A MEETING IN `NORAVANK’ FOUNDATION
"Noravank" Foundation
14 July 2008
On July 4 of the current year the `Noravank’ Foundation’s experts
hosted the RA Foreign Ministry head of the Committee for Diaspora
Hranush Hakobyan. The subjects discussed at the meeting concerned to
the urgent issues of organizing the Armenians people all over the
world. Beginning from October 1 the above mentioned committee will be
reestablished into a Ministry for Diaspora affairs, which will make a
serious ground to realize the practical steps directed to solve these
problems.
The director of `Noravank’ Foundation, Gagik Harutyunyan, mentioned
that it was already a year that in the framework of the Foundation had
been working Armenological Systemizing- Information center which was
engaged in organizing Armenological researches, establishing ties with
Armenological centers, organizing and realizing researches and
practical works in Armenian communities. He accentuated the
significance of forming Pen-Armenian joint information field, exchange
of current information by means of using all the advantages of network
capacities.
Representing the works carried out in the following direction G.
Harutyunyan also mentioned that within the framework of its resources
Foundation had also held an International Conference in Yerevan devoted
to the problems of Armenian communities (June 2007) and organized field
research works in the Armenian20communities. Both the above mentioned
Conference and field researches to study the communities are the first
events realized during the years of the RA independence.
The head of Armenological coordination-information center of `Noravank’
Foundation, Phd Harutyun Marutyan was brief while touching upon the
works carried out in the framework of the center programs, especially
accentuating the issues concerning the policy of Armenian memory. Some
attempts have been made to outline practical ways of political usage of
memory about genocide, to inform the people inhabited in Armenia about
the attempts of foreigners (especially Jews) of putting forward and
looking for ways of solution of the Armenian Question issues within a
certain framework. And that attempts suggest that it is necessary to
undertake the work of wording, motivating and representing claims
raised to compensate material damages caused by the Genocide taking
into consideration the fact that this process has been lasting for tens
of years. The best way to give solution to this problem is founding a
non-governmental organization which will not be constrained by the laws
of the interested state. This body may also be a structure carrying out
research-legal activity which is granted some competence by the state
and works within this framework at the same time representing the
interests of heirs of the Genocide victims spread all over the world.
Such a body has officially20been founded: the `Organizing committee for
preparations of the congress of representatives of those Armenians
saved from the Great Armenian Genocide.’ It makes steps to strengthen
its organizational capacities. One of the latest initiatives of the
organization is the scientific-practical conference `Claims of western
Armenians in the context of the Armenian Question’ held in Nikosia in
April 2008.
The next problem, which is included in the program of the foundation’s
activity, concerns studying the experience of other states (in
particular Israel) in working with Diaspora communities and organizing
repatriation. This experience has come to show that the ideology of
repatriation means not only realization of certain steps to return them
to their native land, but, first of all, to establish close ties with
the Diaspora communities, with separate people and families, involving
them into the common cause for the welfare of the native land, and in
the practical aspect ` creation of mighty structures in the format of
state and non-governmental organizations. The experience of other
countries is quite multiform and edifying; it is improved all the time
and needs to be studied periodically and carefully.
The head of `Noravank’ Foundation’s Armenological program of `Security
of the Armenian people: research of communities’ PhD Tamara Vardanyan
mentioned that it had already been established constant relations with
a number of Armenian communities of the CIS countries and with people
engaged in preserving the Armenian identity. According to her,
continual exchange of information about problems and events in the
communities is circulating. Much attention is devoted to the problems
of the Armenian community in Tbilisi, and at present active work is
carried out together with the local Armenian non-governmental
organizations to work out and introduce mechanisms of preserving the
Armenian language and culture with the help of national potential of
public organizations. From this standpoint it is important that in the
Foundation it is well known the problems connected with the condition
of once powerful but at present day by day weakening Armenian
communities.
It was mentioned that today it had not only been established
motherland-community relations, but also direct intercommunal ties
aiming at establishing mutual cooperation and furthering effective
exchange of experience. T. Vardanyan also noticed that the process of
the Armenians’ assimilation on the post-Soviet plane was quicker than
in the other regions, for example, in the Middle East, as up till now
had been preserved the memory about our once being the citizen of a
united powerful state. Besides, Russian culture and language are closer
to us by nature, and these factors in their turn weaken mechanisms of
self-protection (immunity) and vigilance in us and the ability to
distinguish and appreciate real threats.
It was also discussed the problems of teaching the Armenian language.
It was mentioned that in the communities of the post-Soviet plane the
Armenian children were foreign language speakers (especially Russian
language speakers), accordingly, it was necessary to raise the interest
to their native language and create additional stimulus for teaching,
for example, organizing Armenian language and literature Olympiads and
competitions, distance courses of studying, that’s to say, doing
everything possible to stimulate the Armenian youth to be introduced to
the Armenian civilization and become the carriers of national values.
The participants of the meeting were unanimous that to solve the above
mentioned unhealthy and actual problems it was necessary consolidation
of active and healthy powers of Armenia, NKR, Javakhk and Diaspora.
The head of `Noravank’ Foundation’s Armenological center, PhD Ruben
Melkonyan mentioned that the problem of Islamized Armenians of Turkey
was very multilevel and was to be treated adequately. At present
certain processes occur among Armenians which were forcedly Islamized,
for example readopting Christianity. Some attempts are made to protect
historical-cultural monuments, and interest is stimulated to the native
language etc. It was especially mentioned that `Noravank’ Foundation
had organized field researches (scientific-research business trips) to
the eastern districts of Turkey within the framework of the work
carried out to study the `apostate’ Armenians.
One of the most important shades of the problem is the issue of
perception of apostate Armenians by the other groups of Armenians. As
an example of barrier among these groups were mentioned cold relations
among the Islamized Armenians inhabited in Germany (Europe) and the
local Armenian community, which is quite a serious problem. P.
Melkonyan accentuated the importance of perception of the fact that as
a result of different historical reasons it had been formed a stratum
of Armenians and people of Armenian origin which differd from us by
their religion, culture and way of life. The existence of this stratum
is a fact which must be taken into consideration and it is necessary to
work out ways and methods to reestablish relation with them.
In his speech H Hakobyan mentioned that up-to-date information
technologies had made a good ground to put forward the above mentioned
problems. H Hakopian singled out four basic directions one should
adhere to while carrying out the work: organizational, ideological,
financial and legal. `Diaspora’s attention is to be concentrated on
Armenia,’ she mentioned adding that the native land must be a magnet
attracting to it.
At the end of the meeting `Noravank’ Foundation’s director G.
Harutyuntan added that the Foundation would continue
scientific-research and scientific-Practical works in the above
mentioned directions and was ready to cooperate with the new ministry.
In her turn H. Hakopyan mentioned she was impressed by the meeting and
hoped that the Foundation would make its contribution on working out
the ministry’s conception and the process of specification of its
further plans and priorities.
«21-st Century»
"XXI Century" N 2, 2008
In the second issue of `21st Century’ of the current year are presented
articles devoted to the RA information security and actuality of
pen-Armenian plane formation (G.Harutyunyan), the necessity to
introduce theories and principles of network-centric wars and military
spheres of Armenia (H.Arzumanyan), stability of national broadcasting
(G.Khumaryan). Here are also considered the problems of institutional
system of ensuring the RA national security (S.Tadevosyan), regional
developments etc. (S.Sarukhantyan, S.Harutyunyan, N.Lazarian).
`21-st CENTURY’ N 1, 2008
(English language edition)
In the first issue of the English language journal `21st SENTURY’ of
the current year are spoken about a variety of problems including:
mutual influence of the new epoch imperatives and transformation of the
Armenian state (T.Sargsyan) and army (H.Arzumanyan), the issues of the
Republic of Armenia’s information security (S. Martirosyan), principles
and mechanisms of decision making in international organizations
(S.
Movsisyan), the role of the oil factor of the power states’
South-Caucasian policy. In the issue are also analyzed the problem of
Islamized Armenians in Turkey…
«Bulletin»
Bulletin of Noravank Scientific Educational Foundation
N 21, 2008
`Bulletin’ ?-21 of `Noravank’ Foundation includes articles devoteded to
variety of problems concerning to economic developments and
globalization. The issue also includes current world economic
tendencies, perspectives and challanges.
Publications
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ARMENIAN CULTURE
`Collection of interviews’
This collection of interviews, the author and interviewer of which is
the research worker of RA AS Institute of Oriental Studies H.
Hmayakyan, is devoted to a number of branches of the Armenian art and
culture (mythology, carpet making, ancient Armenian music and folk
song, medieval miniature and architecture, contemporary Armenian
literature, film and ceramics as well as the problems of preserving
monuments). The interviews were held with different well known
specialists in this or that field.