And now, a year later, I’m in Armenia once again, this time with the AYF Youth Corps program. While walking up Tumanyan street, I ran into one of the scouts from Armenia that I became friends with last year at the jamboree camp, Karen. It’s difficult and a little cheesy to explain, but I felt such joy in seeing my “yeghbair” once again. After a year of thinking I would only see my friend over facebook, I feel a little ecstatic about this reunification. And none of this wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for the AYF.

Most people can’t relate to bonds and friendships formed as a result of organizations like the Armenian Youth Federation or Homenetmen, but those who can I think really understand how I feel. Most of the time, it seems these organizations have selfless goals and are based on hard working individuals volunteering their time and resources while expecting little in return other than the satisfaction of contributing to the greater good of their community. I think I now understand that it’s much more than that satisfaction of helping others. It’s relationships formed and new experiences made that are the real rewards for the individual working within these organizations. If it wasn’t for either of these organizations, I would never had these experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

Shant Mirzaians

BY ARIS HOVASAPIAN

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
– Seneca, Roman philosopher and statesman, 1st Century AD

Last week, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) took the opportunity to initiate a campaign to expose a newly signed endorsement deal for Kobe Bryant to promote Turkish Airlines in the global market. The AYF expressed its disappointment with Kobe and has publicly asked him to back out of the deal due to Turkish Airlines’ strong association with the Turkish government (the government holds a 49% ownership stake in the airline). That Kobe practices his craft in a market that is home to the largest Armenian population of the United States should serve as even more evidence that his public relations team failed him spectacularly in allowing the Turkish Airlines deal to materialize.

Due to the organization’s meticulous preparation for just such an event, the AYF was able to gain a great deal of local and national media attention as a result of this effort. There was television coverage on nearly all the Los Angeles TV stations. There was print and web coverage from USA Today, CNN, UPI, Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Huffington Post, LAWeekly, and other news outlets.

Despite Kobe’s popularity both locally and nationally, all media coverage of the “Kobe controversy” has treated the AYF and AYF’s claims with full legitimacy, almost always mentioning genocide recognition efforts. Some media were even sympathetic to the AYF campaign, with LAWeekly’s Dennis Romero going so far as to demand that Kobe fire whomever allowed him to make this deal.

Some reactions of a segment of the general population, including those of some Armenian-Americans, have not been so sympathetic to the campaign. Several reasons and rationalizations have been conjured, on message boards, Facebook, Twitter, and any other public forum, to justify these contrarians’ dissatisfaction with the AYF’s tactics on this issue.

Are these criticisms valid, and has the AYF overreached with targeting a professional athlete in genocide recognition efforts? Or is it fair to ask a public figure to be sensitive to the feelings of a notable portion of his market?

A proper answer to these questions call for a full examination of the validity of the arguments cited in opposition to the AYF’s campaign (in ascending order of veracity):

AYF or Armavia should have paid Kobe more.

Do people honestly believe that the AYF has the cash reserves to outbid an international airline? Wouldn’t Armavia prefer to upgrade their fleet if they had the disposable income?

Where was the outrage when: Allen Iverson signed to play in Turkey, Michael Vick was caught in a dog-fighting ring, Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault, etc.

Many have been asking why the AYF is upset over Kobe’s current deal but hasn’t said much about past transgressions of professional athletes or celebrities. This is truly one of the sillier criticisms of the AYF’s campaign. Surely any human being would be upset by a behavior that victimizes another, but an organization sticks to its own issues, and speaks out about situations that affect those issues.

When Allen Iverson signed to play on a Turkish club, the AYF did not publicize this matter because it happened in Turkey and because Iverson was past his prime and had lost most of his appeal and legitimacy in the United States. Iverson also never played in any market with a significant Armenian population.

The AYF does not expect PETA or ASPCA to speak out about genocide recognition efforts in Congress, and the AYF was not expected to speak out about animal welfare in the wake of Michael Vick’s conviction for dog-fighting.

The AYF also had no reason to speak out about Bryant’s previous legal troubles in Colorado because they had no connection whatsoever to the AYF’s agenda.

Celebrities and athletes get into trouble all the time, and it is unreasonable to ask an Armenian-American organization why they were silent about all those instances. The reason that that organization is not silent now is because a situation has arisen that affects the policies of said organization.

Kobe is not Armenian, this issue doesn’t matter to him.

Indeed, Kobe is not Armenian. However, the issue of genocide recognition is a human issue, and not just an Armenian issue. Most have forgotten what they mean when they say that the Armenian Genocide was a “crime against humanity.” Kobe’s background did not prevent him from speaking out against the genocide in Darfur in May 2008.

Simply put, one’s ethnic background has nothing to do with recognition of the Armenian Genocide; one’s ethnic background also does not matter when it comes to doing business with a government that has a long, illustrious, and on-going record of human rights abuses.

Kobe made a business decision, so what if Armenians are upset?

Public figures, including celebrities, must be sensitive to the needs and wants of their market. Kobe’s market is truly global, but as a result of his playing for the Lakers, he is identified with Los Angeles, a polyglot city that includes the largest population of Armenians outside Armenia. There are certainly many Armenian-Americans that purchase tickets to see the Lakers play, and there are even more that watch games from home or purchase Lakers merchandise.

A true business decision must take into account all factors, including those that don’t have dollar signs in front of them. As a result of Kobe’s endorsement deal, Kobe’s name is now associated with a government that is a denier of history and an abuser of human rights.

Kobe was certainly living comfortably prior to this deal, and had he known of the reaction that would follow, he certainly would have chosen to leave the money on the table, especially considering how hard he has worked to rehabilitate his image since the sexual assault allegations in Colorado.

Armenians should clean up their own shop first.

Some critics of the AYF’s handling of the Kobe situation have charged that the time and energy would be better spent in convincing Armenian grocery stores to refrain from stocking Turkish goods. Interestingly, the AYF has promoted just such a campaign for several years, with middling success; it is difficult to convince people to change their behavior without providing a proper incentive, and the AYF’s only incentive in the case of Turkish grocery products is guilt. It is also an amorphous policy that cannot be filtered down to a single item or person, in stark contrast to the Kobe-Turkish Airlines pact.

A policy boycotting Turkish products in Armenian grocery stores could never possibly get as much media attention as the Kobe situation has already gotten. The issue regarding Turkish grocery products is simply not newsworthy in any type of mainstream media. For this reason alone, it is clear that the AYF was right in concentrating efforts onto the Kobe situation. Simply put, that decision garnered more media attention in a few days than anything else the AYF has done in the last several years.

AYF should focus its efforts to reform the government in Armenia.

The AYF’s resources are finite and local. It would be exceedingly difficult for a grassroots youth organization to have any kind of effect on a government halfway around the world. However, it is much easier for this organization to affect policies and decisions locally. There are countless individuals that would like to bring reform to the Armenian government, and surely to other governments around the world, but this is impossible to accomplish from outside. Thus, those that live in the United States, or in Los Angeles, can only take on tasks that are within reach. The Kobe-Turkish Airlines deal is an international issue that can most certainly be affected on a local level due to Kobe’s presence in the Los Angeles region.

Don’t exploit the deaths of my ancestors for a public relations stunt.

This line of thought is truly confusing. The AYF organizes an annual protest at the Turkish Consulate every April 24, and one of the aims of this protest is to gain media attention and expose the issue to those that are not familiar with it. One could easily make the argument that the protest is an exploitation of genocide victims. However, the Armenian community is facing off against a government in this struggle, and we have often put aside our feelings in favor of pragmatism. We have not the luxury to pick and choose the times when we become emotional about the suffering endured by our forebears, for in so doing we would undoubtedly fall behind in our fight to extract justice for their unnecessary deaths.

Having explored all these criticisms, it becomes clear AYF’s decision to target Kobe Bryant was not only right, but also smart. Kobe Bryant is one of the most recognizable faces on Earth, playing the second-most popular sport on the planet, in the media and entertainment capital of the world. He is a proven winner and an individual who has faced adversity and rehabilitated his image in a way that few could have imagined. The media attention that this campaign has gained is clearly a function of Kobe’s popularity. It simply would have been foolish for the AYF to let this go.

Kobe presented a clear opportunity for the AYF to push its agenda forward by mobilizing a base of already prepared grassroots activists. It is a true credit to the AYF that they were able to gain so much steady and positive media attention in so little time. However, it is equally disappointing that some of the harshest critics of this campaign are Armenian-Americans who typically align themselves with the AYF and its sister organizations.

It is easy to sit at a keyboard and anonymously criticize this effort, but one should find it difficult to look past the results: generous and fair media coverage, exposure of Turkey’s human rights abuses, mentions of the Armenian Genocide in the press, and thousands of comments and conversations, both positive and negative. By these measures alone, this has been a success. Even those that criticize this effort are, in a way, supporting it, for by mere mention of it, there is an intrinsic understanding that the AYF has done something creative and meaningful. Is that not what must be demanded of all grassroots organizations?

While Kobe has so far remained silent about this issue, Turkish Airlines has issued a response that is very much in line with the way that Turkish government and their allies in Congress portray this history. “Kobe Bryant is a cultural figure, not a historian, and is in no way related to a sensitive and complex controversy over highly contested history.” This canned response from Turkish Airlines proves without a doubt that the AYF’s campaign has gotten the Turkish government to become sensitive to this issue.

Kobe Bryant did not negotiate his deal with Turkish Airlines; he has an agent that takes care of these matters. His agent’s office typically handles all his contracts and business dealings. This same agent would also be advising Kobe about public relations gaffes (he has experience with this) and about when to cancel an endorsement deal to save face. Those who want to contact Bryant’s agent should call Landmark Sports Agency at (310) 966-4101 and leave messages for Bryant’s agent Rob Pelinka.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” The AYF was prepared and Kobe Bryant presented the opportunity.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
Aris Hovasapian has a degree in Political Science from UCLA and currently works in energy and utilities. He is an alumnus of the AYF but is not currently a member of any Armenian organization.

By Alina Sookasian

We often don’t realize that as humans, we don’t always inherit the best of worlds. Born without choice, we are thrown into consciousness; into a reality we had no part in shaping. As we travel through life, our surroundings, the people in our lives and the societies in which we live all etch their imprint into our very being, shaping our lives and the people we are to become.

Some are born into security and prosperity with the freedom to choose. Others are slaves to circumstance the moment they enter this world. Billions around the world go on their entire lives trapped in poverty, with little choice, freedom, or opportunity – always yearning for a moment of reprieve from their world.

Such is the case everywhere.

Gyumri: A City of Circumstance

I found myself faced with this difficult truth over the summer, working among people coping with a life they would rather not be living.

The people of the historic Armenian city of Gyumri stand victim to this circumstance.

Gyumri, once known as Leninakan under Soviet Rule and Alexandropol under the Tsars, is Eastern Armenia’s second largest city. It was a center of industry in the 19th century and culture and art in the 20th.

But an unexpected earthquake in 1988 destroyed the city and shattered its people. In one fateful day, Gyumri was leveled to the ground, its inhabitants robbed of their homes, schools, museums, monuments and infrastructure. Families were torn apart; sons were left without fathers, and daughters were taken from their mothers. More than 25,000 innocent people died as a result of December 7, 1988 and with them died the happiness and hope of the generations that would unwillingly inherit the aftershock of this catastrophe.

We traveled to this city as volunteers from the Armenian Youth Federation to work through its Youth Corps program at a summer camp for the children of Gyumri. Our group of 11 lived here for 4 weeks, spending our days teaching and playing with nearly 200 kids escaping from their summer of boredom.

We lived with a local family in a district known as “Toorkee Mayla”, down the block from a small community of “domiks”. These aging aluminum shacks, built to be temporary housing after the earthquake, became “homes” for the past twenty years. A poignant reminder of the sad reality faced by far too many families.

Camp Gyumri Through the Lens

Camp Gyumri, however, was a different story; it was a welcomed sanctuary from the gloomy day-to-day life in Armenia’s second largest city. To paint you a picture, it’s necessary to go back to the beginning—Session 1, Day 1.

We started the first day of camp on Tuesday, July 20 at 10:30 A.M. We were all very nervous that day, especially as we welcomed the 75 children to the public school we were using as our day-camp.

“It wasn’t even 10:30 when we got to the school and they were all already lined up, and so full of energy and excitement,” recalls participant Kareen Sassounian. We were all excited and worried at the same time.

“It was very intimidating counting one kid after another as they filled into the classroom we were in,” she continues. “It seemed very daunting at the time. How were we going to do this for four weeks, with just three counselors for every thirty five kids?”

“Deer in the headlights” is the most apropos expression to describe our general reaction to the kids that day. Thankfully, the rest of the day went by rather rapidly after the initial introductions and presentation of camp rules. After about an hour, we divided the children into color groups of red, blue, and orange and then into beginner, intermediate and advanced English classes based on their comprehension of the language.

