[encoded data, 309115 characters]\" /></p><p class=\"bodytext\"><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\">On Saturday, March 5, 2011, Policy Forum Armenia held an evening honoring the memory of a prominent Soviet-era dissident, a member of the &ldquo;7 patriots&rdquo;, Vigen Babayan. The event&rsquo;s featured guests were:&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p><ul><li><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\"><strong>Azat Gasparyan</strong>, renown actor and narrator (evening&rsquo;s moderator);</font></li><li><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\"><strong>Paruyr Hayrikyan</strong>, prominent Soviet-era dissident and the leader of the National Self-Determination Union (AIM);</font></li><li><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\"><strong>Shahen Harutyunyan</strong>, a founder of the Soviet-era underground United National Party (AMK).</font></li></ul><p class=\"bodytext\"><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\">Jailed in early-1960s for underground activities aimed at proclaiming independent Armenia and recognizing the Genocide, the &ldquo;7 patriots&rdquo;&mdash;as the group became known in Armenia following their trial and imprisonment&mdash;laid the foundations for independence and pro-democracy movement in Armenia and elsewhere in the USSR. Years spent in Siberian gulags and countless KGB interrogations could not break Vigen Babayan&rsquo;s iron will and lessen his commitment to what he stood for. The volumes of poetry that he left behind are live testaments of his sufferings, but also of limitless love for his motherland and freedom. To the young generation of Armenians, who fought for country&rsquo;s independence and for the freedom of Artsakh, Vigen Babayan is known as the voice behind the &ldquo;Voice of America&rdquo; Armenian service reporting during the late-1980s and early-1990s. </font></p><p class=\"bodytext\"><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\">Celebrating the legacy of Vigen Babayan and others, who put their lives on the line for free and independent Armenia, at times when there seemed no hope on the horizon, is of particular importance now given the events unfolding in Armenia. This epic story is as much about the past as it is about today and tomorrow. </font></p><p class=\"bodytext\"><font color=\"black\" face=\"verdana\" size=\"2\">The event was held at the Cosmos Club in Washington D.C.<font size=\"2\">&nbsp;and was </font>co-sponsored by members of the Washington&#39;s Armenian community. </font></p><p class=\"bodytext\">Pictures from the event are available from the&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/media-gallery/evening-memory-vigen-babayan\"><strong>Photo Gallery</strong></a>.</p>', '', 'full_html');
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('node', 'site_page', 0, 273, 429, 'und', 0, '<div align=\"center\"><p><img alt=\"\" height=\"189\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Forum_Poster_sm.jpg\" width=\"143\" /></p><p><strong>2nd Annual PFA Forum on Armenia-Diaspora Relations</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Armenia-Diaspora relations have never been more strained in the 20 years since independence. To provide an opportunity for academics, policy practitioners, and the public to discuss perspectives on, and approaches to, the present-day challenges facing the Armenian nation Policy Forum Armenia held its 2<sup>nd</sup> Annual Forum in Washington, DC on February 28-March 2, 2010.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">In it&#39;s first high level Economic Forum, PFA brought together an unprecedented line-up of academics and policymakers from Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and UAE, including Armenia&rsquo;s five former Prime Ministers, to discuss the implications of the crisis for Armenia and help devise policy prescriptions to mitigate them.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">As in the 1<sup>st</sup> Forum, the 2<sup>nd</sup> (Armenia-Diaspora) Forum gathered a large number of intellectuals&mdash;academic and public policy practitioners&mdash;to discuss challenges and help devise new modes of engagement between Armenia and its Diaspora.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Day 1 of the Forum (February 28) was held at the Cosmos Club, Washington&rsquo;s premier venue for social and policy events, and featured the presentation of PFA&rsquo;s Report on &ldquo;Armenia-Diaspora Relations: 20 Years Since Independence.&rdquo;</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Day 2 of the Forum was held at Georgetown University.&nbsp; This part of the Forum was open to the public.&nbsp; Mr. Raffi Hovannisian, Armenia&rsquo;s First Foreign Minister, delivered the keynote luncheon address on Day 2 (March 1).</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">The program for Day 3 (March 2) was limited to only young professionals and included thematic meetings with various international agencies and public and private organizations in order to continue the discussion on Armenia-Diaspora relations and offer young professionals opportunities to network in Washington.</p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">The presentations and themes covered during this forum are shown below, with presenters slides and papers available for you to download.</p></div><h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>---------------------- Day 1 ----------------------</strong></h3><div align=\"center\"><strong>Keynote Opening Address </strong></div><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"484\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><div><a href=\"http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2010/0302_governance_disaster_kaufmann.aspx?p=1\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/link_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></td><td><p>Dr. Daniel Kaufmann<br /> Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development<br /> Brookings Institute</p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>---------------------- Day 2 ----------------------</strong></h3><div align=\"center\"><strong>Young Professionals Session I</strong></div><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"492\"><tbody><tr><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/DeMucci_ArmeniaTurkish_Protocols.ppt\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/De_Mucci_PFA_Forum.pdf\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><p>Jennifer de Mucci, Fordham University<br /> <em>Pouring Salt on Old Wounds: Psychological Impact of the Protocol</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Palandjian-Interest_Analysis.ppt\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Palandjian-PFA_forum.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><p>Tamar Palandjian, George Mason University<br /> <em>Interest-based Analysis of the Protocol-related Armenia-Diaspora Rift</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Dumanian--PFArmeniaPresentation.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Dumanian-PFA_forum_paper.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p>Henry Dumanian, City University of New York<br /> <em>The Diaspora and Democracy in the Homeland</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>&nbsp;</p><p align=\"center\"><strong>Young Professionals Session II</strong></p><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"492\"><tbody><tr><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Derderian-Democracy_Armenia.ppt\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Derderian-Democracy_Armenia.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p>Dzovinar Derderian, University of Michigan<br /><em>Democracy in Armenia and Diaspora-Armenia Relation</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Sarksyan_PFA.ppt\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></td><td><p>&nbsp;</p></td><td><p>Hayk Sargsyan, Johns Hopkins University<br /><em>Arnenia&#39;s Investment Climate and Diaspora&#39;s participation in development policies </em></p></td></tr><tr><td><div><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Heboyan-PFA_Present.ppt\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></div></td><td><p>&nbsp;</p></td><td><p>Vahe Heboyan, University of Georgia<br /> <em>20 Years of Economic Engagement: Rethinking Values and Approaches</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><div><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Tourian-Accountability.ppt\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></div></td><td><div><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Tourian-PFA.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></div></td><td><p>Ted Tourian, Burgh, Balian &amp; Bergstein, LLP and PFA<br /> <em>The Accountability of Diaspora Organizations to Armenians</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>&nbsp;</p><div align=\"center\"><p><strong>Keynote Address </strong></p><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"484\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><div><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Raffi_H_PFA_Forum.pdf\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></div></td><td><p>Raffi Hovhannisian<br /><em>Heritage Party</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Senior Professionals Session I</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"492\"><tbody><tr><td><p>&nbsp;</p></td><td><div><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Sanjian-Diaspora_Armenia.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></div></td><td><p>Professor Ara Sanjian, University of Michigan<br /> <em>How Are Diasporans Informed About Contemporary Armenia?</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Attarian-Moving_Forward_Aside.ppt\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></td><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Attarian-Moving_Forward_Aside.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><p>Viken Attarian, Executive Vice President, Policy Commission (Quebec), Liberal Party of Canada<br /> <em>Moving Forward or Aside? Last Chance for Directionless Diasporas </em></p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><div><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Papian-PFA.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></div></td><td><p>Ara Papian, Former Ambassador of Armenia in Canada, Modus Vivendi Center<br /> <em>Pan-national Idea as a Basis for the State Power and National Unity </em></p></td></tr><tr><td><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/LA-Forum_Washington.ppt\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/ppt_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></td><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/LA-Forum_Washington.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><p>Larisa Alaverdyan, MP, National Assembly, Heritage Faction<br /> <em>Shattered Dreams and an Uncertain Outlook</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>&nbsp;</p><div align=\"center\"><strong>Senior Professionals Session II</strong></div><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"484\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Minasyan-PFA.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></div></td><td><p>Artsvik Minasyan, MP, National Assembly, ARF Faction<br /> <em>Social and Economic Problems of Armenia: Ways Out and Diaspora&rsquo;s Role</em></p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Muradyan_PFA.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p>Igor Muradian, Institute of Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, ARMENIA<br /> <em>Problems and the Purpose of the Armenian Diaspora</em></p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p>&nbsp;</p></td><td><p>Professor Khachig Tololyan, Wesleyan University</p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p>&nbsp;</p></td><td><p>Professor Onnig Beylerian, Université du Québec à Montréal<br /> <em>On the Mechanisms of Diaspora Consolidation</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">----------------------<strong>Day 3 ----------------------</strong></h3><div align=\"center\"><strong>Thematic Discussions for Young Professionals</strong></div><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"484\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Intern%20Relations%20and%20Geopolitics.pdf\"><img alt=\" \" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p>International Relations and Geopolitics</p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Journalism%20and%20freedom%20of%20expression.pdf\"><img alt=\" \" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></p></td><td><p>Journalism and Freedom of Expression</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>&nbsp;</p><div align=\"center\"><strong>Special Correspondence from Armenia</strong></div><table align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"484\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Jirayr_Sefilian.pdf\" target=\"_top\"><img alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"32\" src=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/pdf_icon.png\" width=\"32\" /></a></div></td><td><p>Jirayr Sefilian address to the Forum</p></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td><p>Regret letter from the Minister of Diaspora</p></td></tr></tbody></table><hr /><p>&nbsp;</p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 274, 430, 'und', 0, '<div align=\"center\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Second_Annual_Forum_Agenda.pdf\">Agenda of the Forum</a>&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp; <strong><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/ForumSpeakersBios.pdf\">Bios of Speakers</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;</strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/media-gallery/pfa-forum-armenia-diaspora-relations\"><strong>Photo Gallery</strong></a><strong></strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/media-gallery/pfa-forum-armenia-diaspora-relations\"><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;</strong></a><strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/user/pfarmenia#p/a/u/1/BMrrKIzZnOo\">Keynote Speech&nbsp;by Raffi Hovannisian</a>&nbsp;</strong><strong>(video) &nbsp;</strong><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Sponsors_of_Diaspora_Forum.pdf\"><strong>Sponsors of the Forum</strong></a></p><p style=\"text-align: left; \">Despite the official rhetoric on both sides, Armenia-Diaspora relations remain strained after 20 years since independence. To provide an opportunity for academics, policy practitioners, and the public to discuss perspectives on, and approaches to, the present-day challenges facing the Armenian nation, Policy Forum Armenia organized its 2<sup>nd</sup>&nbsp;Annual Forum in Washington, DC on February 28-March 2, 2010.</p><div align=\"center\"><p style=\"text-align: left; \">Day 1 of the Forum (February 28) was held at the Cosmos Club, Washington&rsquo;s premier venue for social and policy events, and featured the presentation of PFA&rsquo;s Report on &ldquo;Armenia-Diaspora Relations: 20 Years Since Independence.&rdquo;</p><p style=\"text-align: left; \">Day 2 of the Forum (March 1) was held at Georgetown University. This part of the Forum was open to the public. Mr. Raffi Hovannisian, Armenia&rsquo;s First Foreign Minister, delivered the keynote luncheon address.</p><p style=\"text-align: left; \">The program for Day 3 (March 2) was designed for young professionals and included thematic meetings with to continue the discussion on Armenia-Diaspora relations and offer young professionals opportunities to network in Washington.</p><p style=\"text-align: left; \"><strong>Below are some presentation made during the Forum.</strong></p><h4><strong>Keynote Opening Address</strong></h4><div>Dr. Daniel Kufmann, Senior Fellow</div><div><em><a href=\"http://thekaufmannpost.net/national-disasters-today-provide-governance-lessons/\"> Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institute</a></em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><h4><strong>Young Professionals Session I</strong></h4><div>Jennifer De Mucci, Fordham University</div><div><em><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/De_Mucci_PFA_Forum.pdf\">Pouring Salt on Old Wounds: Psychological Reactions to the Protocols</a></em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><div>Tamar Palandjian George Mason University</div><div><em><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Palandjian-PFA_forum.pdf\">Interest-based Analysis of the Protocol-Related Armenia-Diaspora Rift</a></em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Henry Dumanian, the City University of New York</div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Dumanian-PFA_forum_paper.pdf\"><em>Diaspora and Democracy: The Diaspora&rsquo;s Response to National Movements in Armenia</em></a></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><h4><strong>Young Professionals Session II</strong></h4><div>Dzovinar Derderian, Georgetown University</div><div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Derderian-Democracy_Armenia.pdf\"><em>Democracy in Armenia and Diaspora-Armenia relations</em></a></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><div>Ted Tourian, Burgh, Balian &amp; Bergstein, LLP</div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Tourian-PFA.pdf\"><em>The Accountability of Diaspora Organizations to Armenians: The reason why the creation of more Diaspora organizations are necessar</em></a></div><div>&nbsp;</div><h4><strong>Keynote Luncheon Address</strong></h4><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Raffi_H_PFA_Forum.pdf\">Raffi K. Hovannisian, Heritage Party</a></div><div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><h4><strong>Senior Professionals Session II</strong></h4><div>Artsvik Minasyan, Member of Parliament, ARF Faction</div><div><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum/Minasyan-PFA.pdf\"><em>The Ways to Overcome the Social-Economic and Public-Political Issues in Armenia&nbsp;</em></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 276, 433, 'und', 0, '<p>On March 5, 2011, Policy Forum Armenia held an evening honoring the memory of a prominent Soviet-era dissident, a member of the &ldquo;7 patriots&rdquo;, Vigen Babayan. The event&rsquo;s featured guests were: &nbsp;</p><ul><li>Azat Gasparyan, renown actor and narrator (evening&rsquo;s moderator);</li><li>Paruyr Hayrikyan, prominent Soviet-era dissident and the leader of the National Self-Determination Union (AIM); and</li><li>Shahen Harutyunyan, a founder of the Soviet-era underground United National Party (AMK).</li></ul><p>Jailed in early-1960s for underground activities aimed at proclaiming independent Armenia and recognizing the Genocide, the &ldquo;7 patriots&rdquo;&mdash;as the group became known in Armenia following their trial and imprisonment&mdash;laid the foundations for independence and pro-democracy movement in Armenia and elsewhere in the USSR. Years spent in Siberian gulags and countless KGB interrogations could not break Vigen Babayan&rsquo;s iron will and lessen his commitment to what he stood for. The volumes of poetry that he left behind are live testaments of his sufferings, but also of limitless love for his motherland and freedom. To the young generation of Armenians, who fought for country&rsquo;s independence and for the freedom of Artsakh, Vigen Babayan is known as the voice behind the &ldquo;Voice of America&rdquo; Armenian service reporting during the late-1980s and early-1990s.</p><p>&quot;Celebrating the legacy of Vigen Babayan and others, who put their lives on the line for free and independent Armenia, at times when there seemed no hope on the horizon, is of particular importance now given the events unfolding in Armenia. This epic story is as much about the past as it is about today and tomorrow,&quot; said a member of the community who attended the event. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>The event was held at <strong><a href=\"https://www.cosmosclub.org/default.aspx\">the Cosmos Club</a>&nbsp;</strong>and&nbsp;was&nbsp;co-sponsored by members of the Washington&#39;s Armenian community.</p><p>Additional pictures from the event are available in&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/media-gallery/evening-memory-vigen-babayan\">Photo Gallery</a>.&nbsp;</strong></p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 277, 446, 'und', 0, '<address>Left to right: Former Prime Ministers of Armenia Aram Sargsyan, Khosrov Harutyunyan, Gagik Harutyunyan, Hrant Bagratyan, Vazgen Manukyan, and former Minister of Finance Levon Barkhudaryan at PFA&rsquo;s First Annual Forum on Economic Crisis (Yerevan, May 2009)</address><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Armenia--Weathering_the_Global_Storm--05-24.pdf\"><u><strong>Forum&#39;s Agenda</strong></u></a><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong><u><strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/site-page/guest-speakers-background\">Guest Speakers</a></strong></u><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong><u><strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/media-gallery/high-level-economic-forum-yerevan-0\">Photo Gallery</a></strong></u></p><p><strong>Weathering the Global Storm: Forum in Armenia brings together current and former economic policymakers</strong></p><p>A high-level economic forum held in Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday brought together former and current economy policy makers to discuss the implications of the continuing global economic crisis for Armenia and help devise policy prescriptions to mitigate them.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;Armenia: Weathering the Global Storm&rdquo;, an event held by independent think tank Policy Forum Armenia, was attended by representatives of international organizations, major policymakers from regional economic powerhouses, and an unprecedented line-up of Armenia&rsquo;s key economic policymakers since independence.