Middle East Armenian Portal
07 December 2014
06 December 2014
Catholicos Aram I of the See of Cilicia in UAE
Catholicos Aram I of the See of Cilicia visited the Armenian Church of Sharjah yesterday. See below his sermon on this occasion (in Western Armenian).
In the sermon he explained the meaning of being true Christian. Also he saluted all Armenians who contribute to the advancement of the UAE community regardless of their affiliations. He also praised UAE leadership for taking care of people from all religions and nationalities in this country.
He met with representatives of Armenian organizations and councils yesterday evening in city hotel.
His Holiness will remain in UAE until 13 December during which he will meet with community personalities.
Today he is visiting the Armenian weekly school.
Scheduled activities in Abu Dhabi:
1) The highlight of the visit:
Consecration of the Holy Martyrs' Armenian Church in Abu Dhabi
12 December 2014, 04:00pm
2) Public reception (gala dinner) in honor of HH Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia.
St. Regis Hotel, Corniche Abu Dhabi
12 December 2014, 08:30pm
Entrance fee: 350 Dirhams
20 October 2014
Keeping the traditions of Kutahya Armenians
New comment by Sato Moughalian
Fascinating article--a couple of corrections. Neshan Balian came to Jerusalem in October 1919, not 1917. The British were not even in Jerusalem until mid-December 1917. The Armenian ceramist David Ohannessian of Kutahya was introduced to Jerusalem Governor Ronald Storrs by Sir Mark Sykes in December 1918, and was the first to arrive. Sykes, Storrs, and a number of other British officials remembered the magnificent tiled room that Ohannessian had created for the Sykes estate in Yorkshire in 1913, and sought him out to establish a ceramics tradition in Jerusalem. Ohannessian arrived in Jerusalem in early 1919, and then went back to Kutahya in August 1919, returning with materials and with Balian and Karakashian, who were under his employ until 1922, when they left to found their own joint workshop. It is wonderful to see that the descendants of Balian and Karakashian continue their marvelous work today.
Original article appeared here:
28 September 2014
27 September 2014
“A Middle East With No Minorities?”
Reverend Paul Haidostian, President of Beirut-based Haigazian University, will be the guest of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies at a lunch-time conversation to be held on Monday, September 29, 2014, at noon at the Doheny Memorial Library Room 244, on campus.
Entitled "A Middle East Without Minorities?" Dr. Haidostian will speak about the recent turmoil in the Middle East and its impact on the various ethnic and religious minorities of the region. USC Professor of International Relations, Dr. Laurie Brand, will be guiding the discussion.
Rev. Haidostian has been president of Haigazian since 2002. In addition to his local and international responsibilities in educational, religious and ecumenical organizations, he teaches, lectures, and writes in Armenian, Arabic and English on a wide variety of topics including Armenian identity, ecumenism, youth, social issues, theology, religion, and community.
Rev. Haidostian is currently the Chair of the Central Committee of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East. He will be a guest at the Institute's anniversary gala to be held at the Beverly Hilton on September 28.
Dr. Laurie Brand is a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California School of International Relations. She specializes in the international relations of the Middle East, including political economy of the region and inter-Arab relations. She is the author of several books on the region, including most recently, Official Stories: Politics and National Narratives in Egypt and Algeria, published by Stanford University Press. She is a past president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America in 2004.
Salpi Ghazarian, the newly appointed director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, says, "We invite the community to the USC campus to this program. This is not a lecture. It's a conversation between two people who know the region well. Dr. Haidostian's intimate knowledge of the Middle East, and his readiness to share his insights are very valuable, now, at a time when we are all trying to understand what is happening in the Middle East, and why. Dr. Laurie Brand heads USC's Middle East Studies Program and we're grateful for her participation."
Lunch will be served.
The event will be live streamed at: https://capture.usc.edu/Mediasite/Play/ee3aadba2f524393a84af1475f990cbd1d
Directions and parking information:
We advise guests to park in Parking Structure D, which is located on the corner of Jefferson and Figueroa (across from the Shrine). See attached map for the location of the event (Doheny Memorial Library, Room 244).
Please call (562) 508-8474 if you have any questions regarding the event, including parking and directions.
About the Institute
Established in 2005, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies supports multidisciplinary scholarship to re-define, explore and study the complex issues that make up the contemporary Armenian experience — from post-Genocide to the developing Republic of Armenia to the evolving Diaspora. The institute encourages research, publications and public service, and benefits from communication technologies that link together the global academic and Armenian communities.
12 September 2014
Basque Parliament recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh self-determination
European Friends of Armenia from Brussels reports: On Friday, September 12, 2014, a European Union regional parliament has, for the first time in history, adopted a motion supporting the self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh following several official visits to the region that were organized by European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA, www.eufoa.org) and the commitment of EuFoA contacts' network.
The motion adopted today by the Basque Parliament praises the strong determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people in their choice for democracy, despite the hard and difficult situation. In addition, it states that Karabakhi people have the right to decide their own future, namely their self-determination, which is the fundamental element in any negotiation for the final settlement of the conflict. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of Nagorno-Karabakh's participation in the OSCE Minsk Group conflict resolution negotiations.
Nagorno-Karabakh's Foreign Minister, Karen Mirzoyan, with the assistance of
European Friends of Armenia, travelled to the Basque Country on this occasion and had official visits, including meetings with Basque country government high officials, the head of the legislative, Ms Bakartxo Tejeria Otermin, and departmental and main local authorities, as well as companies with an interest in the region."I am particularly pleased by the acknowledgment of the democratic governance development of Nagorno-Karabakh and the recognition of the efforts they are doing in transposing EU legislation. The Nagorno-Karabakh society should be proud that their commitment for democracy as an inalienable part of the European space is not only recognized in the US, but also in the EU," says EuFoA Director Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa.
The Basque country is one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities since 1979 and has a population of approximately 2.5 million people. It has its own executive and legislative institutions. The Basque government is among the sub-state governments that enjoys the highest level of competences in the European Union. Basque authorities are competent to lead policies in domains such as fiscal policy and tax collection or police management, having its own police force, among other more classic competences at regional level, such as health, education, from elementary schools to universities, or territorial development. Moreover, the Basque country has its own External Actions Service, at the head of a network of over 200 political and cultural delegations worldwide. From an economic point of view, the Basque country represents one of the European Union most developed areas, showing an annual GDP per capital of over 31 000€, 20 % higher than the EU average (25 700€).
European Friends of Armenia
EuFoA provide
s
commenting or background analysis in English, French, Spanish, Polish, German, Russian and Armenian. For more information on EuFoA and the Europe-Armenia Advisory Council, please visit website at www.EuFoA.org.
Brussels, 12 September 2014
11 September 2014
Live Broadcast: International Hrant Dink Award
INTERNATIONAL HRANT DINK AWARD CEREMONY
LIVE ON INTERNET
AWARD CEREMONY
15 September 2014
between 20:00- 22:00
The International Hrant Dink Award Ceremony, which will be presented for the sixth time on Hrant Dink's birthday, September 15, will be broadcasted live in English on www.hrantdink.org and www.hrantdinkaward.org.
The details of the night will also be available on Facebook pages 'Uluslararası Hrant Dink Ödülü / International Hrant Dink Award' and 'Hrant Dink Vakfı / Hrant Dink Foundation / Հրանդ Տինք Հիմնարկ' and 'HrantDinkVakfi' ve 'HrantDinkAward' accounts on Twitter in 3 languages, being Turkish, English and Armenian.
The award ceremony will take place on September 15th, 2014 between the hours 20.00-22.00 (between UTC/GMT +2 hours and UTC/GMT +4 hours) at Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall. At the ceremony, Ara Dinkjian and Ari Hergel will take to the stage, and the awardees of 2014 will be announced. The ceremony will be presented by Olgun Simsek.
The Jury of the International Hrant Dink Award 2014 consists of Baskın Oran, Gerard Libaridian, Kenneth Roth, Kumi Naidoo, Mary Kaldor, Nataša Kandić, Saturday Mothers / People, Oya Baydar and Rakel Dink
Every year, the award is presented to two people, groups or institutions from inside and outside Turkey, who work for a world free of discrimination, racism, and violence, take personal risks for their ideals, use the language of peace, and by doing so, inspire and encourage others.
With this award, the Foundation aims to remind to all those who struggle for these ideals that their voices are heard, their work is visible and that they are not alone, and also to encourage everyone to fight for their ideals.
Alper Görmüş, Amira Hass, the Conscientious Objection Movement of Turkey, Baltasar Garzón, Ahmet Altan, Lydia Cacho, İsmail Beşikçi, International MEMORIAL Society, Nataša Kandić and Saturday Mothers / People are the former laureates of the International Hrant Dink Award.
