NOVEMBER 21, 2015 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXVI, NO. 19, Issue 4413 $ 2.00 NEWS INBRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Philanthropist Pledges ADL, Tekeyan $1 million for Telethon YEREVAN — The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Members announces that Russian-Armenian industrialist and benefactor Samvel Karapetyan has pledged to con- tribute $1 million to the fund’s upcoming Convene in Thanksgiving Day Telethon. The telethon’s primary goal this year is to raise funds for the construction of single-family homes Armenia for families in Nagorno Karabagh who have five or YEREVAN — On November 2, members more children and lack adequate housing. Thanks and leaders of the Armenian Democratic to Karapetyan’s donation, some 115 children and Liberal Party (ADL) from several countries their parents will be provided with comfortable, assembled at the entrance of Building No. fully furnished homes. 47 of Yerevan’s Republic Street (formerly “We are grateful to our friend Samvel known as Alaverdian Street) to attend the Karapetyan, who for years has generously support- dedication of the ADL premises. ed our projects,” said Ara Vardanyan, executive The building, which houses the offices of director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, and the ADL-Armenia, the editorial offices of added, “I’m confident that many of our compatriots Azg newspaper, the library, and the meeting will follow in his footsteps.” halls, has been fully renovated and refur- The telethon will air for 12 hours on bished by ADL friend and well-known phil- Thanksgiving Day, November 26, beginning at 10 anthropist from New Jersey, Nazar a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Nazarian. The center is named the Nazar Gabriel Aljalian with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Artemis Nazarian Center. Armenian Among Dead First to address the assembled group was ADL US and Canada Eastern District In Paris Attack PARIS (Combined Sources) — A 17-year-old French- Paying it Forward on Team G Armenian girl, Lola Ouzounian, died during the November 13 attack in Paris. WATERTOWN — The Aljalian family of Watertown — Rev. Arakel Aljalian of St. Lola, a Parisian, was at the Bataclan concert hall James Armenian Church and his wife, Yeretzgin Natasha Aljalian and their son, on the evening of November 13. Ouzounian had Gabriel, 3, — received the worst news possi- come to Bataclan concert hall with her father, but ble on November 3, 2012: their beautiful boy when violence broke out, the father was unable to had leukemia. By Alin K. Gregorian find her. Fast-forward three years: Gabriel’s cancer Mirror-Spectator Staff Two natives of Armenia were in the Bataclan is in remission and the family now includes concert hall as well during the attack but miracu- the rambunctious little Mary. lously survived. The family decided to recast November 3, a day awash with dark memories, as a Hilda Tchoboian, Member of the Rhone Alpes day for all things good. Young Gabriel came up with the idea for Gabriel’s Day of Regional Parliament in France, said the two were Kindness, a day when everyone was encouraged to do something selfless. in the hall, when the terrorists burst into the build- The social media campaign spread like wildfire and this day was celebrated ing. They had gone to the bathroom and hearing see GABRIEL page 6 the shots, fled. President Serge Sargisian sent his condolences to French President Francois Hollande. It read, in part, “I’m deeply shocked by the news of this Balakian Finds His Place unprecedented act of terrorism in Paris. I strongly condemn these actions, which claimed the lives of From left, Edmond Y. Azadian, Hagop a dozens of innocent people. We have to join efforts in Dual Cultural Identity Vartivarian, Hagop Avedikian, in front of the to expose and eradicate all factors that cause such ADL Nazar and Artemis Nazarian Center horrifying expressions of radicalism. At this diffi- cult time, Armenia stands by France.” Aleppo, and Diyarbakir. He The Armenian parliament observed a minute of has published two new books By Aram Arkun Chairman Edmond Azadian, who presented silence for the victims of the terror attacks in Lecture on this year in different genres: Mirror-Spectator Staff a comprehensive list of the beneficence of Beirut and Paris. “We strongly condemn those bar- Ozone Journal, a volume of the Nazarians in Armenia, including in baric acts and reject any manifestation of terrorism. December 1 poetry, and Vise and Shadow: see ADL, page 8 On behalf of the National Assembly of Armenia, we Essays on the Lyric HAMILTON, N.Y. — Poet, offer our heartfelt condolences and support to the Sponsored by Imagination, Poetry, Art and memoirist and academic Peter French and Lebanese colleagues and the friendly Culture. He recently reflected Balakian has been in constant peoples of France and Lebanon,” Speaker Galust Tekeyan, on what this all meant person- European Green Party motion over the last few years, Sahakyan said. ally, as well as the broader sig- and particularly in 2015. He More than 130 people were killed during the Facing History nificance of the Genocide cen- Adopts Resolution on has crisscrossed the globe, unprecedented attacks on the French capital. engaging with Armenian communities in tennial commemorations. Armenian Genocide disparate places like Sydney, Buenos Aires, see BALAKIAN, page 12 LYON, France — A resolution on the Armenian Genocide was adopted by a large majority at the 23rd European Green Party INSIDE Council in Lyon, on Sunday, November 15. The text acknowledges that the Ottoman Empire perpetrated Genocide against the Armenian people. It also calls on Turkey to Heart recognize the Armenian Genocide and work towards reconciliation with the Armenia and its people, the press service of Strings European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) reported. Page 10 With this initiative the European Green Party calls upon all countries which have not yet done so to publicly recognize the Armenian Genocide. It underlines that INDEX doing so will positively impact the normal- Arts and Living . 10 ization of the relations between Turkey and Armenia . 2 Armenia and help prevent further crimes Community News. 4 against humanity. Editorial . 14 International . 3 The European Green Party is a pan- Peter Balakian at the ruins of Ani European political party which federates see RESOLUTION, page 3 2 S ATURDAY, N OVEMBER 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan Visits French Embassy YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Accompanied by Minister of International Economic Integration and Reform, Vice Prime Minister Vache Gabrielyan and Minister- Chief of Government Staff David Haroutunyan, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited the Embassy of France in Armenia. On behalf of the government of Armenia and him- self, Abrahamyan expressed his condolences to French Ambassador Jean-Francois Charpentier, embassy staff and the people of France on the ter- rorist attacks in Paris. The prime minister wrote a note in the Condolence Book of the Embassy of France. Tie and Wind Rally Promotes Bicycle Culture Karen Chshmaritian, minister of economy, with Elizabeth Hafner, deputy assistant US trade representative In Armenia YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — A Tie and Wind Cycling Rally was organized at the Armenia-US Council Hold First Meeting Sunchild International Environmental Protection Festival on Sunday, November 15. YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia) and Social Affairs Arayik Petrosyan, rep- were discussions on intellectual proper- The Foundation for Preservation of Wildlife and — The first meeting of the Armenia-U.S. resentatives from the Ministry of ty rights, customs clearances, technical Cultural Assets of Armenia and Amateur Cycling and Council on Trade and Investment was Foreign Affairs, Economy, Finance, barriers to trade, sanitary measures for Cycling Tourism Federation collaborated in organiz- held here on November 17. Agriculture, Development Foundation of agriculture, investment promotion ing the event, while the Foundation’s general part- This council was established in May Armenia, Chamber of Commerce, the efforts, private sector engagement, gov- ner VivaCell-MTS supported the project. under a Trade and Investment Union of Manufacturers and ernment procurement, WTO Trade More than 60 cyclers started the tour at Freedom Framework Agreement (TIFA) between Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia, Facilitation Agreement, and environ- Square to pass through Yerevan’s central streets, the governments of Armenia and the the American Chamber of Commerce in mental and labor issues. wearing official suits. The tour aimed to draw soci- United States for further strengthening Armenia (AmCham) and other interest- “By identifying and addressing these ety’s attention to air pollution, stressing the impor- and deepening of Armenian-American ed institutions. technical issues, we will deepen the tance of cycling in big cities. economic cooperation, as well as expan- Addressing the meeting, trade relationship between the U.S. and Representatives of state, social and educational sion of turnover of products and ser- Chshmaritian said: “Armenia is ready to Armenia,” said Mills. institutions and citizens supporting the idea took vices between the two countries. become a center of interests for interna- In addition to the bilateral meeting, a part in the event. The Armenian delegation was headed tional business community, adding tra- roundtable discussion was held with Also joining the rally was the chairman of by Karen Chshmaritian, minister of ditional