Voices for Peace

A collection of opinions and stories calling for peace.

13 Posts

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Armenia

‘PostSovietPeace’ letter calls for end to Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

by OC Media

•6 min read

Over a hundred people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, and other countries have signed a letter calling for peace and the involvement of peace-building organisations in resolving the conflict. This statement was originally published on PostSovietPeace and is open for signatures. The text has not been edited. We, a group of people who stand for peace, from the post-Soviet space and its neighborhood exhausted by never-ending wars and growing imperialist rivalry on our territories, are

2022 Azerbaijani Attack on Armenia

Opinion | The war never ended; the peace process never existed

by Bahruz Samadov

•5 min read

Azerbaijani politics has taken a dark turn towards irredentism with its cult of brute force and victory. There can be no lasting peace with Armenians until we dismantle the vengeful founding myths of our national identity and reject violent nationalism. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, many in Azerbaijan argued that the war and loss of human life were necessary to prevent further losses in the future. According to that argument, the 1988–1994 war didn’t bring peace, and skirmishes and occ

Armenia

Opinion | Is dialogue viable amid continuous bloodshed?

by Arnold Alahverdian

•5 min read

Arnold Alahverdian, the co-founder of Bright Garden Voices, an Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue platform, comments on the challenges facing the project in light of recent violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan and explains why he maintains hope in what cross-border communication can accomplish. On 16 November, not for the first time, individuals and platforms associated with Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue came under attack on social media — mostly by Armenians. The initiatives targeted included

Azerbaijan

Opinion | The war did not save us

by Narmin Shahmarzade

•3 min read

Some Azerbaijanis believed that the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War would psychologically revitalise the country and would lift years-long feelings of oppression, and create a new civic pride and courage. But instead, all that has happened is that violence both real and symbolic has become ever more deeply ingrained in the country. For many years in Azerbaijan, whenever you would criticise the government, despite the specifics of the social or economic question you often get the response, especia

Armenia

Common Ground: Anti-War Statement

by OC Media

•7 min read

As the fighting Nagorno-Karabakh enters its second month, thousands have been killed, and tens of thousands displaced. Below, published in full, is a statement from a group of Armenians who oppose the war and the narratives that have made it possible. This statement was first published on Medium. It has been lightly edited for clarity and to match OC Media’s editorial style. When reading texts like this, it is necessary to, first and foremost, acknowledge that their real impact is insignifi

Armenia

Opinion | ‘We did not speak, we only whispered’

by Arpi Bekaryan

•5 min read

As peacemakers, we have remained much too quiet and so failed in our mission. This war is proof that we must raise our voices. Each night before I go to sleep I make a list of the things I should do the next day. On the evening of 17 October, I sat down to write a list for the next day, and I saw my last ‘to-do list’ was written for 27th of September. Normal life stopped that morning. I turned the page and wrote a new list, believing with all my heart that this was it. I woke up at night f

Armenia

Opinion | On the importance of losing

by Leyla Sayfutdinova

•4 min read

Armenia and Azerbaijan have failed to reach a compromise solution over Nagorno-Karabakh. One’s victory over the other is illusory. The only way forward is to reflect on what has been lost and what is left to lose. Many years ago, when I studied conflict resolution, I learned about this useful typology of conflict solutions: win-win, win-lose, and compromise. Win-win is the outcome where all sides get what they want; win-lose is the solution where one side gets what it wants and the other doe