Aregnazan or Magical World

Magical World is a video adaptation of an epic fairytale originally written by Armenian writer Ghazaros Aghayan. Melissa Boyajian and Arpi Adamyan reinterpret the story through futuristic visuals combining high definition video and animation.

The project will be debuted this August in Yerevan at “In and Between the (Re)public,” the 2013 happening of the QY Collective. In supporting this film you will give us the opportunity to rent professional equipment needed for the production of the film as well as to pay and feed the cast and crew during our shoots. Depending on what amount of money you donate, you will receive a gift of either a button, a screen-printed original t-shirt, poster, HD DVD of the film, or a combination of these items.

Arpi Adamyan (b. 1985) is a multi-media graphic, photomontage, and video artist residing in Yerevan. She received her MFA in Graphic Arts from the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts in 2008. Her work engages in the creation of queer and feminist spaces, alternative realms and parallel realities that exist in and between narrative, culture, and history.

Melissa Boyajian (b. 1980) is a multimedia artist working in photography, video, installation and performance art from Boston, MA, USA, currently living in Yerevan, Armenia. She received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2009 and her BFA from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 2003. Her work encompasses issues of post-colonial identity, cultural erasure, gender queerness, the control of knowledge as power and interpersonal power dynamics.

Read about this project and interview with Apri and Melissa in IANYAN Magazine: "Magical World: 19th Century Armenian Fairy Tale Gets Animated."

Join this project, only few days left. You can donate to the project at www.indiegogo.com/projects/magical-world

The 5th anniversary and the new era

On December the 21^st we celebrated our 5^th anniversary which headline was “The beginning of new era”. Achievements and success of the organization during five years are not only the result of the efforts of the staff and volunteers, but also our partners and supporters have their unique place in it.

In five years inserting our roots in the basis of democracy-building, we have concluded a period in the history of civil society, and now we are entering a new era and begin it with a new breath.

We celebrated our 5th anniversary, but the founders of the organizations have been involved in civic activism for 10 years.

2007 became the year when founders decided to create an organization which was supposed to go through a difficult way, and a work should have been done, that had not been implemented in this scope yet. Due to our efforts on December 14, 2007 we received registration certificate and understood, that there is no way back, PINK should have its big input for development of civil society and establishment of democracy.

The path of the organization during its 5 years of activities hasn’t always been smooth. Many challenges that we faced during these years constantly brought with them new questions and concerns. But the answer is obvious: “that which does not kill us makes us stronger”, – as Friedrich Nietzsche would say.

Happy New Year dear friends, may this year bring you luck and great achievements, and feel you hearts with warmth, peace and joy!

A bridge between East and West, between old and new era of Armenian history

Mamikon Hovsepyan's gratitude to Hrant Dink Foundation:

“Hrant Dink Foundation’s work is very important for Armenians in Armenia and in diaspora. It builds a bridge between East and West, between old and new era of Armenian history. The Foundation is very supportive and encourages our work in Armenia. They inspire all Armenians with their work, and this year they including PINK Armenia among their Inspirations in 2012 which was very exciting for us. 

I read the email that I received from thee Foundation on September 14, the day when I was celebrating my 30th birthday. That was the best news that I could receive on that day.

My colleagues and I want to thank Hrant Dink Foundation for being with us, for supporting our work and inspiring us.”

Homophobia and punitive laws continue to threaten HIV responses and human rights

UNAIDS Infographic: I am Gay - 5 things I fear.

In many regions of the world, punitive laws and practices against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and intersex (LGBTI)[1] individuals continue to block effective responses to HIV. A range of human rights violations have been documented, from denial of health services and freedom of association to harassment, violence and murder.

Last week, a youth organization in Cameroon is reported to have held an anti-LGBT rally; the news followed a series of arrests and detentions in recent years of Cameroonian men who have sex with men based on their sexual orientation.

In Zimbabwe, where sex between men is illegal, police officers arrested and later released 44 members of the organization Gays and Lesbians Zimbabwe (GALZ) on 11 August 2012 following the launch of a GALZ report documenting human rights violations of LGBT individuals.

In Europe, a report on the human rights situation of LGBTI people—published in May 2012 by the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe)—documented many cases of violence, hatred and discrimination against LGBTI people.

Studies in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia have documented high levels of homophobic bullying in schools and lack of support from school authorities. A recent study conducted in the United States, for example, found that more than 84% of young LGBT learners had been called names or threatened, 40% had been pushed or shoved, and 18% had been physically assaulted at school.

Several cities in the Russian Federation recently passed laws prohibiting public information on sexual orientation and gender identity. Similar legislation is pending before the Ukrainian parliament. UNAIDS believes such laws discriminate against LGBT people by curtailing their freedoms of assembly and speech, threaten HIV outreach organizations supporting them, and may be used to justify homophobic bullying and violence.

A "climate of hate and fear"

Evidence and experience have shown that punitive laws and practices drive sexual minorities away from HIV services. A study conducted in Senegal, for example, found that prosecutions and harassment of LGBT individuals in 2008 led to “pervasive fear and hiding” among members of these groups. According to the study, some health providers suspended their HIV prevention work with men who have sex with men out of fear for their own safety; those who continued to provide health services noted a sharp decline in participation by men who have sex with men.

"Human rights violations based on people's real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression sanction the climate of hate and fear that keeps LGBTI people further in the closets,” said human rights advocate Joel Nana, Executive Director of the non-profit organization African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR). “Such violations discourage health-seeking behaviour, deny access to key health services and sustain the increasing incidence of HIV infection among men who have sex with men and transgender people," he added.

High HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men, transgender people

In many regions of the world, men who have sex with men and transgender people experience high HIV prevalence and low coverage of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

Recent studies from sub-Saharan Africa show that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men ranges from 6% to 31%. In Asia, the odds of men who have sex with men becoming infected with HIV are nearly 19 times higher than in the general population. In Latin America, an estimated half of all HIV infections in the region have resulted from unprotected sex between men.

Studies among transgender people have shown disproportionately high HIV prevalence ranging from 8% to 68%. Without access to HIV information and services free of fear, criminal sanction and homophobia, these trends cannot be addressed.

“World leaders are increasingly speaking out against discrimination and criminalization on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Susan Timberlake, Chief of the Human Rights and Law Division at the UNAIDS Secretariat. “In launching its report in July, for example, the Global Commission on HIV and the Law issued a strong call for decriminalization of LGBT people and their protection in the context of the AIDS response.”

Some positive developments

Despite setbacks, there are some encouraging developments in favour of equality, non-discrimination and access to health services for sexual minorities.

On 12 July 2012, the President of Chile signed into law an anti-discrimination law that punishes hate crimes, including against LGBT people. Introduced some seven years ago, the adoption of the anti-discrimination law gained momentum following the brutal murder of Daniel Zamudio, a 24-year-old homosexual man.

On the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, 17 May 2012, the European Region of Education International, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and ILGA-Europe committed to strengthen their collaboration to prevent and combat homophobia and transphobia at national and European levels in school, the workplace and society.

In February 2010, the Government of Fiji became the first Pacific Island nation to formally decriminalize sex between men. Fiji’s new Crimes Decree removes previous references to “sodomy” and “unnatural acts” and uses gender neutral language when referring to sexual offences.

In 2009, the High Court of Delhi held that criminalization of same-sex relations is unconstitutional and that it “pushes gays and men who have sex with men underground,” leaving them vulnerable to police harassment and impeding access to HIV services.

UN advocacy and action

In March 2012, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a report at the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council documenting discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against LGBT individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The report called on all countries to decriminalize consensual same-sex relations and to ensure that individuals can exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in safety and without discrimination.

At last year’s UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, UN Member States committed to reviewing laws and policies that adversely affect the “successful, effective and equitable delivery of HIV services.” UNAIDS encourages all countries to translate this commitment into action to protect the human rights and health needs of LGBT people

source: UNAIDS

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[1] The acronym “LGBTI” is used as an umbrella short-hand for groups and/or individuals whose sexual orientation or gender identity differ from heterosexuality and who may be subject to discrimination, violence and other human rights violations on that basis. Information and data presented in this article may not apply equally to all the groups represented by this acronym.

Armenia answers to the Committee, avoids subject of LGBT

Geneva 17 July 2012.  The United Nations Human Rights Committee finalized the examination of the third periodic report of Armenia today, which took place on 16 and 17 July 2012.

In some areas of the dialogue between the Committee and the State delegation, the discussionwas progressive. In others, the Committee expressed concern about the lack of information provided by the State. The delegation was often pressed by the Committee for more specific, statistically based answers to some of its questions. When faced with inquiries regarding the March 2008 post-election violence in Armenia, the delegation offered little explanation as to the lack of investigation into, and criminal accountability for, the resulting deaths.

The Committee otherwise focused its attention on issues of gender-based violence, trafficking in human beings, prison conditions, corruption in the judiciary, and discrimination. One committee member challenged the State to “put its money where its mouth is, and provide necessary funding to combat gender-based violence”. The Committee took particular issue with the State’s attitude toward members of Armenia’s LGBT community. The Committee received information that a government official previously announced that LGBT individuals were “a threat to national security.” Explanations from the State regarding the measures currently undertaken to protect the human rights of these vulnerable individuals were noticeably sparse.

Having received information from independent sources regarding the objectivity of Armenia’s judiciary, the Committee confronted the delegation with allegations that the judiciary is dependent on the executive branch, and that judges tend to have a bias toward the prosecution. The Committee was deeply concerned about reports from NGOs stating that judges operate under the notion that justice is negotiable, and can be bought for the right price.

The Committee also reminded the delegation that it has been a party to the Optional Protocol for Individual Communications for twenty years. In that time, there has not been a single casesubmitted to the Committee by an individual victim of human rights violations. As such, the Committee questioned whether the State has actually made it known to the Armenian people that this important recourse is available to them.

Armenia was given forty-eight hours to address unanswered questions posed by the Committee –indicating that, after six hours of intensive dialogue, the Committee felt it needed more information from the State. Armenia must be forthcoming about the true state human rights in the country, and ensure the enactment and implementation of its pending human rights legislation and programming. These active measures are critical to demonstrating the State’scommitment to protecting the human rights of all Armenian people.

The Human Rights Committee will make its recommendations public at the end of its session, on 27 July 2012. The archived webcast of Armenia’s review can be seen at treatybodywebcast.org.For additional information on the review of the Armenia contact: Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR): www.ccprcentre.org /

info@ccprcentre.org(Centre for Civil and Political Rights/Ashley Tucker)