After touring all week, I was excited to be in the comfort of Armenia’s AYF, Hye Yerdasartats Miyoutioun (HEM). When we first arrived, we went to a room with all the HEM members; it was somewhat intimidating and awkward. I didn’t know what to really talk to them about or how to interact with them. However, in literally less than five minutes, conversations were flowing and lifetime friendships were being made; it was as if we had been reunited with old friends. It was amazing how well we got along and it was beautiful to see these new friendships growing. It was especially interesting to see that the HEM members shared the same organizational issues that we have locally such as recruitment, member retention, meeting productivity, etc.

The AYF building is rather impressive; one floor is devoted to Badanegan, another for Yerdasartats, and a third floor serves as a conference room, computer room and a game room. It was a proud moment for me to see how much our counterparts in Armenia do. We do as much as we can from the Diaspora but to see the Armenians here, also devoted, gives me a sense of hope. To know we have people here also trying to accomplish the same goals is reinvigorating. We think we’re so different than the locals here, but in reality were much of the same. We’re all tashnagtzagan yerdasartagans. We all go to school, we all work and fight for our nation. The only thing really separating us is the seven thousand miles between us.

Carnie Bedoyan

Standing on the edge of a steep cliff and looking out into Armenia’s pristine natural environment brings about a sense of clarity and peace. Lingering under the dark shadows of the Haghartsin Monastery connects one with the dynastic worlds of our forefathers. Looking out through the dusty trails at the homes of the locals transplants one to a time and place that we recognize, but do not fully understand. The outlines of far-off villages stand out like scars through the landscape, morphing together the pain of their creation and the beauty of their endurance.  The dizzying churn of chatter and laughter only hint at the centuries of human persistence at that very time and place.

Yet, through all the grandeur provided by the surrounding environment, I could not keep my attention away from the thousands of small wildflowers that lightly dotted the hillsides. Beautiful shades of white, yellow and purple added the perfect touch of color to the cool, dark atmosphere.  With the whisper of our passage lingering throughout the majestic monastery and its surroundings, we began to gather to continue onto the next leg of our journey.  I went over to one of these flowers and “picked” it. I tugged too close to the bulb and the entire flower crumbled into my palm. I tried again, but the next one fell victim in the same manner. Disappointed, I turned and walked away. A friend, upon seeing this situation unfold, jokingly asked, “do you not know how to pick flowers?” Lightly holding the flower, he demonstrated how moving it from the stem repeatedly in an opposite direction could release the flower. I was surprised. This was simple and I was not used to simple.

I had never really known how to pick flowers, nor had I ever wanted to. The purely simple task of picking a flower had not ever presented itself to me as even the least gratifying. It was so easy to become lost into a whirlwind of school, family, meetings, organizations, responsibilities and externalities. The simple things in life had gotten lost somewhere along the way. The constant search for identity, ever-changing standards, and constant expectations can take a lot out of a person. Life had always been about knowing what I wanted and charting how I wanted to achieve it. In a matter of a short time, I’ve realized that there are so many intricacies to our surroundings that we neglect. We close ourselves off to challenges and dictate ourselves on a set identity we have created. Embracing challenges allows us to foster our innate sense of being, looking past what we have fabricated for ourselves for our personal benefits and peace of mind.

Coming to Armenia, I have realized that life is a lot simpler than we make it out to be. Life is simple. We are complex. The fusion of the general simplicity with life’s challenges can blind a person to all that is important. Simplicity is elusive. We don’t need to know where to look for it or how to look for it. We just need to look. We need to take the time out from the constant hum and drum and just appreciate our surroundings. People do not rush here. They take the time to sit on the bench at the park. They have real conversations. Life here is not about subsidizing time between Point A and Point B, but about making each point worthwhile. We meet people here and we remember them. We do things for the right reasons, not based on calculations but simply because they make us happy.

Thus far, my time in Armenia has brought about an unexpected sense of clarity. It has presented many challenges, but it has also given me the gift of perspective. It is up to me to embrace this gift.  Simple wildflowers on a hillside have taught me how to look at things with a new sense of appreciation. Look at everything with a new set of eyes and learn to not take things for granted. There is wonder and beauty in every situation and it is completely up to us to figure how it manifests itself.
Nare Kupelian

We received word yesterday that Ruben Hayrapetyan resigned from parliament due to pressures from the people regarding the death of Vahe Ayetyan. This was bittersweet because it took the death of a military doctor to see an oligarch out of parliament. However this is a start to what can become a monumental movement in Armenia. The people spoke up and the impact was felt, further showing that Armenians want to be more involved in ensuring citizens rights are protected. It is exciting to know that I was part of that initial movement. I was present at the protest on Saturday that was organized by locals and saw a sea of people who were infuriated by what had happened.  I was moved by the number of people present.

Being from the United States, I take for granted our first amendment right to assemble; I know that if I’m passionate enough about a topic I can use this right, within the limits of the law, without fearing targeted persecution. By participating in the protest in Armenia, I felt uneasy because I didn’t know the laws and didn’t know how the police and security were going to react to the crowd. However protests and movements like this one help lay the framework for people to freely exercise their rights . I’m happy that I was able to be part of this movement.

Maral Mirzayan

The switch flips alright, but it flips on its own. The second my journey to the homeland began, no amount of waiting in airplanes and airports could phase me. I feel like Balotelli on steroids, a Euro saved from doom, an Occupy Mashdots Park and Save Teghut gone viral into every corner and every mind of the country.

With that said, I landed three days ago and have been pouncing around Armenia frantically getting everything in order. The beauty of this year’s Youth Corps is in its constant move toward real connections and real effects. Almost all of our materials for this year’s program are being purchased here in Armenia. Our program books are being printed here, our t-shirts are coming hot off the press from Mineh Printing down the street from the hrabarag, we bought our sports gear, paper, pens, and other supplies all from local Armenian businesses. Our participants have been coming in one by one, with some already here working with Birthright Armenia, and others spending quality time with their relatives. We plan on officially getting the entire group into motion July 2^nd, once all of our participants have arrived in Armenia.

The sheer thought of being able to influence over 600 kids in a matter of six weeks is sending adrenaline through my body like no other. The connections we’re going to make with the land, the people, the customs and life lessons we’re going to learn through our interactions, the civil society building, getting the idea of the real value of one’s vote across to a turned-off country, the sharing of ideas, the power of our interactions are all a few days away from materializing into yet another successful summer of progress.

So long for now, you’ll be hearing from my teammates as the group gets together to officially launch our program.

Genatsnoot,

Berj Parseghian