ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland
June 6 2005
Armenia: Tufenkian Foundation announces new sponsorship in Karabagh
resettlement program
Dr. Alber Karamanoukian joins effort to resettle Karabagh’s border
regions
STEPANAKERT – The Tufenkian Foundation this week announced a generous
gift by Dr. Alber Karamanoukian toward its ongoing efforts to promote
Mountainous Karabagh’s resettlement. Dr. Karamanoukian’s gift of
$20,000 will underwrite the construction of one house and associated
facilities in Arajamough, a new village the Foundation is building in
Karabagh’s border regions.
Begun in 2004, Arajamough currently houses 25 resettlers, consisting
of 6 families, most of them refugees from Azerbaijan. The village
will welcome another 6 families this fall. The Tufenkian Foundation
is committed to building and resettling at least 6 houses per year
until the Arajamough project is completed.
“We are grateful to Dr. Karamanoukian for his generous support of
this project,” stated Antranig Kasbarian, a Program Director with the
Foundation. “Indeed, his support for resettlement extends beyond this
project and toward the larger vision of fortifying
Artsakh–particularly its vulnerable border regions–as a crucial
component of our national security.”
In turn, Dr. Karamanoukian praised the Foundation for its efforts.
“Resettling Karabagh is of vital importance, particularly when many
people still lack decent housing, facilities, and especially jobs. I
commend the Foundation’s commitment to raising the bar in each of
these fields, and urge others to join the effort to consolidate our
victories on the ground.”
The Arajamough project features newly built houses with modern
amenities. Alongside these, the Tufenkian Foundation is providing
water, power lines, gravel roads, as well as administrative support
in bolstering the village. Future plans include animal husbandry and
land cultivation, in order to provide sustainable livelihoods and to
spur economic growth in surrounding areas.
“Our view of resettlement is an integrated one, and moves beyond the
usual humanitarian-subsistence approaches,” stated Kasbarian. “The
Karabagh war created many thousands of refugees and homeless persons;
some of these have left the area entirely, while many others continue
to eke out an existence in ruined areas amidst primitive conditions.
Under such circumstances, our very existence on these lands remains
tenuous. If we are to attract Armenians back and solidify our
presence, then clearly having a roof over one’s head is not enough.
Rather, people must gain hope that there is a future living on these
lands, which is why modern facilities, infrastructure, and the
promise of economic activity are essential as well.”
Dr. Karamanoukian is a prominent physician and businessman based in
Glendale, California. He has a long record of philanthropy toward
Armenian causes.
The Tufenkian Foundation was established in 1999 by New York-based
entrepreneur James Tufenkian. The Foundation currently pursues a wide
array of projects in Armenia and in Karabagh, and also sponsors the
“Armenian Forests” NGO, which addresses environmental issues. To
learn more about the Foundation’s efforts, please see the
Foundation’s website at , or contact
Antranig Kasbarian at [email protected]
source: Asbarez