Via-via
Servatius

Via-via

Via-via stimulates cultural exchanges by following the amazing paths of historical figures such as the first Christian missionaries.

Servatius: Belgium-Armenia friendship

From Armenia, the first Christian kingdom in 301, many missionaries left around the world. According to tradition, it was as early as the fourth century that one of them, Servatius, arrived as far as the Meuse Valley where he was the very first bishop of Belgium and the Netherlands. He founded a bishopric there which would become that of Tongeren, Maastricht and then Liège.

Can this amazing link between Armenia and Belgium teach us more about ourselves? And our Armenian cultural "ancestors", who are they really?

This is what we are working to discover! Here are our past and upcoming projects.

Actions 2024

Launch of the displaced persons' pastry workshop

July-september 2024

You probably remember having tasted the pastries that we have been bringing back regularly from Armenia for almost a year?

For several months now, we have indeed been putting everything in place for the launch of a pastry workshop in Yerevan, a project led by a family of displaced people from Artsakh, whose parents were judges at the supreme Court of Stepanakert. A whole microcosm of displaced people currently living in Yerevan revolves around this project.

After many months of efforts in this direction, we were finally able to find a suitable place and launch the workshop for good! A project that we will continue to support and which offers very good prospects.

Vardenis children's Concert

June 2024

This June 30th, it was the end-of-year concert of the music school where we have been organizing classes twice a week for children from isolated border villages since last September! An event that we could not miss, and of which we have made a short video report (in French), which we invite you to discover.

What a great atmosphere and what gratitude expressed by all these children and their parents! Let's remember that the essential motivation of this project is to help the resist the psychological war that has been waged on them since 2020 to force them to flee: for now, this goal has been achieved!

Instead of sinking into terror, we organized a beautiful little concert, a truly Belgian-Armenian concert 🇧🇪🇦🇲

Awareness-raising actions in Europe

March 2024

At the beginning of 2024, we are continuing to raise awareness in Europe, in particular with a conference at the Council of the European Union. Thank you to Dominique, Catherine and the FFPE for the organization, the invitation, their trust and their trust and their support which was decisive in the launch of this year's projects!

You can read the article (in English) published in the Armenian press about this conference.

We also have several other projects in preparation or under development, as far as the awareness component is concerned. Unfortunately, the projects envisaged cannot always all come to fruition.

2023

Fundraiser for the displaced people of Artsakh

September-October 2023

Following the tragic events in Artsakh and the forced exodus of tens of thousands of Armenian families, we organize an emergency fundraiser for the displaced people.

Thanks in particular to the support of the Scouts Federation of Europe, but also many other Belgians who relayed the information and contributed financially, we supported two projects led by displaced people from 2020, who in turn welcome those from 2023.

The Hadrut youth activity center and the Kro Bakery pastry shop are strong anchors for their communities. They welcome many families and children who have been victims of the 9 months of blockade in Stepanakert.

These families had just arrived in Armenia from Artsakh when we helped them.

A hope for the children of the border villages

September 2023 to june 2024

During our stays in Armenia since 2021, we have often met children who have lost one or their parents, or who have been forced to flee the places where they were born and grew up.

We noticed that children who practice cultural, artistic or sports activities together show a stronger resilience than those who are isolated. So we designed a project for these latter children.

In collaboration with the municipality and the #1 music school of Vardenis, we have set up a bus to allow about 50 children from 5 border villages to practice together 2 times a week the activity of their choice!

Christmas alongside the victims of the blockade

January 2023

This was not the purpose of our trip at the beginning, we just wanted to spend the Armenian Christmas - January 6th - alongside our friends from Goris. By force of circumstances, we found ourselves direct witnesses as close as possible to the drama that is playing out with the blockade of the road to Artsakh.

In Goris, we meet several victims, including a group of students from a dance school in Stepanakert, who left for a show at the beginning of December, and who cannot return home. One of our best friends is prisoner on the other side of the closed corridor.

As soon as we return, we testify in Belgium to these burning news.

2022

Emergency aid to Sotk following the bombings

October 2022

Solicited by our contact on site, we organize a fundraiser for the residents of the border village of Sotk, in the Vardenis region, which was targeted by bombings from September 12 to 15, 2022. In collaboration with the municipality, 20 families who have been directly impacted receive emergency assistance.

Their story is moving: many residents of Sotk settled there by fleeing Gandzak during the attacks of 1988, or Karvachar in November 2020. The last arrived had to flee when their part of Artsakh was ceded "in exchange for peace".

As is often the case for Armenians, history repeats itself.

Visit of the Mekhitar Monastery

April 2022

At the end of April 2022, we join the Armenian community of Brussels for a trip, to discover the monastery of Mekhitar, located on an island in the Venetian lagoon. These monks played an essential role in safeguarding the Armenian cultural heritage through the genocide.

We thank Hovsep for having invited us, and all the participants of this beautiful trip for having welcomed us so warmly.

2021

From Artsakh to the land of Liège

June and October 2021, April and May 2022

Hadrut is a border village of Artsakh ("Nagorno-Karabakh"), the first whose inhabitants were displaced following the "44-days war", in October 2020. To date, the Hadrutis have still not been able to return to their homes, and are still living as refugees in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

In June and October 2021, from Liège, we brought them clothes, gifts and above all comfort and attention. We are bringing their story back to Belgium to make it heard.

The whole community of Hadrut has set to work to propose incredible artisanal productions in memory of their village. We put them up for sale for their benefit.

Very strong exchanges! This project was renewed in April and May 2022.

Press review 2021

Media talked about our actions for Armenia

"The products of the children of Hadrut are going to Belgium" - article by Magdalina Zatikyan on June 15, 2021 in The Voice of Armenia (in Russian)

« Armenians and Belgians commemorate the victims of the 44-days war » - interview by Lilit Gasparyan on september 27, 2021 on the First Channel, Armenian news channel (in Armenian)

Projects

Logbook: from Maastricht to Armenia

Project planned for 2024

At the request of the Armenian Community of Maastricht, we are preparing a series of articles to tell how this beautiful story began a little thanks to them...

Did you know that? It is in Maastricht that the Basilica of Servatius is located. His relic is still located in the crypt under the choir.

Belgium-Armenia Exchanges

Project planned for 2024 and 2025

We have regularly been called upon to provide assistance to the Armenians victims of attacks and to testify about their situation in Europe.

However, this association initially aims to promote human and cultural exchanges between Belgium and Armenia, in order to enrich our knowledge of our own European culture.

Based on our experience, we offer to help you if you also want to visit Armenia or launch projects there.