Latest posts by Onnik Krikorian from January, 2009
Georgia: Opposition Unites, Kind Of…
Dateline Tbilisi comments on news that twelve opposition parties have agreed to unite to call for Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation. The blog says the party believes Saakashvili will be forced to resign by the end of 2009 but points out some of the many factors which will determine if...
Azerbaijan: Carbon Neutral Resort
otto details the development of a carbon neutral resort and residential development on the Zira Island located off the coast of Azerbaijan. The blog posts mockups of the project and says it will be the first carbon neutral development in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Armenia: Diaspora Politics
tzitzernak2 comments on the role of the Diaspora in local politics in Armenia and raises concerns with the date of a conference to be held by one of the largest lobbying groups in the U.S., the Armenian Assembly of America. The blog says the timing of the event on the...
Azerbaijan: Mammed Amin Rasul-zadeh
In Mutatione Fortitudo marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mammed Amin Rasul-zadeh by introducing its readers to one of the founding fathers of the short-lived Azerbaijani Democratic Republic in the early 20th Century.
Georgia: Armenian Activists Detained
Blogian comments on the arrest of two ethnic Armenians in the Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti allegedly for espionage and the formation of an armed gang. The blog says calls for autonomy or independence from Georgia are once again being heard.
Azerbaijan: Democratization Under Siege
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on the state of democracy in Azerbaijan and wonders about the country's future now that foreign radio broadcasts have effectively been banned and a referendum to remove the two-term restriction on the presidency is scheduled for March.
Armenia: Army Day
517 Design [RU] posts photographs of a youth procession to the Yerablur military cemetery in Yerevan to mark yesterday's Army Day in Armenia. The national holiday also gave the blog the opportunity to reflect on the 17th anniversary of formation of the Armenian army.
Armenia: Open Letter Against Intolerance
Queering Yerevan posts an open letter in Armenian and English for its readers to sign in protest at growing intolerance and homophobia in the pro-government and pro-opposition media as well as from some representatives of civil society in the country. Meanwhile, Unzipped: Gay Armenia links to previous posts detailing the...
Armenia: No PACE Sanctions
Life in the Armenian Diaspora comments on yesterday's decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe not to suspend Armenia's voting rights in the influential body. The blog says that promises to amend two articles of the Criminal Code remind it of moves to change legislation in Turkey...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Young Bloggers Bridge Geopolitical Divides
Nearly 15 years after a ceasefire agreement put the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh on hold, a lasting peace remains elusive and few citizens of either country have the opportunity to meet or communicate with the other. That might all be set to change, however, with DOTCOM, a project funded by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by Project Harmony.
Armenia: Council of Europe Reprieve
Yesterday's meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gave Armenia one last chance to avoid sanctions following last year's clashes between opposition supporters and security forces in the aftermath of a bitterly contested presidential election. Armenian bloggers react to the news.
Azerbaijan: Parliamentary Deputy Blogs
The USAID Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) blog reports that it has helped five deputies from the Azerbaijani parliament set up their own blogs. The blogs in Azeri are at kamranramazanov.blogmilli.com, mmehdi.blogmilli.com, mmfirdovsi.blogmilli.com, rafikismayilov.blogmilli.com, and vuqarqaracayev.blogmilli.com.
Armenia: Voting Rights
As the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gathers to consider the possibility of withdrawing Armenia's voting rights in connection with the arrest of opposition supporters and unfulfilled resolutions against the country following last year's presidential election, The Armenian Observer comments on news reports that sanctions will most...
Azerbaijan: Airport Woes
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines arrives back in Baku and despairs at the condition of Azerbaijan's main international airport. The blog says the arrivals area is understaffed and that the procedure for visas and passport control is even worse for foreigners.
Georgia: Uneasy Reading
This is Tbilisi Calling comments on a new report released by Human Rights Watch detailing war crimes committed during the August war between Georgia and Russia. The blog says that the report is uneasy reading, but essential nonetheless. Meanwhile, while both sides violated international humanitarian law, The Tbilisi Blues says...
Azerbaijan: Language Lessons
Linda in Azerbaijan details the trials and tribulations of learning Azerbaijani. Despite the difficulties, the Peace Corps Volunteer says she is determined to learn the language at the highest level possible.
Turkey: School Textbook Changes
Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences comments on changes to 8th grade school textbooks in Turkey which will deal with the massacre and deportation of much of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire in a more neutral way. The blog says that while the changes might seem negligible at first...
Azerbaijan: Martyr's Alley
Learning to Walk in Stilettos pays a visit to Martyr's Alley in Baku, a cemetery for those killed in the Soviet crackdown in the Azerbaijani capital on 19-20th January 1990. The blog details the walk to the eternal flame at the end of the alley and posts photographs.
Armenia-Turkey: Are We Hrant Dink?
Following the second anniversary of the murder of Hrant Dink in Istanbul, Unzipped comments on a recent piece by Glendal News Press’ Patrick Azadian on the ethnic Armenian journalist who stood for peace, democracy and human rights in Turkey. The blog despairs the fact that nationalists are attempting to hijack...
Armenia: Human Rights Defender Awarded
Unzipped: Gay Armenia pays tribute to local human rights activist Mikael Danielyan who received the Defender of Freedom award during a reception held at the U.S. Embassy dedicated to Martin Luther King Day. The blog congratulates Danielyan, but also notes that award was not so welcomed by the pro-government media...
Azerbaijan: Probing Questions & Observations
Linda in Azerbaijan compares life in the country with that back home and especially when it comes to often probing questions about an individual's personal life. Despite the lack of privacy often encountered, the blog concludes that Azerbaijanis are nonetheless very friendly and have kind hearts.
