Sunday 27 November 2016

Armenian News... A Topalian... New Homes in Karabakh


Message from Misak Ohanian CEO 

CAIA on BBC1 

New documentary series that CAIA features in – called 
The Big Food Rescue – its on BBC One at 9.15am every day
between Monday 28 th November - Friday 2 nd December.

CAIA's Elders Club will feature this Monday 28th November

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/48/the-big-food-rescue 
If you miss it you can watch on BBC iplayer.


From Dragon Stones to Kings Bones – Nine 9 Recent 
Archaeological Discoveries Made in Armenia
26-11-2016 

http://www.peopleofar.com/2016/11/26/recent-archaeological-discoveries-in-armenia/
[1] 


RFE/RL Report
Pan-Armenian Charity To Rebuild Homes In Karabakh
November 25, 2016


A pan-Armenian charity has raised almost $15.5 million that will be
mostly spent on the reconstruction of war-ravaged communities in
Nagorno-Karabakh and other local infrastructure projects.

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund received the donations during its
annual telethon broadcast from Los Angeles on Thursday. It raised
$10.4 million during last year's televised fundraiser.

Nearly half of the sum was contributed by several ethnic Armenian
businessmen from the United States, Russia and
Armenia. Armenian-American entrepreneur Antranig Badghassarian made
the single largest contribution: $ 5million. He was followed by
Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetian, who donated $1 million

In a statement released on Friday, the Hayastan fund said most
proceeds from the telethon will be channeled into Karabakh. It said
they will finance the reconstruction of several local communities that
were seriously damaged by last April's heavy fighting between Karabakh
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.

The Hayastan fund said the money will also be used for boosting
Karabakh's "emergency and disaster preparedness" and building homes
for local families with multiple children.

"In addition to these initiatives, donor-specified projects as well as
projects within the framework of the fund's core development programs
will continue to be implemented in Armenia and Artsakh (Karabakh),"
added the statement.

Hayastan has implemented over $240 million worth of infrastructure
projects in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh since its establishment in
1992. The fund's current Board of Trustees is headed by President
Serzh Sarkisian and comprises other senior Armenian state officials,
Catholicos Garegin II as well as prominent representatives of Armenian
communities around the world.

In particular, the fund has partly financed the ongoing construction
of a second highway connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Work on
the 116-kilometer-long road link began in 2011 and is now nearing
completion.


RFE/RL Report
Women's Groups Report More Domestic Violence Deaths
November 25, 2016
Anush Mkrtchian

Fifteen women have died in Armenia this year as a result of domestic
violence, a coalition of women's rights organizations said on Friday,
demanding tougher government action against the practice.

The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women released the alarming
statistics as it marked International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women. Several dozen of its members picketed
university buildings in downtown Yerevan, holding posters and handing
out leaflets to passersby in a bid to raise public awareness of
domestic violence.

"Unfortunately, girls are more indifferent and even disdainful," one
of the activists told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "They
probably think that they won't be at risk if they stay away. Guys
listen to us with greater interest or perhaps irony."

At least one man approached by the protesters questioned the wisdom of
their campaign. "I'm not saying that I support violence," he
said. "But if violence happens, it must stay within a family."

Violence against women had for decades been a taboo subject in the
socially conservative and male-dominated Armenian society. It has been
receiving growing publicity in recent years thanks to the activities
of women's rights groups backed by international human rights
watchdogs.

"Spousal abuse and violence against women appeared to be widespread,"
the U.S. State Department said in its most recent report on human
rights practices in Armenia released last year.

"According to local observers, most domestic violence went unreported
because survivors were afraid of physical harm, apprehensive that
police would return them to their husbands, or ashamed to disclose
their family problems," it said.

According to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women, more and
more Armenia women abused by their husbands or other relatives are
coming forward. The grouping reported on Friday a year-on-year
increase in the number of complaints received from abuse victims.

"In the last three years more than 30 women have been killed in
Armenia due to domestic violence," said Garik Hayrapetian, an expert
with the Yerevan office of the UN Population Fund. "I think this
figure is telling enough for us to have special legislation."

Armenia still has no laws specifically aimed at tackling domestic
violence. The Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs as well as
several women's NGOs have drafted such laws in the last few
years. None of them has been enacted yet.

The Armenian Justice Ministry unveiled a similar bill on Friday. A
senior ministry official, Bagrat Ghazinian, said it would seriously
curb the practice if passed by parliament.

"In some cases, a violent incident does not technically contain
elements of a crime and the police are therefore not legally allowed
to do something about it," said Ghazinian. "Our draft will regulate
this issue."

The women's rights grouping disagreed, saying that the proposed law is
not far-reaching enough. "It doesn't cover all types of violence," one
of its leaders, Zaruhi Hovannisian, told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am). "We need an in-depth conceptual approach to domestic
violence and we must instill in the public consciousness the notion
that domestic violence is a crime."

armenpress.am
LOSSES OF ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES IN 
MIDDLE EAST ARE GREAT, HARD TO RECOVER 21.11.2016

The existence/survival issue of Armenian communities is very acute during the last decades in the Middle East, senior expert of the center of Armenian studies of Noravank scientific-educational foundation Vahram Hovyan told a press conference in ARMENPRESS.

“Beginning from the half of the 20th century, the most heated region is the Middle East. Several events took place here, particularly, the Arab-Israeli war, the Lebanese Civil war, the internal political turmoil of Syria and Egypt, the military coups in Turkey, the Arab Spring. The foreign and domestic turmoil of different countries negatively impact the Armenian communities. Their property, cultural legacy, churches, schools are destroyed”, Vahram Hovyan said. In his words, the most dangerous part is that all of this leads to mass migration in the Armenian community circles.

Our compatriots leave their countries in great numbers and attempt to establish themselves in western countries. According to Vahram Hovyan, is 25 thousand Armenians were living in Kuwait before the first Gulf War, the number decreased five times after the war. 300 thousand Armenians lived in Lebanon during the 1970s, today the number is circa 100 thousand. 200 thousand Armenians lived in Syria during the 70s, before the Arab Spring 70 thousand lived there, and after the Arab Spring that number significantly decreased again. Today, an estimated 10,000 Armenians live in Aleppo (based on most optimistic estimates).

Hovyan said after the Revolution the Armenian community of Iran suffered great losses. Prior to the Revolution 300 thousand Armenians lived there, today circa 100 thousand. Iraq is no exception. Before the Arab Spring, only 1000 out of the 20 thousand community remain there. Hovyan says the losses of the Armenian communities in different periods associated with the Arab Spring are great and hard to recover from.

Turkey is no exception also. The reasons include domestic political development, military revolutions, however, according to the expert, Armenophobia also has significant impact.

