EACH SECOND GENERATION DIASPORA ARMENIAN CONCERNED ABOUT ARTSAKH

Azg/arm
20 Nov 04

In 1999, on instruction of late Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian,
Sevak Artsruni undertook drawing of a plan of re-inhabiting Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh.

The plan today is being implemented in Karabakh.

In November of 2002 Yerkir organization of repatriation and settlement
was created uniting 5 NGOs from Armenia, Karabakh and Diaspora.

“Many Diaspora Armenians keep in their hearts this small piece of
their lost fatherland, and those ideas form their identity. Each
second generation Armenian feels pain for its fatherland. In order to
enable them to put their strivings in practice we need to form a solid
field for cooperation that will pursue no political or economic aims”,
Artsruni says.

Yerkir Union has implemented 10 programs with overall cost of $700
thousand during last two years. Artsruni points out to the foundation
of the village of Knaravan in the region of Nor Shahumian and calls
it a unique example of Diaspora-Armenia cooperation.

Artsruni thinks that re-inhabiting is a social science and puts:
“If it is carried out by non-professionals it may even harm the
state”. More than half of Armeniaâ~@~Ys and Karabakhâ~@~Ys population
is concentrated in Yerevan and in the regions of Ararat Valley which
cannot be justified militarily and from the aspect of stateâ~@~Ys
security. In fact, Armenia today has practically no back areas,
there are no inner territories.

In accordance with the program of inhabiting Armenia and Artsakh,
population of Artsakh should reach 300 thousand by 2012. But
the pace of the program shows that it is losing its meaning and
falling apart. Artsruni thinks that politics must be kept out of
the process. “Re-inhabiting is a service to the fatherland, and not
a chance to get political dividends. But we take this rivalry very
easy because we understand the Diaspora stands aloof from intrigues
and truly cares for Armenia”, he says.

“Yerkir is not simply rising money but trying to turn interested
organizations into partners”, he says and adds that implementation
of every program is posted on the web page enabling a donor to watch
how his money is distributed.

Yerkir Union implemented re-inhabitation of Norashen village in
the region of Hadrut with the support of French offshoot of the
AGBU. Recently a delegation headed by initiators and supporters
of the program Levon Kebabjian and Ara Aharonian visited Norashen
to see what is done there. Success of the program encouraged them,
and they decided to support in inhabiting processes.

“I am very glad for AGBUâ~@~Ys decision. First programs of the AGBU
implemented in Soviet Armenia including drying of swamps, building
settlements and bridges. AGBU may put into action the plans of Poghos
Nubar”, Artsruni says.

President of Yerkir Union thinks that the Diaspora should be directly
involved in Armenia and Karabakh and implement its goals through
NGOs. That would be a good way of keeping any project concerning
re-settlement far from political speculations. “We want AGBU to keep
to our strategic policy of 2000”.

Besides inhabiting Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Yerkir Union watches
over the economic state of the population. For that purpose we have
launched a new program of Yerkir Fund which is looking for donors in
Diaspora and the donor provides the family with credit for purchasing
livestock, provides with fruit-trees and seed. The debtor returns the
credit not to the creditor but to Yerkir thus filling up the gaps. “We
will also use this money for inhabiting purposes. For instance, there
are families in Qashatakh who are unable to stay there any longer and
we use the money to support them instead of bringing new families”
Artsruni says.

By Tatoul Hakobian

–Boundary_(ID_7nUbS3zT6Ht+DqfXJpGyvA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress