`Ari Tun’ project: new and improved in 2010
Noyan Tapan
29.01.2010
YEREVAN: The RA Ministry of Diaspora will continue and enlarge the
`Ari Tun’ project starting from May 2010.
According to information from the Department of Pan-Armenian Programs
of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, more Diaspora Armenian youth will be
visiting Armenia in 2010 and applications have already been sent from
Canada, Australia and Russia.
In July-October 2009, 313 Diaspora Armenians from Egypt, Turkey,
Russia, Syria, Georgia, Ukraine, France, Germany, Israel, Czech
Republic, the USA, Belarus, Iran, Australia, Argentina and Kazakhstan
visited Armenia within the framework of the `Ari Tun’ project. The
project was sponsored by the Iraqi Armenian Society of America,
`ArmenTel’ CJSC, Yerevan Brandy Factory and `Ashtarak Kat’ CJSC.
As Head of the Department of Pan-Armenian Programs Zhenya Azizyan told
`NOYAN TAPAN’, this year’s program will be more organized, taking into
account last year’s flaws and experience. There will be some
fundamental reforms and the participants will range from 13-20 years
old.
As an addition to this year’s requirements, participants will be
required to present a doctor’s note regarding their health condition
within 10 days prior to their visit to Armenia.
It is envisaged to broaden the locations of families selected to host
the youth in Armenia. Last year, there were only host families from
Yerevan and four provinces near Yerevan.
The Ministry has already prepared the 2010 `Ari Tun’ project and will
present it to the RA Government in early February.
The Ministry of Diaspora has also undertaken the initiative to create
a separate website for the `Ari Tun’ project with news, announcements
and other information. The website will give participants the
opportunity to communicate in Armenian. For instance, today, the young
participants of the `Ari Tun’ project from the CIS communicate with
each other through the Russian language `Odnoklassniki’ website. The
youth from other countries don’t have that opportunity due to the
language barrier. However, Georgian youth have befriended Maxim from
France and Sayat from Turkey on `Odnoklassniki’.
The project participants organized an `Ari Tun’ project photo contest
in Georgia. `It is important to keep the youth’s patriotism and
connection with the Homeland alive,’ said Zh. Azizyan, adding that the
Ministry keeps in touch with last year’s participants. The Ministry
receives hundreds of letters of gratitude from the youth and their
families. Summing up the results of the `Ari Tun’ project in
July-October 2009, Azizyan informed that the project participants
-received free entrance visas and medical aid -were provided with food
and transportation to travel in and out of Yerevan -were permanently
accompanied by employees of the Ministry and road police officers
during the trips out of Yerevan -attended interactive courses on
patriotism at 5 public schools of Yerevan-the courses were conducted
by skilled educators in collaboration with the `Education without
Borders’ non-governmental organization, -participated in Armenian
dance courses conducted by chief stage director of `Berd’ dance
ensemble, president of the National Dance Union of Armenia, candidate
of pedagogical sciences Karen Gevorgyan, -visited the Mother See of
Holy Echmiadzin, the museum-institute of the Armenian Genocide, the
Tsitsernakaberd memorial, Matenadaran, the National Gallery of
Armenia, the History Museum, house-museums of Sergey Parajanov,
Martiros Saryan, Yeghishe Charents and Hovhannes Tumanyan,
historical-cultural monuments, including the Sardarapat memorial,
Zvartnots, Khor Virap, Oshakan, Mughni, Saghmosavank, Geghard
monastery complex and the pagan temple of Garni, as well as the
military institute after V. Sargsyan and military units of Lusakert
and of Special Significance, -watched the play put on by the Armenian
theater of Georgia, the film `Dead Pigeon’, participated in the `Folk
Dance’ television program of `Shant’ television, -met with heads of
provinces of Ararat, Aragatsotni and Gegharkunik, youth organizations
and clubs within the framework of visits to the provinces,
-participated in the events organized by the districts of Yerevan with
the participation of the host families, -had meetings with rector of
Yerevan State University Aram Simonyan, rector of the Armenian-Russian
(Slavonic) University Armen Darbinyan, students and administration of
the State Linguistic University after V. Bryusov, as well as
cross-stone sculptor Varazdat Hambartsumyan, folk singer Haykazni,
boxers Vakhtang Darchinyan and Syuzi Kentikyan, -visited the annual
`Digitech-2009′ international exposition of information, advanced and
telecommunication technologies and `ArmenTel’ CJSC -received
accessories, including a shirt, hat and bag with the `Ari Tun’ logo,
an `ArmenTel’ mobile phone card, the encyclopedia entitled `Armenia’s
wonders’. As for gifts, they received the `Book Song’ published by the
RA Ministry of Diaspora, a booklet-VCD of the address by RA President
Serzh Sargsyan to the project participants and other books and
souvenirs.
In addition, farewell ceremonies were organized on the last day of
each group’s visit with the participation of RA President Serzh
Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Minister of Defense Seyran
Ohanyan, Mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan, head of the Armavir
province Vardges Hovakimyan and other officials and renowned
individuals.
The Ministry also organized concerts with the participation of
well-known performers and groups from the provinces within the
framework of farewell events. The project participants were given
certificates, host families were granted letters of gratitude. There
were also quizzes on patriotism, as well as song, dance and recitation
contests.