A Future Repat (Be Warned: Complete Self-Indulgence)

This is going to be an embarrassingly unnecessary post, but I can't think of any other people--save family and a few friends--who would at all appreciate this news. So having gotten one of those past-midnight, insightful urges to do something worthwhile, I'm going to share my news with you.

Hard-pressed to decide on some structure with college application deadlines approaching (yes, I'm that young), I have formed an actual plan for the future--and it's something that I would actually love to do. It's an idea that I have been playing around with for a while now, and it goes something like this: after graduating from an as of yet undecided university (Georgetown, Cornell, Duke, Yale, Middlebury, Bard? If I am even accepted, that is--paranoia is gripping my mind in the whole application process) with a degree in international relations and studies, I'm jetting back to Armenia for good. I will probably stay here for graduate school also, but the fact remains that I am a repat in the making. My ideal goal is to work for educational reform or academics in general, but the romanticism of the idea (enforced by my parents' wry smiles and "Good luck"s) may push me into diplomacy or law. Meanwhile, I am seeking internships for every single summer from now until then. I just know that I want to do something worthwhile for the country--even if it is something absolutely minute--and I want to find ways to put to better use everything I learn here.
It sounds idealistic. Childish, too. I'm not prepared to move mountains. I might not even move a single grain of soil! But I'm going to try anyway.
So.
Although it is a long way away (even summer! Oh God, I can't believe there are so many months until summer), I am excited to one day join the repat community.
And apologies for this post, in all honesty. I told you it would be self-indulgent. I was just very eager to share.

Incentives to Live and Procreate in Arstakh

Over the weekend I was up in the Pasadena area visiting with family and one of my cousin's mentioned the 700 couples that got married in Artsakh during a mass wedding. As if the participation of 1400 people in in a mass wedding wasn't shocking enough, she went on to add that in addition they were given monetary incentive to procreate to increase the population of Artsakh.

Here is a link to the article:


So how does this work? Here's the breakdown
First child = $2000
Second child =$3000
Third child = $5000
Fifth Child = $20,000
Sixth Child = $50,000
Seventh Child = $100,000
*I wonder why there's no figure for the fourth child.

I also wonder how many of these couples were lured to Artsakh by the governments offerings of livestock and land to new residents. (Is that offer still around?) Both of these incentive programs are great marketing tools and are making moving and living in Artsakh more and more appealing. Why wouldn't an Armenian family from Iraq who has lost everything and needs to start from scratch anyway not do so in Artsakh and benefit from these programs? I think this is a great approach to increasing our numbers. I think Armenians all over the world need to be having multiple children to increase our total number not just our numbers in Artsakh and I think Armenia needs to follow suit and learn from Artsakh's example by offering incentives for citizens to stay and repats to come. What is the point of liberating Artsakh if no one is going to live there? What is the point of expecting Turkey to hand back parts of Western Armenia if no one is going to live there.

I think as diasporans it is important for us to ask ourselves "what's going to get me to move there?" and as repats to ask yourselves "what's going to get me to stay here?"

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this matter.

Crazier things have happened I guess

It's been a while since I've had anything to blog about. I guess you can say I took a hiatus of all things Armenian. However, I've decided to be a better Diasporan and better Armenian and attend some Armenian events. I've consulted ArmenianCalendar.com (that's a shameless plug if I've ever seen one) and bookmarked a few events that look interesting such as the upcoming scenes and places from William Saroyan's life wine and cheese event at the Abril bookstore, the Akhtamar Dance Ensemble's "yelout", a talk on Armenia's current political situation at the Glendale Library, a Casino night at the Ararat home and I bought my ticket to the ANC-PN Harout barantes, so the Fall is looking promising.

Recently I traveled. It has come to my attention over the years, that every time I travel something epic happens in the world. Princess Diana died I was in San Francisco, 9/11 occurred while I was in Italy, My uncle passed away while I was in DC, The Tsunami hit while I was in London en route to Armenia... I can go on and on, but I think you get the point. Most recently I was in Costa Rica and while I was there the world's stock markets crashed to record lows and a friend's ex-roommate passed away. I thought that was it.... but something else happened too. Something that apparently had the Armenian community all hot and bothered.

Let's call it YouTube part 1, part 2 and part 3 shall we? I received an email containing these videos and watched the first one. I was stunned. What? When? How? Why? Where have I been? (Answer: Costa Rica) Why had I heard nothing about this? (Answer: I live 45 minutes away from hubs of Armenian "kaghout"). Needless to say I found the entire saga fascinating and intriguing. I really don't care what it was about or what happened and don't really have an opinion on the matter but I do wish someone would answer these 2 questions for me.

1- Why three parts? Why not just one video? Was there a reason behind the 3?

2- What's up with the whole referring to himself in third person thing?

Anyone???? Anyone?????

Orhan Pamuk give Turkish Pres a lecture

In a beautiful moment, Orhan Pamuk, at the Frankfurt book fair honoring Turkey this year, gave the audience which included Turkish President Gul a piece of his mind. He did not mince words, and said:

“A century of banning and burning books, of throwing writers into prison or killing them or branding them as traitors and sending them into exile, and continuously denigrating them in the press — none of this has enriched Turkish literature, it has only made it poorer.”

So true. He continued about article 301. The President, who spoke next, actually seems to have taken the criticism pretty well. But his canned answer about the progress they've made so far did not address the point that article 301 must come off the books immediately.

Railway to Iran

Armenia is planning to build a new railway to Iran. This is great news, as it only has one rail line functioning at the moment, and that is from unreliable Georgia. Armenia needs options, especially as Turkey is building a rail line to Georgia to bypass the existing line through Armenia which they've closed. Armenia likewise has an existing line to Iran, but via Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan province, which is closed. Messy? Yes. But what is clear is that a new line through Iran is vital for Armenia's survival and options. Until Armenia has an outlet to the sea, they need to be able to not depend on Turks and Georgians for transportation. The Turks will finally realize that Armenia does have another option and that they've missed a big opportunity by not opening the border much earlier. Now Armenia will not be beholden to Turkey's whims and preconditions. Ever. Or that's the idea anyway, and they'll know it. At this point, even if Turkey throws the border gates wide open, the rail project should go ahead. And build a monorail to Stepanakert while they're at it.

Armenian Studies

Last time i pointed my ignorance about AIEA and its last mid-september’s 11th conference in Paris. Usual coincidence of the Armenian-little-world oblige, few days later I was asked an article about this event, important, but so unknown of the public. Job done, particularly with an interview of Anaïd Donabédian, responsible for this colloque, so i would die less idiot :o)

Uremn the International Association of Armenian Studies (Association Internationale des Etudes Arméniennes) was created while specialists of Armenian studies felt the need to share their research’s results in every kind of studies that involve the Armenian Fact in a wide sense. Since it’s not a strategic field of research, Armenian chairs in Universities or such places are often only one : the person who hold it is alone in the place, and therefore more isolated from other searchers.

AIEA doesn’t come from Armenians at all. Pr Joseph Weitenberg (Dutch linguist), together with Pr Michael Stone (linguist from Jerusalem) are the founders of this association which statutes are registrated in Holland, today presided over by the Swiss Professor Valentina Calzolari (from Genève University), and reuniting more than 200 members around the world.

The goal is to promote Armenian studies in all the countries which are not covered by the Society For Armenian Studies (mostly north America), so it’s mainly around Europe, Middle-East and Asia. It’s an erudite’s society, like it can exist in many other domains.

It publishes, works for common projects (present example : create an Armenian Master diploma valid in all Europe), and organises once every 3 years, a colloque/symposium for reuniting all its members. It’s the occasion for reporting about Armenian researches in all fields possible and pointing the lacking aspects that would need more researches.

The field of studies covered is huge since it’s about all human sciences where the Armenians have their place in. Traditionally the main fields involved are philology, theology (very much represented), as well as history (all periods), linguistic, and art history, but it can also be about anything else.

This year’s conference was taking place in Paris for the 1st time (it had already been to London, Pays Basque) and its 1st special feature was the big number of speakers (more than 100), and of assisting persons, it had never been so important before, probably Paris’ effect. ;op
This year the digitalisation of the sources in every field has been emphasized; it appeared necessary after the question of Matenadaran’s manuscript’s digitalisation. Specialists in really precise subjects showed how they proceed; although it would never replace referring to the manuscripts, it can help more efficient research by fastening the access to sources.

Another thing has been pointed out while speaking about this event is the absolute necessity of specialists independence. This point of view is not always shared amongst Armenians. Example with the discovery of a medieval church in Tikranakert (east of Karabakh) by Hamlet Petrosyan who presented his work last september. Although his work can suffer difficulties because of politic considerations, the conference welcame it with much interest, simply cause it’s adding new knowings.

For Anaïd Donabédian, as well as the French Society of Armenian Studies, the independence of searchers is an obviousness… or at least should be, cause scientific strictness and intellectual honesty are the most important. According to her, specialists are not there to come to a decision, they study, analyse, explain, but not decide, it’s not the same work. So of course when a “black-list” circulated few years ago in Armenia for refusing votch hayanbasd (not in favour of Armenian) scientifics, it was quickly and strongly condemned.

This argument isn’t easily subscribed by us Armenians. There can be a strong appeal to adopt the same facts-contortionning politic that Turkey and Azerbaijan apply in accordance with their international and political assertions. But, as Anaïd Donabédian points it : “Armenians don’t need this, they have clean hands”. That is to say, all is sure, most properly documented and prooved.

Although I understand very well this need theoretically, and in a somehow idealistic vision, it also sounds like putting blinkers and declining any responsibility. Of course perfect objectivity must guide all research, but in Armenian’s questions stormy debates, the border has already been overstepped by scientifics, and not only Turkish or Azerbaijan ones. Then how any search could just act as if it knows nothing about what may be done upon its works ? It’s not normal, yes, but just evacuate the fact doesn’t seem enough to me.

Ecco for AIEA, 'letting you meditate on all this.
Until then, I really should write something here about INALCO (where Anaïd Donabédian is responsible of the Armenian studies), another franco-frenchy aspect of Armenian life, but it’s another subject.

Ciao !

YerazArt: New Musicians from Armenia

I had the pleasure to attend the YerazArt concert at Alex Theater in Glendale on Sunday. With a busy schedule and too many demands I don’t find myself at Armenian events very often, but this was special.

It was described to me as a concert with six talented musical prodigies who won a competition in Armenia that would bring them on a tour through Glendale, Toronto and Boston. Even beyond the music and talent, being recognized in this way for your effort and accomplishments at this age is a rare treat that I appreciated. There is a difference between talent, application of talent, and recognition for what you put forth so I was touched to hear that these kids were given this opportunity.

The shows that I generally go to are multi-layered in their application but this was raw and real – there were no barriers, only me and the music and I very much enjoyed that from these kids. For many it was a throwback to the music they grew up with or connected them to grandparents. My absolute favorite moment was when Vartan Davtyan took the stage with his guitar and began to play Noubar Noubar (Komitas by Iakovos Kolanian). The melody was gorgeous, one I had heard before, but never live and that has stayed with me the most...

Thanks to my good friend Dzovag who took part in bringing this show to Los Angeles! I wanted to come here and put up a little blurb about my experience with YerazArt:)

If they come to your city, enjoy!