To preserve Armenian historic sites all over the world. Also to connect Diaspora Armenians to their ancestral lands by offering them volunteer work opportunities.

In 1977 a group of young Frenchmen of Armenian heritage led by Keram Kevonian founded the Land and Culture Organization (LCO) in France which soon opened branches in the US, England, and later in Armenia and other countries. LCO started to work in Armenia in 1989, after the disastrous earthquake. The organization was officially registered in Armenia in 1994.

The founders were concerned about the progressive destruction of historical Armenian monuments and sites. Armenian Architectural monuments were defenceless against time, history and people. The only possibility to help them was restoration and preservation. That is one of the main aims of LCO.

The LCO has organized summer programs - popularly called "Campaigns" - in which volunteers from Europe, Canada, the United States and elsewhere join together on ancestral sites. They apply their physical energy and mental ingenuity to a variety of tasks in architectural preservation, land cultivation and community development. LCO Summer Campaigns not only afford Armenians the rare experience of discovering their ancestral roots and expanding their cultural horizons, but they also create opportunities that put ideals into action.

Our Organization brings a new dimension to the indomitable Armenian spirit. Established over 25 years ago, LCO began as a modest grass-roots experiment. Over the years, it has evolved into a multinational effort that focuses on the Land and the vital role it plays in the struggle for the preservation of its Culture.

LCO PRINCIPAL: LIVING OUR LEGACY!
What exactly do the words "land" and "culture" stand for? Simply stated, they symbolize the universal belief that a national culture can best flourish and bear fruit on its own land. Throughout the ages, Land has represented stability and continuity. No culture can survive for long without firm roots in the Land.

"This trip gave me a sense of identity. Before my trip, the only identity I had was that I was Armenian by name. Now I feel and understand where I’ve come from and what my responsibilities are."
Shirley Oghamian, Ayroum 2003, CA, USA