July 3, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The Armenian parliament has failed to pass a bill that would have placed severe restrictions on foreign broadcast media, particularly RFE/RL.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/7/BB6F8DCC-A266-43BA-86D9-4DB560DBBD0A.html

Parliament Debates. International Community Chastises. Citizens Galvanize.

A group of activists organized primarily through the efforts of Sksela, Transparency International, together with the cooperation and participation of many NGOs and media outlets (after we sent out mass emails stressing to each that such a dangerous step regarding restricted media specifically required their attention and action), gathered at Freedom Square and marched to the gates of Parliament on Baghramyan Avenue, with covered mouths symblizing the silencing of free and diverse media, and bearing a 10 meter long poster which proclaimed "Nrank kvyarkelen azadutyan dem" ("They voted against Freedom"), in bold letters and then listed the names of the 100+ members of Parliament who voted for the bill on Friday.

The second reading of the bill was scheduled for this afternoon.

Photos Onnik Krikorian's and mine.

Armenian Parliament Debating Foreign-Media Bill (RFE/RL)YEREVAN, July 2, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Armenia's parliament is debating the second and final reading of a bill that would restrict foreign-broadcast media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported.

Several hundred press-freedom advocates, meanwhile, have gathered outside parliament to demonstrate against the law. The bill, which passed its first reading on June 29, would block foreign broadcasters' access to public frequencies and heavily tax the domestic retransmission of foreign-made programs. (more)

Football fuss

So much for hoping that "the beautiful game" could unite the world...and/or proof that Franklin Foer's thesis in "How Soccer Explains the World" is accurate. In that the game reflects politics and globalization in a microcosm.

Armenian-Azerbaijani Soccer Matches Canceled

BAKU/YEREVAN, June 26, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has ruled that the qualifying matches between Armenia and Azerbaijan for the Euro 2008 soccer championship will not take place.

Europe's soccer governing body said in a June 23 statement that it had decided to cancel the two matches "as no suitable compromise can be found." As a result, both teams will receive zero points.

The two matches were to be played in September. But the soccer associations from both countries couldn't agree on where.

Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been sour since the early 1990s when they fought a war over the predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia did not object to the matches taking place in Armenia and Azerbaijan. But Azerbaijan wanted the games held on neutral territory. Baku said it would be difficult to guarantee the safety of the Armenian players on Azerbaijani territory.

(full article)

To be sure, OSCE is not the only one criticizing.

OSCE Criticizes Planned Armenian Media Restrictions June 28, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A top media freedom advocate has criticized proposed amendments to Armenia's legal code that would
severely restrict foreign broadcast media.

Miklos Haraszti, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe's media freedom representative, called on Armenian
lawmakers not to adopt the amendments, saying they
were incompatible with OSCE commitments to media freedoms.

Under the draft amendments, Armenian broadcasters
would have to pay a sharply increased fee for each aired program made by a
foreign media organization.

The legislation would also ban Armenian Public
Television and Radio (HHHR) from retransmitting programs of foreign
broadcasters.

RFE/RL's Armenian Service primarily relies on HHHR's
radio frequencies to air its daily news programs across Armenia.

Haraszti said that as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
is currently the only foreign media outlet using the HHHR frequency, the
adoption of the amendments "would amount to a ban on their programs in
Armenia."

Armenia: Government Moves Against Foreign Broadcast Media June 28, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Armenia's National Assembly is due today to debate government draft amendments that could end Armenian-language broadcasts of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Among the amendments is a proposal to ban, or put a heavy fine on, retransmission of foreign-broadcast programs.

The two draft amendments sent to the parliament late on June 26 were swiftly condemned by local media rights groups and top opposition leaders.

(more) http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/06/e668c742-c73d-4df6-ba43-f6b26db6ac9c.html

La Fête de la Musique en Arménie!

Held around the world in 130 countries and 400 cities, and this year for the first time in Yerevan, the Fête de la Musique is my new favorite obsession! Concerts held all over the streets, in the open air. As the French have told me "it is the night when no one can tell you to be quiet!" Perfect weather, music resonating off old buildings, diverse bands and musicians playing just meters away from one another...a mass celebration of music all over the world, on the longest days of the year- the summer solstice.

In Yerevan, the philharmonic orchestra played a free concert, children's singing groups performed by Komitas' statue, but later in the evening it was lovely Abovian street whose scene was not to be missed. Reggae-band Reincarnation brought smiles to everyone crowded around Square One, The Beautified Project and of course Bambir brought their unstopable energy out to Charles Aznavour square...and the Fête ended with a finale of a remarkable new jazz band The Zoo playing at the French Terrace (how apropos), under cafe umbrellas while the warm summer rain started to drizzle in, with the smell of wine and strawberry hookah floating in the air...

http://www.21juin2007.net/
http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr/index_flash.php

Yes. Thank you. Finally.

Kindergarten through 4th-graders at Mid-Prairie Elementary School in Kalona, Iowa (Iowa!) will have the chance to learn Arabic after receiving a federal three-year grant for a language program (full article).

Cary and his classmates are in one of the classes of kindergarten through fifth-grade students who have started to receive lessons in the language this past month. While studies show the benefits of learning a second language at a young age, why Arabic?

Because of the Middle East, increasingly important in world affairs and where Arabic predominantly is spoken, said Susie Swartzendruber, Kalona Elementary's Arabic program coordinator.

“I just feel like this is our way to help our students start looking at that part of the world in a different way,” Swartzendruber said. “I think this is a great way to build understanding.”

art imitates life

Two nights ago I finished watching a documentary called Gaza Strip, which was recommended to me by a friend. The doc was filmed during the second intifada in 2001, and the camera mostly follows children in east Gaza, where many were wounded and killed by Israeli soldiers- making the devastation of the conflict all the more difficult to swallow. The film particularly follows one 13 year old, Mohammed Hajezi, and his friends, who are a part of "a new generation of Palestian boys who risk their lives hurling stones over barbed wire fences at Israeli tanks, in symblic gesture of resistance to the occupation."

Upon turning off the DVD player and flipping back to tv mode- which is permanently set to CNN- imagine my suprise to see images of the very same streets in Gaza with headlines about the anarchy resulting in a dissolved Palestinian unity government. It hurts me to think that perhaps some of the bemasked faces I was seeing on the live-feed, today, in 2007, could be the very same young teenage boys I had just watched immortalized in Longley's film 6 years ago, now grown into men with unresolved frustrations ceaslessly fueled by the realities of the life they dealt with in childhood. When will children be able to live as children...

Tribeca!

Congratulations to Vardan and Bars Media!!!

Tribeca Film Festival 2007:
Best New Documentary Filmmaker
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/tff-aj-2007-awards.html

http://www.warandpeacefilm.com/

I'd like to think that as a Researcher in the credits of this film, I share part of the award ;-)

ICTs and protests

Text messaging in Venezuela is now a primary tool of the opposition movement

MIA

My little brother recently asks me "Done circling the world?"
Well, even with 4 new stamps in my passport my grand total of countries visited is only 8% of the world (18 countries) according to http://douweosinga.com/, so the answer is - no, not quite.



create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands


In the meantime, dozens of notable things have been happening around me; I will try to resume my habit of blogging with more regularity...

Balkan pop music...

I must admit that I had hoped/imagined that there would be gypsies dancing on tables, but its actually some modern variation of this going on in the clubs in Bulgaria...even in the charming little town of Plovdiv.

A musical genre that is ready to be exported??



hahah...
Chalga (Чалга) is a form of Bulgarian popular music drawing from Balkan folk traditions and incorporating Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Roma (Gypsy) influences, as well as motifs from Balkan traditional music, flamenco and klezmer music.

Often indistinguishable from Bulgarian pop music, it remains popular as music played in dance clubs and pubs. It is denigrated as a second-rate musical genre and originating from foreign sources, and its lyrics are gnerally considered to be banal and pointless by most educated Bulgarians. Critics of the genre have frequently complained that chalga fans are uneducated or unrefined; some of them refer to the genre as truck driver or taxi driver music. Chalga is known for repetitious themes and hook-laden dance rhythms. Its commercial exploitation has resulted in a vibrant night scene, especially in Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) and Varna, as well as many televised videos featuring extravagantly glamorized singers. Azis, a Roma cross-dresser, epitomizes the cheap and addictive quality of the genre...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalga

Spending the first days of May in a country without a President :)

Romania suspends president over abuse claim
POSTED: 1237 GMT (2037 HKT), April 19, 2007

BUCHAREST, Romania (Reuters) -- Romania's parliament suspended President Traian Basescu on Thursday on charges of unconstitutional conduct, deepening the country's political woes and raising the prospect of new presidential elections.

The move deepened political strife in the Balkan European Union newcomer, which analysts say may struggle to meet the bloc's requirements on structural reforms and prepare to absorb billions of euros in aid.

The suspension, passed in a vote of 322 deputies to 108, opens the way for a national referendum on his impeachment within 30 days although Basescu said this week he would resign if suspended.

"Traian Basescu is a political project that failed. He is incapable of pushing the country forward, of uniting it," Mircea Geoana, head of the leftist opposition party PSD, told parliament during the debate.

Basescu has faced numerous accusations of abusing power from the ruling centrists as well as the leftist opposition in recent months as politicians across party lines jostle for influence following EU accession in January.

The suspension was proposed by the leftist opposition party PSD, in what analysts said was an attempt by the Social Democrats to regain power and boost public support badly damaged by corruption scandals.

Their charges against Basescu, which the constitutional court said were groundless, included fomenting political instability, putting pressure on the judiciary and interfering in favour of interest groups.

In a last minute attempt to sway deputies to vote against Basescu, the PSD also accused him on Wednesday of blackmailing constitutional court judges to clear him.
The straight-talking Basescu, Romania's most popular politician, denies the accusations.
Some say political instability has already dented Romania's chances for reaping quick benefits from its new EU membership.

Romania may see the EU refuse to accept the decisions of its courts if anti-corruption reforms do not continue, or it could lose export markets if food safety standards are not met.

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Lessons

Analysts say Kyrgyzstan has developed a "culture of demonstrations" that is making stability elusive.

This resonates with other lessons-learned which have been offered from various civic movements around the world- for example Kmara of Georgia. They warn that the biggest mistake was losing momentum after the change in power. The naivity of believeing that simply a change of guard would automatically translate into constructive changes and a properly functioning system.

It may sound hypocritical of me to say, but while rallies and public support are critical, without institutions or a system in place to address the aftermath, it can undermine the success of a democracy.

Thursday, April 12, 2007
Kyrgyzstan: When Is The Revolution Going To End?
By Bruce Pannier

(TASS) April 12, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Whatever one chooses to call it, the "Tulip" or "People's" Revolution in Kyrgyzstan in March 2005 carried hope for many of a better era. But much of the past two years has been tumultuous, characterized by protests, quarrels within the government, and increasingly abusive language between government and opposition politicians.

The word "stability" arises in virtually any discussion of events in Kyrgyzstan, but it appears to be more elusive now than ever.

Opposition groups in Kyrgyzstan are currently holding a rally aimed at forcing President Kurmanbek Bakiev to make way for an early presidential election. The demonstrators are also demanding constitutional reforms.

An Era Of Demonstrations

There have been more demonstrations in Kyrgyzstan since independence in 1991 than in the other four Central Asian states combined. But since the revolution that ousted former President Askar Akaev two years ago, breaks between protests have been rare -- they seem to come one after another. The frequency of rallies in Kyrgyzstan has led some to comment that the country is in danger of becoming a failed state.

"Two years after March 2005, we have to say that many if not most of the slogans of the Tulip Revolution have not been realized," Edil Baisalov, the head of Kyrgyzstan's Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, said of the near-constant protests in Kyrygzstan during a recent appearance at RFE/RL offices in Washington. "For many in Kyrgyzstan, it only turned into a change of a few nameplates on some of the highest floors [of the government building]. But everything else remained; and what we hoped for was to receive a moral revolution that would, first of all,
mean not only change of regime but change in the way the people and government communicate [and] that many of the formerly acceptable levels of corruption and arrogance -- these sort of things would go away. Not only have they not gone away, but many people will tell you that they have multiplied."
[...]

This article brings up another good point- one that a friend who is a part of Sksel a brought up to me in conversation a few weeks ago. Thoughts that I echo, and will summarize here.

It’s not a revolution its "evolution". What needs improvement in our country is first and foremost the citizenry. If the government were overthrown and a new one put in place- we’d still end up in the same place so long as society is the same. What we are aiming for is a social awakening. An engaged citizenry that is alert, engaged, proactive, inquisitive and responsible and feels a sense of ownership. We want to infuse and strengthen a value system. How are we doing this? Through leading by example. Our actions and protests began with 5 and 6 people. We are creating a small model of the type of society we’d like to see. Every subsequent event that gathers us more visibility, more friends, and more interested viewers and eventually more people who join us is a step towards expanding that model a little bit larger. And a little bit larger after that. And larger still. So when people ask us what we mean by “sksel a” it is this movement we mean.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”
-Mahatma Ghandi

It's our city and we'll dance wherever we want to.

"Baghramyan Avenue is not an appropriate place to dance."

- Serge Sarkissian

(former Defense Minister, recently appointed Prime Minister), 4/12/04

On April 12, 2004, thousands of Armenian citizens filled Baghramyan avenue facing the Parliamentary building, in protest against the fraudulent elections and calling for the President's resignation. Among the masses, a group of patriotic Armenians lifted their friends over their shoulders and began a traditional circle dance in the middle of the street.



Baghramyan Ave. - April 12, 2004


Shortly thereafter, the protest was dispersed by irreprehensible, unnecessary and brutal violence by military police.

On April 12, 2007, around 7:30pm, a group of about 20 Armenians gathered at the intersection of Baghramyan and Demirchyan Avenues, once again facing Parliament, and for just a few minutes ran into the middle the intersection to form a circle and dance.



Baghramyan Ave. - April 12, 2007

The people involved (some of whom were victim to beatings in 2004, some of whom were witness, and others who were not at all present that day) organized this event yesterday to remind the country and this government of what happened just 3 years ago; that violence against peace is always wrong; to demonstrate in solidarity that peoples' freedoms must never be taken away; and to symbollically state that they will not stand for this country's government to pressure their fellow Armenians - not in 1996, not in 2004, not in 2007 and not in 2008.


article in Armenian: http://www.a1plus.am/am/?page=issue&iid=47850

Shocked and in Awe

Albania : Large Rally in Tirana in Defence of Press Freedom

Around 100,000 people gathered in Tirana's main square on 13 April in protest against government pressure on the news media. Prime Minister Sali Berisha has accused certain media of being in the service of organised crime and, a few weeks ago, the judicial authorities began investigating some news media on suspicion of tax evasion. Press representatives claim that only media critical of the government are being targeted.

www.mjaft.org

The Rose Revolution

After visiting Tblisi, I couldn't help but notice some very striking differences in the level of development in our neighboring Caucasian capital city. Certainly on the a very surface level the city seems very developed and european. Infrastructure exists, city-planning is paid attention to, the streets are clean, customer service is pleasant, and cops don't take bribes.

It's striking to think that perhaps thanks to the successful Rose Revolution in 2003, Georgia's fate completely turned around while Armenia's attempts to revolt against fraudulent parliamentary elections were violently stamped out in the streets in 2004. How much did that supression affect the will of the Armenian people and undermine their sense of ownership to their state, and how much did the Georgian's success bolster theirs?

There are of course many other factors to consider when comparing the progress of the two countries- such as Georgia's more strategic location with access to the Black Sea, its partership in the Ceyhan-Baku oil pipeline which will undoubtedly make huge profits for the country, and it's very cozy strategic relationship with the US. I also know that Saakashvilli's tactics bordered on authoritarian during the beginning of his presidential tenure, but perhaps that hard-line approach of throwing scores of oligarchs and mafiosos in jail was just the clean-up job that was neccessary.

However, the question is how much of the changes are on the surface. How do actual Georgians' lives compare to their lives pre-rose revolution? Particularly outside of lovely Tblisi?

Just found this very informative, interactive site which discusses progress (or not) in the regions.

"Georgia: Revolution in the Regions"
http://www.eurasianet.org/georgia/index.html

Demonstration cut short...

The idea is to create a concerned citizenry- one which is aware of what is going on its country, and voices its concerns because it recognizes its right and responsibility to play an active role. The idea is growing momentum as evidenced by the fact that attendance at Sunday's Sksela/Transparency organized demonstration was higher than ever.

The 'cause celebre' of this particular demonstration? The illegal construction happening in downtown Yerevan and the unconstitutional eviction of people from their homes in order to make way for said construction.

Great article about the demonstration...I wish you could all read Armenian:
http://echannel.am/?topic_id=238&PHPSESSID=fcc1229b858c3648ff0a94ec0cf76889

However, just a few blocks short of reaching the Mayor's office (the final destination of the petition which was signed by hundreds), the march was cut short as the following, highly unexpected, news became public:

PRIME MINISTER OF RA ANDRANIK MARGARYAN DIED
[02:01 pm] 25 March, 2007

Today Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, head of the Republican Party of
Armenia Andranik Margaryan died of heart attack.

What does this mean?

YEREVAN, March 26 (RIA Novosti) - Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has accepted the government’s resignation following the death of Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan, a government spokesman said Monday.

PM Markaryan, 55, the leader of the Republican Party, part of a ruling coalition, died of a heart attack March 25.

“The head of state has directed Cabinet members to continue with their duties until a new Cabinet of Ministers is formed,” the spokesman said.

Under Armenia’s Constitution, the president can accept the government’s resignation if the post of prime minister becomes vacant for any reason.

A new prime minister is to be appointed within 10 days, while a new government is to be formed within 20 days following the prime minister’s appointment.

And so, the opportunity arises to appoint a new Prime Minister and government just one and half months away from Parliamentary elections...an interesting new chapter of Armenian politics is sure to unfold right before our eyes.

Skeptics will likely denounce the elections as entirely superflous at this point. Let's just let the new predetermined government assemble itself and get it over with, without going through all the symbolic motions and pretending that the public actually has some say in the whole thing...

Ironically, things come full circle. Sksela: Armenia needs you.

Cultural Diplomacy

Interesting website. "The think tank for everyday democracy"- DEMOS' thoughts on "cultural diplomacy":

Cultural Diplomacy argues that the huge global reach and potential of Britain’s world class artistic and cultural assets – from Razorlight to the Royal Ballet - should be at the heart of government relationship building abroad.

Cultural Diplomacy argues that, more than ever before, culture has a vital role to play in international relations. This stems from the wider, connective and human values that culture has: culture is both the means by which we come to understand others, and an aspect of life with innate worth that we enjoy and seek out. Cultural enables us to appreciate points of commonality and, where there are differences, to understand the motivations and humanity that underlie them.

As identity politics exert an increasing influence on domestic and international exchanges, culture is therefore a critical forum for negotiation and a medium of exchange in finding shared solutions. Cultural contact provides a forum for unofficial political relationship-building: it keeps open negotiating channels with countries where political connections are in jeopardy, and helps to recalibrate relationships for changing times with emerging powers such as India and China. In the future, alliances are just as likely to be forged along lines of cultural understanding as they are on
economic or geographic ones.

However, culture should not be used as a tool of public diplomacy. The value of cultural activity comes precisely from its independence, its freedom and the fact that it represents and connects people, rather than necessarily governments or policy positions. Cultural Institutions and others in the cultural sector must not only retain their independence, but also be brought more into the policy-making process.

A little olive branch, but not a cross

It should be spelled "Akh-Tamar"

Turkey fixes Armenian church as gesture

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer

AKDAMAR ISLAND, Turkey - An ancient Armenian church, perched on a rocky island in a vast lake, has become a modern symbol of the divisions and fitful efforts at reconciliation between Turks and Armenians whose history of bloodshed drives their troubled relationship.

The Akdamar church, one of the most precious remnants of Armenian culture 1,000 years ago, deteriorated over the last century, a victim of neglect after Turks carried out mass killings of Armenians as the Ottoman Empire crumbled around the time of World War I. Rainwater seeped through the collapsed, conical dome, treasure-hunters dug up the basalt floor, and shepherds took potshots with rifles at the facade.

[...]

Next week, the church will showcase Turkey's tentative steps to improving ties with its ethnic Armenian minority, as well as neighboring Armenia. Turkey completed a $1.5 million restoration of the sandstone building, and invited Armenian officials to a ceremony there on March 29 to mark what Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has called a "positive" message.

[...]

"A positive sign and a move on the part of Turkey ...would be the opening of the border with Armenia and establishment of diplomatic relations," the news agency Armenpress quoted Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian as saying this week. He said the Armenian delegation could reach the church by
land in just a few hours if the border were open, but instead will have to fly to Istanbul, and then take another flight back toward the Armenian border.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 during a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a Muslim ally of Ankara. The move hurt the economy of tiny, landlocked Armenia. Turkey also lobbied against a proposed U.S. congressional resolution that would recognize the killings of Armenians in the last century as genocide. Some of Turkey's 65,000 Armenian Orthdox Christians say they endure harassment in Turkey, which has an overwhelmingly Muslim population.

Hrant Dink, the ethnic Armenian journalist murdered in Istanbul in January, was apparently targeted by nationalists for his commentaries on minority rights and free expression.

Patriarch Mesrob II, the spiritual head of the Armenian Orthodox community in Turkey, has asked the government to mount a cross on top of the church, which used to have one, and to allow periodic eligious services there.

The government has yet to respond, but placement of a cross could be sensitive for Erdogan, who plans to attend the inauguration ceremony, and his Islamic-rooted government. The symbolism could upset some Muslims, and Turkey's powerful military, might regard it as a concession to Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.

moderation

From Well-Having to Well Being
Nathan Gardels, Fall 2000

To raise the notion of frugality in the midst of the greatest consumer boom in economic history may seem wildly out of place. But if globalization only half succeeds in lifting many more millions into the middle class in this century, by necessity frugality will become a virtue.

[...]

The technological promise that we can have our cake and eat it too may well substitute for self-limitation up to a certain threshold. In the end, however, the expectation that some kind of planetary liposuction will save us from ourselves can be no substitute for a lean ethos that emphasizes the art of living over the ideology of consumerism.

Clearly, the answer is not technology but a cultural transformation that redefines wealth as well-being instead of well-having. The alternative of frugality does not mean poverty. It means living intelligently instead of wastefully as if there were no tomorrow, as if the polar icecap would never melt no matter how hot the fevered pitch of industrialized desire...

Proper Education
Eric Prydz, Winter 2006