26 August 2014
Asbarez & Aztag Editors Discuss Challenges for Middle East Armenians
Asbarez editor Apo Boghigian (left) with Beirut's Aztag daily editor Shahan Kandaharian at a press conference in Yerevan. (Photo: Photolur)
BY LENA BADEYAN
YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—Recent events in the Middle East suggest that motives and geopolitical goals have changed. The situation will inevitably affect the large Armenian communities formed in the Middle East in the last one hundred years since the Armenian Genocide. But all is not against Armenians, editor-in-chief of the Beirut-based Aztag daily newspaper Shahan Kandaharian and editor of Los Angeles-based Asbarez daily Apo Boghigian told reporters in Yerevan.
The ongoing instability and new developments in Middle East countries with large Armenian communities are of strategic importance for Armenians both in Armenia and the diaspora, they said.
According to Shahan Kandaharian, the trend of events has considerably changed and has grown into a struggle for resources.
"The Arab Spring has now changed its face, and the radical expressions of Islamism constitute the major threat today both for the region and the world," he said.
Kandaharian said the situation in Lebanon is relatively calm compared to its neighboring countries. He believes Lebanon will not engage in what he called a regional war. He considers, however, that difficult days are awaiting the Armenians of the Middle East. The question refers to the migration of Armenians, who are leaving mostly in two directions – Lebanon or Armenia. Whether they move permanently or temporarily is a different question, he added.
Speaking about the American Armenian Diaspora, Asbarez editor Apo Boghigian said: "We should create a situation where we can turn the loss into some gain. The US is an environment where there is an issue of survival. The problems of assimilation and maintenance of the Armenian organizations can no longer remain unsolved. We need to search for new ways, new methods."
Thus, the new situation is a challenge to Armenia, and particularly the Ministry of Diaspora. Major problems are the preservation of language and the availability of authentic information to avoid unnecessary panic. Apo Boghigian pointed to the Kessab events as an example of unsuccessful media coverage of an event.
Source: http://asbarez.com/126274/asbarez-aztag-editors-discuss-challenges-for-middle-east-armenians/
19 August 2014
Fwd: USC Dornsife's Dean Kay Appoints New Armenian Institute Director and Faculty
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01 August 2014
Karabagh unveils new homes for Syrian-Armenians
As part of its ongoing assistance to Syrian-Armenians resettling in Karabagh, the Tufenkian Foundation has organized a number of fundraisers around the world.
As a result of these activities, the Foundation recently participated in financing the renovation of two apartment buildings in the NKR Kashatagh region.
The first building is a 12-apartment building in Kovsakan town, while the second is a 10-apartment building in Ishkhanadzor village. Both are situated in Southern Kashatagh.
We are glad to inform that the renovation of the Kovsakan building has
been completed, and the official opening took place on April 10.
German film director of Turkish origin Fatih Akin's new film
A father learns that his twin daughters have survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He travels many countries including Cuba, USA (Dakota) following their traces.
The movie is in German language and starts from the city of Mardin in Turkey.
See the trailer. Movie will be available in October. Now it is being displayed in the Venice Film Festival.
The movie is in German language and starts from the city of Mardin in Turkey.
See the trailer. Movie will be available in October. Now it is being displayed in the Venice Film Festival.
28 July 2014
Tourism: Where do citizens of Armenia travel?
Azad-Hye
Leisure is an important precondition for enjoying an active working life.
Due to pressing social reasons, not all Armenians are able to relax in the Summer. There is even an anecdote saying that only wealthy people in Armenia can vacate inside the country, while people belonging to the middle class can only afford leisure breaks abroad.
Where do our compatriots head for their summer vacations? It turns out that their preferences have not changed. The leading countries are Georgia, Greece, Cyprus, Antalya (in Turkey) for those with modest resources, and Italy, Spain, France and other European countries for people with higher income.
Travel agencies mention that the number of Armenians planning to visit European countries has recently dropped due to visa-related red tape issues.
Many Armenians prefer Egypt for their vacation. Others head to Dubai, where, according to the tour operators, one can spend just 750-800 dollars a week for a double room with breakfast in a good-looking hotel, while holidaying in Bulgaria may cost around 1,000 Euros and going to Italy or Spain may need a budget of 1500 Euros for the same period.
Georgia is still the most popular tourism destination for Armenians, where a 7-day holiday begins with a mere 50,000 drams ($123), including hotel accommodation, food and transportation. Price affordability and beach attractions are the two main elements that make Georgian tourism desirable.
Statistics show that the number of Armenians going for tourism to Adjara (one of the Georgian seaside provinces) is about 60-70,000. Train, bus, and motor vehicles are the common transportation means for accessing the destination.
It is noteworthy that in 2012 the number of tourists visiting Armenia was 603,074, with an increase of 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is not clear, however, if these figures represent the tourists or almost everyone who has visited Armenia.
The number of tourists increases in Armenia during different events such as the festival of traditional food in the town of Akhtala and the wine festival in the village of Areni. Soon there would be a new tourism festival in Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia, thus further highlighting the country's rich traditions.
Experts affirm that more coordinated efforts would enable Armenia to join the list of enticing countries, where taking a holiday is not just fun, but also affordable.
Related: Consider Armenia (www.ConsiderArmenia.com)
26 July 2014
Hasmik Ter Grigoryan talks about her research on Syrian Armenians
The research is conducted in the Summer of 2013 and involves interviews with 150 Syrian Armenians stationed in Yerevan after the Syrian crisis.
Interview audio (in Armenian)
http://lratvakan.am/?p=39945&fb_action_ids=495094760621187
24 July 2014
News from Armenia in the Turkish Media
Journalist and HaberTurk TV presenter Vildan Ay was in Yerevan as a participant in the Hrant Dink Foundation's exchange program for Armenian and Turkish journalists. She talks to CivilNet about her impressions of Armenia and how the Turkish media report on Armenia.
Harout Ekmanian: You were in Armenia two years ago with another group of Turkish journalists. What has changed since your first visit?
Vildan Ay: During these two and a half years, a lot has changed, as I observed from the architecture, I guess, large-scale construction is going on in the streets of Yerevan. But beyond that, bilateral relations between the two countries are much worse than before, which is really sad. And we are sharing a common problem too. What's going on in Syria is affecting both countries in different ways. First of all, we have people, we have brothers, sisters, living there and they have to leave their countries. Armenia is also hosting people from Syria, we are also hosting people from Syria. And so the issue of Syria has now become much more prominent in these two and a half years.
Harout Ekmanian: What about the other side. What has changed in Turkey regarding Armenia since two years ago? You have covered a lot of news about Armenia in that period, and now you're going back and you will continue doing so. What are your impressions? Maybe you can start by telling us the image of Armenia in Turkish media, not Armenians, but Armenia itself.
Vildan Ay: The thing is, Turkey is about to forget the "protocols" and normalization process between the two countries. Which is so sad. Three years ago, the "protocols" process was still not forgotten and there are still more people leading that process or supporting that process. But during these three years lots of things happened in Turkey's foreign policy which made us, made the public, even the media, forget the Armenian-Turkish normalization process. And when we talk about the image of Armenia, we see that in Turkish media, you barely see, or read, or watch any news related to Armenia because we have lots of Armenians living in Turkey, under Turkish citizenship. But with regard to Armenia, there must be something really big to be covered by the Turkish media. Because, first of all, the Turkish media covers foreign politics less than local politics. Because local politics is huge, the debate is so big. It's such a polarized country, the government and the opposition are always arguing with each other, which makes local news much more important in the eyes of journalists. And so it leaves little space for international news. That is why there is no space even for a short news item about Armenia. Many people have already forgotten about the normalization process and why we need this. They forget about the reason, they forget about the motivation for the process. However, on every April 24 all the Turkish people, the Turkish media, and the Turkish politicians remember that we have a frozen problem in the fridge. But it's remembered only at that period, not in January or September. Because the issue of relations between Turkey and Armenia is so much related, in my opinion, in a very wrong way, to the genocide issue. So, the worst thing about covering news about Armenia in the Turkish media is the lack of information and the lack of courage. Unless if something's happening in Karabakh, or if something really big is happening at the border…
Harout Ekmanian: Next year, as you know, is the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. There are huge expectations, there are huge plans by both countries. I think even more maybe in Turkey. As you know, the prime minister also made some announcements that they will organize a big celebration of the centenary of the battle of Gallipoli. Do you think that these things, even if not willingly or indirectly, will nonetheless perhaps help to generate more news about Armenia in Turkey?
Vildan Ay: It may at least have the effect of bringing the process out of its frozen state. Now, the focus in Turkey is on the Presidential elections, but it's going to be over one day and after that, especially in the new year, people will start to think about what are we going to see on April 24, especially the statement coming from the White House. Because each year, everyone is waiting for that statement and waiting for the answer whether Obama would use the word Genocide or if he is going to say Mets Yeghern again. This is a big issue in Turkey. And, yes, the Turkish State or Turkish government has announced that they are going to celebrate the anniversary of the battle of Gallipoli, but that will be in March. So, I guess from both sides they don't have a master plan yet. They're not sure yet about what to do. But the Prime Minister's statement last April was a surprise for all of us, as a journalist and as a citizen of Turkey, it was a surprise for me. So maybe we will see new surprises from the Turkish government.
Harout Ekmanian: Several groups of Turkish journalists have come to Yerevan. Is this helping in your opinion? Is this helping Turkish journalists to have more access and first hand information? From your personal experience, what can you tell us?
Vildan Ay: Sometimes I'm optimistic, sometimes I'm not. So, let's start with the optimistic approach. Yes, that's helping a lot because we have to build bridges between us because there is a closed border, there are politicians who are not speaking to each other. So we have to overcome the issues between us by building these bridges. And inviting journalists from each country to the other is helping, because the media echoes the voice of the public; we have the power to reach hundreds, thousands, and even millions of people at the same time by our newsletters, by broadcasting, by covering stories. So, by reaching one single journalist, you may reach millions of people. Yes, this is the optimistic approach to this dialogue process. And by just considering us as individuals, as a Turkish girl who has never been to Armenia before, it will be my first time here, it will be my first time to meet someone from Armenia, and it will be the first time that I have a chance to talk about the issues between two countries. So, yes, this is very helpful. But sometimes we get pessimistic every time we make an effort, we try to contribute to the process, but politicians do nothing. Sometimes they are even downplaying the efforts that we make. They do things that are very harmful for the process. Then we ask ourselves why we are trying if these politicians won't get together… Also, the few people who are already getting together are the people who believe in peacemaking, dialogue, who believe in creating relations between each country. But what about the majority? When I think about Turkey, I see that there are masses of people who don't dare even to think about this issue. All what matters for them is their daily life, and they don't care about politics, dialogue, peacemaking. Despite all this, I still define myself as desperately optimistic. Even the desperate times, when you don't have anything to rely on, I guess we should keep making efforts in this process.
Source:
22 July 2014
The Dead Become Statistics in Syria
By Manuel Keshishian
Civilnet.am
"Let us commemorate the dead with a minute's silence."
Those words make us stand up during the introduction speech of a ceremony. We remain silent, the silence seems to last forever, although in reality it is far less than a minute, and the voice of the speaker is heard once again – Thank you.
We sit down. The ceremony starts.
…
Peaceful protests, street protests… There is shooting. News spread: two people wounded in Homs; one of them severely injured… People have been wounded in Damascus as well, in Daraa, Hama… Fear surrounds us, and another dead person: First name, last name… We get frightened, we get sad, deep, we get to feel very deep pain… The funeral is broadcast on different television channels. Thousands participate in the funeral, wearing expressions of fury and protest on their faces. Teardrops fall from the faces of some, calls to extract responsibility are heard, to punish the murderer and his master …
Two explosions rattle the city of Aleppo. Aleppo turns into an ocean of fear… There is an Armenian among those killed: Viken.. Viken was a soldier in the Syrian army. Hundreds of Armenians attend the funeral.
Blood has been shed, reconciliation is therefore impossible. An opposition army is formed, opposition armies, and blood keeps being shed.. "There are two deaths today, this and that… Eight deaths today, that person among them… The incidents develop from cannons and artillery to MIG and Sukhoy bomber jets.. The number of Syrian deaths is multiplied, funerals increase, the number of participants decrease.. The number of innocent Syrian-Armenian deaths passes a hundred, Vrej: the last one.. And the final one: Krikor…
The Syrian Arabs? Sunni, Shia, Ismaili. How many deaths do they have? Kurds? Islam, Yezidi. The total number of deaths exceeds one hundred fifty thousand, among them: Mohammad, Ali, Ismail, George and Aram… Alia, Fatima, Sama, Haykuhi…
And the number of names becomes greater, they become forgotten while their numbers increase, they turn into meaningless numbers… How many what? – Fifty sheep? Five kilos of oranges? Three dozen goats? Or hundreds of thousands of dead people who did not deserve this…
Deaths, deaths all around Syrian lands, number-numbers…
What happened? What has occurred? How did the Syrian, who did not even want to hurt a fly, get paid to become a murderer or, as some people believe, was transformed into one, and has killed, has slaughtered, when not so long ago it was hard for him or her to slaughter a sheep or even a chicken?
How much higher will the number of handicapped people go? The number of innocent deaths? And they are going to remain numbers, just numbers.. But weren't they human beings? Abdo was a father of two, the children were going to go to university, serve the country, make their family proud… Armine was engaged and hoped to marry the man she loved, hoped to get pregnant, have children, bring them up to become responsible citizens… And find personal, impersonal happiness.. Ali was a doctor… Ismail had just recently defended his thesis and was to pass on his knowledge and findings to the upcoming generations… Ahmed, the elder… Hasan, the laborer… The beautiful Aisha… Samir, who had a broad chest… The intelligent Antranig… All of them… Names, which have been turned into numbers and even reading each and every one of their names, in front of the UN center in Washington D.C. recently, did not change a thing, even worse, the UN officially silenced the Syrian deaths… Even the counting…
Our deaths have become name-numbers, simply numbers…
Does any purpose or belief justify killing this many people?
Deaths that are added to the number of innocent deaths in the history of humanity and change nothing? Is it because these numbers are too small compared to the billions of Earth, or because they hold no meaning in the eternity of the universe? But are not the millions the sum of Ahmed, Alice, Johnny, Smith, Armine, Yokoyo? Is not the eternal universe the sum of the smallest atoms? And is not it clear that a human being can excavate the whole universe, or the the smallest particle that makes it up? And what is the meaning of the universe without human beings? Or would we also like to strip the HUMAN of his or her worth?
To witness all this, to be a witness and not lose your mind, because you feel, you reason that you are an abettor as well in a way, because you too lie on the same denominator with the dead and their killers, you are a human as well… And you only run in order to save your own skin.
Where is humanity? Where is the human in the image of God? We often accuse Islamic fanaticism of being inhuman. Why do we forget that the one who supports them, who provides them with weapons and power, is the civilized Christian, the one who professes the monotheism of another religion, the peaceful buddhist too…
Where is humanity? Or is the perception of the human we have had in mind for thousands of years wrong? Good, kind, conscious, soulful…. Is this all a huge SCAM? Is this the HUMAN? Robber-immoral-fratricide…
And now, HUMAN! Shut up for a second! Look at the dead who had first and last names just yesterday, and have become numbers today, they are silent as well, but they yell in your face; they ask you for justice…
Aleppo, 14 July 2014
Read this in Armenian.
Read also by the same author:
Do Armenians Have a Place in Syria
21 July 2014
20 July 2014
Incident against the representatives of the Armenian Church in Tbilisi
Azad-Hye
We received a report by the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia according to which a pre-planned attack was carried on the representatives of the Saint Etchmiadzin church in Tbilisi, Georgia on 19 July 2014.
The incident began when an attempt was made to drive through a territory next to the churchyard. A Georgian woman got angry against an Armenian clergyman whose car was allegedly blocking the way. Soon afterwards two Georgians arrived at the scene and helped to take out the vehicle. They used foul language against the Armenians and attempted to hit them with stone. A short fight developed.
Two hours later, one of the Georgians mobilized a group of several dozen men and approached the church using obscene language against the Armenians.
At the same time, a baptism ceremony was going on in the Church. The attackers assaulted also the ceremony participants. Women and children were obliged to hide in the church. The clergymen and the personnel of the Armenian Diocese in Tbilisi were inflicted injuries, while one of the clergymen was ripped off a cross.
The press release urges the Georgian authorities to investigate these actions, which are obviously based on ethnic and religious hatred.
The Armenian Church believes that such incidents are the result of the anti-Armenian campaign pursued by some Media sources in Georgia, backed by the representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The press release ends with a call for refraining from spreading anti-Armenian sentiments in the society.
Photo: Saint Etchmiadzin Armenian Church in Tbilisi, Georgia
Address of the Church in Tbilisi
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox
Holy Church in Georgia
18, Armazi Street, 0103 Tbilisi, Georgia
Phone: +995 32 2546411
Fax: +995 32 2751790
Email: contact@armenianchurch.ge
Website: www.armenianchurch.ge
Campaign for creating Armenian Charity Diabetic Support Center
Diabetes isn't just a disease; it's a way of life with blood glucose meters, diet, and challenges.
Efforts are accelerated to create the Armenian Charity Diabetic Support Center (ACDSC)
This will be a specialized medical and educational center with professional staff and self-help group that can provide medical, educational, social, and emotional support for people affected by diabetes.
People, especially children and disabled adults from socially disadvantaged families, will get free health services and treatment and will find strength by communicating with others who experience similar needs.
The Center has announced the following goals:
To help Armenia diabetics to solve their health problems and enable them on their turn to help others.
To help Armenia diabetics to solve their health problems and enable them on their turn to help others.
To offer comprehensive diabetes management and education program for children.
To offer individually tailored and group education sessions for diabetes self-management, including blood sugar (glucose) monitoring, nutrition guidelines, carbohydrate counting and meal planning, medication management, insulin adjustment and lifestyle change.
The Center is asking for the public's support to purchase 20 units of medical equipment with a total cost $93,630.
The acquisition of such equipment will allow concurrent charitable services to diabetics and paid services to those who can afford to pay. Additional money will be spent on obtaining medicines and educational materials for the main group of beneficiaries.
The acquisition of such equipment will allow concurrent charitable services to diabetics and paid services to those who can afford to pay. Additional money will be spent on obtaining medicines and educational materials for the main group of beneficiaries.
Why is there a need?
Diabetes mortality rate remains high in Armenia and it is third leading cause of mortality in Armenia.
What they have accomplished so far
In 2012, U.S. Peace Corps' volunteer, Stewart Brewster, suggested the idea of a Diabetes Support Group for Noyemberyan. Mr. Brewster developed the goals and objectives of this group and with a motivated group of diabetics started monthly meetings. The ACDSC initiate group founded Noyemberyan Diabetes Support Group, the first such diabetes support group in Armenia.
It was soon apparent that the diabetes wellness program would not be successful unless the members could regularly measure their glucose and learn wellness methods to minimize excess blood glucose.
Cooperating with "Concern-Energomash" CJSC, which is the exclusive distributor for "ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS GMBH" (Germany) in Armenia, the initiative group distributed about 500 free glucose meters in Tavush Region. This was the first time the members ever owned a meter.
It was soon apparent that the diabetes wellness program would not be successful unless the members could regularly measure their glucose and learn wellness methods to minimize excess blood glucose.
Cooperating with "Concern-Energomash" CJSC, which is the exclusive distributor for "ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS GMBH" (Germany) in Armenia, the initiative group distributed about 500 free glucose meters in Tavush Region. This was the first time the members ever owned a meter.
This experience was very successful and a lot of people from all 11 regions of Republic of Armenia were interested to become a member of the Center.
Thousands of requests from different regions of Armenia led them to think about the creation of the charity diabetes care center on the state level. For this purpose, at the beginning of 2014, the initiative group registered Charity Foundation called "Healthy Child". Mrs. Narine Arustamyan was named as the president of the center.
The Charity Center purchased a 4 storey building in Artashat town (Ararat Region) to provide medical and educational services to socially disadvantaged diabetics from all over Armenia. Artashat location was convenient for visiting patients from all 11 regions of Armenia.
The Charitable Foundation has a Board with 7 members: 6 doctors and the head of Noyemberyan Diabetics Support Centre.
In April 2014, the Board members managed to conclude a cooperation agreement with the "Grand Holding" Charity Foundation with the annual donation fund of $100,000, which will be spent on medicines and 6 doctors' salary.
The Charitable Foundation has a Board with 7 members: 6 doctors and the head of Noyemberyan Diabetics Support Centre.
In April 2014, the Board members managed to conclude a cooperation agreement with the "Grand Holding" Charity Foundation with the annual donation fund of $100,000, which will be spent on medicines and 6 doctors' salary.
Since 2014 the Center is also a partner with WiRED International Organization (http://www.wiredinternational.org).
To read more about the project, statistics about diabetes in Armenia or services of the Armenian Charity Diabetic Support Center, please contact Hasmik Azibekyan at h.azibekyan@gmail.com
To read more about the project, statistics about diabetes in Armenia or services of the Armenian Charity Diabetic Support Center, please contact Hasmik Azibekyan at h.azibekyan@gmail.com
Link for participating in the donation campaign:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/armenian-charity-diabetic-support-center-acdsc#homeThe Family That Saved a Village
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