#126 A Recording From Women In Black Armenia Artwork

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FiLiA is a UK-based feminist charity, platforming and connecting women through our annual conference, blog posts, and podcasts. Listen to women sharing stories, wisdom, experience, feminism, sisterhood and solidarity. Find us at: www.filia.org.uk

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#126 A Recording From Women In Black Armenia

January 28, 2021 • FiLiA Podcasts • Episode 126

0:00 | 4:02

Listen to members of Women In Black Armenia, Sona Hovakimyan and Arpi Balyan, who share their opinions and thoughts about the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war which began on September 27, 2020, and lasted 44 days. The war ended after three failed cease-fires on November 9, 2020, when Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have signed an agreement to end the military conflict.

This recording is the first of our Women in Black series, a powerful collection of testimonies from Women peace activists from across the globe.

Sona Hovakimyan and Arpi Balyan

Arpi and Sona: Dear sisters, nowadays it is hard to speak about how we live today and how we feel about the situation in our country. But we will try to sum up and share some insights. What we do, what have been done during these days. Our speech may be sound emotional, but this is a kind of resistance voice against expansionism, colonialism, and brutal war.

Let's start with the brief introduction of Women in Black Armenia Initative.

The vision of Women in Black Armenia Peace Building Initiative is to have society where human rights are prevailed. Conflicts are regulated in peaceful manner. Women are actively involved in peace building and decision making processes in all levels. And there is no space for violence.

Thus the mission of the group is to promote the ideology of peace to direct young women to spread democratic values in Republic of Armenia. To involve women in civic initiatives, as well as in peace building procedures in all levels. This year we were very excited to organize an international gathering in Armenia but it has been very challenging, not only during the pandemic, but also during the war we are still living in since September 27th 2020 and which is an imminent threat to our existence.

We cannot give a detailed and full information about what led to this outbreak of the conflict. But we can outline some facts and conclusions.

First of all, it is obvious that the main militaristic actions have been studied by as Azerbaijani militarists and political authorities with the help of Turkish expansionist government. It's not the subject of arguing and it is clear that the small and economically poor country wouldn't initiate this war.

Besides, this was the result of lasting hatred, aggression and miscommunication between two nations, which were led by governments mostly by dictatorship. This was a result of failed diplomacy between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

We couldn't reach for solidarity of both sides and save stability in our region. Because we were not able to see the whole picture of expansion and colonialism by Turkey and Russia and play significant role in ongoing political processes.

Our anti-militaristic feminist future is uncertain now. One thing that we can do now, it is to learn lessons from our failures.

During the war more than 75,000 people have been displaced from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. Most of them lost their loved ones. They lost their homes and properties after the war.

There is a huge need of assisting displaced people from Martel to Armenia since, since September 27, by providing them with food, shelter, basic necessities as well as COVID-19 prevention measures.

We are providing now humanitarian assistance to displaced families living in regions of Armenia.

We have formed a rapid response group consisting of members of WiB Armenia which deals with the needs of families left without any support, providing them with the necessary assistance, including psychological support.

Sending love, solidarity and peace.