At the meeting, the
co-chairs presented main ideas and principles founded in the draft
document, mentioning its compromise character. According to them,
the project of the framework agreement does not propose a solution –
it is aimed at creating of conditions for a stable dialogue between
the conflict parties.
Appreciating efforts of the Working Group to find ways for mutually
acceptable conflict solution, the head of NKR Foreign Ministry
stressed as positive fact, participation of Nagorno Karabakh public
representative in dialogue within the framework of the Dartmouth
Conference.

MP ASHOTYAN: KOSOVO MODEL CANNOT BECOME PRECEDENT FOR NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 3 2006
Despite numerous statements that 2006 is auspicious for the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement, the problem will not be resolved
current year, Armenian MP Armen Ashotyan is quoted as saying at a
press conference April 1.
According to Armen Ashotyan, proposals on deployment of peacekeeping
corps in the conflict zone and staging a referendum in Nagorno
Karabakh in 15 years are illusions. “We do not know what the situation
will be in 15 years, what demographic situation will be in Nagorno
Karabakh. So, we should not hope that the question will be settled
in favor of Armenians,” the Armenian MP believes, REGNUM reports.
He noted that to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict several
models were proposed, in part, Nagorno Karabakh joining Azerbaijan,
its independence or joining Armenia, however, all the models are
inadmissible either for the Armenian, or the Azeri party. “The only
optimal option of the problem solution is preserving the status quo.
In this period it is necessary to increase investments in the
country, as well as increase human resources in Nagorno Karabakh,”
Armen Ashotyan believes.
The RA MP noted Kosovo model could not become a precedent for the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. “The statement of the Russian
party that Kosovo model can be precedent for settlement of ethnic
conflicts in the post-Soviet territory is disputable for the Armenian
leadership,” Armen Ashotyan believes. If Russia is an interested party
in settlement of the Ossetian, Transdnestr and Abkhaz conflicts, in
case of Karabakh conflict the Armenian people is an interested party,
he stressed.
From: Baghdasarian

NKR PM: ONE SHOULD NOT TAKE TALKS ON NK NEGOTIATIONS’ FAILURE SERIOUSLY
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 3 2006
“The Karabakh talks are going on in their channel”, stated the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Prime Minister Anoushavan Danielyan.
According to News-Armenia agency, Head of the Nagorno Karabakh
government noted, “One should not take the talks on the negotiations’
failure seriously”. “I believe they are proceeding in their channel”,
stated the NKR Prime Minister. Anoushavan Danielyan said the Karabakh
party was aware that the conflict settlement “is a very serious issue,
and it cannot be resolved immediately”.
In his words, Karabakh remains optimistic about the issue of the
problem solution. “If we say we are optimists, then, our optimism
refers to current year as well. However, it does not mean that the
problem must be necessarily resolved current year”, added the NKR
Prime Minister.

MERZLYAKOV: “INTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS ARE HELD ENOUGH TO SETTLE NK CONFLICT”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 3 2006
“Intensive consultations are held enough to settle the Nagorno Garabagh
conflict,” Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov
told APA. Commenting on the expressions that there is standstill in
the negotiating process, the co-chair objected to these views and
said the Minks Group co-chairs are negotiating with the conflicting
parties separately.
“American co-chair Steven Mann and US Assistant Secretary of State
Daniel Fried visited Baku, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
paid a visit to Washington,” he said. “Azerbaijani Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov will be visiting Washington this week and Vardan Oskanian
will be in Moscow. French co-chair Bernard Fassier is likely to visit
the region soon. We have agreed to conduct bilateral talks for the time
being and then determine the date of restoration of the multilateral
process on the basis of the contacts,” Mr.Merzlyakov said.The Russian
co-chair hopes that the co-chairs will pay a joint visit to the region
in April-May and have talks with the Presidents.
Commenting on the reason why the co-chair met in Istanbul on 20 March,
the diplomat said the place was suitable.
“American co-chair and Daniel Fried left for Turkey before the
co-chairs, and Istanbul was selected for meeting to familiarize with
conclusions of the talks conducted by them,” he noted.
Merzlyakov also said that another Russian diplomat replaced him in
that meeting as he was ill.
Replying the question whether he will leave the position of co-chair,
the diplomat said that he was not informed about it.
Also commenting on incomplete talks in Rambouillet, Merzlyakov said
that the Presidents preplanned continuing the talks on Sunday.
“But seeing that they will not reach a consensus Kocharian decided
to return on Saturday,” the co-chair concluded.

NK PROBLEM AND ELECTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN WON’T BE DISCUSSED AT THE PACE SESSION- AGSHIN MEHTIYEV
Author: R. Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 3 2006
The Nagorno-Karabakh problem and elections in Azerbaijan won` t be
discussed at the PACE session, the permanent Azerbaijani representative
at the CE, ambassador, Agshin Mehtiyev told Trend , adding that these
questions are not on the agenda.
However, two other questions related to Azerbaijan will be raised
at the session; considering the first document- of the resolution
project on refuges in the South Caucasus countries. Mehtiyev stated
that “the given document in general is not bad, though it
has mistakes in numerical data.” “The resolution project has to be
corrected, and works on that problem are now carried out,” he said,
adding that Azerbaijani delegates who will arrive to the meeting will
have personal discussions with the rapporteur. “The document will be
finalized during the session itself. So its prematurely to evaluate
it now, ” he concluded.
As for the second question of importance- Human rights in the
post-soviet armies, Mehtiyev said that Azerbaijani army is also
included into the document. “The document sates some mistakes and
demerits of the national army,” for example human rights in Armenian
army is protected more efficiently. “Of course, there are demerits
in our army,” he concluded.