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<\/a><\/p>\nIt was clear from the meetings that in all residencies people are concerned with mining exploitation and its negative impacts, yet the opportunity to work pushes\u00a0many to think about short term gains planning to work, collect some money and then leave Armenia.<\/p>\n There are those who favour mining since the company exploiting the mine (Lydian) had spent money for example for renovating\u00a0the school. Thus the head of this school not only supports the mine project, but also confesses that if children will be sick as a result of the mine, they will at least study in the renovated\u00a0school. \u00a0Some others, like women we met in Kechut village (we met them in the small playground sponsored by Lydian) confessed they wouldn\u2019t want to be in conflict with the heads of their community or Lydian, since they are the ones to live there and they wouldn\u2019t want to be in constant conflict with them.<\/p>\n Despite most of the persons we met realized the risks of the mine, sadly enough they didn\u2019t consider themselves as decision makers thus they surrendered to the idea of mining, hoping to at least have some monetary gains from the exploitation.<\/p>\n One woman realizing the perspectives awaiting for Jermuk \u2013 its shift from resort town to miners\u2019 town – was already thinking of options of sending her granddaughters elsewhere, as she was concerned with the number of male workforce inflow to their town and the possible risky behaviours.<\/p>\n A short description of the communities we visited<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Jermuk town is divided into two areas. One side is the most famous resort town with its beautiful landscapes, neat, clean streets and the less famous side of Jermuk, where majority of Jermuk\u2019s population lives. In this area some of the streets are not even asphalted and when it is windy or cars are passing by, clouds of dust rise and sometimes it is impossible to breathe. One resident was telling that in buildings few neighbors have remained. Another person was complaining that workers lost their jobs in their branch of famous Jermuk mineral water company (according to her 300 persons have already been fired).<\/p>\n The socio-economic state of Kechut village was also not a good one. Here the roads were also not asphalted, houses were dilapidating. In Gndevaz village Lydian however had asphalted a few roads and posted a few signs informing about planned construction works here and there.<\/p>\n We were also told in Gndevaz that Lydian provides locals\u00a0who have\u00a0business ideas with up to 900 000 AMD. But the residents are of the opinion that most probably this is done not so much for promoting alternative economic activities but\u00a0for neutralizing people\u2019s complaints. After all Lydian itself understands that these projects won\u2019t be realized, but instead many residents will use money for covering their loans or solving other urgent social issues.<\/p>\n Signs were also present on the road leading to the mine site marking the huge area. However the area is not yet fenced thus anyone can move here freely unless one meets the guards. It was unclear, however, based on which principles and laws these vast areas of meadows and lands were marked by Lydian, where according to the guards it is not permitted to enter or photograph.<\/p>\n How Armenia\u2019s government hinders long term sustainable development of Armenia<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Many of the residents we met during our trip confessed that in case of mine exploitation they will work, collect money and leave Armenia. Thus,\u00a0even if the government aims to create jobs by exploiting mines in order to stop the migration, in long term it poisons the environment and therefore pushes people to migrate.<\/p>\n The government also creates social inequality, since the company operating with the permission of the government compensates some and doesn\u2019t compensate others. As a result social inequality as well as disintegration of the community takes place, which allows the company and the government to declare that only small number\u00a0of residents oppose the mine exploitation.<\/p>\n However, some residents are forced to sell their lands not because they support the mine, but because they fear losing their property as a result of the government declaring \u201ceminent domain\u201d, a notion it had illegally used previously in many other cases. Besides, staying in Gndevaz is risky, since cyanide heap leach facility will be located only one kilometer from the village. Therefore, both the government and the mining company leave the locals with no option but to either migrate elsewhere or live in an unhealthy environment. Thus speaking of locals welcoming the mining project is nothing but a lie.<\/p>\n The government not only refrains from making\u00a0long term programs for Armenia\u2019s sustainable development, but it threatens the already existing alternatives, such as agricultural potential of Gndevaz and other nearby villages, depriving the locals from alternative opportunities to earn for their living.<\/p>\n Government also threatens Jermuk resort area. Indeed, the management of some of the sanatoriums and hotels complain that their hotels are empty for most of the year and busy only a few months. They also complain of social packages since sometimes the state doesn\u2019t make payments for months for customers using these packages. However, it is not too difficult to imagine to what extent the resettlement of sanatoriums and hotels with miners would be promising\u00a0for this touristic town.<\/p>\n \u201cJermuk World\u201d health resort is already given to the company for miners\u2019 residence. Some other resort centres are willing to rent half of their rooms hoping this way to compensate the absence of income during the rest of the year. However it is difficult to imagine the compatibility of mine and health resort, while preservation of Jermuk resort’s reputation during and after the mining will depend only from the careful calculations\u00a0of the exploiting\u00a0company. It\u2019s another question, however, why the healthy future of Armenia should be left to the discretion of some British-Canadian-American cooperation.<\/p>\n As a reminder, Lydian International is an offshore company with little to no experience in mining that wants to exploit Amulsar gold mine. You can find description of the environmental and socio-economic risks of the mine in Armenian<\/a> and English<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n