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Armenian students protesting draft deferment bill suspend strike

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Armenian university students protesting against the new draft law on eliminating military deferment decided to suspend the hunger and student strikes, one of the protesting students, Davit Petrosyan said following a meeting with Speaker of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan and Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov.

He informed that they had agreed to hold round-table discussions over the controversial legislative measure on 22 November, adding they will also try to attract scientists and civil society representatives to the debates.

“The purpose of conveying a round-table discussion is to make the voices of all the concerned parties heard. Through the general discussion, we will try to reach amendments in this legislative measure limiting military deferment. Parliament Speaker Ara Babloyan said if we manage to prove the draft law wrong, we will be able to influence it. It was officially announced that the striking students will not face pressures. We believe a round-table [discussion] is the best option at the moment, since our goal is to make changes in the draft law,” Davit Petrosyan remarked.

Meantime he stressed he cannot point out any further step following the upcoming meeting in a round-table format, adding it depends on the process and outcome of the discussions.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov in his turn said the public round-table debates will bring together all the interested parties.

“We embark on a constructive phase, asking to end the strike. The discussions scheduled for 22 November will address global concerns. The outcome will be clear after discussions,” he added.

Earlier today the Armenian parliament adopted on the second reading the amendments into the Armenian law “On Military Duty and Military Service” that would abolish temporary exemptions from Armenia’s mandatory military service for graduate and undergraduate students of government-funded educational institutions.

The controversial bill debated at a plenary session of the parliament on Wednesday was completely adopted with 86 votes for and 6 against.

Critics of the legislation point to the adverse impact of the new law on the education and science, suggesting the elimination of conscription deferments will prevent prospective students from professional, scientific or educational activities. Meanwhile, the proponents of the law insist the deferments are a violation of social justice. Additionally, cancelling all exemptions for compulsory service would minimize corruption risks in the military and education spheres in cases when eligible citizens would wish to avoid the army.

UK: Students start fundraiser for Armenian lecturer who escaped London fire

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London fire

Photo: RICK FINDLER/GETTY IMAGES

Kind-hearted students have started a fundraising page for a Croydon lecturer, Mesrob Kassemdjian, who lived in the Grenfell Tower and lost of all his possessions in the fire, including research for his PhD, Croydon Advertiser reports.

Kassemdjian, known as Robbie to his students, managed to escape his 17th floor flat with his girlfriend and elderly auntie before the fire engulfed the building.

So far 79 people are confirmed to have died or gone missing in the disaster .

The teacher of criminology at University Centre Croydon (UCC), based at Croydon College, watched as the building “caught fire like a candle”.

Now, his students, who describe Robbie as “much-loved” are trying to collect £1,500 for him to replace his extensive book collection, laptop and equipment he used to teach and for research into his PhD, which were all lost in the blaze.

The fundraiser has been opened on the JustGiving website.

The fire has left the building almost completely charred, and there were concerns about the tower’s structural integrity, as it appeared to lean slightly to one side.

Search-and-recovery efforts were paused on Friday, June 16 over safety concerns, but resumed Saturday afternoon, police said.

Croydon AdvertiserPhoto: RICK FINDLER/GETTY IMAGESearted students fundraising for ‘much-loved’ Croydon lecturer who escaped Grenfell Tower fire

Students across US & Canada stage silent protest against Armenian Genocide denial

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On Thursday, February 9th, the All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA) coordinated the annual “Stain of Denial” silent protest against the continuous denial of the Armenian Genocide. The protests were simultaneously held by ASA chapters and affiliated organizations on their respective college and university campuses. “Stain of Denial” was initiated in 2011 as a silent protest in order to raise awareness of the ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide and the need for recognition and reparations.

The students, faculty, and community members who participated on Thursday stressed that the Armenian Genocide is not an issue only reserved for the month of April, but it has a profound effect on Armenians every day. Whereas April 24th is traditionally the day that the world commemorates the Armenian Genocide, the memory of the genocide and its ensuing denial continues to be a daily struggle. The All-ASA prioritizes this campaign because Armenian students in college, where the free interchange of ideas and perspectives is encouraged, continuously find that the denial of their history is an injustice that they are blatantly faced with.

The participating ASA’s have continuously increased throughout the years. This year, Armenian students from various schools in the West coast, East coast, and Canada organized on their respective campuses. The participating schools in this years protests were: UC San Diego, UC Riverside, UC Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Glendale Community College, Pasadena Community College, Occidental College, University of Southern California, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, Woodbury University, Massachussets College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Emmanel College, Boston University, Northeastern University, Tufts University, Suffolk University, Yale University, and Princeton University. For the first time, the protests reached an international scope, with participation from the following Canadian universities: University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and the University of Montreal. Members from the following organization also participated: ARF Shant Student Association, Armenian Youth Federation, Alpha Gamma Alpha, and Alpha Epsilon Omega.

Thousands of Armenian students, community members, and faculty, both Armenian and non-Armenian, took a stand and reiterated that the Armenian Genocide is not just a “day in April,” but a year-round struggle for justice.

The campaign also included an online component, as those who were not able to attend raised awareness through social media, by incorporating the hashtags #StainofDenial, #ArmenianGenocide, and #DivestTurkey into their online posts. While the protests highlighted the history of the Armenian Genocide and the consequences that still continue, it also raised awareness of the #DivestTurkey initiative. This included education about resolutions that ASAs have passed through their student government councils, including both Armenian Genocide recognition and divestment bills, the latter of which targets over $70 million of University of California funds allocated toward the Turkish government.

India students celebrate New Year in Armenia: “There is no better town than Yerevan” Video

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YEREVAN. – Indian students, who continue their further education in Armenia, also take part in the New Year celebrations in the country.

To fully enjoy the Armenian New Year, however, they lack the experience of tasting the traditional dolma dish, since they do not eat beef.

Priyansh Sharma, a fifth-year student at Yerevan State Medical University, is in Armenia ever since 2012, and he now speaks Armenian very well.

Priyansh told Armenian News-NEWS.am that he had passed his first Armenian-language “exam” speaking with taxi drivers.

But aside from New Year activities, Priyansh and his friends also told us about their impressions of Armenia as well as their favorite Armenian singers and songs.

And these Indian students characterized the capital city of Armenia with the lyrics of one these songs: “There is no better town than Yerevan.”

Over 600 Syrian-Armenian pupils attend Armenian schools

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armenian-studentCurrently 236 Syrian-Armenian pupils attend preschool educational institutions and over 600 pupils attend secondary educational institutions. 203 of them are studying at high schools of Armenia, 325 are studying at primary schools and 42 Syrian-Armenians attend private schools. 12 pupils study at regional schools.

Head of General Education Department of the RA Ministry of Education and Science Narine Hovhannisyan presented the above mentioned figures during the committee meetings coordinating Syrians’ issues.

“I must state that on arriving to Armenia all the Syrian-Armenians have been admitted to schools regardless of the fact whether they had documents or not. To note, the procedure of admission to pre-school facilities have been facilitated for them. They are accepted to kindergartens immediately after applying,” MEC representative stated.

In his words changes have also been made regarding the process of entering universities for Syrian-Armenian students. They enter universities by unsolicited program. Hovhannisyan noted that the government provides free educational opportunities to the Armenians from diaspora annually.

As for the tuition fee, Hovhannisyan claims that they pay the same sum prescribed for the RA residents. Notably the tuition fees for the foreign students are higher in Armenia.

MEC representative also noted that Arabic is taught in No.14 School of Yerevan from the first grade. In addition to the Arabic language, MES is also considering making an educational program for the Western Armenian to include it in the subject list.

“We already have a developed and approved teaching program for the Western Armenian for 10-11 grades, but we also need to introduce the subject in lower grades as well. Further works are to be carried out,” Hovhannisyan noted.

Minster of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, who was chairing the meeting, reacted to Hovhannisyan speech noting that 42 teachers have moved from Aleppo to Armenia and they can teach Western Armenian to the Armenian pupils.

In Hovhannisyan’s words, the Syrian-Armenian students take part in all the educational programs and various competitions. Hranush Hakobyan added that she, in her turn, has been informed of the fast progress made by the Syrian-Armenian students from the heads of different universities.

 

 

Source Panorama.am

Armenian students won seven medals at the international mathematics competition in Bulgaria

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armenian-studentArmenian students won seven medals at an international competition of mathematics in Bulgaria reported the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science.

The Armenian team included students from the Yerevan State University (YSU), the American University of Armenia (AUA) and the Armenian-Russian University. Albert Gevorgyan and Albert Sahakyan YSU to have won gold medals, Vazgen Mikayelyan won a silver medal and Avetik Karagulyan won bronze.

Artyom Kosyan and Levon Stepanian, two AAU students were placed second and third, with silver and bronze medals, respectively, and Hrachya Kocharyan the Armenian-Russian University won a bronze medal.

Some 320 students participated in the competition in the city of Blagoevgrad, from 72 universities around the world.

The annual competition is organized by the University College London and is held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria since 1994.

Thursday, November 3, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Kansas students make documentary on American nurse who rescued orphaned Armenian children

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kansas-armenian-prphansLast November, a group of middle school students in Mayetta, Kansas, USA, began work on a documentary about Emma Darling Cushman—an American nurse who rescued thousands of Armenian children who had been orphaned during the genocide, reported cjonline.

When the Ottomans were expelling westerners from their territory after entering World War I, Cushman remained in Konya, Turkey, to continue operating a hospital she had worked at for over a decade. After the genocide began, she turned the hospital into an orphanage, found safe homes for endangered children and tried to bring shattered families back together.

Luke Boyden, one of these students, explained that this was extremely dangerous at a time when Ottoman forces were actively searching for Armenians.

Beyond the research these students conducted, they interviewed experts on Armenian Genocide, such as Richard Hovannisian, and Sara Cohan.

In addition to a $7,500 prize, the students’ documentary earned them the privilege of providing the inscription for Cushman’s headstone at the American Cemetery in Cairo, Egypt. They chose “Emma Darling Cushman: A Light in the Darkness.”

California college students thank the soldiers of Artsakh

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Armenian Sitestudent-thanks soldiers Hetq published the drawings and thanks to American-Armenian schoolchildren fifth class given to young soldiers of Artsakh.

Dear soldiers, I wish you success. I hope you will defend our land. You spend your life for the country, so the Karabakh, Artsakh and Armenia are still with us. With love. Ani Mardirossian.

Dear fellow Armenian. You are doing a very important job because you are always fighting for us. You bring us happiness when we hear that you left your families to fight for us. With love. Eva Mansourian.

I am grateful because you defend our country so well. You are very brave because you sacrifice your life for us. I love you all. Lucy Gouljian

Hello, my name is Garen and I appreciate that you protect the Armenians. I think about you all the time soldiers and pray that you stay safe. Garen Minassian

Thank you to fight for us and our country and against the Azeris. Love, Alex Kechedjian.

Photos: Hakob Poghosyan

UCSC Student Government Passes Armenian Genocide Recognition Resolution

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UC Santa Cruz Armenian Students’ Association

UC Santa Cruz Armenian Students’ Association

UCSC SANTA CRUZ—On Tuesday, May 24th, the student government at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz), the Student Union Assembly (SUA), unanimously voted to pass the “Armenian Genocide Commemoration Resolution.” The effort was led by the Armenian Students’ Association (ASA) at UC Santa Cruz. Approximately thirty students attended the SUA meeting at the school’s campus.

The resolution sheds light on the massacres of the 1915 Armenian Genocide and the Ottoman Empire’s attempt to systematically annihilate the Armenian people. Furthermore, it brings awareness to the Republic of Turkey’s continuous genocide denial campaign and efforts to hide its crimes against humanity.

Four Armenian students at UC Santa Cruz, Maral Tatoian, Nara Avakian, Daniel Sarkissian, and Haik Adamian, worked on finalizing the language of the resolution. At last Tuesday’s SUA meeting, Tatoian presented about the resolution, speaking on the history of the Armenian Genocide, the cycle of genocide that continues today, as well as what the passing of the resolution would mean for genocide education and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on a national level.

“Being one of the co-founders that re-established ASA [at UC Santa Cruz], I have seen this organization grow over the past four years and partake in movements like this. It is very touching for me and truly shows the impact we are making on campus in order to make our voices heard. After all, they tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds and we will continue to grow!” said Tatoian, a fourth-year linguistics major and education minor undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz.

The resolution calls on SUA to not only commemorate the Armenian Genocide, but also “condemn those attempts made by governments as well as other entities, both public and private, to distort the historical reality and legal relevance of the Armenian Genocide to the descendants of its survivors and humanity as a whole.”

Through this resolution, the students hope to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and the ongoing denial by the Republic of Turkey and the United States. Moreover, they hope to work with SUA to educate students on campus about the cycle of genocide that continues with denial.

“For me, the passing of this resolution means a lot. Having a prominent student association recognize our cause as Armenians is a big step. But this is only the first step of many toward the recognition of the Armenian Genocide” said Nara Avakian, a first-year sociology major and global information and social enterprise studies minor undergraduate student.

Furthermore, through the passing of this resolution, SUA “supports the efforts of the Armenian-American community at UC Santa Cruz to establish April 24th as the official Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide.”

“For me, this means the progress of the marginalized Armenian Diaspora. As I am a descendent of genocide survivors, it is an honor to have represented my nation in a monumental step on our campus. With Turkey launching a major anti-genocide [recognition] campaign, every step we take as Armenians towards recognition is valuable to our community” said Daniel Sarkissian, a second-year neuroscience undergraduate student.

The ASA at UC Santa Cruz will be meeting with the school’s Executive Vice Chancellor to discuss the next steps that need to be taken to ensure that April 24th will become Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day at UC Santa Cruz

“Passing the resolution marks the beginning of the battle for getting UC Regents, and other authorities to give up their strategic ties to bodies and companies who are active participants in Turkey’s genocide denial and normalization campaigns. At the very least, we can help to expose the role of the education industry in the widespread denial of the Armenian genocide” said Haik Adamian, a second-year anthropology major at UC Santa Cruz.

Armenian students at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) ensured the adoption of similar genocide recognition resolutions last year on their respective campuses.

Last June, the UC Santa Cruz ASA introduced and ensured the unanimous adoption of “A Resolution to Divest from the Republic of Turkey to End the Perpetuation of the Armenian Genocide”, which calls for UC Santa Cruz, the UC Santa Cruz Foundation, and the University of California to divest $72.6 million dollars worth of University of California bonds and investments in the Republic of Turkey for its crimes in, and continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution was a part of the greater #DivestTurkey campaign led by the Armenian Youth Federation – Western United States (AYF-WUS) and campus-based ASAs.