Yesterday, I had the privilege to attend “Shant” TV marathon. The goal of fundraising is to establish a “Tumo” center for children and teens in Gyumri. A fairly solid amount was collected for this good intention. But in this specific case, the money is not as important as the enthusiasm that prevailed in the pavilions of our “Horizon” TV station and Sevan Street.
The TV management marking its 20-year celebration has a feature which generally is not typical to the institutions of Armenia. The executives holding different levels are not pointing out their fingers and saying, “Do this” and “do that.” They were consolidating people and saying, “There is such an idea, let’s come together and do it.” And if there is a consensus on this issue, everyone, starting from the president of the TV Company, become the workers of this idea.
For this marathon, such an approach produces its results. There were people who made investments in the future of children, some – small, others – big. I would like specifically to mention the names of two people, about whom I am not inclined to have high opinion, but in this specific case, I cannot but welcome them. Former Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, about whom I have and still will write a lot of bad things, has donated 30,000 USD to “Tumo” Center. Despite everything, very good for him. Ara Abrahamyan has done the same. Again, as said by a Russian classic, “is not a hero of my novel.” Again, I am thankful to him for this.
Yesterday, I was once again felt a very important thing: to what results one can achieve by consolidating sincerely and unselfishly around any goal, forgetting all the other problems at the moment. Perhaps, Armenia mostly lacks in the positive approach to life. It has nothing to do with “government-opposition-change of regime-preservation of regime” theme. The fights occurred in the so-called “political elite”, the games and “bazaars”, of course, are very interesting and intriguing, but they are not particularly related to the reality. That reality is encouraging as much as we are capable to encouragement, and it is sad as much as we are engaged in self-intoxication.
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“Wow, everyone is leaving the country, wow, there was no one left.” Yes, it is sad, even a tragic fact. What have you done to stop people leaving? Have you created jobs? Have you said that Armenia is not so terrible country to stay in? Have you shown with your own example that one can live in our country without being an official, an oligarch, a villain, that there are usual, ordinary and decent people that continue doing good in this country by enduring the challenges?
Doesn’t this kind of thinking emerge from your interests? Well, then, keep grumbling.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
