Tourism: Where do citizens of Armenia travel?

By Meri Martirosyan

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)

Hasmik Ter Grigoryan talks about her research on Syrian Armenians

Hasmik Ter Grigoryan talks about her research: "The Syrian crisis and the Armenian community: Between two homelands: Armenia or Syria?"

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

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: 

http://civilnet.am/interview-vildan-ay.turkey-round-up-armenia-turkish-media-/

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

Anush Hovhannisyan at Concert Arias & Beethoven's Seventh

Hrayr Jebejian Awarded Ambassador of the Motherland Medal

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 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.

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.  

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. 

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 

Link for participating in the donation campaign:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/armenian-charity-diabetic-support-center-acdsc#home

The Family That Saved a Village

A story from Armenia Fund blog   "I would need much more than one wish to make this village alive again." This was how the mayor of Ditavan, Seyran Sargsyan, responded years ago when asked which issue he would want solved if he was granted one magic wish. The 19th century village sits about 1.2 miles from the Azerbaijani border. Most of the 120 families are farmers, although some of their lands are under occupation or uninhabitable due to the constant threat of Azerbaijani sniper fire. The infrastructure crumbling due to a lack of repairs, life in Ditatvan, as the Mayor Sargsyan suggested, was drear. After a thorough assessment of the village's needs as part of its Rural Development Program, launched in 2007, Armenia Fund announced a call for support to its donors. The Ekserciyan family, Armen and his wife Nadya, took note and answered. With their generous contributions to several projects over the past several years, the village is now a different place.  (Click here for the full article). Above: Cooking with Natural Gas Above: Outside the New School

Haleb (Aleppo) Armenian Community

Written by Levon Sharoyan for "Aleppo Armenians" and "Armenian Cultural" Facebook pages. 

Translated by Vahe H. Apelian for Keghart publication

For Armenians in Armenia and in Diaspora the Armenian community of Aleppo was isolated, self contained and traditional. It did not portray the luster and the flamboyance of the Paris, Los Angeles and even Beirut Armenian communities. The latter in fact - I hope it would not mind me stating - regarded Aleppo as a backward village. For consolation they had crowned us as the "Mother Diaspora Community" and we were happy with the coronation.

The unprecedented turn of events in the last three years due to the civil war in Syria and especially the deliberate destructions of Kessab and of the Aleppo Armenian neighborhood of Nor Kyugh, focused the attention of the Diaspora on the one time "Mother Diaspora Community", the "Dreamy Haleb". Every body started lamenting the possible loss of the community. Armenian Diaspora was mobilized to save its Haleb community to safeguard its values, but alas …"after breakage"… 

What were the characteristics of this community that the Diaspora is intent on safeguarding?

It is life's unmistakable order that we appreciate the value of a thing after losing it. But let us for a moment put our heads together and ponder as to the values of the Haleb community that are worth saving. What were the distinguishing characteristics of this community? What did the Haleb Armenian community offer that the others do not as well? I will present a cursory listing of these characteristics and I will let the readers do the critical and in depth evaluation. 

Let us begin the with community's religious and church lives.

Haleb hosts eleven Christian denominations among them the three mainstream Armenian denominations: Apostolic, Catholic and Evangelical in alphabetical listing. Each denomination is well organized and very active. The religious and church lives of the Haleb Armenian community have always been exemplary. The Holy Forty Martyrs Church of the Armenian Apostolic denomination dates back more than five hundred years. Our churches have always been full to capacity on Sundays and on Holidays. "Capacity crowd" typically exemplified the attendance of the Haleb Armenian churches. Should you ever have attended the early mass during the holidays you would have remained mesmerized by our all-volunteer large choirs. I would like to emphasize on the word "volunteer" because in Europe and in the United States even the scribe (դպիրներ) are paid. Weddings and baptisms had to be booked months in advance because there were so many them. I can insist that the Haleb Armenian community's rich and traditional church life may have come second only to Istanbul's. We had a very rich church life here. No wonder that the Seminarians in Antelias liked to come to Aleppo to perform mass. No other Armenian community could possibly have matched the imperial like reception community extended to the visiting Catholicos during his pontifical visit.

Turkey - Armenia fellowship scheme deadline is extended to 31st of July

TURKEY-ARMENIA FELLOWSHIP SCHEME DEADLINE IS EXTENDED TO 31^ST OF JULY!

63 organisations from Turkey, 25 from Armenia are ready to act as Host Organisations for fellows from the neighbouring country.

The Hrant Dink Foundation has established the Turkey-Armenia Fellowship Scheme with a view to promote cross-border affiliation and cooperation of professionals from the two neighbouring countries within the framework of the programme Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process financed by the European Union. The Fellowship Scheme will offer 18 professionals from Armenia and Turkey the opportunity to live and follow a special programme at a specific Host Organisation in the neighbouring country for 4 to 8 months. Individuals are also invited to propose their own project ideas, other than the fellowship opportunities offered by the listed Host Organisations.

The Fellowship Scheme aims to enable cross-border learning opportunities in areas where further exchange of expertise and lasting cooperation is much needed, such as academia, civil society, media, culture and arts, translation and interpreting/language-learning and law.

For more information about the Fellowship Scheme and the programs offered by the Host Organisations please click here.

The Turkey-Armenia Fellowship Scheme 
is financed by the European Union,
within the framework of the programme
Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process.

 

New settlement for Iraqi Armenians in Darbnik village

Azad-Hye Special About 15 kilometers south of Yerevan, in the neighborhood of Darbnik village in Ararat Marz (Province), a new residential block for Iraqi Armenian refugees have been inaugurated recently. An old agricultural school, which was provided to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) by the government of Armenia, has been rehabilitated for this purpose. The building is made of 46 apartments. Currently more than half of the apartments are occupied by Iraqi Armenians, who were facing difficulties in meeting their rents in apartments in the capital Yerevan. Now they can stay in this block without rental charges.  Azad Markarian one of the young Iraqi Armenians who moved into the block with his mother and family of two daughters, said that the residential block relieves him from some extra burden, but still he will be facing daily transportation expenses to reach Yerevan where his working place is located. To make matters worse, there is no regular mini-bus service with Yerevan. Azad's mother who is taking care of her two granddaughters said that the situation looks better than before, but "we are going to face a new sort of problems". She explained that in autumn when the schools will reopen it would be difficult to take the kids to the village for schooling. "Besides that, there is no kindergarten system in the village and we will have to stay with the kids all the time at home, in a closed environment, away from the type of life we used to know in Yerevan". This reminds the Armenian refugees who came two decades ago from urban areas in Azerbaijan and were obliged to start a new life in rural areas, where their skills did not match the new realities. Grandmother Markarian referred also to the lack of medical services. "At a certain age, medical help becomes crucial. At a remote place like this it will be difficult to find solutions for our medical and health issues, let aside the expenses that can incur." Obviously, the main challenge the 1.000 and more Iraqi Armenians face in Armenia is the lack of working opportunities. “If job was available, no one would have opted to come and live here”, noted an Iraqi Armenian who did not want to disclose his name. The caretaker of the complex Sahak Abrahamyan was very proud in undertaking his mission. "Iraqi Armenians will find a safe haven here and will focus on their every day life with less financial headaches", he said. The opening ceremony (on 03 July 2009) was attended by government officials, diplomats, local businesses, UN workers. Bushra Halepota, UNHCR Representative to Armenia, thanked all those who contributed in the noble mission of providing a dignified life to the new residents of Darbnik. Several sides cooperated in coming up with the project. The government of Armenia provided the building and secured gas and electricity networks, while the US Embassy supplied furniture for the apartments. Iraqi refugees in Armenia live in Yerevan and nearby provinces of Ararat and Kotayk. They struggle to secure financial means for their families, while their children face challenges related to lingual and social integration in the new society. The main problem however remains the affordable housing. The Migration Agency in the Ministry of Territorial Administration takes care of the refugee needs in general (including refugees of non-Armenian origin). This Agency also is responsible for facilitating the return of many ex-Armenian citizens, who have been living outside since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since 1999 Gagik Yeganyan has been the head of the Migration Agency at the Ministry of Territorial Administration. In April 2006, Yeganyan was elected as Deputy Chair of the European Committee on Migration (in the Council of Europe). Being close to zones of conflict, Armenia occasionally hosts refugees from neighboring countries. The Armenian - Azeri conflict and the Nagorno - Karabakh issue triggered a flow of more than 300 thousand ethnic Armenians, 70% of them have not yet acquired Armenian citizenship (out of their own will), after almost 20 years in independent Armenia. During the Israeli attack on Lebanon in 2006, Armenia received about 350 requests for asylum, while recently during the Iranian internal turmoil, following the elections, there were fears for refugees coming from Iran. http://www.azad-hye.net/news/viewnews.asp?newsId=621azgl41 The road leads to the residential complex in Darbnik A side view of the residential block Inner side of the block where there is a volleyball net Azad Markarian in the shade near the entrance of the building Grandmother Markarian holds Narineh Children inside an apartment spend their summer time by painting Sahak Abrahamyan, the care-taker of the residential block The mayor of nearby Hayanist village (left) and Ashot Vardanian, the Head of the Department of Territorial Administration in the Ararat Province (right). They visit the complex frequently and look after the needs of the inhabitants.

