JUSTIN MCCARTY: “IF ARMENIANS HAD ANYTHING TO SAY THEY WOULDN’T HAVE MINDED THE TV DEBATES ON “GENOCIDE”
Today, Azerbaijan
March 15 2006
Turkey should maximally speed up the measures undertaken within the
Armenian issue.
Historians should deal with historical issues and Turks should think in
this direction, staunch defender of official Turkey’s position on the
Armenian Genocide Justin McCarty stated during the “New rapprochement
in the Turkish-Armenian relations” symposium held in Istanbul.
McCarty also touched upon the protest of the Armenian lobby against
the TV debates to take place after the show of Andrew Goldberg’s film
titled Armenian Genocide.
“The resolution of the issue is unclear yet. But if Armenians had
anything to say they wouldn’t have minded the program,” the American
historian said, reported Marmara Istanbul-based newspaper.
PanARMENIAN.Net
URL:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE BUSINESS OF POETRY
Issued by: SoulCircle
Bizcommunity.com, South Africa
March 15 2006
Poets will become a key to unlocking culture meaning, building
relationships and developing leaders, says Mandy de Waal who looks
at the rising phenomenon of poetry in business.
Once upon a time there lived an emperor who was vain and insecure.
One morning he decided that it would buoy his spirits immeasurably if
he had the best attire in the Kingdom. He got the best tailors to make
him the best suite in the kingdom. Now these craftsmen were smart and
knew how to extract value from customers. They hatched an incredible
plan. They told the Emperor they had the finest cloth in the world, but
only people who were incredibly wise could see this cloth. The Emperor,
of course, fell for their proposal and before long the tailors, the
Emperor, the courtiers, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s
men were madly enamoured with this non-existent cloth, which was
sewn with non-existent thread to make a non-existent suit. You know
the rest. The Emperor paraded through his kingdom completely naked
and everybody fawned about him. That is, of course, until a young boy
stepped forward and shouted: “The Emperor has no clothes on.” The moral
of the story? The tailors were consultants and the young boy, a poet.
Ezra Pound eloquently summed up the role of the poet with his urging
them to “make it anew”. Throughout time great poets have sought to
see society and the world with a new lens, carving a courageous,
challenging and at times dangerous role for themselves. History is
littered with the bodies of dead writers or exiled poets who dared to
speak the truth. Chinese born poet Jun Feng was imprisoned and forced
into exile, and Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet died in exile after being
only major writer to speak out against the Armenian massacres. In
South Africa many poets were imprisoned or exiled during Apartheid.
The poet’s voice is often one of social conscience and because of
their ability to see things from a different perspective, poets are
often verbal activists in the face of corruption and exploitation.
Their power is their ability to touch the hearts and minds of people
with power, influencing mass opinion.
Activist and writer Ken Saro-Wiwa spent much of his life protesting
the exploitation of his native people, the Ogoni, who came under
threat when their homeland was targeted for oil extraction by Shell
in the late fifties. In his book “Genocide in Nigeria : The Ogoni
Tragedy” Saro-Wiwa tells how the Ogoni had “been gradually ground
to dust by the combined effort of the multi-national oil company,
Shell Petroleum Development Company, the murderous ethnic majority
in Nigeria and the country’s military dictatorships”. Two years
later Sero-Wiwa was honoured by receiving the Right Livelihood Award
for exemplary courage in striving non-violently for the rights of
the Ogoni people. Scarcely a year later despite an outcry from the
international community he was hanged in what was largely seen as
judicious murder by the hands of the Nigerian military government.
“Dance your anger and your joys dance the guns into silence.
Dance. Dance. Dance…”
– Ken Saro-Wiwa
“Poetry serves as a watchdog,” says Russell Kaschula, Extraordinary
Professor at the University of Stellenbosch and visiting Professor
in communication and media studies at Goucher College in the US. “The
language of poetry is passion and truth. Poets have the ability to be
open and criticize society, and it is when politicians interfere with
that ability to be truthful that the frontline of freedom of speech
is eroded in society. This is what happened to poets who were exiled
under apartheid.”
Kaschula, whose main areas of expertise are poetry and intercultural
studies, says the events surrounding the popular poet ZS Qungule’s
exile are a good case in point. “The imbongi or praise singer’s right
to speak freely and without censure came under serious pressure in
the 1980’s when the voice of protest that characterized Xhosa izibongo
was driven underground to serve small-minded politics,” says Kaschula
who relates how Qungule was arrested for his protest against the
manner in which the then King Sebata Dalinyebo, King of the Tembus,
was detained and deposed in favour of a pro-Government Bantustan
chief. A similar fate befell Melikhaya Mbutuma who was repeatedly
harassed by the police because of his protest poetry. “The descriptor
‘Praise Poet’ is a bit of a misnomer because praise poetry isn’t always
about worship. Praise poets have the ability and the license to be
critical,” says Kaschula who adds that poets are often a barometer
for freedom of speech. “When politicians interfere with the ability
to be truthful or critical, the frontline of the freedom of speech
is eroded. If you can censor the oral word, the written is next.”
While politics and poetry has enjoyed a relationship knitted with
barbed wire, the connection between poets and business has been
less direct. This is largely because poets have operated outside
the realms of traditional business, and corporate institutions have
not considered poetry as relevant. This looks set to change for a
number of reasons. Poets are making inroads into corporations as
consultants and harbingers of meaning and leadership development,
while in another contexts poets are taking aim corrupt corporations,
extending their role as a societal watch dog to embrace economics. In
South Africa praise poets are becoming a part of labour relations
and with the surge of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) now act as
cultural attaches for leadership. Another strong trend is the rise of
poetry amongst the country’s youth who are giving poetic expression
to their disenchantment.