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />With the deepening effects of the global financial and economic crisis already fully felt in Armenia, the country&rsquo;s government is seeking new ways to stop and reverse the continuing economic decline. But some analysts say government action is belated, and others believe the measures being taken are still insufficient.&nbsp;<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />These and other evaluations were heard at the forum in Yerevan held for the purpose of outlining actions to alleviate the negative impact of the crisis.&nbsp;<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />In his opening remarks, Abel Aghanbegian, an academician from the Russian Federation, predicted that the crisis would last for another three or 3 &frac12; years and stressed that it was important to come out of this crisis with increased strength.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />&ldquo;The crisis holds out a number of opportunities, such as a decreased inflation, &lsquo;cheap money&rsquo;, opportunities for developing small and medium-sized enterprises. When imports fall in conditions of the crisis, a country like Armenia should diversify its exports, since in conditions of the depreciating national currency, favorable conditions are created for producers,&rdquo; the academician said.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />Meanwhile, former chairman of the Central Bank Bagrat Asatryan sees an opportunity for a slow increase in exports only in 2010-2011, whereas in 2009, according to the economist, exports will be falling in parallel to imports.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />&ldquo;Moreover, a decline in cash remittances and losses of jobs that have started in Russia this spring and are likely to continue for the next few years will lead to an 11 percent economic decline [in Armenia] in 2009,&rdquo; said Asatryan, explaining that indices posted by the Central Bank have been used for the purpose of making this forecast.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />Asatryan, as well as many other participants in the forum, stressed in their speeches that system changes were required for meeting the challenges of the current crisis.&nbsp;<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />Former first deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank Sergey Aleksashenko, presenting the current situation in Russia, underlined the importance of institutional reforms, including for Armenia.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />&ldquo;It is incumbent on the government to fight corruption and monopolistic practices, so that small and medium-sized businesses can develop [even] in conditions of the crisis,&rdquo; said Aleksashenko.&nbsp;<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />David Grigorian, the co-founder of Policy Forum Armenia and an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, told ArmeniaNow that the purpose of the event was to combine together Armenian and outside experience.&nbsp;<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />&ldquo;The purpose of this forum is to bring together the expertise not only that has been accumulated in Armenia since independence in terms of economic policy making, but also distinguished guests from outside that have very relevant experience in terms of crisis management.&nbsp;<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />From that point of view we have achieved something already. It remains to be seen whether any of the findings or deliberations of the forum will reach its intended audience, of which the government is a part,&rdquo; Grigorian said.<br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" /><br style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; \" />&ldquo;It is difficult to say whether or not the government is tuned to this and will be listening to this. But we certainly hope so&hellip; However, it is an unprecedented occasion to have current and former economic policy makers together discussing issues of importance.&rdquo;</p><div>By Sara Khojoyan</div><div><a href=\"http://www.armenianow.com/news/9886/weathering_the_global_storm_forum\">ArmeniaNow&nbsp;</a></div><div>&nbsp;</div>', 'To discuss the implications of the world economic crisis for Armenia and help devise policy prescriptions to mitigate them, Policy Forum Armenia held a high level Economic Forum that will brought together representatives of international organizations, major policymakers from regional economic powerhouses, and an unprecedented line-up of Armenia’s key economic policymakers since independence.', 'full_html'),
('node', 'home_page_feature', 0, 278, 1080, 'und', 0, 'To discuss the implications of the crisis for Armenia and help devise policy prescriptions to mitigate them, Policy Forum Armenia will hold a high level Economic Forum that will bring together representatives of international organizations, major policymakers from regional economic powerhouses, and an unprecedented line-up of Armenia’s key economic policymakers since independence.', '', NULL),
('node', 'profile', 0, 281, 450, 'und', 0, 'Tigran is a theoretical physicist working at the cutting edge of problems in cold atoms, superconductivity, mesoscopics and nanotechnology, and also quantum dynamical systems. After receiving his Ph.D. degree from Yerevan Physics Institute, Tigran has spent his time working at various top level European and US institutions including  the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, Laboratory LAPTH in Annecy, France, the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, University of Utah, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Joint Quantum Institute and Condensed Matter Theory Center, University of Maryland at College Park. Currently he works at the Fine Theoretical Physics Institute, University of Minnesota.', '', 'filtered_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 282, 451, 'und', 0, 'On December 10, 2010, Policy Forum Armenia held a roundtable entitled “5,000 Dram, Voting Roulette, and AK-74: How to Reform the Election System in Armenia” featuring Armenia’s former Prime Minister, Aram Sargsyan, and former Deputy Minister of Health and attorney, Artak Zeynalyan, who visited Washington at the invitation of the State Department.\r\n\r\nParticipants discussed the political developments in Armenia since the 2008 presidential election and March 1-2, 2008 events, as well as possible ways out of the current gridlock. The speakers offered their views about the potential for, and factors behind, political change in Armenia ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Given the length that the current administration is willing to go to maintain its grip on power, they expressed skepticism about the role the regular elections can play in delivering any meaningful change. Speaking about the election fraud and wide-spread irregularities observed in 2008 and 2009, the participants discussed potential mechanisms for independent election monitoring to help make national elections in Armenia less fraudulent and more transparent. A spirited question-and-answer session followed the initial presentations.\r\n\r\nAram Sargsyan served as Armenia\'s Prime Minister between November 1999 and May 2000, following the assassination of his brother, PM Vazgen Sargsyan, in the Armenian parliament building in October 1999. He has since been actively involved in the opposition movement, as leader of the Republic party and as a prominent member of the Armenian National Congress.\r\n\r\nAs part of his duties as a member of the Republic party, Artak Zeynalyan was in charge of filing claims of procedural violations and fraud in the 2007 parliamentary election. He was actively involved in 2008 and 2009 as part of a team of legal experts charged with collection and processing of evidence related to election fraud, and he has represented the victims of the March 1-2, 2008 post-election massacre in Armenian courts.\r\n', '', 'filtered_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 284, 453, 'und', 0, '<p>On April 30, 2010, Policy Forum Armenia held a roundtable discussion on Karabakh hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC.&nbsp; The speakers were Igor Muradyan, an independent analyst and one of the main initiators of independence movement in Karabakh in 1980s&mdash;who is visiting Washington at the invitation of PFA&mdash;and Thomas de Waal, Senior Associate in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment.</p><p>Moderator Dr. David Grigorian thanked the Carnegie Endowment for hosting the discussion, the panelists for agreeing to share their views, and the attendees for joining.&nbsp; The following is the summary of the points made by speakers:</p><p><strong>Thomas de Waal</strong></p><ul><li>Minsk Group negotiations process is almost dead, but there appears to be no alternative to it;</li><li>The confidential nature of negotiations (where only a few people know the details) is not helping. This results in asymmetry between the true content of the talks and what is shared&nbsp;with the public and creates room for manipulations;</li><li>Karabakh is excluded from the negotiations and ends up playing an obstructionist role in the process;</li><li>The Madrid formula appears to be&nbsp;mutually beneficial;</li><li>Bellicose rhetoric, present on both sides (albeit in different degrees), is not conducive to normalization and progress in talks;</li><li>Path for resolution: Armenia should declare that it has no claims on territories beyond the borders of former NKR, which should then trigger Baku&rsquo;s granting Karakakh a very high level of autonomy with some attributes of independence.</li></ul><p><strong>Igor Muradyan</strong></p><ul><li>The August 2008 operation in Ossetia expedited the Karabakh talks on a bilateral basis;</li><li>Russia-Turkish rapprochement too contributed to the process and created a fertile ground for&nbsp; &ldquo;football diplomacy&rdquo;;</li><li>The value of Armenia-Turkey protocols is not in the establishment of diplomatic relations or the potential economic gains but in creating&nbsp;security in the region.&nbsp; This has failed, however, as the environment is much more tense now than it was before the start of the &ldquo;football diplomacy&rdquo;;</li><li>Events that unfolded recently have on the balance reduced the interest of parties in the resolution of the Karabakh problem;</li><li>War on the Karabakh front remains unlikely as long as Azerbaijan is on its own, but triggers for&nbsp;a new war on that front could come from Turkey;</li><li>The negotiating sides should keep in mind that had the Armenian side lost the war in 1994, there would have not been any international pressures on Azerbaijan to allow for the return of the Armenian refugees or to make any territorial concessions for that matter;</li><li>It is unlikely that politicians in Baku will ever forget that Turkey &ldquo;went behind their backs&rdquo; to negotiate with Armenia on border opening. Turkey&rsquo;s backtracking in the recent weeks was a result of formidable pressures from Azerbaijan.</li></ul><p>A lively&nbsp;discussion followed after the presentations that touched upon&nbsp;the costs and benefits of any concessions on the Armenian side; the ability of official Yerevan to handle complex negotiations on&nbsp;multiple fronts; the economic and developmental dimension of the conflict; as well as incentives (or lack thereof)&nbsp;of world powers in achieving normalization in the region.</p><p>The roundtable ended on a note that no political solution of conflicts in the modern history has ever changed the prevailing military outcome.</p><div>Additional pictures are available in&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/media-gallery/nkr-roundtable-carnegie-endowment\">Photo Gallery</a></strong>.</div>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 285, 454, 'und', 0, '<p>On August 28, 2010, Policy Forum Armenia (PFA) presented its State of the Nation Report on &ldquo;Armenia-Diaspora Relations: 20 Years since Independence&rdquo; in Glendale. Inaugurated at a high-profile event in Washington, DC on February 28, 2010, the Report came a few weeks after the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on October 10, 2009. It offers a critical assessment of the 20 or so years of engagement between Armenia and the Diaspora and provides recommendations for the future.</p><p>Presenting in Glendale Public Library were&nbsp;Dr. David Grigorian, a Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund, and <a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/profile/asbed-kotchikian\"><strong>Professor Asbed Kotchikian</strong></a>, a Political Science Lecturer at Bentley University, both Senior Fellows at Policy Forum Armenia. The event also featured commentaries on the Report from Dr. Seta Melkonian, president of the Monte Melkonian foundation; Sara Anjargolian, Esq., LA-based attorney and photographer; &nbsp;and Dr. Joseph Kechichian, editor of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies. Presentations and subsequent question and answer session were moderated by Mrs. Sylva Natalie Manoogian, an International library consultant and President of the Shahan Natalie Family Foundation. See&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/Glendale%20presentation%20bios\">biographies of panelists</a>.</strong></p><p>Presenters started off by providing a historical excurse into Diaspora&rsquo;s formation and a background of the relationship between Armenia and the Diaspora. They then discussed the developments in bilateral relations between the two halves of the nation since Armenia&rsquo;s independence and conjectured that a drift in relations may have started as early as the inception of Armenia&rsquo;s independent movement in 1988. Having set the stage, the presenters then offered an overview of Diaspora&rsquo;s engagement in Armenia on three critical dimensions: economic development, governance and public sector reform, and civil society strengthening. While acknowledging the enormous effort required and the sacrifices made to support Armenia during early years of independence, presenters echoed the Report&rsquo;s criticism of what has been achieved on these important dimensions and provided reasons behind this outcome.</p><p>On the direct economic assistance measure, presenters noted that general lack of political will and the state capture in Armenia have prevented a true economic integration between the Diaspora and the republic. Diaspora&rsquo;s development agenda in Armenia remains weak or non-existent; it has largely ignored the realm of developing independent and credible public policy advice; and its inability to set up institutional vehicles for investment in Armenia is most unfortunate. Presenters went on to argue that not only has the Diaspora not been able to raise any sizable amount of development-intensive money itself to channel to Armenia, it is yet to play a catalytic role in attracting other, non-Diaspora, investments to Armenia.</p><p>On indirect economic assistance, presenters <a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Diaspora_Forum_LA/Chart_of_indirect_assistance.pdf\"><strong>produced a chart</strong></a> depicting a declining US government assistance to Armenia on the backdrop of an increasing assistance to Azerbaijan until 2006. They conjectured that while this trend reflects the overall shift in Washington&rsquo;s attitude away from Armenia and its prioritization of foreign aid, it may also reflect: (1) the preferences of Diaspora lobbying groups, which appear to place more emphasis on Genocide recognition than assistance to Armenia, (2) the perceived need for that assistance on the ground in Armenia, given the Armenian budget&rsquo;s improved capacity to provide goods and services, and (3) the declining influence of Diaspora lobbying groups.</p><p>Presenters then tackled issues related to governance and civil service reform, as key ingredients for development and growth, as well as issues related to strengthening civil society. They found that on these two important dimensions the Diaspora has failed the test by neglecting the importance of these factors for progress and development. The Report&rsquo;s assessment of the failure on the global scale to bring the two halves of the nation together was perhaps best described in the following statement:</p><p>&quot;The successive administrations in Armenia since independence have effectively stripped the nation of the rewards for its victories: the modern-day examples of audacity, perseverance, and success of unseen proportions. Something that could have empowered and served the foundation for the &ldquo;new history,&rdquo; has been turned into a liability of major proportions. The Diaspora did not seem to mind that: the &ldquo;old history&rdquo; was still too strong in their minds and hearts and they were not about to let that be replaced by something else. An opportunity given to the nation by its best&mdash;the Leonids, Montes, Shahens, and Tatouls of the world and countless others, who still carry the wounds of the Karabakh war and the memories of the short but epic reconstruction that followed&mdash;was effectively allowed to be lost by politicians in Armenia and largely unsuspecting-but-effectively-complicit Diaspora.&quot;</p><p>In their closing remarks,&nbsp;presenters discussed the concept of collective action outlined in detail in the Report and what specific application it can have in the context of Armenia-Diaspora relations. They drew a roadmap for formation of a trans-Armenian institution capacble of internalizing problems described throughout the Report and outlined the basic principles and structure for such an organization.</p><p>The three discussants whose remarks followed next commented on specific aspects of the report but also offered general observation on the topic form their own experience. Whether it was Anjargolian, showing the poverty facing residents of Armenia; Dr. Kechichian, describing the diversity of the Diaspora as a source of development and prosperity for Armenia; or Dr. Melkonian discussing the deteriorating relations between residents of Armenia and ordinary Diasporans, they all found the Report useful and constructive in its criticism and recommendations. The discussants agreed that while the Diaspora acted as a backbone to the Armenian statehood during the earthquake in 1989 and the Artsakh&rsquo;s war of Independence, it has subsequently turned a blind-eye on corruption and poor governance practices in Armenia.</p><p>Discussants conferred that many in the Diaspora remain committed to building stronger ties between the Diaspora and Armenia. Going forward, political, economic, and cultural ties with the country would strengthen Diaspora Armenians&rsquo; sense of identity and belonging.&nbsp;And while true integration requires trust and years of meticulous work, it is time for the nation to take steps in this direction to avoid new dividing lines with potentially devastating and irreversible consequences.&nbsp;As Anjargolian stated, the existing disconnect between Armenia and the Diaspora is preventing the latter from shaping Armenia&rsquo;s future. Overcoming Armenia&rsquo;s challenges would require strong efforts by both the state and the Diaspora and the time to act is now.</p><p>Question and answer session followed all five presentations and focused <em>inter alia</em> on issues of human rights abuses in Armenia, challenges of economic development, Diaspora leadership problems, the capacity of Diaspora organizations to innovate and promote change, poverty and migration, etc. The discussions continued at a reception at Abril bookstore. Over 80 participants attended the presentation.</p><p>The Report&rsquo;s&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Diaspora_Forum_LA/PP_presentation_in_Glendale.pdf\">presentation</a></strong>&nbsp;was sponsored by ARKA International, Ecumenos Design Studios, Fortune Vodka, Shahan Natalie Family Foundation, Veratarts TV, and Abril Books.</p><p>Additional pictures are available from the <strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/media-gallery/diaspora-report-presentation-glendale\">Photo Gallery</a>.</strong></p>', '', 'full_html');
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('node', 'site_page', 0, 286, 1087, 'und', 0, '<p><strong>Sylva Natalie Manoogian&nbsp;</strong>specializes in information institutions, resources, and services to culturally and linguistically diverse communities in dispersion, with particular focus on international librarianship, Armenian culture and identity - subjects about which she has written and lectured extensively. Her global linkages, varied professional experiences, and innovative approaches to multilingual library and community services have been rewarded with several prestigious local, regional, national and international awards. As an independent library consultant to Armenian libraries in Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia, she has developed and utilized a distinctive practical and critical lens to initiate research, contribute to scholarship, and mentor future generations of information professionals. Mrs. Manoogian is the President and CEO of the Shahan Natalie Family Foundation, a California public benefit corporation (also registered in Armenia), to perpetuate the indomitable ideologue&#39;s national, literary, and public legacy through educational, intellectual, and humanitarian activism.</p><p><strong>David A. Grigorian&nbsp;</strong>is a Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund&#39;s (IMF) Monetary and Capital Markets Department in Washington, DC and a co-founder of, and a Senior Fellow at, Policy Forum Armenia. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Maryland at College Park (2001); MA in Economics, Central European University, Prague (1995); MSc in Industrial Engineering from the American University of Armenia, Yerevan (1994); and MSc equivalent in Systems Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Yerevan (1992). Prior to joining the IMF, he worked at the World Bank&rsquo;s Europe and Central Asia region. Dr. Grigorian specializes in macroeconomics, finance, and development and has published refereed articles on growth and institutions, prices and fiscal policy, remittances, capital markets, and banking.</p><p><strong>Asbed Kotchikian&nbsp;</strong>(Ph.D., Boston University, 2006) is a lecturer in political science at Bentley University and a Senior Fellow at Policy Forum Armenia. Before joining Bentley, he was the Assistant Director of International Affairs Program at Florida State University where he taught courses in Eurasian and Middle Eastern politics. He spent two years (2000-2002) in Armenia and Georgia, where he conducted research and was a visiting lecturer in political science and international relations at local universities. Prof. Kotchikian has written, lectured and organized conferences, and has delivered presentations on topics such as foreign policies of small and weak states, national identity, and regional developments in the Middle East and Eurasia within academic and public venues in the South Caucasus, Middle East, US and Europe. He is currently the editor of the academic peer reviewed journal, Armenian Review.</p><p><strong>Seta Melkonian&nbsp;</strong>is a Founder and President of the Monte Melkonian Benevolent Organization, a non-profit charity that helps the neediest of the needy in Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. She holds a Ph.D. in Armenian Literature from Yerevan State University, Armenia. For several years she taught Armenian language at University of Michigan Summer Program and at UC Berkeley. She has translated, edited and published several writings by Monte Melkonian. With Dr. Markar Melkonian she co-authored the book &ldquo;My Brother&rsquo;s Road&rdquo; the life story of Monte Melkonian. She resides in Central California.</p><p><strong>Sara Anjargolian&nbsp;</strong>is a Los Angeles-based photographer and attorney. She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science/Public Policy, and then went on to law school at U.C. Berkeley&rsquo;s Boalt Hall, graduating in 2000 with a Juris Doctor degree. After admission to the California Bar, Sara joined the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. where she served as a trial lawyer. In 2002, Sara moved to Armenia on a Fulbright scholarship. Sara served as Associate Professor and Assistant Dean at the American University of Armenia law department where she focused on the changing role of women in post-Soviet transitional societies. She published her research in the book &quot;The State of Law in the South Caucasus,&quot; a Palgrave Macmillan publication. Since her return to Los Angeles, Sara&rsquo;s photography has been featured in numerous exhibitions and presentations.</p><p><strong>Joseph A. Kéchichian&nbsp;</strong>is the editor of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies and a syndicated columnist based at Gulf News in Dubai. Dr. Kéchichian received his Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1985, where he also taught (1986-1988), and assumed the assistant deanship in international studies (1988-1989). He is an author of ten books, most recent of which include Faysal: Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s King for All Seasons (2008), Power and Succession in Arab Monarchies (2008), and Political Participation and Stability in the Sultanate of Oman (2005). The author of numerous chapters in edited books and in refereed journals, his most recent essay is on &ldquo;Armenia and the Gulf States: Foreign Policy Fundamentals and Choices,&rdquo; in Marat Terterov (ed.), Russian and CIS Relations with the Gulf States: Current Trends and Economic Dynamics.</p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'media_gallery', 0, 287, 457, 'und', 0, 'Pictures from August 28, 2010 PFA presentation of its State of the Nation Report on “Armenia-Diaspora Relations: 20 Years since Independence” in Glendale. ', '', 'filtered_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 295, 465, 'und', 0, '<p>In collaboration with academic and policy institutions in Washington, DC and New York City, Policy Forum Armenia held a series of seminars titled&nbsp;&quot;Armenia-Turkey Protocols: Reality and Myths&quot;&nbsp;in November, December, and January, 2009.</p><p><font class=\"Apple-style-span\" face=\"Arial, Helvetica\"><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Karamanian--Theriault--Aftandilian_Seminar.pdf\"><strong>The first seminar</strong></a>&nbsp;was&nbsp;hosted by the George Washington University International and Comparative Law Program and&nbsp;held on November 19. It&nbsp;featured&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/site-page/biographies-presenters\">Professors Susan Karamanian and&nbsp;Henry Theriault, and Gregory Aftandilian</a>.</strong>&nbsp;See the pictures from the first seminar&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/media-gallery/armenia-turkey-protocols-seminar-i\">Photo Gallery</a>.&nbsp;</strong><a href=\"http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-11-26-expert-armenia-turkey-protocols-undermine-congressional-resolutions\"><strong>The Armenian Reporter</strong></a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgOuEVKFY64\">Voice of America</a>&nbsp;</strong>provided coverage of the event.&nbsp;The audio recording of the presentations and the Q&amp;A session that followed are available&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/site-page/audio\">here</a>.</strong></font></p><p><font class=\"Apple-style-span\" face=\"Arial, Helvetica\"><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Kalayjian--Kotchikian--Kasbarian_Seminar.pdf\"><strong>The second seminar</strong></a>&nbsp;was held at Fordham University,&nbsp;in collaboration with the Fordham Armenian Student Association, on December 17&nbsp;and&nbsp;featured&nbsp;<a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/site-page/biographies-presenters-0\"><strong>Professors Ani Kalayjian&nbsp;and Asbed Kotchikian, and Dr. Antranig Kasbarian.</strong></a></font></p><p><font class=\"Apple-style-span\" face=\"Arial, Helvetica\"><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Kessedjian-Murphy_Seminar.pdf\"><strong>The third seminar</strong></a>&nbsp;was held in Washington on January 25 in&nbsp;collaboration with&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.asil.org/\"><strong>The American Society of International Law</strong></a>&nbsp;and The George Washington University&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.law.gwu.edu/Pages/Default.aspx\"><strong>Law School</strong></a>. The seminar&#39;s speaker&nbsp;was&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/events/conferences/2000/speakers/kessedjian.html\"><strong>Professor Catherine Kessedjian&nbsp;</strong></a>of Pantheon-Assas University, Paris (France)&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.law.gwu.edu/Faculty/Profile.aspx?id=1756\"><strong>Professor Sean Murphy</strong></a>, the Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor of Law and&nbsp;GWU Law School, presiding. Pictures from the third seminar are available in&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/user/pfarmenia\"><strong>Photo Gallery</strong></a>.</font></p><p><font class=\"Apple-style-span\" face=\"Arial, Helvetica\">Full video recording of the third seminar can be watched on&nbsp;<a href=\"site-page/video\"><strong>PFA&#39;s YouTube channel</strong></a>.</font></p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 296, 467, 'und', 0, '<p><strong><em>Susan Karamanian</em></strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>Susan Karamanian is the Associate Dean for International and Comparative Legal Studies Program at the George Washington University. A former Rhodes Scholar, Dean Karamanian is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She is also an active member of the American Society of International Law. In 2009, she was elected President of the Washington Foreign Law Society. Dean Karamanian joined GWU law school after a 14-year career at Locke Liddell &amp; Sapp, LLP in Dallas, Texas where she has represented foreign and domestic clients in international disputes.&nbsp;She has received her J.D. from University of Texas, and B.A. from Oxford University.</p><p><strong><em>Henry Theriault</em></strong></p><p>Henry Theriault is a Professor of Philosophy at Worcester State College, where he has taught since 1998.&nbsp;His teaching and research interests include courses on Genocide and Human Rights, Long-Term Justice for Mass Violence, Mass Violence Against Women, Ideology and Propaganda, Ethics, and Political Philosophy. Since 2007 he has served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Genocide Studies and Prevention and has been on the Advisory Council of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Professor Theriault&#39;s research focuses on philosophical approaches to genocide issues, especially genocide denial, long-term justice, and ethical analyses of perpetrator motivations. He has served as coordinator of the Worcester State College&#39;s Center for the Study of Human Rights and lectured widely in the United States and internationally. Professor Theriault earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts with a specialization in social and political philosophy.</p><p><strong><em>Gregory Aftandilian</em></strong></p><p>Gregory Aftandilian is an independent consultant specializing in Middle East affairs. At various times since mid-1980s, Mr. Aftandilian has served a senior staffer at the International Economic Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, foreign policy adviser to Senators Paul Sarbanes and Senator Edward Kennedy, and Congressman Chris Van Hollen. He also served as a Middle East Analyst at the Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research from 1988 to 2000. Additionally, Mr. Aftandilian has served as a Senior Adviser on Middle East affairs at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and as a fellow with International Security Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard University. He has received his M.S. in International Relations from London School of Economics and M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from University of Chicago.</p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 297, 474, 'und', 0, '<p><strong>Ani Kalayjian</strong></p><p>Ani Kalayjian is a psychology professor, American Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress, psychotherapist, Genocide Scholar, conflict resolution expert, researcher, and international consultant. She has over twenty years of experience in disaster management, mass-trauma interventions &amp; conflict resolution as well as two decades of university teaching experience and psychotherapy practice in both NY/NJ. Dr. Kalayjian conducts workshops around the world healing the wounds of generationally transmitted trauma of wars, genocides, and Holocaust. She has presented her research papers, conducted workshops, and chaired panel discussion nationally and internationally. She has published widely in scholarly journals, as well as authored and edited several books the most recent being the two volume <em>Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-Making</em> (Praeger Publishing, November 2009).</p><p><strong>J. Antranig Kasbarian</strong></p><p>John Antranig Kasbarian holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Rutgers University, where he studied under Neil Smith. His doctoral dissertation dealt with the geography of nationalism during the 1988-1994 war in Nagorno-Karabagh, based largely on his own experiences on the ground. It is entitled &quot;We Are Our Mountains: The Geography of Nationalism in the Armenian Self-Determination Movement, Nagorno-Karabakh, 1988-98.&quot; He has published widely on Nagorno-Karabagh in both academic journals and the press. Professionally, he serves as Executive Director for the New York-based Tufenkian Foundation, supervising a variety of programs in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh. He is also active within the Armenian-American community, currently serving as Chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Eastern USA.</p><p><strong>Asbed Kotchikian</strong></p><p>Asbed Kotchikian is a lecturer at the Global Studies Department at Bentley University. He has written, lectured, organized conferences and delivered presentations on topics such as foreign policies of small and weak states, national identity, and regional developments in the Middle East and Eurasia within academic and public venues in the South Caucasus, Middle East, US and Europe. He has published articles and book chapters in various media, among which <em>Demokratizatsya, Insight Turkey </em>and<em>Central Asia and the Caucasus</em>. His book titled <em>The Dialectics of Small States: Foreign Policy Making in Armenia and Georgia</em> was published in 2008 by VMD Verlag. He is currently the editor of the academic peer reviewed journal <em>Armenian Review</em>. Dr. Kotchikian holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston University and is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Forum Armenia.&nbsp;</p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 305, 1257, 'und', 0, '<ol><li><a href=\"http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/related_material/armenia_0.pdf\">World Report 2012:&nbsp;Armenia</a>,&nbsp;Human Rights Watch, 2012</li><li><div><a href=\"http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/192993.pdf\">International Religious Freedom Report for 2011</a>,&nbsp;U.S. Department of State, 2012</div></li><li><div><a href=\"http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=30028\">Roadmap for Mainstreaming Ageing in Armenia</a>,&nbsp;U.N. Economic Commission for Europe, 2011</div></li><li><a href=\"http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenia-slow-progress-domestic-violence-law\">Armenia: Slow Progress on Domestic Violence Law</a>,&nbsp;Institute for War and Peace Reporting, 2012</li><li><a href=\"http://www.academia.edu/854758/Europeanization_through_Socialization_The_EUs_Interaction_with_Civil_Society_Organizations_in_Armenia\">Europeanization through socialization? The EU&#39;s interaction with civil society organizations in Armenia</a>, N.R. Smith, &quot;Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization&quot; 19/ 4. Fall 2011</li><li><a href=\"http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/related_material/WR%202012%20-%20Armenia.pdf\">Human Rights Defender&#39;s 2008 Annual Report</a>, Office of the Human Rights Defender, Republic of Armenia,&nbsp;March 10, 2009</li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/2009_Human_Rights_Watch_Democracy_on_Rocky_Ground.pdf\">Democracy on Rocky Ground: Armenia&#39;s Disputed 2008 Presidential Election, Post-Election Violence, and the One-Sided Pursuit of Accountability</a>,&nbsp;Human Rights Watch, 2009</li><li><a href=\"http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eur/119066.htm\">2008 Human Rights Report: Armenia</a>,&nbsp;US Department of State,&nbsp;Feb 25, 2009</li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Rapport_final_AFAJA_mai_2008.pdf\">RAPPORT DE MISSION D&rsquo;ENQUETE ET D&rsquo;OBSERVATION EFFECTUEE PAR L&rsquo;AFAJA</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2008/05/31397_en.pdf\">OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Report</a></li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//b48_armenia_picking_up_the_pieces.pdf\">International Crisis Group Armenia: Picking up the Pieces</a></li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Ad-hoc_report_Eng_05_05_2008_1_.pdf\">RA Ombudsman&#39;s Ad-hoc Report on Election and Post-election situation in Armenia</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.nhc.no/php/files/documents/land/Armenia/2008/election_report_2008.pdf\">Armenian Presidential Elections</a>,&nbsp;Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Feb 19, 2008</li><li><a href=\"http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Europe-and-Central-Asia/Armenia\">Amnesty International Report 2007: Armenia</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.hrw.org/wr2k7/wr2007master.pdf\">Human Rights Watch World Report 2007</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.freedomhouse.org/search/Armenia\">Freedom House: Armenia</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.icbl.org/lm/2006/armenia.html\">Landmine Monitor: Armenia 2006</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51538.htm\">Religious Freedom Report&nbsp;2005</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.cpj.org/attacks00/europe00/Armenia.html\">Committee to Protect journalists 2000</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.eurasianet.org/multimedia/armenia\">EurasiaNet: Armenia</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html\">A Summary of United Nations Agreementson Human Rights</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.echr.coe.int/NR/rdonlyres/D5CC24A7-DC13-4318-B457-5C9014916D7A/0/EnglishAnglais.pdf\">Council of Europe: Convention for the Protection of HumanRights</a></li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//The_Bill_of_Rights.pdf\">The Bill of Rights</a></li></ol>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 306, 1305, 'und', 0, '<div class=\"csc-textpic-text\"><ol><li><a href=\"http://www.transparency.org/files/content/pressrelease/20110504_enp_armenia.pdf\">European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) &ndash; Monitoring Armenia&rsquo;s Anti-Corruption Commitments</a>&nbsp;(Transparency International, 2011).</li><li><div>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/Armenia_-final.pdf\">Nations in Transit 2012 Report: Armenia</a></div></li><li><div><a href=\"http://www.ebrd.com/downloads/sector/legal/armenia.pdf\">Commercial Laws Of Armenia: An Assessment By The EBRD</a>&nbsp;(European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2012)</div></li><li><div>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www.partnership.am/res/ENP%20reports/ENP%20shadow%20report_Armenia_2011.pdf\">ENP Implementation in Armenia in 2011: Partnership for Open Society Perspective</a>&nbsp;(2012)</div></li><li><div><a href=\"http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/pdf/c10.pdf\">Worldwide Governance Indicators: Country Data Report for Armenia</a>&nbsp;(1996-2011) &ndash; (World Bank, 2012)</div></li><li><div><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads/Library_Attachments__vh_/Paper-Corruption-Armenia-Chrostoph-Stefes.pdf\">New Faces in Post-Soviet Politics: Does It Really Matter? Systemic Corruption in Armenia and Georgia.</a>&nbsp;Christoph H. Stefes, 2003</div></li><li><div><a class=\"download\" href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Nations_in_Transit_Armenia-final.pdf\" target=\"_top\">Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores</a></div></li><li><div><a class=\"download\" href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Global_Corruption_Report_2008.pdf\" target=\"_top\">Global Corruption Report 2008</a></div></li><li><div><a class=\"external-link-new-window\" href=\"http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/07/31/000020953_20070731151620/Rendered/PDF/ICR0000493.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">World Bank Judicial Reform Project: Implementation Completion and Results Report (June 2007)</a></div></li><li><div><a class=\"external-link-new-window\" href=\"http://www.globalintegrity.org/reports/2006/pdfs/armenia.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Global Integrity Report on Armenia (2006)</a></div></li><li><div><a class=\"external-link-new-window\" href=\"http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411091_Armenia_Closeout.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">USAID Final Closeout Report for Armenia Local Government Project</a></div></li><li><div><a class=\"download\" href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//OSCE_interim_report_about_Armenian_election_of_19_February_2008.pdf\" target=\"_top\">OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Election Observation Mission Presidential Election, 2008 Republic of Armenia</a></div></li><li><div><a href=\"http://www.ifes.org/Content/Publications/Books/2013/TIDE-Political-Finance-Oversight-Handbook.aspx?sc_camp=31204403B52D4FC2A7F61E1FE6172271&amp;ec_as=9CB76BDC98F74D418216C8F9F14002F4\">TIDE Political Finance Oversight Handbook</a> (International Foundation for Electoral Systems, 2013)</div></li></ol></div>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 307, 936, 'und', 0, '<div class=\"csc-textpic-text\"><ol><li><a href=\"http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2011/05/18/000158349_20110518082525/Rendered/PDF/WPS5662.pdf\">Deep Trade Policy Options for Armenia</a>&nbsp;(World Bank)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2012/mcd/eng/pdf/cca1112_p.pdf\">Caucasus and Central Asia Regional Economic Outlook</a>&nbsp;(IMF 2012)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2012/mcd/eng/pdf/cca-chapt3.pdf\">Caucasus and Central Asia: Economic Activity Resilient, but Uncertainty Remains</a></li><li><a href=\"http://hdrstats.undp.org/images/explanations/ARM.pdf\">Human Development Report 2011: Armenia</a>&nbsp;(UNDP)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2010/cr1009.pdf\">Armenia: Detailed Assessment Report on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism</a>&nbsp;(IMF, 2010)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2011/wp1120.pdf\">Armenia: An Assessment of the Real Exchange Rate and Competitiveness</a>&nbsp;(IMF Working Paper 11/20)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.doingbusiness.org/~/media/giawb/doing%20business/documents/profiles/country/ARM.pdf\">Doing Business 2013 &ndash; Armenia</a>&nbsp;(IFC)</li><li>Weathering the Storm: Economic Crisis in Focus (Richard Giragosian, Armenian&nbsp;Center for National and International Studies, May 29, 2009) &nbsp; [<a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/fileadmin/pfa_uploads/Library_Attachments__vh_/Giragosian_column_ARM_5.29.09.pdf\">Armenian</a> <a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/fileadmin/pfa_uploads/Library_Attachments__vh_/Giragosian_column_ENG_5.29.09.pdf\">English</a> <a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/fileadmin/pfa_uploads/Library_Attachments__vh_/Giragosian_column_RUS_5.29.09.pdf\">Russian</a>]</li><li>Armenian-Turkish Border Opening - An Economic Study(Yerevan, 2009).&nbsp; [<a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/fileadmin/pfa_uploads/Armenian-Turkish%20Relations%20-%20An%20Economic%20Study.pdf\">Armenian</a>]</li><li>In Search of Dramatic Equilibrium:&nbsp; Was the Dram Overvalued?, International Monetary Fund Working Paper, March 2009.&nbsp; [<a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2009/wp0949.pdf\">English</a>]</li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/Estelle_Steiner_Jan_26_2010.pdf\">MONEYVAL publishes its 3rd Round Evaluation Report on Armenia</a>. Council of Europe, January 2010. [English]</li><li>In Search of Dramatic Equilibrium:&nbsp; Was the Dram Overvalued?, International Monetary Fund Working Paper, March 2009.&nbsp; [<a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2009/wp0949.pdf\">English</a>]</li><li>Armenian-Turkish Border Opening - An Economic Study(Yerevan, 2009).&nbsp; [<a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Armenian-Turkish%20Relations%20-%20An%20Economic%20Study.pdf\">Armenian</a>]</li><li>Weathering the Storm: Economic Crisis in Focus (Richard Giragosian, Armenian&nbsp;Center for National and International Studies, May 29, 2009) [<a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/Giragosian_column_ARM_5.29.09.pdf\">Armenian</a> <a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/Giragosian_column_ENG_5.29.09.pdf\">English</a> <a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/Giragosian_column_RUS_5.29.09.pdf\">Russian</a>]</li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//EconomicMonitoringNote2008Final_1_.pdf\">The&nbsp;World Bank Economic Monitoring Note</a> (June 2008)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2007/wp07134.pdf\">Bank Efficiency and Market Structure in Armenia</a> (IMF Working Paper)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2007/wp07106.pdf\">Armenia&#39;s Tax Effort vs. Tax Potential</a> (IMF Working Paper)</li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Lev_Freinkman_Diaspora_paper.pdf\">Role of the Diasporas&nbsp;in transition economies:Lessons from Armenia</a></li><li><a href=\"http://pfa-dr.ectostarpark.com/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//growth_challenges_and_government_policies.pdf\">Growth Challenges and Government Policies in Armeniac of Armenia and the IMF</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2008/wp0819.pdf\">Implications of Remittances&nbsp;for Household Behavior&nbsp;in Armenia</a> (IMF Working Paper)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2007/cr07377.pdf\">IMF Staff Report (December 2007): Fifth Review Under the Three-Year</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2009/wp0966.pdf\">A New Keynesian Model for the Armenian Economy (IMF Working Paper)</a></li></ol></div>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 308, 1259, 'und', 0, '<ol><li><a href=\"http://e-collection.library.ethz.ch/eserv/eth:5813/eth-5813-01.pdf\">Parliamentary Elections of 2012 in Armenia</a>&nbsp;(Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 39, 2012)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33453.pdf\">Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests</a>&nbsp;(Congressional Research Service, 2012)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/caucasus/armenia/217-armenia-an-opportunity-for-statesmanship.pdf\">Armenia: An Opportunity for Statesmanship</a>&nbsp;(International Crisis Group, 2012)</li><li><a href=\"http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenia-women-still-shut-out-local-politics\">Armenia: Women Still Shut Out of Local Politics</a>&nbsp;(Institute for War and Peace Reporting, 2012)</li><li><a href=\"http://fpc.org.uk/fsblob/1331.pdf\">Spotlight on Armenia</a>&nbsp;(The Foreign Policy Centre, 2011)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/Paper-Corruption-Armenia-Chrostoph-Stefes.pdf\">New Faces in Post-Soviet Politics: Does It Really Matter? Systemic Corruption in Armenia and Georgia.</a>&nbsp;Christoph H. Stefes, 2003</li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/DRAFT_Armenia_Pre-Election_Political_Overview_5.09.pdf\">Armenia: Pre-Election Political Overview</a>&nbsp;(Armenian Center for National and International Studies, May 2009)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Library_Attachments__vh_/April_14__2009_ICG_Turkey_Armenia_report_4.09.pdf\">Turkey and Armenia: Opening Minds, Opening Borders.</a>(International Crisis Group, Europe Report No. 199,&nbsp;April 14,&nbsp;2009)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.acnis.am/publications/2009/ACNIS%20Policy%20Brief%20No.1%202009.pdf\">Policy Brief No. 1 (February)</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.acnis.am/publications/2009/ACNIS%20Policy%20Brief%20No.2%202009.pdf\">Policy Brief No. 2 (April)</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Moscow_Declaration_on_Nagorno_Karabakh_November_2008.pdf\">Moscow Declaration on Nagorno Karabakh (November 2008)</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Shant_Hautyunyan.doc\">MY NATIONAL IDEAL OR FROM ARMENIAN EMPIRE TO ARMENIAN MISERY</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Armenia-AGeopoliticalAnalysis11-20-06.pdf\">ARMENIA: A GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.pf-armenia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//158_armenia_s_internal_instability_ahead.pdf\">Armenia: Internal Instability Ahead</a></li></ol>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 309, 1395, 'und', 0, '<ol><li><a href=\"http://www.socialwatch.org/sites/default/files/armenia2012_eng.pdf\">Armenia: Undermining the environment</a> (Center for the Development of Civil Society Armenia)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.enpi-fleg.org/fileadmin/ufs/04.%20Program%20Information/4.02%20Program%20Components/4.02.05%20Public%20Awareness/Forest_Legislation_Manual_AR.pdf\">Forest Legislation of Republic of Armenia</a> (Environmental Public Advocacy Center NGO, WWF Armenia) (Armenian)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.irex.org/system/files/u105/EE_MSI_2012_Armenia.pdf\">Media Sustainability Index for Armenia 2012</a> (IREX)</li><li><a href=\"http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/10/23/000386194_20121023082150/Rendered/PDF/733320WP0CN0Ar0disclosed0100220120.pdf\">Climate Change and Agriculture Country Note</a> - Armenia (WB)&nbsp;<a href=\"http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/11/02/000333038_20121102010114/Rendered/PDF/733320WP0ARMEN00Armenia0Jun20120Arm.pdf\">In Armenian</a></li><li>&quot;<a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//tasima15_beitrag_USAID_2010_08-26.pdf\">Solid Waste Management in Armenian Cities</a>,&quot; Mayis Vanoyan, Armen Varosyan, Armine Petrossian (Experience of the USAID-funded Armenia local government program from 2005-2010.</li><li><a href=\"http://www.nature-ic.am/ccarmenia/download.php?fid=270941865\">Climate Study Predicts Water Shortage in Armenia</a> (Stockholm Environment Institute &ndash; U.S. Center Tufts University, 2009)</li><li><a href=\"http://www.unece.org/env/epr/epr_studies/armenia.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Environmental Performance Reviews - Armenia </a>(UN Economic Commission for Europe, 2000)</li><li><span><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//AE.pdf\" target=\"_top\">Lead isotope tracking of atmospheric response to postindustrial conditions in Yerevan, Armenia</a></span></li><li><span><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//Mining.pdf\" target=\"_top\">Long-range downstream effects of urban runoff and acid mine drainage in the Debed River, Armenia: insights from lead isotope modeling</a></span></li><li><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//AUA_forest_survey_Jan07.pdf\" target=\"_top\">Report on Nationwide Survey Findings: Deforestation and Protection of Forests</a> (The EcoArmenia Consortium Save Our Forests Compaign, January 2007)</li><li><a href=\"../sites/default/files/uploads/pfa_uploads//EV_forest_industry_study_Dec07.pdf\" target=\"_top\">The Economics of Armenia&rsquo;s Forest Industry</a></li><li><a href=\"http://efface.eu/sites/default/files/EFFACE_Environmental%20crime%20in%20Armenia_A%20case%20study%20on%20mining.pdf\">Environmental Crime in Armenia&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;- (European Union Action to Fight Environmental Crime)</li></ol>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'profile', 0, 310, 539, 'und', 0, 'Tsovinar Nazaryan, a Muskie fellow 2009, interned with PFA starting Winter 2010. Tsovinar helped PFA to organize and prepare for International Forum on Armenian Diaspora, and other events. Her duties included promoting and ensuring communication between Diasporan individuals and institutions. Tsovinar received a Master\'s degree in Mass Communications and Media Studies from Howard University, Washington, DC, in 2011. Currently, Tsovinar is a media and communication expert in Armenia. She is involved in civic activism for human rights in the military. Tsovinar received \"Woman of Courage\" award recognized by 2012 Universal Rights Award, and presented by the USA Embassy, UK embassy, OSCE office in Yerevan and Counterpart International Armenia.', '', 'filtered_html'),
('node', 'profile', 0, 318, 547, 'und', 0, 'Diana Khachaturyan interned with PFA in summer 2012 while conducting research on migration. Diana holds a graduate degree from Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University. Currently, she is a graduate student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy in North Carolina, USA. She specializes in International Development Policy, a program designed for mid-career professionals. While attending the school she also works as Teaching Assistant for both Economic Foundation for Development course at Sanford School, and executive training program for Kazakh governmental officials at Duke Center of International Development. Prior to starting her graduate studies Diana had worked in development and security field focusing on such issues as peace-building, conflict management, human rights, human trafficking, child sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS prevention, women empowerment and community mobilization. Her current professional and research interests include peace and security, demographic security, migration, diasporas for development, energy security, education, women and children empowerment. ', '', 'filtered_html'),
