UNLESS THERE IS ONE BEGGAR, ALL OF US ARE BEGGARS

Panorama.am
20:41 07/12/2007

"Pain and lost belief" was what an imprisoned woman from "Abovyan"
jail wanted to draw. "It is what I feel now," said one of the
participants in today’s exhibition. The meeting was organized by
"TRTU" cultural NGO; it is already several years this NGO organizes
"Pyunik" cultural program in the "Abovyan" jail. The mission of this
NGO is to stimulate those, who are imprisoned, to take part in the
cultural and social life of the country.

According to Temik Khalapyan, the head of the organization, the
creative works of the imprisoned are already presented in the foreign
countries. Today the sixth exhibition took place with the support of
OSCE-Yerevan. Totally 150 works were presented in the exhibition: 100
wooden works, 40 pictorials, and potteries. 350 minors and 50-60 adult
women took part in those six exhibitions carried out in this jail.

"The date of the exhibition (December 7) is not chosen by chance," said
Saro Sarukhanyan, the director of People’s Art Museum. According to
him, the Armenians must continue the culture common to them: Armenians.

The director continued saying that everything must be done in order
children continue creating both those who are imprisoned and those
who are set free. "If there is a single beggar in our country, then
all of us are beggars," said the director and expressed his wish to
see all the jails empty.

One of the participants, a minor imprisoned who is already 2 years
there said that when working and creating days become shorter and
besides they get profession. He said that he promises when he gets
out of jail he will continue the work.

Gevorg Danielyan, the minister of justice was also present in the
exhibition; he said that these kinds of events are of much importance
as they can cause the change of mentality our public feels upon
the imprisoned.