06 12 07- Terremotoin Armenia 18 anni fa

l'Associazione dellla Comunità Armena di Roma e del Lazio ricorda il devastante terremoto di 18 anni fà che colpì l'Armenia su un territorio di 80 km2 causando la morte di 25000 persone e quasi mezzo milione di senza tetto.
Gumri, la seconda città più importante dell'Armenia, la città di Spitak, furono allora quasi completamente distrutte.....
Ricodiamo ancora lo slancio di solidarietà e gli aiuti che arrivarono in Armenia dal mondo intero...L'Italia fù tra i primi paesi ad arrivare in soccorso ai terremotati armeni.
Gumri, sta pian piano riscoprendo la sua anima di una volta grazie alla ricostruzione che il governo armeno sta conducendo con determinazione e con l'aiuto di numerosi benefattori e il "Fondo per L'Armenia".
Nell'anniversario di questo teribile evento, l'Associazione esprime la vicinanza a S.E. l'Ambascitore Ruben Shugarian con l'augurio di un futuro fiorente e prospero per tutta la regione!

Si può consultare il sito: www.memorialgyumri.com

GIBRAHAYER
e-magazine

http://gibrahayer.cyprusnewsletter.com
The largest circulation Armenian e-magazine
Circulates every Wednesday
Established in 1999

GIBRAHAYER e-magazine18 Years ago
Eighteen years ago, on December 7, 1988, at 11:41 a.m. local time a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook northwestern Armenia and was followed four minutes later by a magnitude 5.8 aftershock. Swarms of aftershocks, some as large as magnitude 5.0, continued for months in the area around Spitak. The earthquakes hit an area 80 km in diameter comprising the towns of Leninakan (Gyumri), Spitak, Stepanavan, and Kirovakan (Vanadzor) in Armenia, causing thousands of causalities and displacing many more refugees. It is estimated that 40 percent of Armenia was affected. Twenty-five thousand people were killed, 514,000 were left without shelter and 1,198 buildings were destroyed in just one city of Leninakan (Gyumri), Armenia . By contrast, an earthquake of the same magnitude struck San Francisco, Calif., the following year and killed 64 people.

(memorialgyumri dot com) Though the human and material heavy loss caused by the 1988 December disastrous earthquake, today the city of Gyumri sprouts as a snowdrop and restores its former form and charm. The will of the resident of Gyumri remained unshakable, even during those terrible and severe years it kept and preserved the traditional honour, worthy human dignity. Like the unshaken will of the resident of Gyumri, even after the powerful earthquake unique buildings remained steadfast, as Vardan Achemian Drama Theatre, the MEMORIAL COMPLEX "Mother-Armenia" immortalising the memory of the Leninakanians perished during the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, the new building of the railway station, the airport, the bridge connecting the two parts of the city, the Big Castle of Alexandropol, the Russian church, numerous resi dential houses of the 19th century and many other buildings.
GIBRAHAYER e-magazine Today, on the initiative of the municipality numerous buildings of architectural value are restored. St. Nshan and St. Astvatsatsin churches, the works of the restoration of St. Amenaprkich (picture to the left) church go on with all strength. In the new residential St. Hakob quarter has already been built and already functions. "Hoktember" cinema, one of the beloved cultural centres of the residents of Leninakan-Gyumri has been restored, according to the international standards and functions. At the centre of the attention of the municipality are the works of the restoration of the residential houses with an architectural style typical to Gyumri of the 19th century and othe r buildings. In some of them, after the reconstruction of the house-museums of the Armenian eminent poets Avetik Isahakian, Hovhannes Shiraz, painters Aslamazian sisters were established. Both the residents of Gyumri and the guests visiting the city go to these house-museums with great pleasure. Beginning from 1998 there were serious moves in the sphere of capital construction. As a result of earthquake more than 5000 families left homeless received new comfortable apartments and live there, which are provided with all facilities of municipal services.
The works of the construction of the new building of the Executive Committee of Leninakan City Soviet (Gyumri municipality) began and go on with all strength. With architectural form, well-managed and green areas "Ani," "Red Cross," "Austrian" and "Italian" residential quarters attract the people. Both the reconstructed and newly built schools, children's and health care institutions of the city are provided for the full organization of their works with all necessary means and public services. The small and medium enterprises got developed with full strength in the city.With that aim in 1999-2005 by Gyumri municipality permission of the construction of about 500 buildings were given to the natural and legal persons, among which 70 are individual residential houses, 348 - trade and service entities, 79 - trade temporary pavilions, and these arrangements gave opportunity to create about 2500 new jobs. New enterprise of light industry has been created and it functions, where today 450 people work, the stocking and knitted-goods factories started to work. The volumes of the foreign investments increase. The production of stone processing, "Strommashina" factory, set up by benefactor Hovnanian had good results.
Year-by-year the network of the higher educational institutions gets expanded. Today the number of the students is over 10.000. In Gyumri the celebration of the Day of the City became best tradition. It's important that the day of the city is marked not by speeches and banquets, but every time creating one or several lasting significant values. Only on September 24, 2005, on the occasion of the Day of the city, in the presence of numerous high ranking guests, state officials and dozens of thousands of inhabitants of the city, the opening of "Bagratuniants" memorial and the statue the Armenian distinguished poet Hovhannes Shiraz, an Armenian-French park was set up and many other remarkable events were held.

Important announcement to our readers
The inclusion of a lot of links in Gibrahayer e-magazine, has been alarming ISPs, and sending our e-mag to the spam folder of a few of our subscribers. Therefore, from now on all website links will be appearing without the www prefix and all suffix will end in dot com (e.g. savemelkonian dot com) and all email addresses without @ but the word at. (simon at cytanet dot com)
To read emails from our readers or to read past issues from Gibrahayer e-magazine please go to http colon double slash gibrahayer dot cyprusnewsletter dot com
Gibrahayer e-magazine
News in Brief - by Sevag Devledian

* The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra will embark on a six-city concert tour of France in February 2007. The tour will be sponsored by AGBU as part of the organisation's Centennial celebrations and France's Year of Armenia festivities.
* "We oppose the linkage between the negotiations and Cyprus," insisted Ali Babacan, Turkey's minister of the economy and chief neg­otiator with the EU who said Cyprus was a separate issue from Turkey's accession.
* Vardan Oskanyan, intends to leave his position as foreign minister after the 2008 presidential elections. In reference to the upcoming 2007 parliamentary and 2008 presidential elections, he said that new parliament and the new president would have their own - other views on foreign politics.
* Armenia's parliament passed a 2007 budget with a deficit equivalent to US $155 million. The budget, approved in a 77-3 vote with six abstentions, foresees revenues of US $1.11 billion and puts spending at US $1.27 billion - figures similar to this year's. The deficit in the poor Caucasus Mountain nation's budget blueprint amounts to 2.3 percent of gross domestic product that is expected to reach US $6.6 billion, growth of 9 percent over 2006. Military spending is set at US $228 million, whose dispute with neighboring Azerbaijan over the Armenian-controlled territory of Artsakh keeps fears of a major new armed conflict simmering 12 years after a cease-fire ended a six-year war.
* Within the framework of his visit to Turkey Pope Benedict XVI mer with Armenian Apostolic Patriarch of Istanbul, Mesrob Mutafyan.Benedict XVI was gifted a golden chalice made by Armenian masters in 1820. After a joint liturgy a khachkar dedicated to the visit of the Holy Father was consecrated in the church yard.
* Armenia and Azerbaijan are discussing terms of holding a referendum on the status of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia was held in the Embassy of Russia in Minsk. According to some sources, in the course of the meeting the parties reached certain agreements related to liberation of a number of districts around Nagorno-Karabakh and there was an agreement dealing with resolving the conflict in general. The parties have reached a verbal agreement and are going to fix them on paper at a later stage.

Other news

EU PULLS THE RUG ON TURKISH TALKS OVER REFUSAL TO LIFT CYPRUS BLOCKADE
by David Charter, Suna Erdem Istanbul - The Times (London) November 30, 2006 - Turkey reacted furiously yesterday to the proposed suspension of a large section of its talks on joining the EU as a punishment for its refusal to open trade with Cyprus.
Eight of 34 areas of negotiation will be frozen under the European Commission's plan until Ankara fulfils an agreement signed last year to open its ports to Cyprus, an EU member that it does not recognise.
The Commission's move was criticised by Britain, Sweden and Spain, but -in a sign of the fault-lines within the Community over Turkish accession -was applauded by France and Germany.
Turkey itself was defiant, insisting that it was not prepared to make any further concessions. "We have set out the framework (for progress on Cyprus)," Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, said.
"If they are approaching the issue with the idea that they might grab a new concession, then we have no concession to make."
He was referring to earlier statements that Turkey would open its ports only if the EU made good a pledge to end the economic isolation of the breakaway Turkish enclave of northern Cyprus. Nicosia has blocked any such relaxation.
Ankara is unlikely to make any move on Cyprus until after elections next year; an increasingly nationalistic public is likely to punish any sign of weakening on what is a pet issue for hardliners.
Christodoulos Pashiardis, a Cypriot Government spokesman, said that freezing some aspects of the talks while allowing discussions on other areas was not a punishment.

Mother and son
GIBRAHAYER e-magazine






















Mother of Armenian MP in the Cyprus Parliament Louise Mahdessian thinks it is not too late to introduce herself to the world of computers and technology. While her son is seen interacting with community members at the AYMA jashgerouyt last Saturday, Gibrahayer e-magazine's camera caught her in front of a laptop.
Sports - by Sevag Devledian

* Hagop Demirdjian was carried off to first aid emergencies after taking a hard tackle from Kakkaristra, in a match that AYMA went ahead 1-0 and soon after missed a penalty to take a further lead. The match ended 6-3. Dany Telian scored twice and Raffi Kesterlian once for the Armenian team. His teammates send to Hagop Demirdjian through Gibrahayer, wishes for a speedy recovery.
* In the First Division of the Cyprus Futsal Championships AGBU Ararat narrowly beat Cyprus College 6-5. Scorers for Ararat were: Loizos Lefkarides (2), Iacovos Papadopoulos, Serge Nazaretyan, Raffi Yazmadjian, and Igor Dassaev.
* Armenia's Greco-Roman wrestlers Vahan Juharyan (60kg), Arman Adikyan(66kg) and Arsen Julfalakyan (74kg) won gold medals in the Henry Delaney international memorial tournament that recently ended in Nice, France.
* In the same tournament, Freestyle wrestlers Hayk Yeghikyan and Artur Arakelyan took the 3rd and 5th places respectively in the 60 kg category. Zhirayr Hovhannisyan (66 kg) took the 2nd place, and Garsevan Vardanyan (74 kg), Edgar Yenokyan (84 kg) and Harutyun Yenokyan (96 kg) took the third place.
* Armenian figure skaters Anastasia Grebenkina and Vazgen Azroyan will participate in the European Figure Skating Championship scheduled on January 18 – 28 in Warsaw.

E-mail of the week

I am a citizen of Armenia working and living in Cyprus. I was very disappointed in last week's visit of Kocharyan and his ministers. I understand that he had to do the things he came to Cyprus to do, but there are other issues here in Cyprus such as the thousands of Armenian citizens living in Cyprus and the problems that they have.
I wonder if he - or members of his delegation - should have spent a little bit more time with the community and his fellow citizens, who have come to Cyprus searching for better opportunities that Armenia does not provide to its citizens.
Further, I was upset to find out that the program of the Armenian delegation underwent a lot of last minute changes without us being informed.
I can only imagine what games are played in situations like this. While these schedules are arranged in the name of state relations I am certain that the reasons for the "last-minute changes" are more related to how they choose to play their inner political games, with the help of local Armenians who grab the moment for self-exposure.
Let me say no more, I think everyone understands...
It is such a pity that a visit to a friendly country like Cyprus can fall victim to games like this.
Araxi Nazaryan - from Yerevan currently working and living in Limassol
Pilikian - the better half

I am delighted to publish exclusively in our magazine a short-story by CLARICE PILIKIAN the wife of our own Professor. She has 2 university degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (University of London), and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Open University). She has 3 children aged 11/13/15.
Simon Aynedjian, Editor

Pure Charm - A short story - by Clarice Pilikian
Father Thomas stared grimly into the hallway mirror at his nearly perfect reflection.
He rubbed his well-manicured hands along his not quite smooth jaw line, thinking a closer shave was in order, but frankly had not the time, nor the motivation. Let's face it; his only appointment today was with the elderly widow Mrs Gluff, who was near sighted and unlikely to pass comment. Still, he prided himself on his immaculate appearance. He straightened his already stiff clerical collar, put his jacket on and slammed the door firmly behind him.

conti nued on our weblet at http://gibrahayer.cyprusnewsletter.com/index.htm?p=3
ACTION ALERT FOR Zaruhi Harutyunyan

AND NOW... ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP !
First of all we would like to thank all subscribers of Gibrahayer e-magazine for kick-starting Zaruhi Harutyunyan's career on the international tennis tour.
This assistance enabled her to win five ITF championships in 2006 in Europe and Asia - her first two singles titles in Turkey - and saw her ranking jump from 1245 to the top 200 in the world.
With your help, she has now arrived in California where she will travel the ITF and professional ladies tennis tour.
All those who had faith in her and rallied behind her were not pro ven wrong. Now we feel her time has come to make it big on the tour and urge you to participate by sending your contributions to her fund.
Her almost impossible and brave dream may only be a breath away.
She gave samples of it in 2006 by defeating players in the top hundred and annihilating the world number 38 Clara Duarte.

Let us give her this chance NOW!
We urge you to contribute to ZARUHI'S WORLD TOUR so that she can keep playing and winning under the flag of Armenia !

Laiki Bank Strovolos Industrial Area, Stavrou 96 I, 2034, Strovolos:
Account No. 101-08-037631 for Zaruhi Harutyunyan under Simon Aynedjian -International transfers at IBAN CY30 0030 0101 0000 0101 0803 7631
Swift Code address LIKICY2N

more information on the web:-
Go to google and type "zaruhi harutyunyan" where thousands of websites will open up for you to collect information from. Armenian sites include Armeniapedia, Hayastan Forum, Gibrahayer e-magazine, Azad Hye, and Bolsahays. There are also a lot of foreign and tennis related sites writing about the young rising star.
Start with Ted Club - Turkey - where Zaruhi won her first ITF title.
Tek Bayanlarda ise Ermeni Zaruhi Harutyunyan, Guney Afrikal? Bianca Swanepoel’i 7/5 6/2 skorla yenerek turnuva nan Tek Bayanlar Sampiyonu oldu.

We will announce her account number in the United States on our e-magazine soon.
We urge you to forward this email to your friends.
We thank you all for your assistance,

Dickran Bedrossian - London, Simon Aynedjian - Nicosia, Haig Bedrossian - California

Your contributions
To Zaruhi Harutyunyan's Tennis Tour Fund - Anonymous - 100.00
To Gibrahayer e-magazine - Anonymous - 12.00
g i b r a h a y c a l e n d a r & e v e n t s

* Wednesday December 6 at 10:30 pm - Marie Louise Kouyoumdjian sings every Wednesday at Enallax Club in the old city of Nicosia, with the resident rock band.
* Saturday December 9, 9:00 pm - HMM/Nor Serount Ball with singer Mher Chaparian & band from Lebanon at "Sakara" Restaurant in Nicosia. Entrance 10 CYP. For tickets contact 99644854 or 99896685.
* Tuesday December 12, at 8:00 pm - Musical Evening by Zakar and Camila Keshishian (flute and piano) under the auspices of Armenian representative in the Cyprus Parliament Vartkes Mahdessian, organised by Hamazkayin's Cyprus Oshagan Chapter at Kasteliotissa Hall in Nicosia.

GIBRAHAYER e-magazine

* Friday December 15, at 5:00 pm - Armenian Relief Society (HOM) Sossee Cyprus Chapter and Marlen Avedikian (99782858) invite you to a semi-precious stone jewellery exhibition at AYMA. Part of the proceeds will be donated to HOM.
* Saturday December 23 at 5:00 pm - Armenian Evangelical Church Service - in the Greek Evangelical Church - 20 Gladstone street - Nicosia. Guest Speaker: Mihran Jizmejian from Toronto - Canada, who will share news from Armenia, as he was there for a mission trip for the last three months.
* Sunday December 24 at 10:00 pm - Special appearance by Marie Louise for Christmas Eve at the Palm Beach Hotel in Larnaca.
* Monday December 25 at 9:00 pm - AYMA / HMEM Annual Ball at the Cyprus Hilton - Nicosia. Details to follow.

Welcome to the world of PANDA: www dot pandasoftware dot com dot cy

If this newsletter has no unsubscribe link, or the link does not work. please report it and it will be dealt immediately.
Include this code in your report LATROBA123 (GIBRZINE5780).

V.V