One More Step to Success INSIDE Vahan Yepremyan in Search of the Perfect Formula
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FEBRUARY 20, 2021 MMirror-SpeirTHEror-SpeARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXXI, NO. 31, Issue 4673 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 IN BRIEF New Artsakh Foreign Japan Approves $3.6M Minister Babayan In Aid for Armenia Declares Republic Amid Post-War Crisis TOKYO (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Japan’s govern- Must Remain ment has decided to provide humanitarian assis- Geopolitical Actor tance worth $3.6 million to Armenia for recon- struction after the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, By Aram Arkun February 16, TASS reports. Mirror-Spectator Staff The East Asian country will provide medical STEPANAKERT — David (Davit) equipment, foodstuffs and also financial support for Babayan is a familiar figure to those restoring shelters, hospitals, schools and residential interested in the Artsakh Republic or buildings. Nagorno Karabakh. He has held vari- The funds will be transferred via a number of ous Artsakh government positions international organizations, including the since 2000 and since 2013 has often International Committee of the Red Cross. acted as a governmental spokesper- In total, Japan has approved humanitarian assis- son as he was head of the Central tance worth $4.8 million, of which $3.6 will be pro- Information Department and Deputy vided to Armenia, with the rest expected to go to Azerbaijan. Russian Border Guards Philly Billboard Questions Armenian Peacefulness Upping Presence in PHILADELPHIA — A billboard recently appeared on the I-95 North freeway before the central Philadelphia exit stating “Azerbaijanis (and Turks) are ready to live in har- Armenia’s South mony with Armenians. ‘How about Armenians?’” It also states, “paid for by MÜSA D YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — One more USA,” which is an organization of Turkish-American businessmen and industrialists.İ observation post of Russian border guards has been Armenians upset by this insinuation, especially in the context of attacks on established in Armenia’s Syunik province, amid Armenians and their institutions in the US last year (San Francisco, Boston, and even reports of Azerbaijani troops firing various caliber Philadelphia), are contacting the billboard company Lamar Advertising by phone (610) weapons into the air in the vicinity of the village of 779-9421 or its representative Rick Zitkovic by email ([email protected]) to protest Agarak, the Syunik governor's office said in a state- this billboard (number 06.4056). David Babayan ment on Monday, February 15. In addition, Armenians of the city noted on Twitter that the Armenian flag has gone The Russian troops are now placed on round-the- missing for the second time in two months from the Ben Franklin Parkway. Chief of Staff for the president. He clock duty at the observation post, the statement was appointed as foreign minister this added. January, part of the cabinet changes Both Armenian and Russian border guards regis- in the aftermath of the recent tered the indiscriminate fire coming from the Academics Discuss Race, Ethnic and ‘Armenian- Karabakh war. He spoke recently with Azerbaijani side on February 13, the Syunik author- American Studies’ during Zoom Panel the Mirror-Spectator about condi- ities said. tions in the country and region. By Harry Kezelian (PhD student in American Studies, Yale); and The losses of the recent war, Garo Paylan Opens including Shushi, the cultural center Special to the Mirror-Spectator Thomas Simsarian Dolan (PhD candidate in American Studies, George Washington of Artsakh located in a strategic ele- Case Against LOS ANGELES – On Thursday, February University). The panel discussion was orga- vated position, were foremost on his 12, four academics joined for a lively virtual nized by the Armenian Action Network and mind. He declared, “Artsakh is like a Azerbaijani Woman discussion to highlight the importance of the Armenian-American Studies Collective. wounded person who has lost one of ISTANBUL (Nor Marmara) — Armenian deputy in “ethnic studies” and its inclusion in the K-12 The conversation was opened by Abajian, its legs, one of its arms, and one of its the Turkish Parliament Garo Paylan of the Peoples’ curriculum, something which has mostly who gave an extensive history of Ethnic eyes, and whose heart is wounded. Democratic Party (HDP) shared over social media begun on the West Coast, and to delve into Studies in the Arizona We are in a kind of emergency on February 11 that he had contacted the prosecu- the future of Armenian academia in the US and California public department. Every day we get up and tor’s office to request legal prosecution against an and how it will grapple with pressing issues of schools curriculum, look at Shushi.” Azerbaijani woman who advocated for violence race in society. something which she He strongly opposed internal against Armenians. The attendees of the meeting were from a helped fight to make Armenian polarization and politiciza- Paylan took the step after seeing a video clip. In broad spectrum of scholars and members of possible over the years. tion of the situation, stating “a soci- the course of a street interview in Istanbul, when an the Armenian community. The four discus- As of late, Ethnic ety divided into several pieces which Azerbaijani woman was asked, “What would you do sants were Dr. Suzie Abajian (PhD in Studies has been detest each other cannot survive.” if you knew you wouldn’t be punished for it,” she Education and activist for Ethnic Studies in banned in Arizona He stressed that Artsakh must answered: “I would cut off the heads of 20 California); Sophia Armen (PhD candidate in Suzie Abajian under the theory that remain above internal political issues Armenians.” Ethnic Studies, UC-San Diego); Kohar Avakian see RACE, page 9 see BABAYAN, page 3 Paylan indicated in his complaint that the words constitute a hate crime against Armenians. One More Step to Success INSIDE Vahan Yepremyan in Search of the Perfect Formula By Ani Duzdabanyan-Manoukian SHERMAN OAKS, The Door Special to the Mirror-Spectator Calif. — The new movie “Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets,” produced by Ketchup Entertainment, premiered on all main platforms with Was Open the start of the new year. The movie tells a story of a teenaged boy who is strug- Page 12 gling with undiagnosed anxiety disorder and seeking help from an imaginary bird-therapist while his own parents refuse to recognize their son’s illness. Moving beyond an ostensible per- sonal comedy to a real drama about society, the INDEX Armenia . 2-4 film focuses on the importance of accepting Climbing mental health problems as real issues. Arts and Living . 12 Mount. Community News. 6 Vahan Yepremyan, the co-founder of Ketchup Kilimanjaro Editorial . 18 Entertainment, sees the visual arts as a way to International . 5 see YEPREMYAN, page 16 2 S ATURDAY F EBRUARY 2 0 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Karabakh Publishes Names of 132 More Troops Killed STEPANAKERT (PanARMENIAN.Net) — The Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh this week pub- lished the names 132 more soldiers killed in fighting against Azerbaijan. The Armenian side has announced the names of some 2300 servicemen who were killed in the war that started on September 27 and ended on November 10. Hundreds of bodies are waiting to be identified, many are still missing. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said earlier that 3,439 bodies had been recovered from the zone of hostilities in Karabakh as of January 20, and that the final death toll from the six-week war wouldn't surpass 4,000. Official Sends Report to UN on POW Return Delay Yerevan residents rush out after the quake. (Armenpress photo) YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia has sent a detailed report to the UN Human Rights Council that the Azerbaijani authorities are delaying the return of Yerevan Jolted by Earthquake the prisoners of war and grossly violating the inter- national demands, Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said on Facebook on February 16. YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A major earthquake struck Yerevan aftershocks. “The report has been sent to the UN Human and surrounding areas on Saturday, February 13, causing In another statement issued at 7 p.m., the ministry told people Rights Council in a separate procedure. Only the many of their residents to rush out of their homes. to return to their homes. “The analysis of available data shows that national human rights institutions having “A” inter- The earthquake measured at magnitude 4.7 at its epicenter the likelihood of a powerful earthquake is low,” it said. national status have such an opportunity. 8 kilometers southeast of Armenia’s capital, reported the The quake appeared to have caused no serious material The report specifically notes that the Azerbaijani national seismic protection agency. It said tremors were also damage in or outside Yerevan. The Ministry of Emergency authorities abuse the legal procedures and politicize felt in five of the country’s ten provinces. Situation reported tentatively that it damaged only one house the issue of the return of POWs. With this they cause According to the Armenian Ministry of Health, the quake and three buildings in the city of one million. psychological sufferings to our society and first of all did not kill or injure anyone. The ministry reported only A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck another Armenian to the families of POWs, play with their emotions minor injuries sustained by three people “as a consequence of region on February 5. The authorities warned on February 6 and create targeted tension. panic caused by the earthquake.” that more “earthquakes of low or medium magnitude” could The Ministry of Emergency Situations urged local residents occur in the days ahead.