POLICY FORUM ARMENIA: A NEW TYPE OF ARMENIAN ORGANIZATION
Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
Comments – Saturday, 12 July 2014, 12:47
A few years ago Lragir.am wrote about contemporary tendencies in
the Armenian community of the United States which is undergoing a
period of not only formation of material wellbeing and obtaining a
new social “status” and civil consciousness but also participation in
“big politics”.
It should be noted that an important role in establishment of new
political views among the Armenian community is performed by the latest
immigrants of Armenia who have introduced different ideas into the
life of Armenians, from liberal to traditionalist. Such diversity,
despite its disputability since some ideas cannot be considered as
politically mature and complete, is the sign of modernization of the
Armenian ethnic and social consciousness in the United States in a
hookup with social and political processes in the community determined
by integration with the American society and state.
This is fully explained and understood because the new generation of
the Armenian community is ready for new political challenges and for
response to them, understanding the international political reality.
The last 20 years were a period of essential increase of the level of
education of American Armenians who increasingly go for the humanities,
primarily international relations, law and history unlike the previous
decades because the social status of Armenians in the United States
supposed engineering jobs and natural education, enabling participation
in political life at different levels and, importantly, young people
find a place in the public and political life of the United States,
even in the sphere of policy research and analysis, which indicates
a new standard of achievement.
However, not everything is so idyllic because not only new people with
not so complete ideas left Armenia for the United States. Most of the
social and information “rubbish” of Armenia has littered the United
States as well. There are not only individuals but organized groups
preaching archaic and at the same time conformist ideas reflecting
the moods of socially miserable and politically degenerative layers
of the population of Armenia.
Therefore, it is highly important not to give away the new generation
of Armenians in the United States to demagogic attitudes. New
Armenian organizations are established in the United States which are
distinguished by a realistic political thinking rather than a local
one, and are ready for integration with the American political life.
No doubt Policy Forum Armenia () is one
of them which has already introduced itself as a representative of
pragmatic idealism capable of a definite independent policy aimed at
integration of the interests of historical homeland with the U.S.
global politics. Policy Forum Armenia has already organized the second
seminar devoted to issues of NATO-Armenia cooperation together with
the Atlantic Council.
The first seminar was held in May 2013 which marked the start of
development of this political concept. The second seminar held on 2
July 2014 was an important stage of spreading the ideas, understanding
the realities, forming material for political concepts on Armenia.
The team of Policy Forum Armenia has done a great job both organizing
the seminar and preparing a big presentation on the new regional role
of Armenia which will be published soon. I am pleased to say that
there is a team that can set complicated tasks and offer solutions at a
professional level and substantially, which is of crucial importance
given the reluctance of the government of Yerevan to conduct an
independent foreign policy.
The team of the Forum are mostly Armenians who got an education in
Armenia or the best universities of the United States. The Forum has
set up a lot of different contacts with the American establishment,
international organizations and think tanks and institutes.
The management of the Forum believes that Armenia can conduct a
genuinely independent policy if it has the will. The road to this
runs across development of relations with NATO. As the international
isolation of Armenia grows, cooperation with the West may help Armenia
ensure its security. Transatlantic relations, NATO’s new partnership
concept allow considering Armenia as a partner and country which
enjoys the geopolitical interest of the Euro-Atlantic community,
primarily the United States.
Policy Forum Armenia, doing policy research on the economy and social
processes in Armenia, thinks that the topic NATO-Armenia will remain
its priority. At the same time, the seminar in July had a broader
range of issues and was officially entitled “Armenia and the West:
A New Vision for the Caucasus?”. This indicates that the Forum is
considering activities in several directions relating to the problems
of the region and beyond the region of the Black Sea and the Caucasus.
This is the new dimension of Policy Forum Armenia.
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