Despite an audience of only eight people, Dr. Nazeli Vardanyan spoke on environmental justice for approximately 20 minutes at Sinclair Community College on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
“Environmental education is very important,” Vardanyan said.
Vardanyan spoke about forestation (planting trees), deforestation and saving the forested areas of her home country, Armenia. Armenia is located in the southern region of the Caucasus Mountains and is the smallest country of the former Soviet Union.
Vardanyan is an expert on international law, a professor at the Russian-Armenian University in Yerevan, Armenia and a licensed attorney, according to a handout supplied by Campus Ministries.
Vardanyan came to speak at Sinclair as result of the Peacemaking Program of the National Presbyterian Church. Peacemakers come to the United States for a month and are here to help the church in the U.S. learn more about peacemaking around the world, according to Campus Minister Barbara Battin.
“Dr. Vardanyan comes to us as a witness to God’s peacemaking with environmental issues,” Battin said. “Working with God’s creation is a part of her faith commitment.”
Vardanyan has already made stops in New York and Virginia. After finishing up in Ohio, she will visit Illinois.
“It’s very important to visit different countries to hear new ideas and create cooperation for solving environmental problems,” Vardanyan said.
Battin believes the event was beneficial to those who attended.
“This international peacemaker event was an opportunity for international exposure, which is helpful for all of us,” Battin said.