Is this the end of the Diaspora?

[apachi]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

Armenia diaspora comes home
Daniel Bardsley, Correspondent
July 11. 2009 7:17PM UAE / July 11. 2009 3:17PM GMT


Zak Valladian is one of the foreign-born Armenians returning to the country of their heritage

YEREVAN // Charles Masraff does not mince his words when he describes what he wants to achieve in Armenia.

The 59-year-old restaurateur says he was attracted to the country “by the possibility of giving Armenia a future”.

Although he was born and brought up in London, Mr Masraff’s paternal grandparents came from what used to be Western Armenia, and is now eastern Turkey.

He is one of what is thought to be a growing band of western-raised diasporan Armenians moving to their ancestral home country.

In the decade after it became independent in 1991, Armenia lost as much as one-fifth of its population as the economy declined in the early 1990s, with most emigrants going to Russia.

Since the mid-1990s, the economy showed strong annual growth until the recent financial crisis, and the parallel modernisation has attracted many of Armenia’s huge diaspora, which is over twice the size of the country’s 3.2 million population, to live in the country for the first time.

While Armenia has achieved significant economic growth, Mr Masraff believes the country remains stifled by a culture of corruption, which he describes as “a way of life here”.

“Armenia desperately needs people with outside experience,” he said. “There’s a culture among Armenians living in Armenia that makes progress difficult – corruption, the sense that the present is all there is.

“But if you look at the Armenian diaspora and the success they’ve enjoyed in different societies, compared to the inability of this society to achieve very much – why did we get this huge contrast? The post-Soviet hangover has a lot to answer for.”

Mr Masraff spent most of his career in Scotland in hotel management, but for the past three months has been running a restaurant in Yerevan.
“I came here to try to achieve something,” he said. “I’m not just an observer. By running a business, I feel I have a greater chance to achieve something.”

Among the analysts who believe a growing number of diasporan Armenians are moving to Armenia is Arpi Vartanian, country director for the Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh offices of the Armenian Assembly of America, a lobbying group.
Born and raised in Detroit to two diasporan Armenians, including an Iranian-Armenian father, Ms Vartanian moved to Yerevan in 1993.
“I’ve seen families come and go, I’ve seen people get frustrated they weren’t able to succeed but I see more and more people coming or expressing the desire to come. They want to live in their homeland,” she said of the “repatriates” moving to the country.

“That’s not to say everyone is coming with rose-tinted glasses. They’re coming with the hope that Armenia will change them, but [also] that they can use their experience or knowledge to change Armenia.

“Every encounter impacts people. I’ve had people say: ‘You’ve taught me.’ They told me later they watched how I worked and my work ethic and that taught them. They were able to use that later.”

For diasporans brought up in the West, Ms Vartanian said Armenia was now a much easier place to live than when she arrived, when there were few cafes or nightclubs.

“There are still some things I miss and crave,” she said. “It drives me nuts when people don’t stand in line. But people have been so open and interested in who I am.”

Rudolf, a 27-year-old born in Bahrain and brought up in France, London and Lebanon, and who declined to give his full name, admitted however that diasporan Armenians often tended to socialise with their own kind rather than locals.

“My friends are diasporan friends from Syria, Beirut, the United States,” said Rudolf, who has a “pagan Armenian metal” rock band and has lived in Armenia for the past 18 months.

Even if his social circle is largely made up of fellow diasporans, he hopes he can effect change.

“We’re coming here to do something good,” he said. “We have done stuff that there wasn’t here five or six years ago – the first rock band in the Caucasus. We come with new ideas. We’re trying to relate it more to Europe. I’m against the Soviet mentality. I think it’s ruined the country.”

His friend, Zak Valladian, born and brought up in Dubai, is a member of a group called Tebi Hayrenik or “back to the motherland” that encourages diasporans to relocate to Armenia. He believes “absolutely” more of them are doing what he did four months ago, and moving to the country.

“Change comes from within,” said the 30-year-old, who runs a special effects business. “I do believe for Armenia’s sake, the only thing they can do is to encourage the diaspora to come and invest. It’s home from home for us.”

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...9958/1013/NEWS

[KanadaHye]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

Greece is not in the same situation as Armenia is. An efficient, organised and united Diaspora would not do much to Greece as it would to Armenia.

There is no ethnic divide among Greeks and they all belong to the same Greek Orthodox Church. We have half of their world wide population yet there are so many divisions among us that there is no wonder why most Armenians don't know their place in the world. I'm not questioning our need for unity, but I do wonder why the walls and barriers were put up in the first place. I think we have gotten so used to feeling like we don't belong within our own ethnicity that we can't tolerate any more than being united for that special party thrown by your local <insert special and exclusive Armenian organization/group here> any more than once or twice a year.

[Anoush]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

I think people are delusional to think that Armenians in Armenia are not just as prone to assimilation as those in the diaspora... especially if the government's stance remains the way it is and the Turks move in. The youth are already susceptible to foreign media programming and pop culture. Much of the work force leaves Armenia to find work. There is still Russian influence.

KanadaHye, consider this. If all of the Diasporans continue on this trend and abstain to go to RA and leave it to the enemy to come in more and more, the enemy will at the end win us over; but if we support most people in the Motherland who are not in a good way now - it may be true there are some differences because of this and that reason, as they were brought up in the Soviet regime and some are more Russianized and we have become more westernized or middleeasternized; then if say 50% that's 3.5 Million, or even 30% that's 2.1 Million of the Diasporans repatriate and introduce to the locals their mentalities, work ethics, put their monies brought from abroad along with their good working experiences, habits and ethics/mores and way of life basically, then the atmosphere of people's mentality in time will start changing and both mentalities will unite; become one. Don't forget that a great many new generation of Armenians in the Motherland are young and open to new introductions and way of life, etc. I know this may not happen right away but with patience on both ends and continued work towards a cause and a goal, there will be success in the end, I am sure. The end result; we will come to meet, the meeting of minds, the meeting of mores, work ethics and social life. I don't doubt that it takes perseverance and dedication and of course some hardships, but we have to try for a sacred cause, in short our unity and yes united we shall stand better and stronger, especially against the enemy.

[Lucin]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

I wonder if the Greeks have the same discussions we do.

Greece is not in the same situation as Armenia is. An efficient, organised and united Diaspora would not do much to Greece as it would to Armenia.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

If we want to unify and become one nation, we have to congregate together in one place and that one place is Armenia, where we can work to develop and advance our distinct and unique culture and in that way to contribute to the human civilization. Because right now as it is, by living in Canada, we are helping to develop and advance the distinct and unique culture of Canada and not Armenia. If we are living in Chile, we are helping to develop and advance the distinct and unique culture of Chile and not Armenia. If we are living in ....

I wonder if the Greeks have the same discussions we do.

[Lucin]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

It's amazing how much difference, separateness, division some people see amongst Armenians, specially coming from people who end their posting like so:


A fellow citizen of Historic Armenia...your neighbor, brother, advocate.

All Armenians are my blood.


Empty slogans meant to make oneself feel good and self-righteous about oneself.

All this prejudicial thinking that oh no he's from "Russia Armenia" I can't get along with him, she's a barsgahye she's ignorant and a criminal, etc.

The plight of our people has been being forced to live among other people and nationalities and cultures so that we've picked up the same characteristics of the society at large after living there for many many years. That's natural and understandable.

And don't you see, if we keep living separated as a nation in all kinds of places these differences won't decrease but multiply.

I agree. I'm also tired of the complaints and whinings regarding this issue. The influence is obviously not going anywhere, all of us are somehow being influenced directly by the socio-poltitcal anomalities of our respective countries. But some people are only looking for excuses to save their flawless, saintly being to ever set foot in Armenia and those little cliché-driven stereotypes seem to work fine for them.

[Kasa]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

It's amazing how much difference, separateness, division some people see amongst Armenians, specially coming from people who end their posting like so:


A fellow citizen of Historic Armenia...your neighbor, brother, advocate.

All Armenians are my blood.


Empty slogans meant to make oneself feel good and self-righteous about oneself.

All this prejudicial thinking that oh no he's from "Russia Armenia" I can't get along with him, she's a barsgahye she's ignorant and a criminal, etc.

The plight of our people has been being forced to live among other people and nationalities and cultures so that we've picked up the same characteristics of the society at large after living there for many many years. That's natural and understandable.

And don't you see, if we keep living separated as a nation in all kinds of places these differences won't decrease but multiply.

If we want to unify and become one nation, we have to congregate together in one place and that one place is Armenia, where we can work to develop and advance our distinct and unique culture and in that way to contribute to the human civilization. Because right now as it is, by living in Canada, we are helping to develop and advance the distinct and unique culture of Canada and not Armenia. If we are living in Chile, we are helping to develop and advance the distinct and unique culture of Chile and not Armenia. If we are living in ....

[Anoush]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

Thank you Anoush, as I appreciate your posts very much. I hope we can forge better understanding of ourselves and bridge a UNITY through exchange of knowledge and perspectives.

We are too fragmented as it is, let us form a basis of what all of us SHARE and what brings us together through dialogue and mutual respect.

Absolutely! We cannot give up the ship, but unite much more than before both Diaspora and the Motherland as the whole world is watching us now. The powerful nations and the West know that they very much wronged us and played dirty politiks with us once more; but that's when we must unite even better and more than before. We must also fight against the wrongdoings of RA's government and their officials to see to it that they get on the right tracks, but at the same time we must stand with our brothers and sisters in the Motherland. They need us and we need them for our country's sake and for our Artsakh.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

I think people are delusional to think that Armenians in Armenia are not just as prone to assimilation as those in the diaspora... especially if the government's stance remains the way it is and the Turks move in. The youth are already susceptible to foreign media programming and pop culture. Much of the work force leaves Armenia to find work. There is still Russian influence. I'm going to have to agree with AlphaPapa....

"I am also sorry that I feel as I do. I wish Armenia welcomed me, and gave me an opportunity to start a life there. Rather, it barely cares for the needs of its own existing citizens, and doesn't seem to want to represent our interests at all. Homeland? I can't call the former SSR my homeland. Not yet."

[Catharsis]

Re: Is this the end of the Diaspora?

Dear Catharsis I find all your posts very valuable in here and I am in agreement with them also. Your patriotism and your sound mind touches me and I am very glad that you are here with us.

Thank you Anoush, as I appreciate your posts very much. I hope we can forge better understanding of ourselves and bridge a UNITY through exchange of knowledge and perspectives.

We are too fragmented as it is, let us form a basis of what all of us SHARE and what brings us together through dialogue and mutual respect.