JAZZ: Keeping it current
By MARTIN LONGLEY
The Independent – United Kingdom
Nov 26, 2004
The Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek could be forgiven for taking
six years to produce In Praise of Dreams, the follow-up to 1998’s
two-disc Rites. It’s understandable that he has been distracted by
the overwhelming cross-over success of his collaborations with one
of the pre-eminent early music outfits, the Hilliard Ensemble. Their
Officium and Mnemosyne albums have enjoyed remarkable sales.
The other reason for the slow progress has been the rude health of
his touring diary, though the new album has no connection with his
touring band of Rainer Bruninghaus (keyboards), Eberhard Weber (bass)
and Marilyn Mazur (percussion). In Praise of Dreams has an electronic
foundation, created by Garbarek’s sampling and beat-programming,
and with contributions from Kim Kashkashian (viola) and Manu Katche
(percussion). His approach is similar to that adopted by John Surman,
adding weaving saxophone to pulsating loops and repeated sequences.
Garbarek remains committed to his regular quartet when it comes to
live work, but they will remain largely inactive next year while he
renews his acquaintance with the Hilliard Ensemble. “We meet on 7
December for a concert in Moscow, and we’ll discuss plans for future
recording. Next year, we’re mainly concerned with the tour.”
In concert on the first night of his UK tour, the saxophonist’s
performance stretches right back to 1973’s “Hasta Siempre”, and forward
to a new, as yet unnamed, composition. Yet a tour with Kashkashian
and Katche doesn’t look likely. “I don’t think it’s realistic,” he
confesses, “because the two other musicians are extremely busy and
have their schedules for years in advance. The other thing is that
there are a lot of electronic sounds. I would need to have quite a
few other musicians on stage.” And Garbarek doesn’t feel comfortable
arou nd laptops in a live setting – he wants an audience to see
musicians playing.
The album was co-produced by Garbarek and the ECM label-owner Manfred
Eicher. “It was very prosaic this time,” says Garbarek. “I just chose
10 different tempos and started to work on what sort of rhythms that
would imply. Then I started to dress them up with harmonies, melodies
and textures. I think of the electronics being brilliant for creating
a sonority, setting the stage for the characters to emerge.”
At the outset, Garbarek knew that Manu Katche would be involved. The
percussionist has already appeared on four of the saxophonist’s
albums. It turns out that he frequently wound up laying his parts down
on Garbarek’s basic rhythm patterns. “Sometimes, he will simply say,
`I have nothing for this’, either because they’re complete, or he
hadn’t any inspiration to do anything at all. He wouldn’t change the
rhythms I had made, but other things..”
The mournful viola of Kim Kashkashian is certainly sympathetic to
Garbarek’s keening saxophone sound. At times, the twinned melodic lines
swim together, inhabiting their own tonal zones. At others, they engage
in a dialogue, equally sensitive in their deep explorations. Garbarek
had already heard Kashkashian’s chamber and orchestral work on several
albums in ECM’s New Series of modern composition. Their paths had also
crossed on the concert platform, at the 1999 Bergen Festival. They
improvised on an Armenian folk song, and composer Tigran Mansurian
went on to write a new work for the pair.
“Her sound just simply stayed with me,” says Garbarek. “But I actually
didn’t think that she’d be able to do it all.” Acclaimed on the
classical platform, Kashkashian is always solidly booked, but a call
from Manfred Eicher secured her services. Garbarek had already used
a viola mock-up in his initial arrangements, so he eagerly awaited
the real thing. “Her whole personality, and the way she plays her
instrument, just took over my mind, he says.”
The album’s title track has become a familiar part of Garbarek’s
live set over the last three years, and its melody is naggingly
familiar. Garbarek mulls over his titles very carefully, needing them
to sum up the mood of each piece. He’ll often take his inspiration
from novels or poetry. “Conversation with a Stone” sounds like it has
been inspired by Indonesian gamelan patterns. “Not consciously,” says
Garbarek. “Even in the most narrow Norwegian valley, a folk fiddle
player will have heard gamelan music, he will have heard a Brazilian
samba. In my case, I’ve heard a lot of music from around the world.”
The album’s closing track, “A Tale Begun”, adopts a markedly different
approach. “It was an idea that comes from the underlying part of
another track. It consists of several instruments that we wanted to
blend. As we worked on that, it just took on a life of its own.”
Garbarek credits Eicher with organisational, conceptual skills,
admiring his talent for programming the music’s logical development
on the album: he has a vision for the complete work. Garbarek feels
too close to his music, unable on his own to achieve the necessary
perspective. Invariably, the final element to be laid on each piece
is Garbarek’s own saxophone solo. “It’s very often a first or second
take. Very often, I do one take of the whole piece, not bits and
pieces. Usually, that works best. It makes for a very coherent effect.”
During a recent Jazz Legends interview on Radio 3, Garbarek said
he no longer considered his music to be jazz. He elaborates: “It’s
just a matter of definition, really. I don’t see the need to call it
jazz, but there is a practical reason. I wouldn’t completely belong
in the classical bins. I wouldn’t belong in the world or folk type
of bins. It’s fortunate, in a way, that there is this category,
although it’s not perfect for me.”
`In Praise of Dreams’ is out now on ECM; Jan Garbarek plays Symphony
Hall, Birmingham, tonight

Azeri diaspora in Moscow accuses Kremlin
The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 26 2004
According to the Azeri newspaper Ekho.Baku, the Azeri diaspora is
gathering strength in Russia to demonstrate against the Kremlin.
According to the president of the public organization “In the name
of Azerbaijan” Eldar Namazov, Azeri people in Moscow are sure that
Russia is impeding the settlement of the Karabkh conflict. He said
that rumors regarding the breakup of the Azeri diaspora in Russia do
not correspond to reality.
“The Azeri diaspora has recently started the process of organizing.
But two other structures have already created their own branches all
over Russia. This is international charitable fund ‘Karabakh’ and the
federation of national-cultural autonomy for Azeris in Russia. Azeris
as well as high-ranking officials in Russia are taking part in these
events,” he noted.
According to Namazov, Moscow journalists have taken note of the
high attendance at recent Azeri demonstrations and commented during
broadcasts that “there has never been such wide scaled demonstrations
of Azeris in Moscow.” According to Namazov, representatives of the
Azeri diaspora were expressing their dissatisfaction in connection
with the delay of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict by the
Russian side.
Azeri protesters have accused the Kremlin of conducting a
double-standard policy. As an example, demonstrators cited the
presence of Russian military bases in Armenia, a country that they
say is occupying 20 percent of Azeribaijan’s territory. “Russia will
have problems in the North Caucasus because separatism has started
from Nagorno-Karabakh,” protestors stated. “Azeri people think that
this problem should be solved based on the principles of territorial
integrity and national-cultural autonomies,” added Namazov.

Life behind bars in South Africa
By Raymond Whitaker
The Independent – United Kingdom
Nov 26, 2004
LAST CHRISTMAS, the recently widowed Baroness Thatcher enjoyed an
afternoon in the company of her son and some of his friends by the
sun-drenched pool of his luxury home in Cape Town.
Among them was a certain Simon Mann, and several other former crack
soldiers known to Sir Mark. The Iron Lady could have had no idea
that months later, some of those present would be desperately denying
involvement in a mercenaries’ plot to overthrow the dictatorship of
President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea.
Sir Mark himself faces questioning regarding his alleged role. A
hearing scheduled for today has been postponed for two weeks. The
wait goes on.
But a year ago it was all so different. He and Mann were among the
elite of South African society, luxuriating in the tree-lined avenues
and gardens where as much fine wine sloshed around as there was water
in swimming polls. They had bought into a lifestyle. They had found
Constantia.
Since the demise of apartheid made South Africa fashionable, those
lured to Cape Town by the weather, the wine, the mountains and the
ocean – not to mention a cheap exchange rate – have wanted to live
in one place: Constantia. But they had to have money.
“What we have here is unique,” said a long-time resident as we sat by
his pool, and it was easy to see what he meant. Sheltered from the
south- easterly gales which batter the rest of the Cape Peninsula,
sycamores, planes and centuries-old oaks soar to the azure sky. All
the tracks found on the earliest maps have been preserved as bridle
paths, which wind across the valley untainted by any motor traffic.
