Armenia » The Truth Must Be Told

National Suicide in Progress

Dec 222011

December 22, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 2:46 am No Responses »

(Հայերեն տարբերակը՝ «Ազգային ինքնասպանությունը՝ ընթացքի մեջ»)

Charles Aznavour vs. Serj Tankian

I asked a provocative question at the Armenian National Committee (ANC) Grassroots conference, on November 25, 2011, regarding the catastrophic proportions of emigration from Armenia, calling it “the white genocide of 2011”. I made sure to emphasize the controversy of the wording, over which the members of the Diaspora community appear to be divided. I wanted to get more opinions.

“White genocide”, as defined in Wikipedia, is the term Western Armenians use to describe assimilation in the West. Until the first years of Armenia’s independence, it has been referred exclusively to the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. However, the mass emigration that followed Armenia’s independence was often associated with ‘white genocide’ by the public at large. What Eastern Armenians are going to face in the future outside their homeland is most probably gradual assimilation. The reality is that today about half of the Armenian citizens prefer the prospect of non-violent assimilation over a life doomed to poverty, humiliation, and injustice in their homeland at the hands of their own government.

Of all panelists, I directed my question first and foremost to Serj Tankian, who has been outspoken about the Genocide of 1915. Below is Tankian’s answer: Continue reading »

Response to Benon Sevan’s Call to Shut Up

Oct 122011

October 12, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 9:30 am 2 Responses »

This is a response to “Excessive Negativism and Constant Attacks Jeopardize Armenia’s Development,” a commentary by Benon Sevan, published in California Courier on October 13, 2011
(Read the original commentary)

Benon Sevan (©Thompson Reuters)

Benon Sevan, former Head of the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program, has provided well intended recommendations for Armenia’s development, with a side effect of prolonging and strengthening the tenure of the incumbent corrupt Armenian government. His good intentions are laid out in an article, “Excessive Negativism and Constant Attacks Jeopardize Armenia’s Development,” published in the California Courier on October 13, 2011:

Regardless of our impatience and desire to witness a truly democratic state of Armenia, we have no alternative to being patient, because it takes time to develop democracy, economic and social development, and civil society, as well as true democratic reforms.

Excessive Negativism and Constant Attacks Jeopardize Armenia’s Development

Oct 122011

October 12, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 9:23 am No Responses »

Reprinted from the California Courier Online, October 13, 2011
A commentary By Benon Sevan, Former Under-Secretary-General, United Nations

It is truly disheartening to read the ongoing negative reports and columns in some news outlets in the Diaspora and Armenia regarding the current political, economic and social conditions in the Republic of Armenia, as well as the constant efforts by certain personalities and political parties to denigrate the Government of Armenia and its record.

Of all the hundreds of negative reports, is not there at least a single positive development to report on? Contrary to the ongoing politically motivated negativism, there are indeed many successes and improvements achieved in Armenia which deserve to be congratulated and encouraged. One gets tired of reading what is being said by all these so-called pundits, rabble-rousers, including self-serving former government officials pursuing their own personal agenda to bring about a regime change not through the ballot box but through encouraging a mob culture. Unfortunately, what we have been witnessing is indeed tragic with the potential of dire consequences to the stability of the young Republic that recently celebrated its 20^th Anniversary. Continue reading »

Government Plans Fresh Changes In Armenian Child Adoption Rules

Sep 222011

September 22, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 1:14 am No Responses »

by Emil Danielyan
Reprinted from RFE/RL

The Armenian government is planning to make fresh and potentially far-reaching changes in its rules and procedures for international adoptions of children from Armenia following an RFE/RL report suggesting that they may still be riddled with corruption.

Relevant proposals drawn up by Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s office aim to increase the transparency of the process and reduce the role of obscure local middlemen working for Western adoption agencies. They are also meant to make it easier for Armenian families to adopt or bring up orphans.

Armenian children in an orphanage (courtesy Photolur)

An April 2011 report by RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) said that U.S. adoption agencies seem to continue to make thousands of dollars in informal payments to Armenian officials dealing with foreign adoptions. In particular, it cited a sample contract signed by one such agency, Hopscotch Adoptions, with Americans wishing to adopt Armenian and Georgian children.

The contract, offered to a potential client in the United States in 2007, explained that almost $5,000 of more than $30,000 charged by Hopscotch for every adoption would be spent on “gifts to foreign service providers and government functionaries performing ministerial tasks as an offer of thanks for prompt service.” It claimed that such gifts are “customary” in Armenia and Georgia and do not violate U.S. law.

“Gifts and gratuities” were also a separate spending category in a sample agreement that was offered by another U.S. agency, Adopt Abroad, at least until last April.

Officials at the Armenian Ministry of Justice as well as anti-corruption campaigners in Yerevan agreed at the time that such payments amount to bribes and are therefore illegal in Armenia.

Government sources say Prime Minister Sarkisian took the report very seriously, instructing his senior staff to initiate a major revision of existing adoption rules. They were quick to come up with relevant proposals. Those were submitted in June, along with copies of the Hopscotch contract obtained by RFE/RL, to an inter-agency government commission on adoptions headed by Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasian. Continue reading »

“To Donate Or Not to Donate?” A White Paper on All-Armenian Fund

Aug 012011

August 1, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 8:24 pm No Responses »

This is a link to the white paper on “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund, “To Donate Or Not to Donate?” in its entirety in PDF format.

To Donate Or Not To Donate? (PART IV)

Jun 212011

June 21, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 2:21 am 1 Response »

White Paper on “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund

Part IV

By Ara K. Manoogian

(Read Part I, Part II, Part III)

This is the concluding part of the white paper on “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund (hereafter HAAF, or the Fund). The final chapter explores how Armenian authorities have been shrinking Armenia’s potential of self-sustainment by tolerating government corruption, shadow economy, as well as using the HAAF as an accessory for large-scale tax evasion. The theme of Part IV is Armenia at 20, No Longer Needs a Baby Walker.

The criminal case opened in 2010 against an orphanage director was suspended according to a 2009 general pardon

Jun 032011

June 3, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 7:37 pm 1 Response »

Source: Panorama.am (the Armenian version)

The prosecutor’s office of Shirak marz announced in 2010 that a number of organizations’ executives took care of their own interests at the expense of the children. One of these organizations is the Children’s Home orphanage in Gyumri, which according to this news, the director of the Children’s Home SNCO, Ruzanna Avagyan, did not perform her service responsibilities accordingly, and took advantage of her position in contradiction to the organization’s interest. In addition, the prosecutor’s office stated, “In the signed supply contracts, without the inclusion of provisions regarding the revision of prices, from 2007 to 2008, the organization purchased 97 different food items from 2 food supply organizations with a price of 4,093,165 AMD higher than the market price, which resulted in financial damage to the state-funded orphanage.” Continue reading »

One Day in the Gyumri “Children’s Home” Orphanage

Jun 032011

June 3, 2011 Posted by Ara K. Manoogian at 7:33 pm 1 Response »

Source: Panorama.am (the Armenian version)

Children at Gyumri Orphanage

The Children’s Home is a well-known orphanage throughout the Republic, established in 1924 in Gyumri. The orphanage serves children ages 0-6 years old, who suffer from severe health and development problems. Although, the RA Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Issues, Mr. Filaret Berikyan, assured Panaroma.am that we could visit any orphanage without any difficulty or obstacles, the orphanage deputy director Artur Movsisyan, at first, refused to allow us to enter the orphanage and especially to meet with the children. He, only after seeing the member of the National Assembly and member of the Heritage party, Anahit Bakhshyan, gave the permission to enter the orphanage. We should note that unfortunately, the director of the orphanage, Ruzanna Avagyan was in Yerevan. As a result, we have written this article based solely upon what we have personally seen or was partially presented by the nurses and caregivers. The deputy director, A. Movsisyan, would reply to every question related to documentation, information on the children, and even regarding the number of children who had died in 2010, with “I have been here (only) since September. I do not know”. Continue reading »