By Kayz MINASYAN
Doctor of the Political science
Paris
The Diaspora provides to Nagorno Karabakh all support for the sake of security of the whole Armenianhood in the current globalizing world. The relations, established between the Diaspora and Artsakh, have been displaying their force in the confrontation with Azerbaijan for more than 20 years. They started in almost totally destroyed country, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, maps have been changed since then: the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is an irreversible reality, the USSR does not exist and the globalization made the distances shorter. We are entering the absolutely new world, in which even an insignificant event, thanks to the new technologies of information exchange, gets a global resonance as soon as it is translated into English.
20 years after the collapse of the USSR and in connection with the 20th anniversary of the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, we can single out three main trends of the ties between Artsakh and Diaspora.
Promotion of the recognition of the NKR independence
Diaspora has all possibilities to make such statements that Armenia and Artsakh cannot let themselves diplomatically on the international level. Armenians in the Diaspora are citizens of France, USA and are free in expressing their views and actions. The issue of recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic should be the main point among the priorities of the Diaspora. We mean the security of Artsakh and population, living there, who have become an obstacle on the way of the Turkish-Azerbaijani threat. It is just by that reason that the NKR leaders should more frequently visit foreign countries, in particular, France, the United States and other Western countries, where elections are expected. The NKR President, Prime-Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs should become recognized persons of the not-recognized country in the non-Armenian world.
It would be useful to hold forums on exchanging and summarizing the information about the peace process at place. We mean discussing the cases of violation of the cease-fire regime, the threats, coming from Azerbaijan and Turkey, and other issues. All in all, Armenians, including the representatives of the NKR authorities, are able and obliged to use modern information spreading technologies (video-materials, chats, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc) to promote their goals.
Condemnation of Azerbaijan’s policy on the international level
The enemy of the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians is not the Azerbaijani people. Our enemy is the racism, intolerance and the Armenophobia of the Azerbaijani regime and the Aliyevs dynasty. How can Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh obey to the Azerbaijani regime, if the dictatorship reigns there and the Armenophobia is literally being spread by the country? It is unacceptable. Azerbaijan enjoys quite a bad reputation in the world. The lust for power and violence against the human rights have become known thanks to NGOs, specialized in the protection of freedoms of the society and individuals. Armenians in Diaspora can join the process of international condemnation of Azerbaijan. There is no any difference between Ben Ali in Tunis and Ben Ali in Azerbaijan. They both are dictators. Relations should be shaped in the atmosphere of democracy and while opinions are respected. How can Armenians make statements about intolerance of Azerbaijan, if they do not serve to democracy and freedom of speech?
Contribution in implementing the economical, social and cultural programs
Eventually, Armenians from the Diaspora can more actively engaged themselves into various projects in Nagorno Karabakh, related to the economical, social, cultural tasks, protection of the environment. Armenians should think how find funds, required for the continuation of the economical and social rehabilitation of the NKR. It is necessary to take into account that the capital city Stepanakert can use the potential of the South of Armenia and the North of Iran for its development: Goris, Kapan and Sisian are situated closer to Stepanakert, than to Yerevan.
In the cultural sense it is necessary to use the practice of the Armenian and foreign twin-towns: the experience of the Alfortville-Artashat can be spread to Shushi, Martakert and other towns.
Why do not we use the experience of the twin-towns to establish ties between schools in Karabakh and Diaspora: summer camps, change of letters. Why do not carry out the Erasmus Project in the Armenian format, calling it, for example, Mashtots or Charents? Inter-school ties are the best way, guaranteeing and developing the acquisition of knowledge.
Such projects can be carried out in the social sphere by means of creation of joint insurance companies. It is also possible to create industrial and trade chambers in the economic sphere to contribute to attraction of foreign investments, reinforced by the national solidarity.
Tours can be worked out for young people from Diaspora to visit Karabakh, As for the NKr authorities, they could care for their night lodging in Karabakh and provide jobs in restoration of infrastructures.
What is the use of the songs and waving the flag around the bonfire, if we do not use the potential of the youth exchange between Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora to build the future of Armenians and the state?
