AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x109
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
AGBU DAY CAMP SERVES HUNDREDS OF ARMENIAN CHILDREN IN BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires, Argentina – In keeping with its tradition of engaging
Armenian youth in cultural and social activities, AGBU Buenos Aires
held its annual day camp for children, ages 3-12, during its recent
summer months.
Beginning mid December ’05 and running through the end of February
’06, the AGBU Colonia de Vacaciones offered a myriad of recreational
activities to hundreds of children. The program attracted 95 campers
in December, 153 in January and 112 in February. Daily activities
included music lessons, playing sports and swimming in the pool at the
local AGBU Alex Manoogian Center, as well as camping trips each month.
Established in 1911, AGBU Buenos Aires is committed to preserving and
promoting the Armenian heritage and culture through educational,
cultural and humanitarian programs. For more information, please visit
For more information on AGBU and its youth programs, please visit

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/12/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Kocharian Meets With Two US Congressmen And MCC CEO 2) Baku Objects to Euro Parliament Survey in Nakhichevan 3) Turkish Television to Air Egoyan's Film about Armenian Genocide 4) Armenian Navy Band Wins World Music Award 5) Two Soldiers, 12 Kurds Killed in Turkey Clash 6) Obituary 1) Kocharian Meets With Two US Congressmen And MCC CEO YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--US Congressman Jim Kolbe, Congressman Scott Garrett, and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Chief Executive Officer John J. Danilovich are visiting Armenia as a part of their regional tour to review government, economic, and military issues in the South Caucasus. As part of their trip, Representatives Kolbe and Garrett, and Ambassador Danilovich will visit MCC and other United States Government-funded assistance project sites throughout Armenia. In their meetings with Armenian government officials, the delegation will discuss US-Armenian bilateral relations, civil society development, and the importance of free and fair elections in Armenia in 2007 and 2008. But the $235 million assistance to be provided under the Bush administration's Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program was the main focus of Representatives Kolbe's and Garrett's talks with President Robert Kocharian and other Armenian leaders. The two lawmakers and Danilovich also met with local businessmen and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Kolbe, who chairs the Appropriations Committee of the US House of Representatives, described the meetings as "very productive." "We believe that this is a dynamic new way of delivering foreign assistance to countries that have shown a commitment to the rule of law and to an open society," he said, referring to MCA. "Transformational economic development must go hand in hand with political democracy, and that's why Armenia has been chosen [for MCA funding]." "We believe this is a country which is moving forward in that area," he added. Speaking to reporters, Kolbe specifically noted that he trusts the Kocharian administration's pledges to ensure proper conduct of Armenia's next parliamentary and presidential elections due in 2007 and 2008 respectively. But he said the United States will closely monitor the entire electoral processes to see if they meet Yerevan's MCA commitments. "We would not embark on this program if we were not confident that the Armenian authorities are committed to free elections," he said. Kocharian was quoted by his office as assuring the visiting congressmen and the chief executive of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, John Danilovich, that "Armenia remains committed to strengthening democracy and liberalism." Kocharian also thanked the US government for the release of extra US aid to Armenia within the frameworks of the MCC, saying that Armenia remains committed to strengthening of democracy and liberal market relations, for which the MCC aid is intended for. He noted the importance of the aid, because it targets mainly rural populations by improving rural infrastructure reconstructing irrigation systems. 2) Baku Objects to Euro Parliament Survey in Nakhichevan YEREVAN (PanArmenian.Net)--Top Azeri officials said that they might allow a European Parliament (EP) delegation to survey the destroyed Armenian cemetery in Julfa, Nakhichevan, "only with the condition of bilateral survey," APA reports. The EP decided last week that a delegation composed of members of the Commission on EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation will visit Julfa as part of their trip to Armenia from April 17-21. The aim of the mission is to investigate Azerbaijan's destruction of the Armenian cemetery in Julfa. Prior to traveling to Julfa, they will need to get the necessary authorization from Azeri authorities. The mission is being sent in accordance with the EP's resolution "on cultural heritage in Azerbaijan," which "demands that Azerbaijan allow missions, including experts working with ICOMOS, who are dedicated to surveying and protecting archaeological heritage, in particular Armenian heritage, onto its territory, and that it also allow a European Parliament delegation to visit the archaeological site at Julfa." 3) Turkish Television to Air Egoyan's Film about Armenian Genocide ANKARA (AFP)--A private television station will broadcast a movie about the Armenian genocide for the first time in Turkey, where the subject still arouses nationalistic sentiments, a spokesman for the channel said. Kanalturk decided to show "Ararat" by Canadian-Armenian director Atom Egoyan 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 about the Genocide, which took place during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Even though the Turkish government did not prohibit 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 theaters. Turks have only recently begun to discuss the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923, one of the most controversial episodes in Turkish history. To this day, Turkey categorically rejects that genocide took place. 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. 4) Armenian Navy Band Wins World Music Award YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow.com)--Armenia's favorite exotic ensemble, the Armenian Navy Band won last week the "Audience Award" of the prestigious BBC World Music Awards. The 12 member Armenian Navy Band was selected as a finalist two months ago through online voting by fans. Four groups, including three others from Brazil, Iraq and Italy, were judged by a panel of music critics and Armenian Navy Band came out on top. The group's founder and percussionist/vocalist Arto Tuncboyaciyan appeared at the BBC Awards ceremony and gave a 20-minute performance. 5) Two Soldiers, 12 Kurds Killed in Turkey Clash DIYARBAKIR (Reuters)--Two Turkish soldiers and 12 Kurdish militants were killed during a clash in a mountainous part of Turkey's troubled southeast, officials said on Wednesday. The clash, on Tuesday evening in the Sirnak province near the Iraqi border, coincides with increased tensions in the mainly Kurdish region after recent street battles between protesters and security forces. The Sirnak governor's office said in a statement that the 12 Kurds who lost their lives--members of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)--refused an army demand to lay down their weapons and opened fire on the troops, killing two sergeants. The slain PKK members included two women. Troops also discovered and destroyed PKK hideouts containing explosive materials, the statement said. Military operations in the area, backed up by helicopter gunships, are continuing, it added. Tuesday's clash was the latest in a string of incidents, which have sparked fears of a return to the kind of large-scale violence that dogged Turkey's southeast in the 1980s and 1990s. That violence, in which more than 30,000 people were killed, tapered off following the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999. But it has picked up again since the PKK called off a unilateral ceasefire in 2004. Last week, security forces killed six PKK members in the southeast. On Monday, a Turkish soldier was killed by a remote-controlled mine in the region. Sixteen people were killed and many more injured during recent street battles between PKK supporters and the security forces in Diyarbakir and other cities across the southeast. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation with lawmakers from the region on Tuesday evening, but Turkish media said he rejected a call for a general amnesty for PKK members. Erdogan also said he would not talk with leaders of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) because they would not denounce the PKK as a terrorist organization. The European Union and the United States have put the PKK on their terrorism blacklist. But following the recent street violence, the EU, which Turkey aspires to join, has also stepped up its demands for Ankara to improve the economic conditions and cultural rights of its Kurdish citizens. 6) Obituary We are saddened to report the death of educator, journalist, and community activist Kohar Tololian on Tuesday, April 11, 2006. Tololian died in Boston's Mount Auburn Hospital after a short illness. The funeral will be held on April 18 in Boston. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America
H.G. Bishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
4401 Russell Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tel: 818-248-7737/8
Fax: 818-248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
ON PALM SUNDAY
LET US CHERISH OUR CHILDREN, FOR THEIR ANGELS IN HEAVEN ARE ALWAYS IN THE
PRESENCE OF MY FATHER
DECLARED THE PRELATE
In the Christian tradition, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Palm
Sunday, the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, on the Sunday
before Easter. On this special feast, our churches are decorated with olive
branches to symbolize peace and brotherhood during the welcoming of Jesus
upon His entrance to the Holy City of Jerusalem, thus creating a unique
atmosphere.
On Sunday, April 9, Holy Mass and special services were conducted
in all Prelacy churches to celebrate Palm Sunday. On this feast, His
Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, conducted Holy Mass
services at Montebello’s Holy Cross Mother Cathedral. During Mass, a
children’s procession took place followed by the Prelate’s sermon.
During his sermon, the Prelate reflected upon the message of Palm
Sunday and gave special consideration to the tradition of the children’s
procession. He brought to attention that children are like angels, thus
they are worthy of love, affection, guidance and care.
Following Mass, the rite of Opening of the Portals was conducted.
A.R.S. ANI CHAPTER LUNCHEON
After church services, the Prelate and parishioners gathered at
`Baghramian’ Hall where there was a traditional luncheon organized by the
A.R.S. Ani Chapter. The Prelate blessed the tables after which he delivered
his remarks. In his remarks, the Prelate expressed thanks to A.R.S. for all
the deeds they perform and especially for their allegiance to our church and
national traditions. He continued that these types of events, which bring
people closer to each other, to the church, and to our heritage, is a great
example of that allegiance.

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America
H.G. Bishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
4401 Russell Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tel: 818-248-7737/8
Fax: 818-248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
On Holy Tuesday
THE FAITHFUL MUST ALWAYS BE READY
AS THE FIVE WISE MAIDENS WERE
DECLARED THE PRELATE
According to the calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church, during the week
proceeding Easter, Holy Week, evening services take place every night
remembering the last days of Christ’s life and messages. Some days of the
week are dedicated to the Last Supper, Crucifixion, Burial, and Glorious
Resurrection, while others are dedicated to messages He conveyed to the
faithful through parables.
On Holy Tuesday, special services took place in all of our
churches remembering the parable of the Ten Maidens. His Eminence
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, presided over services at St.
Sarkis Church in Pasadena, where he spoke about the message of the parable
of the Ten Maidens. In attendance were Executive Council members, St.
Sarkis Church delegates, Board of Trustees, and a large number of
parishioners.
The Prelate noted that Jesus often conveyed His message to His
disciples and followers through parables, one of which is the parable of the
Ten Maidens. On this day, we remember the maidens who were on their way to
a wedding. Five of the maidens took extra oil with them for their lamps,
while the other five did not. While waiting for the groom, who was delayed,
the maidens’ lamps burned out. The five who had not taken extra oil with
them missed the opportunity to welcome the groom for they had gone to
purchase more oil. With this parable, Christ gives us the message that we
must always be prepared to welcome the groom as the five wise maidens were,
and not to be short sighted like the other five. The Prelate concluded that
Christians should live their lives in such a manner that they are prepared
at any given time to greet the groom, which symbolizes the second coming of
Christ. He also Prayed that the Lord grant us agility and alertness,
brighten the lamps of our souls and save us from the evil.
Following the service, the Prelate and Rev. Khoren Babouchian,
Pastor, presented silver crosses to the ten young girls, who symbolized the
Ten Maidens during the ceremony, as an appreciation for their devotion and
service to the church.

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:
Holy Week and Easter Services
Below we present the revised schedule of Holy Week and Easter
services for His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the
Western Diocese.
On Wednesday, April 12, 2006 His Eminence will preside over Easter
Communion Services of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, at St. Peter
Armenian Church in Van Nuys. The Primate will be assisted by Rev. Fr.
Shnork Demirdjian.
Also on Wednesday Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Dz. V. Yardemian will lead a
group of clergy to Ararat Home for the Aged in Mission Hills, where
they will conduct a prayer service and administer Holy Communion to
the residents.
On April 13, Holy Thursday, the Primate will celebrate Divine
Liturgy at the Armenian Church of Burbank, at the Diocese.
In the evening he will preside over the ceremony of the Washing of
the Feet at St. James Armenian Church, Los Angeles, following which
he will return to the Diocese to conduct the Holy Thursday Evening
Service at the Burbank Parish.
On the evening of Good Friday, April 14, the Primate will preside
over the Service of the Burial at St. Gregory Armenian Church,
Pasadena.
On April 15, the Primate will celebrate Easter Eve Divine Liturgy at
St. Peter Armenian Church Youth Center in Glendale.
His Eminence will celebrate Easter Divine Liturgy at St. Peter
Armenian Church in Van Nuys on April 16.

OFFICE OF THE WESTERN DIOCESE
April 11, 2006
Burbank, California

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:
News from the Western Diocese

Diocese Welcomes Visiting Clergy

The Western Diocese is happy to welcome the following clergy, who
are currently visiting the Diocese from Armenia: His Grace Bishop
Sebouh Chouldjian, Primate of the Diocese of Gougark; Rev. Fr. Khoren
Maroukian from Yerevan; and from the Mother See Very Rev. Fr. Sasoun
Zmroukhdian, Rev. Fr. Asoghig Garabedian and Rev. Fr. Trdat Bozoyan.
Bishop Chouldjian has visited the Western Diocese on other occasions
as well and has addressed the faithful. We would also like to mention
that the Diocese of Gougark is the Sister Diocese of the Western
Diocese.
Rev. Fr. Asoghig Garabedian and Trdat Bozoyan are in the Western
Diocese upon the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate, and with the consent of His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians. The clergy will participate in the
upcoming Diocesan Assembly of May 2-3, 2006 in St. Mary Armenian
Church, Costa Mesa.
Upon the invitation of the Primate the guest clergy will celebrate
Divine Liturgy in various churches of the Western Diocese, according
to the schedule presented below.

His Grace Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian

Sunday, April 23 Armenian Church of Burbank
Sunday, April 30 St. Gregory Armenian Church, Pasadena
Sunday, May 7 St. Sarkis Armenian Church, East Los Angeles
Sunday, May 14 St. Peter Armenian Church, Van Nuys

Very Rev. Fr. Sasoun Zmroukhdian

Sunday, April 30 St. Peter Armenian Church Youth Center, Glendale
Sunday, May 7 St. Kevork Armenian Church, Glendale

Rev. Fr. Khoren Maroukian

Saturday, April 15 Armenian Church of Burbank
Easter, April 16 Armenian Church of Crescenta Valley, Tujunga
Sunday, April 23 St. Kevork Armenian Church, Glendale
Sunday, April 30 St. Peter Armenian Church, Van Nuys

Rev. Fr. Asoghig Garabedian

Sunday, April 30 St. John Armenian Church, Hollywood
Sunday, May 7 St. Mary Armenian Church, Costa Mesa
Sunday, May 14 St. John Armenian Church, San Francisco
Sunday, May 21 St. Peter Armenian Church, Van Nuys
Sunday, May 28 St. Paul Armenian Church, Fresno

Rev. Fr. Trdat Bozoyan

Sunday, April 30 Armenian Church of Burbank
Sunday, May 7 St. Mary Armenian Church, Costa Mesa
Sunday, May 14 St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino
Sunday, May 21 St. Peter Armenian Church Youth Center, Glendale
Sunday, May 28 St. Mary, Yettem, to serve on the Altar

We urge the faithful to partake in Divine Liturgy and to hear the
messages of our guest clergy.

Office of the Western Diocese
April 10, 2006
Burbank
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:
archbishop HOVNAN Derderian
PRIMATE of the western Diocese participates in
events dedicated to 91st anniversary of armenian genocide
April 18-26, 2006

Tuesday, April 18 Meeting with students of Woodbury University

Saturday, April 22 (3:30 pm) Requiem Service at United Methodist
Church (305 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara), led by the Primate and
with the participation of visiting pastor Archpriest Fr. Arshag
Khatchadourian, as well as the Khatchadourian Choir.

Sunday, April 23 Requiem Service in the churches of the Western
Diocese, for the martyrs of the victims of the 1915 Genocide. The
Primate will celebrate Divine Liturgy at St. Gregory Armenian Church
in Pasadena and will conduct a Requiem service for the departed souls
of the founders and deceased members of AGBU.

Sunday April 23 (4:30 pm) Commemoration and Requiem Service at the
Armenian Memorial in Montebello

Sunday April 23 (6:00 pm) Event by the Armenian Writers Association
of California, at the Kalaydjian Hall. `The Armenian writers read the
works of the martyrs of the Genocide.’

Monday, April 24 (Noon) Event at USC organized by the Armenian
Students Association. His Eminence will be accompanied by Rev. Fr.
Vazken Movsesian.

Monday, April 24 (7:00 pm) the Primate will celebrate Divine Liturgy
and deliver the Sermon at the Kalaydjian Hall of the Western Diocese,
with the participation of the churches of the Los Angeles area.

Wednesday, April 26 (7:00 pm) Ecumenical commemorative service with
the participation of St. Mark Episcopalian Church. His Eminence will
be accompanied by Rev. Fr. Vazken Movsesian. The church is located at
1020 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, California.

OFFICE OF THE WESTERN DIOCESE
April 11, 2006
Burbank, California

“CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONFLICTS RESOLUTION WILL BE MY TOP PRIORITY”
(The exclusive interview of Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative
for the South Caucasus, to Mediamax news agency, March 2006)

On March 1, Peter Semneby assumed his responsibilities as the new
European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the South
Caucasus. His first interview on this post Peter Semneby gave to
Armenian Mediamax news agency.

– Your mandate includes a number of objectives. Which one do you
consider to be the most important one?

– My top priority will be to contribute to the resolution of frozen
conflicts in the region. I am aware of the existing expectations that
the European Union will play a big role after the settlement is
achieved, and this is also something that needs to be prepared. The
conflicts are taking so much political attention, they are consuming
financial resources and they hamper normal development of the
countries in the region.

There are a number of other important issues as well. In particular,
we should continue the assistance to state building in the three
countries of the South Caucasus, to ensure normal relationships
between the countries of the region, to foster the regional
cooperation at a larger framework than the narrow framework between
three countries.

– According to your mandate, you have to support the activities of the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen. How do you see your role in this
process?

– I am only 10 days in the office and hadn’t enough time to have a
formal meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen. I will, of
course, have very close contacts with them to make sure that whatever
initiatives are taken, whatever messages are given, they are clearly
coordinated.

Perhaps, more important is to prepare the ground for what will happen
after the settlement is reached and this can also be used as an
incentive for the parties to come to a settlement.

– There were a lot of expectations ahead of the meeting of Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents in France last month, and a lot of
disappointment after the talks. Do you still believe it is possible to
resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 2006?

– For sure, I have hopes. I can’t say now whether they are realistic
or not taking into account the fact that the expectations were dashed
at the most recent meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents. For having a better understanding I need to make my first
visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan and to talk to the Minsk Group
co-chairmen. But I definitely maintain a high degree of hope,
otherwise I should not have accepted this job.

– Heikki Talvitie, your predecessor on this post, paid a lot of
attention to the improvement of Turkish-Armenian relations. Are you
going to continue these efforts?

– Essentially, they are two difficult relationships with neighbors in
the region: it’s Armenia-Turkey and Georgia-Russia. Both of them will
be among my priorities.

– Energy security is becoming an important issue on the agenda of
Armenia-EU relations . Will you deal with this issue?

– My mandate is broad enough to include the issue of energy
security. Given the developments that have taken place both in the
region and beyond it in last several months, I think there is a reason
to take a more active interest in this issue. Energy security is
definitely much more on the agenda that it used to be.

– Despite numerous efforts and funding provided by the EU for the
development of the regional cooperation in the South Caucasus, little
has been achieved. Do you think such cooperation is possible before
the resolution of existing conflicts?

– Efforts to establish the regional cooperation should be developed in
parallel with the efforts to resolve the conflicts. Probably, it
should involve a broader context than just the countries of the South
Caucasus.

– What is your opinion about the prospects of further democratic
transformation in Armenia?

– Democratic standards are always at the forefront of the interest of
the EU. I have experience from my previous jobs as the head of the
OSCE Mission in Latvia and then in Croatia, where I was monitoring
similar issues and giving support in overcoming obstacles related to
democratic institutions, electoral systems, etc. Of course, these
issues are not easy, they are also problems in many mature
democracies. But as long as there is a mutual commitment and
willingness to resolve the existing difficulties, I am confident that
the issues related to the development of democratic institutions will
not be a major obstacle.

– We know that you have visited Armenia after the 1988
earthquake. Could you tell us more about this experience?

– That was really one of the most defining moments in my life. I spent
a week in Leninakan immediately after the earthquake. I was working in
the Embassy of Sweden in the USSR and came to Leninakan two days after
the earthquake together with the Swedish rescue team. We were
searching through the ruins after the survivors.

It was a heartbreaking experience, but at the same time I felt huge
respect for the dignity and the resilience of the people who were so
severely affected by the earthquake. I am very much looking forward to
go back to this area and see what the situation there is now.

ANBA, Brazil
April 11 2006
>From Brazil, luxurious purses for Arab women
The stylist Serpui Marie exports to four Arab countries. Women from
the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon wear the luxurious
handbags produced by the designer from São Paulo, who also has as
clients international stars like Gisele Bündchen and Madonna.
Press Release

Serpui Marie: stylist has been exporting handbags for 14 years
Isaura Daniel*
São Paulo – The purses signed by the Brazilian stylist Serpui Marie
are carried by the women in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,
Kuwait and Lebanon. Natural of São Paulo, in southeast Brazil, she
became a supplier of luxury accessories for the Brazilian upper
class, and about six years ago started winning Arab women too. The
handbags by Serpui are already sold in the boutiques in Beirut, in
Lebanon, Jeddah and Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait City, in Kuwait,
and Dubai in the Arab Emirates.
“The handbags exported to those countries are the most ornamented
ones, with shine and drawings,” explains the stylist. Six boutiques
from the Arab market bought the brand’s products in the showroom she
keeps in New York, in the United States, and also at the Première
Classe fair that takes place twice a year in Paris, France. During
the first one, in the first semester of the year, she launches the
autumn-winter collection, and on the second, the products for the
spring-summer collection are exhibited.
The stylist Serpui entered the fashion market about 20 years ago and
started exporting 14 years ago. As well as the Arab world, the
handbags created by her are sold in Japan, China, United States and
France. And as well as the showroom in New York, Serpui has been
selling her products in a showroom in Japan since the beginning of
the year.
She also participates in promotion projects for Brazilian products
abroad through a partnership between the Brazilian Association of
Stylists (Abest), to which she belongs, and the Brazilian Export and
Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
Shoes
In spite of exporting basically purses, Serpui also makes shoes and
fashion accessories like costume jewellery and scarves. The other
products, however, are exported only sporadically. The handbags are
the company’s main product. The stylist produces 2,000 pieces per
year, in their factory in São Paulo, in the Vila Madalena
neighbourhood, and sells 85% of their production abroad. In Brazil,
she has a store at the Shopping Iguatemi, one of the most luxurious
in Brazil, and also distributes the products in about 30 multi-brand
boutiques.
Serpui’s great market is external. The stylist believes the success
of the products outside Brazil is due to the exclusive
characteristics of the accessories. “They are different from what can
normally be found, very tropical, very Brazilian,” says the stylist.
The handbags by Serpui are made in an ample scope of colours and have
raw materials that vary from leather to straw.
Serpui is self-taught in the profession. Descendant of Armenians, she
discovered the taste for fashion when she was starting her doctorate
in Biochemistry, at the University of São Paulo (USP). And she
changed the direction of her career. Today, international stars like
the singer Madonna, the model Gisele Bündchen, and the actresses Meg
Ryan and Jennifer Aniston are fans of the purses signed by her.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey

Sunday, April 09, 2006
************************************
THE WISDOM OF NASREDIN HOJA
******************************************
Nasredin Hoja was fixing his roof when a passerby asks him to come down. When Nasredin Hoja climbs down, the man identifies himself as a beggar and says, “Give me some money.” “Come on up to the roof with me,” Nasredin tells the man; and when they both go up to the roof the beggar says, “Where is my money?” To which the Hoja replies: “I have no money for you.”
*
I am afraid something similar may happen to us on the day the Turks admit the reality of the Genocide: they may ask us to climb to the roof with them. As for allowing us to annex historic Armenia: I doubt if the regime in Yerevan will want to assume the additional responsibility of depopulating it.
*
To those who disagree with me, let me recount another Hoja story. When a dying man asks Nasredin to teach him a prayer that will ease his passage to the next world, the Hoja says, “Say, God help me and Devil help me.” “That’s crazy!” the dying man says. “Not so, my dear fellow,” replies the Hoja. “You are in no position to reject anyone’s help.” Translated into idiomatic English: “Beggars can’t be choosers.” And when it comes to wisdom, who among us will dare to say he is not a beggar?
#
Monday, April 10, 2006
*************************************
We speak of books only when they are written and published. What about books that are never written because the author is convinced they will be rejected by editors, or suppressed by censors, or ignored by an intolerant, hidebound, brainwashed, or philistine public?
*
In an environment where even written books are ignored, why should anyone bother to mention unwritten ones?
*
We may not have a contemporary literature but we do have publishers whose function appears to be to see that only politically correct trash gets into print. We also have well-paid editors by the dozen whose number one priority is to be on good terms with bosses, bishops, and benefactors not because they know better but because they have God and capital (make it Capital and god) on their side.
*
Unlike Hitler and Stalin we don’t build concentration camps, but we have become experts on how to alienate, isolate, and silence. I speak as an inmate.
*
We tend to confuse our spirit of contradiction with intelligence or erudition. As a child I had an overdeveloped spirit of contradiction and an underdeveloped brain. Any moron can contradict, that doesn’t make him a genius, only a nuisance.
#
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
************************************
Very often in life that which is most obvious is ignored. Or, in Cocteau’s own words: “Nothing is more easily ignored than the essential.” The following Nasredin Hoja story illustrates this brilliantly.
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In his youth the Hoja amassed a vast fortune by dealing in contraband. Everyone knew this but no one could figure out what he was smuggling, not even the border guards who would search him and his mule thoroughly. Years later when one of the guards met the Hoja and wanted to know what was it that he used to smuggle, the Hoja replied: “Mules.”
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When it comes to the Genocide, the question that gets ignored is this: Why is it that after 600 years of coexistence the Turks suddenly decided to exterminate their most loyal subjects? The answer I was brought up to believe is, “Because they are bloodthirsty Asiatic barbarians.” Why did these barbarians, after managing an empire that lasted much longer than most empires (including our own under Dikran the Great) suddenly decide to act against their own interests? If we say “mass hysteria,” we give the Turks an out by allowing them to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
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Speaking of insanity: what could be more insane than to surrender our destiny into the hands of barbarians and to serve them loyally for 600 years?
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Why did the Turks try to exterminate us? The short answer is, we don’t know. Not even the Turks know. That’s because none of us is equipped to understand and explain the incomprehensible, and a great deal about human conduct remains incomprehensible.
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Speaking for myself, I can’t even explain the crimes committed in my own neighborhood by people I know. Also, I can’t always explain why I behaved as I did. I can only repeat Toynbee’s explanation in reference to the Genocide: given the right (or wrong) combination of circumstances we are all capable of committing unspeakable acts.
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I may not be sure about many things, but I am sure of this: there will come a time, and the sooner the better, when both Turks and Armenians will do what’s best for themselves by deciding to coexist in peace, and this time not as masters and subjects but as equals. However, this time may never come if we think of them as bloodthirsty Asiatic barbarians.
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Allow me to conclude with another Nasredin Hoja story. A man once found a mirror. He picked it up, took a close look at it, didn’t like what he saw, and reasoning that if it was discarded by its original owner it must be useless, he threw it away. Isn’t that what we do too whenever we don’t like what we read about ourselves?
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Wednesday, April 12, 2006
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TOPICS FOR FUTURE SERMONS
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Faith becomes a liability when, instead of enhancing our understanding, tolerance, and compassion, it legitimizes our need to judge, condemn, and assert moral superiority.
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Stress the negative in yourself and you may succeed in enhancing your credibility. Speak well of yourself and run the risk of projecting the image of a self-satisfied jackass.
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We either advance towards the truth even if it means a fraction of an inch in our lifetime or we sink deeper into lies.
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When it comes to politicians, vote for the lesser of two evils, adopt a wait-and-see attitude, and prepare yourself to be disappointed.
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If you want to understand a country, read its dissidents and critics, not its propaganda. Read its propaganda only if you want to gauge the magnitude of its illusions.
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I may not be a candidate for literary immortality but I think I have a chance of getting there someday because even those who hate me read me (judging by the number of nasty e-mails I get) and I’d rather be read and hated than loved and ignored.
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