ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION

WESTERN U.S.A  

A.R.F. News  December 2008

    LRADOU TV

• Hrair Maroukhian's Legacy

 

Tuesday December 30, 2008   Hrair Maroukhian   A special requiem service in memory of Long-time ARF Bureau chairman and leader Hrair Maroukhian   Sunday, January 4, 2009 At St. Garabed Armenian Church 1614 N Alexandria Ave., Hollywood   A memorial reception will follow at Karapetian Hall

Sunday December 28, 2008

Armenian benefactor Raffy Manoukian

• Raffi Manoukian Donates New Equipment to Horizon Television

• Press Release

Tuesday December 23, 2008

BREAKING NEWS

• Turkish MP Urges Parliament to Apologize to Armenians

Monday December 22, 2008

Col. Theoneste Bagosora Receives Life in Prison,

14 Years After Genocidal Acts

• ANCA Welcomes Conviction of Rwandan Genocide Mastermind

• Genocide Prevention Project to Expand Fight on Genocide

  Friday December 18, 2008

HRAIR MAROUKHIAN'S LEGACY

• Ankara Again Tries Muzzling Talk of Genocide

• Apologies Surpass 13,000; Sabotage Suspected in Effort

Thursday December 18, 2008

• Turkish PM scorns Armenia apology

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Wednesday December 17, 2008

• Turkey Frets Looming US Recognition of Genocide

Tuesday December 16, 2008

• Genocide Apology Condemned by Turkey's Denial Architects

• гۻñ¿Ý Ü»ñáÕáõÃÇõÝ Êݹñ»Éáõ ²ñß³õÁ êÏë³Í ¾

Monday December 15, 2008

• Garen Yegparian Enters Race For The Burbank City Council  

• Turkish Universities to Launch Armenian Departments

Thursday December 11, 2008

• The Legacy of UN Declaration on Genocide 60 Years Later

Wednesday December 10, 2008

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

• UN Chief Calls for Action Against Genocide

Tuesday December 9, 2008

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

• Genocide Deniers Set Course for Genocide Prevention

• Armenian Intellectuals Calls on Gul to Recognize Genocide

• Open Letter to Abdullah Gul

Monday December 8, 2008

• Armenians Mark 20 Years Since Devastating Quake

• Turks Create False Impressions To Block Obama's Promises

• Àݹ³Ù¿ÝÁª 45 ºñÏí³ÛñÏ»³Ý

Friday December 5, 2008

   ARF Warns of Turkish Ploys
 

• Amanpour Screams 'Bloody Murder' But Not about Armenian Genocide

Please tune into CNN on Thursday, December 4th at 6:00 PM PST to view this special documentary, covering the Armenian Genocide.

Cristiane Amanpour in Another CNN Special

Tuesday  December 2, 2008

• ANCA Welcomes Clinton's Appointment As Secretary Of State

Monday December 1, 2008

• Fall 2008 Haytoug Preview

*****

• An Interview with Dr. Ara Khanjian

      Armenian Fonts Download      

Sunday December 28, 2008

Raffi Manoukian Donates New Equipment to Horizon Television

LITTLE ARMENIA--The board of directors of the Armenian Media Network are pleased to announce a recent donation of $150,000 for the purchase of new state-of-the art equipment for Horizon Television by noted benefactor and long-time Horizon TV supporters Mr. Raffy Manoukian who has supported various initiatives at Horizon Television from the early days of its inception.
 
“From the first years of production, to our 10th anniversary and to present-day 20th anniversary Mr. Raffy Manoukian has been an ardent supporter and has always ensured, through his generosity, that Horizon's technical capabilities are up to par with market standards,” said Horizon General Manager Harry Vorperian.

Horizon is only a part of Mr. Raffy Manoukian's generous philanthropy in the Armenian community. Most recently, the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church announced a $6 million commitment from him for the establishment of a high school in the Glendale community.

Mr. Manoukian has also financed the multiple award-winning documentary “Screamers,” Carla Garapedian's examination of the Armenian Genocide denial featuring the band System of a Down.

His contributions and charitable efforts span the globe, with a special emphasis on educational, health, sports and media ventures. He is a generous contributor to the following charities:

Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
Queen Elizabeth's Foundation
The Duke of York Sports Foundation
Elton John Aids Foundation

The Bryan Adams Foundation..
Oxford University
Royal Academy of Music (London)
Amnesty International
Armenian National Committee of America
American University of Beirut
Yeghishe Manoukian School (Lebanon)
The Armenian Evangelical College in Lebanon

“We are very grateful to Mr. Raffy Manoukian for his generous contribution to Horizon Television,” said Vorperian, adding that “Mr. Manoukian's most recent contribution has enabled us to upgrade our equipment with critically important technical and creative tools for our studios, which will enable us to continue providing quality programming to our growing audience.”

Sunday December 28, 2008

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Monday December 22, 2008

Turkish MP Urges Parliament to Apologize to Armenians

ISTANBUL (Marmara)--A Turkish parliament member's request Sunday that the legislature apologize to Armenians for the “events of 1915” has caused an uproar in parliament, with members hurling personal insults at one another.

Democratic Society Party (DTP) member Osman Euzcelik brought the matter up during parliament's discussion of the education ministry budget and went on to recall the Armenian massacres by using the Kurdish word that describes Genocide.

He also said that he had heard stories about the Armenian killings as child growing up in Turkey and added that the killings were planned by the sultan of the Ottoman Empire and were carried out by groups called Hamiddiye, which also had Kurdish members.

Euzcelik likened the campaign to kill Armenians to the current campaign waged against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

“These groups killed a large number of Armenians. A lot of times they would line up the Armenians and shoot them in the chest. All Armenians of Martin were killed and some fled to Syria,” said Euzcelik, who added that his grandfather's family provided refuge for Genocide survivors.

Nevzad Pakdil, who was presiding over the parliament session, interrupted Euzcelik, blasting him for “insulting the society in which you live.”

Euzcelik said that he was apologizing to Armenians on his own behalf.

Pakdil intervened again attempting to stifle the parliament member. Members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) applauded the Pakdil while another DTP member, Surru Saken directed his anger to Paktdil by saying, “Mr. Chairman, you represent the Marash district and you know full well the extent of the tragedy that unfolded there.”

This comment prompted a member of the AKP to walk toward DTP members and begin screaming at his fellow parliamentarians. Another parliament member intervened to stop what could have become a physical altercation.

“Should we not talk about the facts? There is not one Assyrian left,” screamed another DTP member during the commotion, which was followed by several DTP members leaving the parliament.

Earlier in October, DTP leader, Ahmet Turk, denounced the government's policy regarding the Kurdish issue, describing it as “cultural and societal genocide."

"The policy of denial, assimilation and eradication has affected people. Only the Kurds resisted. They still resist," Turk told demonstrators in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir on October 22.

DTP, the country's main Kurdish party, has been under siege by the Turkish government, facing a possible ban by the constitutional court in what is widely recognized as being a politically charged case aimed at decapitating the party.

Monday December 22, 2008

Genocide Prevention Project to Expand Fight on Genocide

NEW YORK--The Armenian National Committee of America, Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) welcomed Monday the launching of Genocide Prevention Project (GPP), a newly created organization working to expand the outreach and mobilization of advocacy action during times of mass atrocity and genocide.

"The ANCA is very enthusiastic about the launch of Genocide Prevention Project as an invaluable tool to help end the cycle of genocide," said ANCA ER Executive Director Karine Birazian.  "We look forward to working with their New York headquarters to expand the anti-genocide constituency in the United States, as part of the effort to end the Darfur genocide and prevent future crimes against humanity."

Originally launched in 2007 under the banner "Dream for Darfur," GPP activists called on 2008 Olympics host country, China, to encourage Sudan to end atrocities committed against the people of Darfur.  The effort drew international attention, spotlighting the ongoing genocide in the region, which has already cost some 400,000 lives.  Following the Olympics closing ceremonies, GPP expanded its efforts and began work with survivors and the anti-genocide constituency on a wide rang of genocide prevention efforts.

"The best way to stop genocide is to prevent it from happening," said Jill Savitt, Executive Director of the Genocide Prevention Project. "We are organizing survivors of past genocides, and their descendants and friends, to call on the global community to adopt a prevention framework 's pro-active diplomatic activity at the earliest stages of conflict.  We will use Genocide Prevention Month next April to educate and motivate a civic response calling for an end to genocide and mass atrocity crimes."

GPP's website, http://www.preventORprotect.org includes information on past genocides from Armenia to Rwanda, information on the genocide in Darfur as well as the special feature - "30 Days of Action in April," which provides ways for the international community to join the movement and show their support for genocide prevention.  The organization also released a letter from genocide survivors marking the 60th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which called for the international community to prevent genocide, mass atrocities and protect civilians under attack.  Amongst the signatories were Armenian Genocide survivors Adriyan Bagciyan, Arsalos Dadir, Onorik Eminian, Hingeni Evernsel, Perouz Kalousdian, Charlotte Kechejian and Alice Shnorhokian.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
 

Monday December 22, 2008

ANCA Welcomes Conviction of Rwandan Genocide Mastermind

WASHINGTON-- The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Monday hailed a United Nations court decision sentencing Rwanda Genocide mastermind, Col. Theoneste Bagosora, to life in prison.

Major Aloys Ntabakuze and Lieutenant Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva  were also convicted of crimes ranging from genocide to crimes against humanity and war crimes.

"As we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, Col. Bagosora's conviction sends a powerful message that there is no escape from a genocidal past," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  "The world will continue to follow the ICTR's efforts, as other perpetrators of the Rwandan are placed on trial."

Following intense judicial scrutiny, Col. Bagosora, an ethnic Hutu, was found guilty of ordering the Hutu militia to slaughter ethnic Tutsis civilians.  The U.N. established the Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) tribunal in late 1994. Bagosora was captured in neighboring Camaroon in 1997 and stood trial beginning 2002.  After hearing from some 242 witnesses, the court began its deliberation in June 1, 2007.

"After 14 years of waiting it is a relief to see a genocide mastermind like Bagosora receive a life the sentence that he deserves for his role in the 1994 genocide," commented Jacqueline Murekatete, Rwanda genocide survivor and human rights activist. "For survivors, this is certainly a step towards justice, but more needs to be done by the ICTR.  Several other masterminds still await trial in Arusha and many more are fugitives who still enjoy safe havens around the world. I hope ICTR will also bring justice to these individuals for the sake of the million murdered, for the survivors, and for humanity at large."

At the age of 9, Murekatete lost her parents, six siblings, and a grandmother during the Rwandan genocide. In the U.S.. she founded Jacqueline's Human Rights Corner, a genocide prevention education program, which has helped educate thousands on the Rwandan Genocide and genocide prevention.

The Rwandan Genocide claimed the lives of close to 1,000,000 Tutsi's during the months of April to June of 1994.  Following a plane crash that took the life of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana of on April 6th, Hutu extremists began killing countless Tutsis.  Despite pleas to the international community, the crimes continued until a Tutsi rebel movement, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) overthrew the Hutu government and seized power. For years following the Rwandan genocide, Bagosora denied responsibility for the crimes he committed.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
 

Friday December 18, 2008

HRAIR MAROUKHIAN'S LEGACY

A long time leader of the ARF, Hrair Maroukhian passed away on December 21, 1998.
After 10 years his ideas and words are still in our minds and for those who forgot here is one of his famous sentences.
" Hay Heghapokhagan Tashnagtsoutian polor sharkeroun anounov , Hayasdani mayr gazmagerboutenen minchev Ameriga minchev Lipanan Barsgasdan yev Yevroba, Goch goughem polorin, polorin , polorin! Veratarnal Hayrenik, Yertal Hayrenik, dzarayel Hay joghovourtin, Mernel Hay joghovourti hamar, Abretsnelou hamar Hay joghovourte"
That's what he worked for during his life ,he worked for the great "TEBI YERGIR" ideology ,he believed and worked for the Artsakh Liberation war, he used to say that Artsakh war has to be won ,because it represents the important step in our lives ,if we win it the Armenians can keep fighting for their cause ,if we lose it ,it will destroy our will .
Artsakh is liberated
Armenia is Rising
We are Fighting for all our rights.
Thats our promise to you Enger Hrair Maroukhian, to keep fighting for all our rights, to keep believing in tebi yergir ,to keep serving the Armenian people.
 

Apologies Surpass 13,000; Sabotage Suspected in Effort

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)--The number of signatories on a Turkish petition to apologize for what they call the “Great catastrophe of 1915” has surpassed 13,000, however on Thursday the Web site hosting the petition went offline for three hours and returned without the option to sign the petition or the list of participating signatories.

The effort, initiated by a number of prominent Turkish academics and writers and launched on Monday, has garnered unprecedented participation from the Turkish public, who joined the scholars in support of this initiative.

But the 73 pages that list the more than 13,000 signatories on ozurdiliyoruz.com have been deleted from the site and no more signatures can be submitted.

Coincidentally, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan Wednesday denounced the “apology campaign” saying that Turks had nothing for which to apologize. In stark contrast, Turkish President Abdullah Gul voiced support for the petition saying that the effort allows the signatories to exercise their freedom of expression. He reiterated his support on Thursday.

"I do not accept nor supports this campaign. We did not commit a crime therefore we do not need to come up with excuses," said Erdogan.

In retaliation to this campaign, Turkish nationalist groups launched an alternative Web site--ozurdiliyorum.com--that claims there was no genocide, thus there is no need to apologize.

Meanwhile, the Azeri Press Agency reported Thursday that Turkish opposition parliament member Janan Aritman is alleging that Gul's mother was Armenian adding that his support of the petition stemmed from his ancestry.

"We see that the president supports this campaign. Abdullah Gul should be the president of the entire Turkish nation and not of his ethnic origin. Investigate the ethnic origin of the president's mother, and you will see," said Artiman, adding "the organizers of this petition are traitors."

The petition, which does not use the word “Genocide” in referring to the slaughter of Armenians, has elicited strong support and has prompted a national dialogue and discourse in Turkey that will go a long way for Turks to confront their history.

 

Thursday December 18, 2008

Ankara Again Tries Muzzling Talk of Genocide

BY ALLEN YEKIKAN

LOS ANGELES--Amid a growing movement in Turkey calling for an apology of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish press reported Thursday that a Turkish Foreign Ministry delegation visiting Washing has allegedly secured assurances from top Obama aides that they will lobby the President-elect to refrain from describing the events of 1915 as Genocide during his first April 24 address.

Published in Turkey's English-language Hurriyet Daily News, the report said Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan and Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu "paid a recent visit to Washington" on December 8-9 for "a series of talks" with aides to President-elect Obama and Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton.

The delegation is said to have been given the "impression" that Obama's team would "advise [the President-elect] to refrain from using the term genocide" in the annual commemoration address, according to Hurriyet.

The news comes amid a budding movement in Turkey calling for an apology to the Armenians for what is being referred to as the "Great Catastrophe of 1915."

The unprecedented apology was initiated earlier this month by a group of 200 Turkish academics, journalists, writers and artists disagreeing with the official Turkish version denying the Armenian Genocide.

The petition, entitled "I apologize," was posted on the internet on Monday and has thus far garnered over 13,500 signatures from the Turkish public.

“I cannot conscientiously accept the indifference to the Great Catastrophe that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915, and its denial. I reject this injustice and acting of my own will, I share the feelings and pains of my Armenian brothers and sisters, and I apologize to them,” the petition reads.

"Today, as the voices of Turkey's civil society speak out on this pressing human rights issue, the leaders of democratic countries around the world have a unique opportunity and responsibility to stand with them by unequivocally recognizing the Armenian Genocide," said Elizabeth Chouldjian, the Communications Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

But Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Wednesday refused to join the rapidly growing online petition, saying that it is "unreasonable to apologize when there is no reason."

"If there is a crime, then those who committed it can offer an apology. My nation, my country has no such issue," he said about the petition, which has also drawn harsh criticism from Turkish nationalists and some 60 Turkish diplomats and ambassadors.

Erdogan warned the apology threatened to damage improving relations between Armenia and Turkey, an argument often used by Turkish officials to derail international efforts at nudging Turkey to recognize the crime.

The two diplomats are reported to have echoed those warnings during their meetings, saying that "bringing the Armenian claims to Congress would not only seriously hurt Turkish-American relations but also the new period of dialogue started between Yerevan and Ankara."

The two also allegedly issued a tacit warning on behalf of Ankara, echoing previous Turkish threats that the President elect's use of the word genocide would "have a negative reflection on the cooperation of the two countries in resolving regional issues, including Iraq."

The report stands in stark contrast to a series of statements issued by President-elect Obama expressing the urgency of a U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

"President-elect Obama has been clear--both as Senator and Presidential candidate--in his calls for proper U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide," Chouldjian said.

 

Turkish PM scorns Armenia apology

Turkey's prime minister has criticized a Turkish internet petition which apologizes for the "great catastrophe" of 1915 when Armenians were massacred.

The petition was launched by more than 200 Turkish academics and newspaper columnists earlier this week.

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "I find it unreasonable to apologize when there is no reason".

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915. Turkey denies that it was "genocide".

Mr Erdogan said the petition risked stirring trouble. He called it "irrational" and "wrong".

Many international historians say the massacres and deaths of Armenians during their forced removal from what is now eastern Turkey were "genocide".

Turkey vehemently denies that, arguing that those who died were just victims of the turmoil of World War I, in which many innocent Muslim Turks also died.

The intellectuals behind the petition say they want to challenge the official denial and provoke discussion in Turkish society about what happened, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Istanbul.

The petition is entitled "I apologize".

A short statement at the top reads: "My conscience cannot accept the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and - on my own behalf - I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers - and I apologize to them."

The petition was condemned on Tuesday by some 60 Turkish former ambassadors, who called it an act of betrayal.

The Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink was killed last year for openly saying that the events of 1915 were genocide.

Previously he had been tried for "insulting Turkishness" for his comments on 1915 - as was Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize-winning author, who said that a million Armenians were killed "in these lands" and no-one dared talk about it.
 

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Turkey Frets Looming US Recognition of Genocide

BY ALLEN YEKIKAN

Prospects are high for a US recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the incoming administration of president elect Barack Obama, a leading member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation said Tuesday, reiterating his party's calls for Yerevan not to buckle under Turkish pressure by accepting a package deal that would see, among other things, the establishment of a joint study on the genocide in exchange for normal ties.

For years, Turkey has anxiously pushed for an intergovernmental commission to examine the events of 1915, hoping Yerevan would eventually be forced to green light the initiative to ease the economic strains caused by the Turkish blockade.

The two countries have seen a thaw in relations since President Serzh Sarkisian met with his Turkish counterpart in Armenia to watch a soccer game against their national teams.

The meeting, which kicked off a series of negotiations between the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers, raised prospects that Ankara was ready to normalize relations with Yerevan.

But the dialogue between the two countries that began with Gul's visit to Yerevan has apparently stalled, the ARF's Political Director, Kiro Manoyan, told reporters at the Patarak press club, citing as the reason Turkey's unwillingness to budge on a series of demands requiring Armenia to drop genocide recognition, accept Turkey's territorial integrity, and relinquish Karabakh.

He said Turkish officials are being told by Washington insiders to quickly conclude an agreement with Armenia to “prevent recognition [of the Genocide] by the United States."

Ankara has warned Washington against recognizing the Armenian Genocide, saying it would hurt the current reconciliation process.

Manoyan noted, however, that a US recognition of the genocide would have the opposite effect, leaving Turkey with little option but to follow suit or risk damaging its projected image as a positive actor in the region.

Recognition by the United States would, in fact, be very helpful to Turkey and the international community at large, according to Andrew Kzirian of the US based Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“This action would demonstrate that even among friends, historical reality is honored and in fact could help diplomatic relations to be based on honest and open communications," said Kzirian, the Executive Director of the ANCA's Western Region.

But Turkey's increasing pressure to “force the issue of progressing diplomatic communication is obviously motivated by an insincere purpose,” Kzirian noted, pointing to Ankara's efforts to derail the US from going on record about the genocide.

Over the past few months, the Turkish government has launched an intense media blitz to distort the present reality, misquoting officials, and wrongly reporting developments.

“These deceitful practices are all driven by the intense desire to fabricate a full-blown diplomatic rapprochement when Turkey still refuses to open the border and demands other concessions from Yerevan,” Kzirian sad. “All this is intended to stifle genocide recognition by the US government in the coming months.”

The ARF has long urged Yerevan to be cautious in its diplomatic relations with Turkey. Earlier this month its Bureau issued a statement reiterating that point, warning that the Turkish government is manipulating Yerevan's olive branch to scuttle “the genocide recognition process,” and make “relations between the two states conditional on Armenia's relations with a third country, Azerbaijan.”

The statement, issued on December 1 after a three day plenary session of the party's governing body, stressed the strategic importance of genocide recognition for Armenia's foreign policy.

Manoyan stressed that point, saying the impact of international recognition of the crime would be bolstered by a US affirmation.

“The primary objective for the recognition process is to nudge Turkey into recognizing the Genocide,” he explained, adding that those efforts are approaching a tipping point as a result of increasing discussion on the genocide  in Turkish society.

“Though Turkey is far from recognizing the fact of the Genocide, Turkish society is finally beginning to recognize its history,” he said, commenting on a recent petition issued by Turkish academics apologizing for the crime.

The apology for the “great catastrophe” came in an open letter that invites Turks to sign an online petition supporting its sentiments

"My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915,” the letter said. “I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologize to them."

Echoing those sentiments, nearly 300 Armenian intellectuals and other public figures early this week appealed to Turkey's president to end his government's denial of the genocide, saying that Turkey's recognition of the crime is a necessary condition for reconciliation between the two countries.

“I think this letter is significant in the sense that it originated from Armenia and clearly reflects our public's view that it is impossible to evade the issue of genocide recognition,” Manoyan told reporters. "International recognition of the Armenian Genocide remains a priority for the Republic's foreign policy.”

The Armenian government should recognize the potential of these developments, Manoyan said, urging Yerevan to adopt a concrete policy on the genocide that rejects any proposals for a joint study of its facts.
 

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Turkish PM Says He Won't Apologize to Armenians

ANKARA (Combined Sources)--Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Wednesday he will not join a rapidly growing petition by Turks apologizing on the Internet for what they call the "Great Catastrophe" of the Armenians.

The unprecedented apology was initiated earlier this month by a group of 200 Turkish academics, journalists, writers and artists disagreeing with the official Turkish version  of denying the Armenian Genocide. Their petition, entitled “I apologize,” was posted on a special website (www.ozurdiliyoruz.com) on Monday.

More than 11,000 Turks signed it as of Wednesday morning, indicating their names, occupations and places of residence.

“I cannot conscientiously accept the indifference to the Great Catastrophe that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915, and its denial,” reads the petition. “I reject this injustice and acting of my own will, I share the feelings and pains of my Armenian brothers and sisters, and I apologize to them.”

Erdogan said Wednesday the apology issued Monday threatens to damage improved relations between the countries and it is not binding for Turkey, an argument often used by Turkish officials to derail efforts at nudging Turkey to recognizing the crime.

"I neither accept nor support this campaign," Erdogan said, adding the issue is still being discussed by historians. "I will not be a part of it."

"If there is a crime, then those who committed it can offer an apology. My nation, my country has no such issue," he said.

Turkish nationalists were quick to criticize the online apology. A group of some 60 retired Turkish diplomats issued a statement on Monday describing the move "as unfair, wrong and unfavorable to national interests."

A spokesman from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday the issue is 'highly sensitive' for the ministry and it does not support reacting to the apology.

Burak Ozugergin said the ministry did not urge the retired diplomats and ambassadors, who said Monday that "such an incorrect and one-sided attempt would mean disrespecting our history."

Ozugergin said Turkey's stance on the "1915 incidents was well known by everybody," adding people should be able to comfortably discuss all issues in Turkey.

"However our foreign policy is not so flimsy as to shift as a result of daily debates. We will continue to act on principles," he said, declining to elaborate further on those principles.

Tuesday December 16, 2008

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Tuesday December 16, 2008

Genocide Apology Condemned by Turkey's Denial Architects

ANKARA (Combined Sources)--A group of retired Turkish diplomats has slammed a grassroots internet campaign in Turkey apologizing to Armenians for the “great catastrophe” they suffered during the Armenian Genocide.

Around 200 Turkish intellectuals, journalists, and academics on Monday issued an internet apology for the Turkish genocide of Armenians during the First World War. As of Monday, nearly 2,500 people have signed the online apology, giving their support to the intellectuals.

The apology, which had been leaked to the media, threatens to challenge the ideological foundations of modern Turkey, which owes its existence to the genocide of the Ottoman Empire's Armenians, whose land and wealth were requisitioned by the Turkish state. It also comes at a time of heightened nationalism in Turkey.

The 60 retired diplomats and ambassadors, who issued on Monday a response to the apology, described the campaign as "unfair, wrong and unfavorable for the national interests."

"Such an incorrect and one-sided attempt would mean disrespecting our history and betraying our people who lost their lives in the violent attacks of the terror organizations in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, as well as after, during the formation of the Republic," the statement said, referring to Turkey's official line denying the genocide.

The diplomats also said reconciliation between the two peoples is only possible after Armenia and Turkey recognize each others borders.

