The Unifying force behind Hai Dat

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

A fundraising dinner devoted to the foreign policy activities of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau and more generally to
the activities of Hai Dat was held in Paris on February 26. This was
not the first dinner of this kind. The dinner was a successful
initiative and became a promising precedent for similar events in the
future.

The first such dinner was organized by the ARF Bureau in Geneva four
years ago. One million dollars raised during the dinner in 2001 served
to establish and finance ARF’s Hai Dat European office in Brussels.
1.8 million dollars raised during the second fundraising dinner held
in Paris this year came to prove that the activities of ARF’s Hai Dat
that have recently gained new momentum in Europe have greatly inspired
the people whobelieve in ARF’s political mission. The funds raised at
the dinner show these people’ s commitment and willingness to help
achieve ARF Bureau’s task of reaching new horizons for Hai Dat
activities.

The success of the fundraising event in Paris fills all of us with
pride and self-confidence since not only a significant amount of money
was raised but also the social, political and geographic distribution
of people who contributed to the fundraising has expanded in three
directions thus expanding the limits of Hai Dat activities.

The first direction is no doubt the contribution of Armenians from
Armenia to the Paris fundraising event. The participation of Armenians
from Armenia was very inspiring both in terms of the number of
participants and the amount of the contributions they made.

In other words, the practice of donating funds for Hai Dat activities
that used to be more of a Diaspora tradition has now started to
establish itselfin Armenia as well thus unifying and strengthening the
national-political potential of Hai Dat activities.

This development is especially inspiring since the Armenian
participants of the fundraising effort, National Assembly deputies and
businessmen, included not only ARF members but also representatives of
various political forces in Armenia.

The second accomplishment of the Paris fundraising dinner was the
impressive effort of national unification to support the Hai Dat
activities. Catholicos of the Great Cilicia Diocese Aram I was
sponsoring the fundraising dinners both in Geneva and in Paris.

He attended the dinner and blessed the event devoted to the Hai Dat
activities. The Paris fundraising became a precedent for attracting
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II’s support – a high level
delegation representing the Catholicos attended the dinner.

In a speech delivered on behalf of the delegation, Archbishop Vache
Hovsepian welcomed ARF’s Hai Dat activities and conveyed the blessings
of the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

The official Armenian authorities were represented at the dinner at
the level of ambassadors. The Armenian foreign minister could not
attend the event because of health problems. The chief of AGBU’s
Central Board sent a note of support and appreciation of Hai Dat
activities. Deputy Levon Chamakhchian presented an official note on
the part of the Russian State Duma.

The Armenians of Russia were represented at the dinner by Armenian
businessmen supporting the mission of Hai Dat and ARF. President of
Armenian Global Congress Ara Abrahamian contributed $200,000. This
contribution is sufficient to show the national unification that has
emerged around the Hai Dat activities.

Finally, the third significant improvement of the Paris fundraising
dinner was the inspiringly large number of people who contributed
money. The fundraising effort in Geneva was marked by a significant
number of people who contributed large amounts of money.

Meanwhile, the Paris event was marked by a large number of
participants which proves that the scope and popularity of the circles
supporting Hai Dat activities have increased. The challenges ARF’s
political activities are facing make both types of contributions very
valuable and important. The most important thing is that our Hai Dat
struggle enjoys the support of all Armenian circles.

The contribution of the Armenians from Lebanon was very significant in
this respect. Despite the severe political crisis that has occurred in
Lebanon, the Lebanon Armenians once again restated their commitment to
unconditional support of Hai Dat activities and ARF’s mission. The
relatively increased participation of Armenians from Iran, Kuwait and
United Arab Emirates was equally encouraging and inspiring.

February 26, 2005 became an unforgettable day of success for Hai Dat
struggle and ARF’s foreign policy activities. The fundraising dinner
organized by ARF’ s Bureau in Paris came to prove that struggle for
restoration of the Armenian nation’s national-political rights can
unify different segments of the nation thus laying the ground for
national unification.

Droshak, March 2005

100th anniversary of Cristapor Mikaelian’s death to be marked in Bulgaria

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

Events to mark the 100th anniversary of Cristapor Mikaelian’s tragic
death will be held in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia on March 10 and 11,
the ARF press services reported.

One of the founders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
Mikaelian, along with his friend, Vramshapuh Kentirian, was killed at
the Mount Vitosh outside Sofia, when testing an explosive device made
to assassinate Sultan Abdul Hamid of the Ottoman Empire.

Public figures and scholars from Armenia, Diaspora will join their
Bulgarian colleagues in a conference on the Armenian-Bulgarian
relations. Besides, a memorial will be unveiled at the grave of
Mikaelian in the Sofia cemetery.

At a news conference held on March 9 in Sofia, Sahak Chalkian of the
ARF Bulgaria chapter briefed the Bulgarian media on the upcoming
events. He was followed by ARF Bureau member Albert Achemian who
indicated that about 100 ARF members have arrived in Bulgaria to take
part in the events.

He also reminded the political course put forward by Mikaelian and
envisaging that the ARF should cooperate with nations, including
Bulgarians, suffering from common oppressor.

In his turn, Petko Kolev, president of the Bulgarian Tangra
organization, spoke of the historic ties between the Bulgarians and
Armenians. ARF Bureau’s Political and Hai Dat office director Kiro
Manoyan spoke about the efforts for the international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide.

Inner strength is a key factor

Editorial

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

Recent talks about the functions of the Armenian studies among the
scholars and especially historians mostly are about challenging the
foreign infringements against our history and culture.

But without preserving and developing the science, education and
culture, it is hard to imagine how we can challenge the infringement
on our heritage. Moreover, it is even harder to say which of those
infringements are more dangerous: the ones made in foreign countries
or those that are aimed at setting “nests” in this country. What’s
more important for the Armenian studies, preservation of national
values or their preservation from external aggression?

Hence, the third and fourth functions of the Armenian studies —
preservation and development, and the “export” — are so interrelated
that it is crucial to defy which of those functions do not belong to
understanding our identity through developing the science, education
and culture but those that include our reaction to the policies
conducted from outside.

To balance the external front or to implement joint projects by
clarifying our task of making our national organism healthier, we
would be able to preserve the functions of the Armenian studies and
meanwhile ensure a “joint front” against the infringements of the
outside world.

Only by uniting the three functions against the fourth would make the
struggle more meaningful regardless how strong it is. So the struggle
against the outside strategies would be as efficient as the “inner
strength is.

The chairman of the NKR Electoral Commission, Sergey Nasibyan says Karabakh
parliament polls to be one step forward

Arminfo, Yerevan
12 Mar 05

STEPANAKERT

“Neighbouring Azerbaijan considers it to be its task to kick up fuss
over the legitimacy of every elections held in the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic [NKR],” the chairman of the NKR Electoral Commission, Sergey
Nasibyan, has told an Arminfo correspondent commenting on the recent
statement of an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry official, Tahir Tagizada.

Sergey Nasibyan noted that the Karabakh Armenians had solved their
issue on the basis of international law long ago by establishing a de
facto independent state in 1991, which regularly holds presidential,
parliamentary and local government elections.

“Many local and international observers have repeatedly noted the
higher level of organization of elections in Nagornyy Karabakh
compared to Azerbaijan,” the NKR Electoral Commission chairman said.

He said that the forthcoming parliamentary elections on 19 June were
the fourth since the gaining of independence by the republic and that
they would become one more step forward on the way to strengthening
the statehood and democracy.

Sergey Nasibyan described as groundless the Azerbaijani side’s
concerns that the elections could complicate the peaceful settlement
of the Karabakh conflict. “I would like to call on the Azerbaijani
authorities not to be engaged in self-deception but to search ways to
reconcile the two neighbouring peoples,” the NKR Electoral Commission
chairman said.

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

Monday, March 14, 2005

AGBU YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WINTER GALA RAISES
$2,000 FOR AGBU CHILDREN’S CENTERS

San Francisco, CA — AGBU Young Professionals of Northern California
(AGBU YPNC), now in its seventh year, hosted its sixth annual Winter
Gala Getaway Weekend from Friday, January 28th through Sunday, January
30th, 2005. Over 250 young professionals from throughout the country
assembled in picturesque San Francisco for a weekend of friends and
fun, which raised $2,000 for AGBU Children’s Centers in Armenia.

The weekend kicked off with a welcome mixer on Friday night at
Schroeder’s Restaurant. Young Armenians spent the evening catching up
with old friends, meeting new ones, and dancing all night to a live
DJ. Picture postcard weather enabled guests to spend Saturday
afternoon exploring the city, riding trolley cars, shopping in Union
Square, and soaking up the beauty of San Francisco.

The weekend highlight was the Winter Gala on Saturday evening hosted
at the historic and elegant Regency Building. Annette Kevranian and
Sherrie Paregian, AGBU YP-NC Winter Gala Co-Chairs, welcomed attendees
and AGBU YPNC General Board Member Kim Bardakian introduced the George
Baghdoyan Band from Los Angeles. After the Gala, guests returned to
the Hotel Nikko for late-night festivities.

The weekend was topped off Sunday morning with a brunch held at
Kuleto’s Restaurant. Guests gathered to share the final few hours and
exchange contact information, while making plans to see each other at
AGBU Focus 2005 in South Beach, Florida from July 14th to 17th,
2005. Plans are already underway for next year’s Winter Gala weekend.

AGBU YPNC is part of a global AGBU YP network which seeks to provide a
forum for young professionally-aged Armenians to undertake
educational, cultural, social, and humanitarian activities under the
umbrella of AGBU. For more information on AGBU YPNC, please contact
Sako Soghomonian at [email protected]. To view pictures from
the Winter Gala Getaway Weekend and learn more about AGBU YP-NC,
please visit the redesigned web site at

DO NOT DRIVE THE RUSSIAN ARMY OUT OF AKHALQALAQ

A1+
14-03-2005

On March 13 there has been a three-hour meeting in Akhalqalaq in
which, according to the organizers, about 10 000 people took part. The
meeting with the theme «No to negative migration» was organized by the
non-governmental organization «United Javaxq». The participants of the
meeting complained against the decision of driving the Russian
military bases out of Akhalqalaq. The participant of the meeting
turned to the Georgian President Mikhail Sahakashvili with the
following demands:

«1. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Georgian
Parliament;

2. Elimination of the prohibitions of teaching Armenian History in the
Armenian schools in Georgia and of Armenian pupils’ coming to Armenia
on excursions;

3. Not to drive the Russian military bases out pf Akhalqalaq;

4. Adoption of the Law about the Protection of National Minorities;

5. Restoration of the Administrative services in Akhalqalaq, e.g. that
of Passport department».

The organizers of the Meeting expect to get the answer to the
questions put forward by them before March 31.

The family’s modesty can do harm to the museum: Martiros Sarian’s 125th
anniversary

By Hovhannes Yeranian

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

125th anniversary of one of the greatest Armenian artists, Martiros
Sarian was recently celebrated. Due to the efforts of the personnel of
Sarian’s house-museum the museum visitors can see more and more
valuable exhibits telling about the great artist’s life. Last year
Sarian’s granddaughter, art critic Ruzan Sarian was appointed director
of the museum. We asked Mrs. Sarian to share with us the problems of
the museum.

Martiros Sarian lived in this house from 1932 to 1967. In 1964, the
Armenian government made an unprecedented decision to create the
artist’s house-museum. `Many people were visiting Sarian’s house and
his paintingswere all over the place. The creation of the museum put
an end to this inconvenience=80=9D, Ruzan Sarian remembers.

Currently, Sarian’s relatives live in the house and this is good
because they manage to preserve the great artist’s spirit. However,
Mrs. Sarian also believes that the family’s modesty can do harm to the
museum. She is dissatisfied with reconstruction works implemented in
the museum through one of the Lincy Foundation projects.

`Now when we are celebrating Sarian’s anniversary we do notfeel
comfortable receiving guests at the museum because the parquet floors
on the second floor are in a very poor condition. During the
reconstruction works the parquet flooring was covered with low-quality
Turkish varnish that has rapidly decayed and now the flooring needs to
be replaced’, Mrs. Sarian said.

Reconstruction of Sarian’s museum seems to be the lowest quality
project implemented by Lincy Foundation’s Culture Project. Mrs. Sarian
is very upset about the ventilation and heating systems installed at
the museum noting that the huge system is not appropriate for the
museum since it produces a lot of noise.

The museum also had problems with heating. Mrs. Sarian told that this
year ArmenTel Company covered the heating costs this year but next
winter the museum is most likely to experience similar problems
again. Even though there is a gas line on Sarian street, provision of
natural gas for the museum was not included into the reconstruction
project implemented by the Lincy Foundation.

Mrs. Sarian also informed us about various events that will be held in
the framework of celebrations of the great artist’s 125th
anniversary.`A documental-memorial exhibition hall will soon be opened
with special funding allocated for the anniversary. It is necessary to
exhibit not only the works of the great painter but also tell the
public about his life and his civil activities’, Mrs. Sarian noted.

She shared with us some interesting information regarding Sarian’s
life. `In 1915 the Moscow-based Armenian Committee delegated Sarian to
Yerevan the organize assistance to the refugees that had escaped the
Genocide. I would also like to mention that Sarian signed many of the
petitions sent to Moscow by Armenian intellectuals in 1960’s demanding
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and reunification of the Western
Armenian lands and Artsakh’, Mrs. Sarian told.

An album telling about the museum will be published with funding
provided by the government. It will contain 150-200 color photos. A
series of exhibitions will be held. An exhibition titled `Sarian and
Russia’ willbe opened in June. A governmental reception will be held
at the Opera and Ballet Theaterin November.

Most of Sarian’s paintings are abroad, mainly in Russia. This is
natural because the artist started painting in 1910’s and earned his
livingby selling his works. Within the framework of the anniversary
celebrations the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow will organize a special
exhibition of Sarian’s early works. In 2006 Sarian’s individual
exhibition will be opened in Mayol Museum in Paris.

Only a small portion of Sarian’s paintings were bought and returnedto
the museum. `Geghama Mountains’ is one of such
paintings. GarikBasmachian bought the painting at an auction in New
York and donated it to the museum.

