Author: Kevo Kalantarian

These are surreal times for the valiant Armenian nation. We are experiencing the trauma of our grandparents with similar atrocities, deportations and territorial loss that our survivor generation carried into the diaspora. The depopulation of an entire enclave in the 21st century has been broadcast on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Before continuing, let me say that I abhor the patronizing terms that our world has created to explain what is happening in Artsakh. When I read “forced evacuations,” it describes vacating due to a natural disaster such as wildfires and hurricanes. This is not what our brave people have experienced. It is called a DEPORTATION, and it is component of genocide. 

Once again, we are forced to remember what was and could have been, like the western highlands, Cilicia and Nakhichevan. The list is growing and now a new generation will carry the burden of our collective loss. This is a terrible legacy that will impact our thinking for decades. It leaves us bitter and frustrated with the attitude that whatever we do may not matter. We should acknowledge that possibility, but never accept it. At the lowest points of our history, our people fought back from horrific losses to build a new future. After the fall of the Bagraduni kingdom, a massive migration took place that populated and established a new kingdom in Cilicia. Life blossomed in that region until the Genocide. Imagine the challenge of physical displacement over many years and the hardships overcome. There are hundreds of examples of tenacity and perseverance in our brilliant history. Our Baku Armenians have displayed remarkable strength these past 35 years. Today, we are wounded and angry. It is a necessary phase to experience and transition from. The danger for us is to stay in this phase semi-permanently.

Most of our criticism today is directed outside of the Armenian community at the groups that failed us: the EU, United States, Russia and any other that offered rhetoric while people were dying. The United Nations has long been an institution offering volumes of comforting words while being deficient on prevention or political action, creating a diplomatic community for the theoretical good of mankind but rendered useless in addressing the dark side of humanity. We are justified in our criticism of our international colleagues. Hopefully, we can take advantage of the latent surge of “sympathy” coming from many of these bodies. The calls are stronger for a multinational body to Artsakh and the Armenian border. France, in turn, has announced unprecedented military assistance to Armenia. 

Our homeland is surrounded on most borders by a hostile alliance bent on the full destruction of our people. If it were up to Erdogan and Aliyev, we would be a stateless people. Azerbaijan, on a par with Hitler and Pol Pot, considers this strictly an internal matter. They continue to brazenly arrest leaders in Artsakh to make their point and use their illegal captivity as currency during negotiations. They view any “external” efforts as a personal insult, and we must be vigilant in the face of their pronouncements. 

Our people have once again paid a terrible price, but this fight is not over. Most of the internal criticism has been directed at the government of Armenia and its policies. I would like to suggest an area where we have total control and opportunity to strengthen our nation. During times of national crisis, we must understand that a nation divided is less capable than one united. We are plagued with division today. The competitive, innovative and independent nature of our people has created some of this reality, but we are not a finely tuned machine, and we cannot afford any of this going forward. Minimizing conflict within our people should be about adjusting our focus and utilizing our resources. These walls are artificial and need to come down. Our future depends on it.

In its most fundamental form, most of the obstacles to a more unified or integrated approach can be summarized in two terms: forgiveness and egos. As Armenians, we are very proud and speak often of our Christian faith but are short on practicing the basic tenets of that faith in our lives. Our church teaches us the power of prayer, love and forgiveness, yet these seem important only when we are in the sanctuary. The Armenian church is the most important non-governmental institution in our global community. It has been a rock for over 17 centuries, but like any other institution it has to continue earning its respect and credibility. We need to understand that our faith and our church institution are not the same. The former is our eternal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and the latter is a choice of practice. The church has struggled chronically with forgiveness. I have always felt that the best of our church is when it stands above human conflict and provides the leadership to reconcile and end suffering. Why was Ghevont Yeretz on the front line with Vartan at Avarayr? One of our great leaders of the 20th century, Karekin Hovseptiantz, was in the middle of conflict and building trust through leadership, whether at Sardarabad, trying to resolve the church divide in America in the 1930s or his remarkable work in building the Great House of Cilicia.

It is difficult for many Armenians to reconcile an institution that advocates love and forgiveness yet tolerates the longstanding jurisdictional division of the church. This is not simply a reference to the American dioceses but rather a world church commentary given the awkward leadership collaboration between Holy Etchmiadzin and Antelias. Aram I has displayed great leadership on national issues but is unable to do much for the people of Artsakh and Armenia. Karekin II has assumed a very low public profile at a time when our people need a visible presence from the church. The conflict between Etchmiadzin and Antelias and the tepid relationship with the government of Armenia must be resolved for the benefit of the Armenian people. The power of forgiveness is not a theory or a vehicle for the naive. If we cannot resolve our differences with love and forgiveness, we will remain weak. National reconciliation should be a driving theme on multiple levels. This is an especially critical time to look inward and resolve our internal issues.

The church can improve its credibility and provide leadership during this critical time if it chooses. In my view, the Catholicos and his bishops should have been in Syunik offering comfort, blessing and support to our deported brethren. Just as the venerable Catholicos Sahag II traveled to the refugee camps in Syria after the Genocide to comfort and organize his beleaguered flock, we should expect our church leaders to be visible in time of need. We have all viewed the images of our deportees, and I am saddened by not seeing the public leadership of the church. It is noteworthy that many kahanas (married priests) are helping, but this is a unique time for the Catholicos. It is not enough to cancel the Holy Muron. Go to the people.

Each of us can do something, individually or collectively, to further integrate our nation. There have been serious calls for the diaspora to organize in a way that makes it more effective in working with the homeland. Similar calls have been made for the homeland to legislatively open the doors for more diversified resources from the diaspora to support the homeland. We are the main obstacle to most of these opportunities. We are all guilty of it…my idea…my organization…my position. A popular phrase in our communities these days is “pan-Armenian.” Whether it is the “Future Armenian” initiative or local pan Armenian activities, it requires people of vision who are willing to subordinate their egos for the greater good. These efforts can be challenging when you bring several innovative and creative minds together, but these are difficult times. Sacrifice and an understanding of the bigger picture at risk are essential. As the brilliant pan-Armenian educator and philanthropist, the late Dr. Vartan Gregorian, once stated, “There are more things that unite us than divide us.” He gave this message at the opening of the NAASR Center in 2019. Pan-Armenian thinking is always focused on the importance of the vision and the mission. Egos and conflict will always exist but successful endeavors subordinate them below the radar. 

Pan-Armenian gathering in Boston in support of Artsakh, Sept. 30, 2023 (Photo: Sona Gevorkian)

It would be a wise investment for all of us to use this moment in our history to identify ways to better integrate, reduce redundancy and build a better Armenian nation. This is not limited to our high profile leaders. Certainly with their authority and power of position they can have significant impact, but each of us can do something powerful. Ask yourself: Are you focused on the vision and the mission or are you working on another agenda? We are a diaspora built on organizations. They are critically important, but they are only a vehicle to the mission, not the mission itself. Organizations must evolve as the mission does. What adjustments are you making?

As Armenians, we correctly, but at times naively, view the Artsakh conflict as the struggle of an oppressed people seeking what is theirs – their homes, land, culture and the right to free _expression_. Much of world history can be summarized in three dimensions: the overt oppressors, the oppressed and the manipulators. In our current drama, the oppressors are the same characters from history in the modern day – the Turks who have made a full time job out of attempting to destroy the original settlers of the highlands. Our brethren in Artsakh, who have survived despite the immense challenges of the past century, are the heroes of the oppressed. The manipulators are powerful nations driven by self interest. When proxy conflicts are launched or used to meet those interests, the oppressed become pawns in a chess game. Armenians often seek to demonstrate moral correctness and an emotional connection yet are frustrated by the absence of a shared morality among all the actors. This is a natural reaction, yet it ignores the larger, more powerful dynamics at play. Our political and religious leadership must have a higher comprehension. 

The conflict in Ukraine is headlined as the struggle of a victimized people against a despotic force seeking to destroy their sovereignty. The media loves to characterize the Ukraine

war in romantic, heroic and democratic terms. At one level this may be correct, but the Ukraine conflict is also a proxy battle that has ignited a new Cold War. There are many struggles for freedom that the west chooses to ignore, yet Ukraine is the buffer between western democracies and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to revive the Russian empire. He is on record as stating many times that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was the biggest error in our times. Every move he makes in the Caucasus, Ukraine or domestically serves that vision. The global powers are the only ones with the capability of escalation or de-escalation. We have all chosen the former by continuing to arm Ukraine. No NATO nation troops die, and it’s a great

opportunity for the west to utilize military inventory. It is very disappointing to hear U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speak only of continued war and offer little hope for a diplomatic solution. The suffering is horrific so the east and west can establish new fault lines.

Closer to home, we should view the conflict in Artsakh and national security issues facing Armenia in the context of geopolitical dynamics rather than morality. Most nations will express sympathy but act out of self interest. The behavior of the EU nations and the United States are clear examples. If we could use the endless number of sympathetic messages and humanitarian calls for airlifts as currency, the plight of Artsakh would be very different.

Recently, the Armenian ambassador to the Russian Federation was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Armenian diplomat was on the receiving end of Russian displeasure over Armenia’s criticism concerning the lack of Russian support. The Russians also said they would “analyze” Armenia’s decision to hold military training with the United States rather than with the CSTO. 

While the United States and Europe continue their bottomless barrel of statements of “concern” and “urging,” Russia has reached an agreement to send Russian aid to Artsakh through the Aghdam road, with an open-ended declaration to open the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor to aid. In the last few weeks, the idea of sending aid through Azerbaijani territory has been accepted by both Russia and the west. The Artsakh government has no choice but to accept this channel.  This is a diplomatic loss for the Armenians. By using the Aghdam road, Russia is clearly acknowledging that Artsakh is part of Azerbaijan. 

It is difficult to not interpret this as a response to Armenia’s pro-western overtures. It also displays Russia’s advantage in its geographic proximity to the Caucasus. By utilizing the Aghdam route, Russia supports the Turkey-Azerbaijan alliance while appearing favorable as a humanitarian ally. Russia has outflanked the west by delivering aid, while attempts by France to send supplies have been blocked. Meanwhile, the west is left with more empty statements. Samantha Power, the head of the USAID, has expressed concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation but has sent no aid. French President Emmanuel Macron has been rumored to sponsor a U.N. Security Council resolution to address the blockade, but thus far there is nothing submitted. 

Frustrated? What should we expect when everyone, except Artsakh, has accepted Azerbaijani territorial integrity over Artsakh? Possession is a powerful weapon – apparently more powerful than an International Court of Justice ruling and the “urging” of multiple nations and organizations. Foreign policy is the manifestation of a global chess game at somebody’s expense. Despite the rhetoric adopted by the west, Armenians could be considered collateral damage in a dangerous game of east/west influence in the Caucasus.

Any interest foreign powers have in Armenia and Artsakh are not based on morals, but on cold, duplicitous self interest. Armenians must mirror that thinking in order to survive. This has been the history of Armenia for centuries. The names and players have changed, but not the game. Turkey and Russia will continue to use each other for their exploits. Russia has been weakened and must compromise with the Turks. The west wants to be a player in this region but is unwilling to commit the resources to secure their position. Turkey, a NATO member, is tolerated by western countries, skillfully using their fear of Russia. Iran and India are wildcards with significant interests. Israel has aligned itself with Armenia’s enemy. 

Within this regional drama, the struggle for Artsakh has degenerated into a genocidal campaign. Azerbaijan uses criminal methods the world has promised to outlaw and prevent. Public starvation as a method of subjugation is beyond any representation of civilized human existence. The Azerbaijani-Turkish alliance has consistently committed war crimes and violated international laws. They continue their evil practices, because they know that the ramifications are zero. Meanwhile, we play by rules intended to keep countries like Armenia in their place. Our priority must be the survival of our brethren in Artsakh. Start with a hardened view that no one will care if Armenians die.

The war in the Ukraine will end when the powers are satisfied. A country will have been destroyed and thousands killed. Who will remember the orphans and destroyed families? All will be forgotten, yet the buffer between Europe and Russia will be solidified. Ukraine’s government will promote its heroic defense to earn its side on the new Iron Curtain. Remember what happened in Georgia in 2014. Georgia expressed strong western leanings, with hopes of EU and NATO membership. The west promised support for its overtures. Russia invaded South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the support never materialized. Russia is weaker today, and Putin is unpredictable, but they have proven they are still capable of hurting Armenia. Armenia should continue on this balanced path as the best hope to avoid becoming collateral damage, but with a renewed sense of self interest to protect its future.