From December 13-14, scientists, clergymen and representatives of pan-Armenian organizations from Armenia and the Diaspora participated in a roundtable discussion with the title “Dynamic World, Changing Diaspora”. The discussion was held by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

In her opening remarks, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan presented the demographic image in the rapidly changing, globalizing world and the key issues facing the established Diasporas of different nations, particularly the Armenian Diaspora. The minister also mentioned that the policy on the Diaspora in the dynamic world has started becoming of ultranational significance, several international organizations have started getting involved in the key issues facing Diasporas, and in that context, the consolidation of the potential of the entire nation, the coordination of activities carried out for preservation of the Armenian identity and the promotion of “Hayadardzutyun” (bringing Armenians back to their roots), as well as the perfection of the ways and directions of partnership have become a necessity. The minister also presented the key issues of revising the mechanisms for the activities of communities aimed at solving the issues on the pan-national agenda.

Representatives of different regions of the Diaspora, Diaspora experts and representatives of different circles of Diaspora-related sciences expressed their views, positions and shared their experience in regard to questions related to the changing Diaspora.

Among the representatives were Editor-in-Chief of California Courier Weekly Harut Sassounian, Head of the Diaspora and Genocide Studies Center at the University of Bokhum Mihran Dabagh, Editor-in-Chief of Lebanon’s Aztag Daily Shahan Kantaharian, President of the Public Council of Armenia Vazgen Manukyan, head of the divan of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia Khachik Dedeyan, U.S.-Armenian lawyer Garabed Kamarian, Representative of the ARF-D South America Central Committee Khatchik Der-Ghoukassian, member of the AGBU Central Board Vasken Yacoubian, Rector of the University of Culture, Arts and Tourism of Crimea Oleg Gabrielyan, Director of the Drastamat Kanayan Institute for National and Strategic Studies at the RA Ministry of Defense Hayk Kotanjyan, scientific worker of the Oriental Studies Division at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich Talin Sudjian, scientific worker at the University of Pennsylvania Shushanik Makaryan, Diaspora expert Edward Melkonyan, as well as several other experts and scientists who are involved in Diaspora-related issues in Armenia and the Diaspora.

The participants of the discussion presented the current theories related to the issues facing the Diaspora, the tendencies and their programs. The participants held important discussions on the youth preserving the memory of the past, reinforcement of awareness of the national identity, homeland cognition, involvement in pan-national initiatives, preservation of the Armenian language, issues related to culture and education in the communities and particularly the actions to be taken ahead of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.The roundtable discussion was an assembly for open and free discussions. Summing up the results, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan attached great importance to the role that such debates and discussions play in the development of Diaspora studies, the cognition between Armenian and the Diaspora and the development of new mechanisms. The minister underlined the importance of consolidating the potential of the Diaspora and using resources in a way that will be mutually beneficial, including in the public and private sectors of Armenia, as well as the need to engage Diaspora Armenian professionals in public administration. Minister Hranush Hakobyan assured that the participants’ suggestions would be studied and would be used for the modernization of the Armenia-Diaspora partnership and for reforms in the policy on the Diaspora.