Hayastani Kidak Society : FAR Blog

[YPT]: Exciting Volunteer Opportunity through Birthright Armenia.

March 29, 2012 12:05 pm

Thanks to Birthright Armenia this amazing opportunity to volunteer in Armenia is open to all. However, to make your Armenia experience complete we do encourage applicants to also join our FAR Young Professionals Trip (YPT) 2012.

This year FAR 17th Annual Young Professionals Trip (YPT) to Armenia is scheduled for June 17th to June 30th. This is the second year that the group will also visit Eastern Turkey and attend historic monuments in places like Ani, Van and Kars.

In Armenia the group will not only visit the most famous tourist attractions but will discover Armenia at a different level by engaging with government and religious leaders in official state visits.

For all young professionals this trip is always very emotional and memorable, for some two weeks is not long enough. Now, thanks to Birthright Armenia Foundation’s initiative YPT participants have the unique opportunity to extend their stay and have their roundtrip airfare reimbursed as long as they volunteer in Armenia for six weeks or more after the trip.

For more information on volunteer opportunities please see the attached announcement or visit Birthright’s website.

For more information on FAR’s YT Trip please visit our website or contact arto@farusa.org

Please read our alumni testimonials here.

Click here to download Volunteer Opportunities.

[Hayastani Kidak Society]: Register Now for the 2012 Young Professionals Trip.

February 17, 2012 12:16 pm

Join FAR’s Hayastani Kidak Society in 2012 and discover Armenia — her culture, her history and her future, while making new friends in the process. For the 17th year, HKS will hold its Young Professionals Trip, which provides the ideal opportunity for young professionals between the ages of 23 and 40 to travel to Armenia as a group. Join us and do more than just see the country’s landmarks. You will learn about Armenia’s place in the world, her religious, political and economic heritage, and have the chance to engage with government and religious leaders in official state visits.

The 17th annual Young Professionals Trip will take place from June 17th to June 30th, 2012. For the second year in a row, the two-week trip will include a tour of eastern Turkey, with visits to places like Ani, Akhtamar and Kars, among others. We will also visit Yerevan, Gyumri, Dilijan, Noravank, Tzaghkadzor, and Javahkh, Georgia.

For more information and to register go to the Hayastani Kidak Society website or contact Arto Vorperian at arto@farusa.org or (212) 889-5150.

Credit: Hayastani Kidak Society

[Hayastani Kidak Society]: Freedom’s Road.

September 6, 2011 1:47 pm

By Annie Markarian

In his book, A Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela wrote, “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” Indeed, I returned from the FAR Young Professionals Trip to Armenia both changed and inspired. Through its well organized tours of historical sites, thought provoking discussions with political and church leaders, and introduction to the country’s cultural and educational centers, I was able to better understand how and why Armenia’s past affects its future. More importantly, however, the trip inspired me to seek out ways in which I – as an Armenian born and raised in America – can effectuate positive change and development within the Motherland. Thank you FAR and Arto for such an amazing experience.

Freedom’s Road

Credit: Annie Markarian

[Hayastani Kidak Society]: A Message from YPT Participant and FAR Intern.

September 5, 2011 1:05 pm

Hasmig Tatiossian recently spent a month in Armenia, first as a participant in the Hayastani Kidak Society’s Young Professionals Trip. A FAR ACYOA intern, she also spent time working with FAR staff, visiting project sites and spending time at the FAR Children’s Center. Below is a note she sent to staff a week after returning to the U.S.

Dear FAR team,
It’s now been a week that I’ve returned to New Jersey, and have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about my experiences there, with you, at many of the FAR project sites and the Children’s Center. I appreciated the time you spent introducing the projects to me and answering my numerous questions. I was particularly moved by my interactions with everyday folks who make up the constituency that FAR benefits.
My experience in Armenia was multi-faceted. In addition to becoming acquainted with the procedural aspects and goals of FAR’s work, I also had the opportunity to accompany you to “the field.” Whether visiting needy families in the Kotayk marz, speaking to residents who still live in temporary housing in Gyumri, interacting with the elderly at the VOAH, spending time with employees and patrons at soup kitchens, watching shows put on by the children at the Children’s Center, or responding to a case of domestic violence/child abuse in Yerevan, I had the chance to witness and assess the diverse needs that FAR addresses. Aside from the information-gathering segment of the work, I also appreciated being present and listening to people’s stories. These interactions were the most powerful and meaningful experiences I had in Armenia. Poverty, child neglect, unemployment, or domestic violence are all statistics I regularly read, but the opportunity to see the human face of “numbers,” to speak with those most directly affected, paints a picture in one’s mind that’s difficult to forget — nor should be forgotten. I’m grateful to have been able to bear witness to some of the struggles, as well as the human spirit that seeks to surmount them.
You each shared with me a unique piece of the puzzle that makes up FAR, and I’m deeply thankful for your insights, time, and dedication to the work. There were several people I didn’t have the chance to meet or spend enough time with, and it is my hope that we can make up for that the next time I’m in Armenia or you’re in the States.
Warmest Regards,
Hasmig Tatiossian

Gorge at Garni

Credit: Hasmig Tatiossian

[Hayastani Kidak Society]: Exploring National Identity.

August 30, 2011 12:11 pm

By Levon Lachikyan

Fund for Armenian Relief intern Hasmig Tatiossian recently visited Armenia on the Hayastani Kidak Society’s Young Professionals Trip. While it was not her first time there, she was able to see some remarkable new cities, including several in western Armenia.

Born in Los Angeles, Hasmig speaks beautiful Armenian. She explained the reason: “My parents have forbidden me to speak any other foreign language since childhood.” Her father migrated to the United States from Damascus in 1976. Her mother moved to the U.S. from Yerevan the very same year. After meeting each other in this new society they formed a family, raising their daughters Hasmig and Silva with a great sense of the Armenian spirit.

Growing up, Hasmig attended Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Arshag Dickranyan Armenian School from preschool until the twelfth grade. In 2001, she visited Armenia for the first time. After finishing school, Hasmig studied international affairs at the University of California at Berkeley, where she concentrated on genocide and human rights.

In 2009, she earned her master’s degree in global affairs from New York University, with a focus on peace building. Prior to graduation, she traveled to Armenia and Karabagh for several months to conduct research for her thesis. There, she became closely acquainted with the conflict and women’s role in the peace building process.

When discussing the Armenian Genocide and Armenian-Turkish relations in general, Hasmig mentioned that while these are very important they are not the only relevant issues for Armenians. There are many other things that have the power to unite Armenians around the world, she said.

Since November, Hasmig has interned for FAR’s ACYOA program. “I attach great importance to the issue of national identity,” Hasmig said during our conversation. “When I was a child I was only surrounded by Armenians. Later, when I found myself in a foreign environment I started to question myself – ‘Who am I? Who is an Armenian in general?’ This led me to research ethnic and national identity. Today, while working in the ACYOA program, I have opportunity to deal with many young Armenian men and women, and I try to understand the layers of this question.”

FAR ACYOA intern Hasmig Tatiossian went on this year’s
Young Professionals Trip and spent part of her summer in Armenia.

Credit: Hripsime Papoyan

[Hayastani Kidak Society]: More Impressions from 2011′s YPT.

August 24, 2011 1:24 pm

By Susan Ekisian

My FAR trip to Armenia in July of 2011 was the most emotional and moving trip I’ve ever taken. Armenia is even more beautiful than I imagined. Not only is the country rich in culture, history and artistic talent but the vistas and scenery are absolutely gorgeous.

It was always my dream to visit Armenia and I wanted to do something memorable in honor of my father’s 10th anniversary of passing away this year. Taking a trip to Armenia was the best gift I gave myself, in memory of my loving father. FAR did a wonderful job organizing the two-week tour and for offering me live a trip of a lifetime. Looking forward to returning to Armenia. From the bottom of my heart, thank you FAR!!

The statue of David of Sassoon is one of Susan’s favorite of all time.

Credit: Susan Ekisian

[Hayastani Kidak Society]: Impressions of FAR’s 2011 Young Professionals Trip.

August 19, 2011 3:36 pm

By Bill Garen Corrigan

Leaving the country for the first time, I had no idea what would be waiting for me on the other side of the plane ride. Touching down in Yerevan was an experience all in its own, but as I walked out of the airport and the 90-degree weather and sun touched my skin, that long-way-from-home feeling certainly hit, but in a good way.

I witnessed the beauty of Yerevan, and also the not so nice features of it, but my favorite location was Lake Sevan. Going down the highway with nothing but long stretches of barren land, I was beginning to question the stories I’ve heard, but as soon as we reached the tunnel, a light at the other end blinded my vision just long enough for the memories of the past to go away and the beauty of the green flourished land to take over. It was amazing to see the transition from one side of the mountain to the other.

We then reached our amazing hotel just off of Sevan. The hotel was very “modern,” but what really impressed me was the tower-like structure that had a long strip hanging over the cliff for viewing purposes. Of course it was utilized, as a few of us gathered there to watch the sunrise. I felt so at peace, so much, that in the future I would love to build a house nearby and buy a sail boat and just live on the lake.

The trip was very inspiring and opened my eyes in many different ways. As my church and ACYOA have decided, we will be sending one person to Armenia a year, and I strongly suggest going with FAR.

Lake Sevan

Credit: Bill Garen Corrigan

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