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ARS JAVAKHK FUND PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO NEGLECTED JAVAKHK ARMENIANS The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Watertown 'Leola Sassouni' Chapter and the Cambridge Chapter organized a lecture titled "The Socio-Economic Situation of Present Day Javakhk and Plans for Development," presented by Jirayr Beugekian and Ivan Ardhaldjian. The event took place on Thursday, May 1 at the St. Stephen's Armenian Church in Watertown. Cambridge ARS chairwoman Lucy Essajanian opened the event by highlighting the commitment of the ARS, particularly after the recent establishment of the ARS Javakhk Fund, which oversees and develops plans to assist the social, cultural, and educational needs of Armenians in Javakhk. With information gathered from a recent fact-finding mission to the region, Beugekian and Ardhaldjian presented background on the history of Javakhk, and the tragic socioeconomic situation of its people today. They recalled that during the Soviet era, Javakhk had been a restricted military zone, and because of that isolation, Javakhk's development was set back. The region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, near Armenia's northern border with Georgia, has two historical districts, the District of Akhalkalak, and the district of Ninotsminda (Pogdanovka). The meskhet region with a substantial Armenian population including the districts of Aspindza, Akhaltsikhe, Adijeni, and Borjomi was recently annexed to mainly dilute the Armenian concentration, and to relocate the capital from the city of Akhalkalaki to the city of Akhaltsikhe. The entire area has an Armenian population of over 200,000 of which 120,000 are in the Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda districts. Relations between Javakhk and the central Georgian government have been strained for several decades, mainly stemming from a conscious policy of economic neglect. For decades, Javakhk has been the most underdeveloped region of the country. Since independence, the Georgian government's irresponsible economic policies, mismanagement, and neglect lay the foundation for the economic suffering and hardship that plague Javakhk today. Additionally, energy and water shortages affect daily life in the region, and basic social services such as education and health care remain strained beyond the region's capabilities. With the severe water and energy shortages, undermaintained and in some cases lack of roads, a mountainous climate in which six months of snow is common, and lack of communication between villages, the people of Javakhk are struggling. The lecturers assured the audience that the ARS Javakhk Fund comes as a blessing for the people of Javakhk. The ARS has been successful in legalizing the activities of the ARS in Georgia and raising awareness of the socioeconomic situation. Indeed, the ARS is the only non-governmental organization that has diaspora relations, with legal status to operate in Javakhk. A local ARS social office has been established, and the ARS has begun to help equip a major hospital in Akhalkalak. Other projects include the establishment of a center for Armenian youth, development of a saw mill to create much-needed employment, and conecting three Armenian isolated villages to the electrical grid. The ARS has also developed many other large and small-scale projects to assist the population of Javakhk. Donations were collected from the audience, and photographs of the people and landscape of Javakhk by photojournalist Onnik Krikorian were also displayed and available for purchase. The event raised over $3,000 throughout the evening for the ARS Javakhk Fund. Similar benefit events are being planned for May 31 in Chicago, June 8 in Worcester, and June 14 in Washington. |
COMMUNITY EVENTS TO SUPPORT JAVAKHK
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