Today, in Armenia and the Diaspora, Armenians are gradually becoming disconnected from their roots, growing indifferent to their national history, culture, and traditions. We are facing the danger of losing the Armenian identity, of Armenians renouncing their heritage, and of a mass exodus from Armenia. To preserve what makes us Armenian, it has become essential to reaffirm the answers to fundamental questions in the Armenian consciousness: Who are we? Where do we come from? And where are we going?

The lack of respect and pride for our national identity often begins in school years. Children unconsciously start comparing what is national with what is foreign, and this comparison does not work in favor of our own culture. Today, Armenian children are avid consumers of modern, high-quality foreign media content, which is relevant, aesthetically pleasing, and engaging. On their school bags and t-shirts, on the walls of their rooms, you will find Spider-Man and Barbie, but not Sanasar, Tsovinar, or Hayk Nahapet.

It is clear that national values cannot be reaffirmed and strengthened through the school curriculum alone. In the struggle for our children's national consciousness, we must consistently create and distribute interesting, vibrant, high-quality, and modern media content dedicated to our national history and culture. National ideas and knowledge, presented with the language and spirit of the 21st century, are a powerful weapon in the fight for the hearts and minds of our future generations.

Recognizing this, the Sanasar Charitable Foundation initiated and produced the "Banimaсia" series of short animated films. "Banimaсia" is dedicated to pages of Armenian history, national culture, and traditions. Its goal is to talk about our national values through vivid, high-quality animation, focusing on presenting history and facts in an accessible and engaging way. The "Banimaсia" films also include important and interesting details that are often omitted from school curricula or covered only superficially. To ensure historical accuracy, professional historians are involved as mandatory consultants in the scriptwriting process. The films are created in Armenian, English, and Russian.

What key issues does "Banimaсia" address?

• Providing Identity-Preserving Knowledge: It delivers crucial information and raises awareness for both residents of Armenia and the Diaspora (school-aged children and their parents).
• Fostering Respect and Pride: It helps build feelings of respect, love, and pride towards Armenian history, national culture, and traditions.
• Sparking Interest and Further Learning: It generates interest in one's own history, culture, and traditions, inspiring a desire to learn more from literature and other sources.

Watch all "Banimaсia" episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@banimacia-arm