My first Advocacy Days
To start off my journey as a young AYFer, I went to Washington, D.C. with my mom, my brother and other activists from Michigan last week to advocate for Armenia and Artsakh at ANCA Advocacy Days. As soon as we arrived in D.C., I begged my mom to take me to the ANCA headquarters right away. My mom always talked about it, and I wanted to see it for myself. Walking into the ANCA building for the first time, I was very excited and happy to be there. It felt like home. I loved how everyone was interacting and socializing. It was interesting to see how everyone was busy running from office to office, getting ready for Advocacy Days.
The next morning started with a group picture in front of the ANCA, and then we were off to our meetings. My mom had secured 10 meetings for us. It was chaotic but thrilling to go from building to building on the Hill, trying to find the offices of Michigan representatives and senators and make sure we were on time. We had to walk a lot, and sometimes we got lost, but it made me feel like I was doing something important. During the meetings, I tried to take as many notes as I could while my mom talked about the release of the Artsakh POWs and hostages, the return of Armenians to Artsakh and accountability for Azerbaijan’s crimes. I paid close attention because I wanted to remember everything and share it with my friends back home. Some staffers didn’t cooperate, but some were very nice. I got really upset when some of them didn’t care about the genocide of my people. One was even looking at the time to see if the meeting was over yet. That made me feel like we weren’t being heard. But others were nice and interested, and they asked questions—it seemed like they cared. Those moments gave me hope.
My best meetings were with Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin. Senator Gary Peters was friendly and genuinely cared about our issues. He told my mom to send all the information their way so they could do everything to help. Senator Slotkin was also nice and told me she was surprised to see someone as young as me advocating for my people. I smiled and shook her hand.
This experience was educational and productive. I learned to fight for my people no matter what. I grew up visiting Armenia and Artsakh every year. Artsakh is my home, and I was emotional talking about it. Sometimes I felt like crying, but I knew I had to be there to advocate for my friends and family from Artsakh. Even though I’m just a kid, I realized that my voice matters. I want other kids to know that they can stand up for what’s right too, no matter how young they are, by being brave and speaking up.
In my opinion, Advocacy Days are important because our voices are stronger when we are together. When we show up in big numbers and share our stories, people have to listen. I think it’s one of the best ways to make a difference. I can’t wait to go back next year and keep fighting for Artsakh and my people.
Dzia Hamakorzian
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- My first Advocacy Days - April 7, 2025
