Camp Haiastan: Where We Love Lectures

By Daniel Chakmakjian, Knar Bedian, and Nooshig Varjabedian

Lecture Night. As young campers, this was often lower on our list of priorities when it came to all things Camp Haiastan. However, as we grew attached to Camp Haiastan and all of the amazing experiences there, even Lecture Night gained special significance. As young AYF members, we grew accustomed to the routine and even started to eagerly anticipate hearing about new topics.

Camp Haiastan has been making a particularly strong push to emphasize the Armenian nature of the camp. As AYF members, we were eager this year to see what topics were going to be discussed at Lecture Night and the reactions of our AYF Juniors to these new ideas. On July 10, we made a special trip to Camp Haiastan in Franklin, Mass., to attend the lectures (and of course visit all of our friends).

In the first lecture, U. Hrag Arakelian of the Chicago “Ararat” Chapter gave a quick history of Artsakh. He began by clarifying basic information, including explaining the difference between the two names—the internationally used Nagorno-Karabagh and the one more commonly used by Armenians, Artsakh. With the help of maps and other visuals, U. Hrag was able to teach the campers about the region’s boundaries before covering the more complicated story of the status of independence of the territory and how it is seen in the eyes of the international public.

He did a good job of describing the fedayees who fought in the battle to win back Artsakh, showing photos and asking campers to spot the differences between a trained American and the farmers and everyday citizens who took up arms to protect their lands. Photos of abandoned and working tanks were a clear display of the military presence in the area, while the destruction of the war was shown in the ruins and the ways the people had used and recycled scrap metals and materials when rebuilding their lives. U. Hrag also showed a photo of a fellow unger and counselor who recently visited Artsakh—something that may have helped campers to make a visual connection of their ties to the land. By the end of the lecture, U. Hrag had broken down what is a rather complicated situation and made a part of our homeland more accessible to the young campers.

The second lecture we attended, about the 100th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, was presented by U. Steve Elmasian of Providence. He gave a brief overview of the history of the Armenian Genocide to the older group (13-14-year-olds) and asked them questions regarding what they knew about it. The campers were knowledgeable beyond their years about the topics at hand, and answered questions well. Each time U. Steve received a particularly good answer he had a prize for the person who gave it.

Once the unger had established a background, he brought up the issue at hand: What is going to happen if the genocide is not recognized by April 24, 2015? U. Steve presented two options to the campers: 1) We can give up on recognition, 2) We can continue fighting for justice.

He then turned the issue over to the campers and they discussed the issue. The campers advocated for the continued pursuit of recognition, but the question made them think about the impending date. Throughout the discussion, campers were put in touch with the issues that are facing us today in our communities. Once the discussion was over, U. Steve presented his own argument for the issue, in support of continued recognition efforts.

The third lecture, regarding the AYF “Tebi Javakhk” Summer Camp last summer, was presented by U. Sossé Beugekian of the Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter. Javakhk, a province of Georgia, has a large population of Armenians. With news of the difficult living conditions there, the AYF of the Eastern Region set out to help. Last year, the AYF held 2 camps for 5 days, for 50 children between the ages of 6 and 12, one located in Akhalkalak, and the other in Akhalitskhe.

Chapters from all over the Eastern Region had donated items such as school supplies, toiletries, medical supplies (due to a lack of hospitals), and much more. Unfortunately, not all of the items were allowed to cross the border of Georgia. But that did not stop our ungers from going to Javakhk and helping these children.

During camp, the children were taught about Armenian history, world history, geography, culture, music, dancing, games, and much more. A close bond was formed between the campers and their counselors within those five days. At the end, a show was put on for the families and the people of the neighborhood to show what the kids had learned. A banner was made with the handprints and signatures of all the campers, and was sent back to the East Coast to show how amazing all of these children are.

The Camp Haiastan campers were so happy to hear that there were kids just like them, going to a camp, and learning about Armenian culture and history, just as they are learning themselves. As U. Sossé said, “It does not matter where you come from. We are all Armenian, we are all the same.”

One of the greatest messages one can give to the youth today is exactly what U. Sosse has said. We may be different with how we are raised, and where we have been raised, but we are still Armenian, and together we stand. This message seemed to be the common thread throughout all of the lectures that evening. Whether we are in Artsakh, Javakhk, or right here in America, we are all together, working towards the same thing—working towards our land, working towards recognition, and working towards knowledge.

Following the lectures, the campers were dismissed to go to bed. We packed up shortly after and began heading home, impressed by the knowledge of the campers and happy that this summer is going so well at Camp Haiastan.