In early March, President and Vice President of the Christians In Need Foundation (CINF), Siobhan Nash-Marshall and Rita Mahdessian, visited the isolated Armenian-Christian community of Artsakh in preparation for a summer teaching initiative in Stepanakert. The program, simply called the Artsakh Project, sends young American college upperclassmen and recent graduates as volunteer teachers to support education in Artsakh. In the summer months, volunteers lead CINF hosted English courses and supplement current educational programs in Stepanakert. The project works to connect Artsakh youth to the larger world, through contact with American volunteers and the development of English language skills. CINF’s March visit served to finalize many Artsakh-side details for the program.
Upon arriving in Yerevan, Prof. Nash-Marshall and Mrs. Mahdessian connected with Garen Kabrjian, an Armenian-Syrian refugee recently hired as CINF’s Executive Director in Armenia. Together they arrived in Stepanakert the following day.
As the Mary T. Clark chair of Christian Philosophy at Manhattanville College, Dr. Nash-Marshall was requested to deliver four lectures for the University students in Artsakh over the course of the next week. On Monday, the first seminar on the methodology of teaching Philosophy was held at Artsakh State University, in tandem with the Artsakh State chair of Philosophy, Dr. Anna Hakobyan. The following day at the Park Hotel, Dr. Nash-Marshall lectured on the necessity of education and knowledge for the survival and development of culture, ending the seminar with a lunch at the hotel. A seminar continuing the same subject was held at Mesrob Mashtots University on Wednesday. The final lecture on Thursday was held again at Mesrob Mashtots, where Dr. Nash-Marshall concluded with a lecture on the importance of excellence and the development of virtues through craftsmanship.
CINF also conducted various meetings throughout the course of the week. Agreements were arranged with both Artsakh State and Mesrob Mashtots Universities to provide American project volunteers internships as part of their work in Artsakh. CINF also agreed to coordinate with Artsakh State University’s summer camp program in July. On Wednesday, a dinner meeting was held with the manager of the Roots café to discuss establishing a course on chocolate making in September as part of a larger series of courses intended to facilitate Artsakh’s business and cultural development. Before their return to America, Dr. Nash-Marshall met with the Artsakh Minister of Culture in Yerevan.
CINF’s March visit to Artsakh laid foundations for the upcoming Artsakh Project as well as future supportive programs in the region. Within the coming month of April, CINF will continue to work closely with Artsakh State and Mesrob Mashtots Universities to prepare for the project’s start in late May.