Actress Tori Spelling Gets Married
Associated Press
July 6, 2004
LOS ANGELES – Actress Tori Spelling, best known for her role as Donna
on TV’s “Beverly Hills 90210”, has married, her publicist said Monday.
Spelling, 31, and actor-writer Charlie Shanian got married Saturday at
her parents’ home in Holmby Hills, publicist Cece Yorke said. It is
the first marriage for both.
Spelling, the daughter of television producer Aaron Spelling, spent 10
years on his hit series “Beverly Hills 90210.” She also has appeared
in the films “Scary Movie 2,” “Scream 2,” and “Troop Beverly Hills.”
The couple met on stage in 2002 during the Los Angeles production of
the romantic comedy, “Maybe, Baby It’s You,” co-written by Shanian,
35. The two actors were in 11 vignettes about couples in search of
love.
;u=/ap/20040706/ap_en_ot/tori_spelling_5

JULY 2, 2004
NEWS ANALYSIS
By Steve Rosenbush
A Twist in Sony’s Quest for MGM While it lines up financing partners
for the bid, Time Warner has jumped in with an offer that could prove
far more attractive For a while, it appeared that Sony (‘SNE’) was
close to adding the vaunted MGM (‘MGM’) movie studio to its impressive
stable of film properties, which already includes Columbia and TriStar
Pictures. Sony’s U.S. unit, run by former CBS news chief Howard
Stringer, has been deep in negotiations with MGM for about two months,
people close to the talks say. And Sony had lined up several investors
to back up its $5 billion bid (see BW, 7/12/04, _”Imagine Sony on
Steroids”_
() ).
Then came Time Warner (‘TWX’). New disclosures that the media and
entertainment giant submitted a rival bid of about $4.7 billion a week
or so ago (first reported on June 29 by the Wall Street Journal
Online) have suddenly thrown prospects for a MGM-Sony deal into doubt,
people close to the negotiations say.
STOCK DEAL’S APPEAL. It’s too early to say for sure who’ll win the
contest. Negotiations are expected to continue for several more
weeks, and reports are circulating of a possible third suitor, such as
General Electric’s (‘GE’) NBC unit. But the Time Warner bid could be
formidable. Why? The media empire is returning to fighting form after
its painful merger with Internet service AOL. And it has some powerful
advantages as it steps into the ring with Sony.
Time Warner’s biggest strength may be its ability to pay for most of
the deal in stock. The company took a beating after it merged with
AOL. But investor Kirk Kerkorian, who owns 74% of MGM, believes that
Time Warner Chief Executive Richard Parsons is close to pulling off a
turnaround, one person close to MGM says (see BW Online, 7/1/04,
_”America Online Gets Clicking”_
).
That’s why he’s willing to sell his stake in MGM to Time Warner for
$11.50 a share — as long as Time Warner pays that part of the price
in stock. Kerkorian would profit from any appreciation in the stock,
while avoiding big tax liabilities associated with an all-cash
transaction. Time Warner would, however, purchase the remaining 26% of
MGM, which is publicly held, for $13 a share in cash.
BIG OPENING. Sony, which is having a tough time in the
consumer-electronics business, couldn’t afford the deal on its own. It
has arranged backing from investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston
and private-equity players Providence Equity Partners and Texas
Pacific Group. Not only has it found investors willing to share the
expense, but it would structure the deal so MGM’s $1.9 billion in debt
wouldn’t appear on Sony’s balance sheet. Together, they’re offering
$13 a share in cash for MGM.
Help from Sony’s partners complicates the deal, though. As a long-term
strategic investor, Sony’s interests aren’t fully aligned with those
of its partners, who want an exit plan in place before they close the
deal. Even as Sony negotiates with MGM, it’s conducting talks on a
parallel track with its own team. Providence and Texas Pacific want to
make sure that Sony will buy them out in a few years — and at a good
price. But putting a value on the combined film units is difficult and
subject to disagreement, people familiar with the matter say. That’s
the main reason why Sony’s bid for MGM has been dragging on for weeks.
That internal wrangling has given Time Warner a huge opening. And no
question, Parsons & Co. would love to have MGM, which includes the
world’s largest library of color films. If Time Warner’s 4,500 films
and MGM’s 4,500 were combined, they would constitute 45% of the
Hollywood movie-library market. That’s even bigger than a Sony-MGM
combination, which would control 40%.
CURRENCY EDGE. The MGM collection also includes some of the most
popular titles of all time, including James Bond. That could almost
guarantee a steady stream of cash for years to come. MGM has also
mastered the art of producing popular movies, like Barbershop and
DeLovely, on relatively low budgets. They would supplement big-bet
blockbusters like Time Warner’s Harry Potter series.
Even the currency market is working in Time Warner’s favor. While the
value of Time Warner shares are on the rise, the cheap dollar makes
Sony’s hard currency somewhat less enticing.
It’s way too early to count Sony out. Differences with its partners,
however complex, can be overcome. And people familiar with the
negotiations say the parties have been making progress after weeks of
talks. They better resolve those differences quickly, though. The
Sony-MGM deal no longer seems like such a sure thing.
Business Week On-line

Preparations for local elections in breakaway Karabakh continue apace
Artsakh State TV, Stepanakert
5 Jul 04

Preparations for the local elections in the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic] are in full swing. According to the data of the NKR Central
Electoral Commission, 404 people have been registered for 202
positions as local government heads. Askeran District is leading
Nagornyy Karabakh in the numbers of people running for local
government positions. For example, there are 11 people competing for
the position of mayor of the town of Askeran. In Stepanakert there are
10 people competing for the post of mayor. Fifty-two people are
competing for 15 places on the NKR capital’s council of elders.
[Video shows people gathered in parks talking]

Australian weightlifter refused test, says drug agency
.c The Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) – The Australian Weightlifting Federation said
Wednesday it will investigate reports from the Australian Sports Drug
Agency that an unidentified lifter had refused to take a drug test.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to hear the case next
week, weightlifting officials said. Australia’s Olympic weightlifting
team is due to be named on Friday.
“There is an incident that is causing us some concern which is being
looked at right now,” said federation president Sam Coffa, who would
only identify the athlete as being a federation member.
The average penalty for such an offense is a two-year ban.
Coffa said that once the investigation is complete, the findings would
be made public.
“Innuendoes and rumors have a life of their own and they develop
legs. Somebody will say something and somebody will say something
else, and I believe it’s unhealthy,” Coffa said.
Caroline Pileggi and Armenian-born Sergo Chakhoyan are expected to be
named as the only two weightlifters on the Australian team.
Pileggi, lifting in the over-75 kilogram class, is expected to be the
sole Australian women’s representative.
Chakhoyan, who is in the 85-kilogram class, was handed a two-year
suspension in 2001 for using steroids.
In June, Australian weightlifter Anthony Martin received a two-year
ban for testing positive to banned substances. Commonwealth Games
bronze medal winner Seen Lee will appeal a two-year ban for testing
positive in May to the diuretic furosemide.
07/07/04 05:41 EDT
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
July 7, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
Assembly, AGBU, Western Diocese Host Event for Rep. Pallone
Photograph available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)
briefed more than 75 Los Angeles-area supporters on several pertinent
community issues, including a bill that would extend permanent normal trade
relations (PNTR) to Armenia, during a June 26 breakfast held in his honor.
During the event hosted by the Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU), and the Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America, Pallone also discussed the Nagorno Karabakh peace process
and attributed the recent victory in maintaining military parity to Armenia
and Azerbaijan to the hard work and tenacity of community activists.
Pallone also hailed the “spirit of cooperation” displayed by event
organizers and urged the community to remain united in future endeavors.
The event, at the AGBU Center in Pasadena, attracted several community
leaders including CA State Assemblywoman Carol Liu, Glendale City Councilman
Frank Quinterro, and Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian.
Pictured L to R: Assembly Board of Directors Member Lisa Kalustian, His
Eminence Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese, Congressman Frank
Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), AGBU Southern California District Committee Chairman
Vahe Imasdounian and Assembly Western Office Chairman Richard Mushegain.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-065

AMIC’s Newsletter, Montreal, Canada
AMIC’s Info-Flash
2340 Chemin Lucerne # 30
Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec
H3R 2J8, Canada
Tel : (514) 739 8950
Fax : (514) 738 2622
Web:
Email: [email protected]
June, 2004
1. Article 1: ” AMIC’s Annual General Assembly:
Discussions and Results
2. Article 2: ” Chronomically (time-structurally)
interpreted vascular monitoring in
pregnancy in the Armenian BIOCOS
arm”
3. Article 3: ” Conference- Mental Health
Perspectives in Public Health”
4. Article 4: ” A new initiative from the Ministry of
Health of Armenia”
5. Article 5: ” Announcement from the Armenian
Medical Association and Birthright
Armenia”
6. Article 6: “A new medical book”
7. Article 7: ” What is AMIC?”
*************************************************************
1. AMIC’s Annual General Assembly: Discussions and Results
On May 28 and 29th, 2004, AMIC held its annual General Assembly in Toronto
warmly hosted by AMIC member association the Armenian-Canadian Medical
Association of Ontario (ACMAO). The discussions focused primarily on the
following subjects:
– The AMIC Journal: an agreement was reached on a new formula of
collaboration with the publisher Regimedia USA to publish a quarterly
medical journal tentatively called the Armenian Medical Journal. Once a
contract is signed, the principal guidelines will be given out to our
readers.
– The 9th Armenian Medical World Congress, scheduled to be held in San
Francisco from June 29 to July 2, 2005. For all practical information (hotel
reservation rates and deadlines, registration fees, programs, please visit
the website for the Congress referred to above). Brochures and registration
forms are available; some associations have already received them and are
sending them out to their members. If you wish to receive one, please
contact AMIC’s office (Phone (514) 739 8950, e-mail: [email protected]).
We are proud and happy to announce that the Rector of Boston University, Dr.
Aram Chobanian, has accepted to be the keynote speaker at the Congress. Stay
tuned for other important announcements!
– AMIC has received official confirmation from the Minister of Health of
Armenia, Dr. Norayr Davidian, that the Second International Medical Congress
of Armenia will be held in 2007 in Yerevan, in accordance with the
understanding signed between AMIC and the Ministry of Health of Armenia.
– The site of the 10th Congress to be held in 2009, will be decided at the
2005 General Assembly in San Francisco during the 9th Congress. Any
interested candidates should contact the AMIC office. It would be
interesting to hold the next Congress in South America or Europe (including
Russia).
– The AMIC – AUA Health Projects Database () was
discussed and it was decided to continue updating the Database for another
year. All those who have projects in Armenia are requested to submit their
information to the database through the web site.
– Long discussions were held concerning AMIC’s mission and its finances and
the necessity of increasing its budget. It was strongly recommended that the
current budget be increased by $25 000 CDN (double its current budget) to
permit AMIC to fully reach its potential. The means to achieve that goal
will be reviewed later on.
-A very fruitful session was devoted to the on-going activities of member
associations in particular in Armenia and Artsakh. AMIC`s experience has
been that those associations which have active programs in Armenia as well
as in their local communities tend to be the most motivated and dynamic.
****************************************************
2- “Chronomically (time-structurally) interpreted vascular monitoring in
pregnancy in the Armenian BIOCOS arm”
The following appeal was sent to AMIC’s Info-Flash by Professor Franz
Halberg of the University of Minnesota (USA). Please read it carefully and
respond to it. It is of the utmost importance that this kind of
collaboration be encouraged and supported by all means, by the Health Care
Community of the Armenian Diaspora. In his own words, Professor Halberg
remarked in his message: “I fully endorse this appeal, originating from
Armenia, not only for the sake of Armenia, but for the sake of all pregnant
women”.
“A group of Armenian physician-scientists under the guidance of Prof. Nubar
Levon Aslanyan at the suggestion of Prof. Franz Halberg (F. Halberg
Chronobiologic Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
) has undertaken the investigation of
circadian blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) rhythms in pregnant women
at the Maternal and Child Health Protection (M&Ch HP) Scientific Center of
Yerevan (Armenia). This follow-up on an earlier Minnesota investigation (1)
was begun in January 2001. Up to now, more than 310 pregnant women 18-35
years old, have been monitored and data from 176 of these have been
summarized, in addition to the use in everyday clinical practice of all data
from the chronomically interpreted monitoring.
OBJECTIVES – The aim of this investigation was to collect reference values
and on this basis to detect pregnant women with disturbances of variability
in BP and HR; to do this by gauging circadian and infradian BP and HR
rhythms and yet broader chronomes (time structures) and, in the light of any
alterations, to carry out prophylactic and therapeutic measures for the
prevention of the development of any pathologic process by the treatment of
as early abnormalities as possible.
SUBJECTS – Completed analyses concern the results of chronomic BP and HR
monitoring of 53 healthy MESOR (chronome-adjusted mean) – normotensive
pregnant women, 55 pregnant women at risk for developing gestational
hypertension, 45 pregnant women with gestational MESOR-hypertension and 24
pregnant women with preeclampsia.
METHODS – The monitoring of BP and HR was performed by means of a
non-invasive device TM-2421 (A&D, Tokyo, Japan) at 30-min intervals during a
span of (only) 3-5 days (72-120 hours) (because of insufficient numbers of
available instruments). A processor, TM-2021, was used to transfer the data
of the monitor to a personal computer with the aid of manufacturer-supplied
software Doctor-pro 2430-13. The data were sent to Dr. Germaine Cornélissen,
director of the Halberg Chronobiology Center of the University of Minnesota,
where they were analyzed by rhythmometric methods and results returned by
e-mail with a turnaround time usually not exceeding one day, to be used in
everyday health care, primarily for the prediction of an elevated risk of
gestational hypertension and preeclampsia and for the institution of
countermeasures as well for scientific elaboration.
RESULTS – In healthy normotensive pregnant women statistically significant
circadian rhythms’ characteristics for systolic (S) and diastolic (D) BP and
HR, were mapped-MESOR, M; circadian amplitude, A (a measure of extent of
within-day change); and acrophase, _(a measure of timing)- as a function of
gestational age. The A of SBP and the MESOR of HR increased in the second
and third trimesters.
In healthy normotensive pregnant women, non-parametric indices, a hyperbaric
and tachycardic index and the timing and percent time of elevation of
circadian variation in blood pressure and heart rate above age-and
gender-matched peer values gave complementary information about the degree,
the timing and the duration of BP and HR elevation. All were near zero for
the healthy group by comparison to U.S. standards. Any increase of these
indices indicates a disturbance in the circadian chronostructure of BP and
HR.
These chronomic criteria served for the early detection of indications for
action on pregnant women at elevated risk for gestational hypertension:
MESOR- and/or circadian hyper-amplitude-tension (CHAT) were an increase of
MESORs and amplitudes of the circadian rhythm of SBP, above preliminary
reference values.
Rhythmometric criteria were also established for early detection of the risk
of preeclampsia, beginning in the second trimester of pregnancy. These
criteria are the changes of parametric (MESOR, double amplitude and
acrophase) indices of circadian rhythms in systolic and diastolic blood
pressures when compared with the data of healthy MESOR-normotensive pregnant
women.
A 10-50 fold increase of non-parametric indices of systolic and diastolic
blood pressure circadian rhythms (hyperbaric index and percent time excess)
has also been found, which potentially complements non-dipping, a reduction
of the extent of nocturnal sleep-associated BP fall, for an early
chronodiagnosis of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, before
clinical symptoms appear.
Changes in MESOR, hyperbaric index, percent time of excess and acrophase of
circadian rhythms in systolic and diastolic BP, according to our data, are
chronodiagnostic criteria that differentiate gestational hypertension from
preeclampsia. An analogous test is the timing of excess of diastolic blood
pressure, found in the early morning hours in pregnant women with
gestational hypertension and during the early night hours in pregnant women
with preeclampsia.
These preliminary results of our investigations based on the monitoring of
BP and HR during a span of three days, were useful for obstetricians at the
Scientific Research Center of Maternal and Child Health Protection (MCHP) in
Yerevan (Armenia). Monitoring is in demand to have an objective diagnosis of
BP and HR behavior in pregnant women to detect any abnormal behavior in BP
and HR disturbances, whether during the day and/or by night. A similar
surveillance is impossible when only casual time-unspecified BP and HR
readings are taken with manual sphygmomanometers and even when 24-hour
profiles are examined only for daytime and nighttime averages and dipping.
Much more informative results are anticipated from routine chronomically
interpreted 7-day monitoring. Thereby, one can evaluate reference values for
the characteristics of about half-weekly and weekly rhythms, with one
replication of the half-weekly characteristics.
Consequently the Armenian chronobiologists and obstetricians at MCHP need
more monitors for the prophylaxis and treatment of blood pressure disorders
in pregnant women, while the MCHP is at the forefront of research aimed at
exploring the merits of continuous monitoring during pregnancy.
Added monitors are available with an 85% reduction in actual price through
the courtesy of a Japanese firm. Because of this price reduction, U.S. $ 10
680 would buy 20 monitors instead of just three or four, but any lesser
number would also be helpful. The team at MCHP provides new kinds of
reference values that may improve the detection of abnormality in pregnancy
and otherwise, not only in Armenia but also worldwide.”
Donations can be sent according to your geographic location, to the
following persons and countries:
-Dr. Nubar L, Aslanyan (Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor and Chief,
Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry & Chronobiology, Institute of Cardiology,
P. Sevak Str. 5, Yerevan 375044, Armenia.
Phone + 374-2 288583, e-mail: [email protected]
-Dr. Germaine Cornélissen, Director, Halberg Chronobiology Center,
University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 8609, Dept. of Laboratory Medicine
Minneapolis Campus 420 Delaware Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Phone (651) 454-6334 or 484-3160 Fax (612) 624-9989. E-mail:
[email protected] Web site:
-Mrs. Aida Boudjikanian, Administrative Director, Armenian Medical
International Committee, 2340 Chemin Lucerne, # 30, Ville Mont-Royal, Qc.
H3R 2J8, Canada.
Phone (514) 739 8950. E-mail: [email protected]
The amount donated will be immediately sent to Dr. Germaine Cornélissen,
from whom you will receive a confirmation.
(1) Cornélissen G, Kopher R, Brat P, Rigatuso J, Work B, Eggen D, Einzig S,
Vernier R, Halberg F. Chronobiologic ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring
during pregnancy in Group Health of Minnesota. Proc. 2nd Ann. IEEE Symp. On
Computer-Based Medical Systems, Minneapolis, June 26-27, 1989. Washington
DC: Computer Society Press; 1989. p. 226-237.
**********************************************
3. Conference – ” Mental Health Pespectives in Public
Health”
Announcement and Invitation from the Vice-Chairman of the Organizing
Committee, Vardan Karamyan, Ph.D.
Dear Colleague,
The World Psychiatrists Association, the Armenian Association of
Psychiatrists and Narcologists and the Armenian Medical Association take
pleasure in inviting you to participate in a Conference concerning “Mental
Health Perspectives in Public Health”, devoted to the 100th anniversary of
Academician A.H. Mehrabyan.
The Conference will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 7-10, 2004.
We invite you to participate in the conference with an oral presentation
and/or a poster. Your best research work will be carefully reviewed by the
Scientific Committee. There will be an award for the best oral presentation.
There will also be a special A.H. Mehrabyan’s Award, Conference President’s
Award, as well as several other awards (for detailed information please
visit ).
We hope to welcome a number of attendees who we believe, will benefit from
and contribute to, the discussion of recent advances in our understanding of
Mental Health.
The Conference will also have extensive cultural and social programs, which
will give you an opportunity to get to know Armenia, its ancient history and
tradition. The period during which the Conference will take place coincides
with the celebration of the 2786th anniversary of the ancient town
Erebouni – Yerevan, which will make your visit even more interesting.
Hope to meet you in Yerevan,
With Best Regards, on behalf of the Organizing Committee,
Vardan Karamyan Ph.D.
Armenian Medical Association
P.O. Box 143, Yerevan, 375010, Armenia
Phone: + (3741) 535868. Fax + (3741) 534879. E-mail : [email protected]
*************************************************
4. A new initiative from the Ministry of Health of
Armenia.
The Ministry of Health of Armenia has decided to put up big posters in all
the entry halls of the hospitals and the polyclinics of the country. The
objective is to inform the population of the medical services and care which
the concerned establishments should provide freely. Dr. Ara Ter Grigoryan,
president of the Social Healthcare Agency, explained the objectives of the
initiative during a press conference held on June 9, warning the population
of the importance of taking note and reading the posters, which are written
in simple and understandable language. They will explain to patients what
are their rights in the health care system, also normalizing the relations
between patients and physicians.
This initiative has the material support of USAID.
***********************************************
5. Announcement from the Armenian Medical
Association and Birthright Armenia
The Armenian Medical Association would like to extend an invitation to any
young Diaspora Armenians interested in the field of medicine who would like
to volunteer in Armenia. The Armenian Medical Association, in collaboration
with Birthright Armenia, has begun a new program that aims to give Diasporan
Armenians between the ages of eighteen and thirty-two, the opportunity to
volunteer in a medical capacity in Armenia – networking with healthcare
professionals in Armenia and forging future links between medicine in
Armenia and in Armenian communities abroad. The Armenian Medical
Association, with its extensive network of medical professionals, will be
able to find and place those interested in suitable medical positions.
