The courses for young Diaspora Armenian journalists, part of the 2015 “Diaspora” Summer School Program, continue at Yerevan State University. The participants are quite young, but they have already managed to achieve great heights in their careers.
Aram Hunanian is one of those young people. He has traveled from the Russian Federation to his homeland after a four-year interval and admits that he had always wanted to visit Armenia not only to see it again, but also to gain more knowledge and experience. And now, Aram’s wish has come true. He represents the Armenian Youth Association of Moscow, the goal of which is, as he mentions, to bring Armenians together so that they can work together or a common interest.
“We carry out several activities. We provide legal consulting, carry out charity acts, as well as organize sporting events and educational visits, each of which is a function. For instance, in terms of education, we help Armenian children prepare for their exams since we have also taken exams in the not too distant past. We share our knowledge and experiences and provide them with books and professional literature for free,” says Aram.
He also emphasized the fact that most Armenians in Russia don’t know the laws of the country. They also face difficulties alone and can’t afford to pay for legal consulting. Knowing this, the Association has started organizing free consultations for Russian-Armenians with the help of experienced lawyers. The Association protects their civil rights and even defends Armenians’ interests in court, if necessary.
As for charities, we organize events, raise funds and send the money to socially disadvantaged children,” Aram adds. He proudly mentions the fact that they struggle for the preservation of the Armenian identity and try to instill in the minds of Armenian children the Armenian identity.
Aram says the courses for young Diaspora Armenian leaders help him gain comprehensive knowledge in order to organize future activities the right way. “When we return, we’ll always keep in touch with Armenia. We know whom to address. We were also introduced to Armenians from different countries. We exchanged our experiences and will be keeping in touch with them,” says the young leader. Aram and his friends are so devoted to their job that they carry out their mission voluntarily and turn every idea into a reality on their own, without any sponsors. “We wouldn’t mind having sponsors, but we can still do a good job without them,” says Aram.
Tamara Simonyan, another participant of the courses for young Diaspora Armenian leaders, has traveled from Tbilisi and represents Hayartun Educational and Cultural Center. She studies at the local university and is the coordinator of Hayartun’s doctors’ club. Tamara is one of the few young Armenians who always keeps in touch with the homeland and has participated in the “Ari Tun” Program, the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival and the “One Nation, One Culture” Festival. She and the members of the Armenian community of Tbilisi carry out many activities, as well as help the local Armenians and organize daily activities for the community.
“We have an Armenian Sunday school where children learn Armenian, as well as about Armenian history and literature. There are children who don’t know Armenian. We try to help teach them and bring them closer to their roots,” says Tamara. However, they don’t limit themselves to that. They also organize various events and gatherings. The young leader was especially proud to recall the events devoted to the Armenian Genocide.
“For the past decade, we have been gathering at the Armenian church and moving towards the Turkish Embassy with flags every April 23rd. On April 24, we organize a protest that brings together the local Armenians and foreigners. We prove that even though we Armenians are a small nation and have experienced genocide, we have a great and rich culture and history,” says Tamara Simonian.
Let’s wish the young leaders success in the future and hope they achieve success by using the knowledge that they gained in the homeland.