There are social movements, which are based on healthy, pure ideas and such movements, regardless of their orientation, arouse respect among people. The actions of the young environmentalists are like those. Certainly, the guarantee of success is being far from political struggle, i.e. struggle for power. I don’t know how legal building boutiques or cafes in Mashtots Park is, because both the environmentalists and the city hall present a pile of documents, the content of which only lawyers can understand. I know two other things: 1. There is no lack of boutiques and cafes in the center of Yerevan; 2. Construction in the center of the European cities is forbidden. If there had been such youth groups 10-15 years ago, I suppose the vicinity of Opera and Circle Park wouldn’t have been “covered” with cafes, at the expense of the green zone. However, better late than never – the society should support such movements. But in my opinion, it must support this movement, until one of those youths wants to become an MP, join some party or establish his.
I am sorry about the fact that the group, We are Against Foreign Schools, did not develop further. Although foreign schools have not been massively opened, that group could have played a certain role in terms of paying proper attention to the serious problems of our official language. Otherwise, the majority of our children will write “դզ” instead of “ձ” soon, since they communicate in transliteration (Latin alphabet) on the internet and are used to writing the given consonant with those symbols. Our children will be sure in the near future that people should communicate with each other in the “mafia” language of TV series, because there is no other language and accordingly other mentality and psychology. Perhaps those problems would seem secondary to some people, but I am convinced that if we don’t become part of the modern civilization with our language and culture (in the broad sense of that word), we will not differ from former residents of Armenia who play backgammon and cook barbecues in Glendale at all and in that instance, our children and grandchildren will not care whether we live here, in Armenia, or in plywood houses of Glendale, regardless of social conditions here and there.
The movement, Against Election Bribe, may have some prospect, as a movement aiming at arousing civic consciousness among people. However, it will work, only if no force having political and power ambitions interferes with this movement.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
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