My second ANCA Advocacy Days

On April 1 and 2, I had the opportunity to go to ANCA Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C. This was my second time attending Advocacy Days—the last was two years ago, when I was in sixth grade. Now, in eighth grade, I was very happy to return! I had different feelings and impressions this time. I already knew what to expect, but I was able to understand the issues a little more deeply and formed stronger opinions and thoughts. This time I wasn’t the youngest advocate—Dzia Hamakorzian from Michigan was. She was very excited to be there, and I was glad we could experience it together. Our trip began early in the morning with a flight to D.C. alongside my mom and U. Vrej Dawli. From the airport, we took a car straight to Capitol Hill to meet with our fellow Michigan constituents: ANC of Michigan chair Dzovinar Hamakorzian, U. Garod Hamakorzian, Sammo Bedrossian and Dzia. Our first meeting was with Senator Gary Peters, who was actually in Artsakh on the day our people were being displaced from their homes and pouring into Armenia. Senator Peters is aware of our issues and has been a longtime friend and champion of our cause. Over the course of two days, we had a total of nine meetings. We met with Senator Peters, Representative Lisa McClain’s staff, Senator Elissa Slotkin, Congressman Jack Bergman’s staff, Representative Haley Stevens’ staff, Representative Tom Barrett’s staff, Representative Hillary Scholten’s staff, Representative Rashida Tlaib’s staff and Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet’s staff. It was especially meaningful to meet Senator Elissa Slotkin in person and have the chance to speak with her directly. The reason for our meetings was to raise awareness about the ongoing issues surrounding Artsakh. Some of the people we met with were already familiar with the issues, while others needed more information. Thanks to the ANCA and Mrs. Dzovinar, we came prepared with maps and literature for them to keep. We thanked those who had supported our cause in the past and encouraged others to join. We expressed our concerns and disappointment that the United States continues to send military aid to Azerbaijan. We also talked about the hostages still unjustly held in Azerbaijan. They are currently being tried under unfair conditions, and with the Red Cross having been expelled, no international groups are able to monitor their treatment. This allows Azerbaijan to continue its mistreatment without accountability. We also voiced our concerns about the potential for another attack by Azerbaijan, threatening the future of Armenia. We discussed the supposed peace deal that Armenia is being pressured to agree to, which mainly benefits Azerbaijan. We made sure they understood that while we want peace, it must be fair and not force us to give up more than we have already lost. We also spoke about the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan during their unprovoked attacks against Armenia. There was so much to say, and at times, I felt sad and frustrated. That evening, we went to the ANCA headquarters, where we had dinner and connected with other ungers and ungerouhis. Dzia and I reviewed our notes together and talked to U. Tereza, U. Yeghisapet and U. Aram. We told them how our meetings went, what our impressions were and how we felt. We spent time analyzing each of the representatives and staffers, grading them based on how responsive and supportive we felt they were. This is a system I also used during my first Advocacy Days experience. The next morning, we had breakfast at the headquarters with advocates from across the country. We took a group picture then headed to our scheduled meetings with our state representatives. Later that day, we joined the Armenian Assembly of America for a joint Genocide commemoration. Many senators, representatives and members of Congress were present and spoke about the current situation. In the end, this trip gave me a new perspective and taught me different ways to express myself. I felt more confident asking questions and sharing my views. I felt empowered throughout the experience. But the day after we returned, I felt very discouraged when I heard that the United States may be selling warplanes to Azerbaijan. That made me feel sad and emotional. Still, we must never give up. As Armenians, we all must do our part to fight for Armenia and help Armenia. As Americans, we must use our voices and continue to advocate, even when it feels like a constant struggle. Baykar, baykar, meenchev verch! “Fight, fight, until the end!”

My second ANCA Advocacy Days

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Kohar Karapetian

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Kohar Karapetian

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