Photo credit: Karen Wykurz/Saferworld
Photo credit: Karen Wykurz/Saferworld

Amplifying local voices

Near the Nagorno-Karabakh ‘line of contact’ and along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, villagers face threats to their security and livelihoods. Children are vulnerable to gunfire on their journeys to and from school. Farmers find it difficult to make a living because of landmines in their fields and stray bullets striking their livestock.

Saferworld has worked in the Caucasus since 1999, supporting local communities affected by conflict. Most recently, we have been speaking with people in Armenia and Azerbaijan to better understand the challenges that communities face along the militarised border. Before this, we worked closely with groups exposed to conflict in Georgia – in Shida Kartli as well as within the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia – to bring people together to discuss local security needs and to come up with joint solutions.

We make recommendations to governments, local authorities and international organisations about how they can support people to lead safer lives through improved policies and approaches. We raise awareness of the challenges that people face. For example, with our partners we trained border residents to photograph aspects of their daily lives – the results of which have been exhibited in the region and abroad. You can view images from the photo exhibition 'Daily life amid border conflict – in pictures' on the Guardian website.