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American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California. Video

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American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California.

American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California. Winner of Judges Trophy “Armenian Root”

Pasadena: Three local entrants in the 2018 Rose Parade walked away with awards for their floats during the chilly annual New Year’s Day parade.

The Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn., the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. and the American Armenian Rose Float Assn. received awards for their impressive floats, which impressed the thousands of parade-goers on Monday.

American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California. Winner of Judges Trophy “Armenian Root”

The American Armenian Rose Float Assn.’s entry, titled “Armenia Roots,” received the Judges Award.

The entry is a tribute to Armenian women, whether they be a mother, daughter, grandmother or aunt, who work tirelessly to be the foundation of their family, said Noubar Derbedrosian, a board member of the association.

Derbedrosian added that this is the third award the association has received out of the four float entries the organization has submitted. Last year, the group was given the Past President Award for its float titled “Field of Dreams!” in which the entry represented the American-Armenia experience in literature, music and science.

“This is an honor for us,” he said. “We’re a small group of people that do this, and we’re trying to represent all of the Armenian people, not just in Glendale, Pasadena or the L.A. area.”

After not receiving an award for its float “Home Tweet Home” last year, the Burbank association bounced back and was given the Founder Award for its nautical-themed float “Sand-Sational Helpers,” in which sea animals team up to clean a beach, coinciding with this year’s Rose Parade theme, “Making a Difference.”

Steve Edward, the Burbank association’s vice president, said that most of the pieces fell in the right place this year. The jump start on construction and decoration week going off without a hitch, he said, resulted in a solid float this year.

 

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Bill Authorizing Freeway Sign leading to Pasadena #ArmenianGenocide Memorial Passes Committee

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Sign leading to Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial PassesThe Assembly Transportation Committee last week passed SCR 25 which paves the way for the installation of a sign at the Fair Oaks Avenue exit off Interstate 210 to guide visitors to the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial.

State Senator Anthony Portantino, author of the bill, said he believes the installation of the freeway sign will be helpful in raising awareness about the Armenian Genocide.

“I am so excited to see this piece of legislation moving through the legislature with such overwhelming and bipartisan support. Installing a freeway sign will help direct visitors to the memorial, raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and serve as a reminder that educating the public about crimes against humanity is an ongoing process and requires our continuous attention. I look forward to seeing SCR 25 progress and these signs installed,” said Portantino.

Unveiled in April, 2015, the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial located in the northeast corner of Old Pasadena’s Memorial Park, honors the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.

It was constructed by the nonprofit Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee with unanimous support from the Pasadena City Council. Senator Portantino served on the board of the nonprofit prior to joining the State Senate. He was the only non-Armenian to have served on the Board.

The memorial features a 16-foot tall tripod that captures the image of the structures used by the Turks to hang Armenian artists and leaders 100 years ago.

From its apex, a drop of water falls every 21 seconds, with 1.5 million drops falling in a year, symbolizing the souls of the departed genocide victims.

Neither the U.S. Government or the Turkish government have officially acknowledged that the Armenian Genocide ever occurred.

After passing the Assembly Transportation Committee, SCR 25 is now headed to Assembly Appropriations Committee, after which it will move to the Assembly floor for a final vote.

Sen. Portantino represents nearly 930,000 people in the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, Atwater Village, Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, La Verne, Lake View Terrace, Los Feliz, Monrovia, Montrose, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.

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Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee Proposes New Plaques for Monument

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Visitors to Pasadena’s Armenian Genocide Memorial likely will soon see new plaques at the entrance and around the perimeter that will display the names of donors – both individual community members and organizations – that helped build the memorial.

The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee, which oversees the memorial, submitted the request in November to install the memorial and donor plaques.

According to the PAGMC proposal, one large plaque, measuring 15 by 30 inches, will be placed near the entrance, and up to 19 smaller plaques will be installed around the perimeter and along the southern end of the Memorial.

After an initial review by the Parks and Natural Resources Division of the Pasadena Department of Public Works, the PAGMC submitted a follow-up letter in December explaining the significance of the plaques.

