AYF Attends IUSY World Congress 2012
The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) recently participated in the three-day World Congress of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) in Asunción, Paraguay. IUSY is the biggest political youth organization in the world, representing about 150 member organizations from more than 100 countries.
The .2%
The 24th of April has come and gone for the 97th time since the Turkish government’s failed attempts to eradicate the Armenian race. That’s 1,164 months since the systematic murder, rape, and deportation of over a million and half Armenians began in the city of Constantinople.
St. Vartan and the Battle of Avarayr
Many of us are beginning to think that February is an empty month in the Armenian calendar. Or that Saint Valentine’s Day is the only significant holiday. However, the idea that this is traditionally an Armenian festival is incorrect. In fact, for those unaware, the Armenian equivalent for celebrating love and affection between companions takes place on February 4th, under the Saint Sarkis (Սուրբ Սարգիս) name. More to the focus of this article though, is the commemoration of the Battle of Avarayr (Ավարայրի ճակատամարտը) on February 16th
Perjuring the Past: On Criminalization of Armenian Genocide Denial
Last week, the French Senate approved a bill that, in effect, makes it a criminal offense to deny the genocide committed by Ottoman Turks against Armenians. While the law should be applauded as a milestone in punishing an ongoing genocide, some are misrepresenting it as a violation of a universal right.
Must See: Armenia, The Historical, Notable and Not-So-Traditional Sites of Our Homeland
Ani and Maro are two friends who met in Armenia and proceeded to have wild adventures together. At times they have dared called themselves archeologists, sociologists, modern-day explorers, gastro-bloggers and socialites. Today they merely call themselves freelancers (read: uninsured). These are a few of their favorite things:
I Was Told There’d Be It π
The way I remember it, the first time I went to Karahunj there wasn’t even a road. It was my very first time in Armenia, everything was brand new, and the constant overload of sensory experience for three months renders my memory suspect when it tells me that we veered off the main highway into a field and all we had to guide us was our driver’s infallible sense of direction (and really, when it’s your first time in Armenia and you’re the only kid who doesn’t speak the language, you want to find the guy with the infallible sense of direction).
Can Armenia’s Economy Thrive on Services
There is no shortage of recent success stories about national economies skipping the development of a large manufacturing sector and instead building a prosperous economy on a robust services industry alone. Countries like Ireland, Norway, and India have largely forgone manufacturing and instead focused their economies on services, the sector of the economy that includes things like finance, software development, design, IT, media, customer support, and other services that are increasingly becoming easier to trade in thanks to technology.
More To See Outside of Yerevan
Dilijan and Parz Lich: Located in Northern Armenia, Dilijan is like the Armenian Alps. Check out the beautiful old wooden homes in Old Dilijan or take a hike around the crystalline Parz Lich.
Welcome To Javakhk
Most Armenians in Javakhk live in villages, farm to survive and celebrate traditions to preserve their culture. They are a nationalistic people, passionate about their Armenian history and language. They are also fearless in protecting their rights, as any human across the globe should be. But within the last decade, the Georgian government has suffocated these Armenians with discrimination and economic fear.
Jerusalem: A Souvenir from the Armenian Quarter
Last summer I woke up on the rooftop of a hostel in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. Before the sun had a chance to let me know I had been sleeping outside, the Islamic ‘call to prayer’ sounding from the mosque speakers reminded me that even at 5 a.m., God is Great (“Allahu Akbar” in Arabic). Three hours later, the church bells commanded my attention. I was wide-awake, living a dream.
