Director of the Diaspora Research Center at Haigazian University of Beirut Antranik Dakessian was recently in Armenia.

“Hayern Aysor”’s correspondent sat down for an interview with the Diaspora Armenian intellectual to discuss the study on Diaspora Armenian communities, issues in Armenology, as well as the flaws and future programs. During the interview, Dakessian also expressed his concerns and made suggestions.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mr. Dakessian, the last time you visited Armenia was in the spring when you took part in the conference entitled “Issues of the Armenian Identity in the 21^st Century”. What is the purpose of this visit?

Antranik Dakessian: The purpose of my visit to Armenia was to participate in the second conference devoted to Armenology during which there was also a conference devoted to the Armenian identity.

The previous conference devoted to the Armenian identity was organized by Yerevan State University and Haigazian University of Beirut. There was a plan to hold another conference, and that’s how it worked out.

I’m also in Armenia as the corresponding secretary for Haigazian’s Armenology journal. My goal was to compile materials for the journal’s 34^th volume.

I’m pleased to mention that I was able to compile good articles. There are great young Armenians who are willing to work with us.

I can’t say we are satisfied because one should never be satisfied with what he has obtained, but are content with the results.

Our initial goal was to show Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora in the Armenological journal, but unfortunately, we’re not able to present Javakhk for the time being. We view Armenology in a broad sense. It’s not just classic philology, but everything related to Armenians today. The Republic of Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk and the Armenian Diaspora must be in the focus of Armenologists.

“Hayern Aysor”:  Mr. Dakessian, if we were to draw conclusions from this conference, which stage of development would you say Armenology is currently in as a science?

A. D.: I wouldn’t like to discuss this because whatever I say will be incomplete, but I prefer to talk about another matter.

Armenology is a large and very extensive field, but there are few Armenologists or people involved in Armenian studies. Since there is no coordination of activities, sometimes we see two or three people working on the same project or more than one project. It’s a pity because there are areas that haven’t been touched upon. At the same time, there are areas that need to be revisited. The new research that is being conducted isn’t introducing new things.

Therefore, I would prefer to have a website where Armenologists could exchange information about their activities in order for us to know what they are doing and avoid duplication.

Collaboration will make our efforts more fruitful. I’m not referring to guidance at all.

There are so many areas that haven’t been visited, and there’s quite a lot to write about.

In regard to this, I would like to record that even though there were speeches devoted to Armenology in the United States and Europe, there was no speech devoted to Armenology in the Middle East, especially when volumes in Armenian are being published in the Middle East such as in Aleppo (which stopped being published due to reasons known to us all) and Beirut with the Haigazian and Hask Armenology journals. Unfortunately, there were no communities.

This is a problem for us. Armenology doesn’t just encompass Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk or this or that Diaspora Armenian community. Armenology must reflect the Armenian reality in its entirety.

I would like to repeat that we must use our potential the right way. We Armenians can’t consume a lot and get little.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mr. Dakessian, you expressed the concern about the lack of materials about Armenology in the Middle East during the previous Armenological conference. Nobody can deny that the Middle East is now considered the center for Armenian studies. Alongside this, perhaps nobody wants to be involved in Armenology.

A. D.: I don’t agree with that. First, the one and only Armenian university in the Armenian Diaspora is located in the Middle East, and that university must conduct research in the field of Armenology. Therefore, your question is unsubstantiated.

“Hayern Aysor”: In that case, why didn’t anybody touch upon Armenology in the Middle East?

A. D.: I don’t know. It’s probably because the efforts aren’t coordinated, but they know what we’re doing and that we present Haigazian’s Armenology journal in Armenia almost every year. The Matenadaran, the National Library of Armenia and the National Academy of Sciences have all our volumes. We are always in touch with Armenia and even have our representative here. Therefore, we have no explanation for the flaw. You should look for the answer to that question here.

Of course, I hope the flaw will be fixed and we’ll be able to solve the problem. We have large centers for Armenian studies like the Haigazian University where there are 450 Armenian students. We also have the Haigazian Journal of Armenian Studies, which has been publishing since 1970. We recently presented our 33^rd volume.

Two years ago, Haigazian University established the Armenian Diaspora Research Center, which is in collaboration with the Department for Diaspora Studies at Yerevan State University.

There shouldn’t be so much idleness.

True, we face certain difficulties in science in Beirut, but these centers have helped us start drafting scientists who are involved in Lebanese science and are linked to the Armenian reality in some way. We also help them reflect upon Armenian studies.

The Armenians have such a large presence in the Middle East that everything is Armenian in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.

Therefore, there is a tremendous amount of materials, but nobody is studying them. We’re making efforts. In regard to this, I would like to say that when conferences are organized in Armenia, we can send our scientists and researchers to participate in those conferences.

Let’s take advantage of that opportunity that will only be to the benefit of Armenology and the Armenian nation.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mr. Dakessian, what other flaws did you notice during this conference?

A. D.: I want to hope that this conference will be ongoing and that the organizational committee will work harder and achieve greater results.

I would like to see the establishment of a network of Armenologists that will allow every Armenologist to know what the other is working on and what the new releases are. We can’t do all that in Beirut. It’s a large task, and it’s obvious that the Republic of Armenia and the National Academy can’t do all that by themselves. There has to be a committee comprised of representatives from different countries.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mr. Dakessian, the RA Ministry of Diaspora has helped establish associations of Armenian lawyers, architects and journalists that coordinate the activities of the respective spheres. Perhaps there is a need for the establishment of such an association for Armenologists.

A. D.: We have to seriously think about this issue. We have to collaborate.

“Hayern Aysor”: You mentioned that there are many areas in Armenology that have not been visited. Which are those areas?

A. D.: For me, Diaspora research is an important area that hasn’t been visited. The Iraqi-Armenian community is a special issue of concern. If there’s no community, there’s no history and it would be impossible to write the history of that community. We have to save whatever we can.

Today, there are many communities that we don’t know anything about. For instance, what do we know about the Jordan-Armenian community? Who will conduct research on that community? If only three Armenians remain in Jordan in the future, how can we write the history of the Armenian community of Jordan? Writing the history of a community doesn’t mean recording that there have been Armenians in Jordan, they have established a school and have been involved in cultural activities. There are different sides to the issue. For instance, we can study how they have collaborated with the locals and what contributions they have made to the given country’s culture.

For example, the Arabs in Lebanon talk a lot about the Armenians’ contributions to Lebanon’s society, culture and economy. But who’s touching upon all that? The current generation of Armenians doesn’t know anything about that. What about the next generation? We have made a large contribution to Lebanon, and we have to show that. We’re only talking about it.

We have to collaborate and solve these very important problems.

This is the reason why Haigazian University established the Armenian Diaspora Research Center.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mr. Dakessian, I would like for you to give a brief presentation of the Center’s activities.

A. D.: The Center was established two years ago. Benefactor Yerjanik Samuelian provides the Center with some funding, and the Center carries out its activities with that.

One of the Center’s objectives is to create an archive since the culture of creating archives is not too developed. The Center is working with the National Library of Armenia.

We’re also trying to encourage all those (Armenian and non-Armenian) who are interested in studying the Armenian communities in the Middle East, and we do everything possible to support them.

We organize conferences devoted to different topics several times throughout the year.

Armenologists from the Republic of Armenia always attend our conferences. We’re currently trying to engage Armenologists from Artsakh as well.

“Hayern Aysor”: Mr. Dakessian, you also had a meeting with RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan. What did you discuss during the meeting?

A. D.: The Ministry of Diaspora is marking its 5^th anniversary, and we now have many expectations because we also have many needs (the needs of Armenians in general). We would like to see Armenians work harder.

It’s high time for us to differentiate between what’s temporary and what’s permanent. For example, let’s say I have seeds in my palm and have to scatter those seeds. First, I have to select the seeds. It’s not only about selecting the good ones, but selecting the types as well. Which will stay longer? Which will give more fruit? There has to be a trend to reach the maximum with a minimum amount because we have limited resources.

I believe the Ministry of Diaspora has worked efficiently in that regard. I would like for the Ministry of Diaspora to represent Diaspora Armenians more in the country.

For instance, if you read any newspaper in Armenia, you won’t find a lot of articles devoted to the Armenian Diaspora. But if you read any newspaper published in the Diaspora, you will always see articles devoted to Armenia. Diaspora Armenians know about Armenia, but Armenians in Armenia don’t know too much about the Diaspora. It’s clear that we Armenians can never get all the information about each other, but we Diaspora Armenians would like for the Armenians in Armenia to have the Diaspora on their minds as well.

Armenians are scattered across the globe. Therefore, we have to look at the Armenian reality in its entirety and not be limited to the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh or the Diaspora. That’s a tragic mistake.

First, I think the Ministry of Diaspora can also play an important role in terms of Western Armenian language. I talked about this with Minister Hranush Hakobyan. We have a long way to go, and I think it will be fruitful.

Our expectation would be to have a prompter to make sure that the Diaspora is totally involved whenever conferences are organized in Armenia, and perhaps the Ministry of Diaspora can be that “prompter”. Of course, I don’t know to what extent it is right or possible to enter the boundaries of “others” and try to solve this problem.

Interview by Lusine Abrahamyan