('node', 'profile', 0, 324, 553, 'und', 0, 'Viken L. Attarian is the founder in 2005 and president of Management, Information, Development, Consulting (MIDC) Corporation in Montreal, Canada. MIDC specializes in strategic business consulting and IT management for small and medium size businesses. Prior to founding MIDC, Mr. Attarian worked in senior management positions in the IT organizations of several Canadian hi-tech and aerospace companies, including Pratt & Whitney Canada, Nortel Networks, Computer Sciences Corporation, Bombardier Transportation and Bell-Helicopter Textron. From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Attarian was elected to the Executive Board of the Montreal AGBU, for four years as its vice chairman and, from 2004 to 2006, as its chairman. He has been an active member of the Liberal Party of Canada for close to two decades. Since late 2006, Mr. Attarian is a member of the Policy Commission of the Liberal Party of Canada. In June of 2012, he was elected as the Chair of the Policy Commission of the Liberal Party of Canada in Quebec; he is a member of its provincial Board of Directors as well as its National Policy and Electoral Platform Commission. He is a professional engineer and holds a MSc. in Engineering from the Polytechnic of Brno in the Czech Republic (1982), and an Executive MBA from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada (1995).\r\n', '', 'filtered_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 325, 1088, 'und', 0, '<p>&quot;The changes under way in the Soviet Union are invariably identified with their leading apostle, Mikhail S. Gorbachev. But the real architect of perestroika, as the restructuring is called in Russian, is <strong>Abel G. Aganbegyan</strong>, an Armenian economist Mr. Gorbachev summoned from Siberia to impart new dynamism to a sagging economy.&quot; Thus announced the New York Times in February of 1988. Born in 1932, Academician Aganbegyan studied economics at Moscow State Economical Institute (wherein, despite explicit prohibition, he taught himself Statistics to better grasp challenges facing the Soviet economy). He became a full member of the Academy in 1973, and led a newly formed group of mathematical economists at a research center in Novosibirsk. In 1980 he met then Minister of Agriculture, Mikhail Gorbachev. The two discussed ways of motivating employees, and were in agreement on the philosophy of individual merit based rewards. They remained in close contact, and in 1985 Dr Aganbegyan returned to Moscow to become the rector of the Academy of National Economy until 2002. He&#39;s widely acknowledged to have been the intellectual engine behind the perestroika.</p><p><strong>Sergei Aleksashenko&nbsp;</strong>graduated from the economic faculty at Moscow State University. He was Deputy Finance Minister of Russian Federation in 1993-1995. In 1995 he moved to the Central Bank as First Deputy Chairman. During his tenure Russia underwent a financial turmoil. After Sergei Dubinin resigned his post as the Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia at the start of September 1998, Mr Aleksashenko briefly took over as the acting head. He too later resigned and founded an economic research think tank, Development Center. In 2000 he became deputy general director of the Interros holding company, and in 2004 &ndash; president of Antanta Capital. Starting 2006 he led Merrill Lynch&#39;s Russia office until 2008.</p><p><strong>Fatih Özatay&nbsp;</strong>graduated from the Middle East Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1978. He earned a Ph.D. degree in Economics at Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences in 1986. He joined the Central Bank of Turkey in June 1987. He acted as Specialist, Economist and Assistant General Director at the Research Department. In February 1995, Prof. Özatay left the Central Bank to become Assistant Professor at Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Economics. He would later return and serve as Vice Governor of Central Bank between 2001-2006. Besides the Faculty of Political Sciences, he lectured also in departments of economics at Bilkent and METU universities. Between 1995 and 1999, he worked as advisor at the Undersecretariat of Treasury, General Directorate of Economic Research.</p><p><strong>Volodymyr Lytvyn</strong>, former Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine.</p><p><strong>Arindam Banerjee</strong>, Professor of Finance, S.P.Jain School of Management, Dubai and Singapore.</p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'site_page', 0, 371, 602, 'und', 0, '<p><strong>Aysor</strong></p><p><a href=\"http://aysor.am/en/news/2009/05/25/forum/\"><strong>Armenia: facing global crisis&raquo; economic forum gets underway</strong></a></p><p><strong>OSCE</strong></p><p><a href=\"http://www.osce.org/item/37834.html\"><strong>OSCE Office in Yerevan co-organizes high-level forum on economic crisis in Armenia</strong></a></p><p><strong>ArmTown</strong></p><p><strong><a href=\"http://www.armtown.com/news/en/pan/20090525/32145/\">ABEL AGHANBEGYAN: ECONOMIC CRISIS TO LAST 3-3.5 MORE YEARS</a></strong></p><p><strong><a href=\"http://www.armtown.com/news/en/anw/20090515/3731/\">FORUM FOR SURVIVAL: PF-A TO HOST DISCUSSIONS ON THE FINANCIAL &ldquo;STORM&rdquo;</a></strong></p><p><strong>Panorama</strong></p><p><a href=\"http://www.panorama.am/en/economy/2009/05/25/forum/\"><strong>&ldquo;ARMENIA: CONFRONTING UNIVERSAL DISEASE&rdquo; ECONOMIC FORUM TO BE LAUNCHED IN YEREVAN</strong></a></p><p><strong>A1 Plus</strong></p><p><strong><a href=\"http://www.a1plus.am/en/economy/2009/05/25/forum\">PMs meet in a forum</a></strong></p><p><strong>Banker</strong></p><p><a href=\"http://www.banker.am/news.php?news_cat_id=9&amp;amp;news_id=4746%E3%80%88=1\"><strong>www.banker.am/news.php</strong></a></p><p><strong>Hetq</strong></p><p><a href=\"http://hetq.am/en/economy/vache-gabrielyan/\"><strong>RoA Central Bank VP Predicts Additional $2 Billion in Financing</strong></a></p><p><strong>Armenia Now</strong></p><p><a href=\"http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&amp;AID=3774\"><strong>Policy Forum: Economists predict further decline of economy</strong></a></p><p><strong><a href=\"http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&amp;AID=3761\">Weathering the Global Storm: Forum in Armenia brings together current and former economic policymakers</a></strong></p>', '', 'full_html'),
('node', 'event', 0, 372, 607, 'und', 0, '<p><em>&ldquo;Ombudsman is not opposition; ombudsman is an opponent.&rdquo;</em></p><p>On April 3, 2009, Policy Forum Armenia, in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), hosted a roundtable with Armenia&rsquo;s Human Rights Defender, Armen Harutyunyan. Mr Harutyunyan was in Washington on the International Visitor and Leadership Program under the State Department&#39;s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The event took place at the NED Headquarters in Washington, DC. Following is a summary of the session, a video report of which is available on <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/pfarmenia\"><strong>PFA&rsquo;s YouTube channel</strong></a>.</p><p>In his introductory remarks, PFA founding Senior Fellow Armen Kharazian noted that the Ombudsman has one of the most challenging jobs in Armenia. He deals with human rights, an area where Armenia&rsquo;s record has deteriorated over the past year. Under difficult circumstances, the Office of the Ombudsman has carried out its mission with noticeable courage and skill, emerging as an engaged and relevant participant in Armenia&#39;s constitutional process. The Ombudsman&rsquo;s role has made him a target of criticism by both the authorities and the opposition, but he has also earned an acknowledgment&mdash;both at home and internationally&mdash;for demonstrating a streak of independence and integrity on the job that has helped advance the cause of democracy in Armenia. PFA supports this role, and is pleased to welcome the Ombudsman as a guest speaker.</p><p>Mr. Harutyunyan opened his presentation with an overview of the human rights situation and recent political developments in Armenia. Speaking on human rights, he noted that unfortunately Armenia in not a democratic country. Human rights remain a difficult area, requiring much improvement. Judiciary is dependent on the executive branch, and law enforcement is seriously flawed: their actions and willingness to please the political leadership at times go beyond intentions of the political leadership itself. A good example of the judiciary acting as a robber stamp for the authorities is the legal cases involving nationalization of private property by the state. Mr. Harutyunyan noted that within the past seven years no citizen of Armenia has won any legal case against the state in these legal proceedings. &ldquo;Whichever of these cases went to Strasbourg ended up getting a winning verdict,&rdquo; said Mr. Harutyunyan, implying that the due process in Armenia is flawed. Commenting on the most recent trends, however, he was reasonably encouraged by the reports of the break-up of &ldquo;the case of 7&rdquo; into separate cases, which could expedite the process of the defendants&rsquo; eventual release.</p><p>Commenting on the political developments, Mr. Harutyunyan noted that the most serious problem in Armenia&nbsp;today is the deepening apathy within the society toward political processes taking place in the country. The atmosphere of intolerance toward the other side&mdash;the responsibility for which lies mainly with the authorities&mdash;is not helping in this regard. Ombudsman too often becomes a subject to this&nbsp;intolerance, getting criticized by both the authorities and the opposition for not following their respective lines without realizing that the role of the Ombudsman is not to be in opposition but rather to be an opponent. Mr. Harutyunyan noted that political polarization observed in Armenia today&nbsp;poses a grave danger for Armenia&rsquo;s national security. Checks and balances, which are so important for the functioning of&nbsp;modern democracies, are absent in Armenia, leading to the establishment of a <em>de facto</em> heavily unipolar system. In addition, he noted that political parties do not perform the function of&nbsp;intermediaries between people and the authorities. Their rhetoric does not always match with their actions&nbsp;and&nbsp;stated objectives.</p><p>Turning to issues from the domain of economic and social development, Mr. Harutyunyan stated that economic development cannot take place in an environment of extreme monopolization. One of the implications of Armenia&rsquo;s heavily controlled, oligarchic economic system is that people enter business sphere (and often given controlling positions there) not because of their entrepreneurial skills but instead for their connections and willingness/ability to serve the ruling elite. The use of resources is not done via market mechanisms, but instead in a way that suits a few who control their flows.</p><p>The question-and-answer session that followed the main presentation touched upon several issues, such as, Ombudsman&rsquo;s personal safety and the recent controversy over the assignment of state-funded bodyguards; Ombudsman&rsquo;s position on the term &ldquo;political prisoners;&rdquo; the difference between the interest of the state and that of the government; success rate of addressing grievances by Ombudsman&rsquo;s office; measures that could help the society to move forward from the current stand-still, among other issues.</p>', '', 'full_html');
