A Closer Look: The Supreme Court's Decision on Genocide-Era Insurance Claims‏

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Armenian Weekly

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 Recent Articles from the Armenian Weekly... A Closer Look: The Supreme Court’s Decision on Genocide-Era Insurance Claims Crisis Worsens in Aleppo with Food, Fuel Blockade 10th ‘Golden Apricot’ Kicks off in Yerevan Koutoujian Discusses Key Community Concerns at Hairenik August District Meetings a Way to Hold Our Representatives Accountable ‘Return to Asbury’ Weekend to Be Held Aug. 2-4 ‘Women of Ararat’ Gains Momentum Eternal Memories from AYF Tri-Regional Seminar Search Armenian Weekly A Closer Look: The Supreme Court’s Decision on Genocide-Era Insurance Claims The upcoming centenary of the Armenian Genocide represents an important milestone in the international movement for a truthful, just, and comprehensive resolution of Turkey’s crime against the Armenian nation. ANCA Governmental Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian (L) and Lilly Torosyan. A just resolution of the Armenian Genocide would include, first and foremost, the realization of the national claims of Armenia and the Armenian people to fair restitution and full reparations, as well as the return of church and community assets, and, of course, unhindered redress for the individual rights of genocide-era victims to their properties and assets. One particularly high-profile individual rights case involves the efforts of genocide-era beneficiaries to secure unpaid insurance payments for the death of their loved ones. This case has its roots in a law passed by the California legislature and has reached all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. On June 10, the Supreme Court... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Crisis Worsens in Aleppo with Food, Fuel Blockade ALEPPO, Syria–The situation in Aleppo has grown increasingly tense over the past few weeks, as people struggle to secure even the most basic necessities for survival. Despite the challenges, however, the historic Armenian community of Aleppo continues to endure. Yerkir Media’s on-the-ground sources report that Aleppo, long considered the economic capital of Syria, is effectively under a food and fuel blockade since the recent closure of the main transportation route in and out of the city. The closure has effectively cut off Aleppo from all surrounding Syrian provinces. The blockade has made food, fuel, and medicine difficult to secure and, and when available, cost prohibitive. Yerkir Media’s correspondent reports that flour is the scarcest food commodity, with bakeries in Armenian neighborhoods all but completely closed. Fuel is almost impossible to secure, and when found, priced at 10 times the regular cost. As a result, traffic within the city has significantly... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • 10th ‘Golden Apricot’ Kicks off in Yerevan YEREVAN (A.W.)—The 10th annual Golden Apricot International Film Festival of Yerevan—the Armenian Olympic games of cinema—kicked off on Sun., July 7 at the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia. Aznavour receives the highest award of the Golden Apricot Film Festival, the “Parajanov’s Thaler” Award. The opening night film, Francois Truffaut’s French New Wave Classic, “Shoot the Piano Player,” stars world famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour, who walked on the red carpet amid an avalanche of flashes from an army of photographers and journalists. Earlier that day, Aznavour, whose credits include 64 films and more than a thousand songs, was honored with a star in front of the Moscow Theater, right on the square that carries his name. Prior to the opening ceremony, many of the 300 international guests, juries, participants, and filmmakers from various countries like Russia, Germany, U.S., France, Greece, Turkey, and Iran, took part in the traditional... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Koutoujian Discusses Key Community Concerns at Hairenik WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Mon., July 8, Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian sat down with the editorial team of the Armenian Weekly and representatives of Armenian-American organizations at the Hairenik Building in Watertown to share the views and values that motivated him to run for the 5th District Congressional seat recently vacated by Rep. Edward Markey following his successful Senate bid, reported the Armenian National Committee of America-Eastern Region (ANCA-ER). Peter Koutoujian joined members of Armenian organizations for lunch at the Armenian-American Social Club in Watertown on July 8. “I am proud of my Armenian heritage and of my record of accomplishments on behalf of the Armenian community and all the communities I represent. I look forward to continuing that promise of hard work and commitment if elected to Congress, and I thank the Armenian National Committee of America’s tremendously warm endorsement,” Koutoujian said. The ANCA has been an early and vocal... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • August District Meetings a Way to Hold Our Representatives Accountable Every August, Congressmen are given a month-long recess in order to return to the districts they serve and more directly connect with the people they represent. As Americans, then, this is our opportunity to reconnect with those who serve us. As Armenian Americans, it’s a crucial step in reconnecting with, or in some cases, starting new relationships with our elected officials. L to R: Aram Hamparian, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD-8), and Michelle Hagopian. The ANCA has thousands of activists across the country. In the Eastern Region alone, we cover 31 states with significant votes and voices in our national elected bodies. To ignore or sit idly and not engage with those we elect is a huge mistake. Even if you’re left wing, live in Mississippi, and didn’t vote for the Republican representing your district, you should try to meet with him or her. If you’re conservative but live in a liberal state, it’s still important to establish ties with the Democrat representing your... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • ‘Return to Asbury’ Weekend to Be Held Aug. 2-4 It’s a kef kind of summer. A year ago, when a group of friends sat down to plan a party, little did they know that they would strike the hearts of many and attract people to the small beach town of Asbury Park. With the original intention of holding a party for 100 people, the event quickly grew into a weekend attended by close to 600 people who came not just form the immediate Tri-State area but from Toronto, Miami, Houston, and Fresno! People of all ages mingled at events on the beach and boardwalk, played tavloo for hours, and, most importantly, danced all evening until the hotel told us it was time to go home. Because last summer was an overwhelming success, the event committee has grown in capacity. This event kicked off a resurgence of interest in kef music as demonstrated by the Memorial Day Kef in Providence, R.I., followed by a more intimate event in Waterviliet, N.Y. Regardless of size or location, the return of these events demonstrates that interest in live Armenian... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • ‘Women of Ararat’ Gains Momentum BOSTON, Mass.—The mission to get the genocide recognized and bring more visibility to the resilient women who withstood its fury is reaching a crescendo with Playwright Judith Boyajian Strang-Waldau’s play, “Women of Ararat.” Playwright Judith Boyajian Strang-Waldau is full speed ahead with ‘Women of Ararat.’ But no one seems more aware that a journey toward any destination begins with a single step. In her case, they’re giant ones. Last March she conducted a reading for the first act of her play, which was sponsored by the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA). The cast was made up of several Armenian actors from Greater Boston and New York, including Nancy Tutunjian Berger, June Murphy Katz, Judy Davis, Jennifer Guzelian Flanagan, Joy Renjilian, and Sofie Refojo. “The result was unexpectedly moving when I heard my words making people laugh and cry,” she recalled. “The audience was mixed with both Armenians and non-Armenians. Although Armenians... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Eternal Memories from AYF Tri-Regional Seminar By Alique Cherchian The participants in the AYF tri-regional. What I assumed would be just another weekend get-away with AYF members at AYF Camp ended up being a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The weekend of June 6-9 wasn’t at all ordinary, but instead a weekend that molded and shaped my understanding of our cause and where we stand today. The weekend began when our ungers from the East Coast and Canada flew in to LA, uniting all three regions. AYF members who flew in early had the opportunity to tour and visit our AYF Western Region Central Offices, where they listened to representatives from our sister organizations, from the Sardarabad Bookstore, and much more. After spending Thursday night at the Armenian Center in Pasadena, which included a presentation led by UngerStepan Keshishian and talks by representatives of all three regions about their respective programs in the Homeland, the educational series began. Tamar Yardemian Baboujian talked about the history and growth of... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •