Tweet
MELKONIAN ISSUE RAISED AT WESTERN ARMENIAN CONFERENCE IN CYPRUS
Cyprus Mail
25 April 08
BUSINESSMEN and academics of the Armenian Diaspora met in Cyprus last
weekend where they raised the issue of the closure of the historic
Melkonian School, calling for the US-based charity responsible to
reopen the school in Nicosia.
Anoushavan Danielyan, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the
Western Armenian National Council, said he would raise the issue with
the leadership of the AGBU in New York.
"If there are 1,200 schools in Armenia, adding one more would simply
bring the total to 1,201, while closing a school in the diaspora will
have dire consequences for Western Armenians that would also impact on
present-day Armenia," Danielyan said. He was commenting on the AGBU
announcement that plans are under way to start a 'Melkonian Summer
School' near the capital Yerevan to teach the Armenian language and
culture to about 400 diaspora youths for three months each year.
Six speakers were invited by the 40-member central committee meeting
held at the Holiday Inn in Nicosia to elaborate on the history of
the school and the reasons behind its closure, as well as to explain
whether there was any hope or grounds for the school to reopen.
Ambassador Nicholas Makris, a member of the Council of Europe committee
that drafted the Charter for European Minority Languages, said that the
Melkonian should reopen, otherwise the whole of the Armenian community
of Cyprus would disappear. He said the government of Cyprus had an
obligation to implement the Charter, and this was best done through
the reopening of the school.
Dr Akabie Nassibian-Ekmekdjian, historian and director of the school
in the 1980s gave a historical overview of the school, saying that
the Melkonian Education Institute, initially established in 1926
for orphans that survived the genocide, has produced hundreds
of scientists, doctors, lawyers, artists, teachers and other
professionals, who moved on from their studies to excel in their
fields and become community leaders.
Yeran Kouyoumdjian, editor of a community newspaper, and Armen
Urneshlian, an educator from Lebanon, argued that the closure of
the Melkonian was not for financial reasons and was already having
a negative effect on the Armenian diaspora. Vartan Tashjian, former
headmaster of the Nareg elementary schools, spoke of his personal
experiences and explained how Cypriots in general were opposed to
the school's closure and how they supported the struggle to reopen it.
The final speakers of the session included Masis der Parthogh,
journalist and alumnus, who said that the school's closure was planned
years in advance with the intention to exploit the land, and Manouk
Yildizian, journalist, who explained the legal aspects of community
and minority rights in Cyprus and gave an overview of the government's
pledge to support the school, both financially and academically.
Present among the few seats reserved for observers from the community
was former AGBU Central Board member Benon Sevan, who said that it was
"unfair" that only one side of the argument was heard.
The session's chairman argued that the AGBU's positions were very clear
and that the committee members wanted to hear about the prospects of
reopening the historic school.
Dr Ekmekdjian added that the worldwide Melkonian alumni and friends
had always wanted a dialogue, but it was the AGBU that refused for
years to discuss keeping the school open.
The three-day meeting ended on Sunday with the central committee
members visiting the Melkonian School grounds and laying wreaths at
the founders' monument.
This was the sixth meeting of the Organising Committee of the Western
Armenian National Council that is expected to reconvene later this
year to discuss several issues related to the Armenian Diaspora, such
as social, community and historic aspects of the Western Armenian
language, history and heritage.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Cyprus Mail
25 April 08
BUSINESSMEN and academics of the Armenian Diaspora met in Cyprus last
weekend where they raised the issue of the closure of the historic
Melkonian School, calling for the US-based charity responsible to
reopen the school in Nicosia.
Anoushavan Danielyan, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the
Western Armenian National Council, said he would raise the issue with
the leadership of the AGBU in New York.
"If there are 1,200 schools in Armenia, adding one more would simply
bring the total to 1,201, while closing a school in the diaspora will
have dire consequences for Western Armenians that would also impact on
present-day Armenia," Danielyan said. He was commenting on the AGBU
announcement that plans are under way to start a 'Melkonian Summer
School' near the capital Yerevan to teach the Armenian language and
culture to about 400 diaspora youths for three months each year.
Six speakers were invited by the 40-member central committee meeting
held at the Holiday Inn in Nicosia to elaborate on the history of
the school and the reasons behind its closure, as well as to explain
whether there was any hope or grounds for the school to reopen.
Ambassador Nicholas Makris, a member of the Council of Europe committee
that drafted the Charter for European Minority Languages, said that the
Melkonian should reopen, otherwise the whole of the Armenian community
of Cyprus would disappear. He said the government of Cyprus had an
obligation to implement the Charter, and this was best done through
the reopening of the school.
Dr Akabie Nassibian-Ekmekdjian, historian and director of the school
in the 1980s gave a historical overview of the school, saying that
the Melkonian Education Institute, initially established in 1926
for orphans that survived the genocide, has produced hundreds
of scientists, doctors, lawyers, artists, teachers and other
professionals, who moved on from their studies to excel in their
fields and become community leaders.
Yeran Kouyoumdjian, editor of a community newspaper, and Armen
Urneshlian, an educator from Lebanon, argued that the closure of
the Melkonian was not for financial reasons and was already having
a negative effect on the Armenian diaspora. Vartan Tashjian, former
headmaster of the Nareg elementary schools, spoke of his personal
experiences and explained how Cypriots in general were opposed to
the school's closure and how they supported the struggle to reopen it.
The final speakers of the session included Masis der Parthogh,
journalist and alumnus, who said that the school's closure was planned
years in advance with the intention to exploit the land, and Manouk
Yildizian, journalist, who explained the legal aspects of community
and minority rights in Cyprus and gave an overview of the government's
pledge to support the school, both financially and academically.
Present among the few seats reserved for observers from the community
was former AGBU Central Board member Benon Sevan, who said that it was
"unfair" that only one side of the argument was heard.
The session's chairman argued that the AGBU's positions were very clear
and that the committee members wanted to hear about the prospects of
reopening the historic school.
Dr Ekmekdjian added that the worldwide Melkonian alumni and friends
had always wanted a dialogue, but it was the AGBU that refused for
years to discuss keeping the school open.
The three-day meeting ended on Sunday with the central committee
members visiting the Melkonian School grounds and laying wreaths at
the founders' monument.
This was the sixth meeting of the Organising Committee of the Western
Armenian National Council that is expected to reconvene later this
year to discuss several issues related to the Armenian Diaspora, such
as social, community and historic aspects of the Western Armenian
language, history and heritage.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress