CONCERT DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN MOSCOW
AZG Armenian Daily
18/04/2006
On the initiative of the Russian-Armenian Friendship NGO, at 7.00 pm
on April 24, “Arax” Belgian ensemble will play a concert in Hermitage
Park of Moscow dedicated to the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
According to Yerkramas newspaper of Russian-Armenians, the repertoire
of Arax includes traditional Armenian music with modern interpretation
accompanied with classic guitar, flute, cello, pipe and duduk.
The aim of the concert is to draw the attention of Russia’s political
and social circles to the issue of the Armenian Genocide as well as to
contribute to the unification of the Armenian community, especially
young people. A number of famous Russian mass media representatives
are the sponsors of the concert.
Armenian and Russian renowned statesmen will take part in the concert.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE FOUNDERS
AZG Armenian Daily
18/04/2006
The Armenian General Benevolent Union, the greatest benevolence
organization in the history of the Armenian people, was established in
Cairo 100 years ago. Ten outstanding Armenians, successful in their
lives, led by Poghos Nubar Pasha signed a resolution that ratified
the establishment of the union.
Certainly, many sittings, meetings and conferences followed this
first sitting directed to the regulation and the program of the
organization. A number of the Armenian intelligentsia leaders, namely
Arpiar Arpiarian, Arshak Chopanian and others united to elaborate
the program of the union. The intelligentsia members realized that
the Armenian people, being under the dictatorship of the Ottoman
and the Russian Empires, needed to have a non political organization
that would unite the Armenians and settle the issues of education,
culture, as well as preserve the national dignity of our people. But
their dream was realized by ten founders that had experience of state
administration and benevolence.
There had been several other Armenian benevolent unions functioning
before the establishment of AGBU, and naturally they feared that
a stronger union would hinder their activities. But the founders
of AGBU assured them that the newly established union was aimed to
contribute to everybody’s activities and unite the charity-oriented
forces for the sake of the Armenian people.
It was envisaged that the union would not only render aid to the
Armenian farmers during the disasters, to create sources for earning
for their lives, to gather the Armenian orphans and educate them,
to give shelter to the young Armenian girls that were deprived of
parental warmth and give them opportunities to marry in the future
and have their own families.
Besides, according to the union’s regulation, the union members
should have always been faithful to the will of the donors and
philanthropists, even if the union would suffer loses. That’s why
many AGBU members rebelled against the notorious decision to close
the Melgonian Educational Institute in Cyprus, as this was the first
case when the golden rule of the union was violated.
Moreover, the founders of the AGBU taught us that the foundation
is based on money, thus one should give financial assistance for
contribution of the union’s activities.
Even now, when 100 years have passed, AGBU still remains the most
powerful and largest organization that meets the needs of the Armenian
people and their motherland, thanks to its devoted chairmen, donors,
philanthropists and members.
Glory to the founders of AGBU!
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

APRIL 18 INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR MONUMENTS AND SITES
By Marietta Makarian
AZG Armenian Daily
18/04/2006
The International Day for Monuments and Sites
The International Day for Monuments and Sites, initiated by the
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), with the support
of UNESCO, in 1982, is being organized in many countries of the world
on April 18. In solidarity with the world community the Ministry of
Culture and Youth Affairs of Armenia will put on an exhibition of
Teishebaini fortress at “Erebuni” History-Archeological Museum.
Among the exhibits will be the findings of Boris Piotrovsky’s
archeological expedition in 1931-1971 as well as the recent findings.

KAREN DEMIRCHYAN WOULD BE 74
A1+
[05:31 pm] 17 April, 2006
Today Karen Demirchyan would be 74 years old. This is the seventh
year his relatives and friends have been visiting the Pantheon after
Komitas on his birthday.
Karen Demirchyan’s relatives consider it meaningless to speak about the
October 27 events and their consequences under the present authorities
and prefer to suffer in silence.
“He was a unique person both as a leader, and as a husband, and as a
father. I have never met a better person in my life. That’s why the
loss is too bitter.
My soul can find no consolation. Those who did not know him personally
cannot imagine who he was. Only the appearance is not enough to know
him,” Karen Demirchyan’s widow Rima Demirchyan said.
The relatives of the other victims of the October 27 events visited the
Pantheon too .According to Anahit Bakhshyan, Yuri Bakhshyan’s widow,
today’s reality has gone astray from human values, “Patriotism, loyalty
and even the truth are distorted. Everything is in a topsy-turvy. If
today there are this many people here, it means that only this many
people exist today in the country.”
Regardless of the change of the political situation, Karen Demirchyan
and Fadey Sargsyan were bonded with joint work and friendship of many
years. “I have known him since 1957. He was a very friendly man. When
we played a game, he wanted to let me win intentionally, but he always
won as he was stronger. He was a unique person with his diligence,
fidelity to principles, and shrewd mind. Even in the Soviet Union he
never surrendered to anyone. In any situation he was able to gain a
victory,” Fadey Sargsyan, one of his closest friends said.

AZERI MONUMENTS IN THE WHOLE TERRITORY OF ARMENIA?
A1+
[07:48 pm] 17 April, 2006
For the discussion of the issue of the preservation of the historical
monuments the Azeri side has prepared a document trying to prove that
there used to be Azeri monuments in the whole territory of Armenia
the overwhelming majority of which has been destroyed.
Tigran Torosyan, the head of the RA delegation to PACE and NA Deputy
Speaker informed about it today.
“Naturally, it is one of the usual falsifications, but we must
seriously get ready to answer them”, Mr.
Torosyan said. In May and June a representative of CE will visit the
region, including Armenia, to investigate the issue of the preservation
of the monuments.
By the way, the reporters of the Monitoring group will be in
Armenia on September 25-27 and will get acquainted with the course
of the legislative reforms after the Constitutional reforms. The
draft report will be represented in October in the session of the
Monitoring Committee. The final report will be represented after the
2007 Parliamentary election, at the end of the year. Tigran Sargsyan
mentioned that the only thing we can do today is to hope that the
2007 elections will be held so well that Armenia will overcome the
monitoring phase and enter the post-monitoring one.
During the press conference Tigran Torosyan represented the work of
the PACE April session. This time the opposition and the coalition
acted unanimously: during the discussion about corruption Armen
Roustamyan and Stepan Demirchyan made speech, Tigran Torosyan and
Artashes Geghamyan spoke about the issues of the Middle East, Hermine
Naghdalyan expressed her opinion about issues of the protection of
human rights, and Tigran Torosyan spoke from the Armenian side about
the refugees. During the discussion of this issue Samed Seidov,
the head of the Azeri delegation represented the Azeri point of view.
The head of the Georgian delegation made speech too.
According to Tigran Torosyan, during the discussion of the issue
statistics about the refugees were made public, which did not proceed
from the interests of the Azeris. The numbers mentioned in the document
revealed that the announcements of Azerbaijan about 1 billion refugees
do not correspond to the reality.
Azerbaijan represented 18 offers about the adopted resolution. Five of
them were accepted, and all of them presupposed editorial changes. As
for the calls on the three countries to cooperate about the issue
of the refugees and their voluntary return, they remained in the
resolution, although the Azeri delegation was against them.
It is noteworthy that the Armenian delegates did not miss the chance
and announced that the issue of the refugees rose after the Sumgayit
and Baku massacres and that the majority of the Azeri who left Karabakh
sold their houses before leaving.

ARMENIAN UNICODE VERSION OF “A1+” WEBSITE WAS LAUNCHED
A1+
[02:19 pm] 16 April, 2006
Armenian Unicode version of our website is now available for our
users. The default font for the version is “Arial AM Unicode”
(Arial AMU). If You do not have the font installed on Your PC You
can download it here.
RSS of Armenian Unicode version is available as well.

BAGHDASARYAN WELCOMED THE CREATION OF THE ORANGE COALITION
A1+
[03:05 pm] 17 April, 2006
RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan received Alexander Bozhko, the
Ukrainian Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Armenia.
The Ambassador briefed the NA Speaker on the Parliamentary Elections
in Ukraine and the recent political developments and informed that
as a result of the elections an enlarged coalition agreement will
be signed which will regulate the work of the Parliament and the
Government. The sides found the execution of the inter governmental
agreement signed during the recent visit of the NA Speaker to Ukraine
with the new Parliament extremely important.
The NA Speaker congratulated the Ambassador on the creation of the
orange coalition and voiced hope that it will contribute to the
enhancing of stability and democracy in the country.
At the Ambassador’s request Arthur Baghdasaryan represented his
assessment of the political events in Armenia and the work of the
Parliament.
During the meeting several other issues were discussed.
From: Baghdasarian

ANANYAN WILL RESIGN IF…
A1+
[03:26 pm] 17 April, 2006
“Not a single offer connection with the deconstruction of the building
will be discussed. If that happens, I will resign the same day”,
Levon Ananyan, President of the Writers’ Union tried to soothe all
those people who were concerned about the fate of the building of
the Union on the Baghramyan Avenue.
Despite this, the Union discusses issues of the reconstruction of
the building. On the whole, according to Ananyan, there were three
projects of reconstruction. At present the third of them represented by
an American-Armenian company is the best. According to Mr. Ananyan, the
activity of the company is usually directed towards the simplification
of the life of the writers.
The Armenian writers claimed that the mentioned project intends
to build a small building attached to the existing one, and the
American-Armenian company does not demand any share. Mr. Ananyan
claims that no decision has been made about the plan, and that it is
being discussed during the sessions of the administrations which are
convened once in a three months. “The decision can be made either
three months later or three years later”, Levon Ananyan says.

ENGINEERS AND PEDAGOGUES ARE UNEMPLOYED
A1+
[12:58 pm] 17 April, 2006
The number of the unemployed in the Gyumri Employment regional
Center has been reduced. Nevertheless, this fact is conditioned not
by the creation of new jobs but by the legislative changes according
to which if the unemployed people do not come to the Center for a
certain period of time, they are automatically left out of the lists.
At present there are 22 thousand people looking for job in the Shirak
region. 17 thousand of them are unemployed. The majority of them are
engineers and pedagogues.
Tsayg TV Company, Gyumri

A REPORT ABOUT THE SITUATION OF THE WOMEN
A1+
[06:50 pm] 17 April, 2006
Today in the RA Parliament Mrs. Vera Oskina, the reporter of the
PACE Committee of the equality of rights between men and women,
and Mrs. Zhanik Devo, worker of the PACE secretariat, were received
by Tigran Torosyan, the head of the RA delegation to PACE and NA
Deputy Speaker.
Mr. Oskina mentioned that she is preparing a report about the situation
of the women in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. She was interested
in the role of the women in the political life of Armenia, their
involvement in the local governing bodies, the issues of trafficking
and family violence in Armenia and the statistics in these fields.
Mr. Torosyan mentioned that trafficking and family violence contradict
to the Armenian traditions and form a negligible percent. Referring
to the involvement of the women in the political events he mentioned
that the Armenian women prefer to be engaged in social activities
than political, as 99% of the heads of NGOs are women.
As for the fact that 25% of the electoral rolls is allotted to women,
according to Mr. Torosyan, “positive” discrimination is not good
either and we must not contribute to the involvement of women with
unnatural steps.
During the meeting other issues of mutual interest were discussed too.