ARMENIA-DIASPORA SERIOUS FORUM
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11:58:07 – 24/02/2010
Platform of Armenia-Diaspora open talks in Washington
During the 20 years of independence, the dialogue between Armenia
and Diaspora, if ever existed, was limited by "official" relations
– communications between the Armenian government and different
organizations of the Diaspora. No serious talk – mutual responsibility,
cooperation in cultural spheres happened.
Events like "One nation, one culture" or "Baze", or making the
Diasporian enterprisers "work" for Armenia, dinners with the Armenian
high ranking officials cannot fill the cultural division between
Armenia and Diaspora which appeared because of different systems of
values and ways of development the two societies chose which lived
isolated from each other for 70 years and are going to live in the
same way.
But this level of communication seemed to satisfy both sides even
after the fatal events of March 1, and it started not satisfying only
after the start of the Armenia-Turkey football diplomacy.
Since independence, there has not been such disappointment for
Armenians and the Diasporian Armenians but an exceptional door of
realism has never been opened before either.
At the second annual conference of Policy Forum Armenia (PFA)
dedicated to the Armenia-Diaspora relations, which will start in a
couple of days in Washington, discussions on these issues will be
held. The expression of the quality of these talks is not the topics
on the agenda, neither the guests nor the reporters, but the report
worked out by PFA which thoroughly analyses the dynamics of the
Armenia-Diaspora relations objectively criticizing them. The report
will be released on the first day of the conference.
The dates of the conference are also symbolic- February 28, March 1
and 2. The axis of the discussion is the involvement of Armenia and
Diaspora in the process of democratization of Armenia, Armenia-Turkey
protocols, the economic sphere, and the governmental and systemic
issues of Armenia. PFA invited all the Diasporian organizations
regardless their political stances. A special address will be held
at the conference by the founder of the Heritage party, first Armenia
foreign minister Raffi Hovhannisyan. His speech is scheduled on March
1. Within others who will hold a speech are Numar Afeyan (U.S.),
Ara Sanjyan (Michigan) Artsvik Minasyan (ARF), Ara Papian (Mondus
Vivendi), Igor Muradyan, Marisa Alaverdyan (Heritage).
The conference will be inaugurated with the speech of the Brookings’s
doctor Daniel Kaufmann: he is an international authority in the
sphere of state governance and anti-corruption. Speeches of young
scientists and activists are also planned. Within the frameworks of
the conference, meetings with American and international private and
public organizations will be organized for the young participants to
promote their carrier.
Organizers think that this is not an ordinary PFA event, but a platform
for independent scientists and intellectuals for holding open dialogue
on the above-mentioned issues. This is not a gathering of "their"
organizations, but a forum covering all directions. "This will be
the widest and perhaps the most important forum in the Diaspora.
People understand that time for a turning point came and need to
evaluate where we are and where we go", said PFA co-founder David
Grigoryan.
TSOVINAR NAZARYAN Washington
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress