by Christopher Atamian

Tavush is not in Artsakh!
When Azerbaijan started bombing villages along the Tavush border in mid-July, many people in the Armenian diaspora and elsewhere mistakenly assumed that they were shelling a part of Artsakh. And looking out at any of the verdant valleys in Tavush, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you were actually in Switzerland or some lost corner of paradise. But Tavush is in fact part and parcel of the Republic of Armenia proper, making Azerbaijan’s actions all the more provocative as they shattered any illusion that Armenia is not in danger of getting embroiled in an all-out war again. Located in the country’s northeastern edge and bordered by Georgia to the North and Azerbaijan to the East, Tavush is an ancient Armenian province. Its scenic capital of Ijevan–once an important rest stop on international trade routes–sits at the foothills of the Gugark Mountains, on the shores of the Aghstev River. The region measures just 2,704 km² (about one-fourth the size of Rhode Island) and on a good day has a population of just over 125,000 people.

Shelling from the other side of the border is nothing new to the farmers and other villagers who live in the region, some of whose families have been tilling the land from time immemorial. Two of its more isolated cities for example, Berd and Noyemberyan, regularly receive volleys of sniper shots from Azeri positions. As a result of this and other factors village men often leave to find work in Russia—predictably, many never return. Perhaps in desperation or out of a sense of duty, some have also signed up as contract soldiers and can be found at their military posts guarding the border—and this, for about $300 a month. This puts additional stress on the village women, who must tend to all domestic duties alone, from tilling gardens to caring for their animals, children and extended families. As a result of these precarious situations, Armenians in the region are more likely to have smaller families, which poses a demographic threat and becomes a national security issue.

Paros Foundation Implements Key Programs in Tavush
Founded in 2006 by Roger Strauch in part to address these ongoing concerns, the Paros Foundation understood from the start the strategic importance of these border positions and of helping Tavush region in general. Since 2011 they have been working to strengthen them, rebuilding houses that have been shelled and providing jobs for Armenians on the front line through its many programs. The foundation has developed a strategic and somewhat niche approach to help remedy these problems: “We implement mid-sized infrastructure improvement projects in order to raise awareness and improve conditions for these residents and ultimately help to secure the border,” explains Executive Director Peter Abajian.

Altogether from 2013 to 2020, Paros has spent almost $1.1 million in Tavush on 65 different projects. Most remarkably the foundation has no administrative costs whatsoever, “The Strauch Kulhanjian family underwrites 100% of our administrative expenses, which allows donors to allocate their contributions directly to projects,” said Abajian. In the border village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, with support from Jean-Marie Atamian and his family, Paros has made major improvements to the water system, local school, kindergarten and medical center. Apart from improving infrastructure, the foundation is currently in the process of implementing an economic development project, establishing a fruit orchard with over 1,000 trees. All of these undertakings have helped to stabilize the community and led to a doubling of the annual birth rate from 2013 to today. As is evident to anyone who visits the region, border villages have been especially hard hit economically since hostilities erupted over a two decades ago between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in part because some 70% of the land in any particular village lies too close to the border to be farmed or to graze animals without the risk of being shot and killed.

Donate to Paros and Help Make Armenia Safe
As Abajian also points out, there are a wealth of current and planned programs available for interested donors. “Our work in Tavush along the border will be continuing for the foreseeable future with two major projects in Aygepar including the reconstruction of a large apartment building and the creation of an agriculture incubator facility,” said Abajian. Some are larger in scale than others, but all are affordable for anyone interested, as donations of any size can be made in true crowdfunding fashion. One particularly interesting program “Recycling on the Border” seeks to partner with the Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities NGO (“ISSD”) in order to implement recycling education at schools in ten villages. The children will be provided with colored bins and will collect trash that is then sent to proper recycling facilities. This gives both children and their families a stronger stake in their communities—teaching them about recycling but also to care about their environment and to be happier within it. The point of Paros Foundation programs isn’t simply to patch up existing problems but to find long-term solutions for building a happy and prosperous Armenia.

A Crucial Moment In History: States don’t Have Friends, only Interests.
With the almost unbelievable news that Turkey’s Volkan Bektir is taking over the Presidency of the landmark 75th General Assembly of the United Nations, and even more remarkable threats coming from Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev to bombard Medzamor, Armenia’s nuclear plant, the young Third Republic faces an existential crisis. Fighting off two enemies, one on each side of its border, will be no easy task. And while events such as the recent destruction of Beirut Port and the COVID-19 pandemic have grabbed everyone’s attention and resources of late, a global leadership vacuum now exists that presents an existential threat for Armenia. Just as no Western power came to Armenia’s defense in 1915, none will do so now. It’s up to the diaspora to support organizations like Paros that understand how to help defend and strengthen Armenia through crucial infrastructure and life-saving projects. As Charentz famously wrote: “Oh Armenian people, your only salvation lies in the power of your unity.”

You can find out more about the Paros Foundation and its many projects at www.parosfoundation.org

Christopher Atamian is an Armenian-Italian writer, translator and filmmaker living in New York City. You can obtain a copy of his latest book, A Poet in Washington Heights, which was awarded the 2017018 Tololyan Literary Award and nominated for a National Book Award, at https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Heights-Christopher-Peter-Atamian/dp/197648393X

Gyumri, Armenia–The Debi Arach Children’s Center successfully and safely re-opened its doors on August 17, 2020 to eager students. Several changes and new policies have been set in place for the safety of the kids and staff. Along with the emphasis on safety, the staff has been working hard to prepare students for the start of school schedule for September 15, 2020.

“Our goal in restarting the Debi Arach Children’s Center prior to the start of the school year is to help the children catch up for the difficulties they faced with online learning at the end of the last school year,” said Peter Abajian.

Throughout the Pandemic Debi Arach remained committed to providing consistent meals, psychological support, and structured in-home learning to the youth. Although the facility was closed We have committed to continue paying our staff during the closure.

• We are working closely with our on-staff psychologist, who is checking in with the kids each week to help them navigate their lives during this challenging time.
• We want to make sure the students still receive consistent, adequate nutrition so we are providing food packages for all families of Debi Arach with guidelines on safety protocols for receiving and cleaning the items.

The goal is to expand the center’s programming to continue to be able to serve all of our center’s children in a safe and responsible manner including changing the manner in which meals are served and constructing temporary outdoor classrooms by taking advantage of the warm weather. Furthermore, Debi Arach will be holding both morning and afternoon sessions to accommodate children who will now be attending schools in split sessions to promote social distancing in schools.

Everyone at Debi Arach is very excited to be able to continue providing children of Gyumri with the proper supplementary educational, thorough psychological and necessary humanitarian aids they need.

To date, the center has already had several important successes. At least nine children have been taken out of boarding schools, attend our center and now live back at home with their families. Many of the children who were receiving poor grades in school are now achieving top scores. The children have become socially well-adjusted and much healthier than before with the continued consumption of multi-vitamins and a daily well-balanced meal. Staff trainings have begun with an academic counsel of professionals from the United States and Armenia to ensure that the children are receiving the best care, treatment, and methods for their development.

Aygepar Kindergarten, Armenia – Recently renovated by Paros Foundation in 2018

In immediate response to the renewed Azeri attacks on civilian populations in the Berd Consolidated Communities of Armenia’s Tavush Region, The Paros Foundation announces the launch of its Emergency Reconstruction Fund. Funds raised will be immediately deployed to repair the most severely damaged homes and other infrastructure shelled in this recent Azeri attack.

Aygepar, Armenia – Photos via Hetq

Aygepar, Armenia – Photos via Hetq

“Azerbaijan has once again targeted the civilian population in villages along the Armenian border. Many homes in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, Aygepar and Chinari received varying degrees of damage, including the Aygepar Kindergarten that was reconstructed by Paros in 2018,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “Our goal is to quickly deploy our work crews in the area to not only repair the damage, but make improvements to these families’ homes.”

Aygepar, Armenia – Photos via Hetq

On July 12, during the midst of the global pandemic surrounding Covid-19, Azerbaijan renewed its attack on Armenia in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Over the next two days, Azerbaijan launched artillery of various calibers at the Armenian civilian populations of several communities within Berd Consolidated Communities of Armenia’s Tavush Region. Families in these villages have experienced material losses on their homes and property. Thankfully, villagers remain safe and there has been no civilian loss of life during this period. While the Armenian government has already visited many to assist, The Paros Foundation’s Emergency Reconstruction Fund will work to not only make repairs to these damaged homes, but will make substantial improvements for them.

Azeri Protests – Photos via Civilnet

Four Armenian soldiers were killed during the fighting and several have been wounded including one in critical condition. The Armenian army has shot down 10 Azeri combat drones, including a Elbit Hermes 900 UAV with an estimated $30 million price tag. Moreover, two strategic Azeri military posts are now under Armenian control. While the military losses on the Azeri side are reported to be substantial including the death of an Azeri general, Azeri protests in several cities around the world are calling for war with Armenia.

Tavush, Armenia – Photo via Hetq

Berkeley, CA—Trust and a strong partnership can help accomplish many positive things.  This was demonstrated when World Vision, Focus on Children Now, The Noyemberyan Municipality and The Paros Foundation joined forces to address a shortage of kindergarten space at the Noyemberyan Kindergarten #2.  Noyemberyan is a border city located in the northern portion of Armenia’s Tavush Region.  The results of this partnership included the complete reconstruction of a third building on campus, which will now accommodate more than 50 additional children in two newly expanded groups.

The Paros Foundation was approached last year by the Noyemberyan Municipality with a request to help fund the reconstruction of the third building at Kindergarten #2.  World Vision had already committed to provide support for the construction materials. Focus on Children Now had agreed to provide needed furniture for the children.  What was needed was funding for labor for the construction work.  The Paros Foundation agreed to accept the responsibility of overseeing and implementing the building’s reconstruction.  The Noyemberyan Municipality provided funding and support for demolition, sewer connections and one half of the heating system related expenses.

