“If you received my SMS, it can mean one of two things. Either peace between our countries is really possible, or I’m now on the KGB’s list.”
Friends like Sisters: A View from Moscow
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CATEGORY RESULTS
NGOs and Grassroots Movements: Partners or Rivals?
In an opinion piece looking at the media and peace building in 2010 and prospects for 2011, Sheldon Himelfarb, Associate Vice-President at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), noticed some interesting developments, especially in the area of how new online tools can empower individuals. In a sense, this has been precisely what my own personal project has been about, although Himelfarb also raises the possibility of some concerns which might emerge as a result.
Developing A Holistic Approach To Armenia-Azerbaijan Peacebuilding Initiatives
A comment made earlier today on a previous post regarding the need to diversify the dissemination of news and information online in the area of peace building in order to reach the largest number of people, especially when Internet penetration remains quite low, reminded me of another need which I had also briefly alluded to in a different post. Arif Khalil pointed out the potential for physical activities and events to break down stereotypes and engage a much larger and wider society in the ‘real world,’ and in particular mentioned using theater to spread a message of peace and coexistence.
Skype in Conflict Zones: An example from the South Caucasus
In a situation where Armenia and Azerbaijan are meant to be negotiating to end the conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, civil society should be very active. However, it doesn’t appear as though it is, and not least because few people actually believe that a breakthrough is possible, especially when cross-border activities are far simpler to conduct in the area of Armenia-Turkey relations. Indeed, and to be quite frank, it is difficult to consider that much is going on at all. Meanwhile, the situation isn’t helped by the fact that few Azerbaijani civil society activists visit Armenia, and even fewer Armenians visit Azerbaijan. In short, an environment conducive to peace or conflict resolution doesn’t seem to exist.
Online Social Networks in Armenia-Azerbaijan peacebuilding and cross-border communication
Since taking the first tentative steps to bring bloggers from Armenia and Azerbaijan together online in June 2008, it’s been both amazing and surprising to look back at how new media has managed to encourage and facilitate communication between the two countries. Locked into a bitter conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, the online environment which exists today was unimaginable two and half years ago. Even professionally it has opened up new possibilities. As a journalist, for example, the first time I ever co-penned an article with a counterpart in Azerbaijan, ironically enough entitled Nagorno Karabakh Dispute Takes to Cyberspace, was in isolation. We both wrote two separate pieces and submitted them to an American editor who then cut and put them together as one. Today, even though many publications covering the Caucasus still work like this, I can now do so without any in between involved.
The Media in Armenia and Azerbaijan: Effective or Affective?
Many academics argue that the influence of the media is especially strong in environments where citizens depend on a limited number of news sources. In contrast, when citizens have alternative sources of information they are less subject to the potential effects of media. Following this argument, how affective is the media in Armenia and Azerbaijan in establishing an image of the “other” in an environment where over 90 percent of the populations choose television as their primary source of information on current events with over 40 percent choosing family, friends, neighbors and colleagues as their second main source?
Личная история: Война и Переселение
Я родилась в Варденисе, в 1984-ом году. Четыре года спустя вся моя семья, а также родсвенники в связи с массовыми переселениями вынуждены были покинуть Армению и бежать в Азербайджан. Тогда мне было 4 года и, оглядываясь назад я не могу вспомнить все, что я оставила там , за собой. И я не знаю, к лучшему это или нет, что я не все помню. Но перед моими глазами проносятся отрывками воспоминания о нашем доме, садике, игровой площадке, моих друзьях, яблочном деревце и о петуке, которого я очень любила.
Personal Reflections on Conflict and Displacement
i was born in vardenis in 1984, but four years later my entire family, including all my relatives, had to leave armenia. i was only four when i left armenia, fleeing to azerbaijan due to the mass displacements. in retrospect, i don’t know whether that’s fortunate or not as i am unable to remember everything i left behind. however, i do remember our house, our garden, the playground, my friends, my apple tree, and the rooster which i loved so much.
Münaqişə və Qaçqın olmaq barədə şəxsi düşüncələr
Mən 1984-cü ildə Vardenisdə anadan olmuşam, dörd il sonra isə mənim bütün ailəm qohumlarımız ilə birlikdə kütləvi sürgün nəticəsində Ermənistanı tərk edib, Azərbaycana köçməli olmuşlar. Ermənistandan getdiyim zaman mənim dörd yaşım var idi və geriyə baxaraq arxada buraxdıqlarımı xatırlaya bilməməyiminin yaxşı və ya pis olduğunu deyə bilmərəm. Amma evimizi, bağçamızı, oyun meydançamızı, dostlarımı, alma ağacımı və sevdiyim xoruzu xatırlayıram.