A board of trustees of the state should be formed, in which there will be Armenians representing influential structures.
Convention Participant
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
There is a great connection between Armenia and India which spans over 500 years. The Armenians settlement in India went through great length to protect, preserve and advocate the Armenian Race. The Indian Armenians are one of the only Armenians who with the little population made an everlasting impact within and outside of the Armenian diaspora.
Zaven S., India
Signatory
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
Мне кажется, что в выборах в Армении на должность премьер-министра в дальнейшем должны участвовать все Армяне мира, и каждая страна выдвигать своего кандидата. Таким образом будут вовлечены все Армяне мира, потому что судьба армян мира решается с любым выбором.
Хочу чтобы создали срочно школу по обучению управления безпилотников и туда привлечь в первую очередь всех солдат, которые потеряли руки или ноги, здесь и работа у них возникнет и они знают как и куда надо бить.
Самвел В.
Signatory
First of all, I salute this great work of analysis and reflection that you have carried out.
Here are my brief remarks:
Tourism. Indeed, the near absence of direct flights and at "comfortable" times is a real brake. Moreover, there is a lack of translated Armenian literature and tourist guides about Armenia in European bookstores. There is an obvious lack of general knowledge about Armenia (culture/art, architecture, music, cuisine...) and its history. It is necessary to publish books for potential tourists who are looking for original and authentic destinations.
Tourism that includes the discovery of Armenia's rich biogeography should be developed (in addition to ecotourism and cultural and religious tourism).
Agriculture: some serious questions to be asked. I will be very cautious with the proposal of intensification in the agricultural field (fertilizers, chemistry/phytosanitary and especially, the seed!). This orientation presents strong environmental and human health risks, as the European experience has shown. Armenia is not an agricultural country that can "feed the world", but it has undeniable assets because Armenia represents a "Hot-spot" of biodiversity and endemism. Thus, more than productivity, it is the promotion (and conservation!) of endemic and local species that should be put forward. Moreover, it would be necessary to think about "seed banks of crops and "wild" plant species" to be developed or to enrich the existing world collections. I see Armenia as a country where organic agricultural production would be largely dominant: these are modern "trends" that can bring a real added value to our agricultural or natural products without such a significant harm to the environment and health of intensive and technological agriculture. The world is in full restructuring and abandonment of intensive agricultural production: we must join this movement and preserve our small country.
" The use of advanced seeds and agricultural technology” - concretely, what are we referring to (not the "Monsanto" type approach, I hope)?
Focus on production of essential products (grains, fodder, pork) to achieve self-sufficiency and food security. Expansion of exports to target countries (Russia, Ukraine, UAE, Saudi Arabia), including fruits, tobacco and wine products.
Why focus on pig farming? One of the most problematic breeding from an ecological point of view! - Only "traditional" extensive breeding, in semi-freedom (like in Corsica or Spain: food by the big oak trees, etc.) could be suitable, in my opinion. Ex. sheep and goats in mountain pastures, etc.
We could promote/export cheeses, dairy products (matsoun type, etc.) in Russia and elsewhere; our canning factories (vegetables, fruits) are famous...
Eventually, "local" spirits.
Reclamation of fallow lands to expand land use by encouraging consolidation to increase production
Attention should be paid to soil depletion (a big problem in the world) and in Europe at present, while Armenia does not have large cultivable areas (except for the Ararat valley).
It is necessary to think about the establishment of the units of treatment - valorization of manure / dung / organic waste in general. Currently, there are organic fertilizers production units (humic and fulvic acids, etc.) which are not very energy consuming and should be installed near the farms/sources of raw materials.
Use of high technologies in agriculture: yes (e.g. use of satellite data for crop management), but taking into account the climatic, geological and edaphic specificities of Armenia - a whole applied science to develop!
In a general way, I noticed serious problems of waste disposal and garbage cans in Armenia (no sorting nor recycling/valorization of waste)...
The energy question is not addressed in the summary, although it is a key question for all the economic and social branches and a sine qua non condition for the independence of the country. What about "renewable" resources (solar, geothermal, hydro...)?
About the management of water resources - France seems to me to be a good example with its watershed approach, applying the "polluter-pays" principle, the mutualization of fees to safeguard the environment... Water is declared a non-alienable national asset.
Education / Teaching: languages - in addition to English, Russian could make a comeback so that Russian specialists can contribute their knowledge. Today, only the generation of the 60-70s still speaks Russian + the diaspora in Russia.
I am not sure that the public education in the USA (except for the big schools and universities) is an example to be taken! Serious problems are well known in the schools (kindergarten, primary, secondary, high school) in the USA. Good examples are Finland and Korea.
Health: Armenia can develop a network of health care centers (in particularly suitable places: mountains, thermal waters, as in Switzerland) or personal services for foreign retirees (especially of Armenian origin).
Industry/ technology: Transition from low-cost outsourcing to specialized value-added services to increase productivity and protect the economy from the growth of multinational corporations
Yes and yes again! Armenia was once known by the production of high value-added goods. It would be necessary to find the fields where specialization and high qualification of workers can be an asset and compete with China and India (electronics, IT...). Moreover, this field will allow the development of partnerships with foreign countries. Quality and originality (at the cutting edge of technology) are the key words for Armenia (like Japan).
I hope that my questions and my personal feeling can help to better formulate the directions to be developed in Armenia.
