We Must Not Be Late: Mikayel Minasian

Former Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Vatican, Portugal, and the Sovereign Order of Malta, Mikayel Minasian, has published an opinion article in Canada’s "Horizons" weekly. The article is titled "On Creating a New Architecture of Armenian Identity."

We present the article below:

“One of the primary issues on the Armenian national agenda continues to be the question of a new, bold, and effective architecture of the Diaspora, or more accurately, of Armenianness. The model for Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, the perceptions, and the political policies we have today were formed last century and are not fully commensurate with the demands of the time. Honestly, it is experiencing a visible crisis of effectiveness today.

Out of inertia, we continue to mainly do what we have been doing for decades, both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, while the world has profoundly changed, its rhythms and algorithms have evolved, and the Armenian world, the environment, and the priorities have undergone vital changes, as well as the potential, role, and needs of Armenian statehood as the most important political project of the Armenian people.

We need a bold vision based on trust in our own strength and a hyper-accurate perception of the possibilities and challenges presented by the times. We must understand that the rhythm and timing of the modern networked world can work in our favor if we can use resources effectively. We must not be late.

Armenians around the world need a new dream, a new flight, a new architecture, a new formula of perceptions and actions. It is unrealisable to expect such a significant breakthrough from “below.” It is clearly visible that even the most successful initiatives, concepts, ideas, and attempts, whether in Armenia or in the Diaspora, continue to remain isolated islands of success and inspiration, which, having aged and worn out due to the test of time, do not become a nationwide formula, nor activate the “motor of Armenian identity.” It is evident that the Republic of Armenia should act as the initiator and coordinator of such a brave architecture, as the political anchor of all Armenians, a state that is explicitly called to serve not only the interests of its citizens but also those of its compatriots, regardless of where they live.

Only a new, bold architecture will provide the opportunity to bypass the specific confusion created by the periodic waves of expectations and disappointment amongst each other, which has long hovered over the Armenia-Diaspora relations. We do not always know systematically here in Armenia what exactly we expect from the Diaspora, but we often blame the entire Diaspora or certain known representatives of it for not doing something in a specific situation, for not justifying our hopes. Similarly, the Diaspora does not know systematically what table of priorities and expectations our state has, and how efforts can be coordinated around which formulas.

On the other hand, the Diaspora, with its separate layers, has its clear expectations from Armenia, which are not always voiced. In the age of information revolution and technological dominance, and network supremacy, the Republic of Armenia must take on the mission of being the hub of the Armenian world. As a global nation’s political mega-project, the Republic of Armenia can and should become the first global state, the first networked state, the first online state, where for every person of Armenian identity, regardless of their place of residence, Armenia will be theirs, and the ongoing migratory movements dictated by the times will not disrupt their involvement, roles, and national structure in this global network.

The new architecture of Armenianness must ensure the systematic strengthening of our compatriots’ positions in the countries that host them, with visible and invisible participation of the Republic of Armenia; while maintaining the national identity, to ensure the maximum integration of our compatriots into these societies (excluding the risk of ghettoization) and the organized advancement of their economic and political positions. We need to transfer the dream to a practical political level to support our compatriots in participating in the formation of power in their places of residence, consolidating their economic-political roles, and advancing in their areas of specialization.

The theses and proposals for promoting the interests of the Armenian community in a given country must become a constant and mandatory part of high-level intergovernmental meetings and the agendas of bilateral relations. The Republic of Armenia must be and should be perceived as an unquestionable and ironclad guarantor of security for every compatriot living in any country in the world, to be alongside them in all situations. Every compatriot living in any country and involved in the global network of Armenianness must be confident that the Republic of Armenia is the best place to keep their savings and assure their inviolability; our statehood should become the most effective guarantor of the security of Armenian capital. They must be confident that the Republic of Armenia will not leave its compatriots defenseless before the justice of other countries in any situation of life. Our statehood for the globally dispersed Armenians must cease to be perceived merely as an intangible, solely spiritual fatherland.

It must become a practical source of strength, pride, and security for Armenianness. In making any decision, the Republic of Armenia must take into account the global nation’s agenda and its collective interests. The collective power of Armenianness must become the primary source of progress, prosperity, and modernization of the Republic of Armenia. Such a structure of the future should also seek and find answers to one of the vital issues present in the Motherland — demographic challenges. The notion of repatriation and gathering of Armenians in the Motherland must go hand in hand with a strategy for multiplying the positions and capabilities of Armenians in various countries around the world. And this is possible.”