>From The Margins

Los Angeles Times | Glendale News-Press | 2004 October 16

Dash, Devon and the neighbors

Dash and Devon had been neighbors and friends for as long as they
could remember. The boys were born in Glendale in 1982. Dash’s
parents, Sergei and Lilit Erzerumian, had moved to America in 1973
from Soviet Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

Devon’s parents, John and Katrina Holts, were natives of the
city. They had also been Dash’s volunteer baby-sitters for as long as
Sergei and Lilit attended English night school during their first few
years of arrival.

Sergei and Lilit had given Dash a regal Armenian name, Ardashes.

Ardashes’ name had been shortened in sixth grade by his English
teacher, Miss Mavely. She had a hard time pronouncing names that were
not rooted in the Anglo-Saxon tongue. On the first day of class, Miss
Mavely informed her green-eyed Caucasian pupil of her unilateral
decision:

“I will call you ‘Dash.’ ”

On the second class meeting, Mrs. Mavely handed Dash “Madness in
the Family” by William Saroyan: “This is your required reading for
this class.” Soon Ardashes’ resistance gave way to a full embrace of
his new nickname. Having read Saroyan’s book, he attached a new sense
of legitimacy to “Dash”; one of the Armenian names in the book had
been shortened to “Trash.”

Unlike Dash, Devon had managed to hang onto his name. John and
Katrina had stumbled upon the name on their first dinner date at
Damon’s on Brand; the waiter was a polite West Indian lad named
Devon. From that day, Katrina had her heart set on the name.

After high school, Dash and Devon had followed each other’s
footsteps to the UCLA Sociology Department. They now shared an
apartment in Westwood, but their close partnership was to come to an
end at college graduation. Dash had decided to go into law, and Devon
was determined to pursue his PhD in sociology.

—

“Hey, Dash, I think our parents are not on speaking terms.”

“What happened?”

“Mom was trying to explain on the phone. Something about a
petition. I blocked out that part of the conversation.”

“Give ’em a week. Katrina and Lilit will be having afternoon tea
and biscuits in no time.”

“Probably less. My mom’s already building bridges,” Devon
responded.

“What’s her construction plan and projected completion date?”

“Groundbreaking is Friday. She insisted you come over for dinner
with me to our house.”

“That may be awkward, but I think my parents are out of town. And I
do miss your mom’s schnitzel. I’m in as the catalyst for peace.”

“You’ll be well rewarded. She is making schnitzel.”

—

“How’s the schnitzel, Dash?”

“Great, Mrs. Holts!”

“Your favorite dish since you were 4… we’ve always enjoyed having
you around.”

“I like being here, Mrs. Holts.”

“Your parents have not been over for some time now.”

“Well, they are out of town.” Dash attempted to delay the issue.

“Sergei refused to sign our petition.”

“What was the petition all about?” Devon asked.

“The new neighbors across the street are very loud on the
weekends. We thought we can hand them a complaint signed by all
neighbors; Sergei refused to sign.”

The Rostamians across the street were new to the area. Just last
month, a few of their family members were finally sworn in as
U.S. citizens. And as if they needed an occasion to celebrate, they
organized a get-together elaborate enough to be mistaken for a
wedding.

Katrina continued: “Every Sunday there is something happening at
their house. Last month’s gathering was out of control. The kids were
playing in the street, the music was blasting, and as if they hadn’t
had enough of each other all day, they spent 53 minutes saying
goodbyes on the street at 1 a.m.”

“Fifty-three minutes, huh, Mom?”

“Yes, fifty-three minutes, son!”

“All this means is that this specific family has not been
acculturated yet. We’ve studied this in sociology.” Devon seized the
opportunity to finally apply his major to a current topic.

“Well, they are American citizens now. It’s time they get
acculturated,” Katrina responded.

“Come on, Mom! You don’t sleep one night, and get up the next day
and internalize every single local custom.” Devon continued: “In their
birthplace, they would probably have a loud get-together one weekend
and then the neighbors would have an even louder event the weekend
after. And everyone would live happily ever after.” Devon was on a
roll: “I am sure Grandpa Johannes had feasts of sausage and warm beer
every weekend and played live German music in the backyard.”

“I don’t know about that, son. Johannes Buchholts did not have too
many relatives in Germantown, Pennsylvania,” John interrupted. “When
he arrived from Klefeld in the Rhine Valley, all he did was work and
sleep for a few hours. He didn’t have time for beer.”

“I guess they don’t make immigrants like they used to, right, Dad?”

“Leave me out of this, son.”

“Next summer, after my graduation, I plan to throw fraternity-style
theme parties at our house, every weekend, all summer. The new
neighbors will understand.”

John gave his passive approval: “Suit yourself. We’ll make sure
we’re in Europe.”

“Excellent, Dad! Make sure you make up with the Erzerumians by
then. I know you’ll have more fun with them around…”

Patrick Azadian lives and works in Glendale. He is an identity and
branding consultant for the retail industry. Reach him at
[email protected] Reach the Glendale News-Press at [email protected]

NATO not to create dividing lines in Caucasus, alliance chief says

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
1 Nov 04

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who is to visit the
South Caucasus countries in early November, has said that the aim of
the visit is to encourage the countries of the region to make the most
of NATO’s partnership programmes. In an exclusive interview with
Armenian Mediamax news agency ahead of the visit, Scheffer said that
NATO’s policy of enlargement aimed to extend the benefits of stability
and security, which alliance members enjoy, to new member
states. Scheffer stressed that “NATO enlargement is designed to break
down dividing lines rather than create them”. He also denied that
friction between Turkey and Armenia could impede Yerevan’s cooperation
with NATO. The following is the text of the interview in English by
Armenian news agency Mediamax headlined “The alliance wishes to deepen
its cooperation with Armenia” on 1 November; subheadings have been
inserted editorially:

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will arrive in Yerevan on
5 November. Ahead of the visit he gave an exclusive interview to
Mediamax news agency.

South Caucasus states urged to make most of NATO programmes

[Mediamax correspondent] Mr Secretary-General, at the summit in
Istanbul [28-29 June 2004] the South Caucasus was officially described
as a priority region for NATO. What specific changes in the alliance’s
policy in relation to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan are you going to
present during your visit to the region?

[Jaap de Hoop Scheffer] At the Istanbul Summit, allies reaffirmed
their commitment to an enhanced, closer and more individualized
relationship with NATO’s partners from the South Caucasus. We want to
work with all of the countries of the region on the basis of their
priorities. This will be my main message.

In order to support this policy, allied leaders took two important
decisions. The first was to appoint one liaison officer for the
Caucasus, as well as one for Central Asia. The second decision was to
agree on the appointment of the secretary-general’s special
representative for the two regions, who would be responsible for
establishing high-level working contacts with regional leaders in
order to support NATO’s objectives. Robert Simmons, who I nominated
for this post, will accompany me during my visit.

This visit will be an opportunity to encourage the three countries to
make the most of the partnership instruments which are of most
relevance for them – such as the Planning and Review Process (PARP)
which provides for consultations on defence reform issues and
establishing the ability for partner armed forces to work with NATO
armed forces; the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) which will
provide a framework for individual relations with NATO; and the new
Partnership Action Plan on Defence Institution Building which is
designed to help build up the institutions which are critical in any
democratic society to successfully decide upon and implement defence
policy.

Partnership with NATO requires democratic reforms

[Correspondent] In November 2002, your predecessor at this post, Lord
Robertson, told our agency that “the partners willing to take
advantage of a more individual relationship with NATO would have to be
able to do the following: they would have to demonstrate true and
sustained determination to walk the path of democratic transformation
and pursue a foreign and security policy to support it”. Do you think
the South Caucasus countries demonstrate the abovementioned efforts?

[Scheffer] In 2002, we offered all partners the opportunity to engage
with the alliance in Individual Partnership Action Plans. This new
mechanism allows willing partners to develop a more individualized
relations with the alliance focused on reform.

Of course, the main emphasis is put on defence reform, where NATO has
special expertise to offer. NATO is an alliance based on values
including the commitment to democratic and economic reform,
fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. To be successful, defence
and other critical reforms must be underpinned by these values. We
know that the path of reform is a long and difficult one, and this is
why allies are ready to assist the countries of the region. The fact
that all three South Caucasus countries have engaged in an IPAP is an
important sign that they are willing to look at all aspects of
reform. Genuine efforts to meet the objectives which they define for
themselves will now be needed in order for our cooperation to move
ahead.

