“Diaspora” Summer School Program is a milestone for preservation of the Armenian identity

The RA Ministry of Diaspora launched the “Diaspora” Summer School Program, which is one of the major programs of the ministry. Launched in 2012, this program has come a long way and has become one of the key milestones, without which it is impossible to picture the relations between Armenia and the Diaspora. One of the key objectives of the ministry is preservation of the Armenian identity, reinforcement of an attitude toward the native language and national values in the Diaspora and supremacy of the Armenian language in Armenian families, and the concept paper for the “Diaspora” Summer School Program is hinged on these key objectives and helps make schools popular and helps bring together many people and establish new contacts.

 

All the programs carried out by the Ministry of Diaspora also fall in line with the national and international educational programs. The ministry does everything possible to make sure young Diaspora Armenians not only stay attached to their roots, but also participate in the reforms taking place in different spheres around the world and integrate into society. With that purpose, this year the ministry created several programs by the imperatives of the time, and among those programs are the following: Training for Teachers of Armenian Schools in the Diaspora, Course for Diaspora Armenian Journalists, School for Young Diaspora Armenian Leaders, Accelerated Armenian Language Courses (Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian) and Training Course for Armenian Singing Teachers and Dance Instructors. This year, there will also be a Training Course for Representatives and Workers of Armenian Community Organizations of the Diaspora.

Each program falls in line with the principles of education in an attempt to provide as much information to Diaspora Armenian youth as possible. Each young Diaspora Armenian perceives the land of its ancestors not only emotionally, but also in practice, understanding and appreciating the efforts that the ministry is making. The training of Diaspora Armenian teachers lies at the core of these courses. Unlike the 1960s and 1970s, Armenian schools abroad weren’t in good condition. Whereas the strong foundations for Armenian education have been laid in the Near East where Armenian communities are gradually deteriorating due to wars and many people are leaving their communities, there are several problems in the new Diaspora. Many countries don’t have laws on organizing the education of ethnic minorities, daily schools are becoming rare and are giving way to Sunday schools that obviously can’t provide students with the knowledge that that is necessary for national education. Therefore, the summer school program offers new and unique programs and methodology tha will help ensure Armenian education in Sunday schools and help make sure that the Armenian language is spoken in the Armenian environment.

Today, we are all concerned about preservation of the native language. Many of our compatriots living in the Diaspora regret to say that Armenians are losing the language, Armenian is not spoken in newly formed families that have been formed through mixed marriages, and the Armenian language is at risk of elimination in the Armenian communities of Central Asia and Kazakhstan where there aren’t even Sunday schools, and those that exist, simply disband. So, everyone needs to be concerned and make efforts. The summer school program lies at the core of those concerns and already instills hope that the participants of the courses will work hard in their respective communities and will preserve the Armenian language.

Levon Mutafyan

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