March 2, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
Land and Culture Organization
1435 Old House Road
Pasadena, CA 91107
LAND AND CULTURE LAUNCHES 2010 CAMPAIGN
On February 6 and 7, the Union International de Organisations Terre et
Culture (UIOTC)/ Land and Culture Organization (LCO) chapters from the
France, United States, Armenia, United Kingdom, and Belgium met this year
in Brussels, Belgium for their annual meeting, held in the offices of the
European-Armenian Federation. Among the many organizational agenda items,
the committee discussed the successful completion of its 2009 projects and
plans for the upcoming 2010 campaign. Also during the weekend, 200 people
attended a cultural event hosted by the LCO-Belgium chapter in the Haydoon
in Brussels, where a presentation of LCO projects throughout the years was
made.
This summer of 2010, LCO volunteers will be restoring the Church in the
village of Yeghvart, in the Syunik region, on the Azeri-Armenian border. The
project began in 2007 and will continue until its completion in 2010 or
2011. Yeghvart has been subject to several invasions, which has resulted in
destruction of the village on a number of occasions. Despite the state of
the Church, LCO initiated and organized a number of baptisms with the
assistance of priests from Kapan. The remains of Prince Thoros, who was a
lieutenant and friend in arms of David Beg, are found in the cemetery
adjoining the Church.
During the 2009 campaign, over 30 volunteers from Armenia, Canada, France,
the United Kingdom, and the United States spent their summer in Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh on community development projects. After several years, LCO
volunteers helped in the completion the entire third floor of the Shushi
Central Regional Hospital in Artsakh. The hospital serves the medical needs
of the inhabitants of the Shushi region and since the cease-fire was in a
state of disrepair. LCO helped to renovate patient, delivery, and surgery
rooms to meet the growing medical needs of the population. In the summer of
2009, the Shushi Hospital celebrated its opening, and the first surgeries
were performed by guest physicians from Armenia and France, in the renovated
rooms.
Additionally, for the past several years, LCO volunteers worked in two
villages in the Vardenis region of Armenia, Azad and Shatvan. Located
southeast of Lake Sevan near the road that leads to Kelbajar, the villages
are mainly populated by Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan. LCO-USA repaired
the schoolhouses in the villages. "Before, Armenia felt quite distant to me.
But living with "native" Armenians, I found a home, I found my people in a
village called Azad", said 2009 volunteer Anoosh Gasparian from London.
During its campaign in the village, the ruins of a 17th century church were
discovered in Azad. LCO will start the restoration process of the church in
2011.
The Armenia Chapter of LCO has conducted the "Faith and Heritage" program
for the last eight years. Its mission is to stimulate and encourage the
youth of Armenia to safeguard and preserve, along with their Diaspora
brethern, the heritage left in their care.
For over 30 years, LCO has been one of the earliest volunteer groups in
Armenia and Karabakh working to restore, renovate, and rejuvenate the
historical monuments and sites of our nation. It has performed this mission
through its summer campaigns, by volunteers of every age from the Diaspora
and Armenia.
To help our mission or join in our summer volunteer program, you may reach
us at and
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress