Address by
H.E. Mr. Vartan Oskanian
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Armenia
At the Commencement Ceremony and the 50th Anniversary
of Haigazian University
Beirut, Lebanon
July 1, 2005
It is a pleasure and an honor to speak at the commencement ceremony and the
50th year anniversary of an institution whose life parallels and reflects
the history, experiences and transitions that have made Lebanon. Armenians
are proud to be an inextricable part of that history.
As a representative of the Armenian government, I am pleased that today, the
links between our two states – the Lebanese Republic and the Republic of
Armenia – are as warm and friendly as those between our peoples. Armenia and
Lebanon understand each other¹s dreams and are willing to act together in
the name of a shared, prosperous future.
Armenians lived through Lebanon¹s difficult years in the last century, just
as Lebanon had welcomed Armenians in the century¹s complicated first years.
The survivors of the genocide, wandering refugees, orphaned and dislocated,
reached these shores and cities, where a most hospitable host welcomed the
remnants of a traumatized population trying to reconstruct lives and
construct communities. Homeless and destitute, they recognized that they
needed support institutions — church, school, newspaper, and association.
This was the need in all Diaspora communities, but nowhere did this pattern
prevail and succeed as it did in Lebanon. The large numbers of newcomers
relative to the local population, a country accustomed to confessional
identities, a dynamic economy, multiethnic and pluralist – this was and is
the Lebanon where Armenians put down roots and thrived.
I never lived in Lebanon, but I feel as if I have, because I was here often,
having been born and raised in Syria. The birth pangs and growing pains of
the modern Middle East form my memories and my outlook.
I remember 1967 and my father¹s disappointment over the Palestinians¹ loss.
We knew first hand the aspirations for a homeland, and we could imagine the
frustration and pain.
I remember 1970 and being sent home from school when Gamal Abdel Nasser died
and with him died the dream of Arab unity.
I remember 1975 and my summer in Beirut, on the way to college in Armenia,
when shots were fired as part of what became a civil war. And from a
distance we followed with agony as whole cities and neighborhoods went up in
flames.
I remember being here in 1986, after a decade of absence, only to be
devastated by the devastation.
I remember 1999 and my first visit as Foreign Minister, to discover a
rebirth, a new Lebanon, and a new era of survivors. Today, as I drive, I see
a resurrected capital with a people committed to their own vision of their
country¹s future.
Today, there is a new vision for Lebanon and the Middle East. Those for whom
this is the center of the world, as well as those who still see this part of
the world as the land of the Arabian Nights, are looking for the prudence,
wisdom and the traditions of the East to be transformed into egalitarian
opportunities for a stable region on which the world depends for much more
than oil.
Armenians in and out of Lebanon want this no less than anyone else. We, too,
live in a part of the world that was fashioned according to individual
visions and not in reflection of the region¹s realities or requirements. For
us, what happens in the Middle East is a guideline for what we can expect in
our region.
After all, this isn¹t far from our own backyard. Even without the
inestimable benefit of an active, mobile, cosmopolitan Diaspora, Beirut is
only 600 miles from Yerevan, as the crow flies. With globalization becoming
not a theory but a way of life, there really isn¹t much separating us.
On the contrary, much connects us. Number one among them is education.
Armenia¹s educational institutions have become the alma maters for many
young men and women from the Middle East. And the educational facilities of
Lebanon are part of the life and legacy of the Diaspora.
That legacy is visible, tangible and appreciated in this educational
institution. The 50 years of excellence, relevance, and perseverance of
Haigazian is the kind of legacy and vision we must protect, cherish and
nurture, not neglect and dismantle.
These institutions, whether in Beirut, Cyprus, and Venice or, Jerusalem, or
Istanbul, these are the symbols and proof not only of a people¹s
determination to survive but also to prosper and to ensure continuity no
matter where. I saw this first as a Diasporan who benefited from the vision
and largesse of the educational institutions of the Mekhitarist Fathers and
the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Later, as a young adult, I profited
from the seriousness with which the Soviet Republic of Armenia held its
educational institutions when I studied at Yerevan Polytechnic Institute. As
a former engineer and now a diplomat, I know that education is what comes
first, last and always in the life of any community, any people, any polity,
any nation, any country that is serious about its future.
Life is about learning. Life is learning to live as a member of a society.
Education is the transmission of civilization and common values and a common
memory. Without these, there is no shared future. When people are
well-informed, they can govern and be governed. Aristotle said that ŒAll who
have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the
fate of empires depends on the education of youth.¹
I¹m not here to talk about empires. I¹m talking about things within your
reach — about rebuilding Lebanon, about moving Armenia out of transition.
When we had a fatherland – inaccessible, inhospitable, withdrawn into
itself, with its politics and identity decided and shaped by forces outside
its borders — it was natural that our communities throughout the world,
large or small, new or old, often thought of themselves as substitutes for
the real country, as a virtual fatherland.
There is no longer any need to live a substitute or virtual reality. The
Republic of Armenia exists, it is independent, and it is ours. It still
needs its Diaspora, more than ever, not to substitute but to complement. We
must cooperate, not compete. The challenge is to succeed together, not to
fail separately, not be led by indifference and complacency. If Armenia¹s
policy of complementarity has succeeded in our foreign relations, perhaps
it¹s time to announce a policy of complementarity with our Diaspora – a
One-Armenia policy, where the Armenia of our dreams turns into the Armenia
of our future.
Haigazian is a building block in that dream. It is here and must stay, by
all means possible. It is well-received, it is respected and it is loved.
Its alumni are everywhere, and we want you to become the builders of that
dream – in Lebanon, or wherever you choose. Come to Armenia and participate
in Armenia¹s efforts to grow, to bloom and to yield the fruits.
Haigazian has succeeded because it knew when and how to adapt. This is the
ultimate Armenian skill, it is also the characteristic that put Lebanon at
the heart of a transforming Middle East. Dear graduates, in this century,
you and those who come after you will learn more than how to read and write,
you will train for more than one career. You will learn that there is no end
to learning – for those who can¹t learn, relearn, unlearn and learn again
will not be able to keep pace with the personal, professional, national and
international challenges that face us.
I am convinced the hundredth anniversary is around the corner, and may we
celebrate it in a country, in a region, in a world of peace and prosperity.