ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY COMMUNITIES WELCOME ‘STONE GARDEN’ AUTHORS
Asbarez
Dec 7th, 2009
BUENOS AIRES-Capacity crowds turned out at Armenian community centers
in the capitals of Argentina and Uruguay to hear author-photographers
Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian present Armenia as an eco-tourism
destination and to celebrate Armenian heritage.
The authors illustrated their presentation with a photography slide
show of the people, countryside, and historic sites of Armenia and
Artsakh. The event in Buenos Aires on November 19 was held under
the auspices of Argentina’s Armenian Embassy and the authors spoke
on Avenida Armenia (Armenia Avenue), in the heart of the city’s
"Little Armenia." Armenia’s Ambassador to Argentina, H.E. Vladimir
Karmirshalyan, attended the event.
Uruguay’s Liga de Jovenes (League of Youth) was the sponsor of the
event in Montevideo on November 26.
Karanian and Kurkjian told the audiences in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
and in Montevideo, Uruguay, that the Diaspora’s continued support
of Armenia and Karabagh is vital to the country’s success, and that
traveling to Armenia also allows the Diaspora to understand its needs.
The authors discussed the state of conservation and environmental
awareness in Armenia, including the steps toward the tentative recovery
of the Lake Sevan ecosystem.
"Tourism to Armenia has increased every year for the past decade, and
we’re expected to have more than a million visitors by 2020," Kurkjian
informed the audiences. Tourism is a good source of revenue for
Armenia, but Kurkjian cautioned that it must be promoted in a way that
is sustainable, in order to protect Armenia’s environment. According
to Karanian, travel is also "a good way to invigorate" the Diaspora
communities of the world, he said. Further, it brings Armenian
hospitality and culture to non-Armenians who travel there.
And, Karanian said, "the Diaspora gets recharged" when its members
visit Armenia and return home to share what they’ve seen and learned.
Kurkjian and Karanian are the creators of "The Stone Garden Guide:
Armenia and Karabagh," which is the first photography-based and
conservation-themed commercial travel guide to the region. In addition
to working on behalf of Armenia, Kurkjian is a scientist and Karanian
is a lawyer, both in Pasadena, Calif.
"Armenia and Karabagh" has won three national book awards and has been
one of the best-selling books on the subject of Armenia for the past
several years. The book is available for purchase from independent
Armenian booksellers such as Abril, Berj, and Sardarabad in Glendale,
Calif., and from the Armenian Prelacy and the Armenian Diocese in
New York City.
To order directly from the publisher with free Priority Mail shipping
in the US and Canada, send a check for US$25 to Stone Garden
Productions; PO Box 7758; Northridge, CA 91327 USA. As a holiday
special, orders received before January 6, 2010 will be shipped with
a free wall-sized color map of Armenia ($12 value). The book can be
previewed online at Their photography
can be viewed at