Ara Papian's book on Wilsonian borders and other subjects

Azad-Hye Special

The 3rd edition of Ara Papian's "Legal Bases for Armenians Claims" has been published recently in Yerevan.

(Click here to get a full version of the book, PDF format, 187 pages, 1.3 MB)

This edition is based on previous editions (Yerevan 2007, Toronto 2008), but includes additional articles covering the period until July 2009.

More than two third of the 187 page-book is in Armenian language with several articles in Russian and English (see below list of English articles). 

Ara Papian has been studying documents related to the famous "Wilsonian borders" between Armenia and Turkey which was signed by the 28th American president Woodrow Wilson.

Papian considers that these documents are the only ones with legal force regarding the borders between the two countries and can serve as a base to claim our rights at the UN's International Court to territories like Van, Erzurum, Bitlis and Trapizon, which were indicated in Wilson's map within the Armenian borders. He insists that present-day Armenia should study well the "Wilsonian borders" as a legal document.

Born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1961, Ara Papian is a gradute of the Department of Oriental Studies of Yerevan State University (1984). In 1994, he graduated from theMoscow Diplomatic Academy and in 1998, from NATO Defense College in Rome.

He has worked in several departments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Armenia and posted to the Armenian Embassy in Tehran, Iran (1992 - 1993) as second secretary. He has also served in the Armenian Embassy in Bucharest, Romania as second secretary and later as Charge d'Affaires (1995 - 1997). His latest diplomatic post was Ambassador of Armenia to Canada (2000 - 2006).

Before joining the diplomatic life he worked as Professor of the Armenian language and literature at Melkonian Educational Institute in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Papian is the Head of "Modus Vivendi" Center for Social Science, a Non-Governmental Organization found in 1999 with the mission of "solving the regional problems by peaceful means through International Law".

The English articles in the book "Legal Bases for Armenians Claims" are the followings:

Declaration: for reclaiming the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia on part of the territory stipulated to the Republic of Armenia by international law /draft/ (pages 111-115).

The Arbitral Award on Turkish-Armenian Boundary by Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States of America (pages 150 - 168).

The Legal Interrelation between the Treaty of Sevres and the Treaty Lausanne (pages 169 - 175).

Unlawfully Confiscated American Property in Turkey: Problems and Perspectives for the Indemnification and Compensation (176 - 181).

Website of "Modus Vivendi": 

http://www.wilsonforarmenia.org/index.htm

Ara Papian's book could be downloaded also from our Electronic Library here.

The first group of Come Home participants end their program of activities

Azad-Hye Special

The first round of "Come Home" project finished on 30 July 2009

On 22 July 2009, Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian met the Diasporan Armenian young persons who arrived in Armenia within the framework of the Come Home (Ari Tun) project.

The Minister began her speech with the words "Welcome to your Ministry", then she expressed gratitude to the families that will be hosting the visitors, as well as the schools where lessons will be held.

Hakobian noted that within the framework of the program the participants will have the chance to visit places of interest in Armenia and gain friendships. "You are infected with Armenian virus on condition of never getting cured," Hranush Hakobian noted wittingly, expressing the conviction that next year the number of participants will immensely grow.

"Being the citizens of another country, remember that Armenia is your homeland. Sarians, Aznavours, Kerkorians should be born among you," the Minister added.

After noting that this year's program is experimental, she said that next year's program will be held according to age groups.

"A bridge was created which is impossible to destroy. This bridge is eternal. The Come Home program will always call the Diasporan Armenians." Hakobian stressed. She presented "Wonders of Armenia" encyclopedia as a gift to all participants.

On 23 July 2009 the participants visited the Armenian National Gallery, Yerevan State University and Shant TV. 

In the Armenian National Gallery the young people began discovering the bright colors of the Armenian Highland, painted by Martiros Sarian and other masters of the Armenian fine arts. Aram Simonian, head of Yerevan State University gave a briefing about the university and its teaching system. On the same evening they participated in the Folk Dances program at Shant TV, displaying dancing techniques they have gained during the last few days.

On 27 July 2009, as a field activity related to "Learn about our native land" interactive class, the young participants visited Khor Virap church complex and got acquainted with the history of the region. They went down the vertical stairs to the basement where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned. 

Ararat region's Deputy Governor Samvel Mirzoyan met the participants and accompanied them to the Charles Aznavour Cultural Palace in the city of Artashat, where they took part in a program called "Let's sing and dance Armenian".

At the end of the day the participants went to Gabriel Sundukian Theatre in Yerevan, where they watched "Khatabala" play, performed by the “Petros Adamian” Armenian theatre group from Tbilisi, Georgia. 

On 30 July 2009 evening, in Sevan, President Serzh Sargsyan met the young participants on the last day of their visit. He gave a briefing about the current political situation in the region and the Turkish - Armenian relations. He noted that Armenia did the maximum, expressed good will in spite of the problems and offered to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any preconditions. "We negotiated for a whole year, coordinated two documents, but after that some Turkish ruling circles presented as a precondition the Nagorno Karabakh settlement and the issue of Armenian-Azeri relations," he elaborated.

Sargsyan underlined that "our grandfathers managed to give us a small Armenia, and we must hand over our small but biblical and very beautiful country to our children." He attached importance to the "Come Home" program, which gives an opportunity to the Diasporan Armenian young people to feel the Armenian spirit, deal with Armenian history and culture.

Sargsyan underlined that Armenia is entirely a different one with Diaspora. “The time will come when 

"we will be mighty and I am sure that you will see it", he emphasized.

The Diasporan Armenian young people were interested in the citizenship of Armenia, and in response to that Sargsyan noted that no Diasporan Armenian has a problem of being granted citizenship.

Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian said that more than 100 people from Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Syria, Egypt and France participated in the first round of the program. The next group will follow soon and this will continue till the end of October, hosting a total of 500 people by then.

"The program has a great moral, psychological, political and historical significance. We have set a task that our Diasporan children come, live in our families, get acquainted with the mode of life here and also gain friends ... they will return to their countries with stronger Armenian spirit to continue the most important and necessary program of the preservation of Armenian nation, which is to stay loyal to the Armenian identity, community, church and state," Hakobian said.

According to the Minister, during the visit of all 500 young people 20 mln drams (about US$ 53.000) will be spent.

Initial information and photos obtained from www.hayernaysor.am

Photos: 

1- Upper-left: At the Armenian National Gallery, admiring works by famous sea painter Ayvazovski.

2- Minister Hranush Hakobian welcomes the participants of the first group.

3 and 4 - Meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan.

Stepan Partamian starts his photographic journey through the Armenian-American landscape

Azad-Hye Special

Stepan Partamian, the controversial talk show host in California, community activist, entrepreneur and President of the Armenian Arts Fund made reference in an interview published three years ago*, to an ambitious project about documenting the Armenian influence in the United States of America.  

“My next year’s project is finding the Armenian America" he stated. "There are metropolitan areas full of Armenians -  Los Angeles, New York, Boston - but I am in search of the Armenian in the unknown place. So I’m doing research into all 50 states to find out locations, to find out individuals, to find out organizations that deal with Armenians or are of Armenian origin.”

In front of a wall map with dozens of red pins indicating Armenian presence across the US, Partamian added: "I found out there is a mountain in Pennsylvania called Mount Armenia,” he says. “There is a street called Armenia in Tampa, Fla. … There is a city in South Carolina called Armenia."

After doing and extensive research and preparing the time schedule, Partamian started on 01 August 2009 traveling to all 50 US states, to document Armenian institutions, organizations, churches and other establishments.

The material-gathering phase of the project will be completed by October 2009. The best photographs of the collection will be chosen for publication. The resulting volume, entitled "The Armenian in America", will be published in early April 2010 in a hard-cover, museum-quality volume.

The Armenian-American community is more than 125 years old, with a rich, evolving history that often begins with the quest for a better life and culminates in great achievements in art, science, commerce, sports, and other fields.

The Armenian culture in America has further diversified since the 1970s, when thousands of compatriots immigrated from Armenia, the Middle East, and elsewhere. New communities sprung up and older ones expanded in a multitude of cosmopolitan areas, but Armenians also settled and worked in towns, cities, and regions that remain off the beaten path.

The schedule of the first 10 days of the journey will be as follows:
8/1/09 Saturday Night La Quinta, California
8/2/09 Sunday Night Scottsdale, Arizona
8/3/09 Monday Night Flagstaff, Arizona
8/4/09 Tuesday Night Santa Fe, New Mexico
8/5/09 Wednesday Night Amarillo, Oklahoma
8/6/09 Thursday Night Austin, Texas
8/7/09 Friday Night Houston, Texas
8/8/09 Saturday Night Houston, texas
8/9/09 Sunday Night Baton Rouge
8/10/09 Monday Night Baton Rouge

The project is part of Partamian's activities under the umbrella of the Armenian Arts Fund. He believes that the astonishingly rich mosaic of Armenian life in America deserves to be fully documented, for the enjoyment and appreciation of Armenians and non-Armenians alike.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

*Interview with Stepan Partamian by Michael Saltzam in "Verdugo Monthly" (August, 2006)

The Armenian in America

Armenian Arts Fund

The Armenian in America on Facebook (membership required)

Community life resumes in Basra

Archbishop Avak Asadourian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq,  paid a pastoral visit to the Armenian Church and Community in Basra from 22-25 July 2009, during which he was accompanied by Baruyr Hagopianand Ishkhan Amirkhanian, chairman and member of the Diocesan Council respectively.

Fr. Torkom Torkomian, parish priest of St. Asdvadzadzin Church of Basra and parish council members welcomed the distinguished guests in Basra.

On Wednesday, 22 July 2009 evening, His Eminence met with the Armenian youth of Basra and lectured on topics of interest to the youth, such as making the message of the Gospel relative and meaningful in their everyday life. Serpazan's lecture was followed by question and answer session.

On Thursday, 23 July 2009 morning, His Eminence and Diocesan Council members held an extensive meeting with the parish priest and council members, during which they discussed a host of issues facing the Armenian Community in Basra during these difficult times in Iraq.

It must be reported that security and everyday life in Basra is better compared to Baghdad and Mosul. There is a relative calm in this southern Iraqi city. The Armenian Community in Basra counts some 800 faithful.

In the afternoon Serpazan visited the sick and elderly of the Armenians of Basra. Later he visited the Armenian Youth Association of Basra where the Community was gathered. After group and solo performances with a repertoire of patriotic and popular songs by members of the cultural group (see upper-left photo), Serpazan addressed the Armenian public and encouraged them to adhere to their faith and remain devoted sons and daughters of their Mother Church, keeping firm the Armenian language and culture.

After an absence of four years, cultural life resumed in this center with a new committee comprised of youth who are working hard in maintaining and upholding our national heritage.

On Friday, 24 July 2009, His Eminence celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the Sermon. Clergymen from sister churches attended the Holy Mass (Badarak). Most of those attending Church services received Holy Communion.

On Saturday, 25 July 2009 morning, His Eminence together with the accompanying delegation returned back to Baghdad.

Photos by Vahe Avedisian

Source: Communique issued by the Divan of the Diocese and posted on "Iraqi Armenians on Facebook" by Ara Ashjian

Iraqi Armenians on Facebook (membership required)