The Armenian Medical Association is a non-governmental, non-partisan
organization of medical professionals who strive to advance medicine in
Armenia. For more information, please refer to our website at
Unlike other opportunities, this program offers many ways to easily discover
Armenia, including fully subsidized round-trip travel costs to any
individual who qualifies with Birthright Armenia’s criteria. It is
Birthright Armenia’s mission to strengthen ties between the homeland and
Diasporan youth by affording young Armenians an opportunity to be a part of
Armenia’s daily life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through
work, study and volunteer experiences, while developing life-long personal
ties and a renewed sense of Armenian identity.
For the exact specifications for qualifying for Birthright Armenia, and for
more information on the organization, please refer to their website at
There are currently three (3) available positions for the summer of 2004.
Interested candidates who qualify under Birthright Armenia’s specifications
should contact Birthright Armenia at [email protected] immediately
to secure their position.
APPLY NOW TO BE IN ARMENIA IN JULY!
Gevorg Yaghjyan, MD Ph.D.
Chairman of the Educational Committee, Armenian Medical Association.
*************************************************
6. A new medical book
Drs. Jerry and Mariam Manoukian, besides presiding the organizing committee
of the 9th World Armenian Medical Congress in San Francisco (see above),
have managed to find the time to write a book entitled “Metabolic Syndrome
Survival Guide”, bearing the subtitle “Learn to Prevent Diabetes and Heart
Attack”. Inspired by their patients, and written for them, the book is very
easy to read and to understand.
The authors would like to hear your comments and questions, and to include
the answers in the second volume. Dr. Jerry Manoukian says that “Metabolic
Syndrome is increasingly recognized as the precursor to most adult diabetes
and a large percentage of cardiovascular disease.”
Their website, , describes the syndrome and the book.
***************************************************
7. What is AMIC?
The Armenian Medical International Committee was created fourteen years ago.
It is an umbrella organization that unites Armenian medical associations
throughout the Diaspora, creating thus a large network through which
information and data are exchanged.
AMIC organizes Armenian Medical World Congresses. So far eight have been
held in different cities of the Diaspora. In 2003, “The First International
Medical Congress of Armenia”, organized by Armenia, was held in Yerevan from
July 1 to July 3.
The 9th AMIC Congress will be held in 2005 (from June 29 to July 3), in San
Francisco (USA). You can have the latest news by visiting the website
AMIC publishes since 1998 an online newsletter and sends it freely to all
Armenian Health Care professionals. If you are a health care professional
and are interested in receiving Info-Flash, please send us your e-mail
address ([email protected]) . To all those who already receive the Info, please
do not forget to send us your new e-mail address when you change it.
For further information visit our website:
A useful information to remember: you can send freely from wherever you are
located, medical equipment/medicine through the services of the United
Armenian Fund; President Mr. Harout Sassounian ([email protected])

PRESS RELEASE
Junior Achievement of Armenia
1102 N. Brand #61
Glendale, CA 91202
Email: [email protected]
Web:
US Director, Junior Achievement of Armenia
Junior Achievement of Armenia, a California based 501c3 with
operations in Armenia, is looking to fill a full-time US Director
position. This position, based in the US, with extended stays in
Armenia and extensive travel through out the US, would report directly
to the board of directors while in the US and report to the Executive
Director while in Armenia. This person would fill a key position for
the organization with responsibilities that include, but are not
limited to fundraising, program oversight, financial reporting and
program development. This individual must have at least an
undergraduate college degree, fluency in Armenian a plus, strong
written and verbal communication skills, strong organizational and
leadership skills, and a successful track record in sales and/or
fundraising. Interested candidates should forward their resume to
[email protected] . For information on Junior
Achievement of Armenia, please visit our website at

The state of democracy in Armenia
With Emil Danielyan
Moderator: Nicole Rosenleaf Ritter
Wednesday, July 7, 2004; 04:00 pm CET
In his recent article “A Dictator in the Making,” noted Armenian analyst
Emil Danielyan writes that repression against the political opposition “is
turning Armenia into a vicious police state where human rights are worth
nothing when they threaten the ruling regime?s grip on power.” Do you agree?
Mr. Danielyan will be on hand in a live discussion on Wednesday, 7 July, at
4:00 p.m. CET to discuss the situation in Armenia and to answer your
questions. Emil Danielyan works for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
bureau in Yerevan, where he is a correspondent and editor of the
Armenian-language daily news site He is also
a frequent contributor to TOL and other publications covering the
post-communist region. Join in the discussion on the 7th, or submit a
question in advance below.
The transcript follows.
Editor’s Note: Transitions Online moderators retain editorial control over
Live Internet discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests
and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Prague, Czech Republic: Hello and welcome to everyone who is joining us for
the discussion. Emil, thank you for being with us today.
Emil Danielyan: Thank you for this opportunity to communicate with your
readers.
Prague, Czech Republic: So what can be done to change the situation in
Armenia. Opposition did its best and got no result.
Emil Danielyan: It’s a good question which is difficult to answer. First of
all, the overall situation with human and civil rights in Armenia must not
depend on whether or not the Armenian opposition is fighting for regime
change. Those are natural rights that are guaranteed by Armenia’s
constitution and stem from its international obligations. I believe that
Armenian citizens must simply resist their country’s slide into
authoritarianism with various forms of peaceful protest. I, for example,
sympathize a lot with several local NGOs that have recently joined forces to
fight against the blatant human rights abuses. I wish more Armenians had
been involved in such activism. But my greatest disappointment is with the
West which has largely turned a blind eye to these alarming developments. If
the United States and Europe are unwilling to go to great lengths in
advancing Armenia’s democratization (which I believe they can), they must
admit that openly. That would be more honest than what they are doing now.
