The title of this Monologue belongs to the American University of Armenia (AUA) which has organized and hosted a two-day conference from April 21-22 on “Empowerment of Girls and Women in Armenia”. According to the communique, there were about 50 speakers from Armenia and Diaspora(s) that included  Students, Faculty, Civic Society Members, Community Leaders, etc.… Continue reading “Empowerment of Girls and Women in Armenia”.

The Parliamentary elections in Armenia were held on April 2 and the general consensus by the foreign observers and the Central Election Commission (CEC) was that these elections compared to previous ones were more transparent and fair. The two major complaints were behind the scene vote-buying occurrences, and Republican Party utilized its authority as the… Continue reading Parliamentary Elections in Armenia.

Movses Karabajakian (Nicknamed “Qarbajak”) was my maternal grandfather and I have fond memories of him. My paternal grandmother Martha, died before I was born, and I have a very faint memory of my paternal grandfather Nshan, who passed away when I was very young. Fortunately for me, that loss was more than compensated by my… Continue reading Qarbajak Bebo (A memoir)

While writing my previous Monologue titled “Wall Between Kessab and Turkey”, many memories kept “popping up” in my mind. One of them was a meeting with a “mean” but legendary person by the name of Killain. (A nickname. Most Kessabtsis have nicknames, especially men). As a young boy, I have heard that Killain was the… Continue reading “Killain” (A Memoir)

Recently it was reported that Turkey has built a wall between Syria and Turkey in the Kessab area. Kessab is a village populated mainly by Armenians and Alevis. It is about a half-hour drive from the coastal city of Latakia. Kessab has a long border with Turkey and is surrounded on three sides by high… Continue reading The Wall Between Kessab and Turkey