Thinking Long Term - June 2001 by Armenian International Magazine

i ;:l F

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Beillalkchetttn tll.O, Ti€

F'stfsdro,frrhsb tlEhrcfi o'f rrrenln

,Honorsrt

Th*

BoBE

Factr

Bone manow transplanb are the last hope ol suMval for children ard adults sufferinglronr fatal blood related diseass.

2 According

to avaitable $atistics, only 30 percsnt

ol all leukemia patisnts find,euitable marrow donors within their own families. The rest will have to lind their mat0h among the existing intemational registries.

Because of genetic specifics, that percentage is further reduced forArmenian patients makingit nearly impossible to find suitable matches among the existing intemational registries.

4 A dedicated

donor network of unrolated Armenian donors is crucial iI Armenians are to survive blood-r€lated disease.

Iheaimof theArmenian Bote Manw Domr Registry

Our Mission (ABMDR) is recruit and provide matched unrelated donors for Bom Marrow

Tramdanbtion intte Roublic of Armenia adtothe Armenian omnunitiesolthe Diaspon. The Armnian Bore Marrur Resistry b an in&pendent, nolwvernmenhl, chari$h organization. The rqi*y willform reciprocal reldioflships with sister

The Armenian Bonei/lanow Rogistry Charitable Trust was foun&d in 1Sg develop the registry which will be a lite saving soiJrce for all Armenians everywhero in the world.

6 The first Armenian Bone Manow R6gisrry and typing hboratory was established 7 The first satellite recruitmeni

organizations in orfu to share dabbase information and better matdred unrelated donors acrm all the existing regishies.

csnter and typrng laboratory was establishsd on February 2A,2OO1 at the Glendale Memorial l'lospitel Helath Cen'ter and Foundation Laboratory in Los Angeles. Future plans include the €stablishment of recruitm6nt centers in Europe and the Middle East.

0ur Organizationa! Structure

TheABlllRis

a pnriectof Ute

Am€nhn Bone }lanowTrustwhit$

b Hd by a Boad of Urectorc with he Hr$ l.ary d fite reruHic of Armnia, Bella Koclprkn M.D. as i'b ilonorary Odrpercon lhe Boarl ol Direcbrs are res0onsfule for forrulating stahgic plans, rcomnnnding policy dpnges and raising funds fs ABMDR lhe fountng Board of Directors indudes pruninent indvidualswi$t

hdr B6lk profiles from tln ReBSI'rc of Armenia ad the Diqora. The regisfrail its l$oratoryare locahd in Republic of Armenh, rlh a sah$ib hborahry ald offres in tlte UniEd Shts.

r Domr rccruiEnent divisim

llsse

typing

11 The ABMDFI structurs is firmly in place and is recognized and accredited by the Armenian govemment as an independent, nongrofit, non{ovemmental organtaaJpn. , ". ln th€ United States, our 501@.(3) aSent is the Armenian Health Alliance.

Funding for the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust opsatimal rynses corer co$s of fie tds, ttp persofilel, staff ad ffte aMance of meetiBq oookrs, rqlacement of no*repair*h equipment and

annl

sdaiss

Our laboratorie€ in Armenia and Los Angoles are ostablished and fully functioning with modern DNA molecular typing technology to determine transpl8ntation antlgen$. We are serving patients tutraiingirom t-eut<eiria and other blood related diseases in Armenia and the Diaspora.

donations.

l*oratory

I OomrHized regishar widt d& base for seadting atd rnaHring

Orr

On January 8, 2000 the ABMDR recruited its first donor in Armenia, The Firsl Lady of the Republic of Armenia, Bella Kocfrarian M.D, To date there are over 1C[X) donors registered in Armenia and Los Angeles. The tpst must recruit 10,fiX) Armenian volunt66r bone Etaffow donors by the year 2004 in ordet to achieve the rate of one match per 200 donors.

10 Tfre Trust has secured tho cooperation of severa I intemational Medical Centers such as the Anihony Nohn Bone Marrow Trust in England and the Glendale Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. They support our proiect by providing trchnology and training lor our lab ratory ard registry stafi inArmenia. Generqrs gra[ts havE been received from the,Uncy Foundstioil, Gfendele Memsriel Hospital ard private

Components of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust r

12 $45O,OOO USD is needed immediately to implement the objectives describe above. The sum will help the Trust purchase and renovale the facilities in Armenia to recruit donors and maintain its operation.

USA Frieda Jordan, Ph.D., Chairperson Tel./Fax (818) 547-1374

drcrhortuyerDe$ses.

347 West Stocker Street, Suite 208

Armne bdunen tle

in good

becqne a

herl$

rg6

of 18

b 60

can potertially

volunbs ffirrffv dooor.

Glendale, CA 91202 E-mail; f rieda.iordan@att.net

iri!{uirr' rtrr rt\t ttt'n''t -r\ni\,!n!d

Armenia

slut aiefiatfun,

vo&n@er

Sevak Avagyan, M.0., Executive Director Tel. (3741) 53 98 80, Fax (3741) 53 98 90

&non

give a cnall blmd

salmh

375002 Yerevan,

tstn

type

tdiu

ontheABMIXI RegisBy.

listitU

#IA

\r,

Saryan str.

E-mail: abmdr@arminco.com

Armenian Bone Manow Proiest

(-ilr:ndab Nlcrnorial

I lospital and lltnlth (lenter

CtlW

nhh'a

Jss

After a

for

Generous financial support from the Armenian community in the Diaspora is essential to the success of this vital effort. lt deserves the urgent attention of each of us.

This

has been sponsored

the Glendate Memoilal Hospital

Gover Story

Departments

22 Thinking Long-Term

10 From the Editor 11 Letters 14 AIM View

Sustainable Projects in Armenia: Building Villages and lmmunizing Children

Notebook

16 Ouote Unquote 17 Did You Know? 18 Postscript I Bytes

on File

Focus

20 Let's Make

Deal

Armenia Seeks Business Partnerships

AlMarketplace 31 Armenian Gifts and Collectibles Perlect lor All Occasions A Pull-0utSection

Nation

The Trials ol the Century The Vigilante of Armenia and the

Commamnder of Karabakh

Region

42 Lingering

Death

Chernobyl and Sumgait Revisited

Gonnections

46 Destiny's Game The Unseen Life of Yerevans Street Sweepers

48 Volunteer Corps Arls

Books

50 Yeaming lor the Sea

Beyond lcons Exhibit Hightlights Contemporary Art Scene

By J.C. Tordai and Garo Keheyan

56 Art Scene

59 60

How I got This Shot Underexposed

Essay

62 Stick and

Stones

Region

38 Georgia's Relugees Running Out ol Alternatives

Armenian International Magazine Volume 12, lssue Five

Gover design by Patrick Azadian photo by Matthew Karanian

Foreign: $65. Pctmasters: Send addre$ changes to AlM. PO. Box 10793. clendalc. CA 91209. USA.

AIM JUNE

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With British Airways' new schedule, it's never been easier to get to Yerevan. There are now three flights a week and with all the connections from North America to London Heathrow there's never been more choice either. For full details, contact your local travel agent, visit our website at www.britishairways.com or call us on 1-800-AIRWAYS. Services operated by the independent carrier British Mediterranean Airways Ltd.

BRITISHAIR'V';F

/\INI MakingChange

"EditorPublisher

Srlpl lhrouflnlrn Ghrrrdln Senior Edilor

Jolln 1lu0h.. Art Dkmtor

Prtld

ull those who have called and asked how they may follow up on last month's cover story on how to move human beings out of containers and into homes, this is what we've said. The Nonregian Refugee Council builds low-cost, practical homes for refugees. It will cost $4900 for a small home for one individual, $5500 for a couple or $6900 for a family. This will take them out of a container and into a newly built home, keeping them in the same village and on the same piece of land on which they have been living for the past 12 years. Alternatively, the USAID supplies housing certificates, which can be used to buy an existing apartment in the city in which they live. It costs $1700 for a one-room, $2800 for a two-room or $3500 for a larger residence. That's all of it. If you want to help a homeless family tkough one of the above organizations, send the Fourth Millennium Society a tax-deductible check for one of the six amounts identffied above, and that amount, in its entirety, will be transferred to one of the above agencies for that stated purpose. Or if you prefer, AIM would be happy to glve you the coordinates for these organizations'offices in Yerevan. No overhead, no studies, no agreements to be signed - just straightforward help. People helping people, one person at a time, one family at a time. AIM is willing to take on the responsibility of middleman, if you are willing to take on the ultimate responsibility: being willing to change lives. We can't think of a better way to use the pages of this magazine than to offer people hope - and life.

8!*E srilllrlrn

Hnh

Edilor at Largs

PldI Lr2lrlrn

Associate Edilors

llarandrhn, Yollrao

Ton, HdDln, London Conlribuling Editos

tdhru fonnlrn, Ronald Grloor 8uny, Tallns

V0Elulttfthn

Conttibuting Writers

ChdtloDhcr Ahmlrn, Parl Chrdlrlhn, Frlh Corlry, firHon fldd

Associab Publisher

Tlnl tolldoolrn Suhsiptions i,hnaget Seb xhodlnlan Advenisino Manager

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Flml

Marketing Manaoer

tu.hid Dil Vailrnlrn Administrative rsslslant

l(Bilrhylr

ErLr

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67 Ko0hMsi Streel, No.

course, the traditionalwayfor a llpublication to change livei is to offer the stories that make a difference in the way people think and behave. Such stories can only be produced by writers who come from a political and social tradition where inquisitiveness, chutzpah and objectivity are encouraged. Armenia (and half of the rest of the world, for that matter) lacts such a joumalistic tadition. As a result, the complex proces-

es going on

lrdlln

Assistanl Editor

in Armenia today

which are tough assignments for any seasoned reporter - have not been

Phone 533699 E-mail aimarm@arminco,com Coordinator

Anlhll trrtlm$lan Editorial Assistanl

Som

Dlnltlhn

Assishnb

llrrlnr lru.hrnl.n, ltlm Glforilll Adlrerlising lilanager

Goh.r Srh.Han

Contilbuhrs:lturt.l Emln, Ya[uan; sun Ptlllt, Llidon; Edlt 8.hl.n, Lo Aryal.r; Jmlt Smmll.n, P.lm $dr!8; ilart il.llrrhn, nhod! blild; oao{a loumouflan,

Tsovinar, 7, Arevlk, 4, and Armins, 10 Khudian have liued in this container (in the northorn Amenian lown ol Ptghauan) all their lives. Photo by Armen lsmelian Left to right:

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Wrlh lo Alill We rwlcornâ&#x201A;Ź all c0mmunication. Allhouoh wE read all lelters and submissions, v{e arc unable lo acknowld0e evorylhing we receive due lo limibd and rEsources. Lettrs to tre Editor nuy be editd for publication.

trirE

ftmonlan lntcm.llonal ilagazlne Founded in.1990

Founding Editor Vartan Oslanlan

illchaol XrhrDot

207 South Brand Boulemrd, Suite 203 Glendale, California 91204 USA Phone 818 246

7979

Fax

818 246 0088

E-mail aimagazine@aol,com

2OO1

lhaclntl.n, Ztlln

Founding Publisher

AIM JUNE

Dl0!0

lhdHfil Boulrn lftllerdrll' lmillt; &blil leotdfl.n, Armlnri Jo|!ilro, Fnma; larllr Amrr, Elc loth[, Pholamphers:

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adequately or consistently covered by the local press. Yet, without competent or thorough articles on everything from the groundbreaking to the mundane, neither Armenia nor Diaspora will begin to think and behave differently. It was with the intent to jumpstart such thinking and action that the Cafesjian Family Foundation in partnership with AIM undertook a fint-of-its-kind media project in Armenia. Serious resources have been allocated for long-term teaching, coaching, nurturing and developing of thoughtful, responsible, independent journalists. But just as economic and political reforms in the former Soviet Union have been unhurried, the shift in mindset and social thinking has been equally slow in taking root. This is why no one else has made a fundamental, long-term attempt at developing writen and writing in the democratic tradition: because finally, such articles require, above all else, new thinking. The rest - Iead paragraphs, transitions, attributions - are almost easy. Almost. Stay tuned as this slow revolution unfolds.

Lll

U,tl![trt; toond toondhn, ft.hlndon,

of the joy of knowing Christ as their personal Savior. On one recent visit to Armenia, when asked what the Bible was, too many people could not give an answer. The Mother Church should be taking a lead in this vital evangelical and educational outreach, at the same time encouraging, not degrading, the efforts of the other Christian organizations. Ioseph H. Stefu" Jn

IndianWellq Califumin One Lcss Container In response to your cover story I am mailing a check for $1700 to get one family out of a container. I am not a rich man, but t feel I have to do this. Name withheld upon request Glendalc, Califumin

Bible kssons You have brought AIM magazine to enviable heights of joumalism. The variety and veracity of the diverse articles make it "must reading" for anyone who wants to be kept abreast of Armenia and Armenians. One of the great attributes is the up-to-date aspect of the contents. Congratulations. Aaferim! I found Armineh Johannes' article, "Dispensing lnve and Hope" to be especially touching. Joyce and I have known Sister Arousiag since the days when we lived in Philadelphia and she was the Mother Superior of the Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor.

Joyce's father, Stephen Philibosian, a widely respected philanthropist; willed his beautiful Randor home and estate to the Armenian Sisters, and today the school is thriving and having great influences on the lives of its student body, which includes a number of non-Armenians. Sometime before the 1988 earthquake, Sister Arousiag had been called to Rome, to accept an obvious promotion and a prestigious administrative position at the headquarters of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. When the earthquake struck, she immediately requested a leave to go to Armenia, and her request was reluctantly granted. Setting up a base in the very heart of the stricken area, Sister Arousiag began her

work in 1991. Sister Arousiag and her team, the repre-

sentatives of the Armenian Missionary Association, Rev. Levon Bardakjian, and other Christian missionaries working in Armenia, are revealing God and His Son, Jesus Christ, to a multitude of Armenians who, for more than 70 years, were deprived

Your contribution will be forwarded to the Norweginn Refugee Council. The Edinrs

ian somewhere around the world with many wonderful thoughts and memories. And it also motivates us to take pride in being Armenian and forge ahead in our lives while helping others.

Hmry lvaniChalian NewYork, NewYork Dispensing Aid Reading "The Money Story" (Cover Story April2m) brings back memories of waste of resources by Western non-govemment charities, who ostensibly are concemed with helping recipient countries such as Armenia and

countries in similar situations, yet the main reason behind their projects is to help themselves.

Working in the Armenian Embassy of [-ondon, in my consular capacity, I have come across two cases, which have stuck in my mind, and I rememberthemwith frustration and anger. One of them was a UK-based charity

which planned Alternative to Mourning Excitedly agreeing with Arthur Saginian (I-etters, April 2001) who sees no benefit in our identification with the Genocide. What he

in the Armenian psyche, which has held us together throughout history is identifica-

sees

tion with the Armenian Church, the language, and pride in our ancestral homeland. This is where our attention should be, not on the suffering of our people who punish themselves through no fault of their own. The face of sadness has been observed far too long when we have the alternative to build an independent and distinctive nation, which when accomplished, may again flourish as a worthy nation among nations who see in us a renewed spirit to be recogrized beyond Genocide. A century of mourning is much too much to prolong. BerjTashjian Northbrook, Illinois Sweet Memories

Howwonderful to see twopictures of lhbriz! Well, at least pictures of the airport. I never made it to Tabriz, but I certainly heard a lot about this magical city growing up. As far as I was concerned, Tabriz, with all its glory was where all Armenians came from.The stories of cool evenings in Golestan, the carpet stores, the large clusters of gapes, and thewonderful feta.

The pictures took me back for a few moments to a land and a life far away. A life that I never experienced in person but nevertheless a life that I heard about and felt as a child. This is why I love AIM. I know that with each article and picture, it touches an ArmenAIM JUNE

2OO1

to help the

children of

Armenia by providing rations of food in the schools and kindergartens. They obtained a grant of about $300,0fi) from the European Community Countries (European Union EU) for their project. Out of these funds,

almost 50 percent was allocated for overhead

and administration in the UK, another 25 percent was spent on the salaries of expatriate workers based in Armenia. A mere L0 percent was allocated for the local staff, offices and logistics in Armenia. The food army surplus biscuits - was obtained free of charge from the EU governments and the rest of the funds was spent on shipping this food to Armenia. Needless to say, the children did not like the tasteless biscuits and did not eat them. On paper, a grant of $3m,m0 was given to Armenia, but in effect, only 10 percent of it was actually spent in Armenia as palment for services of the local staff. All the rest went back to where it came from. Another one is the case of a training grant of $200,000 for Armenia. This time, the lion's

share was spent on the remuneration of experts and trainers, some of whom were themselves members of the same charity organization. Again, no more that 10 percent of the grant was actually spent in Armenia. I would ask all our compatriots not be deceived by figures of "grants for Armenia" reported in the pres. In order to get to the httom of thinp, one needs to look into the account of the charities and see what their "overheads" are, and what the rest ofthe funds are actually spent on!

Roubm Galichian

London,UK l1

The Fourth

Millennium Society is an independently lunded and adminishred public charity committed

to the dissemination 0l intormation for the purpose of developing an informed public. Underpinning all

]tlliriln[

ourwork is the firm convicti0n that the vitality ofan independent press is fundamental to a democratic society in Armenia and democratic institutions in the Diaspora. The Fourth lvlillennium Society publishes Armenian lnternational Magazine in its etlort to c0ntribute to the national dialooue. The directors are gratelul to the Benefactors, Trustees, Patrons and Friends ol the Fourth Millennium Society who are committed to the well-being, growth and developmenl of Armenians and Armenia through the promoti0n of open discussion and the kee flow of informati0n am0ng individuals and

Uaffiirrut$

oroanizations. Their financial contributions support the work of the Fourth l\4illennium Society and Michael Nahabet, Ratfi Zinzalian, Directors

ensure the independence of Allvl

0irectors 2000

urfll]trl?

Shahen Hairapetian, Armen Hampar, Zaven Khanjian, Michael Nahabet, AIex Sarkissian, Bob Shamlian, Rafli Zinzalian

Benelactorc Sarkis Acopian, Albert & Tove Boyajian, The Cafesjian Family Foundation, lnc.

Hirair Hovnanian, The Lincy Foundation, Louise Manoogian Simone

Senior Truslees AUSTRALIA Heros & Kate Dilanchian CANADA Razmig Hakimian, Kourken Sarkissian H0NG K0NG Jack Maxian USA CA Armand & Nancy Arabian, Khachig Babayan, George & Flora Dunaians, Armen & Gloriat Hampar,

Araxie M. Haroutinian, George & Grace Kay, Joe & Joyce Stein NY James Tufenkian Rl Papken Janjigian

Founding Truslees AUSTRALIA Varoojan lskenderian USA CA Garen Avedikian, Mardo Kaprielian, Edward Misserlian, Bob Movelt Varoujan Nahabet, Norair 0skanian, Emmy Papazian, Zareh Sarkissian, Raffi Zinzalian FL Hagop Koushakjian PA Zarouhi Mardikian

Tenlh Anniversary Corporate Sponsors Aesthetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Garo Kassabian; Armenian Jewelers'Association; Commerce Casino, Hasmik Mgrdichian; George Tumanjan; Grand Tobacco, Hrand & Mikayel Vardanian; ISB Group, Armen

& Ketty Kazandjian; Law Office of Aris Artounians, Aris & Karine Artounians;

Law Offices of 0urfalian & 0urlalian, Rali & Sarkis 0urlalian; NASA Services lnc., Sam & Elizabeth Sarkisian; Nick & Kamelia Sarkisian; Arsen Sarkisian; Pacific Sales, Jerry Turpanjian; Remax of Glendale, Vahe & Aida Yeghiazarian; Yerevan Hotel

Associale Truslees AUSTRALIA Arman & Nairi Derderyan USA CA Vartkes & Jean Barsam, Walter & Laurel Karabian, Gary & Sossi Kevorkian Nazar & Artemis Nazarian, Ralph & Savey Tufenkian NH Jeannette John

Patrons Rouben

ANI{ENIA AUSTSAI-IA

Ardash & Marian Derderian

Artin Etmekjian

Dimitri & Tarnara Dimitri & Lucille Estephanian

George & Vartouhi Tavoukjian

Steve

[.4ack Vahanian

Manoushag Fermanian

Anonymous

Gagik &

CANAOA

Gerair & Elise Oervishian Migirdic & Ani Migirdicyan Soghomon & Arpiar Sakarya & Families

l\,4ihran

& Dzovio Zeitlian Elizabeth Agbabian

USA COI{NECTICUT

Louis

Kevoil &

Hagopian

Pamela Toroyan

ISSAEL

Kevork & Salenig Karajerjian

George Chamchikian

Nishant & Sona

Kazazian

Kevork Atinizian chard Simonian

USA IiIICHIGAN Edgar & Sarah Hagopian

ITATY

Kirk & Ann Kesapyan

Alex l\4anoogiant

Krikor & Harout lstanbulian

John & Rose Ketchoyan

Kirakos Vapurciyan

Zaven

& Sona Khanjian

Krikor Krikorian Julie Kulhanjian & RoOer Slrauch Louis & Grace Kurklian 0ora Serviarian Xuhn

Kevork Bouladian UAE

Bamik A. Tatevossian uItTE0 (lttGD0rJl Diran & Suzi Chakelian usA cALtr0RltA l\,lihran & Elizabeth Agbabian

Avik lvlahdesiant Slepan & Erdjanik Markarian Haroul & Rita Mesrobian Edward & Alice Navasargian

Garabed Akpolat

USA }IEVADA

Latry & Seda Barnes USA NEW JERSEY

Margaret Chanlikiant

usA [Ew Yofi( l\.,!.

Michael Ansour

Harry & Aida Koundakiian Nancy Kricorian Vahe Nishaniant

V John & Lucille

Harry & Alva( Barseohian

Armand 0. Norehad

Aram & Terez Eassenian

Kenneth & Cindy Norian

Harout Topsacalian

0aniel Behesnilian

Rafi ourfalian Michael & Hermine Piranian Hratch & Helga Sarkis

Balry & Maroaret Zorthian

Berj & Hera Boyajian

Phone 818.246.7979

il$.24$.[[0[ tail 0]

Ara & Avedis Tavitian

Garo Keheyan

LEBAll0t{

aima[arino@aul.mm

Pelros & Garine Taglyan Gaidzag

USA MASSACHUSETTS

Adrine Karakashian

Glendale, California 91204 USA

Pierre & Alice Haig

Alex Sarkissian Roberl & Helen Shamlian Sun Plaslics, lnc.

Shahen & Martha Haroutunian Arpiar & Hermine Janoyan Z. Greg Kahwajian Jack & Maro Kalaydjian

CYPRUS

207 South Brand Blvd, Suite 203

Knil Galstian

Vahan & Audrey Gregor

Louise Aznavour

plln[ltffit[[1t[[ tltlilft il]ll

Tania Chakalian

Hagop & Violel Dakessian Caro & Diyana Danielian

Khachatur & Rouzanna Soukiassian

G. Sarkissian

USA WASHIXGIOX

Friends ol AIM Ihe Fourth l\4illennium Society is grateiul to lhe following for contributing during the USA CA Hasmig Simonian

AIM JUNE

2OOI

last month t0 ensure Alf,45 linancial independence

Short-Term Projects. Short-Term Feel-Good. It's time to examine the real reasons for helping There is nothing more difficult to plan or more uncertain of success or more dangerous to carry out than an attempt to introduce new institutions, Machiavelli advised his prince in the early sixteenth century.

Ten yean after independence, and a dozen yean after the earthquake, it is time to distinguish between acts that make the doer feel good, and acts that bring real long-term, institutional 'help' to Armenia. Just as at the beginning of the last century the words 'starving'

and 'Armenian' became regularly intertwined, at the beginning of this one, the term s'helping' and 'Armenia'have become a familiar pair. Almost everyone is busy talking about 'helping Armenia' or doing something intended to be'helping Armenia.' At the same time, many who have helped sit back and ask, 'All that help we sent, where did it go? It's time to start asking different questions. Unfortunately, actions, projects, donations which are billed as ways to help Armenia, are too-often simply short-term feel good gestures for the doer. A church collects several thousand dollars and a benevolent parishioner takes it to Armenia to distribute the funds to the needy. Everyone involved feels good - the donors, the dispenser and the recipients

of the benevolence. But traces of the assistancp are hard to detect after some time passes. Not because the help has been misappropriated, but because that's the nature of charity. Sporadic fundraising and giving is easier than committing to raising a similar amount each year for a specific purpose. But without such long-term planning and commitment, there is no nation-building. There is only continued charity. Of course the difficulty, uncertainty and danger in building new institutions and making long-range plans are not to be underestimated. Still, if the purpose is to help build a country then the example of the long-term plans (see page22) must be followed. For without such real, detailed, step-by-step planning, giving makes the giver feel better, less guilty and more noble. In the short term. A real plan for a business requires planning, long-term engagement, commitment of time and thinking, and the willingness to develop a roadmap and an infrastructure. Reasonable overhead, offices and staff are not bad things. On the contrary, they are evidence of serious and long-term engagement. Without such a system, any project will fall apart as soon as the initial enthusiasm wanes. Without such a commitment, there will be ! no nation-building.

Public Art Makes a Public Statement Diaspora and Armenia can create easy visibility Any visitor who wishes to tour the United Nations headquarters in New York City begins the tour in front of a 12th century Armenian khachkar. The ancient stone cross was donated to the UN by Armenia in 1995. That one piece of ancient art may be the only time a visitor hean the name of this tiny member of the UN, but it's quite a powerftrl statement. At the American Red Cros national headquarten in Washingon, DC, across the street from the White House and the National Mall, stands a lGfoot thank-you gift from the people of Armenia to the people of the US for earthquake assistance. The only piece of art gracing

the Red Cross lawn speaks volumes about Armenia's gratitude. In Strasbourg, France, too, Armenia, a new member of the Council of Europe, made a gift of a sculpture to the European organization, on the occasion of its accession (see page 57.) This piece of art called the Timada (or toastmaster) will represent this tiny member of Europe by displaying Armenians' joie de viwe and resiiience, On these occasions when making gifu to such august international bodies, countries have choices. Although the tradition of gift-giving exists, there are no preconditions as to what to give. Armenia has wiselychosen to present sub,stantial works of art which

AIM JUNE

2OO1

reinforce the presence of a people and a culture in a way that is neither confrontational nor controversial. Armenia and Armenians (in the Diaspora, especially) can and should continue to make such offerings to organizations and in venues which

ence known only when Genocide recognition is on the agenda is shortsighted and often counterproductive. Why not celebrate Armenian culture and life, resilience and survival, any.time, any"where? Public art makes such celebration possible all the time, everywhere. Quality artwork commissioned for a speciflc venue, presented without conditions, is a relatively 'cheap and easy' way to make a strong statement. There is nothing more politically forceful than a monument that, by its mere existence, proclaims

attract public attention. Such gift-giving does not need to wait for unique occasions such as accession to an intemational forum. Nor is it necessary to tie every pub-

Armenia.

lic monument to Genocide. On the contrary, to make a community's pres-

Once Again Context is Everything Salaries of Armenia's top leadership raise many questions In Armenia, where a family of four needs about $1fi) a month to live with minimal dignity, the country's president makes about four

costs at least a $100 a month to maintain.

times that amount (see page 17.) By comparison, in the US, where a family of four requires about $2,000 a month to barely survive, the US President earns about 18 times that amount. This is simply to say that context is everything. Before cursing or praising Armenian officials for being paid more than the national average, here are some other facts to keep in mind. The average American University of Armenia graduate earns more than the Armenian President. So do the dozens of Muskie Fellows who have received US training in their professions, and have returned to Armenia to work in the private sector. Now for more numbers. Each time a minister's wife purchases flowers from a street comer vendor to take as a gift to an ambassador's home or a fellow minister's dinner, she will spend anywhere between $3 to $20.

earning the ire of the local press and the demanding Diaspora. There are no reimbursements for such expenditures. There are no expense accounts. And such is the reality of Armenian public life that high-placed flgures live with self-imposed and external expectations, which they cannot meet with the resources at their disposal. And not just at the highest levels. It is true on a lesser scale for mayors, village heads, deputies and all other public figures. Such facts must be recognized and taken into consideration as decisions are made about how to help strengthen Armenia's institutions. This context must also be well understood before judgements are made and solutions r

l,aundering and pressing one man's shirt costs $1 to $4. A cell phone A dinner at home with four or six offlcial guests means spending nearly $100. Adequate and appropriate formal wear is not cheap. Yet not being conectly dressed means

sought.

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[[[1 ffillllnffifilv| 207 South Brand Blvd, Suite 203 Glendale, California 91204 USA Phone 818,246.7979

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AIM JUNE

2OO1

NOTEBOOK

((We must not take those before us to be unserious people. Yes, there are territories which we have occupied. And we shouldn't be ashamed ol that. We have occupied them to ensure the security ol our homeland. We said so in 1992, in 1994. And I'm making the same statement today.ll -Defense Minister Serge Sargsian the possib,e return

llThis

week we are going to tell you about Armenian songs, Armenian geography, and about Taron. Why do we characterize the region as Taron? Because Taron included all ol Mush and all of Sasun. ll we were to call it iust Mush, or just Sasun, neither would be right, because Taron is the name ol the entire area, and there is no contempo' rary equiualent. That area used lo be called Taron. Don't start thinking other things. After 1915, those who lelt Mush and Sasun, even after going to Armenia, they kept their unique profile. They established their own city, and don't mix with the locals. They tried to keep their folklore alive. They created new songs, too. We believe that these songs, which you are about to hear, have a 100-150 year history. But, really, they've iust had a 30-40 year past. It is probable that those who wrote these songs hauen't even seen Mush. They wrote these songs based on the storiesothe, hifJli$I$;,lildio prosram

whichwasairedin,ctober''ry,dlff JiJ[f [1il,11fl,[11ii,:3xf ii,ill

lIThis global Armenian

is made up ol communidiaspora "txilii'itilffi ties that have necessarily and inevitably developed loca!, host country-specific, "elhnic" features. Each is organized,

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though not to an equal degree, and each develops institu' tions to address local needs. While largely locally oriented, a lew ol these institutions - religious, philanthropic, politi' cal - also retain explicitly transnational agendas and seek to loster shared, multilocal, and therelore properly "dias'

poric" values, discounes, ideologies, orientations, and practices. lndividually or taken together, these formations encompass multiple social, cultural, and, on more rare but disproportionately important occasions, political identities that coexist, clash, seek accommodation and consensus. When they succeed in achieving these goals, sucoess rarely proves sustainable oyel long periods of time, except where ghettoized diasporic lorms prevail. ln a sense, then, the diasporic community suslains a paradoxial combination ol both ethnic and diasporic cultura! identities and political practices;the struggle between them strains but also helps deline the diaspora as such. Some ol these identities are tradiliona!, purist, and parochial, while othen include cosmopolitan commitments that entail not a wholesale but, rather, a selective relinquishing ol the national (nation in exile) imaginary.

rn'Eriresandrnstitutions',ilI[1]'#?']r"l'lffi

Diaspora: A Journal ol Transnational Studies, Spring 20t10

Blastinu t[B BonilGr r! I I

Armeniancity of Ani Beza

sits

just 150 yards acroas the Akhurian

Rir"r from the ancient Armenian capital of Ani, just inside the Turkishborder.

In the ancient Armenian Ani, l00Gyearold cllrrches stand in ruins, and collaping quickly, according to the Tirkish government, which complained to UNESCO that Armenians were dynamitingstone quarries on the Ar:nenian side, just so they could damage the ancient churches on the Tbrkish side.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry wondered why Tiukey had not expressed its concerns to Armenia direct$ It had also said that all blasts would seize by May 31. konically, Ejmiatsin is using the stones from the Ani quanies to oomplete the oonstruction of the new St. Gregory C:thedral in Yerevan. -Photo by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian

AIM JUNE

2OO1

NOTEBOOK

Geoqe W. Bush, President Age: 54

Education: Business

Prolessional Background: 0il/Gas lndustry, Governor of Texas us$400,000

Riclurd B. Gheney, Uice President Age: 60

Education: Political Science, Law

Prolessional Background: Congressman, Secretary of Defense, CEO Oil lndustry

us$181,400

Dennis Hastert, $peaker ol the House Age: 59

Education: Economics, Education

Prolmional Background: Educator, Civil Servant us$181 ,400

Colin L. Powel!, Secretary of State Age:63

Education: Geology, Business

Professiona! Background: Military, Civil Servant

us$ls1,800

llonald H. Bumsfeld, Seuetary of llelense Age: 69

Education: Civil Servant, Businessman Prolessional Background: Military, Congressman, Secretary ol Deiense (1975-1977), Lobbyist us$151 ,800

t{illiam

H. Behnquist, Ghiel Justice US Supreme Couil Age: 77

Education: Law

Prolessional Background: Attorney and Judge

$175,400

Robeil Kochailan, President Age: 46

Education: Engineering

Professlona! background: Civil Servant US$4,000 (200,000 Armenian Dram, AMD)

Amen lftachatian, Ghair,

ililml

Assm[U

Age: 44

Education: Literature

Professional Background: Educator

us$3,400 (170,000 AMD)

Andranik Markarian, Prime Mlnlster Age: 50

Education: Engineering

Professional Background: Engineer

us$3,400 (170,000 AMD)

Uarhn Gilonian, Minister of Forelgn Affairc Age: 46

Education: Engineering, lnternational Affairs

Professlona! Background: Civil Servant

us$2,800 (140,000 AMD) Serge $argsian,

tlinlster ol llefense

Age:47

Education: Linguistics, Literature

Professional Background: Military, Civil Servant us$2,800 (140,000 AMD)

Gagik Harutiunian Ghairman ol the Gonstitutional Gouil Age: 53

Education: Economics

Prolessional Background: Professor

us$3,500 (175,000 AMD)

Who's ltllho in the line ol Powen Who are Armenias top officials? How much money do they make? Whal is the line of power? And how does all this compare to American officialdom? The chart below represents the order of power transfer as prescribed by the Armenian Constitution: from President to Parliament Speaker to Prime Minister to Minister of Foreign Affairs. The line ol authority in the US goes from Presidentto Vice President to Speaker of the House and Secretary of State. (Armenia has no elecftd Vice President;the Prime Minister Iulfills some of the same functions). Above are the educational backgrounds, ages and annual salaries ol each official.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

NOTEBOOK

$lmon A[kanlan Best Actor

- in France and on the Moon

imon Abkarian, 39, saln patience is one of the more sigtificant aspects of his character. And it has paid off. After a lGyear career in the French theater scene, Abkarian, on May 7, 2001, won as best actor for his leading role in the latest adaptation of Richard Kalinoski's The Beast on the Moon, directed by Idna Brook, daughter of famous directol Peter Brook. A true child of the Diaspora, Abkarian was born in Paris, moved to Beirut with his family at the age of nine, back to Paris at the age of 15, then to Los Angeles in 1979. Through an acting workshop with French actor George Bigot, Abkarian met members of the highly acclaimed Theatre du Soleil, who were performing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, after which he moved back to Paris and was hired by the company's director, Ariane Nouchkine, in 1985. Eight years later, Abkarian Ieft Theatre du Soleil and was involved in a succession of productions, both in theater and fiIm. He has appeared in the French film Chacw Cherclrc son ChatlWlun thc Cat s Away,)and recently with actor and friend Tim Robbins in a film not yet released. In 2000, Abkarian played the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice for the Theatre de la Bastille and directed L' Utime Chant de Troie (" The Last S ong of Troy ") for T\eatre Bobigty. Next, Abkarianplays Anhile Gorky,thelead role in AtomEgoyan's upcoming film,Ararat. Other cast memben include Charles Azravour, Eric Bogosian, Aninee Khanjian and Christopher Plummer. Domestic distribution rights of. Ararathave been acquired by Miramax Films. "Simon is one of those very few artists, who is capable of understanding fully the absurdity of art and has no pretensions about it " says actor-director-artist Vahe Berberian, who is also a good friend of Abkarian. "I think this is exactly why both his acting and directing have a raw, down-to-earth quallty to them. Also, he has always been

France's most prestigious Moliere award

wise enough to enrich his personality and his art by his own Armenian and Middle Eastern streetwise background, which gives depth and color to everything he does," adds Berberian. Abkarian was nominated for two Moliere awards for his role in The Beast on the Moon, in the best actor and best upcoming actor categories. The play was nominated in a total of seven categories, winning a total of five Molieres (best actor, best play, best soeenplay, best director and best actress.) Abkarian saw this as an opportunity to say something about his people on national television. In his acceptance speech, he thanked the French government for its courage in recognizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915. "The award is an object, the ceremony is a very well organized masquerade. The most important thing was to say what I had to say. I was very gentle, Armenians were very touched, and proud," says Abkarian. "Speaking out is a type of cure for the suffering. I didn't thank my agent, mother or Jesus Christ. But I wish I was half something else because there are so many issues to talk about out there, not just the Armenian Genocide," he adds. Abkarian ended his longer than expected acceptancâ&#x201A;Ź speech by wishing everyone a life ftrll of theater and theater full of life. "Art is a piece of the conscience of humanity. It's not a big deal, only art, but maybe with this little piece, I can bring change. Theater is not a picnic, 18

it is a war against me. The goal is to be in communication and relation

with other humans. If there is communication, it can sometimes elevate people. Although this sounds a little mystic, but it can happen concretely sometimes. I don't think ignorance is genetic," he adds. Following this important win, Abkarian has is beginning to experience hints of success with various offers and lucrative deals. "success is an interesting poison. When you use it badly, you can die. Or kill the spirit," he says. "I see myself continuing walking and working and standing on my own two feet as a real human, keeping my honor. I have no special hopes. To hope is to have a solution or a piece of a solution to our problems. A big part of the population has become a slave to hope. The time for hoping is over," says Abkarian. "Now, it's time to work and place high demands on myself," he adds.

AIM JUNE

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NOTEBOOK

And what Abkarian demands most is courage. "It is an everyday effort not to let my spirit get fat, and to continue to have the ability to recognize the nature of things, and to continue to be an artist and to see and recognize things not obvious to others," says Abkarian. Abkarian sees acting as a very powerful tool of communication and a chance to relate with others. "The better you work, the more you get in touch with people. The interesting challenge is to keep the balance in exchanging the work with money," he adds. "I am acting for now, but might not continue if my principles are in danger. I will stop," he says. "The ultimate," says Abkarian, "is a table with good food, good drinks, good people, good music, under a clear sky - food for the body and the spirit. And to know that we are far from where we should be. "Don't ask me where that is," he concludes. -Hrair Sarkis Sarkissian

left:Abkarian as Mr. Tomassian in The Beast 0n lhe M00n, 2001. Top righl Abkarian as Abdul Ghaflar Khan in Theatre du Soleit's L Indiade, 1987. Photo by Marline Franck . Above: Abkarian (lett) as Agamemnon in Theatre du Soleil's Les Atrides, 1990. Photo by Michele Laurent. Opposite page:Abkarian with his Moliere lor Best Actor. Courtesy, Nouvelles Top

d'Armenie Magaine.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

Focus ol the Monflt

MAKE

I DEAL

Armenia Seeks

Business and Economic Partnerships Vahakn Hovnanian, members of the Canadian delegation, US Deparfinents of Agriculture, Commere and TDA rep,resentatives were among ttrepanelisb. Thefint IFCloan to an Armenia-US based investnent project, the Hotel Armenia grorp, was sigrred within the framework of the C-on-

ference. The IFC will loan approximately $21 million for the reconstruction of Hotel Armenia. The I"m Angela omsion was Eryo 2ffi1: N{ade in Anneni4 a twoday exhibition of producn frun Anneni4 on dlplay at ttre Glendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, Califomia Sponsored

by the Armenian American Chamber of C-ommerce, USA, the exhibition presented nearly 40 vendon of wines and spiris, garmenb and shoes, carpets and stones, candy and tobacco, ftavel and transport servi@s, sofurare and hardware engineers, and publishers and broadcasten. Opening ceremonies featured Tlmanian, Armeniat SeniorPrcsidentialAdvisorqrEuronb

Aftirs Vahram Nacisianb, US resident Robert Kocharian and Minister of Tiade and Indutry IGren Chshmaritian went to New York in May. A month later, Presidential Chief of Staff Artashes Tumanian and Armenia's Ambassador to the US Arman Kirakossian went to Califomia.In both visits, the purpose was to promote investment and trade with Armenia. The Armenia lnvestor

Jl p I

C-onference: Ancient

Land

New Direction,

organized by the US Thade and Development Agency (TDA), the International Finance

Corporation (IFC), and the World Bank, brought together Armenian businesses, with those wishing to invest, as well as various US

govemment agencies whose mision it is to nurture and assist such busines partrenhip. The threeday event at the Plaza Hotel in New York City provided attendees with opportunities to network, share experiences and develop partrership. Armenia came seekinginveston for35 projects ranging

from aircraft leasing, canned fruis

and juices production, theater and hotel remnstruction, diamond processing, textile and leather produc'tion, glass ceramics and lacquerVpaints production and chemical industry development.

dozen panels provided the participants with a forum to explore investrnent and busines opportunities. US businessmen James Tirfenkian,

AIM JUNE

2OO1

Congresunen

Frank Pallcnre and Adam S}ritr, Califomia legtslators Dado Frunnrer and Cbrol

liq

Seoetary

fuury lon Hatamiya Glendale Mayor hoTemp Dave Califomiab Tiade and Curunerc

Weave4 Glendale City C-ouncil memben Rafl Ivlanoukian ard Frank Quintero, along with wrious Armenian AnBrizn unmunity leaden Joining Ambasador Kirakmian and Armeniab C.orml General Valery Mkrtounian werc Consul Generals from Japan, Mexio, Thiwan and Thailand An

estimated 5000 attended the Expo that opened dmn for Armeniab bwineses to showcase products to both consumers,

importen and

orporatebuyenbasedinSoutlremGlifomia"

Focus ol tfie Month

Visitorc and inveslorc sample the various ilems on display al

Above:

the Expo 2001 in Glendale, Galilornia. Photo by Parik I'lazarian. Right 0n, May 11, the last day ol the Armenia lnvestors Gonlerence, president Kocharian presented Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian with the Mesrop Mashtots Medal, in recognition ol the Hovnanians' conlinuous supporl ol Armenia and the Armenian Diaspom. President ol Fund lor Armenian Reliel, Kevork Hovnanian and his wile Sirvart have donated a building in New York Gity to the Republic ol Amenia, which is used as the Mission lo the Uil, and have built St. Stepanos Ghurch and complex in New Jersey. Kirk Kerkorian,

Himir Hovnanian and Jon Hunhman ale among past recipients of this medal. Photo by Hary Koudakiian. Opposite page: New York City's PIaza Holel, the site ol the Armenia Investors Gonlerence.

Pholo by Harry Koudakiian.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

Goven $tony

IhlnklnULonu-Tenm Sustainable Projects for Armenia BY HRAIR SARKIS SARKISSIAN

I lakes a llillaue hene (pronounced shen) means chain in

French, and in Armenian, it's the root for words that have to do with making or building. That is what this l2-year-old non-governmental organization (NGO) does: it builds, using a chain of resources that stretches way beyond its own small numbers. "We don't want people to leave the villages, the country" says Oshin Yeghiazarian,56, or founder and president of Chene in France. "But we have to help them stay. We can't just

expect them to stay when there are no jobs, no food, no running wate! no decent living conditions," he adds. Since 1988, Chene has been moving people, building roads, planting crops and providing equipment so that people can live better, safer lives and can have opportunities to make a living. On December 9, 1988, Yeghiazarian, architect and film animator, went to Spitak, Armenia. The earthquake, which had struck a day earlier, had wreaked havoc, and people

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AIM JUNE

2OO1

had come from all over the world to help. There, he met a unit, which had come from Karabakh tohelp. He spentthree, four dayswith them and leamedthat since the beginning of the Karabakh movement eight months earlier, together with a group of profesionals from the Yerevan Po\technic krstitute (now the State Engineering Univenity of Yerevan), this small brigade had alreadybuilt 21 homes in Karabakh for Armenian refugees who had fled pogromsin Sumgait, Azerbaijan. The total mst of the project was $1,10,000, of which $20,000 was in volun-

Goven Stony

teer labor and materials. The remainder came fromindividual donon in Armenia. Yeghiazarian, a Tekan-bom French citizen, began to work with this group which called itself Chene (known as Shen, in Armenia), and embarked on a building project of another sort. This one, in the village of Spitakashen in Karabakh's Hadrut region, would cost $260,000 and would involve the construction

of homes and an elementary school, stable water and electricity lines, and a short two mile road. Thirty people, mainly students from Yerevan Polytechnic, together with some well-known names from Karabakh such

as Artur Mkrtchian and Manvel Sargsian, worked for months to complete work in this abandoned village just on the other side of Zangentr, on the Lachin border. In between, they were rounded up a couple of times by Azerbaijani and Russian soldiers and thrown into prison. Although the rebuilding of Spitakashen, too, was financed by donations from Armenia, Yeghiazarian had begun to gather financial aid and in-kind donations from Europe. By 1990, there were some 30 French-Armenians who got together regularly to find Karabakh, especially those near border areas. They formed

Chene France, and mntinue to meet to this day. The group has grown to 45, and Yeghiazarian says, "Not only do they each pay a minimum of 1200 Francs ($170) annually, but they also gatherregularly, without fail, once a month. And it is only now, eleven yean latel that one or two of them have begun to slack off."

Chene (www.chene.am) continued its work, this time on the Zangezur side of the border in the villages of Khntsoresk and Khoznavar. Their construction activities were strategic and psychological as much as they were humanitarian. "From a one-kilometer distance, the Azeris would bomb our cranes. We'd bring in new cranes and continue to live there and to build. It was important for us to be there to show the villagers in Goris that we

are with them, and that they shouldn't leave.

And it worked. From those villages, no one moved out," Yeghiazarian remembers.

When Humanitarian is Political

Much of Chene's work in the early days was of a strategic nature.

zarian explains.

few months later, Shushi was liberated

and so was [,achin. Just two weeks later, Chene was there to build the Pertatsor Bridge, which connects Hadrut (in southern Karabakh)

Armenia through Lachin. "We had

with

completely rebuilt in three weeks, with all the engineering expertise and concrete slabs brought from Yerevan on awful, damaged roads. Some of the slabs had to be humanly dragged, but we did it, with a lot of volunteer and paid manpower, and we did it quietly."

The opening of the Lachin corridor to Karabakh made it possible to transport sorely needed medical equipment, including a mobile clinic sufficiently equipped to perform medical procedures, if necessary. This van,whichwould have been impossible to fiansport via helicopter, was the first vehicle to drive through Lachin to Karabakh, Yeghiazarian says.

"The leadership of Karabakh had no communication capability with the regions. From Stepanakert, they couldn't communicate with Shahumian or Hadrut. Wthin a few

Sun-dried tomaloes being checked lor quality before packaging.

AIM JUNE

days, we were able to raise the cash to purchase and install a powerful, wireless system. This was 19V2, and war was raging," Yeghia-

2OOI

In the Meghri

region, the village of

Nmadsor was settled with 40 refugee families, and their medical aid post, school, post office, telephone station and TV translator

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Chene presidents Hayk Minassian (Anrenia ) and 0shin Yeqltiazarian (France) al the Chene ollice in Yerevan

\t\l .ll

\1,

Goven Stony

small on some projects," says Hayg

Chene has representatives in the villages

who help the villagers with their finances.

Chene Armenia.

"The villager is taking responsibility, paylng taxes. Although they may be high, but they

professor at the State Engineering University and director of Minassian,

"We cannot take big risks, we are an NGO. We need projects that are small and manageable," he adds. He is only being partially modest. With many projects costing in the range of $8,0fi) to $30,000, it is possible for Chene to monitor the progress of each, prevent failures and help make villages - and people

- self-sustaining.

In Lori, for example, with the profits from the potato chip sales, Chene will plant more potato plants, and replant 400 hectares of rare trees, indigenous to that area, that were cut and used as firewood during the harsh winters of 1993-1995. "We are not interested in profit as much

in the number of jobs created,"

says

Minassian. "We are interested in small enter-

prise development in different villages," he adds. Since September of 2000, Chene has already given 35 such loans, which average $12,500 and carry the lowest interest rates in Armenia - 15 percent - with a maximum

payoff period of three years. This $430,000 revolving fund is called Aniv (wheel).

are paying them. They are also learning about banking and flnancial management," adds Minassian. l,oans have been given for cheese, butter and sausage production,

paint from the local tufa stone. The balance of the IFAD gant has been used for 61 social micro-projects throughout the country.

One such social project has been the renof an old school in the recently

ovation

repopulated Yeghnajur, in northern Armenia. The building is used as a camp for poor city kids and orphans from Gyumri, Artik and Akhulian, in order to bring them back to nature. "These kids have not seen nature. We hope that they will love the experience and want to move there one day," says

Minassian. The Tufenkian Foundation has also supported the camp.

Yeghiazarian explains

that

although

Armenians are hardworking, they lacked experience in working collaboratively. "We showed them how to leverage their resources,

Expeft training yillagets on sale and sanilary

build-

ing a mill house and creating commercial

Gannang procedures.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

and now, they have surpassed us. The local staff shows us how to realize our goals," Yeghiazarian said. And Chene's goals vary with each situation. Some projects seek short-term solutions such as providing medication, food, or even money to some families. But most projects are designed to help the communities in the

long term. That's why Chene got into apricots. Pnmus Armeniaca "In late June, when apricots are juicy and ripe, no one needs ask why Armenian apricots are the best. And there are so many on the market, the quantities seem limitless," said Minasian. But that's not the case. Chene researched the number of apricot trees in Armenia, and it found that the country needed many more trees to be able to compete

on the intemational market with dried apricots. So, Chene planted 40 hectares of apricot trees, in the Lusakn and Ashang villages of the

Arakatsodn region, which in five yean, will start to produce 100 tons of the glorious fruit each year.

The orchard, which was financed by donations from a variety of Armenian and foreign

Gouep Stony

organizations, and bank loans, is owned and managed by a committee that will pay the villagers who tend the trees, and will use the income from the product - dried apricots - to repay the loans. The profits from the sales will be spent within the villages and will beneflt as many as 5000 people. Chene has also built a complex of solar dryers in the Aragatsotsn district to prepare

10 tons ofdried apricots, five tons ofsundried tomatoes and 10 tons of other assorted fruits. This $200,0m project was financedbyEZE a German organization, Christian Aid UK and Interchurch Organization for Development Corporation (ICCO) Holland. Chene provided water to villages which had no water and now has communities working. Some pick, dry and sell their own fruits. Others work at the factory to dry the fruib. Chene finds markets for the

dried products and facilitates the transactions between the villagers and the buyen.

"Our dried apricots and sun-dried tomatoes are among the best in the world," says Minassian. "We need to get into the international market with these products," he adds. "Aprioot orchards are good for 50 yean," sap Yeghiazarian. "It is an invesfinent in ttre families, the villages and the country as a whole," he adds.

[Btl[em [e lmmufiIoil I I

lllf f f

lhen Raftu Ardhaliian

lost his wife Ani

*a vo-and-a-haiT-year-old daughter y.* ugo, n*oo, a pnne *^n ",gn,

he found a way to turn the tragedy into a

tool

to help mothers and children. He established the Ani and Narod Memorial Fund (ANMF). His first project was to provide education and stimulation during the cold winters for children who did not have a@ess to schools in the villages in Armenia. He worked with the Children's Television Workshop in the US and acquired the rights to translate and broadcast the

popular educational children's program Sesame Street in Armenia. With help from Armenia's Education Ministry, and some funding from the I-IN, Sesame Street was a suc@ss. Big Bird spoke Armenian and tens of thousands of children listened (see AIM, April-May 1998). ANMFs second project, spawned inl997,

was more involved. The Narod Network Project (NNP) was an Intemet-based educational program to connect Armenian students in 70 schools with each other and the world (see AIM, April-May 1998). (Today, this proj-

Part ol UillCEFb program is to pruyide sale vaccination training to

all nurces.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

ect continues as the Three

Pomegranate

Network and is administered by the newly formed non-profit organization, Edu- cation for Development kstitute: wwwe4d.org). Along the way, the ANMF produced calendars, postcards, posters and other creative, welldesigned and well-researched children's materials. Ardhaljian also sought to support worthwhile programs associated with women,

or with the art and culture of the historical city of Ani, in memory of his late wife Ani. But none of Ardhaljian's earlier projects

lsuzrd

â&#x201A;Ź* o lsUz hotel

The hotel, with its various services and comforts, is located

. Business and conference facilities . Bank . 12 commercial shops

in the center of Gyumri. lt has 12 western standard rooms, 8 doubles and 4 suites, including a kitchenefie, a satellite TV and a mini-bar. Our location is practical for trips to the ruins of Ani, the ancient capital of Armenia.

o SHARA restaurant

. Dl NAPOL!

pizzeria

. TOROS ROSLIN art gallery . TANGO hair salon . Transport facilities and services

. .

Separate 2-story office facilities Storage area

For further information: IsUz Ltd. Garegin Njdeh Avenue 1/5

377515 Gyumri, Armenia Tel: +374-41/33399, 25151 r Fax: +374-41139993 lnt'lTel: +41179-302.9659 . lnt'l Fax: +41t79-236.6966 www.isuz.am . Email isuz@shirak.am

Goum Stony

to become operational.

First off, Ardhaljian, "Chief Volunteer Officer" of MACVR pledged $400,000 from

ANME Then,

he convinced the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID), to donate the second $400,000. The USAID donation is conditional upon raising $400,000 from the Armenian Diaspora. And the remaining $2m,000 will be raised from international organizations. Cunently, MACVF has raised half of the donations needed from the Amenian Diaryora in order for USAID to match the funds, and is in the process of securing the $200,00 from the international organizations. For the prqiect to be complete, the remaining $2ffi,ffi must be raised

in order to USAID. "This is atime-sensitiveisue.If theUSAID funds are not used within a certain time, theywill be allo from Armenian communities receive the matching funds from

matched the scope of his newest endeavor. Armenia Immunization 20fi) or ADK as it is known, is more ambitious in its planning, and when completed, will have a more long-lasting impact on the children of Armenia, by providing a long-term solution to a basic need: Childhood vaccinations. lmmunization. kft over from the Soviet era, Armenia has a great infrastructure for the procurement of vaccines. This includes a large staff of highly trained nurses, in a large number of polyclinics. There is also an efficient system where mothers bring their children on a regular basis for various shots, where nurses

inform the mothers of the schedules, and track them for follow-up shots. "But since independence, the vaccines, which were

manufactured and sent

from Moscoq

stopped coming. The Armenian. government did not have the moneytocompletelytake over the task," explains Nune Mangasarian, former Deputy Health Minister and cunent head of the Health and Nutrition Project of UNICEE

"The state budget allocation for health care comes to $8 per person per year. But immunization alone costs $10 per child per year," she adds. Therefore, UNICEF took on the task of covering Armenia's immunization needs, until the time when the government is able to tund it by itself. That time has not yet come. ln lW, the Ministry of Health started to contribute by tak-

- diphttreria tetanus, pertusis (whooping cough), measles, poliomyelitis and tuberculosis - and planned to take on one vaccine a year. "But after the financial fficulties of 199, theywere not able to do anything and have asked UMCEFIo take over again," says Mangasarian. "It's oot that they do not allocate any funds. They do - 10 percent of the budget. But it adds up to a very ing over one of the six basic vaeines

small amount." "IINICEF has created a bridge since the collapse of communism and is doing a great job in an organized way," says Madimir Davidianb,

cated to other projects," sap Ardhaljian. MACVF has been successfirl in building a

successful private-public partnering model

Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Republic of Armenia. But if the donors do not come

that includes world class partners like Microsoft's Bill and Melinda Gates

through, there might be a problem in tlre future. Ardhaljian, who has remarried and has an infant son, Diran, found this to be too risky and unacceptable. "I don't want parents in Armenia to hear that this year the donor agencies did not contribute enough and there will be no vaccines for their children. This cannot be left to international aid that is not guaranteed," he says. So, Ardhaljian, an industrial and manu-

Foundationb Global Alliance for Vaeine and

facturing engineer with an IvIBA, came up with a plan to guarantee every child with the necessary and available vaccines. The project it is

is complex to real;ne, but simple once

operational. Ardhaljian set up the Millennium Armenian Childrenb Vaccine Fund (MACVF), a capital fund that will ensure the long-term sustainable procurement of traditional and new vaccines for Armenia's children, within the context of the National Immunization Program (NIP) of Armenia'sMinistry of Health, and in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Just as the succesof Sesame Streetdepend-

ed on the cooperation of the

US-based

Children's Television Workshop, Armenian State TV, the Education Ministry and UNICEF, and just as Kirk Kerkorian's Lincy Foundation, Louise Manoogian Simone, the Armenian Relief Society, and the Cafesjian Family Foundation were key in the success of the Narod Network Project, Ardhaljian has

again created a partnership with several organizations and individual donors, in order to raise the $1.4 million needed for MACVF AIM JUNE

2OO1

Immunization (GAVI), USAID (with their challenge grant) and the Linry Foundation (for the costs of vaccines in the next 12

months.) The individual and institutional donor-investors from the Armenian landscape include the Minneapolis-based Cafesjian

Family Foundation, the

Howard

Karagheusian C-ommemorative C-orporation, Sarkis Kechejian, a cardiologist and philanthropist fromTexas, the Ara AnlanianFamily of Belgium and New York, Noubar Afeyan and Nazareth Festekhjian, a Wall Street executive. The Fund's $1.4 million will be man-

aged by the investment committee of MACVF whose (volunteer) members include Ardhaljian and several Wall Street executives

such as Greg Ekizian of Goldman Sachs, Festekhjian of Salomon Smith Barney and Robert Setrakian of the Helios Group. The actual procurement and administration of vaccines will be conducted by Armenian

health agencies. Cunently, I-INICEF buys the vaccines in bulk for several countries. "Because many countries depend on UNICEF for their vaccines, they can do only so much. They have to ensure the basic sixvaccines for all. That leaves other vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Mumps or Rubella, or new versions of vaccines, such as the new bundled Measles, Mumps and Rubella (l\ffvlR) vaccine, out of the program," says Doris Mugrditchian, MACVF senior health advisor, based in New York. *The total cost to immunize a child is about

Gouen Stony

$15 to $17. We wanted to take on one small part of the pie," says Ardhajian. The cost (through a UMCEF tender in C-openhagen)

for a one-dose vial of MMR is $0.92, and a fivedose vial is $3.25. Adding 20 percent for shipping costs, the estimated cost is between $1.00 and $1.25 for the primary dose of MMR per child (excluding the cost of injection supplies).

MACVFwill cover this cost. This August, MACVF will participate in a joint mision to Armenia, with the WHO and C-enters for Disease C-ontrol of

Atlant4 Georga

to make

recommendations regarding a joint plan of action for the introduction of MMR. "Given a worldwide shortage of MMR vaccines this year, we are working to reach an early agreement with our partners in Armenia

(UNICEF and the Ministry of Health)

that we can place an order for these vaccines before the end of this year. It is anticipated that the Ministry of Health will launch the MMR program in March 2002. By combining the Measles vaccines in this bundle, we will be taking some of the burden off UNICEE" says Mugrditchian. "UNICEF will do the purchasing of the MMR vaccine, with MACVF funds, in order to insure the

low cost and quality control of the vaccines

"Itb not

easy to be in the shadorv of my previ-

purchased," she adds.

ous life," sap ArdhaljiarL refening tohis

Still, "We would like to canyourown weight and slowly pick up the vaocines one by one," sap

hislife goeson withhis wife Anahid and tlreireight monfh old son, Diran. "But weviewthis as our vehide forbringingabcff pmitive social &ange 0o our smiety, by working with intelligent motivated people," he adtr "I'd love to see more people my ap, with similar

Davidianb. "We have a flve-yearplan, and repre-

WHO, UNICEfl the Ministryof Education, and Rotary Intemational are allworking together to realize this plarq" he adds. The fint stage of the plan was to introduce the MMR this sentatives from

year, but when Armenia failed to come up ttre

$40,ffi

needed, it tumed to

with

MACVE

"We will be working on a transition plan with LTNICEF to tansfer vaaine procurement and financing responsibilities to the Minishy of Healttr over the next few years as part of UNICEIIb Vaocine Independence kritiative. After all, this is about helping Armenia beoome self-reliant with reqpect to vaaines," says Mugrdirchian.

Mission and Vision

Mugrditchian. who is an expert in international health and development, was introduced to Ardhaljian through the Rockefeller Foundation. "This project has a very clear mission and vision. I also saw how Raffy's heart was in it," says Mugrditchian, explaining why she agreed to join the team.

the

higfiyANMFeven

wukwith

resouoessstartgivingback to tlrcommunity," sap

Adhaljiar

"It's not

mtrh

firn to wait until oneb

aseb are piled up and ttren starl giving away. Start giving now," he adG. Ardhaljian plarn tooornplete frrdraisingforMACVFby November2ffil. Plans for a victory party at Manhattanb Museum of Modem arb are already underway. "I am humbled bywhat ittakes to do a project like this from a to z, and susLain it," says Ardhaljian, who admits that MACVF is hisfirst

serious attempt to contributing to what he believes is the emergingglobal Armenian socie*People ty. who give money to this project feel ownership. It is not just giving money that will be used up and they will be asked to give again next year. This is a one-time, long term solu-

tion," says Ardhaljian. "But this is a small project. Multiply this by a thousand, and you have a

oountry that is self-sfficient," he

adds. r

At Pharm Trusl, lnc., a privale yaccination Gompany, mothers can bring their children in order to receive the lree yaccines provided by UlllGEF 0r can pay to receive a yaccine that is nol included in those basic sir targeted disease vaccines. All the sale injection guidelines of the Worad Health Organization are lollowed. 0pposite page: Rafly Ardhaliian, "Ghiel Uolunteer 0flicer" 0l ilIACVF and lounder ol thl Ani and ilarod Memoria! Fund.

Above:

AIM JUNE

2OO1

/\INI ffffi Monday, July 16, 2001

An lnsider's Look al Armenia at the UN H.E. Ambassador Movses Abelian Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations

. Armenias representative to the UN is president of the executive board of the United Nations Childrens

Fund

UNICEF.

o Armenia is one of the 53 member countries on the influential UN Human Rights Commission. Ambassador to the United Nations since 1998, Abelian has been on the staff of the UN Mission since its establishment, and is now a senior member of Armenias diplomatic corps. He will discuss Armenias role and present its position on such global issues as human rights, disarmament, the environment,

globalization, conflict resolution, interaction with the 1BB UN member states, as well as the complexities of representing Armenia to the world.

Branduiew Gollection 109 East Harvard Street, Glendale, California $30.00 subscribers, $35.00 non-subscribers

Reservations required. Please call 818.246.7979 or aimagazine@aol.com

Save the Date: October 22,2001 From the Outside, Looking In Ann Dohefi British photojournalist, Ann Doherty will exhibit and discuss her impressions and perspectives of Armenia and its people. Brandview Gollection Glendale, Calilornia

Ancient

$riep Replica Meticulously handcratted of clay in traditional Armenian style. Will give your coffee a velvety old world flavor. $20.00

TaHetop $alt & Pepper $haken$ This pair of clay dispensers, resembling Karabakhs symbolic grandmother and grandfather, are hand made. No two are exactly alike. $20.00

Inaditional $alt Dispen$er & Gandleholden Also handcrafted in clay, comes with a hand carved spoon used to scoop salt out of the goddess's belly. $14.00

Martino$ $anian

1,Bo1ez2

lnhabited by fantastic personages and exotic animals, the poetic charm of these works lies not only in their quality, but in the melodic structure

of their composition. A moving world of beauty and mystery unfolds before us. Sarian sought a concise expression, stressing the harmonious

unity of nature and mankind while using elements of Armenian culture. He has produced more than three thousand art works including paintings, graphics, and theatre design. They all display te artists devoltion to age-old Armenian

traditions and an ideological zest for life.

Above, left to right.

Fainy

lale. tgo+

I[e

lfing md His llaughter. Fainy lale. tgo+ By Martiros Sarian Custom Framed Postcards Frame size 1B X 9.5'. Limited Edition.

$65.00 Left, top to bottom.

fie

ffe tthll.

Martiros Sarian

$ea.

$ilinx.

tgog

Hot Day.leog

Custom Framed Postcards I

Frame size 10 X 14.5'. Limited Edition.

$65.00 10% ol the proceeds lrom the sale ol these lramed cards will be donated to the Martiros Sarian Museum in Yelevan.

Gnos$ Pendant Hung from an 18" suede cord, this stylish 2 3/4" bronze cross is made in Armenia. Embellished

with beautiful, varying colored stones. Each cross comes

in its own hand

made wooden box.

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Ullall

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The Unspoken Fate of the Armenians Produced and directed by Dorothee Forma An unprecedented documentary on the Armenian Genocide. The film presents the lives and scholarship of two historians

Turkish Scholar Taner Akqam and Armenian professor Vahakn Dadrian. "Turkey can never become a democracy if it does not face its history," says AkEam, "We have to research violence in our past in order to understand our present. Contemporary Turks are not guilty, but they have a responsibility toward history."

Video Documentary

54 Minutes. VHS or NTSC (please specify ilyou need PAL). $25.00

Available exclusively through AlM.

Ihe Gycle ol life

l(nan

Musical Belics ol Anmenia

Songs for the Soul

Armenian Folk Music ol Anatolia

Voice ol

Forgotten compositions and arrangements

1 700th Anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the national religion of Armenia Music presented from various genres that give an idea of urban musical life and the historical events of those times. Hayrik

Performed by

Pailk Nazadan

ol regional Anatolia. Wedding songs, love

Hayrik Mouradian

Dedicated to the

Each of these songs is a page of life, a mirror of a time, a link to our history. These bittersweet pieces sung with the occasional

songs, and songs with a social messages

accompaniment of duduk, dhol and shvi, depicl the disparity

One CD, accompanied by a 27-page

of birth and death, the pain of loss and the joy of birth, love and joy and war and vengeance. ln these songs, the beauty

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lolk song art, brings to life songs that may have

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Thelnlal$ ol thc Gentury I[e UiUilante ol Anmenia BY ZHAilIIA ATEXAIIIAII AilD JOHN HUGHES

rJhe

(Prior to joining the Council of Europe - one month before the trial began - Armenia's penal system included capital punishment; last carried out in 1991. As a condition of membership, however, the death penalty

court proceedings that began here

I nebruary 15 can unequivocally be called I er*"oiit Tiial of the Century. Granted, it is a new

century. Still, America had O.J. Simpson. Armenia has Nairi Hunanian. O.J. was videotaped in a Bronco threatening to kill himself on a Southern California

must be abolished.) Hearings started early last year and final-

ly reached trial February 15 (and were in

freeway. Nairi was videotaped October 27, 1999 in Parliament, making threats then car-

recess

effectively removed the word "alleged" from association with "killer." Even in the minds of his appointed lawyers. Which is why, in contrast to the table full of lawyers filling TV screens from the famous Los Angeles courtroom, Nairi Hunanian - a journalist by profession - began this trial defending himself. (Twoweeksinto the trial, Hunanian accept the representation of Artavazd Karapetian appointed by the court. Still, in contrast to tlpseverity, Hunanian is testifying on his own behalf.) It is an odd twist in a court of oddities that include charges oftreason against his country leveled toward one defendant who isn't even Armenian. (Derenik Begianyan is an Armenian

ical high-profile cases of such

refugee who is still technically, a citizen of Azerbaijan.) The trial of Hunanian, et. al. marks the fint time a psychologist has collaborated with the Court to assess a defendant's mental capacity. Reacting to preliminary procedures and Hunanian's legal maneuvers against the professionals, Yerevan State University psychologist Mels Mkrtumian said the man made infamous on worldwide television was "clever and has good internal grounding. "From case to case he is developing his stratery.Ithink thathe is still able tocontol the atmosphere of the court and it is really possible that Nairi will be able to act in the way

that the case will go in the most advantageous way

for him."

Well-known Yerevan attorney Tigran Janoian, representing Aram Sargsian (for-

mer Prime Minister and brother of

slain

until late April).

That Nairi Hunanian was one of the

rying them out in a manner so public he

shooters is not a matter of debate.

Nor should his fate be a matter of trial, according to demonstrators. On a street named Sargsian, in memory of one of Hunanian's victims, protestors called for vengeance rather than a trial, thrusting signs l{airi Hounanyan explaining how he erecuted his plan at the hall ol llational Assembly. Photo by Mkhitar Khachatrian. Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian), disagrees with the psychologist's conclusions. "[Hunanian] is now in emotional confusion," Janoian said. "The rules of his game are being destroyed and he is starting to not understand. That frightens and upsets him. "He is always trying to be between reality and virtual reality."

The BackEound

On October 27, 1999, terrorists with machine guns stormed a session of the

into the winter air that called the defendant a "traitor to our country" and urging prosecutors to "Find Organizers." To get inside the courtroom, spectatom had to pass six guarded posts and were only allowed to enter if they had documents giving them clearance. Included in the mass were 60 members of the press, local and regional. As Hunanian took his place in the defendant's cage spctators shouted "death to the

murderers" and "punishment

bastards"

and "send him to the gallows." Hunanian himself appeared calm, asking Judge Samuel Uzunian to bring the crowd to order and asked for assurance that members

of the media would be allowed inside the

Armenian Parliament, killing Prime Minister

courtroom.

Vazgen Sargsian, Speaker Karen Demirchian and six others. Within minutes of the shootings, worldwide television news agencies were broadcasting videotape of the killings. Five men are being charged with crimes that include terrorism, conspiracy, treason, possession of illegal firearms, kidnapping and

(The Armenian justice system does not include jury trial, but relies on judges to render verdicts. It is a system that weighs heavily on single opinions, which explains why the judge has been heavily guarded since being assigned and may explain why the General Prosecutor resigned his post just days before the trial began.)

destruction of govemment property. Rather than charges of homicide, the offense alleged here is terrorism, for which

Demirchian's widow and son stayed for 20 minutes on opening day then left the room. Sargsian's brother, former Prime Minister Aram Sargsian, said he could not attend the trial because "I am Asian, and I

conviction would, until a few months ago, have carried the death penalty in Armenia. AIM JUNE

2OO1

Ithton

Karen Hunanian. "Because Nairi Hunanian declined the services of any lawyer does not mean that he has extensive and splendid knowledge of law,"

during his testimony (which is ongoing) that reveals complicity is itseHpart of the mystery

Harutunian said. "The problem is that there are no professional advocates in Armenia yet. There are a lot of cases when a lawyer harms his client. The lawyers, placed at the defendant's disposal by the government, mainly protect the interests of the preliminary investigation or the court's interests." Harutunian had been called to investigate allegations that defendants were giving information to avoid beatings or were otherwise being intimidated to incriminate themselves. The head of the Helsinki Committee in Armenia, Avetik Ishkhanian, saln that neither thejudicial system nor the pres is prepared for a trial of this magnitude and significance. And neither the media nor society realized "that even the best advocate would have acknowledged (the defendants) guilt but the prelimi-

within the mystery of that historic day in

nary investigation in that case would have been

October and this historic trial. Hunanian's trial is expected to last through

more objective. So in time, it became clear that the authority that is in charge of the investigation took all testimonies they wanted to take from the defendants and as a result, innocent people suffered." Innocent people suffered an inhuman act October 27,1999- Now a judge, the prosecutors, a defendant pleading his own cause and four to come after him will be the epilogue of media stories and psychologists reports.

A crowd ol demonstralors moved lrom the building ol Gountryguard Volunteen Union towards the capital's Gourthouse, on February 15, 2001, demanding a righteous levealation of the Octobel 27 case. Photo by Mk[itar Khachatrian.

can't be together in the same place with the terrorist who killed my brother." During a two-hour initial session, specta-

tors shouted for the judge to extradite Hunanian to the will of the people. Still, the defendant was composed, apparently prepared to test the knowledge of law he has gathered since he began studying criminal codes in prison last August. "He looks like a person who did something important," said Janoian. "I think that Naid is idealistic and he could not commit a crime like this only for financial reward. "But if not for financial reward, what? For some Timothy McVeigh kind of twisted glory that confuses patriotism and terrorism? Few here are saying that Hunanian acted alone. But even fewer have any reasonable spec-

ulation about who the real trigger man was if Hunanian and the restwerepartof acorspiracy.

Armenians do love conspiracy theories, but whether Hunanian might say anything

the year and may set a precedent for the others,

including self-representation by defendants. Berause, unlike the Simpon case where lawyers were queuing to represent

a man

many in ttre US.

believed to be guilty, even the public defenden here are refusing to participate. One advocate even said that the client he was assigred to represent should get the death penalty.

Vardan Harutunian, a member of the President's Committee on Protection of Human Rights made three visits to defendants including Hunanian and his brotheq

But few here, even among sign+oting demonstrators on Sargsian Street, are convinced Armenia's Tiial of the Century will resolve the mysteries of this country's darkest day in Parliament.

Iho Eomlnilndon ol llana[afih A.[.ArExAf,lAil; If,AtlSLAIEll BY IIARRY

lllclnAtlAt

Wf*#ixl::rliffiLt'xl1l: guilty verdict, which came with a 14-year sentence for the attempted assassination of

Nagorno Karabagh's President Arkadi Ghukasian. Still, doubts as to the guilt of the former Commander-in-Chief of the

Karabakh Army remain. On the contrary some would say that those doubts were reinforced by facts revealed at trial. That the former strong man of Karabakh could have met this fate is simply incredible for those who watched his rise. At the height

of his power, the stories about the diminu-

tive, youthful general included the following story. The first time Samvel Babaian came to

Armenia from his native Karabakh, soon after the cease-fire was declared with Azerbaijan, he took one look at the dual peaks of Ararat, and asked, "Are those the hills that have to be captured?" How he lost power is explained by a series of assumptions. A personal conflict with Karabakh President Arkadi Ghukasian that dates back to June 1998, is one explanation. Others see the peace negotiation process and its many nuances as the cause of has amounted to intentional isolation of his power.

But beyond these political AIM JUNE

2OO1

considera-

tions, the Babaian lawsuit also presents other internal challenges. By all accounts, the proceedings were ftrll of procedural flaws. Most of the principal defendants reported physical

mistreatment for the purpose of extorting false "confessions." And there are enough contradictions between their statements at

preliminary hearings and the subsequent statements made at frial to confirm the alle-

gation that testimony was extorted. Even more serious was fact that the trial proceeded on the basis of the Soviet Criminal Code, which is no longer enforceable. Yet, Karabakh does not have its own Criminal Code. Although Ghukasian had

Itffion

On the eve of trial, all of the

accused

(except for Levon Mirzoyan who continues

to deny any participation in the attack)

at one time or another accused Babaian ofhav-

ing organized the attack. And, despite the rules, the accusers never saw the accused face

to face.

The preliminary hearing showed that Babaian had ordered his relatives to move a

of unregistered weapons from military garrisons, to his native village in December 199, and to store them in a house there. It was also discovered that Babaian had chaired a meeting of officers in the fall of 1999, in the heat of his confrontation with President Ghukasian, although he certain quantity

was no longer head of the armed forces. The

authorities decided to lump all these actions together and try him on all charges.

The trial began on September

Samyel Babayan. Photo by Zayen Khachikian. sigued a law mandating that Karabakh adopt a three-tier legal system like Armenia's with a Court of Fint Instance, a Court of Appeals and a Supreme Court, defense attorneys did not discover this until after the trial.

Babaian was judged before a two-level court where the collegium of the same court heard

and rejected

- his appeal.

The Verdict Fourteen years of imprisonment was the verdict handed down in February against the man charged with plotting an assassination. The court determined it was he who "organized the attack with an aim of overthrowing the legal regime." One the eve of the verdict, more than hall

the members of the Armenian National Assembly forwarded a letter to Ghukasian expressing their hope that the trial and the judgment would not be exploited "for political or personal ends." They asked for a "just" verdict because the "concrete facts revealed during the trial raised serious doubts about Samvel Babaian's participation in the attack

of.March22." In addition to incarceration, Babaian was stripped of his military rank of LieutenantGeneral, and all his personal belongings were mnfiscated He was fined for the damages caused to Ghukasian's car, which was to be paid together with the other four involved in the attack. Just like Babaian, two of the other alleged conspirators Sassoun Aghadjanian and kvon Mirzoyan also received 14 year senten@s. Erik Paramazian, Babaianh brother-

in-law is said to have controlled the radio communication and was sentenced to L3 years. David Ghoulian who was responsible

for the getaway car received 10 years

lighter verdict because he cooperated with

the authorities. Fifteen others were tried at the same time, with charges having to do with the attack, and with illegal storage of weapons. The verdicts ranged from two years suspended sentences to seven years imprisonment.

What llappened on March22r 20fi)

Late in the evening of March 22, the Karabakhb president's car was attacked with

automatic weapons. The President was wounded in both legs. His driver and his bodyguard received more serious injuries. Samvel Babaian was arrested. Immediately, there was talk of witch hunts, set-ups and mistreatment in prison. Defense lawyen stated that their clients were physically misteated and injectedwith mind-altering drugs. At the beginning, each testified that he had acted on his own, and no one implicated Babaian. Within a few days, all the alleged attackers pointed accusing flngers at the former Defense Minister. Even Babaian, himself, had reportedly signed a 'confession,' only to later claim that he had been subjected to physical abuse twice, once on March 29 and again on April 3, and was under the ffiuence of injected drugs and disavowed his confession until the end oftrial.

The health of one of the attackers, Aghadjanian, deteriorated to the point that he was obtvious to his surroundings and incapable of feeding himself and was subsequently transported to the Psychiatric Institute of Nubarashen, in Armenia, just days before the start of trial. His case was separated from the others.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

18.

Babaian was accused with 15 others. Some represented themselves. Eighty-five people appeared to testify. The defendants' testimonies ffiered on some points from their depositions during the preliminary hearing and were even contradictory in some cases. And a divide became apparent between the two camps of defendants;those who lined up beside Babaian and those who sided with the authorities. The same contradictions appeared in testimony about the meeting of military personnel, and tlte storage of illegal weaponry. The frial indicated that Babaian believed three options were available to him: either to leave Karabakh, to leave the military and become politi-

cally active or to deal only with his military functions and not politics. Many witnesses conflrmed that he was in fact ready to deal with politics and he was preparing for the elections. As for the stolen weapons, Babaian did not deny that these weapons were accumulated between and 199, and that Ghukasian and Kocharian had knowledge of it.

Ashot Manucharian, the political activist who had been Armenia's National Security Advisor, and a member of the original Karabakh Committee testifed linking the attacks of October27 and March 22 to a third force, implying the Americans or the French. As for Aghajanian, the principal attacker, when he was finally able to testify after many and lengthy delays, he testified that Babaian had not directed him to attack. Still, based largely on testimony present-

ed during the preliminary hearing, Babaian guilty and remains in prison. There is still talk of appeal, however, as well as parole for the man who was - and for many still is - a hero. r was found

Region

EeonUlabRetuUBBs Running Out of Alternatives TEXT AI{D PHOTOS BY MAITHEW KARAI{IAI{

fannland on a hilltop north of Akhaltsikhe. And there's even a bust in Borjomi, a resort town where Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze spends his holidays.

The larger-than-life bust that's displayed

in Borjomi doesn't appear to be

cared-for,

but it hasn't exactly been a target of vandalism, either. And there are others. The memorials invite questions. Why weren't they

pulled down long ago? How do the Georgians feel about Stalin? The answer, many times, suggests indif-

ference. Ask an average Georgian about Stalin and you may hear a denunciation. But you're just as apt to get a shrug of the shoul-

ders and a quip about Georgia needing someone like Stalin today. The statues and the museum may not be as anachronistic as one would like to think. "He's what we need now," suggested one passerby in Gori.

Are conditions so bad that people in

(ltalin

stands tall in Gori. His larger-than-

DiH',xT;":"ffi :lJtl;3fl "Lffi"'; across the town where he was bom. If the intimidating iron statue could turn its head, Stalin's stare would be directed into the third-floor windows of the town's main government building. Far below, at ground level, Stalin's childhood home sits in a nearby park, where it is the focal point of a shrine. And inside the stale and dark halls of the nearby Stalin Museum, old women urge foreigners to buy souvenirs. "Look at our beautiful Stalin postcards!" they say. "And the lovely Stalin key chains!" The townspeople of Gori can perhaps be excused for honoring their native son with trinkets and shrines. But Stalin is honored elsewhere, too. It has been nearly flfty years

since Khrushchev denounced Stalin as a criminal, but there are memorials or statues in several towns. The people in the tiny village of Metekhi still care for their life-size statue, which stands in the center of the village green. A likeness of Stalin's face looks out over

Georgia can half-jokingly ask themselves if they'd be better off with a tyrant in charge? The answer, for many, is yes. For Georgia's large and growing population of refugees, it doesn't seem possible that any alternative to their impoverished lives could be wone. And for the four to five million people who arent refugees, political instability has contributed to economic decline, insecurity, and an uncertain future. There are about 270,000 refugees living throughout Georgia, usually in buildings that have been adapted from other uses. Some are in old and rundown hotels. Others are in factories that were abandoned when the Soviet Union fell apart. Some of them have been integrated into society. Most, however, still live in the collective centers to which they were asigned almost a decade ago when political violence and separatist fighting uprooted them from their homes.

As with so many of the world's new class of refugees in the post-cold-war era, they are citizens of the country in which they live. They are all Georgian citizens. In the parlance of intemational law, they arent even refugees at all, because they havent crossed an intemationally recogrized frontier. They are

AIM JUNE

2OO1

til':':, i;;

,t,r.l,t;,,lij!i;t.

IDPs - intemally displaced persons - and thus outside the official mandate of UN organizations that are charged with helping refugees. But they match the stereotype image of refugees in everyway, and tlrcylive just as poorly. Organizations such as the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have

ignored the official constraints from their refugees-only-mandate, and have helped coor-

dinate asistance programs for the IDPs. "[ dont feel we need to ffierentiate between the definition of a refugee and an IDB" says Mulusew Mamo, the head of the LINHCR office in Tbilisi. "Crossing [an international] border shouldnt be the parameter for deciding whether to help." The impending arrival of a new commissioner at UNHCR this summer has placed this assistance in peril, however, and it is widely believed that the UN agency will curtail its assistance and return to a strict appli0pposite page: Stalin stands larger than

lile

atop a massive marble pedeslal in Gori's central square. Ihe Georgian llag, a banner ol maroon and black, llies alop the gouemment building in lhe background. Left: Collectaue center at a lormer resort at the Tbilisi Sea, iust ouhide lhe Gapital. Below:Ihe toilet room at a collectaue cenlel in Kutaisi. Ihis is the only facility lor more than 100 lorcibly

displaced people. Water in the large drum is used to llush the toileh. []lote: this is not a "bath'room." The building did not have a "bath'room."l.

,I,,

tlr

] I

Displaced lamilies at the collective Genler at Tbilisi's rail slation. Most ol lhe residents are women and children. The men lrom many lamilies are eilher working abroad, 0r were killed during lhe lighting that displaced lheir lamilies.

cation of its mandate. The uncertainty of the UN'.s direction has made this a summer of heightened anxiety for Georgia's IDPs. And the UN isnl alonc in its likely curtailment of a-ssistance. Other organizrtions, after several years of humanitarian assis-

tance that have produced no lasting effects. are reconsidering their roles in Georgia. The plight of Georgian IDPs has been so dismal. for so long, that many international assistance organizations seem to be throwing up their hands in frustration, and asking when things

will ever rclurn t() normal. The Good Life of the Refugees What'.s normal. however. depends upon one's point of refcrencc. If getting the IDPs to live as well as Georgia'.s non-displaced population is considered normal. then thc assis-

the promise of free health care, which is really more of a theoretical aspiration than an actual government program. All of this largess has produced com-

plrrints l.rom some of the permanenl residents.'I'hey say that the refugees are being treated better than they are. By comparison, some say, the IDPs are much better off than the resident population. No one wants to trade places with an IDB but the voicing of such a complaint, even though unjustified, points to a widcspread humanitarian crisis in Georgia. Impxrvcrishment is pervasive among non-refugees as well as refugees. Living. especially in the remote villages. has become the day's toughest chore.

A New Approach Despite dismal living conditions at the

tance programs have had moderate successes.

collective centers, Georgia has

Thanks to foreign assistance. IDPs sometimes are elevated to standards of living that are as poor as they are for most Georgians. But generally the IDPs are far worse ofl'. At the collective centers, there'.s often no water or electricity. which is a common condition throughout the country for everyone, especially in winter. But at some of the collective centen, there is no plumbing, either. At a building in Kutaisi, in westem Georgia, there's only one toilet for 124 residents. At a second building, in another part of town, there isnt even one working toilet. Residents squat in an abandoned building next door or they go outdoon. Unlike most Georgian citizens, IDPs receive some assistance from the Georgian government. most of which is delivered now and then as a monthly stipend of 12 lari ($6). Refugees are also entitled to ride the subway for free. The offer can only be redeemed in Ttrilisi. There arent any subways anywhere else. There's also

efforts to integrate IDPs into normal society. Officials fear that integration will be seen as accepting the de facto conditions that have displaced them. And so the IDPs have been kcpt in their temporary quarters, always with the nurtured-expectation that they will soon be returning to their homes. Returning does not appear to be likely, however. The displaced Georgians are from regions within Georgia that have fought separatist wars of independence. These regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, prevailed in their military campaigns, and each of them is now an independent state. The international community doesnt recognize their independence, however, and there is no political resolution on the horizon. Abkhazia is populatecl by ethnic Abkhazians who fear assimilation and do not want the ethnic Georgians to return. South Ossetia is populated by ethnic Ossetians, who also have AIM JUNE

2(X)I

resisted

grievances with ethnic Georgians that will make repatriation diffi cult. So international agencies are now talking about what they call a New Approach to Georgia'.s IDP situation. This approach is a renewed effort to intesrate the IDPs into society. while simultaneously assuring everyone that they are not waiving their status as IDPs or surrendering their right to return to their homes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In effect. it s an attempt to solve the IDP problem without waiting for a political solution to the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The approach may be difficult to implement. In the west Georgian city of Kutaisi, the IDPs who spoke to AIM last month all insisted on their right to return to their homes. No one seemed resigned to the possibility that they would never be able to go back. In Batumi. on the Black Sea coast, IDPs - even those who

are too young to have remembered their

homes in Abkhazia

chorus

said the same thing. The on repatriation was

insistence

repeatecl in Zugdidi, a citv near the Abkhazja border, in South Ossctia. and in Ttrilisi. The Georgian government hasnt endorsed the New Approach, but it hasnt stood in the

way of its implementation. either. They've given the project their verbal support. says Maria Germano. an Amcrican who works at the US Embassy in Tbilisi as thc head of thc Department of State'.s Population, Refugees and Migration office. "But itls rcally not a prior-

iry"

she says.

Georgia s Deputy Minister of Refugees, Themur Lemaij, sup-

The comments of

port her claim. "We've done what we can," he

told AIM. He didn't reject integration for the IDPs. But he wasnl warm to the idea. either. "The biggest IDP problem is retuming," he says. "People won't be happy until they

retum."

Armenian Assemblv of

America' Executive Director Washington, DC

The Armenian Assembly

of America, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization seeks a self-starting Executive Director (ED). The Armenian Assembly is the largest and most established i n gton-based Armen ian-American

Wash

organization. The ED must have no less than 10 years senior management experience within

non-profit advocacy organizations. ln-depth understanding and a record of achievement

in Government and/or Public Affairs is required Broad-based existing contacts are a plus. This individual must have extremely

strong writing and verbal skills. This dynamic, quick-minded individual must be able to motivate and inspire staff, work quickly and well under pressure and be able to juggle multiple projects. Speaking and

writing the Armenian language is a plus, but is not necessary. Advanced computer skills are required. Extensive travel is req u i red.

The ED will be the chief spokesperson for the AAA and will oversee the operations of all AAA offices (Washington, California, New York/United Nations and Armenia) covering the following primary program

areas: Government Al{airs, US-based

Grassroots Public Affairs, Membership Development, Grants, Finance and Accounting, and Human Resource Management. The ED will report directly to the Chairman of the Board of Directors and work out of the Washington, DC headquarters.

Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience. Please send resume and salary

sI lJ!iltItitl

requirements to:

Edele Hovnanian 4000 Route 66 Tinton Falls, NJ 07753. lf you wish more information about the organization before applying, please contact

Arpi Vartanian atthe AAA o{fice in Washington, DC. (202) 393-3434

SAVE 400/o-700/o EVERYDAY

Re0ion

Llnuerlngl|ealh Fallout from Chernobyl Still Effects Lives of Armenians BY JULIA HAKOBIAN

lifteen years ago the name of a remote f Ukrainian city became a worldwide synI onym for disaster. The meltdown of a nuclear plant became instant death for half a million, and lingering death for those sent to

they are not a very active organization. "Armenia is the only country of the former Soviet Union, where there is no law concerning the rights of the Chernobyl veterans," says Constantine Alaverdian, the presi-

clean the aftermath, which included 3,000

dent

Armenians.

Commission drags them in every year for inspection to confirm their disability for their pension. Though it is perfectly known that the irradiated man does not recover." Alaverdian sap that in the Soviet years, the

"The people from the IvIilitary Registration and Enlistment Office came after me at midnight. They ordered me to put dress quickly. They said they took me on harvest. I was sleepy and f,rst I did not understand what it is

all about. I was taken to the ahport with

pensions of the Chernobyl veterans were higher.

And besides their pensions, they got additional

group of people. Everybody was confused. Only when we found ourselves in the plane we were told where we were going," says Yazgen Gyurjinian. These years later, Gyurjinian remembers that night very well - the night that stole his hope of a normal life. Gyurjinian was among one million people who were taken to Chemobyl from the different comers of the Soviet Union to clean up after the aaident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Gyurjinian stayed in Chemobyl for three montls and when he retumed to Armenia, he canied in his body cerebral thrombosis - the effec8 of being irradiated. He was 28 at the time. Two years after he returned to Armenia a

daughter was born in Gyurjinian's family. Lusine was one month old when Gyurjinian and his wife leamed that the girl had epilepy. Lusine became the second member of their family registered as invalid. The 1996 accident of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is recognized as the most tragic ecologic catastrophe of the 20th century. Nine million people (including family memben) suffer im mnsequences in varying degrees. Almost allwhoretumed from ttre Chemobyl

cleanup came back to Armenia with badly damaged health.

Fifteen yean later, the debilitating effects of exposure to massive amounts of radiation is further irritated by their government's failed attempts to care for these survivors - none of whom volunteered for their deadly task.

disability allowanoes from the govemment.

And, they had an opportunity to go to a sanatorium with their families. At present they are forced to face their problems themselves. Tko hundred Chernobyl veterans have already died, all between the ages of 30 to 40. does not provide them with medical or social assistance. They live only on a disability pension. Most are not physically capable to work. Yazgen Gyurjinyan rarely rises from bed. He has constant headaches and a weak heart. His disability pension is 8,000 Drams (about $14.50) per month. His wile looks after him and their daughter, and has no time to work outside the home. Lusine is 13 now. Despite her illness she is cheerful and funny, as any other l.3-year-old

girl.

feel very bad for my dad,"

says

Lusine, "as he blames himself for my illness. But who knows, maybe I would have been born like this anyrvay." Lusine was the flrst "Chernobyl child" in Armenia. One hundred children were born

to the families of the Chernobyl

veterans.

Most of them were born with different inherent diseases or physical deformities. "Seven generations of Chernobyl veterans' descendants are exposed to danger," says Karine Asrian, the Chief Physician of the Institute of Radiology in Yerevan. "The consequences

of irradiation could be dis-

Chernobyl-disabled persons live under

played in various diseases." In 1990 the Chernobyl veterans of Armenia established a Union "Chemobyl-Armenia" to protect their rights. The organization exists

very hard social conditions. The Government

on memben'fees. Because of the lack of money

of the association. "The Medical

AIM JUNE

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Their families remain without breadwinners. To further complicate matters, when a pensioner dies, his pension is not passed on to his family. "Our government still remains deaf and dumb to their problems," says Alaverdian.

"The international charity organizations do not care either. Last year we received 10 government allowances for members to attend a sanatorium. I had to distribute them amongst 1000 disabled people."

The office of the Union "ChemobylArmenia" is in a basement that is falling apart. The veterans come here to pass time. They are all convinced that if they had not gone to Chernobyl their lives would have developed in a more positive manner. Now, they all say they are doomed. "The Chernobyl crash has not found yet the adequate understanding in sociery" says colonel Madimir Sokolian, a veteran of the Chernobyl catastrophe. "The scales of the accident could have been immeasurably more, if not for the selflessness and courage of over one million people. I saw L0 men die before my eyes. They died saving lives." Photos, top: Gonstantine Alavedian, prâ&#x201A;Źsident ol the Ghemobyl Veterans ol Amenia. Above: Uazgen Gyurjinian, one of the victims ol Ghemobyl.

Beglon

mhueanil[edlt Soviet Legacy of Environmental Ignorance Bears Fruit in Toxic City TEXT Al'lD PHOTOS BY

AIEX SMAIIES

ave you seen the cot in the corner? It is where the babies go to die." Sarah, an

American member

International Women points to a small mosquito net covered cot.

In a darkened room where rows upon rows of beds fill the floor, little faces stare back at us. In the state-run home for mentally ill children, this is just one of many rooms that house hundreds of Azerbaijan's postsoviet industrial legacy in Sumgait. The rest can be seen in the thousands of unmarked graves in the overgrown children's cemetery, Situated on the Caspian coast, the city of Sumgait is 35 kilometen (20 miles) north of Baku. It is Azerbaijan's third largest city with a population of 350,000. It was first developed as a factory town in the 1940s and soon

became an important industrial center for chemical and metallurgical production,

Named the 'City of Tomorrow,' it soon became a boomtown producing 40 percent of the Caucasus'steel. A huge aluminum plant was built along with factories for synthetic rubber, fertilizer, industrial detergents, heavy metals, chlorine, and acids. Young people flocked from rural areas to take the well-paying jobs and live in easy-to-find housing in the numerous five story apartment blocks built around the factories. Today, Sumgait is an ecological disaster

zone. The population is plagued with premature deaths, and unknown diseases. When Sumgait's 33 factories were firlly operational, they generated over 300,000 tons of toxic waste per year. Half was somehow recycled. Between 70,000 and L30,000 tons were burnt in special furnaces, which released gases directly into the atmosphere. The city's overburdened and dilapidated sewage plants are in need of repair and most of the city's raw waste is dumped directly into the Caspian Sea. This has now created a 'dead zone' extending 25 kilometen into once prime fshing grounds

of the sturgeon fish, the world's quickly dwindling source ofcaviar. In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, markets dried up. With the breakdown of transport routes and the elimination of trade among the Union's southem states, entirc factories closed due to a dwindling supply of raw materials. When fuel was no longer available at artfficially low prices, industries literally ground to a halt and thousands of people were laid off work. Azerbaijan had gained independence but the economy was in tatters. The conflict over Nagomo Karabagh created hundreds of thousands of refugees, 60,000 of whom moved to Sumgait. The city was also the scene of some of the most brutal murders of resident ethnic Armenians with the aim of driving them out, although there AIM JUNE

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are many tales of Azeri neighbon sheltering

Armenian friends as well. Since 1988, Octy Tagiyev has been the ecologist at Chlorine Plant No 2, a crumbling factory which employs 1500 people - down from its original 5000. Huge rusting pipes

overhang on a concrete jungle. The sky is gray and the air is rancid. It bums the throat as it fills the lungs and stings the eyes. "We have few problems now, but that is because the factory is operating at only 20 percent of its capacity. We make caustic soda, hydrochlorine and chloride acid. There is a pro$am to help the workers make extra money, we give them extra chemicals to sell in the markets, they are not dangerous to handle and only illegal if they're sold on the street," says Tagiyev. Only seven or eight factories work today and those are down to minimum production at7-20 percent output, yet they still supply thousands ofjobs. The GM is $600 per capita per year or $50 per month (Armenia's is $560 per capita per year or $46.67 per month and Georgia's is $980 per capita per year or $81.67 per month). Photos, above, left: One ol the tew lactoiles that continue to operate in Sumgait. Above, right: lsenim lsayeva's acid-buml hee has lelt her blind since 1996.

Region

Over 70 percent of the population is affected by ailments connected with working in factories or resultant environmental conditions. Today's scientific knowledge indicates that the housing complexes should have been built at least 12 kilometers (eight miles) away from the factories instead of just one kilometer (or less than a mile) away. Many of the chemicals produced were known carcinogens. Prolonged or even indirect contact with these elements can affect internal organs, bones and immune systems, and others clearly produce severe reproductive abnormalities. On average, 27 out of 1000 newboms fail to survive more than a year (Japan's flgure is less than 10) Stillbirths and aborted fetuses are common occurrences. Birth defects such as

blindness, downs syndrome, anencephalia (no brain), spinal biflda (absence of vertebra arches) hydrocephalus (enlarged head with excessive fluid) bone disease and mutations are common too. Sixty two percent of children suffer from asthma and many suffer with multiple defects. The human toll of pollution is clear but specialists have had no opportunity to research which chemicals or combination of exposures relate to which illness.

"For workers who have lived in

these

conditions for 10-15 years, there will be work related illnesses, even if they do not show symptoms now. Toxins enter and change the mechanics of genetics," says Z J Ismayilov a leader in the fleld of cancer research and toxicology. "It may even skip generations. This is only the start of the problem and it will get worse. We have the skills and knowledge but lack funds; there is a lot of talk with international organizations such as the UN but little action. We have a chance to save future generations but we need action noq" he adds. Around the markets in the town center, stall holders bustle like any other town, selling produce out of the backs of cars, bunches of herbs out of petticoats and watermelons from trucks. Amid the noise, 'Chlori, Chlori' can be heard from old women selling a yellow tinged liquid from jelly jan or old Coca Cola bottles. Similar little stalls can be found in old truck containers or wooden shacks at most street corners. These are the chlorine sellers. "Factories often cannot pay their workers so they give them products to sell outside. It is a very dangerous chemical. It burns the skin, causes eye damage and breathing dffiAIM JUNE

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culties. They store it at home in the kitchens, bathrooms and around children. The police can do nothing because they know that people have no other choice," says Hussianov Vadgid, a physician at the Department for Hygienic and Professional Diseases. It was the chemicals bought from one of

these street stalls that changed Isenim Isayeva's life forever.

1996 she

walked into

her home to find her brother-in-law in the act of murdering her five-year-old daughter. She stood stunned; he then threw acid in her face and fled. She was hoffically burnt, it sealed her nose, rendered her blind as well as melting her eyelids shut. As she recalled the incident, a tear struggled to get out. After recovering, she found out that her daughter had not survived. The man was caught, and upon

questioning, it transpired that it was a plot involving her sister to scare them out of the house so that they could move in. The man managed to escape from jail but was later killed by police in a shoot-out. The sister was freed due to the fact she was the only one able to look after her own child. Isenim and her family moved into a small cheap flat. Her husband soon fell ill after working for years

Region

in the factories. They are struggling with keeping the remaining children at school and putting food on the table. "It is simple, before I could see and now I cannot; I just cannot accept this situation. I wish there was a miracle, my only wish is to see my children grow," says Isayeva. There may still be a miracle. Isenim's eyes are still light sensitive and doctors believe she could regain her sight if operated on abroad. The miracle would cost $38,0m however, way out of her or even the govemment's price range. Firuza fell in love with Sabir immediately upon hearing him play the piano at a wedding.

redevelopment. The SEZ would offer incentives such as cheap land, protection of investments, guaranteed revenue repatriation and a large skilled work force. It aims to regenerate old plants, start medium and small businesses and attract new enterprises to the zone. It will also focus on restructuring transport routes by land, sea and air, improving storage and processing plants, and providing administrative and flnancial services. Arif Islamzadeh, chief advisor on ecolog-

ical problems to the Mayor of Sumgait, believes the solution lies in converting the existing structures to produce new products

or technology such as machinery building equipment, and electronics. Time willtell if Sumgait can be transformed to its former, ufer glory. One thing is for sure, with toxic chemical half-lives that span hundreds of years, what Sumgait has is time.

There is a joke Azerbaijanis tell about their compatriots from Sumgait. During the war the Germans were about to execute several men from the town and decided on using gas, so they put them in a chamber. After sev-

eral minutes they opened the door.

All

the

men shouted out for them to shut the door as the chamber was so refreshing to

them. r

They met, she made him dinner and they asked their parents for permission to marry. They had little money for a ring but had a party to celebrate. Yet Firuza and Sabir have never seen each other. Both have been blind from birth, a common problem in Sumgait. "He used to write me love letters in Braille, but I never replied until my parents agreed. I like to work and used to work at a factory for blind people making garments, but it closed down. Now I just help neighbors with housework. Sabir still plays in the band and we are trying to have children. The last was stillborn," says Firuza. Azerbaijan's environmentalists stand in a dfficult position. Ali Guldosti, of the Green Movement, states, "Morally, how can we talk about planting trees when people barely have enough bread to suryive." Yet improvements have been made. In the aluminum factory there is mandatory retirement after 10 years, pregnant women can be transferred to less exposed positions and workers are not allowed to grow crops on the factory grounds anymore. In Soviet times, workers at known dangerous factories were compensated with milk, cheese and meat, yet this was often grown and raised on the same toxic land. Environmentalists and the govemment have managed to close down some of the worst offenders. But real change requires huge capital and international financing. The World Bank, European Union's Technical Assistance to the CIS program, the Islamic Bank and the

European Bank

for

Reconstruction and

Development have all been active in making a start. As early as 1995, the Azerbaijan government requested the United Nations

Industrial Development Organization to draft a city plan to restructure the entire chemical sector. The Govemment is implementing a Sumgait Development Law which will pave the way for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which will hopefully attract much needed foreign investment, aid and

Most homes in the city are in unliuable conditions, yel lamilies continue t0 ocGupy Above: Exposed and dilapidated plpes throughout the city pause Goncern to health officials. 0pposite page, top: Gas masks lrom the Soyiet days are still used in some ol the factories. Photos, top:

lhem, and raise their lamilies surrounded by the toxicity.

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Gonnections

l|e$tlny's

GamG

The LJnseen Life of Yerevan Street Sweepers BY LUSII{E ZEYTUNIAI{; PHOTOS BY MKHITAR KHACHATRIAN

rJ I I

hey are as much a part ol the Yerevan

hndscape as vistas of Mt. Ararat, porcemen ar rnrerseflrons, caies 0n sroe-

walks. But they are rarely seen after the sun is high enough to identify them as anything

other than silhouettes. They are the street sweepers. Women who go into the dark to make Yerevan clean when others awake for

their work hours later. The Economist f arly March morning. Fresh air and soft

breeze ges inside your bodv and makes you

Lfeel

lighter. A quiet surrounding where no voice is heard. A few steps, then a voice. It is the leaves speaking, "swoosh," stirred by a broom made from a long stick with dozens of small branches tied to the end in the small, white hands of a 60-year old woman. Her hands are clean, but look weak.

She is wiping the street very carefully,

concentrating on each square, as if she cleans

with her mind's concentration more than with her hands. And maybe it is so, for she is used to mental work. She is an economist. Was an economist. Now, she is a Yerevan street sweeper - one

of 1200 throughout the

city. She is so embarrassed by her work that she will not

tell her name. And what does she think? She thinks that she has a six-year old girl and a very ill husband. Maybe being an economist helps her now to calculate the family expenses. An ironic situation: The professio helps her even when she is sweeping streets. An educated street sweeper who thinks that everything has been done in vain. Who needs her skills any more? The new offices of her city need younger employees with computer skills and beautiful legs. She knows. She has been turned down by several offices that deal with economy. And now, she works for the Public Sanitary Office of Myasnikian area. It has been seven long and tiring months, with every moming rising

at 3:30 in order to catch the bus that brings her and the other street sweepers from Jrvezh to the center of the city. Everyday,3,5(X) square meters (35,000 sq.

ft.) wait for her cleaning. For bending her

and removing what others have discarded, she is paid 9,000 Drams (about $16) a month. But there has been no salary for several months. back

Still, there is a daughter at home who studies English with a private specialist who must be paid.

So where is the shame now with which she started sweeping streets? Swept to the farthest comer of her mind, replaced by life's demands. She smiles now remembering that she was so ashamed of putting on the heavy and dirty clothes of her work. She feared her acquaintances would see her in them.

It has been already seven months but she hasnt seen any ofthose acquaintances, neither in the Opera Square, nor in the court area she cleans every moming. A 60-year-old economist with a big broom in her tiny hands, who thinks her work isnt worth a metro token. Mariam

rlhere is a little house on the corner of the | ,,.."t with a big table, several chairs and

I a wardrobe. No*ottrer fumiture. A big oack in the wall above the television set seems to

be the smile of the family living in that house.

Four children and their mother Mariam Simonian make that family. There were six of them until the father died three years ago. Mariam is thin, poorly dressed and wrinkles cover her face. Big black eyes shine from

behind the wrinkles, as if the living that put lines on her face put strength in her heart. Mariam was born in Nakhichevan, a part of Azerbaijan. She graduated from technical school. Later she worked in different factories as a shift manager. In a wool factory she was a weight measurer. When the factories closed in the 1990s, she started designing cakes. Gradually, she had to work as a janitor. In 1998, Mariam turned to the Public 46

AIM JUNE

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Gonnections

Sanitary Office of Mashtots area and asked them for a working place. She got it. "lt was really hard for me to fight my pride and go to sweep streets," Mariam savs. Little by little she got used to the life. She went to sleep at l1 p.m. and woke at 4 a.m. Her assignment was station. It at

-5

bok

lrningradyan Street at the bus

rr ln the morning when you wake up, wash and put yourself in order. You must put your planet in order right away. lt's very boring work, but it's not difficult at all. rr -Antoine de Saint Exupery,

The Little Prince

90 minutes to clean, and each dav

a.m. the brigadier came to inspect her work.

Whcn she finished sweeping, Mariam came back homc, l'cd her children. then slept a little and startecl her day work. In order to get extra money. she froze water and sold it in the markets - l0 drams (about 2 cents) fbr a cup. She also sold cigarettes. And at the end of her long day she hurried home to cook, clean and start the cycle again. Mariam's schedule - difficult but predictable - changed one early moming nearly a year ago. While she was sweeping. a man came up to her and tned to rape her. When Mariam resisted, the man took her broom and hit her in the ribs. One rib was broken and she was taken to hospital. Mariam spent 25 days in bed. As a result. she was fired from her street sweeper job.

For nearly a year, she hasnt had a job. Now she sells Lotto tickets. She no longer sells cups of ice, because it is too painful to cary them.

"When

I wa-s a

kid I dreamccl to be

chcmist."

Marian.r says. "I pitied street sweepers when I was young. Maybe this is clestiny'.s garne."

The Veteran

fiyuliza Shamoylrn waS c rtood studcnt. U ff ' ii:T ;';:1. :il il I'ii :il:' :il:'l:l married at 19 and ambition clashed with reality

"My husbands house (in the village of Shinavan) was big and I had to work the whole day either in the house or in the field." Gyuliza says. "One dav I came to Yerevan with my friend to buy some things for our kids. It was earlv morning. I saw two street sweepers and said to my friend: " 'l wish one broom were in my hand and the other onc in vours and we wouldnt have to work in the field under the burning sun."' Todav Gvuliza (her friends call her Gyuli)

is 52 and her wish is truth: She has been a street sweeper tbr i3 years. In fact. she is the

brigadier

of the Public Sanitary Office of

Erebuni are which mcans that she is the he ad of 30 street sweepers. Gyuliza is paid the standard 9.(X)0 Drarns (about $16) plus 17^000 Drams (about $30) for being a bri-qadier. "I clean the streets better than my own house." Gyuliza savs. "Every day I go and make sure my colleagues have done thcir rvork properly. And the most seen, central streets. I clean myself." Gyuliza and some of her workers even spent their New Year's Day sweeping the Gum area streets. She had said to her workers that they would celebrate the New Year only atler Yerevan wzrs clean. Thirteen years of early nights and early mornings have not always been an easy task even for a devoted brigaclier. Once, Gyuli relused to clcan near one petrol station because the owners r,vere throwing too much garbage on the street. The owner of the petrol station attackcd hcr and broke her leg. Two weeks later, the mornings found Gyuli back at her task, sweeping Yerevan'.s central streets, with her leg in a plirster r

cast.

:i\.".,

ri?

ffi AIM JUNE

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Connections

Uolunteen 0onN For Diaspora, for Armenra BY ZARA CHATINIAN

*f gmrny S A ,d8&f ,, R.bd 3.iill{6L 9.r!fi e thto+. & ili P.hl Srog

;1 l

I r.*rri*,;[ ,$v*r,r.,, .&n at

Sl'ut

3p.or $v.tr'e.j."

r'rnrr.ta

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n American Armenian has used his

A r u::fl ilt t"#,ffi[ $:::i ::;J: l; Demirjian, recently transplanted to Yerevan

from Boston. has created the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC), a not-for-proflt organization, tbunded with the purpose of providing Diasporan Armenians with the opportunity to engage in long-term service

and development work in Armenia.

had a great experience while being a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia." says Demirjian, a 2S-year-old Harvard graduate. "I thought I would be able to give something

back to Armenia. There are several programs, such as Land and Culture, which require short-term commitment. But, surprisingly, there are no long-term projects for AIM JUNE

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Diasporans to come and work on." he adds. "I heard about the AVC from Groong. the Armenian news network," says Lena Majarian. an AVC volunteer from Australia, whose background is in finance. "It was a sign I was waiting for. I came here alone last year and wanted to come back again. But doing something on my own was a little scary. This is a great chance for those who want to come to Armenia to work

Gonmctions

The AVC project was initiated in June 2000. First, there was the planning stage,

which

required some research and ground work.

"We started surveying local Armenian organizations, and conducted their needs assessment to see if they had a need for a volunteer," Demirjian says. "We got the organizations' profiles so that volunteers could have that information before making any commitments," he explains. The preparation for the projed also required some budgeting and fundraising FA& tlrc Fund for Armenian Retel a program of the Armenian

Chur& of North Americ4 Eastem

Diocese,

undertook the funding of the project by agreeing to cover monthly stipends, office eryenses, rent andhealth insurance. Demirjian and his team created a questionnaire for job plaement purposes. As it tumed

out, the most needed specialists are those in public relations, marketing and fundraising. The next step was the creation of a web site www.armenianvolunteer.org for those who are interested to get all the necessary information and apply online.

got all the information online

and

entire community involved and interested in

applied," Majarian says. "Then I had my interview in Australia. Everything was very well organized. The whole process took less than a month," she adds. The organization accepts applications all year from people with diverse backgrounds. There is no age, education and professional restriction or limitation. Jeannette John of New Hampshire is a retired professional with years of experience in government. And she volunteers with various organizations, including the Armenian Library and Museum of America. "When Jason came in to tell us about the program and to encourage us to volunteer, I said to him,'Look at my gray hair.'He said that didn't matter. So, I'm going to go. I just want to be helpful," she says. One of the requirements for selection is the Community Support Kit requirement. Potential volunteers are expected to do fundraising within the communities that they

the project instead ofjust one volunteer. l.ater we can expect to get supplies, boola and other materials from that community as well. That's one of the benefits we have - the Diasporan communities - and we would like to use that resource," he concludes. John says, "I had a hard time asking people to donate money. Usually, I'm the one doing the donating. But I asked them to be prepared to help so that I, in turn, could use those funds to help them there." John is not concemed about language issues. "We always spoke Armenian at home, so I can converse in Westem Armenian. But they have said we will receive language training for Eastern Armenian, and that will help a lot. But I'm not worried. If you just listen carefully, it's all the same language, they're the same words. You just have to let people know you're there to help." John leaves in July for a year. She's excited at the opportunity to be using her skills for the larger good. Demirjian hopes the excitement and the news that comes back will make ottren join inr

on a speciflc project," sap Majarian.

live in, to cover travel costs to Armenia. "This requirement has a strategic importan@," Demi4ian says. "That way we get the

FOLKARTS, CULTURE, AND

IDENTITY Edited by Levon Abrahamian and Nancy Sweezy Photognphy editor Sam Sweezy

A rich exploration of the history of Armenian culture as seen through arts and artifacts. Armenian Folk Arts, Culture, and ldentitytakes readers to archaeologi-

cal sites, to see artifacts, and to visit some of the artisans

who have created Armenian culture. More than 60 color and 200 black-and-white photographs illustrate the vital ar-

tistic heritage of Armenia. ,u1y2001 358pp

clo$ 119.95

Yr[Rrllt[rE

tonTffisrfl

Yearning lor the Sea, by J.C. Tordai and Garo Keheyan,

Cyprus: Pharos Publishers, 2000. Distributed by Cornerstone. ISBN 9963-621 -51

pharos@cylink.com.cy

A book ol visual and verbal vignettes, depicts Armenia during the difficult middle years of the first decade of independence.

| | | gather in Felix Yeghiazarian's studio to celebrate some occasion UU;T:H;tril#.#Jffi'ff ;hffffi tr:;:Ti:*r,iil:: e

and filmmaker, and the librarian, who preserves medieval manuscripts, among those present. Ashodb catch from the Arax River, wrapped in lavash and herbs, is placed in the oven, and the tops ofbrandy bottles are popped open. Zorik rocks and rolls, Rubik choreographs a frenzied dance for himself with a picture frame into which his head and black beard move in and out. The librarian has taken off her glases. Sarkis Hamalbashian is decorating his beard with parsley and fennel. Eue

PHOTOS BY J.C. TORDAI TEXT BY GAR0 KEHEYA]'|

ll iurakan sits on the side of a wide mouniain opposite Aralat, across llthe border. It has a famous observatory where Hambartsumian E developed his astrophysical theories, and Markarian discovered the largest galaxy yet known. Why on earth have Armenians with their practical nature and mercantile tendencies had a predilection for astronomy? Perhaps forced to sit high up on a rocky terrace and hemmed in on all sides, they started looking upwards. I visit Biurakan with Ashod Bayandur, an artist and friend. His mother Maro Markarian, the poet, is newly buried there. His uncles were all scientists who gazed at the stars. He wants to move up here also, to escape Yerevan and to paint. The village is a perfect retreat - dry walls, stone houses, the sod of running water and the yellow leaves of walnut trees everywhere fiIl the October sky and gound. The earth is moist, the light, brilliant. Sitting on the verandah with friends we drink cograc and crack nuts. Mt. Ararat is before us, framed by poplars on either side. It is imminent, touchable, the whiteness of its peak as sharp as I have ever seen it - as it exists in the imagination of every Armenian in the

Diaspora.

Boolrs

-s r:i ?lHB il

.:iir".Eimr,rr ii,1il#l;

.,;

-JC Tordai, a photographer with Panos Pictures, Garo Keheyan, a Diaspora Armenian and writer Philip Marsden, visited Armenia frequently during the 1990s. The book Yearning for the Sea leatures over sixty photographs and twice that number of

impressionistic portrayals of people places and traditions

AIM JUNE 20I)I

lrt$

Samvel Baghdassarian, Sonia Balassanian,

EilrhiIit

lliUlrlights [nmenia's

Anna Barseghian, Ashot Bayandur, Gagik Ghazanchian, Arman Grigorian, Marcos Grigorian, Ruben Grigorian, Diana Hakobian,

Sarkis Hamalbashian, Sev Hendo, Hamlet Hovsepian, Davit Kareyan, Charlie Khatchatrian, Grigor Khatchatrian, Kiki, Vartush

Makarian, Hovannes Margarian, Karineh Matzakian, Aleksandr Melkonian, Sahak Poghossian, Arthur Sarkissian, Azat Sarkissian, Harutyun Simonian, and Stepan Veranian.

Karoyan says the "beyond icons" conoept

with its plasticity and flexibility, provided the

flrl

$cene

BY JACXIE ABBAMIAN

n September 15, an exhibit will open at the Armenia's National Gallery entitled "Beyond Icons: Contemporary Art in Armenia" and will mark the first complete presentation of artworks by Armenia's contemporary artists in a state museum that has taditionally exhibited works by clasical artisbonly Chicago-based art collector, curator and art patron, Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian will co-curate the exhibit along with independent curatorNazaret Karoyan. Acoordingto Karoyan,

"The exhibit will present traditional, clasic and contemporary artwork," explains Nazaret Karoyan. "Within the three areas there will be three themes: if the traditional or archaic presents the spirit, and the contemporary is in pursuit of the body, then the medium presenting classical art will present the spirit and the body conjointly - as an expression of a search for that which is artistic." Under ttrc pamonage of Armeniat Mnister of Culture, Roland Sharoyan, Yerevan's Vicar

organizen with the ground to step beyond the traditional classiflcations and present the contemporary art environment in one panoramic view.

The exhibit will provide

forum sampling

the works and artistic subjects of Armenia' contemporary masters. Furthermore, the exhibit will reveal that Armenian artists have been able to make, within the past 10 years, the transition from bounded art to boundless art where nationalistic expressions are presented in parallel with the contemporary. Hovanessian, who has been involved with Armenia's art scene for the last seven years, represents many key Armenian artists in the

US, including Arevik Arevshatian, Ruben Grigorian, Sarkis Hamalbashian, Gayanee Khatchatrian, and brothers Ararat and Arthur Sarkissian. In addition, she supports In Vitro, a contemporary art magazine in Yerevan, and has organized exhibits of Armenian artists in as Documenta (Kassel, Germany), and Site Santa Fe (New Mexico). A former Chairman of the Collectors

alternative spaces in such art fairs

Forum of the Museum of C-ontemporary Art of Chicago, Hovanessian has utilized her contacts

to introduce Armenian art to non-Armenian An active member and supporter of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago audiences.

and the Art Institute of Chicago wheresheoompleted her artistic studies, she owns the Mcki

Hovanessian Contemporary Art gallery instrumental in presenting the works of many Armenian artists in America. Hovanessian invited Francesco Bonami, senior curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, to visit Armenia and select a number of Armenian artists whose works were exhibited at Manifesta - the European Biennial held in Slovenia. Bonami expressed his amazement at finding "a place throbbing with contemporary energy in spite of the economic conditions and its isolation. Bonami continues, "The artists living in Yerevan were forming one of the most interesting artistic communities in the world based on seH-reliance and on the desire to build a cultural structure capable ofsustaining the artists'language and production. The artists were address-

ing isues that canied a univenal weight rather than a seH-indulgent meditation." Karoyan adds, "It is imperative to understand "Beyond Icons" in this concept - that although icons are of importance, they are not the focus of the exhibit. The target of the exhibit is the media - undentanding through what substance and how an icon is created." "The purpose of the "Beyond Icons" exhibit is to present an impressive multi-media (oils, sculptures, video, installation art) collection of

General, Navasart Gejoyan, and the President of the 170th C-ommemoration Committee, KhosrovHarutunian, the exhibitwill honor the 1700th annivenary of Armenia's aaeptance of Christianity as state religion. The exhibit will host works by three groups

of Armenian

artists: native Armenians,

artists who have in the last 10 years moved to

Armenia, and those who divide their time betneen Armenia and the Diaspora. Nearly 35 artists will present various expressive mediums

and generational expressions. Participating Arevik Arevshatian, Ruben Arevshatian, Ashot Ashot, Narek Avetisian, Norayr Ayvazian, Mher Azatian, artists are Karen Andreassian,

0pposite page: At 15:00 o'clock by Vahan

Roumelian. Right Last Supper by Sa*is Hamalbashian.

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contlust in rririting tlrc

p1i11.

thc plcscnt anrl

thc lirture is intriclrins to Ltq. Bt thrs. the cortlcnrponrrv artists s ill urttcr thc intcrnatronal alt

sccne untl gain xell-cleserved tccognition."' explains Hovancssian. ,\ lirll-cokx. 1lS-pligc harcllrouncl catrtlogue rvill bu on salc rlurinq thc erhibit rurcl uill. in thc

months lirlkxling

thr \crcran crhi[rit.

riitler intcnriiiionlil uurlicnccs

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Horancssian

succccrlr rn llrkirtg thc criril.it trr rlrioLls Ittttsc r.lnrs lhr()ugll()ut tlre u or Iti. I Ior irrrcssilrrr bclie r cs thlrt lorlln .: lrr[ sce rte rrr ,\r'nrtnilr is in its.'ll tlrc li runtllition lirt lttnrotro\\'\ lir'[ Iristorr lnrl llttrs rle sr'r't e s ttl hc crhihitcri. supporlcrl lrrtLl intcrnlttionrrllt rcctlgnizcrl orr ils on rr nrclits lnrl tltrrin!,. thc tinrc irr ri hiclr it ri lrs cre ltctl. I lrc e rhihil lrllol s ,\r'nrcniirn

iulists to pre\e nt

the

ir rlork. ret plrid

lir

thcir-

lrrtistic crplcssions u hilc rrlrintlinirtq lr hlrsc in thcir honrclarrrl thcir inspir-utionirl sottrce. Finalh. I kx ancssian bclicr cs it llklis thc

.\ttti.'tti,ttt ((rrll\'lll]r,rt:tt\ ;ttli.l ld t1',',,',t,,,, artistic clignitr "hcconring tlrc llshclmcn. ratlrcr than hcing hlinclccl ir Ilsh."

Above Sasounlzi Tavil by Marcos Grigorian. R

i.l

ght Magnetism by Arevik Arevshalian.

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Never-completed building, projected for aYouth Center. IsUz Ltd. bought the property and summoned experts from the Hotel Le Meridien chain (France & UK) to propose a design for a hotel, which IsUz Ltd. intended to build. The purchaser of the lot

will also receive the Hotel Le Meridien study-analysis. For information contact

lf UZ [td.

