Soldier Wounded inAzerbaijani Shot VolleySTEPANAKERT (Panorama.am) — Armenian ser-

viceman Tatul Aramayis Harutyunyan, 20, receiveda gunshot wound on April 17 at a little past 6 p.m.in a combat position of a military unit located inthe northern direction of the Artsakh DefenseArmy.

As the Defense Ministry of the Artsakh Republicreported in a released statement, the incidentoccurred due to the ceasefire violation by theAzerbaijani forces. The wounded soldier has beenhospitalized with a condition assessed as severe.

According to the source, an investigation isunderway.

600,000 Tourists HaveVisit Armenia This Year

YEREVAN (Arka) — About 600,000 tourists visit-ed Armenia in the first quarter of 2017, 18.2 per-cent more than in the same period of last year,Zarmine Zeituntsyan, the head of the StateCommittee for Tourism said this week. She addedtourists from Iran (17.7 percent) and Russia (7.5percent had increased.

According to her, 82,000 Russians visited tin thefirst three months of the year, up from 76,000 vis-its in the same period last year.

According to statistics, the number is up 5.7 per-cent from the previous year. About 25.7 percentwere from former Soviet republics, 26 percent fromEU nations and 48 percent from other countries.

Azerbaijan Attempts toUsurp NKR by Force,

Fillon Says PARIS (Armenpress) — French presidential hope-

ful François Fillon is concerned over the situationin Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, he toldNouvelles d’Armenie.

“In April 2016, the South Caucasus again flaredup for six days. Taking advantage of the indiffer-ence of the international community, Azerbaijantried to usurp Nagorno Karabakh by force”, Fillonsaid. According to the presidential candidate ofFrance, the citizens of France of Armenian originare concerned over the situation. “I am also con-cerned since Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone isexplosive. It should not be forgotten that the rea-son of the situation over Nagorno Karabakh isStalin, who arbitrarily divided the region fromArmenia in 1921 and encompassed it intoAzerbaijan. Currently there is no other option buta peaceful and lasting solution”, Fillon concluded.

The presidential elections in France will takeplace on April 23. If none of the candidates receivesmore than 50 percent of votes the second stage willbe held on May 7.

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXXVII , NO. 40, Issue 4484

APR I L 2 2 , 2 017

$ 2.00

INSIDE

The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932NEWS IN BRIEF

Phillips’Book

Page 17

INDEXArts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,4

$20 Million Gift CreatesPromise Institute for HumanRights at UCLA School of Law

LOS ANGELES — The University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law has received a$20 million gift to launch a new institute that willserve as a national hub for human rights educationand advocacy. The Promise Institute for HumanRights at UCLA School of Law will be generouslysupported by proceeds from the feature film “ThePromise,” as well as other donations and universi-ty resources. The donation is the largest gift tolaunch a new institute in the history of UCLA Law.

“In so many corners of the campus, our facultyand students are focused on identifying andaddressing the conditions that create social unrest,displacement and injustice,” said UCLA ChancellorGene Block. “The Promise Institute will becomeUCLA’s center for collaboration in this area and

see UCLA, page 9

Dr. Eric Esrailian, professor at the David GeffenSchool of Medicine at UCLA, and UCLA School ofLaw Dean Jennifer Mnookin.

‘The Promise’ Director TerryGeorge Explains His Vision

HAMILTON, N.Y. — Formonths, Armenians have beenhearing about a new film, “ThePromise,” that had debuted atthe 2016 Toronto Film Festival,

not only the film, but the pushback by Turkish PR.“The Promise” is a straightforward, narrative story set in 1915 and

focuses on the love triangle between an Armenian medical student,Michael (Oscar Isaac) and an Armenian woman raised in France, Ana(Charlotte LeBon) and an American journalist working for the AP,who is based in Paris, Christopher (Academy Award winner ChristianBale). The relationship among and between these 3 characters pro-vides an intimate look and understanding of the effects of the Turkishgenocide against the Armenian people. “The Promise” is no small bud-get art film. It has been made for mainstream audiences to be seen atthe multiplex near you.

see FILM, page 14

From left, Peter Balakian, Terry George and Paul T. Boghosian

By Paul T. BoghosianSpecial to the Mirror-Spectator

Turkish Referendum:

The Price ofWinning

BERLIN — The “Yes” vote in the Turkish referendum mayturn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for President Recep TayyipErdogan. Not only was the reported margin in favor of theconstitutional changes far slimmer than Erdogan’s AKP party

and pre-elec-tion pollshad expect-ed, with only51.4 percentof the vote,

but the political fallout in Europe may be profound.In Germany, which has the largest Turkish community in

Europe, the political class clearly favored a “No” vote, ongrounds that the constitutional changes would grant Erdoganthe status of President-for-life currently enjoyed by somepotentates in Asia and Africa; not only would he be able tooccupy the bombastic presidential palace for more thananother decade, but he would be able to rule virtually unop-posed by parliament or other political institutions. The blatantviolations of human rights and basic civil liberties, especially

see GERMAN, page 4

By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach Special to the Mirror-Spectator

‘ArmComedy’ Duo ChangingArmenia One Laugh at a Time

YEREVAN — An interview last week with comedians NarekMargaryan and Sergey Sargsyan on Skype was so funny and like-

able that if somehow I couldextract myself from the dialogue,I could sell many bootleg videosof the interview. However, inorder to avoid copyright prob-lems, I decided instead to write

this article and encourage people to see their upcoming “MakeArmenia Green Again” shows in the United States.

The two comedians from Armenia write and perform their ownsatirical news show, called “ArmComedy,” three times a week onthe ArmNews TV channel.

They have had manyprominent guests on theirshow, includingArmenian PresidentSerzh Sargsyan, variousArmenian ministers andpoliticians, includingopposition figures, film-makers, singers and evenAmerican comedianConan O’Brien during his2015 visit to Armenia.

Like many politicalsatirists, their intellectual

see COMEDY, page 7

By Aram Arkun Mirror-Spectator Staff

The “ArmComedy” team with ConanO’Brien, who joined them as a gueston their show.

1915 NEVER FORGET

The Promise

Consulate in IraqImportant for Region

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The establishment ofArmenian Consulate General in Iraq’s Erbil is veryimportant for Armenia from the perspective ofregional cooperation, Sargis Grigoryan, an expert onArabic studies and researcher at the Department ofArmenian-Kurdish Relations at Yerevan StateUniversity Institute of Armenian Studies, toldreporters on March 18.

“Armenia’s direct presence at Consulate level inIraq will contribute to the development of Armenian-Iraqi relations which is quite important for Armenia.Of course, Iraq faces social-economic problems, how-ever, it’s regional role is not decreasing,” the expertsaid.

Assyrian CommunityFaces Cultural,

Educational ProblemsYEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The Assyrian commu-

nity of Armenian has no political problems withauthorities, while the main concerns of the group areof cultural and educational nature, AnahitKhosroyev, representative of the AssyrianCommunity of Armenia and newly-elected lawmakerto the National Assembly said at a press conferenceon April 17.“The Assyrian language is taught at schools along

with the Armenian, yet we lack textbooks and rele-vant specialists. I hope much issues of this kind willbe addressed and solved at the National Assembly,”Khosroyev said.The four representatives of Armenia’s main ethnic

minorities that have been elected to the NationalAssembly are committed to voice the problems of theall 11 national minorities, residing in the territory ofArmenia, she added.

Israel May not RecognizeGenocide, but Israelis

Do: AuronYEREVAN (Armenpress) — Though Israel does not

officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, the peo-ple of Israel stand with Armenians and definitely rec-ognize the Armenian Genocide, Israeli researcherand lecturer Yair Auron said this week.“I can say for sure that Israel will not recognize the

Armenian Genocide this year and during the upcom-ing years, which is a deep pain and shame for me. Butthe people of Israel have the same position as me andstand with us for sure. Still, 30 years ago, the peoplehad no idea about the Armenian Genocide, but noweverybody knows. Since those years this issue hasbeen covered by many news outlets and TV programs.And the people by learning about that have come tothe conclusion that the genocide of Armenians hasreally taken place,” Auron said.

Armenian-ArgentineanRelations Growing

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The trade and eco-nomic relations between Armenian and Argentineare high level, the Ambassador of Argentine toArmenia Gonzalo Urriolabeitia said at a press con-ference on Tuesday, when asked by Panorama.am tocomment on the bilateral relations between the twostates.In the Ambassador’s words, Argentina is one the

major investors in Armenia.“We have many Armenian-Argentinean business-

men who re working in Armenia, thus contributingto the development of the trade relations of the twocountries,” stressed the Ambassador.In his words, trade and economic relations are

dynamically growing with a tendency of growthobserved in the recent years. To him, Armenia andArgentine has huge potential for cooperation, espe-cially in the agriculture sector. Moreover, works areunderway to works with RA State Agency of Tourismto expand tourist visits. “Argentine highly values the historical and high-

level political dialogue with Armenia,” he stressed.

