ARTHUR BEYLERIAN, FRENCH-ARMENIAN HISTORIAN, PASSES AWAY

AZG Armenian Daily #072, 22/04/2005

Obituary

Recently, Arthur Beylerian, well-known French-Armenian historian,
passed away. He dedicated most of his life to making researches on the
Armenian Genocide. After having studied at Mkhitarian Congregation,
he entered the Philology Faculty of the Constantinople University,
studying European, Turkish-Islamic art and geography. In 1972 he
defended a dissertation in Paris. The theme of the research was
“The Basis of the Armenian Cause, from San Stefano Treaty to Berlin
Congress.” The work isn’t published yet.

Arthur Beylerian wrote many books on the Armenian Genocide. But his
main research was “Great Empires, the Ottoman Empire and the Armenians
in the French archives (1914-18).” The researches made by Beylerian
cover all the information kept in the state achieves of France and
represent the true view of that historical period to the specialists
of the sphere.

By Nana Petrosian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MERZLYAKOV: OSCE MG DOES NOT URGE ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO CONCESSIONS

Pan Armenian News
21.04.2005 06:10

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov
stated that private meetings with FMs will give an impetus to soonest
settlement of the conflict. He noted that the MG does not urge Armenia
and Azerbaijan to an agreement based on concessions. In his words,
the international mediators have called the parties to observe norms
relating to the cease-fire regime. «We did not make any statements
on readiness to compromises. We have urged them to solve the conflict
via peace talks. If we look through the document, you will see we
urged Azerbaijan and Armenia not to break their commitments over
strengthening of the cease-fire regime, not to make statements
that negatively tell on the settlement process,» Yu. Merzlyakov
noted. The Russian diplomat also stated the format of the negotiations
between the foreign ministers with participation of the co-chairs has
changed. He noted that the goal of the mediators’ private meetings
with ministers is the soonest and final clarification of the details
of the conflict. «We want to discuss the details of the problem with
both parties, as when holding the joint meetings with both Ministers
the Co-Chairs cannot attain discussion of small details. E.g. to clear
out the available problems holding private talks with the ministers
is more favorable,» he added. The Russian Co-Chair said that already
now – a month before the recurrent meeting of the Azeri and Armenian
Presidents, the Co-Chairs are ready to bring their point of view over
some issues to the notice of the state leaders.

–Boundary_(ID_mo/ZGm1tgMbixZCtdHxsZw)–

EVENTS COMMEMORATING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE HELD IN ESTONIA

Pan Armenian News
21.04.2005 05:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Events commemorating Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey will be held in Tallinn April 24. As reported by abbot of
Tallinn Armenian church of St. Grigor Enlightener father Garnik,
April 24 midday a commemoration liturgy will be served, after which
flowers will be laid to the Khachkar (cross-stone) erected at the Tartu
highway. The same day evening, at 6:00 p.m. a male choir will perform
commemoration motets in Nigulite church. The Armenian community of
contemporary Estonia numbers some 2 thousand people, many of whom
participate in the activities of the Tallinn and Tartu associations
of the Armenian cultures. A Sunday school is available in the Tallinn
association, Tsitsernak (swallow) program telling about the life of
Armenians in Estonia is periodically broadcast by the State Radio.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 21, 2005

AGBU HONORS ANTRANIG DANCE ENSEMBLE AND ARMENINE SAPAH-GULIAN
Generation of Performers Gather to Pay Tribute to Founding Member

New York, NY – Close to 150 former and current dancers, as well as
supporters and friends came together on April 1, 2005, at the Rockleigh
Country Club in New Jersey to honor the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble
and Mrs. Armenine Sapah-Gulian, a founding member of the Ensemble
and an AGBU Life Member. In addition to a festive evening of dinner
and dancing, guests enjoyed a special program that paid tribute to
the Ensemble’s 35th Anniversary and Mrs. Sapah-Gulian’s 70 years of
service to both the Union and Antranig.

Mr. Robert Doramajian, Chairperson of the Ensemble Committee, acted
as Master of Ceremonies. Starting the program off on a high note,
he presented a recording of the voice of Mr. Gagik Karapetian
from Armenia, the Ensemble Choreographer, who congratulated
Mrs. Sapah-Gulian on this momentous occasion.

In her address to guests, Artistic Director of the Ensemble,
Mrs. Joyce Tamesian-Shenloogian, recalled wonderful memories with
Mrs. Sapah-Gulian. Beginning as a back row dancer in the early 1970s
and progressing on to become a soloist, then Assistant Dance Director
and now Artistic Director, Mrs. Shenloogian has continued to work
with Mrs. Sapah-Gulian for over thirty years, longer than anyone in
the group. She also highlighted the many different generations of
dancers that have participated in the Ensemble and recognized several
performers from each era who were present that night.

Mr. Randy Sapah-Gulian, son of Mrs. Sapah-Gulian, remarked on his
mother’s tireless efforts and countless sacrifices over the decades
to assist the Ensemble as it moved forward, addressing any obstacle
they encountered, no matter how large or small. He emphasized that
his mother believed in working on behalf of the youth and making a
difference in their lives. Mr. Sapah-Gulian also commented that the
Antranig Dance Ensemble has been a catalyst “that binds us to AGBU”
and recalled his first days as a dancer attending weekly rehearsals.

Surrounded by several members of her family including her son,
daughter-in-law and three granddaughters, in addition to Mrs. Vera
Setrakian, Mrs. Anita Anserian, AGBU Director of Central Board Programs
and other AGBU friends, Mrs. Sapah-Gulian stepped onto the podium
with a standing ovation. She thanked AGBU and its President, Mr. Berge
Setrakian, for recognizing the Ensemble’s milestone anniversary.

She went on to share with guests a few anecdotes about how she
became a member of the AGBU Executive Central Committee of America
and was chosen to chair the Youth Activities Committee in the United
States. This youth-oriented position led her, along with a few other
dedicated AGBU members, to the founding of the AGBU Antranig Dance
Ensemble. She noted that one of the primary reasons for starting
the Ensemble was due to her forte in dance, and her dedication
and love for the group was evident among the guests present, even
after thirty-five years. Mrs. Sapah-Gulian also remembered her late
husband, Vart, who was like an uncle to all the dancers. He joined
her at hundreds of rehearsals and never missed a major performance,
regardless of where it took place.

Going back to the year 1971, AGBU President, Mr. Berge Setrakian,
recounted his first meeting Mrs. Sapah-Gulian in Beirut, Lebanon, at
the AGBU Regional Games. He recounted how impressed he was with her
vitality and commitment to the organization at that time and how he is
even more impressed with her voluntary devotion to the Ensemble today.

After presenting Mrs. Sapah-Gulian with a token of appreciation from
AGBU, Mr. Setrakian addressed guests by thanking them for their
dedication not only to the Ensemble, but also to their Armenian
culture. He noted that Antranig has been one of the pioneer AGBU
programs that attracted large numbers of youth to the Union and
this is an important factor in judging the success of the dance
group. Hundreds of young Armenians believe in their heritage and this
is why the Ensemble is where it is today. Moreover, Mr. Setrakian
stressed the importance of all programs within AGBU working together
to further the organization’s mission and ensure the preservation of
the Armenian identity among young Armenians throughout the world.

Before concluding the evening’s program, Mr. Doramajian announced
that the Ensemble wanted to demonstrate its appreciation to
Mrs. Sapah-Gulian and her endless efforts “through what we do best,
and that is dance”. In a matter of moments, dozens of Antranig
dancers from every generation took over the dance floor for a surprise
performance. With their energy and fervor still intact, they presented
one of their classic line dances to delighted guests, who applauded
their efforts with sincere enthusiasm.

For over thirty-five years, the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble
() has dazzled thousands upon thousands of audiences
around the world with its full-length productions, exemplifying
the rich Armenian dance culture. Through a variety of folk dances
from different regions in Armenia, vibrant costumes and exceptional
choreography, the Ensemble continues to perpetuate the Armenian
heritage in support of AGBU’s mission.

AGBU is the largest Armenian non-profit organization in the world,
reaching out annually to 400,000 Armenians. For more information on
AGBU and its programs, please visit

GERMANY MAY BE VENUE FOR ARMENIAN AND TURKISH COMMUNITIES TO MEET

Pan Armenian News
21.04.2005 05:24

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ More and more representatives of the Turkish
community of Germany, including publicists, speak about the
Armenian Genocide freely and without apprehensions, and it is
our victory; however the negative side is that resulting from a
direct influence of Turkey Kemalist forces have become activated
trying to instigate nationalist sentiments among Turks of Germany.
Tessa Hoffman, Professor of Berlin’s Freie University stated at
Ultimate Crime, Ultimate Challenges: Human Rights and Genocide
international conference. In T. Hoffman’s words, Germany can be a
venue for meetings of the Armenian and Turkish communities, exchange
of information. “The archives of our country are open and Germans are
main witnesses of the events of World War I and they had much influence
in Turkey itself,” she noted, adding at that unfortunately there are
no such contacts yet. Why Germany avoids using of the term “genocide”
referring to the events of early 20-th century, why Germans engage
in self-censorship? It seems it is also due to Germany being drawn
in a range of genocides throughout the 20-th century and though it
has recognized its responsibility to Jews, until now it avoids it in
the case of Namibia,” the German scholar considers. “In case of the
Armenian Genocide Germany was the ally of Turkey and speaking from
the point of view of protection of human rights today, Germany has the
opportunity to study the common history of World War I and the Armenian
Genocide along with Turkish scientists and other interested parties,
use that experience to prevent future tragedies. Germans, Turks and
Armenians can tell each other many things,” Tessa Hoffman summed up.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘ISRAEL WILL CHANGE ITS POSITION AS SOON AS USA DOES’

AZG Armenian Daily #072, 22/04/2005
Armenian Genocide

Four representatives of Israel, Prof. Yehuda Bauer, Yossi Sarid from
Meretz Movement, Yair Auron from the Open University of Israel and
Israel Charny, executive director of the Institute on the Holocaust and
Genocide, made their speeches at “Ultimate Crime, Ultimate Challenge”
on April 20 session.

Prof. Yehuda Bauer shared with daily Azg about the opposite stances
of Israeli government and people.

“Israel will change its position as soon as the USA does. The
government fears spoiling relations with Turkey but the society is of
the opposite view and openly speaks of the Armenian Genocide. I do
not think that today’s government will change its position. I have
no doubt that most of the Israelites will immediately recognize the
Genocide if asked”.

What’s the primary step for Armenia in this aspect? “To do everything
to win the USA’s recognition of the Genocide. That’s the most important
thing”, Prof. Bauer said.

Israel Charny’s report was titled “Genocide Denial as Continued
Repression of Human Rights”. “We have marked serious progress in
fight against Turkey’s denialist policy. The number of Turks and
Turkish journalists recognizing the genocide has increased. The
Turks know that they are losing the battle. It’s clear that they
will not immediately give up but negation harms their own society and
stymies the state’s development. The most tiring thing in working with
Turks is that they are always right and the worst thing is that they
never make mistakes”. He added that the Turks have been displaying
meaningless initiatives lately. For instance, they require to hold
another trial over Soghomon Tehlerian for murdering Taleat, or open
an international commission to review the Genocide issue.

“It’s time that we — victimized peoples — go beyond simply
commemorating the genocides; we have to respect the rights of other
genocided peoples. Only then values will be restored”, he said.

Yossi Sarid, member of the Israeli Knesset and chair of Meretz
Movement, spoke of the Jewish people’s responsibility towards
genocide victims. “We, the Jews, who are victims of hatred, have to
be twice more attentive and sensitive for those who passed through
genocide”, Sarid said. As a former education minister he highlighted
the need of stressing the value of human life regardless nationality
in educational programs of Israel. He informed that a new history
textbook is being prepared which will have a separate chapter about
the Armenian Genocide. “Some Jews are fearful that recognition of
the Armenian nation’s sufferings will diminish importance of the
Holocaust. That is certainly a horrific crime against the Jewish people
but my Israeli colleagues here believe that it was a crime against the
mankind as well. Jews are not the only victims as Germany is not the
only criminal. We are not tired yet and are strong enough to lead
the government of Israel and other countries on the way of genocide
recognition and ultimately to reconciliation”.

Yair Auron from the Open University of Israel presented “The Pain of
Knowledge; Reflections o Holocaust and Genocide Issues in Education”
report. “Of course, today’s youth, including the Turks, are not
responsible for the events of the past but are responsible as to
what will be the place of Armenian Genocide in the historic memory
of their nation and country”, he said.