The statement, signed by CHP deputies Sukru Elekdag and Onur Oymen, went on to describe the forced deportation of Armenians into the Syrian desert as an event incomparable to the suffering of Turks during World War I.

The text of the online apology rejects “this injustice.”

"My conscience does not accept the denial of the great catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915," the text prepared by the group reads. "I reject this injustice and ... empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologize to them."

Nationalists reacted angrily to the internet apology before it went live, saying it is a national betrayal. A number of counter campaigns refusing to apologize have also sprung up.

Publicly talking about what happened in 1915 is dangerous in Turkey. The Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk was prosecuted in 2005 for saying a million Armenians had died. In January 2007, the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was gunned down by a nationalist teenager for advocating a more humane debate on the issue.

The online apology petition can be viewed at: http://www.ozurdiliyoruz.com/

Monday December 15, 2008

What is LRADOU TV?

In 1998 “Lernavayr Gomideh” of Pasadena established a new TV channel called ‘’LRADOU TV’’, which aired  for two years. The program was reestablished in 2004 to promote local events and to reach the public. In 2007, the Lradou Committee conducted a phone bank survey in Pasadena to evaluate the program; the result revealed a minor percentage of young viewers, emphasizing a need for program topics relevant to youth. as a result, we found out that we do not have enough young viewers and interesting programs for today’s youth. Given our fundamental goal to educate the youth about our history, we now offer short documentaries and created many new segments on youth topics, hosted by young broadcasters. Two prime examples of our new efforts have been weekly programs entitled “Badmagan Housher” (Historical Memories) and “Nshanavor Hayer” (Famous Armenians). In addition to above mentioned youth programs, we offer bilingual brief news, sports news, entertainment, children’s programming, and a segment on Armenian traditional cooking entitled “ Haygagan Dohmeeg Khohanots”.

In an effort to attract more young viewers, we launched the   WWW.LRADOU.TV  website.

We’ve been working very hard for several years to improve our programs and to reach as many segments of our community as possible. We have accomplished many goals and we will always be “a work in progress”.

Please help us improve our programming and let us know your suggestions. By e-mailing us at LRADOUTV@YAHOO.COM .

Our broadcast schedule is as follows:

Sunday at 11:00 A.M. on HORIZON TV

Thursday at 10:00 A.M.  On PASADENA CHARTER Cable PCAC Channel 56

Thursday at 10:00  P.M.  On PASADENA CHARTER Cable PCAC Channel 56

Saturday at 12:00 Noon.  On PASADENA CHARTER Cable PCAC Channel 56

We welcome your suggestions to better serve you and our community.

Lradou Committee

Monday December 15, 2008

Turkish Universities to Launch Armenian Departments

LOS ANGELES--In a move likely to be interpreted as yet another step by Turkey to reconcile with neighboring Armenia, Turkey's Higher Board of Education (YOK) announced Thursday it will be opening Armenian language and literature departments at universities throughout the country, reported World Bulletin News.

The YOK did not say exactly how many college campuses would be affected by the decision.

According to the Anatolian News Agency, Trakya and Neysehir universities will open the departments, accepting a total of 40 students each to the department.

Since 2007, Armenian language has been taught as an elective course at the Bogazici University in Istanbul.
 
The announcement comes as Turkey steps up efforts to skirt a possible US recognition of the Genocide, using gestures of good will through its universities to create an image of reconciliation with Armenia.

Turkey says recognition of the Armenian genocide by the United States would torpedo these efforts and jeopardize the progress made in the process.

Monday December 15, 2008

Garen Yegparian Enters Race For The Burbank City Council  

BURBANK--Lifelong Armenian-American activist, Garen Yegparian, considered one of the front-runners for a seat on the Burbank City Council, has qualified for the ballot in the February 24, 2009 Election, as he attempts to become the first Armenian-American to ever serve on Burbank's top elective body.  

Yegparian, a University of Pennsylvania alumnus, was born in Beirut and raised in New Jersey. He has lived in Burbank for more than a decade and is a Technical Research Analyst with the City of Los Angeles.  

The 46-year-old former Burbank Armenian National Committee chairman, hopes to hold elected officials more fiscally accountable during these troubled economic times, as well as improve livability in Burbank, which has more than 10,000 Armenians among its 100,000 residents.  

Yegparian, who currently serves as the Chairman of Burbank's prestigious Park & Recreation Board and is a member of the Transit Services Task force, has a long list of civic involvement, including serving on: the Burbank Charter Review Committee, the Burbank Campaign Finance Reform Committee, the Burbank Community Development Goals Committee, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy- Advisory Committee as Burbank's Representative.  

That last position speaks to Yegparian's deep commitment to the environment. He is an avid hiker and a long-time volunteer leader with the Sierra Club. Earlier this year, Yegparian received a Sierra Club award for a series of hikes he led with California's Attorney General, a congressman, state legislators and municipal officials from Burbank, Glendale, and Los Angeles.   

There are three seats up for grabs in Burbank's February Primary Election. There are 13 people who will be vying for the three City Council positions.   
"I expect my long-time involvement in Burbank, as well as my platform to continue the high-level of City services, like police and fire protection, will resonate with the voters," Yegparian said. "I also will fight to enhance our parks and recreational services and provide more cost-efficient public transit."  


Yegparian can be reached at: (818) 563-3918. His Web site is: www.garenforcouncil.org.

Thursday December 11, 2008

The Legacy of UN Declaration on Genocide 60 Years Later

Much is being said about Genocide these days.

Last week CNN aired a much-publicized report by its chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour and this week a special task force on the prevention of Genocide headed by Madeleine Albright and William Cohen issued a report on mechanisms to be used by government to respond to Genocide or mass atrocities.

All this is being done to somehow mark or commemorate the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Charter on Genocide and Human Rights, which was authored by Rafael Lemkin and his associates.

But 60 years later, one wonders if the United Nations itself is even vigilant on preventing genocide around the world.

Reports coming out of Darfur today do not indicate an end to the carnage and the genocide that is claiming thousands of lives every day. This is directly attributable to the world's silence on this matter and its slow response to other recent genocides in Rwanda and Kosovo. We are not even going back to Iraq, Cambodia and the Holocaust.

In marking this historic anniversary today and paying homage to its authors, as well as specifically highlighting the incredibly important role Lemkin played in passage of this monumental declaration, we must pause to evaluate its legacy and the current non-action internationally.

Lemkin himself has stated that the impact the Armenian Genocide had on him prompted him to think about and subsequently define the horrible atrocities committed against the Armenians as Genocide. The adoption of the declaration came after Hitler unleashed his plan of exterminating the Jews in Europe. But what happened after 1948?

The systematic and planned extermination of the Jews got its own name: Holocaust, while the declaration adopted by the United Nations collected dust as other individuals and regimes deemed it appropriate to hold on to power by killing an entire an race.

What Amanpour adeptly pointed out in her report was that most inaction regarding genocides around the world were politically motivated and the delayed response did little to save lives. Remember the Clinton Administration's apology for Rwanda. How valiant, but a little too late; already almost a million people were killed and no mechanisms were put into place and not event the UN Declaration was invoked in formulating foreign policy. This allowed Darfur to very quickly become the 21st Century's first Genocide.

Today angry repudiations and cause-celebre condemnations of the events in Darfur are not prompting or accelerating change in that region and are in fact angering the perpetrators to step-up their killing sprees. Instead, hundreds of thousands have died since 2003, when the Darfur Genocide began, in Iraq which according to US priorities required democracy-building and an end to a regime that allegedly threatened the stability of the entire world.

So, we finally come to the often recited claim that if the Armenian Genocide was recognized at the time it was being executed perhaps other genocides would not have taken place. We also commonly cite a line attributed to Hitler--“Who now remembers the Armenians”--when he was launching his plan to “cleanse” Europe of “undesirables.”

The problem, however, is that all official bodies and people who today are educating and advocating action against genocide and for human rights neglect to properly acknowledge the events of 1915 as Genocide. Case in point CNN, Amanpour and the so-called task force on prevention of genocide.

The adoption of the UN Declaration was, indeed, a turning point in human advancement and it is this declaration that contributes to the legal pursuit of recognition by Armenians as it sets an undeniable precedent and legal ramifications for genocide. All points of the declaration apply to the Armenian Genocide, including the definition of the world. We continue to pursue our cause in hopes that one day world leaders and governments would set their often self-serving political calculations aside and once and for all place human life as a priority.

Wednesday December 10, 2008

UN Chief Calls for Action Against Genocide

On 60th Anniversary of Convention on Prevention, Darfur's Genocide Still Rages

UNITED NATIONS--UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday marked the 60th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, issuing a statement urging the international community to implement the convention and prevent the crime against humanity.

The statement comes as Sudan's government continues its genocide in Darfur.

The UN estimates the up to 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million forced to flee their homes as a result of the genocide perpetrated by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

President al-Beshir has yet to be brought to justice, with the International Criminal Court still mulling over whether to issue an arrest warrant for Beshir on 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

“Sixty years ago today, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” The UN Chief said in a written statement, highlighting the convention's intended mission for nations to “never again stand idle while human beings are murdered in such massive numbers.”

The Convention requires signatory states to prevent punish the crime of genocide, the statement said, noting its definition of genocide as an intended attempt “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”

“Despite these efforts, the world has continued to witness appalling acts that violate human dignity,” Ki-moon said. “Too often, the international response has been inadequate.”

“Far from being consigned to history, genocide and its ilk remain a serious threat, he said in the statement, stressing the imperative of “a willingness to act” to prevent genocide today.

Ki-moon used the historic day to call non-signatory states to sign the document, urging “all States to implement the Convention,” and support the UN's “efforts to prevent genocide and other serious human rights violations that may degenerate into genocide.”
“Preventing genocide is a collective and individual responsibility,” he said. “We must do everything in our power to ensure that our children may live free from the fear of being killed because they belong to an ethnic, national, religious or racial group.”

The UN chiefs described the UN's work in preventing genocide as “encompassing a wide range of activities” aimed at promoting human rights, the rule of law, and equality of all people.

He said in the statement that the international organization has established an “office dedicated to genocide prevention,” adding the UN seeks “to ensure that perpetrators of genocide are brought to justice promptly.”

According to the statement, UN member states unanimously adopted in 2005 “a new, groundbreaking global norm” to prevent state leaders committing genocide from “hiding behind the false cloak of sovereignty.”
 

Tuesday December 9, 2008

Armenian Intellectuals Calls on Gul to Recognize Genocide

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--Nearly 300 Armenian intellectuals and other public figures have appealed to Turkey to end almost a century of denial by recognizing the Armenian, saying that is a necessary condition for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.

In an open letter to Turkish President Abdullah Gul made public on Tuesday, they said modern-day Turkey bears “hereditary responsibility” for the “monumental crime against humanity.”

“Genocide is a crime against humanity and present civilization values, and no individual, organization or even state authority can cast doubt on what happened,” the letter said, challenging Ankara's vehement denial of any government policy to exterminate Ottoman Turkey's Armenian population.

“Your generation of Turkish leaders must accept the undeniable truth and recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide;Only in that case can there be a sincere dialogue and a process of real reconciliation between our peoples,” it said.

The unprecedented open letter to Gul was welcomed on Tuesday by Giro Manoyan, the political director of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which has warned that Turkey is manipulating Sarkisian's diplomatic overtures to the detriment of Armenia's foreign policy and national security.

“I think this letter is significant in the sense that it originated from Armenia and clearly reflects our public's view that it is impossible to evade the issue of genocide recognition,” Manoyan told reporters.

The ARF Bureau urged the Sarkisian administration last week to exercise caution in the ongoing rapprochement with Turkey, saying that Ankara is using it to scuttle recognition of the Armenian genocide by more countries, notably the United States.

Tuesday December 9, 2008

Genocide Deniers Set Course for Genocide Prevention

The Genocide Prevention Task Force issued a report Monday on Genocide prevention, which it hopes would be adopted as a blueprint on how to deal with current genocides and to prevent such events from taking place in the future.

The problem, however, is that the task force is being co-chaired by two individuals who have gone on record for denying the Armenian Genocide. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen both have, in the past, perpetuated Turkey's denial campaign by opposing efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In the present as well, the two leaders of this task force went on record Monday to emphasize that their work did not aim at categorizing or characterizing past events but rather to look forward and prevent future atrocities and crimes.

Last year, both secretaries Cohen and Albright sent letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opposing Congressional legislation (H.Res.106 / S.Res.106), aimed at ending U.S. complicity in Armenian Genocide denial through proper U.S. reaffirmation of that crime against humanity. 

Secretary Cohen's firm, the Cohen Group is a strategic partner with DLA / Piper, a registered foreign agent representing the Government of Turkey, paid $1.8 million a year to, among other things, lobby against Armenian Genocide recognition.

While the report offers worthwhile solutions to the problem of Genocide and aims to offer mechanism with which governments--especially the US government--can deal with genocides and mass atrocities as they occur, it becomes slightly suspect when the individuals who are chairing the task force have and continue to actively oppose efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

There is no question that the attention that the Darfur Genocide has received in the past several years has placed the issue of Genocide on the forefront of activism, policy making and even press coverage, making almost vogue to engage in efforts to speak out against Genocide and take an active role in pushing for government action on the matter.

What makes this report lose its legitimacy is the fact that the key figures who are proposing mechanisms to prevent future Genocides are themselves refusing to look at history and calling a spade a spade. This would be advisable not to simply appease the Armenian-American community but to actually grant the necessary legitimacy to the report.

During the presentation of the report on Monday, the two former secretaries talked in great length about past instances where proper response may have prevented the loss of millions of lives, but when directly asked about whether they've learned lessons from their experience on the task force that could prompt a change in their denial of past genocides--especially the Armenian Genocide--the two side-stepped the issue by professing their desire or intention to look forward and not back.

One is able to look forward and offer constructive solutions by looking at past mistakes and create mechanisms to impede the possibility of repeating them. Albright's and Cohen's approach, however, seems more an attempt to fulfill a task rather than to forthrightly put in place an approach that would truly prevent acts of Genocide or mass atrocities.

Monday December 8, 2008

Turks Create False Impressions To Block Obama's Promises

Turkish officials are in a mad rush. Informed by Washington insiders that President-elect Barack Obama intends to carry out his promises to Armenians, the Turkish government is anxious to conclude an agreement with Armenia in order to block the incoming administration and/or Congress from taking a stand on the Armenian Genocide.

For years, Ankara repeatedly rejected Yerevan's offers to normalize relations without preconditions. Hoping that Armenia would buckle under intense economic pressure, Turks placed strict demands for lifting the blockade and establishing diplomatic relations. Armenia had to refrain from efforts for genocide recognition, accept Turkey's territorial integrity, and relinquish Artsakh (Karabagh) to Azerbaijan.

A few months ago, the two sides appeared to have reached an arrangement whereby Pres. Serzh Sargsyan would agree to Turkey's request to form a joint study group on the Armenian Genocide, as part of a larger inter-governmental commission that would deal with a host of bilateral issues, on condition that Turkey would first establish diplomatic relations and opens its border with Armenia.

Soon after, Pres. Abdullah Gul made an unprecedented trip to Yerevan at the Armenian President's invitation to watch a soccer match between the national teams of the two countries. Both leaders received high praise and encouragement from the international community for their "football diplomacy."

Relations between the two countries seemed to be on the mend, until Turkey's leaders, misjudging Pres. Sargsyan's eagerness to have the Turkish border opened, demanded additional and unacceptable concessions from Armenia. They asked that Armenians initially withdraw from a small area on the periphery of Artsakh and announce the formation of the study group on the genocide prior to the convening of the wider inter-governmental commission.

In making these demands, the Turkish leaders were trying to accomplish two contradictory objectives. On the one hand, they were pressuring Armenia into making as many concessions as possible. On the other hand, they desperately want to reach a quick agreement with Yerevan before Pres. Obama enters the White House next month.

When Armenia rejected Turks' excessive demands, Turkish authorities decided to switch tactics and attempt a more effective approach: Create the impression in Washington that Armenians and Turks are making good progress in resolving their differences, even though in reality they are not!

To implement this new policy, Ankara persisted in placing a positive spin on all official contacts with Armenia. For example, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian's trip to Istanbul on November 24, to chair the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) conference, was repeatedly mischaracterized by the Turkish side as a visit to discuss with Foreign Minister Ali Babajan the improvement of relations with Armenia.

Also, Turkish officials and media have been repeating ad nauseam that Armenia's President would be visiting Turkey shortly, thus giving the false impression that the two sides are about to resolve their differences. In reality, Pres. Sargsyan is not expected to go to Istanbul until October 2009, when the Armenian and Turkish national soccer teams meet again.

Yet another falsehood spread by the Turkish media, for the sole purpose of manipulating American and international public opinion, is that Armenia has accepted to participate in a joint study group on the Armenian Genocide, even after Pres. Sargsyan's announcement that such a commission was "absolutely unnecessary." Armenia's President expressed his concern that such a study would actually "mislead" the international community.

In another diversionary tactic, Turkish authorities announced last week that they are considering the accreditation to Armenia of their current Ambassador to Georgia, who would continue to be stationed in Tbilisi. This is a clever attempt to claim that Turkey has taken a major step in establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia! Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines announced last week that it is planning to start charter flights to Armenia -- another attempt at creating a false impression of the ostensibly improving Armenian-Turkish relations.

In support of their government's propaganda, Turkish newspapers have been publishing interviews with Armenians and Turks who are engaged in a variety of joint cultural and business activities and predicting that Armenia would have a thriving economy once the border with Turkey is opened. The Turkish press does not interview, however, Armenians who demand justice for the crimes committed by the Ottoman Turkish government during the Genocide.

It is regrettable that certain Armenian individuals, driven by their narrow self-interest, have made statements to the Turkish media that help reinforce the false impression that Armenians and Turks are getting along perfectly well, and outsiders like the United States should not take any initiatives that would ruin this budding friendship!

The fact of the matter is that Armenians worldwide will continue to view Turkey with deep misgivings as long as the Turkish government pursues its morally bankrupt policy of making demands rather than amends.
 

Monday December 8, 2008

Armenians Mark 20 Years Since Devastating Quake

GYUMRI (AFP) -- Armenians on Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of a devastating earthquake that left 25,000 people dead, as many survivors still waited for new homes after years of promises.

President Serzh Sarkisian joined the head of Armenia's Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, for commemorations of the Spitak earthquake held in one of the worst-hit cities, Gyumri.

At 11:41 am Armenians across the country observed a moment of silence on the exact time the quake struck 20 years earlier.
 

Unveiling a sculpture in Gyumri depicting victims of the earthquake, Sarkisian thanked the international community for aid and support given to the then-Soviet republic after the disaster.

"Twenty years ago, all peoples rallied to our side, despite the Cold War, ideological differences and different political views," Sarkisian said. "From the first days, our people felt like the whole world was with us."

But a few kilometres (miles) away from the ceremonies, in a settlement of small metal shacks, survivors were still waiting for the new homes they were promised after the earthquake.

"We are hoping that the government will fulfil its promises and in the next two years we will finally receive a new apartment," said Suzana Gyoletsian, 40, whose family, along with dozens of others in the settlement, still live in one-room metal cabins provided in the weeks after the quake.

Nearly 7,000 families remain homeless after their houses and apartment buildings were destroyed in the quake, despite repeated government promises to build them new homes.

Gyoletsian and her husband raised two sons in the tiny cabin, which has neither gas for heating nor running water. Their only income is a small government pension of about 100 dollars (79 euros) per month.

Armenia's government announced plans last month to spend 252 million dollars (199 million euros) for reconstruction efforts starting next year, aimed at finally rehousing all those who lost their homes in the quake by 2013.

"I believe, and I will ensure, that in the next few years there will not be one family in the affected area without a roof over their heads, despite the global financial crisis," Sarkisian said at the ceremony Sunday.

Gyoletsian, who after the quake spent six hours in the rubble of her apartment building waiting to be rescued, is hoping that this time the government help will finally come through.

"This has been a very difficult time. We have had to overcome a lot of obstacles, but we haven't lost hope," she said.

The 7.0 magnitude quake struck Armenia on December 7, 1988 with its epicentre near the town of Spitak, in the mountainous northwest of the country.

Spitak, a town of about 4,000 people, was completely destroyed and nearby Gyumri was heavily damaged. In total, about 25,000 people were killed, more than 140,000 were injured and more than half a million lost their homes.

Experts blamed shoddy construction and the failure of emergency services for much of the death and destruction. In some cases, it took up to three days for rescuers to reach affected areas.

An outpouring of international humanitarian aid, followed in the immediate aftermath of the quake.

Unable to adequately respond to the devastation, the Soviet Union, for the first time since World War II, asked for outside assistance.

In the Diaspora, Armenians organized aid drives almost immediately, some traveling to the shattered republic to provide personal assistance.  Meanwhile, hours after the quake hit, thousands of Armenians in Armenia rushed to then Leninakan to help rescue people trapped under the rubble.

Dozens of countries contributed to the rescue efforts, while Armenia's neighbors, Turkey included, provided immediate assistance, dispatching helicopters and teams of rescue workers to the disaster zone within hours of the tremors.

The Soviet government vowed a massive reconstruction effort to rebuild within two years, but plans never materialized.

Subsequent Armenian governments have struggled to find funds to rebuild as Armenia's economy collapsed after independence and it was hit by economic embargoes from neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey.

In a statement Sunday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev paid tribute to the earthquake victims and thanked Armenians for remembering the aid Russian had provided.

"We bow our heads before the memory of the thousands of victims of this natural disaster. We remember with deep respect and gratitude today the courage of the rescuers who answered the call for help." he said.

"In this hour of difficulty Russia quickly extended a helping hand to Armenia, made its contribution to the rescue operation and recovery work. It is cause for gratitude that the memory of this is carefully preserved by the Armenian people."
 

Friday December 5, 2008

ARF Warns of Turkish Ploys

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation has urged the Armenian Government to be cautious in its rapprochement with Turkey, saying that Ankara is using it to influence the Karabakh peace process and scuttle international recognition of the Armenian genocide.

The issue was high on the agenda of a three-day plenary meeting of the party's Bureau where Armenia's foreign and domestic challenges were examined.

The meeting, which finished its work in Beirut Monday, also discussed immediate and long-term strategies for coordinating its international affiliates in bolstering Armenia's statehood.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Bureau said international recognition of the genocide is a top priority for Armenia's foreign policy, warning that President Serzh Sarkisian's diplomatic overtures to Turkey are being manipulated “for halting the genocide recognition process and making relations between the two states conditional on Armenia's relations with a third country, Azerbaijan.”

Earlier this week Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan traveled to Baku for talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov. He told reporters after the meeting that the normalization of relations would have a “positive impact on the Azerbaijan-Armenia talks over Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Babacan also held separate meetings with Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian Wednesday on the sidelines of a high-level OSCE meeting in Helsinki.

Meanwhile, the Mediamax news agency Thursday quoted a senior U.S. official as saying that Armenia and Turkey are close to establishing diplomatic relations after months of intense talks.

The assertion, made by US Deputy Secretary of State Matthew Bryza after the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers met in Helsinki, came after Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov of Russia and Bernard Kouchner of France and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried met with Nalbandian and Mammadyarov to discuss a framework agreement for resolving the conflict.

The meeting, which lasted for about 15 minutes, followed much lengthier talks in the Finnish capital Wednesday between the two foreign ministers and the American, French and Russian diplomats co-chairing the Minsk Group, according to Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan.

Despite the apparent thaw in Turkish-Armenian ties, Ankara continues to maintain preconditions for establishing diplomatic ties, requiring Yerevan to agree to a historical commission on the Armenian genocide and make major concessions to Baku in the Karabakh peace talks.

Both Turkey and Azerbaijan severed ties with Armenia in 1993, closing borders and imposing an economic blockade on Yerevan in a bid to force Armenia to drop support for the self-determination of the people of Karabakh and end its campaign for international recognition of the Armenian genocide.

“It is extremely important to continue keeping the issue on the pan-national agenda,” the Bureau statement stressed, referring to the ongoing attempts to pressure Armenia into accepting the primacy of Azerbaijan's so-called territorial integrity in the Karabakh negotiations process.

The statement described Karabakh's independence as vital to the “survival and security of Armenia and the Armenian people,” adding that recognition of the Genocide by Turkey and the international community are imperative to Armenia's national security.

“The immediate importance of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations must not take precedence over the rights of generations,” the Bureau stressed.

The Bureau statement comes a day after the Armenian parliament voted to pass a government-drafted amendment that analysts close to the conflict believe paves the way for the government to hold a referendum on a compromise solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

President Serzh Sarkisian last Thursday held extended closed door discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with leaders of Armenia's political parties, including the ARF, which was represented by the chairman of its Supreme Body in Armenia, Armen Rustamian.

After the nearly five-hour long meeting, Rustamian told reporters that he had forwarded to the president a set of principles and recommendations the ARF considers paramount to the Karabakh settlement.

He said that the negotiations “must be based on the already expressed will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” adding that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic should be recognized as “an independent party to the conflict.”

Since the landmark meeting in Yerevan between Sarkisian and Turkish President Abdullah Gul in September, the ARF has repeatedly advised the administration to be cautious in its dealings with Turkey and Azerbaijan, warning a rapid approach to normalizing ties with Turkey can be exploited by Ankara to increase its influence in the region, jeopardize Karabakh's independence and scuttle international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
 

Friday December 5, 2008

Amanpour Screams 'Bloody Murder' But Not about Armenian Genocide

A powerful documentary entitled “Scream Bloody Murder” anchored by Christiane Amanpour premiering on CNN today (9 p.m. ET/PT) offers a gripping look at Genocide throughout history and those who witnessed and warned a deaf world about such atrocities, but neglects to mention the Armenian Genocide as the first such event that prompted Raphael Lemkin to coin the phrase.

The documentary begins with the roots of the word Genocide and chronicles the stormy conflicts within Lemkin, who, as Amanpour puts it, was affected by the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks and was prompted to coin the phrase Genocide. In the almost 90-minute press screener, the Armenian Genocide was mentioned for about 45 seconds as an anecdotal reference to Lemkin's struggle for human justice. Using photographs now familiar to all Armenians and possibly obtained from Armin T. Wegner Collection, Amanpour illustrates the horror of the Armenian Genocide but does not delve into it in as in-depth and compelling manner as she does the other instances of Genocide.

Throughout the program, Amanpour “reveals stories of those who tried to stop genocide,” as the CNN press information describes it and discusses the horrific stories of Genocide with “heroes who witnessed evil-- and 'screamed bloody murder' for the international community to stop it.

Amanpour and CNN should be applauded for the in-depth look at Genocide, from the Holocaust to the killing fields of Cambodia, to Iraq, Rwanda, Bosnia and now Darfur the horror of it all is told with searing images and graphic eyewitness accounts.

To bring attention to Genocide, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the adoption of UN Convention of Genocide and Human Rights, authored by Lemkin, is an important accomplishment, one that also asks the hard question of why the world did (does) not interfere when it has a moral obligation.

Amanpour adeptly clarifies the political machinations behind the response--or lack thereof--by the US in all instances featured in the report and wonders, at the end, whether others who “scream bloody murder” will be heard. One wonders, however, if Amanpour heard the screams of Henry Morgenthau, the US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time of the Armenian Genocide, who along with Elie Wiesel, Father Francois Ponchaud, Peter Galbraith, Richard Holbrook, Canadian General Romeo Dallaire and others who bore witness to such unspeakable atrocities and whose warnings prompted action but not soon enough to save millions of lives.

Perhaps, the Armenian community can now prompt CNN, as it did eight years ago ABC News and its venerable anchor the late Peter Jennings to take a closer look at the first Genocide of the 20th Century.

Amanpour's “Scream Bloody Murder” is an important piece of journalism as it asks the very critical questions that could have prevented so many acts of Genocide. In its reporting, Amanpour is also very adept at pointing to US complicity in all these events, much like Samantha Power was in her Pulitzer Prize-winning book “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.”

“Scream Bloody Murder” anchored by CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour airs on CNN Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern/Pacific, with an encore at midnight Eastern and Pacific.

*****
TAKE ACTION:

1) Post your question on CNN iReport

Ask Christiane Amanpour a question about this serious shortcoming in her documentary through CNN iReport, an interactive feature that allows you to post video and text viewable by the millions of visitors to CNN's website. Your posting will also be searchable on Google News.

View an effective CNN iReport posting commenting on "Scream Bloody Murder".

 2) Write directly to CNN's editors

Send a free ANCA WebFax to CNN's leadership pointing out this shortcoming and asking them to address this gap in their reporting in future coverage of genocide-related issues.

Tuesday  December 2, 2008

ANCA Welcomes Clinton's Appointment As Secretary Of State

 

WASHINGTON--President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to serve as his Secretary of State was welcomed today by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). "We extend our thanks to President-elect Obama for this choice and our congratulations to Senator Clinton on her appointment to our nation's top diplomatic post," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.  "We are certainly pleased to see that, for the first time in recent memory, an individual with a strong record in support of Armenian Genocide recognition will serve as America's Secretary of State." During her tenure in the U.S. Senate, Hillary Clinton has both called upon President Bush to honor his campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, and also cosponsored every Armenian Genocide Resolution since coming into office in 2001. On January 24th of this year Senator Clinton issued a campaign statement outlining her views on U.S.-Armenia relations.  The full text is provided below.   ***** Statement of Senator Hillary Clinton on the U.S.-Armenia Relationship January 24, 2008 Alone among the Presidential candidates, I have been a longstanding supporter of the Armenian Genocide Resolution. I have been a co-sponsor of the Resolution since 2002, and I support adoption of this legislation by both Houses of Congress. I believe the horrible events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians constitute a clear case of genocide. I have twice written to President Bush calling on him to refer to the Armenian Genocide in his annual commemorative statement and, as President, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide. Our common morality and our nation's credibility as a voice for human rights challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered by the Congress and the President of the United States. If the mass atrocities of the 20th Century have taught us anything it is that we must honestly look the facts of history in the face in order to learn their lessons, and ensure they will not happen again. It is not just about the past, but about our future. We must close the gap between words and deeds to prevent mass atrocities. That is why I am a supporter of the Responsibility to Protect. As President, I will work to build and enhance U.S. and international capacity to act early and effectively to prevent mass atrocities. The Bush administration's words of condemnation have not been backed with leadership to stop the genocide in Darfur. I support a no-fly-zone over Darfur. I have championed strong international action to ensure that the government of Sudan can no longer act with impunity, or interfere with the international peacekeeping force, which is essential for the protection of the people of Darfur. I value my friendship with our nation's vibrant Armenian-American community. This is in keeping with my dedication to the causes of the Armenian-American community over many years. I was privileged as First Lady to speak at the first-ever White House gathering in 1994 for leaders from Armenia and the Armenian-American community to celebrate the historic occasion of Armenia's reborn independence. I said at the time that America will stand with you as you realize what the great Armenian poet, Puzant Granian, called the Armenian's dream "to be left in peace in his mountains, to build, to dream, to create." I will, as President, work to expand and improve U.S.-Armenia relations in addressing the common issues facing our two nations: increasing trade, fostering closer economic ties, fighting terrorism, strengthening democratic institutions, pursuing our military partnership and deepening cooperation with NATO, and cooperating on regional concerns, among them a fair and democratic resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. As President, I will expand U.S. assistance programs to Armenia and to the people of Nagorno-Karabagh. I look forward, as President, to continuing to work with the Armenian-American community on the many domestic and international challenges we face together, and to build on the strong foundations of shared values that have long brought together the American and Armenian peoples.

Monday December 1, 2008

An Interview with Dr. Ara Khanjian

For its Fall issue, the Armenian Youth Federation's Haytoug publication sat down with Dr. Ara Khanjian for a candid discussion on the socio-economic realities in Armenia and how the nation could overcome the challenges that have relegated many of the country's population to a life of poverty and social inequality.

Dr. Khanjian is a Professor of Economics at Ventura College and a Lecturer in Money and Banking at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks. In 1991, he worked at the Economic Institute of the Economic Ministry of Armenia, developing economic legislation, such as labor laws. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Armenian International Policy Research Group (AIPRG) and is the former editor of the Armenian Journal of Public Policy.

Haytoug: Armenia has been recording steady levels of economic growth and expansion for several years now. How much of this growth has trickled down to the average population and those at the very bottom of the economic totem pole?

Ara Khanjian: During the past ten years, when Armenia was experiencing a double-digit GDP growth rate, the official poverty rates went down significantly. In 1999, 56.1% of the population was officially considered poor. By 2006 that rate had dropped to 26.5%. However we have to make a few observations here.  

First, there are regional disparities. A visitor to Armenia would realize that most of the improvement is occurring within the “getron” (center) of the capital, Yerevan. Outside the center of Yerevan, the improvements are less visible and tend to be the poorest areas. In general, rural areas are doing better than the urban areas outside of Yerevan, because agricultural production is increasing and, during the past few years, agricultural prices were rising faster than non-food prices.

Second, it could be argued that the official poverty line is very low, and it underestimates the true amount of poverty in Armenia. In 2006 the poverty line was 21,555 dram per month, which implies that someone earning 22,000 dram ($73) per month would not be considered poor. However with 22,000 dram someone would have a very low standard of living and would be living in practical poverty. 

Haytoug: What specific policies aimed at reducing poverty and increasing economic equality has the ARF advocated or implemented since joining the coalition government?  

A.K.: First we should emphasize a philosophical issue. The ARF being a socialist political party does not believe in the Darwinian concept of the survival of the fittest or the law of the jungle, where the strong survive while the weak--such as the young, elderly and the unfortunate--perish. Therefore, poverty is a major concern of the ARF, while for other political parties poverty is a secondary issue, because they believe that the poor are responsible for their conditions and that they should improve their own economic situation.

The ARF is convinced that the government has an important role to play in generating an environment where the poor would have the opportunity to improve their standard of living. It is safe to claim that economic growth alone is not sufficient to reduce poverty in a country. It is essential for the government to adopt pro-poor economic policies. The ARF promoted the following pro-poor policies:

--Increase government expenditures on education, health   care, housing and social programs.

--Increase in the pension payments.

--Increase in the minimum wage.

--Increase government regulations and restricting monopolies.

--Improve public infrastructure, such as rural roads and water resources.

--Provide easy access to credit by the poor.

--Reduce corruption

This last point is considered an important factor. Corruption deteriorates the businesses environment and it slows down economic growth. Also corruption increases inequality. Armenia should aggressively reduce the level of corruption.

Haytoug: The official political coalition agreement of the current Armenian government and much of the statements coming from President Serj Sarkisyan acknowledge the need for the state to fight corruption, combat the shadow economy, promote jobs, reduce inequality, alleviate poverty, and so on.   In your view, what are the prospects for the current coalition government to effectively tackle these socio-economic issues in Armenia and what role does the ARF play in these efforts?  

A.K.: With our focus on poverty, we were able to influence the government and make it more aware of the needs of the poor. During the opening ceremony of the ARF's 30th World Congress, one of the first concerns mentioned by Prime Minister Dikran Sarkisyan in his speech was the fight against poverty. This was not a coincidence. Prime Minister Sarkisyan, knew that the ARF cares about the poor; therefore he explained to the ARF World Congress delegates that he also is concerned with the conditions of the poor.   
In addition, the government of Armenia, similar to many other developing countries, with the cooperation of the World Bank, has adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper, PRSP, which is a long-term plan for reduction of poverty in Armenia. http://www.prsp.am

Under the pressure of the IMF, the government of Armenia was trying to reduce the budget deficit by reducing government expenditures on social programs. The ARF actively advocated increasing government pro-poor expenditures, such as on health care, education, pension etc.  In order to finance these pro-poor expenditures, the ARF advocated a reduction in corruption and collection of the correct amount of taxes from rich families and large businesses.  

Meanwhile the ARF was and still is arguing that the government could afford to generate a slightly higher level of budget deficit and could allocate the additional borrowed funds on education, health care, pension benefits and other pro-poor government expenditures.

Haytoug: How much of the disillusionment and dissatisfaction that exists in Armenia--as witnessed during the post-election turmoil in late February and early March--do you think is attributable to social inequality and real or perceived injustice in the economic sphere?

A.K.: Social inequality, high rates of poverty and real injustices in the economic sphere are causing significant amount of discontent. The almost annihilation of the middle class during the 1990s and the emergence of the very rich made people feel much poorer.  

At the same time it seems to me that in Armenia the very rich are not hiding their substantial amount of wealth. Instead, they are showing it off and making the poor feel even worse. Also the rich and the powerful sometimes are violating the laws blatantly making the ordinary citizen feel even more helpless. For example, sometimes you will notice that a young person driving a luxury car in the streets of Yerevan is violating basic traffic laws arrogantly. In this sense it is essential to apply the law to everyone, including the rich and the powerful.  

Recently we should note that, along these lines, there has been some reduction in petty bribery that traffic cops used to collect from ordinary citizens.

Haytoug: The Armenian government's budget has reportedly seen a 35% increase in tax revenue in the first half of this year and the government has promised to increase spending on social programs as a result.   How best do you think increased tax revenue should be used to alleviate economic hardships in Armenia?  

A.K.: Even with such increases, the level of tax revenue in Armenia is still relatively very low. It is important that in the near future, the government of Armenia collects the correct amount of taxes from large enterprises.   

In order to reduce the economic hardship of the poor in Armenia, government expenditures on education, research and development, health care, and rural infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, running water, schools, health clinics, etc., should increase.  

Probably the top social spending priority should be on education, because an adequate type of education improves the potential for individuals to find jobs and be productive members of society. In general, historically speaking, when a socialist government comes to power in a developing country, one of the first major goals becomes improving the level of education, because education is the best way to reduce poverty.  

Haytoug: Is there anything you would like to add in sum of our discussion on economic issues facing Armenia?  

A.K.: Let me make a few suggestions and statements.  

When we discuss economic issues I think it is useful to keep in mind that our concern should be the economic interests of the masses in Armenia and not just the interests of the upper middle class and the rich.  

During this summer I had to read “the Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. It is the most famous socialist novel in the U.S.  The novel is based on the conditions of the meat production industry in Chicago around 1905. I strongly advise you to read this novel. You will see the extreme poverty that existed in the U.S. at the turn of the century and how the system was so unfair. It took generations of socialists, union members and workers to fight and struggle in order to have the labor rules and regulations--such as coffee break, vacation time, eight hour work-day, safer working conditions, some amount of job security, retirement benefits, etc.-- that we take for granted. None of these things existed one hundred years ago. We should appreciate them and be thankful to the past socialists and union members who struggled, and even died, in order for us to enjoy these working conditions today.  

Each one of us should feel that it is our duty to take steps in order to generate a fair economic system, where poverty in Armenia is eliminated, where everyone has access to adequate level of education, health care, public transportation, child care, housing, adequate retirement, etc. and where everyone in Armenia has at least an acceptable standard of living.  

Monday December 1, 2008

Fall 2008 Haytoug Preview

Today, with the fall of the Soviet Union and an independent Armenian Republic, one of our leading concerns is finding ways to bolster our homeland's statehood and development. Paramount in this concern is the need to ensure equality and a decent standard of living for the entire people of Armenia. Defending social justice and seeking ways to support a just economic system-where human values are placed above profit and citizens have a say in the decisions affecting their lives-are critical to any conception of a strong and prosperous Armenia.

With that very serious reality in focus, the Armenian Youth Federation this week released the Fall 2008 issue of its quarterly Haytoug Publication.

Written from the keen perspective of our community's youth, the upcoming issue runs a gamut of topics focusing on the theme of social justice--from an examination of the bleak economic reality in Armenia to a revealing look at the ravages of a profit-driven healthcare system in the United States.

This week we begin a new section in Asbarez. In collaboration with the Armenian Youth Federation, we will be previewing the Haytoug, by featuring some articles from the upcoming edition.

The Fall 2008 can be found at community centers, schools and local bookstores. Pick up a copy or download it in PDF.
 

Envisioning and Ensuring a Just Future
A Message from the Haytoug Editors

One of the reasons for our organization's longevity has been our ability to adapt to the changes of our times--both in the US and the Armenian nation. In the era surrounding our creation, we focused on gathering the youth and keeping our sense of identity alive. As time went on, the AYF became much more active in the struggle for Genocide recognition and political activism. Today, with the fall of the Soviet Union and an independent Armenian Republic, one of our leading concerns is finding ways to bolster our homeland's statehood and development.

Paramount in this concern is the need to ensure equality and a decent standard of living for the entire people of Armenia. Defending social justice and seeking ways to support a just economic system--where human values are placed above profit and citizens have a say in the decisions affecting their lives--are critical to any conception of a strong and prosperous Armenia.

The worldwide diaspora can play a significant role in this process not only through material assistance but also through the sharing of knowledge, skills, experiences, and solidarity. In order to do this adequately, however, we must come to a clearer understanding of not only the current conditions in Armenia but also the historical context in which they were spawned.

Indeed, if anybody should realize the importance of remembering history, it us, the Armenians. We must learn the lessons of history when it comes to the legacy left on Armenia by the Soviets and the past two administrations; we must learn the lessons of history when it comes to the struggle for Hai Tahd and the sacrifices of those such as Vahan Cardashian and the Lisbon 5; and we must learn the lessons of recent history here in our own backyard, when we see the ravages of a profit-driven health care system taking the lives of our very own.

Only by paying attention to history and drawing the obvious lessons it teaches us can we make certain that the future will be a more just and equitable one.

We agree with the words featured in this issue from musician, activist and former AYF alumnus Serj Tankian when he says, “Everything on this planet is connected. And if that's the case, then working towards justice should be one of our primary goals as humans here.”

It is in this spirit that we present this current issue. It is also in this spirit that we call on all Armenian youth to join together to create a more righteous future for our people.

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