Since Azerbaijan launched a military strike along the entire line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh on 27 September, a war has been raging. Parties to the conflict include Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Moreover, there are growing reports from international news sources that Syrian mercenaries have also been recruited to fight against the Armenian side. A week on, hundreds have lost their lives and the once thriving capital of Nagorno Karabakh, Stepanakert, along with other cities and villages have been heavily bombarded. And yet, for much of the international community, this war seems to barely register as a blip on their radar.
This lack of attention, coverage, and response is not limited to the international media. It has also been a feature of many international NGOs, including human rights and humanitarian organisations - many of whom have worked or are working with Armenian civil society groups.
In this article, we consider the responses, or lack thereof, of international civil society and Armenians’ reactions to it. Our title references Martin Luther King’s famous words, which many Armenians in recent days have quoted: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends…”