Once everything was sorted out, we played what felt like a never-ending game of butt volleyball—an AYF Camp favorite that involves two teams playing volleyball while sitting on the floor. We ended that day by lining up in our color groups and singing Mshak Banvor, the anthem of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Interestingly enough, many of the kids who were alumni from Camp Gyumri 09, not only remembered the song, but sang it with pride.

Every day after the first was a bit better, with the daily agenda running smoother and more efficiently. Our personal relationships with the campers also solidified and in less than a few days we had already become full time mentors and older siblings for our campers, who had already come to see Camp Gyumri as their home away from home.

A Day in the Life

Picture this: A typical day at camp began with the 11 of us counselors scrambling out of bed, pouring tea down our throats, grabbing “bonchiks” from the nearest baker, and darting across town to beat the kids to camp only to see the bittersweet picture of them already there, playing in the yard.

“No matter how early we woke up or arrived there, they were always a step ahead of us,” says Daniel Ohanian, a volunteer joining our team from Toronto Canada. “It was like an ongoing battle of failed attempts trying to beat them to the school.”

Once at camp, we would quickly scramble to set up our classrooms then rush outside to line up the campers to sing the Armenian national anthem. What followed after that could only be described as brief moments of mayhem and havoc, as the kids, all at once, tried to squeeze through a small doorway to get to their respective classrooms to devour their breakfast.

After breakfast, the campers would split up into their English classes for an hour. The beginner level classes focused on teaching the ABC’s and how to read and write basic words; the intermediate classes built vocabulary and sentence structure; while the advanced section introduced conversational skills and proper grammar.
“Most of the kids seemed to really enjoy learning English and were constantly leaping out of their seats to answer a question or for a chance to write on the chalk board,” recalls volunteer Kristina Karayan.

At the hour’s end, the kids would impatiently run back into their color group classrooms, eager to find out about the day’s next activity.  The general list of color group activities included: drawing, painting, and making necklaces, bracelets, key-chains, and other handcrafts with beads and lanyards.

Complimenting our schedule were weekly educationals about personal hygiene, nutrition, the dangers of smoking, and the environment. Professionals from environmental organizations such as the Armenian Tree Project and Sunchild visited Camp Gyumri throughout the program to teach the campers about a wide range of issues, from Gyumri’s trash and pollution problems, to the deforestation of the country and the fundamental importance of trees to their personal lives.

Singing was also a big part of the curriculum. For an hour each day, campers studied and practiced Armenian national and patriotic songs in preparation for the end-of-session song competition between the color groups. Interestingly enough, the majority of the traditional songs, commonly known throughout the Diaspora, were relatively unheard of here in Gyumri.

For camper Lusine Safarian, song practice was the best part of camp. “I really want to be a singer when I grow up but I can’t afford singing lessons,” she says. “Song practice was my favorite part of camp because it was my first real chance to practice singing in a setting other than just by myself.”

One activity that everyone equally anticipated from the moment the day started was the two hours of sports and games at the end of each camp-day. Lunch seemed almost like a roadblock to sports for many of them, especially Hrach Maloyan, who thought of nothing but sports all day long. “Game time is my favorite part of camp because of the teamwork factor,” he says. “I love being able to work toward something with my friends and the reward is so much greater when you win!”

“Sports and games were very important, especially since a majority of the kids came from families that couldn’t afford to buy balls for them to play with over the summer,” explains red group counselor Rita Yemenidjian. “It was also a chance for us to connect with the campers and give them an amazing and active summer.”

Talent shows, games, singing, and “dance parties” were all big hits among the campers, recalls Marae Sarkuni, a blue group counselor. “We would initially prepare a list of activities ahead of time, but we realized the kids really appreciated, and loved, it when we put music on and just let them be.”

Little Big Things

All these kids wanted was some freedom and attention—a chance to just sing, dance, and show off their karate or gymnastic skills.  It was during these moments, when the kids were doing what made them happy, that we grew the most attached to them.

“Little Robert loved making necklaces with beads so much that he would stay in from sports time to work on them,” explains Marae. “By the time he made six of them, he was walking all around camp, showing them off and simply enjoying his works of art, his pride and joy.”

“One day, when he came to show them to me, I expressed my admiration for them and told him how pretty they were,” she continues. “At that second, he took one off and handed it to me and said, ‘Ungerouhi Marae, just for you.’”

Robert’s case was not unique. The majority of the nearly 200 campers forged close bonds with the Youth Corps volunteers. That’s because children in Gyumri don’t generally get the love and attention they need, according to the local ARF’s Badanegan fieldworker, Ara Nakhshkaryan. Unger Ara, as we came to know him, works as a grade-school teacher in one of nearly a dozen schools spread throughout the city. For him, the very fact that people were spending time with these kids was reason enough for Youth Corps to exist.

“Teachers here don’t have the time and resources to follow up with every child’s specific needs,” he says. “Here, children, who throughout the year don’t get any attention from anyone, feel significant and each relationship with a counselor has a very strong impact on their lives.”

“The smallest things can have the largest impact in places like Gyumri, where children don’t have access to basic things like a pencil and paper or even a toothbrush. Here, the things we take for granted are cherished beyond imagination,” says participant Nora Kayserian, who had arrived in Gyumri a month earlier to volunteer for the Gyumri Social Services Center through BirthRight Armenia.

The Choices we Make

An amazing thing happened this summer in this city of misfortune, where few from the Armenian Diaspora ever venture.

Here, a group of young Armenians, living 7000 miles away from their homeland, made a difference in the lives of 180 children. I don’t think any of us will ever forget even a single minute of those four weeks at Camp Gyumri. The children will forever remember that the counselors spent extra time looking for the perfect colored crayon for them, while the counselors will forever relive the torrent of emotions caused by every single tear shed by a camper when each session came to its bitter-sweet end.

We found a home in Gyumri, and it changed our lives forever. Because at the end of this entire experience, we all realized that the kids of Camp Gyumri were not the only one’s benefiting from the Youth Corps program. Living and working in Gyumri reinforced our Armenian identity and connected us to a very powerful legacy of service to the homeland.

For Allen Yekikian, who served as this year’s group leader, “Youth Corps instilled in all of us the same dreams that inspired a generation of revolutionaries to struggle for a national awakening and liberation over a century ago.”

“We did real ARF work here, like the founders of the organization, who from the 19th century Diaspora set out and traveled to villages in the homeland and worked side by side with other Armenians to develop communities, build schools, and spread national awareness,” he exclaims.

“When joining the AYF and later ARF, I took an oath to work for the social, political, economic and educational betterment of my people and community and that’s exactly what Youth Corps enabled me to do this summer,” he adds.

Anyone who has ever served as a Youth Corps volunteer has probably felt something akin to what drove us all to join the program this summer.

This program is humbling. It is inspiring.  And it will define you.

Մարկարիթա Հովհանեսյան

Կումայրի, Ալեքսանդրապոլ, Լենինական, Գիւմրի. չորս անուններով է ամբողջանում քաղաքի պատմութիւնը, որը սկիզբ է առել դարերի խորքից ու կարծես պատրաստ է հոսել դէպ յաւերժութիւն…

Դեռ 5-րդ դարում Մ. Խորենացի պատմիչը յիշատակել է Էրիախի կոչուոող բանակավայրի մասին, որին յետագայում Կումայրի են անուանել: 18-րդ դարի վերջին Կումայրին վերանուանում են Գիւմրի: Ըստ որոշ աղբիւրների` օտարերկրացիները չեն կարողացել արտասանել Կումայրի բառը եւ աղաւաղելով այն` կոչել են Գիւմրի:

1804-ին Գիւմրին ռուսների տիրապետութեան տակ է անցնում, ինչն էլ ապագայ քաղաքի յետագայ զարգացման գործում դրական ազդեցութիւն է ունենում: Բայց բնակավայրի բուռն ծաղկումը սկսւում է 1828-ից, երբ Արեւմտեան Հայաստանի Կարս, Էրզրում, Կարին, ու Անի քաղաքներից գաղթած մեծ թուով ընտանիքներ այստեղ են հաստատւում: Ձեւաւորւում են առանձնայատուկ աւանդութիւններով եւ օրէնքներով արհեստաւորական համայնքներ:

1837-ին Գիւմրի է այցելում ռուս ցար Նիկոլայ Ա. ը. այնքան է Կումայրին հաւանում, որ որոշում է ի պատիւ կնոջ` Ալեքսանդրա թագուհու, քաղաքն անուանել Ալեքսանդրապոլ: Աշխարհագրական յարմար դիրքի շնորհիւ Ալեքսանդրապոլը վերածւում է բերդ-ամրոցի. ստեղծւում են ռազմական ամրութիւններ, զինուորական աւաններ: 1840-ից Ալեքսանդրապոլը պաշտօնապէս ճանաչւում է որպէս քաղաքային բնակավայր, իսկ երկաթուղու կառուցումից յետոյ արդէն Արեւելեան Հայաստանում դառնում է երկաթուղային կարեւոր հանգոյց, առեւտրական, արհեստաւորական, ռազմաստրատեգիական ու մշակութային կենտրոն:
Քաղաքում մեծ թափով սկսում է զարգանալ արհեստագործութիւնը, որն այստեղ սկիզբ է առել դեռ հնագոյն ժամանակներից. ապացոյցն էլ 1930-ին հազարամեակների վաղեմութեան ձուլարանի յայտնաբերումն է: Ալեքսանդրապոլի ճարտարապետութիւնը առանձնայատկութիւնների շնորհիւ իր վարպետների անունները հռչակել է ամբողջ Կովկասում. Նրանք հեղինակել են այնպիսի կառյցներ, ինչպիսիք են Սբ. Աստուածածանայ եկեղեցին, Սեւ եւ Կարմիր բերդերը, Սբ. Ամենափրկիչ եկեղեցին, Օրիպրդաց գիմնազիան /այս շէնքում էր Բակային ճամբար 2010-ը:

Անուանի բանաստեղծ Աւետիք Իսահակեանի խօսքերով` Գիւմրու ճարտարապետութեան մէջ կան անթիւ տարրեր, ընդօրինակումներ մեր Անիի մնացորդներից: Ըստ նրա` Գիւմրու վարպետները Անիի վարպետների աշակերտներն են եղել ու մանկուց աչքի առաջ ունենալով  փայլուն ճարտարապետութեան օրինակ` տեսածն այս քաղաքում են վերարտադրել. Լաւագոյն ապացոյցն էլ Անիի Կաթողիկէ Մայր եկեղեցու տիպարով գրեթէ քսան տարում /1858-1876/ կառուցուած Գիւմրու Սբ. Ամենափրկիչ եկեղեցին է:
Հին Գիւմրին համբաւաւոր արհեստաւորներից բացի` յայտնի է եղել նշանաւոր աշուղներով: 19-րդ դարի երկրորդ կէսին Ջիւանու գլխաւորութեամբ ձեւաւորւում է ազգային աշուղական դպրոցը, որին բնորոշ էր հասարակական-սոցիալական թեմաների սրութիւնը, գրական-երաժշտական լեզուի մաքրութիւնը, ուրոյն մտածելակերպը: Սկսած 1870-ական թուականներից քաղաքի հռչակաւոր սրճարանները դարձել են աշուղական երգ ու նուագի իւրայատուկ կենտրոններ: Գիւմրեցի մեծանուն աշուղներին հաճախ հրաւիրել են Երեւան, Թիֆլիս, Պաքու, Աստրախան եւ այլուր;

Հայաստանի խորհրդայնացման արդիւնքում` 1924-ից Ալեքսանդրապոլը վերանուանւում է Լենինական: Նաեւ Սովետական Հայաստանի օրոք Լենինականն իր զարգացուածութեամբ ու հզօրութեամբ Երեւանից յետոյ երկրորդն էր; Սակայն շուտով ամէն ինչ գլխիվայր է շրջում 1988-ի ահեղ երկրաշարժը: Երբեմնի հզօր քաղաքի մէջքն այլեւս կոտրւում է. հողին է հաւասարւում կանգուն ամէն բան` այլեւս պատմութեան գիրկն է անցնում Լենինականի վաղեմի փառքը: Քաղաքը Գիւմրի է վերանուանւում 1991-ից` Խորհրդային կարգերի փլուզումից յետոյ:

Եւ հիմա էլ ժամանակի հռչակաւոր քաղաքի մասին յիշեցնում են լոկ կիսաւեր շինութիւններն ու հարուստ պատմութիւնը. Կումայրին, Ալեքսանդրապոլը, Լենինականն այլեւս ուրուականներ են…

BY DAVID ARAKELYAN

NEWPORT BEACH—Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh) President Bako Sahakian said Friday the Kosovo precedent was important for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and rebuffed Azeri attempts to poison his appearance at a gathering hosted by Orange County World Affairs Council at the Pacific Club, where Sahakian was the keynote speaker.