“South African businesses should be asking themselves what their role
will be in the evolution of our collective culture, and therefore
in the evolution of the market,” says youth marketing specialist
Andrew Miller. A writer and poet, Miller is often called to speak at
conferences and to offer counsel on youth marketing because of his keen
understanding of the sector. He is also a founding member of the spoken
word poetry collective, Reunited Siblings. “South Africa’s youth are
shaping a modern, urban identity that is only partially informed by
western or liberal democratic values. South African businesses are
not operating in a strictly western culture or economy, although
the majority of them are geared solely around this culture. Those
who become literate and conversant in urban, Africanised poetry and
culture will stay on top of the evolution of the South African market
and will therefore be better positioned to make more money,” he says,
adding that underground and commercial hip hop poets in this country
frequently take aim at capitalism. He quotes lyrics from all female
hip hop group, Godessa, as a case in point.
“it’s like a multi corporation wants complete invasion of my senses
i sense this game of rands and cents complain when brands can lend
their name and space to setting up new trends campaigns offend public
and individual expression again…
The need to understand an emerging new culture is a sentiment echoed
by Kaschula: “The problem with marketers is that they are monolingual
and they are not culturally aware. They only speak one language
largely and they are not aware of societal issues outside of their
demographic.” Kaschula advocates that the ideal marketing person in
South Africa and should be multi-lingual with a strong appreciation
of the cultural diversity of this country.” He adds that poetry and
culture are considerations in BEE where new philosophies and leadership
styles will shape the way business is done in this country.
“I saw a great cartoon the other day which paints the picture of an
office where white people gawking from behind desks when the black
director walks in with a praise poet in traditional garb. In the
cartoon the white people looking scared and perplexed, which is a
strong commentary on black empowerment, affirmative action and the
fear white people have of the cultural aspects that come with this,”
says Kaschula, adding: “Praise poetry is considered the highest form
of verbal art and people who can produce this are often found in
close proximity to people in power or important positions.”
He believes that praise poets will become a bigger part of business
and cites the example of Sasol who hired a praise poet to convince
the workers to come back to work. “Business can manipulate this,
once they realize the emotional sway between workers and the poets,”
he says adding that this wouldn’t be sustainable in the long term.
“Authenticity is an important facet of poetry because the poet
represents the middle ground between people in power and the people
on the ground. If people cotton on to the fact that a poet has been
bought over then the poet will lose his credibility and be displaced.”
Both Kaschula and Miller believe that poets have a powerful role
to play in business in terms of creating cultural understanding,
being the voice of the people, being used to influence people and to
convey messages to people in power about how workers feel about issues
as disparate as working conditions or products. They say poetry can
bridge a gap between business and workers and consumers, as long as
poets play the role of mediators and not propagandists.
One poet who has become a mainstay of corporate life and is entrenching
himself with business leaders is Irish borne David Whyte.
In an industrial conversation that largely centres on bottom line
performance, funding growth and increasing turnover, Whyte has
introduced a new lexicon that speaks to the heart and soul. Using
poetry to bring understanding to the process of change, he has helped
clients such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, American Express, Boeing,
Kodak, Toyota and Nedcor to understand individual and organizational
creativity and apply that understanding to vitalize and transform the
workplace. Whyte believes that work presents our greatest opportunity
for self-discovery and growth, yet is the one place where we are
least ourselves. Whyte says: “Our bodies can be present in our work,
but our hearts, minds, and imaginations can be placed firmly in
neutral or engaged elsewhere.” The danger he believes is that work
is a powerful force in the shaping of our identity and if we do our
work unthinkingly, Whyte maintains, it can shape us away into nothing.
In order to appreciate the contribution that Whyte makes to business,
lecturer and business consultant Retha Alberts believes one needs
put him and his work in the context of the new world of work and
the changing role of business in society. Alberts is a specialist
in Strategic Thinking, Corporate Governance and Ethics, as well
as Leadership Development and lectures on these subjects at the
University of Stellenbosch Business School. Alberts also works
and lectures in Stockholm for the Applied International Management
Programme and lectures to African business leaders in Sweden.
“Due to the fast pace at which decisions are taken and the dynamics
of the external environment, people sometimes find it difficult to
make sense of business itself and particularly of their own their
role in all of it,” says Alberts. “Employees no longer have a clear,
‘grand narrative’ according to which they can plan and organise their
careers or their personal lives. This has been a cause of uncertainty
and existential anxiety for most people. More than before, people seem
to be increasingly searching for authenticity and for more meaning
in business.”
Meaning and belonging are a strong theme of Whyte’s public talks,
his work with business and his poetry. “There is a tremendous breadth
and texture and colour to human life,” says Whyte, adding “It is this
breadth and texture that poetry celebrates and works with. The poetic
tradition has an understanding that each person has a particular way
of being in the world and a particular way of belonging to the world.
And that each person has a way of finding their particular place
through the imagination. That the imagination is not the ability to
think things up, but the faith you would have in the images which
reside in you at any one time. These images are actually making
sense of an incredibly complicated and quite often chaotic world
around you. The life of the imagination is the life of faith of your
particular belonging in the world.”
Whyte talks of the human existence as a constant dialogue with life
and of making a friend of the unknown. “If you can’t make a friend
with the unknown then life will always appear as a kind of enemy or
something that is constantly at your throat.” In the uncertainty that
has become global markets and shifting economies, the question of a
companionship with the unknown is a question of our time. “The severest
test of work today is not of our strategies but of our imaginations
and identities. For a human being, finding good work and doing good
work is one of the ultimate ways of making a break for freedom,”
writes Whyte in “Crossing The Unknown Sea: Work and the Shaping of
Identity”. He believes that as humans we must understand that we carry
enough burdens in the outer world not to want to replicate that same
sense of burden in our inner selves.
For a world that has been consumed with power and the pursuit of
profits, Whyte’s injunctions can come as relief. “Engaging with poetry
aligns the power of the mind with the power of the heart, and could
play an increasingly important role in creating a totally new, changed
business culture,” says Alberts. “Whyte challenges us all by asking
us to rethink our daily habits and assumptions – through his poetry he
forces us to look inside ourselves and to reflect on our own journeys.”
“Poets like David Whyte encourage us to explore and revisit our own
‘fiercer edges of life’ and because of this he and poets of his
calibre will play an increasingly important role in business,”
says Alberts. “Our personal journeys and the search for identity
and self-actualisation, become more understandable, and hopefully
more meaningful, using poetry. In my own work with people in various
organisations, I increasingly find an intense and earnest yearning
for another way. People who seek to get away from business-as-usual
to business-as-it-could be. Corporate business leaders repetitively
express their yearning for “more meaning” in business,” she adds.
What is certain is that business requires new approaches and
transformative thinking both in terms of the way it relates to
consumers and interacts with culture, as well as the role it plays
in people’s lives. Poets will no longer live outside the fringes of
business, but will become increasingly commonplace within the heart
of the corporation as cultural decoders, praise singers, mediators
between management and labour and as a facilitator for forging a new
paradigm for leadership.

ARMISTICE BREACH IN ARMENIAN-AZERI FRONTLINE
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 15 2006
On 14-15 March the units of the Armenian armed forces dislocated in
0.4km south of Mazamli village of Gazakh District fired at 22:20pm
the positions of the Azerbaijan National Army in the opposite, The
Defense Ministry told Trend.
On 15 March the units of the Armenian armed forces dislocated in 1.5km
of north of Sofulu village of Gazakh District fired the positions of
the Azerbaijan National Army in Jafarli village of Gazakh district
from 03:36 to 03:46.
No causalities were reported.

US STATE DEPARTMENT AGAIN REFUSES TO DIRECTLY COMMENT ON REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 15 2006
— Spokesperson Continues to Evade Journalists’ Questions; Issues
Non-Responsive Answer to Repeated Inquiries WASHINGTON, DC – For
the fourth time in the last week, the State Department’s official
spokesperson has failed to directly respond to questions raised by
journalists during the Department’s daily press briefing about reports
that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, has been
recalled due to his truthful statements on the Armenian Genocide,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“It’s certainly disappointing seeing State Department officials
hiding behind their spokesperson to avoid directly answering questions
about whether Ambassador Evans is being recalled because he had the
courage to stand up against what effectively amounts to a ‘gag-rule’
preventing our nation’s diplomats from speaking truthfully about the
Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in a March 8th letter to Secretary Rice,
wrote that, “If, in fact, the State Department has taken punitive
steps against Ambassador Evans, you should fully and openly explain
your policies and actions to the American people.
If, on the other hand, the Department has not taken any such steps,
you owe it to the American people to affirm that it is not the policy
of the United States of America to punish its diplomats for speaking
the truth about the Armenian Genocide.” Questions concerning Ambassador
Evans were raised on March 8th and March 10th and again on March 13th
and 14th. Each time journalists asked for official comments about
Ambassador Evans’ reported recall. Reflecting the growing frustration
among journalists over the lack of a clear response to their inquiries,
a member of the State Department press corps publicly described the
answers provided by the official spokesperson as “a bit of a dodge.”
The growing controversy surrounding reports of Amb. Evans’ recal
has resulted in separate letters being sent to Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice from ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and Rep. Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), the Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, as
well as formal Congressional inquiries by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)
and Grace Napolitano (D-CA).
Speaking last year to an Armenian American gathering at the University
of California at Berkeley, Amb. Evans said, “I will today call it
the Armenian Genocide. . . I informed myself in depth about it. I
think we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more
frank and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone
who has studied it. there’s no doubt in my mind [as to] what happened
. . . I think it is unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games
here. I believe in calling things by their name.” Referring to the
Armenian Genocide as “the first genocide of the 20th century,” he said:
“I pledge to you, we are going to do a better job at addressing this
issue.” Amb. Evans also disclosed that he had consulted with a legal
advisor at the State Department who had confirmed that the events of
1915 were “genocide by definition.”
Within days after his remarks and the conclusion of a speaking tour
of Armenian American communities, Ambassador Evans was apparently
forced to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the
Armenian Genocide were his personal views and did not represent
a change in U.S. policy. He subsequently issued a correction to
this statement, replacing a reference to the Genocide with the word
“tragedy.” Later last year, the American Foreign Service Association
(AFSA), in recognition of his honesty and commitment to principle,
decided to honor Ambassador Evans with the “Christian A. Herter
Award,” recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within
the Foreign Service. AFSA states, “The purpose of the [award] is
to encourage Foreign Service career employees to speak out frankly
and honestly.” Sadly, as Washington Post staff writer Glenn Kessler
revealed on June 9th, AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from
“very serious people from the State Department” just days before
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington,
D.C. to meet with President George W. Bush.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A SHORT VISIT IN VAN
Nursun Erel
The New Anatolian, Turkey
March 15 2006
If one day you have to go to Van for any reason, try to spare some
time, to get to know the different faces of this 5,000-year-old city.
Van is really one of the rarest places in the world, as it has been
a home for dozens of civilizations.
So, with my colleague Ceren Bayar, I spent some time in Van. Mostly we
were busy at the Van Courthouse. But we managed to take long walks on
our way to the courthouse from our hotel. The famous Cumhuriyet Bulvari
was our route, so it could give you meaningful impressions of Van.
Let me share them with you.
Some politics
Of the cities in eastern Anatolia, Van has perhaps felt the impact of
terrorism the hardest. We felt it too, on our second day in Van. A
bomb which exploded on Ferit Melen Caddesi killed three people and
injured over a dozen. It was a tragedy, and it also brought almost
all social and economic activity in the city to a halt. Because of
terror, the city loses many of its locals to immigration towards the
western cities. Terror had caused a great recession in the city.
That’s why there’s an enormous unemployment problem.
On Cumhuriyet Bulvari, you can see dozens of shoe shiners side by
side every day. They hopelessly wait for customers all day long.
Unique Van silverware
One controversy about the city is the number of jewelers. They have
very crowded showcases. You really wonder who the customers are for
such a variety of ambitious and expensive style of jewelry, but a
local told us:
“Don’t you know that Van is the home for many important tribes in
Anatolia? Don’t you remember the pictures taken during the tribal
wedding ceremonies? You almost see kilos of gold hanging on the
brides. So it’s a must for these people to give such gifts on any
occasion, that’s why we have so many jewelers here.”
Now let’s move on from these gaudy jewels to take a look at the
famous unique silverware of Van, which is called Savatli (a decorative
technique done with a special alloy). There are incredibly beautiful
bracelets, earrings and other kinds of ornaments done by this
technique. Metin Binici, who has a silverware shop in Van, told us:
“This is the art of our ancestors, developed centuries ago. During
the Ottoman period, in Istanbul if ordinary silverware was sold for
1 TL, the Savatli Silverware of Van was sold for 2 TL. It was very
precious and very desirable. For years art was almost asleep in Van,
but by the time Yucel Askin (Van Yuzuncu Yil University rector) came
to office, we started a revitalization of that beautiful art. These
bracelets and earrings look so bright at the start, but with the
passage of time they get darker and become more and more beautiful.”
Russian Bazaar
In the heart of the city, you can find almost every kind of market;
one example is the cheese market. Dozens of local cheeses produced
around Van can be found there. But once you’re in Van, you must
definitely try the special Otlu Peynir (a kind of cheese done with
a special kind of local herb). One another interesting place is the
Russian Bazaar. All kind of goods from fabric to wooden furniture can
be found there with very cheap prices. If you’re lucky, you can even
stumble upon a beautiful Iranian-made antique teapot, for example.
But don’t forget to bargain with the shopkeeper:
“You say 20 YTL for this teapot, but I can pay only 10 YTL, is
that okay?”
“Oh sister, since this morning I haven’t sold even a single item. You
heard the bomb explosion, didn’t you? You are so cruel to offer such
a low price, but okay I’ll give it to you.”
Visiting Akdamar Island
Van locals get angry when you call Lake Van a “lake,” they say:
“No. Don’t say it’s a lake. If you take the ferry from here to Tatvan
(a remote town on the Iranian border, beyond the lake’s far shore)
it takes four hours. So this is a sea. When the weather is rough,
it’s an ocean, it can be that wavy in bad weather.”
So we rent the boat of Recep Avci. The boat takes us from Gevas harbor,
and it takes us only 20 minutes to arrive at Akdamar Island.
Even though it’s a rainy day, Ceren and I feel almost in heaven looking
around us. What about those mountains covered with snow, just by the
lakeside? Ceren can’t keep herself from taking hundreds of pictures.
So we arrive at the island. The historical Armenian Church is in
front of us, and we read the historical marker:
“This church was built between 915 and 921 A.D., by the architect
Keshis Manauel. It was controlled by King Gagik I, who come from the
Armenian Vaspurakan dynasty.”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to have ordered renovation
work on the church to be completed soon, but on the island we saw
only silence. Officials tell us the renovation has been temporarily
halted due to harsh winter conditions.
Personal barbecue table
So we returned from Gevas to Van in 50 minutes. We were both hungry,
so Ceren and I decided to try the Kebap House of our hotel (the
Tamara). It was surprising to see the personal barbecue tables. We
sat down and ordered our meal:
Meatballs, lamb chops and a half piece of sucuk (spicy Turkish salami).
Our waiter brought us the meat and with the fire tongs in his hand,
he lit the fire on our table. He said:
“We burn nut shells for fire. When you cover them with ashes, you
can keep the fire at least for three days, and besides you don’t get
any smoke.”
So we enjoyed our meat.
Our evening appointment is at Yucel Askin’s home. You know his views
about Van (published in Monday’s TNA), but their home is a different
world. His wife Oya Askin leads us through their home and shows us
their beautiful art collections. What admirable painting of Fikret
Mualla (famous Turkish oil painter) is this? What about those ancient
Canakkale ceramics?
And that corner is specially designed for Ataturk. One of his rare
shots is framed and the clock is stopped at the time (9:05 a.m.) he
died. We admire the fine art taste of the Askins. But there is only
one thing that breaks my heart, the empty shelves of the rector’s
confiscated antiquities collection.
Breakfast salon
Late that night we get back to our hotel and have a rest. The next
day we have to get up early and try a Van breakfast salon. These
breakfast spots are special to Van. They open very early in the
morning and serve until noon. Let me tell you what we had on our table:
Cream of buffalo milk served with local honey, fried sucuk, olives,
local cheeses and unique dishes as Kavut and Murtuva (made with
grilled wheat and egg). We also sip aromatic tea.
So this is the end of our visit to Van. It’s a shame we didn’t see
any of the famous Van cats.
Next time, maybe.

ARMENIAN-AMERICAN HEADS DOCTORS
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
March 15 2006
Kamajian takes special care of homeless, poor
GLENDALE – Dr. Steven Kamajian brings a long history of volunteerism
to his new job as chief of staff at Glendale Adventist Medical Center,
the first Armenian-American to hold the position.
For years, Kamajian has run three health clinics at churches in
Glendale, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, where the homeless and
the uninsured come for free medical care. Doctors, nurses, dentists,
chiropractors, students and other volunteers pitch in.
The biggest clinic, at a Thousand Oaks Methodist church, has 17
doctors volunteering. The Glendale clinic has several doctors,
including specialists who see indigent patients in their offices.
“As people have become progressively less insured, it became apparent
to me that I should try to do something to help the less fortunate
people in society,” Kamajian said.
Kamajian, 53, is also an osteopath rather than a medical doctor,
the first time a physician from that branch of medicine has held the
top spot. Osteopathic medicine originated 130 years ago and is based
on physical therapy and the inter-relationship of the body’s nerves,
muscles, bones and organs.
“I have a different interpretation of things that I think is
wonderful,” he said. “And adding that to my unique American background
and my unique ethnic background, I think that I have been truly
blessed by this opportunity.”
At least 70,000 of Glendale’s more than 200,000 residents are Armenian,
according to an estimate from the western region of the Armenian
National Committee of America.
Glendale City Councilman Bob Yousefian said having an Armenian-American
as chief of staff at Glendale Adventist is meaningful.
“It’s important for the younger generation to see that there are
no glass ceilings in this country and you are elevated to positions
based on your merits,” he said.
Kamajian is a native of Waco, Texas, who grew up in Philadelphia and
now lives in Glendale. He has worked at Glendale Adventist since 1981,
and was elected four years ago by the hospital’s 700 physicians to
serve as chief of staff.
After the election, he went through the standard rotation of
secretary-treasurer to vice chief of staff, and on Jan. 1, started
his first year as the head of the hospital’s physicians.
“He’s a very caring physician,” said Scott Reiner, the hospital’s
CEO. “He’s creative and he thinks of new ways to do things to take
care of his patients. He’s very into supporting the homeless and
patients who don’t have financial resources.”

CONFERENCE ON TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS OPENS TODAY AT ISTANBUL U.
Hurriyet, Turkey
March 15 2006
A conference on Armenians which has been in the works for a year
is opening today at Istanbul University. The “New Approaches to
Turkish-Armenian Relations” conference will include 70 academics from
Turkey and abroad, and is expected to witness sharp clashes between
people of varying viewpoints.
The opening of the conference will be marked by a 45 minute concert
given by the Kadikoy Surp Takavor Armenian Church Choir. Speaking about
the aim of the conference, Istanbul University Professor Safak Ural,
who also helped organize the conference, said “If we can’t explain
the problem in Turkish-Armenian relations to our own people, then we
won’t be able to explain it to anyone. And in order to explain it,
we have to discuss every angle of the matter. This is possible only
by gathering differing viewpoints on one platform, and approaching
the discussion within the framework of certian objective criteria.”

SOUTH CAUCASIAN CONFEDERATION: PRO AND CONTRA. VIEWS OF REGIONAL EXPERTS
Regnum, Russia
March 15 2006
After a series of provocations that could well break out into a
large-scale war, there is again a fragile peace in South Ossetia. Is
it for long? How can the South Caucasian nations solve their existing
conflicts when at stake are their state interests, territorial claims,
let alone the feelings of national dignity and revenge? Where can
Abkhazians, Ossetians and Georgians, Armenians and Azeris – nations
that have lived in one common house for centuries in the past – find
common grounds now in the present? More and more authors have recently
been appearing with the idea of a South Caucasian confederation or
federation as a way to resolve the local conflicts.
The article “Deja vu: The Third Attempt of South Caucasian Federation”
by REGNUM examines the two past failures to form such an organism
and hypothesizes about the third attempt. But the objective of the
article is not a theoretical research with a question mark in the end,
but a practical monitoring of views by political experts from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Nagorno Karabakh. Bellow are the results of the
monitoring giving a true picture of the process.
Political expert from Yerevan Armenak Hovhannisyan tends to think that
the optimal scenario is not a confederation of the South Caucasian
states but a regional organization of the South Caucasian nations. “Our
region is multi-religious and multi-national, and I suppose that the
regional South Caucasian organization will represent the interests of
those nations,” says Hovhannisyan. He notes that conflicts will be
easily resolved if resolved from inside. “Solutions to all existing
conflicts are inside, and the three South Caucasian states should act
as one,” says Hovhannisyan. He doubts that a South Caucasian state can
be formed now. “To form just an organization is already a hard job.”
“I believe that today there is no single prerequisite for a united
South Caucasian state and will not be in the next 20-30-40 years. One
obstacle is continuing wars. But we should get started anyway. For
the beginning we can form a regional organization – not obligatorily
in one day and not obligatorily with agreements and legal rules. At
first, it might pass just recommendations that will take legal force
if the peace process goes on, says Hovhannisyan. He notes that such
organizations are also influenced by time. “No structure is insured
against disintegration – and confederations are no exception. In
their case, they either grow into federations or fall into pieces,”
says Hovhannisyan.
Another Armenian political expert Hrachya Galstyan says that a united
federative institution in the South Caucasus is a far-off prospect.
“Today we better consider forming a corporate – super-state or
extra-state – institution. This can be done, even more, this has
already been done – one vivid example is PACE,” says Galstyan. He notes
that the Caucasus will inevitably unite – for it is common political
and economic space. Galstyan is sure that super-state institution may
also include unrecognized Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh,
who will be represented by their local authorities and cultural
societies. “This process is already underway,” says Galstyan. He
believes that this is the very “aegis” for resolving the conflicts
in the South Caucasus. “The conflicts in Kosovo and Macedonia have
been resolved under the EU ‘aegis’. We should also form one. This is
the only prospect for resolving our conflicts,” says Galstyan.
“The formation of a united state in the South Caucasus can be a result
of the resolution of conflicts rather than a way to resolve them,”
says the president of the Peaceful Development of the Caucasus union
(Tbilisi), expert Nugzar Gogorishvili. At the same time, “Georgians,
Armenians and Azeris should understand and say what they want –
to form our state or to be fully controlled by the north and the
west. Unfortunately, we are so weak and so afraid of responsibility
that we are looking for someone to shift it onto. The idea is no
news – there was a South Caucasian Federation in the past, but it
fell apart because we were not ready for it, we didn’t understand
what we formed. We, the nations of the South Caucasus, were yet weak,
we were outsiders to such an institution and sought support outside,”
says Gogorishvili.
“There is no sense in copying the past, we should form something the
public will accept. But it is a fact that we must form something,
especially as the US still regards us as a region rather than
individual countries. The West has its own interest in us: we are a
transport-communication corridor for them. But not to minimize our
role and not to marginalize ourselves as a state, all of us, all the
nations of the South Caucasus, need to sit down together and discuss
our interests,” says Gogorishvili. “The last events have shown that
we are still dependent and obedient – because we mostly seek to
preserve our status. The last Aliyev-Kocharyan meeting is a vivid
example. The blow-ups of gas pipelines in the Northern Caucasus and
the following energy crisis have shown that the South Caucasus is a
united region, united space, and we need a united regional structure,”
says Gogorishvili.
For Ossetians and Abkhazians it is better to integrate with the South
rather than North Caucasus. “The key goal of the national-liberation
struggle of small nations – is to preserve their languages, to form
independent states. But if Ossetians and Abkhazians fear assimilation
in Georgia, imagine what percentage they will constitute if part of
Russia. I think they better integrate with the space they are already
naturally integrated with,” says Gogorishvili.
Georgian analyst, representative of International Crisis Group
Georgy Gogia calls the project a utopia. “Integration – yes, but it
is better for Georgia to integrate with Europe rather than with the
South Caucasus,” says Gogia. He does not agree with the view that the
West regards the Caucasus as a region. “This is not quite right. If
one country moves quicker, it is forced to look back and wait for the
rest. With its current democratic processes Georgia should integrate
into the European structures rather than the South Caucasus,” says
Gogia. “I think that Georgia will inevitably integrate with the South
Caucasus – but why confederation? It will give Georgia no privileges,
while the Euro-integration, with its big promises, certainly will,”
says Gogia.
Leader of the Multi-National Georgia movement, Director of the Armenian
community in Tbilisi Arnold Stepanyan shares the opinion that it
is impossible. “It is impossible but indispensable for early peace
process. Everything depends on what relations the member states will
have, how they will coordinate their foreign policies. If the author
is from a foreign country and seeks to achieve non-democratic goals,
nothing will happen. The idea should come from inside, such a structure
should have wide public support,” says Stepanyan. At the same time,
Stepanyan says that the South Caucasus may unite in economy. “This
will happen earlier than the conflicts will be resolved. ‘
‘Tell me who in Azerbaijan is seriously thinking about South
Caucasian federation?” says the political reviewer of Zerkalo daily
Rauf Mirkadyrov (Azerbaijan). “Especially as there already was a
federation in 1918-1920. Though seemingly attractive, it lived for
several months,” says Mirkadyrov. “If one goes back into the history
of united Europe, he will come across a very interesting detail: the
idea of united Europe first appeared in XIX, while the EU was formed
after the WWII – that is, one cannot put the cart before the horse,”
says Mirkadyrov.
He is sure that the first and foremost precondition is to resolve
the conflicts. “We first need to settle the conflicts. Until the
conflicts are over, the sides will show no interest in integration –
and no integration is possible without mutual interest. Regional union
is a better project, but all depends on where we are moving. If we are
moving towards Europe, this should be taken as a fact. If we seek to
join the EU, we should integrate altogether rather than one by one,”
says Mirkadyrov.
His colleague from Azerbaijan Imran Veliyev, Director of Legal Support
Center, also thinks that a united regional institution is possible only
after the resolution of the regional conflicts. “We have studied the
history of such units in XX. Then the three South Caucasian republics
got together for springing from a simple structure to a more complex
one – the common Soviet space. If viewed like that, confederation can
also be a stage for attaining a stronger result. I support the idea
but think that it is unreal for the moment. It is unreal to form a
united structure when conflicts are still alive. It is impossible to
unite two quarrelling neighbors. ”
Veliyev notes that confederation is not an instrument for resolving
conflicts. Confederation is better for solving energy and economic
problems. “So, one better speak about it in some 10-15 years,” says
Veliyev. At the same time he is sure that conflicts must be settled
by nations. “To give Karabakh to Armenia or to give it independence
in no way means an end to the conflict. This is a dead-end, and one
can expect some new territorial claims shortly… The nations should
sit down and decide how to live further,” says Veliyev.
The assistant to the NK president David Babayan says that South
Caucasian state structure can be formed only if all the three
unrecognized republics are recognized. “At first glance, one might
think that a confederation of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the
three unrecognized republics is a solution. But a deeper insight
suggests a very important factor – all the three unrecognized
republics must be recognized. They must be given an equal status with
the three South Caucasian states. Then why expect unification? – we
can first recognize and only then consider forming confederation or
even federation. This is more or less logical, while to try to form a
federation and only then to resolve the conflicts is not a prospect,”
says Babayan.
Babayan is convinced that it is for the South Caucasian nations to
decide if they need such an institution. “They can do this through
a referendum or in some other way. But one can’t drive everybody
into a structure they know nothing about or see no meaning in. For
example, if South Ossetia wants to join North Ossetia, why should
it join Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Karabakh? The same is for
Abkhazia, who has definite interests with the Abkhazo-Adyg nations
of the Northern Caucasus. The federation must not be formed by force.
Otherwise, it will give nothing good,” says Babayan.
Nagorno Karabakh representative Edgar Azrumanyan says that it is very
difficult to form such a unit today. “Our antagonism is too strong and
insurmountable yet to make such a unit a possibility,” says Azrumanyan.
First of all, it is necessary to decide how many members the South
Caucasian confederation will have, says independent South Ossetian
expert Gennady Kokoyev. “We’ll not accept a structure of only Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan. I am sure they in Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabakh
think the same. Each of the three republics has its own orientation
it won’t renounce. Karabakh is oriented to Armenia, South Ossetia is
people wanting to reunify with their brothers in the North. Besides,
one should not forget that Abkhazians are relatives to Adygs living
in the Northern Caucasus.
This all makes confederation hardly possible,” says Kokoyev. At the
same time, he says that if formed, the South Caucasian structure will
be an analogue to the European Union. “In the EU each country has
equal functions. This will hardly be the case in the South Caucasian
confederation even if it is represented by three recognized and
three unrecognized states,” says Kokoyev. “Neither South Ossetia, nor
Abkhazia or Nagorno Karabakh are going to renounce their priorities,
while a united South Caucasian state will only ignore and freeze
their existing problems,” says Kokoyev.
Vice Speaker of the South Ossetian Parliament Yuri Dzitsoity says
that a 3-lateral South Caucasian state will not suit South Ossetia,
Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabakh, while the 3+3 format will not suit
Georgia and Azerbaijan. Dzitsoity says that if South Ossetia becomes
a member of such a state, it will have to give up its orientation.
“We seek to reunify with North Ossetia. And not only won’t the South
Caucasian confederation solve our problems, but it will make things
even worse: we’ll have to forget the reunification of the separated
Ossetian people,” says Dzitsoity.
As you may see, a united South Caucasian state is not a solution
to the regional conflicts, while a regional organization – a South
Caucasian parliamentary assembly or something else – might well be.

A CAR, TWO GUYS AND A BAG OF BULLETS
Joe Fiorito
Toronto Star, Canada
March 15 2006
There is a 1992 Lincoln Town Car on a hoist in a garage up on Sheppard
near Kennedy. There are two guys standing around, talking.
The car is British racing green. The tires have been kicked. The
mileage is low. The seats are white leather and the car is fully
loaded; power this and that.
The one guy has good hair, nice manners and some dummy bullets in
a baggy. He wants to buy the car. The bullets in the baggy are a
red herring.
The other guy has a Goodyear vest and a trim moustache. He wants to
sell the car. The bullets in the baggy make no difference to him.
The bullets are .22 calibre, with plastic-covered, cotton-wadded
tips. They do not figure in the story, except as an aside.
The car does not get sold, not today. But the guy with the good hair
wants to buy, and the Goodyear guy wants to sell, and it’s a pretty
good deal, all things considered.
What’s the holdup?
A bit about Roland: He is a man of a certain age. He was in the London
cast of Cats a long time ago. He doesn’t dance any more. He writes
music instead. It’s easier on the knees.
It’s also why he is short of cash. Nobody in the arts is money-rich.
If you are money-rich in the arts, you are in some other kind of
business.
Roland needed wheels six years or so ago. He was on a tight budget,
so he went to the city auction. The car he liked had been used hard
– it was an old cop car, a ’92 Lumina – but he figured it had been
well-maintained. For twelve-hundred bucks he got himself a deal
on wheels.
You buy a used car, you have to get it certified. Roland asked around
and somebody said he should go see Sarko Ghazarian, who was reckoned
to be an honest garage man and a good guy; also vice versa.
