Alex Sardar

21 Years of Independence: A Few Lessons On Nation Building 101

Armenia’s development as a post-Soviet republic is not unique, nor is it exactly like any other country’s process. Armenians have their own story, most recently laced with painful episodes of genocide, natural disaster and war. For much of the last…

Notes From Another Place: The Year Civil Society Found its Name(s)

BY ALEX SARDAR One of the bittersweet undertakings of each year for me is reading through the last edition of news magazines and carefully studying the obituary section at the end, where the year’s most notable deaths are listed with blurbs about the…

Notes From Another Place: A Letter To My Daughter

BY ALEX SARDAR Dear Daughter, When I sat down to write you this letter, I was not certain that I would meet you in this lifetime. You see, you’re not born yet, and perhaps you won’t be born to me, but you will come to this world, and I’m hopeful that…

Notes From Another Place: Fathers and Sons

BY ALEX SARDAR About a decade ago, on a Christmas eve when I shared a particularly difficult truism about my life with my dad—one that he already knew, it turned out—he told me that he may not understand what I was telling him, but his love for me…

Notes From Another Place: The Big Blue

BY ALEX SARDAR I swim. I swim every day or at least try to keep to a daily schedule, and when people ask me if I get bored doing a few dozen laps in the pool, I get into the gadgetry that, shall we say, enhances my solitude in the pool. It works–it…

Notes From Another Place: Carol, Asbarez, and I–the Perfect Date

As I reflect on what I’m about to write, I’m somewhere over the rainy borders of continental Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, destined for Yerevan, after a short reprieve from my real life, spent in hot sunny Southern California. While in California, I…

Thorda.Abbott Watt@fco.gov.uk

BY ALEX SARDAR Last year–in April–some friends and I organized a viewing of the BBC documentary on the Armenian Genocide here in Yerevan–and during the discussion after the film–an Armenian friend stood up and complained that when Diasporans speak…

Turkey’s Human Rights Violations Continue Declaration

Amnesty International recently concluded a series of high level talks with the Republic of Turkey–which included meetings with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan–Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul–Minister of Interior Abdulkadir Aksu–Presidents of the…

Youth Corps 1999 Touches Down in Armenia

BY ALEX SARDAR Special to Asbarez YEREVAN–The Armenian Youth Federation Youth Corps 1999 participants arrived at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport early Tuesday morning–signaling the start of the last mission of the century for the AYF Youth Corps. The…

Kocharian Comemorates Genocide in Washington

BY ALEX SARDAR Special to Asbarez WASHINGTON-Under the auspices of President Robert Kocharian–Armenian Americans from all over the metropolitan Washington area–and close vicinities–commemorated the 84th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at St.…

ANCA WR Honors Walter Karabian as Man of the Year Willie Brown with “Freedom Award

BY ALEX SARDAR Asbarez Staff Writer ENCINO–More than 750 friends and supporters of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region gathered at Holy Martyrs Ferrahian School’s Avedissian Hall for the organization’s annual banquet Friday–Dec.…

San Francisco Voters Approve Mt. Davidson Sale to Armenian Americans

BY ALEX SARDAR Asbarez Staff Writer SAN FRANCISCO–San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition F–the sale of the city’s famed Mt. Davidson cross property to the Council of Armenian-American Organizations of Northern…

Glendale Elections Yield Surprising Results

BY ALEX SARDAR Asbarez Staff Writer GLENDALE–In what became a surprising evening for many–the Glendale municipal elections ended Tuesday with unexpected returns from a total of 51 precincts. Although voter turnout increased to 18.8 percent from…