Not everyone agrees whether Diaspora Armenians should meddle in the Armenia Republic’s internal affairs. Perhaps “meddle” is not the right word, but getting involved and caring deeply about developments in the homeland should be of great interest to all Armenians, since that is their country of origin.
The Diaspora’s role in Armenia was raised last month when 20 prominent Armenians—mostly from the Diaspora—issued a petition titled “Justice Within Armenia” on the Change.org website, calling on the Armenian government to implement radical reforms in the political, social, and economic policies of the country. Since Sept. 19, close to 3,000 Armenians and non-Armenians from various countries have signed the petition.
Among the initial signatories of the petition are Serj Tankian, Atom Egoyan, Arsinee Khanjian, Alex Ohanian, Chris Bohjalian, Eric Bogosian, Hasmik Papian, and Sebu Simonian. The petitioners are asking for an end to “corruption, monopolies, judicial inequality, police brutality, partisan politics, unequal rights, national depopulation, and elections tainted by fraud.”
The signatories also stated that they stand for “the equality of all people, the fundamental preservation of human rights, direct engagement in fair and transparent elections, respect for the rule of law, fair wages, separation of powers, a free press, and advocacy for the disenfranchised.”
The petitioners are further demanding that “Armenia’s political leaders embody integrity, accountability, wisdom, intelligence, diplomacy, compassion, effectiveness and visionary thinking in addressing the pressing needs of the people of Armenia, thereby securing an egalitarian, just and constructive path towards real democracy where every voice matters.”
As a concrete next step, the signatories are asking Armenians from around the world to be present as witnesses and observers at next spring’s parliamentary elections in Armenia.
One of the initiators of the petition, Canadian-Armenian actress Arsinee Khanjian, who was arrested during last July’s protests in Yerevan, circulated an open letter on the internet, calling Diaspora Armenians to action. Khanjian raised serious concerns about the current conditions in Armenia: “The country has major internal problems due to systemic corruption, nepotism and an oligarchic economy, where power and wealth remains in the hands of a few. Absence of equitable rule of law and upward social mobility combined with the suppression of freedom of speech and thought as well as civil liberties and rights have all further exacerbated an already intolerable situation in the Republic.”
Not surprisingly, some in Armenia resented the petition issued by the Diaspora Armenians and urged them to move to Armenia if they are truly interested in reforming the country.
While every Armenian should support the lofty goals expressed by the petitioners, some of their ideas are clearly wishful thinking. Not all of the proposed reforms are implemented even in the United States. But, I agree that Armenians should aspire to gradually achieve these objectives, although one has to be careful not to set impossible goals to attain, to save citizen of Armenia from further frustration and disappointment.
In my view, Diaspora Armenians should be involved in all aspects of life in Armenia, beyond signing petitions and making suggestions from afar. They should not be mere tourists in the homeland. One way to strengthen the bond between Armenia and the Diaspora is to allow Diaspora Armenians to vote and run for office in the Republic of Armenia. As is the practice in France and some other countries, several seats should be allocated in the Armenian Parliament to Diaspora Armenians who should be more than donors of funds or “milking cows!” Although Armenia’s constitution permits dual citizenship, very few Diaspora Armenians have taken advantage of this special privilege which can create another important bond with the homeland!
Gradually, as the rule of law is firmly established in Armenia and social inequalities become less pronounced, Diaspora Armenians will gain the confidence to invest in the homeland, which will result in creating jobs and reducing emigration. There may even be some immigration to Armenia from the Diaspora. The improved living conditions would also reduce confrontations with the authorities that could potentially destabilize the country at a time when neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey are threatening Armenia’s security!
To make the Armenia-Diaspora relationship reciprocal, no one should resent if Armenian officials also “meddle” in Diaspora Armenian communities. After all, it is of little importance who is meddling in whose turf, as long as the end result is in the best interest of all Armenians!
Harut Sassounian
FINALY WE HAVE BRAVE ARMENIANS LIKE ARSINE, ATOM EGOYAN AND SERJ TANKIAN WHO CAME FORWARD AND ADVOCATED “GOOD GOVERNANCE” PRACTICES IN ARMENIAN. THIS PETITION THAT WAS SIGNED BY PROMINENT DIASPORA ARMENIANS SHOULD SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE TO OUR INTERNATIONAL ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING ARF FROM BLINDLY SUPPORTING THE CURRENT REGIME IN ARMENIA. THE MORAL OF THE PETITION IS….ARNMENIAS WAKE UP AND SPEAK. YOUR COUNTRY IS IN SERIOUS DANGER OF FAILING. IF YOU DO NOT SPEAK UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, ARMENIA WILL SOON JOIN THE RANKS OFF FAILED STATES.
Brave is the person who truly invests in Armenia and shows the population that bribes and corruption have no place for the future of the nation, not so called “intellectuals” who pick and choose whatever pleases them to criticize and contribute zero $ to the advancement of Armenia. I’d like to see all the signatories of the petition move to Armenia and truly make a difference before making colourful comments. Though we might aspire to idealistic goals, we need to be practical and realistic in the way to achieve them. Most, if not all, Western countries still deal with corruption and other social issues after being founded centuries ago; should we expect Armenia to fix all its problems in 25 years?
Lerntsi
I hope you realize that your criticism is totally unwarranted. 25 years is more than enough for transition to a normal democratic society, especially considering the fact that the overwhelming majority of the population in Armenia are educated and civilized people. Armenia does not need my $, it does not need Arsine’s or Atom’s $. What Armenia needs is a normal functioning democracy where there is respect for human rights and rule of law, and this is exactly what these people are trying to do. They are not picking or choosing what to criticize, their letter encompasses all the ugly things that we see in the Armenian society and they are not targeting anyone. You cannot force anyone to move to Armenia, what you can do is to create an Armenia that will be not only attractive for the Hayastantsi but also the diaspora. If we manage to convince only 10 percent of diaspora Armenians to move to Armenia, that will pour hundreds of millions or maybe even billions of dollars into Armenia’s economy but for that to happen we need to fix the corrupt political system which is the root cuase of all the problems.
If they don’t want us to “meddle”, then maybe they shouldn’t accept all the help and financial support from the Diaspora. We have in many instances transformed the country and helped bring it into the 21st century, i.e. The Armenian Eye Care Project, the Armenian Tree Project, the Lincey Foundation along with hundreds of other charities and foundations. I don’t have to be a citizen of Armenia in order to have an intelligent and thoughtful idea about how the country should move forward. For God sakes, in the 21st century they are still a country without any laws protecting women from domestic violence. They have no laws protecting the interest of the disabled. They have no laws protecting the abuse of animals. So many people are living in poverty and they want to complain about the Diaspora meddling???
Well said Laura
The diaspora gets so many mixed messages from native Armenians, who seem to simultaneously want the diaspora’s help and not want their help. They want tourism, but they resent tourists. They want the diaspora to not be silent on government corruption, but when the diaspora tries to do something about it they’re scolded for “meddling”. They want diasapora Armenians to move back to their country, but when they do they’re treated like outsiders, permanent tourists or opportunists. It’s confusing and gives me a headache sometimes.
IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT THE MAFIA ELEMENT IN ARMENIAN IS STRONG AND INDEED THRIVING AND ITS BACKERS AREA IN EVERY DEPARTMENT OF THE GOVENMENT, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THIS IS ERADICATED COMPLETELY THAN THE ONLY USE THE DIASPORA HAVE IS TO DONATE FUNDS TO THE SO CALLED GOVERNMENT OR MAFIA (ONE OF THE SAME). GEORGIA HAS OBLIETERATED THESE CORRUPTION TO AN EXTREEMLY HIGH LEVEL YET WE LINGER ON. HOW CAN ONE DONATE ANY LEVEL OF FUNDS WHEN ITS BEING CHANNELLED ELSEWHERE.
The head of Armenia’s Diaspora Ministry should be fired. She is ineffective.
The Diaspora is a huge engine that can help to grow and support Armenia, but the latter’s leaders are too power-hungry, short-sighted, and selfish to fully cooperate with the Diaspora.
In the meantime, too many Diasporan organizations and political parties are too afraid to speak up.
It would be a tragedy to lose Armenia and Artsakh, but tragedies happen, and we may just have to face it when it happens.
In any case, regardless of what happens, there should be ongoing to be trials and drastic sentences.
This is a sensitive issue and could be argued/discussed from different angles and viewpoints. Without a doubt , Diaspora Armenians should be involved on the issues that face the nation. It is a highly talented pool of resource with a very wide range of background , experience and knowledge, that can and should be tapped into. The crux of the problem is that it takes the two sides to tango.
We have to be realistic and pragmatic with our “demands” and take into considerations the following factors.
1- We have no right to vote. The vote is the most powerful and effective way to force change. It is deeply concerning that there is apathy in the electorate. To blame every vote result to “fraud” , “buying votes” , “threats” ” blackmail” is becoming unproductive and does not resolve the situation.
2- There is no well established communication channel between the Diaspora and the government to have a a constructive dialogue, or exchange of ideas.
Petitions do not yield the desired results.
3- There is a Minister of Diaspora. Hranush Hakobyan has been the minister since 2008 and recently reappointed. It is expected that she would be the main conduit of communications between Armenia and the Diaspora. Sadly, she has not accomplished much in building a bridge and communicating. Many photo-ops, fund raising for various causes but not much more to show. She must play a key role.
4- There are too many NGO’s , organizations handling a large number of worthy causes spread all over the country and in NKR. They are all well intentioned and serve a purpose and a need. But each on its own is too small to have an impact on the whole.
We need one super big NGO that can really make a huge difference, a highly visible impact that affects the whole population . In doing that it becomes economically and politically influential.
5-Finally, it is very sad that the Diaspora is very fragmented. We do not have a unified front that agrees on the priorities that the nation faces.
This petition would have been much more powerful and would have had
more weight if it was signed by the various organizations in the diaspora- all organizations; political, economical, charitable, benevolent, educational and professional. May be also religious.
It can be done. It just needs leadership and unity of purpose.
Alas!!! Personally not hopeful.
Vart Adjemian
Definitely the Diaspora needs to be involved. Events show reform from within is not likely. I agree some level of voting rights should be established for the Diaspora. Again, not likely to happen from within.
It is one thing to call for and petition for reform. However, that is not enough. The Diaspora calling for reform, including the well known names in this article, need to go further. They should take the time and draw up specific plans/programs of reform and the means of implementation. Propose viable programs and methods. The Diaspora should realize that as painful as it may be, the Diaspora may have to used their significant economic power and leverage to bring about reform.
{FINALY WE HAVE BRAVE ARMENIANS LIKE ARSINE, ATOM EGOYAN AND SERJ TANKIAN WHO CAME FORWARD AND ADVOCATED “GOOD GOVERNANCE” PRACTICES IN ARMENIAN}
(Gabe Korajian // October 5, 2016 at 12:02 pm //)
Brave?
Are you serious?
How many of those ‘brave’ people fought in the NKR war?
How many of those ‘brave’ people have visited the LOC and spent time with young men – 18,19,20 – risking their lives every day for Armenia?
How many of those ‘brave’ people have visited the LOC and spent time with young men – 18,19,20 – risking their lives every day for Armenia?
How many of those ‘brave’ people have visited the LOC during winter and served the young soldiers hot food, like American actresses and actors do during Thanksgiving, visiting US troops deployed overseas?
Yeah, sure: criticize from a safe distance, issue useless petitions titled “Justice Within Armenia”, then feel good that you have “done something”, supposedly, for the safety and security of Armenia.
Then go back to your safe, comfortable life in US, or Canada, or in Europe…….
Your post begs the question: Have you done all of those things?
Your question deserves this answer: I have done none of things.
But then again, I am not sitting in my safe, comfortable office in California and meddling in the internal affairs of either RoA and NKR: see the difference?
I help all can, financially, and trust my compatriots who risked their lives creating both RoA and NKR to know what to do.
Did Harut Sassounian really just write all this?
Sassounian titles this piece: “Should Members of Diaspora Meddle with Armenia’s Affairs?!” You bet! Armenia belongs to each and every diasporan! But why does Sassounian use the word “meddle” when referring to fighting for justice and internationally recognized basic human rights!? Something is off. Well, it is true that he loves shaking hands and receiving medals from the brutal dictatorship, but could that translate to his unabashed tolerance of criminals who abuse innocent citizens daily??? Hmmm…
Then, he also writes: “…some of their ideas are clearly wishful thinking. Not all of the proposed reforms have been carried out even in the United States.”
How can Sassounian compare Armenia to the U.S.??? The outrageous illegal human rights abuses in Armenia are perpetrated by an illegitimate mafia kleptocracy against innocent citizens who have no recourse through a fully corrupt court system! And how dare he call these demands for justice “clearly wishful thinking” with the implied assumption that they can never be realized!?!?
Anyway, the massive violations such as election fraud, lack of judicial independence, the horrid imprisonment of innocent citizens (political prisoners) by a brutal dictator’s regime and Armenia’s resulting continuing depopulation are EMERGENCIES that Armenians worldwide must condemn and STOP NOW!
Heck, even famous Armenian-Canadian actress, Arsine Khanjyan, was illegally grabbed, detained and interrogated by the mafia police state! That horrifying experience compelled her to scream to the diaspora to act NOW! But Sassounian cavalierly and insensitively announces: “Armenians should seek to gradually achieve their goals.” GRADUALLY!?!? 25 years isn’t enough for him!? Hey Sassounian, why not “URGENTLY” as innocent citizens rot in prison?! Get on the right side of history!! The daily suffering of our people is an EMERGENCY!!!
Well, it doesn’t matter that Sassounian says all this, because 25 years is too much for Armenians worldwide who are fed up with the 25 years of illegal abuses and want change NOW, as the diaspora letter clearly and urgently spells out!
{ because 25 years is too much for Armenians worldwide who are fed up with the 25 years of illegal abuses and want change NOW, as the diaspora letter clearly and urgently spells out!}
A letter by a couple of dozen Diaspora Hollywood types does no represent the Diaspora.
And SorosaCadres making statements on behalf of ‘Armenians worldwide’ is as real as the BarevaLoser being the ‘real’ President of RoA.
What is real is that President Serj Sargsian won a landslide victory vs the BarevaLoser: 58% to 37%.
What is real is that RPA and Prosperous keep winning elections by wide margins, while the delusional Heritage can’t break 5%.
What is real is that even by most optimistic estimates, the SorosaNGO organized protests are 10K max in Yerevan: not even 1% in a city of 1,1oo,ooo.
All attempts of SorosaMaidan in Yerevan have failed and will fail.
And if those glamorous want to help Armenia, they should go and serve at the LOC, instead meddling in the internal affairs of RoA from the comfort of their air conditioned offices in US or Canada.
And instead of attacking their own, they ought to work day and night to weaken the adversaries and enemies of Armenia and Armenians.
Aliyev is openly threatening and attempting genocide of Armenians in Caucasus, and these guys have nothing better to do than cause problems for RoA and NKR?
Avery
You seriously believe in that nonsense?! You seriously believe that Serjik won the election?! Then what do you have to say about what happened only a few days ago in Vanadzor municipal elections? How on earth you are going to justify that? How are you going to justify the fact that the Republicans got only 35 percent of the vote in Gyumri(through all kind of falsification) but their candidate finally became the mayor by a ridiculous bonus system which is unheard of anywhere else in the world?! What do you have to say about his one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1tggV3sxEk
You call that elections?! You seriously think that Arsine and Serj Tankian are doing this for Soros money?! What a joke!
Armenia is a TYPICAL developing nation with TYPICAL growing pains. Actually, when one considers that the country is small, poor, remote landlocked, blockaded and in a state of war since its independence, one may actually realize that Armenia is actually doing not so bad after all. It could have been much, much worst. But Armenia is alive and well. The constant, relentless complaints about the country are being propagated by Western intelligence agencies via their proxies (servants) in Armenian communities around the world. The net result: Today’s hysteria, panic, hate, hopelessness, disillusionment and thus, population flight. Armenians may think they are running away from “injustice”, “corruption” or “oligarchs” what they are actually doing is running away from all the constant negativity being propagated by Western powers. Injustice, corruption and oligarchs are much worst in most countries of the world. Yet, it sometimes feels like Armenians are the only ones fleeing from it. The Western agenda to weaken Armenia has achieved some success. Western interests want to foment a revolution in the country like the one they managed in Ukraine simply because Armenia is allied to Russia. This is why Western agents in Armenian society (and there are a lot of them) constantly air Armenia’s dirty laundry and this is why Western agents in Armenian society (and there are a lot of them) constantly bad mouth Russia. Trust me folks, had Armenia been in bed with Uncle Sam we wouldn’t be seeing any protests against our “corrupt leaders” or “oligarchs”. At the end of the day, we must realize that the Western agenda is alive and well in Armenia today only because we Armenians are foolish enough or, in the case of the thousands of Western funded NGO workers in Armenia, financially desperate enough to allow it. Anyway, despite all the hysterical rantings, be it in the homeland or in the diaspora, Armenia is slowly but surely developing and moving forward. People can begin developing a positive attitude and join in the long process of nation-building or continue staying on the murky sidelines and continue spewing their poison. Those who choose the latter are merely doing the bidding of Armenia’s enemies.
Members of the Armenian Diaspora have every right to express their viewpoints, about matters that relate to the Armenian Homeland, the defense of Karabakh, and the Worldwide Armenian Community. Constructive Criticism, in the hope that some influential parties of the homeland will listen (and implement those ideas), has nothing to do with meddling in the internal affairs of Armenia or Artzakh.
Armenia’s greatest strength is its diaspora. Without diaspora’s efforts it’ll turn into a real backward third world nation.
Too much ado about nothing. The reality is:
1- This petition would not have been known if Harut Sassounian had not written his column.
2- Change.Org is an open platform for petitions. If you are not familiar with it, or tech savvy, it is difficult to find “Justice Within Armenia”. Any person can start a petition. Is it really effective? Highly doubtful.
3- As of this morning, about 3,000 have signed the petition. Certainly not a meaningful number.
4- Does anyone in Armenia even know what Change.Org is? Will anyone of authority see and read it, and react to it? Most unlikely.
Vart Adjemian
I can’t even believe that the article has such a misleading title. Meddle? Really Mr Sassounian ?….is diaspora participation for democratic principles and rule of law is meddling or an attempt for us to work and support Armenians who want to rid themselves of corruption, autocracy, nepotism, bribes, illegality, and lawlessness. IN the comments I read here, I noticed how easy it is easy for some to blame outside forces as the ones who try to destabilize Armenia- it is a well known old soviet tactic from Stalin’s times on. We saw during the 4 day war in April how corruption has hit even our national security. No one force from outside stole from our army and left our soldiers defenseless. And those who think that just a few signatories do not represent the Diaspora let me say that it is exactly because the classic Diasporan representatives: the political parties and their organization are too conservative and in bed with the corrupt government that they do not truly represent the people, that many of us feel that we are not represented. That classic Diasporan orgs. would never take any steps to intervene or raise their voice to demand democratic and anti corruption rules. When they faintly mention it they are populist artificial statements with no substance. I have not seen a US Diasporan newspaper pointing condemning the bribed voting system but I saw the Diasporan parties how gladly they accept the fraudulent results of elections. So, Arsine more power to you. You are brave! -and by the way bravery is not only on the battlefield. There is also a LOC between the civil society and a corrupt government.
Maro Matosian’s Women’s Resource Center “receives support from the Open Society Foundation-Armenia, a part of the Soros foundations network.” (Source: http://www.eurasianet.org). In other words, it is a Soros funded organization.
Is that not true Ms. Matosian?
Unrelated to Women’s Resource Center, of course, but interesting nevertheless:
In a 2014 interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Soros (nee György Schwartz) admitted that his Open Society Foundation was instrumental in funding the Maidan in Ukraine. Not that it means anything: Right?
A Globalist funding an NGO in RoA can’t possibly have ulterior motives, can he?
Armenia and the diaspora need each other now more than ever to survive. This is a hugely critical time. The biggest problem is the continued emigration from Armenia at a time when most of Armenia’s border is blockaded and under siege.
I wonder why the issue of ‘meddling’ in Armenia’s affairs has come up only now? Where was the Diaspora when Levon Der Bedrossian triggered mass riots back in 2008? As for 2018, certain sources have suggested that a well-known Armenian-American grassroots organization did meddle in Armenia’s affairs working behind the scene to bring to the fore the leaders of the current youth movement.