Subdivision of properties is banned; in High Constantia, where
the minimum plot size is two acres, millionaires’ mansions form a
contour line of their own, with mountains behind and False Bay in
the distance. It is as though Beverly Hills has been transplanted to
San Francisco.
When the likes of Hugh Grant or Richard Branson are in town, this
is where they are to be found. It is just a pity that so many of
the expatriate crowd who settle here seem to be getting away from
something.
“You can buy a superb lifestyle here,” said the previously mentioned
resident. (Like everyone else I spoke to in this Nirvana, he did not
want to be quoted by name.) “Cape Town does not produce much wealth –
all the minerals and the big financial deals are up north – but this
is where they come to spend their money.”
The secret was long known to some in international high society,
but it began to leak out when Earl Spencer moved here in 1993, just
before South Africa’s first free election, and his royal sister was
seen around Constantia. By the time Mark Thatcher (as he was then)
arrived two years later, the rush was on. European and American
expatriates joined in, buying up languishing wine estates such as
Buitenverwachting and Steenberg and transforming them into luxury hotel
and golf complexes which just happened to produce fine wine as well.
It did not always do to ask where the money came from. One of the
biggest German property buyers in Constantia is in jail back in his
native land. And African dictators have turned up to buy mansions with
suitcases full of cash. Bizarrely, Sir Mark’s stunning home has as
neighbours properties owned by none other than President Obiang and
several other members of the Obiang clan.
The old inhabitants of the Constantia Valley watched with a mixture
of delight at the surging value of their houses, and horror at the
brashness of some of the newcomers. (“That’s the thing about this
place,” said one of them. “We seem to attract all the bad boys.”)
For Constantia has a long and rich history. It first became renowned
in Britain for its wine. The exiled Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena
had a love of the sweet produce of the vineyards tucked away behind
Table Mountain. Vin de Constance did not maintain its pre-eminence
for long, however.
English tastes moved to sherry and Marsala, which could be shipped in
quantity over shorter sea routes, and by the 1870s Constantia’s fame
had ebbed. Eventually, the South African government had to take over
Groot Constantia, the oldest vineyard in the southern hemisphere, and
turn it into a national museum to stop it going down market or closing.
That has contributed, however, to the sylvan atmosphere which has
again given Constantia name-recognition in Britain and made it one
of the most desirable places to live on earth, attracting a new wave
of wealthy residents.
There was no doubt how Pam Golding, one of Cape Town’s leading estate
agents, felt about the influx of new residents. Shortly after she
sold Sir Mark his 15,000 sq ft house, she gushed: “Yes, Constantia
is a very prestigious address for him. We have all sorts of foreign
investors acquiring at the moment. The most popular ones are what I
call the gentleman’s country estate, with glorious manor houses and
villas. It’s really a millionaire’s pride and joy.”
But, despite the unstinted admiration of many Constantia-ites for his
mother, Mark did not gain automatic acceptance in local society. “We
weren’t impressed,” said a guest at a dinner party Ms Golding gave for
the new arrival. “What really left a sour taste was his boasting about
living the grand life in Cape Town and not having to pay any tax. It
was a very silly thing to say in front of complete strangers who did
have to pay their taxes.” Other rebuffs followed, most notoriously
his failure to gain membership of the Royal Cape Golf Club.
After a scheme to make loans to Cape Town policemen collapsed amid
rancour in 1998, his less-than-glorious past began to be raked up –
how he had left Harrow with three O-levels, failed his accountancy
exams three times, got lost in the Sahara, and decamped to Texas
following complaints about commissions gained in the Middle East
while his mother was prime minister.
Amid all the gleeful bitchiness – it was rumoured that he had first
come to the Cape when his mother sent him here as a teenager to clear
his spots, which had allegedly earned him the nickname “Scratcher” at
Harrow – perhaps it is not surprising that he began to look around for
new friends. If one “Constantia set” rejected him, he found another:
men who, like him, were happier talking about aircraft and fast cars
than world politics or the kind of Third World poverty you can observe
in Cape Town, if you emerge from the Constantia cocoon.
Though he carries himself with a ramrod military bearing, Sir Mark
has never been in the army. But most of his new friends had, notably
the one to whom he seems to have been closest. It is easy to imagine
that the former prime minister’s socially inept son found much to
admire in Simon Mann, an old Etonian his own age – they are both in
their early 50s – who served in the Guards and the SAS before making
a fortune in Africa with Executive Outcomes, the first of the private
military companies which have proliferated in the world’s trouble
spots. With his wealth he acquired a property in Constantia and an
estate in Hampshire.
During poolside barbecues Sir Mark met Mr Mann’s friend David Tremain,
an Anglo-South African and fellow Constantia resident who, like Sir
Mark, was engaged in dealmaking around Africa. There were also former
members of South Africa’s apartheid-era special forces who supplied
the bulk of Executive Outcomes’ muscle, such as Nick du Toit and
Crause Steyl.
Mr Mann was arrested at Harare airport in Zimbabwe with a cache of
arms. He had just met an aircraft which had arrived from Pretoria
with more than 60 former members of South Africa’s special forces
aboard. All were jailed for up to a year on immigration charges, while
Mr Mann is serving seven years for illegal arms buying. Mr du Toit,
seven other South Africans and six Armenian aircrew are on trial in
Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, where they are due to hear
the verdicts today.
David Tremain, meanwhile, is said to have been on a light aicraft,
flown by Crause Steyl, which was flying to Equatorial Guinea. They
reached Mali before they learned that the coup had collapsed, and
turned back. Mr Tremain denies the allegations, but has not deemed
it prudent to return to South Africa to contest them.
Sir Mark, whose circle had left Constantia, was preparing to leave
himself. Under pressure from Diane to return to Texas, he put the
mansion on the market for just under pounds 2m – though not with Pam
Golding, locals have noticed. But on 25 August, just a day before
he was due to depart, he was arrested.
In the torrent of leaks, allegations and off-the-record briefings
which has poured out since, Ely Calil, a Lebanese-born oil trader
based in London, has been named as the mastermind of the plot,
which he denies. His friend, Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare, has
denied being the “JH Archer” listed as transferring money to one of
Mr Mann’s companies just before the attempted coup. And Sir Mark has
denied being the “Scratcher” named in an intercepted note smuggled
from prison by Mr Mann.
All the allegations will eventually be tested in court, but when and
where remains uncertain. In the meantime, Equatorial Guinea is enjoying
its moment in the spotlight, launching court actions in Britain against
alleged coup backers and in South Africa to question Sir Mark. It has
also charged him in absentia, and is talking of seeking extradition.
The South African authorities, determined to show that they no longer
tolerate mercenary activity, have charged him under the Foreign
Military Assistance Act. On Wednesday, Sir Mark lost a court bid to
stop Equatorial Guinea asking him questions, and is due to return
today to answer them. In a two-minute hearing yesterday at Wynberg
magistrate’s court, next to the police station where he has to report
every day, South Africa’s case against him was postponed until April.
Sir Mark is fighting alone. His passport has been impounded and he is
restricted to the Cape Peninsula area. His wife came back to Constantia
for a visit in October, but says the US school holidays are too short
to return for Christmas. Lady Thatcher, however, will arrive soon to
spend the festive season with him. It will be the first time she has
seen him since she put up his pounds 180,000 bail.
Outside the heavy gates of his thatched residence yesterday, Sir Mark
was all too aware that his legal problems could drag on. “I have heard
of some people waiting more than four years for a court date,” he said.
Although there had been “a lot of interest”, the house has not yet
been sold. He is now a reluctant partaker in the lifestyle that
is Constantia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia: Russia’s traditional ally
The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 26 2004
According to the Russian weekly newspaper Military-Industrial Courier,
while Georgia and Azerbaijan do not conceal their aspiration to join
the NATO as soon as possible, Armenia has consistently strengthened
its military-strategic partnership with Russia. The 9th joint
Russian-Armenian military training has been held in the country
recently. The Russian armed forces were present at this training
through its subdivision of the 102nd military base located in Gumri.
According to the assessment of sociologists, Armenian public opinion
perceives the Russian army as the guarantor of security in their
country. Facing real threats from Turkey, Armenia pays a great deal
of attention to defensive expenditures, preparation of its general
staff and technical rearmament of the army. About 600 Armenian
military officers receive their education at senior military-training
institutes is Russia. Moscow provides Yerevan with military equipment,
extra parts and other military property as well.
According to the paper, the fact that Armenia has one of the best
armies among the post-Soviet countries is the considerable merit of
President Robert Kocharian, who received real fighting experience by
heading the defense committee of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992-1994. As a
matter of fact, this was the starting point of his path toward great
politics. “Today, in the person of Robert Kocharian, the Kremlin has
not only a reliable partner in this region, but also military-political
ally, who is ready to defend together with Russia common geopolitical
priorities,” the newspaper writes.

Will humanity answer the urgent call, “Never again’?
By Bycel
Pasadena Star-News, CA
Nov 26 2004
THE Rwandan genocide, the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust in the wake
of these and other catastrophes of the 20th century, we have vowed,
“Never again.’ The phrase is resolute and absolute. But it can also
be empty. It prescribes nothing. In terms of action and commitment,
it is silent. And silence to say nothing and do nothing while the
innocent perish is genocide’s prescription.
The term “genocide’ was coined exactly 60 years ago by Raphael Lemkin,
in Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, published in November 1944 with
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He defined it as
“a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction
of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the
aim of annihilating the groups themselves.’
Whether the ongoing catastrophe in Darfur, Sudan will rise (or sink) to
that definition, history will judge. It will judge our silence as well.
I recently returned from a humanitarian mission to three refugee camps
in Chad, on the border of Darfur. These camps teem with people who have
somehow survived unfathomable suffering: husbands and fathers murdered;
wives and daughters raped; death from malaria, cholera and dysentery;
villages and lives burnt to ashes. Life in the refugee camps is its
own hell, thick with the trauma and travail of those whose living eyes
can still see the dead. The camps bear witness to the darkest regions
of human degradation. There, the words “Never again’ are a tragic,
empty echo.
The refugees in Chad and Darfur are abstractions when you see them
in the newspaper, but they are quite real in person, and not much
different from you and me. They happen to be victims of ethnic
cleansing and terror. They happen to have no resources. But they
yearn, as we do, for the warmth of a smile, for the touch of a caring
hand. What we consider the requirements of life are unimaginable
luxuries to them. They are desperate for our help. If only we were
as desperate to help them.
Unless the words “Never again’ are translated into action, their
echo is painfully hollow. Action on this scale can seem hopeless, but
we are not helpless: writing letters, making contributions, getting
involved in advocacy groups these activities are near to hand, and
they multiply powerfully. Not everyone can give their whole lives
to such work, like the remarkable volunteers from around the world
I was privileged to meet in Chad. But that does not prevent a more
personal transformation on the part of each of us.
When we recognize that our humanity is inextricably linked to theirs,
the refugees of Darfur are no longer an abstraction that fades from
view. Awareness of their existence fosters an examination of our own.
It changes our approach to life, what we consume, what we think we
need and deserve. “Never again’ is ultimately a personal challenge:
What can I do to erase Lemkin’s “genocide’ from the dictionary?
Nor should we forget that “Never again’ speaks to our self- interest.
Neglect of the dispossessed and disenfranchised can have devastating
consequences: political instability, deepening ethnic conflicts,
devastating famines and wars any of which can rapidly darken our own
skies. All of humanity, the most and least fortunate alike, sleep
under the same sky, wake to the same sun, and cherish the same hopes
for their children. “Never again’ is an urgent call to each of us.
Will we answer? Rabbi Lee Bycel is a Los Angeles resident and the
former dean of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.
He is currently devoting much of his time to raising awareness about
the crises in the Sudan and funds for the Sudanese refugees.

OSCE envoy arrives in Azerbaijan for Karabakh talks
ANS Radio, Baku
26 Nov 04
[Presenter] The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur on Nagornyy
Karabakh, Goran Lennmarker, has arrived in Baku. He will meet Chairman
of the Milli Maclis [parliament] Murtuz Alasgarov, members of the
Azerbaijani delegation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and other
officials.
The Nagornyy Karabakh problem and ways for resolving the conflict
will be discussed at the meetings.
[Goran Lennmarker, speaking in English with Azeri voice-over] I will
certainly listen to the arguments of the foreign minister and members
of parliament in particular. I shall have talks with the Milli Maclis
leadership. Prior to this visit, I also paid a visit to Armenia. We
shall conduct negotiations to find a solution to the problem. It is
possible to find a mutually acceptable solution to the problem.

Telethon paves the way
By Mark R. Madler, News-Press and Leader
Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Nov 26 2004
Armenia Fund raises millions in annual event for highway linking
villages and economic growth.
GLENDALE – With hours to go in Thursday’s telethon for the Armenia
Fund, pledges surpassed the amount raised in 2003.
The fund had a goal of $10 million, to go toward the completion of
a 105-mile highway in the Karabakh region of Armenia.
As of 6 p.m., the telethon had raised $8.7 million.
Gagik Kirakosian, the counsel general of Armenia, said the highway
was important in the creation of economic development of the region.
“As a strategic project, it’s the best way of connecting all of
Karabakh,” Kirakosian said.
Originating from Glendale Studios, the 12-hour telethon reached
45 million households in 25 cities across the country. It was also
shown in other parts of the world such as Europe, the Middle East
and Australia, said Sarkis Kotanjian, a public relations consultant
for Armenia Fund.
Through phone records, organizers are able to track which speakers and
entertainers were most effective in getting viewers to donate money,
Kotanjian said.
“The quality of the telethon has improved with the use of more
professionals, instead of all volunteers, and it shows,” he added.
About 500 volunteers participated in the telethon. Even with its
global reach, there were still many area participants, such as Armenian
clubs from local schools.
Arno Khachikyan, a senior at Burbank High School, was at the telethon,
along with Burbank Unified School District board Vice President Paul
Krekorian, who presented a $500 check.
The school is in the process of setting up an Armenian Club that will
continue to do fundraising, Arno said, who is the Burbank High School
school board representative.
“Hopefully, it will be an annual thing with the club doing fundraisers
and presenting a check to the Armenia Fund,” Arno added.
–Boundary_(ID_4tslo7nJDqI5rGgwvKcQ/A)–
From: Baghdasarian

Uprising in Ukraine: A day in the life of a man trying to organise a peaceful revolution
By Arnold Krushelnycky in Kiev
The Independent – United Kingdom
Nov 26, 2004
YURIY KOSTENKO’S dark Toyota limousine slid along the sometimes steep,
snow-covered streets of the Ukrainian capital. His driver, Volodya,
relegated to the back seat, grumbled unhappily.
Mr Kostenko is in a rush these days and often he jumps into the
driver’s seat before Volodya can stop him. A boyishly young-looking
50-year-old, Mr Kostenko is leader of the People’s Party, and one of
the closest political allies of the pro-democracy opposition leader
Viktor Yushchenko. The two men are at the eye of the political storm
gripping Ukraine.
His days have been manic as he stokes the mood of thousands
of protesters. They are preparing for power and a possible
revolution. Sometimes, Volodya doesn’t even make the back
seat. Yesterday, Mr Kostenko drove off before the driver turned up. Mr
Kostenko said: “I know it annoys him a bit but, right now, driving
myself is the only way I have to relax mentally for a few minutes.”
Even in the car, Mr Kostenko talked in measured tones, sometimes
raising his eyebrows and grinning as his mobile phone brought yet
another call. The drive took him to his office in parliament where
he looked through a pile of faxes and took note of a long list of
messages logged by his secretary.
The office is lined with photographs of mountains and climbers. Mr
Kostenko is an accomplished mountaineer and has climbed in the Alps,
the Andes and the Caucasus. He is also a potholer and in 1988 he
volunteered his skills to rescue victims of a major earthquake that
had hit Armenia. He remembers fondly some of the British rescue teams
he met there. The fitness his climbing demands probably gives him
the reserves of energy to keep going on the less than four hours’
sleep he has had each night since Saturday.
The next stop was one of the buildings the opposition uses for its
meetings in a picturesque old part of the city near one of Europe’s
first universities, the Kiev Mohyla Academy. Here the atmosphere
crackled as young volunteers worked furiously. Clad in orange sweaters,
dresses, hats, boots, ribbons, scarves – some of the women had orange
nails – they rushed around, focused but quick to smile for Mr Kostenko
who greeted them all with affection.
Next, he made for a meeting with the Polish Solidarity leader Lech
Walesa, who was in Kiev to lend support. With Mr Yushcehnko and other
close aides, the small group discussed the situation which Mr Walesa
said he hoped would lead to Ukraine entrenching democracy. He was
sped to Kiev’s main street where he made a moving pledge of support
to around 200,000 people.
