May 9 this year celebrated the 10th anniversary of the liberation of Shoushi. As most of you know, Shoushi played an important role in winning Karabagh. It stands on high cliffs overlooking Stepanagerd (capital of Karabagh). I lived in Shoushi for about three weeks last summer. I fell in love with this crumbled and abandoned old Armenian city. It was really difficult to walk the streets without wondering what happened to the 70 000 people who lived there. Most were Azeris. These people are now refugees across the border waiting to some day return to their homes. What homes though? The impoverished Armenians who live in and around the city were obliged to take bits and pieces from here and there to fix their own homes. This left the city looking more like a skeleton then anything else. The government you ask? Well, it’s busy trying to find international funding to pay the wages of its employees (see some of Ara’s logs about the situation of wages in Karabagh).

Anyhow, I was really happy to hear that last Sunday, the ARFYOC (equivalent of AYF in Canada) had organised an evening in honour of this day. I was expecting that they were going to talk about the value of Shoushi and what it means for Armenians. Maybe talk about its cultural and historic benefits. Perhaps tell us about how diaporans can assist the people who we supported to fight the war to actually survive and make a life for themselves there…. NO! I was disappointed when all I heard was the 1980’s type of rhetoric “we are the best ‘cause we are Armenian.” There was a lot of old Tashnak propaganda. Unfortunately, the audience seemed to think what they were being presented with was pleasant.

I am sorry, but I expect more than “myanin zenkov ga hayots pergutiun” discourse from this younger “more open” generation. I didn’t see any innovation. NO attempt to find a new formula to educate and keep the younger youth interested was made. I know most of the organisers and I know that they are capable of much more…. Much, much more!

On the other hand, I know that Shoushi is being looked after by some. Visit the http://www.shoushihotel.com/?ArmeniaDiaspora.com to see one of the new developments there. Bravo to the courageous people who have taken on this project! I hope more will come. As for Montrealers, well I will keep pushing until someone listens.

Oh yeah, Ara Gevorgian is coming to Montreal on June 9. He will perform in one of the most prestigious concert halls. The Laval (a smaller city to the north of Montreal) Armenian community is sponsoring and the dance group will dance… without me this time!

Besides that, weather sucks… we hit a record low of 5C yesterday. And squash season is over… until September!