“Here there were always persecutions and restrictions against Armenians. Armenophobia is of traditional nature in Turkey. All this has led to the decrease of Armenians living there. Today an estimated 60-80 thousand Armenians live in Turkey” , the expert said.

Vahram Hovyan said manifestations of Armenophobia are also present of religious grounds. It happens in countries where Islamic extremism is on the rise.

“Of course, specifically Armenians aren’t targeted, it is directed against Christianity, however Armenians comprise a significant percentage of Christians living in Middle Eastern countries, therefore that harassments also happen against Armenians. As an example – the bombing of the Holy Martyrs Armenian Church” , he said.


arka.am
Armenia’s diamond-cutting industry’s output by 2020 expected 
to grow to $350-$400 million 
November 25 2016

Armenia’s diamond cutting industry’s output by 2020 is expected to grow to $350-$400 million a year, according to Gagik Mkrtchyan, an advisor to the Minister of Economic Development and Investment.

Speaking a meeting of representatives of the jewelry industry today he said the ministry is developing a program to boost the sector in 2017-2020.

He said there are some operational problems, related largely to simplification of legislation after Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union; in particular, the harmonization of laws.

"The expected results of the program - is achieving an annual commercial production worth $350-400 million per year by the end of 2020, and creation of six- seven thousand new jobs," - he said.

The meeting was attended by about 20 representatives of the jewelry industry, who spoke about their problems and ways to resolve them.

According to official data, diamond production in Armenia increased by 39.1% in 2015 to 14.58 billion drams ($30.4 million.). In the first ten months of 2016 it doubled to 24 billion drams ($50 million.). In the first six months of 2016 the export of polished Armenian diamonds amounted to 69,500 carats, a 2.3 times increase from the same time span of 2015.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is hopeful for a 'new start' at Manchester United 
following his impressive display in Feyenoord victory
By Jonathan Spencer
25 Nov 2016

Following Manchester United's 4-0 win over Feyenoord, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is looking for a fresh start at the club after starring on Thursday night.

Mkhitaryan started for only the second time under Jose Mourinho since joining for £26m from Borussia Dortmund in the summer and the Armenian shone in a lively display for United.

The out-of-favour midfielder is hopeful that Thursday's performance can kickstart his career at Old Trafford. 

Henrikh Mkhitaryan starred for Manchester United in their 4-0 victory over FeyenoordHenrikh Mkhitaryan starred for Manchester United in their 4-0 victory over Feyenoord

'It was a pleasure to play again and start the game,' Mkhitaryan told BT Sport .

'I try to do my best and it's a very good result.

'It has been difficult to watch the team from the sidelines but you have to have passion and work hard.

'I hope it is a new start for me.'

Goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard and an own-goal from Brad Jones gave Mourinho's side a 4-0 win against the Eredivisie leaders and Phil Jones believes his side's pressing game was key to their win.
The Armenian started for only the second time under Jose Mourinho since joining the clubThe Armenian started for only the second time under Jose Mourinho since joining the club

'It was a tough game, especially in the first half,' the 24-year-old centre-back told MUTV .

'But I think we played better in the second half, we were more aggressive in our pressing and we got the four goals. It was a good performance in the end.'

United, who will be buoyed by their performances against Arsenal and Feyenoord, next face West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.

United, and especially Mkhitaryan, will be hoping to kickstart their season against Slaven Bilic's side and take away all three points.
Phil Jones believes United were  aggressive in their pressing against the Eredivisie leaders Phil Jones believes United were aggressive in their pressing against the Eredivisie leaders

Saturday 26 November 2016

Armenian News... A Topalian... Russian Language ruled out... November 24, 2016


Video highlighting the UK funded project just completed in 

Armenia part of the work of the Hayasdan All-Armenian Fund 

Dear All

Please take a look at the short video clip below regarding Shengavit 
kindergarten. So nice to see the outcome of this wonderful project 
we took on...

«Õ€Õ¡ÕµÕ¡Õ½Õ¿Õ¡Õ¶» Õ°Õ«Õ´Õ¶Õ¡Õ¤Ö€Õ¡Õ´Õ« Ö†Õ«Õ¶Õ¡Õ¶Õ½Õ¡Õ¾Õ¸Ö€Õ´Õ¡Õ´Õ¢ Õ£Õ«Õ·Õ¥Ö€Ö…Õ©Õ«Õ¯ 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OaT-bspCdc 


RFE/RL Report
Armenian Minister Rules Out Official Status For Russian Language
November 24, 2016
Artak Hambardzumian
The Russian language will not be given an official status in Armenia,
Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian said on Thursday, responding to a
controversial statement made by a senior Russian diplomat.

The Russian ambassador to UNESCO, Eleonora Mitrofanova, declared last
week that Russian should have a "special status" in former Soviet
republics.

The statement prompted concern from Armenian opposition politicians,
intellectuals and media outlets wary of their country's dealings with
Russia. Some of them have speculated that Moscow may put pressure on
the Armenian government to amend domestic legislation accordingly.

Armenian has been the country's sole official language ever since the
break-up of the Soviet Union. A law enacted in 1991 also made it the
principal language of instruction in public schools.

"Armenian is the official language of the Republic of Armenia,"
Mkrtchian said when asked by journalists to comment on Mitrofanova's
remarks. "Our law on the language is one of the fundamental values of
our independence and it cannot be changed."

While ruling out an official status for the Russian language, Mktchian
said that good knowledge of it is "necessary" given Armenia's alliance
with Russia and membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic
Union. "Russian is certainly the most commonly spoken foreign language
in Armenia and we are interested in strengthening that language," he
said.

The minister stressed at the same time the importance of other foreign
languages. "There is also another major foreign language: English," he
said. "As an education minister, I am also very, very worried that we
are gradually losing our culture of the German language and that there
are now only a few schools specializing in the French language."

Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh insisted on Wednesday that
Mitrofanova's remarks did not apply to Armenia because Russian is a
mandatory subject in Armenian public schools where students study it
for ten years. "And that is absolutely enough," he told a news
conference.

Kocharian also argued that ethnic Russians make up a tiny proportion
of Armenia's population. "Our biggest ethnic minority is Yazidis, not
Russians," he said.

Armenian officials gave similar assurances in 2014 after Russia's most
famous television journalist backed by the Kremlin called for Russian
to be granted an official status in the South Caucasus
country. Visiting Yerevan, Dmitry Kiselyov said failure to do so would
jeopardize Yerevan's close security ties to Moscow.

Then Education Minister Armen Ashotian hit out at Kiselyov, saying
that the controversial Russian TV anchor behaved "like a bear in a
china shop."


RFE/RL Report
Yerevan Insists On Safeguards Against Karabakh Fighting
November 23, 2016
Artak Hambardzumian
The Nagorno-Karabakh peace process will remain essentially deadlocked
until Azerbaijan agrees to confidence-building measures aimed at
minimizing ceasefire violations in the conflict zone, a senior
Armenian official said on Wednesday.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents reportedly agreed on such
measures when they met in Vienna in May shortly after the worst
fighting around Karabakh since 1994. Those included international
investigations of armed incidents, an idea that has long been advanced
by the U.S., Russian and French mediators.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said last
week that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev objected to such
investigations at a follow-up meeting with his Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sarkisian held in Saint Petersburg in June.

Still, Aliyev and Sarkisian again pledged to bolster the ceasefire
regime in a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin that
was issued after that meeting. They also hinted at progress towards a
peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Armenian officials say there has been no further progress in the peace
process since the Saint Petersburg summit because of Baku's refusal to
comply with the confidence-building agreements.

"There is still no progress in the negotiation process," Deputy
Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian told reporters. "Furthermore, at
this stage it's not possible to expect progress until the agreements #
reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg are implemented."

"It's not possible to expect progress in the negotiation process as
long as there is a threat of renewed war and no trust between the
parties, as long as they shoot and organize provocations on the Line
of Contact [around Karabakh,]" he said.

Kocharian also said in that regard that it is "not yet" clear whether
the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers will hold a
face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the OSCE's annual ministerial
conference that will take place in Hamburg on December 8-9.

The U.S., Russian and French mediators co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group
have so far scheduled only separate talks in the German city between
Edward Nalbandian an Elmar Mammadyarov. They said on October 26 that
they will discuss with Mammadyarov and Nalbandian the possibility of
arranging another Armenian-Azerbaijani summit "at the earliest
opportunity"

The two ministers traded accusations when they received Italy's
Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Yerevan and Baku earlier this
month. Nalbandian pointed to Baku's reluctance to accept the
safeguards against truce violations, while Mammadyarov claimed that
the Armenian side is keen to preserve the Karabakh status quo.
panarmenian.net


sputniknews.com
Legendary Russian-Armenian aircraft designer dies in Moscow
25.11.16

Hovhannes (Ivan) Mikoyan, a prominent Russian-Armenian aircraft designer best known for his MIG-29 fighters, has died in Moscow at age 89, Vesti.ru reports.

The legendary master devoted his career to an aircraft designing bureau founded by Artem Mikoyan, his uncle, starting as a leading engineer and later being promoted to the rank of design manager.

For his fourth-generation fighter jet’s design, Mikoyan was honored with the USSR state award. Until his late days, he served as an advisor for the Russian aircraft corporation MIG.


panarmenian.net
FIFA World Ranking: Armenia climbs record 38 spots to place 87th
November 24, 2016  

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia ’s 3-2 win over Montenegro has helped the national football team jump the largest number of spots in this month's FIFA World Ranking

As the new list shows, the country has registered the biggest move by ranks, bouncing a total of 38 places to secure the 87th spot among 205 teams included in the report.

In Thursday, November 24's list, Armenia has a score of 412, up from last month's 270.

In the ranking, Iran are 30th (-3), Turkey climbed a spot to 24th place, Georgia moved up three positions to 113th, while Azerbaijan dropped 2 spots to 90th. Argentina top the standings, with Brazil swapping places with Germany to come in at second, while Tonga, Somalia and Gibraltar have the worst record this month.


armradio.am
Mourinho praises Mkhitaryan after Europa League win
25 Nov 2016

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has challenged Henrikh Mkhitaryan to produce in the Premier League as he did in the 4-0 Europa League defeat of Feyenoord on Thursday, ESPN FC reports.

Mourinho handed Mkhitaryan just his second start of the season, while leaving out Anthony Martial. Mkhitaryan’s previous start came in the 2-1 home defeat against Manchester City on Sept. 10.

The Armenian had only made one further appearance since then, as a sub in the 2-1 defeat at Fenerbahce on Nov. 3, before being selected to face Feyenoord.

Discussing Mkhitaryan’s display, Mourinho said: “He just needs now to try to replicate this kind of performance in the Premier League. The Premier League is different. He needs one more step.

“Obviously now the confidence level is higher. This performance gives him the right to believe that he can play the next match.

“The Premier League has more physicality, more aggression. He needs a bit more of that. But, with the quality, we know why we bought him. He has a high level of technical quality. He’s very intelligent, very bright, with how he reads the game.”

“The reception [from the fans] he deserved because he played very well. Always improving, improving, improving, improving until the moment he was really tired and I felt it was the right moment to take him off and to let him come off with a very good performance. It was important for his confidence and he will try to keep adapting and trying to replicate this kind of quality performance in the Premier League which is a competition with different difficulties,” Mourinho.

Thursday 24 November 2016

Armenian News... A Topalian... Economy in Crisis


bloomberg.com
Nov 21 2016
Armenian Economy in Crisis Needs Rapid Change, 

New Premier Warns
Sara Khojoyan &
Anthony Halpin 

Armenia’s new prime minister has what he believes is a vote-winning
message before parliamentary elections in May: The economy’s in
terrible shape and he’s the man to fix it.

The impoverished ex-Soviet republic needs “profound change,’’ Karen
Karapetyan, who took office in September, said in an interview in the
capital, Yerevan, on Saturday. “We’re proposing the most rapid change
that’s possible,” including measures to combat corruption by
streamlining bureaucracy and a government fund to support enterprise,
he said.

“Businesses shouldn’t be obstructed’’ by corrupt officials seeking
payments for administrative decisions or by dominant rivals using
political ties to restrict competition, said Karapetyan, a former
mayor of Yerevan who took office after returning from Russia, where he
worked in Moscow since 2012 for a subsidiary of Gazprom PJSC, the
world’s largest natural-gas exporter. “We will create an even,
competitive, level playing field.’’

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan called the new premier a “symbol of
change’’ when he named him to replace Hovik Abrahamyan. The economy’s
in an “extremely bad” state and needs “structural” overhaul,
Karapetyan told lawmakers next day. Sargsyan made the change after
thousands joined street protests in July in support of armed men who
took hostages at a Yerevan police station and demanded the president’s
resignation.

The Caucasus nation of three million people is reeling from the impact
of the recession in Russia, its main export market, as well as a slump
in remittances from Armenians working in that country.

Fiscal Rule

Karapetyan, 53, is seeking to expand the economy even as he must slash
state spending next year to halve a budget deficit now running at 5.9
percent. A self-imposed fiscal rule obliges the government to limit
the deficit to no more than 3 percent when foreign debt exceeds 50
percent of gross domestic product.

Armenia’s foreign debt is $5.8 billion with GDP at $10 billion, while
growth of 3.2 percent in 2017 won’t be enough to raise living
standards significantly, Karapetyan said. “We also have external debt
growing faster than the GDP growth and growing faster than revenues,’’
he said.

While Armenians are desperate for change amid rising poverty,
Karapetyan won’t be able to break the economic grip of a few wealthy
oligarchs, particularly on imported goods, with support from powerful
politicians, according to Hayk Gevorgyan, economic commentator at the
Armenia Times newspaper.

“Monopolies and corruption are Armenia’s biggest problems because of
the connections between business and politicians,’’ Gevorgyan said in
an interview. “He can’t resolve this.’’

No Privileges

Changes in the leadership of the customs service and in the tax code
are improving transparency, and he won’t allow dominant players to use
“administrative support that isn’t available to others’’ to suppress
competition, Karapetyan said. “No one is immune and no one is
privileged,’’ he said.

While he’s focused on immediate improvements, Karapetyan said he’ll
also form an advisory group including foreign specialists to
“brainstorm how we can develop the country’’ for the long term,
including with tax changes and support for businesses in areas such as
health care, education and agriculture.

Armenia rejected a trade pact with the European Union to enter the
Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union of former Soviet states in January
last year. While critics say there’s been no economic benefit so far,
nobody knows what would have happened if Armenia hadn’t joined and
“the negative impact could have been much greater,’’ while membership
doesn’t stop Armenia developing EU trade, Karapetyan said.

Armenia’s also seeking to bolster trade with Iran following the
lifting of international sanctions over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear
program. Karapetyan said he’s ordered plans developed by December 25
to implement a free economic zone near Armenia’s southern border to
boost ties in areas including agriculture and food production.

‘Credibility’ Issue

Armenia’s in a “challenging’’ position after absorbing “tremendous
shocks’’ when Russia’s ruble devalued following the fall in oil
prices, Teresa Daban Sanchez, the International Monetary Fund’s
resident representative in Yerevan, said in an interview. While the
economy’s been more resilient than the IMF forecast, “the external
environment is not going to improve,’’ domestic demand is subdued and
price deflation has emerged, she said.

“There’s an issue of credibility’’ for the government in implementing
its debt rule for the first time and “drastic’’ budget cuts are being
made, mainly by rescheduling capital expenditure, she said.

“We clearly understand that reduced public spending may have a
downside effect,’’ while businesses are delaying investment until
after the elections, Karapetyan said. Amid speculation he’s a
short-term appointment to improve the ruling Republican party’s
prospects, it’s “inappropriate’’ to say if he’ll be prime minister
after the vote because nobody can predict the outcome, he said.

Even so, he’s seeking to develop clear long-term plans over the next
six months so that “from 2018 we’ll have sustainable year-on-year
growth,’’ Karapetyan said.

arka.am 
Corruption is the biggest obstacle to foreign investments 
in Armenia
November 21

Corruption and unhealthy atmosphere in the domestic business are  the biggest obstacle to foreign investments  in Armenia,  the head of the National Union of Employers  Gagik Makaryan said today citing data of the Transparency International organization which rates Armenia as a regional leader in terms of corruption.

According to the latest  study of Transparency International - Global Corruption Barometer, Armenia is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe and Central Asia.

The respondents of the survey singled out the  high level of corruption in government institutions and the insufficient efforts of the authorities to combat  it.

Makaryan believes that a special investment fund should be established and a working group that will support investors from abroad.

"The working group will make recommendations to investors, helping them to adapt to the local  environment and enforce their rights. Even the example of Syrian Armenians who have decided to invest in Armenia, shows that we" speak different languages "and perceive many things  differently,"- Makaryan said.

According to Makaryan, Armenia’s most important economic sector is agriculture, as there is always a great demand for fresh fruits, vegetables, and dried fruits.

"Modern fruit gardens, new greenhouses - all this will create great opportunities for exporting quality agricultural products", - he said.

Makaryan said the second important branch is energy. In his words, traditional energy sources in Armenia have been exhausted, but instead there are good prospects for the development of alternative energy. And the third, the most attractive sector for foreign investors is engineering and IT technology.

"Armenia demonstrates quite a good performance in this area. Our advances in technology can really attract investors, " he said.

(no change in the character of the Turks, whether in Turkey or Azerbaijan) Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 21 2016
Mevlut Cavusoglu: Armenians among PKK terrorists
By Orkhan Quluzade 


There are Armenians among detained and neutralized members of the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization, said Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu answering the question of the
Armenian member of parliament Koryun Nahapetyan during the 62nd
meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Haber 7 newspaper
reported.

Cavusoglu said that Armenia chooses a lie and doesn’t 
believe even in itself.
“Until today, you have had a lie about the “Armenian genocide” on your
agenda. You refused our proposal to create a commission to investigate
the events of 1915,” noted the Turkish foreign minister.

“You choose a lie, and don’t believe even in yourselves. If you don’t
believe in scientific research, it means that you choose a lie,” he
added.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of
an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and
has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Dr. Akcam Confirms Turks’ Genocidal Intent
By Proving Validity of Talat’s Telegrams
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier 

Prof. Taner Akcam struck a major blow to Turkish denials of the Armenian Genocide in a highly informative lecture at Ararat-Eskijian Museum-Sheen Chapel in Mission Hills, California, on November 20. Dr. Akcam, a Turkish scholar, is holder of the Robert Aram & Marianne Kalousdian, and Stephen & Marion Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University. 

In his recently published book, “The Memoirs of Naim Bey and Talat Pasha’s Telegrams,” Prof. Akcam laid to rest persistent Turkish denials of Naim Bey’s existence and authenticity of the telegrams he sold to Aram Andonian, who published them in his book, “Meds Vojire” (The Great Crime), in the early 1920’s in English, French, and Armenian. Andonian, a genocide survivor, first met Naim Bey, an Ottoman official, in the concentration camp of Meskene, Turkey, in 1916, and later in Aleppo, Syria, in 1918. 

In a crucial telegram dated Sept. 22, 1915, Interior Minister Talat gave “the order that all of the Armenians’ rights on Turkish soil, such as the right to live and work, have been eliminated, and not one is to be left [alive] -- not even the infant in the cradle; the government accepts all responsibility for this.” In another cable sent to the Provincial Governor of Aleppo on Sept. 29, 1915, Talat wrote: It “was previously reported that the decision to eliminate and annihilate all Armenians present in Turkey had been taken by the government, on orders of the Committee [of Union and Progress]… regardless of how horrible the annihilation measures, and without giving in to the pangs of conscience, an end will be put to their existence, be they women, children, or invalids.” 

In 1983, the Turkish Historical Society published a book by Sinasi Orel and Sureyya Yuca, claiming that Talat’s telegrams published by Andonian were forgeries and that Naim Bey never existed. Orel and Yuca raised 12 arguments as to why they believed that these documents were fake. Although Dr. Vahakn Dadrian had published a detailed rebuttal to Orel and Yuca in 1986, some scholars remained doubtful of the materials included in Andonian’s book. 

After a lengthy and painstaking research based on Ottoman archives made available in recent years, Prof. Akcam was able to prove conclusively that Orel and Yuca’s accusations were wrong and baseless. In his newly-published Turkish-language book and Nov. 20 lecture, Prof. Akcam asserted: 

1) There was in fact a Turkish civil servant by the name of Naim Bey. Original Ottoman records confirm his existence. In fact, Volume 7 of the Turkish Military Archive published in 2007, contains a document that describes him as: “Naim Effendi, son of Huseyin Nuri Effendi, age 26, from Silifke, married, former dispatch officer at Meskene, currently employed as grain storehouse officer of the municipality (Nov. 14-15, 1916).” Akcam confirmed that there are three other Ottoman records with Naim’s name; two of them are in the Boghos Noubar Library in Paris. 

2) Prof. Akcam announced that he had in his possession a copy of the original memoirs of Naim Bey, handwritten in Ottoman Turkish. He found the memoirs in the archives of noted researcher Father Krikor Guerguerian who had photographed Naim Bey’s 35-page manuscript while visiting the Boghos Noubar Pasha Library in 1950. The original has since disappeared from the library.
 
3) The names of individuals and events Naim Bey had described in his memoirs are corroborated by materials Akcam recently obtained from the Ottoman archives.
 
4) Akcam was able to confirm that Orel and Yuca’s main arguments about various aspects of Talat’s telegrams, including the type of paper used and coding techniques, were incorrect. 

In his scholarly quest to prove that Talat’s telegrams included in Andonian’s book are authentic, and debunk Turkish claims that they are forged, Prof. Akcam has made a much more significant revelation. Talat’s Sept. 22, 1915 telegram confirms that Turkish leaders had ordered the wholesale massacre of all Armenian men, women, and children, and not simply their deportation as Turkish denialists have falsely claimed for over a century. By authenticating these telegrams, Dr. Akcam has shown that Talat had a murderous INTENT -- a crucial element in qualifying the Armenian mass killings as genocide, according to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Armenian News... A Topalian... New Premier Warns Economy in need of change!


bloomberg.com
Nov 21 2016
Armenian Economy in Crisis Needs Rapid Change, 

New Premier Warns
Sara Khojoyan &
Anthony Halpin 

Armenia’s new prime minister has what he believes is a vote-winning
message before parliamentary elections in May: The economy’s in
terrible shape and he’s the man to fix it.

The impoverished ex-Soviet republic needs “profound change,’’ Karen
Karapetyan, who took office in September, said in an interview in the
capital, Yerevan, on Saturday. “We’re proposing the most rapid change
that’s possible,” including measures to combat corruption by
streamlining bureaucracy and a government fund to support enterprise,
he said.

“Businesses shouldn’t be obstructed’’ by corrupt officials seeking
payments for administrative decisions or by dominant rivals using
political ties to restrict competition, said Karapetyan, a former
mayor of Yerevan who took office after returning from Russia, where he
worked in Moscow since 2012 for a subsidiary of Gazprom PJSC, the
world’s largest natural-gas exporter. “We will create an even,
competitive, level playing field.’’

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan called the new premier a “symbol of
change’’ when he named him to replace Hovik Abrahamyan. The economy’s
in an “extremely bad” state and needs “structural” overhaul,
Karapetyan told lawmakers next day. Sargsyan made the change after
thousands joined street protests in July in support of armed men who
took hostages at a Yerevan police station and demanded the president’s
resignation.

The Caucasus nation of three million people is reeling from the impact
of the recession in Russia, its main export market, as well as a slump
in remittances from Armenians working in that country.

Fiscal Rule

Karapetyan, 53, is seeking to expand the economy even as he must slash
state spending next year to halve a budget deficit now running at 5.9
percent. A self-imposed fiscal rule obliges the government to limit
the deficit to no more than 3 percent when foreign debt exceeds 50
percent of gross domestic product.

Armenia’s foreign debt is $5.8 billion with GDP at $10 billion, while
growth of 3.2 percent in 2017 won’t be enough to raise living
standards significantly, Karapetyan said. “We also have external debt
growing faster than the GDP growth and growing faster than revenues,’’
he said.

While Armenians are desperate for change amid rising poverty,
Karapetyan won’t be able to break the economic grip of a few wealthy
oligarchs, particularly on imported goods, with support from powerful
politicians, according to Hayk Gevorgyan, economic commentator at the
Armenia Times newspaper.

“Monopolies and corruption are Armenia’s biggest problems because of
the connections between business and politicians,’’ Gevorgyan said in
an interview. “He can’t resolve this.’’

No Privileges

Changes in the leadership of the customs service and in the tax code
are improving transparency, and he won’t allow dominant players to use
“administrative support that isn’t available to others’’ to suppress
competition, Karapetyan said. “No one is immune and no one is
privileged,’’ he said.

While he’s focused on immediate improvements, Karapetyan said he’ll
also form an advisory group including foreign specialists to
“brainstorm how we can develop the country’’ for the long term,
including with tax changes and support for businesses in areas such as
health care, education and agriculture.

Armenia rejected a trade pact with the European Union to enter the
Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union of former Soviet states in January
last year. While critics say there’s been no economic benefit so far,
nobody knows what would have happened if Armenia hadn’t joined and
“the negative impact could have been much greater,’’ while membership
doesn’t stop Armenia developing EU trade, Karapetyan said.

Armenia’s also seeking to bolster trade with Iran following the
lifting of international sanctions over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear
program. Karapetyan said he’s ordered plans developed by December 25
to implement a free economic zone near Armenia’s southern border to
boost ties in areas including agriculture and food production.

‘Credibility’ Issue

Armenia’s in a “challenging’’ position after absorbing “tremendous
shocks’’ when Russia’s ruble devalued following the fall in oil
prices, Teresa Daban Sanchez, the International Monetary Fund’s
resident representative in Yerevan, said in an interview. While the
economy’s been more resilient than the IMF forecast, “the external
environment is not going to improve,’’ domestic demand is subdued and
price deflation has emerged, she said.

“There’s an issue of credibility’’ for the government in implementing
its debt rule for the first time and “drastic’’ budget cuts are being
made, mainly by rescheduling capital expenditure, she said.

“We clearly understand that reduced public spending may have a
downside effect,’’ while businesses are delaying investment until
after the elections, Karapetyan said. Amid speculation he’s a
short-term appointment to improve the ruling Republican party’s
prospects, it’s “inappropriate’’ to say if he’ll be prime minister
after the vote because nobody can predict the outcome, he said.

Even so, he’s seeking to develop clear long-term plans over the next
six months so that “from 2018 we’ll have sustainable year-on-year
growth,’’ Karapetyan said.

arka.am 
Corruption is the biggest obstacle to foreign investments 
in Armenia
November 21

Corruption and unhealthy atmosphere in the domestic business are  the biggest obstacle to foreign investments  in Armenia,  the head of the National Union of Employers  Gagik Makaryan said today citing data of the Transparency International organization which rates Armenia as a regional leader in terms of corruption.

According to the latest  study of Transparency International - Global Corruption Barometer, Armenia is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe and Central Asia.

The respondents of the survey singled out the  high level of corruption in government institutions and the insufficient efforts of the authorities to combat  it.

Makaryan believes that a special investment fund should be established and a working group that will support investors from abroad.

"The working group will make recommendations to investors, helping them to adapt to the local  environment and enforce their rights. Even the example of Syrian Armenians who have decided to invest in Armenia, shows that we" speak different languages "and perceive many things  differently,"- Makaryan said.

According to Makaryan, Armenia’s most important economic sector is agriculture, as there is always a great demand for fresh fruits, vegetables, and dried fruits.

"Modern fruit gardens, new greenhouses - all this will create great opportunities for exporting quality agricultural products", - he said.

Makaryan said the second important branch is energy. In his words, traditional energy sources in Armenia have been exhausted, but instead there are good prospects for the development of alternative energy. And the third, the most attractive sector for foreign investors is engineering and IT technology.

"Armenia demonstrates quite a good performance in this area. Our advances in technology can really attract investors, " he said.

(no change in the character of the Turks, whether in Turkey or Azerbaijan) Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 21 2016
Mevlut Cavusoglu: Armenians among PKK terrorists
By Orkhan Quluzade 


There are Armenians among detained and neutralized members of the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization, said Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu answering the question of the
Armenian member of parliament Koryun Nahapetyan during the 62nd
meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Haber 7 newspaper
reported.

Cavusoglu said that Armenia chooses a lie and doesn’t 
believe even in itself.
“Until today, you have had a lie about the “Armenian genocide” on your
agenda. You refused our proposal to create a commission to investigate
the events of 1915,” noted the Turkish foreign minister.

“You choose a lie, and don’t believe even in yourselves. If you don’t
believe in scientific research, it means that you choose a lie,” he
added.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of
an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and
has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Dr. Akcam Confirms Turks’ Genocidal Intent
By Proving Validity of Talat’s Telegrams
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier 

Prof. Taner Akcam struck a major blow to Turkish denials of the Armenian Genocide in a highly informative lecture at Ararat-Eskijian Museum-Sheen Chapel in Mission Hills, California, on November 20. Dr. Akcam, a Turkish scholar, is holder of the Robert Aram & Marianne Kalousdian, and Stephen & Marion Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University. 

In his recently published book, “The Memoirs of Naim Bey and Talat Pasha’s Telegrams,” Prof. Akcam laid to rest persistent Turkish denials of Naim Bey’s existence and authenticity of the telegrams he sold to Aram Andonian, who published them in his book, “Meds Vojire” (The Great Crime), in the early 1920’s in English, French, and Armenian. Andonian, a genocide survivor, first met Naim Bey, an Ottoman official, in the concentration camp of Meskene, Turkey, in 1916, and later in Aleppo, Syria, in 1918. 

In a crucial telegram dated Sept. 22, 1915, Interior Minister Talat gave “the order that all of the Armenians’ rights on Turkish soil, such as the right to live and work, have been eliminated, and not one is to be left [alive] -- not even the infant in the cradle; the government accepts all responsibility for this.” In another cable sent to the Provincial Governor of Aleppo on Sept. 29, 1915, Talat wrote: It “was previously reported that the decision to eliminate and annihilate all Armenians present in Turkey had been taken by the government, on orders of the Committee [of Union and Progress]… regardless of how horrible the annihilation measures, and without giving in to the pangs of conscience, an end will be put to their existence, be they women, children, or invalids.” 

In 1983, the Turkish Historical Society published a book by Sinasi Orel and Sureyya Yuca, claiming that Talat’s telegrams published by Andonian were forgeries and that Naim Bey never existed. Orel and Yuca raised 12 arguments as to why they believed that these documents were fake. Although Dr. Vahakn Dadrian had published a detailed rebuttal to Orel and Yuca in 1986, some scholars remained doubtful of the materials included in Andonian’s book. 

After a lengthy and painstaking research based on Ottoman archives made available in recent years, Prof. Akcam was able to prove conclusively that Orel and Yuca’s accusations were wrong and baseless. In his newly-published Turkish-language book and Nov. 20 lecture, Prof. Akcam asserted: 

1) There was in fact a Turkish civil servant by the name of Naim Bey. Original Ottoman records confirm his existence. In fact, Volume 7 of the Turkish Military Archive published in 2007, contains a document that describes him as: “Naim Effendi, son of Huseyin Nuri Effendi, age 26, from Silifke, married, former dispatch officer at Meskene, currently employed as grain storehouse officer of the municipality (Nov. 14-15, 1916).” Akcam confirmed that there are three other Ottoman records with Naim’s name; two of them are in the Boghos Noubar Library in Paris. 

2) Prof. Akcam announced that he had in his possession a copy of the original memoirs of Naim Bey, handwritten in Ottoman Turkish. He found the memoirs in the archives of noted researcher Father Krikor Guerguerian who had photographed Naim Bey’s 35-page manuscript while visiting the Boghos Noubar Pasha Library in 1950. The original has since disappeared from the library.
 
3) The names of individuals and events Naim Bey had described in his memoirs are corroborated by materials Akcam recently obtained from the Ottoman archives.
 
4) Akcam was able to confirm that Orel and Yuca’s main arguments about various aspects of Talat’s telegrams, including the type of paper used and coding techniques, were incorrect. 

In his scholarly quest to prove that Talat’s telegrams included in Andonian’s book are authentic, and debunk Turkish claims that they are forged, Prof. Akcam has made a much more significant revelation. Talat’s Sept. 22, 1915 telegram confirms that Turkish leaders had ordered the wholesale massacre of all Armenian men, women, and children, and not simply their deportation as Turkish denialists have falsely claimed for over a century. By authenticating these telegrams, Dr. Akcam has shown that Talat had a murderous INTENT -- a crucial element in qualifying the Armenian mass killings as genocide, according to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Armenian News... A Topalian... Armenian Lawmaker at NATO meeting.


Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Nov 20 2016
Top soldier, ministers engage in row with Armenian lawmaker 

at NATO meeting
Turkey’s top soldier and technology minister got engaged in a row with an Armenian lawmaker on Nov. 20 during the 62nd NATO Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session held in Istanbul.

Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar reacted angrily to Armenian lawmaker Koryun Nahapetyan when the latter referred to the killings as “undeniable genocide” during a Q&A session after Akar’s briefing to the meeting.

“Some countries recognizing the Armenian genocide does not change anything,” Akar said in response to Nahapetyan, who said 26 countries recognized the killings as genocide.

“Any country may use its right to recognize something as genocide. When Galileo Galilei said in the 16th Century that the Earth moves around the Sun, all the world opposed him. But that did not change the facts. Even if all countries say that there is a genocide, that does not the change the fact that there was none,” he added.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces during World War I, in what it calls an act of genocide. But modern Turkey has always rejected the term genocide, putting the toll at 500,000 and blaming the deaths on starvation and unrest in the broader context of the war.

Nahapetyan also addressed a similar question to Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Özlü, who refused to answer the question.

Another row erupted during a session on Nov. 19 between Nahapetyan and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, when the Armenian lawmaker accused Ankara of financially supporting then Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

“We may have different opinions, but we must first be honest, especially if we are politicians,” ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu said in response.

“Unfortunately, our Armenian friends are never honest. How can you say that we supported Daesh? Which country has killed as many Daesh militants as Turkey?” he said, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadist group. 


RFE/RL Report 
Armenian Firms To Get More Loans From EU Bank
November 18, 2016

A European Union lending institution pledged on Friday to provide 50
million euros ($55 million) in fresh low-interest loans to Armenia's
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) mostly involved in
agriculture, food processing and tourism.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a corresponding agreement
with the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) in Yerevan. It said the CBA
will make the EIB funds available to such firms through Armenian
commercial banks and other credit organizations.

EIB Vice-President Jan Vapaavuori, who signed the agreement on behalf
of the Luxembourg-based bank, said they will be lent "on favorable
terms."

"This will contribute to the diversification of the Armenian economy
and private-sector development and will have a positive influence on
job creation in the country," an EIB statement quoted Vapaavuori as
saying.

"I am confident that this loan will mimic the success story of its
predecessor by its effectiveness and accuracy in targeting the access
to finance for SMEs in Armenia," CBA Governor Artur Javadian said for
his part.

The EIB already provided Armenia with 50 million euros for the same
purpose in 2014. "To date, more than 100 projects throughout the
country have benefitted from them, in particular in the tourism and
agri-food sectors," read its statement.

According to the CBA, small and medium-sized agricultural,
agribusiness and tourism companies will also be the main beneficiaries
of the fresh EU funding. Those sectors "play an important role in
developing Armenia's economy," explained the Central Bank.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetian welcomed the continuation of the EIB
lending scheme when he met with Vapaavuori later in the
day. Karapetian said the Armenian government plans to help set up
investment funds that will support various domestic manufacturing
sectors and hopes to "expand cooperation with the EIB in this
direction."


news.am
EEC: EAEU investment in Armenia economy totaled $3bn in 2015
19.11.2
016

Overall, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU, which comprises Armenia Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan) investments in Armenia’s economy have amounted to $3 billion in 2015.

Deputy Director of the Integration Development Department at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC)—the executive body of the EAEU, Saadat Assanseitova, said the aforementioned at Saturday’s joint meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of Armenia and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of Russia, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan.

Consumer loans without collateral up to AMD 2,000,000

Up to December 30 consumer loans without collateral up to AMD 2,000,000 will be granted only with annual interest rate of 19-20%

In her words, there is a real investment inflow into Armenia.

“Starting from 2011 until 2015, investments in the economy of Armenia—an EAEU country—increased by virtually seven times,” Assanseitova stated. “The priority domains [of these investments] are food, alcohol, light, textile industry, and infrastructures.”


news.am
Assanseitova: Armenia is only country to increase exports to EAEU markets
19.11.2016 


Armenia is the only country that increased its exports to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU, which comprises Armenia Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan) markets, during the first nine months of 2016.

Deputy Director of the Integration Development Department at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC)—the executive body of the EAEU, Saadat Assanseitova, said the aforementioned at Saturday’s joint meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of Armenia and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of Russia, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan.

Consumer loans without collateral up to AMD 2,000,000

Up to December 30 consumer loans without collateral up to AMD 2,000,000 will be granted only with annual interest rate of 19-20%

“This [i.e. the increase in exports from Armenia to the other EAEU countries] proves that Armenia is rehabilitating its economy,” stressed Assanseitova. “Now, exports are growing at a great pace.

“In addition, Armenia is the [EAEU] country that recorded the highest GDP growth indicator. This indicator amounted to 2.8 percent in the first half of 2016; this is more than the average EAEU indicator.”


arka.am
Armenians spend half of their consumer spending on food
November 21.
 
About half of Armenian citizens’ consumer expenditures are spent on food, according to the findings of a nationwide survey of households, conducted by the country’s National Statistical Service (NSS) in 2015.

According to the survey, the monthly consumer spending per person in 2015 was 42,867 drams ($89), which was 55% more compared to the previous year.

According to the survey, a person spends 18,705 drams a month ($39) on food or about 43.6% of his/her consumer spending, including eating out. In developed countries, the share of consumer expenditure spent on food is very low. For example, according to the US Department of Agriculture (2014), the share of consumer spending of Americans on eating at home is 6.6%, whereas in Canada its 9.2% and in Australia - 9.9%. In Germany the figure is 10.2%, in Spain - 13%, in France - 13.3%, in Slovenia - 15%, in Bulgaria - 18.7% and in the Czech Republic - 16 2%.

In Turkey the figure is 21.6% and in Iran - 24.6%. In post-Soviet countries the statistics is the following: in Russia - 28.4%, in Uzbekistan - 30.7%, in Georgia, 32.4%, in Belarus - 36.9%, in Ukraine - 37.7%, in Azerbaijan - 40.7 % and in Kazakhstan – 43. 3%. However, in absolute terms, the US citizens spend $2,385 per year on food. In Armenia the figure is $ 468, in Russia $2,055.

The National Statistical Service data also show that Armenians smoke more than consume alcoholic beverages. Thus, an average Armenian spends 237 drams a month on buying alcoholic drinks and 1,414 drams on cigarettes.

Per person service expenditures made 33.6% of all consumer spending, or 11, 437 drams, including 5,689 drams of utility fees, 2,659 drams of health payments and 2,400 drams spent on communication. Non-food per month expenditure per person was 8,074 drams.

The minimum monthly salary in Armenia, according to the latest official statistics, is 55,000 drams, while the median gross wage in September this year was 184, 992 drams. ($ 1 - 479.38 drams). 

** FATHER FRANK’S RANTS Rant Number 703 21 November 16 CRYONICS AND HOPE


IT IS AN ETERNAL HUMAN HOPE TO BEAT DEATH AND LIVE AGAIN: IS CRYONICS THE WAY TO REALISE THAT?
------------------------------------------------------------

‘I want my body preserved in liquid nitrogen. I’ll then wake up in a hundred years and enjoy life again.’ Thanks to the cryonics technique, a British girl dying of cancer has achieved the first wish but…what about the second? Waking up as the same person she was before she died?

Plato and Aristotle help. For Aristotle soul and body are one. To have a soul is nothing over and above having a body. A living body whose parts are organised, formed in a certain way. Providing future scientists can unfreeze the teenager’s body (corpse?), thaw the brain without damaging the cells, cure her illness and restore her memories, feelings and sense of identity as a rational being, Aristotle would say that she has survived bodily death and is alive again – as the same person.

Plato’s buzzword is dualism. A person is not a unity but a duality. There is a physical part, the body, and a non-physical, spiritual, essential part – the soul. And the soul is the real person. For Plato the body is the soul’s tomb. Death is liberation from matter, the shackles of the body, and release into a higher realm, the soul’s true home. On this view it matters little whether the girl’s body survives death – the key is whether her soul does.

Our secular and ungodly culture, however, dislikes the old-fashioned word ‘soul’. It prefers ‘mind’ or ‘consciousness’. Still, you can reformulate the problem thus: will the ‘awaken’ girl be conscious of herself as the same person as before? Have the same sense of self? As she opens her eyes, will she feel like someone waking from a long, long sleep: ‘Oh, hello! That’s me! Nice to be back! What's Britain like now? I am so curious!’ On a dualist account of personal identity, that is not logically impossible. How human consciousness could survive intact a temperature -196C seems a little tricky but…not so if it is mental, not physical stuff.

Think of Washington Irving's beguiling tale ‘Rip Van Winkle’. Rip is a rustic fellow living by the Catskill Mountains in the pre-revolution American colonies. Rambling far into the wilds, he meets some strange, gnome-like characters having a drinking party. After quaffing a flagon of agreeable liquor, Rip falls sounds asleep. When he wakes up, he notices peculiar changes about. As he gets back to his village…it’s a new world! His house, his old friends have gone, along with King George III. America is now a republic. They first take him for a spy but gradually the truth dawns: he has dozed off for 20 years!

Rip quickly adjusts, is received by his daughter and is happy again. What about the teenage girl? A hundred, two hundred years before she can be reanimated and cured would wreak great, weirder changes in society. (Try your imagination. Can you do it?) The shock might overwhelm her. Who would care for her? How would she get a job, be educated, survive? She may be treated as a freak. The alienation might be too much. She may well yearn to be back into the nitrogen tank. For good.

Back to dualism. Difficulty doctrine. After Descartes, dualists are unfashionable. Descartes held that soul and body were two radically different substances but he could never explain how, if so, they could interact. Today few philosophers and even fewer scientists believe in a disembodied consciousness. Self-awareness is necessarily in the brain and that’s all. Er…although Professor Richard Swinburne disagrees. In learned papers he argues for the mind being an immaterial thing, totally distinct from the body. How precisely the deceased’s mind might then later be connected with a new body, he doesn’t say. Maybe some hitherto undiscovered software will be devised, so that a living person’s memories could be read off from the brain and stored as a program, a set of instructions? Later fed into special hardware, i.e. an indestructible silicon body? (Remember Robocop?)That would ensure not just temporary survival but immortality – wow!

That egregious organ of infidelity, The Times, writes that cryonics, with all its difficulties (and expenses), offers people hope. Hope, eh? Hope is deeply engrained in human nature and it should not be despised. But the Scriptures tell of two types of hope, human and divine. Human hope can be flimsy. From winning the lottery to meeting the dreamt-of female who will change your life. And there are also wicked hopes. The Acts of the Apostles mention evil men who exploited a demon-possessed slave girl. After St Paul had cast out the demon from her, the owners’ perverse hope of gain was foiled (16: 16-18).

Christian, divine hope is unlike that. It is rooted in God’s intervention, in the miracle of Christ’s Resurrection. And in the presence of the Lord in people’s life. Did anyone in her family, school and friends ever teach the teenager the Christian hope? A hope not relying on fanciful technological wizardly but on the omnipotent power of the Creator of the universe? Of that true, supernatural hope that alone can bring the dead back to life?

‘I am only 14 years old and I don’t want to die, but I know that I am going to…I want to live and live longer…in the future they might find a cure and wake me up’. So the girl hoped. But was it really hope or rather despair?

Revd Frank Julian Gelli

------------------------------------------------------------

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Armenian Church News...Latest E-Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 32 18 November 2016

 
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["Armenian Diocese of the UK"]
 
Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland
Armenian Church News
 
Dear E-Newsletter subscriber, please find volume 2, issue 32 of the Armenian Church News of the Diocese via the link below. Some subscribers have reported that they have not been receiving our newsletters - firstly, please check your spam folders as sometimes emailing systems erroneously put emails in there. Also in Gmail accounts, check your "Promotions" tab and transfer the newsletter that may be in there into the "Primary" inbox. If someone still cannot find their newsletters, please forward this email on to them so that they can read these instructions.
 
 
E-newsletter
Latest E-Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 32
18 November 2016
 
Please click here for the full pdf of this week's newsletter.
 
Click to download newsletter
 
 
Photos from Gala Dinner, 2016
 
A gallery of photos from gala dinner evening, with thanks to Vahagn Gulakyan.
 
Link to gallery
 
 
Primate's Appeal Booklet
 
Booklet of the Primate's appeal with various statements from guests of honour.
 
Download booklet
 
 
 
LECTURE: Narek: Doctor of the Universal Church – Tom Samuelian
 
 
Link to calendar
 
 
 
Christmas Carols and Candlelight Service
 
Christmas Carols and Candlelight Service, 20 December 2016. All welcome. Mince pies and wine reception - all welcome!
 
Link to calendar
 
 
 
CAIA Project - oral history training
 
Please register via the links below to attend the next training project, "Oral history training: interviewing and recording"
 
 
Link to project calendar
 
 
 
LECTURE: The Global Threat of Impunity for Genocide - Dr Thomas Samuelian
 
 
Link to calendar
 
 
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c/o The Armenian Vicarage
Iverna Gardens
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