ALS Movement, Anoush Armenia and Bekaisa keep the carnival organized in Yerevna on the traditional Armenian festival day of “Barekendan” in the focus, bringing additional news and stressing the importance of this social event from a civil perspective. ALS Movement looks at the civic value of the event in more depth:
[…]A Panegyric/carnival is being organized in Yerevan on the day of Barekentan, and it’s important that as many people as possible go.
[…]
Communal Panegyrics and celebrations in all cultures since ancient times have been a way of protest against and rejoicing despite the tyranies of the day – it has been a way to manifest their collective rebelous spirit in a festive way. It has often been a piss-take of authorities — A way of Reclaiming what is permanently theirs (Streets, Public wealth, or maybe just Rice with raisins).[…]
The organizers have put up the following announcement on the festival website – http://barekendan.tripod.com/ :
[…]Seeing as how the Parliamentary elections of 2007 are critical for the democratization processes in Armenia, Barekendan serves as an ideal occasion for the civil society activists to call upon their fellow dormant citizens to “wake up” and become involved. […]
Here’s an additional reminder of date and place which had already been posted on this blog ealier.
BAREKENDAN
Sunday, February 18 at 13:00
Near the Komitas statue in front of the Music Conservatory
“Come and reclaim your oil and rice”
[…] OnnikKrikoryan, 2007 Barekendan was the top story around the Armenian blogosphere. As I reported earlier the event was initiated by civil society activists as a “call upon their fellow dormant […]