Domestic Violence, the Rule of Law, Temperamental “Baxi” Machines, and Vosgee Ashun in Yerevan

When I arrived last week, I met with the group that I am volunteering through for my orientation.  We began talking about the different organizations in Armenia that are fighting for change, including Women’s groups who are working towards equality.  This conversation led to the subject of Zaruhi Petrosyan.  The story has apparently been all over the news in Armenia and the Diaspora, but I hadn’t heard of it. 

For those who haven’t heard, Zaruhi was the 20-year old mother of an infant who was killed by her husband and mother-in-law.  Her injuries were horrific.  It seems her mother-in-law even went as far as breaking her fingers when she tried to dial the police for help.  Zaruhi’s story is really something.  Unfortunately, I know most of us have heard it before.  I have pasted links below to the news stories that contain more details. 

It seems domestic violence is a serious problem in the country.  I find it interesting since Armenia is considered to be a country with a low violent crime rate.  I know that domestic abuse isn’t reported.  But I am beginning to wonder if street crimes are perhaps not reported either.  I will have to delve into this over the next few weeks. 

While I certainly feel for Zaruhi and all victims of abuse, I am the type who tries to get to the heart of the problem.   On Thursday, there was a protest in memory of Zaruhi and against this type of crime.  They are urging the government to enact domestic abuse laws.  Armenia currently has no laws against domestic violence on the books.  As such, while Zaruhi’s husband is now being investigated for murder, it seems – from what I have read so far – that the mother-in-law will walk free, because she was not the murderer.  People have been fighting to get domestic violence laws on the books for years.  I believe there is even draft legislation in existence.  But even if we were successful in getting these laws enacted, who would enforce them?   It seems to me the core problem is that the rule of law is non-existent. 

Maybe it’s the lawyer in me, but almost every time I think of an issue or problem with the country, the non-existence of the rule of law makes me realize that any efforts to change things will likely be futile!  Coming from a country where no one is above the law (technically), it’s hard to imagine how a country can function when the laws don’t mean anything.  I am not saying we should force our American laws on other nations.  But the concept of the rule of law, in my opinion, is the basis of any functioning democracy.   

In my capacity as a volunteer, I’ve been reviewing some interesting statistics.  One of them listed the top 5 concerns of the Armenian people.  Unemployment concerned 65% of people; it was #1.  At number five with 0.5% or so was rule of law.  The reason this statistic interested me so much is because it made me wonder if the Armenian people are still in survival mode. After all, the last 19 years of independence, and even going back to the earthquake of 1988, have been far from rosy.   But things are better now.  Not necessarily good, but better.  It’s a good time to make a shift from survival to fight for freedom.  And that must include, in my humble opinion, making the rule of law a priority. 

I feel like I’ve been bombarded with things to think about.  I’ve only been here a few days, and these are just some preliminary observations.  But with every passing day, I feel like I am getting closer to understanding them.  It’s definitely an interesting place to be right now. 

On a less serious note, it turns out my Baxi machine is quite temperamental.  The heat and hot water work most of the time.  I feel like there’s someone in my apartment every few days to “fix” it.  I was talking about this with some of the interns at my office.  It sounds like there’s always someone with Baxi issues.  Luckily, the weather is still quite bearable.  The winter will be a different story.  I suppose I will have things better figured out by then. 

On the flight to Paris last week, I met an American who works for an international bank.  He has been in Armenia for 15 months.  Last night, I met up with him and his fiancée.   They were really nice.  It was fun to hear the perspective of a non-Armenian American.  He is, of course, in love with the food.  He said that he has lost 60 lbs in the past year just because of the lifestyle and the quality of the food.

I have been enjoying the food as well.  A few days ago, a friend introduced me to an eggplant salad made with yogurt, garlic, shredded beef, and chopped walnuts.  It was out of this world delicious!  I also ate a heart and lung sandwich at Tumanian Shawarma.  Yes, I really did.  And I am proud that I tried it.  It was all rolled in lavash (Armenian flat bread) along with onions, parsley, dressing, peppers and such things, so I could not differentiate between the heart and the lung.  But all the meat I ate was quite lean and a bit on the chewy side.  It was pretty good.  I would probably eat it again, though I like the other sandwiches better.  They are less chewy.

Last week, my friend and his wife had me over for an incredibly delicious meal!  We had fish, potatoes, pickles, yogurt, veggies… it was just lovely!  I love Armenian hospitality.  And in true Armenian style, I ate way too much!  They even gave me some home-made walnut jam to take home with me.  I love the walnut jam!  Aside from the food, the company was great too.  My friend’s sister, who I met that day, was an interesting person to speak to.  She asked if we know that a criminal is 100% guilty, how can we let him walk free just because a few words are not said.  She was referring to Miranda.  We also shared a cab back into the city.  It was interesting to hear her perspective of how Yerevan used to be and how it is now.  But I am still sorting out all of that information, so I will write more about that another time. 

The yogurt here is also at the top of my list.  It has so much flavor.  In fact, I found some kiwi yogurt that I am having for breakfast right now!  I am even making tan.  Tan is a drink made by mixing yogurt, water, and salt.  I don’t ordinarily like tan, but the yogurt here makes all the difference.  I had a stomach ache a few days ago, and I was told that the best thing was to drink tan because the cultures in the yogurt help regulate things.  Two people told me that, and I think it may have worked. 

I can’t wait to discover more home remedies.  I recently told a Yerevantsi (someone from Yerevan) that I had a blister the last time I was here.  I told her how I bought some medicine for it that turned my toe orange for nearly 2 months.  She told me that next time, I should put honey and a bandage.  I will keep that in mind!  I am not interested in any more orange toes. 

Work is good so far.  Our office is on the 9^th floor, and I have a lovely view of the Opera and of the Mayr Hayastan (Mother Armenia) statue from my desk.  I see a mix of modern and Soviet-style buildings and gold-colored tree tops. It’s all a really beautiful mix. 

The street where our office is located is only a few years old.  I recently learned that its construction caused a lot of outrage.  The government was supposed to preserve some of the architectural gems that previously stood here.  Unfortunately, they have all been replaced with some bland buildings.  It wasn’t my favorite street when I saw it the last time I was here.  And I suppose now that I know the story, I like it even less.  But I guess it is what it is; there are more important battles to fight.

Today, we will put up the office Christmas tree.  It has been fun getting to know everyone here.  I am still struggling a bit with the language, though I feel my Armenian is getting stronger every day.  I’ve been trying to read every day.  Everyone speaks English, but I am trying to get everyone to speak to me in Armenian.  The office is warm-ish, but there is definitely heat here.  And yes, there is cigar smoking going on.  It seems to be mostly the organization’s founder who smokes in his office.  So I suppose no one can really say anything.  The office also has multiple balconies, and the other employees go outside to smoke.  The office brings in lunch for the employees 3 times a week.  We had Chinese food the other day, and I can’t believe how good it was!   The office also provides real plates, cutlery, glasses, and cups.  There’s a woman who comes every night to wash it.  This cleaning person is always in a skirt and heels… very different than any of the cleaning crews I’ve seen in the U.S..  No one says hello to her.  I felt bad, so I said hello.  She looked at me like I was crazy.   But how do you make eye contact with someone and not say hello?  I can’t do that.  Everyone deserves a “hello, how are you.”  Since this is supposed to be cultural exchange, I will continue to say hello. 

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/11/18/in-the-name-of-zaruhi-a-call-to-action-in-armenia-and-diaspora/

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/10/10/domestic-abuse/