For generations, Armenians in the diaspora have been told that returning to the homeland is a duty. But what if the stronger case for Armenia is not sacrifice, obligation or identity alone, but the possibility of building a meaningful life in a place that offers connection, opportunity and belonging?

A young doctor’s death from advanced gastric cancer reflects a troubling shift in Armenia, where cancers are increasingly diagnosed late and at younger ages. As cases rise, limited screening, delayed detection and unequal access to modern treatments are straining patients, families and the healthcare system.

A social enterprise in Kapan is giving former inmates a second chance through steady work in a community print shop, challenging stigma, rebuilding skills and social ties, and offering a rare model for reintegration in a system long shaped by punishment rather than rehabilitation.

In Armenia, people with mobility disabilities face daily barriers not only in accessing care but in simply getting around. And even as attitudes toward disability have changed, the lack of accessible transport keeps people on the margins. Lori Youmshajekian reports.

Armenia’s forests are vanishing under the pressure of illegal logging and rural dependence on firewood. Lori Youmshajekian follows volunteer rangers in Dilijan who risk their safety to defend fragile ecosystems, exposing corruption, weak enforcement, and the urgent fight to save Armenia’s trees.

Candy, cake and “kompot” are staples of childhood in Armenia, not only because they taste good, but because they’re inseparable from cultural ways of showing love. The love of sweets, however, will soon force a rethinking of tradition.

Armenia’s conservation success story has led to an unexpected challenge: a growing human-bear conflict. As rangers work to protect the rare Bezoar goats in the Arpa Protected Landscape, the return of brown bears is testing the fragile balance between wildlife and local communities.

While gastronomic tourism has increased, as well as the number of young, local chefs willing to experiment, Yerevan's evolving restaurant industry is experiencing growing pains.