AZG Armenian Daily #064, 08/04/2006
Poll
ARMENIAN YOUTH ISN’T ABLE TO CARRY OUT DECISIVE POLITICAL ACTIONS
25% of Youth Avoids Politics At All
This conclusion was made after the recent public poll carried out by
the Sociometer independent sociology center. The public poll was
carried out among 1000 students of different universities at the age
of 18-30 and 100 non-student young people. Democracy and Election
Assistance International Institution ordered the public poll. The
institute has members in 56 countries. The public poll showed the
level of the young people’s political awareness and their political
activeness in the social-economic reforms that currently take place in
the country. The results of the poll responded the question whether
the Armenian young people resemble those in Ukraine and Georgia that
took main part in the color revolutions in these countries. “This was
no direct question but the results of the public poll responded this
question, as well,” Aharon Adibekian, head of the center stated.
According to the public poll, 25% of the Armenian youth avoids
politics at all. They are not interested either in the political
events or in the world, the moral rules of the adults. 75% of them
displays some interest in the political events, follow the news over
TV twice or trice a week or reads newspapers sometimes.
The social activeness level of the youth is considerably higher. 50%
of them is ready to participate in the activities of various
volunteer, students or other organizations. About 10% of the youth are
already members of such organizations, including public, ecological,
legal, or social unions. Only 5% of the questioned stated that they
participate in the political activities. Some are included in the
parties or electoral committees as observers or committee members.
In response to the question what is beyond passiveness of our youth,
Adibekian said that it is conditioned by traditional lifestyle, as
well as by the respect to the elder. The generation that will be
psychologically, economically or socially independent from its parents
isn’t matured yet. Only being independent the young people will be
able to take political decisions and be active in politics.
The questioned youth were extremely discontent with the corruption in
the universities, with social conditions and hardship. But all these
negative factors do not create tension to make them rebel and take
decisive steps to change the life. This is testified by the fact that
the level of young people’s participation in the rallies is too low.
At the same time, at present the large Armenian parties create their
youth branches.
Adibekian said that this factor is an artificial contribution to the
political activation of the youth.
By Karine Danielian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