By Ruzan Poghosian

LECH WALESA: “IF WE FORGET ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS, GOD WILL TURN AWAY FROM US”

Pan Armenian News
21.04.2005 04:49

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “If we consign victims of the Armenian Genocide
to oblivion, the God will turn away from us,” former President of
Poland Lech Walesa stated at an international conference on the
90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan today. In
his words, within the past 17 centuries Armenia was independent for
only 300 years and in early 20-th century it tried to throw off the
Ottoman yoke, however the Young Turk Government decided the Armenian
issue via deportation and massacre of the Armenian people. It
was the first genocide of the 20-th century, L. Walesa stated,
adding the West limited itself to urging the Turkish authorities
and did not try to prevent the Armenian Genocide. “Today’s Turkish
authorities aggressively refuse to acknowledge the crime committed
by their ancestors, while Europe has denounced that crime twice
(in 1987 and 2000) and qualified it a Genocide,” the former Polish
President noted. To solve the current world integration problems at
present Mr. Walesa pointed out the need to use the most efficient
tool of the globalization – the dialogue between nations, cultures
and civilizations.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 21, 2005

AGBU GENERATION NEXT OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES OF A LIFETIME TO LEARN
& SUCCEED

Pasadena, CA – In its eighth year, AGBU Generation Next continues its
mission to help students of Armenian descent in the Glendale Unified
School District (GUSD) by pairing them with mentors who will guide
them towards a brighter future. This mentoring relationship introduces
young Armenians to new experiences and alternatives, enabling them
to become responsible, self-sufficient, and independent adults.

Arlette Der Hovanessian, the Program Manager of the GUSD Project GRACE
(Glendale Refugee & Asylee Children Excel), is a firm believer in
AGBU Generation Next and its ability to effectively coach students
carefully selected by GUSD for mentoring. “I am a true advocate of
Generation Next and Project GRACE is trying to provide as much support
as possible to this worthwhile youth program,” she says.

Over the years, she has seen the program mentor over a hundred
students ranging from the seventh to the eleventh grades. “AGBU
Generation Next gives them positive role models and reinforces the
value system we already have as a community. We know we can always
motivate youngsters to achieve more,” Der Hovanessian explains.

Instrumental to the success of this program is the steadfast dedication
of the limited number of mentors (age 21 and over), who commit time
and energy every week.

AGBU Generation Next Director, Susanna Sahakian emphasizes the
importance of good mentors, “As we all know, mentoring has always
been a significant part of peoples’ lives. But today, mentoring has
become a necessity in our teenagers’ lives. That is why I would like
to encourage all those who are interested in being helpful in our
community to join our organization and become a mentor to a teenager
to assure a better future for our community and the world.”

This season, AGBU Generation Next kicked off its program with an arts
& crafts event in November and has since organized a diverse array of
activities, including a Christmas party, an excursion to the local zoo,
and a trip to the Los Angeles Connection Comedy Theatre.

Established in 1997, AGBU Generation Next is a mentorship program
whose mission is to serve the Armenian youth of Southern California by
providing personal and academic guidance. To receive more information
about the program or to request an application to become a mentor,
please call 626-794-7942 or email [email protected].

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 21, 2005

AGBU TORONTO CO-SPONSORS ARMENIAN EMBASSY’S 10th ANNIVERSARY

New York, NY — To commemorate the establishment of the Embassy
of the Republic of Armenia to Canada, AGBU co-sponsored a special
10th Anniversary Concert on March 5th, 2005 in Toronto, Ontario,
with several Armenian organizations under the auspices of the His
Excellency Ara Papian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
With an audience of over 500, the proceeds from the event are earmarked
for the Embassy in Ottawa.

Founded in 1923, AGBU Toronto is committed to preserving and promoting
the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural,
youth, and humanitarian programs in Canada and Armenia. For more
information on AGBU and its chapters around the world, please visit

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KOCHARIAN AND CHIRAC TO PAY RESPECT TO GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Armenpress

PARIS, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian who
arrived in Paris yesterday on a working visit and president Jacques
Chirac will commemorate the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide on
April 22 evening. They will place a wreath at a monument to prominent
Armenian composer Komitas in downtown Paris, symbolizing the Armenian
genocide.

France is among those countries which officially recognized the
Armenian genocide. The event is thought to become an important
diplomatic move since it will be Chirac’s first official commemoration
of the genocide victims.

The move is also expected to become a message to Turkey to remind
it that it has to come to terms with its past and assume the
responsibility for the first genocide of the 20-th century.