THE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REACH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSTHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REATHE GLOBAL REACH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARSCH OF THE ARS

Ð³Û êÇñïH A I S I R D

AN INTERNATIONAL PERIODICAL OF THE ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY

вزвÚÎ²Î²Ü ä²ð´ºð²ÂºðÂ Ð²Ú ú¶Üàôº²Ü ØÆàôº²Ü

¸ºÎîºØ´ºð 2003 DECEMBER/ NO. 157

Ð³Û êÇñïH 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 MinasianChairpersen

Hasmig DerderianVice-Chairpersen

Margaret StepanianTreasurer

Houri NajarianClerk

Advisors

Majda GarabedianSilva Kahtalian

Helen MerdjanianAnahid Meymarian

Alvart Petrosian

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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 wholeor in part, without permission, is prohibited.

The opinions expressed in Hai Sird are not necessarily thoseof the Armenian Relief Sociaty.

ISBN 0-9704934-1-X

´ à ì ² Ü ¸ ² Î à Â Æ ô Ü � C O N T E N T S

From The Letterbox 2

ÊÙ�³·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

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In February, 2003, the ARS Central Executive received the following letterfrom 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 YorkCity, depriving our nation of the future contributions of a dedicated andindefatigable 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 generouscontribution of $12,000 for the kitchen equipment of the Gyumri Invalidsorphanage.

We had already made arrangements for the purchase of the kitchenappliances (i.e. refrigerators, ovens, etc) and would like to assure you that yourgift will be used in the best possible way.

I do hope that you, or your representatives, will honor us with your visitto 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 ARSthroughout the world and wish you continuous growth and prosperity in theservices of our nation.

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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…Thecamp 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 speakFrench 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; everyoneparticipated. I wish the camp season was longer… as it is, I made lots of friends with kidsfrom 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 hourson a bus, all the parents were there, waiting. I started to cry because I knew I wasn’t goingto see most of my new friends again. I will miss them as well as the counselors; thefunniest monitors were Laurie, Serge and Shami. I will miss the camp sooo much!

Sincerely,Sareen ZinzalianP.S. I love how ARS made and organized such a program, it was the best!!!

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IIIIIn 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 �

E D I T O R I A L

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

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�entities in Syria, Lebanon, the United States,Canada and France have their own regionalprograms, while the Central Executive Board, offersgrants through its Eremian Scholarship Fund tosecond year of college and graduate level studentswith no geographicalrestrictions. ARS of Eastern USAoffers grants on two college levels: one forundergraduates, the other, through the LazarianScholarship Fund, for graduate students. ARS/Canada offers special scholarships for studentsattending Canadian, Armenian and Artsakhuniversities.

d) Sponsoring One-Day and Saturday Schools:Sponsoring One-Day and Saturday Schools:Sponsoring One-Day and Saturday Schools:Sponsoring One-Day and Saturday Schools:Sponsoring One-Day and Saturday Schools: Theseschools are ARS instituted and are subsidized bythe Society. However, since the end of the 1960s,they are jointly supported with the ArmenianNational Educational Council (ANEC) in the followingtwo regions: Eastern United States, with around15 Saturday schools; Canada (Vancouver, Hamilton,St. Catherine and Cambridge) with 100 pupils in 4schools.

While the Western USA region has 15 Saturdayschools with 1,000 pupils attending, there are 10one-day schools in France, with 450 pupils and 35teachers. There are additional 8 classes of music,dance, theater, etc. It is worth mentioning that,through the efforts of the Blue Cross of France, forthe first time in the history of the community, someof the schools have acquired the right to gradepupils preparing for the baccalaureate exams of theParis, Creteil and Versailles academies; based onthose grades, they participate in the Frenchbaccalaureate exams.

The ABC of France collaborates with INALCO(Institut National des Langues et CivilisationsOrientales) in preparing accredited teachers ofArmenian, encouraging teachers to strive for “A”Listing of Programmed A.R.S. Activities, worldwide.With this accreditation, they can teach Armenian inall francophone countries.

The Many Aspects of ARS Involvement . . .

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…IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

As a promoter of learning and education, theArmenian Relief Society, from its inception, channeleda good portion of its energies and resources into theestablishment of schools and scholarship fundswherever they were neeed in the vast diasporanpresence of the Armenian communities, struggling topreserve their heritage.

a) Grants to Schools and Institutions: As ARS/Canadasupports the schools of Montreal and Toronto —which have a combined number of 1,400 students— so do ARS/Eastern USA for the schools in Boston,New York and Philadelphia, while ARS/Western USA,France and Greece support the schools in theirrespective regions. In addition, the ARS/CEB andARS/Syria provide special grants to academicinstitutions in Syria and Lebanon.

b) The Kindergarten/Day Care Center in Aleppo:The Kindergarten/Day Care Center in Aleppo:The Kindergarten/Day Care Center in Aleppo:The Kindergarten/Day Care Center in Aleppo:The Kindergarten/Day Care Center in Aleppo: TheAleppo, Syria kindergarten, located in the medicalcenter building since 1997, functions with newprograms designed for working mothers’ childrenaged between 3 months and 3 years, who attendthe Centerl six days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00p.m. Over the last few years, the average numberof children has been around 24.

c) Scholarship Grants on primaryScholarship Grants on primaryScholarship Grants on primaryScholarship Grants on primaryScholarship Grants on primary, secondary, secondary, secondary, secondary, secondary, high, high, high, high, highschool and college levels:school and college levels:school and college levels:school and college levels:school and college levels: Scholarships on primary,secondary and high school levels are granted mostlyin Syria, Lebanon, Greece and South Americanregions, while for students on college level, ARS

Health Care Center. Alongside these activities, theChapter organizes Blood-Donors Days, bonemarrow matching searches, collection of clothing,medicine, etc.

d) ARS/Eastern USA:ARS/Eastern USA:ARS/Eastern USA:ARS/Eastern USA:ARS/Eastern USA: The ARS Social Service wasfounded in 1981 in Watertown. It offers help in theform of information, housing, legal advice,preparation of documents, etc. The center alsoworks with senior citizens by, periodically, visitingthem, taking them out to dinner, etc.

e) ARC/Lebanon:ARC/Lebanon:ARC/Lebanon:ARC/Lebanon:ARC/Lebanon: The Araxie BoulghourdjianSociomedical Center of Bourj Hammoud also has alist of free services, among which, laboratory tests,psychological treatment, mental health relatedlectures, accessible to laymen, on various topics.The demographic scope of this highly professionalCenter is larger than most, servicing every segmentof the multi-ethnic population with the same careand concern.

f) ARS/South America:ARS/South America:ARS/South America:ARS/South America:ARS/South America: The Diarbekirian Rest Homeof Buenos Aires was founded in 1985. It canaccommodate 70 elderly people in modern, wellfurnished facilities. In 1990, the “Arpie” Chapter ofSao Paolo, Brazil, started a rest home that todayshelters 15 seniors.

g) ARC/Syria:ARC/Syria:ARC/Syria:ARC/Syria:ARC/Syria: The social services of the ARC AleppoSociomedical Center are more limited since its mainthrust is more in the medical field than social,although it provides financial aid, food, employmenthelp, as the need arises.The Aleppo Shelter wasestablished in year 1930. It provides shelter toparentless or abandoned children and teenagersuntil they are able to secure a safe and normalexistence for themselves. The past two InternationalConventions passed resolutions of support to thisestablishment and, at the last Convention, the sumof $30,000 was voted for needed renovations ofthe building.

h) ARS/Western USA:ARS/Western USA:ARS/Western USA:ARS/Western USA:ARS/Western USA: This service was started in late1980, with a main office in Glendale and 4 auxiliarycenters in Los Angeles suburbs. Presently, it has astaff of thirty-one. To give an idea of the scope ofthis program, let us note that during a fiscal year,an average of over 45,000 cases, individual andfamily, are serviced with much needed advice,information, clarification of offical and legal matters,translation, preparation of documents andapplications, employment, distribution of food andother necessities, financial help, etc.

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…IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES…IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES…IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES…IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES…IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES

From the early days of its foundation, the ARShas provided social services to its communities, evenin the absence of special offices in many regions.Starting on the chapter level, it encompasses regionaland central bodies, who — along with their regularchores — do their utmost to extend a helping hand tothose in the community who need advice and help inmarital, legal or other matters of urgency, visiting thesick and the elderly in hospitals and homes. Duringthe ’40s and ’50s, these activities started to be handledmore professionally in certain regions, to the pointwhere government agencies started helping theprogram with regular subsidies, expanding the A.R.S.programs’ reach and capacity. Included in these ARSservices are the Aleppo Refuge and the Rest Homesof South America.

a) ARS/Armenia:ARS/Armenia:ARS/Armenia:ARS/Armenia:ARS/Armenia: In the Homeland, ARS social serviceinvolves general assistance geared to individualcases, within the means of the regionalorganization, with no pre-established programs.Regular distribution of financial aid and food toindigent families and individuals has become anaccepted part of the region’s activities.

b) ARS/AARS/AARS/AARS/AARS/Australia:ustralia:ustralia:ustralia:ustralia: With one office in Sidney, thesocial service effort is mainly involved in offeringneeded information and guidance to thosethosewho require assistance.

c) ARS/Canada:ARS/Canada:ARS/Canada:ARS/Canada:ARS/Canada: The Toronto ARS “Rubina” Chapter’ssocial service office, opened in 1987, works with astaff of one, every day until noon, giving neededguidance and help to those who drop in forassistance. The center’s services include:employment search, financial aid, translation, healthrelated needs, family counseling, assistance tosenior citizens, etc. The Chapter also has ARSArmenian sections in two local old age homes, 18beds in Seven Oaks, and 10 in North York Seniors’

…AND SOCIOMEDICAL ASSIST…AND SOCIOMEDICAL ASSIST…AND SOCIOMEDICAL ASSIST…AND SOCIOMEDICAL ASSIST…AND SOCIOMEDICAL ASSISTANCEANCEANCEANCEANCE

This area of activity was also a necessity, speciallyin the aftermath of disasters and armed conflicts.Practically every Chapter in the regions had their firstaid centers, and in case of the absence of one, theysubsidized a certain number of beds in local hospitalsfor Armenian patients. Today, the governments ofcertain countries provide health care for their citizens,others offer certain programs to make health caremore accessible to all, but, there are also countrieswhere such assistance is nonexstent. It is in thosecases that the Regional ARS entities, listed below, havestepped up their programs related to social serviceactivities.

a) ARC/Lebanon’s Araxie BoulghourdjianARC/Lebanon’s Araxie BoulghourdjianARC/Lebanon’s Araxie BoulghourdjianARC/Lebanon’s Araxie BoulghourdjianARC/Lebanon’s Araxie BoulghourdjianSociomedical Center:Sociomedical Center:Sociomedical Center:Sociomedical Center:Sociomedical Center: This Center, was founded in1987, prompted by the urgent necessities createdby the Lebanese civil war. The first ARS health center— opened in Beirut in the year 1938 — due to localunsettled conditions was replaced with the FanarDispensary, which exists to this day. In 1949, theEshrefieh dispensary opened its doors, there is alsothe Ainjar Dispensary, where the evacuees fromJebel Musa (Musa Dagh, of Franz Werfel fame)received treatment. In 1952, the Bourj HammoudDispensary was started and, over the years, itturned into the Araxie Boulghourdjian Center. Thefundamental aim of the Center’s approach is theplanned implementation of preventive medicine. TheCenter is equipped with up-to-date instrumentationfor radiology, ultrasound, MRI, and laboratory work,it has an emergency first aid section, dental offices,and offers the services of specialized physicians.Annually, over 58,000 people are treated at theCenter whose management and staff cooperate andcoordinate their work with various European andUnited Nations health connected agencies.

b) The ARS “Mother& Child” Health Center ofThe ARS “Mother& Child” Health Center ofThe ARS “Mother& Child” Health Center ofThe ARS “Mother& Child” Health Center ofThe ARS “Mother& Child” Health Center ofAkhurian:Akhurian:Akhurian:Akhurian:Akhurian: This Health Center is the result of theARS/Eastern Region’s dedicated efforts. It was

officially opened on May 18, 1997. It is the first ofits kind in Armenia, officially recognized andsupported by the Armenian Government. Children,up to 15 years of age, pregnant — and youngerthan 50 year old — women of the 8 villages andtowns in the Shirak District receive specializedtreatment at the Center. In compliance with locallaws and regulations, children’s vaccinations,medication and all other health services are free ofcharge for the residents of the District; those whodrop in from other districts, receive the sametreatment at a nominal fee.

c) New Birthing Center:New Birthing Center:New Birthing Center:New Birthing Center:New Birthing Center: The Center has laid thefoundations of a new maternity ward, adjacent tothe center; construction will soon be completed andthe new building, totally equipped with all necessarymedical instrumentation, and staffed withspecialized personnel, will complete the cycle of pre-and post-natal care, reducing the rate of fatalitiescaused by untreated pregnancy, delivery and post-partem complications.

d) ARS Optic Centers:ARS Optic Centers:ARS Optic Centers:ARS Optic Centers:ARS Optic Centers: These centers in Armenia andArtsakh were opened, by the efforts of ARS/WesternUSA, in the following locations: Talin (1992), Yerevan(1995), Vanadzor (1996). In 1999, the ARS “Siroun”Optic opened its doors in Stepanakert, NagornoKarabagh.

e) ARC/Syria’s Health Center:ARC/Syria’s Health Center:ARC/Syria’s Health Center:ARC/Syria’s Health Center:ARC/Syria’s Health Center: This Center also offersthe same services, and follows the sameprocedures, as the Araxie Boulghourdjian Center.Recently its laboratory was renovated and theequipment modernized.

…Y…Y…Y…Y…YOUTH RELAOUTH RELAOUTH RELAOUTH RELAOUTH RELATED PROGRAMSTED PROGRAMSTED PROGRAMSTED PROGRAMSTED PROGRAMS

A primary ARS activity has been a priority inorganizational planning. At the beginning, it consistedof summer camps for youngsters of weak constitutionor financially challenged families; presently, summerprograms give the youth of different countries anopportunity to get to know each other and to developcultural bonds of a common ethnicity.

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a) The Bellefontaine Camp of the Armenian Blue CrossThe Bellefontaine Camp of the Armenian Blue CrossThe Bellefontaine Camp of the Armenian Blue CrossThe Bellefontaine Camp of the Armenian Blue CrossThe Bellefontaine Camp of the Armenian Blue Crossof France:of France:of France:of France:of France: Operating since 1935, bringing togetherArmenian youth from many communities of theDiaspora.

b) Internship Program at the United Nations:Internship Program at the United Nations:Internship Program at the United Nations:Internship Program at the United Nations:Internship Program at the United Nations: Eachyear, the ARS sponsors a young student to spend asummer month at the UN Headquarters in New Yorkas an intern, working at various offices of the largestof all international organizations. The experienceacquired through this internship will help ourpresence in ECOSOC as an NGO, lively and active inmany key areas of socio-economic endeavor.

c) The ARC Lebanon Sanatorium:The ARC Lebanon Sanatorium:The ARC Lebanon Sanatorium:The ARC Lebanon Sanatorium:The ARC Lebanon Sanatorium: Formerly in Shtora,now in Ainjar, this establishment, now over half acentury old, was started in 1951.

d) The Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Mercy CrossThe Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Mercy CrossThe Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Mercy CrossThe Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Mercy CrossThe Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Mercy Crossof Thessalonika/ Macedonia (Greece):of Thessalonika/ Macedonia (Greece):of Thessalonika/ Macedonia (Greece):of Thessalonika/ Macedonia (Greece):of Thessalonika/ Macedonia (Greece): Founded in1946 — with construction of present modernfacilities started in 1981 and completed in 1989 —this camp boasts one of the most scenic locationsin Europe.

e) The ARC of Syria Summer Camp program usuallyThe ARC of Syria Summer Camp program usuallyThe ARC of Syria Summer Camp program usuallyThe ARC of Syria Summer Camp program usuallyThe ARC of Syria Summer Camp program usuallytakes place in Kessab:takes place in Kessab:takes place in Kessab:takes place in Kessab:takes place in Kessab: The ARS also contributes tothe two Armenian Youth Federation camps: TheEastern USA AYF “Camp Haiastan” and the SummerYouth Camp of the AYF of Western USA. Alongsidethese annually repeated camp seasons, the ARShas organized a number of camping seasons inArmenia.

…ORPHAN CARE…ORPHAN CARE…ORPHAN CARE…ORPHAN CARE…ORPHAN CARE

The care of orphans has always been an importantpart of ARS activities. After the “Metz Yeghern” of 1915— the first Genocide of the twentieth century — tosave the surviving orphans, scattered throughout theDeir el Zor desert in Syria, the ARS started the “OneOrphan, One Gold Coin” project, offering money tonative Arabs and Bedouins who returned surviving

Armenian orphans they had harbored after the massdeportations and slaughter ordered by the Turks. Thepresent “Sponsor-A-Child” program started right afterthe 1988 earthquake that caused over 50,000casualties in northwestern Armenia.

a) “““““ARS DayARS DayARS DayARS DayARS Day” at Orphanages:” at Orphanages:” at Orphanages:” at Orphanages:” at Orphanages: Throughout Armenia,there are 51 children’s homes and more than 10,000parentless or abandoned children. Based on thisdata, the ARS decided to extend a helping handthrough appropriate programs.

With the “ARS Day” project, the Society presentlyhelps 533 children through the sustained efforts ofthe following ARS entities: Armenian Blue Cross ofAthens, Greece (210 children at the Special BoardingSchool #8 of Yerevan); Armenian Blue Cross ofFrance (85 children at the Nork School #2 ofYerevan); ARS of Canada (50 children at the YerevanSpecial Nursery, Boarding School #8 of Yerevan, and90 children at the Hrazdan Special Boarding School#1); and ARS Western USA (98 children at theAshtarak Boarding School #18). In various ways,our ARS entities of England and Cyprus bring theircontribution to this little known, but exemplary,project.

b) The ARS “Sponsor-A-Child” Program:The ARS “Sponsor-A-Child” Program:The ARS “Sponsor-A-Child” Program:The ARS “Sponsor-A-Child” Program:The ARS “Sponsor-A-Child” Program: Thisprogram, initiated in 1992, as a consequence of thegreat and devastating earthquake in northwesternArmenia as well as the Karabagh Region liberationwar; two major debacles that cost Armeniathousands of casualties, leaving a large number ofchildren without parents.

It is the desire and cherished goal of theArmenian Relief Society, that not a single child inour Homeland be allowed to remain without supportand shelter, and that all individuals enjoy theblessings of family and home, in peace and security.In order to make this possible, all those who careto give their moral and financial support, are giventhe chance to do so by getting in touch with theirlocal - or nearest - Armenian Relief Society entitiesat their office.

Today, with the presently active participation ofeighteen ARS regional entities, more than 4,500parentless children in the homeland receive anannual sum of US$120.00 each, provided byvolunteer sponsors, who additionally donateUS$10.00 to the Armenian Relief Society CentralExecutive to cover the on-going administrative costsof the project. In spite of this sustained effort, therestill remain over 1,780 orphans on our list, waitingfor sponsors.

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……………CULCULCULCULCULTURALTURALTURALTURALTURAL

Cultural activities of all kinds, designed to enhancethe Armenian awareness of the communities, areencouraged by the ARS; functions are organized in allregions where, through lectures, artisticpresentations, concerts, exhibitions, etc., variousaspects of Armenian culture are kept alive and visible.a) Arts and Crafts Centers in Syria and LebanonArts and Crafts Centers in Syria and LebanonArts and Crafts Centers in Syria and LebanonArts and Crafts Centers in Syria and LebanonArts and Crafts Centers in Syria and Lebanon notonly help to perpetuate Armenian needlework,crafts and designs, but also provide a livelihood tomany a craftsman whose talents are kept functionaland productive in the creative atmosphere of thesecenters.

b) The Ethnic Armenian News MediaThe Ethnic Armenian News MediaThe Ethnic Armenian News MediaThe Ethnic Armenian News MediaThe Ethnic Armenian News Media receive regularsupport from the ARS in the following regions ofthe Diaspora: Canada, France, Greece, Syria,Lebanon, and the Americas.

c) The “Maralik” Children’s ChoirThe “Maralik” Children’s ChoirThe “Maralik” Children’s ChoirThe “Maralik” Children’s ChoirThe “Maralik” Children’s Choir was initiated bythe ARS of South America 10 years ago as anunprecedented project that brought together thetalents of 40 children between the ages of 5 -15.The “Maralik” has, thus far. issued 3 albums: “NorSerund” (New Generation) in 1993; “AybBenGim”(ABC) in 1995; “Hayordiq” (Sons of Armenia) in 1998.“Maralik” was the first to come up with ArmenianCDs in South America.

d) The “Narod Ardhaljian” Children’s Library ofThe “Narod Ardhaljian” Children’s Library ofThe “Narod Ardhaljian” Children’s Library ofThe “Narod Ardhaljian” Children’s Library ofThe “Narod Ardhaljian” Children’s Library ofLebanonLebanonLebanonLebanonLebanon was founded in Bourj Hammoud in the year1993. The new generations are given access toArmenian culture through song, dance, recitations,arts and crafts, etc.

e) The “Nayiri” Dance GroupThe “Nayiri” Dance GroupThe “Nayiri” Dance GroupThe “Nayiri” Dance GroupThe “Nayiri” Dance Group was initiated by theRegional Executive of ARS/South America. It wasstarted in 1978 and, in a very short time, hadbecome a prominent cultural wonder in theArmenian communities of Argentina, Uruguay andBrazil. The dance group brings together Armenianyoungsters to become performers and presentersof one of our national culture’s importantmanifestations. Encouraged by Nayiri’s success, theRegional executive founded the “Shirak” DanceSchool for Youngsters which has an enrollment ofaround 80 children.

�Help us Expand Our Heritage…

Contribute Recent Works of Contemporary Armenian Artists to:

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Second Annual NGO Conference In ArmeniaSecond Annual NGO Conference In Armeniafter months of preparation, on September 25,2003, organized by the Central Execu-tive

Board of the Armenian Relief Society, Inc., the2nd NGO Conference took place in Yerevan’s Con-gress Hotel. This highly motivated gatheringwent through its pro-ceedings under the graciousauspices of Armenia’s First Lady, Dr. BellaKocharian.

After due consideration to many pressing so-cial issues, the or-ganizers of theConfer-ence hadchosen the follow-ing multi-facetedtopic as a generaltheme: “NationalPlan for Action:HIV/AIDS, Dis-abled Children’sRights, HumanTrafficking, andDomestic Vio-lence”. Addressingparticipants and

Yerevan, September 25, 2003

guests, welcoming remarks and opening state-ments were made by the ARS Chairperson, Mrs.Maro Minassian, Dr. Bella Ko-charian, US Am-bassador to Armenia, John Ordway, Minister ofSocial Affairs, Agh-van Vardanian, UN ResidentCoordinator, Lise Grande, and OSCE Ambassa-dor, Mi-chael Wygant.

After the keynote speakers – Health Minister,Norayr Davidian, Artak Apitonyan of the Minis-

try of Foreign Af-fairs, Lala Aslanianof the Dept. ofMigration andRefu-gees, KarineHacobian of theMinistry of SocialAffairs – con-cluded theirpresenta-t ions,four round tablediscussions, withthe participationof representativesof inter-national

A

- 10 -

l martes 22 de julio, la Diputada uruguaya porel Partido Nacional, Escribana Beatriz Argimoninvitó a un almuerzo de trabajo a las integrantes dela Comisión Regional Sudamericana de HOMLicenciada Isabel Attarian y Escribana DianaItutmazian. La temática de la reunión versó sobrela participación de la Diputada Argimon en la 56ªConferencia Anual de O.N.G de las Naciones Unidascomo panelista invitada por la Comisión Centralmundial de HOM.

La oportunidad sirvió para departir sobreestrategias de trabajo en el área social y económica,referidas fundamentalmente a la infancia y a la mujeren el contexto de la realidad latinoamericana de hoy.La Diputada -- pese a su juventud -- tiene una vastaexperiencia en esos temas, ya que fue durante añosPresidenta de INAME (Instituto Nacional del Menor)y trabaja activamente en auspiciosos proyectos demicro empresa para mujeres rurales, donde desarrollacon gran éxito una tarea muy difícil.

Precisamente su destacada labor en ese ámbito fuemuy positivamente evaluada a nivel nacional einternacional, y también percibida por HOM, quiena través de su Presidenta Maro Minassian tuvo laoportunidad de entrevistarse con la Diputada en elaño 2002 e interiorizarse con su trabajo ycapacitación. Esos méritos la hicieron acreedora a lainvitación como disertante en la Conferencia de laONU señalada, que se realizará en septiembrepróximo. El tema a desarrollar en base a la propuestade las compañeras de la Comisión Regional será "Larealidad de la mujer latinoamericana de hoy".

En oportunidad de este almuerzo le fue entregadoa la legisladora un portfolio con las actividadesdesarrolladas por la institución a nivel mundial yregional, prometiéndole –en base a susrequerimientos- más material sobre el trabajo quese lleva a cabo en Uruguay.

Para HOM es un orgullo contar con el aporte ycooperación de esta joven legisladora, cuyaparticipación en la 56º Conferencia, será sin duda,brillante �

Entrevista de HOMcon la diputada uruguaya

EscribanaBeatriz Argimon

E

and national NGOs analyzed thoroughly the vari-ous issues emanating from the chosen generaltheme of the Conference. The lively discussionswere enhanced by the effective use of audio-visu-als. This 2nd Annual NGO Conference was at-tended by over 200 highly interested, select par-ticipants from various organizations, ARS mem-bers from around the world and many private in-dividuals interested in the timely topics of theConference.

For all those who may be interested, the pro-ceedings and conclusions of the Conference’s dis-cussions are available on the ARS, Inc. websitewww.ars1910.org.

Present at the conference: RA National Assamblymember, Alvard Petrosian, US Ambasador to Armenia

John Ordway, and ARS CE Chair, Maro Minasian

- 11 -

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The ARS At The UN

he Armenian Diaspora is a powerful, worldwide community that sup-ports the Homerland in a variety of ways. The United Nations -- andUNDP, in particular, with its social development agenda -- is therefore anatural partner to Diasporan organizations, or individuals, who wish toinvest in the on-going development of the country.

In late 2002, UNDP Armenia and the Ministry of Territorial Ad-ministration of Armenia started an “umbrella” project – Partnerships forImplementation of Community Based Development Projects – aimed atmobilizing resources to address several major areas to reduce poverty inArmenia, such as rehabilitation of the social infrastructure, increasedpublic service accessibility and income generation in the poorest and mostdisadvantaged communities.

A perfect example of the difference the UN and the Diaspora canmake when they work together is the Rehabilitation of Indoor HeatingNetwork of Charentsavan School #4, Kotayk Region sub-project car-ried out jointly by UNDP and the Armenian Relief Society (ARS). Theschool building that currently hosts 600 schoolchildren is of a standardtype: it consists of three wings – two buildings for educational purposesand a sports/meeting hall. Before the energy crisis in 1992-1993, thisschool was integrated into a centralized heating system. There was anurgent need to perform the rehabilitation of the indoor-heating net-work as well.

With UNDP and ARS financial and technical support, an indoorheating system is currently being constructed. The renovation activitiesare organized and executed in such a way as not to hamper the educationprocess at school, i.e. predominantly during evenings and Sundays. Todate, the first wing of the school building is completed, and the entirerehabilitation of the network will be completed in early March 2003

Joint ARS/UNDP EffortsIn Support of Schools inArmenia

T�TheDiaspora,a world-widecommunity thatsupports theHomeland in avariety ofways. �

- 17 -

ince 1978, the Armenian Re-lief Society has been recog-nized by the United Nations

as a Non-Governmental Organiza-tion (NGO). In 1998 the ARS wasplaced on the roster of NGO’s withconsultative status with the UN’sEconomic and Social Council(ECOSOC) and as an NGO associ-ated with the UN Department ofPublic Information (DPI).

The Armenian Relief Societyonce again participated in UnitedNations DPI/NGO Annual Con-ference which was held Monday,Sept 8th through Wednesday, Sep-tember 10tth in Manhattan, NewYork, at the United Nations Head-quarters. The 56th Annual Con-ference of Non-Governmental Or-ganizations (NGOs), having as atheme “Human Security and Dig-nity: Fulfilling the Promise of theUnited Nations", highlighted issuessuch as “Psychological Aspect ofHuman Security and Dignity”,“From Oppression to Empower-ment”, and gave civil society orga-nizations a forum to express theirideas about human rights, people’sempowerment and global well-be-ing. This year, the conference plan-ning committee included five mem-bers of the ARS, all actively in-volved in organizing the Confer-

ARS WorkshopAttracts NotableSpeakers, ActiveParticipation

The 56th Annual Conference of Non-Gov

ence. The Armenian Relief Societywas represented by members fromits three North American Regions,including Canada, the Eastern andWestern United States, with over30 participants.

The conference was dividedinto morning and afternoon ple-nary sessions. Among the notablespresent at the conference were,Shashi Tharoor, United NationsUnder-Secretary-General for Com-munications and Public Informa-tion, Fernando Henrique Cardoso,former President of Brazil, cur-rently Special Advisor to the UnitedNations Secretary-General, andnoted film star, Danny Glover, agoodwill Ambassador for theUnited Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP). There wereover 2,600 individuals in atten-dance from 687 registered Organi-zations and 93 coun-tries.

Monday Evening a receptionwas held for the registered attend-ees where one could mingle withSecretary-General Kofi Annan andmembers of other organizations.

The Armenian Relief Society,once again, had an active role in theConference not only in numbers butas an organizer of a Midday Work-shop. On Tuesday, Sep-tember 9, in

correlation with the conferencetopic, a workshop was organizedtitled “Micro Finance: Empoweringwomen and person disabilities to-ward economic secu-rity”. The ses-sion was moderated by ARS East-ern region member and UN Liai-son Stephanie Mesrobian, the panelof speakers consisted of Ms. NanceBarry, President of Women’s WorldBanking, Ani Kazarian, ResearchScholar from the C.A.K.E. Founda-tion, David Helm, Ph.D., Director,Interdisciplinary Training, Insti-tute for Community Inclusion, Su-san Foley, Ph.D., Senior ResearchAssociate, Institute for CommunityInclusion, and Mary Sereno, Min-ister Counsellor of the PermanentMis-sion of Uruguay to the UnitedNations, who substituted forBeatriz Argimon, Repre-sentativeof Montevideo, Camara deRepresentantes, Republica Orientaldel Uruguay, who was unable tomake the trip. The workshop waslocated on the 11th floor of the UNChurch center across the street fromUN headquarters, allowing the pub-lic to at-tend without having to reg-ister to enter UN grounds. Therewere over 100 Individuals in At-tendance at the workshop.

Stephanie Mesrobian wel-comed the attendees, briefly spoke

S

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Nayiree Derderian

about the ARS, its relations with theUN and explained what the goal ofthe workshop was. Briefly put, theworkshop intended to explore mi-cro-financing, the quest for empow-erment, leadership in women andpersons too disabled to challengethe status quo.

The first speaker, Nancy Barryof the Women’s World Banking(WWB) de-scribed the role ofWWB in empowering low incomewomen. She stated that, “poor

women can become entrepreneursand can change the financial sys-tem of the poor minority.” She alsostated that the WWB was estab-lished in 1975 at a similar confer-ence and is currently in cooperationwith over 40 countries. TheWomen’s World Bank reaches poorwomen by providing and organiz-ing support to its member organi-zations, which in turn offer directservices to these women.

The second Speaker was theyoung Ani Kazarian, a ResearchScholar, for the C.A.K.E. Founda-tion presenting the topic of “Com-munity Microfinance: Providing fi-nancial and social support servicesto women and individuals with dis-

abilities of Armenian Heritage”.Miss. Kazarian’s Power Point pre-sentation assessed the situa-tion inArmenia, establishing that Arme-nian women are a driving force forchange, and that individuals withdisabilities are often neglected andshunned. She also ex-plained thatC.A.K.E.’s community micro-fi-nancing initiative provides financialand social support services to theabove mentioned individuals, help-ing to empower women and dis-abled individuals to strive for a bet-

ter existence. Further-more, she de-scribed thesteps that the C.A.K.E.Foundation has taken tomake micro-financing areality in Armenia.

Dr. David T. Helmof the Institute for Com-munity Inclusion was thethird speaker; he pre-sented an overview ofpractices at the Instituteand their findings in hu-man patterns when itcomes to people with dis-abilities. He showed thebarriers that people with

disabilities have to face, includingattitudes of people, programs andpro-fessionals. Dr. Helm stated thathealthy people often look at the ob-vious weaknesses of disabled indi-viduals instead of paying attentionto the positive abilities. Further-more he stated that there are suc-cessful practices in dealing with thedisabled as in empowering the in-dividual in planning, financial andjob situations, by including the dis-abled.

The fourth speaker, Dr. SusanFoley, also from the Institute forCommunity Inclusion, discussedthe subject of “Women with Dis-abilities and Employment.” Dr.Foley pointed out that it is not

about disability, it is about ability,and action instead of mere planing.She further discussed the study thatincluded 45 working women withdisabilities, and used sample caseswhere two women were comparedand their abilities were used to em-power them instead of concentrat-ing on their disabilities. Dr. Foleyshowed how the practices set forthby the Institute for CommunityInclusion were realized.

The final speaker was Dr.Mary Serano, from the PermanentMission of Uru-guay to the UnitedNations, speaking in Spanish witha translator, about establishedprojects to empower women inSouth America.

This Midday workshop, orga-nized by the Armenian Relief Soci-ety, was a suc-cess. It remained fo-cused on Empowerment on a glo-bal, transnational level, invitingboth Armenians and non-Armenianto become involved in issues thatconcern all of humanity, withoutexception.

ernmental Organizations In Manhattan

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or Americans, the “Roaring Twen ties” standout as the age of the Charleston, the flapper, Prohi-bition, speakeasies, women’s suffrage, the HarlemRenaissance, and the execution of Sacco andVanzetti. World War I had been fought and won;the Red Scare had been silenced, and the Depressionwas yet beyond the horizon. “The business ofAmerica is business,” quipped President Harding.As if to prove his point, automobiles, Coca Cola,and the “talkies” swept across the country andbeyond. If any single word symbolized the decade,it was optimism. By contrast, for Armenians the1920s epitomized sorrow and grief, deprivation anddispersal, political and religious tension and conflict.An entire people suffered from nerves raw andexposed. But the 1920s also marked a decade ofrehabilitation and reconstruction when the remnantsurvivors set about to rebuild their lives. At a timeof collective bereavement and adjustment, Arme-nian family reformation became, more than everbefore or since, the most powerful force bindingtogether a traumatized people.1

Let me begin with a rather free translationof the lyrics of an Armenian song popular in the1930s and 1940s. It’s a man’s song, not a particu-larly joyful one, but a complaint laced with a touchof humor, nevertheless.

“I worked for seven years, saved $1000. Decided to marry.Went to Cuba to find a wife.Many pretty girls in Cuba, but one caught my eye.She smiled and said she didn’t care for riches.Just wanted to make me happy.She loved me, she said.I married her and brought her to America.A year passed.She wanted a diamond ring.I bought her a diamond ring.She wanted a fur coat.I bought her a fur coat.She wanted an automobile.I bought her an automobile.Then she told meShe didn’t like my pillow.”

This song has a companion story, a true eventabout a man from Fresno who brought a refugeegirl to America in the 1920s and married her. Aftera couple of years, he complained to his friends inthe serjaran [coffeehouse] that his wife was gettingout of hand. She was disobedient. She didn’t do asshe was told and she even had the audacity to talkback to him. His dissatisfaction continued for somemonths, and each time he received sympathy fromhis fellow scambil and backgammon comrades.

By Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill

FFThis 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 forproviding me with the immigration statistics.

Marriage And Love

In America

Marriage And Love

In America

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Nodding. Yes, yes, we understand. Vakh, Vakh, Vy,Vy. One day, exasperated, he told them he intendedto teach his wife a good lesson, long overdue. He’dmade up his mind to spank her. Shaking his hand,he repeated, “the five brothers.”Chè chnes” shoutedhis companions. “No. You can’t hit your wife. Thisisn’t the old country. This is America. If you beatyour wife, the police will put you in jail. Grin andbear it. There’s no other solution.” A few weekspassed; then, at the end of his patience, he an-nounced to his coffeehouse buddies, “I’ve found theanswer. I’ve made up my mind to take my wife backto the old country, give her a good beating, teachher a lesson she’ll never forget, then bring her backto America!”

These songs and stories, each in their ownway, are metaphors, interpreting Armenian life andculture. They reveal a much larger picture ofmarital culture among Armenians during the post-Genocide period.

Armenian family life had collapsed during theGenocide. Uprootedness, family fragmentation,separation, and loss left a mere shadow of the worldof intimacy. Regardless of where they foundsanctuary or what conditions they encountered,survivors instinctively knew they had to reconsti-tute family life. In America a shortage of Armenianwomen reflected the pre-Genocide movement ofArmenian male sojourners to the new world. Bycontrast, in the countries of refuge, the vast major-ity of survivors were women and children. Theimbalance meant that men and women were obligedto meet across an ocean and across different cul-tures. Armenians quickly devised a host of creativemechanisms to bring together refugee women incountries of survival and bachelors and widowersin America: by letter, picture, and the alwaysingenious matchmaker. But forces, stronger thanwill and determination, threw up major barricadesto family reconstruction.

To understand the situation we must look atAmerican immigration regulations. After the CivilWar, during the latter part of the 19th century,

technological inventions, like the elevator, thetelephone and the electric light, and great industrialcorporations, like Carnegie’s Homestead steel millsand Rockefeller’s Standard Oil changed the natureof work in America. With increased mechanization,railroads, bridges, factories, mines, highways, andcanals required young, strong, unskilled, andrelatively obedient workers. Labor flowed to capitalas America opened her doors and immigrants fromEastern and Southeastern Europe flooded in to findopportunity and freedom. With them they broughtdifferent languages, foods, religions, values, andcultures. Little by little, these newcomers changedthe demography of America. The face of theUnited States in 1910 was unlike the society in1880. Jewish peddlers, Polish miners, Ukrainianfactory laborers, Armenian rug merchants, Greekbootblacks, Italian construction workers appearedand acted differently from the white, Anglo-Saxon,Protestants.

These massive changes generated nativistopposition which, in turn, rationalized its biasciting “scientific” evidence. Herbert Spencer inEngland and William Graham Sumner in theUnited States applied Charles Darwin’s theory ofthe survival of the fittest to human society andconcluded that man forged ahead through competi-tion in which the strong survived and dominatedthe weak. For the proponents of social Darwinism,“whites,’ i.e. Anglo-Americans were the “fittest.”These ideas, coupled with the quest for nationalunity after the harrowing divisiveness of the CivilWar, redefined what it meant to be an “American,”and recast who should have the privilege of admis-sion. With the passage of the Chinese ExclusionAct in 1882, America established the precedence ofrace as a criterion for admission. While health,literacy, morality, political affiliation, and pauperismcould prohibit entry, race remained the single mostpowerful factor in keeping America “pure.” In 1921,Congress passed the so-called Johnson Act whichlimited entry to 3% of the foreign-born as evidentin their numbers based on the 1910 census. Butnativists, still bent on “purity,” found this law

- 21 -

inadequate to exclude eastern and southeast-ern Europeans. After considerable controversy,Congress approved the Johnson-Reid Act in 1924,which extended the restrictions to 2% of the totalethnic group according to the 1890 census. In effectthe Johnson-Reid Act limited admission mainly tonorthern and northwestern Europeans. Thesegroups had immigrated to the United States beforethe period of mass migration from eastern andsoutheastern Europe, which was commonly calledthe New Immigration period (roughly 1890-1921).In the same year, by terms of the Oriental Exclu-sion Act,, Congress prohibited the entry of thosewho were ineligible for citizenship - in effect, non-whites. This restriction was directed specifically atAsians. As non-whites Asians were classified asaliens ineligible for citizenship and were, therefore,barred from admission to the United States. By1929, a quota system based on national origins wasfully in place.

Examining the statistics, we see that in 1913,about 9,355 Armenians entered the United States;in 1920, 10,212 more arrived, and from 1920-24,another 20,559 passed through Ellis Island. Wecan reasonably assume that from 1913 to 1920approximately 50,000 Armenians2 were admitted tothe United States, a high figure given that WorldWar I had interrupted migration. After 1925,however - Cartozian’s victory notwithstanding -Armenian immigration to the United States plum-meted because of a quota of a few hundred a year,at best. The Cartozian case made headlines in1925, when Tatos Cartozian, a naturalized immi-grant, was sued by the United States government.The government sought to revoke Cartozian’snaturalization on the grounds that he was an alienineligible for citizenship since he was not “white,”and therefore was not entitled to naturalization.Color, of course, was the code word for race. Thegovernment was, in fact, trying to prove thatArmenians were Asians and as such was ineligiblefor citizenship. Cartozian’s defense successfullyargued that he was “white,” assimilable, of “Alpinestock,” and of “European persuasion;” he was

therefore eligible for citizenship.

Despite Cartozian’s victory, American immi-gration quotas thwarted Armenian efforts to recon-stitute family life. To cope with the stringentrestrictions, Armenian refugees were forced to waittheir turn, often in intermediate countries like Cuba,Mexico, Argentina, or Canada. When, for example,a group of young refugee girls were brought toCanada as domestic servants during the 1920s, thenews of their arrival spread to the United Statesand generated a mini-movement of men to Torontoto “look over the girls.” The same desire to find asuitable bride motivated our woebegone hero in the“Cuba” song I translated above.

American regulations were not the onlyproblems plaguing family reformation. Arrangedmarriages and marriages between young womenand older men had occurred in the Ottoman Em-pire. But in the old land, families arranged mar-riages at least among their acquaintances, some-times because of family relationships, sometimesbecause of suitability, sometimes because of wealthor lack thereof, and sometimes, probably less often,because of love. After the Genocide, however, thesefamily and community structures and controls fellapart. In a world of chaos, traditions and customscrumbled, if they were remembered at all; andpeople were compelled to fend for themselves andconstruct new ways to deal with both old and newdilemmas. For instance, many picture brides, youngand inexperienced, felt deceived to find that theirfiancées in America were older, less wealthy, or lesshandsome than the girls had been led to believe. Intheir turn, men complained that women cheated,too. A man would pay the passage of his “be-trothed” from Bolis, Beirut, or Marseilles, only to besaddled with a big debt while she ran off with ayounger or richer man, or, dare I say it, with herhusband already in America.

Yet men and women did marry and as often asnot, they were ill-matched because of differences inage, in education, in temperament, and in socioeco-

- 22 -

nomic background. These couples were faced withthe loss of loved ones, with adjustment to a newsociety, and frequently with poverty and prejudice.More than that, they had to learn to live on inti-mate terms with a stranger, for the courtshipperiods were exceedingly short - seldom more thantwo or three weeks. Still, the vast majority ofpeople somehow managed to carve out a life to-gether, driven perhaps by a sense of resignation,duty, shame, destiny, pragmatism, or their children’swelfare. Some tried to take a light view of thesituation, like the interviewee who chuckled that thecoffeehouse had saved her marriage. Wheneverpressures intensified at home, she would give herhusband a few cents and send him to the serjaran tocheck on the latest gossip.

These couples worked, had children, bought ahouse, opened a store, laughed, wept, faced adver-sity, learned English, grew old. Somehow, most ofthese marriages survived. Do not be misled. Theserelationships were not altogether loveless nor werethey lacking in mutual respect. Sometimes it tookmany years or a family crisis to bring out thetenderness of the relationship.

Let me recount an interview I carried out someyears ago with an elderly woman in Detroit. Fre-quently, as in this case, the interview process itselfis as important an historical phenomenon as thesubstance of the interview. We were sitting in herliving room in approaching twilight; she had notturned on the lights yet. The furniture was vintage1940s, with doilies and anti-macasars. Probably,the most striking feature of the room was the largenumber of photographs: baby pictures, graduationpictures, wedding pictures, portraits. She explainedthat she had immigrated as a 17 year-old picturebride and married a man who was about 32. Staid,austere, proper, and formal, he did not call her byher first name, but rather addressed her as “aghchi”or “girl;” and she, in turn, addressed him as “mart”or man. He forbade her to leave the house withoutsomething to cover her head and arms. If anyaffection existed between them, it was never dis-

played in public, not even in their home. They hadfour children. After the third - she would have beenaround 27 - she became seriously ill. He took her toa doctor and after examining her, the doctor ex-plained that he saw no other way, absolutely none,but to amputate her arm, and indicated he wouldhave to amputate from the elbow. It took a minuteor so for the “foreigners” to grasp his meaning. Forthe rest, I give you her words:

“Then, this man, this quiet, polite man, jumpedup from his chair, his face on fire, eyes bulging, andin broken English, shouted, ‘You no doctor. Youbutcher. You butcher man. Never. Never I gonnalet you cut off this little woman’s arm.’ I wassitting there,” she remembered, “with my arm in asling, in great pain, tears pouring down my cheeks.Then I looked at this man that I’d been living with.And for the first time in ten years, I saw the realman. It was like a thunderbolt struck me. Rightthen and there, in that crazy doctor’s office, I felldeeply in love with my husband.”

She paused. Leaned over and picked up hisphotograph. Held it in her two healthy hands,kissed it, and pressed it to her heart. She wastotally entranced in her own world. Then, afterseveral minutes, aware of my presence, she turnedto me, smiled, and whispered. “We had such ahappy love.”

As a rule, post-Genocide marriages differedfrom the traditional marriages which preceded themin the old country and they differed dramaticallyfrom the marriages which followed in America. Themarriages of Genocide survivors represent transi-tional marriages unlike those of their parents in theOttoman Empire and unlike those of their childrenin North America. A consequence of the Genocide,these marriages can reasonably be classified assurvivor marriages. As such, they were new andunique and, therefore, should hold a special place in

Armenian Diasporan history. �

- 23 -

Despite the international assistance pro-vided to the Southern Caucasus over the past decade,there has been little attention to the worsening situa-tion in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia, astrategically located region of southern Georgia withan ethnic-Armenian majority population. The severeeconomic conditions and poverty of the Javakhq re-gion pose challenges to both national and regionalstability and greatly influence bilateral relations be-tween Armenia and Georgia, as well as relations withRussia by virtue of the large Russian military basein the region.

The historically Armenian Javakhq region con-sists of the districts of Akhalqalaqi and Ninotsminda,with the Armenians constituting 95 percent of thepopulation. Javakhq lies about twenty kilometers east-

southeast of Ajaria, shares a roughly 80-90 kilome-ter border with Turkey to its west and southwest,and has approximately 45-50 kilometers of commonborder with Armenia, which lies to its south, and isjust west of the ethnic Azeri populated region ofMarneuli. In recent years, Javakhq was incorporatedby the Georgian central government into a muchlarger administrative unit (mkhare) known as theSamtskhe-Javakheti region, with an area of nearly6413 square kilometers, representing about 9.3 per-cent of Georgia proper, and a total population of al-most 235,000 (as of 2000).

Today Samtskhe-Javakheti is composed of sixdistricts (Adigeni, Aspinadza, Akhalqalaqi,Akhaltsikhe, Borjormi, and Ninotsminda), withAkhaltsikhe as the regional center, and the historical

R i c h a r d G i r a g o s i a n

A n O v e r v i e w

The Armenians of JavakhqThe Armenians of Javakhq

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Armenian Javakhq as its core. Within this greaterregion, the Armenian population’s majority hasbeen steadily reduced to about sixty-one to sixty-two percent of the overall population of the sixdistricts. There are seven major towns, sixty-sixsmaller administrative units and over 250 vil-lages.

Economic Neglect andUnderdevelopment

For decades, Javakhq was the most underdevelopedregion of the country. And since independence, theGeorgian government’s economic policies and neglectlaid the foundations for the economic suffering andhardship that plagues Javakhq today. This neglect ismost evident in the pronounced state of disrepair ofthe regional infrastructure, but can also be seen in thepoor state of the labor market as the region has re-corded over a decade of net job loss and labor migra-tion.

Local industry is virtually nonexistent inJavakhq, aside from the service industry affiliated withthe local Russian base. For Javakhq residents not for-tunate enough to have work associated with the localRussian military base, conditions force much of themale population to seasonally migrate to Russia insearch of work, only returning to their families inwinter. The most vulnerable of the population, theelderly, are forced to rely on such family support inthe absence of reliable pension benefits or even basichealth care and social services. During the peak monthof work in Russia, seasonal workers remit an esti-mated $25,000 a day in transfers to families inJavakhq.

Roads and highways continue to be in severeneed of investment and reconstruction, as the onlyimprovement in transport in the past ten years hasbeen on the Armenian side of the border. In fact,almost all of Javakhq’s roads and external trade routesare southward toward Armenia, further strengthen-ing the ties between Javakhq and Armenia. This iso-lation from the rest of Georgia is another key ele-ment of the region’s economic difficulties with theGeorgian government. These overwhelming needs,therefore, only tend to exacerbate the effects of theoverall economic decline in the rest of the countryand the deepening poverty of Javakhq, consistentlybelow the national level, only heightens Javakhq’svulnerability and isolation.

Education In Javakhq

Under Georgian law, education is free through thefirst nine grades until the 10th and 11th grades, whichoperate according to a fee-based enrollment system.For Javakhq, the state of education is verey similarto much of the country, with the real problems notbeing of access to schooling but rather that of theschools themselves.

There is viable access to schools through the firstnine grades but primary education is demonstrablylimited by a lack of resources, such as textbooks, andpoor facilities, often with little or no heat and electric-ity. Funding for school supplies, the maintenance ofschool facilities, and teacher salaries all come from thecentral Georgian education budget. This reliance oncentral funding that has become, at best, sporadic, hasled to the recent practice by several villages and townsin Javakhq to raise their own community funds fortheir local schools. Primary school teachers in Javakhqface a unique form of discrimination, however, withthe central government paying Georgian teachersthree times as much as Armenian teachers. Officiallydefended as an appropriate means to attract teachersto come to Javakhq, the result is problematic and hasled to resentment by local Armenian teachers

Most villages in Javakhq have a small schoolwith pupils receiving education through the 8th grade,and some of the larger villages have schools up to the10th and 11th grades. According to 2001 estimates,there are about 110 Armenian schools operating inJavakhq, with more than 22,000 students. In a largenumber of villages throughout Javakhq, the localschool operates on the sole support of local families.The families of the local school children donate heat-ing fuel, collect and contribute money for the purchaseof textbooks and supplies, and even pay the teachersdirectly.

Under an agreement between the Georgian andArmenian governments, the Armenian ministry ofeducation is allowed to supply Javakhq schools withspecific textbooks and related teaching materials. Theagreement limits Armenia to providing only text-books dealing with science and mathematics instruc-tion, however, as the Shevardnadze government spe-cifically bans any history textbooks or instructionmaterial. An additional problem for students is thateven though the Georgian government bans the use

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of Armenian textbooks for his-tory instruction, it fails to provideany alternative books or educationalmaterial. The Armenian program forassisting the Javakhq school systemwas further expanded by ArmenianPresident Robert Kocharian withgreater levels of financial assistanceand educational scholarship. Cur-rently, the Armenian government al-locates approximately one hundredmillion dram (about $180,000) an-nually for textbooks and supplies toJavakhq schools.

An important component ofthis Armenian aid program is the spe-cialized scholarships for Javakhq students in Arme-nian state universities. Administered by the Arme-nian ministry of education, the Javakhq scholarshipprogram waives all admissions requirements and test-ing, including the financial enrollment fees, for uni-versity students from Javakhq, in return for the pledgeto return to Javakhq upon graduation. There are cur-rently 600 students enrolled in Armenian state uni-versities participating in the Javakhq scholarship pro-gram. Additionally, the education ministry has alsoestablished a new teacher-training program for teach-ers in an attempt to improve the overall quality ofeducation in the region..

Public HealthThe serious lack of adequate medical services and thewidespread shortages of medicines and other suppliesmake 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 patientsbring their own medicine and supply their own heat-ing fuel for their hospitalization..The hospital inAkhalqalaqi is the only adequately equipped hospitalfunctioning today in all of Javakhq, forcing most ofthe sick to travel to northern Armenia to seek medi-cal care. The Armenian alternative is also the onlyway to overcome the overall breakdown in the region’shealth care system. Ambulance service, for example,has been non-existent for several years now and theone operating emergency ambulatory service is oper-ated by the Russian military base and not readilyavailable to residents.

Pre-natal care, for example, is virtually nonex-

istent beyond the village practice ofengaging a midwife and the cost forhospital care at the time of birth of-ten runs between $100-400, explain-ing both the decline in the overallbirthrate and, for newborns, themarked increase in home births overthe past decade. And although allhospitals throughout Georgia are re-quired by law to provide free medicalcare to infants up to twelve monthsof age, there is neither general aware-ness of this benefit nor much realis-tic expectation of such free care in lightof the overall state of public healthin the country.

The Armenian ChurchThere are more than 100 Armenian churches in thevillages throughout Javakhq, with many affiliated withEjmiatzin, but also with a significant presence ofArmenian Catholic Churches. As a historic part ofthe Armenian nation, Javakhq is endowed with a num-ber of ancient Armenian monuments and other ar-cheological evidence of the Armenian presence there.Unfortunately, the Georgian government has donelittle to preserve these artifacts, and many of themare in a state of decay or being destroyed by the ele-ments

Insecurity and VunerabilityNational identity in Javakhq today is strongly Arme-nian, and plainly evident in most aspects of everydaylife. Although three languages, Armenian, Georgian

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and Russian, are seen in the street signs throughoutthe region, the Georgian presence virtually ends there.Armenian television, not Georgian, is watched inJavakhq due to both easier reception and popular pref-erence. The Russian ruble, the Armenian dram and,to a lesser extent, the American dollar are the onlyforms of currency to be found in Javakhk. Faced witha transaction involving the Georgian lari, mostJavakhq businessmen are not even sure of the officialexchange rate. All schools in Javakhq today are domi-nated by Armenian-language instruction, with the onlyexception being a few Russian classes. The relativeisolation of the region, combined with the existingcultural autonomy, has reinforced this strong Arme-nian identity despite being under Georgian rule.

Overlooking the heartof Javakhq from its perchhigh on a cliff, the Russianmilitary base at Akhalqalaqiis seen by the Javakhq popu-lation as much more than astraightforward guarantorof physical security. TheRussian military presence inJavakhq is both a strategicdeterrent and a central ele-ment of the Javakhqeconomy. The Russian baseis the region’s largest sourceof employment and providesa reliable income from workboth directly and indirectlytied to the base for severalthousand local Armenians.

With a border with Turkey twice as long as withArmenia, Javakhq is quite vulnerable to any poten-tial Turkish military assault. The Russian militarypresence, therefore, also meets the security concernsof the population as a strategic defense against theTurkish threat. The perception of a threat from neigh-boring Turkey stems, not only from history, but,presantly, it is also visibly reinforced by the constantlyincreasing Turkish military role in Georgia over thepast few years. The threatening proximity of Tur-key means that a military assault would only haveto penetrate twenty miles into Javakhq to reach andcapture the heart of the region. The natural vulner-ability of Javakhq, as a border region, is also a con-stant reminder of the existing insecurity in the faceof such a threat.

The Meskhetian TurksAn even more threatening factor to the viability andsecurity of the Armenian Javakhq majority is the is-sue of the Meskhetian Turks. Prior to their WorldWar II deportation by Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin,the Meskhetian Turks resided in the district ofMeskhetia adjoining Javakheti. The district itself wasceded to Georgia by the Adrianople peace treaty be-tween Russia and Turkey and the Meskhetian Turkshave always considered themselves as ethnic Turks,continuing to more closely identify themselves withTurkey than with Georgia proper. Following theirdeportation to Central Asia, their native lands in thedistrict were repopulated by settlements of Armenians,Georgians, and to a lesser degree, by Russians. But

with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the MeskhetianTurks have renewed their demands to return to theirancestral homes in southern Georgia. An influx ofMeskhetian Turks would significantly alter the al-ready delicate demography of the region and wouldonly exacerbate tensions

The Baku-Ceyhan Pipline ProjectAccording to the latest version, the planned route forthe $3 billion pipeline from Baku to the Turkish portof Ceyhan would pass through three of the six dis-tricts of Samtskhe-Javakheti, accounting for roughly38 percent of the Georgian section of the plannedroute. Specifically, the planned route would enter intoGardabani, traverse Rustavi at the north, cross thenorthern parts of Tetri Tskaro and Tsalka, passthrough Borjomi, and transit Akhaltsikhe, beforecrossing the Georgian-Turkish border.

