PATRIARCHS AND HEADS OF CHURCHES IN JERUSALEM CALL FOR ENDING SUFFERING
WAFA – Palestine News Agency, Palestine
April 12 2006
Emerged because of Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
JERUSALEM, April 12, 2006 (WAFA) -Patriarchs and Heads of Churches
in Jerusalem called on the international community to put an end for
the suffering emerged because of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In a message issued Wednesday on the occasion of the Easter Falls
2006, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem said “it is
not permitted to boycott a people on whom oppressions and injustices
were and are imposed, while the international community remained so
far paralysed in putting an end to these oppressions, and therefore
this paralysis gave birth to violence, terrorism and the humiliation
of the human person.
They revealed that instead of boycotting, “we appeal to the
international community to seize the opportunity of this phase in
history of the conflict in order to try seriously to put an end to
the suffering of our land and of all its inhabitants”.
They called upon international community to transform “our land in
a land in which shines the glory of the human being liberated from
all kind of oppression and fear, where the glory and the voice of
God appeared to man”.
“We appeal to our leaders, knowing they are facing difficult decisions.
If a sincere will exists, there will be capacity and power to overcome
all obstacles, in order to reach security, peace and justice to all,
Palestinians and Israelis alike,” the added.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches also called upon the Israeli
Authorities so to see that unilateral measures are another aspect of
the conflict and the permanence of the sufferings for both peoples.
“Therefore, we urge them to take the right measures to liberate the
human being, Israeli or Palestinian, and to see in the Palestinian
Authority a help and a partner to construct a peace, for which the
building is not something impossible”.
The message was signed by: Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem,
Patriarch Michel Sabbah, R.C. Latin, Patriarch Torkom I Manooghian,
Armenian Orthodox, Fr. Pierbattista Pizziballa, ofm, Custos of the
Holy Land, Archbishop Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox, Archbishop
Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian-Orthodox, Archbishop Abouna Grima,
Ethiopian Orthodox, Archbishop Paul Sayyah, Maronite, Bishop Riah Abu
el-Assal, Anglican, Bishop Mounib Younan, Lutheran, Bishop Pierre
Malki, Syrian-Catholic, Rev. Raphael Minassian, Armenian Catholic
and Archimandrite Mtanios Haddad, Greek Catholic.

SERGE SARGSIAN CONSIDERS SALE OF HRAZDAN TPP 5th UNIT TO RUSSIA TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian
consideres the sale of the 5th power unit of Hrazdan Thermal Power
Plant to Russia to be a successful and favorable deal. He expressed
this opinion in an interview to Radio Liberty on April 11. In repsonse
to the criticism that only 150 mln USD was needed for repairs of the
5th unit and there was no necessity to sell it, S. Sargsian said
that at least 180 mln USD was to be spend and the return on these
investments would come in 10 years at best. “That is, we would have
a enterprise operating at a profit in 2017 at best. And how much
would this profit be, how much would the gas price increase?… As
they say, only Nostradamus can answer these questions,” the minister
added. S. Sargsian does not subscribe to the opinion that all energy
capacities of Armenia have been given to one state. “First, not all
capacities. Second, if we think more carufully about it, we’ll see
there is no difference here, Not a difference at all.
And third, when economic deals and politics are being mixed, one gets
neither politics nor economy as a result,” S. Sargsian noted.

5th UNIT OF HRAZDAN TPP TO BE SOLD TO ARMRUSGASPROM RATHER THAN TO GASPROM
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Contrary to the previously made
statements, the 5th unit of Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant will be sold
not to Gasprom company (Russia) but to its Armenian subsidiary –
ArmRusgasprom, which follows from new reports of Gasprom. There was
a press release on Gasprom’s website on April 11 about a meeting
between Chairman of Gasprom board Alexei Miller and Director General
of ArmRusgasprom Karen Karapetian. The press release in particular
reads: “Gasprom OJSC and the Armenian government on April 6 signed
a 25-year agreenment that specifies the strategical principles of
cooperation in gas energy projects in the territory of the Republic
of Armenia. The document envisages that ArmRusagasprom will take
over the 5th unit of Hrazdan TPP (Hrazdan-5), as well as some
facilities of Armenia’s gas sector from the Armenian government. The
preliminary sale agreements shall be signed until April 14, 2006,
while the transfer of property rights with respect to the indicated
facilities shall take place until January 1, 2007. By the end of
the deal, Gasprom’s stake in ArmRusgasprom’s capital will make a
qualified majority.” Thus, the main mechanism of the deal between
the RA government and Gasprom may be as follows. ArmRusgasprom’s
capital increases to at least 248 mln USD, and the new shares are
acquired by Gasprom. As a result, Gasprom’s stake in ArmRusgasprom
will make a “qualified majority”. (At the moment it is not yet clear
what percentage it will constitute). Gasprom and the RA governemnt
currently have a 45% stake each. With this sum, ArmRusgasprom will
purchase the 5th power unit and other “gas facilities” from the RA
government. It is not also clear what “facilities” are meant, but
it is almost obvious that it may be the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline,
the construction of which is not completed at the present time and,
according to RA Energy Minister Armen Movsisian, it may not be sold,
but it is envisaged to complete its construction by late 2006. NT
failed to receive any comments on the above mentioned press release
of Gasprom from official Armenian bodies.

