A few years ago, I walked through the hollowed-out, silent grounds of the Melkonian Educational Institute in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was a haunting experience that offered a stark reflection on the fragility of the diaspora. That experience often forced me to look back at my birthplace, Toronto, with a skeptical eye. I wondered if the foundational pillars of my own identity could face a similar demise.
Until recently, the conversation in Toronto was focused on a safe, logical expansion of the existing Armenian Youth Centre. It was a plan that made sense on paper, but it was essentially a defensive move to manage overcrowding.
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Such wonderful news with an eloquent core message from Rupen. Safe secures nothing particularly
in the diaspora. I applaud the leadership of the Toronto community.
Abris Rupen! A great article about a bold and wonderful undertaking!
I wish all Armenian communities in the diaspora could take lessons from the Toronto Armenians. Sometimes our leaders are so conservative that they are scaring away the younger generation.