In recent years Armenia is seeing a commendable rise in welcoming and hosting youth from our Diaspora. While this should be encouraged as a continuous effort, it is also essential to provide the necessary setting for mutual learning experiences and lifetime memories.

During the past few months, Civilitas was the place where a promising attorney from Florida and the first Chilean-Armenian student volunteer in Yerevan came to share their cultural and professional experiences with their peers.

Rubina K. Shaldjian, from Florida, took a three-month sabbatical to volunteer at Civilitas through the Armenian Volunteer Corps. Her professional and academic input was indispensable in many tasks ranging from drafting various documents to assisting staff experts to formulate future project ideas. “The fast-paced work environment at Civilitas was just what I was looking for.  I wasn’t bored for a second,” says Shaldjian. “From the second I got there, I began what felt like a three-month crash course in the political and social issues that abound in Armenia.  I admit that, at first, I was slightly overwhelmed by the fact that there was so much I didn’t know about the history, politics and culture of Armenia and the Caucasus.  But as I began to develop relationships with my colleagues, I gained a tremendous amount of insight as to the culture of Yerevan and the issues Armenians face.  I can honestly say that it was a true cultural experience... and it was too short!”

“We are pleased that Civilitas internship program enabled a great professional to learn more about her homeland and contribute to its development,” said Civilitas Foundation Director Salpi Ghazarian. “Our interns do a whole lot more than just their jobs. Together they all create a new way to be Armenian -- more tolerant, more questioning, more inclusive, more global.”

Civilitas also hosted the first Chilean-Armenian Birthright program volunteer in Armenia – Andres Gonzalez Kazazian of Santiago. A 25-year old commercial engineering student in his last year of study, Andres split his work weeks between teaching Spanish at the Centro Hispano, and media/video work at the Civilitas Foundation.

“In a few days, I’ll be taking the plane back to Santiago, but I’m calm, because I know that soon I’ll be back, because the commitment that each of us has to Armenia, will never end. Meanwhile I’ll be working with the Armenian cause from Chile and today more than ever I am proud to be Armenian,” reflected Andres on his stay.

To learn more about our interns experiences in Armenia, please, visit:
http://www.avc.am/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56:avc-expands-professional-corps-service-opportunities&catid=11:2011&Itemid=21
and
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=B0E64600-5446-11E0-B6D50003FF3452C2.