“They are acknowledgements for contributions to the Memorial, not monuments of individuals for their contributions to the City,” the letter signed by PAGMC co-chairs Robert Kalunian and Shoghig Yepremian said. “Representations and promises of such recognition plaques were made in brochures and pamphlets soliciting donations from individuals and organizations. Failure to honor those promises could lead to civil liability of PAGMC and the City.”

The plaques are expected to bear this inscription:

“This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century, committed by the Ottoman Turkish government from 1915 to 1923.

The memorial form is an abstraction of the timber gallows that publicly put to death many leaders and intellectuals at the onset of the genocide. A teardrop falls for each of the 1.5 million souls that have entered eternity.

Armenians in California and around the world continue to pursue a just resolution to the Armenian Genocide. Dedicated April of 2015.”

A translation in Armenian text follows the statement, and on the right side are lists of the members of the Board of Directors of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee, members of the Pasadena City Council, and the names of the Memorial Construction Team.

On Tuesday, the Public Works Department recommended approval of the project to the Recreation and Parks Commission. The Commission is expected to pass this on to the City Council this week or next.

The Public Works Department said it finds the proposal to be consistent with the Public Monument Policy of the City and is recommending approval.

The project is not expected to have any fiscal impact on the City, as all costs for the manufacturing and installation of the plaques will be shouldered by the PAGMC.

Construction of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial started in January 2015 and was completed and inaugurated in April 2015.

Source: http://www.pasadenanow.com/main/armenian-genocide-memorial-committee-proposes-new-plaques-for-monument/#.WMAdNBDgDsE

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The Armenian Pops Orchestra by Greg Hosharian March 26 in Pasadena

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February is here and Valentine’s Day is approaching! Surprise your loved one with tickets to The Armenian Pops on March 26 in Pasadena! From now until February 14, for every two tickets purchased you will receive a complimentary CD of The Armenian Philharmonic conducted by the late Maestro Edward Hosharian.

For tickets click on the flyer below or visit www.itsmyseat.com/hosharian
Armenian Pops Orchestra, PO Box 2577, Montebello, CA 90640

 

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Pasadena: Armenian Cilicia Church hosted Screening film “Armenian Village HAVRESC: STAND ON COURAGE”

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By Wally Sarkeesian, January 16, 2017

Pasadena CA: A wonderful  evening at Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church, Screening HAVRESC: STAND ON COURAGE is a documentary on the struggles of Armenian and Assyrian Christian Iraqis and the village they have formed on the edge of ISIS controlled territory, Standing in the face of adversity, bigotry, hatred and oppression they have protected themselves from the Islamic state and created a community that is a home to all Christians facing persecution.

The event was organized by Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church and the Knights of Vartan.  Meeting It was attended by many member of the church and surrounding area,  Speaker: Dr. Mike  presented the film screening and gave short story on how he got involved with the project.  

David Ritter is a documentarian with nearly a decade’s worth of experience. He has produced projects on ethnic minorities throughout the world. He spent a portion of 2015 volunteering his time in Iraq to aid the Christian communities within Kurdistan. While in Iraq he produced projects on the Armenian and Assyrian villages within the region of Kurdistan and their struggle against Islamic extremism. He is now touring his video projects throughout North America to raise awareness and funding for the Christian and Armenian communities in Syria and Iraq.

Next Screening :  Friday, February 10, 2017  7:15-9:15 p.m.
University of California, Berkeley
Institute of Slavic, East European, Eurasian Studies and Armenian Studies
Screening :  Friday, February 10, 2017  7:15-9:15 p.m. | 105 North Gate

http://www.berkeley.edu/map?northgate
Speaker: David Ritter, Documentarian, Director of “Havresc: Stand on Courage”
Sponsors: Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES), Armenian Studies Program
| 105 North Gate
http://www.berkeley.edu/map?northgate

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Pasadena: Today January 16, Screening Documentary Armenian “Havresc” Sponsored by Knights of Vartan.

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ARMENIAN CILICIA EVANGELICAL CHURCH
339 S. Santa Anita Ave.
Sponsored by Knights of Vartan.

Monday, January 16, 2017 screening of HAVRESC STAND ON COURAGE in Pasadena, CA. – please come and learn about the Brave Armenian Village in Iraq.

Filmmaker David Ritter has shot a documentary about a remarkable Armenian village somewhere in Iraq with about 200 to 500 people. It is surviving through courage, faith, fortitude and about 22 dedicated men against the massive force of the Islamic State group. Its name, Havresc, translates to big revenge, and its history dates back to 1915, when survivors of the Genocide constructed it, The Armenian Mirror-Spectator reports.

On December 8, the Zohrab Information Center hosted Ritter, who has spent months in the village, who presented his documentary titled, “Havresc, Stand on Courage”, to a large audience, detailing the daily struggles of Armenian and Assyrian Christian Iraqis and the village they have built on the edge of IS-controlled territory.

Ritter was introduced by the Zohrab Center’s executive director, the Very Rev. Daniel Findikyan, who related that this issue “transcends ethnic interests. One doesn’t have to be Armenian to care about others.”

Before showing the film, Ritter who is not Armenian, commented that he was “filled with rage at the plight of the Christians, not about ethnicity,” he said, and praised the leader of the 22 soldiers, Murad Vartanian, whom he called “one of the most amazing men I have ever met, a man of conviction, courage, tenacity, and also a poet and an artist, a natural born leader.”

The documentary detailed the history of the Genocide with disturbing graphic images of death and destruction. It was a group of survivors from that tragedy that went to Iraq and built villages, including the mostly agricultural village of Havresc. In time, other persecuted Christians – Assyrians and Yezidis – also settled there. In 1975, many Christian villages were destroyed, including Havresc, with the villagers fleeing. One of the only buildings that remained were the ruins of the original school.

In 2006, many of the people of Havresc returned, and decided to rebuild their homes, churches and schools. Armenians also came from abroad and helped in the construction. Vartanian, who was originally born in the village, led the effort, and with other villagers created a communal system where goods are shared. They also erected a monument to the victims of the Genocide.

Today, it is 22 young and old men led by Vartanian, who protect the village 24 hours a day against ISIS. Kurdish militias are also helping these 22 soldiers. The film showed Murad’s home which is the headquarters of the militia, and houses an armory of weapons. Also seen are the villagers tending to their flocks of sheep and peacefully farming the land. In the future, a small airport will be built.

Shortly after the film was completed, Vartanian was shot by IS. He is now recovering, and has said, “Even trees need water to live. We are like these old trees. We never give up. Let us live like lions, and if need be, die like lions.”

Ritter was born to a Roman Catholic family in Haiti. He is a documentarian who has gone to areas of the world where Christian communities are in danger, and filmed their struggles. He is currently traveling to Armenian communities and showing this documentary of Havresc . He announced that 30 percent of the proceeds of the DVD will go back to Havresc. Already, he said, $2,000 has been raised.

Source: https://zohrabcenter.org/2016/11/22/havresc-an-armenian-christian-village-in-northern-iraq-standing-down-isis/

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Pasadena, California: Judge Calls Erdogan ‘Crazy President’ In Court Hearing on Armenian Lawsuit

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Harut sassounian 740BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments in Pasadena, California, on August 4, regarding two lawsuits on Armenian properties confiscated by Turkey in 1915-23: Bakalian and Davoyan vs. the Republic of Turkey and its Central and Ziraat Banks. A District Court had dismissed these lawsuits in 2013 on grounds that they dealt with a political issue which came under the purview of elected officials, not the courts.

The Armenian plaintiffs were represented by Kathryn Lee Boyd of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, and Mark Geragos of Geragos & Geragos. The Turkish side was represented by Neil Soltman of Mayer Brown. The panel of federal appeals court judges consisted of Alex Kozinski, Stephen Reinhardt, and Kim Wardlaw.

The three Judges stated that since a sovereign country has the right to appropriate the property of its citizens, a U.S. court would not have jurisdiction to intervene in such cases unless they were accompanied by violations of international law or genocide.

Judge Kozinski repeatedly questioned the appropriateness of the references to the Armenian Genocide as one of the two Armenian cases had mentioned it as one of the reasons for the lawsuit. “Our government has resisted calling this a genocide. Our government has been quite adamant, as far as I can tell, that this is not genocide,” Judge Kozinski contended. “Federal Courts have to take a position that is possibly contrary to the position that has been adhered to by our government, the Executive Branch of our government, for decades.”

When Geragos advised Judge Kozinski that the U.S. House of Representatives and Pres. Reagan had both acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, Judge Kozinski oddly responded: “Pres. Reagan hasn’t been President for … decades.”

The Judge’s comment made no sense. The facts of the genocide and its acknowledgment have not changed, just because those tragic events and their recognition occurred decades ago! In fact, the U.S. government acknowledged the Armenian Genocide in 1951 in an official document submitted to the World Court.

Throughout the hearing, Judge Kozinski persistently asked if the plaintiffs’ attorneys would agree to set aside the Armenian Genocide issue for purposes of this lawsuit. Attorney Geragos finally consented in order to pave the way for the lawsuit to proceed, particularly since there were a dozen other Turkish violations of international law that fulfilled the requirements of jurisdiction.

Attorney Boyd pointed out that it is not necessary to prove genocide in order to bring a lawsuit under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act (FSIA) of 1976. Actually, “Crimes against Humanity” are also violations of international law. On May 29, 1915, France, Great Britain and Russia issued a Joint Declaration accusing Turkish government officials of committing “Crimes against Humanity and Civilization” and warned that they will be held responsible for these crimes.

Judge Kozinski also questioned the reason why these lawsuits were filed 100 years after the fact, prompting Geragos to assert that there was no statute of limitations under FSIA. He further stated that the elapsed time made no difference, since there was an “on-going violation” because Turkey kept these properties and did not turn over the accrued rents to the Armenian owners for decades.

Geragos also told Judge Kozinski that the concept of a sovereign nation appropriating the properties of its own citizens does not apply in this case, since Armenians were stripped of their citizenship by official Turkish decrees, and deported from the country.

Only after attorney Boyd explained to Judge Kozinski that the confiscation of Armenian properties by the Turkish government was “arbitrary and discriminatory,” the Judge seemed to understand the issue and proceeded to tell Neil Soltman, the attorney for the Turkish Government, that there was a difference between appropriating a house in Connecticut under eminent domain and the taking of all houses belonging to a particular race or religion which would be a violation of international law, and therefore legally actionable by a U.S. court.

Finally, a seemingly casual remark by Judge Wardlaw, referring to Turkish President Erdogan as “this crazy President,” may be an indication that U.S. government officials are getting fed up with Erdogan’s ‘crazy’ antics and would henceforth allow the justice system to proceed with cases dealing with gross Turkish violations of human rights and not hide behind politically motivated judicial cover up.

The Federal Court of Appeals is expected to issue its decision within the next 90 days.

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Pasadena to commemorate Armenian Genocide at Memorial Park

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208774The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee (PAGMC) invites the community to mark the one-year anniversary of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial on Sunday, April 17, at the Memorial Park, Pasadena Now reports.

Last year, 1500 people were moved and inspired on the 100th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and the unveiling of the Pasadena Memorial.

Residents and community members are urged to join Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee this year on April 17 to celebrate the Armenian culture and visit the outstanding and moving memorial.

Related links:

Pasadena Now. Pasadena Genocide Recognition at Memorial Park
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Breaking: Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Unveiling

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The Armenian American Community proudly announces the completion of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial project!

The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee, its partner organizations, the City of Pasadena, and community organizations invite YOU to join us for the historic Unveiling Ceremony of the Armenian Genocide Memorial!

 

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The memorial of the Armenian Genocide in Pasadena (California) will be inaugurated on April 18

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arton107508-400x300“The Pasadena Star-News” reports that Pasadena (California) ceremony of the Armenian Genocide Memorial foundation held recently. At Memorial Park, which will be erected this memorial, attended these ceremonies the designer (designer) Memorial Catherine Menar, members of the Armenian community of Pasadena in charge of the memorial, public figures and representatives of schools and churches Armenian. Among the 16 projects presented to the jury in April 2013 was that of Catherine Menar retained. The memorial will have a height of 5 meters with 8 stone columns. At one drop of water every 21 seconds, every year 1.5 million drops of water -or the number of victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915- spring from this memorial towards a pond. The opening ceremony of the memorial will be held on April 18 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

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