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On September 19, the Central Committee of Hamazkayin commenced its meetings with all its members present. The meetings lasted three days.

The meeting was meant to study the status and accomplishments of Hamazkayin’s educational institutions, publishing efforts, organizational regions, Pakin, Student Forum, and general Armenia-diaspora bilateral cultural and educational ties. After evaluating those issues, the representatives discussed prospective plans for the future.
A press release will be published at the conclusion of the meeting.   Cont.

the executive director of the M. and H. Arslanian Djemaran of Hamazkayin, was awarded a letter of gratitude from the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Education and Science, for his dedication to the service of his people and for his legacy in building the Armenian national identity.

Harout Shekerjian’s play “Overdose” was presented September 16 at a reading organized by Pakin literary publication. The reading was held at Pakin’s editorial offices. The magazine will publish the play in its September issue.

After welcoming the participants, Seta Krikorian, Pakin’s deputy editor, introduced the audience to Harout Shekerjian. She said Shekerjian is a promising actor, in addition to his creative writing talents. and obviously has talents of writing and creation.   Cont.

The 33th Regional Assembly of Hamazkayin in the Eastern USA took place on August 2009.

The newly elected members of the Regional Committee are:    Cont.

The 18th Regional Assembly of Hamazkayin in Syria took place on August 23, 2009.

The newly elected members of the Regional Committee are:    Cont.

The 12th Regional Assembly of Hamazkayin in Australia took place on August 12, 2009.

The newly elected members of the Regional Committee are:    Cont.

On Sunday, August 16, at 5:00 PM, a Cultural Day event took place on the Mar Takla Square in Brommana. The representative of Lebanon President and General Michel Sleiman, high-ranking officials, art lovers, and the residents of the area attended the event. Also present were MP Hagop Pakradouni, the representative of the president of Lebanon’s Parliament Nebih Berri, as well as former Minister Sebouh Hovnanian.

Poet Wadih Safi, Lebanese poets and artists, folk dance troupes, and the orchestra of the Lebanese Army took part in the ceremony. At 7:00 PM the awards ceremony took place. Antoine Abu Jawde, the president of the Forum of National Legacy and Folklore Preservation, delivered a speech for the occasion and said that Knar Dance Troupe received the golden award for the best dance troupe in 2009. He said the dance troupe has a grand and unique role in the preservation of dance art legacies.   Cont.

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“Faces and events through the lens of Canadian-Armenian photographer Kalousd Babian,” a discussion of the photographer’s works, took place Friday, August 7, 2009, at 8:00 PM. The event was organized by the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Lebanon and the Aztag Daily. Art lovers, press representatives, and members of Hamazkayin attended the meeting.

On behalf of the organizers, Raffi Demirjian, the director of the Levon Shant Cultural Center of Hamazkayin delivered the opening speech. He said the content and quality of Kalousd Babian’s work represent a richness worthy of equivalent acknowledgement.   Cont.

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By Apo Sahagian
Sahagian, who lives and studies in Jerusalem, participated in the Hamazkayin Forum 2009 in Armenia. Below are his impressions from a trip to Aragadz.

Standing on a mountain top can be a bit intimidating. Yet, I never reached the peak—just a quarter of the way—and still I was intimidated. Your view is conquered by endless green hills, smaller (but not less daunting) mountains, and a miniature pond that fits in perfectly with the isolated patch of heaven on earth. This was what I witnessed standing on toppled rocks, ready to drag me down to my final breath. But what does any of that matter when—for one moment, one vital moment few can really claim—you behold in your eyes a beauty so seductive, you might as well purposely drag your self down with the rocks. The only thing missing was the emotive sound of the duduk. But even that was perfectly replaced by serenades composed by high breezes, which hushed the silence ever so sweetly.
And I had that moment on Mount Aragadz.   Cont.

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On Friday, July 24, the Forum participants visited Sardarapat and learned a great deal about the antiquities exhibited in the museum. In the evening, they enjoyed a cheese and wine party.

On the following day, the students went to Lori and visited the monastery of Haghpad.   Cont.

The 29th Regional Assembly of Hamazkayin in Canada took place on July 18-19, 2009.

The newly elected members of the Regional Committee are:    Cont.

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The students of the M. and H. Arslanian Djemaran of Hamazkayin bid farewell to the school year 2008-2009 with four ceremonies, during which they presented art programs to their teachers and fellow students.

The year-end ceremony for the Norsigian Kindergarten of Hamazkayin took place Sunday, June 14, 2009, at 6:00 PM. The students of the Pink, Blue, and Green classes staged a play, performed recitations, as well as a lively string of songs and dances. Afterwards, 47 children from the Green class received their Kindergarten certificates and so graduated from the Norsigian Kindergarten.   Cont.

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The performances of the Kasbar Ipegian Theater Company of Hamazkayin of the play “The Cave Dwellers” by William Saroyan took place July 10, 11, and 12, at 8:30 p.m., at Hagop Der Melkonian Theater. Art lovers and members of Hamazkayin attended the performances.

A play is a miniature mosaic of real life, where the theater has been destroyed and the actors are in a tragic state. Some of the characters in the play have common characteristics with the life and struggles of William Saroyan, the world famous Armenian-American writer and playwright, as well as with the lifestyle and society of the era.   Cont.

24 out of 27 students from M. and H. Arslanian Djemaran of Hamazkayin who took the French Baccalaureate passed the test. The science class (12 students) earned 100 percent success with excellent results. Six students achieved merits: two were named very good, two were marked good, and two were given the distinction of quite good. Twelve out of the 15 students in the literature class passed the exams, and two of them received good merits.

Below are the lists of succeeded students.   Cont.

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The servant of Armenian letters and culture proved with his actions that he conquered the good war and brought it to the height where he reached his dream with the sounds of bells in an ever-chiming tower.

Saturday, June 20, 2009, was a day of joy for the Golsten Djemaran of Hamazkayin. Words are not enough, only emotions can describe the happiness. If we love our culture even a bit, and there is the trace of the capacity to appreciate the angelic expressions of innocent children, then how could one not be touched on these faraway shores by the work of our humble heroes who deliver us spiritual nutrition: it is vital to kiss their foreheads for the work they have done.   Cont.

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The five dance performance of the Knar Dance Troupe of Hamazkayin, titled “Charlie Chaplin: The show must go on…” took place June 24-28, at 9:00 PM, in the hall of Casino Du Liban.

The Ambassadors of Greece and Belgium, representatives of the clergy, representatives of the ARF Central Committee of Lebanon and the Central Committee of Hamazkayin, Bourj Hamoud Mayor Antranig Mserlian, President of the Committee of Preservation of National Legacy and Folklore Antoine Abou Jawde, representatives of the Festivals of Byblos, Ehden, and Ainjar, representatives from broadcast and print media, national bodies, educational leaders, and an otherwise large audience attended the shows Saturday and Sunday.   Cont.

The annual dinner of Hamazkayin Djemaran in Marseille took place June 12, 2009, under the presidency of Henri Papazian, the director of Aip FM, and under the high patronage of Bishop Norvan Zakarian, as well as Michel Vozel (the president of the regional council of PAQA,) Jean-Noel Gerini (president of the council of Bouch-du-Rhône Province,) and Jean-Claude Godin (the mayor of Marseille.)
216 invitees attended the dinner. Among them was Rachel Dink.

Simon Mnagian and Bridget Margoian made speeches on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Djemaran. Jean Noel Gerini reaffirmed his promise that the Presidency of the Council of the Province Bouche-du-Rhône will allocate a sum of 1.3 million euros for the construction of a new sports facility at the Djemaran. Garo Hovsepian, Michel Vozel’s representative, said the Regional Council would also make an unspecified financial contribution toward the project.    Cont.

On June 22, 2009, at 8:00 PM, Parsegh Ganachian Music College of Hamazkayin hosted its year-end ceremony for the graduating students from the 2008-09 school year at the Levon Shant Cultural Center of Hamazkayin.
Representatives of official bodies, members of Hamazkayin, parents, and students were in attendance.

Armen Kecheg, the director of P. Ganachian Music College of Hamazkayin, opened the ceremony. He said such ceremonies were the perfect opportunity to present the students’ accomplishments to the public. He said the College entered its 25th year with new accomplishments and successes, the best proof of which is its graduates.   Cont.