Going back to war-torn armenia

Going back to war-torn armenia
by Amy Wilson
Bath Chronicle, UK
September 1, 2004
Abath woman is about to make her second voyage to help poverty-
stricken people in Eastern Europe. Briony Krikorian, 22, from Lansdown
Mansions, Bath, spent the last year doing voluntary work in Armenia –
just east of Turkey – for the Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC).
She is returning this month to work once more for the organisation.
And she will spend a month in Armenia before going to Nagorno Karabakh,
a war-torn region nearby, to teach English, crafts and computer skills.
Miss Krikorian returned to Bath this summer for a friend’s wedding,
but says she is looking forward to getting back out to Armenia.
Last year she spent the majority of her time at a family centre
catering for around 50 families, providing a hot meal and tutoring
every day.
This time she will work as a volunteer in a city called Shushi, which
lies in ruins following battles between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
ownership of the land between 1991 and 1994.
She will spend her time establishing a community centre and identifying
projects that would benefit from future funding.
Miss Krikorian, who went to Kingswood School before doing a degree
in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford, says she is looking
forward to the new challenge.
“My degree was a good background, especially because the political
situation is quite tense over there.
“I really enjoy the work we do, and I think that going to Nagorno
Karabakh will be very interesting, and challenging as well.” Miss
Krikorian is intending to either do a masters degree or go into paid
international work when she returns from the country next August.
The AVC was established by American-Armenians desperate to help the
country by making sure it regained self-sufficiency.
It places volunteers with new ideas, initiative and crucial English
skills in positions of responsibility in schools, charities and
local businesses.
“Armenia’s acceptance of new ideas is a slow process, and requires
personal relations of trust and understanding, rather than an enforced
programme of westernisation, and AVC really understands that,” Miss
Krikorian said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress