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September 22, 2005 National Citizens’ Initiative Takes On Youth Issues Yerevan—The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) today convened a youth roundtable on “The Generation of Independence: Present and Future Tasks.” The meeting brought together young public and political figures, heads of student and other non-governmental associations, human rights advocates, analysts, experts, and media representatives. NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian welcomed the audience with opening remarks. “The nationwide awakening in 1988 and, starting from 1991, the institution of Armenia’s sovereignty inspired hope that the new generation that was formed under the conditions of an independent statehood would inherit the values of those years, possess the push for becoming the masters of their country, and be prepared to shoulder the heavy burden of responsibility for the integrity of the state. Today, however, we are bearing witness to a profound apathy among youth circles in regard to national matters. An overwhelming majority of young people do not see themselves as owners of the country, but rather its tenants at best. High concepts, for one reason or another, were not passed on to the new generation. And today we convene this roundtable in order to identify its causes,” Khurshudian said.
In his intervention entitled “The Question of the Youth’s Perception of Independence,” chairman Mihran Hakobian of Yerevan State University’s Student Council deemed the discord among the youth as one of the impediments to the establishment of “the independence generation” in the country. He criticized the authorities’ youth policy and accused them of ineffective use of state means in and for youth affairs. “The ‘Baze-2’ gathering, for the organization of which a tremendous amount of money was allocated from state budget, in fact was a failure,” Hakobian said. He also harshly disapproved of the recent government-endorsed laws and regulations diminishing the autonomy of university administration. In essence, he continued, the most conscientious and devoted of the independence generation are alienated from the country’s governance, the precept of natural selection is encroached upon, and those young people who are guided not by principles but by self-serving pettiness are penetrating into power. In his talk on “The Yesterday and Today of the Independence Generation: A Comparative Briefing,” NCI program coordinator Edgar Hakobian touched upon the history of the youth movement in Armenia starting from 1988. Since then, he said, the characteristics of the youth have largely changed, with guiding ideals such as patriotism, dedication, and spirituality succumbing to egotism, consumer mentality, and a readiness to rank petty self-interests above vital national interests. “Speaking in the name of the entire youth, a group of pro-governmental young people formed by the authorities themselves is trying to secure its own financial welfare,” Hakobian concluded. Moreover, the greater part of the youth is extremely passive when it comes to the resolution of numerous public problems. This refers to the rights of those serving in the army as well as the protection of those citizens who have been illegally evicted from the Northern Avenue-Biuzand Street construction zone. Hakobian made an appeal for youth organizations to intensify their participation in these and related processes.
During his address entitled “Youth Obligations for the Sovereignty of the Country,” Aren Manukian of the “Development of Knowledge” group said that while the old generation played a meaningful role in achieving Armenia’s independence, a solution to the Artsakh question, and consolidation of the country’s sovereignty, the new generation has not yet demonstrated a capacity to continue the work of its elders and to assume responsibility for the country’s future. In his opinion, without the engagement of the youth en masse, the involvement of a number of young activists in matters concerning the restoration of the rule of law in Armenia would have only limited effect. “When the matter referred to granting postponement of military service to graduate students, we succeeded in having thousands of students hold protests, but now that we are taking part in the reinstatement of the rights of citizens who have been thrown out of their homes in the Northern Avenue and Biuzand Street construction belt, you can count on your fingers the number of people who come with us,” Manukian worried aloud. The day’s final speaker, Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) analyst Syuzanna Barseghian, introduced and analyzed the results of a series of sociological surveys recently conducted by ACNIS on “generation next” and its outlook on Armenia’s independence, avenues for resolving the Karabagh issue, the Genocide, and Armenia’s European integration process. According to those findings, although Armenian youth are prepared to take part in the defense of the Homeland if Armenia or Karabagh is again attacked, the bulk of respondents find that Armenia’s independence has brought with it more setbacks than accomplishments. In Barseghian’s words, such thinking by the new generation is exceedingly dangerous.
Also noteworthy were interventions by ACNIS analysts Alen Ghevondian and Hovhannes Vardanian; “Development of Knowledge” group representatives Arsen Kharatian and Ararat Mirzoyan; Heritage Party members Armen Martirosian and Sargis Manukian; and many others. In his closing remarks, NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian accentuated this matter’s significance for Armenia and the Armenian public. “The youth are the tomorrow of this country, and the future of the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia and the prospects for the institution of civil society are dependent on them,” Khurshudian concluded.
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