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Episode 2: The Return Of The Berd Bears

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  • Episode 2: The Return Of The Berd Bears

    EPISODE 2: THE RETURN OF THE BERD BEARS

    http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/07/27/episode-2-the-return-of-the-berd-bears/
    Posted on July 27, 2013

    by Nanore Barsoumian

    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.

    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.

    http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/06/27/how-an-army-of-bears-are-saving-a-town/

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

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