|
Following a 9-month blockade that left 120,000 residents of Artsakh on the brink of famine, and Azerbaijan's shelling of the region along the entire line of contact, after Artsakh's surrender, mass deportation of Artsakh people was forced by Azerbaijan's genocidal policy.
Today each of us must take on the obligation to provide all possible assistance to the people of Artsakh!
|
| |
|
We affirm our commitment to helping our brothers and sisters in need. To learn about the actions that SYUN took in this disastrous situation read our newsletter's section "SYUN for the People of Artsakh". |
| |
|
“It is a well-known fact that we always recognize our homeland when we are about to lose it.” (Albert Camus) |
| |
|
Welcome to edition #8 of our organization's quarterly newsletter! If you want to catch up between editions, be sure to connect on SYUN's Facebook and Instagram pages and check in at syunfund.org to see our projects, become a SYUN member or make a one time donation. |
| |
|
Artsakh besieged. In the name of life. |
| |
|
Road of Life
Today, as a result of Azerbaijan's genocidal policy, more than 99% of the Armenian population left Artsakh, leaving their homes and thousand-year-old homeland. It causes indescribable pain to every Armenian. But when there was still hope that we would be able to avoid this tragedy, we tried to do everything to alleviate the extremely difficult life conditions of our brothers and sisters under blockade in Artsakh.
There is a group of our compatriots in Armenia who, in today's critical situation, do not miss any opportunity to deliver the necessary help to the people of Artsakh. SYUN has supported this initiative in every possible way within the framework of the Road of Life project for which we cooperate with Armenian NGO Ghoghanj.
Since January of this year a large quantity of vegetable seeds, 3 motoblocks and sowing equipment that were sent to Artsakh and distributed to the residents of several villages, including Karmir Shuka and Taghavard, provided 60% of the vegetables, that our struggling people put on their tables during these difficult days. Arrangements were made by our partners to deliver baby food, medicine and other basic necessities and supplies to Artsakh.
In the picture: 60% of the vegetables, that our straggling people put on their table during difficult days of the blockade came from the seeds sent with SYUNs support. |
| |
|
SYUN for the people of Artsakh |
| |
|
From Artsakh to Armenia
This project for which we collaborate with our partner VAL is one of our three new refugee related initiatives
Our ERTC (Emergency Response Training Center) building became a Refugee camp in Goris where people from Artsakh first arrive. It is used for temporary residence to accommodate 25 refugees each night. People staying in the camp are also receiving first medical aid if necessary, food, clothes and more.
After staying in the camp for a few days, families need to be helped to find a place to live, prepare that place for living, and move the family there. Providing housing is also a part of this project.
By October 3 more than 100 people stayed at our refugee camp Most of the families have moved to places where they will stay longer or permanently, but there are still people who have nowhere to go and stay in the camp as one big family. They suffered a lot, they still have many difficulties to overcome, but now they are not hungry, they are safe and surrounded by caring people. |
| |
|
Humanitarian Aid for the people of Artsakh
After the expulsion of the people of Artsakh from their homeland our "Road of Life" project was converted to "Humanitarian Aid for people of Artsakh". In collaboration with Ghoghanj NGO represented by Diana Grigoryan we provide refugees with necessary supplies, food, medicine and more.
Volunteers work 24 hours a day to collect and distribute donated items |
| |
|
Success Story: Rest and Learn - First Aid Training at Summer Camp. |
| |
8 first aid training sessions at the summer camp on the beautiful shore of lake Sevan were a unique experience for the kids from different regions of Armenia, their parents, the camp staff and instructors from «ՎԱԼ» հիմնադրամ/ FUND "VAL", with whom SYUN cooperated on this project. Each learned something, gained important skills, made new friends and had a lot of fun.
From June 28th to August 5th about 250 children from Syunik, Gegharkunik, Kotayk regions, as well as from Yerevan, were trained by our amazing instructors and learned how to survive in extreme situations. Campers enjoyed the courses so much that in their own words they were ready to "sacrifice" their swimming time for an additional hour of the training, just to learn a few more things.
For the past several years each summer BariCamp has been organized by Bari Mama NGO and is for vulnerable children and their parents. Next year we hope more children will have a similar experience and First Aid training will become a good tradition at Բարիքեմփ / BariCamp |
| |
|
What Else We're Working On Now |
| |
|
First Aid Training and Emergency Response Training Center
Our Emergency Response Training Center moved to a new building in Goris. 2 years ago an unused building in Goris that was formerly serving as an ambulant clinic was provided by the local government of Syunik to VAL as a facility for establishing the training center. The contract was signed for 3 years, but 3 months ago the government demanded that the building be vacated by October 1st.
Since we intend to stay and operate in Syunik for a long time, a building was purchased with private funds and provided to VAL for further activities of the center in a short period of time.
Within the last three months in addition to 8 first aid training sessions held for 250 children at the summer camp, our 2-day first aid course was conducted for students of RealSchool Goris.
This month our instructors conducted 5-day first aid courses for the defenders of our motherland. More than 100 participants learned behavioral rules of first aid, how to stop bleeding, organizе evacuation and other first aid and survival skills.
The new ERTC building requires a lot of repair work. |
| |
|
Search and rescue training
In emergency situations, in addition to first aid, it is very important to organize competent evacuation of victims. Rapid responders must know how to ensure a safe evacuation of citizens with the supplies at hand.
Our partners at VAL organized a special course. for Rapid response team members. During this training members of the team will learn how to organize evacuation with competence and professionalism, using various technical means and skills.
SYUN acquired a DJI FPV Combo which will be used for the training along with other equipment. With this modern equipment the trainees will learn how to search for victims in an area of disaster and how to rescue them after finding them. |
| |
|
Control center
Control Center is a situational awareness and management system like the ones used in the West for human and non-human resource management, information flow and analyses and operations planning.
As it was indicated in the previously issued editions this system was developed by Real School in cooperation with Instigate. It is tested and actively used by Real School itself in seven locations (Ijevan, Vanadzor, Gyumri, Yerevan, Goris, Stepanakert and Jermouk).
Further development and deployment of this system requires funds for:
- Purchasing equipment for information gathering and analyzes;
- Software development;
- Training and field-testing of the system.
The situational awareness system (Control Center) developed by the students of Real School was used to organize the work of the annual Hawk-2023 championship (UAV exhibition and test), broadcast videos from the field for the audience, manage rosters, record the results of missions and produce reports.
Real School students at Hawk-2023. |
| |
|
Hayasat-1
The goal of this project is to build and launch the first domestic satellite of Armenia. Launching a small CubeSat satellite will help gaining experience and preparing training materials.
For this project SYUN collaborated with Bazoomq Space Research Lab and funded the testing phase of the assembled satellite. Testing of the fully assembled satellite has already been conducted.
The project started in January 2022, and the first domestic satellite of Armenia is expected to be launched into space by the end of 2023. It will eventually be able to send imaging devices into orbit. Many world renowned scientists are involved in the development of this technology. SYUN covers expenses for the testing of Hayasat-1.
The launch of this satellite is going to be an unprecedented historical event for Armenia, encouraging our nation towards serious high-tech advancement. We believe that self sufficiency in all spheres is essential for Armenia’s future stability and prosperity. This will be a long term project and once its ambitions are fulfilled will lead to a safer and more technologically advanced Armenia. |
| |
|
L1 Adaptive Control System Research
This research project is conducted by Instigate Scientific Research Center (ISRC or Instigate Robotics).
Adaptive control is the capability of the system to modify its own operation to achieve the best possible mode of operation. In the aerospace industry, adaptive control is used to control the flight of aircraft in real-time. L1 Adaptive Control is a novel theory for the design of robust adaptive control architectures using fast adaptation schemes.
During the first 2 phases a software solution supporting on-the-fly modifications and tuning of PID algorithms was developed. The software is paired with and controls the hardware stands.
In addition to the new software an educational curriculum with separate lessons and examples was developed.
In the new phase the development of the curriculum will be continued with sections related to the L1 control system itself instead of using PID (using PID is necessary for the first phase, in order to be able to develop the L1 controller algorithms). The goal of the project is to upgrade the existing stands from PID to L1 control system.
SYUN funded work of one researcher to complete the studies, upgrade the stand and prepare training materials.
|
| |
|
Supporting Families of Veterans from Artsakh
While working on "From Artsakh to Armenia" we, with our partners at VAL started a selection of families which will be receiving monthly financial aid for at least 6 month starting November. Based on available/raised funds we are finalizing a list of families for this project.
These pictures are taken at ERTC where families were staying after arriving to Goris from Artsakh. |
| |
|
Among our supporters Baloyan family has a very special place. From the day Armen contacted us with a desire to learn about SYUN and our projects, he and Kristine, besides becoming SYUN members, have been very involed in many activities, initiating some discussions, helping creating community connections, offering help in different occations and sharing ideas for new projects.
Kristine and Armen are raising their kids, Alyssa and Daniel in the Armenian spirit. When we first met little Daniel, he impressed us with his expressive performance of a patriotic song "Զարթիր Լաո".
We are very proud and happy to have the Baloyans in our SYUN community. |
| |
|
History Corner: Liberation struggle of Syunik (1722-1730) |
| |
The misrule of Persians and Turks in the regions of Kapan and Artsakh had provoked the Armenian meliks in 1722 to request military aid from Georgian king Vakhtang VI. At the time Armenian general Davit Beck was serving in the royal court of Vakhtang. He was sent to Syunik with 2000 troops and 2 dozen centurions.
Arriving in Sisian, Davit Beck starts forming the Armenian army. By the end of 1723, almost all the armed units of Syunik were united in one army and recognized Davit Beck as the commander-in-chief.
In 1726 after conquering Tiflis, Yerevan and Gandzak Ottoman troops, aiming to seize the main trade route of the region, occupied Nakhichevan and the provinces of Kapan.
In the spring of 1727, pursued by the Ottomans, Davit Beck and his followers took refuge in the fortress at Halidzor. The Ottoman army put Halidzor under siege but came under incessant attacks launched by small Armenian units from the fortress. Davit Beck's comrades-in-arms, Mkhitar and Ter Avetis addressed their battle call to the Armenian soldiers in the fortress:
"Be brave! Do not be afraid! Follow us! And if it's time for us to die, let us die bravely, because for us it is better to die with courage outside the walls, than here, seeing before our eyes the death of our families and friends."
After seven days of siege battles the Ottomans fled the battlefield in panic. In Halidzor Turks lost 13,000 soldiers, 143 battle flags, huge amounts of weapons and ammunition. In 1720s the Armenian uprising went far beyond defensive stage, turning into a well-organized military movement.
A monument to Davit Bek in Kapan. |
| |
|
Today each of us must take on the obligation to provide all possible assistance to the people of Artsakh!
To alleviate the unimaginably difficult situation of our people of Artsakh we need funding for 3 new refugee related projects: "From Artsakh to Armenia", "Humanitarian Aid for people of Artsakh" and "Supporting Families of Veterans from Artsakh".
SYUN launched a Facebook fundraiser to raise funds to make the realization of these projects possible.
Act now and help our brothers and sisters who lost their homes and need to build a new life in a new place. |
| |
|
