Become the voice of voiceless!!!

Photo by Mariam Sukhudyan

If you ever find a free time to kill till April 20, I advise you to visit the environmental exhibition titled “Become the voice of voiceless” at NPAK (Armenian center for contemporary experimental art). I blogged about this event, as well as the previous activities (Teghut Forest destruction in particular) carried out by this group of young environmental activists before.

The aim of this exhibition is to react to the urgent ecological issues through raising public awareness and developing environmental ethic through initiating various activities. Incidentally, it was the successful intervention of this young people due to which the destruction of a natural monument called Garni’s “Stone Symphony” was halted.

Update: Save Teghut Forest! Puppet theatre at Nubarashen special school #11

Thanks to vhovhan who informed me about their intention to take a puppet theatre to Nubarashen special school #11. This is a group of young activists whose initiative is to bring change about the everyday life of these children and not only. Incidentally, this is also exactly the group of young people who rose their concern about destruction of Teghut Forest with the purpose of exploitation of the ore mine by the Armenian Copper Program (ACP). Recently this group visited Teghut Forest to see it personally and talk to the dwellers of adjacent areas. A young activist Ovsanna posts her impressions and discoveries:

We used to think that villagers were against forest destruction because they care about their health, but in reality they were happy, because now they could have work. They didn’t know their children could develop health problems from the mine and they didn’t care about it. I didn’t even speak about the trees and animals. It would be useless to talk about animals when people don’t even care about their children. But, no, they told us, they do think about their children. The mine will give them an opportunity to earn money and send their children to Yerevan city. They were also falsely informed about the number of trees to be cut down, because when we asked them if they knew how many trees will be cut, they answered “100”. In reality, over 170.000 trees are going to disappear.
The villagers didn’t believe us when we told them we are just young activist who left our jobs to come and fight for nature. They think somebody paid us to do this.They no longer believe that humans will do something for nothing.
This is a very poor village and a cooper mine is a real “dream” for them. I want to mention the last thing they told us “They give us money, we are on their side. You give us money, we will be on yours”. MONEY…. KILLER MONEY!

“Culture belongs to everyone” and a bike tour

On November 2, at 1p.m., in front of Moscow cinema, “Unison” NGO organizes an undertaking titled “Culture belongs to everyone”, targeted to directing the attention of the society towards the problem of cultural integration of the disabled.

Take part and contribute to the cultural integration of persons with disabilities in our country!
Via Big Family

Sireli Barekam

Noyemberi 2-in, jame 13:00, Sharl Aznavuri Hraparakum (”Moskva” Kinotathroni harevanutyamb) “Unison” hasarakakan kazmakerputyune anckacnelu e annaxadep akcia”Mshakuyte bolorin e” xoragrov: Akciayi npatakn e ` gravel akciayi ushadrutyune hashmandamneri mshakutayin integracman xndrin, vori lutsmane metsapes xochndotum e mshakutayin ojaxneri fizikakan anmatcheliutyune saylak ogtagortsogh ev ayl sakavasharj mardkanc hamar:
Ays iravitchaki patcharov bazmathiv hashmandamner (inchpes kataroghner, aynpes el arvestagetner) zrkvats en mshakutayin ancudardzin masnakcelu hnaravorutyunic: Mievnuyn jamanak, zargacats erkrenerum hashmandamutyun unecox shat arvestagetner vayelum en hamashxarhayin hambav (orinak Stivi Wonder, Andrea Bocheli ev ayln):
Akcian kbacvi hashmandamneric baxkacats “Nor dzayner” vokal xmbi katarmamb: Baci ayd hamergin kmasnakcen Hayastani estradayin ergichner Arsen Grigoryane, Leyla Saribekyane, Anna Xachatryane,Tovmas Poghosyane ev urishner:Masnakceq akciayin ev Xthaneq hashmandamneri mshakutayin integrume mer erkrum:
Lracucich teghekutyunneri hamar 52 21 70
Tsragirn irakanacvum e HH-um Britanakan Xorhrdi Ajakcutyamb…

Big Family

I want to drive your attention to a new blog called Big Family – a group of young people who visit orphanage children and spend merry time together. So far they had a web site at http://www.bigfamily.am though it is still under construction. Now they set up their own blog and write about their visits, the condition of the orphanages and the children with who they have already managed to make friends. The blog seems to be half Armenian half English. Find it here.

ՙԵրեխաները բոլորի ուրախությունն են՚: Արդյոք սա վերաբերվու՞մ է մանկատանը բնակվող երեխաներին. ու՞մ ուրախությունն են նրանք…

Երբ ես Նուբարաշենի գիշերօթիկ դպրոցի երեխաների հետ գնացի Բուսաբանական այգի, կարծես կյանքի մի նոր փուլ սկսվեց ինձ համար: Ինձ այնտեղ ընդունեցին ու սիրեցին: Ու նրանց սերը նման չէր սիրո, որ ես սովոր էի տեսնել: Ինչու՞ են նրանց մեկուսացնում մեր հաարակությունից: Մարդիկ այնքան բան ունեն սովորելու նրանցից:

Երեխաների անմիջականության աստիճանը ուղղակի թափանցիկ էր դարձնում ինձ, քանի որ ես խնդիր չունեի ձևանալու: Նրանք այն հասարակությունը չէին, որի մեջ մենք ենք ապրում, նրանք չեն պահանջում, որ դու ինչ-որ ձև կրես` հագուստի նման: Նրանք քեզ մերկ էլ են սիրում: Տալիս են, տալիս են, տալիս են… չեն էլ մտածում այդ մասին: Նրանք գալիս ու հենց այնպես փաթաթվում էին ինձ: Եթե ուզում էին մի բան անել, ապա անում էին` առանց երկար բարակ քննարկելու, մտածելու և ենթագիտակցորեն վախենալու իրենց ծնողների կարծիքներից: Նրանք այնքան բաց էին, այնքան պատրաստ բարի խոսքեր ասելու, այնքան պատրաստ օգնելու:

This time they visited Nubarashen orphanage #11 to hand in photos taken during the previous visit to botanic garden.

Getting rid of the enmity

As I went into the crowd gathered at the Liberty Square to say the last farewell to the great and brave person, I was attentive to what was on people’s lips. – “Did you see what’s happening in Turkey? So many Turks went out to support him and claim for justice”. These was mainly what I’d hear, and those weren’t just words. People here were astonished and in the meantime admired by the willingness and readiness of the Turkish nation in their struggle to protect Dink’s name and claim to take down the Article 301.

Which Armenian would ever suppose that a Turk would go out for a demonstration with posters “We all are Armenians”, “We all are Dinks”? Stuck in this country with only news on the political relations between two countries and biased claims for acknowledging the genocide, against which incidentally Hrant’s fight was, we would only have the anger, resentment and disdain for the other nation. But what happened? Has something really moved? Did Hrant Dink’s conscious death really make a bridge between the chasms created between these nations?

And I dare say - yes, it did. As far as I see those excited people flooding the streets of Istanbul, Turks and Armenians gathered at the same place with one and the same goal – justice, understanding, freedom and Peace. As far as I see the reaction of Armenians, my relatives, my neighbors, my friends and my acquaintances, who before were negative towards the Turkish people, but now their actions, attitudes and emotions are being changed. The ice is melting…

Go for the Petition!

This is something that I tackled over not once and it requires definite attention from everyone’s part. We all know how traffic laws function in Armenia, i.e. there are no traffic rules at all and people do not feel secure and under the patronage of the government. And this results to accidents and death of people. It’s high time that we took over the situation and made a change by ourselves.

Read on the blogs over at Blogrel, Oneworld Multimedia, Life in Armenia.

Promote the petition by signing it here.

I don’t feel secure for those who I love and care, do you?

Women in action

As I joined the solidarity march on November 25 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women only in the half, not much can say about it, especially when Onnik at Oneworld gives a detailed account, but the idea of uniting the youth and bringing them together is rather intriguing though. I wished such demonstrations gave more results and it’d be better to have them sooner than later. Wish this was not just an action to have fun or walk with friends, wish people sincerely fought for their goals overcoming all the difficulties.

