STEPANAKERT, Artsakh—On April 24 in Stepanakert, ARF Youth Office Executive Director Arshak Mesrobian delivered these powerful remarks at the annual torchlit march organized by the Armenian Youth Federation of Artsakh.
Thousands had gathered in Stepanakert to commemorate the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 1.5 million victims. Mesrobian has been in Artsakh for the last few months orchestrating and mobilizing youth from ARF youth organizations from around the world to work, volunteer and help rebuild Artsakh.
The following is an English translation of Mesrobian’s impassioned speech.
“Dear Armenian compatriots, respectable Armenians of Artsakh,
For the last several decades, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation with its global youth structure has worked towards a just resolution of the Armenian Cause. The two primary directions of the Armenian Cause are the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the condemnation of Turkey and the pursuit of just reparations, and secondly the international recognition of the Artsakh Republic.
Therefore, I would like to stress and emphasize that these two issues that affect national security are absolutely interconnected with one another because when crimes against humanity are left unpunished and with no consequences, it leads to even worse atrocities and barbaric crimes against humanity such as the second Artsakh War in 2020.
Dear compatriots, our history has proven that we as a nation should only rely on our own strengths. Therefore, in remembrance of the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and by bowing down in honor of all the innocent victims of the genocide and all the martyrs of the Artsakh War, I call upon all of us nationwide to become a nation of avengers and bring new momentum to our campaign for justice․
In the name of our homeland and freedom, together we will mark a new start for our National Liberation Movement, and that new start will precisely originate from Artsakh.
We, as a nation of firm believers, know or have to know, that God is the only source of supernatural human strength. God is the only Being with the capability to transform according to the conditions of each era. In today’s reality, the God of the Armenian people and the success of our existential struggle lies within the “Nation-Army” concept.
As a nation, we should transform into the “army of justice” and ignite the wrath of the avengers. With the determination of eternal struggle, together we will build our national desire: a free, independent, and united Armenia.”
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