France - Armenia/Marseille: a first in France twinning between a high school in the 12th arrondissement and one in Yerevan, Armenia
After a series of exchanges and trips developed over the months between several classes, the Lycée Nelson-Mandela (12th arrondissement) and the Lycée Manuel-Kajuni in Yerevan sealed their twinning on Friday October 11 at the Armenian Consulate General in Marseille.
Last February, Marya, Inès, Sammy, Lauric and Kenzi attended the pantheonization of Missak and Mélinée Manouchian alongside their classmates. the pantheonization of Missak and Mélinée Manouchian, led by their history-geography teacher at Lycée Nelson-Mandela (12th) in Marseille, Rose Guiragossian. Eight months have gone by, and with them the links developed with their high school counterparts in Yerevan, with whom their Première class was developing a twinning process, have been strengthened. Last week, following on from the Marseillais' trip to Armenia in May, it was the turn of twenty-three Armenian pupils from the Lycée Manuel-Kajuni in Erevan to come and discover Marseille and its region.
This was an opportunity to seal an unprecedented twinning between two public schools in France and Armenia. "It's an international first," enthuses Rose Guiragossian, who reminded us last February that it was to "open themup to the history and geopolitics of Armenia" that she decided to embark on thisproject.Many of her pupils come from the 12th arrondissement, where the Armenian community has a strong presence, but have no real knowledge of the country.
For the Armenian Consul General, who facilitated the signing of the partnership agreement, this is "an unprecedented event, a double privilege and a great honor to have contributed to this cooperation. Welcomed at the consulate in Marseille, the Armenian and French high-school students planted an olive tree, "asymbol of peace and friendship".
The young Armenians had only the image of Paris and Saint-Tropez of France," notes the teacher. We introduced them to Marseille's heritage, the Cosquer cave, the calanques, santons, pétanque, and to corners of Provence like Avignon or Baux-de-Provence, and they quickly understood that Marseille had a strong identity and that there was more to France than the Eiffel Tower."Staying in the 12th arrondissement, the young Armenians were stunned to discover the red, orange and blue flag flying at Saint-Barnabé on the monument dedicated to the Armenian genocide.
"We talked to them and the consul about the diaspora of refugees from 1915, but they hadn't understood it in that way," continues Rose Guiragossian. In the spring, the Nelson-Mandela students, who have chosen geopolitics as their speciality, were also able to immerse themselves in Armenian culture and history, both in terms of the history of the country and its people.history of Armenia, both in the capital, with visits to the genocide memorial and museums, and in Armenia itself. Taking these young people "beyond the mountains", as their teacher likes to say, means opening them up to the world and enriching them through the culture of others.
As novice French speakers, it was mainly in English that the Armenians exchanged views with their fellow students from Marseille. "A real bond was born between the students, who parted in tears both during the trip to Armenia and in France," says the history-geography teacher. Following the Marseillais' visit to Armenia, requests to learn French at the lycée tripled. The twinning arrangement, whose logo is currently being designed, will ensure that these exchanges continue over the long term, with, as the French embassy hopes, a trip organized every year.
Source: www.laprovence.com/
