Ð³Û êÇñï H A I S I R D

THETHETHETHE GLOBALGLOBALGLOBALGLOBAL REAREAREAREACHCHCHCH OFOFOFOF THETHETHETHE ARSARSARSARS

AN INTERNATIONAL PERIODICAL OF THE ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY вزвÚÎ²Î²Ü ä²ð´ºð²ÂºðÂ Ð²Ú ú¶Üàôº²Ü ØÆàôº²Ü ¸ºÎîºØ´ºð 2003 DECEMBER/ NO. 157 Ð³Û êÇñï H A I S I R D вزвÚÎ²Î²Ü ä²ð´ºð²ÂºðÂ Ð²Ú ú¶Üàôº²Ü ØÆàôº²Ü AN INTERNATIONAL PERIODICAL OF THE ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY Published By The Central Executive of The Armenian Relief Society

Maro Minasian Chairpersen

Hasmig Derderian Vice-Chairpersen

Margaret Stepanian Treasurer

Houri Najarian Clerk

Advisors Majda Garabedian Silva Kahtalian Helen Merdjanian Anahid Meymarian Alvart Petrosian



Hai Sird is published by The Armenian Relief Society Inc. 80 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472, USA C Copyright 2003, ARS, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, without permission, is prohibited. The opinions expressed in Hai Sird are not necessarily those of the Armenian Relief Sociaty.

ISBN 0-9704934-1-X ´àì²Ü¸²ÎàÂÆôÜ CONTENTS

From The Letterbox 2 ÊÙ³·ñ³Ï³Ý/Editorial 3 - 4 The Many Aspects of ARS Involvement . . . 5 Second Annual NGO Conference In Armenia 10 Entrevista de HOM con la diputada uruguaya Escribana Beatriz Argimon 11 ÐúØ-Á« Ð³Û ÎÇÝÁ« ºõ гÛñ»ÝÇù-ê÷Çõéù Ú³ñ³»ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ èàô´Æܲ öÆðàôغ²Ü 12 Joint ARS/UNDP Efforts In Support of Schools in Armenia 16 The 56th Annual Conference of Non-Gov ernmental Organizations In Manhattan Nayiree Derderian 18 Marriage And Love In America By Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill 20 The Armenians of Javakhq Richard Giragosian 24 La 51ème Assemblée Générale de la CBAF 30 The ARS Armenian Summer Studies Institute 32 ARS Eastern USA Holds 83rd Annual Regional Convention 34 TWO RECENT POEMS By Alvard Petrosian 35 ²é³çÇÝ ø³ÛÉÁ ²éÝáõ»ó³õ 36 Zaven Nalbandian s "David of Sassoon" By Shake Melkonian-Minassian 38 The Gyumri Orphange for Handicapped Children Receives $12,000 from ARS, Inc. 39 î»ñ»õ³Ã³÷ 40 A Tumanian Sampler 42 Around the Regions, Around the World 48 

 From The Letterbox        

In February, 2003, the ARS Central Executive received the following letter from His Grace Mesrop Archbishop Ashjian, who, less than ten months later, on December 2, 2003, was to succumb to a massive heart attack, in New York City, depriving our nation of the future contributions of a dedicated and indefatigable servant of the people, the Church and Armenian culture: To the ARS Central Executive Board: I would like to inform you that we have received your most generous contribution of $12,000 for the kitchen equipment of the Gyumri Invalids orphanage. We had already made arrangements for the purchase of the kitchen appliances (i.e. refrigerators, ovens, etc) and would like to assure you that your gift will be used in the best possible way. I do hope that you, or your representatives, will honor us with your visit to the orphanage once it opens its gates to become a cradle to our little children. We would like to extend our thanks to the great family of the ARS throughout the world and wish you continuous growth and prosperity in the services of our nation.       

Dear ARS: I just want to thank you for letting me and another person go to France from America. It was the best experience of my life! I would go again if the ARS would have us…The camp was a great enjoyment, c’etait si bon! I had a wonderful time there. The French-Armenians were very kind about having a person, who didn’t speak French very well, into their “group”. It was nice of them also to really help me learn French. I was very impressed at how well everybody, boys and the girls, got along together; everyone participated. I wish the camp season was longer… as it is, I made lots of friends with kids from France and Canada. I will see some of them in Yerevan next year at Scout Camp. The last day of Camp was hard on everyone. When we reached Paris after 8 hours on a bus, all the parents were there, waiting. I started to cry because I knew I wasn’t going to see most of my new friends again. I will miss them as well as the counselors; the funniest monitors were Laurie, Serge and Shami. I will miss the camp sooo much! Sincerely, Sareen Zinzalian P.S. I love how ARS made and organized such a program, it was the best!!!

- 2 - Ê Ø ´ ² ¶ ð ² Î ² Ü

Ð ú Ø–Æ ² Þ Ê ² ð Ð ² Ì Æ ð ² ê ä ² ð ¾ ¼ À

Ü»ñÏ³Û ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý áõ ¹Çõ³Ý³·Çï³Ï³Ý ½³Ý³½³Ý ÷áñÓáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáí áõ ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý Éáõñç Ùï³Ñá·áõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáí ÉÇ ³éûñ»³ÛÇÝ Ù¿ç« Ð³Û ú·Ýáõû³Ý ØÇáõû³Ý ÝÙ³Ý Ñ³Ù³ß˳ñѳÛÇÝ í³ñÏ áõÝ»óáÕ Ï³½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ å³ñïÇÝ Çñ»Ýó ÉÇÝ»ÉáõÃÇõÝÁ ³ñÅ»õáñ»Éª ß³ñáõݳϻÉáí Çñ»Ýó Ù³ñ¹³ëÇñ³Ï³Ý ³é³ù»ÉáõÃÇõÝÁ ÙÇç³½·³ÛÇÝ Û³ñ³»ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ Û³×³Ë ÉåñÍáõÝ ÏñÏ¿ë¿Ý Ý»ñë© Ý³Ù³Ý³õ³Ý¹ »ñ« áñå¿ë àÎÎ ¥àã ϳé³í³ñ³Ï³Ý ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝ£« Ý»ñϳÛáõÃÇõÝ »Ý áõ å³ñï³õáñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ »Ý ëï³ÝÓÝ³Í Ødzó»³É ²½·»ñáõ γ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃ»Ý¿Ý Ý»ñë£

Ð³Û ú·Ýáõû³Ý ØÇáõÃÇõÝÁ áñ« 1998« سÛÇë 28-¿Ý Ç í»ñ« å³ßïûݳå¿ë Ï°³Ý¹³Ù³ÏóÇ Ø²Î-Ç îÝï»ë³Ï³Ý áõ ÀÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ Ú³ÝÓݳÅáÕáíÇÝ (ECOSOC)« Çñ 23 ï³ñ»ñ »ñÏÇñÝ»ñáõ Ù¿ç ³ñ¹Çõݳõ»ï ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõÃÇõÝ óáõó³»ñáÕ Ù³ëݳ×ÇõÕ»ñáí« ³Ûëûñ ÏÁ ß³ñáõݳϿ 1910-ÇÝ ÍÝáõݹ ³é³Í Çñ ³é³ù»ÉáõÃÇõÝÁª íëï³Ñ ù³ÛÉ»ñáí ѳëÝ»Éáõ ѳٳñ Çñ Ùûï³Ï³Û ѳñÇõñ³Ù»³ÏÇÝ áõ ³ÝÏ¿ ³É ³Ý¹Çݪ ß³ñáõݳϻÉáí »õ ÁݹɳÛÝ»Éáí Çñ ³½·³Ýáõ¿ñ ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõÃÇõÝÁ ѳÛñ»ÝÇ áëï³ÝÝ»ñ¿Ý ÙÇÝç»õ ê÷ÇõéùÇ Ñ»é³õáñ ³ÝÏÇõÝÝ»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç ѳ۳å³Ñå³ÝÙ³Ý ³Ý¹áѳÝùáí ³åñáÕ Ñ³Û ·³ÕáõÃÝ»ñÁ£

Àݹ³ñÓ³Ï ¿ ÐúØ-Ç ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõû³Ý ¹³ßïÁ£ ÐÇÙÝáõ³Í Çñ γÝáݳ·ñÇ á·ÇÇÝ áõ ï³éÇÝ íñ³Ûª ³Ý Ï°ûųݹ³Ï¿ Ñ³Û ÅáÕáíáõñ¹Ç ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ« ³éáÕç³å³Ñ³Ï³Ý áõ ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý ×Ç·»ñáõݪ Û³ïáõÏ Û³ïϳóáõÙÝ»ñ ÁÝ»Éáí ëÝáõݹ« ¹»Õûñ³Ûù áõ ѳ·áõëï»Õ¿Ý ѳÛóÛûÉáõ« å³ï»ñ³½ÙÝ»ñáõ »õ Ý³Ï³Ý ³Õ¿ïÝ»ñáõ ųٳݳϫ û·Ý»Éáí ãù³õáñÝ»ñáõ« ÑÇõ³Ý¹Ý»ñáõ »õ ³ùëáñ»³ÉÝ»ñáõ© ÑÇÙÝ»Éáí ³éáÕç³å³Ñ³Ï³Ý« ëÝݹ³³ßËáõÙÇ »õ ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ Í³é³Ûáõû³Ý Ï»¹ñáÝÝ»ñ »õ« Ç Ñ³ñÏÇÝ« ݳ»õ ÝÇõóå¿ë ûųݹ³Ï»Éáí ³ÝáÝó© ù³ç³É»ñ»Éáí ѳۻñ¿Ý É»½áõÇ »õ Ùß³ÏáÛÃÇ áõëáõóáõÙÁª ÑÇÙÝ»Éáí ѳÛÏ³Ï³Ý í³ñųñ³ÝÝ»ñ »õ ÝÇõóå¿ë ûųݹ³Ï»Éáí ³ÝáÝó© û·Ý»Éáí Ñ³Û Ùß³ÏáÛÃÇ Û³õ»ñųóÙ³Ý ë³ï³ñáÕ Ñ³Ù³ë÷Çõéù³ÛÇÝ ×Ç·»ñáõ« »õ ÝÇõóå¿ë ûųݹ³Ï»Éáí ѳٳÉë³ñ³Ý³Ï³Ý ÏñÃáõû³Ý Ñ»ï»õáÕ ³ñųݳõáñ áõë³ÝáÕÝ»ñáõª áñáÝù ÏÁ Ù³ëݳ·Çï³Ý³Ý ѳ۳·Çï³Ï³Ý ×ÇõÕ»ñáõ »õ ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ Í³é³Ûáõû³Ý Ñ»ï ³éÝãáõáÕ Ù³ñ½»ñáõ Ù¿ç£

²Ûëûñ« í»ñáÛÇß»³É ϳٳõáñ³å¿ë ëï³ÝÓÝáõ³Í Çñ ѳٳѳÛÏ³Ï³Ý å³ñï³õáñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõÝ ·áñͳ¹ñÙ³Ý Ñ³Ù³ñ« ÐúØ-Á« ѳϳé³Ï Ý»ñÏ³Û Ñ³Ù³ß˳ñѳÛÇÝ ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý ³ÝÝå³ëï å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñáõݪ áñáÝù ùÇã ÙÁ ³Ù¿Ý ï»Õ ¹³Ý¹³Õ»óáõó³Í »Ý ³ÏÝϳÉáõ³Í ³ñù³õ³×Ù³Ý ÁÝóóùÁ« Çñ ï³ëÝ»³Ï ѳ½³ñ³õáñ ÝáõÇñ»³É ÁÝÏ»ñáõÑÇÝ»ñáí« ÏÁ ß³ñáõݳϿ« áõ åÇïÇ° ß³ñáõݳϿ ³å³·³Û Ýå³ëï³õáñ ÿ ³ÝÝå³ëï å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñáõ ï³Ï« Çñ³Ï³Ý³óÝ»É Ù»ñ ÅáÕáíáõñ¹Ç ³ñûñáõû³Ý ѳٳñ ÛÕ³óáõ³Í áÉá°ñ Çñ Ù³ñ¹³ëÇñ³Ï³Ý áõ ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý Íñ³·ÇñÝ»ñÁª Û³ÝáõÝ Ù»ñ ѳٳѳÛÏ³Ï³Ý »ñ³½Ý»áõ Çñ³Ï³Ý³óÙ³Ý 

- 3 - EDITORIAL

T H E G L O B A L R E A C H O F T H E A R S

IIn today’s uneasy political, social and economic environment, fraught with unpredictable developments, internationally active organizations such as the Armenian Relief Society, must live up to their commitments by continuing their humanitarian, social and welfare activities in often inauspicious circumstances. Responsibilities assumed as NGOs actively involved in various UN-sponsored programs add an additional burden to those commitments that are the very core of their raison d’etre.

The Armenian Relief Society, on the roster of the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since May 28, 1998 on a consultative level. continues in a global effort with the active participation of a vast membership distributed in 23 different countries of the world a mission started in1910. With justifiable confidence, it moves forward towards a not-too-distant centenary, and beyond, carrying on and expanding its multi-faceted activities, helping widely dispersed Armenian communities in their struggle for survival and growth.

The ARS field of activities is vast. Based on both the letter and spirit of its constitution, the Armenian Relief Society brings its material and moral support to the social, health and cultural needs of the people through grants for food, medicine and clothing at times of war or natural disaster; it brings aid to the poor, the sick and the homeless by founding centers for health-care, food distribution and social services and, whenever necessary, supporting them financially; it encourages and sponsors the teaching of the Armenian language, history and culture by establishing and financing kindergartens and schools; it sponsors various Diasporan programs geared to the promotion of Armenian studies in all its facets; it provides scholarships to deserving college and graduate students who specialize in Armenian oriented fields or various areas of social studies.

Today, to implement projects based on the above-mentioned pan-Armenian programs — in spite of the present unfavorable economic situation that has set a global recessionary trend — the ARS, with its dedicated membership hard at work in well-organized regional entities, continues, and will continue to see its numerous programs through, assisting where assistance is needed, extending its helping hand wherever necessary. Our commitment to our humanitarian mission, made almost a century ago, will be honored until our nation’s collective needs and goals are met and realized 

- 4 -  The Many Aspects of ARS Involvement . . .

entities in Syria, Lebanon, the United States, Canada and France have their own regional programs, while the Central Executive Board, offers grants through its Eremian Scholarship Fund to second year of college and graduate level students with no geographicalrestrictions. ARS of Eastern USA offers grants on two college levels: one for undergraduates, the other, through the Lazarian …IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION Scholarship Fund, for graduate students. ARS/ Canada offers special scholarships for students As a promoter of learning and education, the attending Canadian, Armenian and Artsakh Armenian Relief Society, from its inception, channeled universities. a good portion of its energies and resources into the establishment of schools and scholarship funds d) Sponsoring One-Day and Saturday Schools: These wherever they were neeed in the vast diasporan schools are ARS instituted and are subsidized by presence of the Armenian communities, struggling to the Society. However, since the end of the 1960s, preserve their heritage. they are jointly supported with the Armenian National Educational Council (ANEC) in the following a) Grants to Schools and Institutions: As ARS/Canada two regions: Eastern United States, with around supports the schools of Montreal and Toronto — 15 Saturday schools; Canada (Vancouver, Hamilton, which have a combined number of 1,400 students St. Catherine and Cambridge) with 100 pupils in 4 — so do ARS/Eastern USA for the schools in Boston, schools. New York and Philadelphia, while ARS/Western USA, While the Western USA region has 15 Saturday France and Greece support the schools in their schools with 1,000 pupils attending, there are 10 respective regions. In addition, the ARS/CEB and one-day schools in France, with 450 pupils and 35 ARS/Syria provide special grants to academic teachers. There are additional 8 classes of music, institutions in Syria and Lebanon. dance, theater, etc. It is worth mentioning that, through the efforts of the Blue Cross of France, for b) The Kindergarten/Day Care Center in Aleppo: The the first time in the history of the community, some Aleppo, Syria kindergarten, located in the medical of the schools have acquired the right to grade center building since 1997, functions with new pupils preparing for the baccalaureate exams of the programs designed for working mothers’ children Paris, Creteil and Versailles academies; based on aged between 3 months and 3 years, who attend those grades, they participate in the French the Centerl six days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 baccalaureate exams. p.m. Over the last few years, the average number The ABC of France collaborates with INALCO of children has been around 24. (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales) in preparing accredited teachers of c) Scholarship Grants on primary, secondary, high Armenian, encouraging teachers to strive for “A” school and college levels: Scholarships on primary, Listing of Programmed A.R.S. Activities, worldwide. secondary and high school levels are granted mostly With this accreditation, they can teach Armenian in in Syria, Lebanon, Greece and South American all francophone countries. regions, while for students on college level, ARS - 5 - Health Care Center. Alongside these activities, the Chapter organizes Blood-Donors Days, bone marrow matching searches, collection of clothing, medicine, etc.

d) ARS/Eastern USA: The ARS Social Service was founded in 1981 in Watertown. It offers help in the form of information, housing, legal advice, preparation of documents, etc. The center also works with senior citizens by, periodically, visiting …IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES them, taking them out to dinner, etc. e) ARC/Lebanon: The Araxie Boulghourdjian F rom the early days of its foundation, the ARS Sociomedical Center of Bourj Hammoud also has a has provided social services to its communities, even list of free services, among which, laboratory tests, in the absence of special offices in many regions. psychological treatment, mental health related Starting on the chapter level, it encompasses regional lectures, accessible to laymen, on various topics. and central bodies, who — along with their regular The demographic scope of this highly professional chores — do their utmost to extend a helping hand to Center is larger than most, servicing every segment those in the community who need advice and help in of the multi-ethnic population with the same care marital, legal or other matters of urgency, visiting the and concern. sick and the elderly in hospitals and homes. During the ’40s and ’50s, these activities started to be handled f) ARS/South America: The Diarbekirian Rest Home more professionally in certain regions, to the point of Buenos Aires was founded in 1985. It can where government agencies started helping the accommodate 70 elderly people in modern, well program with regular subsidies, expanding the A.R.S. furnished facilities. In 1990, the “Arpie” Chapter of programs’ reach and capacity. Included in these ARS Sao Paolo, Brazil, started a rest home that today services are the Aleppo Refuge and the Rest Homes shelters 15 seniors. of South America. g) ARC/Syria: The social services of the ARC Aleppo a) ARS/Armenia: In the Homeland, ARS social service Sociomedical Center are more limited since its main involves general assistance geared to individual thrust is more in the medical field than social, cases, within the means of the regional although it provides financial aid, food, employment organization, with no pre-established programs. help, as the need arises.The Aleppo Shelter was Regular distribution of financial aid and food to established in year 1930. It provides shelter to indigent families and individuals has become an parentless or abandoned children and teenagers accepted part of the region’s activities. until they are able to secure a safe and normal existence for themselves. The past two International Conventions passed resolutions of support to this b) ARS/Australia: With one office in Sidney, the establishment and, at the last Convention, the sum social service effort is mainly involved in offering of $30,000 was voted for needed renovations of needed information and guidance to thosethose the building. who require assistance.

h) ARS/Western USA: This service was started in late c) ARS/Canada: The Toronto ARS “Rubina” Chapter’s 1980, with a main office in Glendale and 4 auxiliary social service office, opened in 1987, works with a centers in Los Angeles suburbs. Presently, it has a staff of one, every day until noon, giving needed staff of thirty-one. To give an idea of the scope of guidance and help to those who drop in for this program, let us note that during a fiscal year, assistance. The center’s services include: an average of over 45,000 cases, individual and employment search, financial aid, translation, health family, are serviced with much needed advice, related needs, family counseling, assistance to information, clarification of offical and legal matters, senior citizens, etc. The Chapter also has ARS translation, preparation of documents and Armenian sections in two local old age homes, 18 applications, employment, distribution of food and beds in Seven Oaks, and 10 in North York Seniors’ other necessities, financial help, etc. - 6 - officially opened on May 18, 1997. It is the first of its kind in Armenia, officially recognized and supported by the Armenian Government. Children, up to 15 years of age, pregnant — and younger than 50 year old — women of the 8 villages and towns in the Shirak District receive specialized treatment at the Center. In compliance with local laws and regulations, children’s vaccinations, medication and all other health services are free of charge for the residents of the District; those who …AND SOCIOMEDICAL ASSISTANCE drop in from other districts, receive the same treatment at a nominal fee. This area of activity was also a necessity, specially c) New Birthing Center: The Center has laid the in the aftermath of disasters and armed conflicts. foundations of a new maternity ward, adjacent to Practically every Chapter in the regions had their first aid centers, and in case of the absence of one, they the center; construction will soon be completed and subsidized a certain number of beds in local hospitals the new building, totally equipped with all necessary for Armenian patients. Today, the governments of medical instrumentation, and staffed with certain countries provide health care for their citizens, specialized personnel, will complete the cycle of pre- others offer certain programs to make health care and post-natal care, reducing the rate of fatalities more accessible to all, but, there are also countries caused by untreated pregnancy, delivery and post- where such assistance is nonexstent. It is in those partem complications. cases that the Regional ARS entities, listed below, have d) ARS Optic Centers: These centers in Armenia and stepped up their programs related to social service Artsakh were opened, by the efforts of ARS/Western activities. USA, in the following locations: Talin (1992), Yerevan a) ARC/Lebanon’s Araxie Boulghourdjian (1995), Vanadzor (1996). In 1999, the ARS “Siroun” Sociomedical Center: This Center, was founded in Optic opened its doors in Stepanakert, Nagorno 1987, prompted by the urgent necessities created Karabagh. by the Lebanese civil war. The first ARS health center e) ARC/Syria’s Health Center: This Center also offers — opened in Beirut in the year 1938 — due to local the same services, and follows the same unsettled conditions was replaced with the Fanar procedures, as the Araxie Boulghourdjian Center. Dispensary, which exists to this day. In 1949, the Recently its laboratory was renovated and the Eshrefieh dispensary opened its doors, there is also equipment modernized. the Ainjar Dispensary, where the evacuees from Jebel Musa (Musa Dagh, of Franz Werfel fame) received treatment. In 1952, the Bourj Hammoud Dispensary was started and, over the years, it turned into the Araxie Boulghourdjian Center. The fundamental aim of the Center’s approach is the planned implementation of preventive medicine. The Center is equipped with up-to-date instrumentation for radiology, ultrasound, MRI, and laboratory work, it has an emergency first aid section, dental offices, and offers the services of specialized physicians. …YOUTH RELATED PROGRAMS Annually, over 58,000 people are treated at the Center whose management and staff cooperate and A primary ARS activity has been a priority in coordinate their work with various European and organizational planning. At the beginning, it consisted United Nations health connected agencies. of summer camps for youngsters of weak constitution b) The ARS “Mother& Child” Health Center of or financially challenged families; presently, summer Akhurian: This Health Center is the result of the programs give the youth of different countries an ARS/Eastern Region’s dedicated efforts. It was opportunity to get to know each other and to develop cultural bonds of a common ethnicity. - 7 - a) The Bellefontaine Camp of the Armenian Blue Cross Armenian orphans they had harbored after the mass of France: Operating since 1935, bringing together deportations and slaughter ordered by the Turks. The Armenian youth from many communities of the present “Sponsor-A-Child” program started right after Diaspora. the 1988 earthquake that caused over 50,000 casualties in northwestern Armenia. b) Internship Program at the United Nations: Each year, the ARS sponsors a young student to spend a a) “ARS Day” at Orphanages: Throughout Armenia, summer month at the UN Headquarters in New York there are 51 children’s homes and more than 10,000 as an intern, working at various offices of the largest parentless or abandoned children. Based on this of all international organizations. The experience data, the ARS decided to extend a helping hand acquired through this internship will help our through appropriate programs. presence in ECOSOC as an NGO, lively and active in With the “ARS Day” project, the Society presently many key areas of socio-economic endeavor. helps 533 children through the sustained efforts of the following ARS entities: Armenian Blue Cross of c) The ARC Lebanon Sanatorium: Formerly in Shtora, Athens, Greece (210 children at the Special Boarding now in Ainjar, this establishment, now over half a School #8 of Yerevan); Armenian Blue Cross of century old, was started in 1951. France (85 children at the Nork School #2 of d) The Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Mercy Cross Yerevan); ARS of Canada (50 children at the Yerevan of Thessalonika/ Macedonia (Greece): Founded in Special Nursery, Boarding School #8 of Yerevan, and 1946 — with construction of present modern 90 children at the Hrazdan Special Boarding School facilities started in 1981 and completed in 1989 — #1); and ARS Western USA (98 children at the this camp boasts one of the most scenic locations Ashtarak Boarding School #18). In various ways, in Europe. our ARS entities of England and Cyprus bring their contribution to this little known, but exemplary, e) The ARC of Syria Summer Camp program usually project. takes place in Kessab: The ARS also contributes to the two Armenian Youth Federation camps: The b) The ARS “Sponsor-A-Child” Program: This Eastern USA AYF “Camp Haiastan” and the Summer program, initiated in 1992, as a consequence of the Youth Camp of the AYF of Western USA. Alongside great and devastating earthquake in northwestern these annually repeated camp seasons, the ARS Armenia as well as the Karabagh Region liberation has organized a number of camping seasons in war; two major debacles that cost Armenia Armenia. thousands of casualties, leaving a large number of children without parents. It is the desire and cherished goal of the Armenian Relief Society, that not a single child in our Homeland be allowed to remain without support and shelter, and that all individuals enjoy the blessings of family and home, in peace and security. In order to make this possible, all those who care to give their moral and financial support, are given the chance to do so by getting in touch with their local - or nearest - Armenian Relief Society entities at their office. Today, with the presently active participation of …ORPHAN CARE eighteen ARS regional entities, more than 4,500 parentless children in the homeland receive an The care of orphans has always been an important annual sum of US$120.00 each, provided by part of ARS activities. After the “Metz Yeghern” of 1915 volunteer sponsors, who additionally donate — the first Genocide of the twentieth century — to US$10.00 to the Armenian Relief Society Central save the surviving orphans, scattered throughout the Executive to cover the on-going administrative costs Deir el Zor desert in Syria, the ARS started the “One of the project. In spite of this sustained effort, there Orphan, One Gold Coin” project, offering money to still remain over 1,780 orphans on our list, waiting native Arabs and Bedouins who returned surviving for sponsors. - 8 - c) The “Maralik” Children’s Choir was initiated by the ARS of South America 10 years ago as an unprecedented project that brought together the talents of 40 children between the ages of 5 -15. The “Maralik” has, thus far. issued 3 albums: “Nor Serund” (New Generation) in 1993; “AybBenGim” (ABC) in 1995; “Hayordiq” (Sons of Armenia) in 1998. “Maralik” was the first to come up with Armenian CDs in South America. d) The “Narod Ardhaljian” Children’s Library of Lebanon was founded in Bourj Hammoud in the year …CULTURAL 1993. The new generations are given access to Armenian culture through song, dance, recitations, arts and crafts, etc. Cultural activities of all kinds, designed to enhance the Armenian awareness of the communities, are e) The “Nayiri” Dance Group was initiated by the encouraged by the ARS; functions are organized in all Regional Executive of ARS/South America. It was regions where, through lectures, artistic started in 1978 and, in a very short time, had presentations, concerts, exhibitions, etc., various become a prominent cultural wonder in the aspects of Armenian culture are kept alive and visible. Armenian communities of Argentina, Uruguay and a) Arts and Crafts Centers in Syria and Lebanon not Brazil. The dance group brings together Armenian only help to perpetuate Armenian needlework, youngsters to become performers and presenters crafts and designs, but also provide a livelihood to of one of our national culture’s important many a craftsman whose talents are kept functional manifestations. Encouraged by Nayiri’s success, the and productive in the creative atmosphere of these Regional executive founded the “Shirak” Dance centers. School for Youngsters which has an enrollment of b) The Ethnic Armenian News Media receive regular around 80 children. support from the ARS in the following regions of the Diaspora: Canada, France, Greece, Syria, Lebanon, and the Americas. 

Help us Expand Our Heritage… Contribute Recent Works of Contemporary Armenian Artists to:

- 9 - Yerevan, September 25, 2003

SecondSecond AnnualAnnual NGONGO ConferenceConference InIn ArmeniaArmenia

fter months of preparation, on September 25, guests, welcoming remarks and opening state- A2003, organized by the Central Execu-tive ments were made by the ARS Chairperson, Mrs. Board of the Armenian Relief Society, Inc., the Maro Minassian, Dr. Bella Ko-charian, US Am- 2nd NGO Conference took place in Yerevan’s Con- bassador to Armenia, John Ordway, Minister of gress Hotel. This highly motivated gathering Social Affairs, Agh-van Vardanian, UN Resident went through its pro-ceedings under the gracious Coordinator, Lise Grande, and OSCE Ambassa- auspices of Armenia’s First Lady, Dr. Bella dor, Mi-chael Wygant. Kocharian. After the keynote speakers – Health Minister, After due consideration to many pressing so- Norayr Davidian, Artak Apitonyan of the Minis- cial issues, the or- try of Foreign Af- ganizers of the fairs, Lala Aslanian Confer-ence had of the Dept. of chosen the follow- Migration and ing multi-faceted Refu-gees, Karine topic as a general Hacobian of the theme: “National Ministry of Social Plan for Action: Affairs – con- HIV/AIDS, Dis- cluded their abled Children’s presenta-tions, Rights, Human four round table Trafficking, and discussions, with Domestic Vio- the participation lence”. Addressing of representatives participants and of inter-national - 10 - and national NGOs analyzed thoroughly the vari- ous issues emanating from the chosen general Entrevista de HOM theme of the Conference. The lively discussions were enhanced by the effective use of audio-visu- con la diputada uruguaya als. This 2nd Annual NGO Conference was at- tended by over 200 highly interested, select par- Escribana ticipants from various organizations, ARS mem- bers from around the world and many private in- Beatriz Argimon dividuals interested in the timely topics of the Conference. El martes 22 de julio, la Diputada uruguaya por el Partido Nacional, Escribana Beatriz Argimon For all those who may be interested, the pro- invitó a un almuerzo de trabajo a las integrantes de ceedings and conclusions of the Conference’s dis- la Comisión Regional Sudamericana de HOM cussions are available on the ARS, Inc. website Licenciada Isabel Attarian y Escribana Diana Itutmazian. La temática de la reunión versó sobre www.ars1910.org. la participación de la Diputada Argimon en la 56ª Conferencia Anual de O.N.G de las Naciones Unidas Present at the conference: RA National Assambly como panelista invitada por la Comisión Central member, Alvard Petrosian, US Ambasador to Armenia mundial de HOM. John Ordway, and ARS CE Chair, Maro Minasian La oportunidad sirvió para departir sobre estrategias de trabajo en el área social y económica, referidas fundamentalmente a la infancia y a la mujer en el contexto de la realidad latinoamericana de hoy. La Diputada -- pese a su juventud -- tiene una vasta experiencia en esos temas, ya que fue durante años Presidenta de INAME (Instituto Nacional del Menor) y trabaja activamente en auspiciosos proyectos de micro empresa para mujeres rurales, donde desarrolla con gran éxito una tarea muy difícil. Precisamente su destacada labor en ese ámbito fue muy positivamente evaluada a nivel nacional e internacional, y también percibida por HOM, quien a través de su Presidenta Maro Minassian tuvo la oportunidad de entrevistarse con la Diputada en el año 2002 e interiorizarse con su trabajo y capacitación. Esos méritos la hicieron acreedora a la invitación como disertante en la Conferencia de la ONU señalada, que se realizará en septiembre próximo. El tema a desarrollar en base a la propuesta de las compañeras de la Comisión Regional será "La realidad de la mujer latinoamericana de hoy". En oportunidad de este almuerzo le fue entregado a la legisladora un portfolio con las actividades desarrolladas por la institución a nivel mundial y regional, prometiéndole –en base a sus requerimientos- más material sobre el trabajo que se lleva a cabo en Uruguay. Para HOM es un orgullo contar con el aporte y cooperación de esta joven legisladora, cuya participación en la 56º Conferencia, será sin duda, brillante  - 11 - ÐúØ-À« Ð²Ú ÎÆÜÀ« ºô вÚðºÜÆø-êöÆôèø ڲ𲴺ðàôÂÆôÜܺð èáõμÇݳ öÇñáõÙ»³Ý

г۳ëï³ÝÇ ³å³·³Ý Ù»Í ã³÷áí μáÉáñ μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñ¿Ý Ý»ñë« Ï³Ëáõ³Í ¿ ÏÇÝ»ñ¿Ý© ÏÇÝÝ ¿ ³½·Ç ê÷ÇõéùÁ« ³õ»ÉÇ ù³Ý »ñμ»ù« ϳñÇùÁ ß³ñáõݳÏáõÃÇõÝÁ ³å³ÑáíáÕÁ« ³½·Ç áõÝÇ Ï³Ý³Ýó Ý»ñ¹ñáõÙÇÝ£ Ï»ÝëáõݳÏáõÃÇõÝÝ áõ μ³ñáÛ³Ï³Ý ²Ûë ÑÇÙݳõáñáõÙÝ»ñ¿Ý »ÉÉ»Éáí« Ï»ñå³ñÁ Ï»ñïáÕÁ« ³å³·³Û ϳݳÝó Ý»ñ¹ñáõÙÁ ÿ ê÷ÇõéùÇ »õ ë»ñáõݹݻñáõ ѳٳñ ¹³ëïdzñ³ÏÝ»ñ ÿ гÛñ»ÝÇùÇ ï³ñ³ÍùÇÝ« ϳñ»ÉÇ ¿ ѳÛóÛÃáÕÁ£ ²Ûëûñ« »ñμ г۳ëï³ÝÁ ï»ëÝ»É »ñ»ù ٳϳñ¹³ÏÇ íñ³Û© í»ñçÇÝ ï³ëݳٻ³ÏÇ ë³ÛóùáõÙÝ»ñ¿Ý ³Ýѳï³Ï³Ýª ÁÝï³ÝÇù¿Ý Ý»ñë, áõ ï³ñáõμ»ñáõÙÝ»ñ¿Ý ³½³ï³·ñáõ³Í ³ß˳ï³Ýù³ÛÇݪ Çμñ»õ Ù³Ûñ »õ Ï³Ý·Ý³Í ¿ ׳ϳﳷñ³Ï³Ý áõëáõóÇ㩠ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ýª ï³ñμ»ñ ³ÝÏÇõݳ¹³ñÓÇ ÙÁ ³éç»õ« »ñμ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ гÛñ»ÝÇù-ê÷Çõéù ϳÙñçáõÙÁ ÏÁ ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõû³Ýó »õ ջϳí³ñ ¹ÇïáõÇ Çμñ»õ ϳñ»õáñ Ù¿Ï Ù³ñÙÇÝÝ»ñáõÝ Çñ Ù³ëݳÏóáõû³Ùμ£ ·ñ³õ³Ï³ÝÁ ѳÛñ»Ý³ßÇÝáõû³Ý« ³Ý λ¹ñáݳݳÉáí »ññáñ¹ ³õ»ÉÇ ù³Ý »ñμ»ù ϳñÇùÁ áõÝÇ Ï³Ý³Ýó ٳϳñ¹³ÏÇÝ íñ³Û« ³ÛëÇÝùݪ ϳݳÝó Ý»ñ¹ñáõÙÇÝ Ñ³Ûñ»Ý³ßÇÝáõû³Ý μáÉá°ñ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñ¿Ý Ý»ñë£ ËáÕáí³Ïáí« Ñ³Û ÏÝáç ê÷ÇõéùÇ ï³ñ³ÍùÇÝ óñáõ³Í ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõû³Ý »õ ³å³·³Û ѳÛÏ³Ï³Ý ·³ÕÃû׳ËÝ»ñáõÝ ³½·³ÛÇÝ Ï³ñ»ÉÇáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõÝ íñ³Û« Ýϳñ³·Çñ ï³Éáõ« Ñ³Û É»½áõÇ« ÏñûÝÇ« ٳݳõ³Ý¹ ß»ßï»Éáí гÛñ»ÝÇùÇ »õ ³õ³Ý¹áõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ« ³ÛëÇÝùݪ Ñ³Û ê÷ÇõéùÇ Ï³Ý³Ýó Ñá·ÇÇ ÷á˳ÝóáõÙÁ ë»ñáõݹ¿ ë»ñáõݹ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ ÷áË- ³å³Ñáí»Éáõ »õ í»ñç³å¿ë Ýáñ Û³ñ³μ»ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ ë»ñáõÝ¹Ç ³½·³ÛÇÝ ÇÝùÝáõû³Ý áõ ϳñ»õáñáõÃÇõÝÁ£ å³ïϳݻÉÇáõû³Ý Ó»õ³õáñÙ³Ý áõ §ÎÇÝÝ ¿ ³½·Ç ´³½Ù³½³Ý »Ý ê÷ÇõéùÇ å³Ñå³ÝÙ³Ý ·áñÍÇÝ Ù¿ç ϳéáÛóÝ»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç ·áñÍáÕ Ï³Ý³Ýó ³é³ÝÓݳ۳ïáõÏ ¹»ñ áõÝÇ ß³ñáõݳÏáõÃÇõÝÁ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« ë÷Çõéù³Ñ³Û ÏÇÝÁ£ ²Ûëûñ« »ñμ ³å³ÑáíáÕÁ« ³½·Ç »Ï»Õ»ó³ëÇñ³ó ϳݳÝó ûųݹ³Ï г۳ëï³ÝÇ ³ÝϳËáõû³Ý ³Ûë Ýáñ ÙÇáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ¿Ý ÙÇÝã»õ ÷áõÉÁ Ýáñ ï»ëÉ³Ï³Ý ¿ μ³ó³Í Ï»ÝëáõݳÏáõÃÇõÝÝ áõ ³Õù³ï³Ëݳ٫ μ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý« ë÷Çõéù»³Ý Çñ³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý ³éç»õ« »ñμ μ³ñáÛ³Ï³Ý Ï»ñå³ñÁ Ïñóϳݫ Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ Ï³Ù« г۳ëï³Ý-ê÷Çéù ϳÙñçáõÙÁ ÏÁ í»ñç»ñë Ù»Í Û³õ³ÏÝáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáí« ¹ÇïáõÇ Çμñ»õ ϳñ»õáñ ·ñ³õ³Ï³Ý ÙÁ Ï»ñïáÕÁ¦£ ѳٳß˳ñѳÛÇÝ μÝáÛÃÇ áõ ê÷ÇõéùÇ Ñ³Û³å³Ñå³Ýٳݫ ÛÇß»³É ï³ñáÕáõû³Ý Ó·ïáÕ ÙÇáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ£ - 12 - ²Û¹ μáÉáñÇÝ Ù¿ç« Ð³Û íÇ׳ϳ·ñ³Ï³Ý ïáõ»³ÉÝ»ñáí« ú·Ýáõû³Ý ØÇáõÃÇõÝÁ« íëï³Ñûñ¿Ý ë³Ï³ÛÝ å³ïÏ»ñÁ ÇÝùÝÇÝ« Ûëï³Ï ¿ ³Ýѳٻٳï»ÉÇ Ù³Ï³ñ¹³ÏÇ íñ³Û áõ ³ÝÅËï»ÉÇ£ ²Ûëûñ« ³ÙμáÕç Ñ³Û ¿ ϳݷݳͣ ´³Ûó ³õ»ÉÇ ×Çß¹ ³½·Á Çñ »ñÏñÇ áõ ³ñï»ñÏñÇ ÁÝϳÉáõ»Éáõ ѳٳñ« ѳñÏ ¿ Ýß»É Ï³éáÛóÝ»ñáí« μ³ó³ñÓ³Ïûñ¿Ý ÏÁ ó³õ³ÉÇ ÇñáÕáõÃÇõÝ ÙÁ© ³Ûë ջϳí³ñáõÇ ëÕ³Ù³ñ¹Ï³Ýó ÏáÕÙ¿£ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ¿Ý »õ áã ´³óÇ Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ áõ §´³óÇ Ù¿ÏÁ« »õ áã ÝáÛÝÇëÏ ÐúØ-Á« Ù»Í μ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý ÙÇáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ ¹»ñ³Ï³ï³ñáõÃÇõÝ áõÝÇ ê÷ÇõéùÇ Õ»Ï³í³ñáõûݿݫ ѳ½áõ³·Çõï Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ áõ ³½·³ÛÇÝ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý å³ñ³·³Ý»ñáõ ¿ áñ ÏÇÝÁ ³éÇÃÁ μ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý μ³Ý³Ó»õÙ³Ý Ù¿ç© ³ÛÉ Ëûëùáí« ÏÇÝÁ áõÝÇ Ùáõïù ·áñÍ»Éáõ ջϳí³ñ ¹»ñ³Ï³ï³ñ ã¿ ê÷ÇõéùÇ Ï³éáÛóÝ»ñáõ μ³ñÓñ ßñç³Ý³ÏÝ»ñ¿ Ý»ñë« »õ ÝÙ³Ý ÙÇáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ ջϳí³ñٳݫ áõÕÕáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ »õ å³ñ³·³Ý»ñáõ« ³éÝáõ³½Ý ·ÉáõË ÙÁ ջϳí³ñáõûݿݫ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³ÝáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ ×ßïÙ³Ý áõ ¹¿åÇ ³å³·³Û ³õ»ÉÇ μ³ñÓñ å³ñïÇ ÁÉÉ³É Çñ ³é³çÝáñ¹Ù³Ý Ù¿ç£ å³ßïûݳÏÇóÝ»ñ¿Ý£ ѳ½áõ³·Çõï ¶³Éáí г۳ëï³ÝÇÝ« ٳݳõ³Ý¹ í»ñçÇÝ Â¿ ê÷ÇõéùÇ »õ ÿ гÛñ»ÝÇùÇ ï³ñÇÝ»ñáõ ÏÝáç Çñ³íÇ׳ÏÇ í³ïóñ³óáõÙ¿Ý »ïù« Ù¿ç« Ï³Ý³Ûù Ý»ñ·ñ³õáõ³Í »Ý å³ñ³·³Ý»ñáõ ¿ ³Ýáñ ¹¿Ù Ç ·áñÍ ¹ñáõ³Í Ëïñ³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý »õ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý ³ÛÝ áñ ÏÇÝÁ ³éÇÃÁ ×ÝßáõÙÝ»ñáõ ß»ßï³õáñáõÙ¿Ý μ˳ͫ ëï»ÕÍáõ³Í »Ý ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç« áõñ ùë³Ý¿ ³õ»ÉÇ Ï³Ý³Ýó ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ« Ýå³ï³ÏÁ Ù³ñ¹³ëÇñ³Ï³Ý ¿© áõÝÇ Ùáõïù Çõñ³ù³ÝãÇõñÁ Çñ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý-ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ û·ÝáõÃÇõÝ ³Õù³ïÝ»ñáõÝ« áñμ»ñáõÝ« ·áñÍ»Éáõ Ýå³ï³ÏÝ»ñáí áõ ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõû³Ùμ£ ²Ûëï»Õ »õë« ³Ýû·Ý³Ï³ÝÝ»ñáõÝ£ ´³Ûó ÙÇÿ± ÝáÛÝ ¹³éÝ Ñ³ëï³ïáõÙÁ© г۳ëï³ÝÇÝ Ù¿ç« Ñ³Û ÙdzÛÝ ³Ûë ¿ ÏÝáç ï³Õ³Ý¹Á£ ջϳí³ñ μ³ñÓñ ÏÇÝÁ ϳ٠ϳݳÝó ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ Çñ»Ýó àõß³¹Çñ ݳۻó¿°ù г۳ëï³ÝÇ Ù¿ç ßñç³Ý³ÏÝ»ñ¿ ϳéáÛóÇ« ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõû³Ý »õ ϳñáճϳÝáõû³Ý ϳ½Ùáõ³Í ϳݳÝó ѳٻٳïáõû³Ùμ« ¹»ñ³Ï³ï³ñ ã»Ý г۳ëï³ÝÇ Ï³½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ Ý»ñë¦ ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ áõ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý Ï»³ÝùÇ¿Ý Ý»ñë£ Ñ»ï³åݹ³Í Ýå³ï³ÏÝ»ñáõÝ© Ù¿Ï Ð³Û³ëï³ÝÇ Ð³Ýñ³å»ïáõû³Ý ûñ¿Ýë¹ñáõÃÇõÝÁ ϳ٠»ñÏáõ μ³ó³éáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñª áñáÝù »ñÏñÇ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý« ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ« Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ »õ ³ÛÉ Ïáõë³Ïó³Ï³Ý Ñáí³ÝÇÇ ï³Ï ÏÁ μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñáõ Ù¿ç ϳݳÝó Ù³ëݳÏóáõû³Ý ·áñͻݫ Ùݳó»³ÉÇ ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõÃÇõÝÁ áñ»õ¿ ³ñ·»Éù ãÇ ¹Ý»ñ£ ê³Ï³ÛÝ Çñ³Ï³Ý³óÙ³Ý ÏþÁݹ·ñÏ¿ ÝÙ³ÝûñÇÝ³Ï ÁÝóóùÇݪ ѳõ³ë³ñáõÃÇõÝÁ ÏÁ áïݳÏáËáõÇ« μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñ© μ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý ѳϳé³Ï ³Ýáñ áñ Ï³Ý Ù»Í ÃÇõáí μ³ñÓñ ÏñÃáõÃÇõÝ û·ÝáõÃÇõÝ« ËݳÙù ϳñÇù³õáñ áõÝ»óáÕ Ï³Ý³Ûù© ³ÝáÝù ã»Ý Ý»ñ³éÝáõÇñ »ñÏñÇ Ù³Ûñ»ñáõ »õ »ñ»Ë³Ý»ñáõ« å³Ûù³ñª ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý« ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ-ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý áõ ϳݳÝó ¹¿Ù Ëïñ³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ ßñç³Ý³ÏÝ»ñ¿Ý Ý»ñë£ ¶áÛáõÃÇõÝ í»ñ³óÙ³Ý Ñ³Ù³ñ ÿ ÁÝï³Ý»Ï³Ý áõÝ»óáÕ ûñ¿ÝùÝ»ñÁ ³ß˳ï³ÝùÇ áõ »õ ÿ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý Ï»³ÝùÇ Ù¿ç« ³ß˳ïáõݳÏáõû³Ý í»ñ³μ»ñÙ³Ùμ« ³ß˳ï³ÝùÇ å³Ûù³ñª ·Çïáõû³Ý« ³ñáõ»ëïÇ áõ ã·áÛáõû³Ý å³ï׳é³õ« ã»Ý Çñ³·áñÍáõÇñ£ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý Ù³ñ½»ñáõ Ù¿ç ϳݳÝó ²Ûë ѳëï³ïáõÙÝ»ñÁ ϳñ»ÉÇ ¿ ÑÇÙݳõáñ»É Ù³ëݳÏóáõÃÇõÝÁ - 13 - ù³ç³É»ñ»Éáõ »õ ³å³Ñáí»Éáõ ѳٳñ£ àñáß ã³÷áí ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý« Ï»Ýó³Õ³ÛÇÝ ÏÁ ï³ñμ»ñÇÝ ³õ»ÉÇ Ý»Õ Çõñ³Û³ïÏáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáí μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñ¿ Ý»ñë© ÇëÏ ³Û¹ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõ³Í ÙÇáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« ûñÇݳϪ ûñ¿Ýë¹Çñ ³õ»ñÝ»ñáõÝ ³Ù»Ý³Ëáó»ÉÇ« Ù³ñÙÇÝÝ»ñáõ Ùûï ϳݳÝó ѳٳѳõ³ë³ñ ³Ù»Ý³¹Åμ³Ëï ½áÑÁ »Õ³Í ¿ ÏÇÝÁ£ Çñ³õáõÝùÇ å³ßïå³ÝáõÃÇõÝ« ½ûñ³ÏáãÇÏÝ»ñáõ ²Ý ï³é³å»ñ ¿ Çñ ³ÝÓÇÝ íñ³Û ѳٳñ μ³ñ»Ýå³ëï å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñáõ ѳëï³ïáõÙ« Ïñ»Éáí Ëïñ³Ï³ÝáõÃÇõÝ« ß»ßïáõ³Í ϳ٠áõëáõóãáõÑÇÝ»ñáõ Çñ³õáõÝùÝ»ñáõ ½ñϳÝù áõ ·áñͳ½ñÏáõÃÇõÝ£ Ñ»ï³åݹáõÙ£ î³é³å»ñ ¿ ï»ëÝ»Éáí Çñ ùáÛñ»ñÁ àõÅ»ñÁ ãçɳï»Éáõ« ³õ»ÉÇ Ýå³ï³Ï³¹ñáõ³Í μ³ñáÛ³Ï³Ý ëïáñݳóáõÙÇ Ó»õáí áõ ³é³Ýó ׳å³ÕáõÙÇ ³ß˳ï»Éáõ ѳٳñ« ׳ÑÇ×Ý»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç Ý»ñù³ßáõ³Íª ѳñϳõáñ ¿ ÙdzóáõÙ« ϳ٠³õ»ÉÇ ×Çß¹ª ÙÇÝã»õ åáéÝÏáõÃÇõÝ« ÙÇÝã»õ §úï³ñ í»ñ³¹³ë³õáñáõÙ »õ í»ñ³Ï³½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÙ£ ³éáõͳËÇ áõ »ñÏñ¿Ý ³ñï³ÍÙ³Ý ÐúØ-Á ³ï³Ï ¿ ¹Çõñ³óÝ»Éáõ ³Û¹ ׳Ùμ³Ý« Çñ ÝáÕϳÉÇ ë³ÑÙ³ÝÝ»ñÁ£ î³é³å»ñ ¿ μéݳå»ïáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« ï³ëݳٻ³ÏÝ»ñáõ ÷áñÓ³éáõÃÇõÝÝ áõ ³ñ»õÙï»³Ý Çñ ÁÝï³ÝÇùÇ ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý ËÕ׳ÉÇ Ë³õ³ñ áõ ϳñ·³å³Ñáõû³Ý« ³ß˳ñѳۻ³óùÇ áõ íÇ׳ÏÇÝ ³ÝϳñáÕ ³Ï³Ý³ï»ëÁ ·áñͻɳϻñåÇ Í³ÝûÃáõÃÇõÝÁ Ç ëå³ë μ»ñ»Éáõ ³Û¹ ÁÉɳÉáí£ î³é³å»ñ ¿ Çñ ÁÝï³ÝÇùÇÝ Û»ï³¹¿Ù í»ñ³¹³ë³õáñٳݫ Ýå³ï³ÏÝ»ñáõ »õ áõÕÕáõû³Ý« ïÕ³Ù³ñ¹áó μ³ó³Ï³Ûáõû³Ý« »ñμ Ùß³ÏáÛÃÝ»ñáõ ѳٳ½·³ÛÇÝ Ã¿ ÙÇç³½·³ÛÇÝ μ»Ù ¹áõñë ·³Éáõ ïÕ³Ù³ñ¹Á ³ß˳ï³Ýù ÷Ýïé»Éáõ« ׳ÙμáõÝ£ ê÷ÇõéùÇ »õ г۳ëï³ÝÇ Ï³Ý³Ýó ÁÝï³ÝÇùÇÝ Ñ³óÁ ѳÛóÛûÉáõ ³½¹»óáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ ÷áËÛ³ñ³μ»ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ å³ñï³¹ñ³ÝùÇÝ ï³Ï« Ñ»é³ó»ñ ¿ ³Ûë Ù³ñ½ÇÝ Ù¿ç ³Ý÷á˳ñÇÝ»ÉÇ ³ñ¹ÇõÝùÝ»ñáõ ѳÛñ»ÝÇù¿Ý£ ºõ ÏÇÝÁ« Ñ³Û ÏÇÝÁ å³Ñ»ñ ϳñáÕ »Ý ѳëÝÇÉ£ ³Ù»Ý³¹Åáõ³ñÇÝ å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñáõ áõ ÙÕ»ñ »Ý »ïª гñÏ ¿ Ñáë ÝßáõÙ ÙÁ ϳï³ñ»É ϳñÍÇùÇ ÙÁ ï³Ï« ëï³ÝÓÝ»ñ ¿ ÿ Ñûñ »õ ÿ Ùûñ Ù³ëÇÝ áñ Û³×³Ë ÏÁ Éëáõ¿ñ í»ñçÇÝ ï³ñÇÝ»ñáõÝ« ÿ å³ñï³Ï³ÝáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ£ Û³é³ç¹ÇÙáõû³Ý Ñ³Û ÏÝáç ѳõ³ë³ñ Çñ³õáõÝùÝ»ñÁ- ÏñÃáõÃÇõÝ« гٳÛݳí³ñ í³ñã³Ï³ñ·Ç ¹¿Ù å³ïÝ¿ßÝ»ñ ÁÝïñ»Éáõ »õ ÁÝïñáõ»Éáõ Çñ³õáõÝù« μÅßÏ³Ï³Ý ÏáñͳÝáõÙ¿Ý »ïù ëÏë³Í Ýáñ ÷áõÉÁ ³ëå³ñ¿½« ³ñáõ»ëï áõ ׳ñï³ñ³ñáõ»ëï« Ð³Û³ëï³ÝÇ Ð³Ýñ³å»ïáõû³Ý μ³ñÓñ³óÝ»Éáí¦ ·ÇïáõÃÇõÝ« »õÝ©- ݳ˳ï»ëáõ³Í áõ Û³ñ·áõ³Í ¿ÇÝ å³ïÙáõû³Ý Ù¿ç åÇïÇ ÁÉɳñ ËáñÑñ¹³ÛÇÝ í³ñã³Ï³ñ·Ç ÁÝóóùÇÝ« μ³Ûó ³ÝóáõÙ³ÛÇÝ ßñç³Ý© åÇïÇ ¹ñáõ¿ÇÝ ³Ýáõß³¹ñáõû³Ý »Ý Ù³ïÝáõ»ñ Û»ïËáñÑñ¹³ÛÇÝ« ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ« ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý áõ ³ÝÏ³Ë »õ ÅáÕáíñ¹³í³ñ г۳ëï³ÝÇ Ù¿ç£ Æ Ñ³ñÏ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý Ýáñ ³ñÅ»ã³÷»ñ£ äÇïÇ ¿« ³Û¹ ûñ»ñáõÝ ³É ³Û¹ù³Ý ÷³ÛÉáõÝ ã¿ »Õ³Í Çñ³Ï³Ý³Ý³ñ гÛñ»ÝÇùÇ áõ Çñ³íÇ׳ÏÁ« μ³Ûó μáÉáñ ³ÛÉ μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñáõ Ýٳݫ ê÷ÇõéùÇ Ï³ÙñçáõÙÁ© åÇïÇ ù³ÝÇ áñ ѳٻٳï³μ³ñ ³õ»ÉÇ μ³ñ»Ýå³ëï ¿ÇÝ Çñ³Ï³Ý³Ý³ñ Ù¿Ï ²½· Ù¿Ï å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñÁ« ³Ýó»³ÉÁ »ñ³Ý»ÉÇ ÏÁ ÃáõÇ£ ²Ûë гÛñ»ÝÇù ·³Õ³÷³ñÁ£ öá˳ñ¿ÝÁ« »ñ»õáÛÃÁ ϳñ»ÉÇ ¿ Ïáã»É íï³Ý·³õáñ ϳñûï³Ëï Û³çáñ¹áÕ ï³ñÇÝ»ñÁ »Õ³Ý ³ÝÏáõÙÇ (nostalgia) áñáõÝ ³½¹»óáõÃÇõÝÁ ÏÁ ¹ñë»õáñáõÇ áõ ÅáÕáíáõñ¹Ç ϻջùÙ³Ý ï³ñÇÝ»ñ« ïÝï»ë³-ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý »É»õ¿çÝ»ñáõ ÁÝóóùÇÝ£ Æñûù« ³é³ÝÓݳßÝáñÑ»³É ÷áùñ³ÃÇõ ˳õÇ ³õ»ñÝ»ñ ß³ï ·áñÍáõ»ó³Ý« áñáÝù åÇïÇ ÙÁ ÛÕ÷³óٳݫ Ñ³Û ÏÝáç ëñμ³·ñáõÇÝ© ³õ»ñÝ»ñª ÁÝÏ»ñ³ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý« ï³é³å³ÝùÇ« Ùï³õáñ³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý - 14 - μ³ñáÛ³Éùٳݫ ëáëϳÉÇ ã³÷»ñáõ ѳëÝáÕ Ë³õ³ñ áõ ۻﳹ¿Ù ³ñï³·³ÕÃÇ »õ« í»ñç³å¿ë« Ý»ñùÇÝ áõ ³ñï³ùÇÝ Ùß³ÏáÛÃÝ»ñáõ ³½¹»óáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ ³å³½·³ÛÇÝ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý Ñ»ï³åÝ¹Ù³Ý Ñ³Û ÏÇÝÁ å³Ñ»ñ áõ ÙÕ»ñ »Ý »ïª ßñç³Ý£ ²ÛÅÙ« ³Û¹ ï³ñÇÝ»ñáõ Ïáñáõëï¿Ý »ïù« ÏÁ Û³é³ç¹ÇÙáõû³Ý ¹¿Ù í»ñëÏëÇÝù ³ÝóáõÙ³ÛÇÝ ßñç³ÝÁ« μ³Ûó ³Ûë ³Ý·³Ù áã å³ïÝ¿ßÝ»ñ μ³ñÓñ³óÝ»Éáí£ ²Û¹ ÿ ½»ñáÛ¿Ý« ³ÛÉ ½»ñáÛ¿Ý ³É í³ñ ٳϳñ¹³Ï¿£ ²Ûë å³ïÝ¿ßÝ»ñáõ í»ñ³óÙ³Ý Ñ³Ù³ñ Çñ³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý ÉáÛëÇÝ ï³Ï« ϳݳÝó ³ÝÑñ³Å»ßï »Ýª ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« ٳݳõ³Ý¹ ÐúØ-Á« ³© Ú³õ»É»³É ×Ç·»ñáí åÇïÇ Ù³Ý³õ³Ý¹ ë÷Çõéù»³Ý Çñ³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý Ù¿ç« Çñ»Ýó Û³é³ç¹ÇÙ»Ýù« ½³ñ·³Ý³Ýù« ѳñ³½³ï áõ Ùï»ñÇÙ ÙÃÝáÉáñïáí« ÁݹɳÛÝ»Ýù Ù»ñ Ùï³ÛÇÝ Ñ³ë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý ³ß˳ï³ÝùÇ ³éÇà ÏþÁÝͳۻݫ ÑáñǽáÝÁ« ÇÝã ï³ñÇùÇ ³É ÁÉɳÝù« ϳݳÝó í³ñÅ»óÝ»Éáí í³ñã³Ï³Ý ·áñÍÁÝóóÇÝ« ÇÝã ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ-ïÝï»ë³Ï³Ý ÅáÕáíñ¹³í³ñ³Ï³Ý áñ¿ÝùÝ»ñáõÝ (parliamentary ¹³ë³Ï³ñ·Ç ³É å³ïϳÝÇÝùª procedure) áõ ÅáÕáíÝ»ñáõ »õ ѳë³ñ³Ïáõû³Ý ·Çï³ÏÇó áõ Íñ³·ñáõ³Í ³éç»õ »ÉáÛà áõݻݳÉáõ£ ²Ûë ѳõ³ù³Ï³Ý ³ß˳ï³Ýùáí »õ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« »õ ¹³ñÓ»³É ٳݳõ³Ý¹ Çñ³ñáõ ½ûñ³íÇ· ϳݷݻÉáí£ ÐúØ-Á« ê÷ÇõéùÇ ï³ñ³ÍùÇÝ« ϳñ»õáñ áõ ß³ï UNICEF-Ç »õ UNESCO-Ç ³Ý·³Ù ÙÇ³Ï ·áñÍûÝÝ»ñÝ »Ý ÏñûÉáõ ϳݳÝó« Ñáí³Ý³õáñáõû³Ý ï³Ï« ½³ñ·³óÝ»Éáõ ³ÝáÝó ï³Õ³Ý¹Ý»ñÝ áõ Ù»ñûñ»³Û ÙÇç³½·³ÛÇÝ Ï³Ý³Ýó ϳñáÕáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« ³ÝáÝó ÙÇçáó³õ ÿ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ ϳñáÕ »Ý ûųݹ³Ï»É Ù»ñ áõÕÕ³ÏÇûñ¿Ý ³½·³ÛÇÝ ¹³ëïdzñ³ÏáõÃÇõÝ ½³ñ·³óÙ³Ý áõ Û³é³ç¹ÇÙáõû³Ý£ ç³Ùμ»Éáõ Ù³ï³Õ ë»ñáõݹÇÝ£ ´³Ûó ãá·»õáñáõÇÝù μ© ä¿ïù ¿ ÃÇñ³Ë ¹³ñÓÝ»É Ý»ñÏ³Û ³ÝÙÇç³å¿ë© ϳݷ ³éÝ»Ýù áõ ѳñó ï³Ýù Ù»Ýù Ù»½ ջϳí³ñáõÃÇõÝÁ« Çμñ»õ ¹³ßݳÏÇó áõ ½ÇݳÏÇó Ù»ñ áñå¿ë ÏÇÝ« áñå¿ë г۳ëï³ÝÇ »õ ê÷ÇõéùÇ ÏáÕùÇÝ áõݻݳÉáí ջϳí³ñ ßñç³Ý³ÏÝ»ñáõÝ Û³é³ç³ï³ñ ϳݳÝó Ý»ñϳ۳óáõóÇãÝ»ñ© ³ñ¹»ûù å³ïϳÝáÕ ³Û°Ý ³ÝÓ»ñÁ áñáÝù ½³ñ·³ó³Í »Ý« ÏÁ ÷³÷³·ÇÝù ïÕ³Ù³ñ¹áó ѳõ³ë³ñ ÏñÃáõ³Í »Ý áõ ß÷áõÙ áõÝÇÝ ³Ûëûñáõ³Û ½³ñ·³ó³Í Çñ³õáõÝùÝ»ñ áõݻݳɫ å³ïñ³ëïª ·áñÍ»Éáõ ³ß˳ñÑÇ ï³ñ³ÍùÇÝ ï»ÕÇ áõÝ»óáÕ Ï³Ý³Ýó Ýßáõ³Í μáÉáñ ³ëå³ñ¿½Ý»ñ¿Ý Ý»ñë£ ²ñ¹»ûù ß³ñÅáõÙÝ»ñáõ »õ ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ Û»Õ³ßñçáõÙÝ»ñáõ Ñ»ï£ Çëϳå¿ë Ïáõ½»Ýù Û³é³ç¹Çٻɫ Ù»ñ ³ñųÝÇ ï»ÕÁ гñÏ ¿ ÙÕ»É ³Û¹ ³ÝÓ»ñÁ áñ ³ß˳ïÇÝ ÷áË»É ·ñ³õ»É ѳë³ñ³Ïáõû³Ý Ù¿ç« Ã¿ Ù»ñ ïÇñáÕ Ùï³ÛÝáõÃÇõÝÁª Û³é³ç¹ÇÙáõû³Ý ³éÇÃÝ»ñ ë³Ñٳݳ÷³Ï« ï³ùáõÏ áõ ѳñ³½³ï ëï»ÕÍ»Éáí ³ï³Ï áõ ·áñÍáõÝ»³Û ϳݳÝó£ ßñç³Ý³ÏÝ»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç« Ù»ñ áõÝ»ó³Í ë³Ñٳݳ÷³Ï ·© гñÏ ¿« å»ï³Ï³Ý ٳϳñ¹³Ïáí« Ð³Û³ëï³ÝÇ ¹»ñ»ñáí ÏÁ ·áѳݳÝù£ Ù¿ç ³ß˳ï³Ýù ï³ÝÇÉ ëñμ³·ñ»Éáõ ѳٳñ ²Ûë ϳñ× ·ñáõû³Ý ë³ÑÙ³ÝÝ»ñÁ ã»Ý ³ñïûÝ»ñ ê³Ñٳݳ¹ñáõû³Ý Ù¿ç ï»Õ ·ï³Í ³Û°Ý ûñ¿ÝùÝ»ñÁ å³ïÙáõÃÇõÝÁ ùÝݳñÏ»É »õ Ûëï³Ï ûñÇݳÏÝ»ñáí áñáÝù ϳñ·ÇÉ»Ý ÏÝáç ³½³ï ½³ñ·³óáõÙÁ μáÉáñ ÷³ëï»É §å³ïÙ³Ï³Ý ³õ³Ý¹áÛæ Ïáãáõ³Í μݳ·³õ³éÝ»ñ¿ Ý»ñë£ ä¿ïù ¿ ³ß˳ïÇÝù ³ñ·ÇÉ»É Ñ³ëϳóáÕáõû³Ý Çñ³Ï³Ý ÇÙ³ëïÁ« áñ ѳë»ñ ¿ ³Ù¿°Ý Ëïñ³Ï³ÝáõÃÇõÝ »õ ѳõ³ë³ñáõÃÇõÝ Ù»½ ϳï³ñ»É³å¿ë ˻ճÃÇõñáõ³Í ѳëï³ï»É£ ä»ïáõÃÇõÝÁ å¿ïù ¿ ¹Çõñ³óÝ¿ Ù»Ïݳμ³Ýáõû³Ùμ »õ áñ ÏÝáç å³ñï³¹ñ»ñ ¿ ѳٳå³ï³ëË³Ý ûñ¿ÝùÝ»ñáõ Çñ³Ï³Ý³óáõÙÁª ëïáñ³¹³ë Çñ³íÇ׳ϣ úï³ñ μéݳå»ïáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« ½³Ý³½³Ý ݳ˳ñ³ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ Ùûï Û³ïáõÏ - 15 - Ù³ëݳμ³ÅÇÝÝ»ñ ѳëï³ï»Éáí£ Ñ³Ù³Ù³ñ¹Ï³ÛÇÝ ÁÝï³ÝÇù¿Ý Ý»ñë ¹© ²Ýѳï³Ï³Ý ·»ïÝÇ íñ³Û å¿ïù ¿ ÑÇÙáõÝù¿Ý Ù»ñ ³ñųݳõáñ ï»ÕÁ ·ñ³õ»Éáõ ëÏëÇÉ« ÑáÕ å³ïñ³ëï»Éáí áñ Ù»ñ ³ñáõ ½³õ³ÏÝ»ñÁ ѳٳñ ³ÝÑñ³Å»ßï ϳñÇùÝ áõÝÇÝù ã·»ñ³¹³ëáõÇÝ ³ÕçÇÏÝ»ñ¿Ý »õ Û³ïáõÏ ³Û¹åÇëÇ Ñ³ë³ñ³Ïáõû³Ý£ ºÃ¿ ³é³ÝÓݳßÝáñÑáõÙÝ»ñáí ã¹³ëïdzñ³ÏáõÇÝ£ îÕáó гÛñ»ÝÇùÇ »õ ê÷ÇõéùÇ Ñ³Û»ñÁ ÏñÃáõÃÇõÝ ï³ÉÁ ³õ»ÉÇ Ï³ñ»õáñ 㹳뻰Ýù ù³Ý åÇïÇ Ù»ñáõÇÝ »õ Çñ»Ýó Ýϳñ³·ñÇ« ³ÕçÇÏÝ»ñáõÝ£ ²ÛëÇÝùÝ å³ïñ³ëï»Ýù á°ã ÿ male ³ß˳ñѳۻ³óùÇ« Ï»Ýó³ÕÇ« chauvinist-Ý»ñ« ³ÛÉ Ï³Ý³Ýó ¹³ïÇ å³ßïå³Ý« ³õ³Ý¹áõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ »õ ë»é»ñáõ ѳõ³ë³ñáõû³Ý ѳõ³ï³óáÕ« ѳϳé³Ï ëáíáñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáõ – »õ ÝáÛÝ ÇëÏ ë»éÇ ÝϳïÙ³Ùμ Û³ñ·³Ýù ï³ÍáÕ ³ñáõ ½³õ³ÏÝ»ñ£ É»½áõÇ – ï³ñμ»ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ« áñáÝù ÆëÏ Ù»ñ ³ÕçÇÏÝ»ñÁ ¹³ëïdzñ³Ï»Ýù á°ã Çμñ»õ ß³ï ÙÁ å³ñ³·³Ý»ñáõ Ëáñ »Ý §Ð³Û ÏÝáç í³Õáõ³Û ѳٻëï áõ Ñݳ½³Ý¹ ï³ÝïÇÏÇÝÝ áõ ·³Ñ³í¿Å íÇÑÇ Ýٳݫ åÇïÇ ³å³·³Û ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ Ï»³ÝùÇÝ ³ÝÙ³ëݳÏÇó« í»ñݳݪ Ñ³Û Ï³Ý³Ýó ѳõ³ë³ñ Ïñ³õáñ³Ï³Ý ѳݹÇë³ï»ëÁª ³ÛÉ Çμñ»õ ѳõ³ë³ñ ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñÁ åÇïÇ Çñ³õáõÝùÝ»ñáõ μ³ÅÝ»ÏÇóÁ Çñ ³å³·³Û ÁÝï³ÝÇùÇÝ« Ù»ñ ³½·³ÛÇÝ ÁÉÉ³Ý ¹»ñ³Ï³ï³ñª Çñ»Ýó ¹³ïÇÝ ½ÇÝáõáñ³·ñ»³ÉÁ« ½³ñ·³ó³Í áõ ϳñáÕ Íñ³·ñ³õáñáõ³Í áõ Ùdzó»³É ѳëï³ïáõÙÝ ¿ Õ»Ï³í³°ñÁ Ù»ñ ѳٳÛÝùÇ μáÉá°ñ Ù³ñ½»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç« ³ß˳ï³Ýùáí« ³ñÑ»ëï³í³ñÅ³Ï³Ý áñ« Ç í»ñçáÛ« ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ-ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý« Ïñóϳݫ Ïñûݳϳݫ ÑÇÙáõÝùÝ»ñáí μ³ÅÝáõ³Í Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ áõ μ³ñ»ëÇñ³Ï³Ý£ Ø»ñ ³ÕçÇÏÝ»ñÁ å³ñï³Ï³ÝáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñáí« »õ åÇïÇ ³å³Ñáí¿ ¹³ëïdzñ³Ï»Ýù ÁÉɳÉáõ í×é³Ï³Ù« Çñ áõñáÛÝ ë»õ»éáõÝ áõ ³Ýë»Ã»õ»Ã ù³ÛÉ»ñáíª ³å³·³Û ³½³ï ³Ýѳï³Ï³Ýáõû³Ý ѳٳñ å³Ûù³ñáÕª ÿÏáõ½ »Ã¿ ¹¿åÇ í»ñçÝ³Ï³Ý Ýå³ï³Ï  ³Ý å³Ñå³ÝáÕ³Ï³Ý Ùïù»ñáõ ѳϳ¹³ñÓáõû³Ý Ùï³ÍáÕ« ѳݹÇåÇ ÁÝï³Ý»Ï³Ý« ³ß˳ï³ÝùÇ Ï³Ù ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÛÇÝ Û³é³ç³¹¿Ù ßñç³Ý³Ï¿ Ý»ñë£ ²Ûë Ï¿ïÁ ³Ù»Ý³Ï³ñ»õáñÝ ¿« áñáíÑ»ï»õ »Ã¿ ѳë³ñ³ÏáõÃÇõÝÁ ³ÝѳïÝ»ñáõ« ÏÝáç »õ ïÕ³Ù³ñ¹áõ Ùï³ÛÝáõÃÇõÝÁ å³ïñ³ëï ãÁÉɳ۪ ɳõ³·áÛÝ ûñ¿ÝùÝ»ñÝ ÇëÏ Ã¿° ê÷ÇõéùÇ »õ Çñ³õáõÝù áõ ѳõ³ë³ñáõÃÇõÝ ã»Ý ³å³Ñáí»ñ£ ÿ° г۳ëï³ÝÇ Ð³Û ÏÝáç ѳõ³ë³ñ Çñ³õáõÝùÝ»ñáõ ѳëï³ïáõÙÝ ¿ áñ« Ç í»ñçáÛ« åÇïÇ ³å³Ñáí¿ ³å³·³Û ³½³ï Ù¿ç¦ Ùï³ÍáÕ« Û³é³ç³¹¿Ù ѳë³ñ³ÏáõÃÇõÝÁ ÿ° ê÷ÇõéùÇ »õ ÿ° г۳ëï³ÝÇ Ù¿ç£ ºõ Ù»Ýù« Ù»ñ ѳٳ½·³ÛÇÝ Ýå³ï³ÏÝ»ñáõÝ Ñ³ëÝ»Éáõ »õ Ù»ñûñ»³Û

- 16 - The ARS At The UN Joint ARS/UNDP Efforts In Support of Schools in Armenia

 he Armenian Diaspora is a powerful, worldwide community that sup- The Tports the Homerland in a variety of ways. The United Nations -- and UNDP, in particular, with its social development agenda -- is therefore a Diaspora, natural partner to Diasporan organizations, or individuals, who wish to invest in the on-going development of the country. a world-wide In late 2002, UNDP Armenia and the Ministry of Territorial Ad- ministration of Armenia started an “umbrella” project – Partnerships for community that Implementation of Community Based Development Projects – aimed at mobilizing resources to address several major areas to reduce poverty in supports the Armenia, such as rehabilitation of the social infrastructure, increased public service accessibility and income generation in the poorest and most disadvantaged communities. Homeland in a A perfect example of the difference the UN and the Diaspora can make when they work together is the Rehabilitation of Indoor Heating variety of Network of Charentsavan School #4, Kotayk Region sub-project car- ried out jointly by UNDP and the Armenian Relief Society (ARS). The ways.  school building that currently hosts 600 schoolchildren is of a standard type: it consists of three wings – two buildings for educational purposes and a sports/meeting hall. Before the energy crisis in 1992-1993, this school was integrated into a centralized heating system. There was an urgent need to perform the rehabilitation of the indoor-heating net- work as well. With UNDP and ARS financial and technical support, an indoor heating system is currently being constructed. The renovation activities are organized and executed in such a way as not to hamper the education process at school, i.e. predominantly during evenings and Sundays. To date, the first wing of the school building is completed, and the entire rehabilitation of the network will be completed in early March 2003

- 17 - The 56th Annual Conference of Non-Gov ARS Workshop Attracts Notable Speakers, Active Participation

ince 1978, the Armenian Re- ence. The Armenian Relief Society correlation with the conference lief Society has been recog- was represented by members from topic, a workshop was organized Snized by the United Nations its three North American Regions, titled “Micro Finance: Empowering as a Non-Governmental Organiza- including Canada, the Eastern and women and person disabilities to- tion (NGO). In 1998 the ARS was Western United States, with over ward economic secu-rity”. The ses- placed on the roster of NGO’s with 30 participants. sion was moderated by ARS East- consultative status with the UN’s ern region member and UN Liai- Economic and Social Council The conference was divided son Stephanie Mesrobian, the panel (ECOSOC) and as an NGO associ- into morning and afternoon ple- of speakers consisted of Ms. Nance ated with the UN Department of nary sessions. Among the notables Barry, President of Women’s World Public Information (DPI). present at the conference were, Banking, Ani Kazarian, Research Shashi Tharoor, United Nations Scholar from the C.A.K.E. Founda- The Armenian Relief Society Under-Secretary-General for Com- tion, David Helm, Ph.D., Director, once again participated in United munications and Public Informa- Interdisciplinary Training, Insti- Nations DPI/NGO Annual Con- tion, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, tute for Community Inclusion, Su- ference which was held Monday, former President of Brazil, cur- san Foley, Ph.D., Senior Research Sept 8th through Wednesday, Sep- rently Special Advisor to the United Associate, Institute for Community tember 10tth in Manhattan, New Nations Secretary-General, and Inclusion, and Mary Sereno, Min- York, at the United Nations Head- noted film star, Danny Glover, a ister Counsellor of the Permanent quarters. The 56th Annual Con- goodwill Ambassador for the Mis-sion of Uruguay to the United ference of Non-Governmental Or- United Nations Development Nations, who substituted for ganizations (NGOs), having as a Programme (UNDP). There were Beatriz Argimon, Repre-sentative theme “Human Security and Dig- over 2,600 individuals in atten- of Montevideo, Camara de nity: Fulfilling the Promise of the dance from 687 registered Organi- Representantes, Republica Oriental United Nations", highlighted issues zations and 93 coun-tries. del Uruguay, who was unable to such as “Psychological Aspect of Monday Evening a reception make the trip. The workshop was Human Security and Dignity”, located on the 11th floor of the UN “From Oppression to Empower- was held for the registered attend- ees where one could mingle with Church center across the street from ment”, and gave civil society orga- UN headquarters, allowing the pub- nizations a forum to express their Secretary-General Kofi Annan and members of other organizations. lic to at-tend without having to reg- ideas about human rights, people’s ister to enter UN grounds. There empowerment and global well-be- The Armenian Relief Society, were over 100 Individuals in At- ing. This year, the conference plan- once again, had an active role in the tendance at the workshop. ning committee included five mem- Conference not only in numbers but bers of the ARS, all actively in- as an organizer of a Midday Work- Stephanie Mesrobian wel- volved in organizing the Confer- shop. On Tuesday, Sep-tember 9, in comed the attendees, briefly spoke - 18 - ernmental Organizations In Manhattan

about the ARS, its relations with the abilities of Armenian Heritage”. UN and explained what the goal of Miss. Kazarian’s Power Point pre- the workshop was. Briefly put, the sentation assessed the situa-tion in workshop intended to explore mi- Armenia, establishing that Arme- cro-financing, the quest for empow- nian women are a driving force for erment, leadership in women and change, and that individuals with persons too disabled to challenge disabilities are often neglected and the status quo. shunned. She also ex-plained that C.A.K.E.’s community micro-fi- The first speaker, Nancy Barry nancing initiative provides financial of the Women’s World Banking and social support services to the (WWB) de-scribed the role of above mentioned individuals, help- WWB in empowering low income ing to empower women and dis- women. She stated that, “poor abled individuals to strive for a bet- ter existence. Further- more, she de-scribed the steps that the C.A.K.E. Foundation has taken to make micro-financing a reality in Armenia. about disability, it is about ability, and action instead of mere planing. Dr. David T. Helm She further discussed the study that of the Institute for Com- included 45 working women with munity Inclusion was the disabilities, and used sample cases third speaker; he pre- where two women were compared sented an overview of and their abilities were used to em- practices at the Institute power them instead of concentrat- and their findings in hu- ing on their disabilities. Dr. Foley man patterns when it showed how the practices set forth comes to people with dis- by the Institute for Community abilities. He showed the Inclusion were realized. barriers that people with women can become entrepreneurs disabilities have to face, including The final speaker was Dr. and can change the financial sys- attitudes of people, programs and Mary Serano, from the Permanent tem of the poor minority.” She also pro-fessionals. Dr. Helm stated that Mission of Uru-guay to the United stated that the WWB was estab- healthy people often look at the ob- Nations, speaking in Spanish with lished in 1975 at a similar confer- vious weaknesses of disabled indi- a translator, about established ence and is currently in cooperation viduals instead of paying attention projects to empower women in with over 40 countries. The to the positive abilities. Further- South America. Women’s World Bank reaches poor more he stated that there are suc- This Midday workshop, orga- women by providing and organiz- cessful practices in dealing with the nized by the Armenian Relief Soci- ing support to its member organi- disabled as in empowering the in- ety, was a suc-cess. It remained fo- zations, which in turn offer direct dividual in planning, financial and cused on Empowerment on a glo- services to these women. job situations, by including the dis- bal, transnational level, inviting abled. The second Speaker was the both Armenians and non-Armenian young Ani Kazarian, a Research The fourth speaker, Dr. Susan to become involved in issues that Scholar, for the C.A.K.E. Founda- Foley, also from the Institute for concern all of humanity, without tion presenting the topic of “Com- Community Inclusion, discussed exception. munity Microfinance: Providing fi- the subject of “Women with Dis- nancial and social support services abilities and Employment.” Dr. to women and individuals with dis- Foley pointed out that it is not Nayiree Derderian - 19 - MarriageMarriage AndAnd LoveLove

InIn AmericaAmerica By Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill

This article is based on a speech for Valentine’s Day, delivered at St. Paul’s Armenian Church, Fresno, CA, in 1998. Also, my thanks to Robert Mirak for providing me with the immigration statistics.

For Americans, the “Roaring Twen ties” stand “I worked for seven years, saved $1000. Fout as the age of the Charleston, the flapper, Prohi- Decided to marry. bition, speakeasies, women’s suffrage, the Harlem Went to Cuba to find a wife. Renaissance, and the execution of Sacco and Many pretty girls in Cuba, but one caught my eye. Vanzetti. World War I had been fought and won; She smiled and said she didn’t care for riches. the Red Scare had been silenced, and the Depression Just wanted to make me happy. was yet beyond the horizon. “The business of She loved me, she said. America is business,” quipped President Harding. I married her and brought her to America. As if to prove his point, automobiles, Coca Cola, A year passed. and the “talkies” swept across the country and She wanted a diamond ring. beyond. If any single word symbolized the decade, I bought her a diamond ring. it was optimism. By contrast, for Armenians the She wanted a fur coat. 1920s epitomized sorrow and grief, deprivation and I bought her a fur coat. dispersal, political and religious tension and conflict. She wanted an automobile. An entire people suffered from nerves raw and I bought her an automobile. exposed. But the 1920s also marked a decade of Then she told me rehabilitation and reconstruction when the remnant She didn’t like my pillow.” survivors set about to rebuild their lives. At a time of collective bereavement and adjustment, Arme- This song has a companion story, a true event nian family reformation became, more than ever about a man from Fresno who brought a refugee before or since, the most powerful force binding girl to America in the 1920s and married her. After together a traumatized people.1 a couple of years, he complained to his friends in the serjaran [coffeehouse] that his wife was getting Let me begin with a rather free translation out of hand. She was disobedient. She didn’t do as of the lyrics of an Armenian song popular in the she was told and she even had the audacity to talk 1930s and 1940s. It’s a man’s song, not a particu- back to him. His dissatisfaction continued for some larly joyful one, but a complaint laced with a touch months, and each time he received sympathy from of humor, nevertheless. his fellow scambil and backgammon comrades. - 20 - Nodding. Yes, yes, we understand. Vakh, Vakh, Vy, technological inventions, like the elevator, the Vy. One day, exasperated, he told them he intended telephone and the electric light, and great industrial to teach his wife a good lesson, long overdue. He’d corporations, like Carnegie’s Homestead steel mills made up his mind to spank her. Shaking his hand, and Rockefeller’s Standard Oil changed the nature he repeated, “the five brothers.”Chè chnes” shouted of work in America. With increased mechanization, his companions. “No. You can’t hit your wife. This railroads, bridges, factories, mines, highways, and isn’t the old country. This is America. If you beat canals required young, strong, unskilled, and your wife, the police will put you in jail. Grin and relatively obedient workers. Labor flowed to capital bear it. There’s no other solution.” A few weeks as America opened her doors and immigrants from passed; then, at the end of his patience, he an- Eastern and Southeastern Europe flooded in to find nounced to his coffeehouse buddies, “I’ve found the opportunity and freedom. With them they brought answer. I’ve made up my mind to take my wife back different languages, foods, religions, values, and to the old country, give her a good beating, teach cultures. Little by little, these newcomers changed her a lesson she’ll never forget, then bring her back the demography of America. The face of the to America!” United States in 1910 was unlike the society in 1880. Jewish peddlers, Polish miners, Ukrainian These songs and stories, each in their own factory laborers, Armenian rug merchants, Greek way, are metaphors, interpreting Armenian life and bootblacks, Italian construction workers appeared culture. They reveal a much larger picture of and acted differently from the white, Anglo-Saxon, marital culture among Armenians during the post- Protestants. Genocide period. Armenian family life had collapsed during the These massive changes generated nativist Genocide. Uprootedness, family fragmentation, opposition which, in turn, rationalized its bias separation, and loss left a mere shadow of the world citing “scientific” evidence. Herbert Spencer in of intimacy. Regardless of where they found England and William Graham Sumner in the sanctuary or what conditions they encountered, United States applied Charles Darwin’s theory of survivors instinctively knew they had to reconsti- the survival of the fittest to human society and tute family life. In America a shortage of Armenian concluded that man forged ahead through competi- women reflected the pre-Genocide movement of tion in which the strong survived and dominated Armenian male sojourners to the new world. By the weak. For the proponents of social Darwinism, contrast, in the countries of refuge, the vast major- “whites,’ i.e. Anglo-Americans were the “fittest.” ity of survivors were women and children. The These ideas, coupled with the quest for national imbalance meant that men and women were obliged unity after the harrowing divisiveness of the Civil to meet across an ocean and across different cul- War, redefined what it meant to be an “American,” tures. Armenians quickly devised a host of creative and recast who should have the privilege of admis- mechanisms to bring together refugee women in sion. With the passage of the Chinese Exclusion countries of survival and bachelors and widowers Act in 1882, America established the precedence of in America: by letter, picture, and the always race as a criterion for admission. While health, ingenious matchmaker. But forces, stronger than literacy, morality, political affiliation, and pauperism will and determination, threw up major barricades could prohibit entry, race remained the single most to family reconstruction. powerful factor in keeping America “pure.” In 1921, Congress passed the so-called Johnson Act which To understand the situation we must look at limited entry to 3% of the foreign-born as evident American immigration regulations. After the Civil in their numbers based on the 1910 census. But War, during the latter part of the 19th century, nativists, still bent on “purity,” found this law - 21 - inadequate to exclude eastern and southeast- therefore eligible for citizenship. ern Europeans. After considerable controversy, Congress approved the Johnson-Reid Act in 1924, Despite Cartozian’s victory, American immi- which extended the restrictions to 2% of the total gration quotas thwarted Armenian efforts to recon- ethnic group according to the 1890 census. In effect stitute family life. To cope with the stringent the Johnson-Reid Act limited admission mainly to restrictions, Armenian refugees were forced to wait northern and northwestern Europeans. These their turn, often in intermediate countries like Cuba, groups had immigrated to the United States before Mexico, Argentina, or Canada. When, for example, the period of mass migration from eastern and a group of young refugee girls were brought to southeastern Europe, which was commonly called Canada as domestic servants during the 1920s, the the New Immigration period (roughly 1890-1921). news of their arrival spread to the United States In the same year, by terms of the Oriental Exclu- and generated a mini-movement of men to Toronto sion Act,, Congress prohibited the entry of those to “look over the girls.” The same desire to find a who were ineligible for citizenship - in effect, non- suitable bride motivated our woebegone hero in the whites. This restriction was directed specifically at “Cuba” song I translated above. Asians. As non-whites Asians were classified as aliens ineligible for citizenship and were, therefore, American regulations were not the only barred from admission to the United States. By problems plaguing family reformation. Arranged 1929, a quota system based on national origins was marriages and marriages between young women fully in place. and older men had occurred in the Ottoman Em- pire. But in the old land, families arranged mar- Examining the statistics, we see that in 1913, riages at least among their acquaintances, some- about 9,355 Armenians entered the United States; times because of family relationships, sometimes in 1920, 10,212 more arrived, and from 1920-24, because of suitability, sometimes because of wealth another 20,559 passed through Ellis Island. We or lack thereof, and sometimes, probably less often, can reasonably assume that from 1913 to 1920 because of love. After the Genocide, however, these approximately 50,000 Armenians2 were admitted to family and community structures and controls fell the United States, a high figure given that World apart. In a world of chaos, traditions and customs War I had interrupted migration. After 1925, crumbled, if they were remembered at all; and however - Cartozian’s victory notwithstanding - people were compelled to fend for themselves and Armenian immigration to the United States plum- construct new ways to deal with both old and new meted because of a quota of a few hundred a year, dilemmas. For instance, many picture brides, young at best. The Cartozian case made headlines in and inexperienced, felt deceived to find that their 1925, when Tatos Cartozian, a naturalized immi- fiancées in America were older, less wealthy, or less grant, was sued by the United States government. handsome than the girls had been led to believe. In The government sought to revoke Cartozian’s their turn, men complained that women cheated, naturalization on the grounds that he was an alien too. A man would pay the passage of his “be- ineligible for citizenship since he was not “white,” trothed” from Bolis, Beirut, or Marseilles, only to be and therefore was not entitled to naturalization. saddled with a big debt while she ran off with a Color, of course, was the code word for race. The younger or richer man, or, dare I say it, with her government was, in fact, trying to prove that husband already in America. Armenians were Asians and as such was ineligible for citizenship. Cartozian’s defense successfully Yet men and women did marry and as often as argued that he was “white,” assimilable, of “Alpine not, they were ill-matched because of differences in stock,” and of “European persuasion;” he was age, in education, in temperament, and in socioeco-

- 22 - nomic background. These couples were faced with played in public, not even in their home. They had the loss of loved ones, with adjustment to a new four children. After the third - she would have been society, and frequently with poverty and prejudice. around 27 - she became seriously ill. He took her to More than that, they had to learn to live on inti- a doctor and after examining her, the doctor ex- mate terms with a stranger, for the courtship plained that he saw no other way, absolutely none, periods were exceedingly short - seldom more than but to amputate her arm, and indicated he would two or three weeks. Still, the vast majority of have to amputate from the elbow. It took a minute people somehow managed to carve out a life to- or so for the “foreigners” to grasp his meaning. For gether, driven perhaps by a sense of resignation, the rest, I give you her words: duty, shame, destiny, pragmatism, or their children’s welfare. Some tried to take a light view of the “Then, this man, this quiet, polite man, jumped situation, like the interviewee who chuckled that the up from his chair, his face on fire, eyes bulging, and coffeehouse had saved her marriage. Whenever in broken English, shouted, ‘You no doctor. You pressures intensified at home, she would give her butcher. You butcher man. Never. Never I gonna husband a few cents and send him to the serjaran to let you cut off this little woman’s arm.’ I was check on the latest gossip. sitting there,” she remembered, “with my arm in a sling, in great pain, tears pouring down my cheeks. These couples worked, had children, bought a Then I looked at this man that I’d been living with. house, opened a store, laughed, wept, faced adver- And for the first time in ten years, I saw the real sity, learned English, grew old. Somehow, most of man. It was like a thunderbolt struck me. Right these marriages survived. Do not be misled. These then and there, in that crazy doctor’s office, I fell relationships were not altogether loveless nor were deeply in love with my husband.” they lacking in mutual respect. Sometimes it took many years or a family crisis to bring out the She paused. Leaned over and picked up his tenderness of the relationship. photograph. Held it in her two healthy hands, kissed it, and pressed it to her heart. She was Let me recount an interview I carried out some totally entranced in her own world. Then, after years ago with an elderly woman in Detroit. Fre- several minutes, aware of my presence, she turned quently, as in this case, the interview process itself to me, smiled, and whispered. “We had such a is as important an historical phenomenon as the happy love.” substance of the interview. We were sitting in her living room in approaching twilight; she had not As a rule, post-Genocide marriages differed turned on the lights yet. The furniture was vintage from the traditional marriages which preceded them 1940s, with doilies and anti-macasars. Probably, in the old country and they differed dramatically the most striking feature of the room was the large from the marriages which followed in America. The number of photographs: baby pictures, graduation marriages of Genocide survivors represent transi- pictures, wedding pictures, portraits. She explained tional marriages unlike those of their parents in the that she had immigrated as a 17 year-old picture Ottoman Empire and unlike those of their children bride and married a man who was about 32. Staid, in North America. A consequence of the Genocide, austere, proper, and formal, he did not call her by these marriages can reasonably be classified as her first name, but rather addressed her as “aghchi” survivor marriages. As such, they were new and or “girl;” and she, in turn, addressed him as “mart” unique and, therefore, should hold a special place in or man. He forbade her to leave the house without Armenian Diasporan history.  something to cover her head and arms. If any affection existed between them, it was never dis-

- 23 - TheThe ArmeniansArmenians ofof JavakhqJavakhq An Overview

Richard Giragosian

espite the international assistance pro- southeast of Ajaria, shares a roughly 80-90 kilome- videdD to the Southern Caucasus over the past decade, ter border with Turkey to its west and southwest, there has been little attention to the worsening situa- and has approximately 45-50 kilometers of common tion in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia, a border with Armenia, which lies to its south, and is strategically located region of southern Georgia with just west of the ethnic Azeri populated region of an ethnic-Armenian majority population. The severe Marneuli. In recent years, Javakhq was incorporated economic conditions and poverty of the Javakhq re- by the Georgian central government into a much gion pose challenges to both national and regional larger administrative unit (mkhare) known as the stability and greatly influence bilateral relations be- Samtskhe-Javakheti region, with an area of nearly tween Armenia and Georgia, as well as relations with 6413 square kilometers, representing about 9.3 per- Russia by virtue of the large Russian military base cent of Georgia proper, and a total population of al- in the region. most 235,000 (as of 2000).

The historically Armenian Javakhq region con- Today Samtskhe-Javakheti is composed of six sists of the districts of Akhalqalaqi and Ninotsminda, districts (Adigeni, Aspinadza, Akhalqalaqi, with the Armenians constituting 95 percent of the Akhaltsikhe, Borjormi, and Ninotsminda), with population. Javakhq lies about twenty kilometers east- Akhaltsikhe as the regional center, and the historical - 24 - Armenian Javakhq as its core. Within this greater Education In Javakhq region, the Armenian population’s majority has been steadily reduced to about sixty-one to sixty- two percent of the overall population of the six Under Georgian law, education is free through the th th districts. There are seven major towns, sixty-six first nine grades until the 10 and 11 grades, which smaller administrative units and over 250 vil- operate according to a fee-based enrollment system. lages. For Javakhq, the state of education is verey similar to much of the country, with the real problems not being of access to schooling but rather that of the Economic Neglect and schools themselves. Underdevelopment There is viable access to schools through the first nine grades but primary education is demonstrably For decades, Javakhq was the most underdeveloped limited by a lack of resources, such as textbooks, and region of the country. And since independence, the poor facilities, often with little or no heat and electric- Georgian government’s economic policies and neglect ity. Funding for school supplies, the maintenance of laid the foundations for the economic suffering and school facilities, and teacher salaries all come from the hardship that plagues Javakhq today. This neglect is central Georgian education budget. This reliance on most evident in the pronounced state of disrepair of central funding that has become, at best, sporadic, has the regional infrastructure, but can also be seen in the led to the recent practice by several villages and towns poor state of the labor market as the region has re- in Javakhq to raise their own community funds for corded over a decade of net job loss and labor migra- their local schools. Primary school teachers in Javakhq tion. face a unique form of discrimination, however, with Local industry is virtually nonexistent in the central government paying Georgian teachers Javakhq, aside from the service industry affiliated with three times as much as Armenian teachers. Officially the local Russian base. For Javakhq residents not for- defended as an appropriate means to attract teachers tunate enough to have work associated with the local to come to Javakhq, the result is problematic and has Russian military base, conditions force much of the led to resentment by local Armenian teachers male population to seasonally migrate to Russia in search of work, only returning to their families in Most villages in Javakhq have a small school winter. The most vulnerable of the population, the with pupils receiving education through the 8th grade, elderly, are forced to rely on such family support in and some of the larger villages have schools up to the the absence of reliable pension benefits or even basic 10th and 11th grades. According to 2001 estimates, health care and social services. During the peak month there are about 110 Armenian schools operating in of work in Russia, seasonal workers remit an esti- Javakhq, with more than 22,000 students. In a large mated $25,000 a day in transfers to families in number of villages throughout Javakhq, the local Javakhq. school operates on the sole support of local families. Roads and highways continue to be in severe The families of the local school children donate heat- need of investment and reconstruction, as the only ing fuel, collect and contribute money for the purchase improvement in transport in the past ten years has of textbooks and supplies, and even pay the teachers been on the Armenian side of the border. In fact, directly. almost all of Javakhq’s roads and external trade routes are southward toward Armenia, further strengthen- Under an agreement between the Georgian and ing the ties between Javakhq and Armenia. This iso- Armenian governments, the Armenian ministry of lation from the rest of Georgia is another key ele- education is allowed to supply Javakhq schools with ment of the region’s economic difficulties with the specific textbooks and related teaching materials. The Georgian government. These overwhelming needs, agreement limits Armenia to providing only text- therefore, only tend to exacerbate the effects of the books dealing with science and mathematics instruc- overall economic decline in the rest of the country tion, however, as the Shevardnadze government spe- and the deepening poverty of Javakhq, consistently cifically bans any history textbooks or instruction below the national level, only heightens Javakhq’s material. An additional problem for students is that vulnerability and isolation. even though the Georgian government bans the use - 25 - of Armenian textbooks for his- istent beyond the village practice of tory instruction, it fails to provide engaging a midwife and the cost for any alternative books or educational hospital care at the time of birth of- material. The Armenian program for ten runs between $100-400, explain- assisting the Javakhq school system ing both the decline in the overall was further expanded by Armenian birthrate and, for newborns, the President Robert Kocharian with marked increase in home births over greater levels of financial assistance the past decade. And although all and educational scholarship. Cur- hospitals throughout Georgia are re- rently, the Armenian government al- quired by law to provide free medical locates approximately one hundred care to infants up to twelve months million dram (about $180,000) an- of age, there is neither general aware- nually for textbooks and supplies to ness of this benefit nor much realis- Javakhq schools. tic expectation of such free care in light of the overall state of public health An important component of in the country. this Armenian aid program is the spe- cialized scholarships for Javakhq students in Arme- The Armenian Church nian state universities. Administered by the Arme- There are more than 100 Armenian churches in the nian ministry of education, the Javakhq scholarship villages throughout Javakhq, with many affiliated with program waives all admissions requirements and test- Ejmiatzin, but also with a significant presence of ing, including the financial enrollment fees, for uni- Armenian Catholic Churches. As a historic part of versity students from Javakhq, in return for the pledge the Armenian nation, Javakhq is endowed with a num- to return to Javakhq upon graduation. There are cur- ber of ancient Armenian monuments and other ar- rently 600 students enrolled in Armenian state uni- cheological evidence of the Armenian presence there. versities participating in the Javakhq scholarship pro- Unfortunately, the Georgian government has done gram. Additionally, the education ministry has also little to preserve these artifacts, and many of them established a new teacher-training program for teach- are in a state of decay or being destroyed by the ele- ers in an attempt to improve the overall quality of ments education in the region.. Public Health Insecurity and Vunerability National identity in Javakhq today is strongly Arme- The serious lack of adequate medical services and the nian, and plainly evident in most aspects of everyday widespread shortages of medicines and other supplies life. Although three languages, Armenian, Georgian make public health a rare and costly luxury in Javakhq. Nearly all medical facilities lack electricity and heat- ing and have been known to require that patients bring their own medicine and supply their own heat- ing fuel for their hospitalization..The hospital in Akhalqalaqi is the only adequately equipped hospital functioning today in all of Javakhq, forcing most of the sick to travel to northern Armenia to seek medi- cal care. The Armenian alternative is also the only way to overcome the overall breakdown in the region’s health care system. Ambulance service, for example, has been non-existent for several years now and the one operating emergency ambulatory service is oper- ated by the Russian military base and not readily available to residents.

Pre-natal care, for example, is virtually nonex- - 26 - and Russian, are seen in the street signs throughout The Meskhetian Turks the region, the Georgian presence virtually ends there. An even more threatening factor to the viability and Armenian television, not Georgian, is watched in security of the Armenian Javakhq majority is the is- Javakhq due to both easier reception and popular pref- sue of the Meskhetian Turks. Prior to their World erence. The Russian ruble, the Armenian dram and, War II deportation by Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, to a lesser extent, the American dollar are the only the Meskhetian Turks resided in the district of forms of currency to be found in Javakhk. Faced with Meskhetia adjoining Javakheti. The district itself was a transaction involving the Georgian lari, most ceded to Georgia by the Adrianople peace treaty be- Javakhq businessmen are not even sure of the official tween Russia and Turkey and the Meskhetian Turks exchange rate. All schools in Javakhq today are domi- have always considered themselves as ethnic Turks, nated by Armenian-language instruction, with the only continuing to more closely identify themselves with exception being a few Russian classes. The relative Turkey than with Georgia proper. Following their isolation of the region, combined with the existing deportation to Central Asia, their native lands in the cultural autonomy, has reinforced this strong Arme- district were repopulated by settlements of Armenians, nian identity despite being under Georgian rule. Georgians, and to a lesser degree, by Russians. But Overlooking the heart of Javakhq from its perch high on a cliff, the Russian military base at Akhalqalaqi is seen by the Javakhq popu- lation as much more than a straightforward guarantor of physical security. The Russian military presence in Javakhq is both a strategic deterrent and a central ele- ment of the Javakhq economy. The Russian base is the region’s largest source of employment and provides a reliable income from work both directly and indirectly tied to the base for several with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Meskhetian thousand local Armenians. Turks have renewed their demands to return to their ancestral homes in southern Georgia. An influx of With a border with Turkey twice as long as with Meskhetian Turks would significantly alter the al- Armenia, Javakhq is quite vulnerable to any poten- ready delicate demography of the region and would tial Turkish military assault. The Russian military only exacerbate tensions presence, therefore, also meets the security concerns of the population as a strategic defense against the Turkish threat. The perception of a threat from neigh- The Baku-Ceyhan Pipline Project boring Turkey stems, not only from history, but, According to the latest version, the planned route for presantly, it is also visibly reinforced by the constantly the $3 billion pipeline from Baku to the Turkish port increasing Turkish military role in Georgia over the of Ceyhan would pass through three of the six dis- past few years. The threatening proximity of Tur- tricts of Samtskhe-Javakheti, accounting for roughly key means that a military assault would only have 38 percent of the Georgian section of the planned to penetrate twenty miles into Javakhq to reach and route. Specifically, the planned route would enter into capture the heart of the region. The natural vulner- Gardabani, traverse Rustavi at the north, cross the ability of Javakhq, as a border region, is also a con- northern parts of Tetri Tskaro and Tsalka, pass stant reminder of the existing insecurity in the face through Borjomi, and transit Akhaltsikhe, before of such a threat. crossing the Georgian-Turkish border. - 27 - munications links all contributed to a serious Armenian depen- dence on Georgia for all essential commodities. These constraints on Arme- nian foreign policy regarding Georgia have greatly influenced Armenian policy on Javakhq, gen- erally limiting it to a secondary role. When circumstances have provided an opportunity, however, Armenia has been able to offset these constraints, as seen by Georgia’s need for supplies of Armenian electricity. With an en- ergy crisis worsening over the past year due to Russian manipu- lation of its energy shipments, the There are several implications for Javakhq stemming Kocharian and Shevardnadze governments have con- from the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline plan. First, the pres- cluded new bilateral accords whereby Armenia be- ence of the pipeline and its proximity to the Arme- gan to supply electricity to Georgia. nians of Javakhq would invite an even greater Turk- ish military threat, under the guise of providing “pipe- Most importantly, this arrangement included the line security.” It would also threaten the local and re- modernization of the 35,000-kilowatt Ashotsk- gional environment, with serious repercussions for the Ninotsminda-Akhalqalaqi electrical power line by biodiversity, underground water and springs of Armenia, an element that allows Armenia to supply Javakhq. electricity directly to Javakhq without connecting to the main Georgian national energy grid. Although Javakhq: Armenia and Diaspora some outstanding issues remain regarding the Arme- nian-Javakhq energy deal, it allows Armenia to di- In March 2001, even Georgian President Eduard rectly meet an important need of the area’s popula- Shevardnadze has publicly recognized Armenia’s spe- tion and sets an important precedent in establishing cial interest in the Javakhq region. Accepting the spe- a special Armenian role in assisting Javakhq. cial Armenian role in Javakhk offers an opportunity for Armenia and the Diaspora to directly alleviate the poverty and underdevelopment of Javakhq. For his Conclusion and Outlook part, the Georgian president has promised to draft a The trend of devolution of power from the central new 7-10 year economic development program. But state to the increasingly assertive autonomous regions as details have not yet been released, and as the Geor- and republics underway in Georgia is determining gian economy further declines, Javakhq is increasingly the future of Georgian statehood. It has become ap- looking to Armenia and the Diaspora for assistance. parent that Georgia is on a course toward reconsti- tuting its statehood and transforming itself into a Georgian-Armenian Relations confederation. For Javakhq, the most attractive path toward security and greater potential for economic Throughout the last decade, Armenia has sought to development is autonomy within a new confederate maintain a cooperative relationship with Georgia as Georgian state. the severe restraints imposed on Armenia by the dual blockade of the landlocked country by Azerbaijan from There is also a set of potential economic benefits the east and Turkey from the west made the outlet to to be realized through an autonomous Javakhq. The the north through Georgia a vital necessity. The most realistic of these benefits include the possible Azerbaijani and Turkish blockade of Armenia’s rail- share of proceeds from the lease agreement for the way and transport links, their disruption of the re- Russian military base in Javakhq currently being gional energy network and the breakdown of com- negotiated between Tbilisi and Moscow. A second - 28 - benefit lies in the possibility of autonomous Javakhq and with sharing in the profit from the uti- the possible cooperative involve- lization of Javakhq territory for ment of both the republics of a possible oil pipeline or for the Armenia and Georgia. proposed Tbilisi-Kars railway. There are some precedents for an By following this course of autonomous region negotiating a Georgia’s evolvement into a con- share of transit fees in this way, federation, an autonomous as the Ajarians are paid for the Javakhq, at this time, represents use of their Black Sea port Poti the most promising and practi- or as the Chechen government cal avenue for securing the rights has received tariff payments for and meeting the needs of the the pipeline from Baku through Javakhq Armenians. With the Chechnya to the Russian port fa- opportunity for security and the cilities on the Black Sea. Even promise of stability through au- more encouraging and construc- tonomy, Javakhq may effectively tive would be the possibility of overcome the geopolitical, eco- utilizing such revenue in a spe- nomic and cultural challenges in cial “Javakhq Development Fund” to be put to use its path by remaining within a new, forward looking and administered by the regional government of an Georgian Federation. Subscribe to Ð³Û êÇñï H A I S I R D The International Magazine Of The ARS

Editorial Offices Armenian Relief Society, Inc. 80 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472, USA - 29 - LaLa CroixCroix BleueBleue enen hauthaut dede l’affichel’affiche

LaLa 51ème51ème AssembléAssembléee

Les 17 et 18 mai, 2003, s'est activités éducatives. Elle a en de l’école, elle a organise des tenue la 51ème assemblée outre été décidé d'organiser manifestations exceptionnelles générale annuelle de la Croix des manifestations destinées à dans ses trois régions Ile de Bleue des Arméniens de financer le fonctionnement de France (Paris), Rhône-Alpes France, l'occasion de faire le ces structures d'enseignement: (Lyon) et PACA (Marseille). point sur les activités de cette « une journée des écoles est La plus prestigieuse était le organisation humanitaire, qui prévue » en 2003 - 2004, sous récital Aldo Ciccolini, organise œuvre depuis plus de 70 ans forme de dîner, kermesse, en région parisienne avec dans les domaines de l'enfance, ventes de dessin d'enfants Hamaskaïne et auquel le grand de la culture et de l'aide Ce volet éducatif est essentiel pianiste international sociale. dans la communauté apportait son généreux concours. Au total, ces mani- 29 déléguées représentant les arménienne de France qui, festations diverses ont permis 690 membres répartis dans les rappelons-le, ne dispose que de verser 25 800• pour la 19 sections existant en France six écoles quotidienne sur le construction de l’école se sont réunies pendant deux territoire. Pour freiner Hamaskaïne. jours à Marseille-Beaumont l’intégration et même pour dresser le bilan des l’assimilation pure et simple, il Toujours dans le cadre de ses actions entreprises et définir le faut maintenir les jeunes actions en direction de programme à venir. générations dans un contexte l’enfance, la CBAF poursuit arménien, leur enseigner la l’organisation de séjours pour Fidèle à sa mission de trans- langue et la culture les enfants et les adolescents mission du patrimoine culturel arménienne et impulser aux dans son centre de vacances de et de l'identité arménienne, la enfants le sens de leur identité. Bellefontaine, ainsi que d’un CBAF dispose de 9 écoles C’est ce que la Croix Bleue camp itinérant dans les accueillant au total 330 élèves accomplit sans relâche depuis régions du sud de la France où sont enseignés la langue, toujours. Elle a depuis 1980, pour les plus âgés. l'histoire, et dans certaines date de l’ouverture de l’école localités, la danse, le théâtre et Fidèle à sa vocation quotidienne Hamaskaïne de le chant. Les sections qui n'ont humanitaire, la CBAF accueille Marseille, apporté une subven- pas de structure de ce type à Bellefontaine des enfants tion régulière de 80 000 apportent leur aide financière arméniens favorises, de France Francs (12 200•) par an à cet et morale à celles qui gèrent mais aussi d’autres régions de établissement scolaire, le seul ces écoles. L'assemblée diaspora, en dehors ou dans le en France à mener les études générale a décidé de renforcer cadre des échanges du HOM. secondaires jusqu’au BAC. En cet échange entre sections afin Ainsi des enfants de Serbie ont 2002, pour aider à la recon- d'accroître ce soutien indis- pu passer leur mois d’août struction et à l’agrandissement pensable à la poursuite de ces 2002 à Bellefontaine et 25 - 30 - GénéraleGénérale dede lala CBAFCBAF

enfants ont été totalement ou scolarité et une formation présentation du Javakhq, de partiellement pris en charge à professionnelle. Cette action sensibilisation à ses problèmes la colonie pour un montant de représente un investissement et différentes manifestations 8 500•. L’accueille des enfants d'environ 5 000 $ par an. dont, dont les modalités de Serbie parachevait l’action Parallèlement à cette aide restent encore à définir, sont entreprise par la Croix Bleue apportée à l'orphelinat de prévues. au profit de la communauté Nork, la CBAF s'est engagée De plus, depuis l’été 2003, une arménien de Serbie. depuis 10 ans dans la campagne de collecte fonds a L’opération « Noël pour les campagne de parrainages été également lance e faveur de enfants de Serbie » a permis orchestrée par le HOM pour l'Irak et va être renforcée d’envoyer, en janvier 2002, 1 les orphelins d'Arménie et du grâce a une intervention dans tonne de marchandises – Karabagh. A ce jour, ce sont les medias et la distribution de vêtements, jouets, matériels 415 enfants qui ont bénéficié tracts. scolaires – à cette petite de ce programme, et La CBAF fidèle à ses engage- communauté fortement l’association demande éprouvé. ments et à ses objectifs a régulièrement de nouveaux poursuivi son action dans ses En dehors de ces actions dossiers pour remplacer ceux multiples domaines d'activités. menées auprès de la qui sont arrivés à termes ou Par l'organisation de soirées, communauté arménienne de pour accroître le nombre de de bals elle préserve également France, la CBAF a engagé, parrains. la vie communautaire dans sa dans le cadre des actions du Enfin, les problèmes de convivialité. Elle continue son HOM, un programme en Javakhq ont été évoqués. La action sociale auprès des Arménie en faveur des enfants Croix Bleue a participe malades, des personnes âgées et principalement des activement aux cotes du Nor et nécessiteuses. Présente à orphelins. Seround à l’action lancée par tous les niveaux de la vie Depuis 1995, la CBAF finance la FRA Dachnaktsoutioun de communautaire, la Croix Bleue une fois par semaine le coût France « Un hôpital pour est reconnue pour son activité des trois repas d'une journée Stepanakert » dont le but était et son dynamisme dont elle a dans le centre pour enfants de de réunir des fonds pour fait la preuve en organisant de Nork, dans les faubourg de l’équipement d’une salle grandes manifestations à Erevan où sont accueillis une chirurgicale dans le futur l'échelle nationale. centaine d'enfants et hôpital de la région. Une fois C’est ainsi qu’un fevrier d'adolescents, orphelins ou cette campagne terminée, elle dernier,  dans une situation familiale envisage de mobiliser autour précaire. Le centre les héberge, du Javakhq ou œuvre déjà le les nourrit et leur assure une HOM. Des actions de - 31 - The ARS Armenian Summer Studies Institute

An Overview, 1971-2003

With a far reaching resolution in the field of educa- Two $600 scholarships will be offered by the tion, the delegates at the 82nd Annual Re-gional Con- Board as authorized by the ARS Eastern USA 82nd vention of the ARS/Eastern USA took the impor- Annual Convention to deserving Summer Studies stu- tant step of approving a $40,000 budget for a new dents. Summer Studies information and applications and improved ARS Summer Studies Program, to be will be available in the early winter. Information will held annually for three weeks, beginning in June 2003 also be available on the ARS Eastern USA’s website, at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. which will be unveiled for public use soon.

Summer Studies’ revitalization was finally real- Established in 1971, the Armenian Relief Soci- ized through the efforts of the 2001-2002 Board of ety Summer Studies Program has given college and Regional Directors, which made Summer Studies’ re- university students an introduction to Armenian lan- birth one of its top priorities. Many months of dis- guage, Armenian ancient and modern history, and cussions between Regional Board and University of Armenian literature. For over three decades, students Connecticut representatives culminated in an agree- who have attended the three-week program testify to ment in May 2002 that will see the development of a being enriched and forever changed by the Summer three-credit course in Modern Armenian History and Studies experience. Some students often pursue Ar- the retention of the best of Summer Studies. menian Studies degrees back at their institution of higher learning as a direct result of their ARS Sum- Now dubbed the ARS Summer Studies Institute mer Studies experience and all leave with a life-long at the University of Connecticut-Storrs, the three- appreciation for the Armenian language, history, and week-long session will be open to students who have culture. completed at least one year of college or university work. All students will be required to register with There is also an important and undeniable so- the University for the three-credit Modern Armenian cial component to the program. Life-long friendships History course, which will be augmented by non- are established at Summer Studies where members credit “traditional” Summer Studies courses, includ- of successive “classes” keep in touch with one another ing Armenian Language (beginner and intermediate), long after their courses end. Armenian Literature, Ancient Armenian History, and mini-courses and lectures. COURSE PLAN Presently, the ARS Summer Studies is founded The Board chose to have the ARS Summer Stud- on three core courses: Armenian Language, Survey ies Institute convene in June to permit Summer Stud- of Armenian History, and Armenian Literature. Stu- ies students to have an opportunity to participate in dents are required to attend all classes, typically held other worthwhile Armenian experi-ences during the Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rest of the summer, like counselorships at AYF Camp Evening lectures, panel discussions, and cultural per- Haiastan and internships that are available through formances augment the Summer Studies lesson plan. the ARS, AYF, ANCA, and Hairenik Association, as Weekends are devoted to social activities and rest and well as others. relaxation. - 32 - The Survey of Armenian History course is worth who are experts in their field and have the appropri- three credits through the University of Con-necticut. ate degrees of higher education. Students may wish to transfer these credits to their own institution of higher learning. The Armenian THE STUDENT BODY Language course is usually divided into two sections Summer Studies students must be enrolled in a to accommodate the needs of students just learning college or university to attend Summer Studies. Stu- Armenian and those who have intermediate to ad- dents apply from all over the world. Past students vanced knowledge of the spoken and written language. have hailed from as far away as France, the Middle East, and, increasingly, Armenia. The ARS Board of In addition to the core Summer Studies courses, Regional Directors selects Summer Studies students. one-week-long mini-courses are offered to enrich the educational experience. The mini-courses center on PROGRAM FUNDING Armenian culture, including Armenian dance, Arme- The ARS Eastern USA funds the Summer Stud- nian film, Armenian music, and Armenian art and ies Program, including faculty salaries, student room architecture. Other recent week-long mini-courses and board, and facility costs. Students pay a $350 have included Armenian Village Life and Oral His- application fee, the costs associated with the three- tory, Armenian Art History, Medieval Armenian Art, credit course (approximately $608 according to Modern Armenian Art, and The Armenian Cultural UConn’s per credit 2003 fee schedule) transferable to Experience. their own institution of higher learning, and are re- sponsible for their travel expenses to and from Sum- Evening lectures and panel discussions have in- mer Studies. cluded Armenian Women in Turn-of-the-Century Iran: Education and Political Activity; Internships: The ARS Eastern USA Board of Regional Di- Acquaintances, Friendship, Courtship, Marriage; The rectors will select two students, each to receive a $600 Last 60 Years in Soviet Armenia; Armenia and scholarship to defray their Summer Studies three- Karabagh; and The Armenian Cause. Cultural per- credit course expenses to the University of Connecti- formances have included a concert by the Garni Folk cut. The awards will be based on merit and will be Ensemble. given in the sole discretion of the ARS Eastern USA Board of Regional Directors. The two lucky students Where appropriate, evening lectures, panel dis- will be informed by the ARS Eastern USA Board of cussions, and cultural performances are opened to the Regional Directors when they receive their letter of community-at-large for their education and entertain- acceptance into the Summer Studies Institute at the ment. University of Connecticut.

DIRECTOR AND FACULTY Interested individuals who still have more ques- Since the inception of the ARS Armenian Sum- tions about Summer Studies may call the ARS East- mer Studies Program at Boston University, the Ar- ern USA office at (617) 926-3801 or e-mail the office menian Relief Society has hired directors and faculty at [email protected]. - 33 - ARS Eastern USA Holds 83rd Annual Regional Convention

Over 50 delegates and guests from throughout Melkonian and ungh. Lucy Essajanian. Following the the eastern United States gathered in Waltham, Mas- opening ceremonies, the local Con-vention host chap- sachusetts on July 17 to attend the ARS Eastern USA's ters invited all delegates and guests to a reception in 83rd Annual Regional Convention. A full Convention the hotel function room. The Convention began its agenda and related activities were completed by the deliberations immediately after the reception. close of the Convention on Sunday, July 20. The Con- ARS Eastern USA Regional Board Chairwoman vention, held at the FourPoints Sheraton in Waltham, Georgi-Ann Oshagan (ARS Detroit Maro) opened the was jointly hosted by the ARS Watertown Leola Convention with a roll call of delegates and election Sassouni and ARS Cambridge chapters. of a temporary divan. The perma-nent divan con- The Convention opening ceremonies began with sisted of Manoog Kaprielian of the Providence Ani a prayer and welcoming remarks by the Rev. Chapter, English language chairman; Knar Kiledjian Archpriest Torkom Hagopian, retired pastor of the of the Hudson County, NJ Shake Chapter, Armenian St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church in language chairper-son; Aida Gharibian of the Hudson Watertown. Other remarks, wishing for a construc- County, NJ Shake Chapter and Naro Khandjian tive convention, were addressed to the gather-ing by Cunningham of the Cambridge Chapter, English lan- Hrair Arzoomanian, representing the ARF Central guage secretaries; and Reba Pilibosian of the Detroit Committee of Eastern United States; Marcel Karian, Tzolig Chapter and Sona Mishigian of the Detroit representing HMEM; Margaret Stepanian, represent- Sybille Chapter, Armenian language secretar-ies. ing the ARS Central Arppie Charkoudian, of the Springfield Ararat Chap- Executive Board; and Lauryn DaSilva of the ter, served as Convention parliamentarian, while AYF Central Executive Board. Jacquline Abounayan, of the Detroit Tzolig Chapter, There were welcoming remarks also from the served as Convention sergeant-at-arms. ARS Convention Committee Co-Chairwomen Mayda Convention guests of the ARS Eastern USA - 34 - Board of Regional Directors were Penny Giragosian TWO RECENT POEMS of the Providence Arax Chapter, Sossy Jeknavorian of the Lowell Lusintak Chapter, and Nartouhi By Alvard Petrosian Abrimian of the Watertown Leola Sassouni Chapter. Elected guests of the ARS 83rd Annual Regional Convention were Armenia Mayda Melkonian and Artemis Minassian, both of the Watertown Leola Sassouni Chapter. At the incep- I try to say farewell to you, tion of the proceedings, on behalf of the ARS East- ern USA Board of Regional Directors, Georgi-Ann As I cross the gate, to fly abroad, Oshagan presented the Board's annual report to the Where gardens of Eden call me, Convention in a Powerpoint presentation prepared by And I leave my dreams behind… the Board of Regional Direc-tors treasurer, Salpi Sarafian. Like malingering homing birds, The report depicted a number of achievements Driven onwards sheer instinct, over the fiscal year 2002-2003, including an in-crease They fly me back once again of over 200 in the sponsorship of orphans in Arme- To our very own, humble nest. nia and Artsakh, bringing the total of orphans spon- sored to over 630; the collection of nearly $30,000 Spun around and split in two for identified projects in Javakhq; and the very suc- I turn my journey backwards, cessful rebirth of the ARS Armenian Summer Stud- ies program, which was held during the month of Towards mother, father, child, June, 2003, at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. And land, my very own, my only. Following the report, Suzanne Tikirian, of the Cam- bridge Chapter, presented an informative workshop  for the delegates on the mechanics of completing the annual fiscal year chapter report to the ARS Regional Board. Autumnal After the passage of an annual budget and a number of resolutions to guide the programs of the ARS Eastern USA during the 2003-2004 fiscal year, Is it my soul that sheds those tears, elections took place for the new Regional Executive Or are these raindrops from above? Board of Directors. Three seats were open for election Are these mine or God’s very own this year, held by Georgi-Ann Oshagan, Shakeh Tears that keep flowing inwards? Basmajian, and Salpi Sarafian, all three eligible for re-election and, as expected, all were reelected by unani- The twin streams sear my soul mous acclamation. Elected first alternate was Lisa With a drifting, amorphous ache, Dagdigian of the Lowell Lusintak Chapter, while They ram and rant at my door Mary Arabian, of the Watertown Leola Chapter, was From both sides of the threshold. elected sec-ond alternate. A Convention banquet was held on Saturday, July 19 at the FourPoints Sheraton at-tended by ARS delegates, guests, friends and sup- Unabashed, childlike yet valiant, porters. Entertainment was provided by Harout They say “Stand up! It is time! Zenian and his band. The homeward trek is never hard, The ARS Board of Regional Directors thanks Winter awaits, all dressed in white.” the ARS Cambridge and Watertown Leola Sassouni Chapters for the several months of hard work in preparation of one of the most successful Con-  ventions in recent memory. The Board also thanks Garo Lachinian, who took the official Convention pho- tograph of delegates and donated his professional Translated by Tatul Sonentz services  - 35 - 505050î³ñÇî³ñÇ ²é³ç©©©²é³ç©©©Ð³Û êÇñïÇÇ

²è²æÆܲè²æÆÜ ø²ÚÈÀø²ÚÈÀ ²èÜàôºò²ô²èÜàôºò²ô

²Ù»ñÇÏ³Ñ³Û ÎñÃ³Ï³Ý Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÁ« áñ ³°Û¹ ¹³ë³ñ³ÝÝ ³Ý·³Ù ÏÿáõݻݳÝù ß³μ³ÃÁ Ù¿°Ï ϳ½Ùáõ»ó³õ ³Ýó»³É ·³ñݳݫ Щک ϳ٫ ß³°ï ß³°ï« »ñÏáõ ³Ý·³Ù£ ¸³ßݳÏóáõû³Ý« Ð³Û ú·Ýáõû³Ý ØÇáõû³Ý« ²Ûë ϳóáõÃÇõÝÁ« ë³Ï³ÛÝ« ãÇ° Ïñݳñ Ð³Û ºñÇï³ë³ñ¹³ó ¸³ßݳÏóáõû³Ý »õ ²½·³ÛÇÝ íѳï»óÝ»É Ù»½£ à°ã Ù¿Ï ËáãÁݹáï Ïñó³õ λ¹ñáÝ³Ï³Ý ì³ñãáõû³Ý ݳ˳ӻéÝáõû³Ùμ« Ï³ë»óÝ»É Ù»ñ ÁÝóóùÁª Ï»³ÝùÇ ³Ûë ϳ٠³ÛÝ ³ñ¹¿Ý ·áñÍÇ ëÏë³Í ¿ »õ áõñ³Ëáõû³Ùμ ÏÁ Éë»Ýù »ñ»õáÛÃÇÝ ¹ÇÙ³ó£ áñ ¹åñáóÝ»ñ μ³óáõ³Í »Ý ù³ÝÇ ÙÁ ѳ۳߳ï ÎñÃ³Ï³Ý Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÁ Çñ ϳñ»ÉÇÝ ÏÁ Ï»¹ñáÝÝ»ñáõ Ù¿ç£ ÷áñÓ¿« áñå¿ë½Ç Ù»ñ ͳÕϳѳë³Ï ë»ñáõݹÁ ²õ»Éáñ¹ ¿ Áë»É áñ §¹åñáó¦ ù³ÝÇ ÙÁ μ³é ѳۻñ¿Ý ëáñíÇ »õ ÙÇ ù³ÝÇ μ³ó³ïñáõÃÇõÝÁ ³Ûë ·³ÕáõÃÇÝ Ï³Ù« ûñÇݳϫ ÁݹѳÝáõñ ·ÇÍ»ñáí ͳÝûÃ³Ý³Û Ù»ñ üñ³Ýë³ÛÇ Ù¿ç« ãÇ Ý߳ݳϻñ ÿ ß¿Ýù ÙÁ ·Ýáõ³Í å³ïÙáõû³Ý Ñ»ï£ ¿« áõëáõóÇãÝ»ñ í³ñÓáõ³Í »Ý« 100-200 Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÁ Û³õ³ÏÝáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ ãáõÝÇ Ã¿ ³ß³Ï»ñïÝ»ñ ϳñ·Ç ÏÁ ëå³ë»Ý »õ ³éïáõ³Ý 9- Çñ ³ß³Ï»ñïÝ»ñÁ åÇïÇ Ï³ñ»Ý³Ý« ù³ÝÇ ÙÁ ¿Ý ÙÇÝã»õ ÇñÇÏáõ³Ý ųÙÁ 4-5« Ñ³Û Ù³ÝãáõÏÁ »õ ï³ñÇ¿Ý« ÙñóáõÙÇ »Éɻɫ ûñÇݳϫ ÈÇμ³Ý³ÝÇ Ï³Ù Ñ³Û ³ÕçݳÏÁ Ñ³Û³Ï³Ï³Ý ÙÃÝáÉáñïÇ ÙÁ Ù¿ç Æñ³ÝÇ Çñ»Ýó ï³ñ»ÏÇóÝ»ñáõÝ Ñ»ï Ïÿ³ÝóÝ»Ý Çñ»Ýó ųٻñÁ »õ ß³ñù ÙÁ ¹³ë»ñ §Ñ³Û»ñ¿Ý¦³·Çïáõû³Ý Ù¿ç£ ²Ý·Ý³Ñ³ï»ÉÇ Ïÿ³éÝ»Ý Ñ³Û»ñ¿Ýáí£ Í³é³ÛáõÃÇõÝ Ù³ïáõó³Í ÏÿÁÉÉ³Û ³Û¹ سñÙÇÝÁ ä³ïÏ»ñÁ ³Û¹ù³Ý ÙËÇóñ³Ï³Ý ã¿£ »Ã¿« ³éÝáõ³½Ý« å³ñ½ ·ñ»É ϳñ¹³É »õ Ù³ùáõñ î»Õ³Ï³Ý å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñÁ ÃáÛÉ ã»Ý ï³ñ áñ Ù»ñ ѳۻñ¿Ý ËûëÇÉ ëáñí»óÝ¿ Ù»ñ »ñ³Ë³Ý»ñáõÝ£ »ñ³Ë³Ý»ñÁ ³Ù»ñÇÏ»³Ý ϳ٠ýñ³Ýë³Ï³Ý ´³Ûó« Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÇÝ ×Ç·Á Çñ ÉñáõÙÇÝ ãÇ í³ñųñ³ÝÝ»ñ¿Ý ³ë¹ÇÝ μ»ñáõÇÝ »õ Çñ»Ýó Ïñݳñ ѳëÝÇÉ »Ã¿ ÍÝáÕÝ»ñÁ ³Ýï³ñμ»ñ ÙÝ³Ý »õ ݳ˳ÏñÃáõÃÇõÝÁ ëï³Ý³Ý Ù»°ñ Ó»éùÇÝ ï³Ï« ×Ç· ÙÁÝ ³É Çñ»Ýù ãÁÝ»Ý ³Ýáñ ³ß˳ï³ÝùÝ»ñÁ Ù»°ñ ÙÇç³í³ÛñÇÝ Ù¿ç« Ù»°ñ áõëáõóÇãÝ»ñáí£ ºÃ¿ ³õ»ÉÇ ³ñ¹Çõݳõáñ ¹³ñÓÝ»Éáõ ѳٳñ£ ÝáÛÝÇëÏ ÝÇõÃ³Ï³Ý É³ÛÝ ÙÇçáóÝ»ñ áõݻݳÛÇÝù« Ìñ³·ÇñÁ Ï¿ë ׳Ùμ³Ý ÏÁ Ùݳ۫ »Ã¿ ¹³ñÓ»³É ûñÇÝ³Ï³Ý ¹Åáõ³ñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ Ù»ñ Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÇÝ ³Ý¹³ÙÝ»ñÝ »Ý áñ ¹éÝ¿ ¹áõé ×Ç·»ñÁ åÇïÇ Ë³÷³Ý¿ÇÝ£ åÇïÇ åïïÇÝ »õ åÇïÇ Ëݹñ»Ý áñ §Ó»ñ »ñ³Ë³Ý ²Û¹ å³ÛÙ³ÝÝ»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç« Ù»Ýù ÏÁ ÷áñÓ»Ýù ³É Ù»½Ç Û³ÝÓÝ»ó¿ù« áñå¿ë½Ç Çñ»Ý ѳۻñ¿Ý Ù»ñ ϳñ»ÉÇÝ áñå¿ë½Ç« ûï³ñ í³ñųñ³Ý¿Ý ëáñí»óÝ»Ýù¦£ ²Ýßáõßï« Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÇÝ ÇñÇÏáõ³Ý ¹¿Ù ³ñÓ³ÏáõáÕ êûÝ³Ý »õ îÇ·ñ³ÝÁ« ³Ý¹³ÙÝ»ñÁ ëñï³Ýó ÝáõÇñáõ³Í »Ý ųÙáõ ÙÁ ã³÷ ³É« ³Ï³Ýç ï³Ý Çñ»Ýó Ñ³Û ³é³ç³¹ñáõ³Í Ýå³ï³ÏÇÝ »õ ³ÝѳïÝáõÙ »é³Ý¹ áõëáõóãáõÑÇÇÝ Ï³Ù áõëáõóãÇÝ£ ¸Åμ³Ëï³μ³ñ« áõ ˳ݹ³í³éáõÃÇõÝ Ç Û³Ûï ÏÁ μ»ñ»Ý© μ³Ûó« - 36 - ²Ýó»³É²Ýó»³É ¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©©¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©©

³Û¹ù³Ýáí å¿ïù ã¿° ·áѳݳÝù£ êûݳÛÇÝ áõ îÇ·ñ³ÝÇÝ Ñ³ÛñÝ áõ Ù³ÛñÁ« Çñ»°Ýù åÇïÇ í³½»Ý Ñ³Û áõëáõóãáõÑÇÇÝ »õ áõëáõóãÇÝ »ï»õ¿Ý« »õ Çñ»°Ýù »Ý áñ åÇïÇ Ëݹñ»Ý© §Ù»ñ »ñ³Ë³Ý ³É Ó»½Ç« ³é¿°ù« ï³ñ¿°ù »õ Ç ë¿ñ ²ëïáõÍáÛ« ѳۻñ¿Ý ëáñí»óáõó¿ù©©©¦£ Àë»É Ïÿáõ½»Ýù áñ ë»ñï ·áñͳÏóáõÃÇõÝ ÙÁ å¿ïù ¿ ëï»ÕÍáõÇ Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÇÝ »õ ÍÝáÕùÇÝ ÙÇç»õ« »Ã¿ Ù»ñ Ýå³ï³ÏÝ ¿ áñ Ýáñ³Ñ³ë ë»ñáõݹÁ« Çñ ³Ý·É»ñ¿ÝÇÝ ½áõ·ÁÝóó« ùÇã ÙÁ Ùï»ñÙ³Ý³Û Ù»ñ É»½áõÇÝ Ñ»ï ½áñ ÇñÇÏáõ³Ý« ¹åñáó¿Ý í»ñ³¹³ñÓÇÝ« åÇïÇ Éë¿ Çñ ѳÛñÇÏÇÝ áõ Ù³ÛñÇÏÇÝ ßñÃÝ»ñ¿Ý£ æ»ñÙûñ¿Ý ÏÁ Û³ÝÓݳñ³ñ»Ýù« Ñ»ï»õ³μ³ñ« Ù»ñ ØÇáõû³Ý ³Ý¹³Ù-³Ý¹³ÙáõÑÇÝ»ñáõÝ áñ μ³ó³éÇÏ ×Ç· ÙÁ Ç ·áñÍ ¹Ý»Ý »õ ÃÇÏáõÝù ϳݷÝÇÝ Ú³ÝÓݳËáõÙμÇݪ Ù³ëݳõáñ³μ³ñ ³Û°Ý ßñç³ÝÝ»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç« áõñ μ³½ÙáõÃÇõÝ áõÝÇÝù áõ ¹åñáóÝ»ñ μ³Ý³Éáõ »õ ³ß³Ï»ñïÝ»ñ ׳ñ»Éáõ Ñݳñ³õáñáõÃÇõÝÝ»ñ ã»Ý å³ÏëÇñ£ ÎñÏÝ»°Ýù ³Ý·³Ù ÙÁ »õë« áñ ³é³°Ýó ѳۻñ¿ÝÇ ã»Ýù Ïñݳñ §Ñ³Û³óݻɦ ³ÛÝ ë»ñáõݹÁ« áñáõÝ åÇïÇ Û³ÝÓÝáõÇ ³½·ÇÝ ×ñ³·Áª í³Õáõ³Ý ׳Ùμ³Ý Éáõë³õáñ»Éáõ ѳٳñ£

ÊÙ³·ñ³Ï³Ýª ÐáÏï»Ù»ñ« 1953 -ĸ© î³ñÇ« ÂÇõ 4 ¥56¤ B O O K R E V I E W A Valuable Gift on Any occasion… Zaven Nalbandian’s “David of Sassoon”

“David of Sassoon”, By Shake Melkonian-Minassian Armenian Folk Epic. Told and sung by more than forty generations of Armenian Bards. contributed by performing vari- Rendered into English by Zaven Nalbandian. ous tasks that the production of Illustrated by Mihran Sosoyan, such a volume implies include: Levon Palian, Haig Gakavian, Yerevan. Hayastan, “Mooghni” Ed. Anne Atanossian, all of Washing- 2002. 286 pages. ton, DC. In the developmental progress of the Armenian-Ameri- can community, up to 1960-70, the input of Zaven Nalbandian and With justifiable pride, his intellectually prominent we welcome all cultural achieve- spouse, Zaruhi Kalantar- ments that introduce the best of our national talents Nalbandian has been noteworthy. In the front matter and their work to the international public. of the volume, Khachig Tololian’s biographical notes And when that achievement is truly of the high- refresh in our minds the distinguished profile of Zaven est quality, our hearts are filled with the kind of satis- Nalbandian: faction that can only be described as elation. He was born in 1890, in Antioch. When his par- I consider Zaven Nalbandian’s English transla- ents are killed during the massacres of 1895, he is put tion of the heroic legend “David of Sassoon” a unique into the Aintab orphanage, later he finishes the local present to our entire nation. The result of obvious care Athenian School, and graduates from the American and enormous amount of work, this translation has College. After teaching for a few years at the Athenian been published in a quality edition, in Armenia, some School, in 1913 he leaves for the United States with the 29 years after Nalbandian’s death in 1973. intention of studying at Harvard University and re- We owe the publication of this work to Prof. Hrach turning with a few colleagues to the homeland in or- Abrahamian of Washington, DC, whose tireless efforts der to raise the cultural/educational level of the com- saved the manuscript of this valuable translation from munity through teaching. However, the 1915 Geno- being forgotten in some obscure drawer; a fate all too cide prevents it. He graduates in 1917 and remains in common in the case of misplaced literary work. the US. The entire financial support for the publication of Still in his teens, Zaven Nalbandian had taken a this volume was generously provided by a Long Island solemn oath to serve his nation. Becoming active in com- couple, Vazken and Ani Kassabian. The introduction is munity life, he is elected to the Central Committee of written by Shake Der Melkonian-Minassian. The bio- the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, serving on the graphical notes of the translator are by Khachig Executive. In 1919, he participates as a delegate in the Tololian. 9th ARF World Congress in Yerevan. As we find out, reading Hrach Abrahamian’s In 1923, Zaven Nalbandian marries Zaruhi acknowledgements piece at the beginning of the vol- Kalantar who later acquired fame as a recognized ex- ume, Mesrob Archbishop Ashjian has brought his valu- pert in the ancient history of the Near East. She has also able moral support to this project. Others who have assisted her husband in putting together a volume,

- 38 - unique in its kind, called “United and Independent How much harder, when the text to be translated Turan”, published in 1926 under the pen name of is in verse and rhymes in a lively medieval style, when Zarevant, translated into English by Prof. Vahakn there are hardly any linguistic, stylistic or grammati- Dadrian in 1971, given its timely importance in the cal similarities between the original language and the study of Pan-Turanism. one into which it must be translated. Remaining true to his ideals, Zaven Nalbandian To remain faithful to the original, the mere mas- went on to found the very first society of American- tery of both languages, in these circumstances, is not Armenian scientists and served as editor of their enough to assure a successful outcome. There needs to publication called “Scientific Movements”. He has be a total sensitivity and commitment to the integrity also translated into Armenian Longfellow’s “Song of of the original text, boundless patience in revising, over Hayawatha” as well as poems by Charles Baudelaire. and over, until the translation reflects, without distor- Undoubtedly, it was with the intention of intro- tion, the true character and clear image of the original ducing our cultural treasures to our non-Armenian- text. speaking generations that Zaven Nalbandian had tack- With his “David of Sassoon” Z. Nalbandian has led the difficult task of translating “David of Sassoon”. overcome all the obstacles mentioned above because Difficult because, even in simplest terms, the art his inspiration was heightened by a deep love, care of translation requires a certain expertise so that the and commitment towards the task ahead. The result result does not give a hint of being a translation and is this volume of timeless value. A gift that one can retains the aura of an original. give and receive with gratitude, on any occasion. 

The Gyumri Orphange for Handicapped Children Receives $12,000 from ARS, Inc.

In August 2002 the ARS Central Executive received a of $12,000. The check was delivered to Archbishop letter from Armenia signed by the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, personally by Armenian Relief So- Mesrob Ashjian, requesting ARS assistance to purchase ciety Chairperson Maro Minassian, in the presence of the necessary equipment for the kitchen of an or- central office manager Ojig Gregorian, during the phanage in Gyumri, Armenia. This is a special orphan- late Archbishop’s visit to the ARS Central Executive age for handicapped children. The ARS Central Ex- Offices in January 2003, eleven months before his ecutive decided to contribute to this effort with a sum passing.  - 39 - î º ð º ô ²  ² ö Ð³Û Î³åáÛï ʳãÇ ÜáõÇñ»³É êå³ë³ñÏáõ ÀÝÏ»ñáõÑÇ î³ÉÇó Ø¿ùÃáõå×»³Ý àã ºõë ¾

Úáõݳëï³ÝÇ Ð³Û Î³åáÛï »ñ³õ Úáõݳëï³ÝÇ ³½·³ÛÇÝ í³ñųñ³ÝÝ»ñáõÝ, ʳãÇ Ñ³õ³ï³õáñ ÁÝÏ»ñáõÑÇ, г۳ëï³ÝÇ áñ³Ëݳ٠Íñ³·ÇñÝ»ñáõÝ, 1988Ç î³ÉÇó Ø¿ùÃáõå×»³Ý« 18 »ñÏñ³ß³ñÅÇ ïáõųÍÝ»ñáõÝ »õ ²ñó³ËÇ ÚáõÝáõ³ñ 2003ÇÝ, Çñ »Õûñ ³½³ï³Ù³ñïÇÏÝ»ñáõ ÁÝï³ÝÇùÝ»ñáõÝ£ 1994ÇÝ, ½³õÏÇݪ èáõ¿Ý ¿ñ½»³ÝÇ Ð©Î©Ê³ãÇ 70³Ù»³ÏÇÝ ³éÇÃáí, ûñáõ³Ý Þñç³Ý³ÛÇÝ Ñ»ï, á×ÇñÇ ÙÁ ½áÑ ·Ý³ó£ ì³ñãáõÃÇõÝÁ, ·Ý³Ñ³ï»Éáí ³Ýáñ ³ó³éÇÏ Þñç³Ý³ÛÇÝ í³ñãáõû³Ý »ñϳñ³Ù»³Û í³ëï³ÏÁ, ßù³Ýß³Ýáí ÙÁ å³ïáõ»ó ½ÇÝù£ ³ï»Ý³å»ïáõÑÇ ÁÝÏ»ñáõÑÇÝ« å³ï³Ý»Ïáõû³Ý Æñ ѳٻëï Ýϳñ³·ñáí, å³ñï³×³Ý³ãáõû³Ù ûñ»ñ¿Ý ÙÇÝã»õ Çñ »Õ»ñ³Ï³Ý Ù³ÑÁ ÝáõÇñáõ³Í Ùݳó áõ ½áѳ»ñáõû³Ý á·Çáí, ³Ý Ñ»ÕÇݳÏáõÃÇõÝ Çñ ѳñ³½³ï ÅáÕáíáõñ¹ÇÝ£ î³ñÇÝ»ñáí »Õ³õ ¹³ñÓ³õ ЩΩʳãÇ ÁÝï³ÝÇù¿Ý Ý»ñë£ ø³Õóñ Ëûëù ЩةÀ©Ø©Ç Ù³ñ½ÇÏ, ËÙ³å»ï, áõ ÙÇÝã»õ í»ñç áõÝ¿ñ Áë»ÉÇù áÉáñÇÝ, ÏÁ ïËñ¿ñ »õ Ïÿáõñ³Ë³Ý³ñ Ùûï¿Ý Ñ»ï»õ»ó³õ ЩةÀ©Ø©Ç ·áñÍáõÝ¿áõû³Ý© ³Ý ѳñ³½³ï Çñ ßñç³å³ïÇÝ Ñ»ï£ ¹ñ³Ï³Ý Ý»ñϳÛáõÃÇõÝ ¿ñ áÉáñ Ó»éݳñÏÝ»ñáõÝ »õ ²Ùáõëݳó³Í ¿ñ ѳõ³ï³õáñ Ïáõë³Ïó³Ï³Ý áõ ³ÝÇõ áõ ·áñÍáí »é³Ý¹ ÏÁ Ý»ñßÝã¿ñ ÙÇáõû³Ý ·áñÍÇ㪠ÁÝÏ© Ú³ñáõÃÇõÝ Ø¿ùÃáõå×»³ÝÇ Ñ»ï, ¹ñûßÇÝ ï³Ï ѳõ³ùáõ³Í »ñÇï³ë³ñ¹ ß³ñù»ñáõÝ£ ë³Ï³ÛÝ ³Ëï³õáñáõÃÇõÝÁ ã¿ñ áõÝ»ó³Í ½³õ³Ï ²ñųݳó³Í ÙÇáõû³Ý §Ì³é³Ûáõû³Ý áõݻݳÉáõ£ ÞÝáñÑÇõ Çñ ɳõ³ï»ë Ýϳñ³·ñÇÝ ßù³Ý߳ݦÇÝ« ÁÝÏ»ñáõÑÇ î³ÉÇó« Ùdzųٳݳϫ ë³Ï³ÛÝ, Û³çáÕ³Í ¿ñ Ï»³ÝùÇ ³Ûë Åɳï ˳ÕÝ ³É ³Ý¹³Ù ¿ñ Â»Ù³Ï³Ý ÅáÕáíÇÝ£ ê³Ï³ÛÝ, Ñá°Ý, áõñ ¹ÇÙ³·ñ³õ»É ЩΩʳãÇ Ýáñ³Ñ³ë ë»ñáõݹݻñÁ ³Ý Çñ ³ÝçÝç»ÉÇ ¹ñáßÙÁ Ó·»óª ³ÝϳëϳÍûñ¿°Ý Ð³Û ÁݹáõÝ»Éáí áñå¿ë Çñ ѳñ³½³ï ½³õ³ÏÝ»ñÁ£ γåáÛï ʳãÝ ¿ñ£ Þáõñç Ï¿ë ¹³ñ« ³Ý Çñ ³ÝÓÝ áõ Æñ ÏáñáõëïÁ Ù»Í ³ó ÙÁ ÃáÕáõóγåáÛï ʳãÇ ÏáñáíÁ ÝáõÇñ»ó ЩγåáÛï ʳãÇÝ« ÙݳÉáí ³Ýáñ ÁÝÏ»ñáõÑÇÝ»ñáõÝ ëñï»ñáõÝ Ù¿ç, áñáÝù í»ñçÇÝ Ñ³õ³ï³õáñ ³Ý¹³ÙÁ£ øë³Ý »ñϳñ ï³ñÇÝ»ñ« Ññ³Å»ßïÇ å³ÑáõÝ, Ëáñ Ûáõ½áõÙáí »ñ·»óÇÝ Çñ ͳËݹñáõû³Ù ëï³ÝÓÝ»ó Þñç³Ý³ÛÇÝ ³ÛÝù³Ý ëÇñ³Í áõ å³ßï³Í ÙÇáõû³Ýª Ð³Û Î³åáÛï ì³ñãáõû³Ý ³ï»Ý³å»ïáõÃÇõÝÁ, Ù³ëݳÏó»Éáí ʳãÇ ù³ÛÉ»ñ·Á£ Щú©Ø©Ç ѳٳѳÛÏ³Ï³Ý ä³ï·. ÅáÕáíÝ»ñáõÝ£ ²Ý³ÕÙáõÏ« ï³ñÇÝ»ñ ß³ñáõÝ³Ï ³Ý Çñ Ýå³ëïÁ Ð.Î.ʳãÇ î»Õ»Ï³ïõáõû³Ý ¶ñ³ë»Ý»³Ï

ou de concerts à Paris. JEANNETTE MADOYAN, Dès décembre 1988, elle était présente en Arménie avec une Khatchouhie exemplaire les premiers convois humanitaires de la Croix La Croix Bleue des Arméniens de France a eu la Bleue. Elle y est ensuite douleur de perdre au mois de septembre 2003, retournée de multiples fois, enguerouhie Jeannette MADOYAN, vaincue par une visitant les zones sinistrées, les douloureuse maladie qu’elle a combattu avec cour- orphelinats, les hôpitaux, pour age et obstination pendant près de 3 ans. aider, pour encourager, faisant Membre de la Croix Bleue des Arméniens de chaque fois triompher les France depuis près de 40 ans, elle avait, entre 1978 valeurs d’entraide et de générosité du HOM. et 1996, participé à plusieurs conseils Tant pour l’Arménie que pour la colonie de d’administration où elle avait assumé entre autres Bellefontaine, à laquelle elle était très attachée, elle les fonctions de présidente. n’hésitait pas à convaincre, à solliciter, à exiger… Authentique militante du HOM, association qui Rien ne lui paraissait impossible pour constituait pour elle une véritable raison de vivre, l’accomplissement de nos projets. elle a œuvré avec enthousiasme et ferveur, pour Jeannette MADOYAN parlait avec son cœur, défendre nos objectifs et nos valeurs. agissait avec son cœur et nous stimulait avec son En France, comme en Arménie, tous se cœur. souviennent de sa générosité exceptionnelle et de A nous de croire, comme elle, en notre mission et son dynamisme communicatif. L’aide sociale et de poursuivre l’action essentielle du HOM, pour la l’enfance étaient ses domaines de prédilection, ce qui survie de l’identité arménienne en diaspora et pour ne l’a pas empêché de participer activement à des le renouveau de l’Arménie. commissions pour la préparation de grandes soirées La Croix Bleue des Arméniens de France - 40 - ÀÝÏÑ. ¶áѳñÇÏ Ð³Ù³É»³Ý

гÛñ»ÝÇ àñ»ñáõ Ìñ³·ñÇÝ ²é³çÇÝ ÊݳٳϳÉÁ

ÀÝÏÑ. ¶áѳñÇÏ Ð³Ù³É»³Ý ÍÝ³Í ¿ гɿå 1921-ÇÝ£ ²õ³ñï³Í ¿ ²½·. гÛϳ½»³Ý í³ñųñ³Ý£ ä³ßïûݳí³ñ³Íª ѳٳÝáõÝ Ù³Ýϳå³ñ�¿Ý Ý»ñë, ͳËݹñáõû³Ù »õ ·áõñ·áõñ³Ýùáí ëáñí»óáõó³Í ¿ سÛñ»ÝÇÝ£ ºÕ³Í ¿ ÝáõÇñ»³É ¹³ëïdzñ³Ï, »ñÏñå³·áõª Ñ³Û ·ÇñÇÝ áõ ·ÇñùÇÝ£ ºÕûñ Ù³Ñ¿Ý í»ñç Çñ»Ýó ï³Ý ë»÷³Ï³Ý ·ñ³¹³ñ³ÝÇ ·Çñù»ñÁ ÝáõÇñ³Í ¿ ²½·. ø³ñ¿Ý º÷÷¿ ×»Ù³ñ³ÝÇÝ, ê. ú. ʳãÇÝ, ÇëÏ ³ñÅ¿ù³õáñ ѳïáñÝ»ñÁª ÎÇÉÇÏÇáÛ Î³ÃáÕÇÏáë³ñ³ÝÇÝ£ ³Ûë ³éÃÇõ, ûñÇÝ, 1993-ÇÝ, ¶³ñ»·ÇÝ ´. γÃáÕÇÏáë¿Ý ëï³ó³Í ¿ ßÝáñѳϳɳ·Çñ Ý³Ù³Ï ÙÁ, áñáõÝ Ñ³Ù³ñ ³ÛÝù³Ý Ñå³ñï ¿ñ áõ »ñç³ÝÇÏ£ гɿå³Ñ³Û ú·Ýáõû³Ý ʳãÇ, ٳݳõ³Ý¹ ä³ïëå³ñ³ÝÇ å³ïÙáõû³Ý Ù¿ç ïÇñ³Ï³Ý ¹¿Ùù ¿ñ, ÛÇß³ï³Ïáõû³Ý ³ñųÝÇ£ λ³ÝùÁ Ñ³Ù³Ï ÝáõÇñáõÙ áõ ͳé³ÛáõÃÇõÝ ¿ñ£ Æñ»Ý ѳٳñ ÙÇáõû³Ý ѳëϳóáÕáõÃÇõÝÁ ³½·³ÛÇÝ »õ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý ³ß˳ï³ÝùÝ»ñáõ ³ÝûñÇ ëå³ë³ñÏáõÃÇõÝ ¿ñ£ ä³ñï³×³Ý³ãáõÃÇõÝÁ, ͳËݹñáõÃÇõÝÝ áõ Ñ»ï»õáճϳÝáõÃÇõÝÁ Û³çáÕáõû³Ý ٻͳ·áÛÝ ·ñ³õ³Ï³ÝÁ£ ²Ûë ѳëϳóáÕáõÃÇõÝÝ ¿ñ, áñ ½ÇÝù ¹³ñÓáõó³Í ¿ñ ËÇëï áõ å³Ñ³ÝçÏáï, ûñ³óáõÙÝ»ñáõ ÝϳïÙ³Ù ³ÝÝ»ñáÕ£ гÛñ»ÝÇùÁ Çñ»Ý ѳٳñ í»Ñ ·³Õ³÷³ñ ¿ñ, ³Ýáñ Ñ»ï á·»Õ¿Ý Çñ ϳåÇÝ É³õ³·áÛÝ ¹ñë»õáñáõÙÝ»ñ¿Ý Ù¿ÏÝ ¿ñ ³ÛÝ Ñ³Ý·³Ù³ÝùÁ, áñ ÐúØ-Ç Ð³Ûñ»ÝÇ áñ»ñáõ Íñ³·ñÇÝ ³é³çÇÝ ËݳٳϳÉÁ »Õ³Í ¿ñ áõ Çñ Ïï³ÏÇÝ Ù¿ç ³é³çÇÝ Ñ»ñÃÇÝ ÛÇß³Í §àñë ³Ýï¿ñ ãÙݳۦ ËûëùÁ, áñ ÏÁ å³Ñ¿ Çñ ÑÝã»ÕáõÃÇõÝÁ£ úñ. ¶áѳñÇÏ í³ñ³Í ¿ ݳ»õ å³ï³ë˳ݳïáõ å³ßïûÝÝ»ñ ³½·³ÛÇÝ »õ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý Ï»³ÝùÇ Ù¿ç£ ²Ý »Õ³Í ¿ ´»ñÇáÛ Â»ÙÇ ²½·³ÛÇÝ ÄáÕáíÇ ³Ý¹³Ù£ Æñ ÏñÃ³Ï³Ý ï³ñÇÝ»ñáõ ͳé³Ûáõû³Ý ѳٳñ ³ñųݳó³Í ¿ ÎÇÉÇÏÇáÛ Î³ÃáÕÇÏáëáõû³Ý §Ø»ëñáå سßïáó¦ ßù³Ýß³ÝÇÝ, ÇÝãå¿ë ݳ»õ ÐúØ-Ç Î»¹ñáÝ³Ï³Ý ì³ñãáõû³Ý ÚÇëݳٻ³Û ͳé³Ûáõû³Ý Ýß³Ý-·Ý³Ñ³ï³·ñÇÝ£ î³Ï³õÇÝ, Ï»³ÝùÇÝ í»ñçÇÝ ûñ»ñáõÝ ãÙáéó³õ ÝÇõÃ³Ï³Ý Ïï³ÏÁ ÝáõÇñ»É Çñ å³ïÏ³Ý³Í ëÇñ»ÉÇ ÙÇáõû³Ý£ ²ñ¹³ñ»õ, ê.ú. ʳãÁ, Çñ ϳñ·ÇÝ, ê.ú. ʳãÇ ³ñÓñ³·áÛÝ ßù³Ýß³Ýáí ½ÇÝù å³ñ·»õ³ïñ»É¿ »ïù, ³ñ¹³ñ áñáßáõÙ ÙÁ ϳ۳óáõó »õ, Û»ï Ù³Ñáõ, ê.ú. ʳãÇ ÁÝÏ»ñ³ÅßÏ³Ï³Ý Ï»¹ñáÝÇ ëñ³ÑÁ ³Ýáõ³Ý³Ïáã»ó Ïï³Ï³ñ³ñÇÝ ³ÝáõÝáíª §úñ. ¶áѳñÇÏ Ð³Ù³É»³Ý¦ ëñ³Ñ£

ê.ú. ʳãÇ ¶ñ³ë»Ý»³Ï - 41 - A Tumanian Sampler

Hovhannes Tumanian (1869-1921), one of the giants of Armenian literature, who has dedicated his outstanding career to the re-creation of popular themes based on Armenian legends and folklore. Many of his poems have inspired Armenian composers in their creation of operas and popular songs. Tumanian is well known also for his many works written for children – poems, short stories and fables. In all his works a lyrical and romantic spirit is a distinctive feature, making him a popular author both among adults and children. Many of Tumanian’s works have been translated into Russian, Arabic, and English. In Armenian literary history he is the only one to enjoy the title “Amenayn hayots banasteghtz” (Poet of All Armenians).

On the following pages, we present a few of his poems written for children, translated by Tatul Sonentz:

- 42 - AT DAWN

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” Called the rooster in high key, “Chick-chick, chick-chick!” Woke up the bird in the tree.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Called the rooster once more, “Moo-mooo, moo-mooo!” Moved the cattle to the meadow.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” At the third call, broke the day, “Oh my, oh my, oh my!” Sighed grandma on her way.



- 43 - MORNING

Crowed the rooster In the village, For a third time: Laughter and noise; “Hey, sleepy-heads, The air, clear Time to wake up! As a bell, echoes The crimson dawn The happy noise of Surrounds us, The farmer’s chores. Now is the time  To get up!

Darkness is gone With the night, Gone far, far away, Out of sight. The day is bright With the goodness Of a new light.

- 44 - BEADS

Spring arrived let me take the dough with clouds, to the oven the clouds arrived so the oven will give with rain; bread to me; let me take the rain let me take the bread to the field to the Gypsy so the field so the Gypsy will give me will give me grain; beads; let me take the grain let me take the beads to the mill to Granny, so the mill and let Granny grab will give me flour; and beat me let me take the flour let her spank me to the tub and throw me so the tub out of the will give me house…. dough; 

- 45 - THE WIND

Wheee, wheee... It’s the wind, the wind! Look, look, What a crook! With no mouth It howls and blows, With no wings It flies and soars, With no hands It pulls and rips.

Away with you! Mean old windbag! Here, hear, my dear, Have no fear, Just grab my skirt Good and tight! I’ll never let The wind carry you Out of sight!



- 46 - CRANES

Cry, Cry,

The cranes cry,

Then they fly;

Beneath their wings,

Spring arrives

At our door.



- 47 - The Armenian Relief Society Around the Regions, Around the World

 ARS-Sponsored School Publishes ARGENTINA Periodical for Beginners: The Board of the “Seferian” Primary School of the Khrimian Educa-  ARS/South America Elects New tional Foundation (Colegio Armenio Jrimian de la Asociacion Cultural Armenia), has published the Regional Executive: On Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2002, first issue of a periodical called “Our Ancestors ARS/South America (Asociacion Civil Armenia de Speak”. Designed for children and novices in Arme- Beneficencia para America del Sur) held its 46th nian history and culture, the publication will be annual regional convention with delegates from all distributed free to all Armenian schools through the chapters. The ARS, Inc. Central Executive Board network of ARS entities  was presented by Chairperson Maro Minassian and Advisor Silva Kahtalian. After serious deliberation and evaluation of past and present performance, plans and projects for future activities were formu- lated and proper resolutions passed by the conven- ARMENIA tion. Before adjournment, the delegates elected the  World AIDS Foundation Funds ARS following eleven members to a new Regional Execu- Project: An HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention tive Board: Maral Torigian, Chairperson; Zabel Project was announced on July 22, 2003, by the Attarian, Vice-Chairperson; Graciela Kevorkian, ARS International office to be implemented at the Clerk’Secretary; Ani Caprielian, Treasurer, and ARS Mother & Child Health Center in Akhourian, Vartanoush Casbarian, Cohar Mserian, Betty Armenia. The project, funded by a grant from the Barsamian, Santouhi Papazian, Diana Itoutmazian, World AIDS Foundation, is the result of a collabo- Anahid Cahvedjian, and Hourig Bedoyan, Advisors. rative effort with the University of Massachusetts, - 48 - Worcester. Project team members include: Dr. Carol ARTSAKH Bova, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School,  Celebrations of Christmas, Women’s who will serve as Senior Researcher; Dr. Sevak Day and Easter: All ARS "Soseh" Kindergartens Avagyan, Director of the ARS Mother-Child Health in Karabagh celebrated the New Year and Christ- Center since its inception, will serve as Co-Senior mas in January 2003. The Kindergarten in the Researcher; Carol Jaffarian, Nurse Manager/Nurse village of Togh celebrated the International Day for Practitioner of the HIV Clinic at U Mass Memorial Women on March 8. The event consisted of various Healthcare, and member of ARS, will serve as songs and dances performed by the students. Project Coordinator; and the Executive Director of The ARS "Soseh" Kindergarten in the village the ARS Mother & Child Health Center, Dr. of Avdur celebrated Easter on March 22. After Mkhitar Mkhitaryan will serve as In-Country making their Easter wishes, the students recited the Coordinator. Ten Commandments and various poems dedicated The purpose of this project will be to develop to this special occasion. Parents were present during a decentralized model of HIV/AIDS education and the celebration which included the distribution of prevention that can be replicated throughout colored eggs. Students had grown wheat in small Armenia and possibly in other Commonwealth of bowls especially for this occasion. Independent States (CIS) nations. In addition, it Easter was celebrated in the Kindergarten of will begin to establish a climate that will support Stepanakert on April 25. The Parish Priest of HIV health care delivery in the near future. The Stepanakert, invited to participate in the event, project is scheduled to begin in September 2003 started the celebration with a prayer with students and their parents joining in. After a short homily,  President Kocharian Receives ARS Father Minas answered many questions concerning Delegation: An Armenian Relief Society delega- the spiritual meaning of Easter and Resurrection. tion, led by the organization's chairperson Maro The second part of the celebration was "taken over" Minassian, met with President Robert Kocharian. by the students, who started by singing three Mrs. Minassian briefed the President on ARS prayers, followed by the recital of the Ten Com- healthcare and educational programs as well as mandments and two poems glorifying the Almighty. small business assistance initiatives in Armenia, These recitations were followed by songs Artsakh and Javakhq. President Kocharian praised dedicated to the Homeland, springtime and child- the ARS for the implementation of the vital pro- hood. The celebration was concluded with a special grams and expressed hope that its productivity and luncheon, with traditional Armenian pastries and a history of cooperation with Armenian authorities competition withcolored eggs.  would continue in the future.

 ARS Donates $50,000 to “Haiastan” All Armenia Fund: The Armenian Relief Society AUSTRALIA (ARS), a member of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, recently announced that it is contributing $50,000  Melbourne Chapter Has New Execu- to the Fund for the completion of the North-South tive: The Melbourne “Nairi” Chapter of ARS of Highway in Nagorno Karabagh. The ARS -- with Australia, Inc. has a new executive consisting of the its world-wide entities actively involved in humani- following members: Vanouhi Martyrosian, chairper- tarian programs throughout the Diaspora and the son; Marie Vahrijian, secretary and Sona Altunian, Homeland -- has supported programs initiated by treasurer. Assisting the executive, Mr. Khachik the “Haiastan” Fund from its very inception. The Atamian has volunteered as contact person with the Fund held its most recent Board of Directors State Grants Administration. meeting in Yerevan, Armenia in May 2003.   ARS Member Elected to Office: ARS of Australia “Soseh” Chapter member Gladys - 49 - Berejiklian, after a well run and successful cam- invited all present to rise and sing the national paign as a candidate in the New South Wales state anthems of Canada and Armenia, after which a municipal elections, is the new representative from minute’s silence was observed in memory of de- the Willoughby District. Upon this memorable parted members. occasion, representatives of various Armenian All the convention agenda items were dis- organizations were invited to the Parliament House cussed and resolved over the next two days’ delib- to hear Ms Berejiklian’s maiden speech  erations. On Sunday evening, before adjournment, elections were held for three regional executive members to serve during the 2003-2004 term; the delegates elected the following members: Anna BRAZIL Boulgarian, Naomi Yaghdjian and Arpie Dolmadjian; elected from the previous term: Armine Garabedian, Flora Guiragossian, Hasmig Jandu,  Getting Set for 70th Anniversary: Penna Tarzi. Maral Hovsepian and Salpi Khozozian Along with ARS/Argentina and ARS/Uruguay, were elected as alternates. ARS/Brazil has been preparing for the celebration of of the 70th anniversary of the ASOCIACION  CIVIL ARMENIA DE BENEFICENCIA PARA Tenth Anniversary of the ARS Laval AMERICA DEL SUR (ARS/South America), Chapter: On July 12, 2003, the ARS “Shoushi” scheduled to take place in the Buenos Aires “Hilton” Chapter of Laval celebrated its 10th anniversary in Hotel, on October 4, 2003, with the participation of the Aharonian Hall of the Montreal Armenian distinguished guests and dignitaries  Center. Starting at 8:30 p.m. with the opening remarks of Zevart Varvarian, who presided over the function, the evening proceeded in a festive atmosphere. BULGARIA In a very informative presentation, Hermine Manouguian conveyed the message of the day, followed by a videotape presentation depicting the  ARS/Bulgaria to Host ARS/Europe Semi- activities of the Chapter over the past ten years. nar: In the coming months, the Armenian Relief Pastor of the St. Gevorg Armenian Church, Father Society will hold its long-planned seminar bringing Hrayr Nicolian and ARF Central Committee together its European entities – a project planned representative, Mher Karakashian both praised the sometime ago that was postponed due to the situa- humanitarian work of the ARS, that transcends tion created by the crisis in Iraq – now being boundaries, encompassing Diaspora and Homeland rescheduled. in one, indivisible family. Including Bulgaria, the host entity, nine ARS For having served the ARS for over 15 years, entities, Armenia, Artsakh, Cyprus, England, devoted members, Zvart Varvarian and Elizabeth France, Germany, Greece, and Sweden will send Tahanian, received specially prepared commemora- representatives to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to discuss the tive pins from the regional chairperson, Maro post-crisis situation and coordinate future ARS Froundjian. After dinner, through the drawing of a activities in Europe and elsewhere.  lottery, the winners received custom made jugs, designed and produced in Armenia, each one representing the regional costume of a particular province. All proceeds of this function will go to CANADA projects in the Homeland 

 ARS/Canada’s 13th Regional Conven- tion: On July 11, 12 and 13, ARS/Canada held its 13th annual regional convention in Laval, Quebec. CYPRUS On Friday, 11 July, after the registration of the delegates and the welcoming ceremony by the host  ”Soseh” At-Large Chapter Elects New Shoushi Chapter, chairperson Maro Frounjian Executive: On May 30, 2003, the Armenian - 50 - Relief Society of Cyprus held its 15th general family circle, but within the wider arena of the membership meeting in Nicosia. The gathering community itself, where women are actively in- listened to the reports of activities and the progress volved in the welfare of those most vulnerable in made in the implementation of various projects and today’s society. programs. After proper evaluations and the passage Dr. Manasarian mentioned the fact that, in of resolutions for the coming year, the members Armenia, every year, the International Day of elected a new executive board consisting of the Women and the Feast of the goddess Anahit are following members: Vera Davitian, chairperson; also celebrated. Then, upon the request of the ARC/ Mayda Nshanian, vice-chairperson; Astghik Cairo executive, she presented veteran ARC mem- Takljian, clerk; Alice Davitian, treasurer; Maral bers, Araxi Cazazian and Mary Kezelian with Adurian, advisor. inscribed silver plates in recognition of their long and devoted service to the ARS, the foremost  Celebration of “Children’s Day”: On Armenian charitable organization. January 1, 2003, to celebrate “Children’s Day”, the The celebration continued its program with “Soseh” Chapter-at-large executive had prepared dinner and a lottery, the proceeds of will help small packets of cookies and candy to be distrib- finance various ARC on-going programs  uted to the children at a gathering at the ARS Center in Nicosia. Both children and adults attend- ing this function had a good time in a distinctly festive atmosphere. ENGLAND

 Visit to the Elderly: On January 12,  A Lecture in London on the Present 2003, members of the “Soseh” Chapter’s public Cultural Life in Lebanon: On April 29, 2003, relations committee, as part of its many faceted during a well attended membership meeting of activities, paid a visit to the Kalagian Rest Home the ARS of Great Britain Trust, Ms Garineh  and served dinner to the elderly residents Alexandrian, a member of the Armenian Relief Cross of Lebanon and Hamazgayin Cultural Association, on a visit from Beirut, spoke to the membership about Armenian cultural life in EGYPT Lebanon. For more than an hour, Ms Alexandrian presented facts, figures, and analysis of the rich  Mothers’ Day Celebration: Organized and multi-faceted cultural activities of the Leba- by the executive of the ARC/Cairo, on Friday nese Armenian community. Her cogent evalua- March 21, 2003, the traditional gathering to tions and conclusions kept her audience keenly celebrate Mothers’ Day took place in the Heliopolis interested in the subject so ably presented. The “Houssaper” Club, with Mrs. Diana Simonian lecture was followed by a reception that lasted presiding. A great number of members and friends until 11:00 P.M  were in attendance, showing their support to our internationally active humanitarian organization. After Mrs. Simonian’s opening remarks, Mrs. Bairamian, addressing the gathering, referred to the FRANCE numerous programs initiated and carried out by the great ARS family of world-wide entities throughout  The 51st Annual Convention: On May the Diaspora and the Homeland. 17 and 18, 2003, the Armenian Blue Cross of Following those remarks, Dr. Irina France held its 51st annual convention in Beau- Manasarian, wife of the Armenian Ambassador to mont. The 29 delegates, representing the 690 Egypt, was invited to the podium to say a few members of all19 chapters, took stock of the words on the occasion of Mothers’ Day. The good society’s accomplishments over the past twelve doctor, thanking the organizers for this opportunity months, particularly in the three areas that domi- to address members of the community, praised the nate the list of its various activities: Children, lofty mission of motherhood, not only within the Culture, and Social Service. After thorough delib- - 51 - eration, decision was passed to increase funding for its new executive board, consisting of the follow- programs in the educational field. In addition to ing members: Dr. Margarit Asoyan-Link, chair- activities within the French-Armenian community, person; Mrs. Annik Palian, vice-chair; Miss the CBAF (Croix Bleue des Armeniens de France) Gayaneh Shoghikian, secretary; Mrs. Nounik participates in numerous ARS (Armenian Relief Vitus, treasurer and Mrs. Seda Papanian, admin- Society) projects in Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhq, as istrative advisor. well as in Serbia  The membership of this small but active entity has by now increased to 34. The Chapter has secured the sponsorship of ten orphans, actively participating in the ARS “Sponsor-A- GEORGIA Child program. In other areas of activity, the AHD, with the cooperation of the German Medical For a New “ARS House” in Association, has sent much needed medical equip- Akhalqalaq: The ARS Akhalqalaq Chapter-at- ment to hospitals in Artsakh, It has also shipped large recently announced receipt of a $20,000 grant children’s winter clothing to the ARS office in from the Armenian Relief Society, Inc. Central Yerevan for distribution in Armenia, and partici- Executive Board for the purchase and furnishing of pated in the fund-raising for the ARS sponsored Socio-cultural programs in Javakhq, and the an “ARS House” to serve as a community center,  catering, particularly, to the social, educational and Khrimian School in Argentina cultural needs of the youth in Akhalqalaq and neighboring communities in Javakhq.

 ARS Chairperson Visits Javakhq: GREECE While in the region, visiting Armenia and Artsakh,  Chairperson Minassian traveled to the predomi- Annual Bazaar: On March 31, 2003, after nantly Armenian populated southern Georgian considerable planning and work on the part of the province of Javakhq to discuss with the regional Armenian Blue Cross Regional Executive and the ARS chapters the implementation of health, educa- membership of the chapters, a very successful tional, and social programs in the area to be imple- bazaar, supported by the community, raised funds mented over the next two years, and to review plans for ARS children’s programs in the Homeland. It is for a medical diagnostic center in Akhalqalaq. planned to secure more TV announcements and coverage for such events in the future.  Kocharian’s Visit to Tbilisi: In the  meantime, non-official sources have reported that Blood Drive to Commemorate the President Kocharian, during his visit to Georgia, Genocide: On April 13, in Fiks, and on April 24, has met with Georgian counterpart Shevardnadze, 2003, in Kokinia, took place the community wide Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Irakli annual Blood Drive in memory of the million-and- Menagarishvili, and Georgia's State Minister a-half Armenians who perished in the Ottoman Avtandil Jorbenadze, raising the issue of the Empire as a result of the first genocide of the 20th present socio-economic problems of the Armenian- century. Members of the Armenian Blue Cross populated province  Regional Executive actively participated in this commemorative event.

 Camping Season at Khalkidiki: Be- GERMANY tween July 16 and August 2, 2003, 10 to 17 year old Armenian youth, from many communities of  A New Executive and a New Momen- the world, spent over two weeks together, to know each other and get a taste of Armenian history and tum: On July 20, 2003, the Armenisches culture in the uniquely beautiful surroundings of Hilfswerk in Deutschland e.V. (ARS/Germany) the Khalkidiki Camp, run and maintained by the held its general membership meeting and elected ARS of Macedonia & Thrace since 1990  - 52 - possible. As one of the most important of its social, cultural and charitable activities, the “Sponsor-A- Child” program has occupied a prominent area in I R A N the multi-faceted work of this versatile Chapter-at- large.   Urmia Concludes another Busy Year: The ARS Chapter-at-large of Urmia, Iran, with a dy- namic membership of sixty devoted ladies, continues to maintain its kindergarten staffed by two qualified KUWAIT teachers and attended by 13 pupils, For many years now, The Chapter also provides a monthly stipend to  Entity Focuses on Local Needs: Given local needy families, helping them survive harsh eco- the prevailing political situation in the region, and nomic times, and supplies much needed schoolbooks its adverse influence on the economy of the country and related items to disadvantaged schoolchildren. as well as the small Armenian community, the ARS Chapter-at-large of Kuwait, while fulfilling its basic  Tabriz Maintains Kindergarten: The obligations as an ARS entity, has been concentrat- small ARS Chapter-at-large of Tabriz, Iran, still or- ing its relief efforts on the immediate needs of local ganizes occasional functions in a fast shrinking local community structures  Armenian community; its main program is its well staffed Nursery/Kindergarten where 18 children re- ceive excellent care while they get ini-tiated into their ethnic culture and history  LEBANON

 First Lady Visits “Araxie Bulghurjian” Center: On January 15, 2003, Andree Lahoud, ISRAEL First Lady of Lebanon, visited the ARCL’s (Arme- nian Relief Cross of Lebanon) Bulghurjian Socio-  Promoting Armenian Crafts and medical Center, to get better acquainted with that Artifacts: The three small, but very active, ARS outstanding institution’s activities in social and chapters-at-large in Israel continue, in spite of medical service to the multi-ethnic communities of rather difficult political and economic conditions, the country. their active involvement in community life and the As befits a distinguished guest of honor, the promotion of Armenian issues in that embattled First Lady was shown all the departmental facilities part of the Middle East. Their periodic bazaars and introduced to the specialized staff of the exhibiting and selling Armenian artifacts gives the Center. Together with Bourj Hammoud Mayor non-Armenian public to see and appreciate Arme- Andranik Msirlian, the Mrs Lahoud dedicated a nian needlework, ceramics, jewelry etc. at the same new radiography/tympanography room which will time raising much needed funds for the bear the name “Mayoralty of Bourj Hammoud”. community’s many needs in the areas of social This new addition will make examination of nose, services and education  throat and ear ailments much more efficient and thorough. As a gesture of appreciation, and a memento of her visit, the First Lady presented the Center with a brand new ambulance. JORDAN A New Publication on Armenian  Assisting the Orphans in the Home- Costumes: On March 21, 2003 the ARC Regional land: Over the past months, alongside its sister Executive of Lebanon held a dedication ceremony for "Armenian Traditional Costumes" (Haikakan ARS entities across the Diaspora, the ARS Chapter- Taraz), authored by Dr. Heghoush Papazian, one of at-large of Amman, Jordan, increased its efforts to the founding members of the ARS. secure sponsors for as many Armenian orphans as The ceremony took place in the Tenjougian - 53 - Hall of the "Araxie Boulghourdjian Socio-Medical  ARS/Syria Participates in Red Cres- Center" of ARS/Lebanon. Following opening cent Fund Drive: The ARS, as a prominent remarks by Mrs. Seta Hedeshian, Chairperson of humanitarian organization, with a long history of ARS Lebanon, Mrs. Diki Torigian presented high- relief work in the Middle East and Syria, in par- lights on the life and times of the author, Dr. ticular, the Jamaeyat Essalib Elaana Elarman Papazian describing how she studied Armenian Alorthodoxy – the Syrian entity of the Armenian traditional costumes in Eastern and Western Relief Society – has participated in the annual fund Armenia, while serving as a medical doctor in the drive of the Syrian Red Crescent Society. With the Armenian Voluntary Units during World War I. support of the local Armenian community, ARS/ The closing remarks of this event were offered Syria has contributed 20,000 Syrian pounds to the by the noted writer, Shahandukht  fund drive.

 Scholarship Grant to Student from Armenia: As a continuation of an already suc- cessful program of assistance to Armenian students SWEDEN studying at home or abroad, ARS/Syria has granted a scholarship of 10,000 Syrian pounds to  Supporting Humanitarian Center in Yeghik Berberian of Armenia, currently studying at the Homeland: In their June, 2003 meeting, the the European University of Yerevan  Executive Board of Stockholms Armeniska Hialpforening (ARS/Sweden) pledged its support to the Alaverdi Family Assistance Center that shelters many orphaned and destitute children. Having received a report from the Director of the Center, UNITED STATES that there is a dire need for basic furniture and utensils, the at-large-chapter decided to send the ARS Eastern USA Holds 83rd An- necessary items, in August, with its Chairperson, nual Regional Convention: Over 50 delegates Berdjuhi Vartanian. and guests from throughout the Eastern United States gathered in Waltham, Massachusetts on July Yuletide Gathering for Children and 17, to attend the ARS Eastern USA's 83rd their Parents: On the occasion of Christmas and Annual Regional Convention. A full agenda and the New Year, ARS/Stockholm organized a Santa related activities were completed by the close of the Claus evening for 30 children and their parents. proceedings on Sunday, July 20. The Convention During an evening of fun and games, the children was held at the Four Points Sheraton in Waltham, received presents and all were treated to a tradi- and was jointly hosted by the ARS Watertown tional buffet  Leola Sasuni and the ARS Cambridge chapters.

The Productive Spring of the Chi- cago “Zabel” Chapter: A busy and fruitful was SYRIA season initiated by the ARS Chicago “Zabel” Chap- ter on March 13, 2003, when the ARS participated  in a fund drive, initiated by a local merchant, who ARS/Syria Invited to Signing of offered coupons to the participating organizations Formal Agreement: The Department of Labor to sell to interested donors and to the general public and Social Affairs of the Arab Republic of Syria supportive of humanitarian groups. A large num- invited the ARS Regional Executive of Syria to ber of the Armenian community members actively send a representative to the formal signing of an participated in this funds collection effort. agreement of cooperation -- in the area of assis-  On April 6, 2003, in cooperation with the tance to institutions that work with the deaf-mute -- American Red Cross, the Chapter organized its between the governments of Syria and Japan. The Blood Drive. This symbolic offering of Armenian agreement was signed in Damascus, on January 22, blood was made to coincide with the 88th Com- 2003. - 54 - memoration of the Metz Yeghern -- the 1915 Unveiling the ARS Tree: On June 23, Genocide of the Armenians at the hands of the 2003, the formal unveiling of the ARS “Everlasting Ottoman Turks. Tree” and a bust of ARS founder, E. Aknuni,  On May 10, 2003, took place the celebra- donated by sculptor Puzant Meymarian, took place tion of the 93rd Anniversary of the ARS; the with the participation of ARS members, families, festivities took place at the Armenian Center. The supporters and specially invited dignitaries. evening started with a home-cooked dinner served by ARS and AYF members. Popular Armenian Clothing Drive: In view of the urgent standup comedian, Vahe Berberian presented an need for warm clothing for the children of Armenia, entertaining monologue, following which new ARS the ARS/Western USA Regional Executive orga- members took their oath in the presence of an nized a drive and shipped 4 containers of clothing enthusiastic audience. After this stirring ceremony, through the facilities of the UAF. Noteworthy was DJ Armen Papazian kept the festive atmosphere the community’s prompt response to appeals made alive with a well-selected musical background through the media; within two weeks, the much enhancing the enjoyment of all those present at this needed clothing was on its way. Donations were also well planned and most congenial function. received: the Greek-Armenian Society alone made a  The Chapter’s seasonal agenda included the generous contribution of $2,000  traditional festivities of Palm Sunday (Tzaghkazard) celebrated by the ARS with an annual banquet. Following a long tradition, after the church services, the Chapter Executive treated URUGUAY members, supporters and community members to abundantly served ethnic dishes.  Uruguayan Parliament Member Beatriz Argimon Meets with ARS: On Friday,  Eastern USA Chapters Organize First July 22, 2003, the Honorable Representative Beatriz ARS “Walk Armenia” Fundraiser: On Satur- Argimon, of the Uruguayan National Party, invited day, May 3, 2003, wearing T-shirts and walking Isabel Attarian and Diana Itutmazian of the ARS/ shoes, enthusiastic ARS chapter members and ARS SouthAmerica Regional Executive to a working supporters throughout the eastern United States luncheon. The discussion centered around the walked – in Detroit, Providence, Racine, Watertown participation of Ms. Argimon in the 56th Annual and Granite City -- to benefit various local and NGO Conference as a panelist invited by the regional ARS projects in the first annual regional Central Executive Board of the ARS Inc. This “Walk Armenia” fundraiser. It was announced that meeting also offered the opportunity to discuss new 25% of all funds generated through “Walk Arme- strategies in areas of social and economic issues nia” will be channeled to ARS programs in the  involving children’s and women’s welfare, within Homeland the context of today’s Latinamerican reality. In spite of her youth, Ms Argimon has exten- WESTERN U S A sive experience in those areas, being a past presi- dent of the National Institute of Minors and  Second Annual Armenian Festival: having been actively involved in small-enterprise As advertised on the CNN Larry King Show, on projects designed for rural women, achieving May 17 and 18, 2003, thousands attended the 2nd considerable success under difficult circumstances. Annual Festival of the Armenian Relief Society’s Her efforts in these fields were duly recognized Western Region in celebration of the organization’s both on the national and international levels, 93rd Anniversary. Festivities were officially kicked including by the ARS which, through its chairper- off on Saturday, with the welcoming remarks of son, Maro Minassian -- who met her in 2002 – Chairperson Sonia Peltekian. Dignitaries present at invited her to be a speaker on the ARS panel at the this highly successful 2-day event included Con- September UN NGO Conference. It is a great gressman Adam Schiff, who presented the Chairper- opportunity and honor for the Armenian Relief son with a Certificate of Recognition. Society to have this young and energetic legislator as an active participant in its UN panel discusión  - 55 - - 56 -

Your Tax-Exempt Contributions To World-Wide ARS Programs Can Make A difference Between Despair and Hope…

Contribute Generously!