Context
The South Caucasus region has struggled for its independence for the past century at least and, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, war erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed mountainous region called Nagorno-Karabakh by the international community and (Republic of) Artsakh by Armenians. The region has remained volatile after the first war between the countries that ended in 1994. If Armenia came out of the conflict victorious at the time, the situation was overturned in 2020 when Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, launched the second Nagorno-Karabakh war. Despite a Russian peacekeeping mission deployed in 2020 and an EU monitoring mission installed in late 2022, the border region remains tense, with regular flare-ups in violence and families losing loved ones all too often. The children living in the affected areas have known nothing but life under a Damocles sword. The project aims to offer the youth a time window in which they can enjoy life and creativity without fear or threats of violence.
The project
The project consists of a series of five 10-day Summer camps in which the youth from war-torn areas of Armenia can enjoy artistic and outdoor activities safely. A range of options is offered to them, such as creating and enjoying a library, creating music and dance performances, drawing, cooking as well as exploring the area's natural beauty.
The project is not anchored in art-therapy methodologies per se, but it is expected that the children will benefit from positive outcomes nonetheless. During pilot sessions last year, reduced stress and anxiety could be observed after a couple of days. Longer-term benefits included the opportunity for participants to express their inner thoughts, and to better understand and make sense of their emotions and mental health. On a more basic level, the camps offered a break from the woes of war, a time of peace and development to which all children should be entitled. From the camps, children will discover new ways to confront their reality back home, new perspectives to imagine life away from war, and new friendships to share their often difficult daily life at home.
The Summer camps take place in Ashtarak, a safe location near Yerevan, which features a Summer house with 18 bunk beds, a large outdoor kitchen, shared toilets and showers. The house was recently refurbished and boasts a large outdoor dining area, a rehearsal space, a garden and a traditional wood-fired oven to cook 'lavash' - the Armenian bread.
The project is not anchored in art-therapy methodologies per se, but it is expected that the children will benefit from positive outcomes nonetheless. During pilot sessions last year, reduced stress and anxiety could be observed after a couple of days. Longer-term benefits included the opportunity for participants to express their inner thoughts, and to better understand and make sense of their emotions and mental health. On a more basic level, the camps offered a break from the woes of war, a time of peace and development to which all children should be entitled. From the camps, children will discover new ways to confront their reality back home, new perspectives to imagine life away from war, and new friendships to share their often difficult daily life at home.
The Summer camps take place in Ashtarak, a safe location near Yerevan, which features a Summer house with 18 bunk beds, a large outdoor kitchen, shared toilets and showers. The house was recently refurbished and boasts a large outdoor dining area, a rehearsal space, a garden and a traditional wood-fired oven to cook 'lavash' - the Armenian bread.
