April 15-16, Tbilisi will host a conference entitled “Challenges for media freedom in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova an Ukraine”.

The conference is oorganized by the Council of Europe in the framework of the 2009-2010 Swiss chairmanship of its Committee of Ministers.

The conference will address current problems in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with regard to the safety and protection of journalists, the threats to freedom of expression and the challenges to this freedom brought by new technologies.

The key aim of the event is to formulate concrete recommendations for promoting freedom of expression and information in these states in line with Council of Europe standards and recommendations.

Dunja Mijatovic, recently appointed OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and William Horsley, Chairman of the UK section and Media Freedom Representative of the Association of European Journalists, will be among the key speakers. The event will bring together government representatives, parliamentarians, media professionals and representatives of NGOs.

Source: A1Plus

Read More »Challenges for media freedom in five countries

The U.S. Embassy in Armenia publicly honored on Wednesday a young Armenian activist controversially prosecuted after publicizing alleged sexual and other abuse at a Yerevan boarding school. Mariam Sukhudian, a leader of the environment protection group SOS Teghut, received the Women of Courage Award from Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch at a high-profile ceremony attended by Armenian politicians, civic activists and other public figures. Speaking at the ceremony, Yovanovitch confirmed that the award is an appreciation of Sukhudian’s work at the public school for children with special needs located in Yerevan’s southern Nubarashen suburb.

“When she arrived at Nubarashen Special School Number 11 and found neglect and abuse of children in its care, she acted to stop it … not for her own benefit, but for justice and the welfare of all children in Armenia,” said the ambassador. A separate statement by the Embassy lauded the activist’s “courage” and “determination to act in order to right a wrong, in spite of the personal sacrifices it entailed.” Sukhudian, 30, was among about a dozen young people who worked as volunteers at the boarding school in April-June 2008.

Read More »Indicted Armenian Activist Honored By U.S. Embassy

The name of the exhibition organized by the British Council – “Rock, Paper, Scissors” – is associated with a favorite childish game for many, however it symbolizes the interaction between sculpture and painting, the two and three-dimensional. On January 20-28 about 50 exponents of the British Council Collection are being exhibited in Albert & Tove Boyajian Gallery of the Yerevan Academy of Fine Arts. Some of the works are shown for the first time promising to be a revelation for many students and lecturers.

The exhibition presents works by outstanding sculptors Henry Moore, Bernard Meadows, William Turnbull and others created via various printing methods from the 1950s to the present day. One of the methods is screen printing which makes possible to get copies almost identical with the originals, linocut or etching.

“This is a small albeit interesting and encouraging surprise in the dull reality of Yerevan. For years, the artists whose works are being exhibited were like a dream for me,” says art critic Nazaret Karoyan: “Of course, I had a chance to see their works before, but not in Armenia.”

Read More »Exhibition within Armenian Walls: The British Collection of Worldwide Modern Art in Yerevan

Ani Sargsyan, 16, has a favorite season. It is winter. She is waiting for it not only for the New Year holidays but also for figure skating. And she doesn’t imagine her life without it. Four days per week she goes for skating to Karapi Lich (“Swan Lake”) near the Opera House.

“It is something different for me; every time I feel freedom while skating. Skating is flying for me. I can’t give up,” says Ani. She says first time she went figure skating school with her parents when she was four. And when she heard that a rink has been opened in Karapi Lich she decided to attend there because the ice in the figure skating school was not so good.

“The skating rink of Karapi Lich is really the only way for me to be in the form. I like everything there: it is an open air area where people watch how we skate and we do our best like an actor on the stage,” says Ani. In Armenia the traditions of figure skating were formed more than 30 years ago, when the first figure skating school was opened in 1972. It was very popular in the Soviet Armenia, being also a rink for the Armenian hockey players. During Soviet times it had about 600 students annually. Over the last several years it has about 200 skaters.

Read More »Ice Age in Yerevan: Figure Skating becoming Fashionable, Frozen Traditions Turning Into Life

New Year, Amanor (New Year), Kaghand (Armenian Santa Claus), Tareglukh (the first day of the next year), Avetis (good news), Navasard – it doesn’t matter the name, as in all cases the meaning is the same – a start for something new. The oldest nations marked New Year in March. Then the cultivation activities began and March was considered as the first month of the year. January 1 was declared the New Year beginning only in 46 B.C. by Julius Cesar.

In Armenia, the New Year is celebrated since the times when, according to a legend, the forefather Haik defeated Bel. Navasard was the first day of the year and was celebrated in August. Then the pagan Armenians began to celebrate New Year in November and since the 18th century – on January 1. According to Armenian mythology Amanor was Amatur’s wife – the God of nature and harvest, Kenats Tsar (Tree of Life) – symbol of fertility. According to artist Lusik Aguletsi the New Year ceremonies lasted 12 days and were closely related to church rituals.

Read More »Тraditions: Old Armenians Met New Year Focused on Spiritual Values