Rethinking the Discourse on Armenian Diaspora: Language(s), Culture(s), Affiliation(s)

Vahe Sahakyan

 

The year 2017 was marked by two major diaspora focused events in Armenia, both attracting a fair number of visitors from around the world. Chronologically speaking, the first event, receiving much publicity across the Armenian universe, organized by the government of the Republic of Armenia on September 18-20, 2017, brought together representatives from around the global Armenian diaspora. Around 50 participants from the diaspora were carefully selected to address the public on behalf of their respective organizations, institutions and communities. The second event, somewhat marginal in the Armenian social and political mainstream discourse, organized by Common Purpose in cooperation with UWC Dilijan with the support of Aurora Humanitarian initiatives on October 8-10, 2017, gathered some 60 participants from around the world with diverse backgrounds, cultures and geographies. The “Diaspora Dialogues” intended to provide a forum for an exchange of views and perspectives about the challenges of diaspora leadership.[1]

Could Armenians Remain a Global Nation with a Broken Homeland?

Hratch Tchilingirian

 

In recent years a new discourse on “global Armenians” is increasingly becoming part of an effort of constructing a post-Genocide Armenian identity in the Diaspora — and Armenia. These new identity shapers seem to advocate a transition from “survival mentality” to celebration of life and success. One definition was provided in a full-page letter published in The New York Times (28 October 2016), according to which a “global Armenian” is someone, who despite having “forcibly displaced and dispersed” ancestry, lives “across the world” and has made or is making “major contributions toward advancing their adoptive countries.”[1] Such “global Armenians” include scientists, doctors, engineers and inventors making contributions to societies in their countries; politicians, ministers and diplomats serving in different countries; movie stars, sportsmen, bankers and corporate executives; and, of course, celebrities who have millions of followers on social networks. In short, a “global Armenian” is someone who is professionally successful, has an impact in their field, and has public visibility or recognition.

One of the stated main goals of this prescriptive “global Armenianism” is “to transform the post-Soviet Armenian Republic into a vibrant, modern, secure, peaceful and progressive homeland for a global nation.” This is, indeed, a vision that many in Armenia and the Diaspora dream about. Of course, there are others who use the term “global Armenian” as a descriptive term or as synonym for dispersion.[2]

Beyond Nationalism: The Case for Engaged Patriotism on the Eve of the 100th Anniversary of Statehood

Varak Ketsemanian

Raffy Ardhaldjian

 

May 28 just passed and Armenians celebrated Republic Day—the holiday that commemorates the day when Armenia became a republic and a reference to the first modern Armenian state of 1918 since the loss of Armenian statehood in 1375.

This year marked the 99 years of independence for Armenia. While it is a small blip in our long history, it is an important milestone to critically reflect on. It was an attempt at establishing both a physical Armenian statehood and the best government possible at the time.

Since then, also in 2017, Armenia just passed through historic Parliamentary Elections that transitioned the country into a parliamentary democracy enshrined by Armenia’s new constitution. 

Time to Lift ‘Our Truck’

Patrick Azadian

 

Years ago, a relative of my maternal grandmother paid us a visit in the United States from Soviet Armenia. Like a smug Diasporan, I planted an Armenian tri-color on top of our late seventies Zenith television monitor and set the stage to ask my burning question.

“When will Karabakh be re-united with Armenia?” I finally asked.

I Am an Accomplice

Patrick Azadian

 

Every nation suffers from certain illnesses and insecurities. The Armenian people are no different. While we are not a homogeneous bunch by any means, the absence of genuine self-criticism and loyalty to absolutism in our society are plagues that have sapped our potential as a nation and have bred victimhood and helplessness at every juncture of our recent history. They also hinder our progress as a people on our ancestral lands.

