Just blind faith: Mariam Sukhudyan is not Joan of Arc

Her eyes will notice the things you don’t when you pass by them indifferently. Your ears are indifferent to the voice of “Drujba” cutting down a tree, but in the spectrum of hearing the sound has a special place. She always wears a shirt with symbols of protecting Teghut.

“It is no accident that I observed all this. When one is interested in something, then that something will find you – says Mariam Sukhudyan, defender of pupils of special schools, environmental activist and a fearless girl – Today, the destruction of nature has taken a wide-range. Hunting animals, deforestation, all this is happening in the light of day. I’m sure that 99% of people simply do not want to see.”

Mariam Sukhudyan became “hot line”. She is being called from everywhere. Today she is in the woods of Ijevan, tomorrow she will be at Symphony stones in Garni, on the next day she will be in Teghut, orphanage, nursing house … She leads an active social life and is full of enthusiasm to change the system: “This is my life, I live it. It wouldn’t be interesting to think of only my personal problems.”

In her perception, the system is specially designed so that people do not believe that they can change it and thus have become its prisoners. “The system is not only our president and our government – she explains – the system is over all of this, and it is comprehensive. In general, it is constructed in such a way that you think – nothing depends on me, everything is settled without my participation.”

Mariam’s way of thinking is beyond any limitations. This is how the president of Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center Sona Ayvazian described her.

“She’s very independent and thinks in a very free way,” – she says – is not afraid to express her position on any issue if she considers it fair. At the event over the Independence Day, on which other people were simply present, for Mariam it was like coming to work. She went to Hovik Abrahamyan, ministers and raised various issues.”

Mariam regularly points out that in her struggle, she is not alone, and many people think in the same way, and they are driven by faith.

“Maybe this sounds abstract, but blind faith plays a big role in people’s ability to make real change,” – says Mariam.

Her public activity started in 2001 from the office of “Armenia 1700“. Then she went to orphanages and nursing houses, collected clothes for the poor. “I was there I realized that many people live in completely different life conditions, and if you want, you can change those conditions.”

It was then that Miriam often attended special school N. 11 of Nubarashen. During her visits she often talked with the children and got acquainted with their problems. “It was not by the United Nations program that we went to that school but when the UN announced a contest we offered a program for this school,” – she says.

In March-May 2008 Sukhudyan and 9 volunteers carried out school program in Nubarashen “Preparing educational multimedia and audio books.” As a result, the school opened a computer lab, courses were conducted in English and Russian languages, also excursions were organized.

However, when in 2009 she was accused according to the article “false testimony from the mercenary motives,” she said, she was very scared.

“Many people call me fearless, but I’m one of them, and I was really scared. I cried and even recorded it on video – frankly admits Mariam – there was a danger that I could spend 5 years in prison and there was no reaction from anone. The lawyer said that the order was given from the authorities, and everything was possible, and I was very afraid. I had no desire to rot in jail and get the title of a hero. I’m not Joan of Arc.”

Friends of Mariam and the media raised a fuss about this affair, which received publicity. Last spring, the case was dismissed, the teacher was accused in pedophilia and was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

Decision of the Government of 1 November 2007, company “ACP” has the right to exploit Teghut mine for 50 years, which includes cutting down more than 357 hectares of forest.

Project costs about U.S. $ 300 million. Loans are made by Russian bank VTB. For about 1,5 years, the company has been carrying out internal resources logging on a small scale, while the bank did not issue loans. Sukhudyan and defense team of Teghut “launched a campaign against VTB bank, demanding to refuse lending program. The bank charter stipulates that they should not finance projects that lead to environmental disasters, “- says Sukhudyan – the bank manager does not respond to our letters and does not meet with us and we will boycott their work.”

In July 2012, activists held a big rally against the bank, after which the users of social networks actively encouraged the bank customers to stop using its services.

Sukhudyan suggests to use the potential of the Diaspora in the fight against the use of the deposit.

Although women are the weak sex and the ability to change the world is attributed to men, Sukhudyan believes that there are more female enthusiasts and they are more committed than men.

“I would like to see strong men beside women in this sphere. Because strong women need strong men’s shoulder, – she says – there is a perception that it is easier for Armenian female activists because they will not be intimidated or be pressed on by men, but in our country the criminals can press on anyone. “