There were several other donations but since the paintings are very
expensive it is impossible to return all of the artist’s works to the
museum collection. Instead, it is planned to publish an album of all
of Sarian’s paintings.

The National Assembly to develop its own concept

By Karine Mangassarian

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations is
planning to organize a series of parliamentary hearings titled
`Nagorno-Karabagh Issue: Ways of Settlement’.

Head of the Committee Armen Rustamian says the hearings are aimed at
defining the potential and mechanisms of parliamentary diplomacy,
contributing to the solution of the Karabagh problem, clarifying the
role of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic in the process of
conflict settlement as well as bringing together and systematizing the
approaches and positions of the Armenian side with the purpose of
presenting those approaches in the context of possible developments
connected with the conflict settlement process.

All the political forces represented in the National Assembly will
participate in the hearings including all of the political forces in
the opposition camp. The Committee has sent invitation letters to the
experts in Nagorno Karabagh Republic involved in the negotiation
process. It should be noted that a wide range of experts have been
invited including international experts.

Representatives of international organizations where the Karabagh
problem is discussed at the parliamentary level will also participate
in the hearings. These organizations include the Council of Europe,
OSCE, UNO, NATO and others.

Representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group member countries will also
participate in the hearings. It is possible that the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs will also participate in the hearings. Armen Rustamian
informed that the list of questions to be discussed during the
hearings has been sent to the participants.

The questions are classified into three groups. First, Rustamian
believes, is that an attempt must be made to clarify the nature of the
Karabagh problem, the reasons for its emergence, the process of its
development, its consequences and the current situation from the
perspective of the problem’s political, historical, legal aspects,
humanitarian law and its international perception. In this context,
the legal value and significance of various documents adopted by
international organizations will be discussed. The arguments put
forwardby the Azeri side will be discussed and comprehensively
evaluated.

The hearings aim at finding the key to the solution of the
problem. Several possible options have been outlined in this
respect. 1) conflict settlementvs. solution of the problem, 2)
stage-by-stage, package or incremental strategy vs. a mixed one, 3)
advantages and disadvantages of the so-called `territories in exchange
for status’ and `territories in exchange for peace’ approaches.

As to the negotiation process, the rights and obligations of the sides
will be discussed, the proposals made by them will be comparatively
analyzed, the possible consequences for conflict prolongation and
probability of restart of war will be assessed and the efficiency of
the mediation missions will be evaluated.

By the end of the parliamentary hearings the Committee will publish
the hearing materials. The Committee is planning to publish a
collection of the presentations made at the hearings. `Based on this,
the Committee will summarize the hearings and will come up with a
conclusion.

We hope that this conclusion will become the document based on which
the parliamentary diplomacy will be coordinated. In other words, we
expect it to become the main element in our concept of pursuing the
solution of the Nagorno Karabagh problem,’ Rustamian noted.

Answering the question whether it is possible that this final document
might become a concept for our Foreign Affairs Ministry, Rustamian
noted that recommendations based on this concept will be presented to
various agencies including the executive agencies in Armenia and
Nagorno Karabagh Republic which will also be participating in the
hearings.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARF youth and student organizations convene in Sofia

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

A conference of Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s youth and student
organizations opened on March 8 in Bulgarian capital Sofia, the ARF
press service reported.

Twenty-seven delegates from 13 countries, including Armenia, Lebanon,
Iran, Syria, France, Greece, Canada and the United States, represent 4
student and 13 youth organizations of the ARF.

The conference coincides with the events being organized in Bulgaria
to mark the 100th anniversary of the ARF founder Christapor
Mikaelian’s tragic death, so the delegates will have an opportunity to
pay a visit to Mikaelian’s grave.

Christapor Mikaelian was killed in 1905 at the Mount Vitosh outside
Sofia when testing an explosive device made to assassinate Ottoman
Empire’s Sultan Hamid.

The conference, opened by ARF Bureau member Albert Ajemian, among
others, will discuss issues related to the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. During the conference days, a group of young
people will take an oath of joining the ranks of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation.

ARF delegation participates in PASOK congress

Yerkir/arm
11 March 05

Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau delegation, comprised
of Grigor Erjenian and Gaspar Karapetian, took part in the 7th
congress of the Greece Socialist Movement, PASOK.

The ARF delegation members also had brief meetings with PASOK Chairman
Yorgo Papandreus and former Greek Prime Minister Gostas Simitis.

They also met with Socialist International Chairman Antonio Gutieres
and Secretary General Luis Ayalla, who reaffirmed that the Socialist
International would implement several initiatives in the region with
the ARF.

In addition, the ARF members met with former speaker of the Greek
parliament Apostolo Kaklamanis, as well as Vasos Lisaritis, honor
chairman of the Cyprus Socialist Party, present chairman of the party
Yanakis Omiru, and others.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress