Hayastan All-Armenian Fund's Annual Telethon Raises $11,109,633
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DECEMBER 1, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 20, Issue 4564 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF No Armenians injured In Aleppo gas attack ALEPPO (Panorama) — No Armenians suffered as a result of an attack at a distance of 3 kilometers from the Armenian Consulate General in Aleppo on Sunday, November 25, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Twitter post. More than 100 people were taken to hospitals in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, after a suspected poi- son gas attack over the weekend, according to Syrian state media and a British-based human Volunteers and presenters, including Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and Primate Parkev Martirossyan, at the annual telethon rights group. Around 100 people were injured in toxic gas attack on the government-controlled city of Aleppo Saturday, according to Syrian state media and a Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Annual British-based human rights group. Russia has carried out air strikes against Syrian rebels it accuses of launching a chemical attack on the government-held city of Aleppo, the BBC Telethon Raises $11,109,633 reports. LOS ANGELES — In an annual telethon the importance of its projects implemented the fund on November 22. In May, Argentina Armenians broadcast from Los Angeles, Hayastan All- in Armenia and Karabakh. Sarkissian had promised to donate his one Armenian Fund raised more than $11 mil- “The money [to be raised in this year’s salary to the fund. He signed a doc- Organize Protest lion that will mostly be spent on its ongo- telethon] will be spent on the improvement ument on donating half of his annual ing infrastructure projects in Nagorno- of the important infrastructures and devel- salary, which is 5,753,496 drams ($11,870). Against Erdogan Karabakh (Artsakh). opment projects in the Republic of Artsakh In addition, Pashinyan donated to the BUENOS AIRES (Panorama.am) — Turkish The Thanksgiving Day telethon featured [(Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), and fund 1 million drams (approx. $2,060) from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has left for prominent members of the Armenian com- the Republic of Armenia,” the acting PM the Prime Minister’s fund, and 500,000 Argentina to take part in the G20 summit. munity in the United States and Karabakh also noted, in particular, live on air, and (approx. $1,030) from his personal funds. Armenians of Argentina organized a protest Armenian leaders. It was broadcast by addressing the followers of Telethon 2018. Most of the latest donations will be chan- action against Erdogan’s visit to Buenos Aires, Armenian and US-Armenian TV channels. “We need an exceptional nationwide con- neled into two projects in Karabakh Ermenihaber informs. Protesters reminded that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of solidation. (…). Now there is that opportu- launched by Armenia Fund last year. One human rights were violated in Turkey. They empha- Armenia made a live televised appeal to nity today, and there is no doubt that we of them is aimed at expanding local irriga- sized that a number of human rights activists and Armenians around the world when he visit- will use that opportunity to create a truly tion networks while the other seeks to sup- politicians in Turkey are now in prison. ed the fund’s headquarters in Yerevan early united, free, and joyful Armenia.” port greater use of solar energy by They also reminded that former Turkish Co- on Friday, November 23. He urged them to In a statement issued shortly afterwards, Karabakh households. Chairman of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s donate more funds to the charity, stressing Armenia Fund said the sum collected by it Armenia Fund has implemented over Party Selahattin Demirtas is still in jail in Turkey. this time includes $2.5 million donated by $350 million worth of projects in Karabakh Within the framework of the summit, Erdogan a “benefactor” who did not want to be iden- and Armenia since being set up in 1992. will discuss the situation in Syria and Iraq with the Four Religious Leaders tified. Two other wealthy donors, The fund’s current Board of Trustees is presidents of Russia, the United States, France and Armenian-American businessmen Antranig headed by Sarkissian and comprises a number of other countries. Call for Aid to Mideast Baghdassarian and Albert Boyajian, con- Pashinyan, other senior Armenian state tributed $1 million each. officials, Catholicos Karekin II as well as Christians Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, prominent members of Armenian commu- Aivazovsky Painting who is also the chairman of the Board of nities around the world. Trustees of the Fund, visited the office of see TELETHON, page 20 Sells for £609,000 LONDON (Panorama.am) — “Venice at Sunset” By Florence Avakian LA TIMES PHOTO by artist Hovhannes (Ivan) Aivazovsky was sold for £609,000 ($780,000) at Christie’s auction of the NEW YORK — The Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Russian Art held on November 26, TASS reports. Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese “Venice at Sunset” was estimated to be worth of the Armenian Church of America, joined £400,000-600,000 ($522,800-$784,200) at the auc- his fellow church hierarchs Archbishop tion. Aivazovsky painted it in 1873 and it eventual- Demetrios (of the Greek Orthodox ly became part of John Kluge’s private collection. Archdiocese of America), Archbishop The auction, which brought together 250 partic- Dionysius John Kawak (Syriac Orthodox ipants from 29 countries, collected a total of £7.15 Archdiocese for the Eastern US) and million. All proceeds will be donated to Columbia Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan (Roman University of New York. Catholic Archdiocese of New York) in the Aivazovsky (1817–1900), was a Russian painter letter pleading for support in the “uphold- of Armenian descent, most famous for his ing of religious freedom and the preserva- seascapes. tion of pluralism and diversity” for Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. “Thousands of Christians and people of other religions in the Middle East face per- INSIDE secution daily,” said the four religious lead- Ethnic Tensions at Glendale High ers in a letter to US President Donald J. Trump, dated November 16. School Lead to New Measures see LETTER, page 4 Spotlight on GLENDALE — An altercation on the Herbert Hoover High School campus in Glendale in October incited decades-old racial and cultural strife among Armenians Government May Close and other ethnic groups, reflecting the Chankalian larger issue of racism across the country. Diaspora Ministry The consequences surpassed those By Taleen Babayan Page 10 Special to the Mirror-Spectator involved in the fight, forcing the Board of YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The government Education to cancel the infamous “Battle is considering closing Armenia’s Diaspora for the Victory Bell” amid reports of Ministry or downgrading its status, threats, noting the safety of students as their priority. The cancellation of the Diaspora Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan annual football game, held between rivals Glendale High School and Hoover High INDEX said on Friday, November 23. School, upset parents and students alike who staged a walk-out amid frustrations Arts and Living . 13 The ministry was set up in 2008 by then with the Glendale Unified School District due to a lack of answers and clarity Armenia . 2,3 Community News. 6 President Serzh Sargsyan. It is tasked with about the brawl that occurred among ethnically diverse students on October 3, maintaining and strengthening the coun- Editorial . 18 2018 — a fight that quickly went viral. International . 4,5 try’s cultural, educational and other ties see GLENDALE, page 12 with the worldwide Armenian Diaspora. see CLOSING, page 3 2 S ATURDAY, D ECEMBER 1 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenian President Visits Germany YEREVAN (Armenpress) —The offi- experience in parliamentary democ- accepted by Frank-Walter Steinmeier. cial meeting ceremony of President racy is very important and can serve Sarkissian also participated in the Russia and Armenia of Armenia Armen Sarkissian and as an example”, Armen Sarkissian working discussions organized by the Nouneh Sarkissian took place on said. Munich Conference on International Cooperate on Nuclear November 27 at the Presidential Highly appreciating Germany for Security. Palace of Germany, Bellevue Palace. the financial-technical and economic Present at the meeting was the Issues German President Frank-Walter assistance of Germany provided to President of the Munich Conference YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Armenian-Russian Steinmeier and cooperation in atomic energy is a component of Elke Büdenbender met Armenian-Russian relations and now there is an issue Armen Sarkissian and on the agenda to set a working group that will exam- Nouneh Sarkissian at ine the opportunities for cooperation in this direc- the gates of the Palace. tion after the exploitation of the Armenian Nuclear Armenian and Power Plant is over, Russian Ambassador to Armenia German state anthems Sergey Kopirkin told the reporters. were performed by the “There are a number of interesting and promising military orchestra. projects in this term at Rosatom that can be of inter- Afterwards, Steinmeier est for Armenia and will be in line with specifications and Armen Sarkissian of Armenia’s energy consumption,” he said. had a private conversa- The Russian ambassador said that cooperation in tion, followed by an this sphere is under strict control of the Armenian expanded-format meeting and Russian leaders. with the participation of Speaking about the Armenian Nuclear Power the delegations. Plant, Sergey Kopirkin emphasized that it has The German President immeasurable importance for Armenia’s social-eco- welcomed Armen nomic development, ensuring the operation of indus- Sarkissian and saluted trial facilities and also it has a great role for making his first official visit to electricity tariff acceptable for the public.