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Diana Khachatryan and Nazeli Bedyan's community development project took place on June 29 in the Lori region, entitled "Artsakh Unity Day." The project was designed for students from Artsakh. Diana and Nazeli organized a hike for the students in the Lori region, a time for reflection, and entertaining games. The Artsakh Unity Day aimed to bring together youth from Artsakh and build a community for them, where the youth could feel safe and comfortable. The project was organized to create space for personal discussions and sharing their difficulties. The project's main theme was "one root, many branches." The aim was to help Artsakh youth believe that they can flourish in Armenia and in different regions and still keep their roots in Artsakh, and still be Artsakhian.
The students came together on the morning of June 29 and left for Odzun. Nazeli and Diana organized ice breaking games for the bus ride, so the students could warm up to one another and have fun during the drive. Odzun Monastery, located in Odzun village in Lori Province, is an extraordinary example of early medieval Armenian architecture. The students played more ice-breaking games at the first stop and became acquainted with each other. The students had to ask each other questions and determine whose fun fact and story was whose. The game was engaging, and encouraged connection amongst the youth.
After exploring the monastery and grounds, the hikers continued toward Horomayr Monastery, a remarkable 7th–13th century Armenian monastery built into the cliffs of the Debed Canyon. The complex consists of an upper and lower monastery, accessible only on foot. The students hiked to the Horomayr monastery and had lunch there, followed by team-building games. The group’s guide, Larisa Zhamkochyan, organized and led a national dance for the students, and they enjoyed another aspect of Armenian culture by dancing Karno Kochari. The final stop of the hike was in Kobayr. Kobayr Monastery is located on a cliff ledge above the Debed River, directly across from Tumanyan.
After exploring the monastery, Diana and Nazeli organized a discussion about the project’s theme, "one root, many branches.” The idea was to have students think of their displacement as a way to blossom, as different branches of the same root, Artsakh. The discussion included questions such as "when do you feel most connected to your roots?", "what's something you've learned on this trip that reminded you of who you are?" and so on. The students were then surprised with a meaningful gift. Diana and Nazeli bought notebooks for each student, with their names and sayings in the Artsakhian dialect. They ensured that each student received a notebook whose saying was from the dialect of their region. The projects evaluation showed that the youth felt a sense of community, enjoyed their hike and times of discussion with one another. We hope that they returned to Yerevan with an understanding of how they can grow in Armenia, while keeping their Artsakhian roots.
The students came together on the morning of June 29 and left for Odzun. Nazeli and Diana organized ice breaking games for the bus ride, so the students could warm up to one another and have fun during the drive. Odzun Monastery, located in Odzun village in Lori Province, is an extraordinary example of early medieval Armenian architecture. The students played more ice-breaking games at the first stop and became acquainted with each other. The students had to ask each other questions and determine whose fun fact and story was whose. The game was engaging, and encouraged connection amongst the youth.
After exploring the monastery and grounds, the hikers continued toward Horomayr Monastery, a remarkable 7th–13th century Armenian monastery built into the cliffs of the Debed Canyon. The complex consists of an upper and lower monastery, accessible only on foot. The students hiked to the Horomayr monastery and had lunch there, followed by team-building games. The group’s guide, Larisa Zhamkochyan, organized and led a national dance for the students, and they enjoyed another aspect of Armenian culture by dancing Karno Kochari. The final stop of the hike was in Kobayr. Kobayr Monastery is located on a cliff ledge above the Debed River, directly across from Tumanyan.
After exploring the monastery, Diana and Nazeli organized a discussion about the project’s theme, "one root, many branches.” The idea was to have students think of their displacement as a way to blossom, as different branches of the same root, Artsakh. The discussion included questions such as "when do you feel most connected to your roots?", "what's something you've learned on this trip that reminded you of who you are?" and so on. The students were then surprised with a meaningful gift. Diana and Nazeli bought notebooks for each student, with their names and sayings in the Artsakhian dialect. They ensured that each student received a notebook whose saying was from the dialect of their region. The projects evaluation showed that the youth felt a sense of community, enjoyed their hike and times of discussion with one another. We hope that they returned to Yerevan with an understanding of how they can grow in Armenia, while keeping their Artsakhian roots.
