Kirk Kerkorian - Armenian Reporter

Mary Balianreleasesnew CD,BashdenkAn interviewwith VartanGregorianAreni:Come tothe tableSee story on page 14 m See story on page 4 m See story on page 19 m800 AMDArmenia EditionNumber 135October 24, 2009the armenianreporterKirk Kerkorian. Photo: Photolure.Kirk Kerkorian: Profile of a generousbillionaire and people’s heroVisit us at reporter.amSee story on page 3 m

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009

Number 135October 24, 2009InternationalTurkey sends protocols to parliamentThe Turkish government on October21 submitted the protocols onthe normalization of relations withArmenia, signed in Zurich on October10, to the Grand National Assemblyfor ratification.In presenting the protocols,Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglusaid that the status quo mustchange. On the same day, however,InternationalTurkey’s envoy in Baku affirmedPrime Minister Erdogan’s promisethat the border would remainclosed until the Karabakh conflictis resolved. The protocols do notlink the end of the Turkish blockadeof Armenia to the Karabakhconflict.See story on page 17mTurkey’s chief EU negotiator: Parliament unlikelyto ratify without “major” Karabakh developments“The Turkish government signeda protocol in an attempt to openthe border, but those protocolsneed to be ratified by the Turkishparliament. The way I knowmy parliament, it would be veryhard to get a majority vote fromthe Turkish parliament withoutmajor developments in theArmeniaKarabakh issue,” Egemen Bagis,Turkey’s minister for Europeanaffairs and chief EU negotiator,said in response to a questionfrom the Armenian Reporter. Headded, however, “I think Turkeywill open the border.”See story on page 16mArshile Gorky, Composition, c.1946, oil on canvas. Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection.Works of Arshile Gorky to go on exhibit atCafesjian Center for the Arts in YerevanArmenian Students Association plans centennialThe Armenian Students Associationof America, Inc. (ASA), theoldest continuing American-Armenianyouth organization, foundedJune 23–25, 1910, has announcedOn Saturday September 26th, theArmenian Martyrs’ CongregationalChurch in Havertown, Pa., hosted aThis year the AGBU Central Boardof Directors honored the YoungProfessionals of Greater New York(YPGNY) and the Young Professionalsof Northern California (YPNC)with special awards on the occasionsof their tenth anniversaries.YPGNY and YPNC were two of theCommunityCommunityCommunityThe first major exhibition in Yerevanof original work by the American-Armenianartist Arshile Gorkywill take place at the Cafesjian Centerfor the Arts from November 8,2009, through January 31, 2010,the center announced.See story on page 19mthe establishment of a 100th AnniversaryCommemoration Committee.Harry Koundakjian: The greatest job everSee story on page 6mpresentation by international photojournalistHarry Koundakjian.See story on page 5mAGBU Young Professionals of Greater New Yorkand Northern California celebrate 10 yearsfirst groups established by AGBU inthe late 1990s and, through a decadeof continuous service, havemastered harnessing the talentsof the younger generation for thegreater good.See story on page 6mthe armenianreporterWorld Bank director laudsArmenia’s crisis managementCalls for urgentreformsby Armenian Reporter staffYEREVAN – Commending PrimeMinister Tigran Sarkisian’s governmenton its handling of the effectsof the global economic crisison Armenia, World Bank managingdirector Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealatold journalists in Yerevan thatthe government has to confrontcertain additional challenges “toassure further development of thecountry’s economy.”Among these challenges are diversification,greater domesticcompetition, further reform of taxand customs administration, thecreation of a “strong and independentjudicial system,” and “zero tolerance”of government corruption.“I think you can only go so far”with Armenia’s current economicmodel, Ms. Okonjo-Iweala, thenumber-two figure in the WorldBank leadership, added. “Armeniais a lower middle-income country.If it wants to become a high-incomeor upper middle-income country, itcannot do so with this kind of economicstructure. That is clear.”Baroness Coxpresent for unveilingof logoLOS ANGELES – In an October19 proclamation, the heads of themajor Armenian churches andpolitical organizations in Californiacalled “on each and everyArmenian-American to bring hisor her generous participation inthe upcoming Armenia Fund InternationalThanksgiving DayTelethon.” The telethon will bededicated to the rehabilitationof “an iconic cradle of Armenianculture and arts, the heroic townof Shushi that was severely damagedin the course of the ArtsakhLiberation War.”The telethon is to air live onThursday, November 26.The appeal was signed by ArchbishopHovnan Derderian, Primate,Archbishop MousheghMardirossian, Prelate, ReverendJoseph Matossian, minister tothe Armenian Evangelical Union,Father Antoine Saroyan of theArmenian Catholic Eparchy, representativesof the Hunchakian Party,the Ramgavar Party, and the ARF,the chairpersons of the AGBU andARS in Southern California, and arepresentative of the Armenian Assembly“acting in the spirit of pan-Armenian unity.”Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian and the World Bank’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealainaugurating a new World Bank facility. Photo: Tigran Tadevosyan/Photolure.Country partnershipMs. Okonjo-Iweala arrived in Armeniaon October 17, met withthe prime minister and membersof the government, local businessand civil society representatives,and toured several rural communitiesto inspect the implementationof infrastructure projects financedby the World Bank. She also hada lunch meeting with PresidentSerge Sargsyan on Sunday, October18.After eight years of double-digitgrowth in the gross domesticproduct, Armenia saw its economyshrink by 18.4 percent in thefirst eight months of 2009. “Thesituation in the economy would beworse” had the government not respondedto the crisis as it did,” Ms.Okonjo-Iweala said.The World Bank in June launcheda Country Partnership Strategyin Armenia to assist the countryin resuming growth and reducingMeanwhile, at a dinner receptionon October 3, the fundunveiled its 2009 telethon logo.The guest of honor at the eventwas Baroness Caroline Cox, alongtime advocate of Nagorno-Karabakh. Also in attendancewas Grigor Hovhannesyan,Armenia’s consul general in LosAngeles.fconnect:www.armeniafund.orgthe impact of the financial crisison the poor. With a commitmentof about $1.3 billion for 54 projects,the World Bank also aims to helpArmenia lay the foundation for amore competitive economy for rapidpost-crisis growth.End oligopolySpeaking to journalists, Ms. Okonjo-Iwealacalled for diversificationin the economy, and less relianceon construction and remittancesfrom abroad as the main driversof growth. Remittances have accountedfor just under a fifth ofGDP. Information technology andContinued on page 17 mGroups join in appeal for support ofShushi through Armenia FundBaroness Cox, Abp. Hovnan Derderian, and Ara Aghishian, President of theArmenia Fund, Western Region.Designed by Edik Balaian, the 2009logo is based on the Angel of Artsakh.

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009NationalWashington briefingby Emil SanamyanObama wants“maintainedmomentum” forArmenia-TurkeynormalizationThe presidents of the United Statesand Turkey discussed “the historicprogress that is being made onnormalization of relations betweenTurkey and Armenia, and the importanceof maintaining the momentumin this important effort,”the White House reported on October17 about a phone conversationthe same day.As Secretary of State HillaryClinton revealed earlier this month,the United States has played a keyrole in facilitating the Armenia-Turkey protocols on diplomaticrelations and bilateral cooperation.While the protocols were signed onOctober 10, after months of delays,they will come into effect only afterparliamentary ratification.The conversation betweenBarack Obama and Abdullah Gülincluded a discussion of Afghanistan,Cyprus, and Bosnia. “The twoPresidents agreed on the importanceof continued consultationson these and other key topics onthe global security agenda,” theWhite House reported.Mr. Obama called Armenia’spresident Serge Sargsyan on October5 to “commend him for hiscourageous leadership” in talkswith Turkey.Turkey seeks mediatorrole between Iran, U.S.President Barack Obama hasinvited Turkish Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdogan to visitWashington, the Turkish leader revealedon October 16.Mr. Erdogan told journaliststhat the visit might take place onOctober 29, immediately after hisvisit to Iran, Hurriyet Daily News reported,indicating a possible Turkishrole in facilitating the on-againoff-again talks over Iran’s nuclearprogram.Under the Bush administration,the United States refused to negotiatewith Iran directly, but it joinedEuropean states in talks over Iran’suranium enrichment earlier thisyear.The Turkish leader had previouslyexpressed interest in mediatingbetween Iran and the UnitedStates, although neither countryhas commented on the offers. Anda week after Mr. Erdogan’s comments,it did not appear that thedate of his visit to the UnitedStates was finalized.In what appears to be a longtermstrategy intended to raise itsinternational profile, Turkey hasbecome engaged in mediation missionsaround the Middle East, includingamong Iraqi and Lebanesefactions, as well as between Iraqand Syria and Syria and Israel.As part of the effort, Turkey hasalso increasingly distanced itselffrom U.S. policies, while harshlycriticizing Israel and curtailing tieswith the Jewish state.Senators reintroduceArmenian GenocideresolutionSenators Robert Menendez (D.-N.J.) and John Ensign (R.-Nev.)on October 21 reintroduced a resolutionon the Armenian Genocide,a move welcomed by Armenian advocacyorganizations.A similar Senate proposal introducedin March 2007 eventuallywon the stated support of one-thirdof all senators, including MajorityLeader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) andthen-Senators Joe Biden (D.-Del.)and Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.), butthe measure was never scheduledfor committee consideration.The Senate last considered an ArmenianGenocide resolution in 1990;subsequent resolutions have notgone to committee consideration.Congressional Turkeycaucus expands to 100membersMembership in the congressionalTurkey caucus reach 100, one ofTurkey’s several lobbying vehiclesin the United States, the TurkishCoalition of America, reportedon October 16. Caucuses are informalgroups created to reflect aparticular issue’s importance forCongress.The Turkey caucus was establishedin 2001 and is co-chairedby Reps. Robert Wexler (D.-Fla.),Ed Whitfield (R.-Ky.), and KayGranger (R.-Tex.). The caucusincludes members from 34 states,with Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,and Florida having themost members: 13, 10, 6, and 5, respectively.The caucus has grown by29 members since the end of 2006.By comparison, the Armeniancaucus founded in 1995 numbered140 members at the start 2009,with several more members addedsince then.Incidentally, some 20 representativeshave signed on to both theArmenian and Turkish caucuses.TurkishPresidentAbdullah Gul(right) and U.S.President BarackObama talk toreporters inAnkara on April 6.April 6, 2009.U.S. official: No plansfor missile defense innon-NATO statesA senior U.S. defense official thisweek denied reports about U.S.intentions to base radar in theCaucasus that could track missilelaunches from Iran, news agenciesreported.“We are not consulting with anynon-NATO countries and we donot envisage the placement of elementsof our new architecture onthe territory of non-NATO memberstates,” Assistant Secretary of DefenseAlexander Vershbow toldjournalists while on a visit to Georgiaon October 19–20.Speculation about some form ofU.S. military presence in the Caucasushas gone on for years. It wasrekindled last month when Gen.James Cartwright, vice-chair ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff, noteda preference for the placementof radar in the Caucasus or Turkey.There have also been reportsof American radar possibly beingbased in Ukraine.Mr. Vershbow’s remarks mayhave also been intended to reflecta U.S. interest in Turkey, a NATOmember, as the preferred radarsite.The Pentagon official was inTbilisi as part of the bilateraldialogue through the StrategicAlexanderVershbow inKazakhstan lastJune. Photo:NATO.Azerbaijan complained that Turkeywas obstructing its energyprojects and removed Turkishflags from a Baku memorial tomore than 1,000 Turks who diedwhile fighting to establish thefirst Azerbaijani state in 1918–20,Turkish and Azerbaijani media reported.The moves came following theArmenia-Turkey soccer match attendedby presidents Serge Sargsyanand Abdullah Gül on October14.According to media reports,Turkish officials initially distributedAzerbaijani flags to individualsinvited to watch the match, inwhat was intended as a show ofsupport for Azerbaijan.Turkish leaders continue to insistthat the normalization of relationswith Armenia depends on asettlement of the Karabakh conflictthat is to Azerbaijan’s liking.But after FIFA, the internationalgoverning body for soccer, warnedTurkey against politicizing thegame, Turkish official ordered theAzerbaijani flags confiscated, leadingto a fracas with police outsidethe stadium.In an apparent response, thenext morning Turkish flags wereordered removed from the Martyrs’Cemetery in Baku, leadingto formal protests by the TurkishForeign Ministry.And in televised remarks on October16, President Ilham AliyevPartnership Council set up byGeorgia and the United Stateslast January.Azerbaijan, Turkey exchangeprotests after Armenia talkscomplained that Turkey receiveda 70 percent discount on Azerbaijanigas when compared to worldprices.He also blamed Turkey for delayingAzerbaijani gas exports to Europefor the past two years, and indicatedAzerbaijan might sell moregas to Russia and Iran, as well as toEurope through a possible futurecross–Black Sea pipeline.Talks over Iran'snuclear programhave beenunderway inVienna since Oct.19. AP photo.Human development,press freedom reportsissuedArmenia’s level of “human development”was below Turkey’s butslightly above Azerbaijan’s andGeorgia’s, according to an annualreport issued by the United NationsDevelopment Program (UNDP).In a pattern similar to last year’sfindings, Armenia’s ranking (84th)was worse than Russia’s (71st) andTurkey’s (79th) but better thanAzerbaijan’s (86th), Iran’s (88th),and Georgia’s (89th).The Human Development Indexis based on data about life expectancy,education levels, and percapita economic activity.And according to a report issuedby the Paris-based Reporters withoutBorders, Armenia registered aregress in press freedom. Armeniawas this year ranked 111th, behindGeorgia (81st), but ahead of Turkey(122nd), Azerbaijan (146th), Russia(153rd), and Iran (172nd).In last year’s report issued twomonths after the Russia-Georgiawar, Georgia was ranked 120th andArmenia and Turkey shared the102nd spot.Coming up: Armenianofficials in the U.S.Turkish memorial in Baku. Photo: sapronov.livejournal.com.Georgian Parliament Speaker DavidBakradze, on a visit to theUnited States this week, was dueto address the Center for Strategicand International Studies (CSIS) inWashington on October 22.Armenia’s Economics MinisterNerses Yeritsian will lead agovernmental delegation for theregular Task Force on EconomicCooperation meetings with U.S.officials in Washington startingNovember 2.Mr. Yeritsian’s delegation willjoin Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisianand U.S. Ambassador to ArmeniaMarie Yovanovitch at the ArmeniaTechnology Congress in SanJose, Calif., on November 5–8. fBut following a phone conversationbetween Mr. Gul and Mr.Aliyev on October 21, the Turkishpresident’s office reportedthat “the misunderstandingsand misperceptions broughtabout by some emotional reactionswhile we were passingthrough hard times have beencleared.”f—E.S.

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009NationalKirk Kerkorian: Profile of a generous billionaireand people’s hero who has made a lasting impactby Armenian Reporter staffPeople in Armenia were asked recentlyto name individuals they considerednational heroes. Predictably,the list was dominated by militaryand political leaders of the recentand more distant past like VazgenSargsian, Andranik Ozanian,and King Tigran the Great.The only two contemporarieswho were named by significantnumbers of respondents were singerCharles Aznavour and businesspersonKirk Kerkorian.Mr. Kerkorian, 92, a self-madebillionaire, is in a category apart inthe Armenian world.He is the only Armenian to be listedamong America’s and the world’srichest people for over a decade. Hewas, as of 2006, the richest residentof Los Angeles. He has been thelargest individual contributor tothe development of Armenia’s infrastructureand diaspora’s institutions.An epitome of Armenians’ entrepreneurialand patriotic spirit, heis a source of pride for Armenians.Mr. Kerkorian is also known forhis insistent avoidance of publicrecognition of his efforts.Early life in SaroyancountryHe was born Kerkor Kerkorianin Fresno, California, to Aharonand Lily Kerkorian, Armenian immigrantswith roots in Kharpert(Harput) in present-day Turkey.The youngest of four children, Kerkorspoke Armenian at home andlearned English in the streets.Aharon Kerkorian was a watermelonand raisin farmer who didwell until hard times struck in 1921.As was typical of the times, theyounger Kerkorian began workingas a kid, selling produce and newspapers,and later washing, repairing,and re-selling cars.Raised during the Depression,the young Kerkorian, like many ofhis contemporaries, never went tohigh school, dropping out of schoolafter the eighth grade.Mr. Kerkorian was only nineyears younger than his famouscompatriot and fellow San Joaquinvalley native William Saroyan,but it is unclear when and if theirpaths crossed.In an early claim to fame in 1937,Mr. Kerkorian became the Pacificamateur boxing champ in the welterweightcategory and was knownas “Rifle Right” for his technique,which helped him win 33 fights.Getting his wingsBut it was Kerkorian’s passion forflying that became his ticket to financialsuccess.After his first flight on a singleengineplane, he worked as a cattleranchhand in exchange for flyinglessons at a school ran by celebrityfemale aviator “Pancho” Barnes.During World War II, Mr. Kerkorian,by then a licensed pilot,joined the British Royal Air Forceas a civilian contractor flying bombersbuilt in Canada to the UnitedKingdom.The job was high risk. The bombers’tanks could hold fuel enoughfor only part of the flight, with pilotsrelying on favorable winds toglide their aircraft for the remainderof the journey over icy waters.One in four would not make it. Mr.Kerkorian made 33 flights over twoand a-half years.After the war, he had $12,000saved, enough to launch his ownaviation business.In 1947 Mr. Kerkorian paid$60,000 for the Los Angeles AirService, a small charter airline thatflew between Los Angeles and LasVegas, which was the just emergingas America’s gambling capital.He sold the airline, which he renamedTrans International Airlines,in 1962, only to buy it back in 1965,and sell it again to TransAmericaCorp. for $104 million.The maker of Las VegasStarting in 1962, Mr. Kerkorianbegan investing in Las Vegas realestate. He initially rented and thensold land to Caesar’s Palace casino,earning $9 million in the process.After leaving the aviation business,he built the International andFlamingo hotels in 1969, beforeselling both to the Hilton chain thefollowing year. As of the time of hisentry into Las Vegas, Mr. Kerkorianhelped change its image into one ofa popular and family-friendly vacationdestination.In 1969, Mr. Kerkorian purchasedthe famous Hollywood studioMetro-Goldwyn-Meyer (MGM) andlater the Universal Artists studio;the merged MGM/UA was sold toTed Turner in 1985 for $1.5 billion.Mr. Kerkorian repurchased thestudio several years later for $780million, only to sell it again for $1.3billion, buy it back again, and finallysell it to Sony for $2.9 billionin 2004.In 1990, Mr. Kerkorian turnedhis attention to America’s ailingautomotive giants, purchasing andthen selling large shares in Chryslerand more recently the GeneralMotors and Ford.Reflecting his aversion to luxuryin his personal life, Mr. Kerkoriandrives relatively inexpensive Americancars, such as the Jeep GrandCherokee and Ford Taurus. Andeven as the studio owner, Mr. Krekorianreportedly insisted on standingin line and buying movie tickets ofhis own.Mr. Kerkorian remains the largestshareholder in the MGM Mirage,the second-largest gaming and resortcompany in the world, whichowns the current MGM Grand complex,the Bellagio, the Mirage, theNew York-New York, Circus-Circus,Mandalay Bay, The Luxor, Excalibur,and the under-constructionCityCenter, all in Las Vegas.According to Forbes magazineestimates, at its height Mr. Kerkorian’sfortune amounted to $16billion before the current economiccrisis brought it down to an estimated$3 billion this year.He remains among America’s 100richest men and women.A grand philanthropistMr. Kerkorian is considered one ofAmerica’s most generous billionaires,having given away as muchas one-fifth of his total fortune tocharitable causes.Armenia has been one of thelargest beneficiaries, but Mr. Kerkorianhas also been generous toArmenian diaspora communities,as well as his two homes states ofCalifornia and Nevada. At the sametime, he has refused to have anythingnamed in his honor.Mr. Kerkorian’s diaspora investmentsmore recently included millionsfor Lebanon’s Armenian communityin 2006 as well as Armenianschools in California. In thepast, his Lincy Foundation alsoprovided annual support for theArmenian Assembly of America.Among major beneficiaries arethe University of Nevada, Las Vegas(in part for its recently launchedKirk Kerkorian with President Robert Kocharian. Photo: Photolure.Kirk Kerkorian standing in front of the International Hotel,being completed in 1969. The hotel was the world's largest atthe time. Photo: UNLV.edu.jpgpartnership with the Washington-basedBrookings Institution);the Clark County School District,which includes Las Vegas; St. RoseDominican Hospitals in Henderson,Nev.; the Nevada Cancer Institute;University of California at Irvine;and many others.The lifter of Armenia’sspiritBetween 2001 and 2008, Mr. Kerkorian’sArmenia programs administeredthrough the Lincy Foundationamounted to $230 million.In addition to direct involvement,the foundation also supported theCatholic Medical Mission Board,which has assisted Armenia’s healthcaresystem; the Armenian AmericanWellness Center; the ArmenianTechnology Group, involved in agriculture;and the Eurasia Foundation,which supports pro-democracy programs;among others.Lincy meanwhile provides airliftsto Armenia through the United ArmenianFund.On surface, Lincy’s infrastructureprograms gave the country asorely needed facelift. Most of themoney went into road and housingconstruction (particularly in theearthquake-ravaged north of thecountry), as well as for repairs ofArmenia’s public buildings, includingmuseums.But more than cosmetics, Mr.Kerkorian’s money came to Armeniaat the time when few otherswould invest, and total governmentspending ran at a mere $400 milliona year. Lincy program gave Armeniaa boost that helped it regainits self-confidence and attract moreinvestors, fueling the constructionboom of the last decade.Statue of Liberty at Las Vegas' New York-New York withMGM Grand in background.The fountainsof the BellagioHotel in LasVegas. Wikipedia.In spite of Mr. Kerkorian’saversion for publicity, these heroicshave not gone unnoticed.“Every Armenian household isfamiliar with the name of Kirk Kerkorian,”said Hranush Hakobyan,Armenia’s diaspora minister. Withhis contributions, Mr. Kerkorian,who was awarded the title, NationalHero of the Republic of Armenia,“helped in the establishmentand development of the Armenianstate,”she added. fSources consulted: www.notablebiographies.comand news media.

4 The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009CommunityAn interview with Vartan Gregorian, who is to be honored byArmenian Professional Societyby Florence AvakianNEW YORK – On November 7,Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President ofthe Carnegie Corporation of NewYork, will be honored as “Professionalof the Year” by the ArmenianProfessional Society, at the SheratonUniversal Hotel in UniversalCity, California.An interview with Dr. VartanGregorian is a unique experience.He impresses one as a brilliant,wise, self confident, and utterlyforthright individual. As hecame out of his office on Mondayafternoon, September 28, his wellknownexuberance was evidentas he warmly greeted me with abig bear hug and a beaming smile.Expecting to see an opulent officewith expensive furniture fora person of his exalted position,I was happily surprised to find acozy room lined with thousandsof books, many double-stacked inbookcases, on his desk and someeven crowding the seats. It couldhave easily doubled as a comfortablelibrary setting. As befitting theman, it was truly a working office,not a showplace.Dr. Gregorian is a man on amission, and his relaxed down-toearthdemeanor belies the intensepassion he feels on the subject closestto his heart, education. His responsesin the first of two parts ofthis exclusive interview reveal thatearnest feeling.Education, its valuesand pitfallsFlorence Avakian: Dr. Gregorian,why are you so devoted to the needto foster higher education?Vartan Gregorian: The UnitedStates has been the world’s leader inhigher education because of severalfactors. First, in the middle of theCivil War, Abraham Lincoln establishedland grant universities. Thatwas historically one of the most importantturning points for America,whereby every state would have auniversity. He put universities inpopulated areas, and where thepotential of those states would berealized. Lincoln’s higher educationsystem provided America with leadershipin the industrial revolution.Secondly, in 1944, FranklinDelano Roosevelt was instrumentalin starting a future for science.During World War II, because ofF.D.R., science, unlike the case inEurope and the Soviet Union, wasto be invested in through universities,in order to bring competition,different perspectives, and also sothat undergraduates and graduatescould be exposed to research. Thiswas very important. Roosevelt died,and Truman adopted that policy.Thirdly, the G.I. bill democratizedAmerican higher education. Elevenmillion returning military servicemen,instead of becoming unemployed,went to universities. Andthis is true even today.Then came the issue of how toorganize support for higher education.Personal grants provided thesource whereby the student wasgiven the money rather than it beinggiven to the universities. Portabilityled to much competition andput universities on the defensive.They had to satisfy their clients.Then Sputnik resulted in a resurgenceof science in America soas to lead the way for men to goto the moon. This was a reactivemode, not planned. The Cold Warin many ways also accelerated theorganization of higher educationin the U.S. The Fulbright, Muskie,Humphrey, neh, nih, Fellowships,etc., provided the kind of researchin all the fields, from humanities tothe sciences. America has been theleader in all of this.Problems andchallengesFA: Yes, I was one of the recipientsof the neh (National Endowmentfor the Humanities) fellowship atCornell University. You have saidwe were the leader in higher education.This all sounds very positive.What have been the problems, andwhat are the challenges of obtainingthis higher education in theUnited States?VG: We were, and still are theleader, but the rest of the world iscatching up, and we’re sleeping fortwo reasons. First, only 50 percentof our high school students graduate.In the 19th century, higher educationwas only for the elite. Andwe had only a population of 100million. Now we are 300 million.Secondly, as land grant universitieswere established, higher educationwas supposed to be supportedby the state.I came to California in 1956 asa freshman. Tuition was $750 atStanford University. Berkeley was$50 a semester. Today, it is $40,000at Stanford, and Berkeley, 10, 12, 14thousand. These are public universities,not private.States which were completelyunderwriting the costs of highereducation, are no longer doing it,because they don’t have the funds.The University of Michigan, one ofthe best universities in the country,provides seven to eight percentmaximum. California is turningpeople away, and tuition for locals is10 to 15 thousand. So 90 percent hasto come from tuition, endowmentfund raising, and faculty research.FA: How can this very seriousproblem of finances be resolved?VG: States have to support, butthere are even more obstacles inuniversities developing their ownresources. For example, Michigansays you can only have 33 percent ofthe students from other states. Andforeign students are the only oneswho can pay. So more and more, weare educating foreign students inorder to make money and survive.And the worst thing is, the more weincrease the numbers, the more thetuition goes up. We also have a 19thcenturystructure in the 21st century.So new solutions are needed.Solution One is to fundraise forthe public universities. Now there isno division between public and privateuniversities. Public high-schoolstudents go to private universities,and private students go to publicinstitutions. And also becausethe state has owned the universitybuildings, seven, eight percentshareholders still play the biggestrole. So before you fill the building,you need state authorization.FA: From what you have discussed,is this part of the 20-yearplan you had envisioned?20-year planVG: I was misquoted on this. WhatI had said was that there ought tobe a 20-year plan. And what I havenow described should be in thisplan. How do you fix this? You haveto have a special tax. Five percentof the tax Californians pay shouldgo to universities. There has to bea solution, or else people who wantto study, but can’t afford it, will gointo indebtedness, especially nowwith no jobs. Thankfully, interestrates are still low. It also encouragespeople to pursue higher education.Ironically, if you study foryour Ph.D, the university pays, butif you study for any other graduatedegree, you have to pay.FA: Dr. Gregorian, you mentionedthat the rest of the worldis catching up to the United States.What are the advantages that theyhave that the United States doesn’thave? Can you elucidate?VG: Singapore to China to Indiato Germany, etc. have ministersof education who make it possiblefor the state to pay so the tuitionis affordable. Two years ago, theUniversity of Denmark presidentcame here and we were talking atnyu. He said it was illegal for himto raise private funds.Current situation inArmeniaFA: Those are the Scandinavianstates. What is the current situationin Armenia? They had free tuitionunder the Soviet rule. How dothey manage now?VG: No more free tuition. Whosaid they’re managing?The first thing that Armenia hasto invest in, like the Scandinaviancountries, is education. Even in theArmenian army, they should teachcomputer science, mathematics,other sciences. The point is the lasttime I was in Armenia, I could notfind a bookstore. Ethnically, Armeniansand Jews during the Sovietperiod, had the highest percentageof degrees in science, chemistry,mathematics, etc., and there was amodicum of books one could orderfrom Eastern Europe. Books couldbe ordered from bookstores and libraries.The collapse of the SovietUnion, in many ways, has washedaway many of our gains. And now,there is no modern bookstorewhere you can order foreign books.FA: What is the reason for thisregression in Armenia?VG: After years of a repressiveregime, suddenly they have foundpersonal gain first, second comesthe family, and third, the extendedfamily. Last is the state or society.I found an abundance of karaokesinging, casinos, hamburger joints,more cafes, classy houses, churches.We have enough churches now. Thechurch itself should invest in education.We like to think we’re thefirst nation to become Christian,that we’re the best, the cleanest.The first time I went to Armenia,I could not imagine how dirty anddark like a dungeon Zvartnotz Airportwas, with things collapsing.Armenians have a long way togo to accept the concept of a statehoodthat is in our country. Somethingthat goes wrong somewherewill affect all of us. I don’t blameArmenia, because for centuries itwas working under foreign rule.Self preservation was a major issue.Rebuilding Armenia is a major challengetoday.Influences in hischildhood: kindness ofstrangersFA: Dr. Gregorian, growing up inTabriz, Iran, and Beirut, Lebanon,must have been very significant.What influenced you to pursuehigher education during you childhood?VG: Nobody encouraged me. Therewas no talk of higher education. Iwent to an Armenian elementaryschool, and later a Russian one inTabriz. Then in 1946, Iranian armedforces came and asserted the authorityof the central government. Wehad to then learn Persian. My grandmotherwas illiterate, and my parentsonly had a high school education– then considered most important.There was no one in my family whowent onto higher education.FA: Then who or what inspiredyou to continue your education?VG: All my life has to been dueto the “kindness of strangers”. SoI was encouraged to go to Beirutby the French vice-consul. I hadno money and only three letters.When you’re weak, you trust strongpeople’s words. In my book, TheRoad to Home, I describe my trialsand tribulations in Beirut.The second strength was exposureto the French language andliterature. It opened a whole worldfor me in Lebanon. Even then the“College Armenienne” was the ultimateeducation I could hope to receive.I had no idea even then thatI would enter higher education. Iwas studying Portugese in orderto become the principal of theSao Paulo, Brazil, Armenian highschool. Then two or three of us receivedfellowships to go to Europe.The “College Armenienne” gave methe opportunity to go to university,and I came to Stanford in the U.S.I had no idea then about public orprivate education of which I speaktoday. I remember Stanford was$750 a year.FA: Why did you decide to pursueand specialize in history?VG: Throughout my life, I havebeen interested in history. In theJemaran, most of our teachers wereoutstanding intellectuals who wereuniversity professors. They did notknow the difference between highDr. VartanGregorian in2001. CarnegieCorporation ofNew Yorkschool and university, so we weretaught as university students, andI’m happy we were challenged thatway. Garnik Guzelian had a tremendousinfluence on me, as didSimon Vratzian. But I also sawthat the history we were taught waslimited history. I was interested inliterature, religion, art, so I took adual degree as well as my Ph.D inhistory and humanities (art history,philosophy, romance languages, religion,classics) at Stanford, whereI received a balanced and inspiringeducation.Without passion youdieFA: What forces drive you and fromwhere does your passion come from,and what is your day-to-day visionfor the Carnegie Corporation?VG: Without passion, you die. Itcomes from my grandmother. AtCarnegie, we have consolidated allour programs into internationaland national. Internationally, wedeal with the non-proliferationof nuclear weapons (for 25 years)with international peace as one ofthe major objectives. And nationally,we work in education, whichis a source of strengthening democracy,citizenship, and progress,and which leads to peace. AndrewCarnegie was disappointed becauseduring World War I, the educatedpeople – Germans, English, French,etc. declared war against eachother. So education is not enough.Necessary are values, knowledge ofhistory, etc.We’re involved in Iran, Korea,Israel, Palestine – track two – nongovernmentalagencies talking forthe purpose of achieving something.Details are worked out. Youdon’t start from zero. In my office,a neutral ground, six powers met.We work on the building of linkagesto stop the breakdown of contact.FA: Dr. Gregorian, what programsdoes the Carnegie Corporationhave in Armenia?VG: We support higher educationin Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.For ten years, we supported 12regional universities in the formerSoviet Union, and in Armenia wejust renewed the program for anothertwo, three years.Life is obligation, notself-isolationFA: Why do you feel that it is importantto give back to the community?Continued on page 5

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009 5CommunityHarry Koundakjian: The greatest job everby Lisa MelianHAVERTOWN, Pa. – On SaturdaySeptember 26, the ArmenianMartyrs’ Congregational Church inHavertown, Pa., hosted a presentationby international photojournalistHarry Koundakjian. About120 people, Armenians as well asothers from the surrounding area,had come to hear the former MiddleEast photographer for The AssociatedPress.Mr. Koundakjian regaled us withstories of intrigue and adventure inwhat he calls “The greatest job ever.”The majority of his subjects werefrom several arenas: the politicalrealm, e.g. the Shah of Iran, YasserArafat, Pat Nixon; royalty, e.g., theQueen of England; religious heads,e.g. the Pope, the Catholicos; actors,e.g. Gary Cooper, Shirley TempleBlack, Omar Sharif; and others ofcelebrity, e.g. Barbara Walters, WilliamSaroyan, and Dizzie Gillespie.His tireless work ethic earned himthe title of “’Arry the ‘Orse” bestowedby his British colleagues.Mr. Koundakjian’s introductionwas given by amcc member OrlaReese who himself has been employedby The Associated Presssince 1996.Harry Koundakjian showed usslides of his photographs, capturingpoignant moments from the later20th century. The accompanying anecdoteswere spoken with confident,colorful language which ensured ahigh level of attentiveness from theaudience. We heard of how, duringPat Nixon’s visit to Liberia, the airport’sroof caved in under Harry’s feetas he was trying to get a picture; ofa 17-year-old mother in Istanbul dyingof tuberculosis when no doctorswould come; and of a man who diedat the piano while playing his ownbirthday song in Lebanon. Mr. Koundakjianalso captured tragic eventssuch as the infamous 1977 Lufthansahijacking by Palestinians to Dubai.Mr. Reese led an interesting andprovocative Q&A session after Mr.Koundakjian’s presentation. Closingremarks were given by ReverendNishan Bakalian, whose wordscaptured the depth of perspectivewe received from Mr. Koundakjian:“As we saw the Middle East throughHarry Koundakjian’s lens we experienceda wide variety: not justpolitical personages, but also thefoibles of those political persons;not just political persons but alsoreligious leaders, and not just theirvirtues, but also their vices; not justreligious and political leaders, butalso well-known personalities, withtheir weaknesses as well as their attractiveness;and not just that, butalso the ordinary people – thosewho suffer because of earthquakesand natural disasters and becauseof the foolishness of those, not justin the Middle East but here as well,Harry during his presentation and a member of thecongregation asking a question to Harry.who have control over so much oftheir daily lives.”Afterward, old and new acquaintancesmingled and enjoyed a wideassortment of Middle Easterndelicacies.Members of the congregation inquiring about one of thesubject to Harry.Former White House US representative Set Momjian to theUnited Nations during the Carter administration watchingsome of my photos exhibited at the slide show.An interview with Vartan Gregorian, who is to be honored byArmenian Professional SocietyIn calling his profession “thegreatest job ever,” Harry Koundakjianissued a challenge to youngpeople to consider making a differencein their world by becomingphotojournalists. With it he offereda caveat, that they approachtheir work with honesty, so thatthe image speaks for itself. Wehope that a new crop of indefatigablephotographers will emerge,inspired by “’Arry the ‘Orse.” Continued from page 4VG: I was brought up in a communityin Tabriz, not individualsalone. You’re not an end in yourself.And that has always beenreinforced for me, in literature,history, etc. The book which influencedme the most which I readin Armenian was Les Miserables,when Jean Valjean steals a loaf ofbread, and the priest says he gaveit to him. This is transformationalin nature. And all my upbringingand my teachers taught me thatlife is one of obligation, responsibility,rather than one of self-isolationinto one’s pygmy world ofprivate piety.And so Andrew Carnegie’s vision,and my education come together inthis institution. Carnegie believedthat the person who dies rich, diesdisgraced. Those people did nothave the imagination to reinvest.He believed that capitalists aretrustees of public wealth. The childrenwho were born into such familieswere not entitled to have thatwealth. He also thought that youcan’t take your wealth in a shroud.Shrouds have no pockets. Carnegiealso said aristocracy is like potatoes.The best part is underground. Withwealth comes social responsibility.It’s all based on charity.Philanthropy is different. Youdon’t deal with the symptoms, butwith the causes, to alleviate thecauses.Carnegie also believed that ifsome one is hungry, don’t givehim a fish, but give a fishing rod,in order to make him independent,rather than dependent.I’m in an ideal situation now inthis corporation where Carnegie’sphilosophy is so close to mine.FA: So this vision has really guidedyou throughout your life in everythingyou’ve done as presidentof the New York Public Library, aspresident of Brown University, hereat the Carnegie Corporation.VG: Yes, exactly, by everyone I’veknown. They told me not to be impressedby what people have, butwho they are. That’s exactly my attitude.My grandmother taught meone thing. Don’t be envious. I’venever been envious of anybody. I’mnot impressed by what people have.I’m impressed with their values.Many people today confuse theiridentity with their job.FA: What are the responsibilitiesof Armenians living in the UnitedStates?VG: We have two lungs - Armeniaand the diaspora, one isblocked, and the other is workingovertime. We cannot consider Armeniaa charitable case, but ratheran investment case, a place of opportunity.We have to invest in therisk-taking, but also hold Armeniaresponsible. Corruption is the corrosionof our nation. We have toallow Armenia to learn, because Idon’t want to be patronizing it, butat the same time, the diaspora cannotbe taken for granted.FA: You deservedly are beinghonored by the Armenian ProfessionalSociety (aps). How can apsimplement your 20-Year Plan?VG: aps – the title says professional.More and more Armeniancadres are professional, notamateurs. Armenia cannot affordamateur diplomats, politicians,bureaucrats. aps can provide professionalassistance in every domainthat Armenia needs – customs,law, professors, etc. Theyshould not go to Armenia andfeel as Hovhannes Toumaniansaid, “You saw us with cookingflour, and you thought we weremillers?” We have a rich countrywith great expertise. So manybooks were written on how tooverthrow capitalism, but veryfew books have been written onhow to transform a socialist systemto capitalism. So we’re in thatcross current. We have to help Armeniahelp itself.FA: How can aps attract theyounger professionals to the organization,and how can aps attractdonations?VG: There are many professionalsin aps who should know howto handle this. But the most importantthing is that they are notan alien wing here and must alsohelp Armenia, or Armenian communitiesin this country on how toorganize themselves.When I came here in 1956, thefeeling all over the Middle East wasAmerican-Armenians are dying,so they should send money to theMiddle East Armenians. But whathappened is that the second largestcommunity we have outside of Armeniais in the United States. Theway we are organized here will helpArmenia, but it has to be one of coequals,professionals, one of investment,not charity. Armenia shouldbe the regional center of medicine,computer sciences, banking, jewelryfor the Caucasus. We have allthose talents.FA: Dr. Gregorian, when lookingover your impressive career, wouldyou have done anything differently?VG: No.FA: What does it mean for you tobe an Armenian-American?VG: For me, I’m very proud of myculture, my church. For me, thereLet us know what’son your mind.Write to us atletters@reporter.amis only one Armenian church, onlyone Armenian language, only onecountry. So I go to all the churches,all the cultural events, and I don’tdistinguish one Armenian from another.And if they ask me to speak,I’ve never accepted one penny fromany Armenian source for the past30 years.FA: What are the benefits, aswell as the burdens of being sucha pillar in the Armenian-Americancommunity?VG: There is no burden, thereis no pillar. The most importantthing is I have made a distinctionbetween a job and a career. I havechosen the career of being an educator.And being successful, I havenot changed my name, my attitude.I’ve let everyone know it’s all rightto be an Armenian.FA: Your office is a veritable library.What are your favorite booksand reading materials? And whatdo you do in your free time, if youhave any: concerts, films, exercise?VG: History and biography. Saturdays,I come and read here quietly.Sundays, I buy eight newspapers,British and French, and from9 A.M. to about three or four in theafternoon, I read and clip all kindsof articles on every possible topic.I also enjoy going to the theater,concerts. I have a personal trainerthat comes three times a week tomy home at 6 in the morning, andtrains me for an hour.FA: And what is your definitionof success? What has been thegreatest success of your life?VG: Success is the external recognition,but the other is to beproud of what you have done. Mygreatest success is that I have beena good teacher. Of all the rewards Ihave received, and I have receivedmany, I take great pride that anelementary school in Providence, Rhode Island, with 400 students,was named after me. It has becomea great school. I’ve helped thempersonally.FA: Dr. Gregorian, what is youradvice for students today?VG: Be curious, challenge yourmind. Don’t be one-dimensional,don’t be limited, and know that toleranceis not enough. Understandingis necessary.FA: Who is Vartan Gregorian?VG: He is a boy who became aman in America, and who has beenvery busy. He has never applied fora job, never been fired from a job,one who has accomplished somethings, and failed in some otherthings. He is one who has alwayskept his word.connect:apsla.org1-818-685-9946OWN YOUR DREAM HOME IN ARMENIA NOWThe roses are in bloom,the blackcurrants ripe.Apples and grapes are on their way.A comfortable house with a garden in the highly desirableAygedzor neighborhood of Yerevan is for sale. 2 br, 2½ baths,lr, dr, kitchen, working fireplace, hardwood floors, eleganttiles, on 2 sunny stories (160 sq m total on a 220 sq m lot)newly upgraded. City gas. 24-hour water.On a quiet street steps away from Baghramian Ave.,the location is peaceful yet accessible. Contact Martha atarmenia.home@gmail.com for more information.

6 The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009Communityagbu Young Professionals of Greater New York and NorthernCalifornia celebrate 10 years of service and networkingNEW YORK – In 1995, the firstagbu Young Professionals (YP)group was established in Los Angelesby agbu President Louise ManoogianSimone. It was a meansto engage Armenians between theages of 22 and 40 in the mission ofagbu. Nearly 15 years later, agbuboasts a vibrant, growing networkof over two dozen YP groupsaround the world run entirely byvolunteers.This year the agbu Central Boardof Directors honored the YoungProfessionals of Greater New York(ypgny) and the Young Professionalsof Northern California (ypnc)with special awards on the occasionsof their tenth anniversaries.ypgny and ypnc were two of thefirst groups established by agbu inthe late 1990s and, through a decadeof continuous service, havemastered harnessing the talentsof the younger generation for thegreater good.ypgny: Embracing thespirit of serviceTop: The first meeting held circa 1997 by then agbu Oakland ChairwomanAshken Mouradian (seated second from right) to begin laying the groundwork toestablish the agbu Young Professionals of Northern California;Bottom: ypnc Committee Members, past and present, came together to celebrate10 years of achievement at their signature Winter Gala in February 2009 withlongtime member and former Chairman Edward Minasian (first row, second fromleft) holding the award presented to the group on behalf of the agbu CentralBoard of Directors.ypgny in 10 years has witnesseda fivefold increase in its constituency.Members of the group attributethis achievement to its open-doorpolicy for all young Armenians, aswell as conscientious efforts tocultivate community relations. In2008 alone, ypgny’s diverse programmingdrew in 1,500 youngprofessionals and, defying the economicclimate in 2009, the group’sArmenian Christmas reception hitrecord-breaking attendance figures,raising $15,000.ypgny has donated $93,000 intotal – the most raised by any oneagbu YP group – to agbu-affiliatedprograms since its inception. Strivingto make a long-term impact, ypgnyalso established the agbu YPEndowment Fund in 2002 to benefitthe agbu Children’s Centers ofArmenia, which has since becomea pan-YP endeavor and manages$79,800.To realize its full potential, ypgnyhas worked over the years toimprove the quality and range ofits civic activities. Since 1999, ypgnyhas annually sponsored studentscholarships for the agbuNew York Summer Intern Program(nysip). In 2000, it teamed up withthe program to organize MentoringNight, an evening of professionalexchange between local young professionalsand visiting interns.In 2007, the initiative was expandedeven further into a one-ononementorship program, in whichypgny members provide professionalguidance and advice throughspecial gatherings and offline supportthroughout the 8-week lengthof the interns’ stays. Extendingits community activities to the internsin 2003, ypgny introducednysip to Sunshine for Seniors, aday of service with the residents ofthe New York Armenian Home inFlushing, Queens.“With an organization as venerableas agbu, we embrace the roleand responsibility that comes withrepresenting the young face ofagbu to the world,” said NatalieGabrelian, associate director ofthe agbu Education Department.She served as chairperson of ypgnyfor seven of its ten years.agbu Central Office has invitedmembers of ypgny over the yearsto serve in various capacities inthe larger organization. Membershelped organize the agbu’s centennialcelebration in 2007, representthe organization annually at theArmenian Genocide Commemorationin Times Square, and sit onthe organizing body of focus, thepremiere agbu event for young Armenianprofessionals from aroundthe world.Aline Markarian, who co-chairsypgny Co-Chair with Danny Abajian,shared her thoughts on thefuture of the organization: “As wemove ahead training new boardmembers on the inner workings ofthe group, it is our goal to ensureour generation carries on the legacyand high standards set by the membersbefore us, while building upontheir accomplishments by experimentingin untapped areas such asthe environment and the arts.”YP Northern California:Building relationshipsthat enrich livesA key ingredient of the success ofthe groups in New York and theBay Area has been their close, supportiverelationships with the seniorleadership in their local agbuchapters and offices. In San Francisco,agbu Oakland chairpersonAshken Mouradian spearheadedthe establishment, growth, andsustainability of the agbu YoungProfessionals of Northern California.Ms. Mouradian was inspired bythe encouraging results of a groupestablished in Los Angeles and hadset youth involvement as a chapterpriority in the mid- to late-90s. Sherecounts, “The San Francisco BayArea didn’t have anything like thisat the time and, by being the firstto establish the young professionals’group, our shining momentwas bringing all Armenian youngpeople under one roof.”In its 10th year running, ypncis the only agbu YP group tosingle-handedly mount a weekendgetaway, coined the WinterGala, which attracts hundreds ofTop: agbu Young Professionals of Greater New York Committee Members werebeaming at the group’s inaugural event in 1999.Bottom: Members of the ypgny Committee gathered during the group’strademark silent auction and reception in January 2009 which raised $15,000 forthe agbu Children’s Centers of Armenia.YPs on an international scale tothe Bay Area. One of the group’sproudest achievements, the WinterGala evolved from a one-day benefitdance in its early years to anextended weekend with proceedsearmarked for agbu-affiliatedprograms in Armenia. ypnc, withits yearlong roster of events andactivities, has donated $48,000 intotal, which is fully one-quarter ofthe funds raised by the network.Running a volunteer organizationin sprawling San Franciscohas its challenges, yet ypnc has anunblemished reputation as a stableorganization that is fiscally responsible,boasts strong leadership, andcultivates strong working relationswith fellow Armenian and non-Armenianorganizations.Current and former board memberssay key reasons for their 10-year success include their ability toset a clear mission and vision forthe organization, take risks withnew, unique events, and most importantly,foster an environmentof teamwork, friendship, and camaraderie.“ypnc has filled the needs of the22- to 40-year-old crowd, targetingevents toward their interests,which may not be addressed byother Armenian groups within ourcommunity,” said Ed Minasian,longtime ypnc Board member andArmenian Students Association plans centennialformer chairperson. “Our servicereached beyond the needs of ourconstituents to also support theBay Area Armenian and non-Armeniancommunities, like Mt. DavidsonCross, the annual GenocideCommemoration, and by volunteeringat local soup kitchens andHabitat for Humanity.”Co-chairs Steven Cherezianand David Ojakian say about thegroup’s plans: “This year we aimto refocus the group and truly embodythe core values and mission ofagbu, while emphasizing the YoungProfessional aspect that makes ouragbu committee so special. Welook to introduce new professionalnetworking opportunities andcommunity service events this year,while continuing to raise funds andawareness for the agbu charitableprograms in Armenia.”Looking aheadWith the support of their local communities,ypgny and ypnc showresults thanks to their commitmentand charitable spirit. In addition,their ability to keep up withthe times and the needs of theirconstituencies promises to propelthem forward as leading organizationsamongst their peers. connect:agbu.org/ypCHICAGO – The ArmenianStudents Association of America,Inc. (asa), the oldest continuingAmerican-Armenian youth organization,founded June 23–25, 1910,has announced the establishmentof a 100th Anniversary CommemorationCommittee.Chaired by George S. Yacoubian,Sr., of Pennsylvania, a devotedmember and former chairof the asa board of trustees, thecommittee has begun preparationsfor a national reunion and celebrationin 2010. Two site committeeshave been appointed to investigateappropriate facilities in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.Booklet, publicity, and fundraisingcommittees have also been established.Committee members, from Illinoisto Massachusetts and asfar south as Florida, representingthe national scope of the organization’scurrent and former leaders,include: Beatrice Babgouni,Boynton Beach, Fla.; Hapet Berberian,Wellesley, Mass.; ZitaButler, Pawtucket, R.I.; GeorgeChakoian, Lincoln, R.I., andSinger Island, Fla.; Ginny VartDarakjian, Chicago, Ill.; Dr. KarlDoghramji, Philadelphia; BettyEkmanian, Yonkers, N.Y., andBoynton Beach, Fla.; EdwardEranosian, Cranston, R.I., andBoynton Beach, Fla.; PaulineGetzoyan, Lincoln, R.I.;, ArthurHalvajian, Paramus, N.J.; DeranHanesian, Montclair, N.J.; CarolHarootian, Worcester, Mass.;Dr. Michael Mensoian, Newton,Mass.; R. Carol Norigian, BoyntonBeach, Fla.; Virginia Tourigian,Drexel Hill, Pa.; George S.Yacoubian, Sr., Broomall, Pa.;Natalie Yaghoobian, North Providence,R.I., and Ramon Zorabedian,East Greenwich, R.I.asa was founded in 1910 to “encourageeducational pursuits by Armeniansin America... [raise] theirintellectual standards, providefinancial assistance in the form ofscholarships and loans to deservingArmenian students, developfellowship among them, cultivatein them the spirit of service in thepublic interest, and acquaint themand the entire American communitywith Armenian culture.” Sincethe first scholarship grant was presentedin 1952, well over $1 millionhas been awarded to over a thousandArmenian students in collegesand universities all over America.In addition, asa has annuallyrecognized outstanding achievementby Armenians in their academicpursuits (Gold and SilverMedals), the humanities (BoyanAward), preservation of Armenianculture (Dadian Award), the sciences(Kabakjian Award), communitylife (Sarafian Award), and business(Zakian Award).connect:asainc.org

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009 7CommunityCalendar of Eventscafesjian centerfor the artsAddress: Cascade Complex, YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 541932Grand Opening Events CalendarNOVEMBER 7, 10:00 pmFireworks Display at CafesjianSculpture Garden, CascadeNOVEMBER 8, 10:00 amPublic Opening Ceremony10:00 am-10:00 pmFirst Public Admission Day,Cascade10:30 amBook Signing, Jaroslava Brychtová,Museum Store11:00 amOpening Reception, LibenskýBrychtová: For Armenia, SasuntsiDavit Hall1:00 pmLive Interview with CynthiaLennon and Pattie Boyd, Spe-Weather forecastcial Events AuditoriumTickets required. General Public: 10,000amd, cca Members: 9,000 amd2:30 pmBook Signing, Cynthia Lennon:John, Special Events Auditorium2:30 pmOpening Reception, BookSigning, Pattie Boyd: Yesterdayand Today, Sasuntsi Davit GardenGallery7:00 pmLecture, Michael Kimmelman,Lead Art Critic of the New YorkTimes, Khanjyan HallTickets required. General Public: 2,000amd, cca Members: 1,800 amda. spendiarianopera and balletAddress: 54 Tumanyan St., YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 586311, 520241, 527992OCTOBER 24 19:00A. ADAN “GISELLE” BalletConductor: V. CharchokhlyanTicket price: from 1000 to 5000 AMDa. khachaturianconcert hallAddress: 46 Mashtots Ave., YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 560645, 545742, 540746OCTOBER 24 19:00THE THIRD RETURN CLAS-SIC MUSIC FESTIVALVag Papian, Piano & Conductor/Israel/. Youth State Orchestraof Armenia. ArtisticDirector & Principal Conductor:Sergey SmbatyanTicket price: from 1000 to 5000 AMDg. sundukianacademic theatreAddress: 6 G. Lusavorich Str., YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 527670, 521852, 589622OCTOBER 24 19:00Premiere “The Forty Days ofMusa Dagh” by F. WerfelOCTOBER 29 19:00“The Forty Days of MusaDagh” by F. WerfelOCTOBER 30 19:00“Ancient Gods” by Levon Shantmher mkrtchyanartistic theatreAddress: 18 Khorenatsi Str., YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 564227, 565709, 580199OCTOBER 24 19:00“Barefoot in the Park” by NeilSimon. Director: Al. Mkrtchyanstate musicalchamber theatreAddress: 1 Proshyan Str., blind alley #1,“Marshal Baghramyan” Metro Station,YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 521968, 521969, 588813OCTOBER 24 19:00“Cinderella”. Artistic Director:David HakobyanOCTOBER 25 19:00“Cinderella”h. ghaplanyandrama theatreAddress: 28 Issahakian Str., YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 524723, 524733OCTOBER 30 19:00“Mamma Mia” by Ken Ludwig.Director: Armen Khandikyanhenrik maliantheatre ofarmenfilm studioAddress: 18 Vardanants Str. (CinemaHouse), YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 540296OCTOBER 24 19:00“Marriage” by N.Gogol. Director:Narine Malyanh. paronyanstate theatre ofmusical comedyAddress: 7 V. Sargissian Str., YerevanPhone: (+374 10) 580101, 580075OCTOBER 28 19:00“Die first then I’ll love you...”by A. Papayan. Director: YervandGhazanchyanOCTOBER 31 19:00“Chair” by Y. Otyan24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 28 October 29 October 30 October 31 October 1 NovemberYerevan+6+22+6+20+6+20+6+21+5+21+6+21+4+22+13+24+11+25Shirak+5+18+5+19+6+18+6+19+3+19+10+14+9+12+9+16+9+16Kotayk+5+18+5+19+6+18+6+19+3+19+10+14+9+12+9+16+9+16Gegharkunik+5+18+5+19+6+18+6+19+3+19+10+14+9+12+9+16+9+16Lori+4+19+4+19+4+16+4+16+3+18+10+18+10+18+10+21+9+21Tavush+5+19+6+18+5+16+4+16+5+18+11+16+11+16+10+18+10+17Aragatsotn mount.+5+18+5+19+6+18+6+19+3+19+10+14+9+12+9+16+9+16Aragatsotn+7+25+7+22+7+25+7+25+7+25+7+25+7+25+14+24+14+24Ararat+5+23+5+22+5+22+6+20+5+21+6+27+4+20+14+24+14+24Armavir+5+23+5+22+5+22+6+20+5+21+6+27+4+20+14+24+14+24Vayots Dzor mount.+5+18+5+19+6+18+6+19+3+19+10+14+9+12+9+16+9+16Vayots Dzor+5+23+5+22+5+22+6+20+5+21+6+27+4+20+14+24+14+24Syunik valleys+6+18+7+18+6+16+6+17+9+20+9+20+6+19+14+24+14+24Syunik+5+23+5+22+5+22+6+20+5+21+6+27+4+20+9+16+9+16Artsakh+5+23+5+22+5+22+6+20+5+21+6+27+4+20+14+24+14+24LORI (05)SHIRAK (07)IjevanGyumriVanadzorTAVUSH (10)Take advantage of the “Weather onYour Mobile” service.HrazdanARAGATSOTN (01)AshtarakKOTAYK (06)GavarSend the code of a region as atext message to the number 1009and get the weather forecast fortomorrow.ArmavirARMAVIR (03)YEREVAN (11)ArtashatARARAT (02)GEGHARKUNIK (04)VAYOTS DZOR (09)YeghegnadzorARTSAKH (12)Stepanakert120 AMD per message.SYUNIK (08)http://www.meteo-tv.amKapanAll rights reserved.Meteo-TV CompanyErvand Kochar’s Sasuntsi Davit in front of Yerevan’s maintrain station.

Narek Duryan is luminescent, on and off stageThe venerable actorponders life and artin the homeland“The Aunt fromParis” continues tocaptivate audiencesby Maria TitizianYEREVAN – The artists’ entranceto Yerevan’s State PuppetTheater behind Sayat Nova Avenuewas buzzing with activity.Actors, technicians, make-upartists, and costume designerswere busy preparing for thatevening’s performance of “TheAunt from Paris,” a play writtenand directed by Narek Duryan,who also plays the lead role inthe play.I arrived early for our scheduledinterview, so I was directedto a waiting area. A few minuteslater, the doors to the backentrance of the theater swungopen and in walked NarekDuryan, bringing in with himthe warm autumn air, plentyof sunlight, and an abundanceof infectious energy. Relativelyshort and a little on the heavyside, with recently cut silverwhite hair, he greeted some ofthe women who happened tobe standing by the doors. Hehugged and kissed each one,addressing them affectionatelyas “jan” and “azeez” (bothmeaning “dear”). There was agenuine feeling of respect andadmiration for this venerableArmenian actor from Paris.Before Paris, there wasYerevan...Narek Duryan and his family leftthe Soviet Union in 1980 andsettled in Paris. He was a youngNarek Duryan in “The Aunt from Paris.” Photos: Tigran Tadevosyan/Photolure.man at the time, but recalls vividlyhis feelings upon leaving.“I did not leave Armenia. I leftthe Soviet Union,” he says. “Wecould have lived here at the time.We had a very comfortable life.We were living in the house thatBrezhnev gave to my father. Westill have that house.”Narek’s father, worldrenownedconductor OhanDuryan was born and raisedin Jerusalem before immigratingto Soviet Armenia. In 1959Ohan Duryan became the artisticdirector and principalconductor of the ArmenianPhilharmonic Orchestra. Hewas the first to perform manysymphonic works by Armeniancomposers. However, the familycould no longer live undera regime that was stifling theircreative and artistic abilities. “Ioften said that I would prefer tolive as a bum, as long as I couldbe free,” Narek explains.While migration is a globalphenomenon, for Armeniansit has taken on a whole newmeaning. “There are two kindsof immigrants – economic andpolitical. I was a political immigrant.I can understand thosewho leave for economic reasons,”Narek says. “But when Armeniagained independence, the continuedexistence for those of uswho were political immigrantsabroad became meaningless. Iasked myself, ‘Why am I stayingin Paris?’ Since the day theDuryan’s transformation into Mrs. Bulbukian from Paris.Soviet Union collapsed, I havebeen in agony.”And has he now returnedhome? “I have not ‘returned.’ Ido not wish to make that announcement.I am here for myplays,” he explains. “It is a luxuryfor me to be here, to be ableto perform here. I have neverfelt such a sense of fulfillmentin all my years on the stage, asI do here in front of Armenianaudiences. That is what broughtme here.”When he brought his play,“The Aunt from Paris,” to Yerevan,Narek thought he wouldput on five or six performancesand then return to Paris. Hewrote the play in 1993. Thosefive-six performances haveturned out to be a 14-monthlongrun to sold-out halls andcritical accolades. “I will keepthe play going as long as I can,as long as there is a demand forit,” he says.Before making the artisticsojourn to Armenia, Narek wascharming audiences in Paris.His play, Dieu Merci (ThankYou, God), which had a run ofsix months at the Theater DeJazet was critically acclaimedby the French theater world.“Theater de Jazet is consideredthe thirteenth most importantand authoritative theater inParis,” Narek explains. The playwas so successful during its initialmonth-long run in June,that the board of directors ofthe 700-seat theater in BastilleSquare invited Duryan back.“The Aunt from Paris”Duryan’s “The Aunt from Paris”is based on a play by Englishplaywright Thomas Brandon(1850–1914) called “Charley’sAunt.” Duryan’s version hasmetamorphosed into a storyabout Armenian immigration,about the divide between the“Hayastantsis” and the “Spyurkahays.”The play is set in modern-dayArmenia. Two young actingstudents are in love with twosisters and need a chaperoneso they can entertain them.They ask Narek’s character tohelp them woo the two sisters,whose father continues to be astaunch communist. When oneof the young men receives wordthat his aunt, Mrs. Bulbukian,a rich widow from Paris whomhe has never met, is coming toYerevan to visit him, he seesthis as an opportunity to invitethe girls to meet her. But whenthe aunt’s visit is delayed, theypersuade Narek to impersonateher so as not to miss out onthe chance of having the sistersover to their house.And that is when the play becomeshilarious. I should know.I’ve been to see “The Aunt fromParis” three times. I realize thatthis might sound a little ridiculous,but there are legitimatereasons for my repeat attendance.I had heard about Duryan’splay from friends who had seenit and swore that it was one ofthe funniest performances theyhad ever seen. When I went tosee the play the first time, thebeginning was a little slow, soI was wondering what was sofunny about it. But about 15minutes into the performance,I was laughing so hard, I foundit hard to maintain my decorum.Seeing Narek Duryan play therole of a rich Armenian-Frenchwoman who comes to Armeniato meet her long-lost nephewis one of the funniest thingsI’ve ever seen on an Armenianstage.While it is comedic, there aremoments when Narek expertlysheds light on our inherent differences,which forces you to seeyourself either as a diaspora Armenianor a Hayastantsi. Theselucid observations can makeyou cringe. He insists that hisintention is not to preach but tosimply hold up a mirror so thatContinued on page 15 8 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009

Stephanie’s Art Gallery in La Canada preparesto exhibit works of renowned artistsby Florence AvakianLA CANADA, Calif. – Jean Carzou,Edgar Chahine, Jean Jansem,and Leon Tutundjian arehousehold names in the Europeanand Armenian art worlds.On Friday, November 13, at aspecial reception at Stephanie’sArt Gallery in La Canada, Calif.,which is celebrating its tenthanniversary this year, their legendaryartworks – oil paintings,watercolors, and drawings - willbe on display. The exhibitionwill continue on Saturday, November14, and Sunday, November15.This is the very first time thatthe paintings of these four renownedartists will be on exhibitin Los Angeles by Stephanie’sArt Gallery which has been collectingtheir masterpieces overthe years.Jean Carzou born GarnikZouloumian in Aleppo, Syria,1907, first started as a theaterdecorator in Paris, France. In1938, more than a hundred exhibitionsof his works were organizedthroughout France andabroad. His works have beenincluded in the ballets of RolandPetit, the French Opera,and the La Comedie Francaise.In 1949, he was awarded thecoveted Hallmark prize.Edgar Chahine born in Venice,Italy in 1874, spent his youthin Constantinople. Moving toParis in 1895, his selective andhonest portrayal of the petitebourgeoisie through his prints,etchings, drypoints and aquatints,provide a compellingportrait of an era. Chahine isalso well known for his delicatelandscapes and seascapes, reminiscentof the legendary Whistler.He is also highly regardedfor his prints of Venice. In a1942 fire and flood, many of thisReverie Year by Jean Carzou.artist’s works were destroyed.Jean Jansem, an acclaimedFrench artist, began drawingat a young age. Studyingat the illustrious L’Ecole desArts Decoratifs, he was famedfor his figurative style whichmost often depicted women.Jansem’s artworks are internationallyknown, and arepart of museum collectionsthroughout France and theUnited States.Leon Tutundjian, born inAmasia, and rendered an orphanduring the ArmenianGenocide, spent his youth fleeingfrom city to city to escapethe atrocities. While studyingat Constantinople’s Schoolof Fine Arts, he was sent to aStill Life, Jean JansemVastales by Jean CarzouGreek orphanage, then to Venice,and finally to Paris wherehe became well known as an accomplishedviolinist and painter.Experimenting in variousstyles, he became acclaimed asone of the original surrealistsof the 1920’s. Tutundjian’s stilllifesare poignant and oftendisturbing visions of his buriedpast, reflecting the horrors ofhis childhood during the ArmenianGenocide.connect: stephaniesart@yahoo.com,www.stephaniesartgallery.comMother and Child by Jean Jansem.Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009 9

Gabriel Bagradyan with his son Stepan and Ottoman soldiers.Bagradyan making plans for the self-defense of Musa Dagh.The village priest, men, women, and children of Musa Dagh taking up arms against the encroaching Ottoman Army. Their heroism would becomethe stuff of legends and a source of inspiration for the novel, The Forty Days of Musa Dagh. Photos: Tigran Tadevosyan/Photolure.The people of Musa Dagh before the deportation order.The Forty Days of Musa Dagh premieres in ArmeniaArmen Elbakyanbrings the epic storyto the Armenianstageby Maria TitizianYEREVAN – Having served asa coporal and telephone operatorin the artillery corps of theAustro-Hungarian military onthe Russian front during WorldWar I, and after seeing with hisown eyes the horrors of the war,Franz Werfel an Austrian-Jewishwriter went on to document thestory of the Armenians of MusaDagh (The Mount of Moses).Werfel wrote his novel, TheForty Days of Musa Dagh, in1932–33. While it is a fictionalizedaccount, it is based on historicalevents that took placein Musa Dagh during the ArmenianGenocide. On the firstpage of the book, he writes:“The miserable sight of somemaimed and famished-lookingrefugee children, working in acarpet factory, gave me the finalimpulse to snatch from theHades of all that was, this incomprehensibledestiny of theArmenian nation.”Armen Elbakyan, one of Armenia’smost respected directors,has taken this story, whichrecounts how the villagersof Musa Dagh ascended theirmountain and organized a selfdefenseagainst the encroachingOttoman army, and has broughtit to the Armenian stage.A final dress rehearsal of theproduction of “The Forty Daysof Musa Dagh” prior to its premiereon October 24, took placeat the Sundukian Theater onOctober 21.The play, which lasted approximatelytwo hours, was alarge production by Armenia’sstandards and drew intermittentapplause from the audience,with several curtain callsupon its conclusion.The story centers aroundGabriel Bagradyan, played byHarutyun Movsisyan, whowas a lieutenant in the OttomanArmy distinguished forhis heroism. His wife, Juliette,played by Anna Elbakyan, wasa French national, and theyhad one son, Stepan, who duringthe defense of Musa Daghperished after a feat of couragebeyond his years.Although their passports hadbeen confiscated by city officialsand there are some ominoussigns of a coming calamity,the villagers of Musa Daghremained largely oblivious towhat was happening all aroundthem. Gabriel, realizing the impendingdoom, with the help ofother villagers startedstockpilingas many weapons as theycould hide from Ottoman officials.When several refugeesarrived in Musa Dagh, bringingwith them tales of horror andforced deportations from Zeitun,the villagers realized thedanger ahead.When orders arrived that the6,000 villagers of Musa Daghmust leave their homes, theydecided to stay and fight ratherthan be forced on to a humiliatingdeath march. When the Protestantpriest of the village, AramTovmassian, was successful inpersuading some of the villagersto abide by Ottoman orders,a woman in the village steppedout and said, “If the men are tooafraid to stay and fight for ourland, then we women will stayand fight.” This statement wasgreeted by thunderous applauseby the audience.After fighting off the OttomanArmy for 40 days, theTalaat Pasha’s telegram giving the order for the extermination of the Armenians.villagers of Musa Dagh wererescued by French and Britishwarships whose crews had seentheir distress signals. WhileGabriel sent everyone off to beplaced on the boats, he returnedone last time to his son’s grave.The final scene of the play: itis Gabriel, the mountain, andthe cross on his son’s grave. Heturns one last time, faces theaudience and then in a blast ofgunfire is killed by the Turks.As the final curtain camedown, every Armenian heart inthe theater felt Gabriel’s pain. 10 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009

These threepaintings byMinas Halaj arepart of a seriesof Graphic workstitled MagneticFlowers.Every artist needs to have a revolutionArtist Minas Halajreflects on the life ofan artistby Maria TitizianYEREVAN – Minas Halaj is backin Armenia for the first timesince leaving seven years agoas an aspiring 19 year old artist.His journey initially took him toNew York City and then to LosAngeles where he now lives andworks. While he admits therewere difficult moments on hischosen path, he is slowly butsurely making a name for himselfin the art world.What would make a youngman, coming for a family of artists,living a relatively comfortablelife to leave his home, hisfamily, friends and existence?“I started to think that I neededto change my environment, tofind inspiration,” he explains.“When I moved to New York,I had nobody there. I didn’tknow where I was going, I wasjust alone.”Minas says that being in acity all alone with nobody to dependon motivated him to thinkmore aggressively about whathe wanted from life as an artist.“In many ways I was alone and Ihad only myself to depend on,there was nobody who couldhelp me,” he says. “If I hadstayed in Armenia I would’vebeen more comfortable. Peopledon’t rush here, it’s more laidback.When you’re on your own,you can’t be laid-back.”He found solace in paintingand that is what he started todo. He also began taking ordersfor graphic design, illustration,anything to do with art. “Peoplebegan noticing my work and afterthree years in New York Idecided to move to Los Angeles,”Minas says. Afterward, he wentto San Francisco where he wasat UC Berkeley for three yearsstudying art. It was at Berkeleythat Halaj began connectingwith his art.The liberal atmosphere hefound himself in at Berkeley becamesomewhat of a challengefor the young artist. “It tookme 3-4 years to forget how topaint classically. It was difficultto break that mold,” he says.“I try to deconstruct classicalthemes now and then reconstructthem forgetting thoseclassical styles.”Minas believes that every artisthas to embark on a journeyof self-discovery. Every artistmust experience a revolution inhis/her life in order to be able tosee what is behind the canvass.“If I hadn’t left, I think thatthere would have been manysecrets that I would not havebeen able to disclose or understandin my life,” explains Halaj.“By leaving behind everythingI found other spiritual valuesand a higher state of consciousness.When you are in ‘odarutyun’you have to work harder,compose yourself, meet people,contact galleries. In your ownhome, you take your time andsometimes don’t think aboutfuture plans.”But by expanding his horizons,and achieving anotherspirituality, there was also theelement of ‘garod.’ “When I sawMount Ararat from the plane, Isaid to myself, ‘I have returnedhome.’”He says that when you are confident,a hard worker and havetalent, you are appreciated inRight: MinasHalaj.Below:Metamorphosis,oil, 48x36, 2007the United States. “I want totransmit what I have learnedabroad. I have all my knowledgethat I received from the homeland,I further developed that inContinued on page 12 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009 11

Every artist needs to have a revolution Continued from page 11‘odarutyun.’ I understood manythings and I want to be part ofmy country, to somehow helpmy country,” he says. “I want todo something through my artthat represents my nation andto also give something back. Iwant my contemporaries herein Armenia to know that it ispossible to think differently, tosee things differently.”Minas’ first solo show was atthe Tracy Park Gallery in SantaMonica, California. Since thenhe has participated in manysolo and group exhibitions. Hiswork was also showcased at theSusan Alexander Gallery andthe prestigious Saatchi Galleryin the United Kingdom.Close to 1500 of his paintingstoday are with privatecollectors, including actor JimCarrey. He works in oil, mixedmedia and graphics. “I love allstyles; I can work in all styles.The medium is not the importantthing, the meaning is theimportant element, the mediumis secondary,” he explains.“What you are trying to say isthe important thing.”His latest graphic series, entitledMagnetic Flower is a mixtureof many different styles,influences and elements. Heincorporates flowers, nature,animals, anatomy and Romansculpture techniques. He envisionsthat there will be 15 piecesin the series, five of which hehas already completed.The materials he uses for hisgraphic pieces are totally organic.He makes the ink himself.“I get the ink powder, I addoil or water to it, I leave it underthe sun,” he says. He hopes totransform these graphic imagesinto sculptures.When Minas Halaj paints,he speaks in his own language.“The power of art is to talk withyour language. You need to beable to create your own languageto speak to people,” hesays. “We all speak in our language,that is the meaning ofart.”A few days ago, as he waswalking along the streets of hisnative Yerevan after a seven yearabsence, Minas came face toface with his teacher. “You havebecome a master,” his teachersaid to him. A lot of things havechanged for Minas since the dayhe decided to have a revolutionin his life. And how does he seethe city of his birth? “So manythings have changed, peoplehave changed. There is somethingnew in my city, my city islight. Slowly things are movingtoward brightness,” Minas says,smiling.connect:www.minashalajart.comwww.youtube.com/watch?v=P2SQGFYiKecLetter 6, Collage, 30x23 2006StatementOne can discuss and argue artforever. To me everything is abstractand different. Everythingmatters of how you look atthings. I love light, life, shadow,line and color where the worldof an artist commences. Sinkinginto art and being drawn bythe emotion helps me understandthe tragedy and happinessof life itself…I was born into an artist’sfamily. Art was an innate essencein my blood that I havecome to love passionately asI recognized it in myself withyears of creative work andemotional journey. For me myart has two dimensions, oneis inside of me – vibrant, evermoving and evolving, dynamicformations of cognitive andspiritual content, the secondis what one sees on canvasonce I am ready to reflect thefirst – the internal. But what isit the canvas bares? Life, light,spirit, love, and micro cosmos.I am selfless in what I do forI do not create for myself ordespite myself. I know it has apurpose beyond me or what Ican understand. But I do knowthis - Art is what I am, who I amand all I am. With no art in me Iseize to exist. Art is self-expression,individuality and everlastingsearch for form. —Minas Halaj12 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009

Young Armenians win Adobe photo competitionLittle Davit doesn't want to sell his toy car and dreams of owning a big, real carone day. Hovnan Baghdasaryan.In May 2009, Adobe Youth Voices,a global youth media initiative,in collaboration with WhatKids Can Do (wkcd), askedyouth worldwide to submit pairsof photographs that capturewhat is challenging and whatgives hope in the world todayfrom their unique perspective.Learning of the photo competitionby Adobe, several studentsfrom Manana Youth Centerin Yerevan submitted theirphotographs for considerationalong with hundreds of otherentries from around the world.In September, the winnersof round one of the competitionwere announced andHovnan Baghdasaryan, 13, astudent of Manana YouthCenter was selected as one ofthe ten winners.Interestingly, half way aroundthe world in Tasmania, Australia,17 year old Katherine Goudsouzian,also of Armenian heritagewas notified that she toowas selected as a winner in thecompetition.The photos of eight otheryoung photojournalists fromthe Manana Youth Center receivedspecial commendation inthe competition through a specialcategory that recognizedoutstanding single photos.“Many of the photos that thestudents selected to enter intothe competition were taken inthe city of Nor Hajin as partof a Bay Area Friends of Armenia(bafa) funded projectto engage the children of NorHajin in after-school activitiesthrough multimedia. The MananaYouth Center conducteda workshop with support frombafa and paired studentsfrom the Manana Youth Centerwith students living in NorHajin. Each team took photosof the town and residents ofNor Hajin. Together they wereable to tell the story of life inNor Hajin through their individualperspectives,”said RuzanBaghdasaryan, executivecirector of the Manana YouthCenter.“Congratulations to all thewinners and especially to theManana Youth Center and tothe Bay Area Friends of Armenia.This collaboration and delightfuloutcome is exactly thekind of outcome we promotethrough our efforts with outstandingngos in Armenia,” said Peter Abajian, executive directorof the Paros Foundation,a principal sponsor of the MananaYouth Center.The Manana Youth EducationalCultural Center seeks tocreate the optimum environmentfor the overall spiritual,intellectual and physical developmentof children, buildingon their foundations for happy,healthy and safe lives. The centeris guided by four basic principles- to advocate for a moderneducational system, whichwill expand a child’s scopeof thinking; create literature,works of art, media, radio andtelevision programs, films, andeducational games for children;creative, unprejudiced thinkingamong the youth; and promoteprofessional and civic responsibilityamong the youth.The Manana Center is a nonprofit,non-governmental organizationfounded in 1995. Itbrings together people of differentages and interests, whoare all educators, irrespectiveof their main profession, andare deeply concerned withchildren’s issues. Most of themembers of the organizationhave previously worked with orfor children in groups or individually,trying to relieve themfrom the concerns and troublesof this difficult period for Armenia.The Center started its activitiesliterally from nothing. Itbegan in a one-room apartmentwhere the first classestook place on the floor. Therewas no in-kind or financialsupport, and no expectationsto ever acquire any. The deepawareness of the importance ofthis new undertaking, and thesheer enthusiasm of the teachers,were the basis of everything.The Center’s most valuableresource today still lies inits talented and devoted members,volunteers, parents, andstudents, whose numbers groweach year.Adobe Youth Voices (ayv)aims to empower youth in underservedcommunities aroundthe globe with real-world experiencesand 21st century toolsto communicate their ideas, exhibittheir potential, and takeaction in their communities.Launched in June 2006, AdobeYouth Voices is Adobe Foundation’sglobal signature philanthropyprogram designed toprovide youth in underservedShe goes to school in the morning and then comes to the temples in the afternoonto sell flutes to the tourists. Katherine Goudsouzian.Because of unemployment, people from Nor Hajn earn their living by sellingeverything they own. Lili Zakaryan.Women from Ujan village, Armenia, are baking bread for their families and to sell. Arpen Chichakyan.communities with the criticalskills they need to becomeactive and engaged membersof their communities and theworld at large.The Adobe Foundation investsnearly $3 million per yearin the ayv program, primarilythrough training, educationalresources, and grants. The programalso leverages softwaredonations and employee volunteersfrom Adobe SystemsIncorporated.With a focus on empoweringyouth, ayv supports youngpeople in and out of school andencourages the use of cuttingedgemultimedia tools to communicateand share their ideas,demonstrate their potential,and take action where they live.The Adobe Youth Voices globalnetwork currently includesmore than 160 sites and a large,expanding number of granteesand organizations in 31 countries.Since its inception, ayvhas engaged over 20,000 youthand 1,000 educators in schoolsand out-of-school programs. connect:www.MananaYouthCenter.org.Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009 13

Program Grid26 October - 1 November26 October 27 October 28 October 29 October 30 October 31 OctoberMONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY1 NovemberSUNDAY12:30 pm1:00 pm1:30 pm2:00 pm2:30 pm3:00 pm3:30 pm4:00 pm4:30 pm5:00 pm5:30 pm6:00 pm6:30 pm7:00 pm7:30 pm8:00 pm8:30 pm9:00 pm9:30 pm10:00 pm10:30 pm11:00 pm11:30 pm12:00 pm12:30 am01:00 am01:30 pm02:00 am02:30 am03:00 am03:30 am04:00 am04:30 am05:00 am05:30 am06:00 am06:30 pm07:00 am07:30 pm08:00 am08:30 am09:00 am09:30 am10:00 am10:30 am11:00 am11:30 am12:00 pmImmigrantsKyanqi Gine2 YeresRepeatSassounian CommentaryUnlucky HappinessRepeatKargin haghordumYere12 YeresRepeat 6Barev, yes emSassounian CommentaryNostaljiFort Boyard-Hayer3Karmir te sevMer Lezun, Mer XosqeBari Luys HayerAmericayi DzaynKhohanotzYO YONews2 Yeres1 originalBlefBarev, yes emNewsUnlucky HappinessOriginal 1Yere1Kyanqi GineOriginal 1Immigrants23IrakanumBari Gisher HayerBari Gisher hayerKyanqi gine-Repeat 1Unlusky Happines 2NewsMi Katil Meghr2 YeresRepeatNewsKhohanotzBarev, yes emMer Lezun, Mer XosqeNewsBari Gisher HayerMi Katil Meghr2 Yeres1 RepeatBlefNewsUnlucky Happinessrepeat1Yere1Kyanqi Gine-Repeat 1Immigrants23IrakanumBari Luys HayerKhohanotzYO YONews2 Yeres2 originalYere1NewsUnlucky Happiness2 OriginalLos ArmeniosKyanqi GineOriginal 2Immigrants24IrakanumBari Gisher HayerBari Gisher HayerKyanqi Gine-Repeat 2Unlucky Happines-repeat 2NewsBarev, yes em2 YeresRepeatNewsKhohanotzFort BoyardNewsBari Gisher HayerYere12 Yeres2 RepeatMer Lezun, Mer XosqeNewsUnlucky Happiness-Repeat 2Barev, yes emKyanqi Gine-Repeat 2Immigrants24IrakanumBari Luys HayerKhohanotzYO YONews2 Yeres3 originalLos ArmeniosNewsUnlucky Happiness3 OriginalYere1Kyanqi GineOriginal 3Immigrants25IrakanumBari Gisher HayerBari Gisher HayerKyanqi Gine-Repeat 3Unlucky Happiness-repeat3NewsMi Katil Meghr2 YeresRepeatNewsKhohanotzBarev, yes emYere1NewsBari Gisher HayerMi Katil Meghr2 Yeres3 RepeatLos armeniosNewsUnlucky Happiness-Repeat 3Yere1Kyanqi Gine-Repeat 3Immigrants25IrakanumBari Luys HayerAybenaranNews2 Yeres4 originalYere1NewsUnlucky Happinnes4 OriginalKargin HaghordumKyanqi GineOriginal 4Immigrants26IrakanumBari Gisher HayerBari Gisher HayerKyanqi Gine-Repeat4Unlucky Happiness-repeat4NewsMi Katil Meghr2 YeresRepeatNewsKhohanotzFort BoyardNewsBari Gisher HayerYere12 Yeres4 RepeatBlefNewsUnlucki Happiness-Repeat 4Kargin HaghordumKyanqi Gine-Repeat 4Immigrants26IrakanumBari Luys HayerKhohanotzAybenaranNews2 Yeres5 originalUnlucky Happiness5 OriginalYere1Kyanqi GineOriginal 5Imigrants27IrakanumBari Gisher HayerBari Gisher, HayerKyanqi gine-Rep.5Unlucky Happiness 5NewsKhohanotz2 YeresRepeatNewsHAYTNUTYUNLos ArmeniosNewsFort Boyard-HAYERMer lezun, mer xosqe2 Yeres5 RepeatKargin HaghordumNewsUnlucky Happiness-Repeat 5Yere1Kyanqi Gine-Repeat 5Immigrants27IrakanumArajnordaranGorVardanyanSassounian Commentary2 Yeres6 originalYere1Mi Katil MeghrLos ArmeniosSassounian CommentaryBlefBarev, yes emKargin HaghordumFort Boyard-HAYERNostaljiUnlucky HappinnesUnlucky HappinessSassounian CommentaryUnlucky HappinessSassounian CommentaryMer lezun, mer xosqeYere1Sassounyan CommentaryLos ArmeniosMi Katil Meghr2 Yeres6 RepeatYere1Sassounian CommentaryBlefBarev yes emKargin haghordumFort Boyard-HayerVarduhi VardanyanNostaljiMer lezun, mer xosqeArajnordaranArmenian TeletimeAmericayi DzaynLos ArmeniosNostaljiBlefSassounian CommentaryMi Katil MeghrBarev, yes emFort Boyard-HAYERKarmir te sevImmigrantsMary Balian releases new CD, Bashdenkby Lisa KirazianArmenian singer-songwriterMary Balian has released a CD ofcontemporary Armenian Christianworship music. “Bashdenk”(Let’s Worship) is a passion project,five years in the making forthe L.A.- based Balian.The CD boasts an array ofhigh-energy, Armenian-styledpop music, like “Khachin Zinvor”(Soldier of the Cross) to contemporaryArmenian versions of familiarhymns like “AghaghagehDeeroch” (Shout to the Lord)and “Eench Medz es Toon” (HowGreat Art Thou) to heartfelt originalsongs like the title track.Balian’s purpose is to reachArmenians of all ages with amessage of God’s love and hope.“My desire is to allow Armeniansto worship in their ownlanguage, through contemporaryArmenian Christian music,”says Balian. “I want to encourageothers through musicand service.”With that passion for servicein mind, Balian teams up withorganizations so that they canhelp each other’s outreach efforts.For example, she will beperforming for the ArmenianMilk Fund on March 6, 2010.Her own faith has inspired hermusic and has proven an anchorin the midst of personal challengesthat have come her way.As a teenager, she lost her fatherat a young age. As a high-schoolguidance counselor, Balian dealswith at-risk youth issues everyday. And as a married Armenianwoman balancing work, familyand art, she has reached anexperienced perspective, whichhelps her to encourage others,both students and peers.Balian and her husband ManuelSaghbazarian are also leadersof the couples’ ministry attheir church, United ArmenianCongregational, in Hollywood,California.A graduate of ucla (B.A.) andcsun (M.S.), Mary Balian hasperformed solo and in groups,on radio and in live showsaround the world. Some of herupcoming performances andconcerts include Toronto andHollywood, Calif.connect: www.marybalian.comMary Balian, a biographyMary Balian is an Armenian-American singer/songwriterwhose repertoire includes pop,world, dance, and contemporaryChristian music.She has been singing andsongwriting since she was sixyears old and has always sungin choirs. In high school, shewas part of an award-winningshow choir for four years; duringcollege, she was in Awaken aMary Balian.cappella and recorded two CDswith the group. She sings atvarious churches and is part ofthe worship team at her church.In addition, she has performedin several languages – on television,radio and in concert.She was part of a group ofsingers who recorded a Christianalbum in Farsi. Recently,she toured France and Armeniaon the New Hope Band Tourand has appeared on the “UnshakableLive” television show.On April 24, 2004, Mary attendedan Armenian Christianworship night for the Commemorationof the ArmenianGenocide. There was only oneArmenian song sung that night,which was very moving to her;all of the other songs were familiarpraise songs in English. Whileshe knows and appreciates thoseMary teams up with other singers to assist different causes.“I want to encourage others through music,” says Balian.English songs, she was disappointedthat there weren’t anymore Armenian songs sung. Italso made her realize that thereweren’t many Armenian ContemporaryChristian worshipsongs available. A deep desireto record an Armenian languageChristian album formed.That is when she decided torecord Bashdenk. It has takenfive years to complete. 14 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009

Watch Armenia TV on Dish Network. To get a dish and subscribe, call 1-888-284-7116 toll free.Satellite Broadcast Program Grid26 October - 1 November26 October 27 October 28 OctoberMONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY29 October 30 October 31 October 1 NovemberTHURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela21:00 Yere121:40 “Cost of life”-Telenovela22:30 “Immigrants”-Film23:00 GoodNight,Armenians0:30 “Cost of life”-Telenovela1:15 “Immigrants”-Film2:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)2:30 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela3:10 Telekitchen3:40 A Drop of Honey4:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)5:00 Blef5:30 Our Language,OurSpeech6:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)6:30 Yere17:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela7:40 A Drop of Honey8:10 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela8:45 “Immigrants”- Film9:15 “Cost of life”-Telenovela10:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)10:30 GoodMorning,Armenians12:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)12:30 “Celebrity”-Telenovela13:20 Telekitchen14:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela15:00 “Cost of life”-Telenovela15:45 “Immigrants”- Film16:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)17:00 Fort Boyard17:40 Yere118:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela19:00 A Drop of Honey19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela21:00 Los-Armenios21:40 “Cost of life”-Telenovela22:30 “Immigrants”- Film23:00 GoodNight,Armenians0:30 “Cost of life”-Telenovela1:15 “Immigrants”- Film2:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)2:30 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela3:10 Telekitchen3:40 A Drop of Honey4:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)4:30 Yere15:00 A Drop of Honey5:30 Blef6:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)6:30 Los-Armenios7:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela7:40 A Drop of Honey8:10 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela8:45 “Immigrants”- Film9:15 “Cost of life”-Telenovela10:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)10:30 GoodMorning,Armenians12:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)12:30 “Celebrity”-Telenovela13:20 Telekitchen14:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela15:00 “Cost of life”-Telenovela15:45 “Immigrants”- Film16:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)17:00 Fort Boyard17:30 Los-Armenios18:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela19:00 A Drop of Honey19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela21:00 Yere121:40 “Cost of life”-Telenovela22:30 “Immigrants”- Film23:00 GoodNight,Armenians0:30 “Cost of life”-Telenovela1:15 “Immigrants”- Film2:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)2:30 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela3:10 Telekitchen3:40 A Drop of Honey4:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)4:30 Los-Armenos5:00 A Drop of Honey5:30 Our Language,OurSpeech6:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)6:30 Yere17:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela7:40 A Drop of Honey8:10 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela8:45 “Immigrants”- Film9:15 “Cost of life”-Telenovela10:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)10:30 GoodMorning,Armenians12:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)12:30 “Celebrity”-Telenovela13:20 Telekitchen14:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela15:00 “Cost of life”-Telenovela15:45 “Immigrants”- Film16:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)17:00 A Drop of Honey17:30 Yere118:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela19:00 A Drop of Honey19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela21:00 Cool Program21:40 “Cost of life”-Telenovela22:30 “Immigrants”- Film23:00 GoodNight,Armenians0:30 “Cost of life”-Telenovela1:15 “Immigrants”- Film2:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)2:30 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela3:10 Telekitchen3:40 A Drop of Honey4:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)4:30 Yere15:00 A Drop of Honey6:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)6:30 Cool Program7:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela7:40 A Drop of Honey8:10 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela8:45 “Immigrants”- Film9:15 “Cost of life”-Telenovela10:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)10:30 GoodMorning,Armenians12:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)12:30 “Celebrity”-Telenovela13:20 Telekitchen14:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela15:00 “Cost of life”-Telenovela15:45 “Immigrants”- Film16:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)17:00 Fort Boyard17:40 Cool Program18:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela19:00 A Drop of Honey19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela21:00 Yere121:40 “Cost of life”-Telenovela22:30 “Immigrants”- Film23:00 GoodNight,Armenians0:30 “Cost of life”-Telenovela1:15 “Immigrants”- Film2:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)2:30 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela3:10 Telekitchen3:40 A Drop of Honey4:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)4:30 Cool Program5:00 Our Language,OurSpeech6:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)6:30 Yere17:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela7:40 A Drop of Honey8:10 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela8:45 “Immigrants”- Film9:15 “Cost of life”-Telenovela10:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)10:20 The Armenian Film12:00 The Hour(ArmenianNews Edition)12:30 “Celebrity”-Telenovela13:30 A Drop of Honey14:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela15:00 “Cost of life”-Telenovela15:45 “Immigrants”- Film16:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)17:00 A Drop of Honey17:30 Yere118:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela19:00 A Drop of Honey19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 Blef20:30 Hello, it’s me21:00 Cool Program21:30 Fort Boyard22:30 Nostalgy0:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela2:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)3:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela4:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)4:30 The Armenian Film6:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)6:30 Yere18:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela9:00 A Drop of Honey9:50 Our Language,OurSpeech10:30 The Armenian Film12:30 Our Alphabet13:00 Cool Program13:20 Yere114:45 Los-Armenios15:20 Blef15:45 Hello, it’s me16:00 “Cost of life”-Telenovela17:00 voa(The Voice ofAmerica)17:30 Yo-Yo18:20 Nostalgy19:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)20:00 A Drop of Honey20:30 Hello, it’s me21:00 Fort Boyard22:00 Red or Black0:00 “Immigrants”- Film2:30 “Cost of life”-Telenovela4:00 voa(The Voice ofAmerica)4:30 Yo-Yo5:00 “Unhappy Happiness”-Telenovela10:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)10:30 GoodMorning,Armenians12:00 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)12:30 “Celebrity”-Telenovela13:20 Telekitchen14:10 Our Alphabet14:30 Red or Black15:45 Hello, it’s me16:30 The Hour (ArmenianNews Edition)17:00 Our Language, OurSpeech17:30 Blef18:00 “Celebrity”-Telenovela19:00 A Drop of HoneyNarek Duryan: luminescent, on and off stage Continued from page 8we can understand our reality alittle bit better. His statementsare on the mark.With the success of “The Auntfrom Paris” Narek Duryan hasalso begun performing his onemanshow called “C’est la Vie,”which is his life story, how heleft the Soviet Union, and howhe ended up in Paris (it is basedon his play Dieu Merci, which heperformed in Paris). Trying toget tickets to see “C’est la Vie” ispretty difficult these days; mostshows are sold-out as soon asthe tickets come out.From Paris to Yerevanto ParisThese days Narek is back in Paristo be with his wife and threechildren. He will return to Yerevanin a few weeks time to actin his plays, which continue toinspire him.He is not satisfied with thesuccess he has found in thehomeland. He continues tostretch his artistic bravado andis now involved in a new projectwith another famous ArmenianThe aunt from Paris having to deal with the communist from Yerevan.actor/comedian, Hrant Tokatlian.The two have teamedup to write a new play called“Don Juan Avia,” a comedybased on another play “Boeing,Boeing,” by French playwrightMarc Camoletti.“If all goes according to plan,we will be premiering the showon November 18 at the StanislovTheater in Yerevan,” Narek says.One of the young actresses whowill shortly appear on stage withNarek for that evening’s performanceof “The Aunt from Paris”walks into the room where we aresitting. He introduces us, smiles,sips his Armenian coffee, andgazes out the window. The showwill go on in half an hour. Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture | October 24, 2009 15

16 The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009InternationalTurkey’s chief EU negotiator: Turkish parliament unlikely toratify protocols without “major developments” in Karabakhby Tatul HakobyanANKARA, Turkey – Nine journalistsfrom Armenia were invited toTurkey on October 12–19 by theHrant Dink Foundation. We hadthe opportunity to meet with themurdered journalist’s family andlawyers and the editorial staff ofthe Turkish-Armenian daily Agos,and also to watch the World Cupqualifying match between the nationalsoccer teams of Armenia andTurkey in Bursa. We also met withmembers of Turkish political, official,and media circles.At the Turkish Grand NationalAssembly, we had a meeting withEgemen Bagis, Turkey’s ministerfor European affairs and chiefnegotiator for European Unionmembership. Mr. Bagis lived in theUnited States from 1985, when hewas 15, until 2002, when he waselected to the Turkish parliament.In the United States, he led the NewYork–based Federation of TurkishAmerican Associations of America(FTAA), and gained a reputation forbeing rabidly anti-Armenian.Before meeting with the Armenianjournalists, Mr. Bagis gave ashort opening statement. Representativesof Turkey’s progressiveTV stations and newspaperswere present during his openingremarks. He described the Turkey-Armenia soccer match as a “gameof friendship and a game of hopefor the two nations.”Looking to the futureReferring to the AK (Justice andDevelopment) Party, he said “Whenwe came to power in 2002 as a newgoverning party, we had one ideaof increasing Turkey’s relationswith all of our neighbors, includingArmenia. Armenia was not an exceptionbecause we, Turkey, recognizedthe sovereignty and state ofArmenia in 1991. For us, Armenia’ssovereignty was as important asthe other countries of the formerSoviet Union and we thought theestablishment of this new republiccould be an opportunity to putsome of our differences away andlook at the future with more hopefor both nations.“In 2005, Turkey’s Prime Minister[Recep Tayyip Erdogan] sent aletter to President Robert Kocharianproposing to study the eventsof 1915 and establish a committeeof historians not only from Turkeyand Armenia but also from thirdcountries and open the archives inboth countries and ask the thirdcountries to open their archives.Some of the greatest archives aretoday in Boston and Turkish scholarshave no access to most of thesearchives. Together, as governmentsof Armenia and Turkey, we couldask those countries open their archivesto see what really did happen.It took Armenia two years torespond that letter,” Mr. Bagis said.In fact, Mr. Kocharian repliedto Mr. Erdogan’s letter of April 10,2005, two weeks later, on April 25,2005, saying that historians haddone their job and it was time forpoliticians to step up to the plateand focus on the future.Continuing, Mr. Bagis said: “In2007 dialogue started among highleveldiplomats of the two countriesand the elections of February2008 in Armenia gave us anotheropportunity to revisit the idea ofenhancing relations. After the elections,President [Abdullah] Gülsent a congratulatory letter toPresident [Serge] Sargsyan, andin his letter he proposed his wishand the wish of his nation to increasethe relations between thetwo countries; and the responsePresident Gül received from PresidentSargsyan was equally optimistic.President Sargsyan respondedin a very constructive manner andlater he extended an invitation toPresident Gül to come to Yerevanto watch the football [soccer] gametogether.”Focus on archivesAfter his opening remarks, Mr. Bagisrequested that the Turkish medialeave so that he could be alonewith the Armenian journalists.Armenian Reporter: Mr. Bagis,thank you for this opportunity. Beforeposing my question, I wouldlike to remind you that the archivesin Boston are open. [On May 24,2008, the Armenian Reporter reportedthat the ARF Archives, towhich Mr. Bagis was referring, hadbeen open for the scrutiny of scholarsand had been used by historianswriting their dissertations.]Egemen Bagis: So you are tellingme if we go [to Boston], we willhave access.AR: Right.EB: It is good to know. I was inBoston two weeks ago to deliver aspeech in Harvard. If I had knownI would visit them. Next time Iwill go.EU membershipobstaclesArmenian Reporter: Now let meaddress my question. We knowhow difficult Turkey’s EU accessionprocess is. There are a set ofobstacles on the road to Turkey’sEU membership and among them,as we know, is Turkey’s blockadeof Armenia. Sometimes the ArmenianGenocide has been recalled.After a year of Armenian-Turkishsoccer diplomacy, do you see thatthis process is much easier todayfor Turkey?EB: I will be very frank with you. Ithink we should be frank with eachother. Those issues – Turkey’s relationswith Armenia – were neverat the center of Turkey’s communicationwith the EU. In none ofthe admission criteria there is aclause saying Turkey should havediplomatic relations with Armenia.There is no such rule. We are not increasingour relations or we are notattempting to enhance the dialoguewith Armenia because of the EU.We are increasing our relationswith Armenia because we are increasingrelations with everyone,and Armenia should not be an exception.And in the South Caucasusthere are problems – people are dying,people are suffering from poverty,people are homeless.If your question deals with thehistory of the events of 1915, whichwe do not think would be classifiedas genocide, those cannot be prerequisitefor my country’s admissionto the EU because the membercountries of the EU have a lot worsehistorical wars and bloodshed. Inone of the EU countries 6 millionpeople died only 60 years ago. Sothose are not criteria for membership,but these are issues that weshould have a dialogue about, andwe should have discussed and weshould be able to evaluate and tryto understand to each other. SoTurkey’s approach to Armenia isnot based on EU initiatives or EUdemands.Displaced persons168 Zham: I would like to know isthere any connection between theprotocols and the Karabakh peaceprocess?EB: Azerbaijan is a brotherly andfriendly neighbor country for usand a million Azeris are homelessbecause 20 per cent of Azerbaijaniland is under Armenian occupation[Karabakh forces in fact controlonly 8 percent of Azerbaijani territory.The figure of 1,000,000 displacedpersons includes Armenianswho were displaced. The areas inquestion had a population of about450,000 before the war. With under200,000 refugees from Armeniaand Azerbaijan border areas, thatmakes for about 650,000 Azerbaijanidisplaced persons. Armeniansdisplaced from Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh,and Armenia’s borderareas number about 350,000.]The protocols wesigned betweenTurkey and Armeniashould motivate andsupport a furtherprotocol betweenAzerbaijan andArmenia as well.The Karabakh issue is an issuewhich is one of the core problemsof the instability in South Caucasus.We think the Minsk Groupshould be supported in their effortsto resolve that conflict and Turkeywants to see an enhanced dialoguebetween Armenia and Azerbaijan.The recent high-level talks betweenPresident Sargsyan and PresidentAliyev are good news and we supportongoing talks.Of course, Turkey and the Turkishgovernment has shown itsgood will by signing the protocols,but it is up to Turkish parliamentmembers to approve those protocols.Each and every member of theparliament is very independent bynature. I think the signing of theprotocols is an opportunity for allthe countries in the region, includingAzerbaijan and Armenia, towork out their differences and tohelp the Minsk Group find a solutionto the problem, which wouldin the long term help all the players.The cost of having no solution is sohigh that the compromises we willmake in finding a solution are goingto be very small fraction.I think it is an interest for all ofus that Armenia withdraws fromthe lands that are unfairly occupiedand Azeris understand the difficultiesof Armenia’s domestic politicalnature and come to a conclusion ofa mutually acceptable status. If oneof the countries leaves the dialoguewith too much satisfaction, thatmeans that the other country haslost. If one of the countries feelsthat they have been cheated inthese negotiations, the other willnot accept the solution. I thinkPresident Sargsyan is a very courageousperson by going to the diasporaand trying to explain to themwhat he is trying to do. It is painfulbut someone has to act as a leader.Cultivating doubtArmenia Now: You mentioned 6millions Jews and Germany, butGermany accepted what happened.EB: According to the way I waseducated, which is different thanthe way you were educated, thenumber of Armenians who losttheir lives is around to 600 to 700thousand, and the number of Muslimswere around 2 million. In thecase of Germany, the number ofJews that were killed was 6 millionbut the number of Germans nobodyknows.[German casualties in WorldWar II are not unknown; they areestimated at between 6.5 and 8.5million – both military (5.5 million)and civilian. Just as Germansin World War II did not die at thehands of Jewish civilians, a vastmajority of Turks killed in WorldWar I did not die from acts by Armeniancivilians.]What happened with our Armenianpopulation was painful, we acceptit, but it was a civil war, duringthe World War, and it was painfulfor all parties. But again, I was notthere in 1915, you were not therein 1915, neither you, nor I, do nothave factual information aboutwhat happened. That is why thishistorical issue should be studiedby historians and by objective historiansnot only Turkish and Armenianhistorians, but historiansfrom the United States, Germany,and whoever is interested.There may be a group of historians,archaeologists, scientists,academicians from different studies;they should get together andhave full access to all the archivesaround the world, and then theyshould tell us their findings. At thattime, political leaders from Armeniaand Turkey should get togetherput these findings in front of themand discuss what to do. You can notclassify as genocide without havinghistorical proof. I think a group ofEgemen Bagis.Photo: TatulHakobyan/ArmenianReporter.historians, scientists should dealwith the issues of the past, whilewe – politicians, diplomats shouldbuild economic, cultural, trade, andpolitical cooperation for the future.And historians simultaneously cando their job.Linking ratificationArmenian Reporter: Mr. Bagis,from what I understand fromyour comments, Turkey will notopen the border with Armenia untilthere is a breakthrough in theKarabakh talks.EB: I did not say that. The Turkishgovernment signed a protocolin an attempt to open the border,but those protocols need to beratified by the Turkish parliament.And the way I know my parliament,it would be very hard to get a majorityvote from the Turkish parliamentwithout major developmentsin the Karabakh issue.And I think, the signing of theprotocol will give a chance and anopportunity for leaders both inAzerbaijan and Armenia to workout their differences and come toa solution. Any solution acceptedby Presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan,and approved by the publics ofAzerbaijan and Armenia, will havefull Turkish blessing and support.Signing a protocol might be avery good beginning but at theend it does not solve the problemsof those one million homelesspeople. The protocols have to befollowed up with an action plan,and at the end, people should feelbetter about their future in bothcountries. Without concrete developmentson Karabakh and on thedisputes between Armenia andAzerbaijan – because membersof the Turkish parliament feel anattachment to Azerbaijan, thisincludes myself because we sharethe same language, the same culture,the same religion, we sharethe same songs. Just like if Turkeyand Armenia could sign a protocol,I am sure Azerbaijan and Armeniacould sign a protocol. The protocolswe signed between Turkey andArmenia should motivate and supporta further protocol betweenAzerbaijan and Armenia as well.Armenian Reporter: After returningback to Armenia, withoutmentioning your name and this interviewwith you, I will write thatTurkey in the near future will notopen the border.EB: Do not be so sure. I am moreoptimistic than you are. I thinkTurkey will open the border and Armenia,Turkey, and Azerbaijan willcome to a conclusion very soon. f

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009 17ArmeniaTurkey sends protocols to parliamentby Armenian Reporter staffYEREVAN – The Turkish governmenton October 21 submitted theprotocols on the normalization ofrelations with Armenia, signed inZurich on October 10, to the GrandNational Assembly for ratification.The protocols go first to the ForeignAffairs Commission of the parliament.Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglupresented the protocols tothe parliament, in which the AK(Justice and Development) Partyof Prime Minister Recep TayyipErdogan has a majority. “Turkeycannot act efficiently because ofthe current status quo,” he said, accordingto the Anatolia news agency.“Therefore, we must change it.”“We have three important targetsto this end. First of all, we needto establish good neighborly relationswith Armenia. Secondly, wewant to set up a channel of healthycommunication between Turkishand Armenian peoples. And thirdly,we aim at accelerating the processto resolve the Nagorno-KarabakhYEREVAN – Deputy AssistantSecretary of State for Europeanand Eurasian Affairs Tina S. Kaidanowwas in Armenia from October19 to 21. Ambassador Kaidanowheld discussions with PresidentSerge Sargsyan, PrimeMinister Tigran Sarkisian, theministers of foreign affairs anddefense, and the Speaker of theNational Assembly. She also metwith representatives of civil society,including media representativesand experts on regionalcooperation.During her visit, Ms. Kaidanowmet opposition politicians. In ameeting with former presidentLevon Ter-Petrosian, they discussedthe current stage of Armenia-Turkey relations and the Karabakhpeace process, RFE/RL reported.dispute between Azerbaijan andArmenia.”The speech was interrupted repeatedlyby opposition lawmakers,who have criticized the terms onwhich the government has agreedin principle to normalize relationsAccording to a statement releasedby the Armenian RevolutionaryFederation (ARF), thedeputy assistant secretary and U.S.Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitchalso met with the leaders ofthe ARF. Aside from issues relatingto the Armenia-Turkey protocolsand the peaceful resolution of theKarabakh conflict, they discussed awide range of social, economic, anddemocratic reforms.According to the U.S. Embassy inYerevan, Ms. Kaidanow addresseda wide range of issues in her conversations,including U.S. governmentsupport for the normalizationof Armenian-Turkish relations,and ongoing U.S. governmentprograms to assist Armenia in thefields of economic development,human rights, and democracy.with its eastern neighbor. Turkeyclosed the border with Armeniain 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan,which was being defeated byArmenian forces in its effort tothwart the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.Turkish critics ofThe U.S. administration has beencritical of the Armenian authorities’human rights records. After theFebruary 2008 presidential electionsand the 20-day suspensionof civil liberties after the bloodyclashes of March 1, Washingtonhad suspended about one-third ofa $235.6 million rural developmentgrant under the Millennium ChallengeProgram. It made the suspensionpermanent after municipalelections this May.The U.S. official stressed the importanceof democratization effortsfor Armenia’s future and urged thegovernment to take steps that willdemonstrate Armenia’s commitmentto democratic progress. Shealso noted that the U.S. governmentis continuing to provide supportfor Armenia.fthe protocols want the border toremain closed until the Karabakhconflict is resolved to Azerbaijan’ssatisfaction. The protocols make noreference to Karabakh.“We always feel the problems ofour Azeri brothers in our heart,”Mr. Davutoglu said, according toThe Associated Press. “The territorialunity of Azerbaijan is Turkey’sunity.”Turkey’s envoy in Baku wentfarther, affirming Prime MinisterErdogan’s promise that the borderwould remain closed until theKarabakh conflict is resolved.“The Turkish-Armenian borderwas closed because of Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Ambassador HulusiKilic on October 21, accordingto the Trend news agency, “Untilthat problem is solved, the border’sopening will not be possible.”Trend quotes him as continuing,“I decisively declare that the opinionof the Turkish people will bereflected in the parliament’s decisionand that the signed protocolswill not be ratified.”The protocols were sent to parliamentafter Turkey’s NationalU.S. deputy assistant secretary of state visits ArmeniaYEREVAN – The Sunchild InternationalEnvironmental Festival,which will be held in Yerevan fromOctober 25 to 29, will focus attentionon wildlife and nature preservationissues in Armenia. Theorganizers of the festival hope toraise awareness of these issues inArmenian society.According to Arminfo, the festivalprogram comprises a widerange of film programs and variousenvironmental activities andcampaigns. Eighty-five films from35 countries will be shown, 16 ofwhich will take part in a competitionprogram. There will be no entrancefees for any of the featuredfilms and the festival has organizedmeetings between the directorsand environmentalists with audiencemembers.The Ministry of Labor and SocialIssues of Armenia in cooperationwith Germany’s GTZ has organizeda seminar titled, ‘’Professional Guidance’’for 150 children from the agesof 13 to 15 from Yerevan and fourother regions of Armenia, Lori, Tavoush,Ararat, and Vayots Dzor. Theseminar will emphasize the importanceof ecological education.This year, for the first time anAudience Award will be bestowedsponsored by the OSCE, which willsymbolize public participation inForeign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey. Photo: Photolure.reference to the Aarhus Conventionwhich links ecological issuesand democracy. Public discussionswill be organised with theOSCE about ecological issues suchas regional water management,recycling of hazardous waste andclimate change. Representatives ofpublic and state organizations, regionalspecialists and experts willshare their views with the audienceand answer questions.Along with other events scheduledover the course of the festival,rock bands will join in to help raiseawareness of environmental issuesamong young people.Sun Child Festival will also addressthose businesses who musttake serious measures in preservingthe scarce natural resources of thecountry for future generations. Inthis regard, a seminar titled, CorporativeSocial Responsibility (CSR)Deputy AssistantSecretary forEuropean andEurasian AffairsTina S. Kaidanowin Yerevan.Photo: MkhitarKhachatryan/Photolure.Sunchild Environmental Festival to kick off October 25Ralph Yirikianof VivaCell/MTS,the principalsponsor of thefestival; RubenKhachatryan, thefestival director;and BarbaraSiebert, theprogram director,during a pressconference inYerevan. Photo:Gayk Badalyan/Photolure.will also take place. Arminfo reportsthat three well-known specialistsfrom abroad have been invited tointroduce the concept of CSR to Armeniancompanies.The festival aims to serve as a stagefor regional dialogue as well. Over 60guests from all over the world includingfilmdirectors, artists, representativesof international organizationsand famous environmentalists willtake part in the festival. fSecurity Council discussed themon October 20. The foreign ministerbriefed members of the body,which include top officials and militarybrass. The council did not callfor the resolution of the Karabakhconflict before ratification; on thecontrary, it said normalization ofrelations with Armenia would helpfacilitate the resolution of the conflict.President Abdullah Gül, meanwhile,spoke to President IlhamAliyev of Azerbaijan by telephone.According to Anatolia, theconversation “eliminated misunderstandingsresulting fromsome emotional reactions whichemerged during a tough period.”(See story on the removal of Turkishflags from a cemetery in Azerbaijan,page 2.)Armenian officials have suggestedthat the Armenian parliamentwould take up the matter of ratificationonly after the Turkish parliamenthas acted. Allies of PresidentSerge Sargsyan, who has arguedstrongly in favor of the protocols,hold a firm majority in Armenia’sNational Assembly.fWorld Bankdirector laudsArmenia’s crisismanagementn Continued from page other sectors of the economy needgreater attention, she said.Ms. Okonjo-Iweala suggested,“You strongly have to work to makesure that the economy is not capturedby oligopolistic structures,”referring to the domination of certainbusinesses by a small numberof entrepreneurs who are also involvedin politics.“You have to fight corruption verystrongly if this economy is to havea chance to grow in the future,” shestated. The Armenian governmenthas stepped up its anticorruptionefforts in recent years.Ms. Okonjo-Iweala noted thatthe prime minister is “stronglywishing to move on reforms.” Shesaid, “I think he fully realizes thatthese challenges are there and thatif they are not tackled it will be animpediment for the economy.”Mr. Sarkisian declared tax reforma top priority shortly afterbeing appointed prime minister inApril 2008. Together with the president,he swiftly managed to reducebribery and favoritism within theCustoms Service.f

18 The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009CommentaryEditorialthe armenianreporterTaking the fight to TurkeyPresident Barack Obama on April 6 joinedthe Armenian people in calling on Turkey toaddress the “terrible events of 1915” in a waythat is “honest, open, and constructive.” Hedid so in Ankara, speaking before the TurkishGrand National Assembly. In what wasan unprecedented act for a U.S. president,he broke the taboo and took the subject ofthe Armenian Genocide to Turkey itself.What should he do to make sure that Turkeydoes acknowledge the Genocide? Andwhat should Armenian-Americans, Armeniansaround the world, and the Armenianstate do to make it happen?Don’t co-conspire with evilFirst, the president should call the Genocideby its name, as he repeatedly promised to doas a presidential candidate.Speaking on April 23 at the HolocaustDays of Remembrance ceremony, PresidentObama asked, “How do we ensure that ‘neveragain’ isn’t an empty slogan, or merely anaspiration, but also a call to action? I believewe start by doing what we are doing today– by bearing witness, by fighting the silencethat is evil’s greatest co-conspirator.” Thepresident needs to take his own words seriouslyand fight that silence.Neither the president nor any Armenianentity should accept the notion that Genociderecognition is a trump card or an instrumentto press Turkey to behave in a certainway. It may be tempting to tell Turkey,“End your blockade of Armenia or else we’llrecognize the Genocide.” Such an approach,however, implies that the United Statesis willing to deny its own history, ignore acrime against humanity, and disregard thesuffering of the forebears of over a million ofits citizens if only Turkey opens the borderit illegally closed in 1993. Recognition of theGenocide is not leverage.Crime and consequencesSecond, in pursuing recognition of theGenocide by Turkey, we cannot water downthe crime or its consequences to make acknowledgementmore palatable to Turkey.It is sometimes suggested, “Reassure theTurks that in recognizing the Genocide theyhave nothing to lose, and they will be morewilling to do it.” No, genocide should haveconsequences.It’s true that restitution and reparationscan be structured in such a way as to createa win-win situation. For example, as part ofa restitution program, Turkey could createa fund to support Armenians – includingTurkish citizens of Armenian origin – whoset up businesses in what is now easternTurkey. That would bring “hidden Armenians”out of the woodwork, encourage Armeniansto move to their ancestral lands,and boost the ailing economy of that partof Turkey – in a way that could also be helpfulto the neighboring Republic of Armenia.Restitution can be win-win, but it cannot bewritten off.In discussing the consequences of acknowledgement,we should also avoid beingdistracted by the nonsensical notion thatthe term genocide – coined to describe theArmenian case – cannot be applied retroactivelyto events that occurred before theadoption of the Genocide convention in1948, i.e., to the Armenian Genocide and theHolocaust. That’s nonsense, no matter whatkind of legal language it’s cloaked in.Working in TurkeyThird, even as we continue our efforts in theUnited States in pursuit of affirmation ofthe U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide,we should expand the scope of our effortsto include work inside Turkey. These effortsshould go on in parallel.With the support of the U.S. governmentand the European Union, Armenians andWith Turkey’sPrimeMinisterErdogan(rear right)present,PresidentObama urgedTurkey toaddressthe “terribleevents of1915” in away thatis “honest,open, andconstructive.”Ankara, April6, 2009.AP Photo/CharlesDharapak.others of goodwill should continue to pressTurkey for the decriminalization of speechimplicating the Turkish state in crimesagainst humanity and the Armenian Genocidein particular. This effort includes but isnot limited to the infamous Article 301 ofthe Turkish criminal code.Further, Armenian organizations shouldcontinue reaching out to potential allies inTurkey, and consider ways of reaching Turkishpublic opinion inside Turkey and in theTurkish diaspora. Certainly, it will not bea level playing field. But if we are seriousabout recognition by Turkey – and we are– then the effort must be made.The struggle for public opinion encompassesnot only the work of historians, butalso the work of artists and educators, includingnovelists, filmmakers, museum curators,reporters, and teachers on all levels.Lemons and lemonadeFourth, steps toward the normalization ofArmenia-Turkey relations can and shouldhelp rather than hinder the campaign forthe universal recognition of the ArmenianGenocide. Discussing the terms of the protocolson the normalization of relationsbetween Turkey and Armenia, PresidentSerge Sargsyan, in his exclusive interviewwith this newspaper, acknowledged, “Perhapsin some countries and in some circumstances,the Armenian lobby will facecertain difficulties.” But we must act quicklyto see how we can turn challenges intoopportunities.The protocols call for the establishment ofan intergovernmental commission “on thehistorical dimension” of Armenian-Turkishrelations. The notion of a commission wasput forth by Turkey as a way of telling theworld, “The jury is still out on Armenianclaims.” And so, many observers, includingthis page, have expressed concern about thecommission. We have called on Armenia’spresident and National Assembly to limitthe potential mandate of the commission– which will be formed only if the protocolsare ratified by the parliaments of bothcountries. President Sargsyan, in an addressimmediately before the signing of theprotocols, stated unequivocally that neitherthe commission, nor any step toward thenormalization of Armenia-Turkey relations,can cast doubt on “the fact of the confiscationof the Armenian patrimony and theGenocide.” That limit should be part of theratification process.Meanwhile, if a commission is to beformed, how can we use it to the advantageof truth and justice? Certainly, Turkey mustdecriminalize speech, as discussed above,if the commission is to function properly.Moreover, the commission can hold publichearings in Turkey and Armenia alike to addressissues like• the status and care of thousands ofmonuments of Armenian culture• what became of the properties of individualArmenians• what became of Armenian orphansand of women taken into Muslimhouseholds• challenges relating to the ongoingconfiscation of Armenian foundationproperties (assets of churches, schools,hospitals, and other community institutions)The election of Barack Obama last Novembermay have left some of us with theimpression that we are close to accomplishingour collective goal of U.S. affirmationof the Armenian Genocide. And indeed, weare closer. But let us remember that the ultimategoal is recognition by Turkey, alongwith restitution and reparations; and forthat to happen, we have plenty of workahead of us, including regrouping, rethinking,and pressing.fLettersRemembering DerTorkomSir:I am writing about the September 12 article,“Archpriest Torkom Hagopian, 86, led Bostoncommunity for 33 years.”But first, I’d like to say that reading theArmenian Reporter for the first time, I lovedit. What a breath of fresh air! The ArmenianReporter was passed around to me – thougha bit late – by another Armenian prisonerin the California state penitentiary who subscribesto it.Seeing Der Torkom’s picture in the articletriggered good memories of theman. When I met him in the early 1970s(my wife and I used to live in Watertownand in Belmont, respectively), he knewmy Moushetsi family from Aleppo, Syria.Then we moved north to New Hampshire,but we remained faithful to St. Stephen’sChurch. In 1976 Der Torkom blessed ournewly purchased house in Rochester; heconsoled my mother who recently had losther husband in France. The following yearhe christened our two sons (…201 Daniel,202 Paul … 1,300 conducted christeningsby Der Torkom).His caring and fatherly character demonstrateditself when one day in a conversationI told him that we now live in Durham.“Give me your address. I will come and blessyour house. I often travel to Manchester.”“But we’re about an hour away from—”“Hok mee uner, deghass [Don’t worry,son].”The “When?” was not discussed, whichmade me think at the time that he mightnot come. But true to his word, he did come.Two o’clock in one weekday afternoon, whennobody was at home, he arrived. He had finishedhis business in Manchester (or was itNashua?) early and had waited in our drivewayuntil we came home. That evening heblessed our home.Very truly yours,Haro AgakianSan Luis Obispo, Calif.Armenian Reporter (ISSN 0004-2358), an independent newspaper,is published weekly by Armenian Reporter llc.Copyright © 2009 by ArmenianReporter llc. All Rights ReservedGerard L. Cafesjian, President and ceoThe views expressed, except in the editorial, arenot necessarily those of the publishers.October 24, 2009Èñ³ïí³Ï³Ý ·áñÍáõÝ»áõÃÛáõÝ Çñ³Ï³Ý³óÝáÕ“²ñÙ»ÝÇ³Ý ðÇ÷áñÃÁñ” ö´Àгëó»` ºñ¨³Ý, ºÕí³ñ¹Ç Ë×áõÕÇ 1ìÏ³Û³Ï³Ý 03²07552 ïñí³Í` 04.12.06Ã.гٳñÇ ÃáÕ³ñÏÙ³Ý å³ï³ë˳ݳïáõ`ìÇÝë»Ýï ÈÇÙ³îå³ù³Ý³ÏÁ` 500Editor Vincent LimaAssociate editor Maria TitizianWashington editor Emil SanamyanEastern U.S. editor Lou Ann MatossianAssistant to the Editor Seda StepanyanArt director Grigor HakobyanThe Armenian Reporter is your newspaper. We urge you to send us your news and yourviews.News. Please send your news to .Letters. Please send your letters to Letters should be no morethan 250 words long and may be edited for clarity. Please include your mailing addressand daytime telephone number.Commentary. Please send your essays to Essays and articlesnormally should be no longer than 900 words.Photos and artwork. We require high-resolution originals. All photos and artworkmust include a credit to the photographer and a signed statement granting us permissionto publish.Advertising and subscriptions. Please direct questions to orcall us.Our offices15 S 5th St Ste 900Minneapolis MN 554021-612-436-2037 phone1-612-359-8994 fax1 Yeghvard Hwy Fl 5Yerevan 0054 Armenia374-10-367-195 phone374-10-367-194 fax

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009 19ArmeniaArshile Gorky to go on exhibit at Cafesjian Center for the ArtsYEREVAN –The first major exhibitionin Yerevan of original work bythe American-Armenian artist ArshileGorky will take place at theCafesjian Center for the Arts fromNovember 8, 2009, through January31, 2010, the center announced.Arshile Gorky: Selections from theGerard L. Cafesjian Collection willexhibit 16 drawings and 7 paintingsby the man who is recognized asa most monumental presence inAmerican twentieth-century art.This is the first major exhibitionof original work in Armenia by ArshileGorky, an artist described bya critic of his time as a “hero ofAbstract Expressionism.”“The many preliminary drawingsand oil sketches in this exhibitionprovide unparalleled insight intoGorky’s unique working method,”said Michael De Marsche, executivedirector of the Cafesjian Centerfor the Arts. “Gorky’s complex,large-scale compositions of cohesivedesign and universal themecontinue to be viewed as some ofthe finest examples of Americanart at mid-century,” he added.A passion for ArmeniaGorky fled Western Armenia duringthe Armenian Genocide, witnessingthe death of his mother from starvation.After living in Yerevan fora period of time, he arrived in theUnited States in 1920 at the age offifteen. Gorky remained passionateabout Armenia throughout his life.In the many letters he sent to hisbrother Moorad and sister Vartoosh,he expressed a longing to return toWestern Armenia, and wrote poeticallyabout every possible aspect ofthe land: the ancient khachkars ofits villages; the salty air of his nativeArshile Gorky, Composition, c.1946, oil on canvas. Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection.region of Van; the fragrance of thecountry’s mountain air; the dolmahe ate as a youth; and, of course, hisbeloved Mount Ararat, “the brain ofnature,” as he described it, “ordainingits movements.”Arshile Gorky eventually becameone of the most influential paintersof the twentieth century, andjust as his career was reaching newAreni: Come to the tableheights, his life ended tragically insuicide in 1948.Grand OpeningThe Gorky exhibition will be oneof many exhibitions marking theopening of the Cafesjian Centerfor the Arts: a tribute to a manwhose death 60 years ago has beenmarked by major exhibitions ofhis work in museums throughoutthe world, including the PhiladelphiaMuseum of Art and London’sTate Modern.The Cafesjian Center for the ArtsGrand Opening Celebration willbegin on the evening of Saturday,November 7, with a spectacularfireworks display near the Cascademonument. The Cascade has beencompletely transformed into oneof the world’s outstanding contemporaryart centers. On Sunday,November 8, the center will beopen to the public to view all therenovations that have taken placeinside the Cascade, and to enjoyan outstanding schedule of exhibitions,lectures, book signings, andevents.fThere is small village named Areniin Armenia. They make the bestwine I have ever tasted. Every Octoberthey hold a wine festival. Iwas there this year, on October 17.I thought that if we have soccerdiplomacy for our neighbors, thenwhy can’t we have wine diplomacytoo? And then maybe they will“come to the table” and taste ourwonderful wine.f—Eric StephanianPhotographerEric Stephanianholds a master’sdegree from theYerevan Academyof Fine Arts andis a photo editorwith Yerevanmagazine.

20 The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009

The Armenian Reporter | October 24, 2009

October 24, 2009artsculturethe armenian&reporterMinas Halaj’s revolutionThe rising young artist returns home after seven years abroad. See page 11A detail from Minas Halaj’s oil painting Metamorphosis. The full work appears on page 11.