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Armenian Youth Federation-YOARF Eastern US
80 Bigelow Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel. (617) 923-1933
Fax (617) 924-1933
www.ayf.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release ~ July 28, 2005
Contact: Sossi Essajanian
(617) 923-1933
[email protected]
AYF-YOARF Internship Program in Full Gear in Armenia
WATERTOWN, Mass.?For the past two months, Aline Alexanian, Arevat
Garamova and Liya Manukian have been learning and living Armenia. As
members of the 2005 Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern Region
Internship program, the three, along with their directors Serouj
Aprahamian and Vahag Melkonian, have been in Armenia since June,
working and traveling around the country.
Aprahamian and Melkonian assigned a position to each intern according
to her interests. Alexanian, a biology and Spanish double major at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, works at St. Gregory
the Illuminator Hospital, focusing on the medical field in Armenia.
Fellow intern Garamova, majoring in Russian studies, political science
and history at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
is interning at Cafesjian Museum Foundation. Manukian, an exercise
biology major at the University of California at Davis, spends her days
working at the American University of Armenia?s Cardiac Surgery Center.
Living in an apartment in downtown Yerevan, the group enjoys a
birds-eye view of the goings-on in the city. But while they are not
working, Alexanian, Garamova, Manukian, Aprahamian, and Melkonian
spend their days learning the ins and outs of both Armenia and
Karabagh. Thus far, the group has explored Yerevan, visiting such
sites as the Dzidzernagapert Genocide Monument and the Madenataran
manuscript museum. Venturing outside the city, they toured the
churches of Etchmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane. ?This was a very
educational experience where the group learned a lot about Armenia?s
rich religious history,? said director Aprahamian.
Also as part of the program, the interns participate in the
Birthright Armenia forums and classes during the week and as a
consequence, spend a lot of time with other people they met through
the Birthright program. During their trip to the temple of Garni,
as well as the church of Geghard, several Birthright participants
joined the trip. Making the day especially exciting was that the trip
fell on the traditional holiday of Vartevar, where everyone throws
water on each other. ?It was very fitting that we were in Garni that
day, given the pagan roots of this holiday,? said Aprahamian. Later,
the group packed their van for a two-day trip to northern Armenia,
visiting Dilijan, as well as the Haghartsin and Goshavank monasteries,
with an overnight trip to Sevan.
Other trips took Alexanian, Garamova, Manukian, Melkonian and
Aprahamian to Armenia?s northern cities of Gyumri, Spitak and
Davtashen. Along with fellow Birthright participants, the group
visited churches, a cemetery of earthquake victims, and saw the
impact of the 1988 earthquake on the community. In Gyumri, they
saw buildings devastated by the quake, and visited the town museum,
which included much information on the history of Gyumri, artifacts
from the past, and works of art, as well as photography. They then
headed to Davtashen and in a neighboring village, visited a museum
in honor of Kevork Chavoush. ?It was very interesting and it gave
the entire group an opportunity to learn about the fedayee movement
and its contributions to Armenia,? said Aprahamian.
As part of the Birthright program, the group also had the opportunity
to meet with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, where they discussed
topics such as dual citizenship, Artsakh, Turkish-Armenia relations,
as well as Genocide recognition and reparation. The group later viewed
the documentary ?Armenia: A Country Under Blockade? as part of the
Golden Apricot International Film Festival taking place in Yerevan
from July 12-17. The film discussed the effects of Turkey?s blockade
on Armenian society.
When participants of the AYF West Coast Youth Corps arrived in July,
the Alexanian, Garamova, Manukian, along with Aprahamian and Melkonian
met with the group and bid them farewell as they set out to Vaik,
where they are spending the remainder of time in Armenia doing
construction work there at a local youth center.
At the same time, the Armenian Cultural and Educational Society
(Hamazkayin) hosted its Armenia Forum program in Yerevan, and featured
a lecture by Armenian studies professor Richard G.
Hovannisian as part of the program. The group was invited to attend
the lecture, which took place at the Yerevan State University
hostels. Hovannisian discussed the Armenian genocide, its impact,
current developments within Turkey, as well as the status of
reconciliation between Turks and Armenians.
As the group approaches the half way mark of the internship program,
they are preparing for more work at their internships and more trips.
>From July 29 to 31, they will be heading to Artaskh to learn about
the people, places and situation of the new republic. ?There have
been several occasions where we end up sitting up at night as a group,
often with other diasporan interns here, and have relatively fruitful
discussions about Armenia, diaspora, and other issues. These informal
discussions tend to be the most rewarding and really give everybody
the chance to reflect and build on their experiences here,?
said Aprahamian.
Since 1992, the AYF-YOARF Eastern Region Internship in Armenia has
been sending youth to work in Armenia. The eight-week internship in
Yerevan includes an orientation to Armenia during first week; weekend
and overnight trips to different parts of Armenia and Karabagh;
a scheduled lecture series; and opportunities to participate in the
Birthright Armenia program.
For more information, visit www.ayf.org or contact the AYF Eastern
Region office at (617) 923-1933.
80 Bigelow Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel. (617) 923-1933
Fax (617) 924-1933
www.ayf.org
Press Release
For Immediate Release ~ July 28, 2005
Contact: Sossi Essajanian
(617) 923-1933
[email protected]
AYF-YOARF Internship Program in Full Gear in Armenia
WATERTOWN, Mass.?For the past two months, Aline Alexanian, Arevat
Garamova and Liya Manukian have been learning and living Armenia. As
members of the 2005 Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern Region
Internship program, the three, along with their directors Serouj
Aprahamian and Vahag Melkonian, have been in Armenia since June,
working and traveling around the country.
Aprahamian and Melkonian assigned a position to each intern according
to her interests. Alexanian, a biology and Spanish double major at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, works at St. Gregory
the Illuminator Hospital, focusing on the medical field in Armenia.
Fellow intern Garamova, majoring in Russian studies, political science
and history at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
is interning at Cafesjian Museum Foundation. Manukian, an exercise
biology major at the University of California at Davis, spends her days
working at the American University of Armenia?s Cardiac Surgery Center.
Living in an apartment in downtown Yerevan, the group enjoys a
birds-eye view of the goings-on in the city. But while they are not
working, Alexanian, Garamova, Manukian, Aprahamian, and Melkonian
spend their days learning the ins and outs of both Armenia and
Karabagh. Thus far, the group has explored Yerevan, visiting such
sites as the Dzidzernagapert Genocide Monument and the Madenataran
manuscript museum. Venturing outside the city, they toured the
churches of Etchmiadzin, St. Hripsime and St. Gayane. ?This was a very
educational experience where the group learned a lot about Armenia?s
rich religious history,? said director Aprahamian.
Also as part of the program, the interns participate in the
Birthright Armenia forums and classes during the week and as a
consequence, spend a lot of time with other people they met through
the Birthright program. During their trip to the temple of Garni,
as well as the church of Geghard, several Birthright participants
joined the trip. Making the day especially exciting was that the trip
fell on the traditional holiday of Vartevar, where everyone throws
water on each other. ?It was very fitting that we were in Garni that
day, given the pagan roots of this holiday,? said Aprahamian. Later,
the group packed their van for a two-day trip to northern Armenia,
visiting Dilijan, as well as the Haghartsin and Goshavank monasteries,
with an overnight trip to Sevan.
Other trips took Alexanian, Garamova, Manukian, Melkonian and
Aprahamian to Armenia?s northern cities of Gyumri, Spitak and
Davtashen. Along with fellow Birthright participants, the group
visited churches, a cemetery of earthquake victims, and saw the
impact of the 1988 earthquake on the community. In Gyumri, they
saw buildings devastated by the quake, and visited the town museum,
which included much information on the history of Gyumri, artifacts
from the past, and works of art, as well as photography. They then
headed to Davtashen and in a neighboring village, visited a museum
in honor of Kevork Chavoush. ?It was very interesting and it gave
the entire group an opportunity to learn about the fedayee movement
and its contributions to Armenia,? said Aprahamian.
As part of the Birthright program, the group also had the opportunity
to meet with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, where they discussed
topics such as dual citizenship, Artsakh, Turkish-Armenia relations,
as well as Genocide recognition and reparation. The group later viewed
the documentary ?Armenia: A Country Under Blockade? as part of the
Golden Apricot International Film Festival taking place in Yerevan
from July 12-17. The film discussed the effects of Turkey?s blockade
on Armenian society.
When participants of the AYF West Coast Youth Corps arrived in July,
the Alexanian, Garamova, Manukian, along with Aprahamian and Melkonian
met with the group and bid them farewell as they set out to Vaik,
where they are spending the remainder of time in Armenia doing
construction work there at a local youth center.
At the same time, the Armenian Cultural and Educational Society
(Hamazkayin) hosted its Armenia Forum program in Yerevan, and featured
a lecture by Armenian studies professor Richard G.
Hovannisian as part of the program. The group was invited to attend
the lecture, which took place at the Yerevan State University
hostels. Hovannisian discussed the Armenian genocide, its impact,
current developments within Turkey, as well as the status of
reconciliation between Turks and Armenians.
As the group approaches the half way mark of the internship program,
they are preparing for more work at their internships and more trips.
>From July 29 to 31, they will be heading to Artaskh to learn about
the people, places and situation of the new republic. ?There have
been several occasions where we end up sitting up at night as a group,
often with other diasporan interns here, and have relatively fruitful
discussions about Armenia, diaspora, and other issues. These informal
discussions tend to be the most rewarding and really give everybody
the chance to reflect and build on their experiences here,?
said Aprahamian.
Since 1992, the AYF-YOARF Eastern Region Internship in Armenia has
been sending youth to work in Armenia. The eight-week internship in
Yerevan includes an orientation to Armenia during first week; weekend
and overnight trips to different parts of Armenia and Karabagh;
a scheduled lecture series; and opportunities to participate in the
Birthright Armenia program.
For more information, visit www.ayf.org or contact the AYF Eastern
Region office at (617) 923-1933.