Hamparian: In Trying Times: Purpose, Power, Progress

"our grassroots always stood firm - confident in our strength, secure in our solidarity, and unbowed in the face of the forces that seek our surrender."
"Our grassroots always stood firm - confident in our strength, secure in our solidarity, and unbowed in the face of the forces that seek our surrender."

As Armenians, we’re in trying times.

But we’ve faced hardship before. Far worse, of course, and we’ve always come through.

At times like this, it’s sometimes worth asking why. Why is it that we’ve survived?

What exactly is it about us, or in us, that propels us forward against great hardship and some very tough odds?

— Some would say it’s our ability to adapt to change, and certainly that has its value.

— Others might argue that it’s our willingness to accommodate or align with the more powerful forces on the international stage, and we have surely seen much of that tendency in recent days.

— A few suggest that it’s our intellectual capacity to analyze the complex challenges we face, although, sad to say, the thinkers of these deep thoughts somehow nearly always end up counseling surrender.

We cannot, of course, ignore the world around us, nor fail to think clearly about how best to tackle the challenges ahead. We owe that to ourselves and to future generations.

We must seek out and heed wise counsel, but just as surely reject those who—reflexively, even pathologically—make a fetish of surrender and an unhealthy fixation of lecturing our nation about the hopelessness of our cause.

The lapdogs of foreign interests have little to teach the Armenian nation.

Through our long history, even when all around us—and even some among us—seemed intent on breaking our will, our grassroots always stood firm, confident in our strength, secure in our solidarity, and unbowed in the face of the forces that seek our surrender.

That’s where our true purpose comes from: our grassroots.

As a nation, our strength comes from the powerful sense of heritage and identity in the beating heart of each Armenian. Multiplied through concerted grassroots action, this devotion translates into the service and sacrifice required of our nation’s future.

This spirit thrives in millions of devoted Armenians, sons and daughters of our ancient tribe, living in the homeland and abroad.

It has been the key to our purpose, our power, and our progress.

Through long centuries of challenge and change, this spirit has kept our national aspirations burning bright, our moral compass aligned toward justice, and our nation moving forward.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the grassroots drive for justice for the Armenian Genocide—a movement that, alongside our struggle for Nagorno-Karabagh, both honors our past and helps secure our future.

Look at our record:

— Grassroots advocacy resulted in 42 U.S. states, more than 20 countries, including 12 of Turkey’s NATO allies, recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

— Grassroots efforts in Europe established Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a moral barrier to its acceptance into the European Union.

— In recent years, grassroots activism moved the Armenian Genocide issue to center stage in the international arena, through Congressional legislation in 2000 and 2007, and, in 2009, through the prospect of a U.S. president properly condemning the Armenian Genocide.

That’s where our true power comes from: our grassroots.

All this was accomplished, against the powerful opposition of Turkey and its allies, by activists at the grassroots level, armed with the truth, inspired by morality, and driven by a commitment to justice and a secure future for Armenia.

It was this very grassroots pressure—not any charitable impulse among Turkey’s leaders—that drove Ankara to the negotiating table.

It is their continued fear of this power that, today, provides Armenia’s leverage in protocol talks, which are dangerously tilted in Ankara’s favor.

Turkey, to this very moment, fears that its ability to railroad Yerevan into this one-sided deal will be derailed by Armenian grassroots, at home and abroad, which, reflecting the core common sense and basic survival instinct of our people, see the protocols as a real and present danger to the Armenian nation.

The lesson, as I see it, of our survival is that the battle for the future of our nation is won first in the heart of each Armenian and then in our ability to translate this devotion into meaningful, focused, and effective grassroots action.

The bottom line is this: Stay active, speak out, stand strong.

That’s where our true progress comes from: our grassroots.

Our grassroots will drive us forward.

Our grassroots will overcome obstacles, foreign and domestic.

Our grassroots will, in the end, secure truth and justice and a fair and lasting peace between a free, independent, and united Armenia and all her neighbors.

Aram Hamparian

Aram Hamparian

Aram Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

4 Comments

  1. Aram.  I agree with the spirit of everything you say, but there are limits to what non-military grass roots efforts can accomplish when pitted against the national interests of countries. What we have  here is the second Internationalization of the Armenian Quesiton. The first Internationalization of the Armenian Question started with the Great Powers ostensibly taking up the cause of the Armenians with the Treaty of San Stephano and continuing through 1920.  Well, we all know how that ended up namely, the Sovietization of the  nascent First Republic and the near extinction of the Armenians as a people, notwithstanding that at the time there was an enormous groundswell of public support for the Armenian people and cause. One would have thought that we would have learned from that wretched historical experience that we cannot allow others to control or dictate our national interests.

    But no, here we go again committing the same political blunders, namely allowing  the West to once again Internationalize the Armenian Question, control and dictate our national interests, except this time it is our historical claims and quest for justice that is consigned to oblivion.

    I do not buy any of the excuses for the signing of the Protocols, that Armenia is a poor landlocked country, with no natural resources, yev aylen, yev aylen. The problem is that Armenia is not dealing from a position of military strength. The Diaspora shares in the blame. Why don’t we have tens of thousands of Diaspora Armenians going to Armenia and Karabagh to train and serve two week tours as unpaid volunteers in a military reserve capacity. It is not against U.S. Citizenship Laws to do so.  We should  immediately approach the Karabagh government to initiate and accept volunteers for such a Diaspora Military Reserve program. The benefits and advantages are enormous. First, it strengthens Karabagh militarily. Secondly, it will give heart and enouragement to the people of Karabagh to see that the Diaspora is commited to the defense of Karabagh in deed as well as in word. Thirdly, it will strengthen the Armenianness of all Diaspora volunteers who serve. Fourthly, the monies spent locally by the volunteers during their two week training program will help the Karabagh economy. If the Karabagh government initiates such a program, I will be the first to volunteer.  Maybe such a program already exists.  Does anyone know?

  2.   Aram, I respect your comments and agree with the basic message. As I see it, we have two basic
    challenges. As a result of our subjugation for over 70 years and an awakening diaspora, our political self-esteem from a governing perspective is limited. We don’t think we are capableof standing out on the world stage. We behave overly oncerned with what the “powers”want. The true test of a governmentis how connected it is ith ts population. Are they generally representative of the pulse of the society? We, obviously, have along way to go here; given the maturation curve we are on for the
    full democratization of Armenia. This is where the grass roots provide the “check and balance” and the motivation for change. The ARF is playing an important and effective role in providing the vehicle for this expression. Regardless of how we feel on this matter, our nation requires free expression for our people to feel vested in this process. There is alreadytoo much sentiment that the
    protocols are imposed.
                   The other major challenge we are making progress on is the role of the diaspora and its integration in the process with Armenia. Obviously, the Armenian government has a major responsibility in making this happen. We need to continue to amkeour voices heard and motivate them to be more receptive. Hopefully, this was the big learning takeawayfor Sargisian. We must not let the Turks exploit any diaspora/Armenia dialogue whileour relationship grows.
    le we have our share of disappointments with the current protocols, I think that it’s important to remind ourselves that the truth will prevail, Karabagh will remain Armenian  and together we will be stronger.

  3. I also have thought that like israel, we should have our youth do a sort of tour of military duty in Armenia and Karabagh. That would be fantastic! I’m sure many would go from all over the world. Further, lets get this all straight: The Turks understand only one thing and that is the big stick. They kiss the ass of anyone who is powerful and slaughter all others for gain. That is what they have done for a thousand years. They will never change. Let us not expect the Turks to change. We must change. Get rid of the servant/slave mentality. We are slaves to no one especialy garbage like Turks. And most importantly unite as a peoples. One vision. One goal. Divided we fall couldn’t be any truer and the very people who crave our destruction know this well.  Last, we need the best Armenian minds to come together and form a think tank to resolve/implement  and lead us to the best actions needed for success in this ever changing political climate. We have come a long way however it is time to kick it into full throttle before the Armenian oligarghs takes us back 100’s years.

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