GLENDALE — The City of Glendale shows its appreciation to the Armenian American Orphans Children Fund and those who consistently support it.

The Appreciation Night on November 30 gave the City of Glendale and the Armenian American Orphans Disabled Fund an opportunity to express their gratitude to the individuals that have always stood by Armenia. The program was held at the Armenian Society of Los Angeles.

We were honored to host a variety of esteemed guests, including, Glendale Mayor Vartan Gharapetian, Council member Paula Devine, Council member Vrej Agajanian, former Sheriff Lee Baca and many other distinguished guests. Joining them included main sponsors and committee members who we appreciate and give credit to for constantly supporting the growth of our fund. The Appreciation Night was also a great opportunity to showcase to our advocates the progress the fund has made and also to provide insight into our current project. As the night began, one of our very own board members and President of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles, Hovik Gabikian took the stage and began thanking everyone in attendance. Gabikian also took the time to thank Mr. Ovanes Balayan, the president and the founder of the Armenian American Orphans Children Fund, for all of his efforts and hard work. He explained to everyone in attendance that Balayan started this fund on his own, with the sole purpose of helping the children in Armenia, who are unable to help themselves. Throughout the 18-year journey of the Armenian American Orphans Fund, various committee members have made their own tremendous contributions to the cause. Dr. Vahan Aladadyan, also one of the committee members, presented the finances of our current project in Spitak, Armenia and highlighted to everyone in attendance that we are ahead of schedule. During his presentation, Aladadyan displayed many detailed charts that explained exactly where all the collected money was allocated.

The group’s current project in Spitak, Armenia contains three parts; an elementary school, a recreation center and a basketball gymnasium. The night itself was funded by the main sponsors who generously took it upon themselves to cover the expenses. It was an amazing sight to witness the guests interacting with one another. Many found themselves drinking, eating and laughing with old friends, as well as meeting new ones. As the night progressed, the President of the Armenian American Orphans Disabled Fund, Ovanes Balayan, thanked everyone and invited Mayor Vartan Gharapetian on stage.

Gharapetian began giving out awards and personally thanked those individuals that took it upon themselves to become main sponsors of the Armenian American Orphans Children Fund. The night concluded with Ovanes Balayan taking the stage. He informed everyone about the fund’s future plans and projects that the committee has decided to take on. Balayan also showed a series of videos, that revealed the before and after pictures of all of the projects that the Armenian American Orphans Children fund has contributed to.

To find out more, visit www.forourkids99.com

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WATERTOWN — The Armenian Mirror-Spectator offices will close for one week in observance of Christmas and New Year’s.

This issue will be our last for 2017.

Our next issue will be that of January 6, 2018.

We wish all our readers and supporters a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Merry Armenian Christmas.

See you in 2018…

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WATERTOWN — Ardashes Hagop Shelemian, 94, passed away on December 13, 2017.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, he was the son of the late Victoria and Hagop Shelemian and brother of the late Kegham Shelemian. He leaves behind his wife, Sake Tinzir, and many close friends and family.

He received his early education at the Nersesian School in Constantinople, and the Azgayin Kentronakan [National Central], and continued his higher education at the Robert American College where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exact sciences. He later attended the Reserve Officers Academy where he received the rank of lieutenant in the signal corps.

Passionate about Classical Armenian Music and Liturgy and Gomidas, he received his musical education under Sargis Boyajian of the historical St. Gregory the Lusavorich (Illuminator) Armenian Church of Galatia and Harutiun Muradian (later, Fr. Shnorhk Muradian). He also studied violin under Enoch Gavafian and harmony and composition under prominent musician Koharik Ghazarossian as well as sang under the leadership of Parsegh Ganatchian.

Fluent in Armenian, Turkish, English and Spanish, he was always an active member of his community in his birthplace as well as Buenos Aires, Argentina and Boston. As a freelance writer and correspondent, he has contributed pieces to several Armenian language periodicals, among them Jamanak, Marmara, Jarakeyt, and Badge, Arev, and Yerchanik, all in Istanbul; and Nerkay, Hay Ketron, and Vospor as editor, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He held a number of academic positions in the United States, Argentina and Turkey.

He was a member of a number of Armenian and non-Armenian organizations and institutions, among them, Alumni Association of Ketronakan Armenian Lyceum, Istanbul; Associacion Cultural Armenia de Estambul, Buenos Aires; co-founder of Pro-Music Armenia, Buenos Aires; Association of Argentino-Armenian Musicians; National Association for Armenian Studies and Research; Armenian Artists Association of America, Erevan Choral Society, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Boston and the Armenian Cultural Foundation.

As per his wishes, a memorial service will be held on Wednesday, December 27^th at 6:30 p.m. at the Giragossian Funeral Home, at 576 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA.

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LOS ANGELES — A group of 110 Armenians raised more than $60,000 at a “Scotch and Cigar” event to raise funds for the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund (AWHF) on November 17, at the home of Armen and Katherine Panossian. AWHF Founders Chris Petrossian and Razmig Arzoumanian discussed progress in deploying life-saving military first-aid kits across the Artsakh front lines, and our new initiative for post trauma care and rehabilitation for our wounded warriors.

Thanks to the hosts, the Panossians, and those who donated everything, from the catering to the scotch and cigars, every dollar raised will go to help soldiers in Artsakh who have been wounded in the line of duty.

Funds will also help Sargis Stepanyan and other heroes to new, inspiring victories.

The gathering featured a moving video address by war hero Maj. Sargis Stepanyan, who lost both legs and his right arm during a special operations mission in 2014. (Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmkPYrKa4oM)

Despite his triple-amputations, Stepanyan was in Rumia, Poland, competing for the World Arm-Wrestling Championship with his left arm. During his video message, taped prior to the competition, he promised to win the world cup, and within days of the event in LA, he over-delivered and was crowned World Champion with two gold medals and one silver medal for Armenia (across three competition classes). (Watch one of his crushing victories over more advantaged competitors (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9gVSjshqqw).

The Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to serving Armenia’s heroes, standing with them through challenging times, saving lives, and supporting the rehabilitation of our wounded heroes who have sacrificed all for our homeland.

AWHF founders will continue to cover all administrative costs to ensure that 100 percent of every dollar donated goes toward procuring and deploying modern equipment to our heroes, and that all aid and equipment reaches 100% of its intended recipients through a rigorous monitoring mechanism.

For more information, visit www.armenianwoundedheroes.com; write to info@armenianwoundedheroes.com; or follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ArmenianHeroes/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/ArmenianHeroes) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/armenianheroes/).

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FRESNO — On, December 6, the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) Executive Council held its first meeting. Executive Council officers were elected with Bedross Der Matossian (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) as the new SAS President. Also elected were Vice-President Vartan Matiossian (Armenian National Education Committee, NY); Secretary Khatchig Mouradian (Columbia University); Treasurer Vahe Sahakyan (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor); and advisors Alison Vacca (University of Tennessee-Knoxville), Barlow Der Mugrdechian (California State University, Fresno), and Arpi Siyahian (NUtech Ventures-UNL).

On behalf of the SAS, Der Matossian thanked the outgoing President Barlow Der Mugrdechian (California State University, Fresno) and advisor Lilit Keshishyan (UCLA) for their work in advancing the mission of SAS.

“After serving on the Executive Council for more than a decade, it is a great honor to have been elected as the President for the Society for Armenian Studies. I am looking forward to work with a dynamic team that brings new energy and spirit to the organization” said Der Matossian. “The SAS is one of the most important international Armenian academic organizations that foster the study and the research of the field of Armenian Studies. Since its foundation in 1974 by the pioneers of Armenian Studies in the United States, the SAS has dramatically advanced the field of Armenian Studies. Today, the SAS is very active in holding conferences, symposia, and talks in the U.S. and international academic institutions, area studies annual conferences, as well as in Armenian institutions. I have great hope that we can advance the field of the Armenian studies in collaboration with all the relevant institutions and chairs.”

The Executive Council is embarking on a new year and the SAS would like to engage more members in activities. The SAS encourages anyone who is interested in Armenian Studies to contact the Executive Council with suggestions, concerns, and feedback.

The SAS, founded in 1974, is the international professional association representing scholars and teachers in the field of Armenian Studies. The aim of the SAS is to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature, and social, political, and economic questions.

The SAS publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies edited by Sergio La Porta and publishes a semi-annual Newsletter and organizes panels and conferences on Armenian Studies.

The SAS Secretariat is headquartered at the Armenian Studies Program of California State University, Fresno and its website can be found at http://societyforarmenianstudies.com/. Readers who wish to financially assist the SAS can become supporting members.

For more information e-mail Barlow Der Mugrdechian at barlowd@csufresno.edu or SAS President Bedross Der Matossian bdermatossian2@unl.edu.

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By Taleen Babayan

Special to the Mirror-Spectator

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — The Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School (HMADS) celebrated its Golden Anniversary through the artistic presentation, “Spotlight on Culture,” held on Sunday, December 3 at Landmark on Main Street.

Alumni, teaching staff, students and supporters gathered to honor 50 years of academic excellence while appreciating the cultural riches of the Armenian heritage.

The delightful and diverse program consisted of dance, song, violin and piano from notable alumni and musicians along with a special performance by the Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston.

The concert highlighted pieces from Komitas and Aram Khachatourian to the contemporary Nune Yesayan and Lilu, and also included a repertoire of classical pieces by Rachmaninov, Bach and Piazzola. A talented mix of performers took to the stage, including Seta Karakashian and Diana Vasilyan along with alumni artists Ani Djirdjirian, the Arminstring Ensemble, Nevart Zeronian, Deborah Agopian and Hooshere, who all embodied the school’s cultural mission through their performances.

“We owe this school and this milestone to the visionaries and founders of HMADS and now to the current generation,” said Zarmine Boghosian, Principal Emeritus of Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School and concert co-chair.

Current principal Seta Megherian, an alumnus of HMADS herself, said it was “an honor to be back home.”

“This New York gem has been the strongest foundation and part of my life for as long as I can remember,” said co-chair Megherian, a graduate of the class of 1989. “Serving as principal brings me great joy and happiness, to be able to spread and share that part of my life that was so near and dear to me.”

Founded in 1967, HMADS is the first and only Armenian Day School in the New York metropolitan area. The school has made a significant impact to the Armenian Diaspora over the past five decades as a full-fledged elementary school, chartered by the Board of Regents of the New York State Department of Education. Located in Bayside, HMADS not only provides bilingual education, but also teaches Armenian cultural values and prepares students to become productive members of their surrounding American society.

“Each day our goal is to strengthen and perpetuate the Armenian language and culture,” said Megherian, who notes that students are involved both in the school and the community by serving the church and other cultural organizations. “By teaching and learning our Armenian language we allow for our culture to strengthen and grow and stay alive for the next generation.”

Portraying the strong bonds forged between HMADS and its graduates, the “Spotlight on Culture” concert brought former graduates back to the stage to perform in honor of their alma mater, including Ani Djirdjian, class of 2006, who said performing on stage was “nothing short of surreal and heart-warming.”

“I’m eternally grateful to HMADS for instilling our Armenian language, culture, and community in me and my friends, making me fall in love with who we are as a people and always reminding us of our resilience,” said Djirdjirian, a singer and actress who performed Haireniks by Lilu. “I hope the generations of Armenian youth to come are given the same opportunities I was fortunate to have through HMADS.”

Throughout the decades, HMADS has been a home away from home for its students, under the guidance of the teaching staff and leadership, including principals Sara Anoushian Dadourian, Mae Bedrossian Kazandjian, Zarmine Kalayjian Boghosian, Sophie Djanece Kerbeykian and Seta Tavitian Megherian, who all established everlasting ties to their students, including Natalie Gabrelian, class of 1988.

“For 50 years, HMADS has stood as a pillar of the New York Armenian-American community, embracing generation after generation into its welcoming arms,” said Natalie Gabrellian, Director of Alternative Education at AGBU and the concert’s co-chair. “I am forever indebted to this school for all that it has done, and so the best way I can show my gratitude is doing all I can to ensure the legacy lives on and that this amazing opportunity is available to generations to come.”

In the spirit of promoting and preserving the Armenian culture, the Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston performed graceful and energetic dances reflective of their heritage. The group recently celebrated its 30^th anniversary and, according to director Apo Ashjian, the Sayat Nova dancers were “honored” and “humbled” to participate in the 50^th anniversary concert of the HMADS.

“We understand the perseverance that is required for an organization to grow and prosper in the diaspora,” said Ashjian, noting the importance of educating and inspiring the youth to keep the Armenian tradition and culture alive. “We pave the way for the future generations to maintain their love for their Armenian culture while also making sure that the world understands who we are as a nation.”

Over the last 50 years, HMADS has created a fruitful and connected network of close to 300 students and graduates who have become successful in many fields, from finance to education to the arts.

Boghosian remarked how proud she is of the achievements of the students and graduates who, “always shine and elevate the name of our school.”

“It’s been an honor to have a role in their education and to watch them grow from nursery into hard working bright sixth grade students,” said Boghosian. “And it’s even more delightful to see them coming back after graduating.”

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Glendale, Calif. – The Armenia Artsakh Fund (AAF) delivered over 5.6 million US dollars’ worth of humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Artsakh during the fourth quarter of 2017.

The AAF itself collected 5.5 million dollars’ worth of medicines and other supplies donated by Americares ($4 million) and Direct Relief ($1.5 million). Other contributors of valuable goods during this period included Dr. George Katcherian of California ($99,000) and Birthlink of UK ($29,000).