Minsk, Belarus: What is your opinion about the Dictator of Belarus ? Belarus
parliament adopted new law for KGB yerstoday.. KGB transform to stalin NKVD
of USSR Dr.Valery Hrytsuk [email protected] P.S. Armenia is near at
Belarus
Emil Danielyan: Frankly, I have no in-depth knowledge of Belarusian
politics. But I do know that the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko is arguably
the most undemocratic and authoritarian in Europe (the South Caucasus
included). It is “natural” for such regimes to rely heavily on a
Soviet-style security apparatus. Fortunately, Armenia’s political and media
environment is still more pluralistic than that of Belarus. However, the
overall direction in which my country is moving is certainly the one which
Belarus took when Lukashenko came to power a decade ago.
Yerevan, Armenia: Emil, when riot police attacked opposition supporters
camped out overnight on Baghramian Avenue during the early hours of the
morning, did you see any sign of provocation from the crowd that justified
the use of water cannon, electric batons and stun grenades? As I understand
that you had to literally run for safety during the attack, did you consider
identifying yourself as a journalist so as to avoid being beaten as Hayk
Gevorkyan was and so that you could cover events from the sidelines?
Emil Danielyan: I didn’t see any actions by the crowd that might have
provoked such a brutal reaction from the riot police. The protest was
absolutely peaceful. At that moment it didn’t really matter whether you are
a journalist, a woman or an elderly person. On the contrary, having a camera
was likely to get you in greater trouble. I was simply lucky to escape
unschathed.
Brussels, Belgium: Armenia’s defence minister, Serzh Sarkisian, is often
said to be the second-strongest man in the country. To an outsider, the
notion of an army man being so strong and the prominence of the army in
Armenian life since the Karabakh war seems profoundly disturbing and
ominous. How would you describe the relationship between Kocharian and
Sarkisian? Is Kocharian making any attempt to reduce the army’s influence?
Or is the army a weapon that Kocharian is completely confident about?
Emil Danielyan: The Armenian army as such does not have much influence on
politics and is not a separate institutionalized player as is the case in
countries like Turkey or Algeria. It’s just that Armenia’s defense minister
(a civilian) is the closest and most powerful associated of President
Kocharian. They have always worked in tandem, both in Armenia and Karabakh.
Serzh Sarkisian is indeed the second most powerful man in the country is
Kocharian’s most likely successor. His pervasive influence on economic
affairs is indicative of the serious problems with the rule of law in
Armenia. Lucrative business still requires strong government connections
here.
Taipei, Taiwan: If both Armenia and Azerbaijan are really eager to solve
their problems on Nagorno-Karabagh and Nakhichevan, why don’t move the
people (from NK to Nakhichevan and from Nakhichevan to NK) and then change
their names of both places (Nakhichevan as NK, and NK as Nakhichevan)?
Emil Danielyan: I don’t think the Armenians (especially those living in
Karabakh) and Azerbaijanis will ever agree to such an unusual solution. At
issue is Karabakh, not Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave. And as far as this
discussion is concerned, I must stress that the Karabakh issue is only
indirectly connected with domestic Armenian politics.
Vienna, Austria: In the West, we often hear about Armenia as relates to the
diaspora. What remains of the influence of the diaspora on the country these
days? Are they a help or a hindrance in moving Armenia forward?
Emil Danielyan: The Diaspora influence on Armenia’s political, economic and
social life has been marginal. They have rightly poured millions of dollars
worth of assistance into this country since independence, but have done
little to promote Armenia’s democratization and make its post-Soviet rulers
respect human and civil rights. For example, the only Diaspora reaction to
the dramatic events in Yerevan was a toothless statement by an
Armenian-American lobbying group calling for “dialogue” between the two
rival camps. Many Diaspora Armenians fail to understand that their
historical homeland can not become prosperous without having free elections,
freedom of speech, an independent judiciary and things like that. They often
dismiss international criticisms of the Armenian authorities’ human rights
record as being part of a U.S. ploy to make us stop campaigning for
international recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire and become dependent on modern-day Turkey. For them, the recipe for
development is nationalism, not liberal democracy. The Diaspora
organizations in the US and Europe must stop ignoring this country’s
fundamental flaws.
London, Britain: In the article that you wrote for TOL, you wrote about the
police being given “a new KGB-style function of keeping track of and
suppressing opposition”. How secret is this new role? How widely is this
known in Armenia, and do you get a sense of growing fear in the country?
Emil Danielyan: The revival of KGB-style policing is particularly visible in
small towns outside Yerevan where everyone knows each other, there is no
civil society and independent newspapers, and the authorities find it much
easier to persecute oppositionists. The recent draconian imprisonments of
several such activists are a vivid example of that. The entire
law-enforcement apparatus was given functions of secret police ahead of the
opposition campaign. That kind of policing has eased since the end of the
opposition rallies in Yerevan last month, but I have no doubts that it will
intensify again in the event of another anti-Kocharian campaign. As for a
sense of fear, I must admit that for the first time in my life felt kind of
scared while doing my job last April. If journalists experience fear during
their work then there is really something wrong with their country.
Armenia, Yerevan: Emil, you are considered one of the best and most
professional journalists in Armenia today and the authorities can’t be happy
with the coverage that RFE/RL gave to last year’s elections and the
opposition protests that occured in April and May. Do you ever feel under
pressure not to write some of the articles and analysis that you do? Has any
direct pressure been asserted on either yourself or RFE/RL? In general, are
journalists protected and able to work freely in Armenia?
Emil Danielyan: To my knowledge, there have been no instances of
intimidation or direct pressure on any of the RFE/RL reporters in Armenia in
recent years. Maybe the fact that we work for a US-funded broadcaster gives
us additional protection, I don’t know. But as I write in my article, the
April events saw the worst-ever violence against Armenian journalists. That
can not fail to make us feel more jittery, and I guess we now think more
about the consequences of our critical reporting than we did before this
crisis. But so far I have faced no government reprisals for freely
expressing myself.
Leipzig, Germany: Armenia’s history in the 1990s was turbulent and bloody,
with tanks on the streets and the 1999 massacre in parliament. What would
you say are the chief differences between then and now? Is the repression
and violence being perpetrated by Kocharian now really something new?
Emil Danielyan: The scale and the nature of the repressions is definitely
something new. After all, we didn’t have rank-and-file opposition activists
sentenced to 18 months in prison in the past. And it’s not an exaggeration
to say that Armenia has obvious political prisoners for the first time in a
decade. Fundamentally, Armenia’s current political system is no different
from what we had in the mid- and late 1990s. It’s just that there is now
more government recourse to brute force despite the fact that we a member of
the Council of Europe and should have been more democratic.
Yerevan, Armenia: Emil don’t you think that Armenia needs another 10 to 15
years of development to overcome all the hardships of transition period –
enough time for Komsomol activists to leave the sceen to new generation of
Armenian politisions.
Emil Danielyan: Well, there were plenty of Komsomol guys in East Germany,
Poland or Hungary in 1989, but that didn’t prevent those countries from
developing into established democracies. The problem is that Armenia’s
oligarchic system is becoming more and more entrenched and it could be more
difficult to change it in the future. Prospects for democratization should
improve if there is real economic development that would strengthen civil
society and make citizens less dependent on their government. But that
primarily depends on the overall situation in the South Caucasus, notably
the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
Prague, Czech Republic: Emil, thank you very much for your thorough and
thoughtful answers, and thanks to all the people who sent in questions.
Please join us again for the next TOL discussion.
Emil Danielyan: Thank you too.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
July 7, 2004
___________________
IRAQI ARMENIANS STILL FACE DANGERS FROM LACK OF SECURITY
Leaders from the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) are
continuing to discuss ways to help the Armenian community in Iraq with
leaders from other Armenian-American organizations, such as the Fund for
Armenian Relief, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, and the Armenian
Assembly of America.
The latest reports to date from Iraq’s Armenian community is that a lack
internal security of continues to affect their lives. Two Iraqi
Armenians were killed during the short war between the U.S. and Iraqi
forces. However, since the end of combat, about eight Armenians have
been killed and scores others injured by bombings, including the bombing
of the headquarters for the United Nations and for the Red Cross.
A handful of prominent Iraqi Armenians have also been kidnapped and
released after a ransom was paid.
However, leaders of the Iraqi Armenian community say none of the
Armenian victims have been targeted because of their heritage or faith,
they have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
HELPING THE COMMUNITY
Already, parishioners in the Diocese and members of other
Armenian-American organizations have sent financial aid and resources to
the Iraqi Diocese, which has a well established Women’s Guild designed
to help the poor. The Iraqi Diocese says there are roughly 265 Armenian
families in Baghdad which are in need; Armenians elsewhere are less
affected from the lack of security found in Iraq’s capital. Through
that effort, the parishioners of the Eastern Diocese have already sent
more than $13,000 to the Diocese in Iraq.
Armenian community leaders in America have been discussing a variety of
ways to pool resources and target support to the Armenians in Iraq.
They have asked the leaders of the Iraqi Armenian community to create a
prioritized list of needs. Once that list is received, the
organizations will mobilize their members to address those needs.
MEETING WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS
One issue the Armenian Diocese of Iraq has been discussing with local
leaders is regaining control of Armenian community schools, which were
nationalized in 1972.
The Armenian community was building a new school building at the time
schools were nationalized, and that building ended up being used for
government offices, which were looted and burned after the fall of
Saddam.
Since the fall of the former regime, the public schools with Armenian
students were allowed two periods a week to teach Armenian language,
history, and culture to the Armenian students, and other ethnic groups
have been allowed to do the same. Now, the Armenian Diocese of Iraq is
working on reopening full-fledged Armenian community schools.
OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN
While there are many immediate hardships in Iraq, the community has
potential for growth. Throughout the nation there are 22,000 Armenians,
15,000 of whom live in Baghdad. The Diocese has nine churches
throughout Iraq, which have not been targeted during the fighting so
none was seriously damaged.
Services have not been held in the St. Gregory Cathedral in Baghdad
since the start of fighting, due to difficulty to move about in that
part of town, which is now filled with traffic and congestion. Services
have been held in the smaller St. Garabed Church, built next to the
Armenian old-age home in a part of Baghdad that is easier to reach.
A priest training program, started in 1984, continues to thrive, with
five students currently participating. Since its beginning in 1984, the
program has ordained 12 priests.
A Sunday School program which began in 1985 with 25 students now has
430. A youth group which began in 1986 with just 12 young people, now
brings together 387.
Once the community schools are again fully operational, Diocesan
officials say they expect more than 500 young people to attend,
receiving a full education with a thorough Armenian focus.
The Eastern Diocese, along with other Armenian groups in America, will
remain in contact with the Armenian Diocese in Iraq to formulate a
coordinated effort to aid the community as the country stabilizes and
will keep Armenian Americans apprised of the situation.
— 7/7/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): This building, originally a school built by the
Armenian community of Iraq in the early 1970s, was taken over by the
former regime and turned into government offices, which were looted and
burned during the recent war. The Armenian Diocese of Iraq is working
with local Iraqi officials to regain control of its schools program, and
the trust funds to operate them, which were taken by Saddam.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): The St. Gregory Cathedral in downtown Baghdad was
not damaged during the recent fighting to liberate Iraq, however
services have not been held there for a year because of an increase in
traffic congestion.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Services normally held in the Armenian cathedral in
Baghdad, have been held in the St. Garabed Church, next to the Armenian
old age home, because it is a more convenient location.

New York Times
July 3 2004
First, Get a Green Card. Next, Hire a Publicist.
By GARY SHTEYNGART
Lately I haven’t been a good immigrant. I can’t get myself to work an
80-hour week. I won’t walk 20 blocks to save a subway fare. And I
don’t have that crazed, adrenaline-driven certainty that life will
soon get better for me or mine. Maybe it’s the gloomy times we live
in. Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s the war. But most likely it’s
that I’m sated — the young immigrant’s hunger and worries are gone.
I’m not fat and doughy just yet, but my midriff looks, to quote an
old friend, ”prosperous.”
Want and fear drive America: the want of security, dignity and wild
affluence, the fear of coming up short on all counts, the fear of
extinction in an unforgiving market economy that rewards only the
tireless and the unblinking. ”Remember the lesson of the . . . dodo
bird,” Monette Adeva Maglaya cautions the newcomer in her remarkable
new book, THE COMPLETE SUCCESS GUIDE FOR THE IMMIGRANT LIFE: How to
Survive, How to Thrive, How to Be Fully Alive (PDI Books, paper,
$19.95). ”One must learn to adapt or else, perish.”
I say Maglaya’s book is ”remarkable” not because it is a compendium
of bizarre clip art, well-worn inspirational cliches, practical
advice and religious hoo-ha, all of which it is, but because few
books have come closer to telling me what it means to be an immigrant
in America today. And if Maglaya is to be believed, it means living
in a land of turbo-Darwinism that would shock the likes of Huck Finn
and Augie March, a landscape of hucksters and dreamers, of
work-at-home schemes, fake children’s modeling contests and rampant
identity fraud. It means, for the most part, living in Southern
California amid tribes of Cambodian doughnut tycoons and Chinese
laundry empires. It means believing in God (and preferably Jesus
Christ), and making him (them) a part of everything you do.
Religious, resourceful, highly flexible and yet essentially
conservative, the immigrant is the most reliably American of all
Americans, the indispensable citizen, the bedrock of the American
dream with all its tainted pleasures and millennial lunacies.
That said, the face of immigration, or at least the face of
immigration guidebooks, is unrecognizable to me today. When my family
came to the United States from the Soviet Union around 1980, we were
given a slim instructional volume from a resettlement agency. Aimed
squarely at the Soviet immigrant, the book stressed the prodigious
use of deodorant and the need to grin painfully whenever an American
was present (”smell-‘n’-smile” is how I committed this advice to
memory).
As far as Maglaya is concerned, the modern superimmigrant has no need
for such obvious instruction. Instead, he should gain quick
proficiency with MapQuest and Google. Once these are mastered there
are ”very strong arguments” in favor of learning English, ”apart
from the usual benefit of being able to read road signs.” With
English and the yield sign under his belt, the immigrant faces the
quandary of finding a good house servant. Watch out, Maglaya warns,
for they don’t come cheap in this country. Immigrants who have had
”domestic help to do things for them” will be ”in for a shock.”
Now that the tempest-tossed refugee has secured the services of a
reputable manservant, it is time to find a suitable activity to
occupy his time. ”Should he go into business? Should he pursue the
arts?” These are all difficult decisions to make for someone who has
just sneaked across the Rio Grande, but if one finally settles on
entrepreneurship it is often helpful to ”get a professional
spokesperson or a mascot.” You know, to help out with publicity.
The author, who came to the United States in the 1980’s from the
Philippines with a master’s degree in communications, leaves us with
a list of recommended books, including Pat Buchanan’s ”Death of the
West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our
Country and Civilization” and other examples of ”the boat is full”
philosophy. Maglaya’s assessment of the way immigrant groups perceive
and treat other immigrant groups is yet another remarkable aspect of
this book. We learn, for example, that ”Jews and Armenians have long
histories of being involved in business in every area around the
world where they settle,” while Koreans have ”a somewhat hardy
resistance to acculturation.” Mexicans, despite being abundant in
the author’s adopted Southern California, are suspiciously absent
from the list of enterprising immigrant groups. Possibly they have
little of value to impart to Maglaya’s ”bright, bushy-tailed eager
beaver of a newcomer.” The world rightfully looks to America as the
nation most welcoming to immigrants — and yet what many highly
educated immigrants do not know, or do not care to know, about one
another’s struggles could fill a book. This one, for instance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress