By CINF Executive Director, Stephanie Havens
On July 20th, the Christians in Need Foundation (CINF) wrapped up its English and Philosophy courses at Mesrob Mashtots University in Stepanakert, Artsakh. By the end of classes, more than 200 students attended from across the country. There were many bright and promising youth in these courses, full of potential to grow into extraordinary adults capable of leading their communities and country. It has been a blessing to teach and know these students, many of which quickly became our friends over the course of the program.
These are students and friends I have come to know both in and outside of classes. Some would join us for weekend dinner parties at our apartment, picnics at Tatik-Papik, or trips around Artsakh. The aim of the program was to bring Americans and Armenians together, for the learning and the benefit of both, and this was evident in our gatherings. On the 4th of July we welcomed students from across classes to celebrate an “Armenian-American Independence Day” featuring home grilled American and Armenian barbeque. On the 4th of July one of our teachers grilled hamburgers while another made potato and pasta salad. One of our students handled the Armenian barbeque while others brought and hung red, white, and blue decorations. Our American flag for the celebration was hand painted by the eight-year-old cousin of one of our Armenian friends. Armenians and Americans came together to make and share something good—and this was the spirit of the program throughout.
It was a gift to see how much our students had grown not only in their English skills, but also as people in two short months. Our courses, especially in philosophy, challenged students to attempt to answer difficult life questions in addition to improving their English language skills. At the end of the program, we asked students to film their thoughts on the courses and what they learned. The four students below are among these:
Anna attended my Intermediate English course at 6pm. She is only 14, but full of energy and deeply motivated to learn. She is also driven and resourceful. One of my favorite stories from my summer in Artsakh is how she helped me to find what was likely the only package of sparklers in Stepanakert for our 4th of July party.
Emma was in my 1pm Intermediate English class. She is 18 and is studying at Artsakh State University in Stepanakert. On the surface she is shy and quiet, but this is because she is constantly absorbing life and reflecting on it. She is observant, contemplative, honest, and earnest. I also think that she would make for an excellent language teacher, since she very quickly and effectively taught me some basic Armenian at my office hours one day.
Arshaluys was a student in my husband’s courses, Logic & Ethics and Philosophical Discussions. She was particularly captivated by the subject of Logic and by Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy. She is sharp, observant, graceful, and loyal. She has already been of great help in our preparations for the future, including researching buildings for sale in Shushi that we could potentially renovate into a school.
Armine was also in Logic & Ethics and Philosophical Discussions. She met Dr. Nash-Marshall in March and learned about our courses then. Come June, she took an hour-long bus every Tuesday and Thursday from Martakert in order to attend class. For the celebration of Martakert’s liberation she even invited two of our teachers to visit for the occasion.
It is CINF’s aim to supplement the current needs of the educational initiatives and institutions in Artsakh. Our work this summer has nurtured relationships with Mesrob Mashtots and Artsakh State Universities in Stepanakert. This summer we signed Memoranda of Understanding with both Universities in anticipation of our cooperation into the future. Our teachers also participated as lecturers in a summer camp hosted by Artsakh State in Badara. At the end of July, we announced our new Antonia Arslan Award, a competitive award targeted at university students looking to aid the economic, social, and cultural growth of their country. CINF is working with the Universities of Artsakh to spread the award among their students and encourage applications. Our students who also attend Artsakh State or Mesrob Mashtots are already discussing the projects and programs they would like to establish to help their country develop.
CINF has also continued to build relationships with the Artsakh Ministries of Culture, Youth Affairs, Tourism, and Education. We have signed an MOU with the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs, and Tourism this summer. This Ministry has helped us reach out to professionals in the fields of Journalism and Tourism regarding our English courses, specifically in Press Release and Hospitality. They also welcomed us to host our end-of-summer event, the “Artsakh Ethics Bowl,” at the Department of Tourism. This is especially thanks to Sergey Shahverdyan and Artak Grigorian, whom we have known since our program’s start in Artsakh last summer.
On July 21st, we hosted an Ethics Bowl at the Department of Tourism to conclude our courses and showcase what our students have learned in English and Philosophy this summer. The event welcomed teams of students to debate ethical problems with the aim of discerning the true and proper action in a given scenario.
On the day of the event, Alveena Nersesyan, Head of Master Courses at Mesrob Mashtots University, and Donara Gabrielyan, Rector of Mesrob Mashtots University, joined us as judges. Anna Hakobyan, Chair of Philosophy at Artsakh State University, also attended as a judge. The four teams that participated in the event were comprised of students from across all eight courses.
Below is a video that was filmed by ArtsakhTV about the event. Two of our students were interviewed for the video, Arshaluys and Larisa:
In October, Dr. Siobhan Nash-Marshall and Dr. Antonia Arslan will personally present the winning team members with a prize of 50,000 Armenian dram, and will present students that successfully passed CINF courses with certificates of completion in a special ceremony.
Now that the courses in Artsakh for the summer of 2018 have ended, our work for next year has already begun. Help us to support this program and its continuation and development in the summer of 2019 by contributing to our crowdfunding campaign at:
gogetfunding.com/artsakhproject
Also read about the experiences of our volunteer teachers while in Artsakh at: