Day: December 12, 2023

Armenia Tree Project reached an extraordinary milestone on December 1, as it planted its eight millionth tree at the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Yerevan’s Malatia Sebastia District. As ATP approaches its 30th anniversary, this event stands as a testament to the organization’s unwavering commitment to the greening and reforestation of Armenia.

The celebration at the Avedisian School was a vibrant showcase of unity, youth-leadership, and the invaluable support of ATP’s partners. Synopsys Armenia, the Armenian Missionary Association of America, and Fuller Center for Housing Armenia were among the distinguished guests who joined school administrators and students for this momentous occasion.

Elen Baghdasaryan, a student representative from Artsakh, delivered a heartfelt welcome speech alongside Hamlet Varpetyants from Armenia. They emphasized the symbolic significance of tree planting as a gesture of love and hope for Armenia’s future. Elen shared, “This is the first time I’m planting a tree, and it symbolizes new beginnings as we [Artsakhsis] have to start our lives again here in Armenia.”

The celebration continued with traditional Armenian music and dance, including the energetic Yarkhushta, symbolizing the strength and resilience of the Armenian people. Students orchestrated a human figure-eight, representing the eternal nature of Armenia and the unity of our cultural past, present, and future.

ATP’s choice to plant the eight millionth tree at the Avedisian School reflects the deep appreciation for their longstanding partnership. Over two decades, the school has actively participated in ATP’s environmental education and tree planting initiatives, eco-club activities, and greenhouse projects.

Rousanne Arustamyan, ATP’s Yerevan Coordinator, expressed gratitude to sponsors, partners, and volunteers, acknowledging their indispensable role in making the eight millionth tree a reality. “With your help, we’ve been able to expand our planting efforts, implement community projects, educational initiatives, and partnerships across Armenia and beyond,” she emphasized.

The eight millionth tree serves as a poignant reflection of the organization’s impactful year in 2023. This year alone, ATP planted 712,481 trees, established over 200 hectares of new forests, and distributed fruit trees to over 1,200 families in border villages.

As ATP approaches its 30th anniversary in 2024, the leading environmental organization in Armenia is proud to know that each of those eight million trees have found homes in cities, towns, villages, schools and forests. Throughout 2024, ATP will host a series of events across the U.S. and Armenia to celebrate the 30th anniversary, and looks forward to solidifying its green legacy for years to come.
 
Armenia Tree Project, established in 1994, is a non-profit organization that revitalizes Armenia’s and Artsakh’s most vulnerable communities through tree-planting initiatives, and provides socio-economic support and growth. It is based in Yerevan, Armenia and has an office in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that “one sided” declarations by certain European Union officials are endangering the EU’s mediation efforts for a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“One-sided announcements by certain EU leaders is endangering the EU’s role in this process,” Bayramov, who did not mention names, told the EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell during a meeting in Brussels.

Last week, Borrell faulted Azerbaijan for attempting to resolve the Artsakh conflict through the use of force and urged Baku to guarantee the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh to return to their homes.
Addressing the EU-NGO Forum in Brussels, Borrell lamented the current world order of what he called “the return of brutal power politics.”

“More and more conflicts are being solved by the use of force,” Borrell emphasized last week. “Something that was supposed to be forbidden. Not the use of force to solve conflicts, but what I see is that there are more and more conflicts [are] being solved by force.”

“Look for example at what has happened in Azerbaijan and Armenia. A long-frozen conflict that suddenly has been – I would not say solved – but decisively determined by a military intervention that, in one week, made 150,000 people move. In one week. Like this. 150,000 people had to abandon their houses and run. And the international community regretted [it], expressed concern, sent humanitarian support, but it happened [with] the use of force,” Borrell added.

This caused a stern response from Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry, which accused the EU’s top diplomat of favoritism toward Armenians.

At the same time, during his meeting with Borrell, Bayramov said that Baku highly appreciates European Council President Charles Michel’s role in mediating a peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is the only course for stability and peace in the South Caucasus, Bayrmov emphasized during his meeting with Borrell.

Azerbaijan announced that it has established a “single investigative team” in connection with the prosecution of former Artsakh leaders who were arrested following Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh that led to the mass exodus of more than 100,000 residents to Armenia.

“A single investigative team has been established in the General Prosecutor’s Office regarding separatists detained in the Karabakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] region of Azerbaijan,” said Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev, according to the APA news agency.

Artsakh’s former presidents Arakady Ghukasian, Bako Sahakian and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as Artsakh Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan were among the officials who were arrested. They, as well as two high-ranking military leaders, Artsakh’s former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan and Artsakh’s former foreign minister David Babayan — who turned himself in — were sentenced to four-month pre-trial detention.

The leaders, who are being called “separatists” by Azerbaijan, have been charged with a slew of crimes, and are accused of inciting so-called genocide against Azerbaijan during the 1990’s and the 2020 War.

“The people of Azerbaijan will be fully informed about the course of this investigation and its results. We will provide it. After the investigation, the case will be sent to court,” said Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General.

Nobel Laureates, captains of Industry, former heads of state and civil society leaders unite, calling for the unconditional release of Armenians illegally being held in Azerbaijan.

These global leaders are among the more than 150 global figures who have signed a letter calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the “Armenian Prisoners,” which includes eight Armenian political prisoners, who are former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh’s government illegally detained following Azerbaijan’s invasion and seizure of the region in September. More prisoners of war arrested during the conflict also remain in custody.

The collective plea echoes growing concerns over conditions and treatment of these imprisoned individuals, including prominent Armenian businessman and humanitarian, Ruben Vardanyan.

Their arrest follows a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Azerbaijani forces. While the December 7th release of 32 Armenian prisoners of war is a welcome first step, all of the others must be released.  The failure of Baku to release the remaining 8 political prisoners raises deep concerns over the motives by the Aliyev regime of their continued detention.

“The human rights abuses witnessed in the wake of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict demand urgent attention and action,” said Noubar Afeyan, another signatory as well as the co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. “President Aliyev chooses political retribution over justice.  We believe in the inherent dignity and rights of every individual and call on the international community to join us in condemning this injustice.”

Afeyan has long collaborated on global and regional economic development and humanitarian projects with Vardanyan, who has become a symbol of the broader struggle for political freedom and human dignity in the region. His unjust imprisonment has galvanized some of the world’s most respected voices to champion his cause and that of others unjustly detained.

“We call on President Aliyev to fulfill his obligations to international rules and law, ensuring those unjustly imprisoned can return safely to their families,” said Paul Polman, Vice Chair of the United Nations Global Compact and former CEO of Unilever. “All individuals in Nagorno-Karabakh have a right to experience a life of peace and security, including the freedom to move without hindrance or the looming specter of inhuman treatment. Given Azerbaijan’s bid to host COP 29 in 2024, I sincerely hope the United Nations will only agree if Baku releases all these prisoners.”

Polman is one of the letter’s signatories, alongside former heads of state, such as Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Board of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, and son of the late Elie Wiesel, former Co-Chair of Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.

Other prominent signatories represent a wide range of sectors, including Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin, Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce; Ariana Huffington, founder of Thrive and The Huffington Post; and Serj Tankian, renowned musician and lead vocalist of System of a Down.

“The unjust detention of Ruben Vardanyan and so many others being held in Baku violates their basic human rights,” said Mary Robinson, Former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights. “For the government of Azerbaijan to be respected in the global community, it is critical they respect the rule of law, especially in light of the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh. They must release these detainees immediately.”

Their unified plea serves as a powerful reminder that global political leaders are closely monitoring developments in Azerbaijan and calling for the release of the detainees. As asserted in the letter issued today, the detention of Armenian prisoners is a clear violation of international norms, including the Third Geneva Convention.