LET'S THINK A BIT ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS...
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Mediamax
Nov 14 2012
Armenia
How many specialists are there in Armenia who know what is modern
Azerbaijan and its economy like, or their society? Or the public
sector? In which state the Azerbaijani regions especially those
adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh and Republic of Armenia are ? What is
the social-economic situation in Nakhijevan, for instance?
I don't know the exact number of such specialists. Moreover, I don't
know a single one. Of course, that doesn't mean there are no such
specialists. I am probably not aware of their existence.
But I know dozens of specialists who will be able to explain how
the Azerbaijani state formed, how and in what ways the Turkic tribes
first intruded into the South Caucasus.
Of course, it's very important information which perhaps has two
drawbacks from the practical standpoint: 1) everything is already
written and proved, 2) all this has very little do with our current
problems. One may think that we conflict not a modern state but a
history or Turkic tribes.
One may have in impression that if we show Azerbaijanis that their
ancestors are newcomers to this land and Nizami is Persian, Baku
will at once capitulate and Republic of Azerbaijan will decompose
and vanish from the face of the earth.
I cited Azerbaijan just as an example. The same is true of the rest of
our neighbors. The same Georgia, for instance. Are there specialists
who can present a fundamental research on the options of facilitation
of cargo transportation from Georgia to Armenia? Of course, it's
very important to know what contribution Armenians made in the life
of Tiflis but it's merely an issue of Armenian studies which no way
affects current Armenian-Georgian relations. Just like the way how
Armenian's contribution to Tiflis didn't influence (though, it may
have perhaps influence in a negative sense) the process of forcing
Armenians out of Tbilisi.
I have an impression that the Armenian social science is mostly cut
off from the reality and lives up to its own guidelines and ideas
which are closed and unclear, as a rule.
Why am I writing about all this? Perhaps, because I want to remind
that the knowledge on humanities can be not only theoretical but also
applied. Of course, it's not acceptable to downgrade theory to the
practice but it's just a crime to do the opposite. Especially for a
country which is being in a blockade - not theoretical but a real one.
Sevak Sarukhanyan is a Candidate of Political Sciences. These views
are his own.
http://www.mediamax.am/en/column/12340/
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Mediamax
Nov 14 2012
Armenia
How many specialists are there in Armenia who know what is modern
Azerbaijan and its economy like, or their society? Or the public
sector? In which state the Azerbaijani regions especially those
adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh and Republic of Armenia are ? What is
the social-economic situation in Nakhijevan, for instance?
I don't know the exact number of such specialists. Moreover, I don't
know a single one. Of course, that doesn't mean there are no such
specialists. I am probably not aware of their existence.
But I know dozens of specialists who will be able to explain how
the Azerbaijani state formed, how and in what ways the Turkic tribes
first intruded into the South Caucasus.
Of course, it's very important information which perhaps has two
drawbacks from the practical standpoint: 1) everything is already
written and proved, 2) all this has very little do with our current
problems. One may think that we conflict not a modern state but a
history or Turkic tribes.
One may have in impression that if we show Azerbaijanis that their
ancestors are newcomers to this land and Nizami is Persian, Baku
will at once capitulate and Republic of Azerbaijan will decompose
and vanish from the face of the earth.
I cited Azerbaijan just as an example. The same is true of the rest of
our neighbors. The same Georgia, for instance. Are there specialists
who can present a fundamental research on the options of facilitation
of cargo transportation from Georgia to Armenia? Of course, it's
very important to know what contribution Armenians made in the life
of Tiflis but it's merely an issue of Armenian studies which no way
affects current Armenian-Georgian relations. Just like the way how
Armenian's contribution to Tiflis didn't influence (though, it may
have perhaps influence in a negative sense) the process of forcing
Armenians out of Tbilisi.
I have an impression that the Armenian social science is mostly cut
off from the reality and lives up to its own guidelines and ideas
which are closed and unclear, as a rule.
Why am I writing about all this? Perhaps, because I want to remind
that the knowledge on humanities can be not only theoretical but also
applied. Of course, it's not acceptable to downgrade theory to the
practice but it's just a crime to do the opposite. Especially for a
country which is being in a blockade - not theoretical but a real one.
Sevak Sarukhanyan is a Candidate of Political Sciences. These views
are his own.
http://www.mediamax.am/en/column/12340/