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

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.

After LENGTHY national debate, some form of dual citizenship is here

Dual citizenship law passed
26.02.2007 15:36
YEREVAN (YERKIR) - With 66 pro, 5 con votes and 1 abstention, Armenian National Assembly adopted the amendments to the Law on dual citizenship at second reading. The United Labor party voted against. The opposition did not participate in the voting.

Let us remind that this amendment establishes the institute of dual citizenship in the republic and our compatriots residing in different sites of the world gain the right to elect and be elected.

Dual citizens cannot run for president and parliament, they will not be allowed to be members of the Constitutional Court.

According to Justice Minister David Harutyunyan, political agreement has been reached on the following issue: “Dual citizens who have no place of registration in Armenia will not participate in elections. Correspondingly, dual citizens having a place of registration in Armenia attain franchise. In fact, no additional precincts will be opened for citizens not registered in Armenia.

The date is set; and so it begins

As if it hasn't already been said enough times, this election season is extremely critical: it needs to come off clean and fair, most notably so that people have a semblance of restored faith in the system to give them a reason to vote in the VERY crucial presidential elections next year in '08.

Most observers say that if this country has one, maximum two, more fraudulent elections then that's it. It will be nearly impossible to alter the course Armenia is on (a corrupt system of feudalism, servitude to Russia, and no freedom or defense of citizens' rights) after that.

This article presents just some of the story. But there's so much more...


Decision 2007 Comes May 12: Will it be fair?
ArmeniaNow
By Gayane Abrahamyan

A decree signed this week by President Robert Kocharyan places the Parliamentary elections on May 12.

Now that the date has been settled, the over-riding question remains whether these elections – unlike any in independent Armenia – can be fairly executed.

Garegin Azaryan, chairman of the Central Electoral Commission believes the new electoral code gives an opportunity to hold free, fair and transparent elections.

[...]

Last week the representatives of the oppositional forces met the US Deputy Vice State Secretary, American co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk group Matthew Bryza and shared their opinions on the upcoming election in Armenia.

“Bryza said the adoption of the new code seems to be a step forward; I disagree with the assessment. Elections are falsified independent of the code,” says Manukyan.

Artak Zeynalyan of the Political Council of Hanrapetutyun (Republic) Party has also shared his party’s concerns about the falsifications with Bryza.

“We brought proper arguments supporting the idea that the changes in the electoral code will just facilitate the frauds in the coming election and will make them less discernible,” says Zeynalyan.

[...]
Politicians and ordinary citizens lack hopes for having free elections alike.

The recent survey held jointly by the Armenian Sociological Association and the Gallup Institute among 1,200 residents of Armenia has shown 69 percent of the respondents are confident the elections will be neither free nor fair, while 61 percents believe the authorities in Armenia undertake no sufficient measures to prevent the falsifications in elections.

Happy Belated

A few photos from the Independence Day Parade on Sept. 21st. Apparently, there hadn't been a parade of any kind here for about 8 years. Historic day. The "parade" was more a show of the Republic's hardware and military might, than floats and flowers...but it drew a big crowd to Republic Square for an afternoon of patriotic solidarity.

Though, to be honest, of several dozen photos taken that day, my absolute favorite of this adorable little boy impossibly wedged between the knees of hundreds of people trying to watch the parade. Little man, I feel your pain.

No small feat

15 years of independence. phew. a BIG congratulations is in order.
Here is my favorite photo from the eve-of.

International Childrens' Day and First Republic Day

Yerevan celebrated International Childrens' Day by setting up a major show on the Cascade. I don't know if I've ever seen so many people buzzing around one place in Armenia before. The Cascade is a fantastic venue. The peformances were great(including my favorite, the Armenian Navy Band). The city was filled with energy. It made me so happy and hopeful to be a part of such a vibrant and colorful evening solely devoted to celebrating children. For all those who complain that the development process is too slow here and that it will still take another generation to really see some changes: here are those children who will make those changes.


Another cause to celebrate recently was May 28th. This marks the independce day of Armenia's First Republic (1918-1920). The Dashnagtsutyun (the political party who won that victory and ran the Armenian government during the first republic) organized a performance up at "victory park," complete with dancing and fireworks late into the night...