The world is at a constant struggle between villains and heroes. The heroes are selfless characters who intertwine their lives with the struggle and perseverance of others. Constantly vying for their presence, they fully dedicate themselves to a motive that befits the needs of the majority. The villains, on the other hand, control most of the access to resources and commodify them to satisfy their interests. It is this constant struggle between heroes and villains that pummels nations deeper into poverty and hinders their growth and development. Respective governments become fractured by these conflicting interests, obligatory to the ideals of the heroes and citizens, but highly dependent on the offerings of the villains. Thus, in turn the development challenge comes about.

The development challenge has become a reality for the majority of the world’s population. Developing countries face problems that are very different from one another, but follow a similar pattern. Living in a comfortable world becomes all the more difficult when we face the reality of having one billion people live in developing countries. As a developing nation, Armenia faces these difficult issues within the realms of its society. The problems that Armenia faces are serious, but they are fixable. With strong leadership and an informed citizenry, Armenia has all the tools in place to bring about these reforms. A wide range of policies and programs need to be utilized in order to correctly set these standards and establish norms of behavior. Internal challenges to the government and society are not necessarily hindrances, but can be valuable to the growth and development of the nation as a whole.

First and foremost, Armenia needs to establish forums for the citizenry to have a voice in their government. These forums need to routinely coordinate with the populace  in order to determine which services are desired. Government should be open, permissionless, and generative, encouraging current generations to turn to collective action. The politics of the country cannot change, but the government can be altered to work for all of us. An evolutionary change is needed to fix the way people view citizenship, not just try to bring about quick and unstable reforms. We need to establish values-based organizations that consider what is complacent to the whole of society and collectivize a specific and progressive goal.

The problems in Armenia do not stem from apathy amongst the people. We simply live in a world that encourages disengagement and makes it difficult for us to become involved. It is not that people do not care, but they are not given the opportunity to care. The intentional exclusion of people keeps us away from the decision-making process, making it seem as uninviting as possible. Citizenship is not a spectator sport, but it is a full-on, contact game. If people are not encouraged to participate in government, we cannot expect them to see themselves as potential leaders of their communities. The environment may place obstacles our way, but we need to identify and dismantle them.

The reforms needed in Armenia will find their way with the engagement of the society as a whole. We need an independent and fair judicial system that will uphold the rule of law. A reformed police force of properly trained individuals will implement those laws and establish them as behavioral norms. We need an increase in funding for social services based on the changing needs of the citizenry, allowing civil society to prosper. The educational system needs to be renovated to ensure a strong and stable curriculum, guaranteeing that future generations are receiving a quality education. The reforms in the health system needs to provide quality, affordable care for all citizens. Monopolies on certain markets need to be broken up and competition encouraged. There should be clear incentives for small businesses, encouraging citizens to take up their own ventures. We need strong support for the growing information technology sector in Armenia, promoting investments for its development. We need to put an end to the degradation of the Armenian environment through mining projects that benefit foreign investors.  We need real leaders who inspire the populace, not just those who have position and priority.

We need movements led by people who work hard for what they believe in. These movements need to emerge organically, not when there is a sense of urgency.

It is not about throwing money at these countries or these problems. It is about immersing ourselves and taking action. Change cannot be imposed, but must come from within. There are many struggles between brave people who are willing to work for change and interests who are too entrenched amongst themselves. We cannot be bystanders in bringing about change to this world. We need to take an active stance and become a part of the struggles. In some cases, providing aid does not work well in certain environments. It is not enough for us to recognize the problem and sympathize with it. Understanding the problem is the easiest part of development, finishing the job is the hard part.

We need to build a unity of purpose. We need to change the ways of thinking that have imbedded themselves too deeply within this society. We need to reach out to wider audiences and create a new and informed citizenry. Thus, we will not only allow Armenia to grow and prosper, but we can establish a new sense of hope for the people here. Development is about giving hope to the people living in Armenia that they can create the society they want to live in. Without that hope, people will direct their energies not to development, but to escape.

For the past few weeks, I have spent my time in Armenia with people who carry these very ideals. We work hard each and every day at camp because we believe that we are making a difference in the lives of these children. We try hard to understand the way of life here. We immerse ourselves into the culture and accept it as it is. The problems in Armenia are our problems. We are not guests here. These are our struggles and we accept them. We will take the opportunities that we have been given and use them as catalysts for change. We carry the burden of using all that we have to create the Armenia that we imagine. This is our country and we accept full responsibility for it.

Nare Kupelian

Edgar likes to takes pictures. He’s notoriously naughty, uses his youth corps wristband as a sling shot, and has difficulty sitting still for extended periods of time.  Edgar gets in trouble more often than anybody at camp because he’s eight years old and can’t yet control his impulses.

Gayane is six going on seven. Like most of the girls in hayastan, she’s sweet, shy, and helpful. She speaks softly unless she’s reciting a poem. Once, she hugged me after a tiring day of camp chasing Edgar and reminded me why I came.

Harout has green eyes, light hair, and tendency to play rough. He does questionable and dangerous things like quadruple back flips on the stairs and throws rocks at the wild dog that roams the neighborhood; but he always keeps a careful eye on his younger brother. He’s a regular in time out, and was a regular street kid before Youth Corps came to Gyumri.

Ruzana is only seven but she reads and writes fluently in three languages.

I told Nareg if he memorized all of Arytok Ovker En in ten minutes he could sing it solo for song competition. On Friday, Nareg will perform all 7 verses of Artyok Ovker En for all of camp and their parents.

Shushan asked me what the girls were going to do while the boys were playing futbol. My answer surprised her- it was that the girls can choose to play soccer with the boys or they can choose to sit down. Then we chose to play soccer. It was satisfying.

Yesterday these kids lined up in the correct order, by themselves. In an hour I get to teach and sing and play with them again. And they get to teach and sing and play with me.

I guess this is an attempt to communicate that regardless of who you are or where you’re from, if you were here, you’d agree with the following: the people, especially the children, of Gyumri are amazing.

Emilia Der Sarkissian

When I was applying for Youth Corps I had no idea what I was getting myself into. To me, Youth Corps did the unimaginable . I left my comfort zone and got put into a room with six strangers. I had never thought how impossibly easy it would be to live with six people who I had never met before. Even though we have been together for two weeks, I feel as though we have become a family. We learn to work with what we have, look out for each other, and help one another discover ourselves. The reason behind this lies within our passion. The passion we have for Youth Corps, our homeland, our history, and for the future of Armenia and Karabagh. We are all united for one reason: to make an impact and build a bridge of communication between the diaspora and the homeland.

As the first week of camp in Stepanakert comes to an end, I am dissappointed that we only have one more week to spend with the kids. I have made such a connection with the kids at camp that I want to devote more time to them and inspire them in the way that they have inspired me.  They fill me with strength as each child hugs and kisses me good bye at the end of every camp. In all of honesty, I was skeptical and worried about how I was going to handle over a hundred kids, but as soon as I stepped into the classroom, things happened naturally.  I look forward to each camp day because these camps give me a purpose and a something to fight for. They give me hope for the future of Armenia and Karabagh. Some may define happiness in monetary values and materialistic objects, but to me waking up every morning and seeing the kids at camp is worth more than a million.

Mane Khachatryan

By Nanor Bozoyan

It all suddenly made sense the second I stepped foot into the “Tiv Yergoo” elementary school on Monday morning for the very first time. All the kind words, helpful advice, and built-up excitement given to me by previous Youth Corps members and group leaders began to come alive as we began our camp in Stepanagert. The kids’ consistent enthusiasm, forward and impatient introductions, and humble personalities left a great first impression upon me, of how amazing the next few weeks of my life are to be.

My now sore limbs and heavy eyelids suddenly all became worthwhile, upon seeing the excitement in these kids’ eyes. I will probably never forget my first impression of the eight year old boy who suddenly decided to point to me and began shouting to me his intricate riddles in hopes to outsmart me. After really thinking long and hard (no, honestly I really tried) he told me his brilliant answers, and from then on he became my sidekick/best friend. Of course, I was rest assured it was meant to be, because upon splitting up into color groups for competitions, he was the first to be called into my group.

Our first order of business was to create distinct and original chants for our groups. I now find myself barely able to get a word in, between all the amazing suggestions of rhymes with such powerful meanings, that I really had to take a step back and thought about the meanings behind these chants. Not only did I realize how strongly these kids feel about their country and their people, I also realized that if by any chance Artsakh’s seize-fire were to turn into any sort of war, these children are our future front-line soldiers, nurses or doctors, political leaders, etc.

Every drop of blood in their body truly bleeds for their tiny bit of land they can proudly call their own. This characteristic rooted within the core of each and every child, truly was an eye-opening experience to me because after a heavy first week in Yerevan, I was a bit shaken up. After seeing various martyred soldier’s tombs, having encounters with precious loved ones of these soldiers, and even just being in an environment where you wake up to see Mt. Ararat standing so stern and close to the city and yet so far away from our reach, truly struck home. Coming to Artsakh and interacting with these kids really gave me a sense of hope and enlightenment, that the sacrifice of our beloved soldiers brought such an inspirational effect to the future generation of the Armenian race, particularly within the homeland.

Now, only four days into meeting these children on the very first day of camp, I sit in the open playground with three little girls braiding my hair while singing Armenian patriotic songs, and a little boy frantically expressing to me his disappointment for the heartbreaking loss in the game of  “steal the bacon”, all while trying to find a moment to spare to write this blog. Within this short period of time, I have realized really how large of an impact our camp makes on these children. I cannot take three steps on the campground without having a little girl come hold my hand. I have kids begging and pleading for the hours and number of days of the camp to be extended. I have already been thoroughly interrogated about next summer’s plans to come back to Kharapakh for camp; just to give a few examples.

I feel as if a part of me has been stowed away inside all of this time as I spend my days staying contsantly determined to understand the beyond difficult Kharapaghtsi dialect (still working on it!), run our beloved camp with fellow Gharapaghtsi AYF members, rewarding myself on the walk back home from camp with some Grand Candy “marojhni,” as well as making my home with my amazing Youth Corps group members in our lovely Babo’s home-stay, along with her family, a Sooryatsi businesssman, an out-of-the-truck meat salesman with his “Kikor” apprentice, as well as a handsome team of eight year-old soccer players with their trainer. (Yes, we all share one bathroom.)

Against all differences, setbacks, or discomforts I have come across thus far, I can honestly say that I wake up every morning facing a new adventure and every moment is one to look forward to. I am truly greatful for this experience, and most definitely look forward to making a difference here at Kharapagh and later in Gyumri as well.
But until then, enjoy some of my personal favorite chants from the best BLUE group in the history of forever! :]

“Zavagnern enk Artsakhi,
Meroojhani toomani,
Oonenk hastat tsurakir,
Hye Tadi ganonakir,
Knaloo enk menk Javakhk,
Himneloo enk medz panag,
Getseh hbard Javakhtsin,
Kordz chi himar Vratsin.”

“Mardooni oo Martagerd,
Askeran Stepanagerd,
Knank Shooshi kef anenk,
Jengelov hats oo tuti arakh,
Parov yegak mer Kharapagh.”