wfn.org | Newsline: Armenia-Georgia tour sponsored by Brethren and Heifer

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Feb. 12, 2009
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

ARMENIA-GEORGIA STUDY TOUR IS SPONSORED BY THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN AND H EIFER INTERNATIONAL

(Feb. 12, 2009) Elgin, IL -- A study tour to Armenia and Georgia jointly sp onsored by the Church of the Brethren and Heifer International takes place  Sept. 17-Oct. 1. Tour hosts are Jan West Schrock, a senior advisor for Heif er International and a former director of Brethren Volunteer Service, and K athleen Campanella, director of Partner and Public Relations at the Brethre n Service Center.

"Our trip is an exciting opportunity to experience Heifer's approach to dev elopment," Schrock said. "We'll explore and learn the diverse history and t raditions of both Georgia and Armenia, visit the genocide museum in Armenia , learn about and worship in an Orthodox Armenian church, and witness the o utreach work of the Church of the Brethren in the past and currently."

The tour will begin Sept. 17 with arrival at Tbilisi International Airport  in Georgia, continuing with several days in Georgia visiting Heifer project s in the Caucasus mountain region of Kazbegi and the Black Sea area. The to ur will then spend several days in Armenia, beginning Sept. 22, visiting a  cross-border cooperation project, a "Peace to Our Homes" project, family fa rms, and a village rehabilitation project, among others. The tour will incl ude cultural sites such as the Noravanq Monastery in Armenia. Departure on  Oct. 1 will be from Armenia.

A number of Heifer staff from Armenia and Georgia will join the tour includ ing Anahit Ghazanchyan, Heifer Armenia Country Director; and George Murvani dze, Heifer Georgia Country Director.

The Heifer program in the South Caucasus region began in 1999. Since then,  it has been implementing over 34 projects assisting more than 5,000 familie s in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan to build their own family farms. The  organization places various types of animals such as cows, goats, sheep, be ehives, rabbits, chickens, fish, turkeys, buffalos, and bull calves, along  with Californian worms, potato seeds, alfalfa seeds, wheat seeds, and fruit  tree seedlings.

Heifer Armenia's statement of purpose includes improvement of the socio-eco nomic situation of vulnerable groups through development of rural communiti es, finding solutions for economic and ecological problems, spiritual renew al, and strengthening peace in the region. Priority issues are rural develo pment, regional cooperation, community empowerment, knowledge management, y outh development, financial viability, partnership, and networking. The pro gram employs 12 full time and 10 project staff in Armenia, and has 149 comm unity leaders and 1,200 youth leaders involved.

In ongoing Georgian projects, Heifer partners with three national organizat ions and five community representatives in the "Peace to Our Homes" regiona l cooperation project.

The deadline to apply for the study tour is May 15. Cost is $3,500 per pers on for double occupancy, single occupancy is on request with additional cha rges. A deposit of $1,000 is due with the application, and is refundable up  to 60 days before departure. Participants may request continuing education  units.

A 40-page booklet in pdf format is available with the itinerary, a review o f the work of Heifer in the Caucasus region, background on Armenia and Geor gia, biographies of staff, and more. For trip information contact Jan Schro ck at Jan.Schrock@Heifer.org or 207-878-6846.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the  United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org