ARA ABRAHAMIAN: "DIASPORA NEEDS STRONGER ARMENIA, BUT ARMENIA WILL BE STRONGER IF DIASPORA IS BY ITS SIDE"
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
11/07/2007

Armenian young people discuss the challenges of the century

On June 9 started the two-day All Armenian International Youth
Conference titled "The challenges of the 21st century and the Armenian
youth". The participants of the Conference first of all visited
Tsitsernakaberd and the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and laid a
wreath at the Memorial of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Only
after that they went to the House of Moscow to start their works.

The aim of the Conference is to discuss the issue of uniting all
Armenian youth round the national interests in the context of the
challenges of the century.

The President of the World Armenian Congress (WAC) Ara Abrahamian in
his welcome speech spoke about one of the most important challenges
of Armenia – the necessity of having stronger Armenia, saying,
"Diaspora needs stronger Armenia, but Armenia will be stronger if
Diaspora is by its side."

The President of WAC also touched upon the following issues: the
present position of Armenia in the region, the situation created around
Iran, the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan, Georgian-Russian relations
and not settled Karabakh conflict. He mentioned that all those issues
have a strong influence on the situation created in Armenia.

Ara Abrahamian informed that it is planned to hold a conference in
October of this year to discuss the role of Diaspora in the settlement
of Karabakh conflict.

The aim of this conference is to discuss what to do in order to
restore the faith of Karabakh’s young people in the future and to
make them not to leave their motherland.

The first report titled "The challenges of the 21st century in
globalized world. The Armenian youth and the challenges of the new
century" presented the Chairwoman of the RA National Assembly Standing
Committee of Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs
Hranush Hakobian.

According to her in the 21st century the Armenian people unite to solve
two important issues: to make Armenia stronger using the strength of
Diaspora and to make all conditions for the Armenians to stay Armenian.

In her speech the RA deputy touched upon the positive and negative
sides of the globalization, mentioning that if globalization is
profitable for some countries and there is no risk, in the case of
little countries it is v.v. And in this case the role of the youth is
very important, as young people are flexible, adapt themselves easily
to the new situations, may make use of the processes of globalization,
move easily, study and work in other countries.

RA Deputy-Minister, Director of All Armenian Youth Foundation
Arthur Poghosian made the second report titled "The Armenian youth
and Armenia-Diaspora, Diaspora-Diaspora contacts". He spoke about
the following supremacies that the Armenian youth might take into
consideration: the issue of protection of the nation, the strengthening
of the State System of Armenia and development of the Armenian State
as a motherland for all Armenians.

According to him the Youth NGOs’ role in creation of civil society
and democratic state has increased since 1990s in Armenia. There are
300 registered NGOs in Armenia: half of them are youth organizations
or they are engaged in resolution of youth issues

The Deputy Minister presented several proposals for the creation of
all Armenian youth co-ordination structure, a joint informational
register of the organizational, ideological, financial inner property
of the youth organizations of Armenia and Diaspora and also creation
of all Armenian network.

The Chairman of Youth Organization’s Association of WAC Atom Mkhitarian
presented the youth approaches to the challenges of the century and
spoke about their further tasks.

He spoke about the necessity of the presence of the Armenian youth
in international structures and their participation in international
processes providing the advocacy of the Armenian issues.

The 250 participants of the Conference are the representatives of more
than 40 Armenian NGOs from 25 different countries (Artsakh, Russia,
Brazil, Belarus, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Estonia, Turkey,
Romania, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, France, Holland, USA, etc.).

The participants will have an opportunity to get acquainted with the
social, cultural life and sights of Armenia.