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ARMENIANS' PRESENCE IN GEORGIA VITAL FOR ARMENIA'S STRENGTH - PRELATE
11:11 * 23.09.14
The preservation of the Armenian national identity is vital absolutely
everywhere, especially in Georgia and its Armenian-populated region
of Javakhk, says Archimandrite Babken Salibyan, the vicar-general of
the Armenian prelacy of Javakhk (Georgia's Samtskhe-Javakheti region).
"Georgia is a friend and an ally which is home to about 500,000
Armenians, so the Armenians' presence here is the pledge of the
Republic of Armenia's strength," he told Tert.am, commenting on
the Georgian-Armenian community's role in the strengthening of the
Armenian statehood.
He said that the national identity's preservation is the task of not
only the church but also the community. "Youth center's open every day
to encourage upbringing in the Armenian spirit. Some ten years ago,
perhaps, it would have been ridiculous to think about opening centers
of the kind. Quite a lot of centers have been launched by the church
to gather together our children," the clergyman added.
Mr Salibyan further addressed the language preservation issue. "It
is highly important for us to have Armenian granted the status of a
second state language. I don't know to what extent it is feasible,
but Armenians must be able to speak a state language," he said,
noting that most Armenian schools in Georgia have Armenian history
as a selective course on their curricula.
"Our children are not familiar with their history, so it is with
the help of such centers that we are trying to teach what Armenian
history is," the archimandrite said, adding that earlier proposals for
teaching the Armenian church history never met approval. "They said
the Armenian church history will be taught in Armenian schools when
the history of Georgian church is taught in the schools of Georgia."
Asked why then the Georgian history is a compulsory subject in schools,
Mr Salibyan cited the state policies requiring that all citizens of
Georgia know the subject. "We have 132 Armenian schools in Javakhk,
where Armenian history is taught as a selective subject - maximum
two or three academic hours per day. And it's up to the children to
decide whether or not to join those classes," he added.
Asked about the shortage of literature, the clergyman said they are
trying to bridge te that gaps with the help of textbooks sent from
Armenia. "Certain textbooks, of course, are published in Georgia in
a translated format, but the books for first-graders, for instance,
contain no more information about Armenian writers. Most are Georgian
authors translated into Armenian, which, I think, is wrong," he added.
Commenting on the church's role, Mr Salibyan said he thinks that it
can be best revealed through a comparison between the districts which
have an Armenian church and those which haven't.
"The church's role and the spiritual life, in general, was very little
about 10-13 years ago; it didn't almost exist. Supreme [Patriarch]
Garegin II made a very wise decision by launching the prelacy of
Javakhk. Today we have about 30-35 re-opened churches; religious life
has become more active, gathering people together around the church.
The church's presence awakened the people. It's not only for the
[preservation] of national culture, educational and other matters
that people stand by the church; that's why we are progressing,
building our future together," he added.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/09/23/hayr-babken/
11:11 * 23.09.14
The preservation of the Armenian national identity is vital absolutely
everywhere, especially in Georgia and its Armenian-populated region
of Javakhk, says Archimandrite Babken Salibyan, the vicar-general of
the Armenian prelacy of Javakhk (Georgia's Samtskhe-Javakheti region).
"Georgia is a friend and an ally which is home to about 500,000
Armenians, so the Armenians' presence here is the pledge of the
Republic of Armenia's strength," he told Tert.am, commenting on
the Georgian-Armenian community's role in the strengthening of the
Armenian statehood.
He said that the national identity's preservation is the task of not
only the church but also the community. "Youth center's open every day
to encourage upbringing in the Armenian spirit. Some ten years ago,
perhaps, it would have been ridiculous to think about opening centers
of the kind. Quite a lot of centers have been launched by the church
to gather together our children," the clergyman added.
Mr Salibyan further addressed the language preservation issue. "It
is highly important for us to have Armenian granted the status of a
second state language. I don't know to what extent it is feasible,
but Armenians must be able to speak a state language," he said,
noting that most Armenian schools in Georgia have Armenian history
as a selective course on their curricula.
"Our children are not familiar with their history, so it is with
the help of such centers that we are trying to teach what Armenian
history is," the archimandrite said, adding that earlier proposals for
teaching the Armenian church history never met approval. "They said
the Armenian church history will be taught in Armenian schools when
the history of Georgian church is taught in the schools of Georgia."
Asked why then the Georgian history is a compulsory subject in schools,
Mr Salibyan cited the state policies requiring that all citizens of
Georgia know the subject. "We have 132 Armenian schools in Javakhk,
where Armenian history is taught as a selective subject - maximum
two or three academic hours per day. And it's up to the children to
decide whether or not to join those classes," he added.
Asked about the shortage of literature, the clergyman said they are
trying to bridge te that gaps with the help of textbooks sent from
Armenia. "Certain textbooks, of course, are published in Georgia in
a translated format, but the books for first-graders, for instance,
contain no more information about Armenian writers. Most are Georgian
authors translated into Armenian, which, I think, is wrong," he added.
Commenting on the church's role, Mr Salibyan said he thinks that it
can be best revealed through a comparison between the districts which
have an Armenian church and those which haven't.
"The church's role and the spiritual life, in general, was very little
about 10-13 years ago; it didn't almost exist. Supreme [Patriarch]
Garegin II made a very wise decision by launching the prelacy of
Javakhk. Today we have about 30-35 re-opened churches; religious life
has become more active, gathering people together around the church.
The church's presence awakened the people. It's not only for the
[preservation] of national culture, educational and other matters
that people stand by the church; that's why we are progressing,
building our future together," he added.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/09/23/hayr-babken/