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There are several implications for Javakhq stemmingfrom the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline plan. First, the pres-ence of the pipeline and its proximity to the Arme-nians of Javakhq would invite an even greater Turk-ish military threat, under the guise of providing “pipe-line security.” It would also threaten the local and re-gional environment, with serious repercussions for thebiodiversity, underground water and springs ofJavakhq.

Javakhq: Armenia and DiasporaIn March 2001, even Georgian President EduardShevardnadze has publicly recognized Armenia’s spe-cial interest in the Javakhq region. Accepting the spe-cial Armenian role in Javakhk offers an opportunityfor Armenia and the Diaspora to directly alleviate thepoverty and underdevelopment of Javakhq. For hispart, the Georgian president has promised to draft anew 7-10 year economic development program. Butas details have not yet been released, and as the Geor-gian economy further declines, Javakhq is increasinglylooking to Armenia and the Diaspora for assistance.

Georgian-Armenian RelationsThroughout the last decade, Armenia has sought tomaintain a cooperative relationship with Georgia asthe severe restraints imposed on Armenia by the dualblockade of the landlocked country by Azerbaijan fromthe east and Turkey from the west made the outlet tothe north through Georgia a vital necessity. TheAzerbaijani and Turkish blockade of Armenia’s rail-way and transport links, their disruption of the re-gional energy network and the breakdown of com-

munications links all contributedto a serious Armenian depen-dence on Georgia for all essentialcommodities.

These constraints on Arme-nian foreign policy regardingGeorgia have greatly influencedArmenian policy on Javakhq, gen-erally limiting it to a secondaryrole. When circumstances haveprovided an opportunity, however,Armenia has been able to offsetthese constraints, as seen byGeorgia’s need for supplies ofArmenian electricity. With an en-ergy crisis worsening over thepast year due to Russian manipu-lation of its energy shipments, the

Kocharian and Shevardnadze governments have con-cluded new bilateral accords whereby Armenia be-gan to supply electricity to Georgia.

Most importantly, this arrangement included themodernization of the 35,000-kilowatt Ashotsk-Ninotsminda-Akhalqalaqi electrical power line byArmenia, an element that allows Armenia to supplyelectricity directly to Javakhq without connecting tothe main Georgian national energy grid. Althoughsome outstanding issues remain regarding the Arme-nian-Javakhq energy deal, it allows Armenia to di-rectly meet an important need of the area’s popula-tion and sets an important precedent in establishinga special Armenian role in assisting Javakhq.

Conclusion and OutlookThe trend of devolution of power from the centralstate to the increasingly assertive autonomous regionsand republics underway in Georgia is determiningthe future of Georgian statehood. It has become ap-parent that Georgia is on a course toward reconsti-tuting its statehood and transforming itself into aconfederation. For Javakhq, the most attractive pathtoward security and greater potential for economicdevelopment is autonomy within a new confederateGeorgian state.

There is also a set of potential economic benefitsto be realized through an autonomous Javakhq. Themost realistic of these benefits include the possibleshare of proceeds from the lease agreement for theRussian military base in Javakhq currently beingnegotiated between Tbilisi and Moscow. A second

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benefit lies in the possibility ofsharing in the profit from the uti-lization of Javakhq territory fora possible oil pipeline or for theproposed Tbilisi-Kars railway.There are some precedents for anautonomous region negotiating ashare of transit fees in this way,as the Ajarians are paid for theuse of their Black Sea port Potior as the Chechen governmenthas received tariff payments forthe pipeline from Baku throughChechnya to the Russian port fa-cilities on the Black Sea. Evenmore encouraging and construc-tive would be the possibility ofutilizing such revenue in a spe-cial “Javakhq Development Fund” to be put to useand administered by the regional government of an

autonomous Javakhq and withthe possible cooperative involve-ment of both the republics ofArmenia and Georgia.

By following this course ofGeorgia’s evolvement into a con-federation, an autonomousJavakhq, at this time, representsthe most promising and practi-cal avenue for securing the rightsand meeting the needs of theJavakhq Armenians. With theopportunity for security and thepromise of stability through au-tonomy, Javakhq may effectivelyovercome the geopolitical, eco-nomic and cultural challenges in

its path by remaining within a new, forward lookingGeorgian Federation.

Editorial Offices Armenian Relief Society, Inc.80 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472, USA

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Les 17 et 18 mai, 2003, s'esttenue la 51ème assembléegénérale annuelle de la CroixBleue des Arméniens deFrance, l'occasion de faire lepoint sur les activités de cetteorganisation humanitaire, quiœuvre depuis plus de 70 ansdans les domaines de l'enfance,de la culture et de l'aidesociale.

29 déléguées représentant les690 membres répartis dans les19 sections existant en Francese sont réunies pendant deuxjours à Marseille-Beaumontpour dresser le bilan desactions entreprises et définir leprogramme à venir.

Fidèle à sa mission de trans-mission du patrimoine culturelet de l'identité arménienne, laCBAF dispose de 9 écolesaccueillant au total 330 élèvesoù sont enseignés la langue,l'histoire, et dans certaineslocalités, la danse, le théâtre etle chant. Les sections qui n'ontpas de structure de ce typeapportent leur aide financièreet morale à celles qui gèrentces écoles. L'assembléegénérale a décidé de renforcercet échange entre sections afind'accroître ce soutien indis-pensable à la poursuite de ces

activités éducatives. Elle a enoutre été décidé d'organiserdes manifestations destinées àfinancer le fonctionnement deces structures d'enseignement:« une journée des écoles estprévue » en 2003 - 2004, sousforme de dîner, kermesse,ventes de dessin d'enfants

Ce volet éducatif est essentieldans la communautéarménienne de France qui,rappelons-le, ne dispose quesix écoles quotidienne sur leterritoire. Pour freinerl’intégration et mêmel’assimilation pure et simple, ilfaut maintenir les jeunesgénérations dans un contextearménien, leur enseigner lalangue et la culturearménienne et impulser auxenfants le sens de leur identité.C’est ce que la Croix Bleueaccomplit sans relâche depuistoujours. Elle a depuis 1980,date de l’ouverture de l’écolequotidienne Hamaskaïne deMarseille, apporté une subven-tion régulière de 80 000Francs (12 200•) par an à cetétablissement scolaire, le seulen France à mener les étudessecondaires jusqu’au BAC. En2002, pour aider à la recon-struction et à l’agrandissement

de l’école, elle a organise desmanifestations exceptionnellesdans ses trois régions Ile deFrance (Paris), Rhône-Alpes(Lyon) et PACA (Marseille).La plus prestigieuse était lerécital Aldo Ciccolini, organiseen région parisienne avecHamaskaïne et auquel le grandpianiste internationalapportait son généreuxconcours. Au total, ces mani-festations diverses ont permisde verser 25 800• pour laconstruction de l’écoleHamaskaïne.

Toujours dans le cadre de sesactions en direction del’enfance, la CBAF poursuitl’organisation de séjours pourles enfants et les adolescentsdans son centre de vacances deBellefontaine, ainsi que d’uncamp itinérant dans lesrégions du sud de la Francepour les plus âgés.

Fidèle à sa vocationhumanitaire, la CBAF accueilleà Bellefontaine des enfantsarméniens favorises, de Francemais aussi d’autres régions dediaspora, en dehors ou dans lecadre des échanges du HOM.Ainsi des enfants de Serbie ontpu passer leur mois d’août2002 à Bellefontaine et 25

LaLaLaLaLa CroixCroixCroixCroixCroix BleueBleueBleueBleueBleue enenenenen hauthauthauthauthaut dedededede l’affichel’affichel’affichel’affichel’affiche

La 51ème Assemblée La 51ème Assemblée

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enfants ont été totalement oupartiellement pris en charge àla colonie pour un montant de8 500•. L’accueille des enfantsde Serbie parachevait l’actionentreprise par la Croix Bleueau profit de la communautéarménien de Serbie.L’opération « Noël pour lesenfants de Serbie » a permisd’envoyer, en janvier 2002, 1tonne de marchandises –vêtements, jouets, matérielsscolaires – à cette petitecommunauté fortementéprouvé.

En dehors de ces actionsmenées auprès de lacommunauté arménienne deFrance, la CBAF a engagé,dans le cadre des actions duHOM, un programme enArménie en faveur des enfantset principalement desorphelins.

Depuis 1995, la CBAF financeune fois par semaine le coûtdes trois repas d'une journéedans le centre pour enfants deNork, dans les faubourg deErevan où sont accueillis unecentaine d'enfants etd'adolescents, orphelins oudans une situation familialeprécaire. Le centre les héberge,les nourrit et leur assure une

scolarité et une formationprofessionnelle. Cette actionreprésente un investissementd'environ 5 000 $ par an.

Parallèlement à cette aideapportée à l'orphelinat deNork, la CBAF s'est engagéedepuis 10 ans dans lacampagne de parrainagesorchestrée par le HOM pourles orphelins d'Arménie et duKarabagh. A ce jour, ce sont415 enfants qui ont bénéficiéde ce programme, etl’association demanderégulièrement de nouveauxdossiers pour remplacer ceuxqui sont arrivés à termes oupour accroître le nombre deparrains.

Enfin, les problèmes deJavakhq ont été évoqués. LaCroix Bleue a participeactivement aux cotes du NorSeround à l’action lancée parla FRA Dachnaktsoutioun deFrance « Un hôpital pourStepanakert » dont le but étaitde réunir des fonds pourl’équipement d’une sallechirurgicale dans le futurhôpital de la région. Une foiscette campagne terminée, elleenvisage de mobiliser autourdu Javakhq ou œuvre déjà leHOM. Des actions de

présentation du Javakhq, desensibilisation à ses problèmeset différentes manifestationsdont, dont les modalitésrestent encore à définir, sontprévues.

De plus, depuis l’été 2003, unecampagne de collecte fonds aété également lance e faveur del'Irak et va être renforcéegrâce a une intervention dansles medias et la distribution detracts.

La CBAF fidèle à ses engage-ments et à ses objectifs apoursuivi son action dans sesmultiples domaines d'activités.Par l'organisation de soirées,de bals elle préserve égalementla vie communautaire dans saconvivialité. Elle continue sonaction sociale auprès desmalades, des personnes âgéeset nécessiteuses. Présente àtous les niveaux de la viecommunautaire, la Croix Bleueest reconnue pour son activitéet son dynamisme dont elle afait la preuve en organisant degrandes manifestations àl'échelle nationale.

C’est ainsi qu’un fevrierdernier, �

Générale de la CBAF Générale de la CBAF

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ith a far reaching resolution in the field of educa-tion, the delegates at the 82nd Annual Re-gional Con-vention of the ARS/Eastern USA took the impor-tant step of approving a $40,000 budget for a newand improved ARS Summer Studies Program, to beheld annually for three weeks, beginning in June 2003at the University of Connecticut-Storrs.

Summer Studies’ revitalization was finally real-ized through the efforts of the 2001-2002 Board ofRegional Directors, which made Summer Studies’ re-birth one of its top priorities. Many months of dis-cussions between Regional Board and University ofConnecticut representatives culminated in an agree-ment in May 2002 that will see the development of athree-credit course in Modern Armenian History andthe retention of the best of Summer Studies.

Now dubbed the ARS Summer Studies Instituteat the University of Connecticut-Storrs, the three-week-long session will be open to students who havecompleted at least one year of college or universitywork. All students will be required to register withthe University for the three-credit Modern ArmenianHistory course, which will be augmented by non-credit “traditional” Summer Studies courses, includ-ing Armenian Language (beginner and intermediate),Armenian Literature, Ancient Armenian History, andmini-courses and lectures.

The Board chose to have the ARS Summer Stud-ies Institute convene in June to permit Summer Stud-ies students to have an opportunity to participate inother worthwhile Armenian experi-ences during therest of the summer, like counselorships at AYF CampHaiastan and internships that are available throughthe ARS, AYF, ANCA, and Hairenik Association, aswell as others.

Two $600 scholarships will be offered by theBoard as authorized by the ARS Eastern USA 82ndAnnual Convention to deserving Summer Studies stu-dents. Summer Studies information and applicationswill be available in the early winter. Information willalso be available on the ARS Eastern USA’s website,which will be unveiled for public use soon.

Established in 1971, the Armenian Relief Soci-ety Summer Studies Program has given college anduniversity students an introduction to Armenian lan-guage, Armenian ancient and modern history, andArmenian literature. For over three decades, studentswho have attended the three-week program testify tobeing enriched and forever changed by the SummerStudies experience. Some students often pursue Ar-menian Studies degrees back at their institution ofhigher learning as a direct result of their ARS Sum-mer Studies experience and all leave with a life-longappreciation for the Armenian language, history, andculture.

There is also an important and undeniable so-cial component to the program. Life-long friendshipsare established at Summer Studies where membersof successive “classes” keep in touch with one anotherlong after their courses end.

COURSE PLANPresently, the ARS Summer Studies is founded

on three core courses: Armenian Language, Surveyof Armenian History, and Armenian Literature. Stu-dents are required to attend all classes, typically heldMonday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Evening lectures, panel discussions, and cultural per-formances augment the Summer Studies lesson plan.Weekends are devoted to social activities and rest andrelaxation.

The ARS Armenian Summer Studies InstituteAn Overview, 1971-2003

W

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The Survey of Armenian History course is worththree credits through the University of Con-necticut.Students may wish to transfer these credits to theirown institution of higher learning. The ArmenianLanguage course is usually divided into two sectionsto accommodate the needs of students just learningArmenian and those who have intermediate to ad-vanced knowledge of the spoken and written language.

In addition to the core Summer Studies courses,one-week-long mini-courses are offered to enrich theeducational experience. The mini-courses center onArmenian culture, including Armenian dance, Arme-nian film, Armenian music, and Armenian art andarchitecture. Other recent week-long mini-courseshave included Armenian Village Life and Oral His-tory, Armenian Art History, Medieval Armenian Art,Modern Armenian Art, and The Armenian CulturalExperience.

Evening lectures and panel discussions have in-cluded Armenian Women in Turn-of-the-CenturyIran: Education and Political Activity; Internships:Acquaintances, Friendship, Courtship, Marriage; TheLast 60 Years in Soviet Armenia; Armenia andKarabagh; and The Armenian Cause. Cultural per-formances have included a concert by the Garni FolkEnsemble.

Where appropriate, evening lectures, panel dis-cussions, and cultural performances are opened to thecommunity-at-large for their education and entertain-ment.

DIRECTOR AND FACULTYSince the inception of the ARS Armenian Sum-

mer Studies Program at Boston University, the Ar-menian Relief Society has hired directors and faculty

who are experts in their field and have the appropri-ate degrees of higher education.

THE STUDENT BODYSummer Studies students must be enrolled in a

college or university to attend Summer Studies. Stu-dents apply from all over the world. Past studentshave hailed from as far away as France, the MiddleEast, and, increasingly, Armenia. The ARS Board ofRegional Directors selects Summer Studies students.

PROGRAM FUNDINGThe ARS Eastern USA funds the Summer Stud-

ies Program, including faculty salaries, student roomand board, and facility costs. Students pay a $350application fee, the costs associated with the three-credit course (approximately $608 according toUConn’s per credit 2003 fee schedule) transferable totheir own institution of higher learning, and are re-sponsible for their travel expenses to and from Sum-mer Studies.

The ARS Eastern USA Board of Regional Di-rectors will select two students, each to receive a $600scholarship to defray their Summer Studies three-credit course expenses to the University of Connecti-cut. The awards will be based on merit and will begiven in the sole discretion of the ARS Eastern USABoard of Regional Directors. The two lucky studentswill be informed by the ARS Eastern USA Board ofRegional Directors when they receive their letter ofacceptance into the Summer Studies Institute at theUniversity of Connecticut.

Interested individuals who still have more ques-tions about Summer Studies may call the ARS East-ern USA office at (617) 926-3801 or e-mail the officeat arseastus@aol.com.

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Over 50 delegates and guests from throughoutthe eastern United States gathered in Waltham, Mas-sachusetts on July 17 to attend the ARS Eastern USA's83rd Annual Regional Convention. A full Conventionagenda and related activities were completed by theclose of the Convention on Sunday, July 20. The Con-vention, held at the FourPoints Sheraton in Waltham,was jointly hosted by the ARS Watertown LeolaSassouni and ARS Cambridge chapters.

The Convention opening ceremonies began witha prayer and welcoming remarks by the Rev.Archpriest Torkom Hagopian, retired pastor of theSt. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church inWatertown. Other remarks, wishing for a construc-tive convention, were addressed to the gather-ing byHrair Arzoomanian, representing the ARF CentralCommittee of Eastern United States; Marcel Karian,representing HMEM; Margaret Stepanian, represent-ing the ARS Central

Executive Board; and Lauryn DaSilva of theAYF Central Executive Board.

There were welcoming remarks also from theARS Convention Committee Co-Chairwomen Mayda

Melkonian and ungh. Lucy Essajanian. Following theopening ceremonies, the local Con-vention host chap-ters invited all delegates and guests to a reception inthe hotel function room. The Convention began itsdeliberations immediately after the reception.

ARS Eastern USA Regional Board ChairwomanGeorgi-Ann Oshagan (ARS Detroit Maro) opened theConvention with a roll call of delegates and electionof a temporary divan. The perma-nent divan con-sisted of Manoog Kaprielian of the Providence AniChapter, English language chairman; Knar Kiledjianof the Hudson County, NJ Shake Chapter, Armenianlanguage chairper-son; Aida Gharibian of the HudsonCounty, NJ Shake Chapter and Naro KhandjianCunningham of the Cambridge Chapter, English lan-guage secretaries; and Reba Pilibosian of the DetroitTzolig Chapter and Sona Mishigian of the DetroitSybille Chapter, Armenian language secretar-ies.Arppie Charkoudian, of the Springfield Ararat Chap-ter, served as Convention parliamentarian, whileJacquline Abounayan, of the Detroit Tzolig Chapter,served as Convention sergeant-at-arms.

Convention guests of the ARS Eastern USA

ARS Eastern USA Holds83rd Annual Regional Convention

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TWO RECENT POEMS

By Alvard PetrosianAlvard PetrosianAlvard PetrosianAlvard PetrosianAlvard Petrosian

Armenia

I try to say farewell to you,As I cross the gate, to fly abroad,Where gardens of Eden call me,And I leave my dreams behind…

Like malingering homing birds,Driven onwards sheer instinct,They fly me back once againTo our very own, humble nest.

Spun around and split in twoI turn my journey backwards,Towards mother, father, child,And land, my very own, my only.

������

Autumnal

Is it my soul that sheds those tears,Or are these raindrops from above?Are these mine or God’s very ownTears that keep flowing inwards?

The twin streams sear my soulWith a drifting, amorphous ache,They ram and rant at my doorFrom both sides of the threshold.

Unabashed, childlike yet valiant,They say “Stand up! It is time!The homeward trek is never hard,Winter awaits, all dressed in white.”

�������

Translated by Tatul Sonentz

Board of Regional Directors were Penny Giragosianof the Providence Arax Chapter, Sossy Jeknavorianof the Lowell Lusintak Chapter, and NartouhiAbrimian of the Watertown Leola Sassouni Chapter.Elected guests of the

ARS 83rd Annual Regional Convention wereMayda Melkonian and Artemis Minassian, both ofthe Watertown Leola Sassouni Chapter. At the incep-tion of the proceedings, on behalf of the ARS East-ern USA Board of Regional Directors, Georgi-AnnOshagan presented the Board's annual report to theConvention in a Powerpoint presentation prepared bythe Board of Regional Direc-tors treasurer, SalpiSarafian.

The report depicted a number of achievementsover the fiscal year 2002-2003, including an in-creaseof over 200 in the sponsorship of orphans in Arme-nia and Artsakh, bringing the total of orphans spon-sored to over 630; the collection of nearly $30,000for identified projects in Javakhq; and the very suc-cessful rebirth of the ARS Armenian Summer Stud-ies program, which was held during the month ofJune, 2003, at the University of Connecticut-Storrs.Following the report, Suzanne Tikirian, of the Cam-bridge Chapter, presented an informative workshopfor the delegates on the mechanics of completing theannual fiscal year chapter report to the ARS RegionalBoard.

After the passage of an annual budget and anumber of resolutions to guide the programs of theARS Eastern USA during the 2003-2004 fiscal year,elections took place for the new Regional ExecutiveBoard of Directors. Three seats were open for electionthis year, held by Georgi-Ann Oshagan, ShakehBasmajian, and Salpi Sarafian, all three eligible forre-election and, as expected, all were reelected by unani-mous acclamation. Elected first alternate was LisaDagdigian of the Lowell Lusintak Chapter, whileMary Arabian, of the Watertown Leola Chapter, waselected sec-ond alternate. A Convention banquet washeld on Saturday, July 19 at the FourPoints Sheratonat-tended by ARS delegates, guests, friends and sup-porters. Entertainment was provided by HaroutZenian and his band.

The ARS Board of Regional Directors thanksthe ARS Cambridge and Watertown Leola SassouniChapters for the several months of hard work inpreparation of one of the most successful Con-ventions in recent memory. The Board also thanksGaro Lachinian, who took the official Convention pho-tograph of delegates and donated his professionalservices �

- 35 -

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²Ýó»³É ¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©© ²Ýó»³É ¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©© ²Ýó»³É ¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©© ²Ýó»³É ¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©© ²Ýó»³É ¾ç»ñ¿Ý©©©

ith justifiable pride,we welcome all cultural achieve-ments that introduce the best of our national talentsand their work to the international public.

And when that achievement is truly of the high-est quality, our hearts are filled with the kind of satis-faction that can only be described as elation.

I consider Zaven Nalbandian’s English transla-tion of the heroic legend “David of Sassoon” a uniquepresent to our entire nation. The result of obvious careand enormous amount of work, this translation hasbeen published in a quality edition, in Armenia, some29 years after Nalbandian’s death in 1973.

We owe the publication of this work to Prof. HrachAbrahamian of Washington, DC, whose tireless effortssaved the manuscript of this valuable translation frombeing forgotten in some obscure drawer; a fate all toocommon in the case of misplaced literary work.

The entire financial support for the publication ofthis volume was generously provided by a Long Islandcouple, Vazken and Ani Kassabian. The introduction iswritten by Shake Der Melkonian-Minassian. The bio-graphical notes of the translator are by KhachigTololian.

As we find out, reading Hrach Abrahamian’sacknowledgements piece at the beginning of the vol-ume, Mesrob Archbishop Ashjian has brought his valu-able moral support to this project. Others who have

contributed by performing vari-ous tasks that the production ofsuch a volume implies include:Levon Palian, Haig Gakavian,Anne Atanossian, all of Washing-ton, DC.

In the developmentalprogress of the Armenian-Ameri-can community, up to 1960-70, theinput of Zaven Nalbandian andhis intellectually prominentspouse, Zaruhi Kalantar-

Nalbandian has been noteworthy. In the front matterof the volume, Khachig Tololian’s biographical notesrefresh in our minds the distinguished profile of ZavenNalbandian:

He was born in 1890, in Antioch. When his par-ents are killed during the massacres of 1895, he is putinto the Aintab orphanage, later he finishes the localAthenian School, and graduates from the AmericanCollege. After teaching for a few years at the AthenianSchool, in 1913 he leaves for the United States with theintention of studying at Harvard University and re-turning with a few colleagues to the homeland in or-der to raise the cultural/educational level of the com-munity through teaching. However, the 1915 Geno-cide prevents it. He graduates in 1917 and remains inthe US.

Still in his teens, Zaven Nalbandian had taken asolemn oath to serve his nation. Becoming active in com-munity life, he is elected to the Central Committee ofthe Armenian Revolutionary Federation, serving on theExecutive. In 1919, he participates as a delegate in the9th ARF World Congress in Yerevan.

In 1923, Zaven Nalbandian marries ZaruhiKalantar who later acquired fame as a recognized ex-pert in the ancient history of the Near East. She has alsoassisted her husband in putting together a volume,

B O O K R E V I E WB O O K R E V I E WB O O K R E V I E WB O O K R E V I E WB O O K R E V I E W A Valuable Gift on Any occasion…

Zaven Nalbandian’s “David of Sassoon”

“David of Sassoon”,Armenian Folk Epic. Told and sungby more than forty generations ofArmenian Bards.

Rendered into Englishby Zaven Nalbandian.Illustrated by Mihran Sosoyan,

Yerevan. Hayastan, “Mooghni” Ed.2002. 286 pages.

W

By Shake Melkonian-Minassian

- 38 -

unique in its kind, called “United and IndependentTuran”, published in 1926 under the pen name ofZarevant, translated into English by Prof. VahaknDadrian in 1971, given its timely importance in thestudy of Pan-Turanism.

Remaining true to his ideals, Zaven Nalbandianwent on to found the very first society of American-Armenian scientists and served as editor of theirpublication called “Scientific Movements”. He hasalso translated into Armenian Longfellow’s “Song ofHayawatha” as well as poems by Charles Baudelaire.

Undoubtedly, it was with the intention of intro-ducing our cultural treasures to our non-Armenian-speaking generations that Zaven Nalbandian had tack-led the difficult task of translating “David of Sassoon”.

Difficult because, even in simplest terms, the artof translation requires a certain expertise so that theresult does not give a hint of being a translation andretains the aura of an original.

How much harder, when the text to be translatedis in verse and rhymes in a lively medieval style, whenthere are hardly any linguistic, stylistic or grammati-cal similarities between the original language and theone into which it must be translated.

To remain faithful to the original, the mere mas-tery of both languages, in these circumstances, is notenough to assure a successful outcome. There needs tobe a total sensitivity and commitment to the integrityof the original text, boundless patience in revising, overand over, until the translation reflects, without distor-tion, the true character and clear image of the originaltext.

With his “David of Sassoon” Z. Nalbandian hasovercome all the obstacles mentioned above becausehis inspiration was heightened by a deep love, careand commitment towards the task ahead. The resultis this volume of timeless value. A gift that one cangive and receive with gratitude, on any occasion. �

In August 2002 the ARS Central Executive received aletter from Armenia signed by the late ArchbishopMesrob Ashjian, requesting ARS assistance to purchasethe necessary equipment for the kitchen of an or-phanage in Gyumri, Armenia. This is a special orphan-age for handicapped children. The ARS Central Ex-ecutive decided to contribute to this effort with a sum

he GyumriOrphange forHandicappedChildrenReceives $12,000from ARS, Inc.

of $12,000. The check was delivered to ArchbishopMesrob Ashjian, personally by Armenian Relief So-ciety Chairperson Maro Minassian, in the presence ofcentral office manager Ojig Gregorian, during thelate Archbishop’s visit to the ARS Central ExecutiveOffices in January 2003, eleven months before hispassing. �

T

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Ð.Î.ʳãÇ î»Õ»Ï³ïõáõû³Ý ¶ñ³ë»Ý»³Ï

J EANNET TE MADOYANJ EANNET TE MADOYANJ EANNET TE MADOYANJ EANNET TE MADOYANJ EANNET TE MADOYAN ,,,,,

une Khatchouhie exemplaireLa Croix Bleue des Arméniens de France a eu ladouleur de perdre au mois de septembre 2003,enguerouhie Jeannette MADOYAN, vaincue par unedouloureuse maladie qu’elle a combattu avec cour-age et obstination pendant près de 3 ans.

Membre de la Croix Bleue des Arméniens deFrance depuis près de 40 ans, elle avait, entre 1978et 1996, participé à plusieurs conseilsd’administration où elle avait assumé entre autresles fonctions de présidente.

Authentique militante du HOM, association quiconstituait pour elle une véritable raison de vivre,elle a œuvré avec enthousiasme et ferveur, pourdéfendre nos objectifs et nos valeurs.

En France, comme en Arménie, tous sesouviennent de sa générosité exceptionnelle et deson dynamisme communicatif. L’aide sociale etl’enfance étaient ses domaines de prédilection, ce quine l’a pas empêché de participer activement à descommissions pour la préparation de grandes soirées

ou de concerts à Paris.Dès décembre 1988, elle

était présente en Arménie avecles premiers convoishumanitaires de la CroixBleue. Elle y est ensuiteretournée de multiples fois,visitant les zones sinistrées, lesorphelinats, les hôpitaux, pouraider, pour encourager, faisantchaque fois triompher les

valeurs d’entraide et de générosité du HOM.Tant pour l’Arménie que pour la colonie de

Bellefontaine, à laquelle elle était très attachée, ellen’hésitait pas à convaincre, à solliciter, à exiger…Rien ne lui paraissait impossible pourl’accomplissement de nos projets.

Jeannette MADOYAN parlait avec son cœur,agissait avec son cœur et nous stimulait avec soncœur.

A nous de croire, comme elle, en notre mission etde poursuivre l’action essentielle du HOM, pour lasurvie de l’identité arménienne en diaspora et pourle renouveau de l’Arménie.

La Croix Bleue des Arméniens de France

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A TA TA TA TA TumanianumanianumanianumanianumanianSSSSSamplerampleramplerampleramplerHovhannes 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:

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AAAAAT DT DT DT DT DAAAAAWNWNWNWNWN

“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.

�

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MORNINGMORNINGMORNINGMORNINGMORNING

Crowed the rooster

For a third time:

“Hey, sleepy-heads,

Time to wake up!

The crimson dawn

Surrounds us,

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.

In the village,

Laughter and noise;

The air, clear

As a bell, echoes

The happy noise of

The farmer’s chores.

�

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BEADSBEADSBEADSBEADSBEADS

Spring arrived

with clouds,

the clouds arrived

with rain;

let me take the rain

to the field

so the field

will give me

grain;

let me take the grain

to the mill

so the mill

will give me flour;

let me take the flour

to the tub

so the tub

will give me

dough;

let me take the dough

to the oven

so the oven will give

bread to me;

let me take the bread

to the Gypsy

so the Gypsy

will give me

beads;

let me take the beads

to Granny,

and let Granny grab

and beat me

let her spank me

and throw me

out of the

house….

�

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THE WINDTHE WINDTHE WINDTHE WINDTHE 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!

�

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CRANESCRANESCRANESCRANESCRANES

Cry, Cry,

The cranes cry,

Then they fly;

Beneath their wings,

Spring arrives

At our door.

�

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ARGENTINA

� ARS/South America Elects NewRegional Executive: On Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2002,ARS/South America (Asociacion Civil Armenia deBeneficencia para America del Sur) held its 46thannual regional convention with delegates from allchapters. The ARS, Inc. Central Executive Boardwas presented by Chairperson Maro Minassian andAdvisor Silva Kahtalian. After serious deliberationand evaluation of past and present performance,plans and projects for future activities were formu-lated and proper resolutions passed by the conven-tion.

Before adjournment, the delegates elected thefollowing eleven members to a new Regional Execu-tive Board: Maral Torigian, Chairperson; ZabelAttarian, Vice-Chairperson; Graciela Kevorkian,Clerk’Secretary; Ani Caprielian, Treasurer, andVartanoush Casbarian, Cohar Mserian, BettyBarsamian, Santouhi Papazian, Diana Itoutmazian,Anahid Cahvedjian, and Hourig Bedoyan, Advisors.

� ARS-Sponsored School PublishesPeriodical for Beginners: The Board of the“Seferian” Primary School of the Khrimian Educa-tional Foundation (Colegio Armenio Jrimian de laAsociacion Cultural Armenia), has published thefirst issue of a periodical called “Our AncestorsSpeak”. Designed for children and novices in Arme-nian history and culture, the publication will bedistributed free to all Armenian schools through thenetwork of ARS entities �

ARMENIA

� World AIDS Foundation Funds ARSProject: An HIV/AIDS Education and PreventionProject was announced on July 22, 2003, by theARS International office to be implemented at theARS Mother & Child Health Center in Akhourian,Armenia. The project, funded by a grant from theWorld AIDS Foundation, is the result of a collabo-rative effort with the University of Massachusetts,

The Armenian Relief SocietyThe Armenian Relief SocietyThe Armenian Relief SocietyThe Armenian Relief SocietyThe Armenian Relief SocietyAround the Regions, Around the World

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Worcester. Project team members include: Dr. CarolBova, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Medicineat the University of Massachusetts Medical School,who will serve as Senior Researcher; Dr. SevakAvagyan, Director of the ARS Mother-Child HealthCenter since its inception, will serve as Co-SeniorResearcher; Carol Jaffarian, Nurse Manager/NursePractitioner of the HIV Clinic at U Mass MemorialHealthcare, and member of ARS, will serve asProject Coordinator; and the Executive Director ofthe ARS Mother & Child Health Center, Dr.Mkhitar Mkhitaryan will serve as In-CountryCoordinator.

The purpose of this project will be to developa decentralized model of HIV/AIDS education andprevention that can be replicated throughoutArmenia and possibly in other Commonwealth ofIndependent States (CIS) nations. In addition, itwill begin to establish a climate that will supportHIV health care delivery in the near future. Theproject is scheduled to begin in September 2003

� President Kocharian Receives ARSDelegation: An Armenian Relief Society delega-tion, led by the organization's chairperson MaroMinassian, met with President Robert Kocharian.Mrs. Minassian briefed the President on ARShealthcare and educational programs as well assmall business assistance initiatives in Armenia,Artsakh and Javakhq. President Kocharian praisedthe ARS for the implementation of the vital pro-grams and expressed hope that its productivity andhistory of cooperation with Armenian authoritieswould continue in the future.

� ARS Donates $50,000 to “Haiastan” AllArmenia Fund: The Armenian Relief Society(ARS), a member of the Fund’s Board of Trustees,recently announced that it is contributing $50,000to the Fund for the completion of the North-SouthHighway in Nagorno Karabagh. The ARS -- withits world-wide entities actively involved in humani-tarian programs throughout the Diaspora and theHomeland -- has supported programs initiated bythe “Haiastan” Fund from its very inception. TheFund held its most recent Board of Directorsmeeting in Yerevan, Armenia in May 2003. �

ARTSAKH

� Celebrations of Christmas, Women’sDay and Easter: All ARS "Soseh" Kindergartensin Karabagh celebrated the New Year and Christ-mas in January 2003. The Kindergarten in thevillage of Togh celebrated the International Day forWomen on March 8. The event consisted of varioussongs and dances performed by the students.

The ARS "Soseh" Kindergarten in the villageof Avdur celebrated Easter on March 22. Aftermaking their Easter wishes, the students recited theTen Commandments and various poems dedicatedto this special occasion. Parents were present duringthe celebration which included the distribution ofcolored eggs. Students had grown wheat in smallbowls especially for this occasion.

Easter was celebrated in the Kindergarten ofStepanakert on April 25. The Parish Priest ofStepanakert, invited to participate in the event,started the celebration with a prayer with studentsand their parents joining in. After a short homily,Father Minas answered many questions concerningthe spiritual meaning of Easter and Resurrection.The second part of the celebration was "taken over"by the students, who started by singing threeprayers, followed by the recital of the Ten Com-mandments and two poems glorifying the Almighty.

These recitations were followed by songsdedicated to the Homeland, springtime and child-hood. The celebration was concluded with a specialluncheon, with traditional Armenian pastries and acompetition withcolored eggs. �

AUSTRALIA

� Melbourne Chapter Has New Execu-tive: The Melbourne “Nairi” Chapter of ARS ofAustralia, Inc. has a new executive consisting of thefollowing members: Vanouhi Martyrosian, chairper-son; Marie Vahrijian, secretary and Sona Altunian,treasurer. Assisting the executive, Mr. KhachikAtamian has volunteered as contact person with theState Grants Administration.

� ARS Member Elected to Office: ARSof Australia “Soseh” Chapter member Gladys

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Berejiklian, after a well run and successful cam-paign as a candidate in the New South Wales statemunicipal elections, is the new representative fromthe Willoughby District. Upon this memorableoccasion, representatives of various Armenianorganizations were invited to the Parliament Houseto hear Ms Berejiklian’s maiden speech �

BRAZIL

� Getting Set for 70th Anniversary:Along with ARS/Argentina and ARS/Uruguay,ARS/Brazil has been preparing for the celebrationof of the 70th anniversary of the ASOCIACIONCIVIL ARMENIA DE BENEFICENCIA PARAAMERICA DEL SUR (ARS/South America),scheduled to take place in the Buenos Aires “Hilton”Hotel, on October 4, 2003, with the participation ofdistinguished guests and dignitaries �

BULGARIA

� ARS/Bulgaria to Host ARS/Europe Semi-nar: In the coming months, the Armenian ReliefSociety will hold its long-planned seminar bringingtogether its European entities – a project plannedsometime ago that was postponed due to the situa-tion created by the crisis in Iraq – now beingrescheduled.

Including Bulgaria, the host entity, nine ARSentities, Armenia, Artsakh, Cyprus, England,France, Germany, Greece, and Sweden will sendrepresentatives to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to discuss thepost-crisis situation and coordinate future ARSactivities in Europe and elsewhere. �

CANADA

� ARS/Canada’s 13th Regional Conven-tion: On July 11, 12 and 13, ARS/Canada held its13th annual regional convention in Laval, Quebec.On Friday, 11 July, after the registration of thedelegates and the welcoming ceremony by the hostShoushi Chapter, chairperson Maro Frounjian

invited all present to rise and sing the nationalanthems of Canada and Armenia, after which aminute’s silence was observed in memory of de-parted members.

All the convention agenda items were dis-cussed and resolved over the next two days’ delib-erations. On Sunday evening, before adjournment,elections were held for three regional executivemembers to serve during the 2003-2004 term; thedelegates elected the following members: AnnaBoulgarian, Naomi Yaghdjian and ArpieDolmadjian; elected from the previous term: ArmineGarabedian, Flora Guiragossian, Hasmig Jandu,Penna Tarzi. Maral Hovsepian and Salpi Khozozianwere elected as alternates.

� Tenth Anniversary of the ARS LavalChapter: On July 12, 2003, the ARS “Shoushi”Chapter of Laval celebrated its 10th anniversary inthe Aharonian Hall of the Montreal ArmenianCenter. Starting at 8:30 p.m. with the openingremarks of Zevart Varvarian, who presided overthe function, the evening proceeded in a festiveatmosphere.

In a very informative presentation, HermineManouguian conveyed the message of the day,followed by a videotape presentation depicting theactivities of the Chapter over the past ten years.Pastor of the St. Gevorg Armenian Church, FatherHrayr Nicolian and ARF Central Committeerepresentative, Mher Karakashian both praised thehumanitarian work of the ARS, that transcendsboundaries, encompassing Diaspora and Homelandin one, indivisible family.

For having served the ARS for over 15 years,devoted members, Zvart Varvarian and ElizabethTahanian, received specially prepared commemora-tive pins from the regional chairperson, MaroFroundjian. After dinner, through the drawing of alottery, the winners received custom made jugs,designed and produced in Armenia, each onerepresenting the regional costume of a particularprovince. All proceeds of this function will go toprojects in the Homeland �

CYPRUS

� ”Soseh” At-Large Chapter Elects NewExecutive: On May 30, 2003, the Armenian

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Relief Society of Cyprus held its 15th generalmembership meeting in Nicosia. The gatheringlistened to the reports of activities and the progressmade in the implementation of various projects andprograms. After proper evaluations and the passageof resolutions for the coming year, the memberselected a new executive board consisting of thefollowing members: Vera Davitian, chairperson;Mayda Nshanian, vice-chairperson; AstghikTakljian, clerk; Alice Davitian, treasurer; MaralAdurian, advisor.

� Celebration of “Children’s Day”: OnJanuary 1, 2003, to celebrate “Children’s Day”, the“Soseh” Chapter-at-large executive had preparedsmall packets of cookies and candy to be distrib-uted to the children at a gathering at the ARSCenter in Nicosia. Both children and adults attend-ing this function had a good time in a distinctlyfestive atmosphere.

� Visit to the Elderly: On January 12,2003, members of the “Soseh” Chapter’s publicrelations committee, as part of its many facetedactivities, paid a visit to the Kalagian Rest Homeand served dinner to the elderly residents �

EGYPT

� Mothers’ Day Celebration: Organizedby the executive of the ARC/Cairo, on FridayMarch 21, 2003, the traditional gathering tocelebrate Mothers’ Day took place in the Heliopolis“Houssaper” Club, with Mrs. Diana Simonianpresiding. A great number of members and friendswere in attendance, showing their support to ourinternationally active humanitarian organization.After Mrs. Simonian’s opening remarks, Mrs.Bairamian, addressing the gathering, referred to thenumerous programs initiated and carried out by thegreat ARS family of world-wide entities throughoutthe Diaspora and the Homeland.

Following those remarks, Dr. IrinaManasarian, wife of the Armenian Ambassador toEgypt, was invited to the podium to say a fewwords on the occasion of Mothers’ Day. The gooddoctor, thanking the organizers for this opportunityto address members of the community, praised thelofty mission of motherhood, not only within the

family circle, but within the wider arena of thecommunity itself, where women are actively in-volved in the welfare of those most vulnerable intoday’s society.

Dr. Manasarian mentioned the fact that, inArmenia, every year, the International Day ofWomen and the Feast of the goddess Anahit arealso celebrated. Then, upon the request of the ARC/Cairo executive, she presented veteran ARC mem-bers, Araxi Cazazian and Mary Kezelian withinscribed silver plates in recognition of their longand devoted service to the ARS, the foremostArmenian charitable organization.

The celebration continued its program withdinner and a lottery, the proceeds of will helpfinance various ARC on-going programs �

ENGLAND

� A Lecture in London on the PresentCultural Life in Lebanon: On April 29, 2003,during a well attended membership meeting ofthe ARS of Great Britain Trust, Ms GarinehAlexandrian, a member of the Armenian ReliefCross of Lebanon and Hamazgayin CulturalAssociation, on a visit from Beirut, spoke to themembership about Armenian cultural life inLebanon. For more than an hour, Ms Alexandrianpresented facts, figures, and analysis of the richand multi-faceted cultural activities of the Leba-nese Armenian community. Her cogent evalua-tions and conclusions kept her audience keenlyinterested in the subject so ably presented. Thelecture was followed by a reception that lasteduntil 11:00 P.M �

FRANCE

� The 51st Annual Convention: On May17 and 18, 2003, the Armenian Blue Cross ofFrance held its 51st annual convention in Beau-mont. The 29 delegates, representing the 690members of all19 chapters, took stock of thesociety’s accomplishments over the past twelvemonths, particularly in the three areas that domi-nate the list of its various activities: Children,Culture, and Social Service. After thorough delib-

- 51 -

eration, decision was passed to increase funding forprograms in the educational field. In addition toactivities within the French-Armenian community,the CBAF (Croix Bleue des Armeniens de France)participates in numerous ARS (Armenian ReliefSociety) projects in Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhq, aswell as in Serbia �

GEORGIA

��For a New “ARS House” inAkhalqalaq: The ARS Akhalqalaq Chapter-at-large recently announced receipt of a $20,000 grantfrom the Armenian Relief Society, Inc. CentralExecutive Board for the purchase and furnishing ofan “ARS House” to serve as a community center,catering, particularly, to the social, educational andcultural needs of the youth in Akhalqalaq andneighboring communities in Javakhq.

� ARS Chairperson Visits Javakhq:While in the region, visiting Armenia and Artsakh,Chairperson Minassian traveled to the predomi-nantly Armenian populated southern Georgianprovince of Javakhq to discuss with the regionalARS chapters the implementation of health, educa-tional, and social programs in the area to be imple-mented over the next two years, and to review plansfor a medical diagnostic center in Akhalqalaq.

� Kocharian’s Visit to Tbilisi: In themeantime, non-official sources have reported thatPresident Kocharian, during his visit to Georgia,has met with Georgian counterpart Shevardnadze,Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs IrakliMenagarishvili, and Georgia's State MinisterAvtandil Jorbenadze, raising the issue of thepresent socio-economic problems of the Armenian-populated province �

GERMANY

� A New Executive and a New Momen-tum: On July 20, 2003, the ArmenischesHilfswerk in Deutschland e.V. (ARS/Germany)held its general membership meeting and elected

its new executive board, consisting of the follow-ing members: Dr. Margarit Asoyan-Link, chair-person; Mrs. Annik Palian, vice-chair; MissGayaneh Shoghikian, secretary; Mrs. NounikVitus, treasurer and Mrs. Seda Papanian, admin-istrative advisor.

The membership of this small but activeentity has by now increased to 34. The Chapterhas secured the sponsorship of ten orphans,actively participating in the ARS “Sponsor-A-Child program. In other areas of activity, theAHD, with the cooperation of the German MedicalAssociation, has sent much needed medical equip-ment to hospitals in Artsakh, It has also shippedchildren’s winter clothing to the ARS office inYerevan for distribution in Armenia, and partici-pated in the fund-raising for the ARS sponsoredSocio-cultural programs in Javakhq, and theKhrimian School in Argentina �

GREECE

� Annual Bazaar: On March 31, 2003, afterconsiderable planning and work on the part of theArmenian Blue Cross Regional Executive and themembership of the chapters, a very successfulbazaar, supported by the community, raised fundsfor ARS children’s programs in the Homeland. It isplanned to secure more TV announcements andcoverage for such events in the future.

� Blood Drive to Commemorate theGenocide: On April 13, in Fiks, and on April 24,2003, in Kokinia, took place the community wideannual Blood Drive in memory of the million-and-a-half Armenians who perished in the OttomanEmpire as a result of the first genocide of the 20thcentury. Members of the Armenian Blue CrossRegional Executive actively participated in thiscommemorative event.

� Camping Season at Khalkidiki: Be-tween July 16 and August 2, 2003, 10 to 17 yearold Armenian youth, from many communities ofthe world, spent over two weeks together, to knoweach other and get a taste of Armenian history andculture in the uniquely beautiful surroundings ofthe Khalkidiki Camp, run and maintained by theARS of Macedonia & Thrace since 1990 �

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I R A N

� Urmia Concludes another Busy Year:The ARS Chapter-at-large of Urmia, Iran, with a dy-namic membership of sixty devoted ladies, continuesto maintain its kindergarten staffed by two qualifiedteachers and attended by 13 pupils, For many yearsnow, The Chapter also provides a monthly stipend tolocal needy families, helping them survive harsh eco-nomic times, and supplies much needed schoolbooksand related items to disadvantaged schoolchildren.

� Tabriz Maintains Kindergarten: Thesmall ARS Chapter-at-large of Tabriz, Iran, still or-ganizes occasional functions in a fast shrinking localArmenian community; its main program is its wellstaffed Nursery/Kindergarten where 18 children re-ceive excellent care while they get ini-tiated into theirethnic culture and history �

ISRAEL

� Promoting Armenian Crafts andArtifacts: The three small, but very active, ARSchapters-at-large in Israel continue, in spite ofrather difficult political and economic conditions,their active involvement in community life and thepromotion of Armenian issues in that embattledpart of the Middle East. Their periodic bazaarsexhibiting and selling Armenian artifacts gives thenon-Armenian public to see and appreciate Arme-nian needlework, ceramics, jewelry etc. at the sametime raising much needed funds for thecommunity’s many needs in the areas of socialservices and education �

JORDAN

� Assisting the Orphans in the Home-land: Over the past months, alongside its sisterARS entities across the Diaspora, the ARS Chapter-at-large of Amman, Jordan, increased its efforts tosecure sponsors for as many Armenian orphans as

possible. As one of the most important of its social,cultural and charitable activities, the “Sponsor-A-Child” program has occupied a prominent area inthe multi-faceted work of this versatile Chapter-at-large. �

KUWAIT

� Entity Focuses on Local Needs: Giventhe prevailing political situation in the region, andits adverse influence on the economy of the countryas well as the small Armenian community, the ARSChapter-at-large of Kuwait, while fulfilling its basicobligations as an ARS entity, has been concentrat-ing its relief efforts on the immediate needs of localcommunity structures �

LEBANON

� First Lady Visits “Araxie Bulghurjian”Center: On January 15, 2003, Andree Lahoud,First Lady of Lebanon, visited the ARCL’s (Arme-nian Relief Cross of Lebanon) Bulghurjian Socio-medical Center, to get better acquainted with thatoutstanding institution’s activities in social andmedical service to the multi-ethnic communities ofthe country.

As befits a distinguished guest of honor, theFirst Lady was shown all the departmental facilitiesand introduced to the specialized staff of theCenter. Together with Bourj Hammoud MayorAndranik Msirlian, the Mrs Lahoud dedicated anew radiography/tympanography room which willbear the name “Mayoralty of Bourj Hammoud”.This new addition will make examination of nose,throat and ear ailments much more efficient andthorough. As a gesture of appreciation, and amemento of her visit, the First Lady presented theCenter with a brand new ambulance.

��A New Publication on ArmenianCostumes: On March 21, 2003 the ARC RegionalExecutive of Lebanon held a dedication ceremonyfor "Armenian Traditional Costumes" (HaikakanTaraz), authored by Dr. Heghoush Papazian, one ofthe founding members of the ARS.

The ceremony took place in the Tenjougian- 53 -

Hall of the "Araxie Boulghourdjian Socio-MedicalCenter" of ARS/Lebanon. Following openingremarks by Mrs. Seta Hedeshian, Chairperson ofARS Lebanon, Mrs. Diki Torigian presented high-lights on the life and times of the author, Dr.Papazian describing how she studied Armeniantraditional costumes in Eastern and WesternArmenia, while serving as a medical doctor in theArmenian Voluntary Units during World War I.

The closing remarks of this event were offeredby the noted writer, Shahandukht �

SWEDEN

��Supporting Humanitarian Center inthe Homeland: In their June, 2003 meeting, theExecutive Board of Stockholms ArmeniskaHialpforening (ARS/Sweden) pledged its support tothe Alaverdi Family Assistance Center that sheltersmany orphaned and destitute children. Havingreceived a report from the Director of the Center,that there is a dire need for basic furniture andutensils, the at-large-chapter decided to send thenecessary items, in August, with its Chairperson,Berdjuhi Vartanian.

��Yuletide Gathering for Children andtheir Parents: On the occasion of Christmas andthe New Year, ARS/Stockholm organized a SantaClaus evening for 30 children and their parents.During an evening of fun and games, the childrenreceived presents and all were treated to a tradi-tional buffet �

SYRIA

� ARS/Syria Invited to Signing ofFormal Agreement: The Department of Laborand Social Affairs of the Arab Republic of Syriainvited the ARS Regional Executive of Syria tosend a representative to the formal signing of anagreement of cooperation -- in the area of assis-tance to institutions that work with the deaf-mute --between the governments of Syria and Japan. Theagreement was signed in Damascus, on January 22,2003.

� ARS/Syria Participates in Red Cres-cent Fund Drive: The ARS, as a prominenthumanitarian organization, with a long history ofrelief work in the Middle East and Syria, in par-ticular, the Jamaeyat Essalib Elaana ElarmanAlorthodoxy – the Syrian entity of the ArmenianRelief Society – has participated in the annual funddrive of the Syrian Red Crescent Society. With thesupport of the local Armenian community, ARS/Syria has contributed 20,000 Syrian pounds to thefund drive.

� Scholarship Grant to Student fromArmenia: As a continuation of an already suc-cessful program of assistance to Armenian studentsstudying at home or abroad, ARS/Syria hasgranted a scholarship of 10,000 Syrian pounds toYeghik Berberian of Armenia, currently studying atthe European University of Yerevan �

UNITED STATES

��ARS Eastern USA Holds 83rd An-nual Regional Convention: Over 50 delegatesand guests from throughout the Eastern UnitedStates gathered in Waltham, Massachusetts on July

17, to attend the ARS Eastern USA's 83rdAnnual Regional Convention. A full agenda andrelated activities were completed by the close of theproceedings on Sunday, July 20. The Conventionwas held at the Four Points Sheraton in Waltham,and was jointly hosted by the ARS WatertownLeola Sasuni and the ARS Cambridge chapters.

��The Productive Spring of the Chi-cago “Zabel” Chapter: A busy and fruitful wasseason initiated by the ARS Chicago “Zabel” Chap-ter on March 13, 2003, when the ARS participatedin a fund drive, initiated by a local merchant, whooffered coupons to the participating organizationsto sell to interested donors and to the general publicsupportive of humanitarian groups. A large num-ber of the Armenian community members activelyparticipated in this funds collection effort.

�� On April 6, 2003, in cooperation with theAmerican Red Cross, the Chapter organized itsBlood Drive. This symbolic offering of Armenianblood was made to coincide with the 88th Com-

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memoration of the Metz Yeghern -- the 1915Genocide of the Armenians at the hands of theOttoman Turks.

�� On May 10, 2003, took place the celebra-tion of the 93rd Anniversary of the ARS; thefestivities took place at the Armenian Center. Theevening started with a home-cooked dinner servedby ARS and AYF members. Popular Armenianstandup comedian, Vahe Berberian presented anentertaining monologue, following which new ARSmembers took their oath in the presence of anenthusiastic audience. After this stirring ceremony,DJ Armen Papazian kept the festive atmospherealive with a well-selected musical backgroundenhancing the enjoyment of all those present at thiswell planned and most congenial function.

� The Chapter’s seasonal agenda included thetraditional festivities of Palm Sunday(Tzaghkazard) celebrated by the ARS with anannual banquet. Following a long tradition, afterthe church services, the Chapter Executive treatedmembers, supporters and community members toabundantly served ethnic dishes.

� Eastern USA Chapters Organize FirstARS “Walk Armenia” Fundraiser: On Satur-day, May 3, 2003, wearing T-shirts and walkingshoes, enthusiastic ARS chapter members and ARSsupporters throughout the eastern United Stateswalked – in Detroit, Providence, Racine, Watertownand Granite City -- to benefit various local andregional ARS projects in the first annual regional“Walk Armenia” fundraiser. It was announced that25% of all funds generated through “Walk Arme-nia” will be channeled to ARS programs in theHomeland �

WESTERN U S A

��Second Annual Armenian Festival:As advertised on the CNN Larry King Show, onMay 17 and 18, 2003, thousands attended the 2ndAnnual Festival of the Armenian Relief Society’sWestern Region in celebration of the organization’s93rd Anniversary. Festivities were officially kickedoff on Saturday, with the welcoming remarks ofChairperson Sonia Peltekian. Dignitaries present atthis highly successful 2-day event included Con-gressman Adam Schiff, who presented the Chairper-son with a Certificate of Recognition.

��Unveiling the ARS Tree: On June 23,2003, the formal unveiling of the ARS “EverlastingTree” and a bust of ARS founder, E. Aknuni,donated by sculptor Puzant Meymarian, took placewith the participation of ARS members, families,supporters and specially invited dignitaries.

��Clothing Drive: In view of the urgentneed for warm clothing for the children of Armenia,the ARS/Western USA Regional Executive orga-nized a drive and shipped 4 containers of clothingthrough the facilities of the UAF. Noteworthy wasthe community’s prompt response to appeals madethrough the media; within two weeks, the muchneeded clothing was on its way. Donations were alsoreceived: the Greek-Armenian Society alone made agenerous contribution of $2,000 �

URUGUAY

�� Uruguayan Parliament MemberBeatriz Argimon Meets with ARS: On Friday,July 22, 2003, the Honorable Representative BeatrizArgimon, of the Uruguayan National Party, invitedIsabel Attarian and Diana Itutmazian of the ARS/SouthAmerica Regional Executive to a workingluncheon. The discussion centered around theparticipation of Ms. Argimon in the 56th AnnualNGO Conference as a panelist invited by theCentral Executive Board of the ARS Inc. Thismeeting also offered the opportunity to discuss newstrategies in areas of social and economic issuesinvolving children’s and women’s welfare, withinthe context of today’s Latinamerican reality.

In spite of her youth, Ms Argimon has exten-sive experience in those areas, being a past presi-dent of the National Institute of Minors andhaving been actively involved in small-enterpriseprojects designed for rural women, achievingconsiderable success under difficult circumstances.Her efforts in these fields were duly recognizedboth on the national and international levels,including by the ARS which, through its chairper-son, Maro Minassian -- who met her in 2002 –invited her to be a speaker on the ARS panel at theSeptember UN NGO Conference. It is a greatopportunity and honor for the Armenian ReliefSociety to have this young and energetic legislatoras an active participant in its UN panel discusión �

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