Exercising possibilities. Aim is moving towards an environment where being healthy and exercising is normal while drinking/smoking/drugs are frowned upon. It is contrary to that now.
1. Build small outdoor sports grounds in every community. A minimum set like horizontal bars, parallel bars, and stepping platforms will work.
2. Those can be built for cheap from old materials. If people make the playgrounds by themselves, the value of the program will be higher
3. It can be started by videos in YouTube/Social networks showing how to build a playground, and popularizing calisthenics.
Vardan V., Armenia
Signatory
Armenia should really become a magnet to collect the particles of the Diaspora.
Convention Participant
The state should finance teachers to teach Diaspora Armenians Armenian. In addition, there could be grants, as a result of which young people would participate in Armenian language courses.
Convention Participant
I have an idea that I would like to share with you, in the hope that this can be realized in the near future.
I believe that any Armenian of good faith would agree to such a proposal because it could bring Armenia out of the current situation and grow the country as a modern and advanced state. We Armenians have a human richness that few other peoples in the world, except perhaps the Jews who have had situations similar to the Armenian people throughout history. This rare richness is the rich Armenian Diaspora with talented characters in different sectors and with experiences acquired by the States of residence. A concrete way to exploit this wealth could be to include in the Constitution of the Country:
1. A Superior Senate to oversee the Armenian Parliament, with tasks and powers of verification, requests for amendments or approvals, and issuance of approvals for the repeal of any Law
2. The members of the Senate should be elected by all the Armenian people including Armenians of the Diaspora, even if they do not hold Armenian citizenship.
3. The candidates of these elections, not necessarily citizens, must be people with high professional qualifications and willing to devote at least 30% of their time to issues concerning Armenia and follow a specific course of legislation to act in this Senate.
4. In this way none of them could be maneuvered or threatened or routed by the authorities of the Armenian government, and make truly free decisions for the sole good of Armenia.
5. The Senate itself should be able to review the various institutions of the State by making adjustments and raising the qualification of local institutions, on a par or better than other States in the world.
6. The participation of the Armenians of diaspora, in addition to participating in the elections of the "Upper Senate", must also include participation in assessing mandatory taxation, expenses (for example military expenses), management, and verification by the S.S.
To achieve such a system of government, the impetus should come from the Armenian citizens, who must first be informed of the possibility of carrying out such a plan. To this end an organization of people endowed with intelligence, financial dispositions and patriotism could promote the initiative of informing through the media and internet all Armenians of the Diaspora and RoA for the realization of the plan giving their support to the organization to achieve the proposed goal.
I am not a Legislator to draw up a specific Road Map, but the relevant experts and appropriate people can be appointed for this purpose, I believe that every Armenian of the Armenian Republic or the Diaspora will agree to the realization of such a plan.
Who knows if such an action will be carried out or is it just my utopia?
Heratch A., Italy
Signatory
1. There is more or less complete data and statistics on the Armenian energy field from 2015-2016. This is one of the issues we should concentrate on – the availability of complete and transparent information.
2. In comparison to other countries in the region and those with compatible conditions with Armenia, according to indexes of energy security, energy consumption, and environmental stability, Armenia is left behind.
3.Data shows that during the past 10 years Armenia has managed to increase energy generation by 30%, in the meantime the energy loss was decreased as well. There still is much potential for decreasing energy loss.
4. There are problems with reliability of energy supply
5. Energy strategy 2040 drawn by the government includes 70 projects in 11 directions. The conclusion we drive from what we have analyzed is that the country needs to put its efforts into:
Developing industry with high added value;
Boosting energy security and independence;
Increasing operational efficiency and reliability;
Enhancing the stability of tariffs;
Improving transparency, reliability, and availability of data and statistics;
Setting long term ambitions yet realistic targets;
Making the most of the current global energy context to the country’s advantages.
6. Most importantly, the key here is to gather a maximum number of field specialists, have brainstorming sessions and proceed from there
7. Armenia has a big potential in solar energy
8. Hydroenergy resourses are used with their maximum capacity, wind power can be used only in some regions , there is a problem with the wind density
Gaik O., Armenia
Signatory
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
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 should be online platforms for training Armenian teachers.
Convention Participant
Being Armenian is not only a wish, but also a duty.
Convention Participant
I put my name to join The FUTURE ARMENIAN initiative the minute I received the appeal to be part of this "new family".
I call this a family because I believe in the idea of coordinated coexistence like in a family, cooperation by all like in a family and most important of all, the plan and ideal that members of a family work for.
I was watching misters Afeyan's and Vardanyan's interview with Mr. Ghazarian on the Armenian TV and was very much impressed by the vision that the two gentlemen expressed as well as by the plan they had to go forward. Or rather, as Mr. Afeyan brilliantly explained, to come back from the future.
Now, as a diasporan, I see three main obstacles why the Armenian diaspora has not been organized to its optimal capacity over a century:
1. The Armenian "traditional parties."
2. Lack of confidence in diasporans for a collective, unified Armenian efforts.
3. Absence of an organization, non political in nature, not affiliated to "the traditional Armenian parties" and the multi headed Armenian church.
As my first point implies, I see the Armenian parties, specially the ARF as the main obstacle for the creation of a pan Armenian organization that can unite and exploit all our resources, scientific, financial, technical, social, diplomatic, etc. in the Armenian Diaspora.
My plea will be to create such an organization (as suggested and planned by the visionaries of The FUTURE ARMENIAN) and to reach out to each and every Armenian all over the world where everyone will be aware of what his part in planning or action will be.
The Armenian Diaspora has immense potentials and capabilities if and when organized.
Krikor K.
Signatory
Я считаю, что уже сейчас можно было бы провести работу, направленную на запуск программы по предоставлению гражданам бесплатных земельных участков в Армении, которые не используются. Также я считаю, что решить ряд проблем в экономике и социальной жизни (в том числе в демографии) помогла бы доступная ипотека в Армении.
Еще одну программу, которая есть в России и, которую можно было бы развивать в Армении — процедура государственных закупок, аналогичная проводимой по российскому закону 44 — ФЗ.
Имея опыт создания, развития ипотечных программ как в российских банках (Банк Открытие, Совкомбанк), так и в иностранных (China Construction Bank, и ICICI Bank Eurasia), я бы мог предложить свое участие (на безвозмездной основе) в программах запуска доступной ипотеки в Армении.
Также считаю, что наилучшим решением могло бы стать учреждение нового банка развития в Армении, через который можно было бы осуществлять финансирование различных проектов. При грамотном подходе, такой банк мог бы даже стать прибыльным.
Нарек О., Россия
Signatory
1. When building alliances, it is important to develop different scenarios and understand their peculiarities, so it will be possible to flexibly switch from one to another.
2. Economically strengthen and develop Artsakh, ensure security
3. Artsakh have many opportunities in dipital sphere(IT)
4. Smart businesses and investing in startups is important in long-term prospective
5. Important to collaborate and import human resources to Armenia and Artsakh from Diaspora