I hope the future of Armenia includes women; its success depends on inclusiveness.
There are countless women that are contributing to Armenia. Often, they work quietly and in the background. That does not mean that they do not have a vision or a strategy, it just means we as a community are not highlighting their voices.
Yelena A., USA
Signatory
It may be right for other nations not to think so much about national problems and live their own lives, but this does not work for us, because we are still under the threat of genocide.
Convention Participant
According to research, we can develop an Armenian identity when we are in an Armenian environment. That identity depends on language, culture, dances, and communication with other Armenians, so it is necessary to create an Armenian environment.
Convention Participant
I am one of the signatories for The FUTURE ARMENIAN initiative. I live and work in US. I have spent more than 50% of my life in US after moving at the age of 20. I think the 15 goals are a good starting point, but most importantly we need to think of the root causes that led us to where we are today and try to address them.
My view of things that have to be done to reach the 15 goals are:
Revive our education system starting from kindergarten. Work towards making sure the teachers and professors are the highest qualified and best paid jobs in Armenia
To stop and reverse the emigration, ensure basic requirements for life in Armenia are met:
Affordable and high quality Healthcare and Education system
Promise and fulfilment of dignified retirement
Safe military service through technology assistance and professionalism
Help diaspora to reintegrate seamlessly through remote connection then gradual linking and eventual repatriation.
My view of how this could be done is primarily through some serious government policies and investment projects including:
Create technology incubators or tax free economic zones (Digital Health and Biotechnology, Renewable Energy, High Tech etc) that would attract a lot of diaspora and foreigners professionals as well as capital.
Ensure the professionals from above are tightly engaged in education systems in Armenia
Use the outcome of the above activities to strengthen education and safety systems of Armenia
Invest the resulting outcome and value of the above back into economy and education to deepen the process.
These points can be broken down into further details and technicalities.
Grigor B., USA
Signatory
Preservation of statehood is an important guarantee of our security. Responsibility should not be forgotten, compensation should be achieved, and the role of the state is important here. A strategy in this regard should be developed at the state level.
Convention Participant
Սփյուռքում ապրող յուրաքանչյուր հայ իրեն պետք է համարի Հայաստանի մշակութային դեսպանը։
Համաժողովի մասնակից
Back in July 2020 after the Tavush war, I realized that we, the Armenian diaspora need to do something for Armenia right away. Most Armenians in Diaspora have average paid jobs and unless we combine our resources for a specific well-planned project/s, the resources can be easily dissolved. The initial idea was to streamline the borderline villages in Armenia and Artsakh with building shared infrastructures and services that would motivate the rural population, give them hope about the future, make their lives productive and secure, and even boost tourism. Strong underground shelters; Water /Sewer; Electrical/gas grid/solar power; Rural and inter-village-town roads; Irrigation schemes; Area Center/Farmers Market; Kindergarten/Schools. Many things have changed since then. I however, keep thinking that we in diaspora have to do something NOW, today. The idea is this:
1. Gather likeminded donners, who are willing to commit to a rolling 1-year (or more) monthly contribution of $100.
2. Create a secure website (even thought of a name Մի Ծաղկով Գարուն) for donors, admin and the project team.
3. Find a trustworthy group of professionals who will implement the project/s (I understand the project selection and priorities can be different today).
4. Make all contributions, spending and accomplishments transparent via the website.
5. If one-year pilot is successful continue the initiative for next year/s. These are really high-level points and I am sure many others have suggested similar concepts, but the idea of fixed amount monthly contributions targeted on strategic shared services project/s, and the project implementation transparency might be something that will bring many Armenians together who are eager to do something tangible right away. Some of us have dreams/plans moving back to Armenia one day, working part time for Armenia, etc. These are all good plans, but we need to act now as the circumstances are changing rapidly and we can’t afford delaying what we can do today.
Armine L., USA
Signatory
Պետությունը պետք է հաշվի նստի մեր այսօրվա քննարկման հետ ու հասկանա, որ չի կարող զիջման գնալ այն հարցում, որը հարյուր հազարավոր հայեր պահանջում են ճանաչել։
Համաժողովի մասնակից
We need to develop minimal and maximal concepts and programs. The minimum is the preservation and evaluation of the existing state. The maximum is that which can be reached in principle and can be achieved in practice.
Convention Participant
We must continue to educate. Education will provide us with distinct abilities so that we can respond correctly and quickly to the changing situation and advance our interests.
Convention Participant
Առաջարկում եմ այնպիսի ծրագիր, որը կօգնի դրսում ապրող, սակայն վերադառնալ ցանկացող ընտանիքին հաստատվել Հայաստանում: Պայմանով, որ ժամանակի ընթացքում նա կվերադարձնի աստիճանաբար այդ օգնությունը՝ նպաստելով մյուս ընտանիքների վերադարձին:
Համաժողովի մասնակից
I am sure biotechnology has been considered as one of the prospective directions for building the future in Armenia. I hope it would be possible to create a group that could connect scientists working in different universities and companies with scientists in Armenia to discuss what kind of help is needed and what can be built together.
Here is what I could bring to table:
Part of my job is to develop monoclonal antibodies for research and diagnostic purposes in medicine. I could help establish a similar laboratory that could serve the local needs, to start with.
Maybe some of the companies, producing commercial antibodies would choose to open an R&D and manufacturing laboratory in Armenia, if we have well trained personnel.
This might seem to be a very small-scale endeavor, but it will boost the research and clinical science.
Another suggestion is to create a group that would help connect local science to business. The potential of students in Armenia and abroad could be utilized. I have an idea of a project:
The copper mining is one of the major components of our industry. New, more eco-friendly methods of precipitating copper from ore are being utilized worldwide. Bioleaching is one of them; it is essentially using bacteria to precipitate copper (or other metals) from low metal containing ore. Usually, the companies patent the consortium of bacteria.
Scientists from ArmBiotechnology in Yerevan (please see the reference below) have isolated a consortium of bacteria from ore in Kapan that can efficiently be used for this purpose. We could use student engineers to create bioreactors for mining copper from leftover ore by bioleaching, thus employing local people and cleaning the environment.
