On November 18, Yerevan State University launched the two-day conference entitled “The Issues of Contemporary Armenian”, which was organized by Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society and Yerevan State University.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan gave a speech in which she particularly mentioned the following:

“I commend the fact that the main university of Armenia is organizing this pan-Armenian event, especially an event dedicated to the Armenian language. I am pleased with the fact that Armenian scholars, experts and linguists have recently been paying quite serious attention to this issue. Just a couple of months ago, the RA Ministry of Diaspora and the Hrachya Atcharyan Institute of Language of the National Academy of Sciences organized a conference entitled “Issues of Convergence between Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian”. It is safe to say that some progress has been made in the relations between Armenia and the Diaspora after that conference, especially in the sense of research on issues related to Armenian language and literature. We have created working groups. Through studies, we are trying to develop relevant textbooks and materials and conduct research so that we can protect and preserve our golden Armenian language.

It is clear that the loss of the Armenian language means the loss of the Armenian identity. It is also clear that the loss of the linguistic mentality means the loss of the national mindset, which is the shortest path to assimilation. It is also clear that not only the nation, but also the native language was destroyed 100 years ago during the genocide. The native language was “cut” from the “cradle” of its normal growth and was “dispersed” across the globe in pieces.

Eastern Armenian developed normally because there was a school, textbooks and the ways of presenting the language were developed and the danger of Eastern Armenian was ruled out, but Western Armenian remained the worry of individuals, structures and organizations and was manifested in different ways in different corners of the globe.

However, linguistic issues have become more complicated due to the versatility of the Diaspora, the creation and sponsorship of educational institutions by various structures and organizations, as well as due to the various demands for and approaches to education and an Armenian upbringing.

I regret to mention that the UNESCO has classified Western Armenian as one of the definitely endangered languages. We, dear experts, Armenologists and linguists, need to sound the alarm that Western Armenian is our national asset and that protecting and preserving it is one of the key objectives of the Armenian State.

The following factors are impeding the preservation and development of Western Armenian:

-the administrative use of Western Armenian is more of a symbolic nature since Armenian institutions of the Diaspora often refer to bilingualism when carrying out their operations;

-the number of people reading materials in Western Armenian in Armenian communities is declining;

-young Armenians around the world view Western Armenian in religious rituals from the same perspective that they view classic Armenian, which is used during Holy Masses, but not for educational or practical purposes;

-the number of students attending Armenian schools is declining;

-Armenian schools are being closed down;

-teachers of the native language are aging, there is not enough replacements;

-there are no books or methodological handbooks for the teaching of the language;

-Armenia still hasn’t become a center for Armenian language instruction for the Diaspora;

-mixed marriages are on the rise;

-fewer youth are speaking in Armenian;

-Armenia is almost not spoken at home or during Armenian national events;

-demographic changes are not only making the Diaspora versatile, but are also creating an intricate image merely from the perspective of language-connections to foreign languages are disturbing the linguistic unity;

-in the sense of the community, there are more incentives that are helping change the language and mindset of the current generation, which is causing harm to preservation of the Armenian identity, including negativity towards the Homeland, subordination of Armenian and the Armenian culture, etc.

-different influences of the multicultural environment, society and psychology.

I am very pleased with the fact that the constitutional amendments, which touch upon the Armenian language three times, have been made public. In the existing Constitution, there is only one reference to the Armenian language, stating that Armenian is the official language. However, today, in this new document, in Articles 16 and 19 (related to science, education and culture), it is stated that it is the duty of the State to protect, preserve and develop the Armenian language as the official language. There is also a great focus on the language in the section devoted to the Diaspora where it is stated that the State must do everything it can to protect and preserve the Armenian language outside of the Homeland.

The RA Ministry of Diaspora has already undertaken and is carrying out several programs, including the following:

Attaching importance to protection of the language, the ministry has continuously set the key objective to “disseminate the Armenian language and raise the level of Armenian language proficiency of Armenian youth.”

The several programs that the ministry has been carrying out for years are aimed at contributing to preservation of the nation and the language in the Diaspora. Such programs are the “Diaspora” Summer School Program, the “Ari Tun” Program, the “Electronic Library” Program, the Western Armenian-Eastern Armenian Converter, the “Support to the Solution to the Educational and Cultural Issues of Armenian Communities in CIS countries” Program, the “Armenian Language TV School” Program, the “Trips of Teachers to Remote Areas” Program, the “Encouragement for Studies on Western Armenian” Program and other programs.

Therefore, this is our issue, dear scholars. This is not just the Diaspora’s issue because the Diaspora is not a collective state. It is composed of separate structures, organizations and individuals. Therefore, we need to stop thinking that we need to think about only one ramification of the Armenian language and develop only one ramification. Our objective must be to protect and preserve the Armenian language with its two ramifications.

Today, I believe we have two issues. The first issue is the purity and regulation of Eastern Armenian, which means the creation of a supreme council-something that has been stated several times already. I would like to see our academic community touch upon this issue once again. The second issue is the convergence between the two ramifications of the Armenian language. I believe we need to understand that we Armenians can’t demand others to preserve our language for us. So, let’s make demands for the Armenian language!

Let’s all make it mandatory to think that

1. It is our duty to preserve the Armenian language with its two ramifications, maintain the purity of our language and ensure the development of Armenian as a major factor for the maintenance of national unity and development of statehood.

2. With its ramifications (Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian), the Armenian language needs to continue to be the property of all Armenians around the world and needs to develop and be used commonly.

3. Western Armenian is our linguistic and cultural wealth, the inseparable part of our culture, and it always needs to be in the focus of the Armenian State and the entire nation.

4. Armenian is the official language in the Republic of Armenia, pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On language”. This means the Armenian language in its entirety, with its dialects and ramifications.

5. The Republic of Armenia is the main and major center for preservation of the Armenian identity and language and the development of Armenology. It is the place where the harmonious development of Armenology is one of the priorities of the State.

I would like to end my speech with the following words of poet George Byron: “Armenian is the language to speak with God.”