The subject matter of this week’s column is central to understanding how Armenians in the diaspora interact with the homeland. There are two key words in the title of this piece that are important to explore. Survival is a somewhat controversial term in our communities, since it may be interpreted as having modest expectations, but the reality is that our history is a remarkable story of survival against improbable odds. This is our story that we carry with pride and honor. The majority of our survival thinking is genocide-centric, but our ability to survive as a civilization obviously predates the genocide. Statehood has been a precious commodity in our long journey. Since the time of the Bagratuni dynasty in the ninth century, Armenia has enjoyed independence only 33% of the time, the vast majority of which was before the Ottoman period. Our modern history includes only 35 years of independent statehood including the current Republic. For a small nation indigenous to the intersection of major continents and invading armies, survival has been not only a priority but our middle name.
It is interesting to note that survival and cultural prosperity are not mutually exclusive in the Armenian experience. The majority of our cultural development and sustainable contributions have occurred while the “nation” was politically subservient to a foreign power or under overt oppression. Armenian history is dotted with multiple examples of “Avarayr” and “Sardarabad” moments when, through faith and resilience, our civilization survived and again flourished under impossible odds. We often hear dissatisfaction with “survival” as understating our capabilities. It has been argued that survival is not a vision. I would offer that survival is merely a phase, given the circumstances. During the Battle of Sardarabad — with an Armenia in the midst of genocide and a marauding Turkish army bent on the complete destruction of the Armenian people — survival was the theme of the day. Our history valiantly displays the parallel existence of survival and cultural prosperity.
The realities of an independent homeland and a vast diaspora offer us some new perspectives on survival. While Armenia faces national security and economic challenges for survival, the diaspora fights an invisible enemy in assimilation. It has been said that our culture and causes will cease only when we choose not to retain them. In the post-genocide diaspora, survival has taken on an element of a victim mentality. This is because the diaspora was essentially created as a direct result of the crime of genocide, and today, that crime continues to go unpunished. While many Armenians in the diaspora have avoided the victim trap, there is a substantial segment that chooses to embrace the victim mentality with bitterness, hatred and other non-productive uses of our limited resources. Nearly all Armenians in the diaspora react negatively when the word “Turk” is mentioned, but many fail to channel their energy into useful activity. Hatred and anger has been ingrained deeply in our psyche through injustice. It is a difficult challenge, but our resistance through education and advocacy must continue. Our future will be difficult if a significant segment of our diaspora chooses assimilation or shallow engagement with our heritage.
The term “survivor” should hold an honorable position in our thinking. The Armenians forcibly displaced from Baku and other parts of Azerbaijan in the late 1980s and early 1990s are survivors of a terrible ordeal, yet most have become productive and contributing members of the community. Survival can lead to prosperity. The heroic people of Artsakh suffered unspeakable atrocities and were essentially deported from their homes. They are survivors and display the resilience that has been the hallmark of recovery of Armenians for centuries. Perhaps it is the experience of tragedy that enables people to move forward and not remain static as victims. In the U.S., the first immigrants were called the “survivor generation” with respect and love — not simply for the ordeal they endured, but for their strength and commitment to move forward and build a new life. They had no time for being victims. They were survivors with a mission.
The other descriptor used in this week’s column is “tough.” Armenians routinely and rhetorically complain about our neighborhood, where we have resided for several millennia. Apparently, some of us find more joy at times in the diaspora in complaining about things we cannot change rather than investing in our success regardless of external circumstances. It has been a volatile region for centuries. New countries and new leaders result in the same aggression. Georgia to the north is going through another identity crisis. After years of overt warming to the EU and NATO, internal political instability seems to be reversing this course. Many Georgians feel a natural alignment with the West, although the West showered Georgia with rhetoric amid the loss of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to Russia. Apparently, some Georgians don’t trust whether the West will walk the talk.
The Ukraine War has weakened Russia and offered many a reprieve, but the day will come when Russia will refocus on the Caucasus. Iran has been a friend of Armenia, but that friendship limits work with the West. Iran has continuously made strong statements about the unacceptability of a transportation “corridor” by Turkey and Azerbaijan through Armenia. However, Iran has also been weakened in recent months, and it is unclear if they would back their opposition with action. Of course, most of our neighborhood concerns are directed at our Turkic cousins to the west and east. Turkey has been engaged in a slow roll “normalization” process with Armenia. While declaring that they are committed to this process without “preconditions,” Turkey presents insulting preconditions such as a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and a sovereign transit corridor. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, operating as a neo-Ottoman despot, would love nothing more than to drive a wedge between Armenia and its diaspora over matters such as the genocide, reparations and other open issues resulting from their crimes. Trust is rightfully almost non-existent.
How do you negotiate with a country bent on your destruction and still exist in the neighborhood with more powerful neighbors? Very carefully, with friends whose interests intersect with yours. Negotiate…yes. Trust…no. If Turkey is committed in the long game to squeezing Armenia, then its understudy to the east is the barbarian. Azerbaijan under Aliyev has violated international law, ignored rulings of the international U.N. court, committed genocide in Artsakh and has never been a good faith negotiator. Their stated purpose is to consume Armenia as lost “Western Azerbaijan.” They teach their children to hate Armenians in their educational system and work continuously to erase the presence of the Armenian civilization. Tough neighborhood? When your neighbors have a 140-year policy to eliminate your statehood and ethnic identity, it certainly qualifies.
This landscape is understood by our republic. The diaspora is diverse and subject to a variety of local influences. It is a constant challenge for us to absorb what survival for Armenia means in this environment. Everything we do for Armenia in the diaspora should be defined in the context of ensuring Armenia’s survival. It is that fundamental. Three basic concepts are essential for a common understanding: national security, the economy and reliable friends. National security has many dimensions, such as military capabilities to defend sovereignty, intelligence services and border policies. Armenia is making substantial progress with weapons procurement from new partners such as France and India, reducing its dependency on a manipulative Russia. Investing in border communities along the eastern and southern flanks has shown significant progress in the last few years. We can attest to the improvements in the Paruyr Sevak village as fairly representative of the investments made by the national and territorial governments to improve the life of residents in border villages. In the last two years, roads in the village have been paved for the first time with drainage systems, curbings and sidewalks. A textile factory opened last year, employing local citizens, and work has started on a new secondary school.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign is the construction of new homes through land disbursement and a government loan program. Many of the homes are being built by Artsakh refugees and other Armenians. The population growth brings incredible morale and economic benefit to these vital communities. Strong border communities are a critical element of Armenia’s national security policy. The Turks have employed a strategy of economic blockades and intimidation designed to encourage migration from Armenia. A robust economy is the best deterrent to such offensive attempts. Migration in Armenia’s independent period has a direct relationship with the health of the economy. As the economy has improved, migration has slowed.
The third aspect of survival is Armenia’s alliance structure. The Armenian government has engaged in a slow and methodical distancing from Russia and Russian-led alliances after the abandonment by the CSTO and duplicity by Russia on Armenia’s security. Armenia has invested heavily during this period of Russian distraction in Ukraine with the European Union, the United States and their respective affiliated organizations. This strategy carries substantial risk given the fact that it is unclear whether the West will provide security guarantees to Armenia. Alliances are based on self and mutual interests, and the geopolitical dynamics are volatile. Nevertheless, strategically and tactically focusing on these three domains will give Armenia the opportunity to survive attempts to destroy its sovereignty through aggression or as collateral damage from regional conflicts.
It is important for the diaspora to view its substantial support from the perspective of Armenia. We should envision Armenia as a prosperous democracy and the center of our civilization. Survival is a short-term objective based on current political realities that must be accomplished in parallel with a broader vision. Independence is a precious gift that must never be lost. Our history tells us how infrequently that opportunity can be realized. A small nation like Armenia needs an optimal use of its global resources. There is little margin for error caused by our disunity. We must subordinate ourselves to the greater purpose. Do we aspire to survive on the road to prosperity, or are we comfortable with being victims?
Stepan Piligian
Latest posts by Stepan Piligian (see all)
- Survival priorities in a tough neighborhood - December 18, 2024
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