Tweet
SASSOUNIAN: CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS SUPPORT ELECTIVE DIASPORA LEADERSHIP
By: Harut Sassounian
Armenian Weekly
Tue, Nov 23 2010
After much anticipation and lengthy preparations, the Institute
of Armenian Studies at the University of Southern California (USC)
held on Nov. 20 a successful international symposium: ~SThe Armenian
Diaspora: Elective Leadership and Worldwide Structure.~T The symposium
was attended by 600 enthusiastic participants from throughout the
United States, Canada, Russia, Australia, and Europe. The speakers
were Dr. Z.S. Andrew Demirdjian, Cal State University, Long Beach,
~SThe Persuasive Power of Numbers: A Call for Political Clout~T;
Dr. Archalus Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer, senior UN advisor, Vienna,
~SArmenian Unity and International Politics~T; Harut Sassounian,
publisher, The California Courier, ~SProposal for a Popularly Elected
Structure to Represent Diaspora Armenians~T; Dr. Gaidz Minassian,
Foundation for Strategic Research, Paris, ~SToward a World Council
of Armenians: Why, How, Who?~T; former Governor George Deukmejian,
~SPersonal Reflections of California~Rs First Armenian Governor~T;
Honorable Grigor Hovhannissian, consul general of Armenia, Los Angeles,
~SWelcoming Remarks~T; former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans,
~SMaximizing Influence in a World of Nation-States: A Challenge for
the Armenian Diaspora~T; journalist and author Mark Arax, Fresno,
~SThe Power of Speaking to the Media with One Collective Voice~T;
Dr. Levon Marashlian, Glendale Community College, ~SThe Necessity
and Difficulty of Establishing a Diaspora Congress~T; Dr. Stephan
Astourian, University of California, Berkeley, ~SThe Traditional
Armenian Parties and the Problem of Pan-Armenian Coordination~T; Dr. R.
Hrair Dekmejian, USC and Dr. Nyree Derderian, Stanford University,
~SModels and Modalities of Creating a Trans-Diaspora Framework,~T
followed by a roundtable discussion between the speakers and the
audience.
My own remarks were an expanded version of the article I wrote nine
months ago, proposing the creation of a democratically elected
structure that would represent all Armenians in the diaspora. I
stated that a growing number of Armenians have realized that a
collective effort is necessary if they are to survive as a dispersed
ethnicity detached from the homeland. Beyond the need to preserve the
diaspora~Rs vibrancy and cultural identity, Armenians share a common
quest for justice from Turkey and a firm commitment for the security
and economic prosperity of the twin Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.
Armenians have finally concluded that they can benefit immensely from
pooling their limited resources and jointly tackling common problems
facing all diaspora communities.
As outlined in my February article, I elaborated on the framework
of establishing an elected body that would legitimately represent
Armenians throughout the diaspora, except those in Armenia and Artsakh,
who already reside in state structures with elected governments. Thus,
for the first time in the diaspora~Rs history, Armenians would elect
their own representatives or leaders on the basis of one-man, one vote.
I also suggested that elections be held by Armenian communities to
choose one representative for each group of 20,000 Armenians. The
collective body of 350 representatives from all electoral districts
throughout the diaspora would become the entity that can legitimately
claim to speak in the name of all seven million Armenians outside of
Armenia and Artsakh. Popular elections would encourage the silent
majority to get involved in community affairs. This would be a
dramatic shift from the current situation where a small number of
individuals work around the clock sacrificing their time and effort,
while most Armenians, who are unaffiliated with any organization,
remain disengaged and disinterested. Should such grassroots elections
succeed, large numbers of Armenians would feel empowered and energized,
having actively participated in choosing their leaders.
The academic symposium held on Nov. 20 is the first of many steps
necessary before launching the ambitious initiative of creating a
worldwide representative structure. A team of researchers should now
explore and determine the optimum mechanisms to conduct such elections,
estimate the demography of each community, establish qualifications
for both voters and candidates, and recommend measures to prevent
voter fraud.
Conference participants were particularly interested in hearing
Minassian~Rs presentation of a detailed plan unanimously approved
by French-Armenian organizations to hold popular elections for a
representative leadership early next year. The French experience could
serve as a most valuable precedent for other diaspora communities.
It was made clear at the conference that a single electoral plan
cannot be applied uniformly to all Armenian communities. Since
each community lives in a unique legal and political environment,
it would be necessary to devise an appropriate plan for selecting
representatives in each country, in consultations with local leaders.
It was interesting to note that when Dekmejian asked the
audience if they favored an elective diaspora structure,
almost everyone raised their hands, indicating enthusiastic
support for establishing a united diaspora leadership
framework. The proceedings of the symposium can be viewed online at
http://capture.usc.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=555571291d934fcfb6650cb76ebe456d1d.
From: A. Papazian
By: Harut Sassounian
Armenian Weekly
Tue, Nov 23 2010
After much anticipation and lengthy preparations, the Institute
of Armenian Studies at the University of Southern California (USC)
held on Nov. 20 a successful international symposium: ~SThe Armenian
Diaspora: Elective Leadership and Worldwide Structure.~T The symposium
was attended by 600 enthusiastic participants from throughout the
United States, Canada, Russia, Australia, and Europe. The speakers
were Dr. Z.S. Andrew Demirdjian, Cal State University, Long Beach,
~SThe Persuasive Power of Numbers: A Call for Political Clout~T;
Dr. Archalus Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer, senior UN advisor, Vienna,
~SArmenian Unity and International Politics~T; Harut Sassounian,
publisher, The California Courier, ~SProposal for a Popularly Elected
Structure to Represent Diaspora Armenians~T; Dr. Gaidz Minassian,
Foundation for Strategic Research, Paris, ~SToward a World Council
of Armenians: Why, How, Who?~T; former Governor George Deukmejian,
~SPersonal Reflections of California~Rs First Armenian Governor~T;
Honorable Grigor Hovhannissian, consul general of Armenia, Los Angeles,
~SWelcoming Remarks~T; former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans,
~SMaximizing Influence in a World of Nation-States: A Challenge for
the Armenian Diaspora~T; journalist and author Mark Arax, Fresno,
~SThe Power of Speaking to the Media with One Collective Voice~T;
Dr. Levon Marashlian, Glendale Community College, ~SThe Necessity
and Difficulty of Establishing a Diaspora Congress~T; Dr. Stephan
Astourian, University of California, Berkeley, ~SThe Traditional
Armenian Parties and the Problem of Pan-Armenian Coordination~T; Dr. R.
Hrair Dekmejian, USC and Dr. Nyree Derderian, Stanford University,
~SModels and Modalities of Creating a Trans-Diaspora Framework,~T
followed by a roundtable discussion between the speakers and the
audience.
My own remarks were an expanded version of the article I wrote nine
months ago, proposing the creation of a democratically elected
structure that would represent all Armenians in the diaspora. I
stated that a growing number of Armenians have realized that a
collective effort is necessary if they are to survive as a dispersed
ethnicity detached from the homeland. Beyond the need to preserve the
diaspora~Rs vibrancy and cultural identity, Armenians share a common
quest for justice from Turkey and a firm commitment for the security
and economic prosperity of the twin Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.
Armenians have finally concluded that they can benefit immensely from
pooling their limited resources and jointly tackling common problems
facing all diaspora communities.
As outlined in my February article, I elaborated on the framework
of establishing an elected body that would legitimately represent
Armenians throughout the diaspora, except those in Armenia and Artsakh,
who already reside in state structures with elected governments. Thus,
for the first time in the diaspora~Rs history, Armenians would elect
their own representatives or leaders on the basis of one-man, one vote.
I also suggested that elections be held by Armenian communities to
choose one representative for each group of 20,000 Armenians. The
collective body of 350 representatives from all electoral districts
throughout the diaspora would become the entity that can legitimately
claim to speak in the name of all seven million Armenians outside of
Armenia and Artsakh. Popular elections would encourage the silent
majority to get involved in community affairs. This would be a
dramatic shift from the current situation where a small number of
individuals work around the clock sacrificing their time and effort,
while most Armenians, who are unaffiliated with any organization,
remain disengaged and disinterested. Should such grassroots elections
succeed, large numbers of Armenians would feel empowered and energized,
having actively participated in choosing their leaders.
The academic symposium held on Nov. 20 is the first of many steps
necessary before launching the ambitious initiative of creating a
worldwide representative structure. A team of researchers should now
explore and determine the optimum mechanisms to conduct such elections,
estimate the demography of each community, establish qualifications
for both voters and candidates, and recommend measures to prevent
voter fraud.
Conference participants were particularly interested in hearing
Minassian~Rs presentation of a detailed plan unanimously approved
by French-Armenian organizations to hold popular elections for a
representative leadership early next year. The French experience could
serve as a most valuable precedent for other diaspora communities.
It was made clear at the conference that a single electoral plan
cannot be applied uniformly to all Armenian communities. Since
each community lives in a unique legal and political environment,
it would be necessary to devise an appropriate plan for selecting
representatives in each country, in consultations with local leaders.
It was interesting to note that when Dekmejian asked the
audience if they favored an elective diaspora structure,
almost everyone raised their hands, indicating enthusiastic
support for establishing a united diaspora leadership
framework. The proceedings of the symposium can be viewed online at
http://capture.usc.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=555571291d934fcfb6650cb76ebe456d1d.
From: A. Papazian