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  • ASBAREZ Online [01-03-2005]

    ASBAREZ ONLINE
    TOP STORIES
    01/03/2005
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    1) President Congratulates Armenians Worldwide, Emphasizes Karabagh's
    Independence
    2) US, Turkey Review Touchy Iraq, Mideast Issues
    3) WCC, His Holiness Aram I Forward Condolences, Encouragement to Tsunami
    Victims
    4) Primate's Christmas Message
    5) ARS Contributes to Worldwide Relief Efforts for Tsunami Victims
    6) Armenian American Veterans Open Doors for Young Armenians
    7) Armenian Genocide Monument Council of Glendale Announces Competition for
    Design

    1) President Congratulates Armenians Worldwide, Emphasizes Karabagh's
    Independence

    YEREVAN (Armenpress)--In his annual congratulatory New Year's address,
    President Robert Kocharian bid farewell to a peaceful and stable year for
    Armenia and welcomed a more productive and successful one in 2005.
    The president noted the advancement of Armenia-diaspora relations, referring
    specifically to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund telethon that yielded a
    considerable amount of funds from the diaspora, for the completion of
    Karabagh's North-South highway. He called it an important step in
    strengthening
    the factual independence of Karabagh, an independence which he called
    "nonnegotiable."
    On the foreign affairs front, Kocharian said he was pleased with Armenia's
    involvement in the European Union "New Neighborhood" program as it shows the
    Union's readiness to build special relations with Armenia. He also underscored
    cooperation with partner-foreign states and Armenia's continual active
    participation in international developments.
    Referring to the country's deep social polarization, Kocharian said reforms
    must continue in an effort to raise living standards and fight poverty. The
    work carried out in 2004 will be noticeable in the coming year, he stressed,
    with the state budget's qualitatively new structure allocating more to health
    care and education.
    He also commended Armenia's Armed Forces, which have kept the country
    peaceful
    and safe, while paying respect to the memory of Armenia's fallen heroes.


    2) US, Turkey Review Touchy Iraq, Mideast Issues

    ANKARA (AFX)--US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Turkish
    Foreign
    Minister Abdullah Gul reviewed touchy regional issues, including Iraq and the
    Middle East, which have led to coolness between the two countries.
    The presence in northern Iraq of an estimated 5,000 armed militants of the
    PKK
    (Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is also known as KONGRA-GEL), held
    responsible
    by Ankara for a 15-year civil conflict that claimed more than 30,000 lives in
    southeast Turkey between 1984 and 1999, is one of several reasons for recent
    coolness in ties between Ankara and Washington.
    Armitage reiterated that US, Turkish, and Iraqi officials will hold three-way
    talks to discuss the PKK, whose activities Ankara wants US forces in Iraq to
    curb.
    Another bone of contention is Ankara's unhappiness with the expulsion from
    oil-rich Kirkuk of Turkish-speaking Iraqi Turkmens by the Kurds, who in turn
    were expelled from the area by Arabs under Saddam Hussein.
    "There have been many segments of Iraqi society who have had their situation
    changed by force," Armitage told reporters. "The Turkmens are, of course, in
    this category and the Kurds themselves have been forced out, of particularly
    Kirkuk, to some degree.
    "These are things that have to be corrected in the transitional
    administrational law...to redress these wrongs for all those who are
    dispossessed," he said.
    "We stressed our concern over Kirkuk," said the Turkish diplomat, speaking on
    condition of anonymity. "We explained that we had serious concerns over
    efforts
    to change the demographic structure and said that this could lead to serious
    problems."
    He said Armitage assured Gul that he was discussing the matter with Massud
    Barzani and Jalal Talabani, allies of the US and leaders of the two mainstream
    Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, which borders Turkey.


    3) WCC, His Holiness Aram I Forward Condolences, Words of Encouragement to
    Tsunami Victims

    --His Holiness Aram I, Moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
    together with Dr. Samuel Kobia, the General Secretary of the WCC, forwarded
    the
    following message to churches in South-East Asia, after the massive
    devastation
    and tragic loss of human life caused by the tsunamis there.

    Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    On behalf of the entire fellowship of the World Council of Churches we send
    you sincere condolences and express our sorrow at the loss of more than
    125,000
    thousand lives in one of the deadliest natural catastrophes that has faced the
    people of South East Asia and regions surrounding the Indian Ocean.
    We are also aware that the devastating earthquake followed by the tsunami has
    left more than five million people homeless who are in dire need of immediate
    humanitarian aid as well as psychological and spiritual accompaniment.
    With our deepest sympathy we pray and think of those who have lost their
    loved
    ones. We are greatly encouraged by the exemplary efforts of our member
    Churches
    in responding even with meager resources to bandage the wounded and bond with
    the sorrowful. In prayer, we yearn to God that we may all overcome this cosmic
    anguish together with all peoples of faith in the region. The WCC together
    with
    our partners in ecumenical disaster and emergency management will continue to
    reach out with the resources available at our disposal to prevent more human
    suffering and bring about relief to those in this great affliction. Please let
    us know in what other ways you would wish the global ecumenical community
    to be
    in solidarity with you as you try to come to terms with this unprecedented
    catastrophe.
    During this holy season we have witnessed through liturgy and the sacred
    narratives of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ that even in the face of so
    many contradictions in life God is still part of our broken world. The miracle
    of the incarnation reminds us in the most profound way of the dwelling
    presence
    of God that transforms even probabilities of annihilation into new
    possibilities of life in history. And now we must reach out to one another,
    and
    not only weep with those in anguish but also make a new place for those
    seeking
    shelter as we struggle to find lasting solutions to future tragedies in this
    world. One lesson to learn from this tsunami tragedy is the need for the
    international community and the religious communities to unite in one spirit
    and reinvent the capacity for preparedness to face such tragedies together. It
    is also a moment to be re-awakened to our God given responsibility to care not
    only for one another but for the health of the creation as well.
    On the eve of the new year may God's grace be with you, comfort you, and give
    you peace in 2005 and beyond.

    Yours in Christ,

    HH Catholicos Aram I
    Rev Dr. Samuel Kobia
    December 31, 2004


    4) Primate's Christmas Message

    "God is an interactive God. The Incarnation is God's interaction with human
    life. Therefore, the man who does not live an interactive life with others is
    fundamentally emptied of the Christian faith, i.e. of the interaction of
    love."
    Catholicos Karekin I
    The Incarnation symbolizes God's interaction in human life. Therefore, the
    man
    who does not live an interactive life is deeply emptied of the life of the
    Christian faith. In other words, the person who withdraws from the interactive
    life withdraws also from the conscious awareness that his life could serve
    as a
    means of distributing love.
    The Nativity of Jesus is the greatest miracle recorded in the history of the
    world, a miracle the impact of which can be measured only by the depth of
    faith. The Nativity of Jesus reveals God's penetration into human life, the
    revelation of God's infinite love. The truth that emanates from the Gospels
    enlightens our entire being, and in the rays of the same light the Christian
    person re-baptizes himself, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only
    Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
    life." (John 3:16)
    The Nativity of Jesus is the presence of light. The person whose life is
    enriched with prayer, in view of the Birth of Jesus rejects the dark and its
    works, and allows the vision of the interactive life to dawn in him. Today
    mankind is living in two, essentially opposing, worlds. In one world are
    people
    who live their lives dedicated to God, and in the second world are those who
    reject God. Those who live with God have chosen the path that leads to
    holiness, and those who live without God grope in the dark and are deprived of
    their ability to spread light.
    The Birth of Jesus inspires the power to transform one's life into a presence
    equal to a miracle. In the Birth of Jesus individuals and society as a whole
    live a spiritual rebirth. In today's world we can relive the Birth of Jesus
    when, with the power of one's spirit and the awareness of faith, we see in the
    Incarnation of Jesus the visitation of God to mankind. It is this inner
    life in
    the depth of our essence that will change the old man and give birth to the
    New
    Man.
    The Nativity of Jesus becomes a real and true feast when one is transfigured
    and with the transformation of his inner world he becomes a new man. The
    importance of the transformation of the inner world of the individual is
    beautifully described in the thoughts of Karekin I, the late Catholicos of All
    Armenians:
    "The world changes. This phenomenon of change is not new. The world has
    always
    known change and it has always witnessed change and has always been subjected
    to change. As human beings we live in this cycle of change. We are not the
    objects but the subjects, not the victims but the witnesses of change."
    We send our heartfelt greetings to all the faithful of the Western Diocese of
    the Armenian Apostolic Holy Mother Church that they may stay in communion with
    the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ, that through the Nativity of
    Jesus we
    may lead our God-given lives into new births. The lives of each of us
    necessarily needs spiritual rebirth, which is leavened in our inner self
    through the power of prayer and faith. Spiritual rebirth must be evident in
    our
    Christian and national lives. The spiritual rebirth becomes meaningful with
    service to our Holy Church, our Motherland, our national heritage, and
    particularly to our blessed land of America where we enjoy every blessing that
    opens before us the path of life as a mission.
    On the threshold of a New Year and the Feast of the Nativity, let us make a
    new covenant with God. Let us transform our lives into new covenants at the
    altar of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Bethlehem of Armenians, which penetrates into
    the hearts of our children scattered throughout the world with the rays of the
    light that emanates from its lantern. It is in that light that the Infant
    Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the world, is born.
    We lift up our good wishes and prayers to God to bless our Holy Church and
    her
    faithful children, headed by His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of All
    Armenians, whose fatherly love and blessing we in the Western Diocese will
    enjoy in June 2005 when His Holiness graces us with his pastoral visit.
    It is our heartfelt prayer that God will move the hearts of the people of the
    world so that they may transform their lives into instruments of love and
    peace, that nations will live in peace and productive life. In anticipation of
    the Birth of Jesus let us transform our lives into living miracles.
    In prayer and with warm greetings of love,

    Archbishop Hovnan Derderian


    5) ARS Contributes to Worldwide Relief Efforts for Tsunami Victims

    The Central Executive Board of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS-CE) conveyed
    sympathy and support to the diplomatic representatives of countries devastated
    by the recent Tsunami in South-East Asia, and made a donation to the
    International Red Cross's relief funds set up to assist the countless victims
    of the unprecedented disaster. The ARS has also instructed its entities
    throughout 24 countries to contact the local embassies of those countries
    stricken to pledge their support and assistance, as needed.
    The ARS, in addition, announced the establishment of the following email
    addresses, based on various projects:
    Central Executive Board: [email protected]; Office Manager:
    [email protected];
    Executive Secretary: [email protected]; ARS Orphans Program:
    [email protected]; ARS Publications: [email protected].


    6) Armenian American Veterans Open Doors for Young Armenians

    $10,000 Contribution to assist ANCA Capital Gateway Program

    WASHINGTON, DC--The Armenian American Veterans Post of Milford Massachusetts
    (AAVO) has added to their legacy of charitable giving with a generous $10,000
    donation to the ANCA Capital Gateway Program--a pioneering initiative to open
    the door for recent Armenian American college graduates to political,
    government, media, and foreign policy jobs in the nation's capital.
    "The AAVO have long represented the proudest tradition of the Armenian
    American community," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "The children of
    Genocide survivors who themselves went to war to protect our freedoms, today
    continue to give back, opening doors for a new generation of Armenian
    Americans
    dedicated to public service."
    Launched in August 2003, through a generous donation from the Cafesjian
    Family
    Foundation, the ANCA Capital Gateway Program assists Armenian Americans across
    the US to find job opportunities on Capitol Hill or other government offices,
    the media, and think tanks in Washington, DC The program builds on the
    successful 20-year old ANCA "Leo Sarkisian" summer internship program, which
    has brought hundreds of youth leaders to Washington, DC to learn about the
    American political process and the growing role Armenian Americans play in
    advancing issues of concern to our community.
    Qualified Capital Gateway Program Fellows are provided free housing and full
    use of ANCA facilities and staff support in their quest for the right job or
    internship in the Nation's Capital. The over 20 participants in the program
    have secured positions in a myriad locations including with Members of
    Congress, US Chamber of Commerce, Export-Import Bank, Congressional Quarterly,
    Center for the Prevention of Genocide and the American Civil Liberties Union.
    AAVO was founded in 1946 in Milford, MA by returning veterans of World War
    II.
    Over the years, it has counted over three hundred members, including veterans
    of both the Second World War and the Korean War, who have called Milford home.
    During the 1950's, the group completed work on an attractive building and
    grounds, a Veteran's and community center, which was a vibrant home to area
    Armenian American veterans for many years. With the passing of so many
    veterans
    in the decades following the War, the group sold the building in 1989, and has
    used the proceeds from this sale to contribute to a number of worthwhile
    causes.
    The AAVO have been recognized for their generosity in newspapers, official
    proclamations, and through the appreciation of the many recipients of their
    humanitarian gifts. Among those that the Veterans have assisted over the years
    include: The Armenian Library and Museum of America, the national repository
    for collecting, conserving and documenting Armenian artifacts, books,
    textiles,
    archives and works of art; Project Save, the pioneering program that collects
    and archives visual information about Armenian people and their history; The
    Milford Senior Center, the town's gathering place for members of the "Greatest
    Generation;" Milford Whitinsville Regional Hospital, allowing this community
    hospital to expand its facilities and services; St. Jude's Children's
    Hospital,
    which provides free of charge medical care to the most vulnerable children,
    suffering from cancer and other catastrophic diseases; and the Armenian
    Children's Milk Fund, a life-saving charity that has been sending soy-based
    infant formula and dry powdered milk to Armenia since 1989.
    In addition, the Veterans have contributed to the Armenian Tree Project,
    Armenian Eye Care Project, Armenian General Benevolent Union, several Armenian
    churches, and individual families in need. The Veterans group is also working
    closely with local attorney Gregory Arabian, an Armenian American community
    leader, who is preparing oral histories of the lives of Armenian American
    World
    War II and Korean War veterans.


    7) Armenian Genocide Monument Council of Glendale Announces Competition for
    Design

    --Council Launches Website for Monument Design Competition

    GLENDALE--The Armenian Genocide Monument Council of Glendale (AGMCG) launched
    their new website on December
    22--<http://www.armeniangenocidemonument.com/>www.armeniangenocidemonument.
    com--and announced the beginning of their Monument design competition. The
    AGMCG will oversee the design and construction of a commemorative monument in
    the City of Glendale dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide.
    The monument will serve as a befitting venue to begin the educational process
    of honoring the memory of those who perished and acknowledging the memories of
    the heroic deeds and acts of the Americans whose actions helped save thousands
    of helpless Armenian men, women and children from the rage of the genocide.
    In August of 2001, the City Council of Glendale adopted a motion to accept
    the
    gift of a monument to honor the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide
    and the memory of Americans whose actions helped save thousands of Armenian
    men, women, and children from perishing in the genocide between 1915 and
    1918.
    On April 8, 2003, the Glendale City Council approved the final location/site
    for the genocide monument. The AGMCG has been working very closely with City
    staff to oversee the monument selection process and has established a
    Selection
    Committee comprised of community leaders, architecture and design experts, and
    public officials.
    The announcement of the winner will take place in April, as this year marks
    the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
    All parties interested in submitting a design may do so by following the
    guidelines and rules for submission made available on the AGMCG website.
    The AGMCG is a newly established organization dedicated to enhancing cross
    cultural understanding among the different cultural and ethnic groups in the
    City of Glendale by promoting respect for past historical events and the
    recognition thereof through continuous education, specifically that of the
    Armenian genocide.
    For more information, visit www.armeniangenocidemonument.com.


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    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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