EDITORIAL: CONFRONTING THE POLITICS OF EXCLUSION

Armenian Weekly
February 4, 2010

Upcoming Clinton Meeting Reveals Disturbing Fractures in Community

On February 9, leading Armenian-American groups will meet with US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, apparently to discuss issues of
mutual concern. The meeting is being held at the State Department’s
invitation, following discussions with various community and advocacy
groups. The meeting is widely expected to address Armeno-Turkish
relations, focusing on the controversial Protocols that are now
under consideration.

On the surface, such a meeting would appear welcome-reflecting the
US’s willingness to develop consensus, or at least to hear the input
of Armenian-Americans in developing its policies. Unfortunately,
however, much goodwill has already been lost in the process. This
is mainly due to missteps taken by the State Department, then
reinforced by several Armenian-American groups. For those unaware,
the State Department initially issued invitations to a small,
exclusive, and imbalanced group of organizations-the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America, the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA),
the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the Knights of Vartan,
and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Clearly, this
list is remarkable more for its exclusions than its inclusions. To
put it bluntly, the inclusion of the Diocese without the Prelacy is
patently ridiculous, and is compounded by the fact that the Protestant
and Catholic communities-with significant presences nationwide-were
excluded as well. And then, there is the inclusion of the AGBU without
the Armenian Relief Society (ARS)-the largest Armenian-American women’s
group, which pursues significant charitable activities here and in
Armenia. We could also mention other groups-traditional political
parties, cultural organizations, and others that have maintained
significant voices in our community.

The immediate questions that come to mind are, "Why?" and "To What
End"? From the original list, we can surmise only one of two answers:
Either the State Department is seeking to generate phony ‘consensus’
on the Protocols, and is therefore gathering the softest elements on
this issue (with the exception of ANCA);OR the State Department is
listening to voices in the community that, for their own purposes,
seek to exclude others who might ‘compete’ with them for legitimacy
as representatives. The cynical among us might go even further:
Perhaps the Armenian government, seeking to portray the Diaspora as
favoring its misguided initiatives, has found the ear of someone in
putting this lineup together.

Whatever the scenario, such a move is a clear non-starter, for it
further divides our community and creates false competition instead
of allowing us to come together.

In response to this move, community protests came almost
immediately-mainly from the ANCA, as well as from the excluded
organizations themselves. Interestingly, no protests were heard from
the AGBU, AAA, Knights of Vartan, or Diocese, presumably because they
had gotten in themselves. The game here, apparently, is get in the
room, then shut the door behind you. How selfish.

In response to the protests, the State Department-apparently
not without some embarrassment-has widened the field a bit. As
of this week, the Catholics, Protestants, Prelacy, as well as
independent groups such as the United Armenian Fund and the Armenian
Bar Association, have been added to the list. But the ARS remains
excluded, apparently due to strenuous protests from the AGBU, backed
by the AAA. How petty! What does the AGBU gain by excluding the ARS
from such a meeting? The honor of being the only benevolent group
worthy of being invited? The AGBU has a long and proud history of
benevolence, both in Diaspora and Armenia. Its seat at the table is
assured by this record, not by excluding other groups. We urge all
groups to come together and shed such nonsense, once and for all.

We live in a moment when consensus is imperative – especially before
a US State Department that would exploit our dissension. Let’s not
allow such maneuvers to weaken our resolve; we must come together,
with one voice and one purpose, before it’s too late.