Category: News

A scene from the hearing of parliament commission on human rights on Sept. 23

A parliament committee hearing on Wednesday to discuss the socioeconomic and other challenges facing displaced Artsakh Armenians turned into a show of anger by lawmakers from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party and other government officials, who stormed out of the meeting angered at the presence of Artsakh Armenians.

The hearing, which was initiated by opposition Armenia Alliance lawmaker Lilit Galsyan, who chairs the parliament’s committee on human rights, also included the participation of international legal experts and members of Artsakh’s parliament.

When Galstyan presented the “representatives of Artsakh’s parliament,” the pro-Pashinyan Civil Contract lawmakers and other government officials walked out of the meeting, which was already in session for 30 minutes.

Mariam Poghosyan, a Civil Contract lawmaker later told reporters that Galstyan’s description of the Artsakh Armenians attending the hearing countered the government policy as put forth by Pashinyan.

Poghosyan said at the hearing that the government will not tolerate the existence of “a second state” in Armenia, echoing Pashinyan’s often angry position at the mention of the word Artsakh.

Arega Hovsepyan, an Artsakh Armenian who is currently an opposition lawmaker, countered Poghosyan’s assertions.

“Just a few years ago, you visited Artsakh and held meetings at its National Assembly,” Hovsepyan said, addressing the pro-Pashinyan hearing attendees.

“Some of you sat at dinner tables and raised toasts there. Do not forget the past … Some time later, you will not be in power. So make sure you won’t be too embarrassed to walk on the streets,” she added, according to Azatutyun.am.

Ara Ghazaryan, an expert on international law also present at the hearing, likened the walkout to Azerbaijani officials’ behavior during international court cases related to the Karabakh conflict.

“I have been involved in legal proceedings against Azerbaijan for 16 years” said Ghazarian.

“From the very first cases, Azerbaijan demanded that the European Court [of Human Rights] not use the Armenian names or documents from state and public bodies of Artsakh. From the outset, the European Court rejected these demands … The European Court has even recognized decisions of Artsakh courts as legitimate acts and issued rulings based on them,” he added.

“I’ll root you out,” Pashinyan lashed out at an Artsakh Armenian during an election campaign stop in May. “Don’t you dare to say that there is an Artsakh National Assembly or a government in Armenia,” he added angrily. I’ll root out all of you.”

Artur Khachatryan, the secretary of the Armenian Alliance, was the first to speak at the hearing. He emphasized that, pending the realization of the right to return of Artsakh Armenians, they must live in decent conditions in Armenia. To this end, he said, the primary issue remains proper housing.

Artak Beglaryan, Artsakh’s former state minister who currently heads the Union of Artsakh, also singled out the housing issue among a number of other concerns.

He noted that the situation deteriorated drastically when the state ceased providing rent subsidies. According to him, the poverty rate among the people of Artsakh stands at 60 to 70 percent, and an equal proportion of the able-bodied population is unemployed.

Beglaryan specifically highlighted the issue of hate speech and expressions directed at the people of Artsakh, noting that this matter requires state attention rather than officials themselves propagating hate speech. He accused law enforcement agencies of acting selectively regarding this issue.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the timeframes for obtaining citizenship, Beglaryan noted that applications submitted in January were approved only in July or August. While acknowledging the issue of the authorized body’s heavy workload, he emphasized that the state must take adequate measures, as acquiring citizenship is directly linked to the issue of securing housing.

For his part, Armenian Alliance lawmaker Gegham Manukyan pointed out that while 8,000 people have received certificates for housing to date, only half of them—4,000—have actually utilized them.

According to him, integration within the general education sector has proceeded smoothly. However, he said, the situation is not quite as promising regarding higher education.

Galstyan, the parliamentary committee chair, emphasized that the issues facing the people of Artsakh are so serious, deep-rooted, and widespread that they require daily attention and resolution.

“Today, in the National Assembly, we will discuss a wide range of issues that are vital to our people—issues concerning the social, economic, and legal challenges that the Armenians of Artsakh are facing in Armenia today.”

“As a result of the sustained aggression and genocidal acts perpetrated by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh, our compatriots were subjected to and ethnic cleansing nearly three years ago; 120,000 of our compatriots were forced to abandon their ancestral homeland—where they had lived for millennia—and seek refuge in the motherland. Naturally, this forced displacement gave rise to a multitude of humanitarian, legal, social, economic, cultural, and psychological issues—problems that are numerous and multifaceted,” she detailed.

Galstyan emphasized that, despite the many challenges, the people of Artsakh continue to survive today.

“Over the past three years, these issues have not been properly assessed, analyzed, or evaluated,” she stressed.

For a community searching for answers to declining Armenian church attendance, better information will feel like manna from heaven.

Armenian churches face a difficult generational challenge. Khachkar Studios’ research has focused attention on low non-holiday weekly attendance, limited participation among important demographic groups, and a need for substantially greater transparency around the activities intended to reverse those trends.

Only 7 of every 1,000 young Armenian-American women are attending an Armenian church on a typical non-holiday Sunday. That leaves 993 of 1,000 outside the pews.

Without major change, America will become home to Armenian church buildings without a next generation of Armenian Faithful to fill them. The numbers say the time for major change is now, not 10 or 20 years from now.

The question is no longer simply whether the challenge exists.

The question is what to do about it.

Khachkar Studios research clearly shows that one answer begins with radical transparency: measure the most important indicators of Armenian church revitalization every week and make those numbers available for leaders and communities to learn from.

Transparency, however, is only the beginning.

Khachkar Studios calls its framework T•A•P – Transparency, Accountability, and Performance.

Transparency shows what is happening.

Accountability asks who is responsible for improving it.

Performance measures whether the work is producing results.

Together, the three principles create a management framework designed to replace assumptions with evidence and complacency with continuous improvement.

Consider something as basic as outreach. An Armenian church may sincerely believe it is reaching its community. Weekly measurement can ask more precise questions: How many off-site outreach visits actually occurred? How many invitations were extended? How many people engaged with church messages? How many subsequently attended?

The answers can be uncomfortable. They can also be liberating.

When performance is visible, a disappointing week is not a verdict. It is information. Leaders can identify what did not work, change course, and measure again the following week. Likewise, when an initiative produces exceptional results, the community can recognize it quickly and attempt to replicate it.

There is also a deeply Biblical dimension to stewardship. Armenian churches are entrusted with people, financial resources, institutions, traditions, and opportunities to spread the Good News. Measuring whether those resources are being used effectively does not conflict with faith. It can demonstrate respect for the responsibility that accompanies them.

Khachkar Studios’ weekly T•A•P initiative therefore represents more than another set of numbers.

It shows that declining attendance is not destiny.

For Armenian communities that have spent decades wondering what can reverse that decline, transparent weekly evidence of what works will indeed seem like manna from heaven.

Speaking truth to power, Biblically inspired, world-class benchmarking and management excellence bring Transparency, Accountability, and Performance (T•A•P) to a power structure that has failed Armenian Christians for generations.

Author David Karamian will discuss his new book, “Eternal Armenia: Khatchkars-The CrossStones of Noratus,” at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 9, in the Grosse Industrial Technology Building, Room 101 (2255 E. Barstow Ave.) on the Fresno State campus. The lecture is The Grace and Paul Shahinian Armenian Christian Art and Culture Lecture of the Armenian Studies Program.

The culmination of nearly three years of photography, research, writing, and design, the 264-page large-format bilingual English-Armenian volume features nearly 200 photographs, including expansive panoramic views of the cemetery, intimate studies of individual khatchkars, carved grave monuments, and the landscape in which these centuries-old stones have endured. Noratus is home to the world’s largest surviving collection of Armenian khatchkars, or cross-stones –intricately carved monuments that embody centuries of Armenian Christian faith, artistry, memory, and craftsmanship. Yet despite its extraordinary significance, Noratus remains surprisingly unfamiliar to many people, including within the Armenian Diaspora.

The book combines photography with historical and cultural narrative. It examines the development of Christianity in Armenia, the origins and evolution of the khatchkar, the symbolism and visual language carved into the stones, the master artisans who created them, and the graves and human stories found throughout the cemetery.

David Karamian is an Armenian-American photographer, author, designer, and publisher whose work focuses on documenting and presenting Armenian history, culture, landscape, and heritage. Through photography, writing, publishing, and public presentations, his work seeks to connect audiences with Armenia while drawing attention to the importance of cultural preservation. He is the author and photographer of “Armenia – The Lone Stone,” and “Armenia – The Lone Stone, A Traveler’s Guide.”

Admission to the presentation is free and free parking is available in Fresno State Lot P23 or P20, near the Industrial Technology building. Parking permits are not required for Friday night presentations.

Copies of “Eternal Armenia: Khatchkars” will be on sale at the event.

For information about upcoming Armenian Studies Program presentations, follow the Facebook page, @ArmenianStudiesFresnoState or at the Program website.