Current Condition of Armenia

[Haykakan]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

BURNT OLD MAN'S LETTER: "I CAN'T STAND LONELINESS ANY MORE"

http://en.a1plus.am/1184745.html

18:26 | March 18,2014 | Social

On March 18 at 07:03 a call was received in Syunik region rescue
department, that in front of Syunik region Kapan City Minas Papyan
Street Number 8 building a citizen was burning.

A rescue group went on the scene.

They discovered the burnt body of Ilya Barseghyan, born in 1936,
who lived on Minas Papyan Street number 6 building. Criminal Case
was initiated. According to the Police, the burning was with petrol.

The neighbors refused giving interview, but said that the 78-years-old
man lived alone. His wife died a year ago. His two sons live in
Russia but they always take care of their father, notes neighbor
Marine Harutyunyan.

According to her- "all loved and respected the old man, he always
visited and helped her. He had no serious illness, only was complaining
of heart recently. I can't say much about the happened, added the
neighbor,- I only know that he left documents and a letter.

It has such plot: "I thank all of you, I am sorry, I can't stand
loneliness any more."

[Mher]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

I've posted a few times about our LA based non-profit organization focused on providing medical supplies to rural regions of Artsakh, currently focused on southern Qashatagh. You can check out our work, as well as the impact in Armenia in our photos. We personally know the people we donate to, and we make sure our supplies reach those who need it most.

https://www.facebook.com/HyerUnitedArmenia/photos_albums

We've come a long way since I last posted, and now we're able to get constant massive quantities of supplies from various LA hospitals, with each donation equaling thousands of dollars of supplies. However we still face the issue of shipping these supplies to Artsakh, which despite our discounted rate, still cost 90 dollars/jumbo box. So we started a crowdfunding online fundraiser to give us a little help. So please help in whatever way you can, even if its just helping spread the word.

http://igg.me/at/Armenia

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

I've posted a few times about our LA based non-profit organization focused on providing medical supplies to rural regions of Artsakh, currently focused on southern Qashatagh. You can check out our work, as well as the impact in Armenia in our photos. We personally know the people we donate to, and we make sure our supplies reach those who need it most.

https://www.facebook.com/HyerUnitedArmenia/photos_albums

We've come a long way since I last posted, and now we're able to get constant massive quantities of supplies from various LA hospitals, with each donation equaling thousands of dollars of supplies. However we still face the issue of shipping these supplies to Artsakh, which despite our discounted rate, still cost 90 dollars/jumbo box. So we started a crowdfunding online fundraiser to give us a little help. So please help in whatever way you can, even if its just helping spread the word.
http://igg.me/at/Armenia

So why don't you just give $90 (for each box you would have sent) directly to those in need in Artsakh and let them purchase what they need there (and also enable them to put $90 into the local economy)? Your charity model seems to be based on the way that community care works in America: let the poor starve or die of illness if they have no money - it's their fault after all for being poor and ill, and let the rich show how kindly the rich are (and why it is so important to allow the rich to remain very rich), by having them donate (tax deductable of course) just enough to the poor so that the poor only feel hungry rather than actually starving, and the poor can postpone their dying from illness by a few years.

[Mher]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

So why don't you just give $90 (for each box you would have sent) directly to those in need in Artsakh and let them purchase what they need there (and also enable them to put $90 into the local economy)? Your charity model seems to be based on the way that community care works in America: let the poor starve or die of illness if they have no money - it's their fault after all for being poor and ill, and let the rich show how kindly the rich are (and why it is so important to allow the rich to remain very rich), by having them donate (tax deductable of course) just enough to the poor so that the poor only feel hungry rather than actually starving, and the poor can postpone their dying from illness by a few years.

You're criticism as usual comes off highly demeaning and snotty, criticizing anything and everything. Still, here's answers to your questions:
Most of the items don't exist where we're sending them. There is no way these people can gain access to these supplies. Some of the more specialized material only exists in Yerevan. That's why they can't simply buy them, and that's why we don't send things like clothes. Moreover, the content of what we send with $90 is worth much many many times more than what 90 dollars will buy you here or in Armenia. Even if these items existed in Armenia, they would cost many times more. Therefore our impact would be a fraction of what it is. Third of all, even if the previously mentioned conditions existed in, It is much easier to get people to donate knowing their money is simply going to a easily provable 90 dollar receipt than to have them trust their money will be going to the right place, and that we know the region and people exactly, and not just a couple of dumb kids sending money that will never get there. These people don't have to be poor or hungry forever. You look at things from a static point of view. Artsakh is changing dynamically, and has improved exponentially in the past twenty years. These people don't need to a couple of 20 something year olds form LA to survive. They made it through days of coldness and darkness. If these doctors stayed there earning nothing to preserve their community instead of making a fortune in Russia or Europe, then you can be assured that we aren't the ones keeping them there. We're only trying to make their job a little bit easier.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

You're criticism as usual comes off highly demeaning and snotty, criticizing anything and everything. Still, here's answers to your questions:
Most of the items don't exist where we're sending them. There is no way these people can gain access to these supplies. Some of the more specialized material only exists in Yerevan. That's why they can't simply buy them, and that's why we don't send things like clothes. Moreover, the content of what we send with $90 is worth much many many times more than what 90 dollars will buy you here or in Armenia. Even if these items existed in Armenia, they would cost many times more. Therefore our impact would be a fraction of what it is. Third of all, even if the previously mentioned conditions existed in, It is much easier to get people to donate knowing their money is simply going to a easily provable 90 dollar receipt than to have them trust their money will be going to the right place, and that we know the region and people exactly, and not just a couple of dumb kids sending money that will never get there. These people don't have to be poor or hungry forever. You look at things from a static point of view. Artsakh is changing dynamically, and has improved exponentially in the past twenty years. These people don't need to a couple of 20 something year olds form LA to survive. They made it through days of coldness and darkness. If these doctors stayed there earning nothing to preserve their community instead of making a fortune in Russia or Europe, then you can be assured that we aren't the ones keeping them there. We're only trying to make their job a little bit easier.

So you are saying that the state of medical care in Armenia, and in NK in particular, is at third-world level, needing "aid boxes" from "the West" to survive? Though even aid agencies in "starving Africa" generally don't take your route - they give money to local agencies, they don't physically send things in boxes.

And I still believe that your sort of aid allows the rich to stay rich, and the poor to stay survivably poor, and the state (in this case the Armenian and NK governments) to wash its hands of its obligation to right the situation. After all, what you are providing is not specialist medical care for complex cases, but just the basic medical supplies that those governments should be providing themselves. So why aren't they? So their presidents can do a bit more gambling or spa attending, and their oligarchs can make their palaces that bit more tacky?

[Mher]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

So you are saying that the state of medical care in Armenia, and in NK in particular, is at third-world level, needing "aid boxes" from "the West" to survive? Though even aid agencies in "starving Africa" generally don't take your route - they give money to local agencies, they don't physically send things in boxes.

And I still believe that your sort of aid allows the rich to stay rich, and the poor to stay survivably poor, and the state (in this case the Armenian and NK governments) to wash its hands of its obligation to right the situation. After all, what you are providing is not specialist medical care for complex cases, but just the basic medical supplies that those governments should be providing themselves. So why aren't they? So their presidents can do a bit more gambling or spa attending, and their oligarchs can make their palaces that bit more tacky?

I don't know why I bothered to dignify your statement with a response the first time.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

I don't know why I bothered to dignify your statement with a response the first time.

And I do not wish to again disrupt your self-satisfaction through aid giving by pointing out that your actions do contribute towards allowing the "deserving" rich to stay rich, the "deserving" poor to stay survivably poor, and the state to wash its hands of its obligation to ever right the situation.

[Mher]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

Today at work I was talking with a co-worker who is a Chinese international graduate student, and he was telling me about his region in Western/Mid China, and how Michelle Obama was visiting the region. He showed me some pictures, and one of the pictures was the first lady, her kids, a bunch secret service and US administrators and a line of the famous black government Chevy Suburban SUVs, and my friend joked saying look, our cars are not safe enough for them, they don't trust them, so they flew over their own cars. And I thought about how just how much flying over a bunch of suvs to and back from China must cost. Probably well into the seven figures if not more. Yet this is not considered a big deal whatsoever for us. But when Serzh had spent 180K in Korea, everyone, me more than anyone, was up in arms. Now I don't know if this matches up to issue with Serzh (though the cost certainly does), but it's just interesting how much of corruption we see when we're looking for it, and how we let other things slip by when committed by people we consider trustworthy.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/beijing/img/attachement/jpg/site1/20140320/b8ac6f27b0001494fc5b2a.jpg

[Haykakan]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

Good point you make there Mher. Here is some more stuff.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: SITUATION SHOULD BE CHANGED UNTIL THE END OF APRIL

19:06 | March 28,2014 | Politics

The rally organized by the opposition Heritage Party started at
Yerevan's Liberty square under the national anthem and in the rain.

"We are continuing our struggle," Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisian
said in his address. "The aim of this meeting is to express our wish
to live in a sovereign and legal Armenia, call for extraordinary
elections and make the government hand power to people. Our aim is
to make this a united square for everyone."

Commenting on Armenia's decision to vote against the UN resolution
that declares the Crimea referendum and Russia's annexation of the
Crimea illegal, Mr Hovannisian said, "They were unable to abstain
from voting on the resolution as did China and Kazakhstan.

"As long as the acting authorities are in power, we can forget about
the international recognition of the Genocide, Artsakh sovereignty
and territorial integrity. We can forget about environmental and
national interests. Looting, inflation, sale of national property,
gas and energy deals will continue unless the illegitimate authorities
are unseated," he said.

"The change of power should be started from the highest echelons. All
those you believe in this imperative - be it an extra-parliamentary
force, a freedom fighter, a peasant or a citizen - should join us
and build a united square," he said adding that the situation in the
country should be changed until the end of April.

http://en.a1plus.am/1185631.html

Of course with Raffi in charge you can forget about any Armenia at all.This guy very much reminds me of LTP-always looking for the nearest cliff to throw the nation off of.

[UrMistake]

Re: Current Condition of Armenia

resident Sargsyan appoints Hovik Abrahamyan as new PM


President Sargsyan appoints Hovik Abrahamyan as new PMApril 13, 2014 | 20:18
YEREVAN. – President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree to appoint Hovik Abrahamyan as a prime minister of Armenia, president’s press service reported.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan handed over resignation on April 3. Hovik Abrahamyan was nominated as new prime minister on Sunday following the meetings in the office of ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

New prime minister has 20 days to form a new Cabinet.


News from Armenia - NEWS.am

http://news.am/eng/news/204255.html

"The choice of our new prime minister is puzzling. We had better options, this is not a good news. more clan politics is a step backward.
We would have expected a better replacement for the IMF-trained oligarch....
If for every step forward, we take another step backward, we aren't going anywhere soon.
Perhaps the best explanation for this is Armenia's budget deficit. The solution was to appoint someone connected with Russian business and bring more investments from Russia.
Hovik's son, Argam Abrahamyan is married to the daughter of Gagik Tsarukyan. They themselves are supported by rich Russian-Armenians. Hovik Abrahamyan was recently in Moscow and met with influential members of the Armenian community and other Russian officials. "

Quoted from World and Armenia facebook group .Well said ....