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Some thoughts on the 'the diaspora did not contribute enough' tweets.
1. We always say that the Armenian diaspora counts 7+ million people. I firmly believe this as well. However, we cannot expect that all 7+ million ethnic Armenians are actively engaging with their roots like we do. For many people (eg. Onik) their surname is
the only thing that makes them Armenian. However, these people are being included in the 7+ million figure as well.
These 'alienated' Armenians are often 3rd, 4th, 5th or even later generation ethnic Armenians living in abroad.
These 'alienated' Armenians are often 3rd, 4th, 5th or even later generation ethnic Armenians living in abroad.
Can we blame these people for being alienated? Not really, I believe. Alienation can occur in unexpected circumstances.
Sometimes, it's the person self who takes distance from the culture, sometimes it's the parents who don't attach importance to it. Sometimes, it's the school where you grew up, sometimes you have to suppress your identity to make a living.
We cannot expect all people with Armenian surnames to effectively contribute to present-day Armenia, the same way we cannot expect all 30-40 million Americans with Irish surnames to contribute to Ireland's economy.
The way Armenians have been able to preserve their culture & identity abroad for decades is already a miracle. Our diaspora is seen as one of the most succesful diaspora communities worldwide. But this is not enough to stop thousands of people from alienation.
2. Present-day Armenia should not be dependent on the grace of its diaspora. Of course it is good to see that in times of need, there are millions of people willing to help. But like the war showed, this aid provides no certainty. It is a plaster on the would at best.
The Armenian government should first and foremost make sure that its economy grows, so that no more people will want to leave the country anymore. Nikol & co were doing an OK job here (at least better than pre-2018), but still not enough.
People cannot just leave the country and buy off their guilt by sending a few bucks back every year. If you really care about Armenia's development, go back, invest and/or try to create jobs.
You cannot expect a country to be governed by people living 12,000km further away from it.
I believe that my voice (concerning Armenia's governance) has not the same volume as that of someone who lives in Armenia. They may have seen things I haven't.
I may give my opinion on events, but I don't expect to be heard the same way the people in Armenia should be heard.
I may give my opinion on events, but I don't expect to be heard the same way the people in Armenia should be heard.
3. Many Armenians have been supporting Armenia/ Armenians by different means long before this war. It makes no sense to 'shame' people who didn't donate much now, while they have been helping the country in other ways for years.
Furthermore, it is important to realise that the diaspora is not a bottomless pit. Many people gave what they could. Not every Armenian has its own business in LA or Paris. Not every Armenian abroad has the means to provide for his/her own family, let alone Armenia.
4. Stating that the diaspora didn't do enough is an insult to the thousands, if not millions, of people who were busy raising money for Artsakh in whatever way they could.
I saw people baking Armenian pastries, setting up dropshipping businesses, & even selling their clothes and cars online to raise money.
5. In short, while many people, (including myself) feel directly responsible for Armenia, we are not. A lot of injustice has been done to our people, which explains a big part of our diaspora, but our own corrupted governments have fucked up as well.
By sending money, lobbying, and tweeting, we try our best to help the country, but our voices are being spiralled in our own community. Effective change must come from within Armenia. We can't do much from abroad, but we can move to Armenia and help creating a better future there
