The story last year about women in an Armenian border town knitting teddy bears for their families’ subsistence inspired many in the diaspora. It seemed the bears would be unstoppable—they soon made their way into Armenian-American homes, community centers, bazaars, and bookstores. Now the bears are looking to make it to television with a new mission: to teach kids in Armenia about environmental protection. And they are asking for our help.

Archo and Arsho poster

The cast of the show are two teddy bears, Archo and Arsho. A kind creature, Archo lives in the forest with his sidekick Meghu the honeybee. Archo cares deeply about his surroundings, and works to keep it clean. One day, Archo spots Arsho performing in a traveling circus along with Titer the butterfly. And that is when their paths converge. There are other characters as well, like Gargar the trash-loving crow, and Djandj the fly.

“In Armenia, there are efforts to teach children the importance of protecting the environment, but these are not widespread. They need to be part of a larger national effort to raise awareness on environmental issues, starting with the smallest kids. This is where Archo and Arsho and their friends come in—sympathetic, snugly, friendly, and, most importantly, entertaining,” said Timothy Straight, the honorary consul of Finland and Norway, and the founder of Homeland Development Initiative Foundation (formerly Homeland Handicrafts), an organization that supports job creation in rural Armenia.

As a five-year-old, Straight remembers admonishing his father for littering. He hopes the show’s protagonist, Archo, will instill in kids a similar respect towards the environment. “These figures are going to teach the new generation of Armenians, starting from the smallest, that they personally have the power to contribute to a cleaner, healthier Armenia,” he told the Armenian Weekly. “I cannot wait to see a dad throw his plastic bottle out on the street, only to hear the kid say, ‘Dad, Archo says you are hurting the environment!’”

Straight enlisted the help of Vrej Kassouny, a popular Armenian animator and cartoonist, to create characters that were based on the Berd Bears. He wants to hit two birds with one stone: raising awareness of environmental issues and generating a steady stream of work for the women knitters in Berd, a town near the Azerbaijani border that suffers from a high level of unemployment, as most of the men have either moved to Russia or been hired as a soldier at the border.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Berd Bears are providing fair wages to around three-dozen women in Berd. The Archo and Arsho project is the second chapter in the life of the Berd women involved in this project.

Meghu

Once the show takes off, Straight hopes the demand for the stuffed teddies in the likeness of Archo, Arsho, and the whole gang will also increase.

The show will be produced in Armenia, using local talent. The first step will be to create a 9-minute pilot episode, followed by another 24.

To finance the project, the team posted the profile on Indiegogo, a crowd funding website. The decision to rely on the masses for support was partly encouraged by the Berd Bears campaign on another crowd funding site, Kickstarter, which saw $17,318 pledged by supporters worldwide.

Diasporans crave positive initiatives and stories that emerge from Armenia. That is partly why the Berd Bears did so well in the diaspora—that, coupled with Straight’s ability to realize and promote an idea, and the Berd women’s top-notch workmanship.

With the success of the Archo and Arsho show, a steady stream of teddy bear demand will only help lift up the town and keep the environment clean.

Support the Archo and Arsho show on Indiegogo,[insert link: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/archo-and-arsho-animated-environmental-imaginitive--2], and receive one, two, or more of these characters knitted by the women of Berd. The campaign will be featured on Indiegogo until Aug. 16.

To access the Weekly’s earlier story on the Berd Bears, click here.

Berd Bears are available for purchase at the Hairenik Bookstore. To order, call 617-926-3974.

YEREVAN—On the occasion of the 9^th Pan-Homenetmen Games in Armenia, taking place from July 27 to Aug. 3, members of Homenetmen’s Central Committee meet with Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.

The logo of the games

Greeting the guests and stressing the important role that Homenetmen plays in preserving the Armenian national identity, the Prime Minister noted that it is always a pleasure to meet with the governing body of Homenetmen. “We are certain that you are the ones who are doing the best work in preserving the patriotic sole found in the upbringing process of our youth. I assure you that the government will do everything to duly fulfill your mission,” said the Prime Minister.

The head of Homenetmen’s Central Committee Karnig Megherditchian introduced the members of Homenetmen present at the meeting and highlighted that one of Homenetmen’s primary goals is to urge the Diaspora youth to visit Armenia. He also notified the Prime Minister that on July 27, the 9^th Pan-Homenetmen Games Opening Ceremony will take place at Freedom Square. Megherditchian also related that 651 athletes from Armenia and the Diaspora will take part in the Games.

The members of Homenetmen’s Central Committee also expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister for his readiness to facilitate the organization of the Pan Homenetmen Games. They then asked for the Prime Minister’s support to improve and extend the territory allocated for Homenetmen/HASK’s local campground in compliance with a recent decision by the government. In this respect, Homenetmen’s Central Committee greatly appreciated the work done by the intergovernmental committee assigned to this task, which was created according to an order initially issued by the Prime Minister.

At the end of the meeting, Megherditchian presented a special souvenir to the Prime Minister.

During the meeting with the Minister of Diaspora, issues related to the organization of the 9^th Pan-Homenetmen Games were discussed. Minister Hakobyan noted that a special committee was created to assist the over 2,500 athletes and guests arriving in Armenia.

The head of Homenetmen’s Central Committee Karnig Megherditchian expressed his gratitude to Minister Hakobyan for her ongoing support. He noted that the inseparable relation of Armenia and the Diaspora has always been a key factor for Homenetmen’s success.

Afterwards Megherditchian presented to the Minister a souvenir on the behalf of Homenetmen. He then expressed hope that through such initiatives along with other Pan-Homenetmen programs, that Homenetmen’s games would be productive, and that the relationship between the government and Homenetmen will be enduring and long-lasting.

YEREVAN—The American University of Armenia’s (AUA) first graduating class of 1993 celebrated its 20th reunion on campus from July 11-14. The program included meetings with university leadership, walks down memory lane, tours of the AUA campus and facilities, and a visit to the AUA Center, where 10 years ago they planted a tree in honor of the AUA founders.

Members of the Class of 1993 present their check to AUA President Dr. Bruce M. Boghosian.

The 20^th year alumni, many of whom reside in Armenia, expressed their gratitude for the education they received. “After all these years, AUA continues to be a big part of our lives,” said Gagik Yegiazarian. “AUA taught us to become successful in a global economy,” noted Zakar Boyajian.

“We are very grateful to AUA for the excellent education we received at the first American-model higher educational institution in Armenia,” noted Anahit Ordyan, the visionary behind the event. “My classmates and I have stayed in touch, and we realize what a difference AUA has made in our lives, allowing us to go on to [have] successful careers.”

In his welcoming remarks, AUA President Dr. Bruce Boghosian thanked the Class of 1993 for their leadership. “Your many successes make us all proud. We welcome you back to your alma mater. This will always be your home,” he said.

Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, one of the founders of AUA, personally conveyed his congratulations during the gatherings. “Our success as a university is in our graduates,” he noted. In speaking about the nearly 2,500 graduates of AUA, he said, “We are so proud that a large majority of our graduates have stayed in Armenia, to contribute to the local society and economy.”

Congratulations were also received from AUA Founding President Dr. Mihran Agbabian, Elizabeth Agbabian, long-time AUA supporter Savey Tufenkian, and classmates Armen Martirosian and Suzy Sahakian, who shared their thoughts via video messages from Los Angeles.

Alumni Endowment Fund established

“For our 10^th reunion, we donated $5,000 to AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library. For our 15^th reunion, we increased our donation to $11,000, contributing to the construction of the Paramaz Avedisian Building. For our 20^th reunion, we decided to launch an Alumni Endowment Fund to help future students receive the education we were so fortunate to receive,” remarked Ordyan.

The enthusiastic group surpassed their fundraising goal of $20,000; by the time the formal check presentation was made to President Boghosian, the amount of the endowment had reached $35,000.

“In launching the Alumni Endowment Fund we hope to galvanize those who graduated after us to follow our lead,” noted Suren Shahinyan.

“We would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Zaven and Sonia Akian for generously underwriting the reunion festivities,” Ordyan said. “And special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph and Savey Tufenkian for their support. The generosity of the Akians and the Tufenkians helped us plan for this successful event.”

YEREVAN—From July 15-19, more than 60 participants from 17 different countries gathered at the American University of Armenia (AUA) for the 22^nd International Conference on the Discrete Simulation of Fluid Dynamics (DSFD).

DSFD Conference participants with AUA President Dr. Bruce M. Boghosian in front of AUA’s Paramaz Avedisian Building

The DSFD Conference gave participants the opportunity not only to exchange ideas, but also to experience Armenia. AUA President Dr. Bruce M. Boghosian explained, “These scientists came from North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and it was very good for them to see Armenia and hear talks from leading Armenian scientists. It was also good to see Armenian students in the audience, from local departments of mathematics, science, and engineering.”

The five-day program featured daily lecture series that allowed participants and members of the AUA community to share their own work in the field of fluid dynamics. “Scientists can always publish articles in magazines, but it’s quite different to meet and share our ideas,” said Dr. Alexander Wagner from North Dakota State University. “Such forums are also a good opportunity to meet Armenian scientists, particularly because we don’t often have the opportunity be in contact with them.”

Participant Dr. Peter Love from Haverford College also noted the value of meeting AUA students. “I had a long discussion with a masters student about a research problem of mutual interest in quantum information that was very interesting,” he said. “In fact, we are continuing our discussion and I hope we can work together on this problem via e-mail.” 

The DSFD Conference takes place every year in a different part of the world. “The conference is one of the leading annual international conferences on the computer simulation of fluids,” said Boghosian. “This kind of simulation is very important in many industries. The most obvious examples are the automotive, aerospace, and ship construction industries, where air flow and water flow play an important role.”

Because many participants had never visited Armenia, the conference also had a cultural component, including visits to cultural attractions both inside and outside of Yerevan. Dr. Sauro Succi from L’Istituto Applicazioni del Calcolo said, “the outdoor tours offered another face of Armenia, the ancient monasteries, precious churches, and the heart of Armenia’s culture. Last but not least the beauty and natural elegance of Mount Ararat. All, very, very impressive.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

The last time I was in Broshyan, it was for the wake of the village’s mayor, Artsakh freedom fighter and longtime ARF member Hrach Mouradyan. Having heard the shocking news about his assassination, I went to pay my respects alongside the rest of the community on that somber afternoon in early April.

A scene from the closing ceremony

On Friday, August 2, I was back in the village, this time to attend the closing ceremony of the AYF-Western Region’s 3^rd annual Youth Corps day camp in Broshyan.

When I arrived, about two dozen young Diasporans were lining up in a packed hall full of kids and, one by one, serving them sandwiches and juice. It was lunchtime and the capacity crowd of over 150 local campers was getting ready for the final song competition to cap off their week.

But this was more than just another song competition or the finale of the third out of five Youth Corps summer camps being held in Armenia this year.

Coming just four months after Mouradyan’s assassination and two weeks after a controversial mayoral election (where Mouradyan’s ruling Republican Party rival was elected by less than 100 votes), the Broshyan camp this summer served as a critical juncture for both the counselors and the community alike.

“It’s very surreal; I almost can’t believe I’m here,” said Sanan Shirinian, one of the group leaders of the Youth Corps program. “I feel like we’re a part of history right now,” she said regarding the tense situation in the village and her experience at the camp.

Over recent days, many local officials have publicly resigned in protest over the mayoral election and most residents are still unsatisfied with what they feel is a failure to bring Mouradyan’s murderers to justice.

In this atmosphere, Shirinian explains how she met with Mouradyan’s wife and daughter when they visited the camp, stating that, “She was obviously still very shaken up by what happened but she was also thankful that we were here. She said that this community really needed us to be here right now, to bring us all together again.”

A scene from the closing ceremony

Mouradyan’s son and nephew, Gevorg and Hambo, were also returning participants in the camp. They were fully involved in all of the activities and could often be seen hanging out at the center even after the days let out. During the closing competition they sang a moving duet of “Akbers Ou Yes,” dedicated to Mouradyan.

In addition, counselors in the Youth Corps program visited the location where the former mayor was murdered and went to his gravesite. They also met with countless freedom fighters living in the community and family members of such Artsakh heroes as Garod Megerdchian, whose two nieces were also returning campers.

“I never thought I’d be in a room breaking bread with Artsakh heroes and their families and relatives,” said Arek Santikian, another Youth Corps group leader. “This village is home to these people and it has been very touching being here. I wish we could have stayed longer.”

In attendance for the closing ceremony that final day were not only parents of campers and community members, but also local officials, Diasporan volunteers, repatriates, and representatives of the ARF Supreme Body.

Standing out in the sun, listening to the campers singing revolutionary songs with conviction and at a pitch so loud that the whole village could hear, one couldn’t help but feel the power of unity and organization that the Youth Corps program represented for all of those involved.  Just as such camps have helped spawn generations of activists and community leaders in the Diaspora, so to was it now trying to rejuvenate the youth of a shaken and polarized village in Armenia.

“I think that what happens now that the camp is over is the most important part,” says Shirinian. “All of the campers had a blast but what’s important is the follow up work.”

While the Youth Corps group has left the village to carry out its final two camps in Shushi and Gyumri, Santikian and Shirinian both insist they will work very closely with the local ARF throughout the year to keep the campers involved in the Broshyan AYF Juniors chapter—making sure the kids stay active together until the return of the camp next summer.

To learn more about the Youth Corps program or to follow the ongoing work of its final two weeks in the Homeland, visit www.AYFyouthcorps.org.

MARGAHOVIT, Armenia—The quality of irrigation water in Aghtsk, the condition of the public park in Margahovit, and the cleanup of the grounds of Isahakyan Park in Gyumri were some of the topics presented by students at a workshop hosted by Armenia Tree Project (ATP) on June 10.

ATP operates environmental education centers near its tree nurseries in Margahovit and Karin villages, where thousands of local and diasporan students visit for lessons and outdoor field-based learning

High school students from Aghtsk, Margahovit, and Gyumri participated in a poster presentation at ATP’s Michael and Virginia Center for Environmental Studies. The event was part of a collaborative program between ATP and Armenia’s National Institute of Education (NIE) on the integration of environmental education in the social sciences curriculum.

“The goal of the program was to introduce environmental education to these students and to create a generation that is not only aware of current environmental issues, but is concerned enough to learn specific skills to solve the issues,” explained Karine Harutyunyan, a social sciences specialist from the NIE. “We hope such projects will contribute to the formation of socially active and responsible citizens.”

Student groups in grades 8-10 were instructed to identify a local environmental problem and conduct independent research on the issue including a study of relevant legislation and regulations. The students recommended solutions and addressed their findings to responsible officials and organizations for implementation.

The exercise was based on articles in Armenia’s Constitution that address the right to live in a healthy environment and the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees public access to information about the environment.

Environmental education has been one of ATP’s core programs since the 2005 publication of the “Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree” teacher’s manual. A second edition of the manual was published in cooperation with the NIE in 2010, and already more than 1,200 teachers from all regions of Armenia have been trained on its use in the classroom.

ATP operates education centers near its tree nurseries in Margahovit and Karin villages, where local and diasporan students visit for lessons and outdoor field-based learning. Nearly 1,400 students, including young schoolchildren and university students, visited the Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Educational Center in Karin Village last year.

The center was inaugurated in Margahovit in 2012 and has already hosted more than 200 visitors. Biology teacher Gayane Margaryan runs the center and supervises several student eco clubs that meet there regularly.

Elementary and high school students are members of the eco clubs, where they discuss environmental challenges, do hands-on work at the ATP center, and learn environmentally friendly methods of gardening.

Earlier this year, ATP partnered with the Italian CISP (International Committee for the Development of People) charitable organization on teacher training focused on the Lori region. ATP trained teachers on the use of the “Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree” manual and “Participatory and Innovative Pedagogical Tools for Education on Environmental Health,” prepared by the French Histoires Recyclables NGO.

A total of 125 teachers have already been trained, and the program will continue this fall. “It is of major importance for ATP to conduct environmental trainings in these regions, as there has been widespread deforestation caused by logging and other environmental challenges,” explained program manager Alla Sahakyan.

“Teachers seem to appreciate this opportunity as it demonstrates innovative methods and introduces new insights for environmental education. International organizations are interested in our trainings, and we’re excited about our first training with CISP,” continued Sahakyan. “We express our gratitude to CISP for their charitable mission throughout the world. When organizations having similar interests cooperate in their activities, it leads to even greater impact and encouraging results.”

ATP’s mission is to assist the Armenian people in using trees to improve their standard of living and protect the environment, guided by the desire to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the fewest resources first, and conserve the indigenous ecosystem. ATP’s three major programs are tree planting, environmental education, and sustainable development initiatives. For more information, visit www.armeniatree.org.

The Armenian Weekly August 2013 Magazine

Ever since I saw Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, “Empire of the Sun,” as a child, the subject of war and its effects on children and civilians has been a theme of constant research and preoccupation. It’s not so much war’s mythos that makes for good cinema, but the “war after war’s end” that has both disturbed and inspired me to write. This is what triggered my first journey to Nagorno-Karabagh in the late 1990’s, as a student at USC Film School. The war had finished a handful of years before, and the raw effects were still present in the faces on that bewitching and ancient patch of earth. After graduating I returned again, trying to understand the chaos, the displacement and civilian casualties of a war that was fought tooth and nail until the 1994 ceasefire, and that resulted in the displacement of over a million people and an estimated 30,000 casualties on both sides.

Artak (R) and the author in Boston in May 2013

I recently dug into my dog-eared pocket notebooks from 2003 and found a line I had written after meeting my dear friend Artak Beglaryan in Stepanakert 10 years ago: “If there is anything in the world worth despising, it’s war.” I continue to despise war for the human waste and ravage it leaves behind. Those who survive war, and those of us blessed never to see what war produces, have a responsibility to bear witness, illuminate empathy, and foster a meaningful human dialogue.

Driving into the capital of Stepanakert, I had this graphic- novel image of the ancient Phoenix curling into flames, then rebuilding itself from the ash. This city has risen again but there is still work to be done. A lot of the pockmarked buildings have been renovated. Busloads of pilgrims from the diaspora visit the ancient monasteries and villages. The new generation still grapples with the after-effects of the war, and many questions have yet to be answered. The dark weight of the post-war aura that I first remember feeling has dissipated for the most part, but the ghosts of war will always be present, cautiously reminding natives and visitors of the resilience and ravage that complete each other.

