Tweet
THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY: COMMON-SENSE AND CONSENSUS
BY ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN
asbarez
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Common sense and consensus.
Words you don't often hear in connection with the Armenian American
community.
But, all cynical and snarcky comments aside, by any fair reading
of our situation, wisdom and unity represent two of our great and
enduring strengths.
It's far too often that some among us look outside our community for
validation when, in reality, our own community is a treasure of wisdom,
earned - often at great cost - during the trials of our long and hard
history. We should give ourselves the credit we deserve.
In the same sense, some among us overlook the powerful consensus that
we enjoy on our core challenges - like strengthening our homeland,
defending Artsakh, and seeking justice for the Genocide. They choose,
instead, to make a fetish of fixating on the normal differences
that naturally exist in any robust and diverse community seeking to
constructively address complex real-world challenges.
It's a mistake to fall into either of these pity-party traps.
The truth is that our grassroots base, in addition to being the
well-spring of our energy, is also the source of the common-sense
insights and consensus issues that drive our common cause forward.
Consider just one example that so very clearly reflects our community's
collective wisdom on a truly vital issue for the future of our nation:
Our youth.
In just about every community I visit, I'll hear something along
these lines:
"You know, Aram, I believe in the ANCA's work - and you can count
on my continued support for our advocacy - but I think that the real
key to moving our cause forward is getting more Armenians INSIDE the
American political system."
"Look, we've got no shortage of bright young Armenians."
"Lobbying is important. But it's behind closed doors, deep inside
politics, government, and the media, that the real decisions are made."
"Why don't you work on that?"
It's a good point, and an excellent question.
And I'm glad to say that the ANCA's got a great answer!
The ANCA long ago accepted the profound truth of our community's
common-sense consensus that the success of our cause hinges in great
measure on having more Armenian Americans working inside the American
political system.
More importantly, we've taken this insight to heart, developing a
world-class training and job-placement campaign, called the ANCA
Capital Gateway Program.
And, we've produced real results by helping young Armenians start
careers in government, politics, international affairs, and the media.
Here's the simple formula: Our donors provide the finances. Our
community provides the talented young Armenians. The ANCA provides
free housing, resume-writing advice, interview training, professional
networking, and key introductions. And the young Armenians provide
the rest: hard-work, shoe-leather, and the talent, determination,
and ambition to succeed. Learn more about this great program.
The ANCA Capital Gateway Program has helped Armenian Americans get
started in dozens of U.S. Senate and House offices, as well as at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, Congressional Quarterly, U.S. Department of Commerce,
World Bank, U.S. Export-Import Bank, American Bar Association,
American Civil Liberties Union, American Lung Association, Booz Allen
Hamilton, Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst, Chemonics International,
Civilian Research and Development Foundation, Development Associates,
Fleishman-Hilliard, Human Rights Campaign, Law and Media Group,
Louis Berger, Political Media, Inc, and the U.S. Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
Your generosity to ANCA Telethon 2012 on May 20th will allow us to
open doors of opportunity to hundreds of new Armenian Americans to
pursue full-time positions like these, as government and political
leaders, journalists, foreign policy experts, and elected officials.
Your financial support is vital to empowering our youth to realize
their dreams and to strengthening our community's voice in the
nation's capital.
There is no better investment in our future. With your financial
support, we can build on our ground-breaking success, and do so much
more, for our youth and for the future of the Armenian Cause.
We owe a special debt to the estate of the late Norair K. Deirmengian
(Norman Miller) for his family's profound generosity in support the
Gateway Program, to the Cafesjian Foundation, which helped launch
officially this innovative program in 2003, and, of course, to the
vision and generosity of the family of the late Hovig Apo Saghdejian,
who established a Memorial Fellowship in his sacred memory, and after
whom the Capital Gateway House is named. We are, as well, appreciative
of major gifts from the family of Frank and Barbara Hekimian and the
Armenian American Veterans Post of Milford, Massachusetts.
Make a financial gift today to support the vital mission of the ANCA
Capital Gateway Program.
From: Baghdasarian
BY ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN
asbarez
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Common sense and consensus.
Words you don't often hear in connection with the Armenian American
community.
But, all cynical and snarcky comments aside, by any fair reading
of our situation, wisdom and unity represent two of our great and
enduring strengths.
It's far too often that some among us look outside our community for
validation when, in reality, our own community is a treasure of wisdom,
earned - often at great cost - during the trials of our long and hard
history. We should give ourselves the credit we deserve.
In the same sense, some among us overlook the powerful consensus that
we enjoy on our core challenges - like strengthening our homeland,
defending Artsakh, and seeking justice for the Genocide. They choose,
instead, to make a fetish of fixating on the normal differences
that naturally exist in any robust and diverse community seeking to
constructively address complex real-world challenges.
It's a mistake to fall into either of these pity-party traps.
The truth is that our grassroots base, in addition to being the
well-spring of our energy, is also the source of the common-sense
insights and consensus issues that drive our common cause forward.
Consider just one example that so very clearly reflects our community's
collective wisdom on a truly vital issue for the future of our nation:
Our youth.
In just about every community I visit, I'll hear something along
these lines:
"You know, Aram, I believe in the ANCA's work - and you can count
on my continued support for our advocacy - but I think that the real
key to moving our cause forward is getting more Armenians INSIDE the
American political system."
"Look, we've got no shortage of bright young Armenians."
"Lobbying is important. But it's behind closed doors, deep inside
politics, government, and the media, that the real decisions are made."
"Why don't you work on that?"
It's a good point, and an excellent question.
And I'm glad to say that the ANCA's got a great answer!
The ANCA long ago accepted the profound truth of our community's
common-sense consensus that the success of our cause hinges in great
measure on having more Armenian Americans working inside the American
political system.
More importantly, we've taken this insight to heart, developing a
world-class training and job-placement campaign, called the ANCA
Capital Gateway Program.
And, we've produced real results by helping young Armenians start
careers in government, politics, international affairs, and the media.
Here's the simple formula: Our donors provide the finances. Our
community provides the talented young Armenians. The ANCA provides
free housing, resume-writing advice, interview training, professional
networking, and key introductions. And the young Armenians provide
the rest: hard-work, shoe-leather, and the talent, determination,
and ambition to succeed. Learn more about this great program.
The ANCA Capital Gateway Program has helped Armenian Americans get
started in dozens of U.S. Senate and House offices, as well as at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, Congressional Quarterly, U.S. Department of Commerce,
World Bank, U.S. Export-Import Bank, American Bar Association,
American Civil Liberties Union, American Lung Association, Booz Allen
Hamilton, Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst, Chemonics International,
Civilian Research and Development Foundation, Development Associates,
Fleishman-Hilliard, Human Rights Campaign, Law and Media Group,
Louis Berger, Political Media, Inc, and the U.S. Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
Your generosity to ANCA Telethon 2012 on May 20th will allow us to
open doors of opportunity to hundreds of new Armenian Americans to
pursue full-time positions like these, as government and political
leaders, journalists, foreign policy experts, and elected officials.
Your financial support is vital to empowering our youth to realize
their dreams and to strengthening our community's voice in the
nation's capital.
There is no better investment in our future. With your financial
support, we can build on our ground-breaking success, and do so much
more, for our youth and for the future of the Armenian Cause.
We owe a special debt to the estate of the late Norair K. Deirmengian
(Norman Miller) for his family's profound generosity in support the
Gateway Program, to the Cafesjian Foundation, which helped launch
officially this innovative program in 2003, and, of course, to the
vision and generosity of the family of the late Hovig Apo Saghdejian,
who established a Memorial Fellowship in his sacred memory, and after
whom the Capital Gateway House is named. We are, as well, appreciative
of major gifts from the family of Frank and Barbara Hekimian and the
Armenian American Veterans Post of Milford, Massachusetts.
Make a financial gift today to support the vital mission of the ANCA
Capital Gateway Program.
From: Baghdasarian