In the News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-291-2165
info@birthrightarmenia.org
July 8, 2004
Birthright Armenia Kicks Off Its First Summer in Armenia
Yerevan, Armenia – Young diasporans venturing
out on journeys of self-discovery are multiplying in the homeland.
They are here in Armenia to participate in a multitude of volunteer,
cultural and internship programs, representing many of the existing
organizations within our diasporan communities. In addition to
their ethnicity, a group of 40 such youth from different walks
of life have one additional thing in common with each other. They
are all participants of Birthright Armenia/Depi Hayk, a new initiative
experiencing its first year of operations in Armenia this summer.
Birthright Armenia was established to strengthen
ties between diasporan and homeland youth by creating the right
conditions for young adults to best connect with their collective
past and commit themselves to our nation’s future. This
new organization is building on the initiatives of established
diasporan institutions that offer youth programs in Armenia, to
make the homeland experience all that it can be. The four parameters
that define each participant’s requirements for qualification
under the Birthright Armenia program’s acronym QUEST include:
public service, language training, leadership development, and
continuing involvement.
The 40 Birthright Armenia/Depi Hayk 2004 summer participants are
representatives of seven organizations: Armenian Christian Youth
Organization of America (ACYOA), Armenian Youth Federation (AYF),
Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC), Armenian Assembly of America (AAA),
Armenian Medical Association (AMA), Armenian Students’ Association-NY
(ASA), and the Land and Culture Organization (LCO).
As part of their QUEST, (qualified experiences in
service and training), each participant is fulfilling 30-40 hours
per week of rewarding community service through internships or
volunteerism, all the while garnering valuable work experience
that will enhance their future career tracks. Volunteer placements
this summer include exciting opportunities within the private
and public sectors, as well as various government offices, some
of which include: Nork Marash Hospital, Ministries of Foreign
Affairs and Health, Zadik Orphanage, Vem radio station, Council
of Europe, Armenian Medical Association, Armenian Tree Project,
Zangagadoon NGO in Vanadzor, Youth Christian Movement, Spendarian
House Museum, Ameria Consulting, and the Armenian Tourism Development
Agency.
In addition to providing travel fellowships that
cover the roundtrip airfare of each participant, their QUESTS
continue with Birthright Armenia/Depi Hayk supplementing the community
service aspect of their experience with an action-packed line-up
of activities including a thorough in-country orientation, one-on-one
Eastern Armenian language instruction, weekly “havaks”
and excursions, and a forum series. These support services provided
by Birthright Armenia are designed to provide a more in-depth
immersion experience for those who are interested in gaining an
understanding of our current homeland’s situation, people,
history, and opportunities for involvement – all contributing
to a more meaningful, life-changing journey of self-discovery
of what it means to be a diasporan at this point and time in our
history.
“Each of the participants is building a base
of new relationships through their work environment, host families,
and interactions with local counterparts, and trying to process
how they will bridge these newfound relationships with their lives
back in their local communities. We can see the wheels turning
in each of their minds, and find the amount of energy, emotion,
and identity seeking within them refreshing”, says Linda
Yepoyan, U.S. based executive director for Birthright Armenia/Depi
Hayk. “I believe that the words of one of our participants,
Sonia Shahrigian from CA, who is an AVC volunteer, encapsulates
the experience better than I ever could”:
“Before I arrived in Armenia, I tried not to get my
hopes up. I had wanted to come to Armenia for years, and finally,
the time was ripe! After talking about Hayasdan, the “homeland,”
my whole life, sometimes placing it upon a pedestal, I tried not
to have high expectations before my departure from the U.S. Although
I’ve been here for a short time, and although my stay will
last only 2 months, I can confidently say that I’ve never
felt more at home anywhere else. Everything feels so natural,
despite my slowly progressing Armenian skills. Since my arrival,
I’ve met so many wonderful, kind people who are often as
excited about me being here as I am. Now, I know why some Armenians
are afraid to come here; they are afraid that they might never
want to leave, and might have trouble picking up the roots they
have planted elsewhere. But the deepest, strongest root is deeply
buried in Armenian soil, which is why so many of us feel like
we are coming “back” when we come to Armenia, even
if we’ve never physically been here before.”
“This, our first year of providing services
in Armenia, is the pilot test for much larger numbers of volunteers
to sponsor in the near future. Next year we are counting on over
100 participants, and then doubling that number every consecutive
year to truly increase the number of youths connecting with the
homeland in meaningful ways,” Yepoyan concludes.
For those who are interested in learning more about Birthright
Armenia/Depi Hayk, please visit the Web site at www.birthrightarmenia.org.
Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen
ties between the homeland and diasporan youth by affording them
an opportunity to be a part of Armenia’s daily life and
to contribute to Armenia’s development through work, study
and volunteer experiences, while developing a renewed sense of
Armenian identity. This is accomplished by supporting and complementing
the initiatives of existing diasporan organizations that offer
youth programs in Armenia, and encouraging them to expand their
offerings in depth and breath. Birthright Armenia assists with
travel fellowships, language instruction, in-country seminars,
orientation and excursions in exchange for community service in
Armenia.
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