Armenian Genocide conference draws scholars

Elazar Barkan, from Claremont Graduate University, presents a lecture
on “Amnesty, Truth, Reconciliation” as part of “The Enduring Legacy
of the Armenian Genocide.”

By Neal Larkins
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
4 April 05

[email protected]

The UCLA International Conference Series in Armenian Studies
commemorated the 90th Anniversary of the Ottoman Turkish genocide of
Armenians in a three-day conference held this weekend.

Richard Hovannisian, UCLA professor emeritus of Armenian history
and organizer of the conference, titled “After Nine Decades ~@”
The Enduring Legacy of the Armenian Genocide,” opened up the event
by asking the mostly Armenian audience how many years the genocide
should be commemorated.

“For the Armenian Genocide to find its proper place, it must be
integrated into the collective human experience,” he said.

Armenian scholars from across the country and world converged at UCLA,
from Berry College in Georgia to Columbia University, and from France
to Argentina.

The first day of the event on Friday was held in Pasadena, and
featured speakers from Damascus University in Syria and Erevan, the
Armenian capital. The speakers at the Friday event spoke in Armenian.
The Saturday and Sunday events were held at UCLA in English.

At the Saturday event at Moore Hall, Henry Theriault from Worcester
State College challenged the common notion that for genocide to
occur, the victim must be dehumanized in the mind of the perpetrator.
He argued that unlike the Nazi killing of Jews during World War II, the
Turkish slaughter of Armenians during World War I was “unnecessarily
brutal” to the point of inefficiency.

“The levels of violence was from the enjoyment of the leaders.
Killing an ant is not that pleasurable,” Theriault said. The more
human the victim, the greater the enjoyment of the killer, he said,
adding, “The Armenians were recognized as human.”

The violence that Armenians believe killed 1.5 million of their people
began on April 24, 1915, and continued until 1923.

In 1908, the Ottoman sultan was overthrown by the Young Turks, the
regime that would commit the genocide.

“At some point a critical mass of Young Turks became
ultra-nationalistic. At some point the ultra-nationalists became
genocidal,” Theriault said.

Speaking about U.S. foreign policy during the genocide, Suzanne
Moranian of the Armenian International Women’s Association said
American policy toward Armenians was “paradoxical.”

The “self-interest that impelled the United States to help the
Armenians is the same as the self-interest that caused them to abandon
Armenians,” Moranian said.

While then-President Wilson pursued a policy of neutrality with Turkey
during WWI, American missionary groups conducted a substantial relief
operation in present-day Syria that was supported financially by both
Congress and private citizens. But “America’s post-WWI retreat from
internationalism” and Wilson’s attention to his planned League of
Nations decreased American support for the Armenian cause, Moranian
said.

She said that the policy for dealing with Armenians in WWI formed
the blueprint of U.S. foreign policy for the future.

The United States has not officially acknowledged that a “genocide”
took place. In his February visit to UCLA, U.S. ambassador to Armenia
John Evans said that the term genocide, created in 1943, should not
be applied to the events of 1915.

Turkey continues to deny a genocide took place. Recently, however,
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan took a small but symbolic step to address
the issue by announcing that Turkey’s official archives would be
opened to historians.

Examining the philosophical and literary response to genocide, Michael
Papazian of Berry College in Georgia said that many Young Turks were
educated in Germany, and that the Jewish “Holocaust was perpetrated by
(Germany’s) most philosophically advanced group.”

“Jewish philosophy can be a guide for Armenian philosophers to come
to terms with the genocide,” he said. He also warned Armenians to “be
mindful not to make death and destruction the central theme in Armenian
history, rather than the Christian ideas of life and rejuvenation.”

Philippe Videlier of the National Center for Scientific Research in
Lyons, France was inundated with many questions after his lecture on
“The Armenian Genocide and French Society.”

Questions from the largely middle-aged and elderly audience were
about the absence of foreign intervention during the genocide and
recognition of the genocide in countries around the world today.

Videlier said France did not intervene with the genocide because they
were occupied fighting a war with Germany, even though at the time
the government and intellectuals were aware of the atrocities. Later,
France was pressured by Turkish government lobbyists into banning
the release of a film about the genocide, he said.

While these statements brought scoffs from the audience, the crowd
offered a roaring applause after he noted that “four years ago the
French government recognized the 1915 genocide.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONDOLED ON DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

04.04.2005 03:17

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian sent a message
to Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano to condole on
the decease of Pope John Paul II. The letter says in part, “Today
the Armenian people with the whole Catholic world condole on the
death of His Holiness John Paul II, who enjoyed great sympathy and
respect of the humanity. His utter devotion and contribution to the
dissemination of common human values, establishment of peace between
nations, consolidation of democracy, human rights and freedoms
will be recorded in History forever. We will never forget the Holy
Father’s blessing, his respect and warm attitude towards our people
we experienced during our last meeting in Vatican this January. Your
Holiness, receive our deepest condolences.”

ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S VISIT TO FRANCE POSTPONED DUE TO FOOT INJURY
RECEIVED IN GEORGIA

04.04.2005 03:06

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President’s working visit to France
scheduled for April 4-6 was postponed due to foot injury Robert
Kocharian received in Georgia, RA President’s press service reports.
In the words of President’s Press Secretary Victor Soghomonian,
the new terms of the visit will be established via diplomatic
channels. According to the information available, during his informal
visit to Georgia the Armenian President has sprained his foot.

15 ARMENIAN CITIZENS RESCUED FROM SNOWDRIFT ON TRANSCAUCASIAN HIGHWAY

04.04.2005 03:24

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 15 Armenian citizens, who were caught in a snowdrift
while travelling to Russia in a mini bus on April 1, were rescued last
night, Interfax-south news agency reports. The life-saving operation
lasted for 3 days. All the Armenian citizens are safe and sound and
presently stay in the village of Nar at the Transcaucasian highway.

Neighbors fated for cooperation

The Messenger
Monday, April 4, 2005, #060 (0834)

Despite divergent foreign policy directions, Georgia and Armenia remain
close friends. Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s unofficial visit
to Gudauri, where he met with President Mikheil Saakashvili on April
1, can be seen as an urgent need for consultation between the two
countries’ leadership, however.

Saakashvili’s press service, which learned of the unannounced visit
first from reporters, states the two presidents discussed issues
of strategic cooperation and regional security among neighboring
countries. Saakashvili himself underscored the close relationship
between the countries, explaining that state formalities were not
always necessary. “We do not need ceremonies and political limitations
with our neighbors. Without any prior preparations we can always
visit and hold talks with each other,” he said.

Georgia’s relations with Armenia have necessarily been affected by
the fact that Armenia was and still is Russia’s principal ally in the
South Caucasus. Armenia has benefited significantly from this alliance,
first of all during the war with Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and
afterwards as the conflict froze in Armenia’s advantage. At the end
of the last decade, Georgia and Azerbaijan found themselves looking
to the west in order to balance Russia’s domineering role in the
South Caucasus; by contrast Armenia was openly pro-Russian oriented.

The new century, however, has ushered in new realities, with the west
and particularly the United States strengthened its position in the
South Caucasus Georgia’s categorical demand that Russia withdraw
its military bases from the country has created a situation that
could eventually lead to Russia losing its domineering role in the
region. Once oil begins flowing through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline this fall, the west will take an even greater interest in
the region.

Russia, however does not want to give up so easily, especially
regarding the military bases. Only after great resistance have Russian
negotiators reduced their timeline for base withdrawal from a laughable
11 years to 3-4 years. Still, in recent months Moscow officials have
repeated demands for USD 300 million in order to finance the withdrawal
and construct new bases on Russian soil.

For Georgia, the issue is also connected to domestic ethnic issues.
Over the weekend two rallies in Akhalkalaki and Batumi demanded
that the cities’ Russian bases remain in place. In Akhalkalaki in
particular, Russia’s base is of major economic importance for the
community. The ethnic Armenians living in the remote city are cut
off from most of Georgia’s political and economic life; only through
protests were they able to get a national passport office in their
town last month. Despite its large population, Akhalkalaki’s residents
were forced to go to distant, and smaller, towns like Akhaltsikhe for
this purpose. Moreover, with dwindling infrastructure and no major
transport routes to the center, residents find themselves dependent
on the Russian base for survival.

Tbilisi’s relationship with Yerevan becomes all the more important
as Saakashvili makes his latest gambit against Russian influence in
the area. Not only is Yerevan in a position to intervene positively
in talks between Akhalkalaki and Tbilisi, it is also a reliable
supplier of electricity. Armenian support is of great importance,
and Saakashvili seems to have won this, President Kocharian stating
that the withdrawal of Russian military base from Akhalkalaki was
Georgia’s decision and Yerevan would never support any anti Georgian
force, as quoted by Khvalindeli Dghe.

Although neither president has commented in detail on the talks,
it seems likely that as well as the withdrawal of Russian bases,
the tough economic and social condition faced by the predominantly
ethnic Armenian population of the region and transportation of cargo
to Armenia would have been the main issues discussed.

Georgian experts think that while the Armenian president could defuse
the situation in the Akhlakalaki region, Saakashvili could for his
part help Yerevan develop stronger ties with the west and also help
the country avoid a velvet revolution predicted by several regional
analysts.

LITHUANIAN NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA APRIL 5

04.04.2005 04:09

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Lithuanian delegation headed by National Defense
Minister Gediminas Kirkilas will pay a formal visit to Armenia April
5-7, Armenian Defense Ministry’s press service reported. The visit
will be held on the invitation of National Security Council Secretary,
Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsian. The Lithuanian Minister
is scheduled to meet with Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II,
Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vardan Oskanian and Defense Minister Serge Sargsian On April 5
Gediminas Kirkilas will visit the Military Institute after Vazgen
Sargsian and meet with the teaching staff. April 3 the delegation
members are expected to attend Tsitsernakaberd to lay a wreath to
the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims. Visits to Matenadaran,
the depository of ancient manuscripts, and the National Gallery are
as well scheduled. The delegation is to depart from Yerevan on April 7.

Kurds and Disappointment

Source: Turkish Daily News,
04 April 2005

Dogu Ergil

We are a nation that often confuses results with reasons. However,
we are not unique in this flaw, otherwise there would be no social
science or social theory. Yet, when a nation collectively chooses to
deal with results without pondering on reasons, problems mount up,
changes shape and, at times, turn into intractable conflicts. Then
super or superior powers are blamed for the creation of these problems
that have exceeded our ability to contain them. Three such problems
block our path to healthy relations with the rest of the world:
The Cyprus, the Armenian and the Kurdish problems. There are enough
experts to offer meaningful assessments for the first two. Allow me
to address the latter.

When one studies what may be called the “Kurdish problem” with a
historical perspective (from the 1880s through 1940s) there is enough
documentation in the archives in the form of reports by governors,
inspector generals and military commanders, in addition to special
investigators, that show objective reasons that have hardly been
noticed by officials who thought they could rule a vast country like
Turkey from an Ankara through direct orders. Well, they were wrong.
Almost all reports repeat the same point with approximately five-year
intervals written after turmoil and recurring riots in the east.
These reports allude to the poverty of the local people due to
large landlordism (aga-lik) and their dependence on the local
notables (clientelism) that allows neither entrepreneurship nor
individualization that could be the basis of democratic involvement.
The second issue is tribalism that drives a wedge between communities
who are in constant competition over pasture and cultivable land. The
keen competition among tribes has developed a harsh militant attitude
against the “others” that evinces itself in the form of armed conflict
among tribes and riots against the central authority as well as
cultural patterns like blood feuds (vendetta) and honor crimes.

Rather than eliminating these pre-capitalistic and anachronistic
socio-economic formations consonant with its vision of transforming a
traditional society into a modern one, the republican elite found it
more expedient to form alliances with the agas, tribal chieftains
and local sheiks to maintain the rural status quo for the sake
of security and stability. Of course this poor strategy betrayed
its expected purpose. Dispossessed and dissatisfied, local Kurdish
populations followed their leaders in their rebellion against the
government who tried to tighten the reigns of local notables in order
to implement the centralist policies of the new nationalist regime.
All rebellions were crushed brutally.

In the 1960s Kurdish intelligentsia sought their place in the
mainstream leftist movement of Turkey to no avail. Neither the leftist
movement succeeded in creating a more pluralist democracy due to the
lack of popular support (Turkey is a haven of small enterprise and
proprietorship), nor the ruling elite gave it a chance to do so.
The 1971 military coup swept through the country like a bulldozer
and left nothing standing other than the official view and official
organization of the state. Incipient expression of Kurdish identity
was one of the targets of official wrath that wiped out all buds of
democratic organizations. The last organization left standing was
the one that took on the challenge of an armed struggle, ultimate
hardship like living in the mountain caves and wandering from one
country to another looking for opportunities to hit back and hurt.

This illegal armed organization headed by a university dropout, a
peasant boy fashioned after Stalin proved to be the leader of a rural
movement that wanted to get rid of the traditional socio-economic
structure that dwarfed the region as well as the central authority
that neither acknowledged their cultural identity nor communicated
directly with the people in order to improve their lives. The name of
the organization was the Kurdistan Workers Party  (PKK). It carried
on a guerilla type of warfare with militia up to 15,000 at its heyday
between 1984 and 1999 until its military defeat and capture of its
leader Abdullah Ocalan (Apo).

Apo apologized to the people of Turkey for the destruction and lives
lost in the armed struggle he led for a decade and half and declared
his strategy foul. Instead he proposed to work for and to dedicate
his life to the building of a democratic republic instead of the
bureaucratic republic, which he saw as the cause of problems. He
ordered his militia to leave Turkey and wait for his orders in North
Iraq. Since February 1999 Apo has been on an island prison in the
Marmara Sea. He kept the paramilitary wing of the PKK intact to bargain
for his life and to use it as a rump card in return for obtaining
concessions from the government for his organization and his followers.

How representative is Apo and his organization of the Kurds of Turkey,
who are estimated to be approximately 15 million? My own research into
the attitude of the Kurds realized at the height of armed struggle
(1994-1995) revealed that the PKK was a locomotive intended to go to
the last station: independent Kurdistan. Only about 10 percent of Kurds
wanted to go along to the last terminal station with the PKK. The rest
got on and off the train pulled by the PKK at different stations like
cultural rights, self-respect, good governance, liberties, more income,
employment, better healthcare and educational services etc. This
data afforded clues to differentiate the militant/terrorist from the
sympathizer, which the government never acknowledged. For the ruling
elite of Turkey, the Kurdish intransigence was a security matter and
only stringent measures could eradicate it. The complex nature of the
matter was neither understood nor guided policy implementation. This
was indeed an indication of the eclipse of rational politics.

On the Kurdish side, although a small portion of Kurds support the
PKK, and the majority of whom do not vote for political parties
(HEP, DEP, HADEP, DEHAP consecutively) that it has given life to,
this organization has become the symbol of Kurdish defiance to
submission and condemnation to poverty and underdevelopment. Many
families have lost their sons in the course of struggle led by the
PKK and young women identify with it as an instrument of women’s
emancipation because the organization also defied the traditional
authorities and social relations they upheld in the region. Yet the PKK
brought more misery and pain to the Kurdish people in Turkey because
the journey it started as a staunch Marxist-Leninist organization
evolved into Kurdish nationalism that runs counter to the latter and
more reasonable proposal of Apo: A Democratic Republic that would be
the guarantee of pluralism, multiculturalism and good governance.

The inbuilt contradiction in nationalism is that it never ceases
to breed and sharpen other nationalist groups. Just as much as
Turkish nationalism is intent on Turkifying the whole population,
it has created a strong sense of Kurdish nationalism of irredentist
inclinations, Kurdish nationalism, in turn, is reinforcing Turkish
nationalism. A pluralist democracy built on culture of tolerance and
reconciliation finds it very hard to flourish in this environment. It
is no wonder that Apo had to abandon this “democratic republic”
thesis and came up with a surprising revelation last week: a “stateless
democratic confederation.” Don’t you try encyclopedias or theory books;
there is no such thing either in constitutional law or international
relations books It seems that this “people’s leader” as he calls
himself, “claims the honor of declaring this brand new invention”
(Ozgur Politika, March 22, 2005) which is no more than falling
back to his declaration of an independent Kurdistan. However,
carving a Kurdistan out of Turkey does not satisfy him. He wants
similar formations to appear in neighboring Syria, Iraq and Iran as
well. Then, these smaller statehoods will unite as a confederation
that in turn will be a part of a concentric confederation with states
out of which they have emerged. Yet, there will be no statehood over
this agglomerate. How about it?

You may not be speechless with the brilliance of the revelation
or the invention, but the four Kurdish (DEP) former M.P.s who have
suffered through a ten year prison term until recently are waiving
this proposal in their hands as the most democratic offer put forth
by the Republic of Turkey. You expect them to be wiser after ten long
years of contemplation especially after observing that while there
are about eight million voters of Kurdish origin in this country only
2 million vote for a Kurdish (nationalist) party that falls short of
the 10 percent national election threshold. Kurds simply do not see
Kurdish nationalism as a panacea to their problems, they vote for other
parties whom they believe may serve them better in practical life.

What happens in the end is the stark truth that those Kurds who are
still loyal to the PKK and its leader cannot put their weight and
energy behind the reformation and democratization of the system.
By not doing so their expectations of normalization, by which they
can have more rights, less discrimination and more power sharing
is delayed. This delay is perceived as victimization and feeds
into a vicious circle of defiance and the system’s resistance of
accommodating them.

What a pity! The six million Kurds who remain aloof to the PKK inspired
political climate is either unorganized or are intimidated by this
organization. At the same time that lack the encouragement of the
government to create a different political climate, organization and
leadership. Thus, they remain ineffective to check and neutralize the
influence of the PKK and its irrational reflexes. Millions of Kurds
remain unrepresented in the void of organizations and leaders who
would defend their cultural identities as well as their legal rights
just because they are equal citizens but at the same time assure
the government and the public at large that they are loyal citizens
of the country and they do not pose a danger to the unity of the
nation. Thus far Ms. Leyla Zana and her comrades who are preparing
to launch another Kurdish political party by consuming existing DEHAP
and other organizations affiliated with the PKK really do not offer
a fresh alternative which the country is so much in need of. Instead
they follow the instructions of a political leader in prison who
has replaced the traditional tribal system with a political one and
offering irrelevant recipes by relying on an armed guerilla force
that has no place in a democracy. With this eclipse of the mind,
how in the world can Kurds expect to have an honorable and equal
place in a democratic system which they consciously or (more likely)
unconsciously refrain from contributing to its making.

–Boundary_(ID_i3u8fr86A7H640l3UmVnaQ)–

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04/04/2005
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1) Armenian Government, Church Mourn Pope
2) Pope’s Body Makes Final Journey
3) Marchers Make History as They Begin the Journey for Humanity
4) Belgian Leader Visits Armenia to Evaluate Cooperation with Europe
5) World Chess Federation Rates Armenian Chess Team Third
6) GLENDALE ELECTIONS–A NEW REASON FOR ARMENIANS TO BE DEPRESSED IN APRIL

1) Armenian Government, Church Mourn Pope

YEREVAN (cathcil.org, RFE/RL)–Armenia’s political and spiritual leaders have
joined the worldwide outpouring of sympathy for Pope John Paul II, hailing him
as a champion of peace and a friend of the Armenian people.
Catholicos Karekin II presided on Sunday over a special service held in
memory of the pontiff at the main cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic
Church in
Echmiadzin. “The death of His Holiness is a great loss for the entire
Christian
world,” he said. “He was a tireless preacher of peace and custodian of the
Christian values.”
The head of the Armenian church also paid tribute to the pope’s
legacy in
a message of condolence to the Vatican. “Throughout his 26-year reign, His
Holiness Pope John Paul II was a staunch defender of life and champion of
justice,” he wrote. “His Holiness’s calls for peace and reconciliation in the
world were anchored in his moral convictions and love for humanity.”
As moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee,
Catholicos of
Cilicia Aram I had met His Holiness on different occasions. The Catholicos
said
he “witnessed the strength of his faith, the depth of his wisdom, and the
clarity of his vision.”
Expressing his profound sadness, His Holiness Aram I said, “His Holiness Pope
John Paul II will remain an outstanding figure in the modern history of world
Christendom. In fact, his relentless effort to make the Gospel of Christ a
living reality in the life of people, his unyielding prophetic witness to make
the moral values the guiding principles of human societies, his firm
commitment
to the cause of Christian unity, his openness to other religions with a clear
vision of living together as a reconciled community in the midst of
diversities, and his continuous advocacy for justice, human rights and freedom
made him an exceptional figure of great achievements.”
President Robert Kocharian also offered his condolences to the Vatican’s
secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. “The bright memory of His Holiness
Pope John Paul II will always remain in our hearts,” he said. “We will never
forget His Holiness’s blessing and great respect and warmth toward our people,
which was best manifested during his historic visit to Armenia as well as our
last meeting that took place in the Vatican in January.”
Kocharian was among the last foreign dignitaries received by the ailing pope
before the drastic deterioration of his condition. John Paul used the meeting
to call for a “real and lasting peace” in Karabagh. He also praised Armenians
as people “always linked to their culture and Christian traditions.”
John Paul was the first head of the Roman Catholic Church to set foot on
Armenian soil and describe the 1915 slaughter of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey as
genocide–a fact emphasized by Karekin II. The pontiff spoke of a “moment of
grace and joy” as he arrived in Yerevan on September 25, 2001 on a three-day
visit that coincided with official celebrations of Armenia’s adoption of
Christianity as a state religion.
“For ever, the annals of the universal Church will say that the people of
Armenia were the first as a whole people to embrace the grace and truth for
the
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Chris,” he declared. “You zealously guard the memory
of your many martyrs: indeed, martyrdom has been the special mark of the
Armenian Church and the Armenian people.”
A visit to the genocide memorial in Yerevan marked the most emotional moment
of the papal trip. Appealing to Good by its eternal fire, John Paul said:
“Look
upon the people of this land who put their trust in you so long ago, who have
passed through the great tribulation and never failed in their faithfulness to
you. Wipe away every tear from their eyes and grant that their in agony in the
twentieth century will yield a harvest of life that endures for ever.”
The pope had termed the 1915 tragedy a genocide in a joint communiqué with
Karekin issued in the Vatican in November 2000. Another joint statement signed
by the two spiritual leaders in Yerevan likewise referred to “the
extermination
of 1.5 million Armenian Christians in what is generally referred to as the
first genocide of the 20th century.”
John Paul’s papacy saw a historic rapprochement between the Armenian and
Catholic Churches that culminated in their 1996 joint declaration ending an
old
theological dispute. The dispute had led the Armenian and other denominations
of the “oriental family” to split from the Universal Church in 451 AD–long
before the 11th century Great Schism that gave birth to Roman Catholicism and
Greek Orthodoxy. The Armenian Church has since been fully independent and
currently maintains good relations with all Christian denominations.
John Paul will also be remembered by Armenians for acknowledging their
suffering since the break-up of the Soviet Union. “Dear Armenian friends, hold
on to hope,” he said at the farewell ceremony at Yerevan airport. “Remember
that you have put your trust in Christ and said yes to him for ever.”

2) Pope’s Body Makes Final Journey

VATICAN CITY (Combined Sources)–The doors of St. Peter’s Basilica opened to
tens of thousands of mourners to view the body of Pope John Paul II on Monday,
four days before it was to be entombed in the grotto below the church
alongside
popes of centuries past.
Swiss Guards escorted the procession from a palatial hall in the Vatican,
accompanied by many of the cardinals who will choose the Pope’s successor. The
pontiff’s body was moved through St. Peter’s Square and into St. Peter’s
Basilica, where it will lie in state until his funeral on Friday.
The basilica will remain open until Friday’s funeral. Rome expects up to two
million extra visitors coming to pay their respects.
Heads of state from around the world are expected to attend.
President Bush said Monday that he would lead the US delegation that will
attend the funeral, and leave for Rome as early as Wednesday.

3) Marchers Make History as They Begin the Journey for Humanity

FRESNO–Hundreds gathered at the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church
Hall in
Fresno, California on Friday, April 1, for the March For Humanity opening
ceremony.
Following welcoming remarks by Vicken Yepremian, representative of the ARF
“Soghomon Tehlirian” chapter of Fresno, the Reverend Vrouyr Vartabed Demirjian
delivered a message from Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian and blessed the
marchers.
As the marchers were called to the stage, they received a two-minute standing
ovation from the audience. Noushig Karpanian read a statement to the marchers
by California Assembly Majority Leader Assembly member Dario Frommer.
March for Humanity coordinator Vicken Sosikian applauded the courage of the
marchers and reaffirmed that the youth is on the forefront of the battle for
proper recognition of the Armenian genocide. The March For Humanity, he
emphasized, has become the march of the Armenian people organized and led by
the youth.
After a second round of echoing applause, California State Assembly member
Juan Arambula expressed best wishes to the marchers and commended their
initiative. Assembly member Arambula recounted the horrors the Armenian people
faced during the Genocide and reaffirmed his support for the March For
Humanity
and justice for the Armenian people worldwide.
Armenian Youth Federation Western Region chairman Shant Baboujian delivered a
powerful and moving speech praising the marchers’ sacrifice and willingness to
make a difference in advancing the Armenian case by using themselves as a
means. As they embark on their journey, Baboujian asked the marchers to
turn to
the souls of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide as their source
of guidance and strength.
ARF Western Region Central Committee member and youth representative Dikran
Sassounian saluted the marchers for their sacrifice, willingness, courage, and
political maturity. He also spoke about new courses of action the Turkish
government is taking to deny the Genocide, as well as the important role the
Armenian community and Armenian organizations play in the quest for proper
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
The following morning, Genocide survivors, community members, and the
marchers
gathered at the Holy Trinity Church where they received blessing as they began
on their 19 day journey.
Close to 50 marchers began the journey at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 2,
walking from the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church. By Sunday evening,
the
marchers had already walked 36 miles and ended their day at the St. Joachim
Church, where they slept in a room provided by the church.
The opening ceremony and Church services attracted various Fresno-based
broadcast and print media. Armenian communities across the world have already
shown their support for the March For Humanity. Television reports in Armenia,
radio broadcasts in South America, websites in Europe, and Armenian and
non-Armenian newspapers and television newscasts have already covered the
march
and shown their solidarity with the marchers during the first two days.
Many organizations and businesses have also been very supportive. Major
supporters of the March For Humanity include the Armenian Relief
Society-Western Region, ANCA Western Region, Homenetmen Western Region,
Adin of
California, Sunworks Tanning, GBH, Horizon Armenian Television, Asbarez Daily
Armenian Newspaper, and Kerovision, among others.

4) Belgian Leader Visits Armenia to Evaluate Cooperation with Europe

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Belgium’s Minister of State and President of the Belgium
Chamber of Deputies arrived in Armenia on Monday, on the first-leg of a visit
to the region. Belgian leader Herman de Croo and Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian reviewed expanding Armenia’s cooperation with European organizations,
as well as the Mountainous Karabagh conflict and Armenia-Turkey relations.
The Belgian leader paid respect to the victims of the Armenian genocide, with
a visit to the Dzidzernagapert memorial where he planted a tree in remembrance
of the 1.5 million Armenians killed by the government of the Ottoman Turkey in
1915.
“The best way to keep the memory of all victims of the past is to have peace
in future,” de Croo told journalists, as he stressed that the tragic past
should not be forgotten.
In 1998, the Belgian Senate passed a resolution condemning the Armenian
genocide and calling on Turkey to recognize its past.
National Assembly Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian also held talks with de Croo,
focusing on legislative reforms in the country, regional issues,
Armenian-Belgian inter-parliamentary relations, and cooperation within
international organizations. Baghdasarian said that Belgium’s support is key
for Armenia within the framework of the European Union’s “Wider Europe: New
Neighborhood” program.

5) World Chess Federation Rates Armenian Chess Team Third

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–According to the World Chess Federation’s (FIDE) April
2005 Rating List, five Armenian chess players are among the world’s top 100
players. The rankings are effective April 1 to June 30, and include Vladimir
Hakobian, Levon Aronian, Smbat Lputian, Rafael Vahanian, and Gabriel
Sarkisian.
Aronian is ranked in the 21st position, while Armenia’s top player Hakobian–a
three-time former world champion–is ranked 70th.
Armenia’s national team has moved from sixth in the world to the third
position, after Russia and Ukraine.

6) GLENDALE ELECTIONS–A NEW REASON FOR ARMENIANS TO BE DEPRESSED IN APRIL

BY SKEPTIK SINIKIAN

Tuesday April 5, 2005 is Election Day in Glendale, which means one of two
things. Either Armenian-Americans living in Glendale will be able to voice
their opinions loud and clear–and send a message that they are an integral
part of the fabric of the Jewel City–OR they will beat each other up to a
bloody pulp and miss a golden opportunity to have more Armenians involved in
civic affairs.
I predict the latter only because I see Armenians unable to differentiate
between qualified candidates and other political latecomers. What baffles
me is
that most Armenian-Americans vote based on familial ties or what their
acquaintances say about a person rather than basing their decisions on an
individual’s qualifications. I have to be honest with you and tell you that
I’ve been itching at the opportunity to let loose on some of these people for
even announcing their candidacies, but I hesitate now seeing that most of
these
Armenians are doing a better job of bashing one another than I could ever do.
At this point, if I were to jump in and dish out my critique of this person or
that, I would just be kicking a dead horse. Plus, I’m still hearing grumblings
from my rant last week.
So what does this leave us with? A very important lesson. I don’t know what
the results of the elections will be on April 5, but whatever happens, our
community will have gotten what it deserves. Everyone I speak to has a
different opinion. No two people have the same prediction as to who is
going to
win. What a mess. I hope that whatever happens, this ridiculous election will
never be repeated. And I hope that the inevitable loss by some of these clowns
will be a message to anyone else who is sitting at home right now
contemplating
their run for council next time.
I have to admit that there are some bright spots amidst all of this
confusion.
For one, I have come to realize that Armenian television is the worst quality
television on earth. I’d rather be watching ESPN Uzbekistan! Watching grown
men
use sticks to knock around the carcass of a goat is much more fascinating than
watching grown men knock around each other like the carcass of a goat only to
make themselves AND their guests look stupid. The elections will come and go.
Candidates will either get elected or disappear, but unfortunately, TV hosts
are here to stay.
On the other hand, there have been some pretty creative campaign commercials.
One more entertaining than the next. My favorite game to play with my friends
is to turn the volume off while watching Armenian TV, wait for the campaign
ads
to come on and then try to guess whether it’s a commercial for a lawyer,
candidate, insurance salesman, real estate agent, or some other stereotypical
Armenian white collar professional. If you guess wrong, then you have to
take a
shot of whatever hard alcoholic beverage you happen to have around. It’s a
lot
of fun but I have to warn you to start off slowly. The quality of some of
these
commercials makes a person want to start channel surfing for infomercials on
personal finance.
Well, I think I’m through for this week. I won’t harass you anymore than I
have. But I will urge you to go out and VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
And
for the ethically challenged, I didn’t just ask you to go out and vote six
times! I asked you to vote once and repeated myself for emphasis. (Trust me,
with some of these folks you have to make that VERY clear). So, until next
time, remember, that if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain.

Skeptik Sinikian was heavily intoxicated while he wrote this last column. He
had watched over 47 continuous hours of Armenian television and gotten all of
the campaign commercials wrong. If you wish to give him a piece of your own
mind, email him at [email protected] or

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“Strong authorities, week opposition in Azerbaijan” – OSCE chairman

Baku, April 2, AssA-Irada

Ways of settling the Upper Garabagh conflict and parliamentary
elections due in Azerbaijan this November were discussed by the OSCE
chairman-in-office Dimitrij Rupel and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku on Saturday.

Rupel told a news briefing following the meeting that the OSCE would
like for peace talks to intensify. The OSCE chairman said that during
the meeting Mammadyarov expressed “new and interesting views”, which
need to be discussed with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.

Touching upon the parliamentary elections, Rupel noted that he has
presented to Mammadyarov several OSCE proposals, but did not elaborate.

“There are very strong authorities and week opposition in Azerbaijan,”
said Rupel, underlining that the OSCE will express equal attitude both
towards the authorities and opposition and try to achieve conduct of
fair and free elections.

The goal of Rupel’s visit to Azerbaijan as part of his tour of
the South Caucasus region is to get familiar with the current
socio-political situation in the country and preparations for the
upcoming parliamentary elections, as well as to discuss the Upper
Garabagh conflict and ceasefire violations.*

Bringing Turkey into the South Caucasus

New project aims to encourage unity, utilize Turkey’s experience
applying to join EU

By Keti Sikharulidze

The Messenger.
Monday, April 4, 2005, #060 (0834)

The Turkish-Georgian Research Center, based in the South Caucasus
Institute of Regional Security (SCIRS), presented a new project on
aimed at bringing together the ‘four’ countries of the South Caucasus
on Friday, April 1.

The project, entitled AGAT – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey
– aims at including Turkey in the South Caucasus region, with a
particular emphasis in improving Armenian-Turkish relations.

“Until now everybody considered the South Caucasus to mean Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan, but now SCIRS is trying to add Turkey as it
is an equal member both geographically and politically of the South
Caucasus,” explains Head of the Turkish-Georgian Research Center
David Tavadze.

Tavadze thinks that it should be up to Georgia to “act as a mediator
to coordinate analysis of the country,” adding that one of the main
functions of the center it is to develop relations between analytic
centers in the region to support the AGAT project.

In an interview with The Messenger, Tavadze said the center had held
negotiations with Azerbaijani and Armenian colleague, and that the
Armenian side expressed great interest in the project.

“Nowadays, the four countries of the region have the same foreign
political views, with the exception of the Turkish-Armenian and
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflicts – namely European integration. So this
project can play an important role, as one of the main demands of the
European Union is the normalization of relations with neighboring
countries: historical factors should not influence the development
and future of a country,” Tavadze stated

Tavadze added that the center intends to open a website in the near
future which will reach out to as many parts of the region as possible
by being available in both Russian and English.

The center also plans to develop a Golden Circle project, aimed at
developing relations between the countries of the Black Sea basin
and creating a unified security system.

“Besides security, we should discuss other issues as well. For
instance we do not use all the potential that Turkey can offer us.
Such as Turkish people of Abkhaz ethnicity, who could play a great
part in renewing Georgian-Abkhaz negotiations,” said Tavadze.

Commenting at the presentation on this issue Turkish Ambassador to
Georgia Ertan Tezgor stated that he had had frequent talks with State
Minister for Conflict Resolution Goga Khaindrava, and had already
come to an unofficial agreement about which it would be possible to
speak after analysts have considered the issue further.

HE Tezgor expressed his opinion that the AGAT project could not only
play a part in resolving the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian
conflicts, but other issues in the South Caucasus as well.

“Georgia is the gateway to Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia and
thus has a very important geographical location,” he said, adding
that it should not be forgotten that Russia has an important part to
play in ensuring stability on the region.

“I support [SCIRS’s] initiative and think that conflict resolution
in the South Caucasus would have a positive influence for the North
Caucasus and Daghestan as well. Turkey will do everything it can to
support these projects,” said Tezgor, adding that analytical centers
could play a part in developing different strategic views.

Speaking with The Messenger, Head of the regional department of
the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Givi Shugarov stated that
good relations with Turkey was important not only for Georgia but
for the whole of the South Caucasus, as it is a real candidate for
EU membership.

“It is very important for us that Turkey become a member of the
European Union as we will then become the neighbors of an EU country.
For Georgia it is very important to have good relations with its
neighbors and among those priorities is to solve problems with Russia,”
he said.

He stressed that the South Caucasus has great prospects, although
he noted there were many negative factors which were holding back
development, including “the conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
Nagorno Karabakh, as well as the North Caucasus.”

“Such frozen conflicts freeze the political-economic relations between
countries. It is very easy to say that the conflicts should be resolved
but all countries involved must first overcome psychological barriers
and be prepared to compromise: the situation will not change unless
everybody wishes it to change for the better,” Shugarov said.