The recent events in Armenia, the taking of hostages in the Erebuni district of Yerevan by a group of war veterans and the killing of an Armenian citizen, has brought to fore some of the worst features in our people. While some politicians and self-proclaimed leaders are busy labeling the armed takeover of the police station in a negative light, others are outspoken in blindly throwing their support behind the armed activists, justifying the act based on the fact that some government officials have done worse things to our people. And they have. But once again, we have forgotten our collective responsibility of how we have arrived at this unpleasant crossroad. Many of us are satisfying our desire (not a hunger, because if we all had an insatiable hunger, we wouldn’t be where we are today) for positive change by proclaiming symbolic statements in support of the armed group and looking for saviors. Others are using the opportunity to strike a more ‘moderate’ note by claiming that acts of violence are not a solution to the ills of our society and implying that we are slowly and diligently making progress.

Be the Change You Want to See in Armenia

Mary Matosian

As descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors, many of us in the diaspora have built our identities and ideologies around the issue of demanding justice, truth, and reparations for this crime. As the Centennial approached, Armenians worldwide put forth the important question of what to do beyond April 24th, 2015. Many people spoke of continuing the global effort to gain justice for the genocide, while others emphasized renewed efforts to strengthen Armenia.

As I see it, we can continue to demand justice for  the genocide and build Armenia, thereby helping our fellow men and women in a country that we call our own. Like all nations, we have a multitude of challenges. It would be shortsighted for a nation of people to focus on just one problem area. One does not and should not exclude the other. We need to come together collectively and decide what course we’re going to take and where we want to be 100 years from now.

Catholicosate of Cilicia to Sue Turkey over Historic Headquarters in Sis

Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, said the Holy See was preparing to initiate legal claims against Turkey to regain ownership of the historic headquarters of the Catholicosate of Sis.

“The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia will soon present its legal claims to Turkey’s Constitutional Court, demanding the return of its historic seat, the Sis Catholicosate, to its rightful owners—the Armenian Church and the Armenian people,” said His Holiness.

Aram I’s message was delivered before attendees of the fifth Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian meeting at the Yerevan Opera House on Sept. 19, organized and hosted by Armenia’s Diaspora Ministry.

Reflections on "Depat" Armenians

Nareg Seferian

I am a member of the Facebook group that the Repat Armenia Foundation maintains. I am, in fact, a fan of that organization, which provides assistance to Armenians who wish to move to the Homeland, whether in terms of technical or legal information, employment, or some guidance on housing. It’s the sort of function that one would have wished the state to perform, that one might have expected the Ministry of the Diaspora to take on, via Armenian embassies or otherwise. To be fair, we are talking about a big deal, highly resource-heavy in realization, and also ideologically and philosophically heavy in its own right.

Nation-Building is Not a Spectator Sport

Maria Titizian

 

A friend who recently returned from abroad conveyed that many Armenians in the Diaspora are frustrated and fed-up with the shenanigans of our government. They are tired of hearing about corruption, monopolies, poor governance, rigged elections and an overall lack of vision and policy.

National pride it seems is eroding, after all, no one wants to be associated with a country that is failing its people and its potential. That frame of mind, if it is true, is not only troubling, it is also counter-productive to the work at hand. Living and working thousands of miles away from Armenia probably makes it much easier to disengage from the processes necessary for nation-building but no one said it was going to be easy.

The Men from Moush

Maria Titizian

 

Developing complex models and postulating theories, writing academic papers, organizing high-level conferences and advancing policies to address some of the most pressing issues facing the Armenian nation is typically the method we employ. We discuss and analyze, argue incessantly, lose our composure in the melee of verbal and pseudo-intellectual traffic and usually end up nowhere.

One of the most crippling problems in contemporary Armenian life is the divide or disconnect between our two selves – the homeland and the Diaspora. We have yet to find the right formula that will help us to see the world and ourselves with a common vision and end game.

Sometimes the answers are so very simple. Case in point, the men from Moush.

Repatriation Absent in A.R.F. Discourse

Nora Injeyan

 



The recent article "ARF Conference Concludes in Yerevan" provided a general overview of the conference and the main issues concerning the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). As a member of the Armenian Youth Federation and a supporter of the ARF, it distressed me greatly to see one glaring omission from the list, and for that matter, most contemporary discussions: repatriation.

ARF Conference Concludes in Yerevan

On Aug. 24-26, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau held a conference in Yerevan to discuss four key topics: organizational problems, the situation in the Caucasus and its implications on Armenia, the country’s domestic realities, and the relationship between the diaspora and Armenia. ARF delegates and representatives from various Armenian communities in the diaspora, as well as from various regions of Armenia, attended the talks.

Did the Armenian Writers Conference Walk the Talk?

Lucine Kasbarian

 

“Armenian writers who, as a result of bitter fate, create in foreign languages are not foreigners, but faithful and dedicated ambassadors of their Armenian blood and spirit in non-Armenian surroundings.”

-- Sarkis Guiragossian, Aztag daily newspaper, 2005

There are several schools of thought about how to behave in a foreign country. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” is one such advisory.

But – and I’m really thinking of Armenia-Diaspora relations, what about a self-identifying Roman whose family has been in exile for several generations? What if this individual often visited Rome and participated in its culture with an eye on solidarity with its people? And what if Rome was in economic and political turmoil, and the people were leaving in droves?  Could one then afford to merely “do as the Romans do?”

Corruption by the Numbers

 Garen Yegparian

We hear a lot about corruption, and see various forms of it in our daily lives. Sadly, in some places, such as Armenia, it is present at a disturbing, probably economically disruptive, scale.

For the last two decades, Transparency International and Goettingen University have compiled a “Corruption Perception Index” which is a “poll of polls” as they describe it. They amass others’ studies of corruption in countries throughout the world and produce an annual tabulation of countries with a rating, on a scale of 0-10, where 10 means corruption free and 0 totally corrupt. They require that a minimum of three (formerly four) surveys/studies include a country for that to be included in their index. They have used at least twelve surveys/studies since 1999 (earlier years had fewer). Polling done over the preceding three years is considered valid for inclusion in any year’s compilation. For these reasons, they caution that year-to-year comparisons should not be made easily. But take a look at the accompanying table, and you’ll note the trends in our homeland and its neighbors are pretty consistent.

Questions on the Raison d'Etre of an Armenian School Education

This letter to the editor appeared in the June 1999 issue of the now-defunct "AIM" magazine in response to an editorial, "Questions on the Raison d'Etre of an Armenian School Education." A whole decade went on, but some of the issues raised in the letter seem relevant to us and, we hope, will look relevant to the readers.

Oshagan and Oshagan’s Take on Karabagh: A World Of Images and Words

Ara Oshagan’s photographs all have something askew. Things are viewed from unusual angles, bodies are cut off into torsos, hands or legs appear without bodies and geometric patterns take form. Starkly black and white, his images are intriguing glimpses into people’s lives, illuminated with emotions. Intimate moments, in private or public space, are revealed. Father Land, Oshagan’s first volume of photographs, more than 10 years in the making, appeared at the end of 2010. It is a collaboration with his father Vahé Oshagan, who passed away in 2000. Its Brooklyn-based publisher, powerHouse Books, hosted an exhibition of some 20 photographs from November to December 2010, Oshagan signed books at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan a few weeks later and a larger exhibition, ending this January, was held at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Why I Am No Longer Allowed To Be Armenian

Painful experiences like this have been a staple of Diasporan life over the past eight decades. One would think that, as time goes by and life gives some lessons, a few things would have changed. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. This is the umpteenth story of how an active and longtime supporter of many Armenian causes, both financially and morally, becomes worn out and fed up by pettiness and ingratitude. It does not matter whether in Chile or in the United States, whether governmental agencies or Diasporan institutions; sadly, the facts remain the facts. Let's faintly hope that something will change at some point in a foreseeable future.

Of Protocols and Lack of Protocol

The process that ended on October 10, 2009 with the signature of the Armenia-Turkey protocols triggered an avalanche of opinions, both in Armenia and the Diaspora, perhaps unseen since the time of the Gharabagh Movement (1988-1991). First of all, let's be honest and state that nobody has the crystal ball, not even those who are sure of having it. Therefore, whatever may happen from now on is open-ended.