During 2017, the AAF shipped to Armenia 25 million dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid to Armenia and Artsakh. In the past 28 years, including its shipments under its predecessor, the United Armenian Fund, the AAF has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh a grand total of 766 million dollars’ worth of relief supplies on board 158 airlifts and 2,376 sea containers.

“The Armenia Artsakh Fund is regularly offered free of charge millions-of-dollars’ worth of lifesaving medicines and medical supplies. All we have to do is pay for the shipping expenses. We would welcome your generous donations to be able to continue delivering this valuable assistance to all medical centers in Armenia and Artsakh,” Harut Sassounian, AFF president, stated.

For more information, call the AAF office at (818) 241-8900 or email sassoun@pacbell.net.

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PORTER RANCH, Calif. – Sarkis Yacoub Karayan, 89, born on November 28, 1928 in Aleppo, Syria passed away on December 9, 2017. He resided in Porter Ranch, California at the time of his passing.

Dr. Karayan was the son of Yacoub and Zarouhi Ustakarayan. He graduated Aleppo College in 1946 and went next to Beirut’s American University for his bachelor’s degree. In 1952 he received his medical degree of doctor. He specialized in pediatrics, and worked with the Swiss Dr. Hans Ulrich Zellweger for three years until he became director of the university hospital’s Maternal and Child Health Care Center. Two years later he was invited to be the university health physician for the infirmary.

He continued in that position until leaving for the United States in 1979, where he received a fellowship in New York Medical College in the field of developmental disabilities and then went to the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Amherst as clinical faculty.

He moved with his family one year later to California, and became the staff physician at the Camarillo State Hospital. Soon he advanced to become chief of services in the Developmental Disabilities Center of the same hospital.

Dr. Karayan was always involved in Armenian community affairs. While still in Beirut, he was one of the founders of the Armenian Medical Association, which published the monthly Pzhishg [Doctor]. He wrote articles on pediatric topics there. He also was a founding member and vice president of the Armenian Art Lovers Cultural Association of Lebanon, and the Cultural Association of Aintabtsis.

A medical doctor by day, in his spare time, Sarkis used his fluency in Ottoman Turkish, Modern Turkish, Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, Classical Armenian, French and German to compile a comprehensive list of 4,600 towns and villages that were home to Armenians in pre-genocide Turkey. The result of his labor was a four-volume tome called “The Extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.” In 2016, his wife, Silva Karayan, donated a copy of his work to the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation

Dr. Karayan was a frequent contributor to the Armenian press, focusing on historical and demographic issues of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire, especially after retiring in 2003. He wrote in the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, Nor Geank, Nor Or, Asbarez and Massis.

Dr. Karayan leaves behind his wife Dr. Silva Karayan, his children Dr. and Mrs. Khatchik and Zella Ingrid Karakozian and grandchildren Tamar and Patil, as well as three sisters and their families.

Arrangements were under the direction of Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, California for the December 14 interment. Three priests participated in the services, Fr. Shnork Demirjian of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church, Fr. Haroutioun Tachejian of St. James Armenian Apostolic Church of Los Angeles, and Fr. Avedis Apovian of the Crescenta Valley Holy Apostles Church.

Aside from family members, Carla Garapedian of the Armenian Film Foundation and Sinan Sinanian, vice president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), spoke, with the latter reading the letter of AGBU president Berge Setrakian. More speeches were given later at the Phoenicia Restaurant, including by bereaved widow Dr. Silva Karayan, Prof. Osheen Keshishian, and Taguhi Arzoumanian of the Lark Conservatory.

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WYNNEWOOD, Penn. — Papken Megerian, vice chairman of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar) District Committee of the Eastern United States and Canada, publisher of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator and member of the Central Board of the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) of the United States and Canada, passed away on December 25 at 5 a.m. at his home after a long sickness. Born on April 15, 1939 in Aleppo, Syria, to Garabed and Elize Megerian, survivors of the Armenian Genocide, Papken was the oldest of four siblings, though he also had three older paternal siblings from Garabed’s first wife, who died in an untimely fashion.

Papken initially worked with his father and older brothers. He married his wife, Anahid Derderian, on August 19, 1962. They met while volunteering as officers on the Giligian Elementary School Alumni Association. Their first child, Garo, was born in 1963. On July 4, 1968, Papken and his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, where son Aram and daughter Tanya were soon born.

Papken Megerian worked for Fidelity Bank and became vice president in charge of international banking. He left Fidelity in 1968 to embark on a successful 35-year career of owning and operating various businesses, including beverage and beer distributers, a packaged food distributor, car washes and MRI centers.

In all his activities, whether work or Armenian community life, Papken’s wife Anahid served as his unwavering confidante and supporter. He was very active in the Armenian Church, serving on the Parish Council of St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian Church of Wynnewood as a member, treasurer and chairman, and as its Diocesan delegate for 24 years. He was treasurer of the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).

Megerian was one of the founders of the Philadelphia chapter of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada (TCA), and for many years was also a member of the TCA Central Board, including as its vice president. He was an active member and leader of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL), as mentioned above.

The Megerians supported many organizations and projects, including the Eastern Diocese, the Mother See of Echmiadzin, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, the Armenian Sisters Academy of Philadelphia, Our Lady of Armenia Boghossian Educational Center in Gyumri, the Armenian Diocesan Center in Javakhk, Georgia, and the Philadelphia Art Museum.

He was a trustee of the Society of Orphaned Armenian Relief and a longtime member of the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Knights of Vartan.

Since 2001, he visited Armenia 25 times for business, philanthropy, politics, culture and pleasure. His work did not go unnoticed, and he was given the St. Nerses Shnorhali Medal with a pontifical encyclical in 1998 by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I, and the St. Gregory the Illuminator Medal by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II in 2009. On May 12, 2012 he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, and on September 28 of the same year the Armenian community of Philadelphia celebrated his award and service at a reception hosted by St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian Church.

On September 21, 2013, Megerian was given the Anania Shiragatsi Medal by President Serzh Sargsyan at a ceremony in the presidential palace on the 22^nd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

Papken Megerian was above all else a family man. He was a loving and supportive brother, brother-in-law, uncle and cousin. He loved, supported and helped all his family members with his whole heart. He leaves behind his wife Anahid; children Garo (Annette), Aram (Carla) and Tanya (Nerces) Bardakjian; and grandchildren Gregory, Cariné, Ariana, Haig, Lena, Lily, Sona and Seta.  He is also survived by his two brothers Noubar (Anie) and Hrair (Ana), sister Silva Kailian and sister-in-law Rozaline Meguerian.

Papken’s primary goal, above all else, was to raise his family to be proud of their Armenian heritage and their culture and to be leaders in their community. He taught them how to be proud, yet humble, compromising leaders, passionate workers and above all else compassionate individuals. He led by example and has left a legacy that his children and grandchildren will surely carry.

