Constitutional Referendum in Armenia: general compliance marred by incidents of serious abuse

28 Nov 2005
Relief Web
Source: Council of Europe (COE)

Yerevan, 28.11.2005 - The Council of Europe observers to the Constitutional Referendum held on 27 November 2005 in Armenia regret the decision taken by the authorities which precluded the attendance of any other international observers. The transparency of the referendum was further hampered by the decision of the parliamentary opposition to call on their members to withdraw from the electoral commissions. It is also regrettable that political pluralism inside polling stations was not better assisted by a greater number of domestic observers.

The 14-member delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities noted that the Referendum generally reflected the free will of those who voted. However, on voting day the observers witnessed serious abuse in several polling stations which cast a shadow over the credibility of the officially announced turn-out.
[...]
In conclusion, the delegation considers that the abuses that marred the referendum were against the intent and interest of the Armenian people. It expects that the Central Electoral Commission investigate thoroughly all the allegations brought to its attention and that all the necessary measures will be taken against those responsible for fraud.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

RA President Signed Decree on Instituting Prize for Contribution to Armenian Genocide Recognition

28.11.2005
PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed a decree on instituting a prize for the contribution to the Armenian Genocide recognition, reported RA leader's press service. The prize will be annual and will consist of a certificate, order and money award. The prize was instituted due to the agreement concluded with the members of Rober Poghosian & Sons Foundation and Hayastan Pan-Armenian Foundation.

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to «PanARMENIAN.Net».

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Europe on Watch as Armenia Goes to Referendum

November 27, 2005
zaman.com
By Emre Demir, Cihan News Agency

Europe as well awaits the outcome of the constitutional referendum in Armenia. The positive public response bears great importance for the Council of Europe (CE).
[...]
[...]. Joining the CE requires the acceptance of the principle of the supremacy of the law and the guaranteeing of the basic human rights and the freedoms of the citizens. CE had launched a process of reform in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, which were accepted as members in 2000.

The referendum in Armenia received a noticeably low level of international observer participation. The European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) did not send any observers to the referendum and CE sent a team of 18 observers. The elections held on November 6 in Azerbaijan however were followed by 1,500 observers from various international organizations.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

If Armenians say “Yes”, Fanatic Diaspora will Empower

November 27, 2005
zaman.com
By Foreign News Desk

The Armenian Society heads towards voting ballots in order to vote for the Constitutional change package, which will determine the power balance between the Parliament and the President.

Ankara is concerned about the package, covering 107 of the 119 articles in the Armenian Constitution. The reform package enables the fanatic Armenian Diaspora, which has a negative attitude towards Turkey, to have double citizenships.[...].
[...]
Opposition Opposes Immunity and Right to Dissolve

The opposition, however, refuses to approve the reforms. Eighteen parties united against the idea of making constitutional amendments. Those opposing the reforms package are split into two groups of “no” voters and “boycotters”.
[...]
‘Orange Revolution Far Away from Yerevan’

Political observers, on the other hand, regard the positive outcome of the referendum as being important for the political advancement of Armenia. The opposition parties may receive enough support from the public, asserted the experts, not crediting the possibility of a revolution of the kind that was experienced in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. The opposition does not have the resources to have a revolution and there is no basis for the eruption of a possible rebellion, say the experts. Most of the people are confused about the constitutional amendments; however, they will vote for these amendments anyway partly because European experts have worked out such amendments.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Noon: 1 410 555 people voted for amendments

28.11.2005
PanARMENIAN.Net

According to the data provided by the Central Electoral Commission, 1 511 934 (65,3%) out of 2 313 999 voted in the constitutional referendum in 1964 constituencies in Armenia and abroad. 1 410 555 (93,3%) voted for the amendments and 81 869 (5,4%) against. 20 326 ballots were declared invalid. To note, earlier CEC Chairman Garegin Azaryan informed no complaints have been received. [...].
[...]
{Earlier stories:
Assembly President calls on Armenians to vote in Constitutional referendum
Opposition Set For Fresh Campaign Of Rallies In Yerevan
Armenia: Both Sides Gear Up For Constitutional Referendum }

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to «PanARMENIAN.Net».

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Purchasers urged to look beyond China and India

28 November 2005
Supply Management
By Geraint John

Buyers must look further than obvious low-cost countries to source goods, according to François Xavier-Terny, co-founder of the cost consultancy Masai.28 Nov 2005.

Addressing delegates at the ProcureCon event held in Brussels last week, he said: “It's not all about China, China, China, although that’s what many CEOs seem to expect.”
[...]
Xavier-Terny said astute buyers were already looking at countries such as Morocco and Senegal for call centres, Romania for pharmaceutical contract R&D, and Armenia for software development – despite the greater risks.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

November 27, 2005
ArtDaily.com

PARIS, FRANCE.-The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today proclaimed 43 new Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity. [...]. This is UNESCO’s third proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage, an international distinction destined to raise public awareness of the value of this heritage, which includes popular and traditional oral forms of expression, music and dance, rituals and mythologies, knowledge and practices concerning the universe, know-how linked to traditional crafts, as well as cultural spaces. Often vulnerable, this heritage, a repository of cultural diversity, is essential to the identity of communities and peoples.

The 43 masterpieces proclaimed this year are:

[...]
- Duduk Music (Armenia)
[...]

The 43 new masterpieces were proposed to the Director-General by an 18-member jury chaired by Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan. The jury met from 20 to 24 November to examine 64 national and multinational candidatures. A total of 47 masterpieces were proclaimed in 2001 and 2003. Twenty-seven of them have already benefited from UNESCO’s support, particularly from safeguarding operations which received financial assistance from Japan.

This third proclamation will probably be the last. [...].
[...]

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The Perception Gap

24 November 2005
TOL
by Haroutiun Khachatrian

A recent comparative study shows that residents of the three South Caucasus republics have low levels of tolerance for other ethnic groups and people, with a limited understanding of the role of democracy in resolving conflicts.

The study, “Tolerance and Regional Peace Building,” written by Anahit Mkrtchian, a Yerevan-based independent scholar, examined perceptions of democracy and tolerance levels in Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan, based on data culled by public opinion pollsters in 2004. The findings, released in Yerevan on 20 September, showed that only 14.6 percent of the Armenian capital’s inhabitants and 9.7 percent of Tbilisi’s and Baku’s residents considered democracy-building to be important for their countries. [...].
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Correspondingly, trust in parliaments, courts, and political parties ranked below 50 percent in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. Of all three cases, Yerevan was distinctive as the city with the lowest trust toward official structures. Only 16 percent of the 1,500 Yerevan respondents reported trusting the courts, while in Tbilisi and Baku, the Georgian and Azeri capitals, respectively, the percent recorded was twice that number. Belief in the police’s ability to protect city residents was also low: less than 20 percent of Yerevan and Tbilisi respondents said that they trusted law-enforcement agents, while in Baku that number reached a mere 41 percent.
[...]
Military and executive leaders enjoy the greatest degree of trust in all three Caucasian capitals, the study found. Over 70 percent of respondents in Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan expressed trust in the army. Similarly, 84.8 percent of Baku and 86.4 percent of Tbilisi inhabitants expressed belief in their countries’ presidents. By March 2005, those ratings had dipped to 62 percent for Azeri President Ilham Aliev and 76 percent for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In Yerevan, by contrast, only 30.3 percent of the capital’s population trusted President Robert Kocharian. That number had increased by more than 15 percentage points by March 2005, when 45 percent of respondents said they trusted the Armenian leader.
[...]
At the same time, while trust in executive leaders was high in Baku and Tbilisi, considerable skepticism existed in all three capitals about the role of non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups and media. Again, Yerevan stood out with comparatively lower trust in media and NGOs. [...] NGOs, in particular, are often seen as a source of additional income for current government officials, while NGOs and media are seen as a safety net for unemployed intelligentsia.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Oskanian: Karabakh Talks Underwent «Drastic Changes» during 10 Years

25.11.2005
PanARMENIAN.Net

During the past 10 years the talks over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict underwent «drastic changes», Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated in Los Angeles. [...].

[...] «After the conflict began international developments and processes of self-determination in various parts of the world radically changed the international community's attitude towards the issue in question. We witnessed declaration of independence of East Timor via referendum, signing of an agreement in Sudan, which ended a long-term conflict owing to an agreement over a referendum,» the Armenian FM said. [...].

«Politics and law experts increasingly recognize the opportunity and the actuality of exercising the right for self-determination if certain circumstances are available,» the Armenian FM added. [...] the NK conflict essence lies in the territorial issue. «When the conflict began, there were no territories controlled by Armenians outside NK. These territories were taken under control of Armenia not only due to the differences over the NK status, but due to Azerbaijan trying to suppress the yearning to self-determination by force,» V. Oskanian summed up.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

GEORGIA: Religious minorities still second-class faiths?

25 November 2005
Forum 18, Oslo, Norway
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service

Only two in-country non-Orthodox religious communities in Georgia – the Mormons and the Muslims - have received state registration, Forum 18 News Service has found. [...].
[...]
Without legal status, religious communities cannot own property communally, run communal bank accounts, or go to court as a community. This leads to some strange anomalies. "It is completely unacceptable that the Armenian Apostolic cathedral in Tbilisi is owned personally by the archbishop," a priest of the Armenian Church told Forum 18 from the church headquarters at Echmiadzin in Armenia on 21 November. "We want legal status as a fully-fledged religious community. It is only right and proper."

Registration of religious organisations became possible – for the first time in 15 years - after parliament on 6 April 2005 approved amendments to the Civil Code, allowing religious communities to register with the Ministry of Justice.[...].
[...]
These communities want to have status as public legal personalities, a status granted only to the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate in a controversial 2002 Concordat between the Orthodox Church and the state. The Concordat not only granted the Orthodox Patriarchate legal status, but also numerous privileges denied to all other religious communities. [...].
[...]
Mindiashvili of the Ombudsperson's Office [...] said that while he has detected little discontent with the new registration terms from Protestants and other minorities, the Catholics and Armenians have been public about their objections.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Turkish delegation vote on Gyumri-Kars railroad

November 26, 2005
Hurriyet

Turkey is said to have voted for a resolution this week at the Black Sea Economic Council calling for reopening of the Gyumri-Kars railroad, currently closed due to the Turkish blockade. The resolution was passed by the council reported the Regnum agency. The railroad has been closed since the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. Currently, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan plan to build a new railroad line that will exclude the Armenian town of Gyumri – Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku.

The Regnum agency reported: "On November 24, a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Tirana (Albania) supported a proposition of the Armenian delegation to start of railroad line Kars (Turkey) – Gyumri (Armenia) – Tbilisi (Georgia) – Baku (Azerbaijan). Armenia is motivated by the fact, that the railroad, which is currently idle because of Turkey’s position, could connect four countries of the region – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey."
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Israeli chief rabbi in historic Armenia visit

24/Nov/2005
European Jewish Press
By David Dahan

Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi Yona Metzger said the Jewish community recognizes the 1915 Turkish massacre of Armenians as a genocide, during an historic visit to Armenia on Tuesday. {see Israel’s Chief Rabbi Remembers Armenian Genocide Victims }
[...]
Turkish ’shocked’

Deniz Saporta, the press officer for Turkey’s chief rabbi Itzak Haleva, told EJP that Turkey’s Jewish community did not want to interfere on the national debate of the genocide.

"We only heard about it today, and we are a little shocked," Saporta said. "Let the historians do their job and then we will se," she added. No official statement from the rabbinate was released so far.

"It is rather a surprise, In my personal opinion, to see a Jewish religious leader accepting Armenian allegations of genocide," Selcuk Gultasli, Zaman publications Brussels Representative, told EJP.

"The Chief Rabbi should have read one of the most respected Ottoman history scholars, American professor of Jewish origin Bernard Lewis who calls the claims unfounded."

"It is ironical that it was the Ottoman Empire that saved Spanish Jews from another genocide in Spain in the 1492 by shipping them to Turkey," Gultasli concluded.
[...]
Denying genocide

Marc Knobel, a charge d’affaire for the CRIF Jewish umbrella organization in France stressed that there was not a single view on the debate in Israel; some scholars and politicians do not believe it was a genocide, but many in Israel disagreed.

"The declarations of the Israeli Chief rabbi are honorable. It is totally respectuous of the Armenian tragedy to qualify these events as a genocide," he stressed.
[...]
"The CRIF has a moderate and reasonable view on the matter," Knobel added, alluding to the organization engaged dialogue with Armenian groups. "Without comparing and equalizing each genocide, we can say that the mass extermination of Armenians, Jews, Cambodians and Tutsis in Rwanda are genocides," he said. "without omitting the specificity of the Shoah."

"It is just shameful that many people, and among them Jews, deny the Armenian genocide for despicable reasons," Knobel concluded.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Arnold Schwartzeneger Greets Telethon 2005

24 November 2005
Armenia Diaspora

Yerevan, November 24, Armenpress: The governor of the US State of California Arnold Schwartzeneger greeted today the Telethon 2005 charity initiative organized by the "Hayastan" Pan-Armenian Foundation.

The governor said he is happy that people serve their compatriots and help them. "I greet the American Armenians who are putting their efforts towards the strengthening of Nagorno Karabagh. This initiative will promote the development of Karabagh transport infrastructure, health and education spheres as well as will promote the prosperity in the country," said the Californian governor.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Georgia Loses Its Function in the World

November 24,2005
Daily Georgian Times
By Levan Pirveli from Austria, exclusively for The Georgian Times

[...]
Austrian energy giant OMV has developed a gas pipeline project called Nabuko, which would run across Armenia-Turkey-Bulgaria (Serbia Chernogoria)-Romania-Hungary-Austria. The gas pipelines operating in Armenia may deliver Azeri, Iranian and Russian gas (through the gas pipeline operating in Azerbaijan). Latest research in the Caspian region has shown that the Caspian oil resources are less than previously predicted, while reserves in the Shah-Deniz deposit exceeded expectations.

[...] gas will be the focal point of interests in the region. For the same reason, Armenia is likely to turn into a critical junction for gas distribution. Given that Armenia remains a military and political ally of Russia and its energy sector is under Russian control, the new project will run under Russian surveillance.
[...]
At a glance, the weak point of this pipeline is the relationships between Armenia and Azerbaijan and between Armenia and Turkey.

Today Russia prefers to search for a solution to these intractable problems rather than run a political risk and let natural gas flow via US-controlled Georgia. Detente and rapprochement between Tbilisi and Moscow seems less plausible than peacemaking between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Kocharian did not Rule out Armenia Officially Recognizing NKR

24.11.2005
PanARMENIAN.Net

«I do not rule out Yerevan recognizing the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) or joining the NKR to Armenia in case the talks are exhausted without any outcomes,» stated Armenian President Robert Kocharian.

In his words, the de facto recognition of the NKR by Armenia has taken place long ago. R. Kocharian reminded that the NKR uses Armenian currency – dram, and there is a common customs zone, etc.

«At the moment a serious integration process is under way, the relations between Armenia and the NKR can be considered as a disproportionate confederation,» the Armenian leader stated in an interview with the Delo Slovenian newspaper, reported Mediamax.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

TURKEY: NEW CODE PENALISES FREE EXPRESSION

IFEX

Turkey's bid to join the European Union has come under renewed criticism following reports that legal reforms aimed at satisfying EU standards on human rights are failing to safeguard freedom of expression and press freedom.

International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) says Turkey's amended Penal Code, enacted in June 2005, has not led to fewer court cases brought against writers, publishers and journalists. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. Growing numbers of individuals are being sued under Article 301, which penalises those who insult the military and the State.

The Article states, "A person who explicitly insults being a Turk, the Republic or the Turkish Grand National Assembly, shall be imposed a penalty of imprisonment for a term of six months to three years."
[...]
WiPC says there are about 60 individuals who are facing court proceedings in Turkey because of what they wrote or published.

They include publisher Ragip Zarakolu, newspaper editor Ersen Korkmaz, Rahmi Yildirim, Emin Karaca and Sehmus Ülek, vice-president of the human rights group Mazlum-Der.

In its latest report on Turkey's progress toward meeting EU membership criteria, the EU says the Penal Code will have to be amended if prosecutors continue to open new cases against individuals who express their opinions peacefully.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Transeuro Energy-Armenia-Update

NOVEMBER 23, 2005
CCNMatthews

[...]
The Company has designed and completed a data room with the goal to collect information to prepare for drilling exploration wells on two known plays, the Oktemberian gas and Shorakpour oil prospects. [...].

Transeuro has identified 10 drilling targets in the Kamir (formerly known as Oktemberian) region 65 kilometers south-west of Yerevan and 2 drilling targets in Shorakhpur region 15 kilometers east of Yerevan. The Company will pursue farm-in opportunities for participation in drilling these targets.

[...] The Company has [...] determined the amount of possible hydrocarbon pay in each well, examined the potential to re-enter and work over some of the old wells. A preliminary [...] report confirms the presence of gas pay in the Kamir wells and oil pay in the Shorakhpur wells.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Apply for summer program in Armenia

November 24, 2005
Belmont Citizen Herald

The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association is recruiting students to apply for its summer program in partnership with School No. 190 in the Southwest District of Yerevan, Armenia.

CYSCA has been sponsoring youth exchange programs to Armenia since 1994 and Belmont High School students and teachers have enjoyed this partnership relationship since 2000. Former Belmont teachers in residence in Armenia, funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, have been Luke Bruffee, Cheryl Shushan, Alison Thalmann, and Nancy Aykanian.
[...]
The program offers a realistic introduction to teenage life in Armenia and the political, social, educational and economic challenges of a landlocked country in the Caucuses, with a 98 percent literacy rate. Armenia was the former site of the Soviet Olympic national training grounds and the largest Soviet telescope and observatory, was the seat of mathematics, science and physics for the former Soviet Union; and held the highest production rate of semi-finished goods during communism.
[...]
Programming includes: attending a political science class at Yerevan State University; visiting the World Bank office; and students interested in medicine will be invited to tour a city hospital and observe surgery in the operating room. In addition they will visit the U.S. Embassy, United Nations Building and Peace Corps office, volunteer at an orphanage, ride amusements at Victory Park, attend an open air concert, go to the opera, shop in Armenia's outdoor craft markets, travel through four seasons in one day, dance at a disco, make lavash bread in an Armenian village, visit 3,000-year-old historical sights, walk among ancient ruins, visit orphanages, go to museums, swim in the "Caribbean" of Armenia, enjoy an ice cream by the singing fountains in Republic Square, work on joint projects, and volunteer side by side with Armenian students to make a difference in the country.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Town twinners look to Armenia

24 November 2005
Bucks Free Press
By Sam Clements

THE Mayor of High Wycombe has visited two towns in Armenia which have been nominated for twinning with High Wycombe.

Idjevan and Dilidjan, in the north-east province of Tavoosh, have been put forward by members of the Chilterns Armenian Society (CAS), chaired by Odette Bazil.
[...]
Mayor Ali said: "It was an excellent five-day visit and we had a wonderful reception from the people and mayors of each town.

"The Town Twinning Association is now considering the proposal and the potential for developing cultural, trade and education links between the two countries."

The tour was met by the third secretary of the Armenian Ambassador to London and the British Council in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. They generated huge interest from locals and the media, visited attractions in each town and a small concert in honour of Mayor Ali at the Idjevan Academy of Music.

[...] Mrs Bazil hopes the proposal will introduce Armenian culture to British people.

She added: "We want to portray an accurate and meaningful picture of Armenian origins, culture, craft and music to a society that already understands cultural diversity."
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

ATP 'Enters the Forest' With Large-Scale Reforestation Program

22 Nov 2005
Groong
ATP Press Release

YEREVAN--Nearly 120,000 tree seedlings for reforestation were purchasedthis Fall by Armenia Tree Project (ATP) from backyard nurseries owned by residents of the rural villages of Aghavnavank, Dzoravank, and Aygut. These rural communities are inhabited by Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and are located in the Getik River Valley near Lake Sevan.
[...]
In 2004, as part of its 10th anniversary, ATP announced the beginningof its first large scale reforestation initiative, which was strongly encouraged by its many generous donors. This phase of the project was made possible through a leadership gift of $100,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Barber of Maine, who have been enthusiastic supporters since 1995.

In the early 1990s, Gus Barber visited Armenia and witnessed people with no work, food, or prospects for improvement. "Trees were being cut down everywhere, and people cannot live without trees," he told ATP. Gus was so struck by the unfortunate plight of Armenia that he made a commitment to improving the situation.

Gus' personal experiences as the son of Armenian immigrants gave him a particular appreciation for the hardships of others. In 1955, he started a small business with just three employees. Today, as President of Barber Foods, he employs over 850 workers. Over 40 percent of his staff are immigrants, and each year he pays college tuition for 25 employees. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in September.

Gus takes great pride in his own flourishing orchard of walnut, apple, and other fruit trees, plus a large stand of wild Maine blueberries. In recent years, the Barber Family supported the planting of over 5,000 walnut and almond trees at pilgrimage sites and in rural villages throughout Armenia. Gus was instrumental in assisting ATP with thebackyard fruit tree renewal project in Aygut, which was completed inFall 2004.

ATP established a unique backyard nursery pilot project in 2003 in Aygut. Working closely with communities and local officials, ATP entered into agreements with families interested in growing tree seedlings to be sold to ATP for reforestation of the mountainssurrounding their village.
[...]
In early 2005, ATP was planning to plant 90,000 trees in observance ofthe 90th anniversary of the Genocide. However, due to the expansionand success of this rural economic development program, the backyardnurseries produced 120,000 seedlings ready for planting. This, incombination with ATP's Community Tree Planting program, will resultin the planting of over 170,000 trees, far exceeding the number oftrees ever planted by ATP in a single year.

After signing contracts with ATP, each backyard nursery owner was provided with a variety of seeds from nearby forests as well as the necessary tools and equipment. In addition, ATP agro-specialists regularly visited the nurseries to provide technical assistance andtraining to the farmers. Participants were taught how to maintainsoil and properly nurture their seedlings, which needed to achieve a threshold height of 30 cm before being eligible for purchase by ATP.

According to a household survey conducted by ATP in 2003, theaverage annual income of rural villagers in Aygut was only $280,so the money earned by the families and workers involved in thisproject has provided a desperately needed source of income.
[...]
ATP was founded in 1994 with the vision of securing Armenia's futureby protecting its environment and advancing Armenia's socio-economicdevelopment by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation and communitytree planting. ATP uses trees to improve the standard of living ofArmenians, promoting self-sufficiency and aiding those with fewestresources first.

In just over 10 years, ATP has planted and rejuvenated nearly 750,000trees at more than 500 sites in 11 regions of Armenia and Artsakh. Withthe establishment of the new Mirak Family Reforestation nursery inMargahovit and expansion of the Backyard Nursery program, ATP hopesto soon be planting over one million trees per year in Armenia. Foradditional information, visit www.armeniatree.org or call toll-free(866) 965-TREE.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Kocharian: Armenia was Never against Turkey Accession to EU

23.11.2005 00:10

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «Armenia has never been against Turkey's accession to the EU,» stated Armenian President Robert Kocharian in Ljubljana during today's joint news conference with Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek.

“We only said that the process of accession and conditions put forward by the EU should be unified for all candidates. There should be no beneficial terms, conditioned by the strategic position of any country, its size or population number,” the Armenian leader said.

Countries working for EU membership should establish good relations with all their neighbors and recognize their past, he also said.

«As for the process of Turkey's accession to the EU itself, it will be favorable to us, as we will have a more predictable neighbor, and Armenia's border with Turkey will be our border with the EU,» Kocharian stated, reported Mediamax.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Israel’s Chief Rabbi Remembers Armenian Genocide Victims

22, November 2005
Armenia Liberty
By Anna Saghabalian

Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger referred to the 1915-1918 massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide and prayed for its estimated 1.5 million victims at the end of a two-day visit to Armenia on Tuesday.
[...]
“I would definitely use the term genocide,” he told reporters at the Tsitsernakabert memorial. “The photographs and documents that we saw at the Genocide Museum say it all. And the tears that we barely held back as walked through the museum were not contrived.”

“Nobody can feel the pain of the Armenians more deeply than we Jews,” he added.
[...]
Metzger stressed at Tsitsernakabert that religion is strictly separated from the state in Israel, implying that his view on the Armenian genocide should not be associated with the Israeli government’s position on the subject. The Jewish state refuses to recognize the 1915 mass killings as genocide, anxious not to alienate Turkey with which it maintains close political and security ties.

But a growing number of Israeli politicians and especially scholars are calling for a change in this policy. Among them is Yuri Stern, a member of the Israeli parliament who accompanied Metzger on the Armenia trip. He drew parallels between the Armenian genocide and the Jewish Holocaust.

“Hitler’s remark that the world didn’t care about the Armenian tragedy was not accidental,” Stern said. “For those assassins who exterminated one third of our people, the fact that the world was silent when Armenians were being killed was a sort of license to kill Jews. We know this and must not place political expediency above everything else.”

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Assembly President calls on Armenians to vote in Constitutional referendum

23 de noviembre de 2005
Council of Europe

The President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, René van der Linden, has appealed to all Armenian citizens to participate in the forthcoming Constitutional referendum on 27 November.

“The revision of the Constitution is a major political event that will affect the daily lives of all Armenian citizens. It is therefore important that everyone expresses their opinion,” he said.

“Failure of this referendum due to a too low turnout, a repetition of what happened during the first Constitutional referendum on 25 May 2003, would be a major setback for Armenia’s progress in fulfilling some of the most important commitments the country made when joining the Council of Europe.”

The President concluded: “This is an opportunity for Armenians to show their commitment to Europe.”

Two Council of Europe bodies, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, will observe the referendum. The Consitutional reform was also the subject of an opinion by the Council’s group of experts in constitutional law, the Venice Commission.

Link to President’s comments following his visit to Armenia

Link to Venice Commission’s final opinion

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Opposition Set For Fresh Campaign Of Rallies In Yerevan

21, November 2005
Armenia Liberty
By Emil Danielyan

The Armenian opposition shed more light on its plans to use Sunday’s constitutional referendum for another attempt at regime change, announcing over the weekend that its campaign of street protests in Yerevan will begin on voting day.
[...]
Sarkisian and other leaders of the opposition coalition have been campaigning across the country in motorcades made up of dozens of cars. On Saturday they drove through villages in the wine-growing area south of Yerevan, dropping leaflets and making brief stops in some of them before holding rallies in Artashat and the nearby town of Ararat. [...].
[...]
Meanwhile, officials at the regional branch of the pre-referendum “Yes” campaign sounded upbeat about their chances of winning popular support for Kocharian’s Western-backed constitutional changes. “I have no doubt that 70-75 percent of local voters will take part in the referendum,” its deputy head, Volodya Mazmanian, told RFE/RL, predicting a record-high turnout in Armenia’s post-Soviet history.
[...]
There is visibly less public interest in the referendum than in the 2003 elections. Attendance at opposition meetings is now significantly lower, and the “Yes” campaign holds similarly small indoors gatherings mostly attended by public sector employees.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia: Both Sides Gear Up For Constitutional Referendum

21 November 2005
RFE/RL
By Liz Fuller

Armenia's estimated 2.4 million registered voters will be called upon to vote on 27 November in a referendum on a package of draft constitutional amendments. Passage will require that a minimum of one-third of those voters approve the amendments -- which the United States, European Union, and Council of Europe have described as "vital" for the ongoing reform process.

But most opposition parties reject the amendments, arguing that the Armenian authorities themselves lack legitimacy, and therefore do not have the right to reform the country's basic law. The opposition is therefore urging voters to boycott the referendum, the outcome of which they accuse the leadership of planning to falsify.
[...]
In a 28 October address to students at Yerevan State University [...], Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian sought to demolish the opposition's arguments against the proposed changes and the "myths" that he said have grown up around some of them. Oskanian dismissed as "excuses with no underpinnings" the argument that the present Armenian leadership does not have the right to reform the constitution because it was not legitimately elected and has repeatedly violated it. He further dismissed as "myths" claims that the revised constitution would make it possible for the parliament to endorse changes in the country's borders, without the issue being put to a nationwide referendum; would give non-citizens the chance to buy unlimited quantities of land in Armenia; would make it possible, by removing the existing ban on dual citizenship, for Diaspora Armenians to play the decisive role in running the country; and would grant the incumbent president immunity from prosecution and lift the existing ban on a president serving more than two consecutive terms.
[...]
According to an opinion poll conducted by the Vox Populi center in Yerevan in early November and summarized on 18 November by Noyan Tapan, 54 percent of respondents intend to participate in the referendum, of whom 46.6 percent said they will vote "yes." Whether that comparatively low level of support is due to deep-rooted discontent with the present leadership remains unclear.

Equally unclear is what percentage of voters have a clear understanding of the changes they are being asked to approve, especially as voters are required to say "yes" or "no" to the entire package rather than to vote on individual changes or, as was the case in the 2002 Azerbaijani constitutional referendum, on groups of proposed amendments.[...].

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Fridtjof Nansen -- Son of Norway

News of Norway, issue 7, 1999

Fridtjof Nansen went where no man had gone before - both as an explorer and a humanitarian. For these achievements, the readers of Norway's second largest newspaper Aftenposten voted him the most prominent Norwegian of the century.
[...].
Humanitarian achievements

Fridtjof Nansen's humanitarian achievements were fueled by his simple creed: Charity means practical politics.

Nansen got involved in the relocation of 450,000 refugees of war from 26 countries in 1920. The famous Nansen Passport saved an innumerable amount of people in 1921, when 30 million Russians were saved from starvation. During the Greek-Turkish war, Nansen helped many minority groups return to their native countries. In 1924, he helped bring peace to the region. The Armenian tragedy, in which approximately 900,000 people were killed by the Turks, was an emotional and poignant event for Nansen. For his efforts, he was named the first ever UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and in 1922 he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Nansen is remembered not only in Norway. In 1995, he was celebrated in Russia on a 50 ruble gold coin, and in 1996, Armenia put Nansen's picture on a stamp.

Fridtjof Nansen died on May 13, 1930 at 68 years of age.

[...]
"Kindness achieves more than cruelty"

In his Nobel address, Nansen did not spare those he held responsible for the famine in Russia in 1921. "In all probability their motives were political. They epitomize sterile self-importance and the lack of will to understand people who think differently...They call us romantics, weak, stupid, sentimental idealists, perhaps because we have some faith in the good which exists even in our opponents and because we believe that kindness achieves more than cruelty."
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Jon Huntsman and Armenia

NOVEMBER 19, 2005
Business Week
By Bremen Leak

Until his family business went public this year, Jon Huntsman sat at the top of the world's largest privately held chemical company, Huntsman Corp. (HUN ) Nearing bankruptcy just a few years ago, Huntsman staged a remarkable comeback. Now it's paying off pledges and thanking supporters with new gifts.

A cancer survivor, the University of Pennsylvania graduate continually funds his cancer institute and the Wharton School at his alma mater. [...]. I mentioned in my book that my father was a rural schoolteacher, and I'm not Jewish, but a wonderful Jewish family gave me a scholarship to the Wharton school.
[...]
How has your philanthropy evolved with the global expansion of your business?

We have the need of food and shelter in many countries, but we're getting more into medical care and particularly cancer care in different parts of the world. It started strictly with the earthquake of 1988 in Armenia, and that evolved into a lot of apartments-- 40-unit apartment buildings. We've been building those for probably 15 years. We've brought in trainloads of food -- 75 railcars at a time -- during harsh winters of '93 and '94.

We opened a beautiful new school, one of the largest in Armenia, about a year and a half ago, and we continuously provide medical equipment and supplies.

It's always been a labor of love, and it's been a great source of joy to be able to do this, particularly in areas where we have facilities and where people really appreciate the private sector getting involved.

I'm not Armenian or from any of those areas, but it doesn't matter. When it comes to charity and humanitarian focus, one is totally color-blind.

How do you make sure that your charitable dollars are doing the most work?

I have people here in my office who are just focused on our charitable giving, and what they focus on, under my direction, is to see that our dollars go directly to the people involved and not into administration. We're very, very careful when we give these large sums of money, for instance, to Armenia. We do it through our own warehouses. We distribute food through our own warehouses -- and fuel, eyeglasses, concrete panels that we build to construct buildings. We do all the distribution ourselves in countries where we're large enough, so that we can have total accountability with our own people. In areas where we can't, we ensure that the overhead is as minimal as possible. [...].

How should charity-minded companies respond during economic downturns?

Corporations, in my opinion, have as much of an obligation to putting back into society as they do to enhancing shareholders' wealth. You won't hear that from many people, but I believe that firmly. During the difficult years of Huntsman, in 2001, 2002, and 2003, when energy costs were extremely high and the company was not profitable because of recession and energy costs spiraling out of control, I simply had to borrow money from banks to keep the cancer institute going, to keep my obligations at Wharton and to universities and Armenia. You can't just give money during good years, because during good years most charitable causes are flush with funds anyway. The time they need them is during the difficult times when most people say: "I can't afford to give anymore." That's the exact time when you have to honor your commitments and to stand up and let your character and your integrity be more than your pocketbook.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Chief Rabbi of Israel Meets Catholicos of All Armenians

14:02:21 22-11-2005 Official
A1Plus

SUPREME SPIRITUAL LEADERS MET

By invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II the delegation led by the Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger arrived in Yerevan November 21. This is the first in the history visit of the Chief Rabbi to Armenia.

Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II received Yona Metzger in Holy Echmiadzin.

Welcoming the guest His Holiness presented him the history and mission of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

For his part Yona Metzger thanked for the wonderful reception and noted the warm relationships between the Armenian and Jewish people. The interlocutors also stressed that historical processes drew together the two nations strengthening mutual respect between them.

The delegation headed by the Chief Rabbi is as well expected to visit the National Academy of Sciences and Matenadaran.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

IWPR Photojournalism - ARMENIA’S YEZIDIS

IWPR
Photographs by Andrei Liankevich
Text by Zhanna Alexanian and Andrei Liankevich, Aug 2005

A glimpse into the life of Armenia’s biggest minority community as it struggles to survive in the 21st century.

The Yezidis, also known as Yezidi Kurds, are Armenia’s largest minority community. Life is hard but generally they do not blame Armenians and have good relations with them. Their main complaints are against the Armenian government.

Many Yezidis began to settle in Armenia during the Russian-Turkish wars of the 19th century and more fled with Armenians during the massacres of 1915.

Neither Christian nor Muslim, practicing their own ancient rites, the Yezidis stayed when Azerbaijanis and Muslim Kurds fled Armenia at the beginning of the Nagorny Karabakh dispute in 1988-90.

They keep an ancient nomadic lifestyle and live by breeding cattle and sheep.

According to Armenia’s 2003 census, there are more than 40,000 Yezidis in the country and they comprise three per cent of the population. The head of the Union of Yezidis, Aziz Tamoyan, puts the figure at around 30,000.

Difficult social conditions have caused many to emigrate, especially to Russia, over the last few years. Around fifty families have left the village of Zovuni in the Kotaik region alone.

During land privatisation in 2002 many Yezidis lost their pastures and were unable to press their case with the authorities. They also complain that they have lost irrigation water for their orchards, while nearby Armenian villages have water.

The Yezidis have no representatives in the government or parliament.

[...]“It is the nomadic life. I myself am disappointed with this life.”“You cannot keep a family on 100 to 150 sheep, you can just exist on that. You can’t save any money, we buy all of our animal feed. The agriculture ministry doesn’t help us at all. I am tired of living this life.” {said 42 year old Suren Tamoyan}

[...] The photographs shown here by Andrei Liankevich trace the nomadic life of the Yezidis, which is closely intertwined with the seasons. They are always ready to move on so there is nothing superfluous. Everything is connected to the animals – the wool, cheese for sale, yarn, blocs of dung dried by the houses just by the entrance. They have very little furniture and you rarely see photos of relatives on the walls.
[...]
The future of Armenia’s Yezidis depends crucially on the next children keeping the culture and language. Currently Armenia has no Yezidi schools or textbooks and all education is done in Armenian. But the Armenian education ministry has promised that there will soon be Yezidi text books and classes taught in their language twice a week.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Ancient Armenian province shows war scars

November 20, 2005
THE FLINT JOURNAL
By Carol Azizian
cazizian@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6245

[...]
The Nagorno Karabagh Republic (also known as Artsakh), with a population under 200,000, is a lush, mountainous region with fast-flowing rivers, deep canyons and picturesque valleys.[...].

[...] Karabagh was the center of a military conflict between Armenians and Azeris in the late 1980s and early 1990s. [...].

Karabagh is rising from the ashes with a beautiful, white stone church (built in the mid-1800s) in the heart of Shushi; a spartan, but modern hotel with hot water and a restaurant that serves tasty fare such as stuffed grape leaves; Internet cafes and a Western-style supermarket in the nearby capital city of Stepanakert.
[...]
A museum dedicated to the "martyrs" of the war houses garments that belonged to a bride and groom who went off to fight before their wedding day and never returned.
[...]
In Stepanakert's Artsakh State Museum, there's an assortment of artifacts, geological specimens and modern relics from World War II as well as from the past decade, including a handmade wooden gun used in the recent war.

In a small carpet factory, you can watch women working on large looms, making rugs that are shipped to the United States and elsewhere.

A bus trip to the Gandzasar (meaning treasure mountain) Monastery feels like a journey to the end of the Earth. Situated at the top of a mountain, it overlooks a sea of green forests.

Built in the early 13th century, the monastery reputedly is the location of a shrine that contained the skull of St. John the Baptist, which had been brought here from Palestine during the Crusades.

The monastery was bombarded by the Azeris during the war and you still can see holes in the exterior walls. The priest here is a good storyteller who relates the trials and miracles he experienced during those years.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Visit to Armenian Jerusalem

11.20.05
YnetNews
By Ron Peled

The Armenian and Jewish peoples have several things in common: Both have a defined religion and nationality, both have a past of continuous pogroms and persecutions, and both have been subjected to genocide – the Armenians during the first World War and the Jews during the second. Both peoples have realized their age-old dreams of national independence in the modern period, we in 1948, and the Armenians in 1991.

To our happiness, both Jews and Armenians have quarters in the Old City of Jerusalem – and this time we will visit the pearl of the Armenian Quarter, The Saint James Church.

The uniqueness of the Armenian Quarter is its being placed within its own walls, in addition to the walls of the Old City. The Quarter, sort of its own enclosed ghetto, takes up around a sixth of the territory of the Old City, and is home to around 2,000 Armenian, both secular and religious (another point in common with the Jewish people). Most earn a livelihood from local businesses, artwork (like the famous ceramics), printing and academe.
[...]
James, known in Hebrew as Yaakov, the brother of Johannan, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. According to Christian tradition his head was chopped off by Herod Agrippas in the year 44 CE. His head is buried here, in a small room off the Church, and the rest of his body is scattered in burial sites around the Church.
[...]
In the center of the church is the central Capella, called in Christianity "Opsis". Here, the altar another Yaakov is buried, the brother of Jesus and the first Bishop of Jerusalem. His body was brought here from Nahal Kidron.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Nalbandian "shocks world" at Masters Cup

Nov 20, 2005
Reuters
By Alastair Himmer

SHANGHAI, Nov 20 (Reuters) -

[...]
Nalbandian was the first Argentine to reach the final since Guillermo Vilas won the title in 1974 but an exhausted Federer refused to lie down.

The Swiss, out on his feet and barely able to run, bravely dragged himself back from 4-0 down in the fifth set to serve for the match at 6-5.
[...]
Nalbandian, who was beaten by Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in the 2002 Wimbledon final, said his Masters Cup victory would give him a psychological boost.
[...]
Federer had won his previous 35 matches and his last 24 tournament finals before falling to Nalbandian -- a fact not lost on the Argentine.

"He didn't lose many matches during the year and he never loses in finals," smiled Nalbandian, who picked up $1.4 million and a new Mercedes for his week's work.

"It's really important for me. I really surprised everybody with this victory."

Nalbandian remembered to thank Andy Roddick, whose back injury allowed him to enter the elite eight-man tournament in Shanghai.

"I need to thank him," he said. "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here."

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Sister City plan runs into snag

11/20/2005
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
By Pam Wight Staff Writer

MONTEBELLO - Montebello's newest Sister City program has come under fire from an ambassador for the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The conflict surfaced after Montebello city officials inaugurated the city of Stepanakert for the program Sept. 25.

Stepanakert is a capital city of a disputed region of Azerbaijan.

Now, Azerbaijan Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev has written to both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Montebello Mayor Bill Molinari, warning that sensitive peace negotiations with Armenia could be disrupted by Montebello's move to create a sister-city relationship with Stepanakert.

Schwarzenegger's office responded by telling Pashayev that it was a local issue and referred his concerns to Molinari.

Molinari answered Pashayev in writing, saying the city would continue with its Sister City plans.

Telephone calls to Pashayev were not returned.
[...]
The Sister City idea was created in the hopes of sharing resources with Nagorno Karabakh and encouraging investment by Americans, Serge Samoniantz, {chairman of the San Gabriel Valley Armenian National Committee and an organizer of the Sister City program in Montebello,} said.
[...]
On Saturday, the president of Nagorno Karabakh visited the Montebello-based Armenian Center as part of an international fund-raising effort to help pay for infrastructure building in the region.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

27 MILLION AMD AS A RESULT OF THE TELEPHONE-MARATHON

18-11-2005
A1Plus

On November 16-18 the Pan-Armenian Fund «Armenia» organized the annual telephone-marathon during which about 1500 small and medium organizations were phoned. The result exceeded last year's index of 15 million AMD.

About 27 million AMD (some $60 thousand in USD)was gathered which proves that the Armenian telephone-marathons become more and more effective year by year. The sum gathered will be spent on the program «Renaissance of Artsakh», the first phase of which is the reconstruction of the Martakert region of NKR.

Suchlike events will also be organized abroad. November 17-20 French local body of the fund holds the traditional «phonethon». During the first day more than 300 thousand Euros have been gathered.

Another marathon organized in Argentina resulted in gathering 50 thousand USD.

The Fund continues to get donations from different people and organizations the names of which will be announced during the chief event – «TV marathon-2005».

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Letter To the Hellenic Parliament:

The Hellenic news of America
By Paskalini Savopoulos

[...]
The Turkish state's elimination of its Armenian, Greek and Assyrian populations was part and parcel of the same effort to obliterate Turkey's Christian minorities. All were perpetrated during the same time frame, by the same governments, and using the same methods - namely, massacres, labor camps and death marches under the guise of deportations.
[...]
Now Greece, which has wrestled with its own turbulent history to evolve into a champion of democratic ideals, human rights and the rule of law, is poised to betray these very principles by denying the historical reality of a genocide that was perpetrated against its own people.
[...]
Ironically, in 1996 the Greek Parliament designated April 24th as a day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide. Yet while Armenians have assumed their responsibility to memorialize their own near-extermination, those in the Greek government opposed to the recognition of the Greek Genocide of Asia Minor have instead looked backwards to a shameful pattern of acquiescence to the erasing of historical memory.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR EU INTEGRATION SEEMS TO SLIP IN TURKEY

11/18/05
Eurasianet.org
Igor Torbakov (Freelance journalist and researcher who specializes in CIS political affairs. He is now based in Istanbul, Turkey.)

[...]
Recent opinion polls register an increase of nationalist sentiment in Turkey – a mood generally at odds with EU membership. [...]. Many Turks perceive the EU stance toward Turkey to be unfair and full of double standards.

[...]. The legal and social changes required by the EU as a prerequisite for membership undermines some of the bedrock principles upon which the Turkish Republic was founded in 1923, Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leaders contend.
[...]
Increasingly, Western diplomats and Western-oriented Turkish analysts see the concept of nationalism, along with the role of a nation-state in modern life, as a potential stumbling block for the accession process. The concept tends to be interpreted differently in Brussels and Ankara, stemming from the dissimilar historical circumstances in which the European Community and modern Turkey emerged. The EU’s founders in the 1950s desired to build an alliance that would help overcome the divisive and, often bellicose nationalism that fueled two world wars that devastated the continent during the first half of the 20th century. Nationalism, meanwhile, played a vital role in galvanizing the modern Turkish state. The country’s founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, forged the new nation and the Turkish national identity amid chaotic circumstances arising from the War of Independence. It was in the early 1920s that Turkish nationalist myth was born, and from that time on nationalism has continued to play an important role in buttressing the Turkish Republic.
[...]
EU leaders have exerted considerable pressure on Ankara to expand minority rights, recognize Greek-controlled portion of Cyprus and normalize relations with neighboring Armenia. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Pressing Turkey on such "national issues," especially on Cyprus and the killings of Ottoman Armenians, risks causing a backlash in a country where nationalist sentiment traditionally runs high, even some Turkish analysts who support European integration say.
[...]
Discussions at a major historical conference on Ottoman Armenians held at an Istanbul university in September demonstrate that official attitudes on the concepts of nation-state and national minorities hinders discussion of Turkey’s controversial pre-republican past, and thus hampers a rapprochement with Armenia.
[...]
[...] Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul indicated that the government wasn’t going to radically change its position and accept Turkey’s responsibility for the 1915-1923 atrocities. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Instead, in a letter to the conference’s organizing committee, Gul spoke about European "imperialist-colonial powers" which "ruthlessly exploited [Ottoman Empire’s] peoples’ ethno-religious sensitivities in their own interests."

"The Turkish people are at peace with themselves and with their history," Gul’s letter concluded. This stance will hardly find an understanding in Europe. Accordingly, some Turkish commentators are predicting tough times ahead for Turkish-EU relations. For example, while welcoming the beginning of the membership talks, Yusuf Kanli, the editor-in-chief of the Turkish Daily News, predicted that the "future path is full of mines."

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Greek American Organizations’ Policy Statement on Armenia

WASHINGTON, DC-- The American Hellenic Institute announced today that the major Greek American membership organizations endorsed the policy statement on Armenia prepared by the American Hellenic Institute. These are: the Order of AHEPA, the Hellenic American National Council, the Cyprus Federation of America, the Panepirotic Federation of America, the Pan-Macedonian Association of America, the Evrytanian Association of America and the American Hellenic Institute. The endorsed statement, which is part of the 2005 Greek American Policy Statements, follows:

Armenia

We support the Armenian American community's efforts to secure full recognition, proper commemoration, and a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.

In 2005, the 90th anniversary of the Genocide, the Administration should, for the sake of U.S. interests and American values, finally bring an end to all forms of U.S. complicity in Turkey's denial of this crime against all humanity. The President, in his annual April 24th remarks, should properly recognize the Armenian Genocide as a clear instance of genocide, as defined by the United Nations Genocide Convention.

The U.S. Congress should adopt legislation both recognizing the Armenian Genocide and urging the American people to apply the lessons of this tragedy to the cause of preventing future genocides.

Finally, Turkey must be pressured to acknowledge its genocidal crime against the Armenian nation, to come to terms with this chapter in its history, and, consistent with the Genocide Convention and other relevant international legal instruments, to make full reparations to the Armenian people.

We also support efforts to press Turkey to lift its illegal blockade of Armenia and to end the mistreatment of the Armenian population in Turkey.

We refer readers to Professor Peter Balakian's recent book The Burning Tigris, a remarkable history of the Armenian Genocide by the Young Turk government in Turkey. Professor Balakian includes the details of the humanitarian movement of leading American public citizens and ordinary citizens to save the Armenians.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

NOBODY NEEDS SIXTY YEARS OLD BEGGAR WOMAN

AZG Armenian Daily #211, 19/11/2005
By Susana Margarian

[...]
Her name is Oksanna. She is Russian. She came from Moscow. She has been living in Armenia for [...] 37 years. Her husband was an Armenian. He died long ago. Oksanna still remembers her past, the house she was living in. "I lived a good life. I used to work in a canteen as a cook in Leninakan, also at the Italians," Oksanna recollected. But after her husband died, she had to rent a room for living and soon appeared in the street. "Nobody wants to give me a job. They say I am too old. I receive neither pension nor any aid, as I am not registered in Yerevan.[...]. Oksanna seems to love Armenians more than Russians. "The Armenian help you no matter they have money or not. I am the only Russian who begs in the streets. Neither the Russians nor the Russian Embassy notice me.[...].

She asks me to help her to enter the Russian Embassy. "If you come with me, they will accept me and listen to my story," she said. [...] I would sweep the streets and earn living. While I need at least 8000 drams per month to rent a room. [...]. I asked her not to drink, at least. She said in response, that she has to drink, as it’s too cold, while she sleeps on papers. Oksanna kept thanking the passers by who gave her coins, while she was talking to me. "I am too tired of this life. If this dirty life continues a week more, I swear, I will jump out of the Kievian Bridge. Let the people feel shame for my death," Oksanna said, looking at me with sad blue eyes.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Alcatel To Open Center In Armenia

November 18, 2005
Armenia Diaspora
Armenpress

Tunis, November 18, Armenpress: Alcatel, the world's leading telecom equipment supplier, headed by an ethnic Armenian Serge Tchuruk, pledged to open its regional center in Armenia. Alcatel and the Armenian Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) signed a memorandum to that end in Tunis on November 16 on the sidelines of the UN-held World Summit of Information Society (WSIS).

The memorandum was signed by Tchuruk and Armenian deputy trade and economic development minister Tigran Davtian.

Serge Tchuruk, who has managed the French group for the past decade, met last week in Yerevan with President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Andranik Margarian. He was quoted by official sources as saying that he was ready to help launch "certain programs on the research and introduction of innovative technologies" in Armenia.

EIF chairman Bagrat Yengibarian told Armenpress that Alcatel center will promote further development of information technology and help prepare high-level professionals. He said Alcatel will furnish the center with state-of-the art equipment.Alcatel was the largest supplier of equipment to ArmenTel telephone operator and also to its recently established mobile phone competitor, VivaCell.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Erdem: We Reiterated Our Calls To Armenia For Compromise

11/16/2005
TurkishPress.com

COPENHAGEN - ''We reiterated our calls to Armenia for compromise,'' NATO Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Vahit Erdem said on Wednesday.

NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Copenhagen, Denmark, ended.

''Turkey expressed its wish and will to improve bilateral relations with Armenia. However, Armenia should abide by international rules, change some articles in its constitution, give up showing Eastern Anatolia Region as Armenian territory, and recognize the Kars Treaty,'' Erdem said following the meetings.

Calling on the other member countries to put pressure on Armenia which has occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories and forced nearly 1 million people to leave their homes and become refugees, Erdem indicated that it was Armenia which benefit most from a normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

HRANUSH HAKOBYAN’S STRUGGLE IN NATO SUCCESSFUL

17-11-2005
A1Plus

“Armenia is not going to make concessions”, National Assembly deputy Hranush Hakobyan said in answer to NATO Parliamentary Assembly deputy chair, Turk in origin Vahid Erdem, who said that Armenia should change some articles of its constitution, not to present Western Anatolia as a part of Armenia and recognize the Kars agreement.

The Armenian delegation headed by Hranush Hakobyan took part in the NATO PA session held November 11-15.

A draft resolution titled “Protection and Integration of Minorities as Contribution to Stability in the South Caucasus” was presented at the session. As it turned out the report contained items unfavorable for Armenia. One of the items says, for example, that Nagorno Karabakh occupied 13.4% of the Azerbaijani territory. Hranush Hakobyan grounded her disagreement with the fact that the people expressed their position via referendum and have lived in accord with democratic principles. 4 presidential, 4 parliamentary as well as elections to the local self-government were held.

The draft resolution noted that Azeris being evicted could not participate in the privatization process. However Armenians could not participate in the process either.

The Armenian delegation also raised the fact that Nagorno Karabakh was included in the minorities of the South Caucasus. “NKR cannot be considered to be a minority. How can a people that lived independently of the Azerbaijani authority for 17 years be considered a minority,” Hranush Hakobyan said.

The Armenian delegation also noted the existence of the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with the settlement of the conflict. She also reminded that international structures never connected the Karabakh conflict with other South Caucasian conflicts.

[...] . All 4 proposals submitted [...] were adopted unanimously.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

U.K. FOREIGN OFFICE REJECTS TURKISH PARLIAMENT'S BID TO UNDERMINE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

AZG Armenian Daily #210, 18/11/2005
Press release
EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION for Justice & Democracy

The U.K. Ambassador to Ankara Dismisses Turkish Appeal to Reconsider the "Blue Book" on the Armenian Genocide

The British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Ambassador to Turkey Sir Peter Westmacott, refused to consider the request made by the Turkish Parliament last April to reconsider the "Blue Book" a 1916 parliamentary report, formally titled, "Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915-16," that documents the systematic, deliberate and politically motivated nature of the Armenian Genocide.

In a letter dated from July 8th, Sir Westmacott officially explained that the Blue Book was drafted by the Parliament, not the government. He emphasized however, that – contrarily to the insinuations of the Turkish parliamentarians – "none of the individual reports [presented in the document] has been refuted" and that the moral and intellectual probity of the authors, Lord Bryce and the prominent historian Arnold J. Toynbee – may not be questioned.

This reply, revealed by the Gomidas Institute, is coming to light at the same time as the judicial finding, in a Brussels court, that Emir Kir is a certifiable denier of the Armenian Genocide. Taken together, these two actions represent a setback to the Turkish campaign in Europe to spread its doctrine of denial. They also stand in stark contrast to the misguided and historically inaccurate declaration made in 2004 by Mrs. Abott-Watt, the British Ambassador in Armenia, in which she questioned the Armenian Genocide.

The European Armenian Federation considers this letter by a senior representative of the United Kingdom a confirmation that its government acknowledges the Armenian Genocide as an incontestable and thoroughly documented historical fact.

Additional information can be obtained by visiting: http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg129069.html or by sending an email to the Gomidas Institute: info@gomidas.org.uk

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Banquet to benefit sister city's hospital

November 17, 2005
Glendale News-Press
By Fred Ortega, News-Press and Leader

The Glendale-Ghapan Sister City Assn. has already raised $150,000 to revitalize the impoverished Armenian city's hospital, even though the group's main fund-raising banquet is still about two weeks away.

Most of the funds came from two private donors, Don Owen of Ventura and Guy Devorris of Los Angeles, who each contributed $50,000 during a kick-off for the association's Ghapan Hospital Revitalization Project on Nov. 9, association President Artin Manoukian said.[...].
[...]
Ghapan, a city of 48,000 about 137 miles southeast of the Armenian capital, Yerevan, became Glendale's sister city by a resolution of the City Council in December 2002. It joined Glendale's other sister cities, Tlaquepaque and Rosarito in Mexico and Higashiosaka, Japan.
[...]
During an October 2003 trip led by then-Mayor Frank Quintero, current Mayor Rafi Manoukian, City Manager Jim Starbird and numerous city, school and community representatives, the Glendale-Ghapan Sister City Assn. identified three areas of concern to target its efforts on: schools, healthcare and community infrastructure.
[...]
Students from the Glendale Unified School District and Glendale Community College have raised funds for renovation of Ghapan's schools, including the upgrading of the library in the engineering department of the city's university.

In addition, the Glendale Fire Department donated a paramedic truck in April, which has already gone into service in Ghapan.

The next step is sending a medical delegation from Glendale Adventist Hospital in spring 2006 to further assess the situation at Ghapan's hospital and identify critical areas that need improvement, Artin Manoukian said.

"Ghapan is the capital of the Syunik region of Armenia, so its hospital not only serves the city but various surrounding villages," he said.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Erdogan in Denmark Stands Firm Against Terror

11.17.2005
Zaman.com
By Hasan Cucuk, Servet Yanatma

[...]
An official visit of Erdogan to Denmark transformed into the “Roj TV crisis” after he met with the Danish prime minister Tuesday.

The broadcasting organization of the PKK, Roj TV, correspondent was among the reporters attending the joint news conference. Erdogan requested that the reporter not to be allowed access to the hall where the press conference was taking place. When Rasmussen turned down his request, Erdogan made his decision and left the country. The Danish prime minister met the journalists alone and he said that he could not ask reporters to be escorted out as long as they were doing their jobs. Rasmussen also said that he was surprised by Erdogan’s attitude. [...].

The Danish Prime Minister said they have broader definition of freedom of expression and that membership talks with the European Union depends on the fulfillment of all political criteria including these freedoms. Turkey should meet these criteria as well, he defended.
[...]
Upon his return from Denmark, Erdogan responded to questions and revealed his reaction to Rasmussens’s defense of “freedom of expression”. “A country cannot approve an understanding providing support to terror, this cannot be freedom. Turkey is able to pay the price of my attitude.”

His reaction found a widespread audience in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said every Turk should do exactly what the prime minister had done and General Buyukanit found Erdogan’s challenge normal. “The prime minister of a country fighting against the PKK cannot tolerate the presence of a PKK owned television station,” the general said.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

ERDOGAN HAS MADE A ROW IN DENMARK

2005-11-16
DeFacto

[...]
[...] a row was kicked up during Turkish PM’s visit to Denmark. Rejep Tayip Erdogan refused to conduct a joint press conference with Head of Denmark’s government Anders Rasmussen. By means of such a demarche Turkish leader voiced his protest against the country’s stand on Roj – TV Company reflecting the Kurds’ interests. Having learned journalists from Roj TV were present at the press conference Turkish PM demanded that they should leave the conference hall. When Anders Rasmussen retorted saying the kingdom’s government did not interfere with private mass media’s activity Erdogan refused to conduct a press conference and left for the airport, CNN – Turk reports. Head of Denmark’s government had to hold a briefing alone and said he regretted the incident.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Iran's Ahmadinejad Seek Ties With Armenia

Iran News Nov 16th, 2005

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Tuesday voiced Iran's readiness to participate in Armenia's electricity and gas projects. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that his recently installed government intends to deepen the Islamic Republic's ties with Armenia "in all areas," it was reported on Wednesday.

Making the remark in a meeting with Head of the Armenian presidential administration, Artashes Tumanian, Ahmadinejad said Iran is also ready to exchange experiences in all economic fields with Armenia.

Referring to Tehran-Yerevan profound relations, the Iranian president underlined the need for progress and development of the Caspian Sea littoral states through expansion of peace and friendship in the region.

He praised efforts made by the two countries joint commissions and called for promotion of Iran-Armenia cooperation. Tehran fully supports expansion of bilateral relations in all areas, the president stressed.

Tumanian, for his part, appreciated Iran's all-out support for his country and called for boost in economic and political ties between the two countries.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

PM ERDOGAN TO CHALLENGE ARMENIA

AZG Armenian Daily #209, 17/11/2005
By Hakob Chakrian

At the annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dane capital of Copenhagen on November 15 Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a speech before 300 parliamentarians, NTV and Turkish press informed on November 16. {see Erdogan at NATO Parliamentary Assembly }
[...]
No matter how unacceptable PM Erdogan's approach is, we should agree that his challenge has a hue of an offer. Regardless motivations, it's a step forward for Turkey because all previous prime ministers not only were reluctant to hear anything about the Genocide but also accused Armenians of perpetuating genocide against Turks.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

WSU boasts professor of the year

11/17/2005
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Shinika A. Sykes

Having spent her childhood helping her father sterilize his dental instruments and practicing giving shots to oranges, Yasmen "Yas" Simonian was destined for a career in the medical field.

Born in Armenia and raised in Iran, Simonian arrived in the United States in 1967 as a teenager unable to speak English. Not only did she master the English language, she also took advantage of the opportunities America offers.

Today, the professor and chairwoman of clinical laboratory sciences at Weber State University will receive national recognition in Washington, D.C., as the 2005 Utah professor of the year.
[...]
Simonian, 53, credits her mother with giving her the support and encouragement to excel in her studies and have a career - if that was what she wanted. In recognition of that support, Simonian took her mother, Maro, with her to Washington.

"My mother always made me feel I could do anything," says Simonian, who was selected from among faculty members nominated by colleges and universities. "I thank her for that."
[...]
Shelley Conroy, dean of WSU's Dumke College of Health Professions, said Simonian is a "joy" to have as a faculty member. "She works hard, and she goes the extra mile to help students be successful, not just in academics but also in their personal development."
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

The forgotten people of Baku

17 November 2005
Aljazeera.net
By Jonathan Gorvett in Baku, Azerbaijan

For the last 12 years, 72-year old Mammadova Pari has had to call the dank and decrepit basement corridor of an old student dorm in Baku home. It is a cold space she shares with some 3000 others, crammed into half a dozen crumbling and derelict buildings.

She is one of around a million Azerbaijanis who are refugees in their own country, victims of a war now largely forgotten.
[...]
She lives in a refugee camp with no name.

Although most of its residents have been here for more than a decade, officials have been wary of giving it a title for fear it would suggest they are here to stay.
[...]
The office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Baku says the problem dates back to 1988 when refugees first started escaping the inter-ethnic violence in neighbouring Armenia.

Many thousands of ethnic Azerbaijanis who had lived in Armenia fled the violence - as did many thousands of ethnic Armenians who had lived in Azerbaijan.

Before 1989, Baku itself had an ethnic Armenian population of some 200,000. Now, few remain.
[...]
But as the Soviet Union further disintegrated, the next wave of Azerbaijani refugees came to Baku from Nagorno Kharabakh, a majority ethnic Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijani territory.

Many Azerbaijanis living there were forced to flee as the Armenians took control of the region.
[...]
Many of last wave ended up here, in the camp with no name - and here they have stayed.
[...]
Pari herself is a native of Aghdam, 340km west of Baku. Today, Aghdam is considered a buffer zone between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces.
[...]
She says that she only seeks to return home so that she can visit the graves of her relatives and offer prayers to Allah. [...].

The chances of that happening, however, are slim to none.
[...]
Average incomes in Azerbaijan are low, with 40% of the population officially estimated to be below the local poverty line of $40 a month.

The people here — officially known as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) — survive on a monthly government hand out of $6 'bread money', plus 30 litres of kerosene during the winter. The latter is their only source of fuel for heating and cooking.
[...]
Azerbaijan is now a major oil producer and over the next 20 years, some $150 billion in oil revenues are expected to be heading Baku's way.

Some of those funds are already finding their way to the IDPs and the government is moving to improve living conditions for its people.
[...]
Yet, city camps like Pari's have lagged behind. Tall told Aljazeera.net that it might be "several years" before the camp got a refurbishment.
[...]
"In any case, there will be no real benefit to Azerbaijan from the oil revenues until 2008 or 2009, when pay backs on the initial investments will be finished."

Which may mean many more years in the camp for Pari and her fellow IDPs.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Gul Addressing a parliamentary committee on his ministry's 2006 budget

11/15/2005
TurkishPress.com

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday addressing a parliamentary committee during a review of his ministry's 2006 budget
[...]
''we are targeting to create a zone of peace and cooperation in southern Caucasus. However, Armenia is the weakest link of the region. Armenian leadership has not reciprocated our initiatives to improve bilateral relations. Nevertheless, Turkey maintains its efforts to this end and keeps the doors open to dialogue. We wish that the Armenian government display the necessary political will to resolve existing problems with its neighbors. In that case, we will be able to take further steps to normalize bilateral relations.''

Reiterating Turkey's support to efforts to resolve the Upper Karabakh dispute in order to put an end to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Gul said that the Minsk Group recently made certain progress to this end.

Referring to the issue of so-called Armenian genocide, Gul said, ''the Armenian side has been trying to defame our history with baseless allegations. In an effort to enlighten the facts, Turkey proposed Armenia to form a joint commission. However, the Armenian government did not respond in the affirmative.''

Gul called on all relevant countries to support Turkey's proposal instead of making irresponsible decisions on the basis of groundless allegations.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Samantha Power addresses U.S. policy on genocide

Nov. 16, 2005
ELON
By Brian Grady student

Samantha Power, who won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for her book, “A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” discussed U.S. policy toward genocide during a lecture Nov. 14 [...].

[...] Power explored several cases of genocide that occurred during the 20th century, and explained the similarity in U.S. response during events such as the Holocaust and in places as diverse as Armenia, [...] has varied from such strategies as simply denouncing genocide up to and including use of military force. Power argued that the factor that has most often determined the level of U.S. response has been U.S. strategic and economic interest.
[...]
“When people are dying, the best reason, and sometimes the only reason, to deal with these cases is because they’re dying.”
[...]
Power said that many in the U.S. learned from its failures in the past, and believes that grassroots organizations and churches have been especially effective in bringing attention to more recent instances of human rights abuses. However, she said that the war in Iraq and the Bush administration’s aggressive foreign policy and mishandling of domestic situations like Hurricane Katrina are ultimately detrimental to U.S. prestige and power in the world.

“We’re in a moment now where U.S. influence is greatly reduced, not just because of Iraq, but because of a number of other factors,” she said. “Without U.S. leadership, it is not clear who will step up and ensure that genocide is left in the 20th century.”
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Armenia ‘Leads In CIS Transition To Free Market’

15, November 2005
Armenia Liberty
By Emil Danielyan

[...]
The EBRD’s latest Transition Report released late Monday rates Eastern European and former Soviet states on nine indicators of economic reform, including privatization, enterprise restructuring and price liberalization. Of all the CIS countries Armenia was assigned the highest indicator scores.

The report says the reform process in Armenia has gained fresh momentum since 2004. “Among the reforming countries in the CIS, Armenia led the way with three [indicator] upgrades – for large-scale privatization, competition regulation and banking reform,” it says.
[...]
The report also notes that the Armenian government’s tax revenues continue to make up a very modest share of GDP and that local businesses “continue to perceive the business environment as weak.”

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Erdogan at NATO Parliamentary Assembly

11/15/2005
The Anatolian Times

[...]
Addressing the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, PM Erdogan said,[...] ''Psychological walls were destroyed after the Cold War came to an end. Despite some negative side-effects, globalization has also brought forth new opportunities. People in a huge geography realized values of the modern and free world. Consequently, the concept of 'democratic control' emerged in this new period. Pluralism and transparency will be the two basic principles in this period. Democratic control will help us to create a more prosperous and free world,''
[...]
Upon a question about Turkey-Armenia relations, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''we have opened our air space to Armenian aircraft. Also, we have initiated cargo transportation from Yerevan to Istanbul. Also, our government has begun restoration efforts in the Armenian church in eastern city of Van. On the other hand, we have opened our archives to enlighten historical facts. We expect Armenia to display the same attitude. Genocide has never been a part of our history. It is a serious mistake to accuse a government, which had to relocate some of its people due to uprisings, of genocide.''
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.