News From Armenia

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ARMENIA

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — An invest-ment fund set up recently by more thanthree dozen Russian businesspeople ofArmenian descent will finance nearly$300 million worth of business pro-jects in Armenia this year, officials inYerevan said on Thursday, April 13.

The Armenian government approveda corresponding “memorandum ofunderstanding” with the fund calledthe Investors Club of Armenia (ICA) atits weekly session chaired by PrimeMinister Karen Karapetyan.

The wealthy entrepreneurs, amongthem the Armenian-born billionaireSamvel Karapetyan (no relation to thepremier), announced the launch of theICA in Yerevan on March 25. Thetycoon heaped praise on the primeminister during that ceremony.

An Armenian government statementsaid afterwards that the ICA will investin new and existing Armenian compa-nies in the form of loans or equity pur-chases. It did not give any numbers.

“They will discuss projects deemedof high priority by the government andmake around $300 million worth of

investments,” Minister for EconomicDevelopment and Investments SurenKarayan told reporters after Thursday’scabinet meeting.

“After this memorandum of under-standing is signed, we will present aninvestment package and they will dis-cuss it,” he said. He did not elaborateon the business projects, saying onlythat the ICA investments in 2017 willmainly be channeled into the energy,mining and manufacturing sectors.

Prime Minister Karapetyan againstressed the importance of the invest-ment fund when he spoke at themeeting. “The fund will not only helpto attract investments but will alsobring a new business culture,” hetold ministers. “The members of thefund are quite renowned and suc-cessful businessmen who have wideconnections and many partners invarious countries. They will serve asa bridge between our country andthe business communities of thosecountries.”

Foreign direct investment in theArmenian economy has rapidly

declined in recent years. Governmentdata shows that it stood at a modest$130 million in 2016.

In Karayan’s words, the moneypromised by the ICA is part of some$850 million in investments which thegovernment has pledged to attract thisyear. The minister reaffirmed thatpledge.

“There are private investors thathave shown an interest in investinghere and they have already startedinvesting,” Karayan said, adding thatthey include businesspeople fromArmenia, Diaspora Armenians as wellas non-Armenian foreigners. He did notname any concrete investment sourceother than the ICA, however.

Karapetyan repeatedly stated earlierthat that his government has all butsecured $3.2 billion in funding foraround 350 nationwide investment pro-jects to be implemented in the comingyears. Critics of his government arehighly skeptical about that.

Armenia’s entire Gross DomesticProduct is equivalent to less than $11billion.

Government Sheds More Light onRussian-Armenian Investment Fund

ECHMIADZIN — On April 16, theArmenian Apostolic Holy Churchsolemnly celebrated the Feast of theGlorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On the occasion of the feast, KarekinII, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicosof All Armenians; celebrated DivineLiturgy in the Mother See of HolyEchmiadzin.

Escorted by the Ecclesiastical pro-cession, and under the singing of theHrashapar hymn, the Catholicos of AllArmenians; Serzh Sargsyan, presidentof the Republic of Armenia and RitaSargsyan; Bako Sahakyan, president ofthe Arstakh Republic, processed to theMother Cathedral, where they weremet by students of the Eurnekian pub-lic school; members of the AGBUYerevan Scout Group and numerouspilgrims.

The Pontifical Canopy Bearers were:Col. Artyom Gevorkyan; SergeantSchooley Hakobyan; Junior SergeantRazmik Gasparyan and Private SoldierHarutyun Badalyan. Assisting the

catholicos during theDivine Liturgy wereArchbishop NathanHovhannisyan, direc-tor of the Externalrelations and ProtocolDepartment of theMother See of HolyEchmiadzin andBishop GevorkSaroyan, Dean of theSpiritual- EducationalInstitutions of theMother See.

Attending thesolemn Divine Liturgywere Galust Sahakyan,president of the RANational Assembly; members of thegovernment; members of the SupremeSpiritual Council; benefactors of theMother See of Holy Echmiadzin; headsand representatives of diplomatic mis-sions and international organizations;members of the AGBU; education andcultural figures.

During the service, the catholicosaddressed his message to faithfulArmenians throughout the world onthe occasion of Holy Easter offering hisPontifical blessings and proclaimingthe good news, “Christ is Risen fromthe dead! Blessed is the Resurrectionof Christ.”

President Serzh Sargsyan, accompanied by his wife, Rita, and President Bako Sahakyan flank Catholicos of All ArmeniansKarekin II.

The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II withArchbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, as well as other reli-gious leaders.

Feast of Holy Resurrection Celebrated

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INTERNATIONAL

Air Strikes in Syria KillAt Least 23

DAMASCUS (news.com.au) — At least 23 peoplehave been killed in air strikes in eastern Syriaallegedly carried out by the US-led internationalcoalition, a British war monitor says.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at

least 13 civilians and three Iraqi IS militants wereamong those killed in an air strike near the town ofal-Bukamal on the Syrian border with Iraq.There were also bombings at one of Bukamal’s

entrances and on al-Hamar oil field in the same townlate on Monday.Seven other people, including two women and a

minor, died in a similar bombing against al-Hasaniyavillage, in the west of the Deir al-Zour province.Aircraft launched 12 missiles against al-Hasaniya’s

Faculty of Agriculture, which had been turned intoan IS base.Islamic State militants control most of Deir al-Zour

province, which links territory they hold in Syria andIraq, and parts of the provincial capital, which hasthe same name.The Syrian government still controls some parts of

Deir al-Zour city, including a nearby military airbase, where IS has besieged about 200,000 peoplelacking food and medicine for around two years.

Armenians OrganizeGenocide Rally in HagueTHE HAGUE — The launch of the commemorative

events of the 102th Anniversary of the ArmenianGenocide was given at Het Plain square near theDutch parliament in Hague. The commemorativeobservance was organized and coordinated byArmenian organizations of the Netherlands.As the Facebook page “Diary of the Netherlands”

reports, the rally was attended and addressed by sev-eral Dutch lawmakers.

HRW Calls on Turkey toEnd State of Emergency

In SoutheastERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Rudaw) — The recom-

mendation by Turkey’s Council of Ministers for anextension of a state of emergency on Monday, April17, should be reversed by its government or byPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan to unify the coun-try, an international organization for human rightshas contended. “After securing a narrow victory in Sunday’s refer-

endum, the government and president should governin the interests of everyone in Turkey, not just theirpolitical supporters,” said Hugh Williamson, Europeand Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch(HRW). “Turkey’s government and president need toend the state of emergency and the repressive cam-paign against the media and the pro-Kurdish politicalopposition.”HRW has expressed that the constitutional refer-

endum victory provides Erdogan the opportunity tomove into a “new political system” where the “high-ly repressive climate” is no longer needed.“Ruling by emergency decree, the president and

government controlled the media, dominated thepublic sphere, and jailed critical journalists and lead-ers of the pro-Kurdish parliamentary opposition,”HRW wrote.It is the third extension since last July’s failed mil-

itary coup, which Turkey blames on followers underthe direction of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen,who lives in the United States.The crackdown saw roughly 100,000 people lose

their jobs, including judges, lawyers, teachers, jour-nalists, military officers and police. More than40,000 people have been arrested and jailed, includ-ing pro-Kurdish lawmakers including Peoples’Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs Figen Yuksekdagand Selahattin Demirtas on charges alleging links tothe outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).“The motion which will be submitted to parliament

on the extension of state of emergency for threemonths as of April 19, 2017 at 1 a.m. [Tuesday] wassigned by the Council of Ministers,” NumanKurtulmus, Turkey’s deputy prime minister,announced.

International News

SYDNEY — This year marks the 10thanniversary of the assassination of jour-nalist and human rights activist HrantDink. To honor this national hero, theArmenian Missionary Association ofAustralia (AMA-Australia) invited hiswidow Rakel Dink to Australia to com-memorate his life and work, and tohighlight the work of the Hrant DinkFoundation which carries on his legacy.

On Sunday, March 12, Mrs. Dinkattended the AMAA Sunday Service atthe Armenian Evangelical Church ofSydney where she witnessed her faith inChrist, even during the very difficulttimes following her husband’s death.All were encouraged by her dependenceon God, and her trust in His purposeeven when she couldn’t understandwhy. Rev. Dr. Krikor Youmshajekian,President/Executive Director of AMA-Australia, preached from God’s word.Following the AMAA Sunday Service,the Annual AMA-Australia Luncheonwas held at Miramare Gardens. Theguest of honor, Rakel Dink, encouragedall in attendance with her heartfeltremarks.

On the evening of Sunday, March 19,the Hrant Dink Commemoration washeld at the Chatswood Concourse

Theatre. The event was organized joint-ly with the Armenian NationalCommittee of Australia (ANC-Australia).The memory of Hrant Dink was hon-ored through music, poetry and dance.

Mrs. Dink delivered the keynote addressemphasizing that we should continue tostruggle for truth and freedom ofspeech while acknowledging that noth-ing is possible without dependence onthe Lord who is our Shepherd and ourRefuge. The Uniting Church inAustralia Assembly General SecretaryColleen Geyer delivered the closingremarks and Youmshajekian closed theevening with a prayer and invited theguests to join him in singing the Lord’sPrayer.

During her two-week visit,Youmshajekian accompanied Dink tovisit the Armenian community inMelbourne where the life and work ofHrant Dink was again commemoratedat a gathering which was well attendedand organized with the collaboration ofSahagian Club. She also detailed thecontinuing work of the Hrant DinkFoundation, which was established in2007 to carry on Hrant Dink’s dreams,his struggles, his language and hisheart.

While in Sydney, Mrs. Dink also visit-ed both Armenian schools —Hamazkaine Galstaun College andAGBU Alexander School. She also visit-ed the AGBU Alec Manougian andHamazkaine Tarkmanchats ArmenianSaturday schools to encourage andinspire Armenian youth.

From left, Rev. Dr. Youmshajekian, Rakel Dink and Mr. Soghomonian

AMA-Australia, ANC-Australia Commemorate 10th Anniversary of Dink Assassination

Rakel Dink

YEREVAN (News.am) — The newlyappointed Ambassador of Israel toArmenia Eliyahu Yerushalmi spokeabout the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic issue, relationswith Armenia’s neighbors, and thepossibility of operating direct flightsbetween the countries during an inter-view.

“We want to see you living in peace,and our policy is that peace betweenyou and your neighbor has to bebased on the Minsk Group,”Yerushalmi said when asked if Israelhas changed its position on theKarabakh conflict. “Anything that willbe decided for the good of yournations is fine for us. The most impor-tant thing is that you have peace inthe region, and Armenia could live inpeace.”

The Ambassador was also asked toassess the development of Armenian-Israeli relations given that Israel sellsweapons to Azerbaijan.

“Naturally, Israel does not commentabout this issue,” he responded. “Theissue was raised during my meetingsin Yerevan and will probably be dis-cussed in future consultations.”

News.am also asked the azmbas-sador to explain why the Israeli gov-ernment (Knesset) has not yet recog-nized the Armenian Genocide afterthe Education, Culture and SportsCommittee has already done so.

Yerushalmi said it is always on thegovernments mind, calling the geno-cide the Armenian “tragedy.”

“Israel cannot say what we thinkhappened there because it is a histori-cal issue between you and Turkey. Wewill go with anything that you andTurkey decide.”

“I was at museum in Yerevan whenI visited,” he said, “and it looked verymuch the same as Yad Vashem, themuseum of the Holocaust in Israel.Like on the issue of Karabakh,between you and Azerbaijan, we have

to abide by what you and the otherside decide.”

The interview also the launch ofYerevan-Tel-Aviv flights and its contri-bution to the growth of tourism.

“We believe that there is a tremen-dous potential,” the ambassador saidwhen asked if flights will resume. “Wealready signed a few agreements. Thedirect flight will start maybe even thissummer.”

“In Georgia there are over 100,000Israeli tourists every year,” Yerushalmicompared. “I hope that during mytime as an ambassador to Armenia wewill also have this. Israelis are lookingfor new tourist spots. Armenia has atremendous potential for Israelitourism, and Yerevan is a super cityfor Israelis. I think Israelis would loveArmenia, and it is also very close; onlytwo-hour flight. I do not have figures,but I think as soon as the directflights start, we will sell tourist pack-ages to each other.”

Israeli Ambassador to Armenia DiscussesArms Sales to Azerbaijan

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INTERNATIONAL

The Price of WinningGERMANY, from page 1since the attempted coup last summer, have left no doubts about the policy options thatthe super-president will pursue.

German leaders responded cautiously but clearly to the first news of results. ForeignMinister Sigmar Gabriel advised all to maintain “cool heads” and to proceed with prudence.And in a joint statement issued by him and Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 17, the mes-sage was that Berlin expected the Turkish government to “seek a respectful dialogue withall political and social groups in Turkey.” They said the very close vote meant a “hugeresponsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally.” Followingweeks of Germany-bashing by Erdogan, who went so far as to accuse Merkel et al of Nazimethods, the popularity of the Turkish president in Berlin had hit rock bottom. But thatis not the primary concern for Germany’s politicians. As reflected in commentaries byexperts on election night, there are reasons to fear that Turkey, now divided as neverbefore, could become the theater for violent political conflict.

EU Shuns DictatorshipThe clearest message issued by German politicians was that the transition to one-man

rule in Ankara would snuff out whatever hopes remained of Turkish entry into theEuropean Union. CSU chairman Manfred Weber said “full membership for Turkey couldno longer be the goal,” and that European heads of state and government would have toreview their relationship to Turkey at their upcoming meeting in two weeks. The deputychairwoman of the CDU, Julia Klöckner echoed this view, saying “the door to an EU mem-bership is now definitely shut,” adding that financial support for the process would alsoend. European politician Elmer Brok, also from the CDU, was more cautious, in light ofthe fact that such a large portion of Turkish voters had voted against the changes. He did,however, stress that if Erdogan were to make good on his promise to reintroduce the deathpenalty, that would terminate the EU access process immediately.

On the left of the German political spectrum, demands for concrete action prevailed.Both the Left Party and the Green Party called for Germany to withdraw its 260 troopscurrently stationed in Incirlik and to halt all weapons deliveries to Turkey. Cem Özdemir,co-chair of the Greens, directed his attention to the Turkish voters in Germany, 63 percentof whom had voted “Yes.” His message was that those living here would have to committhemselves fully to upholding the constitution, the German constitution that is.

By Patrick Kingsley

ISTANBUL (New York Times) — A villageleader shoves four voting slips into a ballot box.An unknown arm marks three slips with a “yes”vote. An unknown hand adds five more. Anelection official validates a pile of voting slips —hours after they were meant to be validated.

These are four of the scenes captured inunverified videos that have helped stoke accu-sations of voting fraud in polling stationsacross Turkey during Sunday’s referendum toexpand the powers of President Recep TayyipErdogan.

Erdogan’s “yes” campaign has claimed victo-ry by a small margin — 51.4 percent to 48.6 —in a vote that further insulates the presidentfrom scrutiny and tightens his grip on one ofthe most influential countries in the region.

But while Erdogan has turned his claimed vic-tory into a political reality, the legitimacy of hiswin is still in question. Opposition parties say thevote was rigged. The main opposition party for-mally asked Turkey’s electoral commissionTuesday afternoon to reassess the contents ofmultiple ballot boxes and — in a separate appeal— to annul the entire poll result. And two majorinternational observation missions have a list ofconcerns over irregularities during the campaignand on the day of the vote.

One observer group said that 2.5 millionvotes — roughly twice the margin of victory —are under question. “It seems credible that 2.5million were manipulated, but we are not 100percent sure,” Andrej Hunko, a German law-maker who observed the election on behalf ofthe Council of Europe, said by telephone.

Other concerns raised by the opposition andby election observers include:

� Suspicions of ballot-box stuffing in “almostall” of Turkey’s 165,000 ballot boxes, accordingto the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, themain opposition party.

� A decision by the electoral commission,made during the vote itself, to significantlyincrease the burden needed to prove allegationsof ballot-box stuffing.

� The barring of over 170 members of theopposition from participating in election obser-vation.

� The temporary detainment of some interna-tional election observers, preventing them fromfully observing election counts.

� Minimal “no” votes in an opposition strong-hold in southern Turkey.

� At least one allegation of “no” votes beingremoved from ballot boxes and deposited in abuilding site in the same area of southernTurkey.

� The unfairness of the campaign itself, whichobservers from the Organization for Securityand Cooperation in Europe described as takingplace on “an unlevel playing field.”

Turkey’s electoral commission has delayedannouncing an official result, and it said itwould assess allegations of fraud.

Appeals concerning individual ballot boxesare first assessed at a local level, then at aregional level and finally by a national board.The CHP’s appeal to annul the entire processwill be assessed directly by the national board.Both processes, according to the commissionhead, are likely to be completed with 12 days.

But there are few precedents for the annul-ment of electoral results in Turkey, a trend mostanalysts do not expect to be suddenly buckedthis week.

Sunday’s result seemed particularly unlikelyto be overturned after the head of the electoralcommission defended the legitimacy of the ref-erendum in a speech.

In the process, the commission has openeditself up to allegations of bias. “You are not areferee, you are taking sides,” Osman Baydemir,a lawmaker and spokesman for the third-largestparty in Parliament, the Peoples’ DemocraticParty, or HDP, said in a speech.

The opposition is particularly concernedabout the commission’s decision, after votingbegan on Sunday, to allow unvalidated ballotsto be counted unless it could be proven thatthey were inserted into the ballot box specifi-cally to tamper with the results.

Turkish electoral law stipulates that ballotsshould be stamped by election officials andthen placed in a stamped envelope before theenvelope is placed in a ballot box. Unstampedpapers, or papers within unstamped envelopes,are invalid by law.

On Sunday, the commission decided other-wise, saying that similar rulings had been madein multiple elections in the past. But some legalexperts said the decision had no precedent, andin fact contradicts a ruling made by the samecommission in 2014. The Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)also said the decision “undermined an impor-tant safeguard and contradicted the law that

explicitly states that such ballots should be con-sidered invalid.”

Kerem Gulay, an expert on Turkish electorallaw at the University of Amsterdam law school,said, “Changing the rules of the game after thevoting started and half an hour before voting inthe eastern provinces stopped — I haven’t heardof anything like that in recent electoral historyworldwide.”

Specific allegations of ballot-box stuffingemerged in the southern province of Sanliurfa.In one district, “no” voters formed less than 1percent of the total, even though the HDP wonover half the votes in the area at the last par-liamentary elections, in November 2015.

Unverified photographs later emerged thatseemed to show bags of “no” votes abandonedin a building site in the province. In anotherpart of the same region, an H.D.P. lawmakersaid he had witnessed multiple violations,including the stuffing of 400 ballots into a boxthat was only meant for 360 voters.

“Unconcealed voting, people voting multipletimes, or on behalf of other people — these werewidely practiced in rural Urfa,” said the law-maker, Ibrahim Ayhan, using an informal namefor the region. “And the law enforcement offi-cers did not intervene as they should have.”

More generally, international electionobservers said on Monday that the poll had notbeen conducted in a fair environment.

amid a state of emergency that had involvedtens of thousands of people being arrested,including lawmakers from the HDP, and over1,500 civil society organizations being shut-tered. “No” campaigners faced physical intimi-dation and limitations on their ability to hold

rallies and access public media, the group said.A separate mission from the Council of

Europe had similar findings. Hunko, theGerman lawmaker, said he had been detainedby the police in southeastern Turkey, prevent-ing him from properly observing the countingprocess.

“We were hindered by police forces in a waythat I have never experienced in any observa-tion mission,” said Hunko, who said he had par-ticipated in at least 15 such missions across theworld.

Hunko said the situation was particularlyconcerning in the southeast, where the dis-placement of hundreds of thousands of Kurdsmay have left many without a fixed address, andtherefore without the right to vote. The arrestof tens of thousands of people, particularly inthe Kurdish region, also cast doubt on whetherthe vote was free.

“Yesterday was not a free or a fair election,”Hunko added. “It was not fair generally and itwas not free in part of the country, the south-east. If you have thousands in prison and theycannot vote, you cannot talk about free elec-tions.”

Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered ineach of Turkey’s three largest cities sinceSunday night to protest the alleged violations.

Erdogan, however, rejected their concernsand those of other countries, which hedescribed as “politically motivated.” The refer-endum was the “most democratic election” ofany Western country, he told supporters at arally.

“Know your place,” Erdogan said in a barbdirected at foreign observers.

Videos Fuel Charges of Fraud in Erdogan’s Win in Turkey Referendum

GENEVA (Armenpress) — A group of public fig-ures, including the first Ombudsman of ArmeniaLarisa Alaverdyan and environmentalist KarineDanielyan, addressed a letter to the UNSecretary General against Polad Bülbüloglu,ambassador of Azerbaijan in Russia, nominatedfor the post of the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)Director General.

In addition to the UN Secretary General, theletter has been sent to all members of UNESCOcouncil, as well as to those countries which havenominated candidates. Representatives fromanother eight countries are nominated for theposition.

“Against legal Arbitrariness” NGO presidentLarisa Alaverdyan said this fact is important notonly for the UN Secretary General, but also forother states.

“UNESCO has gained rather a great reputa-tion during decades of work, as a champion ofculture, science and other fields. With this letter,we expect that in no event a leader be electedwho is actively struggling against these values”,Alaverdyan said.

According to her, it seems like many are join-ing in sending the letters, not only organizationsbut also individuals.

Karine Danielyan, president of the ForSustainable Human Development NGO andmember of the Public Council, said Azerbaijanisand Turks are putting all efforts in order to enterinternational structures, especially the UN staff.

“Our organization cooperates with UN struc-tures, and when we go to big events, conferencesor discussions, then we always see that the orga-nizer or secretary of the given event is either aTurk or an Azerbaijani. Everywhere, even in caseof very little chance, issues are solved in favor ofAzerbaijan and to the detriment of Armenia”,Danielyan said. She was sad to mention thatArmenia, having a big Diaspora, doesn’t takeaction in this direction.

Media expert Samvel Martirosyan urged every-one to “bombard” the UN, UNESCO head andmember-state offices with letters, in order tostrengthen impact.

Bülbüloglu is notorious for his belligerentrhetoric and anti-Armenianism. In an interviewwith Govorit Moskva, he said the diplomatic waysof settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict provedto be ineffective, therefore Baku is ready tochoose the military path. In addition, whenBülbüloglu served as Culture Minister ofAzerbaijan, the Armenian cross-stones weredestroyed in Nakhijevan.

Public Figures Protest Nomination of AzeriDiplomat to UNESCO Leadership Post

CAMBRIDGE, UK — On April 11-12, the thirdBiennial Conference on Iranian Studies washeld at Pembroke College, University ofCambridge. This prestigious academic sympo-sium was organized by the Symposia Iranicaand University of Cambridge.

Selected scholars from different countrieswere invited to introduce their research.Armenian researcher Mher Sahakyan wasamong them. He presented his research onChina’s Policy on Iranian Nuclear Issue in theUNSC. Sahakyan gave a detailed analysis ofChina’s role and position on this importantinternational security issue.

The presentation was followed by a discus-

sion on both the topic of research and themethods used by the speaker.

The University of Cambridge is one of the topfive universities in the world.

Sahakyan is the director of“China�Eurasia” Council for Political andStrategic Research” Foundation. He complet-ed his PhD in the field of international rela-tions at Nanjing University in China, wherehe was the first Armenian to earn a doctoratefrom its School of International Studies. Heis also a member of the InternationalPolitical Science Association. Sahakyan’s aca-demic contributions have been published inRussia, China and Armenia.

China-Based Armenian Scholar DiscussesIran Nuclear Issues in UK

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Community News

St. Nersess ArmenianSeminary Moves to Vibrant

New SurroundingsARMONK, N.Y. — St. Nersess Armenian Seminary “was the admirable vision of

founder and first dean, Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan,” stated Diocesan PrimateArchbishop Khajag Barsamian, during a recent interview. “He saw the crucial need

for an institution that would educateand prepare young men for the priest-hood in America.” And now more than 50 years later,

another historic chapter has openedfor the Armenian Church in America. On November 12, 2016, the new campus,and the Karekin I Theological Center of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary were offi-cially opened, and St. Hagop Chapel consecrated. Officiating over the ceremonies was the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II,

assisted by the Primate of the Eastern Diocese Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, andthe Primate of the Western Diocese Archbishop Hovnan Derderian. The ribbon-cutting formality included a bust of Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan

sculpted by Yeretzgin Yefkin Megherian in memory of her husband, Rev. VartanMegherian, as well as a Founders Garden featuring a khatchkar from Armenia, andtwo granite monuments inscribed with donors’ names.One million dollars was raised for the renovation of the Armonk campus, with

philanthropists Haig and Elza Didizian donating $3 million for the Karekin ITheological Center, St. Hagop Chapel, and purchase of the land.It was 15 years ago that Archbishop Khajag had asked the Didizians to have a

building erected in the name of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I. The pro-ject was started by the Didizians in New Rochelle, eight years ago.A month before the death of Catholicos Karekin I, the Didizians had asked him

his wish. Though he was unable to speak because of his illness, he wrote downthat he wished his works be published (17 of which have been published by theDidizians), and the Karekin I Theological Center be built. Haig Didizian who hadknown the Vehapar since 1963, declared, “It’s done!” The two close friends thenclasped hands.“Catholicos Karekin I was a special person, devoted to God, always seeking a

see SEMINARY, page 6

The Founders’ Garden at St. Nersess Seminary

World Diabetes FoundationAwards Grant to ArmenianEyeCare Project forDiabetes ProgramNEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — For the past 25

years, the Armenian EyeCare Project has deliv-ered quality eye care to hundreds of thousandsof people in Armenia. During this time, theorganization has treated more than 3,000 casesof diabetic retinopathy, a complication of dia-betes that affects the eyes.Diabetic eye disease, the leading cause of

vision impairment and blindness among work-ing-age adults, encompasses a group of eye con-ditions that affect people with diabetes. Allforms of diabetic eye disease — diabeticretinopathy, diabetic macular edema, cataract,and glaucoma — have the potential to causesevere vision loss and blindness. However, earlydetection and treatment can reduce the risk ofblindness by 95 percent. To reduce vision impairment and blindness

from diabetic eye disease in Armenia, the WorldDiabetes Foundation (WDF) has awarded theArmenian EyeCare Project a $200,000 grant fora three-year program, through 2020. The newprogram will focus on prevention and earlyintervention for diabetes-related eye diseasewith an emphasis on easing the suffering fromdiabetes and its complications among low-income groups in Armenia. Early detection, timely treatment and appro-

priate follow-up care of diabetic eye disease canreduce the need for complicated surgeries andprotect against vision loss. The WDF grant will facilitate the EyeCare

Project’s efforts to raise awareness about thedisease through the production and distribu-tion of public education materials to thousandsof Armenians. Other efforts to identify diabeticeye disease early include the organization ofeye screenings at local polyclinics and medicalcenters in Armenia for an estimated 175,000 to300,000 Armenians.An important feature of the program is pho-

tographing the retina of each patient with dia-betes each year. The photographs will be evalu-ated by physicians for signs of disease, the

assessments recorded and the photographsretained. This will enable physicians to observeand evaluate early retina changes and treatpatients so they can protect their sight before itis too late.For patients diagnosed with diabetes-relat-

ed eye disease, the Armenian EyeCare Projectwill follow up with laser treatments andcataract surgeries. Physicians at these facili-ties will have the benefit of consulting withlocal physicians and teleconferencing withleading eye care specialists in Yerevan andaround the world using state-of-the-arttelemedicine equipment.In addition to patient-centered prevention

and treatment programs, an integral compo-nent of the WDF-AECP diabetes program willbe a training program for up to 1,000 physi-cians and nurses in diabetes-related eye diseaseand general eye care. “This grant will enable us to help lots of peo-

ple in Armenia with diabetes and broaden thescope of our programs,” AECP Founder Dr.Roger Ohanesian said. “Still, there is muchmore work to do in this area and we call uponour loyal supporters to continue to lend a help-ing hand to their brothers and sisters inArmenia.”

Orange County RecognizesAnd Commemorates April24 as Armenian GenocideRemembrance Day HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — During

last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting,Chairwoman Michelle Steel of the OrangeCounty Board of Supervisors recognizedand commemorated April 24 as ArmenianGenocide Remembrance Day. This will bethe second year the County of Orange willofficially recognize and commemoratethose who perished during the ArmenianGenocide from 1915 to 1923. “As the years pass it becomes increas-

ingly important to set the record straightand denounce these terrible crimesagainst humanity,” said Steel.

Members of the local Armenian commu-nity were present to speak of this tragichistory and help to commemorate this dayof remembrance. “Here at the County we will continue our

commitment to make sure the victims ofthis historic tragedy will never be forgottenand to prevent future horrific acts like thisfrom ever happening again,” said SteelIn April 2016, Steel proposed the reso-

lution, which was unanimously supportedby her fellow board members, to perpetu-ally designate April 24 as ArmenianGenocide Remembrance Day.

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, surrounded, from left, by ArchbishopHovnan Derderian, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and Rev. Mardiros Chevian,with seminarians standing behind them.

By Florence Avakian

A doctor with an elderly patient in Armenia

Michelle Steel

Knights and DaughtersOf Vartan HonorCommunity LeadersFAIR LAWN, N.J. — Six leading community

figures will be honored for their dedication tothe Armenian community and the St. GiragosChurch of Dikranagerd on Friday, May 12, 7p.m., at the St. Leon Abajian Hall in an eventhosted by the Knights and Daughters of Vartanof New York, under the auspices of KhajagBarsamian, Primate of the Diocese of theArmenian Church of America (Eastern).The honorary banquet will recognize leg-

endary singer Onnik Dinkjian, Vartkes EgunAyik, Chairman of the St. Giragos Church ofDikranagerd, Raffi Bedrosyan, a civil engineerwho assisted the reconstruction of the St.Giragos Church and businessmen CharlesPinajian, Kevork Atinizian and ZavenUzatmacian whose families hail fromDikranagerd and continue to support theirancestral city.

“These are individuals who have served fordecades to promote and reconstruct the St.Giragos Church,” said Hirant Gulian, chairmanemeritus, of the Knights of Vartan Times SquareCommemoration Committee. “They are beinghonored for their dedication and devotion to theArmenian Church and the Armenian people.”A presentation of the current situation in

Dikranagerd in present-day Turkey will alsotake place and a traditional kavoorma dinnerwill be served. Reservations can be made by contacting

Hirant Gulian.

SEMINARY, from page 5better education for himself, for the bettermentof his people. God had given him this talent,”related Haig Didizian. “The Vehapar was aneducator, brilliant thinker and writer, statesmanand unique communicator. When one entersthe Armonk campus, Vehapar’s best quotes inArmenian and English are there for all to seeand read.”The Didizians, who are in the import textile

business, and live in London, England, believedeeply in giving back what God has given them.They have also been the generous contributorsto the Kevorkian Seminary in Echmiadzin.“The reason I am close to the church is that Ibelieve in doing for others whatever you wantothers to do for you.”Without the church, there would be no

Armenia, Didizian reflected, adding, “I woulddo anything to protect the Armenian church,nation, language and culture.”Rev. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess

since 2012, and previously from 1984 to 1991,explained that “to expand our mission, we need-ed a place with an Armenian style chapel,library, classrooms, housing for students,guests, faculty, as well as recreation. The previ-ous building in New Rochelle, NY, lacked prop-er facilities.” Over the years, the student body has changed

with a combination of both students fromabroad, and American-born students, he contin-ued. Currently, the nine students are mostlyAmerican-born. “This is important because stu-dents born in America and those from abroadwill serve in America with its special local needsand challenges.” Fifty percent of the coursestaught at St. Nersess are accredited by St.Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary. Following theirgraduation, students continue their studies forat least one year at the seminaries ofEchmiadzin or Jerusalem.Chevian revealed that two years ago, the sem-

inary unfolded a three- to six-monthAcculturation Program for clergy from abroadwho will be serving in parishes in America.There is also an education program in parishmanagement with Villanova University forpriests already assigned to parishes. It will beoffered this coming June.Among the persisting challenges are recruit-

ment, and fund-raising, he said, adding that thestudents have a financial responsibility, and anobligation to seek fellowships and scholarships. To enter the seminary, applicants must dis-

cuss with a Primate the emphasis of their voca-tional goals – either the priesthood, or the layministry (also open to women), and receive aDiocesan Primate’s recommendation and bless-ing The five-year seminary program whichincludes three years at the seminary, one yearabroad, and one year of internship, includes stu-dents working in clinical pastoral education ina hospital setting, serving in Armenian camps,and gaining parish experience.Most male graduates have become priests. St.

Nersess graduates have included three bishops,37 priests, and several lay men and women whoare in service to the church on a diocesan level,he declared. This year’s graduation on May 20 will include

Levon Asdourian from Philadelphia a candidatefor priesthood, Deacon Eric Vozzy and Dr.Andre Markarian in the diaconal ministry. The seminary is one of the most important

institutions of the Armenian world,” said theVery Rev. Daniel Findikyan, dean of the semi-nary, and professor of liturgical studies formany years. “Our mission is second to none,and our work is paramount. There is no substi-tute for our seminary. Our challenge which isenormous, is to find the right students, the verybest.”To inspire more youth, “we must adopt a spir-

it of mentoring, and make it exciting. WeArmenians need to look to the day when we canstep down and hand the reins to the next gen-eration of worthy youth.”The Armenian Church has always been “ani-

mated by Christian educational institutionswhich in medieval times were the monasteries,the engines of the church for spirituality, theol-ogy, the writing of books, music, art, astronomy,architecture.”It is “essential for the Armenian church to

have decentralized outposts of prayer and learn-ing. And in the United States, it is St. Nersess.

Archbishop Tiran recognized this essential factfor the health and survival of the Armenianchurch here. A seminary was necessary, notonly as a factory for priests, but also as a placefor learning and prayer.”

Utterly Unique

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary is “utterlyunique,” Findikian continued. “It is not amonastery, not a power center, not a hierarchi-cal center. It is simply a school where peoplewant to learn and deepen their faith. Our mis-sion is broader than just producing priests. Theseminary now has within it the Karekin ITheological Center with its valuable books andpublications.”Nersoyan was the first full time professor at

the seminary. “From the beginning of his pri-macy in 1990, Archbishop Khajag elevated theseminary’s academic foundation,” appointinglearned Professors Abraham Terian, RobertaErvine and Fr. Daniel. Rev. Karekin Kasparian who was mentored

by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, and served bothas Dean of the Seminary and parish priestsimultaneously, praised the summer study sem-inars as the “primary fertile ground for newrecruits to the Seminary initially. Graduallyother church-connected groups became impor-tant sources, such as altar servers, SundaySchools, youth organization (ACYOA), youthdirectors and other groups of people closelyattached to parishes. These all point to the all-important role a pastor plays in supporting thework of the seminary, and guiding future can-didates by nurturing the vocational aptitude ofyoung people.”He gives credit to the Primate for giving a

prominent role to the seminary in his officialmessages, his meetings with ACYOA members,as well as his summer study seminar visitations.“Of course, the most effective place for candi-dates to be motivated is the home — theArmenian Christian home,” said Kasparian. Calling the priesthood an “honorable call-

ing”, Oscar Tatosian, St. Nersess Board memberand former Diocesan Council Chairman, relatedthat most of the difficulties facing St. Nersess“are behind us.” He stressed that the Armeniancommunity “has to keep the mission of theSeminary in their hearts. When they think of ormeet young men and women, they shouldencourage them and their parents. What we sayand how we conduct ourselves has impact. Wehave to share with the youth that this calling isan ultimate sacrifice.”M.A. graduate of St. Nersess and St.

Valadimir’s in 2015 Arpi Nakashian currentlyworks at the Eastern Diocese in New York inthe Creative Ministry Department. Born in

Jerusalem, she was educated at Sts.Tarkmanchatz Armenian School there andjoined the ACYOA “where everything started.”Studying at St. Nersess “strengthened the seedof my faith imbedded in me.” She returned in2009 and served as a counsellor. Her work at the Diocese involves “passing

the word of God through technology — video,websites, on-line resources. “At first there wasindividual satisfaction to know where I camefrom, rooted in my identity. But it’s not aboutthe individual. It’s about collective culture andcommunity.”Deacon Alex Calikyan who will enter the

Seminary in the next school year, still is notsure what his life’s direction will take. “Being

the quiet, reserved person that I am, I envi-sioned finding a career writing books fromhome, or a quiet desk job as an administrator. Iseriously did not expect to end up at theSeminary, knowing its stressful requirements,and demanding schedule.” He was especially hesitant about the loads

of social contact that a pastor is expected tohave as leader of his parish community.“However through the mysterious power ofthe Holy Spirit,” he decided to apply to St.Nersess Armenian Seminary while finishinghis B.A. With no hesitation, he declared, “I know that

what is unwavering in my future is my commit-ment to serve the Lord and my church.”

6 S A T U R D A Y, A P R I L 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

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The new St. Nersess Seminary in Armonk

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Moves to Vibrant New Surroundings

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COMMUNITY NEWS

COMEDY, from page 1and fresh approach to news attracts a wideraudience than straight political academic analy-sis. Their straight-faced, suited presentation ofthe news, has won over many fans.They both do have academic backgrounds,

but these are in ostensibly unrelated fields.Margaryan has a doctorate in English whileSargsyan has one in philology, and both havebeen lecturers in Armenian universities. Theirunusual path to the professional world of com-edy was a long one.After finishing their studies, they used their

linguistic skills to find jobs in internationaldevelopment organizations and developed newspecialties. For example, Sargsyan worked forvarious US government-funded developmentprojects in Armenia concerning elections, polit-ical party programs, and corruption for sevenyears.

Margaryan said this line of work taughtthem a lot about politics, as “we could see a lotof things from the inside — how politics worksor doesn’t work. We found a lot of inconsisten-cies and ironies.” Sargsyan added, “Anti-corrup-tion is an area you don’t study in the universi-ty.” During this period, they tried to write somesatiric articles, and found that though thereports and serious language prepared by thepolitical organizations in which they workedgot little attention, they, in Margaryan’s words,“could bring focus to issues of interest throughsatire, and it worked.” The two had become friends at the universi-

ty, when they found they had a common senseof humor. Sargsyan exclaimed that they werethe only “Simpsons” fans in Armenia. Whilestudying at the university they performed atsome functions and tried to make people laugh.Even as young children, they both were classclowns or cut-ups, and would get yelled at bytheir parents for joking too much. They eventually began to do standup comedy

in a Yerevan club in 2007. Margaryan said it allstarted out as a fun side activity, a hobby on theside, until it began to be noticed. By 2009 they

had turned their energies to preparing a satiricnews site. They discovered George Carlin andthen the Onion.com online, which gave theminspiration. The website turned into a webseries on CivilNet’s internet TV channel, andafter two years, in 2012, they began airing on aregular network television. The switch from international development

jobs to fulltime comedy was not taken well bytheir parents. Sargsyan said that his mothersaid, “You mean to say you are quitting yourinternational development job, a real job, forjoking!…It took a lot of convincing and explain-ing that this is fine.” On the other hand, theinternational organizations and especially theexpatriates working there supported this careerchange. They shared the English-language arti-cles written by the duo with others, and expect-ed that they would move in this direction,though they were doing well in their develop-

ment jobs too. He jokingly said that he wasdoing so well in his job that he basically elimi-nated corruption while he worked in that field.Of course, after he left, it picked up again. In addition to writing and performing their

show, which they do three times a week, theyalso have written four movie scripts, of whichtwo have been produced (they only starred inone of them). As the television season inArmenia is from September to July, they onlyget one month off. They usually write one

movie a year, so theyhave a full schedule. Sargsyan noted, “One

of the most frustratingexperiences andmoments in my life waswhen I googled thescript writing staff ofthe “Daily Show” and Isaw 14 people workingon each show. Theyhave the same amountof time and sameamount of shows as us.We realized that weshould have demandeda writing staff in thevery beginning.” Despite the tight

schedule, they enjoytheir lives. AsMargaryan said, “Weare in that happy spotwhere your hobby isyour job,” and whatthey do comes easily tothem. His colleaguesaid, “We just watch thenews and the script isalready forming in our

brains. We already know what this guy has said,and how many controversial things are in thisor that political moment, so it comes very natu-rally and quickly.” They file away in their mindsall kinds of information about whose uncleworks where, and what statements people madein the past, in order to bring it up when incon-sistencies arise. When asked about whether their satirical

treatment of institutions or people in power inArmenia has led to any dangerous repercus-sions for them, Sargsyan responded that “Thereis a certain balance, and you keep pushing theline further and further. … There is usuallysome kind of physical risk. But people whowould have been offended three years ago havenow learned to laugh at themselves, hopefullyalso through us pushing them toward thatunderstanding that it is okay to be self-ironic, tolaugh at your own mistakes. We try not to have

personal insults, but mock the situation andlead the person to understand that he is funny.”Margaryan said that a major difference withAmerican shows is that in Armenia they cannotdirectly call someone an idiot.It seems that their show has had a concrete

effect on politicians’ behavior. Margaryan notedthat there was such a case in parliament. Hesaid, “When they had a ridiculous lull in dis-cussion they said, ‘oh come on now,‘ArmComedy’ is going to show this’ — and yes,we did. So maybe there is a little mind shift inthat way.”Furthermore, when the show focused public

attention on specific issues, it had the most suc-cess in engendering change. Sargsyan said thatcases of great excess in government spendingwere good examples. The government spent$300,000 on a bio-toilet that does not work. Fora few months, the show focused its attention onthis, and the government ended up declaring itto be a mistake. It never again bought such atoilet that does not work at such a great price.Ministers buying luxury cars paid for by thepublic are another example. Sargsyan said theyused exaggeration, like saying government offi-cials might as well buy Jacuzzis too, to get agreater reaction. Margaryan mentioned another difference with

American shows. Jon Stewart, formerly of “TheDaily Show” can call US Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell a turtle on his show, and wouldnever run into McConnell’s grandmother in thesupermarket. On the other hand, he andSargsyan run into people’s uncles and grand-mothers all the time, and it is very real. Sargsyansaid, “Sometimes they just stop talking to us for-ever.” Luckily, Margaryan said, they also havelarge numbers of people who support the showloyally. Last year, after the April War in Artsakh,

“ArmComedy” produced four English-languageepisodes on the situation in Karabakh throughsarcasm. Sargsyan noted that they got a bigviewership. People from America watched it,including people from the Armenian Assemblyof America and the Armenian Tree Project(ATP). This led the two organizations to decideto host the first US tour of “ArmComedy.” Arpi Vartanian, regional director of the

Assembly, declared, “Anytime you watch theirshow or talk to Narek and Sergey, you realizethe depth of their comprehension of currentissues in Armenia, the US, and elsewhere, espe-cially by their amazing capacity to present theseissues through non-partisan comedy. By shar-ing these young talents with America, we areable to bring our nations closer, perhaps bridgesome gaps, and strengthen US-Armenia ties. Weare bringing a piece of Armenia home toArmenian Americans.”

Sargsyan joked: “I am a big fan of trees.Some of my best friends are trees.”Margaryan declared, “We have been dying to

have a chance to write and do standup inEnglish because almost all of the comedy wewatch is in English, and the way of our think-ing is basically in English. When we write ourArmenian shows, we would write first inEnglish and see if it were translatable intoArmenian. So, this is a chance for us to reallygo ahead and do the jokes we always wanted todo. English has such a great structure — it isreally convenient for comedy.” Sargsyan theninterjected, “But to be clear, when it comes tosad stuff, we always think in Armenian.” The two noted that the idea of mockumen-

taries and standup, especially standup based onpersonal problems, itself comes from the US andthe West. Nearly all American television series arewatched in Armenia and have great influence. At their forthcoming American shows, they

explained, there will be a general introduc-tion of Armenia and America through satire,some paradoxes, and some things which willseem unusual or ironic from a foreign per-spective about Armenia. They plan to drawcultural and political parallels. They said theywould not avoid the orange elephant in theroom and would talk about current affairsinternationally.Another topic they will tackle at the show will

be the Armenian sense of humor. They said thatArmenian humor is primarily Armenocentric,with everything having to be about Armeniansas the center of the universe. Margaryan said that as comedy and tragedy

are really close, the difficult Armenian historicalexperience may be why Armenians have simi-larities with the Jews culturally. Perhaps come-dy is a coping mechanism for both peoples. Sargsyan said it is important to note that

Armenians have taken over the comedy scenein Russia, “so we have taken over one of thegreat powers.” Margaryan interjected that actu-ally both superpowers are run by Armeniansand China will be next.Margaryan went to school in Russia and both

he and Sargsyan speak fluent Russian, andtherefore, in addition to performing inArmenian, they also have some episodes oftheir television show in Russian. In otherwords, they joked, they are ready no matterwhat the result of the next world war will be. “ArmComedy” English-language perfor-

mances will take place in Winchester TownHall, in Massachusetts, on April 28 (armenia-tree.org/armcomedy); Glendale at Stars onBrand on May 4 (itsmyseat.com/ArmComedy)and the San Francisco Bay area at theMountain View Center for the Performing Artson May 6 (armeniatree.org/MVCPA).

‘ArmComedy’ Duo Changing Armenia One Laugh at a Time

A scene from one of the “ArmComedy” shows

Narek Margaryan, at left, of “ArmComedy,” with Sergey Sargsyan. Thecaption from their Facebook site reveals a secret third writer for theirshow in the middle.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

LOS ANGELES — To mark a quarter century of transitionbeginning with the Soviet collapse in 1991, the University ofSouthern California (USC) Institute of Armenia held a two-dayconference on April 9 and 10. Titled “The End of Transition:Shifting Focus,” the Institute hosted scholars and specialistsfrom across the globe as they discussed Armenia’s trajectorysince it established independence in 1991. Salpi Ghazarian, the director of the Institute, kicked off the

conference on Sunday with an introduction and welcome. “We don’t see where the post-Soviet space is heading,” she

said. “The people who care are the people of Armenia and thepeople of the Caucasus. They gave up the predictability andstability that were the hallmarks of the Soviet Union. And theydid that in exchange for what? That’s what we want to knowand frankly, that’s what we’re going to be asking these nexttwo days.” The two-day Los Angeles conference is the first leg of what

is planned as a two-city event. The conference will continue inYerevan on May 23-24, with additional scholars and practi-tioners looking back over a quarter century, and looking for-ward to answer the question “Now What?” The first day of the conference was moderated by Dr. Robert

English, deputy director of the USC School of InternationalRelations. English introduced the first speaker, Jack Matlock, the last

US ambassador to the USSR, who served between 1987 and1991. In Los Angeles, he spoke by video. “Matlock is certainly one of America’s most distinguished

diplomats, in the tradition that stretches from BenjaminFranklin to George Kennan,” English said. “He not only rep-resented his country with extraordinary skill, but played a vitalpersonal role in the world-changing transformation that wasthe Cold War’s end.” Matlock and English discussed the US Embassy’s perspec-

tive on the various conflicts that emerged in the SouthCaucuses toward the late 1980s, tensions between Azerbaijanand Armenia over Karabakh, and turmoil in Georgia.“I can’t say there was a US policy because basically these

were things that the Soviet Union had to deal with,” Matlocksaid. “Our own foreign policy could only go so far, but we didtry to explain to Washington what the problems were.” Both Armenian and Azerbaijani Communist Party First

Secretaries had conveyed their growing concerns to theambassador. “They frankly were in despair,” Matlock said. “Both of them

said, ‘We can’t solve this.’” With rising pressure from their home countries, the secre-

taries relied on Moscow to pose a solution; however, Matlockstated that Mikhail Gorbachev, the General Secretary of theSoviet Union at the time, extended very little effort towardresolving the issue. “Gorbachev was not willing to take a more active role,” he

said. “It was against his principle of not applying force to thesethings.” While Azerbaijanis and Armenians engaged in clashes,

Georgia was experiencing what President George Bush called“suicidal nationalism,” which Matlock said referencedGeorgia’s frictions with South Ossetia. Matlock noted that, as long as Russia continues to sense

growing hostility from Baku, and Russian attitudes towardethnic Azerbaijanis remain negative, it will lean toward favor-ing Armenia; however, his assessment also concluded thatRussia would encourage inter-fighting between the two coun-tries, in addition to Georgia, if it felt all three states wereexhibiting anti-Russian sentiments. “Any rational Russian leader would like to have close rela-

tions with all three,” he said. Following Matlock, English introduced Amberin Zaman, a

journalist formerly with the Economist, now with Al-Monitor,and analyst with the Woodrow Wilson Center, to speak aboutregional relations, with a focus on Turkey. Zaman summarizedrelations during the transitional period — between Turkey andArmenia, between Turkey and Russia, and with the West.In the wake of the US missile strike on Syria, Zaman con-

cluded that Russia’s and Turkey’s opposing interests in Syria,with the latter openly pushing for regime change and the for-mer continuing to back Assad’s government, would impactArmenia. Due to the fluctuating relations between the twocountries, Armenia’s own potential for improved relations withTurkey may be adversely effected to the Turkey-Russia stand-off. Following Zaman, former foreign minister of Armenia,

Vartan Oskanian, discussed Armenia’s foreign policy choices,the current situation in the Caucasus, and the early years ofArmenia’s independence. “The Caucasus is among the world’s most divided and inco-

herent regions,” Oskanian said. “Its constituent republics —Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia — basically failed to learnfrom similarly grouped countries, like the Benelux countriesor the Baltic states, which, despite their historical grievancesand political differences, came together and worked togetherto achieve their common goals of stability, prosperity, anddemocracy.” According to Oskanian, such a vision was not impossible

when the three Caucasus countries became independent, not-ing that when the Russian Empire collapsed during World WarI, the three became part of a short-lived confederation beforegoing their separate ways and being absorbed into the SovietUnion. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, similar ideasof confederation emerged in the region, though such out-comes were never realized. “What divides these three countries in the Caucasus is not

religion, culture, history or tradition,” Oskanian said. “It is thediffering visions, prospects, convictions and aspirations thateach one of these countries espouses and pursues.” Comparing the unstable political systems and oligarchic

economies to countries in the North Africa region, Oskaniansaid Georgia is the most democratic among the three nations.Georgians’ ability to change governments twice following inde-pendence empowered the populace, while Armenians in com-parison, despite several attempts, were unable to bring change.In Azerbaijan, which remains dynastic, no such attempts haveeven been made.

The contrasting directions in democracy, institutions andpolitical processes have led to what Oskanian called “danger-ously divisive” and different foreign policy approaches. Forexample, Georgia signed with the European Union, suggestingserious future institutional changes to meet EU standards,while Armenia joined the Russian-led Eurasian Union.Azerbaijan is part of neither. MIT Prof. Daron Açemoglu followed up with a discussion

titled “Why (Some) Nations Fail,” focusing on obstacles to eco-nomic development. Açemoglu’s assessment stipulated thatthe Armenian Diaspora served as a bridge for Armenia and theWestern World, passing along ideas for democratic models andmarket-driven economies. However, Açemoglu said that thisbridge ultimately did not work, citing complex factors. “At a very high level, I think the biggest issue is that, in the

transition economies where the former communist elites weretotally cast aside, transition worked better,” he said. “In placeslike Russia, Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan, where the communistelites control the process, things work really badly. In Armenia,I think unfortunately we are much closer to the second typeof transition and we have paid the price.” Sunday’s final speaker was Dr. Hans Gutbrod, director of

Transparify, a policy research and advocacy organizationbased in Tbilisi, Georgia. Gutbrod’s presentation focused on the transition away from

“a transition paradigm” and what that means for activism and“people who want to change things.” Gutbrod said he hopes toappeal to different audiences: those with academic interests,but also activists and youth who want to contribute. During his time running the Caucasus Research Resource

Centers in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, he observed thedifferent transitional periods of the three nations in the post-Soviet space. While Georgia experienced some successful gov-ernmental change, Armenia remained stagnant post-indepen-dence and Azerbaijan transgressed despite abundant econom-ic resources. While some former Soviet states have undergone successful

democratic, infrastructural and economic transitions, thecountries of the South Caucasus have had more difficulty, par-ticularly in terms of civil society. The concept of a content mid-dle class has also failed to materialize successfully. In Armenia,

surveys show that 28 to 30 percent of citizens aged 18 orabove said they would leave the country and never go back. “Rather than having a content middle class citizen, we have

people that dream of going abroad and that are apatheticabout the extent to which they can change, and all of this atthis point risks getting worse,” Gutbrod said. The Sunday discussions concluded with a conversation

among English, Zaman, Oskanian, and Gutbrod.The first panel on Monday — on Foreign Policy and Regional

Integration – was chaired by English. Dr. Laurence Broersfrom the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the UnitedKingdom started the panel off by discussing the period of vio-lence that erupted in 1998 and ended in a ceasefire betweenAzerbaijan and Armenia in 1994. He specifically honed in onthe communal violence that occurred along ethnic linesamong Armenians and Azerbaijanis. The Karabakh topic continued in a presentation by Emil

Sanamyan, an independent analyst who specializes in theKarabakh conflict, and edits “Focus on Karabakh” on the USC

Institute of Armenian Studies website. Sanamyan pointed to amap and explained: “This is an interesting map that somebodyfrom Azerbaijan prepared. It shows the birth places of soldierskilled in the April 2016 War. You see that it is fairly spread out,one area that is sort of missing is Baku. There were no casu-alties from the city of Baku. And Baku represents roughly one-fourth of Azerbaijan’s population. There were some kids, most-ly conscripts, from villages around Baku but not from Bakuitself. On the Armenian side, the situation is slightly more egal-itarian. Yerevan represents a substantial number of casualties,both amongst the regular army and the volunteers but amajority are still from rural areas; so this is a socio-economicbreakdown of casualties.”Gregory Aftandlian addressed American foreign policy’s

diminishing interest in Armenia. He explained that foreign pol-icy is based on ideas and interests. The idea of democracy andliberalization is important to the US, but not being followed byArmenia; and the US oil interests provide reason for it to veertowards Azerbaijan. “Since the early 1990s, US governmentaid to Armenia is about 2 billion dollars overall. This has beenon a downward slope. Today assistance level is about $11 or$12 million while in some years it was something like $120million.”Dr. Phil Gamaghelyan traced the evolution of thinking and

feeling among groups of Armenian and Turkish students livingin the US and interacting over periods of time to come tounderstand the other’s sense of history. This effort at people-to-people interaction to begin to come to a reciprocal under-standing of each other’s perceptions of history resulted in avariety of new questions about each side’s own understandingof its own history. Dr. Hrant Kostanyan, with the Centre for European Policy

Studies spoke about the missed opportunities for EuropeanUnion – Armenian rapprochement during the transition years.He concluded that the EU had been unable to fulfill Armenia’sserious security needs, while Armenia’s elites and institutionswere unable or unwilling to adapt to (or benefit from) the EU’sstringent safety and quality standards for trade. This, despitethe fact that the EU is Armenia’s largest trading partner.In between discussions of foreign policy and internal

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

From left, Robert English, Ambrin Zaman, Vartan Oskanian and Dr. Hans Gutbrod

Armenia 25 Years On: Now What?

S A T U R D A Y, A P R I L 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 9

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Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, spearheaded the effort to establish the institute.“The Armenian genocide must never be forgotten, and this need was one reason why we

made ‘The Promise,’” Esrailian said. “However, human rights tragedies — in Syria, theCongo and South Sudan and a global refugee crisis — continue to unfold today.“The Promise Institute is so named because UCLA and the UCLA School of Law are mak-

ing a commitment to keep the promise to the victims of human rights abuses — that wewill create the tools and train people of integrity and talent to address these crises. Out ofthe darkness of the Armenian genocide and our film, we will bring light into the world tohelp people who need it today.”The institute will expand UCLA Law’s course offerings in human rights studies, enhance

hands-on programs in human rights law and policy, publish research and policy assess-ments, bring experienced human rights scholars and practitioners to UCLA Law as facultymembers and guest speakers, support students through fellowships and scholarships, andhost symposia and related events.UCLA Law students and faculty currently work with the Office of the Prosecutor of the

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the co-managers of Survival Pictures, which was founded by the late Los Angeles busi-nessman and legendary philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian. Survival Pictures was established totell this story of perseverance and human endurance, and it has begun a campaign to teachthe public about the genocides and mass atrocities of the 20th and 21st centuries.Support for the Promise Institute is part of the $4.2 billion Centennial Campaign for

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Armenia 25 YearsOn: Now What?FROM PREVIOUS PAGEgovernance, the conference audience enjoyed apresentation by Eric Nazarian, a filmmaker, anda Fellow of the USC Institute of ArmenianStudies. Nazarian provided a quick overview ofArmenian cinema in transition.The second panel, on Governance and

Economics, was moderated by Gutbrod. The first speaker was Garik Hayrapetyan,

who heads the UN Fund for PopulationActivities in Armenia. Hayrapetyan presentedan overview of the transition through starkdemographic indicators. “There have been pow-erful shifts in demographic issues in Armenia inthree areas: migration, aging, and fertility. Ofthese, migration is the strongest driver. Overall,we have lost 1.5 million Armenians to emigra-tion from 1988 to 2016.”He continued, “Armenia is exhibiting 1000

births less per year now. According to our pro-jections, only 26,392 births will be registered in2026. This is significant because this is alreadybecoming an issue of national security. Finally,by 2050, Armenia’s 65+ population will rise to22-24% of the population from its current per-centage of 10.7%. This is very important forsocial policy. “Nona Shahnazarian, a social anthropologist,

spoke about Armenians in Azerbaijan losingnot only their formal financial savings, but alsoinformal investments and social capital, asdemonstrated by gifts and ‘investments’ infunerals and weddings – giving and receivingmoney from friends and neighbors. Arman Grigoryan, who teaches at LeHigh

University in Pennsylvania, presented the argu-ment that Armenia’s unresolved conflict withAzerbaijan is the fundamental impediment todemocratization. “Armenia is one of the mostmilitarized nations in the world. Wars and badsecurity environments are bad for democracybecause they create vested interests in belliger-ence and war. They create elites who are notsuffering from the status quo. They have thepower to deter internal challengers and theycontrol the marketplace of ideas,” he said.Professor Anna Ohanyan of Stonehill College

in Massachusetts spoke about a fracturedregion. “The South Caucasus inherited a sys-tem of very poor regional structures of engage-ment. Regional fracture differs from ‘divide-and-rule’ policies because it can be a lever as well asa liability to bigger powers. As colonial legacies,they’re often deployed by neo-imperial powers,but the opposite is also true. Fractured regionscan also constrain and challenge these verysame neo-imperial powers, especially thoseseeking to adjust to the changing world. Justreflecting on Armenia’s current choices, beingpooled in the Eurasian Economic Union, whichmany analysts are critical of, in terms of itsoverdependence on Russia that it is going tocreate. An uncritical engagement with thatregional bloc, creates the danger of historyrepeating itself,” Ohanyan said. Ohanyan moderated the day’s (and the con-

ference’s) final panel. Dr. Karena Avedissian discussed changes in

the Armenian public’s perceptions and atti-tudes. With access to interviews conducted byProf. Donald E. Miller and Lorna TouryanMiller in Armenia in 1993 and 1994, Avedissianconducted her own set of interviews in 2015 fora comparative analysis of perceptions betweenthe early days of independence and the present.

“What emerged was a clear change in peo-ple’s attitudes toward public issues,” Avedissiansaid. Earlier, more philosophic and tolerant atti-tudes were replaced by pessimism and generalhopelessness. Dr. Ara Sanjian, of the Armenian Studies

Center at the University of Michigan, Dearborn,did a brief content analysis of the 2012 editionof the Armenian history textbook used atYerevan State University. “The scope of topics itcovers continues to remain less encompassingthan that of its Soviet era antecedents,” Sanjiansaid. He pointed out uneven coverage of theaccomplishments of various Soviet-era leaders,a heavy focus on the genocide, and minimalconcentration on the independence period andthe present.Serouj Aprahamian, a doctoral candidate at

York University in Canada, examined societalchange through unifying artistic expressionslike breakdancing. In 2005, Aprahamian onlycame across three dance crews with roughly 50dancers. “It was a very limited, kind of under-ground and secluded thing,” he said. A decade later, however, Armenia now has fif-

teen crews with more than 500 breakers whoengage in various events with dancers who visitfrom different countries, including Finland andRussia. He concluded that this unusual form ofself-expression is in line with young people’ssearch for a new identity in the post-indepen-dence era.Dr. Shant Shekherdimian, a pediatric sur-

geon, presented an analysis of the nature ofDiaspora input into Armenia’s health care sys-tem. Despite sizable humanitarian efforts,Shekherdimian said the diaspora has not con-tributed to long-term, cost-effective, sustainableimprovement of the medical care system inArmenia, resulting in increased emigration evenby those who benefit from short-term interven-tion but worry about its long-term availability.Armen Karamanian, of Macquarie

University in Australia, asked whether it’spossible to maintain a Western Armenianidentity in ‘Eastern’ Armenia. “The indepen-dence of Armenia sparked the much-desiredreunion between homeland and the diaspo-ra,” Karamanian said. “Twenty-five yearshave passed, transition is over and institu-tions such as Birthright Armenia and gov-ernment programs have capitalized on thediaspora’s longing to return in order tosecure the development of the Armeniannation through the volunteer return of itsglobal diaspora.” Karamanian said that the desire to return

amongst members of the diaspora is rooted inthe desire to live in what remains of the ances-tral homeland, despite differences in theWestern and Eastern Armenian identities.However, Karamanian pointed to the integra-tion of Western Armenian dialect as examplesof “a shifting homeland attitude and inter-acceptance of variations of Armenianness, large-ly due to the arrival of thousands of SyrianArmenians.” The final panelist, Nelli Ghazaryan spoke

about the state of the Armenian healthcareinfrastructure and compared efforts by Georgia,Armenia and Belarus to improve their health-care infra