My dear friend Artak Beglaryan was blinded at the age of 6 after picking up an unexploded ordnance in the courtyard of his apartment building in Stepanakert. I don’t know if “Illuminating Artak” is the right title for this piece; I hope it affords a glimpse into his courage, humility, and panoramic vision.

The shrapnel robbed Artak of his eyesight, yet ultimately produced a young dreamer who is an inspiration in my life. His gift is willpower, survival, and a hunger for knowledge, for higher learning and self-betterment. War’s irreversible damage only strengthened his resolve to learn, travel, and spur critically engaging dialogue that crosses borders and gives a human voice to the struggle of the Karabagh-Armenians.

I could write a book about Artak’s journey as a child war survivor, and then as a young international scholar. Artak was 14 when I met him in 2003. I was out of film school struggling to piece together a film about the war and the civilian survivors on both sides of the line. Through the grapevine of this small city, all roads pointed in the direction of Artak’s home. We met there for the first time. He recited poetry, sang the village ballads and folkloric odes of his grandfathers, and managed to beat me and my dear friend Spiros multiple times in chess. I vividly remember our first encounter, and his incredibly witty and effortless sense of humor. I still don’t know how he does it, but five minutes into a conversation the belly laughs keep rolling.

Beglaryan climbed Mount Ararat in Aug. 2013.

Over the past 10 years, Artak has studied at Yerevan State University, at University College London, and at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston. He has learned English and is a speed-reader on the internet, with the aid of screen- reader software that allows him to speak-type and commit ideas to cyberspace and to paper very rapidly.

It was a short journey to Stepanakert, but a special one. Artak was turning 25 and I was happy to be there on the day he celebrated with his family. Surrounded by his brother Garen’s family, we savored a few shots of homemade pear vodka while taking in the summer heat that dipped into a nice afternoon rain in Shushi. Melancholy swept over the rainy city as we drove back to Stepanakert, passing the Brotherhood Cemetery, where scores of civilians and soldiers lie side-by-side. It is a beautifully groomed but sad monument to the many lives lost in the storm of war. The weight of that loss will forever hang in the air above these roads and in every home. And with this weight, life will go on and tomorrow will be a new day.

The next day, over a hearty breakfast of fresh bread, thyme tea, and honey from Garen’s bees, Artak mused about the current state of affairs in Armenia and Karabagh, and of the Syrian refugees in Armenia and the diaspora. “I think, nowadays the most important thing for us is the demographic development of Karabagh,” he said. “In this case, the Syrian Armenians currently are the core target because they combine the main goals of Armenians. The first is repatriation. Tragically, because of the war in Syria we have been given this chance to repatriate. The second dream is to develop and populate Artsakh, which would ensure a bright and secure, enduring future. The third goal, which is an occasion-based mid-term one, is to create a sense of security for Syrian Armenians. The diaspora and Armenia should be concerned first of all about the situation of Syrian Armenians, and that’s why this process of repopulation is very important from that perspective. So, in supporting that process, one contributes simultaneously to the above mentioned three goals of Armenians.”

In preparation for his journey to the Czech Republic, where he will continue his studies, Artak remembers Herbert Spencer’s wisdom that “the great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” Armed with Spencer’s wisdom, Artak will continue his struggle for a better tomorrow—for all of Artsakh and Armenia—from his desk across the hall from the prime minister’s office. His laptop and iPhone are his modern-day tools, but gadgets and software are impermanent, soon to be replaced by tomorrow’s technology. The real sweat-of-the-brow work is done every day inside his encyclopedic mind, which has produced an inner field of vision that transcends blindness.

The world indeed is your oyster, my dear brother.

This article appeared in the Armenian Weekly magazine issue (Aug. 2013) dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Artsakh liberation movement.

YEREVAN—On Thurs., Sept. 5, the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) first-ever Matriculation Ceremony marked the launch of the new undergraduate program, making the university the first American-accredited institution in the former Soviet Union to offer undergraduate education. Students, faculty, staff, and family gathered to formally welcome the first generation of undergraduate students to the AUA community.

AUA’s first undergraduate class at the 2013 Matriculation Ceremony

The Republic of Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan offered her welcoming remarks to the undergraduate class, as well as to AUA President Dr. Bruce M. Boghosian, Provost Dr. N. Dennis Leavens, and Dr. Caren Meghreblian on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Students also took the AUA Honor Pledge, formally pledging to maintain AUA’s standards of academic integrity.

The undergraduate program offers bachelor’s degrees in business, English and communications, and computational sciences. The incoming undergraduate class is comprised of nearly 300 students from all over the world.

Eighteen-year-old Hovsep Markarian, majoring in English and communications, said, “I feel very proud that I’m a part of the first undergraduate class. I know that we are making history. It’s really an honor to be here.”

With the influx of students, there are many changes occurring within the institution. President Boghosian said, “There are more students in our halls and classrooms than ever before. This will help us better fulfill our mission, which is to address the needs of Armenia and the surrounding region for sustainable development, in a setting that values and develops academic excellence, free inquiry, integrity, scholarship, leadership, and service to society. We are pleased for the opportunity to inculcate these values in a larger population with a broader range of ages.”

Provost Leavens shared, “I see the vibrancy in the halls, in the faculty and staff. I am teaching an undergraduate class and the students are delightful, just a joy. That joy suffuses through the day. Everyone I speak with has nothing but praise for this young group of students. They have changed the whole atmosphere of AUA.”

The launch of the undergraduate program is a momentous occasion for the American University of Armenia, with students bringing new energy to the campus. As Dr. Boghosian notes, “There are lots of smiles in the hallways these days.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

When Raffi Wartanian had to decide on his next step post-college, the choice was clear for the Johns Hopkins graduate: He wanted to spend a year in Armenia as a Fulbright Research Fellow focusing on the role of volunteerism and the arts in the development of Armenia’s civil society.

Wartanian at his Tanzatap show performing for Vahan the blind village elder in May 2013

“Music is a means to explore this subject,” said Wartanian, a native of Baltimore, Md., who completed his Fulbright in July. “Performance, be it theatrical, musical, literary, or academic, builds communities and spreads ideas.”

It was in fact an earlier visit to Armenia that inspired his debut album, “PUSHKIN STREET.” While there, he had the unexpected opportunity to perform live music in Yerevan on the street named after the famed Russian writer that Wartanian describes as “a thoroughfare of music, culture, and exquisite cuisine.”

The experience further sparked Wartanian’s musical desires and he spent the next six months recording, mixing, and mastering the album, although the “seedlings of certain songs took root years before.” Once he structured the songs through lyrics, chords, and melodies, he worked with friends and collaborators in Baltimore to record bass, drums, and keys.

Wartanian’s vision and hard work culminated in an eclectic and unique sound, filled with rich and distinct musical compositions, a reflection of the diverse musical roots instilled in him by his family members from a young age.

His mother, brother, sister, and father each played a significant role in shaping his musical tastes. While his brother and sister exposed him to the more contemporary genres of music (The Beatles, Yo La Tango, Guns N Roses, and Paco Pena), his parents influenced the more traditional musical elements that are evident in “PUSHKIN STREET.” Wartanian’s mother played Greek rembetika music, classic rock, and Armenian folk songs for him, and his father, once a student at Etchmiadzin, had a deep affection for Armenian liturgical music from the Orthodox badarak, as well as the “Anoush Opera.” Tying that in with his own interests certainly laid the groundwork for a creative and fresh music style he would nurture over the years.

“Most of my upbringing was spent in Baltimore, a land of the blues, folk, bluegrass, rap, punk rock, and funk, and Beirut, a land of the ancient musics of the orient,” said Wartanian. “I would say all of these influences make an appearance, sometimes in subtle ways, and that each song has its own character both musically and lyrically.”

The diversity of his musical upbringing is evident in each of the songs on his album. “Pelican Sunset” is a love song. “Electronic Flirtation” is a statement on the digitization of romance. Each song has a meaning behind it and is reflective of Wartanian’s experiences over the past few years. “Millard County Jail” and “Gluten Free Blues,” for example, were written as wedding gifts for friends with whom he bicycled across America on a cancer fundraiser ride. The songs “have got some stories from the road and the sense of excitement that comes with bicycling 80 miles per day. “

During his Fulbright year, which began in August 2012, Wartanian had the opportunity to perform his music throughout Armenia. From clubs to village schools to community centers, he embraced the audiences that came with each venue that “wouldn’t otherwise have access to singer-songwriter-troubador types.”

The broad ranging environments also provided Wartanian with experiences he otherwise wouldn’t have seen if his music hadn’t led the way. He preferred the small, isolated communities in Armenia, like the villages of Tanzatap (population 60) and Shvanidzor (population 390).

“It’s super interesting to bring something new into a remote village and see the reaction music evokes,” said Wartanian. “Walking down unpaved roads into run down schools where I hear students, teachers, and researchers share stories of local economic and social woes has been painful and enlightening, compelling me to give 110 percent to each and every performance.”

Aside from taking the time to perform, Wartanian continued to improve his technique by studying the oud and flamenco guitar with masterful teachers from Yerevan’s Komitas Conservatory of Music.

“Growing as a musician under their guidance has been humbling and grown my hunger to continue improving as a player.”

Living in Armenia also thrust him further into the music and arts scene and allowed him to collaborate with other artists and musicians, including Arik Grigoryan, a flutist from the Bambir; Alexy Yeghiakian, from Los Angeles; and Syrian-born Sarkis Atamian and Harch Macoushian. He also worked with filmmaker Oksana Mirzoyan on a music video for the track, “Electronic Flirtation,” and with Anahid Yahjian on an experimental music film.

Wartanian played his music outside of his homeland as well, most recently in Prague and Beirut. His performances in Beirut touched him on an even more personal level when he played at the opening of the formerly abandoned mansion of his great-grandfather Mardiros Baloumian, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. Once occupied by militias during Lebanon’s civil war, a British painter discovered the space, contacted the new property owner, and they agreed to hold an exhibition along with a lecture by the painter’s father, a retired judge, now pursuing a doctorate from Oxford University about a British explorer who witnessed the genocide.

“I performed at the opening as the nearest descendent of Mardiros,” said Wartanian, who was invited the following day to perform at Badguér, an Armenian cultural center in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon.

“Both of these events were simply special on many levels, particularly at my great-grandfather’s home where his old typewriter, photographs, and other mementos were on display,” said Wartanian. “He was a man who was never supposed to exist, a man who died three years before I was born. Yet like many others that night, I could feel his presence.”

Although Wartanian has received plenty of training and experience over the years—he’s studied classical piano since the age of eight and took lessons at the Peabody Conservatory while in college—he continues to strive to become an even better musician and performer.

“Playing and learning music is like a climbing a glorious mountain that has no summit,” he said. “I constantly strive to improve and develop my technique, the stylistic pallet from which I draw, and learn new songs I find beautiful.”

Music also serves as an avenue for Wartanian to express himself and to question and explore the environment and world around him. As an inhabitant of Armenia for a year, he was able to see his homeland through a different lens and convey that to others through his art.

“I have witnessed first-hand environmental degradation, vote rigging, xenophobia, homophobia, hopelessness, egotism, and more, alongside inspiring activism, civic engagement, and optimism for the future,” said Wartanian. “I’m not saying these issues or dynamics do not exist in other countries in the world—they absolutely do. But, sometimes the nature of living in a diaspora, specifically through distance, mitigates the severity of these issues. So at this stage I am driven by shining a light on some of these issues through performances, song-writing, and collaborations, and I am driven, on the more technical side, to get better.”

Although Wartanian recently returned to the Baltimore-D.C. metropolitan area and is working on his second album, his memories and experiences in Armenia as a Fulbright remain with him.

“Beyond music, this grant has presented opportunities to work with some incredible movers and shakers working for environmental, economic, electoral, media, and social reform. Their dedication and efforts have simply been an inspiration.”

For updates on Raffi Wartanian and his music, visit www.raffijoemusic.com. His recently launched music video for “Electronic Flirtation” can be viewed by visiting http://youtu.be/_T2u-NY1FdU.

Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation and Armenia Tree Project (ATP) have announced the establishment of a memorial forest in Armenia in honor of Sosé Thomassian and Allen Yekikian. The young couple, who had strong ties in Armenia as well as throughout the diaspora, lost their lives as a result of a car accident four months ago.

Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation and ATP recently initiated a social media campaign to support a memorial forest in honor of Sosé Thomassian and Allen Yekikian, a young couple who lost their lives as a result of a car accident four months ago.

Vaché Thomassian, Sosé’s brother, and several close friends launched the Legacy Foundation to support the couple’s core values: education, repatriation, volunteerism, and democratic development. “The forest will serve as a living, breathing memorial to Sosé and Allen, and will have a positive effect on Armenia’s environment,” said Thomassian.

Here’s how the campaign will work. For every new “Like” on ATP’s Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ArmeniaTree), five trees will be planted in the memorial forest.

“This is a collaborative and interactive campaign, highlighting the great work Armenia Tree Project does, and we’re asking the public to spread the word to grow the forest. The social media aspect emphasizes Sosé and Allen’s focus on utilizing technology and encouraging direct participation,” continued Thomassian.

The campaign was launched on Sept. 10, Sosé’s birthday, and will conclude on Allen’s birthday on March 10, 2014. The organizations hope the effort will attract at least 10,000 “Likes” in order to plant 50,000 trees, covering 45 acres, and raise awareness of ATP’s mission in Armenia. Site selection will begin immediately, and planting will commence in the spring of 2014.

Tax-deductible contributions to support the memorial forest may be made to Armenia Tree Project by calling (617) 926-TREE, via ATP’s website www.ArmeniaTree.org, or by mail payable to Armenia Tree Project, 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472. Donors are asked to indicate that the gifts are “In memory of Sosé and Allen” online or on the memo line of their checks.

Armenia Tree Project was established in 1994 to plant trees in urban and rural sites throughout Armenia, provide environmental education to Armenia’s schoolchildren, provide jobs in seasonal tree-related programs, and help improve the environment and standard of living in Armenia.

Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation (www.SoseandAllen.com) works to continue the couple’s vision by establishing programs and supporting existing programs aimed at bridging the gap between Armenia and its diaspora, through an emphasis on education, repatriation, and volunteerism.

YEREVAN (A.W.)–More than 4,000 NGO’s are reportedly registered in Armenia. The vast majority of these are dependent on external funding, either from local authorities or foreign entities, so much so that if outside channels were to be cut off, the vast majority would have to close up shop.

Young volunteers at the Vayk Civic Center gather to raise money during a public concert.

Indeed, it is not uncommon to hear civic groups—rightly or wrongly—referred to in Armenia as “grant eaters,” a reference to their appetite for outside money. This characterization also suggests that they lack a local base and focus more on chasing funds than on affecting real change.

But this summer, in the southern regions of Armenia, a new form of civic fundraising took shape. One that challenges these stereotypes head on.

Beginning in July, volunteers and staff at the Foundation Against the Violation of Law’s (FAVL) regional Civic Centers went into the streets and collected money directly from citizens around community concerns. This unprecedented move not only succeeded in raising funds to address local issues, but also served to mobilize citizens on a grassroots level.

The initiative was part of the Oxfam-sponsored “Achieving Active and Vibrant Citizenship through Empowerment of Civic Centers” program and was geared toward promoting self-sufficient forms of local activism.

“Oxfam continuously supports institutional and financial sustainability for the Civic Centers,” said Lilit Chitchyan, accountable governance program officer at Oxfam Armenia. “The centers are on their way to becoming self-sustainable, so they can better empower grassroots groups to advocate for their needs and improve local governance.“

Disabled citizens attend a fundraiser to build wheelchair ramps in Yeghegnadzor.

As a staff member at FAVL, I got a chance to personally see people in the regions of Vayots Dzor and Syunik give from their own pockets to make a change in their communities.

In Sisian, a vital 700-meter road leading into the rural community of Torunik was completely renovated thanks to donations made by residents at an outdoor fundraiser, which featured singing, poetry, and student performances. Three weeks later, the Yeghegnadzor Civic Center held a talent show dedicated to assisting disabled residents in the city. The event’s financial target was surpassed, with money raised both through ticket sales and donations. Wheelchair ramps are currently being built in key public areas as a result.

More than 20 volunteers turned out in the neighboring city of Vayk, where they set up a booth at a public concert and succeeded in raising 220,000 AMD ($541) in personal contributions. The money was used one week ago to erect 15 trashcans on Shahumyan Street, a main road in the city.

Further south, members of the FAVL Kapan Civic Center organized a benefit chess tournament for youth in the village of Geghanoush. Under the slogan, “Together We Can Do More,” they helped raise money to set up trash-free zones in the rural community.

In almost every case, the organizers raised more money than they had targeted. This money came from average citizens, not wealthy benefactors or outside entities. In addition, commissions of local NGO’s, government officials, and concerned residents were formed to transparently allocate the funds for each project.

Despite the fact that the fundraisers were for things that the government should already be providing—roads, wheelchair ramps, trash cans, etc.—it was inspiring to see residents coming together to fill the voids where the state has failed.

“I am very happy and proud of the fact that there are people who genuinely understand and want to help us,” said Ashkhen Margaryan, a second degree disabled resident of Yeghegnadzor. “That talent show once again reminded the public and government about the absence of wheelchair ramps and their vital necessity.”

The experience was a powerful one for both organizers and participants, who invested in a grassroots initiative and saw the results first-hand. They realized that by giving their time, energy, and money, they could make a positive impact on their daily lives.

“This form of fundraising has never really been seen before in Armenia,” explained Kristina Gevorkyan, vice-president of FAVL. “Many were doubtful that average citizens, especially in the poorer south, would give to such campaigns. But the people have proven them wrong.”

I must admit that I myself was among those who were doubtful, at first. But this initiative rekindled my faith in the power of mobilizing around a common cause. Recent developments in Armenia have shown that real victories can be achieved when movements are independent and popularly based. Working from the bottom up helps build strength and public consciousness that is simply irreplaceable. It is through such local strength that civil society can be truly self-sufficient and active on the issues that matter most.

The more citizens join together for such coordinated action, the more we will see a healthy civil society capable of tackling problems and affecting decision-making on a local level.

WHITINSVILLE, Mass.—When it comes to performing mission work in Armenia, look no further than Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian. In fact, look again, and maybe several other times.

Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian and Yeretsgin Margaret perform a surplus of missionary work in Armenia each year in addition to their duties in Whitinsville, Mass.

The affable pastor of Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church has made the country his second home and embraces the population he serves so religiously and profoundly in the name of salvation. He visits it three to four times a year, often with his wife Margaret and family by his side.

If it isn’t operating a summer camp for orphans in July, it’s taking feeble tin shacks and turning them into respectable dwellings for the indigent. Over the past 15 years, 175 homes have either been constructed or refurbished.

“Lately, we’ve been purchasing flats and turning them into comfortable living quarters to meet the pressing need,” he says. “Donations are often slow and volunteers are not easy to find but we somehow manage through God’s help.”

Greenhouses are also built to supply resources and a livable standard of life. His mantra may be “the Voice of the Armenian Church.” In reality, it’s the actions of an individual who cares enough to do his very best.

“The greenhouses were a complement,” he concluded. “If you build a resource, people will benefit.”

And let’s not forget the Agape meal in Etchmiadzin that he’s been serving up to the elderly for the past six years. The guest list ranges from 70-75 and here again, volunteers kick in. More appropriately, they call it the “love meal.”

In the end, it’s creating a better world for those who need it most.

“It’s been a desperate calling to which I have answered as a conscientious Armenian priest,” says the 76-year-old. “Some people might call it a mission. I refer to it as a labor of love.”

The summer camp for orphans was organized four years ago. Each July, the priest and his corps of volunteers take to a place called Tsaghkadzor. Translated, it means “valley of flowers.” It’s located 50 kilometers north of Yerevan on the southern slope of the Teghenis Mountains near Lake Sevan.

Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian (center) poses with 50 orphaned children he directs each year at a summer camp in Armenia.

The area is known for its skiing prowess, a place where Olympic athletes train and refine their skills. Somewhere in the miasma is this camp operated by the University of Yerevan where 50 destitute children arrive each year to spend a week of solidarity and comfort.

Their director is a guy who’s affectionately called “Brother Aram.” He prefers the informality. To him, they’re like his own kids.

The children range in age from 10-16 and more than half differ from year to year. They are chosen by the Eastern Prelacy and are desperately in need of care. Fun complements their enrollment.

The $10,000 it takes to fund the project annually is raised diligently through the sister churches, private contributions, and businesses. No shortfall is so big that it cannot be met through persistence.

“Because the children are coming from broken homes, with no father or mother, we’re able to create a big family atmosphere for them where they would experience comfort, love, compassion, and care,” he says.

“At the same time, we spread the word of God, teach them the Scriptures and history of the church. Baptizing 15 children is only one of my highlights. The gratitude shown is another,” Der Aram adds.

Sixteen members of the Zartarian family of Boxboro, MA who helped build a home in Armenia in memory of a loved one.

Two counselors were literally taken off the streets, served their younger counterparts, and wound up becoming public accountants. Others served with the military in Artsakh.

“I find myself getting motivated when I see lives being changed drastically,” he says. “They come to us under dire circumstances and we get them back on track in God’s world. The tears we shed are often tears of joy and comfort.”

One year, the good deed took a bad toll, sending him to the hospital. Recovery was imminent and he was back on the job with barehanded initiative.

They tell him there are no funds available. So he goes out and raises his own. The cost of building supplies have soared over the years. No matter. The priest finds a way.

It’s only been 14 years before he was assigned a church out of desperation. Since then, Soorp Asdvadzadzin has been his home. Prior to that, he was a preaching deacon, traveling the world—yes, universally—giving sermons and spreading the word of Christ.

Only when the hierarchy approached him with the need to take over a pastor-less church did he relent.

One year, Der Aram took 22 volunteers from his community to Armenia. Sixteen of them were from one family—the Zartarians of Boxboro. They came with their grandmother, aunt, children, grandchildren, and in-laws to personally help build the home, which was dedicated to the memory of Garbis Zartarian.

“For 14 days, these energetic people worked diligently in the oppressive 105-degree heat,” he recalled. “So many times, I tried to pull them aside to protect them from heat stroke. They wanted to be left alone to finish their work.”

One day, a hiatus had been scheduled from work. Instead of sightseeing or relaxing, Der Aram’s troops were mobilized on their own free will and reported for duty.

The house they built was in memory of Peter Felegian. A third was dedicated to the late Roy Talanian. Another was a condo purchased for a single mother with two sons and an adopted niece.

The Stepanians are a year away from celebrating their golden anniversary. They are parents to two children, Seta Mammola and Ara Stepanian, and have two granddaughters.

It was at St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown that Der Aram spent 37 years as a deacon and Sunday School superintendent before being ordained in 1999 by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, prelate.

Prior to that, his deacon years were shared with a working life. The cleric worked as a car dealer and auto body mechanic. He sold cars and ran a rental business. There was the electronics side and a dry cleaning establishment.

The entrepreneur in him took a condemned building in Watertown and transposed it into a state-of-the-art enterprise with seven employees.

It’s been 14 years since he first arrived in Whitinsville, leading a flock of 160 members best known for its eclectic picnics that attract over 1,000. It’s a parish that sponsors some 15 students abroad through adulthood.

Much of his time is also rendered to the Northbridge Association of Churches, working with 11 non-Armenian parishes. Together, they perform all phases of charity work for a better community.

He was born in Der Zor, raised in Aleppo, and educated in Lebanon and England before arriving here in 1961 and securing a degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological School in Wenham.

“I remember bringing earthquake victims here for treatment and caring for their needs,” he recalled. “It’s left an indelible image with me.”

Not all has been bread and roses for Der Aram. Much as he hates to admit it, the loyalty often gets put aside in favor of expatriation.

“I see talented people leaving Armenia and going to places like Belgium, France, and Russia,” he notes. “It’s demoralizing the population.”

You never know what may transpire at customs. One day, he approached the gate with bags of clothing and wares for the orphans when the unthinkable occurred.

“They took all my packages away,” he groaned. “I told them they were for the orphans and they didn’t care. Twenty-two children were instantly deprived by callous individuals over-exercising their authority. “It wasn’t until I hooked up with an orphanage that I was allowed free access.”

Were there any other repercussions?

“Sometimes, you pay out of your pocket to customs,” he reluctantly admitted. “Whatever it takes, we manage to get the provisions through.”

“I want to become an architect, but I also want to become a good photographer,” Arevik Galoyan, 15, recently told the Armenian Weekly. “I’ve gained much from Tumo, starting with good friends to good knowledge,” she added.

Students at Tumo

Arevik is one of many students who attend workshops at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies. Experts in animation, web development, game development, and digital media offer students a unique learning experience in a state-of-the-art facility that is unrivaled in Armenia.

Fully funded by the Simonian Educational Foundation, the center is hoping that the talents they cultivate will stay in Armenia. “Tumo enables students to be proactive, take initiative, and be confident while creating their own career path,” Tumo director Marie Lou Papazian told the Weekly.

“These qualities will help them find their place within their society. … They can be part of global developments without changing their country of residence,” said Papazian, adding that the center would soon have start-up incubators. Business incubators are designed to back the development of entrepreneurial companies by supporting them in a variety of ways, including marketing, networking, accounting, management, and access to loans. Studies have claimed that businesses that go through incubators have a nearly 90 percent survival rate.

The workshops are free of charge, and draw in students from all economic backgrounds. The center also welcomes children with disabilities—from autism to physical handicaps—in a region where disabilities often shut doors to opportunities and even education. Most students are between the ages of 12 and 16; some are older, between 17 and 19.

Arevik attends classes every day after school. She’s been a regular for two years. “I love workshops on photography,” she said. Over the summer, Arevik also participated in a workshop called “Items that Tell a Story,” taught by historian Vahe Tachjian, the director of Houshamadyan.org, and visual artist Silvina Der-Meguerditchian. She found the project, which aimed to reconstruct life in Ottoman-Armenian towns and villages, fascinating.

Students experiment with robotics during a workshop.

“[Tumo] offers its members a combination of self-paced virtual courses, specialized workshops, guest lectures, and multifaceted projects,” explained Papazian. “Students choose their activities based on their own preferences and are guided along their journey by learning coaches and accomplished professionals from around the world. Workshops are interactive, hands-on, and result-oriented. Being the fruit of highly challenging team efforts, each workshop culminates in a final product used online or in print, and presented during exhibitions, competitions, and festivals.”

The workshop sizes vary. Usually between 15 and 30 students, but sometimes as many as 45, attend them. The schedules vary as well, with some workshops meeting twice a week for two months, or every day for a shorter span of time. Overall, around two dozen workshops are taught every week.

Tumo’s space is as impressive as the workshops it offers. It is located in Tumanyan Park, one of the largest green areas in Yerevan. With more than 6,000 square meters of indoor space, Tumo boasts a movie theater, gaming room, brainstorming areas, labs, and a cafeteria. Students have access to the over 450 computers, specially designed futuristic furniture, 100 iPads, 3D printers, musical keyboards, and photo and video cameras in the center.

One of the photographs 15-year-old Arevik Galoyan took for a photography workshop at Tumo.

Digital media coach Nayiry Ghazarian has supported students as they have developed new skills, gained confidence in their abilities, and allowed their creative talents to take off. She remembers one instance, in particular, when photographs taken by a 15-year-old student nearly knocked her off her chair. “It was in Scout [Tufankjian]‘s workshop where I had a student named Ani. She was shy and she barely talked in class. She was confused about her assignment—about what to do. The workshop was nearly ending and we had three sessions left. She suddenly came up to us—feeling uncomfortable—and she said, ‘I…have…pictures…of Barbies.’ Next thing we know, Scout and I are speechless looking at her underwater Barbie pictures. The theme was a birthday party,” recollected Ghazarian, whose job encompasses assisting in teaching workshops, helping kids understand assignments, and editing final projects.

Ghazarian, a third year student at the Gomidas State Conservatory, says her background in music influences the way she coaches at the center, where she’s been working for two years. “One of my favorite workshops is the photography workshop where students produce art through taking pictures instead of [creating] music,” she said.

Nineteen-year-old Anahid Talasyan began attending Tumo when the center first opened its doors to students three years ago. “When Tumo first opened, I expressed my wish to become a member. There, I could learn new developments in computer science and explore the fields of animation, website development, and digital media,” Anahid told the Weekly. Today, she attends classes two days a week—on Fridays and Saturdays. “Sometimes, I go more often than that, depending on the workshops and lectures,” she added.

Anahid has taken part in various workshops, but for her, the most interesting and rewarding was the workshop on “Telling Stories through Photography.” The class was run by Armenian-American photojournalists Eric Grigorian and Scout Tufankjian. “We didn’t even know who [Tufankjian] was,” confessed Anahid. Soon they would discover how Tufankjian’s iconic photographs of the Obamas brought her work to the spotlight. “I learned how to photograph, and to approach the subject matter with respect, since—putting aside everything else—the subject would later become the hero of the photograph,” Anahid added.

According to Papazian, workshops on animation at Tumo attract a specific group of students who are likely to pursue animation as a career. Digital media has a wider appeal. Regardless, students are encouraged to explore the four main fields that also include web development and game development. “Our wide variety of workshops, ranging from the beginner to the advanced, gives [students] an opportunity to experience each focus area and later concentrate on one of them,” she said.

Papazian is proud of her students’ work. “Tumo boasts multiple outstanding projects accomplished by our fellow students. One of the first successful projects in the series is a music video creation for Serj Tankian’s latest song ‘Uneducated Democracy,’” she said.

Students at Tumo also collaborated with filmmaker Atom Egoyan to produce original visual animations of Egoyan’s logo.

Furthermore, Tumo is the first in the region to present an iPad-based orchestra—TUMOrchestra—that performs symphonic and jazz compositions relying solely on iPads.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In January 2013, Tumo opened a wing in Dilijan, a resort town in Tavush, with the support of the Central Bank of Armenia. The town has been home to artists and filmmakers, but the population has been on a steady decline. The Central Bank recently moved most of its operations to Dilijan, as part of the government’s plans to revive the town, rendering it into a financial center in the region. “Presently, there are more than 200 teenagers enrolled in the program who come from Dilijan and other adjacent rural areas,” said Papzian. But Tumo’s expansion plans don’t end there. The center is planning to open another wing, with the support of the AGBU in Stepanakert, Karabagh’s capital.

Anahid is currently working with a group of similarly talented and creative students to bring an animation project to life. She hopes to become an expert in animation and web and graphic design. “It is because of Tumo that I have gained these new and useful skills. I’ve made many friends, learned teamwork, and developed my creativity,” she said.

Tumo’s mission has touched the lives of many young and talented kids, giving rise to a technologically savvy generation. The center’s work is a meaningful step in pushing the country to become a powerhouse of information technology. And it all starts with the youth.

WATERTOWN, Mass.—Can two teenagers living 7,000 miles away from each other create a solution to one of the world’s environmental problems? American-born Armen never dreamed he would find what he discovers in Armenia, and he counts on his cousin Nuneh living in a small village to carry out his far-fetched plan.

The Building Bridges newsletter was illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian

This is the premise of Armenia Tree Project’s (ATP) new film, “Something New,” which was produced as part of the Building Bridges education program. This is the fourth year of ATP’s innovative program to introduce its environmental education material in Armenian schools across North America. “Building Bridges: Connecting Diaspora Armenian Students with Their Environmental Heritage” is funded by a grant from the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation.

“The making of ‘Something New’ was a collaborative effort that involved people from all over the world. We hope that because it was filmed in both the U.S. and in Armenia, students will have a more profound understanding about the state of the environment in Armenia,” said Sarah Hayes, Building Bridges manager and executive producer of the film.

“Something New” was directed by Kennedy Wheatley, an assistant film professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Tanner Boyajian served as cinematographer, and his brother Hunter Boyajian acted as sound editor. It will be screened at Armenian schools in North America and internationally. It is available online at http://www.armeniatree.org/somethingnew.

Armen is played by AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian student Peter Deirbadrossian; his onscreen cousin, Nuneh, is played by Tatevik Ghumashyan from Margahovit’s Secondary School in Margahovit, Armenia.

In addition to the film, ATP has published a series of colorful newsletters for schoolchildren ages 8-12 and has distributed thousands of copies to schools throughout the U.S. The new fourth edition of the newsletter is a collaboration among Hayes, environmental education consultant Nayiri Haroutunian, and award-winning illustrator Alik Arzoumanian.

“The first three editions of the newsletter primarily focused on trees. This edition addresses another issue that you’ve probably noticed if you have visited Armenia,” explained Hayes. “Armenia is known for its beautiful landscapes and natural beauty, but even some of its most popular tourist sites are affected by trash and littering. This newsletter deals with trash and recycling as a way of promoting environmental awareness and stewardship.”

The fourth edition of the Building Bridges newsletter is being distributed to schoolchildren in the U.S. and is available online at http://tinyurl.com/atpkids.

“ATP’s Building Bridges program fosters the idea that if our youth become more aware of the environment in Armenia, they will feel more connected to their own homeland. By feeling more connected to their heritage, they will understand the similarities and differences of our cultures, and thus be more compassionate to make change,” Hayes said.

ATP’s mission is to assist the Armenian people in using trees to improve their standard of living and protect the environment, guided by the desire to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the fewest resources first, and conserve the indigenous ecosystem. ATP’s three major programs are tree planting, environmental education, and sustainable development initiatives. For more information, visit www.armeniatree.org.

Policy Forum Armenia (PFA), a Washington-based international think tank, recently announced the publication of its State of the Nation Report on “Corruption in Armenia.” A product of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners, the report brings to light many peculiarities of both wholesale and retail corruption in Armenia, and offers mechanisms to reduce corruption.

The cover of the PFA report

The report’s main finding is that corruption’s negative impact on Armenia’s economy is substantial. Focusing on corruption faced by companies, for example, the report finds that “with an estimated cost to large companies of approximately five percent of sales per year—the highest among the comparator countries—corruption in Armenia erodes productivity and competitiveness of firms.” On the policy side, the report makes a compelling case that the design and implementation of public policy in Armenia often serve the interest of the entrenched corrupt elite, and not the country or its citizens.

“By its nature, corruption is very difficult to detect, which is why the choice of methods and areas of study was made carefully to maximize the value added of the report,” PFA’s Executive Board member, Dr. Zaven Kalayjian, noted. “The team employed both quantitative techniques and case studies to help effectively gauge the extent of corruption and bribery taking place in various segments of the economy and public life in Armenia, from the judiciary and military to money laundering and petty crime. The most striking finding was that corruption in Armenia is highly concentrated and puts in place insurmountable barriers for economic development and progress in the country.”

The overarching message of the report is that “an effective handling of challenges facing Armenia should begin by forming a legitimate authority to oversee the new policy course on behalf of the people. This can be achieved only by a political power with incentives and capacity to spearhead a systemic change. At the moment, the feedback mechanism between power and people is broken in Armenia. This makes the country’s ruling regime immune to any pressures from the electorate to perform better and fundamentally changes the incentives of individuals at the top of the ruling pyramid.”

Daron Acemoglu, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the author of a recent bestseller, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, noted, “Some say that Armenia is doomed to fail economically because of its geography or location in the world. But like so many other countries around the world and throughout history, its failure is due to corruption, unscrupulous politicians, and weak institutions. It’s not lack of opportunities but squandered opportunities that are at the root of Armenia’s ills, and it can make progress only by confronting this fact and holding accountable those responsible for the failures. This wonderful report is a first step.”

Echoing the same sentiment, AnnaLee Saxenian, dean of UC Berkeley’s department of information, noted, “This data-rich study penetrates the realities of governance in Armenia—realities that have long been obscured. It confirms that political reform is essential to the national economic and social development.”

Going forward, the report offers a strategy of reducing corruption in Armenia, built on a principle of boosting individuals’ opportunities and freedoms otherwise restricted by corruption. It also provides detailed recommendations on how to fight corruption and mismanagement in sectors with the highest corruption risks. It notes that assistance from the international community and the Armenian Diaspora are required for the people of Armenia to improve governance while forcing the entrenched corrupt elite to either reform or leave. Internally, credible actions would be required to prosecute senior-level abuses, reform the judicial system, and institute a mechanism for re-claiming stolen assets.

On the latter, the report lays out a blueprint for the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative. Modeled on experience of other countries and international laws and regulations that govern this area, the proposed initiative offers a framework for identifying illegally acquired assets held both in and outside of Armenia; seizing those assets; and holding and redistributing those assets (or the proceeds from their sale).

The report is intended to spur a debate on the issue of high-level corruption in Armenia and serve as a warning for corrupt officials that civil society organizations are ready to help identify and recover stolen assets—irrespective of their location—and return them to their rightful owners.

Policy Forum Armenia is a 501(c)3 non-profit think tank aimed at strengthening discourse on Armenia’s economic development and national security and, through that, helping to shape public policy in Armenia. This State of the Nation report and other PFA reports, which provide assessments of critical developments taking place in Armenia and the diaspora, are available via www.pf-armenia.org/reports.

Unique Commemoration of 100th Anniversary of Genocide Launched in Armenia

YEREVAN—The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia (FCHA) recently announced that it will build and renovate 100 homes before December 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The project, called “Honoring 100 Years by Saving 100 Families,” will be driven by charitable contributions to give low-income and homeless families a safe and decent home, while emphasizing the importance of families remaining in Armenia on a permanent basis.

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia (FCHA) recently announced that it will build and renovate 100 homes before December 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenians worldwide are welcomed to support this project and honor the memories of their loved ones who were martyrs or survivors of the genocide. A donation of $10,500 will sponsor a single, completed home. The beneficiary family will receive a personalized, commemorative plaque inscribed with the donor’s choice of message or dedication. When a donation is less than a single home sponsorship, FCHA will combine the contributions it receives with other gifts and assign a beneficiary family when $10,500 has been collected. All donors will receive a profile of the beneficiary family with photos showing its current living conditions. When construction is completed, donors will receive a certificate from FCHA and photos of the new house.

“We are reaching out to our compatriots around the world to partner with us on this new campaign. We hope that families in the diaspora will come together and support the construction of homes in the names of their loved ones. Our objective is to commemorate the Armenian Genocide in a respectful and positive way by addressing the needs of Armenia’s most vulnerable population, namely our homeless,” said Ashot Yeghiazaryan, the president of the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia.

“Since 2000, the FCHA team has been working in Armenia to eliminate poverty housing, and has so far assisted more than 650 families. However, the housing need in Armenia is still high. Over 64,000 families (about 8 percent of population) need to either build or renovate their homes. We have seen that helping one family at a time is making a difference for a lifetime, and impacting more than one generation. We have established the campaign, ‘Honoring 100 Years by Saving 100 Families,’ to allow us to share our love and dedication with more people who need simple and affordable housing,” Yeghiazaryan concluded.

In June 2013, the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia celebrated its fifth anniversary. On this occasion, many longtime and new partners participated in the construction of homes, including Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan, KPMG, the U.S. Embassy, Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), and Christian Youth Mission for Armenia (CYMA).

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is a non-governmental, charitable organization that supports community development in the Republic of Armenia by assisting in building and renovating simple, decent and affordable homes, as well as advocating the right to decent shelter as a matter of conscience and action. FCHA provides long-term, interest-free loans to low-income families. The monthly repayments flow into a Revolving Fund, which is used to help more families make the transition out of poverty housing. This system provides a financial structure for sustainable community development.

To Honor 100 Years by Saving 100 Families, send donations to: The Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., PO Box 523, Americus, Georgia 31709. Please write “Armenia-100” in the memo line of your check. To donate online, visit http://weblink.donorperfect.com/FCH_Armenia100. To sponsor a single, completed home at $10,500, e-mail FCHA at fcarmenia@fullercenterarmenia.org to provide your message or dedication for the plaque for the beneficiary family.

For more information or to learn about summer volunteer opportunities with the 2014 Global Builders program, visit www.fullercenterarmenia.org or e-mail volunteer@fullercenterarmenia.org.

Armen Mkrtchyan, a Luys scholar at MIT, is dreaming big about the sustainability of rural communities in Armenia. With a background in aeronautics and astronautics, Mkrtchyan is working on an airborne drone that can analyze the quality of soil for Armenian farmers using imagery.

Armen Mkrtchyan

The problem farmers have faced for decades has been properly caring for the health and viability of their land. “Farmers tend to treat their farm as a homogenous piece of land, which it’s not,” he explains. “They apply the same amount of fertilizer and pesticide to the whole field, although different parts of the field don’t grow crops the same way so they don’t need the same amount of treatment. This often results in a lot of wasted fertilizer and pesticide for some areas.”

Mkrtchyan has developed a small, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that flies by itself, like a drone. He actually calls it an “agrodrone,” which is hand-launched and flies over crop fields, taking pictures. The software Mkrtchyan has written can analyze the images and provide a vegetation health map that shows the health of areas of land.

With these images, farmers can instantly determine the acceptable growth rate. Although the idea of taking images to compute the healthiness of crops has been around for many years with the use of satellites, they work on a much larger scale. But Mkrtchyan’s drone can take pictures of a farm with much better accuracy even for small farms. Farmers can then determine how much fertilizer and pesticide to apply to which areas, thereby optimizing spending and increasing yields.

According to market research conducted mainly in the U.S., this will decrease spending by about 30 percent on chemicals and will likely improve yield by 10-20 percent, Mkrtchyan says. “This can result in significant savings, considering the low (and seasonal) monthly income of Armenian farmers.”

Mkrtchyan grew up on a farm operated by his grandparents near Mrgashat, in the region of Armavir, only a five-minute drive from the city of the same name. Their land supported an apricot orchard—where he conducted testing of the drone this past summer—and a vineyard spanning 1.2 acres, as well as cherry and other fruit trees.

“I used to work on the farm, applying fertilizer and pesticide,” he recalls. “I used to take the cattle out when I was young. They used to wake me up at 6 a.m. And I hated it, but I think its part of the process of growing up and knowing what work is.”

Mkrtchyan spent two years acquiring fundamental skills in mathematics, engineering, and physics at the department of radio-physics at Yerevan State University (YSU) before moving on to the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks in 2006 to pursue an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering. There he was at the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Engineering Lab, where a few people were working on the agrodrone idea but on a larger scale. The planes were bigger and had a 10-foot wingspan weighing 50-60 pounds, and used expensive cameras to track vegetation health.

“Then I thought, what if I can do this in a developing country much cheaper? What if a farmer doesn’t have $10,000, but maybe he can afford to pay you $20-30 per month to get this data? And that’s where the idea came: trying to create something that’s much smaller and cheaper,” he said.

He went on to obtain a master’s degree from the department of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, where his research dealt with modeling human interaction with UAVs. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the same department, which he plans on defending in 2015.

Mkrtchyan’s plane has a 4-foot wingspan compared to 10 feet, and only weighs a few pounds. It would cost only a fraction of what other competing products cost, mainly due to the custom-made camera system and various other circuitry that was designed for affordability.

Love for Luys

Armen was one of the first Luys scholars from 2009, the year he started at MIT. For him, Luys Foundation is about so much more than the funding it provides to students located throughout the Armenian World. “Luys provides a connection to the people,” Mkrtchyan explained. “It provides a community with a forum to share your ideas and not be afraid of saying something that would be considered futuristic, like my project, which is not. It’s technology at work. But Luys is about helping with resources, which I think is what its best at—connecting people. The attitude is, ‘Let’s see how far you can go, but also how far by collaborating with others who are willing to help.’”

“The Luys scholarship has given me the freedom to choose a research project that I am personally passionate about. More importantly, through Luys I have gained access to an incredible network of people who are enthusiastic about helping each other achieve their dreams. It is this network of young students, mentors, and professionals that will stay strong and continue to develop for a long time.”

Future plans

One of Mkrtchyan’s dreams is to start a research center in Armenia that would not only benefit him but also Armenian citizens. He is developing a framework for companies, small or large, who want to create products for developing or emerging countries.

“There’s been a lot of studies conducted in the past that show that products that are made for developed markets don’t really work well in developing markets,” he said. “The needs aren’t the same, people can’t afford them, and conditions are different—for a whole bunch of reasons. So I’m trying to develop this framework that we can provide to startups or financial companies to develop products.”

Most of his research is actually being conducted in Armenia. He has spoken to several IT companies in Armenia to discover how products can be developed for the Armenian market, even though most are outsourcing to foreign markets. His intent is not only to produce his UAV in Armenia but also export the product to other countries.

“If we can develop the UAV in Armenia, we can export it to the U.S., for example, and to Australia, Eastern Europe, Russia, where the market is much larger than the Armenian market,” he said.

“The plan is to have enough money raised to start the actual commercial phase rather than the developmental phase when I’m done with my studies, and not postpone until it’s too late. It’s going to be a very crowded space as UAVs are becoming very popular, so I cannot afford to wait.”

More than two-dozen prominent Armenians in the Diaspora have signed a statement supporting equality and justice for all in Armenia. Among the signatories are poet Diana Der Hovanessian, filmmaker Atom Egoyan, actor and producer Arsinée Khanjian, musician Serge Tankian, and photographer Scout Tufankjian. This array of Armenian artists, intellectuals and professionals felt moved to release this statement in the light of anti-gay legislation that was recently proposed, and later withdrawn, in Yerevan. “This anti-gay legislation is part of a disturbing pattern of intolerance for marginalized people and opposition voices in Armenia,” said publisher Veken Gueyikian. Writer Nancy Agabian said, “People of conscience must not stand by as our LGBT cousins are targeted and demonized.” The statement represents their collective commitment to human rights and to Armenia’s nascent civil society movements.

Below is the statement and the list of signatories.

“In response to reports of draft ‘anti-propaganda’ legislation in Armenia, modeled on Russia’s recently passed and widely condemned bill, we, the undersigned members of the global Armenian community, say such attempts to codify anti-gay prejudice into law are contrary to our values. We believe in dignity, equality and the right to self-expression for all people regardless of religion, sexual orientation, gender, or race.”

Nancy Agabian

Mika Artyan

Arlene Avakian

Peter Balakian

Anthony Barsamian

David Barsamian

Eve Beglarian

Chris Bohjalian

Melissa Boyajian

Diana Der Hovanessian

Atom Egoyan

Dahlia Elsayed

Houry Geudelekian

Veken Gueyikian

Nonny Hogrogian

Aris Janigian

Nina Katchadourian

Nishan Kazazian

Arsinee Khanjian

David Kherdian

Nancy Kricorian

Micheline Aharonian Marcom

Neery Melkonian

Arthur Nersesian

Joan Aghajanian Quinn

Aram Saroyan

Serj Tankian

Scout Tufankjian

Hrag Vartanian

For Randy Sapah-Gulian, the future of Armenia depends on assisting young people. “The plan of our foundation is to build a broad yet inter-locking range of programs directly focused on the Armenian youth. We believe that the youth in all societies are the foundation from which you can develop something of substance that endures,” said entrepreneur and benefactor Sapah-Gulian during a recent phone conversation.

Dr. Edward Seferian and Randy Sapah Gulian with Ambassador John A. Heffern.

He founded his family’s Sapah-Gulian Foundation in 2012, which works through the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR). He explained that programs supported by the foundation emphasize several youth-oriented initiatives, such as the Pediatric Critical Care Program, promoted by his brother-in-law Dr. Edward Seferian of Cedar Sinai Hospital. “This Medical Training Program–Pediatric Critical Care, which is an international program in scope, will emphasize the healthy growth of children so they may become productive members of society,” he explained.

Complete life cycle

The Sapah-Gulian Foundation focuses on children from an “early age on having the right kinds of care, such as what the pediatric care program provides all the way through the educational process, ultimately leading to job training and employment. It is the life cycle from birth through to their early 20’s,” stressed Sapah-Gulian. “Further, the challenge, of course, with developing these types of programs is to maintain a high level of quality and to not lose focus. Better to do 3 or 4 things really well rather than 10-20 things adequately. The Pediatric Care Program is an international program with the highest training and certification standards run by leading pediatric doctors from around the world. To be perfectly frank, when Ed [Seferian] suggested bringing it to Armenia to my wife Corinne, it probably took me 30 seconds to agree.”

A generous benefactor who has been to Armenia more than 40 times, Sapah-Gulian is chairman of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), which since the 1988 earthquake has been deeply committed to assisting, rebuilding, and providing educational and training programs for Armenia’s population. His expertise as a CEO and president in providing human capital solutions to large corporations around the world makes him a seasoned and dedicated team player for the FAR’s ambitious programs in Armenia. “In the world outside of what I do for Armenia, through my company we now have large-scale Human Capital Programs running in 62 countries for our clients. We should be able to use those learnings to benefit the people of Armenia.”

On his last visit to Armenia in July, Sapah-Gulian met with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern to explain and promote the goals of his foundation. With him were his wife Corinne (nee Seferian), his two younger daughters, and his niece.

His daughters, Alexa, 20, Olivia, 16, and Gabrielle, 15, have all been to Armenia and volunteered at the FAR Children’s Center in Yerevan, one of FAR’s most important projects. “Our three daughters will one day be the trustees of our foundation,” he emphasized, “and they know they have a large responsibility.” He then quoted Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese (Eastern) and the president of FAR, who has often said, “One of the greatest gifts that a parent can give a child is to teach them how to give.”

Doctors from around the world

Dr. Seferian and the team of medical doctors that are part of the Pediatric Critical Care Association were also in Armenia in July. This group meets once a year for training and education. During last year’s meeting, they decided to make this training available to doctors and nurses in Armenia. Seferian and four non-Armenians from different hospitals in the U.S. made this trip to Armenia. Seferian headed the team. A pediatric critical care specialist, he worked at the Mayo Clinic for eight years, and has been at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles for the last four.

Ambassador Heffern visited the Muratsan Hospital, where the team’s program is housed, to observe the training and make a presentation to the doctors. The 30 local doctors and nurses who took part will be involved in the follow-up training that will take place every year with help from a grant from the Sapah-Gulian Foundation. While in Armenia, these five “very eager” doctors visited other hospitals, demonstrating the commitment and energy with which they pursued their work, said Sapah-Gulian.

The July trip was Seferian’s first visit to Armenia. “We were all engaged to provide better care and train the trainers, especially outside of Yerevan, which was the center of the training,” he explained. “We taught didactically, using hands-on simulation equipment to mimic real life situations.” In Yerevan, the 5-person team worked with 20 local doctors and 4 nurses, including 2 medical translators. Their plan is to continue this project in Armenia so they can educate local physicians and others who provide help to critically ill children.

For Seferian, it was also “breathtaking to stand on the soil of our homeland, and to see the snow-capped mountains, especially Mt. Ararat, the strong symbol of Armenia. This trip is the beginning of an ongoing and long-term relationship. It was very rewarding to give back to Armenia, and it will definitely continue.”

And for Sapah-Gulian and his family, establishing this crucial program in Armenia through the foundation accentuates his life-long belief that “everyone has to have something that speaks to them. For our family, it is children, Armenia, and Armenians,” he said.

YEREVAN—Several bright, young university students who conducted their thesis work at the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) of the Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) recently entered a new milestone in their careers. Hripsime Mkrtchyan and Hasmik Rostomyan successfully finished their master’s in physics coursework at Yerevan State University and accepted offers to join the staff at the CRD. There, they presented the results of their research at the Thunderstorms and Elementary Particle Acceleration (TEPA 2013) international conference hosted at CRD’s Nor Ambert Research Center on Armenia’s Mt. Aragats from Sept. 9-13.

The Harutyun and Nadya Vaporciyan bonus recipients: (Front row, L-R) Tigran Karapetyan, Hasmig Rostomyan, Narine Khachatryan, Mari Gasparyan, Bagrat Mailyan, Anoush Hakopyan, and Artur Reymers. (Back row, L-R) Karen Arakelyan, Ara Babayan, Levon Vanyan, Hayk Avagyan, Pavel Solakhyan, and Hripsime Mkrtcyan.

Mkrtchyan’s Master’s theses was titled, “The Electrical Structure of Thunderclouds and Initiation of the Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs).” Rostomyan’s was titled, “The Maximal Energy of Solar Acceleretors: Evidence from Space and Earth’s Surface Measurements.” Both researchers described mechanisms by which subatomic particles are accelerated by natural forces  in the environment. The CRD frequently presents opportunities for promising young scientists and engineers, including students, to present their research results at international scientific forums.

Both Mkrtchyan and Rostomyan were recent recipients of the Kirakos Vapurciyan Scholarship for CRD students. This scholarship was established by the Vapurciyan family according to the will of the late Kirakos Vapurciyan of Michigan. In her letter of gratitude to the Vapurciyans, Mkrtchyan wrote, “I would like to express my gratitude to you and thank you for such an honorable reward. I am deeply appreciative for your support. This award has encouraged me to do deeper  observations in my field of science.  Thank you again!”  Rostomyan expressed  similar sentiments in her letter to the Vapurciyans.

Computer scientist Hayk Avagyan, a recent graduate from Yerevan State University, also acceped a position at the CRD.  He is helping develop new algorithms for data analysis and the correlation of data from the Aragats Space Environmental Center with data from other astroparticle physics experiments.

From the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., physics undergraduate Patrick Fasano, with the support of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at Notre Dame, interned at the CRD this past summer. Fasano spent 10 weeks assisting graduate students with upgrades and improvements to CRD’s data storage and processing software, as well as studying the physics of Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements, a newly discovered high-energy phenomena that accelerates cosmic ray particles within thunderclouds.

When Notre Dame physics professor Ani Aprahamian suggested to Fasano that there may be an internship available in Armenia, he did a quick Google search and study of Armenia: Where is it, and what is it like there? There was little time for him to consider this opportunity, but he decided to go for it.

Fasano was mentored  by  Bagrat Mailyan and Artur Reymers, both young physicists who received their Ph.D.’s within the past few years. According to Mailyan and Reymers, Fasano is a very bright young man with a bright future in science.  Besides his work at the CRD, he enjoyed touring the country and participating in lunch-time debates with the other young scientists.  He says he would go back to Armenia and the CRD in a heartbeat.

Thirteen of the CRD’s young scientists and staff received performance-based bonuses from the Harutyun and Nadya Vaporciyan family for their outstanding work and their resolve to continue pursuing excellence in Armenia.  “I have their picture on my mirror, and I look at them every day and I am so proud,” said Harutyun Vaporciyan, regarding these talented young people.

“All in all, we are pleased with the progress of our students and our young and seasoned scientists who mentor our students,” said Prof. Ashot Chilingarian, the director of Yerevan Physics Insitute and the head of its Cosmic Ray Division. “I, together with the CRD’s entire staff, express our profound thanks to the Vaporciyan family, some of whom have visited CRD’s  facilities in Armenia.” CRD’s  staff, as well as members of the Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division (SCACRD), congratulate Mkrtchyan and Rostomyan for their recent accomplishments, offer them their support, and wish them well in the coming years.

For more information on the Cosmic Ray Division and the Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division, visit http://crdlx5.yerphi.am and www.crdfriends.org, respectively.