Address of RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan at the Fifth Conference of Writers of Armenian Origin Composing in Other Languages

Dear writers, compatriots,

I welcome you to the Fifth Conference of Writers of Armenian Origin Composing in Armenian and wish the conference success.

This joint program organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora and the Union of Writers of Armenia is called for contributing to the consolidation of the potential of Armenian writers composing in other languages, making Armenian literature in other languages popular and strengthening the bonds between Armenian writers and the Homeland. I hope the conference will help the writers come up with new ideas and inspire them to create and will contribute to the cooperation between writers in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.

“Globalization and National Identity”-the title of the conference completely expresses the current most significant challenges facing Armenians, and that is the imperative to preserve the national identity in an era of globalization. The discussion on issues related to the Armenian identity is very current and important today since two-thirds of our nation lives abroad and bears the influence of different languages, cultures and civilizations. Thus, the Armenian identity undergoes certain changes. A large part of Armenians living in environments with foreign cultures and civilizations struggle to not lose their national “ego”.

I would like to mention that most of the programs carried out by the RA Ministry of Diaspora are aimed at preserving and developing the national identity in the Armenian Diaspora. Today, it is safe to say that thousands of Diaspora Armenian youth have already responded actively to and have shown active participation in the ministry’s educational programs and the programs for recognition of the homeland. The organizing of programs for providing Diaspora Armenian youth with knowledge of the Armenian language is also important.

Indeed, Armenian writers also play a huge role in preserving and developing the Armenian identity. In all times, Armenian writers have been the patriotic Armenians with a great influence on social life and the pioneers in the struggle for preservation of Armenian culture and the type of Armenians. In this era of materialism, you create literary values, that is, literature in other languages, which bears within it the air and spirit of Armenian literature. The source of our literature is the same, regardless of the language. Both come from the Armenian people, its history, traditions and memories of the past. Both represent the potential of Armenian writers. You, Armenian writers composing in other languages, let the world know about the type of Armenians, their psychology, system of values, issues of national concern, their pain, struggle and, of course, their victories.

You have your readers and can raise your voices about our issues of national concern directly or indirectly in order to try to make your contribution to the solution to those issues. Most of you draw the attention of foreign readers and, why not, all readers to the Armenian Genocide and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

I ask you and urge you to stand united as one in raising your voices about issues of national concern. I am certain that most of you will create literary works presenting that crime against humanity as we approach the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

I express gratitude to you all for participating in the conference and wish you success and interesting discussions.

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