«Sheep tend to pull away when one of them is being devoured; we must unite» - Arthur Atanesyan

Arthur Atanesyan, head of the Chair of Applied Sociology at Yerevan State University and Doctor of Political Sciences, has made an urgent appeal:

“If anyone thinks that under any circumstances Azerbaijan will cease to appropriate Armenian territories, kill people, and humiliate Armenian identity, they are foolishly mistaken. The reality is that Azerbaijan can do all of this today, and therefore it will.

Sheep tend to pull away when one of them is being devoured, believing that if they let the predator eat another, they themselves will not be harmed. You will be next, sooner or later. In such situations, only unity and mutual support can help, even sheep, survive.

So, put aside your political affiliations, party loyalties, and ‘self-esteem’; remember that first and foremost, you are all Armenian. Good or bad Armenian, but we have no other. Political parties, coalitions, NGOs, and so forth are conditional, artificial phenomena. You are so wrapped up in political games that party politics have clouded your human brain and disconnected your thinking. All these are conditional structures; at the heart of party interests is a person whose life is currently unprecedentedly threatened. No one will be saved if you do not change your orientation toward each other and your homeland right from today.

You are sequentially addressing this or that side or intermediary to ‘reconcile’ Armenia with the enemy. First and foremost, reconcile with each other. Stop your childish grievances against one another and the foolish habit of blaming each other and ‘whitening’ yourselves.

In Armenia, among the ruling and opposition forces, and among many Armenian ‘experts’, there is no longer any white. You are all black—both the old and the new; you have all failed. We are all guilty; we are losing on all fronts.

To ensure the vigilance of society and the ability to cooperate, both the ruling and opposition forces must stop the blame game, which has become the only approach for many of you. Currently, many of the mutual accusations have some truth, but let’s set that aside; we need to unite. This is URGENT.

The military attacks against the Republic of Armenia in the border areas are likely to continue in scale; this is facilitated by both the regional situation and the internal political tension within Armenia. Armenia has no backing; its entire territory has the potential to become a battlefield. Such a development of the situation will likely lead to the loss of both Artsakh and certain territories of the Republic of Armenia. This must be understood, and all efforts and resources must be directed toward the defense of the state.

I propose the following:

1. Given the failure of the management of the Armenian Armed Forces since the ‘Velvet Revolution,’ which has resulted in ongoing territorial and human losses, it is necessary to rapidly fill all power positions in the Armenian Government with ‘old guard’ members—former ministers who have concrete experience in developing and implementing military strategies. Civilian ministers of defense are useless, ineffective, and have failed in a wartime situation. Upon taking over the leadership of the power ministries of the Armenian Government, experienced military-political leaders will also play their role in the Security Council of Armenia. With the return of former defense ministers from opposition parties to the Armenian Government, it is necessary to reinstate military commanders who have been discharged from the army for various political reasons in recent years. Again, without discussing the reasons for all this, without getting into disputes, and without arguing; this is not a conference; we are losing a state. Specialists and commanders are needed.
2. Reallocate part of the internal affairs/police personnel to the border areas to supplement and ensure the defense of borders with the necessary human resources and professional capabilities.
3. In light of the negative experience of 2020 regarding appeals to CSTO, EU, USA, and other similar structures and power centers, where no adequate, suitable support or even a relevant assessment was received, such operations should no longer be prioritized, and limited resources should not be wasted. Continuing such diplomatic efforts will lead society to disappointment in these matters and distract public attention with such calls, expectations, and then predictable disillusionments.
4. Create a council of Armenian diplomats attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consisting of former ministers and skilled diplomats with experience working effectively in states that are important to us. Task the council with developing an operational action plan for Armenian diplomatic activities that must be directly reflected in the actions of the minister.
5. The almost complete absence of friendly states towards Armenia indicates that the current state of the Armenian diplomatic corps, its composition, and its ‘Armenian-style’ way of functioning has effectively failed Armenia’s foreign policy. Consider the urgent replacement of ambassadors in the USA, Russia, EU, and CSTO member states with experienced, multi-faceted, authoritative, and active specialists, including from outside the diplomatic corps.
6. With the aim of implementing joint actions with the Armenian diaspora and effectively coordinating external resources, urgently restore the Ministry of Diaspora of Armenia, setting specific tasks before it. Quickly conduct a series of consultations with prominent scholars, philanthropists, and community leaders from the diaspora for the planning and implementation of information and other joint actions. Stop the unhealthy criticism and non-acceptance that has formed among Armenian historians and Armenianists.
7. All initiatives of the Armenian National Assembly should be directed towards security issues without highlighting one’s own political ‘I’. In these projects, an anti-hate law must be adopted criminalizing mutual hate based on local identities (from Artsakh, from Aparan, from Artashat, etc.) and other actions dividing the nation.
8. To ensure the security of the information space in Armenia and prevent mass manifestations of mutual hatred, accusations, and divisiveness within society, halt access to Facebook and other social networks, as well as YouTube, within the territory of Armenia. Control over the information space and ensuring societal unity is a necessity in wartime conditions. At the same time, create a council of leaders from pro-government and opposition media operating in Armenia, who will collectively ensure Armenia's unified information and political policy and work without any mutual control attempts or similar mechanisms.
9. All representatives of society, regardless of their class, economic, or official status and capabilities, must stop extravagantly spending resources and displaying wealth in public places. Everyone should immediately move to a more prudent, frugal lifestyle in all their actions and words. The ostentatious consumption and luxury of some among our small society, juxtaposed with the loss of loved ones by others for the defense of that same society, inevitably creates grounds for division and mutual hatred and justifies possible violence against those living ostentatiously in wartime conditions. Do not provoke those in grief; support them and live modestly.
10. All active professionals with expertise, high ratings—political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and opinion leaders—who have not yet engaged in mutual accusations but have acted towards solving national problems should be invited to collaborate with state bodies, providing them with both internal and external informational platforms for their professional analyses.

I reiterate: It is not about saying that this is already being done, has been done, or is unnecessary. The old and new, pro-government and opposition practices leading to state loss are evidence that whatever has been done or hasn’t been done has been poorly executed. Do it normally, together, and until the end.

The lack of efforts to ensure the security of the state and society by united forces will mean a deliberate attempt by these forces to undermine the statehood of the Republic of Armenia.