Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Each Second Generation Diaspora Armenian Concerned About Artsakh

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Each Second Generation Diaspora Armenian Concerned About Artsakh

    EACH SECOND GENERATION DIASPORA ARMENIAN CONCERNED ABOUT ARTSAKH

    Azg/arm
    20 Nov 04

    In 1999, on instruction of late Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian,
    Sevak Artsruni undertook drawing of a plan of re-inhabiting Armenia
    and Nagorno Karabakh.

    The plan today is being implemented in Karabakh.

    In November of 2002 Yerkir organization of repatriation and settlement
    was created uniting 5 NGOs from Armenia, Karabakh and Diaspora.

    "Many Diaspora Armenians keep in their hearts this small piece of
    their lost fatherland, and those ideas form their identity. Each
    second generation Armenian feels pain for its fatherland. In order to
    enable them to put their strivings in practice we need to form a solid
    field for cooperation that will pursue no political or economic aims",
    Artsruni says.

    Yerkir Union has implemented 10 programs with overall cost of $700
    thousand during last two years. Artsruni points out to the foundation
    of the village of Knaravan in the region of Nor Shahumian and calls
    it a unique example of Diaspora-Armenia cooperation.

    Artsruni thinks that re-inhabiting is a social science and puts:
    "If it is carried out by non-professionals it may even harm the
    state". More than half of Armeniaâ~@~Ys and Karabakhâ~@~Ys population
    is concentrated in Yerevan and in the regions of Ararat Valley which
    cannot be justified militarily and from the aspect of stateâ~@~Ys
    security. In fact, Armenia today has practically no back areas,
    there are no inner territories.

    In accordance with the program of inhabiting Armenia and Artsakh,
    population of Artsakh should reach 300 thousand by 2012. But
    the pace of the program shows that it is losing its meaning and
    falling apart. Artsruni thinks that politics must be kept out of
    the process. "Re-inhabiting is a service to the fatherland, and not
    a chance to get political dividends. But we take this rivalry very
    easy because we understand the Diaspora stands aloof from intrigues
    and truly cares for Armenia", he says.

    "Yerkir is not simply rising money but trying to turn interested
    organizations into partners", he says and adds that implementation
    of every program is posted on the web page enabling a donor to watch
    how his money is distributed.

    Yerkir Union implemented re-inhabitation of Norashen village in
    the region of Hadrut with the support of French offshoot of the
    AGBU. Recently a delegation headed by initiators and supporters
    of the program Levon Kebabjian and Ara Aharonian visited Norashen
    to see what is done there. Success of the program encouraged them,
    and they decided to support in inhabiting processes.

    "I am very glad for AGBUâ~@~Ys decision. First programs of the AGBU
    implemented in Soviet Armenia including drying of swamps, building
    settlements and bridges. AGBU may put into action the plans of Poghos
    Nubar", Artsruni says.

    President of Yerkir Union thinks that the Diaspora should be directly
    involved in Armenia and Karabakh and implement its goals through
    NGOs. That would be a good way of keeping any project concerning
    re-settlement far from political speculations. "We want AGBU to keep
    to our strategic policy of 2000".

    Besides inhabiting Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Yerkir Union watches
    over the economic state of the population. For that purpose we have
    launched a new program of Yerkir Fund which is looking for donors in
    Diaspora and the donor provides the family with credit for purchasing
    livestock, provides with fruit-trees and seed. The debtor returns the
    credit not to the creditor but to Yerkir thus filling up the gaps. "We
    will also use this money for inhabiting purposes. For instance, there
    are families in Qashatakh who are unable to stay there any longer and
    we use the money to support them instead of bringing new families"
    Artsruni says.

    By Tatoul Hakobian

    --Boundary_(ID_7nUbS3zT6Ht+DqfXJpGyvA)--

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X