INITIAL
INITIATIVES
-Engaging with local authorities and communities in connection with community archeology projects and clean-ups of remote Armenian churches, cemeteries and sacred sites in Artsakh, including at Hakobavank, Vaghuhas’ Church of Holy Mother of God, and Dahraz’s Saint Virgin Mary;
-Partnering in the organization of the International Religious Freedom and Peace conference at Holy Etchmiadzin;
-Convening a strategic planning summit with relevant stakeholders in cultural preservation at Yerevan, bringing together a variety of key actors to find solutions for cultural preservation;
-In exploring mechanisms for the enforcement of Armenians’ religious rights to worship at sacred sites and for making more accessible reservoirs of information about heritage sites, supporting the technological modernization of Research on Armenian Architecture, a Yerevan-based NGO which meticulously documents Artsakh’s heritage;
-Researching alternative avenues for gaining access to Armenian monuments under Azerbaijani control; delivering lectures and participating in panel discussions; publishing articles in major outlets; and discussing the cause of preservation on media platforms;
-Publishing articles on cultural and humanitarian issues in Artsakh in Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Policy;
-Carrying out pilgrimages (by SAM’s Artsakh liaison) to Artsakh sites, including for the participation in Palm Sunday services and celebrations;
-Submitting testimony in support of the European Parliament resolution in condemnation of Azerbaijan’s ongoing erasure of Armenian cultural monuments; and
-Issuing press releases in condemnation of Azerbaijan’s launch of a state organ for the Albanization of Armenian churches in Artsakh.