Sahakian spoke to an audience of about 250 guests, mainly members of the Armenian community and the WAC, but peppered with members of the Azeri community, who asked biased questions during the Q & A session at the end of president’s speech.  Another group of 15 to 20 Azeris were protesting outside of the venue.

A small group of Azeri protestors outside the event.

In his opening remarks, President Sahakian talked about some of the domestic and foreign policy objectives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the progress that has been made in those areas over the past few years.

In reference to the parallels between Karabakh and Kosovo, which was brought up in one of the questions, the President said that “Kosovo is an important precedent of the implementation of international law, where the principle of self-determination prevailed” and stated that the International Court of Justice confirmed Kosovo’s independence. Just like in Kosovo, the people in Karabakh made their choice to live independently, and that decision is “not subject to speculation and interpretation.”

Sahakian said that Karabakh must return to negotiation table because “no settlement of the conflict is going to be possible without the agreement of Stepanakert.” The President said the government of Azerbaijan was unwilling to take any real steps to resolve the conflict peacefully and pointed to the continued military rhetoric and the constant ceasefire violations initiated by the Azeris.

He called upon the international community to condemn the “destructive position” of Azerbaijan, stating that “the international community can have an influential role in curbing Baku’s militaristic rhetoric and stopping the Azeri government from continuous increase in military expenditures.”

In response to a question about the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Sahakian stressed that the “recognition of Arstakh is just a matter of time” and expressed confidence that “most Western countries are interested in the establishment of a new, free, and democratic state” in the Caucasus.

On the domestic front, Sahakian reported that the gross domestic product of the country has increased fivefold from 2003, when it was only $427 per capita, to 2009, when it reached the $2,000 mark.  Even in 2008, the year when the most recent economic crisis began, Artsakh’s economy grew by more than 70 percent compared to 2007 levels. The budget of the republic currently stands at 55 billion drams (or roughly $150 million), and the main sectors of the economy are construction, agriculture, industry, and energy.

The President expressed confidence that soon, Karabakh is poised to become an energy-exporting country and reforms in the agricultural sector will enhance the productivity of Karabakh farmers.

The protesters outside were holding anti-Armenian signs with references to the “500,000 refugees from Karabakh,” “the occupation of Azeri territories,” and the so-called “Khojaly massacre.”  A few Armenian Youth Federation members challenged the protesters’ falsified claims and gave historical evidence to point out to the inaccuracies contained in the posters held by the Azeris, but that did not seem to change the mind of the Azeri activists.

While addressing statements made about the “Khojaly Massacre” in his response to an Azeri member of the audience, Sahakian stated that the “Khojaly issue was a tactical move [adopted by the Azeris] to divert attention from the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”

He stated that the Armenian forces never engaged in any actions against the civilian population of Azerbaijan, and only fought back in war which was imposed upon the Armed Forces and the population of Artsakh.

Expressing yourself is probably one of the most important things you can do in your life. Photography is magic. Since it started about 200 years ago it still hasn’t left us. Mediums like film and music owe a lot of their method to photography. For me personally, I love capturing moments, things that move, things that need to stand still to be more appreciated. To me photography is all about the details.

The creation of details that aren’t appreciated to their maximum potential at their very moment of existence. Things that need to live on passed their moment of occurrence. Things in need of being shared, remembered, or cherished. Photo is also about feeling; love, hate, passion, beauty, ignorance.

A picture is captured, but so much is remembered, and photography is the only art form that can gather so much detail from a single moment of what’s really there, the truth, and re-present it in such a reflective and clearly understood and digested form.

I started working with photography from the age of 17. I got into because of my passion for filmmaking, but the magic of it just stuck with me. I left it aside for a while, then in 2009, while I was a student at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, I picked it up again. Black and white photography is true magic in my opinion, because it never ceases to amaze me. Digital is fun, and you can do a lot with it, it really let’s you be as creative as possible, whereas with film you end trying to make the image come out before you think of experimentation.

The black and white photos you see below are from my time at Art Center. Two of them are from a series called Armerica: a documentary of Armenian-American immigrant businesses.

Sarco

Sarkis Iknadossian immigrated to the United States from Aleppo, Syria with his wife in the late 1970’s. After opening a small convenient store in Montebello, California Sarkis was quickly shut down because of the opening of a 7/11 market across the street.

Sarco

After re-establishing his family closer to the Armenian Community, in Glendale, Sarkis decided to open a household supply store in what is known today as Little Armenia, in Hollywood.

In addition to selling common household appliances, Sarkis also repairs kitchen and household electronics, such as vacuums, electric stoves, and toasters. Sarkis says that in recent years their business has once again fallen victim to competition coming from bigger stores and companies. Already past the age of retirement, Sarkis and his Wife continue to work despite their lack of energy to compete.

‘Round The Clock Cleaners

‘Round The Clock Cleaners has been owned and operated by the Kasparian family for over 20 years. The Kasparian’s immigrated the United States in the early 1980‘s, during the Lebanese Civil War. Their business became the very resource for their establishment in the United States. The location you see is currently managed by the Kasparian son, Johnny Kasparian. The family has also opened a few other locations that cater to various parts of the Pasadena and greater Los Angeles area.

Round the Clock

The Accordion Man was taken at the 3rd street promenade on a sunday evening. Summer of 2009.

The Accordian Man

In December of 2009 I ventured on to Armenia with the Birthright Armenia program. I spent most of my time there volunteering at Bars Media Documentary Film Studio and Manana Youth Center. Bars Media has been responsible for documentary films ranging in topics ranging from the Karapagh war, Tightrope Dancers in Armenia, and Donkeys in Lamu, Kenya. Their latest project The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia is what I worked on for the most part, translating dialogue for subtitles in English and promoting the film in the festival circuit.

Manana Youth Center is an after school center for kids in Yerevan that offers classes in Photography, Filmmaking, and Animation. I had a lot of fun working with them as a teachers assistant and helping out with whatever random tasks they needed.

Armenia was a great experience. I learned a lot from being around a completely different atmosphere for those 4 months. I took a lot of photos on my trip, but these two stuck out the most for me. One is probably very recognizable, the Mabib Babig statue in The Free Republic of Artsakh (Nogorno Kharapagh).

Mamig and Babig

The other is an old soviet car I would pass by on my way to the bus stop on a daily basis. I call that one A Daily Sight.

A Daily Sight.

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Editor’s Note: High resolution print copies of the photos in this blog can be purchased from this author for $45. Mammig and Babig and a Daily Sight are available for $55 . For more information, visit Avo’s website at avojohn.com or email/call him at: avojohn@me.com/818-251-6008. For more information about Birthright Armenia check out birthrightarmenia.org

By Shant Hagopian

As another April comes and goes, and we mourn the loss of our ancestors almost a century ago, we again look toward recognition. States, counties, cities and municipalities will pass resolutions in their legislative bodies acknowledging truth, paying homage to social justice and international human rights. Rallies will assemble, protests will emerge and we will unite with our brothers and sisters around the world demanding that the Republic of Turkey accept guilt for its atrocities beginning in 1915. Such has been the case for decades and we have made inroads in our battle for justice. With that said, there are still many milestones toward recognition which the Armenian community is still looking to accomplish.

Those working toward these efforts can be found among those few remaining survivors the latest generation of Armenians. As diverse and multi cultural the Armenian race is, spread across every continent of this earth, we are united by a common struggle for justice. From our highly successful professionals to our passionate youth, our ever-expending community is utilizing every tool at its disposal to ensure the tragedies of our ancestors are not forgotten and efforts to rewrite history prove unsuccessful.  Almost a century after the near extermination of our race, our voices have become louder and every passing generation sees our Cause embolden.

Each passing year, the Armenian Genocide becomes more widely known and accepted. On every front, the Armenian Diaspora is educating the public through all means possible across the globe.  Just this year, another handful of countries added its name to the laundry list of those who formally recognize the genocide. With that said, the heyday of Armenian Genocide recognition remains in the future. As much progress has been made, the passage of the resolution in the United States Congress still awaits a full vote.

Behind the scenes, opposition has been mounting to the proper characterization of the Armenian Genocide. This opposition started with a few powerful lobbyists and has transformed into a campaign encompassing international diplomacy, academia and the media.  This, along with shifts in geopolitics and a war on terror, has allowed the Republic of Turkey to take advantage of opportunities in its efforts to rewrite history. Their fight, like ours, does not end in Washington. The effort to ensure an accurate historical record stretches far beyond the halls of the nation’s capitol and requires attention of our entire community.

As we inch closer to 100 years after the start of the Armenian Genocide, we must not only remember to stay united but also to remain activated.  When this April comes and goes, lets not put our efforts on hold for a year. In order to pass a resolution in Congress, we must channel the passion felt on April 24 into action throughout the year.

Our community is strong but only with participation of our already united nation can we fulfill all of our efforts toward recognition.

By Tamar Salibian

In 1915, over 1.5 million Armenians were removed from their homes and subsequently massacred by the Ottoman Turks in what is known as the Aghed (catastrophe) or the Armenian genocide. Each year, April 24 is the day when Armenians around the world remember the death of their ancestors under the brutal hand of the Ottoman Turkish government. The year is 2007, this year, the cloudless sky and warm California weather made for an apt setting to commemorate April 24 in Los Angeles’ Little Armenia. Thousands of Armenians prepared to meet near the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Hobart Street for a commemorative march across town.

I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock blaring at 8:30 and immediately rolled over to try to sleep for a few more minutes. “I’ll make it in time, it starts at 10,” I thought to myself as I drifted back into slumber.

Awaking with a start at 9:08, I jumped out of bed and proceeded to search for an outfit that was somber enough for the day’s events yet comfortable enough to walk around in. Black slacks, black shoes, charcoal grey tee shirt, done.

At Turkish scholar Dr. Taner Akcam’s lecture at Glendale Community College the previous day, I’d been bombarded with paraphernalia for the April 24th events, yet I did not choose to wear my new “1915: Stop the Denial” tee shirt, nor did I affix the “Boycott Turkey” bumper sticker to my car that I’d been given as I left the lecture where Dr. Akcam attempted to promote dialogue between Armenians and Turks. I wondered if the students who abruptly left Dr. Akcam’s lecture early were given the “Boycott Turkey” bumper stickers or if the stickers were only awarded to those who stayed until the end of the presentation.

Running to my car, I quickly made it to the 101 South and exited at Hollywood Boulevard where I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by a massive traffic jam.

“It’s to be expected today,” I thought as I took the time to look around at the people in their cars in Little Armenia. BMW’s, Mercedes Benzes and other opulent cars were adorned with Armenian and American flags. I chuckled, wondering if the tourists across the street thought there was a soccer match going on because of all of the fanfare. A black BMW with tinted windows passed me and I noticed a group of young men, cleanly shaven with shorn hair and black 1915 tee shirts, laughing and watching intently as a group of young girls in tight blue jeans and platform sandals walked towards the march. The search for parking seemed endless but I finally found a spot near Hollywood on Edgemont.

The air was thick with the pungent scent of hair gel and aftershave. Old men stood on the street corners awaiting the start of the event. In the distance, I could already hear the chanting of the crowd. “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now! Shame on Turkey! 1915, never again!” A group of men stood nearby smoking cigarettes and watching the crowd as many young Armenian boys and girls with gelled hair, Jamba Juice and Starbucks drinks and T-Mobile Sidekicks attached to their hands as if with Krazy glue walked around sending text messages and laughing with each other. The social aspect of such events was to be expected and yet the longer I watched the crowd, the less I wanted to stay.

At the head of the march was a group of Armenian archbishops and priests who solemnly walked without chanting. Their presence was in stark contrast to the general public who, with fists raised, chanted, yelled and screamed. As the crowd reached Normandie Avenue, the religious leaders quietly stepped away from the crowd, passing me to disappear from the march.   The yelling started to give me a headache.
Sure, I want justice like any other self-respecting Armenian whose ancestors survived the genocide. My maternal grandfather was rescued from under a pile of corpses as an infant and spent his entire life in silence trying to live under a shadow he never discussed. Yet this tragedy is something that I wish to remember in a different way.

I want to mourn the dead rather than hold up slogans and walk down avenues as though I were part of a parade. I felt the anger rising up in my chest. Are we Armenians replacing the commemorative root of this day with a kind of bravado mob mentality? Was it ever any different? “What would happen,” I thought to myself, “if all of a sudden the genocide magically did receive worldwide recognition? What would our agenda be then?” Sensing that my frustration might lead me to say or do something I would regret, I turned and walked back toward my car. But it wasn’t time to go home.

What did I really want today to be about? I got in my car and drove east on Hollywood, North on Vermont, onto the 5 and then to the 134 until I reached the place that I knew was the right place to be on this day.

Forest Lawn Cemetery welcomed me with its quiet, its calm and its simple, somber atmosphere. I picked out a bouquet of white flowers in the flower shop and made my way up through the grounds. “Akh medzmayrig, oor es?” (“Great-grandma, where are you?”) I whispered to myself as I trudged through the grass in search of my great-grandmother Araxie Oshagan’s grave. “Eem havidenagan hartsus” (“My eternal dilemma”) I thought, as I remembered the same search for her grave I have each time I visit this cemetery. Was it two rows down from the stone bench or two rows up? Damn it, should I call my cousin for directions?

And then, I found her. The emotions arose within me as I slowly began to wash her gravestone with water and arrange the flowers I had bought.
Araxie Astardjian was born in Bulgaria in 1895. As a young teen, she met her future husband when on one cold night, the writer Hagop Oshagan knocked on her parents’ door asking if they could put him up for the night. From Bulgaria all the way to her death in Los Angeles in 1987 just two weeks after moving to the US, my medzmayrig’s life was one full of trauma, strength, pride and loss.

I remembered how she would sit in the corner of her room, her head turned to look out the window, searching for the ghosts of her long-lost husband and family members. I noticed a car pass by with an Armenian flag attached to its passenger window. A solemn family exited the car to pay their respects to their loved ones at the cemetery. Slowly, I realized that all was not forgotten.

By Lori Najarian

The horrendous crimes of genocide committed by the Ottoman Government against the Armenians in 1915 will forever be a bitter truth in Armenian history, but it does not identify us as a people.

We have much to celebrate in our few thousand years of existence and, most importantly, we must feel proud to have survived through what I hope was the worst of it. However, our existence today does not mean that our fight for survival is unnecessary; on the contrary, every day we are fighting for the survival of our language, our faith, our homeland, and especially the survival of our future.

This fight, of course, cannot be won if we continue to create divisions among ourselves. It is not a fight meant to be faced only by the Armenians of the Diaspora or by those living in Armenia. As different as the struggles and concerns are for both, they are not separate; we are not separate people, and the sooner we bring down these barriers, communicate and become aware of one another’s situation, the easier it will be to find proper solutions to our problems. It is the unity we are lacking that is necessary to win this fight for survival, and for this we can always count on the treasures of our culture as a means to unite.

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and blessed with parents who are full of Armenian soul and have been devoting their life to Armenian causes ever since I can remember. My brother and I grew up surrounded by every Armenian thing imaginable. Aside from attending Armenian Day School, my parents would take us to every Armenian event that took place. Of course, at the time, it seemed like a drag, but I love them for it and am forever grateful.

Armenian music was played not only in our house but in the car; I grew up watching our videotape collection of Armenian State Dance Ensembles and remember trying to mimic the graceful movements. Although I have been taking ballet lessons since childhood, I desperately wanted to learn Armenian dance but there was nowhere that offered this opportunity until I reached adulthood. When I heard the news of Hamazkayin bringing a dance teacher from Armenia I was among many who were thrilled. Unfortunately, our dance instructor was only able to stay for a little over a year, but it was enough to give me a good base and a great passion to pursue studying and performing Armenian Folk Dance.

Thanks to my parents’ undying support and the help of my dance instructor, I was recently given the opportunity to study Armenian ballet and character dance and graduate as a teacher and performer at the Yerevan State Dance Academy. Although I had been to Armenia several times before with my family and with Homenetmen Scouts, when I traveled to Armenia to study dance, it was different. I was no longer playing the role of the tourist.

I was excited, yet nervous to start this new chapter of my life in a completely different world. To everyone’s surprise, I adapted rather quickly to the lifestyle in Armenia. It felt as if I had been here for years. Despite the many obstacles I have faced during my time in Yerevan, I feel much wiser and have a greater understanding of certain things about this wonderful and crazy country; things that perhaps others might judge with criticism because they have not had the chance to see the ‘real’ Hayastan.

I have learned so much within the walls of the Dance Academy. Every one of my teachers has helped me gain as much knowledge in dance as possible and I am very thankful to them. Aside from the actual dance classes, the program I am enrolled in also offers classes on the history of art, music and dance. I have learned about Armenian composers, artists, choreographers and dancers. I also had the privilege of practicing with professional dancers from the various Armenian state ensembles; and, most recently, I had the honor of dancing on stage in my Motherland–an experience that words cannot describe.

Outside of school I have taken advantage of seeing Armenian plays, admiring the state dance ensembles and ballets, listening to operas and Armenian music, and so on. My life in Armenia is mostly spent being surrounded by or taking part in anything cultural. After all, it is culture that brought me here to Armenia, my home.

My coming to Yerevan to study dance has created an unbreakable bond between myself and my Hayrenik. As sad as I am to be leaving Armenia in a few months after graduation, I am also looking forward to my return to Toronto so that I may pass along every bit of knowledge I have learned about our culture to our future generations. Yes, being active politically and socially is also crucial for our survival, however, it is our culture that fills the gaps and truly connects all Armenians as one.

Celebration and awareness of our culture creates an indestructible bridge and automatically connects us all to each other. I urge all Armenians to take part in building this bridge and embracing our culture as a means to unite.

By Vahe Sargsyan
Analyst with the Mitq Analysis Center
Photos by Tamar Baboujian

In anticipation of the 2010 Census, a large effort is being made in the U.S. to reach out to the Armenian population and make sure they mark themselves as Armenians. According to U.S. federal law, if there is a large enough number of an ethnic group in a region, than that ethnic group is entitled to a certain level of representation within its locality. The U.S. Census counts all citizens—including illegal aliens—who pay their taxes and, thus, deserve basic rights in local issues. The government is also mandated to accommodate to the linguistic needs of large ethnic groups, through things such as bilingual education and translation.

In the Republic of Georgia, a population count in 2002 estimated that there were 207,598 people living in the region of Javakhk. Of these, 55% were Armenians, while Georgians made up 43% of the population. In addition, the count held in the historically Armenian region of Dsalga estimated that there were 11,484 Armenians, 2,510 Georgians, 4,589 Greeks, 1,992 Azeri’s, and 313 other ethnicities residing there.

With this background on the U.S. process, as well as the numbers from the Georgian census, in mind, let us take a more in-depth look at the situation confronting Armenians living in Javakhk.

First of all, in the sphere of education, language classes in Armenian schools in Javakhk have to be taught according to the program of the Georgian government and the teachers are directly paid by the state. In theory, the Georgian government is responsible for ensuring that the population’s mother tongue (Armenian) is taught, but this responsibility is neglected and policies are carried out with the exact opposite effect. For example, Georgia’s Ministry of Science and Education has made numerous attempts to convert the teachings in Armenian schools into strictly Georgian instruction.

This continues today, as the state seeks to change all textbook materials from Armenian to Georgian. At the same time, Armenian school textbooks are being sold at extremely high prices which are often times too expensive for the people of Javakhk to afford. On top of all of this, the quality of the material in these books is very poor.

The Georgian Education Ministry proceeds to deflect criticism of this severe textbook shortage for Armenians in Javakhk as an issue facing Georgian society as a whole. However, when we are talking about the critical maintenance of a native people (Armenians) living in their motherland (Javakhk), these feeble excuses are simply unacceptable.

Georgia has a friendly neighbor, the Republic of Armenia, who has consistently been prepared to provide such Armenian textbooks for schools in Javakhk and the rest of Georgia, and has done so for over the past 1-2 years. Rather than facilitate this assistance, however, the Georgian authorities have forbidden Armenia from continuing to send schoolbooks to Javakhk (presently, Armenia is permitted to only send language textbooks, with literature and other subjects being strictly forbidden from entering Georgia). It is due to such destructive policies that the spate of supposedly “unsolvable” problems facing schools in Javakhk has surfaced.

Another urgent problem facing Javakhk is the official requirement that all public writings be in the Georgian language, putting the Armenians in the region in extreme isolation. Through these steps, Georgia is seeking to continue — in contradiction to its responsibilities under international law—its ethnic-based policies of withering away the Armenian demographic in exchange for sprouting up Georgian populated areas.

However, this policy of attempting to do away with the Armenian population from the region is bound to fail. This is because there is an unwritten rule that the Georgian government has yet to realize: the Armenian people cannot be destroyed on their historical lands and mountainous regions.  Even when force and brutal means are used, the Armenian people will never disappear. The Hamshen and ‘hidden’ Armenians still living in Western Armenia today provide the perfect example of this.

On the other hand, the pursuit of such a coercive process can produce an opposite effect, which is the reaction of a people subject to such harsh policies of destruction. Currently, due to Javakhk’s circumstances, this reaction is, in fact, occuring. The steps Georgia is taking are deepening the opposition between the Armenians in Javakhk and the authorities. For Javakhk, it is impossible to repeat what has happened in Gakhet and other regions of Georgia.

In such tense circumstances, different foreign powers with varying interests can manipulate the internal situation, which Georgia never ceases to make noise about. However, neutralizing such powers would be considerably simple if steps were taken by Georgia to decrease the concerns of the Armenians in Javakhk, similar to what is occurring in Iran with their Azeri minority.

The Azeris are connected in countless ways to Iran’s government and are invested in the common life of that society. As such, it is very difficult to use the Azeris against Iran as is desired by the U.S. and its allies. The Azeris, like the Armenians in Javakhk, are not a cultural minority. The Azeris in Iran are natives there, who have participated in the formation of the Iranian state and culture.

However, unlike the Azeris in Iran, Armenians in Javakhk do not have any relation to the lineage of the Georgian people. Nevertheless, they have played a significant role in the formation of the post-Soviet, independent Georgian state. Suffice it to point out just one example: when on March 17, 1991, Georgia boycotted the referendum on whether to maintain the USSR intact, Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia did not support Georgia. The latter two regions voted to protect the USSR and to maintain their assistance from Russia. At the same time, Javakhk’s Armenians supported Georgia’s position, coming forward with a special pronouncement along such lines.

1Unfortunately, the continuation of this “tradition” of reliability on behalf of Javakhk’s Armenians—as happened again during the days of the 2008 Russia-Georgia War—has been completely ignored by Georgia’s governing leaders. Similarly, the Georgian media also chooses to forget this record of loyalty and, instead, everywhere hurls lies and insults against the activists and common people of Javakhk.

Turning back to the obstacles placed before the people of Javakhk, we must draw our attention to the imbalance in Armenian representation in the local civic bodies. When it comes to political representation, the country’s laws of local self-government have subtly and slyly reduced the quantity of Armenians elected or appointed to municipal bodies. For example, in the cities of Dsalga or Asbintsa (Asbnchag) it is impossible to find an appointed Armenian official, even as these two municipalities are made up of approximately 60% and 20% Armenians, respectively. Taking into account that 37% of the Akhaltskha municipality is Armenian and 62% is Georgian, we again see a strict imbalance in executive official distribution. Similarly, in the municipalities of Akhalkalak and Ninodzminta, there is a daily increase in Georgians running executive positions. Added to all of this is the fact that within Samtskhe-Javakhk’s state administration there are virtually no Armenians, even though Armenians make up 55% of the population while Georgians only 43%. This proportional makeup of the population should have resulted in the governor of Samtskhe-Javakhk, as well as 55% of the worker’s in the administration, being Armenian. However, instead, the current governor, L. Jkadua, is Georgian.

In a recent interview, Jkadua exposes himself to be a naïve youngster whose dream is to see one day see a beautiful Akhaltskha. In Jkadua’s worldview, there is generally no place for Javakhk’s volatile issues. Again, besides the beautification of the city of Akhaltskha, he does not see any problems in Javakhk. The reason for this is simple: he either does not know or is avoiding the deep-rooted causes of Javakhk’s problems.

This detachment from reality of the governor is reminiscent of Communist-era officials in Armenia at the end of 1920 and the beginning of 1921, when the country’s Education Minister was brought in from Siberia and the person responsible for Agriculture was “invited” from the Chukotka Peninsula. Of course, we all remember that the result of this was the famed and historic February Rebellion of 1921.

Comparing these conditions in Georgia and Javakhk with the more sound policies of then the U.S., mentioned in the beginning of the article, puts this sad state of affairs into even clearer perspective. And this specific comparison was not done out of mere coincidence.

It is clear to all observers that there is a heavy influence of American thinking on the authorities in Georgia. Government leaders constantly praise the U.S. for its way of life and rule of law in their public pronouncements. You could say that, for many of them, the US has become an idol of worship.

At the same time, as a junior ally of the US in the region, many Americans work in the high offices of the Georgian state, helping direct the nation’s course. Sadly however, in the case of the Armenians of Javakhk, the Americans deal with their Georgian counterparts by following the famous saying, “My child, don’t live in the way that I am living, but rather in the way that I’m teaching.”