Dr. Pietro Shakarian, a lecturer at the American University of Armenia and specialist in Russian and Soviet History, in a conversation with CivilNet, speaks about the understudied nature of the Soviet past in modern Armenia. Dr. Shakarian moreover discusses how the Soviet Union achieved relative peace between different national groups, how Soviet decision making affected issues like the Karabakh issue, and how the Soviet Union is remembered in Armenia today.
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Armenian businesses rally to support Karabakh refugees: THIS WEEK IN
Armenia’s business community is rallying to support the tens of thousands of people displaced by Azerbaijan’s assault on Nagorno-Karabakh last week. In less than a week, more than 90,000 people – the majority of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population – have fled their homes and arrived in Armenia. Most of them are arriving with only whatever belongings they could wear on their backs or fit in a car. Almost all of them are malnutritioned after nearly ten months living under Azerbaijan’s blockade.
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“We waited to get out of the blockade, not from
Tens of thousands of people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh continue to arrive in Goris, Armenia after a treacherous journey through the Lachin Corridor. Following a nearly ten-month blockade that left the region in famine, those who made it to Armenia say they were waiting for the opening of the corridor, but now they have lost both home and homeland. Azerbaijan’s attack last week on the region was the final push that led the population to the brink of ethnic cleansing.
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Western aid for Karabakh Armenians
As authorities declared the dissolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the majority of the population fled the region, the US, EU member states, and global aid organizations started sending aid to meet the needs of the refugees. The head of the USAID, Samantha Power, arrived in Armenia this week, amid the mass exodus of Armenians from Karabakh. Power also visited Syunik, where USAID has set up a working group to work with the refugees. In an apparent setback from Assistant Secretary of State Yuri Kim’s earlier statement that the US would not “tolerate any military action”, or “any attack on […]
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Open letter: Global Humanitarian Leaders Stand in Solidarity with Ruben
The recent arrest by the government of Azerbaijan of philanthropist, businessman, Armenian citizen and co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Ruben Vardanyan, is both outrageous and politically motivated. As members of the global humanitarian and human rights community we call for his immediate release. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, to which Ruben has given so much, has for the past eight years honored and supported the work of those who fight for basic human rights, often at the risk of their own lives, all around the world. The irony is that Ruben now finds himself a victim of the same persecution […]
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Shattering the Silence on the West’s Failure in Karabakh
In this episode of Insights, host Eric Hacopian discusses Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and the international community’s failure to stop human rights abuses. He analyzes the root causes and geopolitical dimensions of the conflict, paying tribute to fallen soldiers and civilians. Eric also outlines a vision for Armenia’s path forward, advocating for reforms and support for the displaced people.
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Fleeing for their lives, Armenians from Karabakh share stories of
During the last few days, the forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) have been arriving in Syunik where they are registered and directed to the allocated shelters. People who have lost their homes say that they could not bring anything with them, they got a hold of whatever fuel they could and fled. The people of Artsakh are concerned about how to re-establish themselves in different parts of Armenia. They speak to CivilNet about their most urgent anxieties for the future.
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Fleeing the Horrors of War: Stories From Nagorno-Karabakh
Journalist Raffi Elliott has been in Kornidzor, Armenia during the last few days, greeting and interviewing those fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh. In this video, we sit down with Raffi to get a first-hand account of what he witnessed as over 50,000 displaced people arrived seeking safety and shelter after Azerbaijan’s campaign of ethnic cleansing in the region. He shares some of the heart-wrenching stories refugees told as they left behind a whole life following Azerbaijan’s violent attack. Raffi also discusses how Armenia has mobilized to support the humanitarian crisis and what more may be needed.