Well, as I brought another saying earlier sometimes things just seem to be patriarchycal in Armenian families, аs Armenian men like to boast that “Man is the head of the family”, but in addition to that women secretly say: “And woman is the neck of the family, logically what side the neck turns that side the head will go”. Just women let their husbands vaunt a bit unless they have anything worthy to brag with. So, it was interesting to read on the leaflets they were distributing: “Women have their fingers on the pulse of the community”. Hmmm… let me think… Right!

Again, a question - why did God create the woman later? Answer – After the failure with the first experiment God needed something sublime, more ideal

Anyways, this is a good idea, let’s keep together girls, our power is in our united efforts!!! Not once we have proved that we are good in anything and everything, there’s not an arduous task for us, not a place where we can’t fit in pretty well and take the rule. And who said we are the weaker sex ???!!!

International Day of Peace

Every year on September 21st thousands of people worldwide celebrate International Day of Peace . This holiday was established in 1981 by a Resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to concentrate the efforts of UNO in promoting the ideals of peace as well as to show how the solidary actions of people worldwide may have positive impacts on establishing Peace in the World.

In establishing the International Day of Peace, the United Nations General Assembly decided that it would be appropriate:

“to devote a specific time to concentrate the efforts of the United Nations and its Member States, as well as of the whole of mankind, to promoting the ideals of peace and to giving positive evidence of their commitment to peace in all viable ways… (The International Day of Peace) should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.”

” This will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our Organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the Organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace. May this Peace Day indeed be a day of peace.”

Hello World!! I set a new blog!!

Hello World..!!
I’m so happy to greet you !
Today I have my own blog. Congratulate me!  I’ve been looking  for this for a long time.

How did  this start?
If three months ago you asked me what blogging is I would just keep silence and shrug my shoulders because I had not a single idea about this. Thanks to Onnik Krikoryan over at Oneworld Multimedia I discovered totally a new world, world of blogs. Incidentally with his suggestion I started blogging at his site. “ Do you have what to say to the world? So start blogging”.  This is how he welcomed me:

When she isn’t working as a volunteer for the largest domestic observation mission in Armenia, It’s Your Choice, or for the youth NGO, Service for Peace, Zarchka is probably practicing her Tong-Il Moo-Do. Incidently, Zarchka is the first girl on the left in the photograph second from the top here. Welcome, Zara, and thanks for introducing me to Renju.

A remarkable person who has filled me with encouragement and made me more optimistic regarding Armenia’s future. Unfortunately, so busy is Zarchka with her studies and volunteering that it’s unlikely she’ll blog often. However, when she does, I’m sure it will be worth reading.

Aha.. This is about me

Here you can find my previous logs: Oof es nor tarin el!!, "Great" Expectations, The candle doesn't lose its light, In search of a book.

I liked blogging so much that  finally decided to set up my own blog. I’m so deeply grateful to you Onnik, that you enlightened me in this sphere and still continuing that among the youth. Thank you that all that time you could bear me and my articles at your site and corrected my mistakes with such a tolerance. I will always be much obliged to you.

Why did I choose this title for my blog?

Everything going around me refers to me as well. My life is full of adventures, interesting facts, sometimes shocking, at times admiring. What I'm going to write will be from my own experience and judgments.  Dear friends, don't get surprised if you read here something about you, because you are the inseparable part of my life, and I am the part of this society, country and this world. It follows from this that  my blog refers to everyone and everything.

I confess that my English is not very rich, regarding this, please, don't judge strictly. But I  will  make an attempt and  I promise that the things I will talk about in the future will be more than interesting, advertising and of some use. I hope step by step I will get engaged in what I do. Let’s call this period “Beginning”!
I live in Armenia and I'm pure Hayastantsi.  My approaches toward  life may differ from those of Diaspora. But I think that will not cause any problems as we are people after all, at least Armenians.

Now, I don’t want to jump the gun with future plans. If I happen not to blog frequently there will be an excuse , as my classes have already begun  and I will have little  free time left.
Anyway, whatever… you can feel free to leave comments. I will reply to them with pleasure.
Let's see what we will have after!!