Dear Arsinee,
As a member of the Armenian community in Germany I am first of all happy that the diaspora is getting involved into a general discussion about the Armenian Republic. We should really clear out our relations to the Republic of Armenia. I appreciate your approach and your letter.
As an outsider to the developments I see the Republic of Armenia as a corrupted and almost failed state. An with this characteristics it is by far not alone in the “greater” middle east. It is indeed not alone in the whole non asian eastern world from east Europe over Russia to the “Whatever-stan” countries back to Iran, Turkey and the whole Levante and northern Africa. The only states that seem to be stable have elites that are massively funded by foreign powers or have resources or both. Armenia is poorly funded and has no resources. Therefore it is extremely weak. It has not more value than the land it has occupied and the position it finds itself on the map.
To believe that a functioning state within this environment is possible is just itself unbelievable. As an endangered people it would mean near to suicide to concentrate our powers just unto this one project.
From a strategic point of view it is also far more dangerous for Armenia to climb up the development ladder rather than staying underdeveloped. At least as long as we are not a part of a somehow reliable coalition or union or whatsoever.
Neither Russia nor the Unites States are interested in a self determined Armenia. Therefore your suggestions are at best naive. At worst they come from a mind that is not ready to learn from the historic mistakes of the Armenian people. The belief in being self determined is good. But it is just childish when it ignores the circumstances whithin where this determination is supposed to happen.
We have to overcome this naivety.
We have to strengthen the diaspora and the diaspora alone. This is hard enough of a task. If the people of the Republic of Armenia are not capable of making progress within an organized state that is acknowledged by the entire world, than that should be their burden to carry. It is not that I do not care. It is that I do not think we can make a difference there. And all our efforts will be sucked first in and then out by the corrupted politicians and the powers supporting them.
Therefore I ask you to stop calling for resources. The diaspora has enough undone homework in the places they live. Organize first and then distribute. Or else you will mix yourself up and fade away to a dream which I am not sure it is even worth coming true. I am not ready to accept that the only Armenia possible is the one that even does not speak my mother tongue. Our pillar of existence in the diaspora is the recognition of the genocide and the involvement of the world to this topic. You have to understand that we can only create, if we are part of the world agenda. After acknowledgment the life of diaspora just begins to start. We need schools, infrastructure, growing communities. Involvement into the regular politics of the countries we live in. I am not sure any Diaspora has achieved these goals in a satisfying way. Neither US, nor France. Canada maybe. And do not believe the German Bundestag chose to recognize because of the Armenian lobby pressure. It was their own choice and most of the agitators are looking to sharpen their personal profile. But the lesson we learned is, that we can influence if we can get align with the interests of the countries we live in. We have strong arguments but we must not throw them into the people´s faces.
We are weak. Weak just one step from being non existent. Let the republic be republic on its own.
I write this in peace. I share more from your thoughts than it seems.
Armenians deserve better.
To Armenians with love,
Sarkis Bisanz
Berlin, Germany