National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

12 The Armenian Reporter | May 2, 2009CommunityYoung Professionals prepare for Tour to ArmeniaNEW YORK – The Fund for ArmenianRelief (far) and the ZohrabCenter in New York City organizeda reception and presentation aboutfar’s Young Professionals 2009Tour to Armenia on Thursday, April23. The evening served as a reunionfor alumni of the program as wellas an opportunity to inform prospectiveparticipants about thetour to Armenia.The two-week trip, which is opento young professionals between theages of 23 and 40, will take placefrom June 8 to June 22, 2009. Duringtheir time in Armenia, participantswill visit historic sites such asHoly Etchmiadzin, Noravank monasteryand the Genocide Memorial.They will also meet with religiousand government leaders, includingHis Holiness Catholicos Karekin IIand the new Minister of Diaspora,Hranoush Hakobyan.Young Professional (YP) AlumnaNatalie Gabrelian made a powerpointpresentation about her tripto Armenia with far in 2007. Formerparticipants shared their reflectionsof the trip as well. ArtoVorperian, Projects Director, wasalso on hand to answer any questionsor concerns that prospectiveparticipants had.far Executive Director GarnikNanagoulian thanked everyonefor attending and gave a brief descriptionabout far and the programsit supports in Armenia andNagorno Karabakh. The organization,which was established afterthe 1988 earthquake in Armenia,has contributed to projects andprograms throughout Armenia andKarabakh.“We give hope and opportunityto underprivileged people in far,remote corners of Armenia,” saidNanagoulian. “We’re trying to doour best to help people who are underprivileged,who don’t have thathope or opportunity.”Traveling to Armenia was a lifelongdesire Gabrelian. That dreamwas realized during her far trip in2007 of which she has many memorableexperiences. She provided picturesfrom her trip to the homelandand talked about her experience inArmenia with the Young Professionalstour. Gabrelian spoke about theplaces they visited in detail, includingKhor Virab, Noravank, and NagornoKarabakh, among many otherplaces. She also gave tips to futureparticipants in a light-hearted manner,telling them to bring comfortablewalking shoes. “It was truly hardto say goodbye to good food, goodfun and good friends,” said Gabrielianconcluding her presentation.A Young Professionals alumnusfrom 2001, Rafi Hovsepian alsodescribed his experience, notingthe unique experience he had inthe countryside of Yerevan. “Theyhave a traditional Armenian warmness,kindness and hospitality,” saidHovsepian. “When we visited thevillages in the countryside, peopledid not see us as tourists, but Armeniansfrom other parts of the worldwho came to visit Armenia becausewe did not forget about them.”“This trip is not to show you thebest of Armenia or only what wewant you to see. We each have ourown Armenia. This is an eye-openingtrip that lets you discover or rediscoverArmenia,” said Nanagoulian. 100 Years of Jamanak to be celebrated in New York, May 16-17NEW YORK – Jamanak newspaper,the oldest daily in Istanbul andthe brainchild of three generationsof an Armenian family, celebratesits 100th anniversary this year. Tohonor this significant milestone,the Krikor and Clara Zohrab InformationCenter of the Diocese ofthe Armenian Church of America(Eastern) has organized a two-daycelebration.Diocesan Primate ArchbishopKhajag Barsamian will presideover the gatherings.Several Armenian organizationswill be taking part in the two day observanceof the centennial includingthe Armenian General BenevolentUnion (agbu); Armenian-AmericanSupport and Educational Center,Inc.; Constantinople Armenian ReliefSociety (C.A.R.S.); Essayan-GetronaganAlumni, Inc.; Forest HillsArmenian Cultural Center; Knightsand Daughters of Vartan; TekeyanCultural Association, Inc., and TibrevankAlumni, Inc.Jamanak’s achievement of a centuryof publication has significancenot only for the Armenians of Turkey,but for Armenian communitiesand minority populations across theIstanbul’s Jamanak turned 100.world. So vital is Jamanak’s standingin its country of origin that10 years ago, to mark the paper’s90th anniversary, former Turkishpresident Demirel paid homage toJamanak editor Ara Kocunyan, amove that surprised many Armeniansand Turks at the time.Mr. Kocunyan will be presentfor the centennial celebration inNew York, which will include paneldiscussions as well as a special luncheon.On Saturday, May 16, a symposiumtitled “The Armenian Communityof Istanbul: Perspectives onPast and Present,” will feature academicsand scholars who will discussthe Armenian community inIstanbul and its present situation.The Saturday program – gearedtowards people who may be less familiarwith Jamanak’s history andsignificance – will be divided intotwo sessions, with a complimentarylunch break in between. Partone will take place from 10:30 A.M.to 12:30 p.m.; a second panel discussionwill last from 1:30 P.M. to3:30 P.M.Panelists will include SahanArzruni, musicologist; MarleneBreu, Western Michigan University;Bedross Der Matossian, mit;Lerna Ekmekcioglu, nyu; MelissaBilal, University of Chicago;Ege Edener, nscd; Ayda Erbal,nyu; and Louis Fishman, BrooklynCollege. The program will be inEnglish and is free and open to thepublic. The panel will take place inG-Hall of the Diocesan Complex.“Jamanak represents one of themost important newspapers in theOttoman Empire. It was born in1908 after the Young Turk revolutionand it did play a key role in internalArmenian politics. The levelof the articles, editorials, and thepolitical analysis demonstrate thesophisticated genre of journalismthat existed in Istanbul and whichwas an ultimate reflection of theexisting intellectual echelon of Armeniansociety there,” panelist DerMatossian explained.A celebratory luncheon in honorof Ara Kocunyan will take place onSunday, May 17 at 1:00 P.M. in Haikand Alice Kavookjian Auditorium atthe Diocesan Center. The keynotespeaker of the afternoon will be SimonBalian, with Hagop Vartivarianserving as Master of Ceremonies.The cultural portion of theprogram will include performancesby master pianist Sahan Arzruniand soprano Maro Partamian, aswell as poem recitations.“I am honored to be part of theorganizing committee for thisexciting two-day event and amgrateful for the enthusiastic participationwe have seen from sucha broad spectrum of individualsand organizations. This truly is atestament to the important legacyof a great newspaper,” said RachelGoshgarian, Director of theZohrab Center.The Jamanak 100th anniversaryweekend will take place on Saturdayand Sunday, May 16 and 17,at the Diocese of the ArmenianChurch of America (Eastern), locatedat 630 Second Avenue (corner of34th Street) in New York City. Saturday’spanel will be free and opento the public. Sunday’s celebratoryluncheon is $40. For more information,please contact the Diocese at(212) 686-0710. Richard and Harold Hagopian, Armenian folk music masters,will headline Festival of Nations in St. PaulSAINT PAUL, Minn. – Oud legendRichard Hagopian, accompaniedby his son Harold Hagopian,will be the featured performersat the Festival of Nations, the ArmenianCultural Organization ofMinnesota has announced. Performanceswill take place in the River-Centre in downtown St. Paul, May1 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., and May 2at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. ACOM willhost a community potluck brunchfor the Hagopian family on May2 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. atSt. Sahag Armenian Church. 203 N.Howell St., St. Paul.Richard Hagopian was born inCalifornia after his parents fled theArmenian Genocide of 1915, settlingnear Fresno, which became the largestArmenian community outsidethe newly formed Soviet ArmenianRepublic. He studied classical artmusic with the renowned musicianKanuni Garbis Bakirgian. For fourdecades, he was among the mostimportant collectors of Armenianmusic. In the 1960s, Mr. Hagopianformed the Kef Time Band withBuddy Sarkissian and Khachig Kazarian.He was honored with a Meetthe Composer Grant from NY, withthe prestigious National HeritageFellowship by the National Endowmentfor the Arts, and has madetwo major recordings of traditionalArmenian music for SmithsonianFolkways; he has also performedin major venues across the USA, aswell as in Armenia and Turkey.Harold Hagopian played the Armeniandrum with his father atage 5, then took up the violin andwon the Cordellia Lee Scholarshipto pursue violin studies at the JuilliardSchool, graduating in 1989.His own record company, TraditionalCrossroads, has issued morethan a hundred releases from allover the world, working with musicallegends such as Djivan Gasparyan,the Shoghaken Ensemble andmany others.Established in 1932 by the InternationalInstitute of Minnesota,the Festival of Nations bringsAmericans of all backgrounds together- native and naturalizedcitizens alike - to share the tieswith the past and take pride inthe richness of diverse cultures inthe Minnesota community. At the2009 Festival of Nations, 90 differentethnic groups from around theworld will share their foods, craftsand traditions that form the mosaicof American culture. The MinnesotaArmenian community is afounding participant of the Festivalof Nations, one of the nation’slargest and longest-running multiculturalevents.connect:festivalofnations.comtraditionalcrossroads.comRichard Hagopian. Oh yeah, we canhelp you sell itClassifieds with theArmenian Reporterclassifieds@reporter.am818-955-8407