ARMENIAN NEWS - THIS INVOLVES YOU !

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ARMENIAN DISTRICT HIT IN ALEPPO BLAST
10.12.14

The historical Armenian neighborhoods of Aleppo continue facing mortar
and missile attacks and rocket blasts amid the continuing clashes.

An Armenian national prelacy and a church were the target of a recent
attack. Armed rebels have also hit a jewelry market in the city's
Farhat neighborhood, a local Armenian news outlets reports in a post
on Facebook.

A makeshift rocket fell and exploded on a residential building whose
top floor had an apartment belonging to an Armenian and workshops owned
by Armenian jewel-makers. The damages are said to be only material.

The neighborhood has remained deserted in the wake of the rebel
attacks, with most of the Armenians having moved to safer areas. 



DIASPORA IS DISSATISFIED WITH THE ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 9 2014
Susanna Petrosian, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza 

In late November in the state of California another telethon of 
Armenian Fund "Hayastan" (Pan-Armenian Fund) took place and collected 
about $12,399,550 in donations that are planned to be directed for 
the implementation of a number of special development programs for 
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The telethon in California was preceded 
by the 15th Pan-European Fundraiser of the Pan-Armenan Fund, that was 
attended by Armenians in France, Germany, Belgium, Greece and other 
countries, who donated about 1.37 million euros. 

Headed by the President of Armenia, the Pan-Armenian Fund was 
established in 1992 for implementation of national projects 
of development of infrastructure and the cities of Armenia and 
Nagorno-Karabakh. Since 1996, the Fund has annually held 12-hour 
telethons in November in Los-Angeles, which aim to raise funds, and 
most importantly - an ambitious program that aims to unite Armenians 
around a single idea. During this period many roads were built and 
repaired, the water supply system improved in a number of settlements, 
new sports and cultural centers were constructed, over 150 educational, 
cultural and scientific programs were realized. 

Meanwhile, compared with previous years, this year much fewer 
donations were collected. Thus, the amount of donations at the end 
of the telethon in 2013 reached 22,661372 dollars. This obstacle has 
led a number of experts in Armenia and some members of the Diaspora 
to start thinking. 

One of the indicators of the possible new trend has become a protest in 
Los Angeles on the eve of the telethon. A group of activists wearing 
T-shirts reading "We are boycotting the Armenian Fund, collect taxes, 
not donations" distributed to the participants of the charity dinner 
which usually precedes the telethon leaflets urging people not to 
make donations in any case. 

"We are against this fundraising, it would be better if the Armenian 
government properly collected taxes from oligarchs, not organize 
a fundraiser. The amount of unpaid taxes is much bigger than what 
is collected through donations. Armenia does not need donations, 
but normal leadership," one of the protesters Ara Manukian said. He 
believes that construction of roads, the school repairing process 
and other programs that are implemented with the money collected by 
the fund, are the responsibility of the government of Armenia and 
Nagorno-Karabakh, which must solve these issues through the collection 
of taxes. 

The Member of the Central Board of the Social Democratic Party 
"Hunchak", Ambiq Sarafian, assumes that every year in the diaspora 
frustration increases and the enthusiasm with which donations are 
made decreases. In his opinion, an important role in this situation is 
played by the lack of confidence in the Armenian leaders, the internal 
political situation, the poor social situation of the majority of 
the population in Armenia and the reigning atmosphere of impunity 
and injustice, that is reflected in the dominance of monopolies, 
the enormous influence of the oligarchs, and most importantly - 
in the complete indifference of the authorities. 

"Annually collected by the fund, the amount of money that is in 
the range of between 20-30 million dollars is nothing by itself, 
considering inflation and other social and economic factors in 
Armenia," the representative of the Armenian community in the US said. 

Of course, it is necessary to say that such moods in the Diaspora are 
not widespread. The largest and most influential Armenian organizations 
in the USA, including the Armenian Church in the United States, 
the Armenian Charity Foundation, the public organization "Armenian 
Assembly of America" and "The Armenian National Committee of America" 
do not oppose the collected donations or the policy of the Armenian 
authorities. 

Despite the position of these influential organizations in the behavior 
of certain circles of the Diaspora, a trend based on sharp criticism 
of the policy of the Yerevan authorities and distrust of the leaders 
of Armenia is beginning to appear. Certain circles in the Diaspora 
believe that the funds raised by the Pan-Armenian Fund are not spent 
transparently. It is also important that such moods as evidenced by 
the protest in Los Angeles have never occurred before. 

It is possible that the proportion of people in the Diaspora who left 
Armenia relatively recently -10-20 years ago - plays a role in the 
appearance of the new trend. Secondly, which is very important, the 
means of communication have changed. That is, today, unlike the 80s 
or 90s, you can see mass rallies in Yerevan on the internet. People 
in the Diaspora have become better informed about the situation in 
Armenia, that is not unique to the authorities. 


Commentary
Sweeping Reforms Needed to Resolve Critical Pan-Armenian 

Issues
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

I delve this week into a thorny subject that has distressed much of
the Armenian world: The uproar generated by the highly critical and
harshly-worded letter posted on the internet by the Armenian Patriarch
of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian addressed to His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians.

I was asked by several reputable individuals in leadership positions
in Armenia and Diaspora to comment on this controversy hoping to calm
down the tense atmosphere. I consented, not because I believe that my
column would resolve the immediate problem, but to address the larger
issues facing the Armenian nation at this critical juncture in our
history.

The Jerusalem Patriarch's lengthy letter contained two specific
complaints: His understanding that at a meeting last September in
Etchmiadzin, there was a discussion about converting the historic and
autonomous Patriarchate of Jerusalem into one of the Dioceses of the
Mother Church. The Jerusalem Patriarchate is one of the four
Hierarchical Sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with the
Catholicosate of All Armenians, Catholicosate of the Great of Cilicia,
and the Patriarchate of Istanbul. Patriarch Manougian's letter also
complained about Karekin II's refusal to ordain Father Baret Yeretzian
as Bishop, at the request of the Synod of the St. James Brotherhood of
Jerusalem.

While Catholicos Karekin II and several of his Primates adamantly deny
that there ever was discussion on converting the Jerusalem
Patriarchate into a Diocese, some attendees of the September meeting
have reported otherwise. There was a similar controversy involving the
Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul over a decade ago. Back then,
Patriarch Mesrob Mutafian had also written an angry letter to Karekin
Vehapar denouncing any attempt to lower the status of the Istanbul
Patriarchate to a Diocese of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In response to the Jerusalem Patriarch's Nov. 24 letter, the Supreme
Spiritual Council issued a statement on Dec. 1, followed by
individually-written letters by a few Primates affiliated with the
Catholicosate of All Armenians, denouncing the `unacceptable' tone and
`false' content of the Patriarch's letter. They also expressed
indignation that Patriarch Manougian had posted his letter on the
internet rather than sending it privately to His Holiness Karekin
II. The Patriarch had justified his decision by explaining that
Karekin II had not responded to his previous letter. Ironically, the
Primates castigating the Jerusalem Patriarch for posting his letter on
the internet were doing the same thing themselves, further publicizing
the Patriarch's letter and fanning the flames of controversy.

The dispute over the Jerusalem Patriarch's letter should not be viewed
as an isolated incident. It is merely one manifestation of many
serious, but neglected, tribulations inflicting the Armenian
nation. Such high-level public controversies only aggravate our
existing problems, including public distrust of leaders in Armenia and
Diaspora, dwindling church attendance, declining membership in
community organizations, economic crisis causing emigration from
Armenia, Armenia-Diaspora disagreements, and weakening cultural
identity in the Diaspora. These internal failings diminish the ability
of the nation to confront existential issues, such as the security of
the Armenian Republic, the Artsakh (Karabagh) conflict, Armenian
demands from Turkey, survival of the Armenian community in Syria, and
the preservation of the Armenian Patriarchates of Jerusalem and
Istanbul.

These grave challenges, which could have catastrophic consequences for
the survival of Armenia and the Armenian people, cannot be resolved by
letter-writing campaigns. What is needed is a globally coordinated
effort to find pan-Armenian solutions.

One possible solution is creating a democratically elected
Diaspora-wide body that can truly represent the seven million
Armenians throughout the world, outside Armenia and Artsakh. These
Diaspora representatives, in conjunction with the leadership of
Armenia and Artsakh, can claim to speak in the name of all Armenians
worldwide. Whenever a crisis arises, this trio would have the
authority and standing to settle all political, ecclesiastical and
socio-economic discords among Armenians as well as defend the nation
from external threats.

In the absence of such a worldwide elected entity, the existing
Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee should be restructured so that
after next April it can coordinate all significant issues with leaders
of Armenia, Artsakh, and major Armenians organizations, along with
some notable personalities.

It is incumbent on all Armenians to come together and resolve their
critical issues before internal feuds and external perils threaten the
survival of this ancient nation!