LOUSSAPATZ_The Dawn - 2012-960-11-24

ԹԻՒ 960 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 24 ՆՈՅԵՄԲԵՐ 2012

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ԾԱՆՕԹԱՆԱԼ ՀԱՅ ԳԻՏՆԱԿԱՆՆԵՐՈՒ

Armenians in Science

Alexander Leonovich Kemurdzhian Ալեքսանդր Լեոնի Քեմուրջյան

4 October 1921, Vladikavkaz - 25 February 2003, St Petersburg He was a pioneering scientist, of Armenian origin, founder of the space transport engineering, a pioneering scientist in the space flight program of the Soviet Union, designer of the first rovers to explore another world, the Soviet Lunokhod rovers

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ՄԻՇՏ ՍՈՒՐԻՈՅ ԿՈՂՔԻՆ Մեթր Պարգեւ Դաւիթեան

Կիրակի օր, Նոյեմբեր 18-ին, Թորոնթոյի Ս. Երրորդութիւն եկեղեցւոյ մէջ պատարագեց ու քարոզեց Սուրիոյ Դամասկոսի Թեմի Առաջնորդ Գերշ. Տէր Արմաշ Եպս. Նալպանտեանը։ Սրբազան հայրը յուզիչ եւ իմաստալից իր քարոզով կոչ ուղղեց աղօթել Սուրիոյ համար, որ եղած է սփիւռքահայ մեր նահատակ ժողովուրդի առաջին գաղթակայանը, եւ կը մնայ մեր գաղթական կեանքի ամենահինն ու ամենէն նշանակելի (symbolic) վայրը։

Սրբազան հայրը խոհեմ եւ իմաստուն ուղեցոյց հանդիսացաւ իր յորդորով, երբ ըսաւ որ բոլոր հայերս պէտք է ԴԻՐՔ ԲՌՆԵՆՔ ՍՈՒՐԻՈՅ ԿՈՂՔԻՆ եւ աղօթենք որ այդ հայու բարեկամ երկրին մէջ ԽԱՂԱՂՈՒԹԻՒՆ տիրէ։ Ան նշանակելի եւ գնահատելի ակնարկ մը ըրաւ, յիշելով իր հոգեղբօր՝ Հալէպի Թեմի Առաջնորդ Գերշ. Տէր Շահան Եպս. Սարգիսեանի հետ ունեցած իր գործակցութիւնը, եղբայրական աշխատանքի մթնոլորտի մէջ դնելով Էջմիածնի եւ Անթիլիասի Թեմերու ազգային օգնութիւն եւ ծառայութիւն ընծայող բոլոր կարելիւթիւնները։

Սուրիոյ կողքին ըլլալը կը նշանակէ կռուող կողմերէն մէկուն հետ ըլլալու քաղաքական մեկնաբանութիւն ընելով ԿՈՂՄ ՉԲՌՆԵՆՔ, սեփական, միութենական, կուսակցական կամ փոքրամասնական շահերէ մեկնած կամ դրդուած, այլ ըլլանք վիրաւոր Սուրիոյ օգնութիւն երկարող ձեռքը, որդեգրենք դրական չէզոքութիւն, ճիշդ այնպէս ինչպէս լիբանանահայութիւնը չէզոք դիրք բռնեց տարիներ առաջ Լիբանանի քաղաքացիական պատերազմի ընթացքին։ Սրբազան հայրը օգնութիւն չխնդրեց, այլ արդար իրաւունքի տէր որպէս՝ պահանջեց մեր բոլորէն որ տէր կանգնինք սուրիահայութեան, նիւթապէս եւ բարոյապէս, որպէսզի ան շարունակէ մնալ պահակն ու պահապանը մեր նահատակաց յուշահամալիր նկատուող Տէր-Զօրին, որպէսզի ան մնայ մեր խաչեցեալ «Մանկութիւն Չունեցող Մարդիկ»ներու թոռներուն եւ ծոռներուն ուխտավայրի համադրիչը, եւ որպէսզի ան մնայ հայ սփիւռքի մէջ ազգային շունչ, սիրտ եւ հոգի դաւանող եւ դասաւանդող ուսուցիչն ու դասատուն։

Սուրիոյ հայութիւնը կ՚ապրի այսօր ողբալի վիճակ մը, որ մեզի կը յիշեցնէ այն ողբալի կեանքը որ ապրեցաւ լիբանանահայութիւնը ամբողջ տասնըհինգ տարի Լիբանանի քաղաքացիական պատերազմի շրջանին (1975-1990), երբ հայ գործատեղիներ աւերուեցան, հայ ապագաներ խորտակուեցան, հայ ընտանիքներ բաժան-բաժան դարձան՝ բռնելով արտագաղթի ճամբան։

Սուրիան մտած ըլլալ կը թուի լիբանանեան պատերազմը յիշեցնող վիճակի մը մէջ, եւ դժբախտաբար բարի լուծումի յոյսի եւ լոյսի նշոյլ մը տեսանելի չէ մօտիկ հորիզոնին վրայ։ Լիբանանի պատերազմին աւարտ բերող խաղաղութեան կնքահայրերը եղան Սուրիան եւ Սէուտական Արաբիան տասնըհինգ տարուայ պատերազմէ ետք, մէկը՝ իր բազկի ուժով, միւսն ալ՝ իր դրամի հմայքով։ Սուրիոյ պարագային ալ, հոս ու հոն կարճատեւ հանդարտութիւն բերող կասկածելի զինադադարներ եւ համաձայնութիւններ կրնան պատահիլ, սակայն երկար ըլլալ կը թուի պայքարը։ Ժամանակի հետ տակաւ զօրացող Թուրքիոյ դիրքն ու դերը պիտի մղեն որ ան Իրանի հետ միասին ապագային դառնայ Սուրիոյ խաղաղութեան կնքահայրը։

Հայկական Ցեղասպանութեան հարիւրամեակը քանի մը տարի հեռու է մեզմէ, եւ վստահ որ Սուրիոյ ու Լիբանանի հայութիւնը մեծ թափով պիտի պատրաստուի զայն յիշատակելու եւ հազարներով հաւաքուելու Տէր-Զօրի աւերակ դարձած Նահատակաց Եկեղեցիին շուրջ։ Թուրքիան, եթէ մինյեւ այն ատեն չլսէ իր քաղաքակիրթ եւ լայնախոհ զաւակներուն յանցանքէն ամչցող եւ յանցանքը ընդունող ձայնը, պիտի փորձէ Արաբին բարեկամ թուալով՝ իր միջոցներով խանգարել այնտեղի հայութեան ազգային աշխատանքը։

ՄԻՇՏ ՍՈՒՐԻՈՅ ԿՈՂՔԻՆ ըլլալ՝ կը նշանակէ չդիրքորոշուիլ այս կողմին կամ այն կողմին հետ, եւ վաստկիլ յարգանքն ու սէրը սուրիացիներուն անխտիր, ճիշդ այնպէս ինչպէս Լիբանանի հայութիւնը անցեալին որդեգրելով դրական չէզոքութիւն եւ ըլլալով ՄԻՇՏ ԼԻԲԱՆԱՆԻ ԿՈՂՔԻՆ՝ շահեցաւ յարգանքն ու սէրը բոլոր լիբանանցիներուն։ Հայութեան չէզոքութեամբ շահուած սէրն ու

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յարգանքը սուրիացիներու մօտ, անպայման որ արգելք պիտի հանդիսանայ Թուրքիոյ կողմէ Սուրիոյ մէջ հայատեաց աշխատանքի մը յաջողութեան, որովհետեւ ճերմակը սեւ ներկայացնել դժուար պիտի ըլլայ։

ՄԻՇՏ ՍՈՒՐԻՈՅ ԿՈՂՔԻՆ թող ըլլայ ամէն հայու սիրտն ու հոգին, եւ բոլորս աղօթենք որ խաղաղութեան աղաւնին բոյն դնէ հայու բարեկամ Սուրիոյ մէջ։

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COVER PAGE

LLunokhod rovers were about 2.3 meters and 1.5meters tall.

Լեոնի Քեմուրջեան (4 October 1921, Vladikavkaz - 25 February 2003, St Petersburg) was a pioneering scientist, of Armenian origin, founder of the space transport engineering, a pioneering scientist in the space flight program of the Soviet Union, designer of the first rovers to explore another world, the Soviet Lunokhod rovers.

Kemurdjian was not only responsible for the first Moon rovers, but also created the first Mars rover as well. He led a team that introduced the virtues of a Mars rover to the world in the Society’s international testing program in the late 1980s. His work has had extraordinary influence on robotic designs in the USA and Europe as well as in Russia. He was «profoundly influential in putting a human face on the concept of Soviet-

American cooperation,» writes Friedman. «I was always struck by this man — a Soviet military secret ... — who turned out to be a warm, gracious colleague and friend to so many of us.»

His works were the subject of the recent documentary film «Tank on the Moon» by French film maker Jean Afanassieff. The documentary premiered in the United States on the Science Channel on February 12, 2008.

See youtube for Alexander Leonovich Kemurdzhian Ալեքսանդր Լեոնի Քեմուրջեան http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64SpfbRtqzY

Azerbaijan’s Consul in Los Angeles Needs to Learn How to Use a Laptop By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

A funny thing happened to the Consul General of Azerbaijan on his way to make an audio-visual presentation at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council last week.

Consul General Nasimi Aghayev stepped up to the podium, turned on his fancy laptop, and proudly urged the audience to watch scenes of Azerbaijan on a large screen on the wall. To his horror, nothing but a frozen partial image appeared on the overhanging screen. The Consul’s aides and the World Affairs Council’s president rushed to the stage and began pushing all sorts of buttons on the laptop, as the guests waited impatiently. Mr. Aghayev not only was unable to showcase his native land, he could not even present his speech, because the text was locked up in his uncooperative laptop!

In desperation, the Azeri diplomat began speaking off the cuff, after pulling a piece of paper from his pocket on which he had scribbled some notes. This was the inauspicious start of an evening that was intended to show off Azerbaijan’s impressive advances and dazzle the audience with high-tech gadgets.

The Consul General appeared agitated throughout the lecture. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to speaking before such an august gathering or he was nervous because there were "representatives of the Armenian Diaspora in this room," including myself and a handful of Armenians.

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Mr. Aghayev talked at length about Armenia "occupying" a part of his country’s territory, a reference to the liberation of Artsakh (Karabagh). Calling this conflict "Azerbaijan’s top problem," he expressed his chagrin that "one million Azeris today are refugees." However, he failed to explain why a government with billions of dollars in oil revenue would allow such a large number of its citizens to live in abject poverty for over 20 years.

Imitating the Turkish regime, the Consul General made a serious gaffe by referring to the Armenian Genocide as a "so-called genocide." Is it wise for Azeri officials to insult Armenians by denying the Genocide, at a time when they have their hands full with the Artsakh conflict? Why would Azerbaijan’s leaders want to complicate matters by associating themselves with Turkey’s denialism and further antagonize Armenians, making them less likely to sit with them at the peace table!

Mr. Aghayev’s remarks completely ignored the massive violation of the human rights of Azeri citizens, including those of ethnic minorities, as he falsely described Azerbaijan as a land of "religious and ethnic tolerance." He went on to engage in gross historical revisionism by forgetting the massacres of Armenians in Sumgait and Baku and claiming that Armenians enjoyed their full freedom in Soviet Azerbaijan. He also described Muslim Azerbaijan as "one of the earliest nations to accept Christianity, in 313 AD!"

After several pre-arranged questions from some in the audience on how "tolerant" Azerbaijan is to "Mountain Jews" and the great relationship it enjoys with Israel, the World Affairs Council president cautiously avoided giving me the chance to pause a question. Fortunately, two other Armenians, Aroutin Hartounian, President of Unified Young Armenians and Garo Ghazarian, Chairman of the Armenian Bar Association, were granted the opportunity ask questions. The two Armenians raised the issue of Ramil Safarov, an axe-wielding Azeri soldier who killed a sleeping Armenian officer during a NATO training course in Hungary. After the Hungarian government released Safarov from prison prematurely and extradited him to Azerbaijan, Pres. Aliyev pardoned and glorified the axe-murderer! Foolishly contradicting his President, the Azeri Consul General stated that Azerbaijan "does not condone" Safarov’s crime!

Mr. Aghayev’s appearance before the World Affairs Council raises some troubling questions. Why did the Council take the unusual step of inviting a lowly Consul General to offer "a competing view" to the one presented by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, at the same venue, on September 24? One wonders what inducement Azerbaijan offered to the World Affairs Council to secure a presentation by a junior diplomat, possibly undermining the reputation of this prestigious organization!

Days later, when Mr. Aghayev’s lecture was posted on the Azeri Consulate’s website, the laptop glitches were carefully eliminated from the heavily edited video. The 48-minute speech and question and answer period had been reduced to 15 minutes!

The incident with the Consul General’s laptop is symptomatic of a much larger problem for Azerbaijan. The country’s leaders have spent billions of dollars to acquire a massive amount of advanced military hardware. But, if they don’t know which button to push, the sophisticated weaponry will be as useless as Mr. Aghayev’s laptop!

Rather than labeling the Armenian Diaspora as Azerbaijan’s "main enemy," Pres. Aliyev should be more worried about his diplomats who cannot use a laptop! Incompetent officials are more of a liability for Azerbaijan than the Armenian "enemy"!

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S. D. Hunchakian Party 125th Anniversary Closing Ceremony Held in

Los Angeles

GLENDALE, CA – On November 18, 2012, over one thousand Armenian Americans reveled in a highly patriotic and nationalistic closing ceremony dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party.

The three hour event included opening remarks by the Mistress of Ceremonies Mrs. Takouhi Arzou-manian, and speeches from: Mr. Krikor Moloyan representing the S.D. Hunchakian Party Gaidz Youth Organization; Mr. Vasken Khodanian, Chairman of the S.D. Hunchakian Western Region Executive Committee; H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derder-ian, Primate; Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, former Primate; Raffi K. Hovannisian, first Foreign Minister of Armenia and current chairman of the Heritage Party; as well as the event’s key note speaker, Mr. Harry Sarafian, S.D. Hunchakian Party Central Committee member.

Dignitaries at the event included; Reverend Joseph D. Matossian, Armenian Evangelical Union; the Honorable Grigor Hovhanissian, Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles, as well as representatives of ADL-Ramgavar party, AGBU, Armenian Society of Los Angeles, Organization Istanbul and Compatriotic organizations. Traditional Armenian and patriotic songs were performed by a trio of very talented singers: Harut Hagopyan, Arno Mkertchyan and Shiraz, coupled with Mrs. Ani Sarafian Yepremian who recited powerful poetry inspired by and dedicated to the S.D. Hunchakian Party. The singer’s performances were complemented with inspiring and vivid dance performances by the Lilia Dance Company as well as Mrs. Arzoumanian’s renditions of poetry adding historical significance to the words of the songs.

Kuwait Promises Aid to Syrian Armenians

Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (R) meets with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Kuwait City

KUW AIT -- Kuwait will provide humanitarian assistance to scores of Syrian citizens of Armenian descent who have taken refuge in Armenia since the outbreak of the bloody conflict in Syria, official Yerevan said on Tuesday.

Armenia’ s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received such a pledge when he visited the oil-rich Gulf state and met its emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, and other top Kuwaiti officials on Monday.

A ministry statement said the situation in Syria was on the agenda of Nalbandian’s talks with Kuwait’ s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah. “Edward Nalbandian

expressed concern over the situation in Syria, pointing out that Armenia is continuing to receive thousands of Syrian Armenian refugees because of the conflict,” it said.

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“In this context, the Kuwaiti foreign minister informed [Nalbandian] about the Kuwaiti authorities’ decision to allocate humanitarian assistance to Syrian Armenians in Armenia,” added the statement. It said nothing about the scale and form of the promised aid.

According to the authorities in Yerevan, the number of Syrian Armenians who have fled to Armenia exceeds 5,000. Many of them are increasingly struggling to get by in their ancestral homeland, unable to find well-paid jobs and sell their properties in Syria. The cash-strapped Armenian government has so far announced no plans to seek financial assistance to these refugees from foreign governments and international organizations.

Like other Gulf Arab states, Kuwait is openly backing Syrian opposition groups in their armed struggle against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, having recognized them as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Foreign Minister Al-Sabah urged the European Union to follow suit at the weekend. It is not clear if he raised the matter with Nalbandian as well.

Armenia, one of the few countries that keep functioning diplomatic missions in Syria, has treaded far more carefully on the Syrian conflict, mindful of security risks facing tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians remaining in the Middle Eastern nation. The Syrian Armenian community is thought to have been generally loyal to the embattled regime in Damascus.

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, meeting with Nalbandian, Emir Al-Sabah accepted President Sarkisian’s invitation to visit Armenia and praised his country’s small Armenian community. Nalbandian, for his part, thanked the Kuwaiti government for helping the community to build a church. Sarkisian paid a state visit to Kuwait in 2009. The two countries opened embassies in each other’s capitals after that trip.

Richard Giragosian: Armenia Needs to Fight Against Oligarchs Before Adopting

Parliamentary System

YEREVAN -- Armenia is not ready for passing to the parliamentary system of government, it needs first of all to fight against oligarchs, Richard Giragosian, Regional Studies Center director, said at a news conference on Monday.

“I am not sure whether Armenia’s parliament can govern as today’s parliament is not effective at all,” he said.

The analyst said until the reforms are not made it is early to speak about the parliamentary system of government. At the same time he stressed that the future of country’s democracy depends on the parliament.

“For a very long time the policy in Armenia was being decided by individuals. We do not have healthy debates and the policy is more the race of fame and not the race of clever ideas and thoughts,” he said, adding that Armenia has a crucial need for strategic vision.

“In this context the economic issues play a significant role. Economy is the guarantee of national power,” he said.

At the same time he said it is necessary to challenge the oligarchs as the current situation is not constructive. “Oligarchs are the main threats to Armenia,” the expert claimed, adding that by keeping markets closed and not paying taxes they even demonstrate power.

Referring to the statement of second president about ‘feudals’ Giragosian said it is interesting that Kocharyan is aware of them. “But unfortunately during the years of his presidency the oligarchic system became powerful. So, the ideas he has should be accepted, but it should be remembered that he is an ex-president,” he concluded

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Armenian General Questioned in Army Fraud Investigation

A former senior military official has been interrogated as part of a major fraud investigation concerning meat supplies to the army, a Defense Ministry source said on Friday.

A criminal probe was launched last June into alleged fraud in deliveries of beef following media reports that some slaughterhouses had been supplying army units with frozen buffalo meat instead.

A manager at Kapan’s meat factory was arrested last month as part of the investigation.

Mary Sargsian, a senior officer at the Investigation Department of Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) that Lieutenant-General Arshaluys Paytian, who served as deputy head of the Armenian Armed Forces’ General Staff until last September, was questioned as a witness in the case about two weeks ago.

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Beloved Armenian Artist Flora Martirosyan Dies at 55

LOS ANGELES -- Flora Martirosyan, a renowned singer and People’s Artist of Armenia, has died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, after developing complications following a surgery, in particular, problems with her gall-bladder.

Martirosyan, a native of Gyumri, graduate from the Y erevan Komitas State Conservatory’ s V ocal and Choral Conducting Department. During her artistic career Martirosyan performed in more than 80 countries. She set up permanent residence in the United States in 1991, but remained attached to Armenia that he frequently visited and where she actively worked in the 1990s and 2000s.

In 2011, Martirosyan initiated a series of “Never Again” concerts promoting genocide awareness and world peace. She planned to continue these concerts through 2015 – the year

that marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Martirosyan, 55, is survived by her two children and husband.

Armenia Rejects Idea of New ‘Road Map’ for Karabakh

YEREVAN -- Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has reiterated Yerevan’s position that negotiations with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh should continue around a set of key principles proposed by international mediators in recent years that he implied have not been finalized yet because of Baku’s unconstructive approach.

Nalbandian made the statement at a joint press conference with the visiting Latvian foreign minister, Edgars Rinkevics, on Thursday when responding to a media question on the idea “recently floated” in Azerbaijan concerning a new “roadmap” for the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

Such views in Azerbaijan are likely to have followed the latest attempt by international brokers to restart the Armenian-Azerbaijan peace talks that stalled last summer.

The Karabakh negotiation process came to a standstill after a series of deadly border skirmishes and especially in the wake of the controversial pardoning in Azerbaijan of Ramil Safarov, a convicted killer of an Armenian serviceman who was handed over to Baku by Hungary more than two months ago.

Speaking at the press conference Foreign Minister Nalbandian brushed aside the assumptions that a new “roadmap” implying a phased solution could help the process. He said he had the impression that “the authors of this proposal have stuck on the information level typical of the 1990s.”

“Seventeen years have passed since 1995, the train has left the station, but some in Azerbaijan are still standing on the platform,” said the top Armenian diplomat, speaking figuratively about the history of the peace process.

He stressed that a “roadmap” regarding some of the key principles of conflict settlement had already been presented to the sides by the international community.

“But we couldn’t make progress at the Kazan summit as Azerbaijan rejected these proposals,” charged Nalbandian, referring to a set of basic principles that Armenia believes are anchored on the combination of the right of Karabakh Armenians to self-determination, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and the nonuse of force or threat of force in resolving the conflict.

“I don’t think that the idea of the Azerbaijani side regarding a new roadmap may be serious, especially when the matter concerns a roadmap that emerged 17 years ago,” Nalbandian said.

The Armenian foreign minister also referred to the statements issued by the leaders of the Minsk Group co-chair countries from the recent G8 and G20 summits urging the parties to the conflict to make progress towards agreeing on the basic principles of Karabakh peace.

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Opposition Party Could Nominate Female Presidential Candidate

YEREVAN -- Armenian opposition party is considering nominating the first-ever female presidential candidate in the country’s history, it was confirmed on Monday.

Press reports in recent days have said that Anush Sedrakian, deputy chairwoman of the Free Democrats party, could stand as a candidate in the Armenian presidential election due in February.

Sedrakian did not deny those reports, saying that the matter is being discussed by the party leadership. “These discussions are laying the groundwork for new public attitudes,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). Armenia’s political elite needs a “generation change,” she said.

Sedrakian insisted that a woman can do well in Armenia’s male-dominated political arena. “In practical terms, our society is not quite man-centered because Armenian women bear fundamental responsibility, and those who have responsibility must also have equal rights,” she said.

Artak Davtian, a senior lawmaker from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), welcomed the possibility of a female candidate in the intensifying presidential race. “That would be a quite good gesture addressed to the entire political scene,” he said.

The Free Democrats are represented in Armenia’s current 131-member parliament, elected in May, by two deputies. They won those seats after forming an electoral alliance with another opposition party, Zharangutyun (Heritage). The alliance, which got 5 percent of the vote in the May elections, effectively fell apart last month.

The talk of Sedrakian’s nomination is a further indication that the Free Democrats will not support Zharangutyun leader Raffi Hovannisian’s presidential bid. Hovannisian officially announced his participation in the presidential ballot on November 2.

Pan-European Phoneathon Secures Pledges of More Than €1,400,000

PARIS -- The 13th pan-European Phoneathon of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund held November 15-18 secured pledges of more than €1,400,000 (about $1.8 million). This amount is 8% more than in 2011, the Fund’ s Press Service informs.

Throughout the event, over 700 Armenian and non-Armenian volunteers from France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium made phone appeals, with calls going out 12 hours a day. Stationed in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, and Toulouse, the callers contacted Armenian families, businesses, and organizations across Europe to request financial support for the ongoing development of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as emergency relief for the Syrian-Armenian community.

The Phoneathon will benefit the construction of community centers in villages throughout Artsakh and comprehensive agricultural development in Armenia’s Tavush Region. In addition, a part of the proceeds will be dedicated to providing urgent aid to the Syrian- Armenian community.

. This year the Phoneathon was hosted by soccer star Youri Raffi Djorkaeff, who helped secure the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 championship for the French national team; and Daniel Bilalian, director of sports programming with France TÈlÈvisions

Armenian Business Leader Plans Direct Flights to Historic City in Turkey

YEREVAN -- Direct flights could be launched early next year from Yerevan to a city in southeastern Turkey that used to be mostly populated by Armenians, an Armenian business leader announced on Tuesday.

“In effect, we have made sure that the aviation authorities in Armenia and Turkey have given the green light to direct Yerevan-Van flights,” said Arsen Ghazarian, the head of Armenia’s leading business association.

“We, Armenian businessmen, are now only hampered by the need to acquire a commercially viable plane. We wanted to do that this autumn ... but it didn’t work out. Let’s hope that a properly sized airplane not operating at a loss will launch the flights next spring.”

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Located on the eastern shore of an eponymous lake, Van is an ancient city with an estimated 500,000 mainly Kurdish residents. The city and surrounding areas had a sizable Armenian population until the World War One-era mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Unlike the Armenian communities in virtually all other parts of the crumbling empire, many Armenians of Van survived the first Genocide of the 20th century after putting up an armed resistance to Ottoman troops and being evacuated by the Russian army in 1915-1918. Hundreds of thousands of their descendants live in modern-day Armenia.

Plans for direct flights to and from Yerevan were already announced by a business association in Van last year. The Turkish government reportedly blocked their launch slated for September 2011, however.

Some Van-based businessmen openly criticized that move when they attended a U.S.-sponsored Turkish-Armenian business forum that was organized in Yerevan by Ghazarian’s Armenian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs last month. They said the one-hour flights would lead to a greater influx of visitors from Armenia and thus benefit the local tourism industry.

Ghazarian, who also co-heads the Turkish-Armenian Business Council promoting closer commercial ties between the two nations, likewise argued that the planned charter service would make it much easier for Armenians to see what remains of Armenian cultural heritage in and around Van.

The most famous and well-preserved Armenian monument in the area is the 10th century church of Surp Khach (Holy Cross) perched on the legendary Akhtamar island in Lake Van. The Istanbul Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church was allowed to hold religious services there once a year after the church’s $1.5 million renovation financed by the Turkish government and completed in 2007.

Regular flights have until now been carried out only between Yerevan and Istanbul.

HyeAID Concert Excites a Full House In Pasadena

P ASADENA -- V eteran’ s Day 2012 will be forever imprinted in the minds of almost 3,000 people who attended the HyeAID benefit concert to help the Armenian community in Syria at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.

The artists from local and as far away as Armenia, England and France literally rocked the house and the audience, young and old, responded. They were moved with the songs of sorrow, longing and anguish, and laughed at the comedic remarks of the artists, who switched to upbeat songs to cheer up the audience.

The variety program started with the classics performed by the Hi-Am Quartet. Throughout the program, scenes of destruction of homes, schools, stores, homes for the elderly, group home for children, and churches, including the Armenian Genocide memorial church complex in Der Zor, were shared with the audience.

Syrian Armenian Relief Fund (SARF) Executive Committee Chairperson, Zaven Khanjian, spoke on behalf of the 10 organizations that make up SARF. Western Prelacy Prelate Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian, Diocese former Primate Arch. Vache Hovsepian, Rev. Fr. Krikor Chahinian, and Rev. Jospeh Matossian represented their churches, also present was the Prelate of Damascus, Bishop Armash Nalbandian. In addition, Counsel General of the Republic of Armenia, Grigor Hovhannissian, Avedik Izmirlian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Central Committee, Vazken Khodanian of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, Armenian Relief Society Central Executive Chairperson Vicky Marashlian and member Ani Keshishian, and Western U.S.A. Regional Executive Lena Bozoyan, and Armenian General Benevolent Union representative Tomig Alexanian. Also present was Heritage Party Chairperson Raffi Hovhannisian.

The concert was organized in association with Artists for Kids. Khanjian’s upbeat message reaffirmed that the Syrian Armenian community will prevail, it will resurrect and it will resume it’s role as the overflowing mother of all Diaspora Communities. Showing very old photo of very young scouts marching on the sports field, his poetic message was that the young scouts will return. He invited three students, representing their schools, which collected donations as Grand Sponsors of the event, along with Karoun Dairies, represented by Antranig Baghdassarian.

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Aleeque Marselian from Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School, Tamar Gharibian from Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, and Eddie Hovhannesian from Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, also representing Cabayan Elementery School, handed the checks from their respective schools. Armineh Khatchatourian, Chamlian Board Chair; Rita Kaprielian, Vice Principal of Chamlian; Dr. Alina Dorian, Principal of Pilibos; and John Kossakian, Principal of Ferrahian were present, along with many students, faculty members and administrators, collectively showing that the youth have taken the lead in lending a hand to their less fortunate compatriots in Syria. Khanjian read the thank you letter sent by Arch. Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of Aleppo, on behalf of the three denominations and the community. It is hoped that $250,000, raised from this concert and other fundraising events, will be forwarded in the near future.

The ethno-rock group, Element Band, continued the program with soloist Soseh Keshishyan. Element Band members also individually accompanied some of the vocalists, who followed them later during the program.

An 89-year old young soloist Souren Khavejian, who was originally from Syria, was accompanied on the accordion by Ara Dabandjian. The Dirty Diamond, an LA-Based band performed next, with Sam Babayan with the lead vocalist on the guitar. They were followed by Charming Liars, who flew from London. Their guitarist, Karnig Manoukian, expressed his excitement in sharing the stage with so many fantastic artists.

The youth were present once again, as Armen Movsisyan appeared, and then was joined by his Guitar Studio students. The VIZA band was next, a band for whom contributing what they can is a way of life. Lilit Pipoyan from Armenia sang and played very moving lyrics on the piano, then on the guitar.

Actor-director Vahe Berberian, explained that he had a chance to visit Syria four years ago, and felt their warmth, nationalistic and welcoming spirit. He urged everyone to assist the Syrian Armenians, since they are a part of us, and then introduced his idol, Arto Tuncboyaciyan. Tuncboyaciyan roared the audience with his comedic jests, remembered the martyr soldiers dying on the Artsakh border, urged people to act as human beings, not make bad things happen due to their greediness, and speak about problems, lest they fester forever. A group of young singers accompanies him and once again, the youth outnumbered the adults.

TV personality and journalist Arshalouys Tarpinian applauded the high level of artistry during the program, praised the audience for supporting the benefit concert and quoted from Karekin Njdeh regarding the success of our endeavors with collective responsibility. She introduced composer Ruben Hakhverdyan. Hakhverdyan was eager to explain the truth about the Armenian spirit, flexible yet protective of its culture and values. He explained that we hyphenate our Armenian-ism, but the Syrian Armenians are just us, our people.

Producer-Director Carla Garabedian observed that we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Syria, and introduced the father and son team, Khatchadoor and Serj Tankian, who performed next. Serj Tankian remarked that “all the artists that played tonight were incredible.”

The curtains closed after one more song with all the vocalists on the stage, a nostalgic song about longing and being home-sick, “Tercheyi Mdkov”.

Following the concert, Aram Alajajian, of the Artists for Kids, thanked all the participating artists, and remarked that this was “the greatest event we ever put together. It was really a crown.”

The crisis in Syria continues. Contributions can be mailed to Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, P.O. Box 1948, Glendale, CA 91209-1948 or by credit card at www.SyrianArmenianReliefFund.org.

The following churches, charities and organizations came together to form the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund: Armenian Catholic Eparchy in North America; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Western Diocese of the Armenian Church; Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America; Armenian General Benevolent Union; Armenian Missionary Association of America; Armenian Relief Society of Western U.S.A.; Armenian Democratic Liberal Party; Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Western U.S.A.; and Social Democrat Hunchakian Party-Western U.S.A.

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