THIS INITIATIVE IS FUNDEDBY THE EUROPEAN UNIONUnderstanding conflict Building peace

Unheard

About International Alert

International Alert helps people find peaceful solutions to conflict

We are one of the worldrsquos leading peacebuilding organisations with nearly 30 years of experience laying the foundations for peace

We work with local people around the world to help them build peace and we advise governments organisations and companies on how to support peace

We focus on issues that influence peace including governance economics gender relations social development climate change and the role of businesses and international organisations in high-risk places

wwwinternational-alertorg

copy International Alert 2015All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without full attribution

Layout by D R ink

Translation from Russian Heather Stacey

UNHEARDVOICES

Since 2011 International Alert has been working with journalists from leading media outlets which regularly cover the Nagorny Karabakh conflict This initiative provides journalists from the region with a platform for professional development and dialogue with colleagues for the purpose of producing material which offers an alternative to the often militant rhetoric found in the mainstream media Over the last three years the work with the journalists has included training courses and workshops developed specially for the group as well as joint study trips to regions where communities are seeking ways to co-exist peacefully in the wake of armed conflict such as Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina

INTRODUCTION

The geographical names in this publication appear in the form used in the original texts of interviews

articles and other material produced by the journalists during the project

Unheard Voices is the result of work produced with the journalists over the last few years and their joint interpretation of ldquotheirrdquo conflict and its effect on the everyday lives of ordinary people The journalists have used this project to focus attention on the most vulnerable members of society and give them a voice providing us with an opportunity to hear the human stories of people living close to the ldquofrontlinerdquo as well as those of refugees and internally displaced people They talk about the problems they face living in a state of ldquoneither war nor peacerdquo and their stories are a stark reminder to the reader that many people on all sides of the conflict are still suffering from the ongoing conflict

All the reports from the project are published by the prominent media outlets in the region and beyond in Azerbaijani Armenian

and Russian The Unheard Voices Facebook page provides a shared platform where every article and video report is available to readers for open discussion and comment An important element of the project is the jointly developed Code of Conduct which is publicly available and is also included here

The project was led by the participants themselves who approached it with all the enthusiasm commitment to their profession and sometimes courage which are essential to the work of journalism

We are particularly grateful to the joint expert group ndash Harutyun Mansuryan Mark Grigorian and Shahin Rzayev ndash who have generously shared their wealth of expertise and experience and given individual support to the journalists in their work

About International Alert

International Alert helps people find peaceful solutions to conflict

We are one of the worldrsquos leading peacebuilding organisations with nearly 30 years of experience laying the foundations for peace

We work with local people around the world to help them build peace and we advise governments organisations and companies on how to support peace

We focus on issues that influence peace including governance economics gender relations social development climate change and the role of businesses and international organisations in high-risk places

wwwinternational-alertorg

copy International Alert 2015All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without full attribution

Layout by D R ink

Translation from Russian Heather Stacey

UNHEARDVOICES

Since 2011 International Alert has been working with journalists from leading media outlets which regularly cover the Nagorny Karabakh conflict This initiative provides journalists from the region with a platform for professional development and dialogue with colleagues for the purpose of producing material which offers an alternative to the often militant rhetoric found in the mainstream media Over the last three years the work with the journalists has included training courses and workshops developed specially for the group as well as joint study trips to regions where communities are seeking ways to co-exist peacefully in the wake of armed conflict such as Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina

INTRODUCTION

The geographical names in this publication appear in the form used in the original texts of interviews

articles and other material produced by the journalists during the project

Unheard Voices is the result of work produced with the journalists over the last few years and their joint interpretation of ldquotheirrdquo conflict and its effect on the everyday lives of ordinary people The journalists have used this project to focus attention on the most vulnerable members of society and give them a voice providing us with an opportunity to hear the human stories of people living close to the ldquofrontlinerdquo as well as those of refugees and internally displaced people They talk about the problems they face living in a state of ldquoneither war nor peacerdquo and their stories are a stark reminder to the reader that many people on all sides of the conflict are still suffering from the ongoing conflict

All the reports from the project are published by the prominent media outlets in the region and beyond in Azerbaijani Armenian

and Russian The Unheard Voices Facebook page provides a shared platform where every article and video report is available to readers for open discussion and comment An important element of the project is the jointly developed Code of Conduct which is publicly available and is also included here

The project was led by the participants themselves who approached it with all the enthusiasm commitment to their profession and sometimes courage which are essential to the work of journalism

We are particularly grateful to the joint expert group ndash Harutyun Mansuryan Mark Grigorian and Shahin Rzayev ndash who have generously shared their wealth of expertise and experience and given individual support to the journalists in their work

Since 2011 International Alert has been working with journalists from leading media outlets which regularly cover the Nagorny Karabakh conflict This initiative provides journalists from the region with a platform for professional development and dialogue with colleagues for the purpose of producing material which offers an alternative to the often militant rhetoric found in the mainstream media Over the last three years the work with the journalists has included training courses and workshops developed specially for the group as well as joint study trips to regions where communities are seeking ways to co-exist peacefully in the wake of armed conflict such as Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina

INTRODUCTION

The geographical names in this publication appear in the form used in the original texts of interviews

articles and other material produced by the journalists during the project

Unheard Voices is the result of work produced with the journalists over the last few years and their joint interpretation of ldquotheirrdquo conflict and its effect on the everyday lives of ordinary people The journalists have used this project to focus attention on the most vulnerable members of society and give them a voice providing us with an opportunity to hear the human stories of people living close to the ldquofrontlinerdquo as well as those of refugees and internally displaced people They talk about the problems they face living in a state of ldquoneither war nor peacerdquo and their stories are a stark reminder to the reader that many people on all sides of the conflict are still suffering from the ongoing conflict

All the reports from the project are published by the prominent media outlets in the region and beyond in Azerbaijani Armenian

and Russian The Unheard Voices Facebook page provides a shared platform where every article and video report is available to readers for open discussion and comment An important element of the project is the jointly developed Code of Conduct which is publicly available and is also included here

The project was led by the participants themselves who approached it with all the enthusiasm commitment to their profession and sometimes courage which are essential to the work of journalism

We are particularly grateful to the joint expert group ndash Harutyun Mansuryan Mark Grigorian and Shahin Rzayev ndash who have generously shared their wealth of expertise and experience and given individual support to the journalists in their work

REFLECTIONS BY THE EXPERTS

Mark GrigorianViewed from the professional perspective the journalists involved in this project have clearly learned how to write about people At the very beginning of the project articles about the villages on the border read like dry reports on parliamentary sittings Gradually the journalists have started to hone their writing skills developing the ability to describe the villages realistically to ldquopaint a picturerdquo as the experts put it to show how people live the conditions they live in what their homes are like ndash so that the readers really gain a sense of the atmosphere of the border villages This is one of the projectrsquos major achievements

Regarding the peacebuilding perspective it is very difficult to talk about this during a period when the conflict has markedly worsened The projectrsquos implementation coincided with the most large-scale military action since the ceasefire was established in 1994 This naturally had a negative effect on the overall conflict situation ndash patriotism and nationalism flared on both sides and hostile sentiment became more prevalent Unfortunately in these circumstances itrsquos very difficult to talk about peacebuilding However it is to the credit of the journalists that they didnrsquot abandon the idea of the project and are continuing to work and portray life on the frontier

Harutyun Mansuryan The Unheard Voices project gives a voice to those who are still suffering from the unresolved conflict living near the border in a state of constant anxiety This voice is barely heard in society The mainstream media focus on depicting and writing about events happening in the capital cities or covering global issues not to mention reinforcing the image of ldquothe enemyrdquo The project provides an opportunity for the public to hear the voices of ordinary people living on the border and the voices of the other side as well to perceive and understand the human pain ndash theirs and othersrsquo ndash and to notice the similarities in the problems and personal plights faced by people on both sides Through the words of their ldquoheroesrdquo project participants have been able to humanise the conflict In this respect these heroes often speak pointedly and critically and their stories are moving and tragic Of course it is painful to hear all this from the other side of the border but it is so important to speak to be heard to listen and to understand the pain of others

For the journalists this is a space where albeit virtually Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists are working

Shahin Rzayev 2014 has probably been the most testing year for the sides in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict since the ceasefire agreement was signed 20 years ago

Against this difficult background the Unheard Voices project is the only initiative where Azerbaijani and Armenian journalists are still continuing to work together It is a courageous project based on professionalism and trust between colleagues The project is also unique in terms of its subject matter There is no room here for propaganda only for human voices ndash voices previously unheard and faces hitherto unseen I hope this project has made a significant contribution to the peacebuilding process or at least that it has shown the extent to which ordinary people living on different sides of the conflict face the same problems and that it has helped in some way to deconstruct the image of ldquothe enemyrdquo

together and what they produce generates Facebook ldquolikesrdquo on both sides of the border There are numerous joint Armenian and Azerbaijani projects but it is rare for the people of Nagorny Karabakh to be able to participate Facebook provides a platform which makes the reports genuinely accessible to anyone anywhere

The project could be extended to a larger group of participants thereby achieving greater resonance and starting a chain reaction Perhaps then it would become more acceptable for journalists in our countries to talk about the conflict not in stereotypes and clicheacutes but in accordance with professional standards and ethical principles

READERSrsquo COMMENTSlsquoI read it all and tears were pouring down my cheeks So many broken lives on both sides Yet again we hear the echoes of this cursed warrsquo Kavkaz-uzelrulsquoVery painful to read We have all travelled such terrible pathsrsquo The Unheard Voices Facebook page

lsquoItrsquos a shame that this material is only produced as part of a temporary project It would be good if the local media published things like this all the timersquo The Unheard Voices Facebook page

lsquoIn 24 years I have not once thought not once regretted not once told anyone that I miss my homeland and love it just as much as I ever did It was only after [I read the article] that I thought and spoke about this for the first time hellip I loved my true Azerbaijani friends hellip and will continue to do sorsquo Kavkaz-uzelru

REFLECTIONS BY JOURNALISTS

Anahit Danielyan

Many people know about Karabakh from the point of view of the conflict but know nothing about the lives of the ordinary people The media pays very little attention to their lives opinions and emotions Itrsquos rare to find material which doesnrsquot contain overtones of the official line or even more so of propaganda The reports we prepare through our project enable the readers to learn about real life here as well as ldquoenlighteningrdquo some sections of society who know nothing about the people living in the border villages hundreds of kilometres away and the problems they face Our project focuses on people as human beings from every perspective

Samira Ahmedbeyli

Above all this joint project is helping me and other journalists to look at the conflict not just from our own perspective but from the opposite point of view too

I think it is very important to be aware when yoursquore preparing reports that they are aimed at both sides not just at a local audience

Working with the other journalists in the Unheard Voices group brings added responsibility It isnrsquot easy to convey the aim of the project accurately to journalists and to inspire them to work on it because everyone is much more used to writing about the problems and blaming the other side for everything But in this project we have to convince journalists to look more deeply at the issues and see the real roots of the problems

We already know how much can be achieved by the power of the media This power can be manipulated to ignite nationalism and hostility But I think joint projects like this one actually help to prevent that kind of manipulation

Harutyun Harutyunyan

Even during the most difficult periods at times when tension on the border reached a peak our reports were free of hostility and indifference We were worried at those points that people would misunderstand and even condemn us but the readersrsquo comments showed us we were on the right track

This project gives the public the chance to learn more about the everyday lives and problems faced by people living in villages on the border Most importantly our meetings conversations and reports which donrsquot distort the views of the people living near the border have given them faith (even if only a little) in tomorrow

Seymur Kazimov

Most importantly this project gives society facts about whatrsquos really happening in the lives of ordinary people living on both sides This information is not reported in the official media which focuses much more on covering the political situation and spreading propaganda I would say the Unheard Voices project could be described as the ldquoVoices of the Peoplerdquo project

For me as an experienced journalist itrsquos really important to have the opportunity to meet experts and colleagues and share opinions and information I feel that this project plays an important role in facilitating dialogue and an exchange of opinions between the sides I would like more experts to be involved in the project I would also like more training sessions as they are beneficial for new and experienced journalists alike

LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE

Albert Voskanyan

The Unheard Voices project provides people from different social groups with an opportunity to talk about their problems thoughts and dreams their visions for their own future and for the future of the countries in which they live These voices should be heard both by the public and by those in power

Seymur Kazimov

The public has a chance to see what war does to ordinary people how they live and what they think about the war

lsquoWhen we have classes on the first floor as soon as we hear shots we instantly get down Wersquore scared but wersquore used to itrsquo

Piunkhan Guliev a Year 11 pupil who lives in the village of Gapanly Terter district on the frontline between Azerbaijan and Armenia (Seymur Kazimov lsquoWhat can we do with them if all theyrsquove seen since birth is warrsquo)

lsquoWhen the noise of the shooting was really loud we started singing so the children wouldnrsquot be frightened thatrsquos how we workedrsquo

Sultan Badalian infant school teacher border village of Voskepar (Karen Melkonian lsquoVoskepar ndash twinned with Staryy Oskolrsquo)

lsquoOur houses are wounded too just like the hearts of the people There are houses with no windows or doors and only cellophane to protect them hellip We go to the shop and donrsquot know if wersquoll come back alive We have a hayfield but we donrsquot know if wersquoll be able to cut it hellip We donrsquot want much just peacersquo

Goar resident of the village of Chinari 235km from Yerevan and one kilometre from the border with Azerbaijan (Melania Melkumian lsquoStrong representatives of the weaker sexrsquo)

lsquoEvery night my husband locks the door securely and when I ask him why he always says the same thing ldquoWersquore only a few kilometres from the borderrdquo We canrsquot even sow wheat so that we can make our own bread I canrsquot buy bread every day for a family of 12 We wanted to sow the field but our son wouldnrsquot let us he said wersquore not going to get ourselves blown up by a minersquo

Tikin Ruzanna Naftalian resident of the village of Nor Karmiravan Martakert district (Mariam Sarkisian lsquoNovyy Karmiravan If theyrsquore not sowing their wheat it means the war hasnrsquot ended yetrsquo)

Tikin is a title used for married women in Armenian

REFLECTIONS BY JOURNALISTS

Anahit Danielyan

Many people know about Karabakh from the point of view of the conflict but know nothing about the lives of the ordinary people The media pays very little attention to their lives opinions and emotions Itrsquos rare to find material which doesnrsquot contain overtones of the official line or even more so of propaganda The reports we prepare through our project enable the readers to learn about real life here as well as ldquoenlighteningrdquo some sections of society who know nothing about the people living in the border villages hundreds of kilometres away and the problems they face Our project focuses on people as human beings from every perspective

Samira Ahmedbeyli

Above all this joint project is helping me and other journalists to look at the conflict not just from our own perspective but from the opposite point of view too

I think it is very important to be aware when yoursquore preparing reports that they are aimed at both sides not just at a local audience

Working with the other journalists in the Unheard Voices group brings added responsibility It isnrsquot easy to convey the aim of the project accurately to journalists and to inspire them to work on it because everyone is much more used to writing about the problems and blaming the other side for everything But in this project we have to convince journalists to look more deeply at the issues and see the real roots of the problems

We already know how much can be achieved by the power of the media This power can be manipulated to ignite nationalism and hostility But I think joint projects like this one actually help to prevent that kind of manipulation

Harutyun Harutyunyan

Even during the most difficult periods at times when tension on the border reached a peak our reports were free of hostility and indifference We were worried at those points that people would misunderstand and even condemn us but the readersrsquo comments showed us we were on the right track

This project gives the public the chance to learn more about the everyday lives and problems faced by people living in villages on the border Most importantly our meetings conversations and reports which donrsquot distort the views of the people living near the border have given them faith (even if only a little) in tomorrow

Seymur Kazimov

Most importantly this project gives society facts about whatrsquos really happening in the lives of ordinary people living on both sides This information is not reported in the official media which focuses much more on covering the political situation and spreading propaganda I would say the Unheard Voices project could be described as the ldquoVoices of the Peoplerdquo project

For me as an experienced journalist itrsquos really important to have the opportunity to meet experts and colleagues and share opinions and information I feel that this project plays an important role in facilitating dialogue and an exchange of opinions between the sides I would like more experts to be involved in the project I would also like more training sessions as they are beneficial for new and experienced journalists alike

LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE

Albert Voskanyan

The Unheard Voices project provides people from different social groups with an opportunity to talk about their problems thoughts and dreams their visions for their own future and for the future of the countries in which they live These voices should be heard both by the public and by those in power

Seymur Kazimov

The public has a chance to see what war does to ordinary people how they live and what they think about the war

lsquoWhen we have classes on the first floor as soon as we hear shots we instantly get down Wersquore scared but wersquore used to itrsquo

Piunkhan Guliev a Year 11 pupil who lives in the village of Gapanly Terter district on the frontline between Azerbaijan and Armenia (Seymur Kazimov lsquoWhat can we do with them if all theyrsquove seen since birth is warrsquo)

lsquoWhen the noise of the shooting was really loud we started singing so the children wouldnrsquot be frightened thatrsquos how we workedrsquo

Sultan Badalian infant school teacher border village of Voskepar (Karen Melkonian lsquoVoskepar ndash twinned with Staryy Oskolrsquo)

lsquoOur houses are wounded too just like the hearts of the people There are houses with no windows or doors and only cellophane to protect them hellip We go to the shop and donrsquot know if wersquoll come back alive We have a hayfield but we donrsquot know if wersquoll be able to cut it hellip We donrsquot want much just peacersquo

Goar resident of the village of Chinari 235km from Yerevan and one kilometre from the border with Azerbaijan (Melania Melkumian lsquoStrong representatives of the weaker sexrsquo)

lsquoEvery night my husband locks the door securely and when I ask him why he always says the same thing ldquoWersquore only a few kilometres from the borderrdquo We canrsquot even sow wheat so that we can make our own bread I canrsquot buy bread every day for a family of 12 We wanted to sow the field but our son wouldnrsquot let us he said wersquore not going to get ourselves blown up by a minersquo

Tikin Ruzanna Naftalian resident of the village of Nor Karmiravan Martakert district (Mariam Sarkisian lsquoNovyy Karmiravan If theyrsquore not sowing their wheat it means the war hasnrsquot ended yetrsquo)

Tikin is a title used for married women in Armenian

LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE

Albert Voskanyan

The Unheard Voices project provides people from different social groups with an opportunity to talk about their problems thoughts and dreams their visions for their own future and for the future of the countries in which they live These voices should be heard both by the public and by those in power

Seymur Kazimov

The public has a chance to see what war does to ordinary people how they live and what they think about the war

lsquoWhen we have classes on the first floor as soon as we hear shots we instantly get down Wersquore scared but wersquore used to itrsquo

Piunkhan Guliev a Year 11 pupil who lives in the village of Gapanly Terter district on the frontline between Azerbaijan and Armenia (Seymur Kazimov lsquoWhat can we do with them if all theyrsquove seen since birth is warrsquo)

lsquoWhen the noise of the shooting was really loud we started singing so the children wouldnrsquot be frightened thatrsquos how we workedrsquo

Sultan Badalian infant school teacher border village of Voskepar (Karen Melkonian lsquoVoskepar ndash twinned with Staryy Oskolrsquo)

lsquoOur houses are wounded too just like the hearts of the people There are houses with no windows or doors and only cellophane to protect them hellip We go to the shop and donrsquot know if wersquoll come back alive We have a hayfield but we donrsquot know if wersquoll be able to cut it hellip We donrsquot want much just peacersquo

Goar resident of the village of Chinari 235km from Yerevan and one kilometre from the border with Azerbaijan (Melania Melkumian lsquoStrong representatives of the weaker sexrsquo)

lsquoEvery night my husband locks the door securely and when I ask him why he always says the same thing ldquoWersquore only a few kilometres from the borderrdquo We canrsquot even sow wheat so that we can make our own bread I canrsquot buy bread every day for a family of 12 We wanted to sow the field but our son wouldnrsquot let us he said wersquore not going to get ourselves blown up by a minersquo

Tikin Ruzanna Naftalian resident of the village of Nor Karmiravan Martakert district (Mariam Sarkisian lsquoNovyy Karmiravan If theyrsquore not sowing their wheat it means the war hasnrsquot ended yetrsquo)

Tikin is a title used for married women in Armenian

lsquoHow can we expect a woman to spend her whole life looking after a disabled man who canrsquot get out of bed dressing the suppurating wounds on his legs arms or eyes and being nurse carer wife and mother to his children And what man would want to look so pathetic in front of his wife Surely the government has a duty to provide 24-hour well-paid nursing care to people who sacrificed their health in the name of their motherland After all these people havenrsquot just lost their health theyrsquove lost their youth and all their hopes for the futurersquo

Firudin Mamedov Deputy Director of an NGO for disabled veterans of the Karabakh war His injuries from the war have affected his vision (Afgan Mukhtarly rsquo10 manat per month to care for people with disabilitiesrsquo)

BROKEN LIVES

lsquoMy brother went missing during the war He was 18 years old Our family comes from the Armenian town of Gafan After we had to leave our home we werenrsquot able to start looking for him But any mother or sister wants to know whatrsquos happened to their loved ones My mother was struck down with grief All the prisoners of war and hostages ndash no matter whether theyrsquore Azerbaijani Armenian Russian or Jewish ndash all of them should be returnedrsquo says Giulrsquochokhra Abdullaeva who now lives in the Sabunchin district of Baku

lsquoThere are mothers in Armenia too A child is always precious Death is inevitable but at least you can go and mourn at the grave Yet our lost relatives donrsquot even have graves Irsquom spending my whole life in a state of waiting Wersquore human after allrsquo (Ayten Farkhadova lsquoFor 20 years therersquos been no news of themrsquo)

lsquoThere has been a sharp rise in the number of children born with health problems here since the end of the war These are actually the children of children who lived through the war the fear and stress and so on that these parents went through during the Karabakh war when they were children themselves has left a legacy Their children are being born with problems Not all of them of course but the proportion of children born with problems here has increased notably since the ceasefirersquo Albert Voskanyan photoblogger from Nagorny Karabakh (Albert Voskanyan lsquoEarthly angels My three days working at a rehabilitation centrersquo)

lsquoItrsquos been 22 years since I lost my son Only people whorsquove experienced it can understand the unrelenting painrsquo Zemfira Voskanian village of Verin Chambarak Gegharkunik region (David Stepanian lsquoThe shooting sounds like Azerbaijani mugham to our ears nowrsquo)

Tikin Lala left her 12 brothers and her parents in Azerbaijan She doesnrsquot know whether they are alive or dead She often leafs through the photo album in which she carefully keeps their pictures but once the shooting starts in Baganis she forgets everyone she left in Azerbaijan lsquoItrsquos not my brothers and my parents and other relatives Irsquom worried about the most important thing is that nothing happens to my grandchildren and my family herersquo Tikin Lalarsquos gaze never leaves her grandchildren Shersquos afraid for them

Lala Safarovna Atgezalova moved to Baganis exactly 50 years ago from her native Azerbaijani village just a few kilometres away Her family and her fianceacutersquos family were friends so fate brought them together hellip The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan robbed the family founded by that Azerbaijani girl and her Armenian husband of a great deal but tikin Lala has no regrets about the fact that 50 years ago she ran away with an Armenian to Baganis doomed to become a border town lsquoI donrsquot regret anything I donrsquot regret marrying an Armenian Armenia welcomed me with open arms and has loved and respected me like a daughter or a sisterrsquo she says

But on days when there is a temporary ceasefire in Baganis and therersquos no shooting to be heard tikin Lala opens her photo album How are her mother brothers nowhellip (Harutyun Harutyunyan lsquoThe Azerbaijani bride of Baganisrsquo)

THE OTHER SIDE - MEMORIES OF COEXISTENCE

Suren Antonian recalled an Azerbaijani friend called Agabal who once saved his life lsquoAfter the earthquake when relations between Armenians and Azerbaijanis became strained I was driving past Agdam one day and decided to drop in on my friend Agabal spotted my car from some way off and motioned to me to turn back It turned out that an armed group from Baku had arrived in the village and there was a meeting going on at Agabalrsquos house to decide how to deal with the Armenians Once Irsquod driven away from the house Agabal came over to the car and told me that around 15 armed aggressive anti-Armenian lads had come to the village and if theyrsquod suddenly noticed an Armenian they might have shot me We got into the car and drove offrsquo He hasnrsquot seen Agabal since but is certain that if he does see him one day hersquoll greet him like a friend and embrace and kiss him

(Melania Melkumian lsquoOrdinary people donrsquot want warrsquo)

lsquoFor years we werenrsquot just friends with the Azerbaijanis we were kinrsquoIsrael Gukasovich from the village of Doveg in the Tavush region (Ashot Safarian lsquoYou canrsquot shoot at Armenian or Azerbaijani children with clean handsrsquo)

lsquoWe helped the Armenians in hard times and they helped us hellip We even gave each other presents We really were good neighbours hellip When there were Armenian feasts they laid a separate table for us Because wersquore Muslims So they didnrsquot put any alcoholic drinks or pork on that table They really did everything to make us feel welcome and keep us happyrsquo

Mahmud Guseynov remembers good neighbourly relations with the Armenians from the time when he lived in Kialrsquobadzhar (Sevda Rashidgyzy Mingiachevir lsquoWe were good neighbourshelliprsquo)

lsquoWe left the village in December 1988 Before that wersquod never had any problems with the Armenians We lived peacefully Married off our children [There were] Armenians at our celebrations and at their celebrations Azerbaijanis sat at the head of the table Our people chose a ldquokirverdquo for our sons from among the Armenians They knew the Azerbaijani language perfectly and we knew Armenian Personally I had many Armenian friends When we were leaving the village our Armenian neighbours sent us off with tears in their eyesrsquo

Firuddin Khalilov a refugee from Armenia who now lives in Giandzha (Liaman Mustafagyzy lsquoThe ordinary people had no problems with each otherrsquo)

Kirve is a term similar in meaning to the Christian ldquogodfatherrdquo In communities where Azerbaijanis and Armenians live together there is a long-standing custom of a sponsor or kirve being chosen from the other community to take part in Armenian baptism and Azerbaijani circumcision ceremonies for boys An ongoing bond is thereby forged between the families

lsquoI had Azerbaijani friends we went to nursery and school together and to music lessons No-one divided their friends into Armenians and Azerbaijanisrsquo Susanna Sarkisova talking about life in Sumgait (Mariam Sarkisian lsquoTwo lives from Sumgait to Gadrutrsquo)

lsquoIn the past no-one ever raised the issue of nationality and who was Azerbaijani and who Armenian ndash no-one cared And then suddenly all this trouble started ndash wersquove no idea ourselves where it came fromrsquoKiazim Ibragimov remembering life in the Armenian village of Kotanly which he and his family left in 1988 (Sevda Rashidgyzy Mingiachevir lsquoDamn those who sowed discord between neighboursrsquo)

IDPs AND REFUGEES

Samira Ahmedbeyli

The Unheard Voices project gives the public the chance to hear about and see the problems suffered by people who were directly affected by the war but who were long deprived of the right to have their say The project participants produced a series of reports from Pirshagi on the outskirts of Baku where internally displaced people from Khodzhaly and Shushi live in a dilapidated old sanatorium building

David Stepanian

It wasnrsquot pleasant to see the consequences of the conflict the consequences for the refugees from Azerbaijan the consequences for people living in Armenian villages near the border and the consequences which theyrsquove suffered since 1991 and continue to suffer today Unheard Voices is a rare project which allows the voices to be heard of those whom the world today would largely rather ignore We are prepared to continue to do everything we can to ensure these voices are heard first and foremost by the decision-makers

lsquoAnd they labelled us ldquorefugeesrdquo as well I was embarrassed to go out That was the thing that hurt the most The neighbours asked why we left our homeland Do you think we wanted to flee and leave our homes and everything we ownedrsquo

Minaia Agaeva (Giulrsquonur Ragifgyzy lsquoAgaev family forced to flee their home on wedding dayrsquo)

lsquoWersquove been living here since 1994 At first we were living in a railway wagon My father-in-law fell ill in the unbearable conditions and died there After that we used our own money to build a house on an empty plotrsquo Elrsquoza Gulieva an internally displaced person from Agdam (Seymur Kazimov lsquoLack of housing means the children of internally displaced people canrsquot go to schoolrsquo)

lsquoWersquore in a really hopeless situation Our kitchen bath and everything else is in these 12m2 And wersquove got a bucket for a toiletrsquo Nadia an Armenian refugee who has been living in a student hall of residence at Abovian Energy College for 26 years

lsquoWe need our own place thatrsquos all we dream ofrsquo (Harutyun Harutyunyan Susan Badalian lsquoThe refugees who have known nothing but sorrowrsquo)

lsquoIn wartime you know therersquos a war going on But now therersquos no war yet people donrsquot have the water which they need to live and itrsquos worse than wartimersquo Silrsquova Martirosian village of Nor Karmiravan close to the Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact There are people from Karmiravan living in the village of Nor Karmiravan who were deported during the Karabakh war (Anait Danielyan lsquoNor Karmiravan ldquoTherersquos no water for us that means itrsquos wartimerdquorsquo)

THE OTHER SIDE - 20 YEARS APART

lsquoWersquore neighbours So much depends on your neighbours you need to talk to your neighbours be friends with them and trade with them Is that possible No itrsquos not possible at the momentrsquo Sos Barsegian village of Atsi Martunin district Nagorny Karabakh (Erik Avanesian lsquoThe fact that young people arenrsquot getting married is a bigger problem than the lack of waterrsquo)

lsquoI canrsquot imagine that a day will come when wersquoll live in peace with the Azerbaijanis again like we did for all those years before the war Wersquore lucky wersquove not lost any of our loved ones only property but people all around us have lost sons husbands parents How can we forget all that nowrsquo Valia Gulian who has lived in Stepanakert since fleeing from Baku in 1988 (Ashot Safarian lsquoEcho of warrsquo)

lsquoI wouldnrsquot want to live with the Armenians again Itrsquos dreadful living with them I want to go back home but with just us living there Itrsquos true we used to be neighbours and they came and did their shopping in our village But we canrsquot live together anymorersquo

Tergiulrsquo Alieva native to the village of Gasanli Dzhabrail district (Aynur Elrsquogiunesh lsquoThe third generation of warrsquo) lsquoAfter the war I happened to encounter some

Azerbaijanis We wheelchair users went to a specialist sanatorium in the town of Saki and there in the park when we were out getting some air wersquod see other paralysed people in wheelchairs They were Azerbaijanis They knew we were Armenians but there was never even a slanging match between us although there was no conversation or contact eitherrsquo

Mkhitar Stepanian Nagorny Karabakh (Albert Voskanyan lsquoThrough thorns to the stars The fate of Manrsquo)

lsquoI want peace Irsquom against war But with my own eyes I saw Armenian soldiers setting fire to our village My cousins were killed in Terter Has their attitude towards us changed I donrsquot think so And I donrsquot believe in their peacersquo Nasiba Alieva native to the village of Niuzgiar Dzhabrail district in a student hall of residence at Azerbaijan Medical University in Baku (Ayten Farkhadova lsquoWhen tragedy becomes commonplacersquo)

lsquoItrsquos not peace yet What kind of peace is it when people are being killed every day On the other side of the border is the enemy hellip If the border opened trade would start up again hellip What kind of talk is that I donrsquot want it What kind of friendship can there be I donrsquot want their goods I donrsquot want anythingrsquo Greta Petrosian who lost her son and brought up her grandchildren (Erik Avanesian lsquoAre they giving away the land to destroy the next generationsrsquo)

lsquoMy only wish is to be spared grief and pain and to live long enough to see Kialrsquobadzhar Therersquos nothing else I needrsquo

Makhmud Guseynov Mingiachevir (Sevda Rashidgyzy lsquoWe were

good neighboursrsquo)

lsquoItrsquos been 20 years since they announced the ceasefire and started holding talks and whatrsquos the outcome Yet again therersquos shooting yet again peaceful people are suffering and being killed and children are growing up in constant fear I want an end to be put to itrsquo Ali Gasanov resident of the village of Alibeyli Tovuz district on the border with Armenia (Liaman Mustafagyzy lsquoThe Karabakh war came into our homersquo)

DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE

lsquoLet their children live and ours let there be peace for them and for usrsquo Zarine Arushanian village of Miurishen Martunin district (Mariam Sarkisian lsquoThe village founded by Miri its current problems and the bride from Avdurrsquo)

lsquoOne day wersquoll make peace whenever that may be After all wersquore neighbours and itrsquos not the first war therersquos been between us Wersquoll make up But wersquoll never forget everything thatrsquos happened to us We wonrsquot and neither will theyrsquo Boris Mirzoian resident of the village of Nakhidzhevanik Askeran district (Lusine Avanesian lsquoGo to a strange place live in a strange house and leave our home to the whim of fatehelliprsquo)

lsquoThe Azerbaijanis are people like us I donrsquot know I personally donrsquot believe anyone ndash Armenian Azerbaijani or Georgian ndash wanted war hellip I just want peace nothing elsersquo Luiza Grigorian village of Aygepar (Karine Harutyunyan lsquoAygepar From tobacco factory to parcelsrsquo)

bull The main values at the heart of the project are peace and people These values are the guiding principles of our work

bull Do no harm ndash a journalist is responsible for every word in hisher report Quotes do not exempt a journalist from responsibility for the nature of the material

bull Avoid hate speech (eg do not use the word rdquoenemyrdquo in reports in any language)

bull Avoid history ndash write about today not about the past

bull Avoid myths and stereotypes about each other and the conflict that are prevalent in the societies concerned and widespread in the media

bull Do not generalise and remember that not everything is always the same everywhere

bull Detailed preparation ndash choose a particular focus for a report and research the historical context

bull Critically assess sources including interviewees with the aim of producing more in-depth material (ask ldquohardrdquo questions)

bull Trust but check ndash verify facts and check the reliability of your information as much as possible and from all sides

bull Be cautious with quotations ndash do not twist the meaning or present a quote out of context and clearly mark direct speech

bull Differentiate facts from comments in a manner that is clear to your audience

bull Carry out your work in a spirit of collegiality and professional solidarity

bull Terminology recognising the high degree of sensitivity in the societies concerned towards terms and geographical names project participants should be guided by the following principles

- keep the names and terms originally used clearly indicating direct speech

- use names that are accepted by your local audience in the case of StepanakertKhankendi and ShushaShushi for an Armenian or Azerbaijani audience accordingly

- bearing in mind that in recent years many geographical place names have changed indicate both names for ease of understanding and better reception among all audiences (use brackets footnotes ldquordquo or include in the narrative of the text)

Code of Conduct for participants of Unheard Voices

The following principles were developed collectively The project participants agreed to follow them with the aim of managing the relationships between the journalists and their audience protagonists of media reports sources fellow project participants and other journalists

THE CODE OF CONDUCT

Samira Ahmedbeyli

Coverage of the conflict usually has overtones of propaganda In this project articles are prepared in line with professional standards of journalism aided by the Code of Conduct developed on the basis of lively debate within the group of journalists and experts The material produced does not serve as propaganda foment hostility or exacerbate the conflict Instead it simply provides professional reporting on selected themes

Seymur Kazimov

In my opinion the most important aspect of the Code of Conduct is that itrsquos a document with which all the participants agree The Code helps us to agree itrsquos a kind of barrier in the positive sense that it prevents potential misunderstanding especially in the area of terminology

Harutyun Harutyunyan

Most important are the remit and ethical standards at the heart of this project work

Acknowledgements

This project was implemented by International Alert in partnership with the European Partnership for the Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh (EPNK)

We would like to thank the European Union for their assistance in the production of this report We are also grateful for the support from our strategic donors the UK Department for International Development UKAID the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The opinions expressed in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of International Alert or our donorsPhotos copy International Alert A Voskanyan S Kazimov K Melkonian M Sarkisian A Farkhadova H Harutyunyan K Harutyunyan A Muhtarly S Rashidgyzy L Mustafagyzy A Danielyan S Ahmedbeyli E Avanesian L Avanesian A Safarian E Bayramly G Mehdizade I Nur

UNHEARDVOICES

International Alert 346 Clapham Road London SW9 9AP United KingdomTel +44 (0)20 7627 6800 Fax +44 (0)20 7627 6900infointernational-alertorgwwwinternational-alertorg

InternationalAlert intalert