Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop 2010

The third Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop titled “Silenced but Resilient: Language and Memory in Anatolia and Neighboring Regions” will take place 27-30 May 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey. The workshop, is organized by Sabanci University in collaboration with the International Hrant Dink Foundation and Anadolu Kültür.

The organizing committee is composed of Fikret Adanır, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Burcu Gürsel, Banu Karaca, Gülayşe Koçak, Leyla Neyzi, Işık Özel, and Akşin Somel.

The event’s announcement is as follows:

The early 20th century witnessed the dissolution of multiethnic and multilingual empires in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Incipient nation-states aspired to create homogeneous identities whereby new cultural hierarchies emerged and languages were suppressed in favor of a single national language.

Similarly, the construction of a single historical narrative affected the transmission through memory of other histories and identities. In the context of transnationalism, democratization, and identity politics, however, the recent emphasis on other memories and languages is making it possible to reevaluate the role of language politics as well as the relationship between the past and the present.

Our purpose in this year’s Workshop is to offer a platform for exploring and discussing recent approaches to issues of language and memory. At the turn of the 21st century, the relationship of language and memory with history, the law, politics, and culture constitutes a site of vibrant debate in Anatolia and neighboring regions.

We would thus like to encourage proposals for papers on topics including (but not limited to):

> Linguistic erosion or extinction; interrupted linguistic and cultural transmission in the private and public sphere; forms of resistance to attempts at interruption and extinction

> Law and language: Freedom of speech; discriminatory legal language; linguistic multiplicity and constitutional language(s)

> Discriminatory language and the language of violence in politics, education, and the media

> The role of the public intellectual in language (of) politics and engagement with memory

> Political translation and communication between different forms of identity politics

> Official, popular, and oppositional representations of violence, conflict, trauma, and loss

> Political mechanisms to address wrongdoing in the past and their use of linguistic and memorial representation

> The encounter, distinction, and interpenetration between history and memory

> (Re)constructions of class, gender, “race” and ethnicity in recent works of memory

> Rearticulations of the past through literature, the arts, music, cinema, and other cultural forms

> For registration and further information, please click here to go to the workshop website.

Artsakh Conference on Ethnic Cleansing

An international conference titled ‘Azeri terror and policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh’ has been announced for 23 March 2010. The event will take place in Artsakh (de facto independent republic of Nagorno-Karabakh). The conference is organized by Artsakh Ministry of Education and Science, Artsakh Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs, Artsakh State University, Kachar Scientific Center, and Shushi Museum of History.

The conference will mark the 90th anniversary of 23 March 1920 Shushi Massacres and the 20th anniversary of Baku Pogroms.

According to News.am online news agency, the event is aimed at uncovering and providing scientific credence to the reasons behind these tragic events. It will also discuss and propose methods of prevention against the policy of ethnic cleansing.

The organizers have also specified that the conference will call for “giving political assessment” to these massacres and the ethnic cleansing policy conducted by Azerbaijani authorities in the 20th century in Ganja, Nagorno-Karabakh, and other regions of Eastern Transcaucasia.

Let’s hope that the conference organizers will ensure that all contributors meet strict standards of scientific inquiry and deliberation. Given the sensitivity of the proposed themes and the tradition of using academic endeavors for political propaganda purposes in the region, particularly in Azerbaijan, I am afraid such an expectation can be hardly met.

The conference will be held in Armenian with handouts in Russian and English.

Georgia to Stimulate Soldierly Spirit among Pupils

Another bright idea from Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia, whom we have previously categorized as an inconsistent democrat and a fake pro-European: Georgia will introduce military classes in schools in 2011.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reports that Mr. Saakashvili made the announcement while speaking about problems in the country's education system and the need for reforms at a meeting with teachers and students in the city of Batumi on 12 January 2010.

A similar training was an integral part of the Soviet high-school curriculum. It entailed basic physical fitness and learning to assemble and dismantle a Kalashnikov. Mr. Saakashvili termed its abolition in Georgia, following the collapse of the USSR, "over-hasty." He said "anything can happen" in Georgia, and for that reason all Georgians "should be able to defend their town, their village" as an army of 16,000, or even 30,000 men is not adequate for that purpose.

Mr. Saakashvili's spokesperson, Ms. Manana Manjgaladze, said on the following day that the new course will aim to "stimulate soldierly spirit" and will include courses on civil defense and Georgian military history. She said the courses will be taught by military veterans who will go through teacher-training classes and will be first introduced in Tbilisi schools.

According to Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia, high-school students would have a chance to learn the basics of military discipline, major armament, the structures of armed forces, and even the handling of weapons. He added that the lessons would be interactive and "much more interesting and involving" than the military training in Soviet schools.

"This is in order to give younger generations the chance to understand the importance of the military forces for the country, the purpose of military forces in the security of the country, and the duty of each citizen in this direction," Akhalaia, 29, who was appointed in August 2009, declared.

Mr. Giorgi Baramidze, the State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration and a former Defense Minister, said more work needed to be done to teach Georgians about their country and the threats it faces.

“The country must sense that great tasks lie before it. Greater mobilization is necessary, and there must be more patriotism in our daily life. You do not see this if you go onto the street, into a restaurant, or a public building,” he said.

A group of experts assembled by the education ministry are due to present a detailed plan.

Injecting Patriotism

According to an article by Anna Kandelaki at Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), Georgians who grew up in the Soviet era cannot help comparing their Soviet era lessons to the proposed ones.

“They [Soviets] taught us that America is the enemy. Now our children’s brains will be filled with the fact that the enemy is Russia. Today Russia is the enemy of Georgia, but why does a child have to grow up with a constant feeling that someone will attack? Should a child think about enemies, or do his lessons?” asked Vakhtang, a 54-year-old Tbilisi resident.

His opinion finds echoes throughout society and has also been reflected on internet discussion sites like Facebook.

“A child could imbibe the information from these lessons incorrectly and become a racist, a Russophobe or a misanthrope,” said one poster called Marina, although others approved of the president’s plan.

“Russia is our enemy and every Georgian must know this from childhood. I don’t see anything bad in this,” wrote another poster called Lada.

Opinion polls would suggest that Lada’s viewpoint is more widely-held in society than Marina’s more cautious one. Some 64 per cent of respondents to a talk-show on public television said they approved of military-patriotic lessons being taught in Georgian schools.

But teachers were more skeptical of the scheme than the public at large. Levan Gigineishvili, a Georgian-language teacher at the American Academy, was very doubtful of its success.

“You cannot inject children with patriotism,” he said. “We previously taught patriotism as a separate subject, but the methods did not prove successful. It was too artificial, and the children sensed its artificial nature and were disappointed by it.”

And other experts worried that the government, in introducing the ideas of citizens’ defense under the cover of lessons in patriotism, was actually teaching the children its own ideology and militarized propaganda.

Other commentators went even further. “The introduction of military-patriotic training means that the president has finally given up on liberal values,” said Zaal Andronikashvili, a professor of philosophy.

“Military patriotism is a form of extreme nationalism, which uses external threats to mobilise the masses. And military-patriotic preparation is a typical totalitarian practice, which was used by the Nazis and the Bolsheviks with equal enthusiasm.”

Traineeship Program at the EU Advisory Group in Armenia

Despite its gradual integration into various EU processes, Armenia dramatically lacks competent personnel knowledgeable about EU policies and practices. A new program will be launched soon to partially address this issue. The program will provide Armenian University graduates in 2010 with the opportunity to become directly acquainted with the EU policies and best practices.

According to the Armenian Public Radio, an agreement was recently signed between Armenia and the European Union to this end. On 2 February 2010, Mr. Arthur Baghdasarian, Secretary of the National Security Council, Ambassador Raul de Luzenberger, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia and Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia signed the agreement for placement of trainees with the EU Advisory Group to the Republic of Armenia.

The Program allows young graduates to work closely with the EU advisors in respective fields of their activities such as trade, customs, public administration reform, public debt or human rights. Trainees will have a unique opportunity to learn about European and international standards to be applied in Armenia, and thus become junior experts with skills and knowledge highly desirable in the Armenian labor market.

An independent selection committee will be established to conduct the interviews and decide on the selection of trainees. An open competition shall be announced once a year. Selected trainees will be placed for one year and receive a monthly contribution to their living expenses.

Turkish University in Support of Entrepreneurs

Turkish universities are becoming more proactive in the innovation process. The Middle East Technical University (METU) seems taking the lead in this process by establishing and promoting a new ‘business angels’ network association in Turkey. The new association will provide support to early-stage technology entrepreneurs.

“Our aim is to develop the business angel sector in Turkey and boost technology-based economic development. Turkey should be a technology producer, not a consumer, an important precondition for the welfare of the country in the medium and long run,” Mr. Ahmet Acar President of METU told Hürriyet Turkish Daily in a recent interview.

Once used in the art world to describe wealthy individuals who provided money for theatrical productions, the term business angel now refers to qualified, experienced and affluent businesspeople who provide capital, expertise, managerial assistance and a network for early-stage entrepreneurs to solve their initial financing problems and help establish their firms in the marketplace.

In fact this activity at the University started 3 years ago when METU Technopolis, the University’s incubator arm, established the Association for Business Angels or Metutech-Ban to both help the concept of business angels grow in Turkey and support early-stage entrepreneurs in technology-related fields.

“There are some entrepreneurs who have a start-up with a technological advantage but lack the necessary financial resources or managerial skills to operate the enterprise. For this, business angels in our association play a crucial role,” Acar said.

“During the business’ first phase, the entrepreneur usually gets the required support from family or friends. The business’ second phase, however, is the growth and development phase where the firm needs real, specialized support. The business angels step in at this crucial point,” Acar added.

The investors, who are members of the association, are highly regarded and successful businesspeople from disciplines such computer engineering, electrical engineering, biotechnology, software and banking who share their skills and capital with fledgling entrepreneurs joining the association.

“These investors know business life very well so they are equipped with enough experience and insight to foresee which company will be successful. They lend their support to promising firms accordingly,” Acar said.

These kinds of investors are well established in Europe. There are 75,000 business angels with 334 networks in Europe, according to 2008 data from the European Business Angel Network, or EBAN.

For Acar, the concept of the business angel and the role the association plays are thus vital in terms of encouraging technological innovations and development in Turkey. “Turkey can’t achieve its economic development based solely on raw materials and a cheap labor force. It should have an economy based on innovation and continuously develop its technology base.”

The association was crucial in convincing EBAN to host its next annual congress in Istanbul. The congress, which has been held before in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands, will take place 14-15 April with the participation of President Abdullah Gül. Some 500 participants from abroad and Turkey are expected to attend the congress.

“With such an event, we aim to create awareness on the issue and bring together different stakeholders including bureaucrats, politicians, private and public sector representatives, entrepreneurs and bankers. I think the gathering will be an important step to attract attention to the all-important concept of business angels and technology-based development,” Acar said.

The Armenian-Russian Innovation Center to be Oppened Soon

In a recent interview with T.P. of News.am Armenian online news agency, Mr. Samvel Haroutunian Chairman of the State Committee on Science commented on the Armenian-Russian Innovation Center due to be inaugurated soon. His very optimistic tone lead the journalist to title the interview ‘The Armenian-Russian Innovation Center will resolve innovation project problems.’

In the area of innovation, including commercialization of innovation, it is a fact that Russia has faced and continues to face many structural problems as does Armenia and therefore I cannot share such overly optimistic expectations regarding the perspectives of their collaboration. The interview nevertheless contains many important information and ideas:

Mr. Harutyunyan, last October Igor Morozov, Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo (Rusintercenter), reported the establishment of a Russian-Armenian Innovation Center in Armenia. The Center was to operate at the Russian Center of Science and Culture. At what stage is the project now?

The Russian-Armenian Innovation Center is expected to start operating late this month. The Center does not have many staff members yet, but the staff will certainly grow later. I would like to note that the decision to found the Center was made at the highest level, by the Russian and Armenian Presidents. The decision was followed by long discussions between the two governments, with experts involved.

I would also like to point out that Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) (Russia), Academician Alexei Sisakian greatly contributed to the foundation of the Center in Armenia. Finally, a decision was made to launch a pilot program of establishing innovation centers, with the first launched in Yerevan.

Why did Russia select Armenia as the first of the CIS member-states for this project? We have no common border, and the two states have greatly different population sizes.

Let us remember that Armenia was traditionally among the leaders in the former Soviet Union as to per capita number of scientists. This is evidence of our country’s great scientific potential. So such factors as area and population size are not essential.

Unfortunately, some of our talented scientists emigrated in search of higher salaries. But we hope that the project will encourage specialists in this field to return to Armenia.
Also, Armenia’s small territory has its advantages – research is easier to conduct. Of course, the project will not be implemented in Armenia alone. Similar centers will be founded in the other CIS member-countries, as well as in Berlin, Germany. All the issues will be specified after the pilot program has been launched in Armenia.

Are there any specific programs the Russian-Armenian Center will implement? Will the center’s activities be restricted to innovative programs?

We have 2-3 programs in the field of nanomaterials. But it is too early to specify the program portfolio. The Russian side will propose programs to us, as we will consider the possibility of implementing them in Armenia. Of course, the Center will not restrict its activities to this. For example, Russian specialists will conduct training courses in science management for young Armenian scientists.

Many research results are not applied in practice because of poor management, which affects commercialization of science in Armenia. Also, we plan an exhibition of products and innovation programs in Armenia.

Innovation programs have hardly been implemented in Armenia since the USSR collapsed…

You are right. The cause was a simple one; lack of money for such research. Innovation projects are “high-risk” ones as far as return on investment in concerned. Specifically, 10 of 100 innovation projects normally pass scientific expert examinations, with only one project producing practical results. On the other hand, the economic impact of this one compensates for the money spent on all the others. So venture funds normally finance such “high-risk” projects. However, the formation of such funds in Armenia has been talked about for many years, with no practical steps made so far.

A business environment was formed in Armenia long ago, and large enterprises are operating. Amid globalization and integration of the Armenian economy into the global market, enhancing the competitiveness of local products and services is an urgent matter. Does this fact draw businessmen’s attention to science?

Unfortunately, the Armenian business community has not yet “matured” for funding the research it actually needs. Local businessmen are guided by the following principle: investing money today and getting profit from research tomorrow. So we cannot speak of any interest in fundamental research on the Armenian business community’s part, as such research produces results many years later. But we expect the Russian-Armenian Innovation Center to resolve the problems of launching innovation projects. The Russian side has promised its huge market to us.

The State Committee on Science is a recently formed agency. Are there any legal problems that impede full-scale activities, particularly, in the field of innovation projects?

It is a most topical question. Of course, the previously adopted laws and government decisions did not provide for our agency. Specifically, as far as innovation programs are concerned, I do not think the present separation of functions between the State Committee on Science and the Ministry of Economy is optimal. Why should the Ministry of Economy be in charge of commercializing research results, but not the Committee on Science, which is a specialized agency? It is not clear how the ministry experts are going to conduct examination of research projects. Moreover, no funds have been assigned to the ministry for the examination from the state budget. All these issues need settling.

[Turkey's] Education at a Dead End

If Turkey does not develop a good educational strategy, the young population of today may lead the country to its end, according to Professor Selahattin Turan, the Deputy Dean of Eskişehir Osmangazi University. “The education system and the adults destroy the potential in children and their eagerness to learn,” he asserts.

In an interview with Hurriyet Turkish daily Prof. Turan indicates that the main purposes of education should be to bring out the potential in children, strengthen their self-esteem, and help them become self-confident individuals. “Education should give the necessary tools to students to become effective members of the society. But in Turkey, most of the schools have become places where students only solve tests. The school staff just carries on with their jobs, [giving] no added value,” he said. “In the past, schools used to stand at the heart of education. But now there is an abundance of private tutoring courses which points to the failure of schools.”

Outdated System

According to Turan, the current Turkish education is not a future-oriented system. He believes that all kinds of examinations that classify and eliminate students should be avoided, and that tests that categorize students, such as the SBS, the qualification exam for high school entrance, and the ÖSS, the university entrance exam, are outdated.

“The current examination system forces children to concentrate on certain subjects with a narrow mind, but education systems in the rest of the world highlight the importance of being open-minded,” he said. “We do not have the right to categorize our children, because it jeopardizes the students’ motivation to learn and destroys their commitment to school. We should, instead, opt for a system that would promote the social characteristics of children and evaluate them multi-dimensionally.”

Educational tools and skills have evolved in the 21st century, but the exam system in Turkish education still functions as a “destroyer” of skills, Turan said. “A person who is 1 year old today will face the major problem of not being able to manage him or herself in the year 2020 or 2030,” the professor added. “If we insist on continuing with our system, in 10 years’ time, we will be facing the same problems Western countries faced 20 years ago.”

A major obstacle in raising creative individuals is vocational high schools, Turan said, adding that the state should immediately stop supporting such schools, which should instead be operated by chambers of industry and commerce.

Vocational Secondary School As Ghetto

“Vocational secondary schools have become structures that boost injustice and inequality in education; they create a caste system,” the professor said. “In Turkey, vocational schools are mostly preferred by low-income families. What we should do is create a proper milieu to encourage students to make free choices.”

A poor child’s destiny should not be limited to being sent to a vocational school, Turan said. “Several vocational schools have been left behind in regards to technological development. They have expired. They should be closed down,” he said. “It should not be the state’s job to train and educate intermediary staff for the industry, for the rich segment of society; the state should educate students as well-equipped members of society.”

Teachers Behind Students

“If Turkey wants to survive in the future, it has to review its own creativity,” he added. “Turkey’s population consists of young people; 65 percent of the population is under the age of 35. This means Turkey has a high potential of creativity and dynamism, but because of our education system, no good comes out of it.”

“Children should be taught how to operate laptops, mobile phones and websites such as Facebook. Some schools have blocked access to Facebook. This is outdated and primitive,” the professor said. “We need to teach our children these networks; we cannot go anywhere with restrictions. Teachers are sometimes left behind their students.”

“Turkey would become one of the most powerful countries in the world if it revises its education system,” he added. “If we cannot develop a good strategy, the young population that we always praise will lead us to our end.