Eastern U.S. edition - Armenian Reporter

6 The Armenian Reporter | July 18, 2009
Community
U.S. ambassador discusses the status of women in Armenia
aiwa and alma
sponsor gathering
WATERTOWN, Mass. – The
current economic downturn in Armenia
has had an especially adverse
effect on the position of women,
according to Marie Yovanovitch,
the U.S. ambassador.
Speaking last month at a breakfast
in Watertown co-sponsored by
the Armenian International Women’s
Association and the Armenian
Library and Museum of America,
Ms. Yovanovitch acknowledged
that statistics are imprecise, but
had no doubt that “women are especially
hard hit by unemployment
in Armenia.” Women are more likely
than men to lose their jobs, and
it is more difficult for them to find
new positions, she said. This situation
has serious consequences for
families, the ambassador observed.
In some areas affecting women,
however, Armenia has made impressive
progress, Ms. Yovanovitch
pointed out. Over the past eight to
nine months, the government has
taken a strong stand against trafficking
in women. There have been
a number of prosecutions, and
penalties for those convicted have
been stiff.
As a result, in a report just released
by Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, Armenia has been
removed from the Tier Two Watch
List in trafficking. She credited
Deputy Prime Minister Armen
Gevorgyan with taking the lead
on this issue. “Even in these difficult
times, the Armenian government
has put money into this effort,”
she said.
Asked about charges of undue
influence in Armenia’s society by
hidden “mafia” elements or financial
magnates, Ms. Yovanovitch
said that this was a matter to be
considered. The people convicted
in trafficking cases were all women,
although one might suspect that
there were men operating behind
these women, she said.
In a more general sense, “the lack
of transparency in government
and in society is a serious concern,”
the ambassador stated. “People in
Armenia (and in the United States)
pay a big price for this.” The ambassador
went on to applaud the
Armenian government for progress
in some areas, for example the recent
action to grant a general amnesty
that made special provisions
for those prosecuted in connection
with the bloody clashes of March
1, 2008.
Regarding the status of women
in general, Ms. Yovanovitch granted,
“we could be doing a lot more
on gender issues.”
She has met a large number of
“remarkable women,” in Armenia,
the ambassador noted. The U.S.
Embassy is embarking on a mentoring
program to pair some of these
women with young students at the
American University of Armenia.
Asked about prospects for one of
aiwa’s initiatives in Armenia, the
Women’s Entrepreneurship Project,
the ambassador acknowledged that
opportunities for Armenian women
in the fields of business and finance
are limited. It is very difficult to obtain
a loan in Armenia, she noted.
The United States formerly had programs
in this field, but “perhaps we
might have departed too soon.”
Several other topics of interest,
especially regarding relations
between the United States and
Armenia, were covered informally
during the breakfast, which was
the first event in Ms. Yovanovitch’s
tour of Armenian communities in
the United States. aiwa founder
and former president Barbara
Merguerian introduced the ambassador,
and alma chairperson
Haig Der Manuelian offered welcoming
remarks. James Kalustian
was coordinator of the Boston
visit.
Berdj Svajian lectures at agbu Montreal Chapter on the
centennial of the Adana massacres
At Breakfast with
U.S. ambassador
to Armenia Marie
Yovanovitch,
seated, from
right, aiwa
founder Barbara
Merguerian, Ms.
Yovanovitch,
alma
chairperson
Haig Der
Manuelian, and
visit coordinator
James Kalustian.
At breakfast with U.S. ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch, co-sponsored by alma and aiwa, from left, aiwa Vice
President Joy Renjilian-Burgy, aiwa scholarship recipient Sarah Varadian (Stonehill College), Ms. Yovanovitch, and aiwa
founder Barbara Merguerian.
A view of the audience that attended the April 29th Adana lecture by Berdj Svajian at the agbu Montreal Center.
MONTREAL – On April 29, Berdj
Svajian delivered a lecture about
the Adana Massacres to an audience
of over 100 people at the agbu
Demirdjian Hall in Montreal. The
event was organized by the agbu
Montreal Cultural Committee and
the Manuel Keoseyan Armenian
Studies Course on the centennial
of this historic event and included
a presentation of documentary evidence
and 200 slides.
The lecturer was introduced
by Shahe Tanashian, director
of the Manuel Keoseyan Armenian
Studies Course. Mr. Svajian
began his presentation by dedicating
the event to the memory
of his grandparents, who were
forced to leave their native Adana
during the massacres of 1909.
Starting with general information
about the geography and
history of the city, he included a
detailed description of local customs
and practices that defined
the place.
He projected slides depicting the
massacre, torture of intellectuals,
destruction of churches, and transformation
of schools into stables.
The first massacre took place on
April 1, 1909, and was followed by
a second, and even more horrible
event, which aimed to eliminate
the whole Armenian population.
Mr. Svajian’s slides also included
scenes of the Ayn Toura orphanage
in Lebanon, which had been established
to house and Turkify Armenian
orphans and was under the
supervision of Halide Edib Hanim
and Jemal Pasha, who later served
as the Turkish marine minister.
The final slides showed the documents
and photos of the signed
property deeds belonging to Mr.
Svajian’s grandparents, which were
rescued from the 1909 massacre. At
the end of the program, Mr. Svajian
invited Garbis Dekmezian,
an Adana native, to light candles in
memory of the victims of 1909.
Words of appreciation and
thanks were spoken by Arsine Attarian,
chair of agbu Montreal’s
Cultural Committee, and Arshavir
Gundjian, agbu vice president
and founding president of the Alex
Manoogian School.
The program came to a close with
a prayer by Rev. Mher Khachigian
and the blessings of Bishop Bagrat
Galstian, Primate of the Diocese
of Canada.