NATO differentiates between South Caucasus and Central Asia

[Correspondent] Don’t you think that NATO is not quite right to
consider the regions of the South Caucasus and Central Asia in the
same plane? Taking into account serious differences between these
regions, especially different problems in the security sphere, do you
think an individualized approach to each of these regions will be more
effective?

[Scheffer] The fact that we consider both regions as strategically
important does not mean that we fail to differentiate between
them. Indeed, even if they share some common characteristics and
legacies, it is obvious that they are very different. Our new
cooperation mechanisms give us the opportunity to build up
relationships tailored to the specific needs of the individual
countries, allowing us to take into account the diversity between
regions and the countries in each of the regions.

Relations with Russia no obstacle to Armenia’s cooperation with NATO

[Correspondent] Many people think that sooner or later Armenia will
have to choose between maintaining close ties with Russia and further
integration into NATO. There is another opinion as well: Armenia can
become kind of a “bridge” between Russia and NATO. Which of these two
positions is closer to you?

[Scheffer] The alliance wishes to deepen its cooperation with
Armenia. While it is perhaps the case that in the past this country
has not pursued its partnership with the alliance at the same pace as
the other two South Caucasus countries, we see clear signs now that
Yerevan is committed to deepening our relations, and we are pleased to
engage with Armenia. For example, Armenia has just accredited an
ambassador in Brussels whose sole responsibility will be related with
NATO. In addition, Armenia has declared its intention to participate
in the IPAP process, which will provide the critical framework for
pursuing these enhanced relations on the issues that the country
chooses.

Armenia does indeed enjoy a good relationship with the Russian
Federation, but that should not in any way impede the development of
its relations with NATO. We have worked successfully with Russia over
the last few years to overcome lingering suspicions, and now cooperate
on many practical issues through the NATO-Russia Council.

Armenia is a proof that a country can maintain a close relationship
with Russia and at the same time be a very active partner of
NATO. Allies, Russia and the Caucasus states have all a strong
interest in regional stability. All our countries face the same
threats from terrorists who do not respect borders, from proliferation
and from failed states. Our capacity to address these new threats will
depend on our ability to bridge old dividing lines and avoid any sense
of competition. The partnership between NATO and Russia is driven by
this understanding. And because it has strong links with both Russia
and the West, Armenia can not only benefit from this relation but also
has a strong interest in supporting it.

Turkey not averse to Armenia-NATO cooperation

[Correspondent] Unsettled Armenian-Turkish relations negatively affect
Armenia-NATO cooperation. It is clear that NATO’s headquarters in
Brussels cannot affect the foreign policy of its
members. Nevertheless, does the existence of this problem cause your
concern?

[Scheffer] You are correct that NATO does not react to the policies of
its member states. Nevertheless, I would like to stress that Turkey
has never been in the way of cooperation between Armenia and NATO, and
that many high-level meetings between leaders of Turkey and Armenia
have taken place on the margins of meetings of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council. This is for me an illustration that the
partnership is a very helpful framework through which to maintain
dialogue.

NATO not to create dividing lines in Caucasus

[Correspondent] Armenian officials say that if Georgia and Azerbaijan
become NATO members and Armenia does not, this will obviously bring
about new dividing lines in the Caucasus. Do you see such a danger?

[Scheffer] It is difficult to answer a question based on a
hypothetical scenario. NATO’s policy of enlargement is driven by the
desire to extend the benefits of stability and security, which
alliance members enjoy, to new member states. It is not aimed against
any other countries, but simply at ensuring the security and stability
of its members. While it is a fundamental right of every country to
choose its own security arrangements, NATO enlargement is designed to
break down dividing lines rather than create them. This is a
fundamental principle of enlargement which will not change in the
future.

[Correspondent] Do you agree with the point of view that NATO is ready
to go in its relations with Armenia as far as Armenia itself is ready
to?

[Scheffer] This is indeed the modus operandi of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership. Partnership for Peace programs are open to all partners
and it is for them to decide the extent to which they want to
cooperate and where they wish to focus their cooperation.

Let me give you an example. In 1994, allies opened to partners the
Planning and Review Process, a very important mechanism to provide
guidance on how to make troops interoperable with NATO. For many
years, it was not a priority for Armenia to contribute to NATO-led
operations, and it did not therefore participate in the PARP. Two
years ago, the Armenian authorities decided that they wanted to have
troops able to join international operations and Armenia joined the
PARP. Today, Armenia is actively participating in the PARP and
Armenian soldiers have joined troops of some 35 other nations in the
NATO-led operation in Kosovo.

I will add that following its recent decision to develop an IPAP,
Armenia is using all available partnership mechanisms. This is a
perfect illustration that there is only one prerequisite for a partner
to deepen its cooperation with the alliance: its own willingness to do
so.

Playbill.com, NY –
Oct 29, 2004

Aznavour Songs Fill New Musical Happy Anniversary!, Getting NYC Reading
With Schaffel and Cuccioli
By Kenneth Jones
29 Oct 2004

Ed Dixon, the actor-writer-composer not afraid to juggle multiple
projects, has conceived a new four-person musical, Happy Anniversary!,
drawing on the music of Charles Aznavour.

The developing show by the author of the musical Fanny Hill will be
seen in an invitation-only reading in Manhattan Nov. 8 in a
presentation by Hell’s Kitchen Musicals, a new group. Happy
Anniversary! was previously seen in a presentation at The York Theatre
Company’s venue.

In the show, Marla Schaffel (Jane Eyre) and Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll &
Hyde) will play a New York couple celebrating their 20th wedding
anniversary. Amanda Watkins and Matthew Scott play their extramarital
interests – a maid and the delivery boy, respectively.

“Everything looks O.K. on the surface, but underneath it’s really not
O.K. – they love each other but can’t stand each other,” Dixon said of
his married pair. He is calling the show a book musical, not a revue of
Aznavour songs.

The show’s title comes from one of Aznavour’s most famous songs.

Happy Anniversary! was sparked when Sybil Goday, the widow of Happy
Goday, the music publisher of Aznavour’s songs, invited Dixon to a
meeting and said she was looking for an original stage show that would
celebrate such Aznavour songs as “Sailor Boy,” “Yesterday, When I Was
Young,” “She,” “I’ll Be There” and “You and Me.”

“She wants to introduce a much larger group of people to his music,”
Dixon said.

Goday had seen Dixon in another developing Aznavour driven show, Az, in
2003 and liked his style. She agreed to grant him the rights to the
Aznavour catalog if he could come up with an original story. The
English lyrics are by Don Black, Herbert Kretzmer and Dee Shipman.

The project – conception, book and arrangements by Dixon – has come
together in the past six months, Dixon told Playbill On-Line.

Drew Scott Harris directs the 5 PM Nov. 8 presentation. Larry Yurman is
musical director.

The show covers the day of the characters’ anniversary leading to a
party at the Ritz Carlton in New York. “It’s a tiny, tiny musical,”
Dixon said, but it addresses a full range of emotions from “funny to
touching to sad.”

“I fell in love with the music and the topics – thwarted love, love not
working out,” Dixon explained of his earlier brush with Aznavour’s
songs.

But, he added, the show will have a large dose of hope in it. “It’s not
all strum und drang,” he promised.

Charles Aznavour, the French singer and songwriter, made a rare
Broadway appearance in 1998 at the Marquis Theatre, Oct. 20-Nov. 15. A
tour followed.

Aznavour was born in Paris in 1924, the son of an Armenian cook. A
singer since the late ’50s, he has written many songs, including
“Yesterday, When I Was Young.” He’s appeared in films since 1958,
including Truffaut’s “Shoot the Piano Player” and “The Tin Drum.” He
has also written the scores to several films.

His recent 80th birthday was celebrated around the world.

Ed Dixon will play Armand in the Off-Broadway musical, Under the
Bridge, based on the children’s book “The Family Under the Bridge,”
starting in December at The Zipper Theatre, where he appeared in Here
Lies Jenny May-October 2004.

ARS Eastern USA
617.926.3801
[email protected]

The ARS Eastern United States proudly announces its

ARS SUMMER STUDIES INSTITUTE
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

June 5 – June 25, 2005
University of Connecticut-Storrs

The Summer Studies Institute Features:
* A three-credit Survey of Armenian History course through the
University of Connecticut. Graduate level credits are also available.
* Classes in Armenian Language, Literature, Music, Art, Film, and
More.
* Subjects taught by University or College faculty who are experts in
their field of study and research.
* Supplementary lectures, workshops, and performances.
* Weekend field trips to New York City and Boston.

The ARS Eastern USA provides free room, board, and meals, books, and
weekend field trips to New York City and Boston. Students who register
after December 31, 2004 pay a higher registration fee. Applications
will be accepted on a rolling basis. All students pay UConn tuition
fees associated with the three-credit Survey of Armenian History
course.

Scholarships are available from the ARS Eastern USA and local ARS
chapters.

Download an application from the ARS Eastern USA website at

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE

29 October 2004

Foreign Minister Oskanian Attended BSEC 11th Ministerial In Tbilisi

On 29 October, Foreign Minister Oskanian participated in 11th Meeting of
Foreign Ministers of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) held in Tbilisi,
Georgia. The meeting discussed and adopted documents related to cooperation
between BSEC and other international structures, and to the organization’s
programme, financial and administrative matters.

In a statement delivered at the Ministerial, Minister Oskanian particularly
stressed: ” Not much more than a decade ago the Black Sea divided the
countries, that today make up BSEC. But thousands of years before that the
Black Sea actually linked the two ends of the known world. From the
Mediterranean Sea to the Caspian Sea this was all one basin. Here, too, the
proximity of Europe is an example and a lesson. The countries of Europe have
built bridges among themselves and with those of us who surround them. It
remains for the countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation to build
bridges amongst ourselves. For all of us, a common sea and functioning
bridges are essential for two-way traffic to flow from our past to our
future”. He further noted: “This now mature organization, BSEC, was set up
in a way, almost to prove, that countries with different and sometimes even
conflicting histories, different religions, different languages, different
political and social systems can indeed, in this new age, cohabit, coexist,
cooperate and prosper”.

During two days preceding the Ministerial, Armenian delegation participated
in BSEC Meeting of Senior Officials that prepared a package of documents for
the Ministerial.

At BSEC 11th Ministerial, Greece took over the next 6 months’ chairmanship
from Georgia.

In the framework of the Ministerial, Minister Oskanian had a meeting with
Georgia’s Salome Zourabishvili. During the meeting, the parties explored
general issues related to agreements on cooperation between Foreign
Ministries of the two countries discussed during the recent visit of Armenia
‘s President. The Foreign Ministers also explored coordination of steps
taken by Armenia and Georgia under EU’s New Neighborhood Programme. The
parties also discussed regional issues and exchanged views on reciprocal
efforts towards ensuring stable functioning of communication routes between
the two countries.

A1 Plus | 13:56:13 | 01-11-2004 | Politics |

ARMENIAN MP’s TRIP TO UKRAINE CANCELED

Armenian National Assembly member Shavarsh Kocharyan was to take part in
Ukraine’s presidential elections held Sunday as an observer. However, at
the last moment, when a flight reservation had already been made, he was
told about his business trip cancellation by the parliament
administration “because of lack of money”.

Shavarsh Kocharyan is explaining this otherwise. He says he would speak
about ballot fraud and other election irregularities prompting not only
Armenian authorities’ utter displeasure but also Russian president
Vladimir Putin’s.

Armenian Kurds urge EU to force Turkey to free separatist leader

Arminfo
29 Oct 04

YEREVAN

Representatives of Armenia’s Kurdish community today held a peaceful
rally outside the Yerevan office of the European Commission, chanting
“Freedom to Ocalan” [the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party –
PKK].

The member of the Caucasus representative office of the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party, (?Denis Baran), said that Turkey is striving for
membership of the European Union [EU] and the EU has expressed its
readiness to accept Turkey. In this connection, Denis Baran noted that
the EU must put pressure on Turkey in order for the authorities of
this country to release the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party,
Abdullah Ocalan. “Turkey cannot become a member of the EU with this
burden and with such a human rights record,” the Kurdish
representative announced, emphasizing the bad conditions in which
their leader is held in a Turkish prison.

To recap, according to various estimations, from 300,000 to 400,000
Kurds, who profess Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Islam and other
religions, are living in Armenia. The Kurds in Armenia have been
granted full freedom of faith and a chance to learn their native
language and history.

Nagorno-Karabakh criticizes Azerbaijan’s UN initiative

01.11.2004 08:10:00 GMT

Stepanakert. (Interfax) – The Foreign Ministry of Nagorno- Karabakh
has criticized Azerbaijan’s proposal at the UN that the territory of
this self-proclaimed republic be examined.

“The Azerbaijan-initiated discussion at the UN of the situation on the
territories controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh has yet again shown
Azerbaijan’s disinclination to settle the entire range of problems in
relations between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh,” Deputy Foreign
Minister Masis Mailian told Interfax.

A UN General Assembly committee earlier recommended, following a
proposal by Azerbaijan, that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh be
considered at an assembly session. Azerbaijan alleged that the
territory of Nagorno-Karabakhis used for drug manufacturing and
terrorist training.

“This step by Baku is purely propagandistic in its nature, which in no
way facilitates the creation of a favorable atmosphere essential for
reaching a comprehensive solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh,”
Mailian said.

Stepanakert has repeatedly invited the Azerbaijani authorities to
start implementing confidence building measures between the
conflicting parties and resume full-scale negotiations, which are “the
most efficient method for settling the conflict,” Mailian said.

Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s
following a bloody conflict with Armenia. Baku has refused to
recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities as a negotiating party on
settling the conflict and is negotiating with the Armenian leadership.

Kocharian calls for closer cooperation with Nagorno-Karabakh

01.11.2004 07:51:00 GMT

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenian President Robert Kocharian has spoken
in favor of intensifying cooperation between his country’s leadership
and the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh, the presidential press service told Interfax.

“Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are in the same economic
area. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate reforms that are
underway, or otherwise the two economies might experience a lack of
harmony,” Kocharian said at a meeting attended by the Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh leaderships in Yerevan on Friday.

Kocharian said his numerous meetings with Nagorno-Karabakh leader
Arkady Gukasian have driven him to the conclusion that “relations
between the Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh executive authorities need
to be more orderly now.”

“There is a need for certain decisions, so that bilateral relations be
determined not only by meetings and contacts between the presidents
and prime ministers but also by meetings between the ministries and
other agencies” of the two countries.

Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s
following a bloody conflict with Armenia.

Genocide: A crime against humanity

Millions have died in unchecked crimes around the world
MICHAEL LAWSON, CP

2004-11-01 02:47:07
The London Free Press

Several thousand people died Sept. 11, 2001, in terrorist attacks on
the United States that instantly became global news. Shocking as it
was, that day of horror pales in comparison to what was then — and is
now — occurring regularly, occasionally beyond the scope of the
media’s eye. It’s somethingthat has come to be known as genocide.

Since the beginnings of recorded history, entire peoples have been
wiped into oblivion in a concerted effort at ethnic, religious or
political cleansing. Millions upon millions have perished in the 20th
century alone. Yet the international community has often been slow to
react — sometimes not reacting at all — and the atrocities persist.

Just as the Sept. 11 attacks gave rise to a new and now globally
recognized term, 9/11, the term genocide is relatively is relatively
recent, formulated by a Polish expert in international law, Raphael
Lemkin, in 1944 during the Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi
Germany. Derived from Greek and Latin roots, the word means the
eradication of a race. The United Nations has since expandedthe
definition to include the destruction of any national, ethnic, racial
or religious group.

The most extreme example in modern times, if only in terms of sheer
numbers, was the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were gassed,
shot, worked to death as slave labourers or subjected to inhumane
surgical and other so-called medical experimentation, often
fatal. Tens of thousands of Roma — or Gypsies — as well as
homosexuals and other “undesirables” were also victimized.

Most recently and still ongoing is the carnage in Darfur, the
westernmost region of the African country Sudan. An estimated one
million blacks have been uprooted from their land, whole masses raped
and massacred, their villages razed and their crops and livestock
plundered. As many as 200,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad,
itself pressed for resources; many more Sudanese face death by
starvation or disease.

The Darfur crisis did not develop overnight. In a country impoverished
and drought-stricken, Arab herdsmen from the north moved into the
western region to reap what they could from the meagre natural
resources of Darfur — water and scrubby grasslands. In the face of
uprisings from the desperate locals, mounted Arab militias known as
Janjaweed moved in to conduct a campaign of slaughter and forced
relocation, the latter a virtual death sentence for many.

Humanitarian groups such as Medecins sans frontieres (Doctors Without
Borders), the United Nations children’s organization UNICEF and some
western governments have said the Sudanese government supports the
Janjaweed. The government denies it. The Bush administration in
Washington has, as of last month, declared the Darfur situation a
genocide.

Again in recent memory is the politically charged genocide in Rwanda,
also in Africa, in which opposing Hutu and minority Tutsi peoples
clashed at the cost of an estimated 500,000 lives, with many more
displaced. Most of those killed were Tutsis. The year was 1994; the
initial carnage occurred over mere months and then continued. It
wasn’t until 1996 that a Canadian-led international force moved in to
try to stem the bloody unrest.

This August, in a small-scale mirror image of the Rwandan infamy, 200
Tutsi men, women and children were shot or hacked to death in a UN
refugee camp in neighbouring Burundi. Hutu rebels justified the action
as a weeding-out of the opposing Burundi army and Congolese militia.

The grim reality of genocide has been most apparent since the advent
of modern media technology, which brings the horrors of the Third
World into western homes nightly. World leaders tune in to the same
thing. So why does it continue?

Politics and semantics are two factors. When the United Nations was
formed with scores of countries in 1945 after the horrors of the
Second World War,the multinational grouping combined diverse mind-sets
in the quest for peace, security and international co-operation. The
UN did adopt a covenant on genocide, but the term itself became a
focus of debate. Should, for instance, the extermination of a
political group be counted as genocide? Some UN members argued against
it.

Then there was the matter of sovereignty. One state’s right to govern
within its borders became — and remains — an issue. As recently as
August, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, on the question of
military intervention into the Darfur crisis, said: “This is not a
simple military solution. This is a matter for the Sudanese government
to handle.”

Political solutions take time, but time is a luxury the victims of
mass oppression can’t afford.

EXAMPLES OF GENOCIDE FROM THE LAST 100 YEARS

The stain on humanity that has come to be known as genocide has a long
history. Here are a few events from the last 100 years that have been
labelled genocides:

Ottoman Empire (1915)

More than one million Christian Armenians were forced from their homes
into the Syrian desert by the Muslim government of the then-Ottoman
empire, along the way to face slaughter and starvation. Decades later,
Third Reich dictator Adolf Hitler is said to have been inspired by the
events. He was quoted as saying: “Who, after all, speaks today of the
annihilation of the Armenians?”

Russian Revolution (1917-21)

Amid political upheaval that saw the fall of the czarist regime and
the rise of communism, organized mobs waged pogroms against Jewish
communities at the cost of more than 60,000 lives.

Stalinist Soviet Union (1931-33)

Under the banner of communism, lands and crops of prosperous Ukrainian
farmers were seized. Up to 10 million in Ukraine were driven out to
starve to death.

Nazi Germany (1939-45)

Hitler’s “Final Solution” in the quest for a pure Aryan nation
accounted for the deaths of six million Jews and tens of thousands of
other “undesirables.” Many were gassed and then incinerated in death
camp furnaces.

Cambodia (1975-79)

The Khmer Rouge Communist party was responsible for the deaths of more
than 1.5 million Cambodians through execution, slave labour and
starvation. The country recently agreed to a UN-supported plan to
bring surviving leaders to trial.

Bosnia (1992-95)

Attempts by Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to
gain independence from Yugoslavia brought the wrath of the Serbian
government, leading to widespread exterminations. About 18,000 victims
have been found in mass graves. Former Serb president Slobodan
Milosevic is before an international war-crimes tribunal on charges
including genocide. Other military aides have been indicted.

Rwanda (1994)

About 500,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by Hutu
extremists in political strife. More Tutsis were massacred this summer
in a UN refugee camp in neighbouring Burundi.

Sudan (current)

An estimated 300,000 people will die by year’s end as residents of
western Darfur region are forced from their lands. Many have been
slaughtered; manymore face starvation and disease. The Arab-led
central government has been blamed for supporting the genocide.