Maia A., France
Signatory
Ցեղասպանության ճանաչման գործընթացը ոչ թե մեկ օրյա Ապրիլի 24-ի միջոցառում պիտի լինի, այլ ամենօրյա աշխատանք սփյուռքում՝ տեղեկության տարածման, տարբեր միջոցառումների ու ծրագրերի իրականացման միջոցով։
Համաժողովի մասնակից
I have lived in three European countries as a professional expat. And in every single place I could see how difficult it was to integrate with the Armenian community. The Armenian embassy in that country has no clue how many Armenians are in there, what is their occupation, how can they be useful for the community and for Armenia etc. Neither the church takes the mission to unify people. There are clear layers depending on the time and cause of immigration. So you are either a descendent of the Genocide survivor and/or Dashnak, either you came during 1990s or you came to study/ work. So these layers live in separate bubbles and don't interact with each other. During 2020 war the ice has been broken and there was a period when these layers became transparent and people were looking all to the same place for the same goal. We should work towards making us all unified be it in Paris, in Brussels or in Moscow. I think Armenian embassies and churches can be helpful to unify the communities in each country be it via brainstorming sessions, cultural events, volunteering jobs or anyhow. My suggestion may sound not concrete, but as someone living in diaspora and someone who is looking for ways to be helpful for her country, I find this one of the pain points of our diaspora. By solving this we will move 1 step closer towards the strong diaspora. Best regards from the Netherlands,
Anahit A., Netherlands
Signatory
1. Education must be at the top of the political agenda, number one priority for the government
Organize high-level discussions with all the stakeholders (students, teachers, experts from all the sectors of economy )
2. We don't have an appropriate education system, creativity environment in schools, which creates uncertainty in education
3. Feedback loop is not working in education sector, problems are usually not reveled as a result of implemented research
4. We should start reforms in education sectors from two aspects: reforms in adults' education and in preprimary education
When children see adults that aren't learning, they don't want to learn as well
5. Governance in education should become a little bit psychological, like in business. Value the role of psychology in education
6. Educational reform can't be imported, it can be created and developed
7. Teacher attestation has one positive side – as a result, those who pass it will get higher salaries. This will also motivate those who start off their careers as teachers to aim for higher-paid jobs. On the other hand, the attestation system creates other, bigger scale problems: not necessarily all those who pass the attestation perform well as teachers in the classroom. So, what’s the index of a good teacher – we need to start from there. Additionaly, good test takers and subject experts are very different concepts
Serob Kh., Armenia
Signatory
Լեզվի համահայկական կազմակերպություն պետք է ստեղծվի։ Մեր ռեսուրսները քիչ են, պիտի այս պահից սկսած ուսուցիչներ պատրաստենք սփյուռքի համար։
Համաժողովի մասնակից
Հուսով եմ այս մի քանի առաջարկը կապված 50000 ընտանիքների վերադարձի վերաբերյալ օգտակար կլինի այդ գործընթացը սկսելու ճանապարհին։
1.Կազմակերպել հարցում (առցանց) հայկական սփյուռքի շրջանում (իմանալու համար թե որքան ընտաիք է պատրաստ ներգաղթել ՀՀ)։
2.Ուսումնասիրել շուկան, որոշելու համար ինչ մասնագիտությունների պահանջարկ կա և տեղափոխվել ցանկացողներից ,որ մասնագիտության տեր մարդկանց առաջնահերթություն տալ։
3. Հարցում կատարել ըստ ոլորտների (IT, արտ.ձեռնարկություններ, պետական սեկտոր) իմանալու համար ինչ թափուր հաստիքներ են առկա և արդյոք պատրաստ են այդ հաստիքներում սփյուռքից ժամանած մասնագետների ընդունել։
4. Համագործակցել պետ. կառույցների հետ վիզաների և ՀՀ անձնագրեր ստանալու գործընթացը արագացնելու նպատակով։
5. Կազմակերպել դասընթացներ լեզվական դժվարություններ ունեցող մեր հայրենակիցների համար։
6. Լուծել 1-2 ամսվա այն հայրենադարձների բնակարանի հարցը, ովքեր դրա կարիքն ունեն(նախօրոք կազմել ցուցակ , թե ովքեր են ՀՀ-ում պատրաստ հյուրընկալել հայրենադարձներին իրենց բնակարաններում 1-2 ամսով)։
7. Վերջնական որոշում կայացրած մեր հայրենակիցներին մանրամասն ներկայացնել իրավիճակը ՀՀ-ում (սոցիալ-տնտեսական,ռազմական)։
8. Տեղափոխված ընտանիքների համար ստեղծել կենտրոն, որը կզբաղվի նրանց ադապտացիոն շրջանի խնդիրների բացահայտմամբ և լուծմամբ։
9. Ծրագիրի կատարման համար սահմանել 2-ից 2.5 տարի ժամկետ։
Նարեկ Ս․, Հայաստան
Signatory
Добрый день! Не так давно я пришёл к выводу, что более 70% учеников в 9-11 классе даже не знают кем хотят быть. Это влечет за собой большие проблемы, связанные с недостатком мотивации для подготовки к экзаменам. На мой взгляд, позитивную роль в решении данной проблемы могла бы сыграть следующая модернизация образования. Утвердить достаточно обширный список профессий, первое ознакомление с которыми можно провести для школьников, пригласить туда представителей данных профессий для первоначального ознакомления с ними и давать школьникам решать реальные кейсы из разных сфер с последующим получением качественного фидбека. На мой взгляд, множеству школьников это поможет понять кем они хотят стать, повысит их уровень мотивации и, как следствие, уровень успеваемости. Благодарю за уделенное время!