On the move, Mr Kostenko fielded calls from all around Ukraine as local
organisers of the opposition movement looked for news. Government-run
television channels and newspapers were saying little about the
political turmoil. Mr Yanukovych himself has said “nothing unusual
is happening”.
The election commission proclaimed Mr Yanukovych the winner on
Wednesday by a slim margin. Mr Kostenko said: “That was ominous because
it meant that they were ready to use violence. Perhaps it will come
to that, but I am still optimistic we can overturn the results and
get true democracy for Ukraine without bloodshed.”
Mr Kostenko, who studied engineering, was a prominent member of
Ukraine’s independence movement in the 1980s. He became a minister a
decade ago in a government run by the outgoing President Leonid Kuchma,
who nominated Mr Yanukovich as his successor. He was responsible for
talks to rid Ukraine of the nuclear weapons arsenal it inherited from
the Soviet Union and also for getting help in handling the effects
of the Chernobyl incident. Eventually he could not bear to work for
Mr Kuchma and he remains one of the few ministers who resigned rather
than was fired.
He drove on and smiled as a phone call confirmed that another local
administration had declared it would only recognise Mr Yushchenko
as president.
“You can see that the people, all ages, all walks of life, are with
us,” he said. “Ukraine has been waiting for this moment for a long
time and they are not going to lose the opportunity for real freedom
and real dignity.”
As he got out of the car at one stop a young man, one of the hundreds
of thousands of opposition supporters occupying the centre of Kiev,
ran towards him. He recognised Mr Kostenko and asked him to sign the
Ukrainian flag draped around his shoulders. Mr Kostenko asked his
name and signed the flag, adding “Glory to Ukraine”.
Next stop was at a former union building on Khreschatyk Street,
surrounded by a growing crowd of opposition supporters. The political
council chaired by Mr Yushchenko was meeting, incorporating the
Committee for National Salvation formed on Wednesday. It was held
behind closed doors but, after several hours, Mr Yushchenko emerged
to reveal: “Ukraine’s intelligence agency is coming over to our side
and the Supreme Court has cast doubt on the election results.”
Then, flanked by Mr Walesa, who had delayed his departure,
and Mr Kostenko, he said: “There’s also something else. We’re
creating a national guard. We’ve had hundreds of soldiers and
militiamen asking who they should report to. They want Yushchenko as
commander-in-chief.” A little while later, several officers of the
militia came on stage to declare their allegiance to Mr Yushchenko.
This was raising the stakes, but the crowd cheered. Afterwards,
Mr Kostenko, who is married with one son, indicated that he needed
a break. “I think I can meet my wife for 15 minutes,” he said, and
rushed off.

Southland Celebrates Thanksgiving
KABC, CA
Nov 26 2004
LOS ANGELES – It’s Thanksgiving, and groups around the Southland are
making sure that the less fortunate have some holiday cheer.
In Long Beach, the “Long Beach 5K/10K Turkey Trot & Chicken Chucking
Championship is holding a walk to benefit the nonprofit Community
Action Team, followed by participants hurling rubber chickens to
raise money for local food bank charities.
Pasadena’s Union Station Foundation is holding its annual
Thanksgiving Dinner-in-the-Park, billed as the “biggest potluck in
the nation.” Volunteers are expected to serve more than 5,000 meals
to the poor, homeless and elderly.
The Los Angeles Police Department, West Valley Pals and Woodland
Hills Optimist Club are hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner at the
Guadalupe Community Center.
In Valley Village, more than 500 men, women and children will enjoy a
traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Needy residents of
the East Valley will receive vouchers provided by Temple Beth Hillel
and distributed by numerous outreach organizations, including Jewish
War Veterans, the East Valley Multi-Purpose Center, Loaves and Fishes
and The Salvation Army, among others.
In Hollywood, Food on Foot will feed and distribute backpacks to the
homeless and poor. For every two 64-pound bags of trash collected from
the streets of Hollywood, Food on Foot will reward individuals with a
$5 food gift certificate from a fast-food restaurant or grocery store.
In Orange County, the 27th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot will feature
5K, 10K and children’s races; the Orange County Rescue Mission will
serve Thanksgiving dinner in Santa Ana; and Rep. Loretta Sanchez,
D-Garden Grove, Hon. Bishop Jaime Soto and others will join in serving
Thanksgiving dinner to the needy during the 19th annual Casa Garcia
Thanksgiving dinner that owner Frank Garcia serves in the parking
lot of his eatery in Anaheim.
And in Glendale, Armenia Fund Inc. is holding its annual Thanksgiving
telethon, “Make It Happen,” to raise funds to complete the remaining
56 miles of the North-South “Backbone” Highway in Karabakh, Armenia.
Proceeds will also benefit continued assistance in the areas of
health care, education and infrastructure development in the Republic
of Armenia. The 12-hour event will be televised live from Glendale
throughout the United States, South America, the Middle East, Canada
and Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
Nov 24 2004
Armenian-Indian relations develop successfully
Armenian-Albanians relations discussed by Deputy Armenian Foreign
Minister and newly Appointed Ambassador to Armenia
No emergencies recorded for the last day because of snowfall in
Armenia
An international workshop on social monitoring opened in Yerevan
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN-INDIAN RELATIONS DEVELOP SUCCESSFULLY
YEREVAN, November 24. /ARKA/. Armenian-Indian relations develop
successfully, RA Ambassador to India Armen Baiburian and Indian
Foreign Minister Natvar Singh stated at the meeting in accordance to
the completion of diplomatic mission of Baiburian. The parties
discussed process of fulfillment of agreements, achieved during the
visit of RA President Robert Kocharian in India in 2003 and new
bilateral programs. Baiburian invited Singh to visit Armenia in 2005.
Singh in his turn highly estimated the contribution of Baiburian in
development of Armenian-Indian relations. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN-ALBANIANS RELATIONS DISCUSSED BY DEPUTY ARMENIAN FOREIGN
MINISTER AND NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, November 24. /ARKA/. Armenian-Albanians relations discussed
by Deputy Armenian Foreign Minister Ruben Shugaryan and newly
Appointed Ambassador of Albania to Armenia Avni Jelili (residence in
Moscow), mentioning that these relations must be intensified. As
Armenian Foreign Minister Press and Information Department told ARKA,
the sides exchanged opinions around further steps, including mutual
evaluation of potential, study of markets, organization of business
forums, creation of legal and contractual base. Among the possible
spheres of cooperation the sides mentioned trade, tourism, culture.
To mention the newly appointed Ambassador of Albania to Armenia also
heads diplomatic missions to Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan. T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
NO EMERGENCIES RECORDED FOR THE LAST DAY BECAUSE OF SNOWFALL IN
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, November 24. /ARKA/. No emergencies were recorded for the
last day because of snowfall in Armenia, as Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan
Head of Armenian Department of Emergency Situations stated. In his
words all roads are in working conditions except the Selim pass and
Bagratashen bridge. He mentioned that due to icy roads a car accident
was recorded in Vayots Dzor without human casualties. There were
breakdowns on electric lines in Aragatsotn marz, while they were
removed and the electricity was restored. T.M. –0–
*********************************************************************
AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SOCIAL MONITORING OPENED IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, November 24. /ARKA/. Today, at the Yerevan Marriott Hotel,
the Government of Armenia and United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) opened a three-day international workshop on Strengthening the
Capacity for Social Monitoring in the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS): Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Poverty
Reduction Strategic Papers (PRSP). Senior representatives of the
Government of Armenia, UN Agencies and offices in Slovakia, the
United States of America, and Switzerland, international and local
organisations, Governors’ Offices, as well as distinguished experts
from Poland, Tanzania, Albania, Kazakhstan, and other countries are
participating in the workshop. The main objective of the regional
workshop is to share experiences on social monitoring and identify
the steps that are needed to establish comprehensive national social
monitoring systems. The workshop also aims at strengthening the
capacity of participants by: a) exchanging experiences and discussing
case studies in the field of social monitoring, with a special focus
on methodologies and indicators; b) reviewing linkages between MDGs
and PRSPs in the CIS; and c) discussing mechanisms for building
partnerships in social monitoring.
UNDP office to Armenia was founded to 1993. Total cost of UNDP
programs in Armenia makes $11 million. L.D. –0–
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