ジョン・スタンメイヤーのインスタグラム(johnstanmeyer) - 8月4日 08時25分

My thoughts this evening, in tears from Yerevan, pour for those lost and injured today in El Paso, Texas. Now, more than ever, we need to build bridges.
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It was nearly three years ago, August 23, when I met these two white cats in Dilijan, Armenia. Tomorrow we return to Dilijan, continuing the most important project I’ve worked on related to peace... @Bridging.Stories part 2. Some of you may not know what #bridgingstories is. It began with an idea in 2015 while sitting under a rock in the rain along the Turkish and Armenian border to bridge peace between two beautiful peoples. There had to be a way to create understanding through commonality. But it wasn’t going to happen by me doing the storytelling. Such incredibleness must come from within. Through a generous grant from the US State Department and the US Embassy in Yerevan, ten young photographers (age 18-24) from across Turkey will fly here tomorrow, joining their ten Armenian sisters and brothers in Dilijan. With me as equal again is the co-founder of Bridging Stories, @anushbabajanyan, and this year, @sabakhayr joins us, and for the next eight days, we will be inspiring these young photographers the purpose and art of visual storytelling. After, they will return to their cities, homes and villages, to tell their own stories of similarities in their daily lives, publishing over the next six months on the @bridging.stories Instagram account, becoming ambassadors of friendship. I’m wondering if these cats will again be at our same workshop venue this week. In many cultures, white cats symbolise peace, and tolerance, and yellow flowers, the bond of friendship...
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@bridging.stories #dilijan #armenia #bridgingstories #bridgingstories2 #cats #catsoninstagram #whitecat #peace #yellowflowers #friendship

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hamed.valizadegan Beautiful story! I was in Armenia and Georgia last April and the same thought was with me all the time. Being originally Iranian, I was surprised how similar the culture and people were in these two countries and Iran. I was very bothered when I visited southern Armenia very close to Iranian border and see how an artificial border puts a line between us as if not people have lived together and communicated for thousands of years. The changes between border is so smooth and being ignorant about how little we differ is damaging. I am very interested in these types of projects so please let me now if I can collaborate/help in any way.

sbagauri Meanwhile in neighboring Georgia @transcaucasiantrail built a bridge over a mountain river and due to a conflict among adjacent villages somebody cut it down with a chainsaw. I felt like I could write a book based on that bridge story and it would project the history, the culture, the neglect the mountainous villages are suffering from these days.

hamed.valizadegan @johnstanmeyer thank you for your note. I live in US now and what I meant was very general. I was happy and excited to see your post and that I came across similar mind set. Looking forward to meeting you in person one day. Cheers!

applemana Was just in Dilijan a few weeks ago. I hope you take them to the hidden Matosavank monastery which has been untouched and claimed by nature in the forest ;)

johnstanmeyer @hamed.valizadegan you’re very kind, thank you for supporting @bridging.stories and yes, I hope to expand this program between other neighbors too

araidne Thanks to you and all those who take an active positive approach to life using what ever skills they possess!

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