PARKS HUSHED, MONEY WEPT
James Hakobyan

Lragir.am
20-06-2007 18:06:00

The important role of Armenia All-Armenian Foundation over the 15
years of independence of Armenia cannot be denied. The foundation
enabled implementing a few strategic programs, which might never
have come true without the all-Armenian initiative. Perhaps there
is no need to enumerate examples because these examples are so
important that are known to even those citizens who have never
driven along the highway Goris-Lachin-Stepanakert. However, though
it is painful to say, the range of Armenia all-Armenian Foundation
gradually narrowed. The foundation became an organization where a few
rich people included in the board of trustees figure rather than the
Armenians worldwide. Perhaps my colleague was right when he proposed
reshaping the foundation into a club of rich people because it failed
to involve Armenians worldwide.

Evidence to this is the dynamic of annual telethons of the past
two years.

In 2005 the telethon raised about 7 million dollars. The leadership of
the foundation, namely the CEO Naira Melkumyan, said they did not rely
heavily on big donations to have a truly all-Armenian event. Therefore,
7 million was raised compared with 12 million of 2004. Hence an
effort was made to justify the absolute decline saying that in
all-Armenian terms this number had increased. Next year, however,
in 2006 the telethon raised an unprecedented sum, over 13 million
dollars. However, over half of this 13 million was donations from 4 or
5 benefactors. In other words, the absolute number had grown but in
all-Armenian terms it declined or at least remained the same. Hence,
it became clear that the all-Armenian idea of the foundation does
not develop, and only the mechanism of major donations works.

Consequently, my colleague was right when he proposed reshaping
the foundation into a club of rich people. Not to denigrate the
all-Armenian idea. After all, anyone who sees that the Armenians
counting 7-9 million in the world and possessing immense capital
hardly raise an average annual 10 million dollars will laugh at this
national impotence. In fact, over these years the Armenians worldwide
have not managed to raise half of the money that Kirk Kirkorian alone
donated to Armenia in two years.

In this context, the statement in the annual report of the foundation
that in 2006 the organization funded by the Armenians worldwide
provided furniture of 50 thousand dollars to Karabakh sounds
funny. On hearing this number one feels ashamed rather than proud
because the all-Armenian organization’s furniture to Karabakh costs
as much as the fourth or third car of an average Armenian oligarch’s
motorcade. Meanwhile, there is so much to furnish in Karabakh and so
many Armenians in the world. But is it their fault why they take no
part in the all-Armenian fundraising events?

Or is it the fault of the board of trustees or the executive staff
of the foundation? Perhaps already the patriotic pathos is not
enough to raise money. If people accepted it considering that time
is needed to see the results, now many think it is time to show
what has been done. Meanwhile, what does the foundation display as
results? Two-storey schools in some villages of Armenia and Karabakh,
one or two sports schools, a surgical theater, a rope-way. The range
of activities of the all-Armenian organization was narrowed to the
point that the all-Armenian foundation now repairs parks. And if
it arouses delight among the leadership of the foundation and the
Armenian government, in the Diaspora it causes embarrassment if Armenia
is unable to repair parks on its two-digit economic growth. In this
context, the construction of the North-South highway and the upkeep
of the park across the office of the president would no way go side
by side. And embarrassment arouses doubt. And doubt makes one save
the money because if the rich man gives little from much, an average
Diasporan gives little from little, therefore he prefers to save
instead of throwing money to four winds in the parks of Armenia.