One year ago, around this time, the Artsakh conflict Line of Conflict once again erupted when Azerbaijani armed forces unexpectedly launched a surprise attack and rained fire not only on front line soldiers, but also on peaceful residences, schools and innocent and unarmed villagers. However, Armenian defense forces, as in numerous times in the past, halted this Azerbaijani aggression, which only resulted in renewed human and economic losses for both sides.

Since 1988, or from the day the people of Artsakh or Nagorno-Karabakh, by adhering to and respecting  the spirit and the letter of Soviet and international laws, decided to determine their own fate and exercised their right to self-determination. Azerbaijan responded to this with pogroms, forced deportations, attacks and large-scale military operations. 

Despite the fact that the international community, for whatever reason, has not yet recognized the state of Artsakh, the children of the people who have lived on these lands for thousands of years continue to create, build and prosper while along its borders incessant Azerbaijani attacks, bombardments and sniper shootings continue. Here, on this historic land, where news about cease-fire violations, injuries and deaths are more common that any other information, thousands of children and youth are deprived of their creativity and their just rights because the country remains blockaded and the cease-fire, fragile. Thousands of talented people, instead of picking up pens and paint brushes, are forced to pick of arms and go to the front in order to protect their homes and the homeland. Because of the Azerbaijani attacks and this forced war, these young people are deprived of their right to create and hone their talents under peaceful circumstances. Instead, thousands of students living in border village hear bombs, instead of music. 

Despite this, there are a large number of young talents and artists who continue to write, play music, paint, although they are isolated from the world due to the war and are living under a blockade. Unfortunately they have little opportunity to come in contact with their colleagues from around the world and this blockade and isolation prevents regular visits, contacts and exchange of experiences. For these creative minds and talented people the opportunities to open up to the world and meet others in their field are limited. They are simply deprived of their fundamental rights for artists.

It is for this reason why we call on all free-minded artists around the world to visit Artsakh and to become allies for peace and harmony, to establish ties and build relations with local artists and talented creative people to firstly create an opportunity for them to open up to the world and so that can realize their fundamental right to create and share their talents with the world.

 

Serj Tankian

Arsinee Khanjian

Atom Egoyan

Eric Nazarian