The Artsakh-Syunik Village Resettlement Program is an initiative spearheaded by the Tufenkian Foundation, in conjunction with its partner organizations. It is designed to promote the social cohesion of Artsakh’s exiled population, so that their rights and cultural integrity may be upheld. At the same time, it will bolster the resilience of Armenia’s vulnerable Syunik province, increasing its rural population while facilitating the economic and community development of host communities.
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We expect to begin construction by late Spring and to welcome the resettlers by late Fall 2024. For more details, see below.
Village Resettlement Goals
• Co-locate people from the same Artsakh village or village clusters, to help maintain their existing social support networks and cultural traditions
• Settle villagers in locations within Syunik that share similar geography and climate with their home villages in Artsakh. In this way, they can apply their existing agricultural skills to become economically self-sufficient.
Pilot Program Plans
• Resettle 40 families, starting with 20 families in Svarants village, near Tatev.
• Build using prefab construction, plus renovate existing housing stock. In this way, we will reduce costs and make housing available quickly
• Provide ”start-up” agricultural resources like farm animals, seeds, beehives, tree saplings, etc. for each family based on their skills and capabilities
• Provide assistance to the existing host community, to encourage smooth integration and reduce local resentment
• Identify value chain opportunities to bolster economic opportunities for both host community and resettled population
• Coordinate with provincial government on infrastructure improvements
Timeline
The project is already underway. At this stage of development, we are already working on:
- Site selection,
- Bidding for construction,
- Interviewing/selecting resettlers,
- Securing partnership agreements with Svarants municipality and Syunik regional administration,
- Developing economic activities that will foster and sustain livelihoods.