Garegin Nldeh Avenue 115,377515 Gyumri, Armenia

Fax +37 4-4L139993

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$c'ene

llowrie$ Inom the Past lllhen Shahine Victoria, daughter of llll rur*.s Telfevan was morld to a f ! nor" ibr the-elderly in April 1995, her daughter Vicky, and granddaughter Tina Demirdjian went to Whitestone, New York to empty the house. What they found there were displayed in an exhibit entitled: L900: TWo Armenian Sisters and their Dowries, in Glendale California, in May and June. Demirdjiancreated the exhibitwith a grant from the Califomia Council for the Humanities and additional in-kind donations. Set up in an old Mctorian house known as The Doctor's House, the exhibit displays personal objects, textiles, costumes, dowry items and photos of the two sisters. Victoria (18861914) and Mannig (1888-1973) Telfeyan, who were also related through the marriage of their children, were Demirdjian's great-grandmothers. They lived in Constantinople in 1900 and survived the first series of massacres. On display are embroidered bath towels and clogs from Urfa that were wom in the public baths, sophisticated fabric with pulled threads or telkash from Aintab, and the college graduation dress Victoria wore seven weeks after her wedding, on April 13,1n2. Other treasures packed away in the Whitestone house were a gold velvet musical sewing box; a handmade, embroidered red silk bedspread, a teal wool dress with bolero jacket appliqued in gold, Victorian, missionstyle brown wool pinstripe dress edged with velvet, and knee-length bloomers embroidered, ribboned and initialed in Armenian. *Older women and younger women were moved by this exhibit," says Demirdjian.

"Either by hearing old stories that they remembered, or by hearing them for the fint time. Women at the time did not speak much. Their storieswere left in the textiles," she adds. Demirdjian is a poet and a teacher of poetry in tos Angeles. For this exhibit, she brought together the Glendale Historical Society, tex-

tile expert Sofl Khachmanyan, storytellers Alidz Agabian and Audrey Kopp, and her own mother, Vcky Demirci, to provide visitors with an opportunity to reflect on and remember the lives of the women who raised them. "The exhibit is an opportunity to rediscover values, histories, stories and customs of Armenian women in Turkey, as well as the culture and influence ofthe late Victorian and Edwardian periods," says Demirdjian. Some

of those stories can be read on the exhibit website www.home.earthlink.net/-poetina where people can also vvrite and post their own stories. Demirdjian hopes for a larger grant to support a bigger exhibit in the future. -Text and Photos by Hrair Sarkis Sarkissian

Tina Demirdiian (lelt) with mothet, Uicky Demirci in tmditional Armenian Gostumes, at the erhibil in Glendale, Calitomia. Above: Uelvet musical sewing bor discovered at the Whitestone house. Left: Armenian-speaking volunteers assisted the docent in telling the story behind the sislers' dowries.

Top:

llocumenting Rescueil Ineasunes f ollowingthe exposition lastyear in Germany F(in tt. State Gallery Moritzburg Halle) I Hermann Gole of the German University of Halle-Wittenberg and photographer Klaus E. Goeltz have produced Rescued Armenian Tieasures from Cilicia. The book contains photos of sacred works of art from the destoyed Sophia Cathedral in Sis, as well as eyewitnes reports of the rescue of the fteasure by the cloister caravan, which was brought to Aleppo, Syria. When the Catho,

licosate of the GreatHouse of Ciliciawas trans-

ferred to Antelias, Irbanon, in L930, the treasure was brought to the Kilikia Museum at the Catholimsate. The English and German versions of the book were published in Germany, in oooperation with the Kilikia Museum, the State Museum

Morit#urg tlalle,

the Johannes

kpaius Archive

Halle, and the Martin LutherUnivenity tlalleWittenberg in Germany, on the occasion of the 1700th Anniversary of the acceptance of christianitv as the state

:riffi$ril*miJ,,,1;

AIM JUNE

2OO1

Slippen lrom he rescued Armenian treasuros ol Gilicia. Photo by Zaven Vailan

Art $cene '

'::-ad+r::

-1 :i.:::;:-::::,"

IhankinU in Bnonre duard Shakhikian's Tamada,

or the

Toastmaster, stands in

Strasbourg, France. Armenia presented the bronze and graphite sculpture to the Council of Europe, on the occasion of its accession into that body in January of this year. Although Shakhikian also works in wood, most of his work is in bronze or stone. His historical portraits include those of Hovannes

i:i:

Chekrjian. Director of the Armenian National Chorus, of which Shakhikian is a member. Tamada is among the larger pieces, which stands at about 5 feet. Among his smallest works is the bronze and graphite carving of the Komitas Quartet, whose four performers each measure a few inches. Shakhikian, 51, has won a number of awards. including a gold medal at the Dante Biennale in 1998. In the same year, he received the Druaga gold medal, presented by the City of Florence to Armenian sculptors. for his high quality and professional work exhibited at various intemational biennales. Below: President Kocharian wilh Secretary General of the Gouncil of Europe, Walter Schwimmer.

Ant am Bemem[enanGe at tlte Gapitol he 86th anniversary of the Genocide was

noted in Washington DC, at the Armenian Embassy and on Capitol Hill. Playwright Hrand Margarian's slide presentation on the "Cultural Tieasures of Westem Armenia" was held in conjunction with an art exhibition

by Katchaz. at the Armenian Embassy in Washington, DC, tocommemorate the Armenian Genocide in April. Margarian's presentation featured historic photographs of Armenian churches, monasteries and cultural centers in Turkey,

together with current photographs depicting their remains now. Equally powerful was the exhibition of

paintings by Katchaz, a Connecticut resident whose art developed in Armenia. Determined to keep alive the memory of Armenian genocide victims, he donated art posters to the Embassy's cultural fund. Katchaz's paintings are not for sale because "They are born from the suffering of a nation, and I cannot kill my sorrowful feelings. These paintings are my soldiers who swear allegiance to me. I cannot disperse my arrny," he says. Just a week later, on Capitol [Iill, former Senate Majoriry leader Bob Dole was presented with a painting by Armen Yepoyan. agaur. dunng a commemoration of the Genocrde. -Janet Samuelian

AIM JUNE

2Oi)1

Kalchaz

oil "0h God!"

0n the $hell

Pansegh Ganatehian, Gomplete Ghonal llLtonks, Romance and Ghildnenh Songs. Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of Western USA

ullabies and battle hymns - Armenian music. s Armenian music allright. but not exactly.

LIt

This definitive collection of Parsegh Ganatchianb choral works performed by the Armenian State Radio & TV Chamber Choir and the Little Singers of Armenia expresses the soul of Armenian song through the power of a European style choir. The authoritative, threeCD collection is accompaniedby a72-page, entirely bilingual booklet of song lyrics, histories, analysis, biographies and even rare historical photographs. A survivor of the Genocide, Ganatchian (1885-1967) was one of the original pupils of Komitas. His work is both art and history and these CDs are both entertainment

lring progressive. classic rock'n'roll with I Armenian melodies and rhy'thms. this gang

Harper Collins Publishers 0-06-019841-9

lyric. The European style accompaniment on this 12 track CD is discrete yet theatric. Each intonation of Pipoyan's voice is a discovery.

lhe Black Dog which plagued Balakian s I best-selling memoir. stalks also through

Ihvil

this collection of poetry spanning three decades. The legacy of the Armenian Genocide is prominent in much of Balakian's writing and he remains one of its most eloquent English language voices. Featuring 63 pieces selected from Balakian's flrst four books along with 13 previously unreleased poems, lune-tree reads like a book of relics - poetic artifacts to be discovered and read in different voices. Deeply rooted in the literary

tradition of Britain and the Americas, Balakian's verse cannot help but be of an Armenian Soul.

Imim,llw.

Enja Records ENJ-93542

Qimply. this is jazz - smoky nightclub, up. lldown. crying, laughing. dusty barstool, Miles Davis, John Coltrane jazz. A product of the famed Komitas conservatory in Yerevan, Azarian mixes the old with the new, bringing a synthesizer into the smokefilled nightclub; the nightclub is pleased. Along with original compositions, Azaian performs jazz staples from composers such as Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Some tracks are performances and the audience interaction only adds to the experience.

Columbia University Press 0-231-1 1630-6

Sit with this CD playing loud on an overcast day and be happy that you are Armenian.

From the first trackan admonition of a song, Mi Lar - to the album's title track, Pipoyan finds a new way to approach every

lwo

university professors, Cowe and Parlakian. begin theirjourney into the translation of modem Armenian drama, with a comprehensive introduction into the rocky, troubled history of the genre, "arguably one of the longest and varied dramatic traditions of Eurasia." Reaching back more than a century the book collects seven classic works giving each an introduction and placing it within the story of the Armenian stage and Armenian cultural issues. The black and yel-

AIM JUNE

ing force behind it is fast, hard, rock-

'n'roll.

lnmenian lown. The William Saroyan Society 0-9708389-0-5

It's as if a group of college buddies got Itogether and made a photo album. Except, a longtime home of some type of mystic Armenian spirit. A collection of poems and short stories by s;xwiters, Armenian Town is dedicated to the life and work of William Saroyan. The poets, Paul Aloojian, James Baloian, Y. Stephan Bulbulian, Ronald Dzerigian, Michael Krekorian and Brenda Naj imian-Magarity have

Univenity Fresno -

Garni CD0062

LSwim in a liquid transformation of words.

Armenian clarinet find their way into this work, the driv-

like photos. The college is California State

Peten Gowe and lllishan Panlaftian, Modenn lnmenian llnama.

ose yourself in her swallowed consonants.

of five produces an EP of speed and romance. The man behind the ivories of this quintet, Greg Hosharian, son of the popular and classical musician and bandleader Edward Hosharian (who was a fixture on Armenian music stages for decades) makes dramatic use of his knowledge of Armenian and clasical music in the composition of the short album. Though sounds as diverse as American funk and

there are no photos in this book, rather poems

recorded at live

Ulit Pipoyan, lialousin.

demic presentation of a genre which even in the Armenian original, is hard to assemble in one place. Unquestionably, Armenian drama does not exist on a scale or in quantities equal to say, poetry nevertheless. what is out there deserves access and the light of day. This book does that and more.

Uendetta, Uendetta.

and archive.

Peten Balakian, June-tree: [llew and $elected Poems.

low volume is an aca-

2OO1

nothing in mmmon except roots and time. Their styles, subjects and approaches vary in this text which features 28 poems and one short

story together with a foreword by Professor Dickran Kouymjian. -BY ARA ARZOUMANIAN

How I Got lhi$ S[ot

MY NAME I$ ARAM

fl BY PATRICK AZADIAN

lendale used to be a dull

tixilffiTrffii#'lr*i' of Southern California. Since the revolution in Iran and the civil war in Lebanon, it has become home to a significant number of low-profile, selfabsorbed, Armenians. To say that the city is still

unattractive would be an understatement. The small neighborhood stores have been replaced with grand concrete malls with giant plastic frogs; they spit out water

and generate elecfionic noise:

"fubid, ribid... and more ribidi' This is where Glendale's children receive their fust introduction to nature. Yet, Glendale is dull no more.

The most recent ethnic anivals have transformed the city into a colorful quilt. They seem to be less bashful of their heritage and identity. Nowhere else in the world can a five minute

walk include the sounds of a medioae rock band, a stop

at a burger foint owned by an Italian{ranian, corporate warmth at Starbucks delivered by the cute French-fumenian-

Latina employee, and... the melancholy sounds of the

Armenian duduk.

fuam Lendrushi Harutunian is the man behind the duduk. He is relendess. On one of my numerous trips to Starbucks,

I decided to stop and chat. He's a very recent anival

from Armenia, and he loves Glendale. He s been playing the duduk for 40 years and is a recipient of numerous gold and silver medals in Soviet state competitions.

I had my I had

camera on me that day;

been testing a grainy black and white filrn at the office. I asked him if I could take a picture.

He obliged, but asked for a copy. I have been procrastinating in delivering my end of the bargain. Perhaps, I

will

take him this issue of AIM.

-Patrick Azadian of PADA, Parick Azadian Design Associates, art directs AIM

AIM JUNE

2OO1

Undenexposed

Bniduc lnauuunatcd

erevan is a city that is spread out. From one end oftown to the other, travel can last as long as 30 minutes by car. So, the inauguration of the Davitashen bridge which took place in November and was a welcome shock both for those who never believed such a massive construction undertaking would be completed without the Soviet funds that were initially promised. The other skeptics were the commuters themselves, who lived in the district called Davitashen, which was separated from the center of Yerevan. Its population of more

than 50 thousand is now connected to the center of the capital by the new bridge which is 500 meters (500 yds.) long, 32 meters wide and more than 80 meters high.

$akhanou ReplaGG$ Azizte[ou zerbaryani Bolshevik leader Azizbekov had a square in Yerevan named for him

until the beginning of the Democratic Movement in 1988. In the early days of the movement, mass demonstrations and public rallies called for Karabakh\ self-determination and economic rights, and independence. Few public intellectuals within the Soviet Union or in the West understood the deep, human rights nature of this mass sentiment. Among those who were quick to comprehend and support, human rights activist Andrei Sakharov was the most vocal and consistent. In honor of his aid, and his memory Armenians renamed Azizbekov Square for Sakharov. Azizbekov's statue went down about 10 years ago. This May 29, Sakharov's statue was placed in that same square, near the

Republic Metro station. Tigran Arzumanian is the sculptor ofthe Sakharov bust and Levon Ghalumian is the architect.

AIM JUNE

2OO1

Undenexposed

I[e tamou$ ail t[e lllot-$o-tamous e.

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en of letten, men of words, men of science and men (and one woman) of the arts constitute Armenia's massive philatetic bow to the last century. A booklet (3 x 5 inches) of 36 stamps is a whob who of 20th century Armenia. The portraits of famous and some (for the Diaspora) not-so-famous achieven are presented here with write-ups on their contributions to Armenia. the Soviet Union and the world. From Komitas to Toros Toramanian, from Daniel

Varoujan to William Saroyan, from Mktor Hambartsumian to Artem Mikoyan, these faces represent the accomplishments of a nation that lived under four different regimes during the span of a century.

AIM JUNE

2OOI

It is a late night in early June and I have I arrived ,o ,y flu, wearing sweat and dust

land

the stinl of victory. My mates (l've

never used that word before, but the subject

will soon be futbol so I find the term appropriate) and I have celebrated with cold Erebuni beers and are bloated with machismo concocted by sport and beer.

Armenia 1. Poland

The numbers dont add up to victory. But that's what we are calling it this clammy night and I am ridiculously close to throwing my fists in the air and chanting: "We didnt lose! We

didnt lose!" in the "We're Number One!" cadence of so many misguided college kids

I've

seen at that other game we call football. Not losing means something here. This has

been a place of loss too often and if 90 minutes of play can change that for awhile, well, "We didn't lose! We didn't lose!" I had never been to a futbol game and have generally shared my best friend's assessment of the game as "an)'thing in which the French can be world champions cant be called a man's sport." My pals Karen and Michael and I had talked

of going to the Belarus game, but when my mates heard the Poles were coming to town, they said we should save my virgin futbol experience

Sociologists could fill volumes analyzing the resolution and cynicism reflected in those two comments. We agreed to meet at the statue of David of Sasun. A warrior, he. Could have kicked Polish butt.

The first stone caught me in the shoulder like a sharp thump from a thick finger. Then a second a little lower, and others falling nearby, missing their mark. Little dam-

got waiting under David

They found me soon enough, a pack of Armenian lads rewed up on the giddy joy of

The looks

weren't terribly unlike the daily stares appropriate to my alien-ness here, but I would f,nd later that this was not a good night to be fair haired in the Caucasus... It was only four minutes before Poland took the expected lead over the locals. The hyped-up hopes of about 8,000 crumbled like baklava dough in a tight fist. Boys wrapped in blue, gold and orange flags threw their heads back, exasperated, even though it was just what they'd expected. But in the same amount of time it took the Goliaths to score on the Davids, my new hero, Tigran Petrosian, booted a goal to put the score where it would stay for the next hour and 22 minutes (excruciatingly absent of marching bands or cheerleaders). "We didn't lose! We didnt lose!" The rhythm of the cheer matches the chant that rocked the stadium, mindless of the fact that neither team had flnished what it set out to do: "Hye-As-Stan! Hye-As-Stan!"

'til the best in the bunch got here. Poland, leading Group V of the Union of European Football Associations Cup qualifiers (I learned all this on the internet) came

Vazgen Sargsian Stadium carrying

impressive points in the standings. The home team - with not a single victory this season had three. It would be a slaughter. There would be lots of goals scored - few by the Armenians - but it would be an easier game to follow for a first-timer. "Armenia will lose," an Armenian friend said. "lf they should win, it means the game

"wrong."

was bought."

flaught in the strange euphoria of neutral I -resolution. I almost ioined the canopy of ll*uggrng arrns cnanlrng Inelr nallonarstic encouragements, when a rare moment of good sense reminded me of how remarkably foolish "Hye-As-Stan! Hye-As-Stan! " would sound coming out of my mouth. Anyway, we left the stadium, heads high. And what a mistake that was on my part. Neither this night, nor any other in my life would I have considered myself to look Polish. But, here, where "different" is often defined AIM JUNE

2OO1

age, but carrying a message of evil intent. I turned around to look for the assailants.

not losing. Without a word, Michael and Karen, bless them, spread from my sides and put themselves between me and the hooligans (that's

another futbol term). As we approached Khanjian Street, I felt what presidents must feel, flanked by steely-eyed men with earphones

wired to their spines. I couldn't understand the words being exchanged, but tension is a common language and it was being spoken loudly as the pace quickened. At one point I noticed that Michael and Karen's backs were to me and that they were walking sideways - like crab,s - and I wondered if they were following some instinct I've never had to call on. Both held their hands low with

their shoulders leaning in and their

voices,

unlike the stone throwers', were even and firm.

My buddies had become bodyguard diplomats and by the time we reached Hanrapetutian Street, they had dissolved most of the tension sunounding mistaken identity and the troublemakers went looking for someone else - anyone else - who didnt look like them. Still, when we went to a caf6 for our Erebuni beers, Karen suggested we sit at a table where little light fell on the alien. We were no more than 50 meters from my

flat, but they insisted on walking me home and I didn't object on a night when victory was redefined.

"We didn't lose!"

It could have been worse.

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