Sonia Kailian Placido, Papken Megerian’s niece, shed some light on the personal influence that her uncle has had in her life. She, along with her two sisters and brother, was raised by a single mother. Her three uncles became surrogate fathers to them and “Papken Keri” was omnipresent in their lives as they were growing up. Her uncle, she said, “was a man who thrived on helping others. Call it good or bad, but he never said no.”

His wake and funeral service took place on December 28 at a packed St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church. Kevork Marashlian, chairman of the ADL District Committee and Hagop Vartivarian, TCA Central Board Secretary, were present as representatives of the two respective organizations. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, representing Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), as the latter was in Echmiadzin, presided over the ceremonies, with the participation of ten local clergymen of different denominations of the Armenian nation.

There were many condolences, including from Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II (see the accompanying list below) and internment was at Edge Lawn Memorial Park.

Condolence Messages

Messages of condolence were sent from the following:

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Echmiadzin, Armenia

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, Diocese of the Eastern United States, New York City

Very Reverend Bishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate, Armenian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, Sydney, Australia

Tekeyan Cultural Association Central Board of Directors of the United States and Canada

Vartan Nazerian, President of the ADL Supreme Council, Los Angeles, Calif.

Dr. Arshavir Gundjian, Former Chairman ADL Central Committee, Montreal, Canada

ADL Eastern District Committee of the United States and Canada, Boston, Mass

Hagop Avedikian, chairman of Central Committee of the ADL, Yerevan, Armenia

Maro Bedrosian, TCA Central Board and ADL Eastern District Committee of the United States and Canada member

Panig Keshishian, TCA Central Board member

Dr. Haroutioun Arzoumanian, former President, Tekeyan Cultural Association Central Board, Montreal, Canada

Kevork Tutunjian, Chairman ADL Toronto, Canada

Rev. Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, Primate Aragatsotn Region, Armenia

Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese of Georgia

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By Bonnie Russell

WORCESTER (Telegram & Gazette) — Clark University history professor Taner Akçam will be honored for the decades he has spent gathering historical evidence to document the 1915 Armenian genocide, the mass killings of 1.5 million Armenians that took place at the hands of the government during the Ottoman Empire.

Akçam will be honored with the 2018 Outstanding Upstander Award from the World Without Genocide organization.

According to its website, World Without Genocide, housed at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, works “to protect innocent people around the world; prevent genocide by combating racism and prejudice; advocate for the prosecution of perpetrators; and remember those whose lives and cultures have been destroyed by violence.”

Akçam, one of the first Turkish intellectuals to acknowledge and openly discuss the Armenian Genocide, holds an endowed chair at Clark’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. An outspoken advocate of democracy and free expression since his student days at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, he is an internationally recognized human rights activist.

“We have long admired your bold and dedicated work to document the atrocities perpetrated by the Ottoman government against the Armenian people. You have persisted in speaking out about the genocide, despite being marked for death by Turkish ultranationalists,” Ellen J. Kennedy, executive director of World Without Genocide, wrote to Mr. Akçam.

One example is Akçam’s challenging of Article 301, a provision of Turkey’s criminal code that permits the arrest of individuals who use the term “genocide” to describe the killing of about 1.5 Armenians during the Ottoman Empire. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in Akçam’s favor stating that Turkey violated his right to free expression.

Akçam presented the case in 2007, following the murder of journalist Hrant Dink, who had been convicted under Article 301.

Akçam’s most recent discovery, an Ottoman document that he states is “the smoking gun,” which demonstrates the government’s knowledge of and involvement in the systematic elimination of the Armenian population, was discussed in an article by Tim Arango published on April 22 in the New York Times.

In an email, Akçam explained that he had first discovered “a memoir of an Ottoman bureaucrat Naim Efendi, which is considered lost.” The memoir includes about 52 telegrams belonging to the Ottoman Government regarding the deportation and extermination of Armenians.

“The second discovery is a different telegram sent by a central committee member of the Union and Progress Party (which organized the genocide). The telegram is a smoking gun and includes the killing orders,” he said.

Akçam’s forthcoming book, Killing Orders, combines these two different areas of research to provide evidence that refutes arguments by Turkish denialists regarding the inauthenticity of the telegrams.

Previous recipients of the World Without Genocide award include Eli Rosenbaum, director of human rights enforcement strategy and policy at the U.S. Department of Justice; Claudia Paz y Paz, former Attorney General of Guatemala; and Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo, former prosecutor at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

Akçam will formally receive the award at the organization’s annual gala in May 2018 in Minneapolis.

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WASHINGTON — The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) held a series of activities and a conference to mark its 44th Annual Meeting, held this year in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, November 18. Members were welcomed by SAS President Barlow Der Mugrdechian (California State University, Fresno), who presented reports on various activities of the Society. Earlier that same day, the SAS Executive Council met to focus on strategic planning and to map out the future direction of the organization.

“The Annual Meeting is an opportunity for our members to provide feedback to the Executive Council,” stated Der Mugrdechian. “SAS utilizes this opportunity to meet to formulate new directions to discuss the upcoming year’s activities.”

A reception, hosted by Grigor Hovhannissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States, was held at the Armenian Embassy in Washington D.C., following the Annual Meeting.

“We were delighted to meet and greet the participants of the 44th SAS Annual Meeting at the Embassy of Armenia in Washington DC, among them Professor Richard Hovannisian, one of the patriarchs of the Armenian Studies in the world, and the SAS President Barlow Der Mugrdechian,” said Hovhannissian. In his remarks the ambassador also noted the important role of the SAS in promoting research and publications in the field of Armenian Studies. Community members and SAS scholars mixed in a warm atmosphere and the Ambassador presented SAS with a beautiful art volume on the works of the artist Jean Kazandjian.

In addition to the Conference on “Transmitting Western Armenian to the Next Generation,” co-organized by the Armenian Communities Division of the Gulbenkian Foundation, SAS sponsored two panels as part of MESA.

The first panel, organized by Owen Miller and Ümit Kurt, and titled “The Great Fear of 1895: Armenian Reform, Rumor and Violence Across the Ottoman Empire,” took place on Sunday, November 19. Three papers were given: Owen Miller (Union College), “George Perkins Knapp of Bitlis and Massacres of 1895”; Emre Can Daglioglu (Clark University), “Reform and Violence in the Hamidian Era: 1895 Anti-Armenian Riots in Trabzon”; and Ugur Peçe (Harvard University), “The Year of Rumor: Crete in the Shadow of the Armenian Massacres of 1895.” The discussant for the panel was Edhem Eldem (Bogaziçi University).

The second panel, entitled “Humanitarianism in the Ottoman Empire During World War I” was organized by Stacy Fahrenthold and took place on Tuesday, November 21. It included papers by Melanie S. Tanielian (University of Michigan), “Nourishing Bodies and Souls: The Maronite Church’s Relief Effort in Mount Lebanon during the Great War”; Stacy Fahrenthold (California State University, Stanislaus), “American Relief and Émigré Politics in the Syrian Mahjar”; Asya Darbinyan (Clark University), “Can Refugees Speak? Humanitarian Crisis at the Ottoman-Russian border (1914-1917)”; and Khatchig Mouradian (Columbia University), “Not like a Lamb to the Slaughter: Humanitarian Resistance during the Armenian Genocide.”

The Society for Armenian Studies represents scholars and teachers in the field of Armenian Studies. It publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, available on its website: societyforarmenianstudies.com. For more information about the Society or membership, please contact SAS President (2018) Bedross Der Matossian at bdermatossian2@unl.edu.

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By Anthony Clark Carpio

PASADENA, Calif. — Three local entrants in the 2018 Rose Parade walked away with awards for their floats during the chilly annual New Year’s Day parade.

The Burbank Tournament of Roses, the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses and the American Armenian Rose Float received awards for their floats, which impressed the thousands of parade-goers on Monday.

The American Armenian Rose Float’s entry, titled “Armenia Roots,” received the Judges Award.

The entry is a tribute to Armenian women, whether they be mothers, daughters, grandmothers or aunts, who work tirelessly to be the foundation of their family, said Noubar Derbedrosian, a board member of the association.

“There is no one like the women in our lives — our moms, our sisters, our wives — that will give of themselves without asking for anything in return,” he said.

Derbedrosian added that this is the third award the association has received out of the four float entries the organization has submitted. Last year, the group was given the Past President Award for its float titled “Field of Dreams!” in which the entry represented the American Armenian experience in literature, music and science.

“This is an honor for us,” he said. “We’re a small group of people that do this, and we’re trying to represent all of the Armenian people, not just in Glendale, Pasadena or the L.A. area.”

After not receiving an award for its float “Home Tweet Home” last year, the Burbank association bounced back and was given the Founder Award for its nautical-themed float “Sand-Sational Helpers,” in which sea animals team up to clean a beach, coinciding with this year’s Rose Parade theme, “Making a Difference.”

Steve Edward, the Burbank association’s vice president, said most of the pieces fell in the right place this year. The jump start on construction and decoration week going off without a hitch, he said, resulted in a solid float this year.

“Everyone pulled together and got this thing finished,” Edward said before the start of the parade. “We got it decorated very well, and it looks great. And it’s always a big break to have [an award] banner in front of our float.”

Though the float came together smoothly, there were some mechanical issues with its animation components.

Jon Reeves, a longtime volunteer with the Burbank association and former construction chair, said the wave mechanism that was created on the side of the float ended up not functioning the way it was designed.

Additionally, an arm of the octopus that was supposed to move up and down stopped working during the judging period over the weekend and was not functional for the parade.

“It’s unfortunate that our two big camera-side animations are not working, but the float turned out great and looks fantastic,” Reeves said.

Edward added that he is particularly proud of 14-year-old Catherine Glandon, the eight-year volunteer whose design was chosen to be this year’s float.

“Now we have to add a new title to her name — she’s now an award-winning float designer,” Edward said.

The La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses’s float, titled “Panda-Monium,” was given the Bob Hope Humor Award.

It is the second year in a row the association has received that particular award, which is no surprise to longtime volunteer Dwight Crumb, who said that the group’s bylaws state that the float must be humorous.

Crumb added that Monday’s award (January 1) marks the 30th time out of 40 entries that the association has been recognized by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses

“So we have a 75 percent [award] banner record,” he said. “I think that’s a darn-good record.”

Of the six self-built floats in the Rose Parade, five of them, which includes the entries from Burbank and La Cañada, walked away with an award this year.

Crumb said seeing the self-built floats being recognized each year is a testament to the hard work and dedication that the thousands of volunteers put into their floats.

“Self-built [floats] are the heart of the parade,” he said.

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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles affiliate of the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) will honor Joan Agajanian Quinn, the recipient of the 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, at a luncheon on Saturday, January 28, at the Mr. C Hotel (1224 Beverwil Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90035). The event, which will start at 11:30 a.m., will be attended by special guest Dame Zandra Rhodes who has created a limited edition special print to celebrate the afternoon.

Quinn received this prestigious medal, along with studio executive Sherry Lansing, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, and author Victoria Kennedy in May 2017 at a moving ceremony on Ellis Island in New York, in recognition of her enduring contributions to both the Armenian and American communities. The Ellis Island Honors Society sponsors the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, established in 1986, and presented annually to American citizens who have distinguished themselves within their own ethnic groups while exemplifying the values of the American way of life. Joan was nominated by the president of the Women’s Caucus for Art, J. Cheryl Bookout. Letters acknowledging community service were presented to the Ellis Island Society by Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse, Ambassador. Grigor Hovhannissian, Lourdes G. Baird (Ret.) and Reverend Scott Colglazier.

Nicole Nishanian, president of AIWA-LA, states, “We are proud to honor Joan Agajanian Quinn who has had an illustrious career in both public and community service. She has served on the Executive Board of AIWA-LA since 1997 and has served with distinction as our NGO representative to the United Nations and as Board Liason. Joan and her late husband, attorney John J. Quinn have garnered praise for their support of artists for over 50 years.”

Quinn supports many local and global humanitarian, educational and cultural activities focusing on causes that benefit diverse communities, some of which are: Board member of The California Film Commission; 17 years on the California Arts Council; The Institute for the Study of and Development of Legal Systems (ISDLS), a group that conducts international legal reform and exchange projects in collaboration with foreign governments to stimulate international relations, human rights and civil liberties; Member of Cedars Sinai Hospital Arts Council; Commissioner for the Beverly Hills Architectural Council; Trustee of the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) in Boston working to uphold the museum’s objectives to locate, collect, preserve and present the culture, history, art and contributions of the Armenian people; Trustee of Pilgrim School, a college preparatory school associated with The First Congregational Church of Los Angeles; former Vice President of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Blue Ribbon 400; and Commissioner for the Beverly Hills Arts Council. When she was appointed by the Armenian Minister of Culture to be the honorary commissioner of the Armenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, she founded the American-Armenian Pavilion Council.

Quinn, a Los Angeles native, is a journalist, curator and arts advocate. She was appointed the West Coast editor of Interview magazine by Andy Warhol, and was society editor of Hearst’s Los Angeles Herald Examiner. Her work with Condé Nast included staff positions on Condé Nast Traveller and House and Garden. The interviews conducted on her public television programs, Beverly Hills View and The Joan Quinn Profiles (filmed at the Hollywood Museum) as well as the numerous periodicals to which she has contributed are aimed at sharing information to a multi-cultural society (ie: editor at Manipulator magazine, Germany; senior editor at Stuff magazine, Los Angeles magazine, LA Style, Main magazine, founding arts editor at Venice magazine, Detour, Vogue-Paris).

As a curator, Quinn has presented art and fashion exhibitions by luminaries such as photographer Paul Jasmin (Citrus Gallery); designer Zandra Rhodes (Otis Parsons, La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Parsons School of Design-New York, The Phoenix Museum of Art); Rene Bouche (Otis Parsons); Issey Miyaki (The Mori Museum-Tokyo, Japan and The Contemporary Art Museum-Houston, Texas); and Tandori Yokoo (Otis Parsons). A current project dear to Joan’s heart involves her role as chair of the Art and Spirit exhibition presented in the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. As founder of this project, she partnered with Art Division, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting and training underprivileged youth.

She has earned a reputation as a visionary who, over the last 50 years, has inspired more than 200 artists to paint or sculpt her image. This unique collection includes works by Claire Falkenstein, David Hockney, Billy Al Bengston, Beatrice Wood, Dahlia Elsayed, Shepard Fairey, Robert Graham, Robert Mapplethorpe, Antonio Lopez, Peter Carapetian, Zandra Rhodes, Don Bachardy, George Hurrell, Magu, Tony Berlant, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Srboohie Abajian, Larry Bell, Ed Moses, Frank Gehry and Ed Ruscha, to name a few.

She was married for 55 years to Jack Quinn, who passed away in March 2017, two months prior to her receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. They strongly believed in supporting the need to acknowledge victims of domestic violence in Armenia through the Women’s Support Center in Yerevan. (The WSC, a shelter harboring families in need, is an AIWA program). She credits her participation in public and community service to Jack’s unwavering support and pride in all her endeavors. Their twin daughters, Amanda Quinn Olivar and Jennifer Quinn Gowey, accompanied her to Ellis Island to receive the award.

For more information & reservations, contact: Arsine Phillips at aphillips@pmcos.com or Lily Balian: at  hyeLil@aol.com.

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WATERTOWN — On Sunday, December 17, Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian visited St. James Armenian Church to observe its 86th anniversary and annual Name Day celebration. The Primate presided over the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon of the day.

Afterwards, a banquet to celebrate the Feast of St. James the Bishop of Nisibis (for whom the Watertown church is named) brought together a large crowd to honor several parishioners —including long-serving parish pastor Rev. Arakel Aljalian, who was honored by the Primate with the floral stole.

Also taking part in the day was the parish’s former pastor Rev. Dajad Davidian and assistant pastor, Fr. Arsen Barsamian.

Lifelong parishioner Michael Yapchaian — a leader of the Armenian Church in America on many levels — was presented with the “Parishioner of the Year” award, while Nishan and Margrit Atinizian received the Eastern Diocese’s St. Vartan Award for their decades of service. Outgoing parish council members Edward Kazanjian and Linda Sahagian were recognized for their service.

The banquet also occasioned the formal announcement that St. James had received approval from the Watertown Council to purchase the East Branch Library building next door to the church.

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BELMONT, Mass. — On December 9, 2017, under the auspices of Bishop Mikael Mouradian, Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of US and Canada, a large crowd gathered at the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its move to Belmont.

Present were many prominent members of the greater Boston community, among them were the faithful parishioners of the church, as well as clergy from various other churches.

Nishan and Margrit Atinizian, longtime benefactors of the church, were honored that evening and recognized for their years of devotion and generous support of the church.

Maral Der Torossian, master of ceremonies for the evening and a longtime active member of the church, welcomed the guests and reflected briefly on the history of the church, its goals and its mission. She thanked all present, specially Mouradian for attending. She also thanked the Holy Cross Church’s beloved priest, Monsignor Andon Atamian, for serving and leading the parish with great love and dedication.

Following dinner, Mouradian and Atamian addressed the guests, thanking all for their presence on that snowy and stormy evening, as well as for their continuous support of the church.

Marcel Karian, who has been a longtime devoted parishioner, parish council member, as well as an altar server every Sunday, presented both men with a Declaration of Appreciation, issued by Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

In turn, Atamian invited Nishan and Margrit Atinizian to the stage, and honored them with a commemorative plaque featuring the Armenian Khatchkar, Naregatsi, and martyred Archbishop Maloyan stamps, published by the Vatican on the occasion of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Next, the cultural portion of the evening commenced and Dr. Marine Margarian Kavlakian, a pianist, composer and piano teacher, who also has been the Holy Cross Church Choir music director and organist presented to the audience a couple of musical pieces. Following her performance, Rafael Hovanesian, a young and inspiring jazz singer who was born in Yerevan and recently moved to Los Angeles, entertained the audience with all-time popular Armenian Favorites as well as contemporary pop songs. Accompanying him on the keyboard was local talent, musician and composer, Gegam Margarian.

The evening ended on the joyful notes of the popular song Yerevan/Erebuni, with the whole audience chiming in with great spirits and enthusiasm.

Before Atamian, the longtime pastor of the church was the late Very Rev. Raphael Andonian, a member of the Mekhitarist Order in Venice. In 1995, under the leadership of Father Andonian, with the financial assistance of Petros Palandjian and his building firm Intercontinental, with the talents of architects Nishan and Florence Nahikian, and with financial support of Nishan and Margrit Atinizian, the church purchased a plot in Belmont that became the site for the new church. On September 14, 1997, Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church was consecrated.

The church was formerly located in Cambridge.

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By Fr. Abraham Malkhasyan

Pastor, Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs, Bayside, NY

BAYSIDE, N. Y. — Three years ago, in January 2015, as the Holy Martyrs Genocide Centennial Committee began plans for their year of celebratory events, the idea to symbolically co-name 210^th Street from Horace Harding Expressway to 58^th Avenue as “Armenia Way,” was born. With the help of Garo Sekdorian, former member of Community Board 11 (CB 11) that serves Bayside and the surrounding communities, Dr. Lynn Cetin (Chair of the Centennial Committee) and I embarked on a mission to make this dream a reality. While Dr. Cetin drafted a letter to the Community Board describing the connection of Armenians to Bayside, I personally went door-to-door to all the neighbors on 210th Street to secure their support of symbolically renaming the street. It was important that they understood that the co-naming would not change their actual address, but just be a symbolic gesture to our community. Navigating the world of community politics was new to me and no easy task. With the tremendous help of Garo Sekdorian, I sent letters to community leaders and politicians seeking support for this project. Despite our efforts and the many connections I made with many prominent community members, the project fizzled and the dream of seeing “Armenia Way” on 210^th Street dwindled over the next two years.

Last fall, with a new political climate in the community, I revitalized the street co-naming project and resubmitted an updated letter to Community Board 11. With the support of State Senator Tony Avella and City Council Member Barry Grodenchik, the project regained new life. On December 11, 2017, after almost three years of waiting, I was invited to the Transportation Committee board meeting of CB 11 to present the co-naming project. Dr. Lynn Cetin and I attended the meeting and were excited to hear the committee unanimously vote in approval of the co-naming of 210^th Street. Now, one more step was needed – the approval of the entire community board. On January 8, 2018, Dr. Lynn Cetin, Bruce Ashbahian (Holy Martyrs’ 60^th Anniversary Co-Chairs) and I attended the CB 11 meeting in Bayside. In my public remarks I thanked the local community for their support of Holy Martyrs and the Armenian community for the past six decades. This co-naming is our way of remembering those who established our community years ago and thanking them. Dr. Cetin told the attendees that Holy Martyrs’ annual Street Festival is a way our community has given back to our neighborhood. “Our community has discussed many times about relocating our church, but we have always said that we love Queens and are grateful to the community here. We hope Queens loves us back!” said Dr. Cetin. Community Board Chair Christine Haider told her own story about her connection to Holy Martyrs. A non-Armenian living in the area, Holy Martyrs was the only available kindergarten for her son 49 years ago. She spoke highly of the school and the education her son received. Eileen Miller, another Community Board member, stated that she has lived down the block from Holy Martyrs for 12 years and complimented our church community for being welcoming to the neighbors of all religious backgrounds.

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After three years of waiting and some setbacks, on the evening of January 8 our perseverance prevailed as Community Board 11 voted unanimously to co-name 210^th Street from Horace Harding Expressway to 58^th Avenue as “Armenia Way.”After the vote, which brought applause and congratulations from all, we immediately texted Garo Sekdorian, who now lives in Florida. “What a beautiful gift to Holy Martyrs on its 60^th anniversary!” wrote Garo Sekdorian upon receiving the exciting news.

I am humbled and grateful to all who supported this project from day one. I am especially thankful to our wonderful neighbors on 210^th Street and the members of CB 11. I am excited to see “Armenia Way” on the corner of 210^th Street and will notify all of you about the official street sign unveiling once I am made aware of the details. Nothing is impossible! We must always believe!

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NEW YORK – Araxe Cherishian, born in New York, NY on February 28, 1930 to John and Nazenig Cherishian, passed away on December 19, 2017 in Oradell, NJ. Araxie lived in Manhattan’s Murray Hill neighborhood for decades, and, as the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America wrote in its eulogy, she lived much of her life physically and as well as spiritually close to St. Vartan Cathedral.

From the earliest days of the cathedral, she contributed to its daily life, serving on—or more accurately, helping to found—its numerous committees and outreach projects. She served as senior usher for several decades and was charged with coordinating community outreach for the cathedral. She has served as the chair of the St. Vartan Cathedral Guild and as a leader of the St. Gregory Church parish council and Sunday School.

She was a member of the board of directors of the Armenian Home for the Aged in Flushing, NY, and chair of the Union of Marash Armenians (Compatriotic Union/New York Chapter).

For years, she was president of the “Friends of St. Vartan Park,” which oversees the city park next to the cathedral, and was highly regarded around the municipal government and the local 17^th police precinct.  She was a member of the board of directors of the Murray Hill Committee, the Manhattan East Community Association, and the New York Police Department’s 17th Precinct Community Council. She worked as a volunteer reading tutor with the Volunteer Services for Children project for around two decades.

She was presented with the 2004 Recognition Award by Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts III, president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York. She was recognized for her “pious, loving soul” that has given strength and inspiration to the Armenian community. Saying we do God’s work and serve as His hands, she told the attendees that her service stemmed from seeing her parents give back and support the community and church. She was merely following their example.

In 2004, her brother-in-law Onnig Halajian declared: “The qualities that define Araxie best are her spirit of service to her community, Armenian and non-Armenian, and a compulsion to care for her fellow men for their material and moral needs. Such qualities are rare and do not come by chance. I see her as a product of an upbringing by parents who have also made an impression on me by virtue of their unadvertised love for people, for their community, and for their ancestral church.”

Araxie’s larger role was truly unique. She was the “human spirit” of the cathedral: the personification of the kindly, faithful, welcoming spirit that has prevailed in the Armenian Church through the centuries. Araxie Cherichian was a person of grace and generosity, with a wonderful feeling of patriotism and gratitude for America—and an abiding love for the city she called home.

“It was a true privilege to experience the faith-filled humanity of this Armenian Christian woman,” said Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian in a condolence message read at her funeral. “That quality, above all, is what we will always honor in her—and what we will miss hereafter. Her beautiful personality—quiet, but full of life; unobtrusive, yet always eager to lend a helping hand—has left an indelible mark on this institution, and will never be forgotten here.”

Her funeral service took place on December 29, 2017 at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, and she was interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Flushing, NY.

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BELMONT, Mass. — William C. Rempel, a veteran investigative reporter who spent more than three decades at the Los Angeles Times, will present his new book, The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Dealmaker in Capitalist History, on Thursday, February 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center, 395 Concord Ave.

The program is open to the public and copies of The Gambler will be available for purchase and signing by the author.

The Gambler is the rags-to-riches story of one of America’s wealthiest and least-known financial giants, self-made billionaire Kirk Kerkorian—the daring aviator, movie mogul, risk-taker, and business tycoon who transformed Las Vegas and Hollywood to become one of the leading financiers in American business.

In this engrossing biography, Rempel digs deep into Kerkorian’s long-guarded history to introduce a man of contradictions — a poorly educated genius for deal-making, an extraordinarily shy man who made the boldest of business ventures, a careful and calculating investor who was willing to bet everything on a single roll of the dice.

Rempel’s 36-year career at the Los Angeles Times, both as a writer and an editor, produced a collection of high-profile projects. His groundbreaking reports on Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were published before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and his extensive coverage of supertanker safety flaws began years before the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.

Rempel’s work has been recognized with numerous journalistic honors, including an Overseas Press Club award and the Gerald Loeb Award. He was also a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. And in 2015 he toured the former Soviet states of Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia for the US State Department, meeting with professional and student journalists to advocate the value of aggressive investigative reporting in those young democracies.

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By Edmond Y. Azadian

Armenia cannot entertain or exercise any political culture which is alien to the region, just as it cannot isolate itself from the corruption and cronyism which have defined the post-Soviet era.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev have been playing musical chairs in the Kremlin to perpetuate Mr. Putin’s rule well into the 2030s. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev changed to country’s constitution to perpetuate the Aliyev dynasty’s rule forever, with his wife Mehriban Aliyeva appointed as vice president to assure a smooth succession. In neighboring Turkey, the ruling AKP party succeeded in holding a referendum to consolidate the pedestal of Sultan Erdogan. Now, its Armenia’s turn to follow the trend.

President Serzh Sargsyan, after serving two terms, had his back against the wall. He could not even emulate the Russian model because he could not find a reliable partner to swap offices with and he feared falling into the trap he had designed himself for his predecessor. Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, under whom Sargsyan served as prime minister, had believed that by ushering Sargsyan to the presidential palace, the throne would be waiting for him at the end of the presidential term.

It is part and parcel of the post-Soviet political culture to cling to power as long as possible by altering the government structure to skirt democratic principles.

Armenia held its referendum in a timely fashion to convert the system from presidential rule to parliamentary. Thus, political parties were empowered to elect the president, taking away the citizens’ right to speak. The name of the game is indirect democracy. There will certainly take place a power transfer from the office of the president to the prime minister, with the former mainly playing a ceremonial role.

At the end of the long New Year holidays, Armenia entered the pre-election mode, although no visible political activity has been witnessed yet and the mood may continue since the political scenario remains so transparent.

It is anticipated that a new president will be elected by March 2 of this year and take office on May 9, at the end of President Sargsyan’s term.

It takes two-thirds votes (79) of the parliament to elect the president.

Which party can propose candidates for president? Certainly not the opposition Yelk (Exit) party of Nikol Pashinyan, because it cannot garner more than 9 votes. Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia party can command enough votes to come up with its own candidate, but it does not seem to be a possibility after that party’s internal shake-up. The ruling Republican Party, joined by coalition partner the ARF, can command a majority and it will exercise that power. Although the head of the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party Vahram Baghdassarian has feigned ignorance about any discussion to nominate the next presidential candidate, names have already been circulating which include Bako Sahakyan, the current president of Nagorno Karabakh, Arkady Ghukassyan, the former president of Karabakh, Gagik Harutyunyan, the president of the Supreme Court, and Edward Nalbandian, the current foreign minister.

Incidentally, many statesmen, after completing their apprenticeships in Karabakh, have moved to occupy positions of power in Armenia. The traffic has only been in one direction: Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Arkady Ghukassyan, Alik Harutyunyan, Seyran Ohanian and others.

When once Levon Ter-Petrosian brought up this trend, he was accused of pitting Karabakh Armenians against the citizens of Armenia proper.

At this point, Gagik Harutyunyan is still needed in his position, which he has occupied since independence. He is a survivor, as he has ingratiated himself to all succeeding administrations by rubberstamping many controversial issues and legislations.

Nalbandian has the best chance because of his suave diplomacy and linguistic skills.

There is no room to guess who would be nominated to the position of prime minister because all those changes were made to perpetuate Mr. Sargsyan’s and his Republican Party’s rule. Therefore, on April 9, all he has to do is change his hat from president to continue to rule the country as prime minister. The only technicality remains for his party to nominate him for the position and to garner 50 percent of the votes. Technically, the president has to nominate the prime minister and he has the power to turn down the candidate selected by the parliament but in reality, that option is off the table. If the unforeseen happens, Mr. Sargsyan is savvy and experienced enough to have an alternative candidate up his sleeve who will not tip the cart.

Citizens in Armenia do not anticipate any changes in their daily lives, because the same leadership cannot offer anything other than what it has provided thus far. In anticipation of the forthcoming elections, Sargsyan has forewarned against price hikes. But in a cabinet meeting, he confided that the market fluctuations reflect world trends. However, before those trends cross Armenia’s borders, they are subject to the oligarchs’ monopolies, which can distort commodity prices.

Cosmetic changes have also been introduced in the tax code. The tax rate for the poor, receiving less than 175,000 drams a year has been reduced a few percentage points, which will be offset by the rise of commodity prices and rampant inflation (15 percent). And as the prices of food items climb, the salaries and pensions remain stationary to further strain family budgets.

Any citizen earning 175,000 drams a year or more will pay 2 percent more in taxes, which will further stifle the middle class. The middle class is the backbone of any society, and Armenia has yet to learn how to cultivate and enlarge this group.

It is almost embarrassing to find out that neighboring Georgia has been able to curtail corruption but Armenia cannot. Some cynics argue that Armenia has to run a parallel shadow economy to be able to pay the election bribes!

The president’s promise to increase the population to 4 million by 2040 has yet to be backed by an economic plan. With the pace of emigration and the death rate, Armenia has been experiencing a negative population growth. Perhaps the only other alternative remains to set up a number of fertility clinics to boost the population.

The diaspora certainly does not have a say in the forthcoming governmental structure change, although there is talk that the president needs to appeal to the diasporans, which until recently the government treated in a cavalier manner. Armenia’s perspective of Diasporan Armenians was shaped in the Soviet era and it continues to resist change. That policy is not limited to the current administration but refers to all successive leaders. They do not possess the wherewithal, perspective and mechanisms to work with organized structures; therefore they opt to enlist individuals of means who are more susceptible to be impressed by the glitter of medals. Or they wreak havoc by infiltrating parties to morally bribe some “hopefuls” among the leadership to play them against others. Even the ARF, which is a more disciplined party, has sustained some stress when the silence and cooperation of some party members in Armenia are bought.

Armenians outside the country may be considered to be more naïve and romantic for refusing to accept the current reality, wishing a more prosperous future for the people in Armenia, trying to halt emigration, raising the economic standards of living, etc.

We hope against hope that the transition would bring radical change in Armenia and its relations with the diaspora.

It is not mutually exclusive to love Armenia and to point out some of its disastrous trends.

The post Armenia in Transition appeared first on The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

LOS ANGELES (People) — Alexis Ohanian is reflecting on the moment he almost lost his wife, Serena Williams, and their daughter.

The Reddit co-founder shared a photo from Williams’ Vogue photo shoot on Instagram Thursday with their 4-month-old daughter Alexis Olympia, and began his caption with a sweet note, writing, “This one is going on the desk at work.”

Ohanian, 34, continued, “I can’t imagine life without these two,” referring to Vogue’s February cover story in which Williams, 36, described her difficult experience giving birth to her first child and the subsequent major health complications which followed

Ohanian continued, “This ordeal, as well as the weeks and months after, has made me an even bigger advocate for paid parental leave (not just for my employees — men & women alike — but for all). We’re blessed in a lot of ways and I couldn’t imagine a new parent going through all of that without all the support, financial security, and flexibility we had.”

Williams revealed to Vogue that her plummeting heart rate reached dangerously low levels during contractions, leading to an emergency cesarean section.

Though the surgery went well, what followed was a six-day battle with a pulmonary embolism that led to multiple surgeries and a handful of additional medical troubles for Williams.

“That was an amazing feeling,” Williams recalled of having a crying newborn fall silent when laid on her mother’s chest seconds after birth. “And then everything went bad.”

Symptoms of Williams’ problems began the day after her daughter’s birth, as Williams experienced sudden shortness of breath while recovering in the hospital.

Having had blood clots in the past and because she wasn’t taking blood thinners due to her c-section, she knew that the breathing problems she was experiencing were due to another pulmonary embolism and immediately told the nearest nurse (between gasps for breath) that she needed a CT scan with contrast and IV heparin.

The nurse, however, thought Williams was just feeling confused from her pain medication. Instead, doctors performed an ultrasound of her legs, which ultimately revealed nothing.

“I was like, ‘A Doppler? I told you, I need a CT scan and a heparin drip,’” Williams remembers.

When they finally listened, the CT turned up several small blood clots, which had settled into her lungs. “I was like, ‘Listen to Dr. Williams!’ ” she jokes as she was put on the blood thinner drip.

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