CHURCH LEADERS IN JERUSALEM OPPOSE PALESTINIAN BOYCOTT
Catholic World News
April 12 2006
Jerusalem, Apr. 12 (AsiaNews) – In a joint Easter message, the 13
patriarchs and heads of Christian Churches in Jerusalem have made
a powerful appeal for reconciliation between Israel and Palestine,
the AsiaNews service reports. The Christian leaders also called on
the international community not to boycott the Palestinian people by
stopping aid.
The leaders of the Christian communities in the Holy Land– Orthodox,
Armenian, Latin Catholic, Copt, Syriac, Anglican, and Lutheran–
call on their faithful to practice a “clear challenging love to all
with whom we come in contact.” In a message directed to Israeli and
Palestinian political leaders, they say: “If a sincere will exists,
there will be capacity and power to overcome all obstacles, in order
to reach security, peace and justice to all, Palestinians and Israelis
alike.”
In their appeal to the international community, the Christian leaders
argue that “it is not permitted to boycott a people on whom oppressions
and injustices were and are imposed.” Rather than withdrawing aid
to the Palestinian people, the Church officials ask world leaders to
“try seriously to put an end to the suffering of our land and of all
its inhabitants.”

TURKISH TV TO AIR EGOYAN’S “ARARAT” ON ARMENIAN KILLINGS
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006
A private television station will broadcast a controversial movie
on the massacres of Armenians during World War I for the first time
in Turkey where the subject still arouses nationalist feelings,
a spokesman for the channel said Wednesday.
Kanalturk decided to show “Ararat” by Canadian director Atom Egoyan,
an ethnic Armenian, after a survey of viewers revealed that 72 percent
of the participants wanted to see the film, the spokesman said. “We
will show the movie with no cuts or censoring,” he added.
The film’s showing, at prime time on Thursday, will be followed by
a roundtable discussion by Turkish and Armenian intellectuals and
historians on the killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,
the predecessor of Turkey.
Even though the Turkish government gave the go-ahead for the showing of
the film, which was released in 2002, an Istanbul company was forced in
2004 to drop plans to screen the movie because of potential protests
that would have required police presence in theatres. Turks have only
recently begun to discuss the Armenian massacres between 1915 and 1917,
one of the most controversial episodes in Turkish history.
Egoyan’s film deals with the estranged members of a contemporary
Armenian family, who are faced with both Turkey’s denial of genocide
and their own individual plight.

COOPERATION TO DEVELOP THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES ARMENIAN OFFICE IN EUROPE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The primary task of the Information
Technologies (IT) Armenian Office in Europe, which has been functioning
since February 16, 2006, is to sign agreements of a total of 200-300
thousand dollars between the Armenian and European companies in the
intitial period. Director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation
(EIF) Bagrat Engibarian stated this on April 11 during a joint press
conference with Robert Trausnig, Representative of Armenian IT in
Europe. B. Engibarian said that 10% of Armenian IT enterprises is
currently cooperating with European companies, while 70% of the
sector’s production is exported to the US. According to him, the
IT Armenian Office in Europe will assist Armenian IT companies with
participation in international exhibitions and forums. Some Armenian
companies have already been provided assistance in taking part in the
CeBIT exhibition (Hannover). The Office also aims to hold discussions
with the participation of representatives of the Armenian and European
companies of the IT sector, as well as government representatives for
the purpose of clarifying long-term cooperation problems. R. Trausnig
noted that the Office may be useful both in terms of setting up
joint ventures and selling production of Armenian IT companies in
Europe. The Office will organize business trips of Armenian IT experts
to Europe and assist the Armenian companies with introduction of CMMI
international programming procedure management standards. He pointed
out good prospects of selling in Europe Armenian softwares developed
for such spheres as health, communication and telecommunication,
and map-based information systems. B. Engibarian attached importance
to activities of the IT Armenian offices in other countries from
the viewpoint of enhancing the opportunities for selling softwares
and software-related services abroad. It is envisaged to open an IT
Armenian Office in the US in the near future.

FIRST VOLUME OF “WHO IS WHO: ARMENIANS” BIOGRAPHIC ENCYCLOPEDIA PUBLISHED
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The editorial staff of the
Armenian encyclopedia published the first volume of the “Who is
Who: Armenians” biographic encyclopedia. It involves biographies
of all those famous Armenians from the pagan times till our days,
who have had significant achievements in different spheres: science,
culture, policy, etc. Famous figures of the recent 20-25 years who
have founded or developed separate directions of science, culture
and other spheres, have a scientific degree of doctor of sciences,
drafted and built buildings, were honoured with the title of USSR and
RA People’s and Honourary Artist, as well as with highest military
titles, RA President’s state, literary and other prizes, confered
state and other orders, are presented in the encyclopedia. According
to people forming the volume, particularly, separate participants of
the national-liberating movement, Diasporan Armenian public-political
figures were not involved in the “Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia” for
the first time published in Armenian during the years of Soviet power,
what was provided by ideology and policy of time. This omission was
partly completed in the “Armenian Brief Encyclopedia” (in 1991-2003),
but while preparing the “Who is Who: Armenians” encyclopedia, the
publishing house made an attempt to complete all the omissions.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF YOUNG ECOLOGISTS TO TAKE PLACE IN NOYEMBERIAN IN JUNE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
NOYEMBERIAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The international conference
of young ecologists will take place in the city of Noyemberiam,
the marz of Tavush, on June 28-30. Sahak Atanesian, the Chairman of
the ecological “UniEcofor” company, the initiator of the conference
informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent about this. Show of ecological
films and organization of a competition are envisaged within the
framework of the conference. By the way, still in 1994, S.Atanesian
found out Asian Minor tritons in the “jil gol” reservoir of the
village of Hagvi. According to him, it was considered till that,
that those amphibians live only in mountains of the Western Caucasus
and Asia Minor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMMUNITY CHEST
John Holden
New Statesman, UK
April 12 2006
The Back Half
Arts funding – John Holden on the unusual charitable foundation that
has made Britain a better place.
The UK arm of the Portugal-based Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Without the Gulbenkian, as
it is usually known, Britain would be a poorer place. The foundation
has led the way in transforming many fields: the arts, social welfare,
education and Anglo-Portuguese relations. The list of organisations
that it has supported includes the Samaritans, Shelter, Voluntary
Service Overseas, the Runnymede Trust and Snape Maltings.
It has backed social entrepreneurs since before the phrase was
invented, lending assistance to figures such as Lord Young of
Dartington and Chad Varah, as well as the energetic community that
transformed Coin Street on the South Bank in London in the 1980s
and 1990s.
Like most charitable bodies, the Gulbenkian has not always avoided
controversy. In the 1980s, its oppositional stance in the face of
government retrenchment over funding for the arts earned it as many
critics as admirers. More recently, it was widely mocked in the press
for lending its support to a campaign to ban smacking. However, for
an organisation that has sought to play a pioneering role in bringing
about social change, the criticism it has attracted has been small.
The foundation’s money came from the legacy of Calouste Sarkis
Gulbenkian, an Armenian and naturalised British citizen who was also
one of the 20th century’s boldest art collectors. He was known as
“Mr Five Per Cent”, because the source of his immense wealth was a
stake of that amount in the income of the Iraq Petroleum Company –
although the foundation wisely diversified into a broad portfolio of
assets early in its history.
Equally early on, the Gulbenkian adop-ted an approach that has
become the model for arts funding and social enterprise. A team of
experts is assembled, including on-the-ground practitioners as well
as members of the great and the good. They investigate an issue, draw
up a policy and publish a report which, very often, has an influence
far beyond its immediate purpose. This method was applied at first
to small-scale matters: in 1959, for example, when a committee led
by Brigadier E T Williams addressed the question of what to do about
“The needs of youth in Stevenage”, its conclusion was that, rather
than build a new youth club, it would be better to appoint a youth
officer. (“Blokes are more important than bricks,” as the report
rightly said.) Shortly afterwards, the 1959 Bridges report, Help for
the Arts, changed the face of the cultural industry in Brit- ain,
making it less metropolitan and less mandarin, and making space for
the flowering that would distinguish the 1960s.
Other ground-breaking reports followed, addressing everything from
community work to local broadcasting. Some, such as Ken Robinson’s The
Arts in Schools (1982) and John Myerscough’s The Economic Importance
of the Arts in Britain (1988), are still required reading.
It is impressive how often an organisation of the Gulbenkian’s meagre
size has managed to prod politicians and bureaucrats into action on
matters that now seem obvious. In 1992, it sent an anti-bullying pack
to every school in the country, raising the profile of an issue that
politicians had largely ignored.
While the foundation has led developments in many fields, its role
has also been shaped by the political and social contexts of the day.
In the immediate postwar years, the Gulbenkian did much to assist
official policy in building up support for the arts and social
welfare. In the 1960s, it cham-pioned experimentation in the arts and
community self-help in social life. During the economic and political
upheavals of the 1970s, it became more critical of governments;
this turned to outrage in the face of the Thatcher government’s
determination to shrink the responsibilities of the state. As the then
director of the Gulbenkian, Peter Brinson, put it: “The relative calm
of the past 25 years is over and huge changes are certain.”
Those changes affected every area of the foundation’s concern. For
example, it had spent the previous two decades helping to build up
contemporary dance in the UK, but between 1980 and 1982, a quarter
of small-scale dance companies went out of business. Thatcherism
also ended the unwritten concordat between charitable bodies and
governments – that foundations such as the Gulbenkian would do the
initial risk-taking, and then the public sector would take over when
innovation had proved successful.
Naturally, not everything the foundation has tried has worked. It
expended a great deal of effort and energy during the 1970s in an
unsuccessful attempt to create a national centre for community work.
The Community Challenge conference in Liverpool in 1981, organised
by a youthful Charles Clarke, was hijacked by hard leftists who
questioned the Gulbenkian’s right to organise the event at all.
Today the Gulbenkian is probably best known for the annual £100,000
Gulbenkian Prize for Museums and Galleries and for the Atlantic Waves
festival, which has brought Portuguese culture to the attention of
the British public. Many relationships started in the 1950s have
survived to this day – the Tate being one of the most important (the
Gulbenkian is funding the current Tate Triennial show, “New British
Art”, just as it funded the seminal “54/64” show in 1964).
As the 50th anniversary approaches, the Gulbenkian can pride itself on
its history of supporting innovation in culture, education and social
welfare. It has done this as much by adapting itself to circumstances
as by challenging the status quo. In seeking to help others while
weathering the storms of the past half-century, it has fashioned for
itself a role resembling one of the first projects that it funded in
the 1950s: the self-righting lifeboat.
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INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PLASTIC, AESTHETIC AND REHABILITATION SURGERY HELD FOR FIRST TIME IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Leading surgeons from the U.S.,
Germany, France, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Belarus, Georgia,
the Ukraine and other countries take part in the 5th International
Congress of Plastic, Aesthetic and Rehabilitation Surgery being held
on April 12-14 in Yerevan. The congress was organized by the Armenian
Association of Plastic, Rehabilitation and Aesthetic Surgeons and the
Russian surgeons’ company of the same name. As RA Minister of Health
Norayr Davidian mentioned, it is the first time an event of such kind
is held in Armenia, which is evidence of the international recognition
and high estimation of Armenian surgeons in this sphere. According to
the Minister, plastic surgery is one of the developing directions of
modern medicine. According to N.Davidian, the modern medicine with
its humanitarian mission and universal importance is multi-national
and does not admit any limits.
According to him, such meetings and exchange of experience with
well-known specialists from foreign countries will promote raising of
professional skills of Armenian doctors, training of young specialists,
as well as integration of the national medicine into the sphere of
world medical science. According to RA First Lady Bella Kocharian,
“it is difficult to imagine modern life without plastic surgery,
as man’s striving for perfection is limitless”. According to her,
the holding of the international congress in Armenia proves that
the Armenian school of this sphere develops rapidly and enjoys the
confidence of the respective international structures.