“The project we implemented at the Noyemberyan Kindergarten #2 is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when organizations partner to support a single cause,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “Each partner organization brought to this project what they do best and together, along with our individual donors, we have made a tremendous positive impact for the children and community in Noyemberyan.”

The Paros Foundation was launched in 2006 and has implemented more than $7.7 million worth of projects in Armenia through its unique model of philanthropy and community partnership. These projects are located throughout the country-with the majority of work focused in Gyumri and in the Tavush Region, along the border with Azerbaijan. Thanks to the generous support of Paros Founder and Chairman, Roger Strauch and the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, all administrative expenses are underwritten, allowing 100% of donor contributions to be allocated in their entirety to the projects. To support the work of The Paros Foundation, please visit www.parosfoundation.org.

Representatives from the Noyemberyan Municipality, Focus on Children Now, The Paros Foundation and World Vision at the ribbon cutting of the rebuilt building at the Noyemberyan Kindergarten #2.

Berkeley, CA— With stay-at-home orders in place for communities throughout Armenia, The Paros Foundation has risen to the challenge of helping feed Armenia’s elderly, at-risk and impoverished populations.

In the Berd Consolidated Communities, which is comprised of 17 towns and villages in Armenia’s North Eastern border with Azerbaijan, The Paros Foundation responded to an urgent need for food packets to be distributed to 800 elderly and disabled residents in these communities. With financial support from the Armenian diaspora, Paros staff quickly contracted with food suppliers to get the food staples delivered to the Berd municipality where staff and volunteers coordinated this massive distribution effort. This process has been repeated twice to date.

Food packages for the families of children at the Debi Arach Children Center ready for distribution.

When the spread of Covid-19 closed schools throughout Armenia, the staff at the Debi Arach Children’s Center took similar safety precautions and closed its doors temporarily. This, however, created another problem. Many of the children that attend this academically focused after school program count on the nutrition they receive as their main meal of the day. The Paros Staff worked closely with leadership at the Debi Arach Children’s Center to prepare and distribute food packets based on the number of children in each household to all the Debi Arach families. This process has been repeated twice to date.

“We launched the #FeedingArmenia campaign to immediately respond to this important need,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “Our next challenge is how to reopen and operate centers like Debi Arach in a safe and effective manner, while staying true to its core mission. While this challenge presents itself to every organizations, I am proud of the fact that our team is already engaged in these discussions and planning.”

An elderly resident of Tavush’s Verin Tsakhavan Village receives a food packet distribution.

In the town of Nor Geghi, the mayor led an effort to provide food support for his town’s elderly and at risk population. With support from the Nor Keghi Association and its Detroit-based leadership and members, 25 families in need received a large food pack to support them for approximately one month.

Armenia’s current stay-at-home order is slowly being lifted, and the hope is that the virus will not spread, but it is unclear when the need for #FeedingArmenia will cease. While much still remains uncertain, one thing is becoming clearer—Armenia will reopen to a new reality. Masks, greater personal space and distancing and enhanced personal hygiene will all become part of Armenia’s future. To support #FeedingArmenia, or other projects of The Paros Foundation, please visit www.parosfoundation.org.

As stimulus checks start going out and new tax law is in place, we have received a few questions on how this affects your charitable giving in 2020. With the help of The Paros Foundation friend and donor, Eric Nikssarian, CFP® a wealth advisor with EP Wealth Advisors, we were able to understand some of these changes.

• One of the rules that can directly affect your charitable giving is that you can now donate up to $300 ($600 for joint filers) to The Paros Foundation or any bona fide 501(c)3 organization and deduct it above-the-line on your tax return in 2020 directly lowering your taxable income. This new rule is available for taxpayers who do not itemize deductions in 2020. *Please note this rule change is only in effect for 2020 and donations to a Donor Advised Fund do not count for this deduction.
• For those that are itemizing, charitable deduction limits have increased from 60% of adjusted gross income to 100% of adjusted gross income for 2020 only. Charitable deduction limits for corporations have also increased to 25% of their taxable income, up from 10% for 2020 only.  *Please note donations made to Donor Advised Funds again do not count for this incentive. Be advised if you plan to donate property, securities, and other non-cash assets that they may not qualify.
• Lastly, required minimum distributions have been waived for 2020 in most cases. However, individuals who want to donate from their IRA can still make qualified charitable distributions to 501(c)3 organizations, even though there is no incentive to do so.

The silver lining to these trying times is that we can still make a positive impact. If you have any questions about donations feel free to direct your questions to Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. If you’d like to contact Paros friend Eric Nikssarian, CFP®, a Wealth Advisor at EP Wealth Advisors, you can email him at enikssarian@epwealth.com.

Together with the head of the consolidated community in Berd we are working on #FeedingArmenia. In the 17 villages and towns in the Berd area, there is some 800 people including the elderly and disabled, who are in urgent need of food. With the stay at home mandates from the government, the people in these border villages can no longer work, resulting in a lack of food and other essentials for survival. Donate today and make a difference for someone in Armenia today.

Food packs from the March distribution. With additional funds, more necessary food packs can be delivered.