Is This How Our Free and Independent Armenia Should Be? The Armenian Weekly

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Recent Articles from the Armenian Weekly... Is This How Our Free and Independent Armenia Should Be? Prominent Diasporans Sign Statement in Support of Equality in Armenia Vote, and Get Involved Frieze Presents Lecture on New Lemkin Autobiography Tufts Armenian Club Participates in Culture Crawl Dr. Pahigian Always Answered His Medical Calls High-Ranking ARF, BDP Meeting Held in Washington Search Armenian Weekly Let’s begin by saying that we are proud to have a free and independent Armenia. That our country has been able to survive a brutal baptism, overcoming the devastating Spitak earthquake in 1988 during the waning days of the Soviet Union and the catastrophic collapse of its economy when the Bolshevik’s socioeconomic experiment in state building self-destructed. It was an experiment that ignored accepted economic principles and the inextinguishable desire and determination of captive ethnic people to maintain their unique cultures. In addition to these significant obstacles, from its very inception Armenia was caught between its dependence on Moscow and its interest in strengthening its relationship with the West. During these 22 tumultuous years, the three administrations that have governed Armenia have been challenged to balance the country’s independence with the demands of Russian interests in the South Caucasus; the genocidal proclivity of Turkish-Azeri leaders; and the... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Prominent Diasporans Sign Statement in Support of Equality in Armenia More than two-dozen prominent Armenians in the Diaspora have signed a statement supporting equality and justice for all in Armenia. Among the signatories are poet Diana Der Hovanessian, filmmaker Atom Egoyan, actor and producer Arsinée Khanjian, musician Serge Tankian, and photographer Scout Tufankjian. This array of Armenian artists, intellectuals and professionals felt moved to release this statement in the light of anti-gay legislation that was recently proposed, and later withdrawn, in Yerevan. “This anti-gay legislation is part of a disturbing pattern of intolerance for marginalized people and opposition voices in Armenia,” said publisher Veken Gueyikian. Writer Nancy Agabian said, “People of conscience must not stand by as our LGBT cousins are targeted and demonized.” The statement represents their collective commitment to human rights and to Armenia’s nascent civil society movements. Below is the statement and the list of signatories. “In response to... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Vote, and Get Involved By Tamar Kanarian Oct. 15 has come and gone, and for many of us Armenian Americans living in Massachusetts, it’s a tough day to put behind us. We all took our talents and abilities to help elect a fellow Armenian —a friend, a colleague, a good man—to the United States Congress. Peter Koutoujian had a very good chance to represent District 5 of Massachusetts, home to the largest Armenian population on the East Coast, in Washington D.C., but fell short. We all know these opportunities rarely present themselves, and when they do, it’s important to ask ourselves, “What is our role and how will we help?” Now is not the time to say, “should have, could have, would have.” It is time to think about our individual and collective role in advancing Hai Tahd. It is time to examine our personal involvement in the American political system. We are on the heels of the 100th anniversary of the genocide and sitting idly must to come to an end. Personally, this election was quite... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Frieze Presents Lecture on New Lemkin Autobiography NEW YORK—Dr. Donna-Lee Frieze delivered a lecture on Oct. 2 titled, “Raphael Lemkin: The Armenian Genocide and the Autobiography of the Insistent Prophet,” at Columbia University’s Butler Library, at an event hosted by the Armenian Center at Columbia. Dr. Frieze discusses Raphael Lemkin’s autobiography ‘Totally Unofficial,’ and the effect the Armenian Genocide had on his work. A Prins Senior Fellow at the Centre for Jewish History and a NYC Visiting Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, Frieze spent the last four years editing Lemkin’s unfinished autobiography and papers, which were housed for decades at the New York Public Library. Highlighting the significance of the publication of his autobiography, Dr. Peter Balakian, the Visiting Ordjanian Professor at Columbia’s Department of Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies, said Frieze “rescued and recovered one of the most important books in history on human... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Tufts Armenian Club Participates in Culture Crawl By Knar Bedian If you were wandering the campus of Tufts University last Thursday night, you may have smelled the aroma of freshly made eetch wafting from the house of Tufts Armenian Club Executive Board member Knar Bedian. Lit up by the lights of the living room, the Armenian flag glowed from the window, and maybe you could catch a glimpse of seniors Rob Apelian, Shaunt Fereshetian, Lisa Setrakian, Ani Shahinyan, and Knar Bedian, all furiously chopping up parsley, sautéing onions, and measuring out cups of diced tomato. After hours of preparation, the Armenian Club was ready to join the 10 other culture clubs at the Tufts Culinary Society’s 2nd Annual Culture Crawl. After hours of preparation, the Armenian Club was ready to join the 10 other culture clubs at the Tufts Culinary Society’s 2nd Annual Culture Crawl. With an Armenian flag hanging behind them, and signs explaining each of the three courses—written in both Armenian and English by club member Ani Shahinyan—the... Read More »