A bit about Sarko: He is an Armenian from Lebanon who studied political
science at university in Beirut. If you know anything about Armenia,
you know why he grew up in Beirut. If you know anything about Beirut,
you know why he came here.
It’s all political science.
The old cop car checked out fine, and this was the start of the
friendship. Roland took to dropping in on Sarko now and then, whenever
he was in the neighbourhood. He’d bring coffee. The bullets?
They are irrelevant. Roland is a shooter of the breeze, and nothing but
the breeze. And Sarko? I never met an Armenian who didn’t like talk.
Roland drove that old cop car for a year or so.
One summer day he took his father for a ride in the country. His
father was 92 at the time. Roland figured a drive in the country
would be nice, because you know what this town is like in the summer.
Somewhere around Milton in the middle of the day, the air conditioning
gave out. The old cop car got hot. Roland’s father felt a tightness
in his chest. He rolled down the window. He had trouble getting air.
Roland took him to a hospital.
After his father died, Roland got rid of the old cop car for scrap.
That’s when he found the bullets; training rounds, a couple of them
in the trunk. He put them in a baggy. He kept them as a souvenir.
He got around town for a time in his mother’s car. But his mother
is getting on in years and she no longer drives, and her car is nice
and new.
She told Roland to sell it recently.
He can’t afford to buy it from his mum, so now he needs another set
of wheels. There was a time when he walked horses at the track. You
can’t get a racehorse as a loaner and ride it around town while you
raise enough cash to do a deal.
Roland dropped in to see Sarko a while ago. He said if you ever hear
of a good used car for a price …
Sarko said it was funny you should say that. He’d had a call from a
woman in the neighbourhood. She wanted to get rid of her car, a 1992
Lincoln Town Car, in good shape.
Roland said great, that would be really great, but he had no money
at the moment.
Sarko said the money was not a problem. He said he’d buy the car from
the lady and Roland could buy it from him whenever he got the cash.
Sarko feels good when he does good things.
The Lincoln is still on the hoist. Roland hasn’t raised the money
yet. The bullets are still in the baggy. They are a conversation piece.
I never heard of such a thing in a garage.

IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
By Joyce Rudolph, The Leader
Burbank Leader, CA
March 15 2006
Seven dance companies come together at the Alex Theatre to celebrate
their art.
Jamie Nichols has jumped to the next level in dance performance.
The Glendale native was artistic director of her own contemporary dance
company, Fast Feet, for 23 years, but after retiring the company,
she switched to the role of executive producer and will bring seven
companies together for the “Celebrate Dance 2006” March 25 at the
Alex Theatre.
Nichols has raised the funds to produce the show and has chosen
award-winning companies for the performance, which will become an
annual event, she said.
“It has always been my dream to produce other people’s work,” she said.
It’s much more than just creating a show or making money, Nichols
said, it’s seeing other people’s work come to fruition. She wants to
give dance companies the chance to perform premieres of their work
in a world-class venue that will entertain a diverse audience at an
affordable price so that all ages can attend.
“They all have created Los Angeles premieres for this event and two
of the companies are from San Francisco. That means, I’m not only
supporting companies from the Los Angeles area, but companies from
outside Los Angeles,” said Nichols, who now lives in Pasadena.
The Alex performance will feature such genres as ballet, jazz,
modern and contemporary dance exhibited by companies with varied
ethnic backgrounds, she said.
Spicing up the event with a Latin flavor is Backhausdance, a company
that won three Lester Horton Dance Awards in 2004. The Horton Awards
are the premier awards recognizing excellence in professional concert
dance in Southern California, Nichols said.
JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble, directed by Pat Taylor, celebrates
the African-American roots of the jazz tradition with visceral jazz
dance and the Djanbazian Dance Company, led by artistic director Anna
Djanbazian of Glendale, brings an Armenian touch to the event, while
blending ballet and modern skills with traditional dance, she said.
The Djanbazian Dance Company is based out of the Djanbazian Dance
Academy in La Crescenta, which draws students from Glendale, Burbank
and the foothills, Djanbazian said.
It won four Horton Awards in 2004, Nichols said.
“I adore Anna’s work,” she said. “Her work has a beauty and lightness
that’s stunning.”
For the Alex performance, Djanbazian has choreographed the dance
“Ser,” which means love. It is based a work of contemporary Armenian
poet Grish Davadian, Djanbazian said.
“This dance is about the love of an innocent boy and girl,” she said.
“Without knowing each other, they are wishing to find love. They
go to a sacred place in the village, in the garden of a monastery,
and pray for love. They see each other and hold each other’s hand
and that sparks love in their hearts.”
Arsineh Ananian, 19, of Glendale who has been with the company for
14 years, will dance the female lead, she said.
“She’s a very strong dancer, very emotional and energetic,” Djanbazian
said.
Arsen Serobian of Hollywood is dancing the male lead. He is not
with the company but he and Djanbazian have worked together in other
performances twice before, she said.
“He is a wonderful guy and a very emotional dancer,” she said.
“The most important thing is, we understand each other very well. A
performer must have a direct connection with you. It’s easy to work
with him.”
Nichols is also enthusiastic about seeing Serobian perform.
Formerly with the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, Serobian also studied
acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood,
Nichols said.
He does both professionally, and the acting helps his dancing ability,
she added.
Serobian received the Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement
Performance Male in 2004 with the Djanbazian Dance Company, she said.
“I think the beauty of Arsen’s performance is not just his technical
ability, but his tremendous ability to embody the characters that he
dances,” Nichols said.
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