Coming out of the “miserable” emotional state
On 11 October, the opening of the UWC Dilijan College was a somewhat unnoticed for the media and, consequently, for the public. I read something stupid somewhere that the school is associated with the sects. I am surprised at what may occur to people’s mind. In other places, there was a lot of criticism addressed to the President of Armenia of why he has said that he would wish to see Azeri students attending this college. (Although, I think that Serzh Sargsyan is absolutely right in this case. Azerbaijani students’ studying in this college would only increase the rating of our country). This was all that was “remembered” from the news feed dedicated to the opening ceremony of the Dilijan International School.
Why was this news feed, to put it mildly, so poor? The reasons, I think, are two of them. Moscow-based businessman and benefactor Ruben Vardanyan, being the driving force behind this idea, creates a rather “bureaucratic” atmosphere around his initiatives: free contact with the media and discussion of acute issues are limited. To inspire people with some ideas, a “sterile” paid advertising is not enough. Secondly, very few now will “dare” saying that good things also happen in Armenia, immediately, they will attach the label of “government’s servicing”.
While the event was truly gratifying and encouraging. UWC (United World Colleges) educational system is the most advanced in the world, and Armenia is among the 14 countries where such colleges are opened. I will list these countries: Canada, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Norway, Singapore, Swaziland, USA, UK, Germany, Costa Rica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Netherlands. As you can see, these are mostly major countries. It’s wonderful that almost 100 children from several dozen countries are enrolled in this college opened in the first country of the post-Soviet territory.
It’s bad that we are not encouraged by this. Why is it so? The answer is given by Ruben Vardanyan himself in his article written in “Russian Pioneer” magazine. “The two key tasks of our society, he wrote, is the short planning horizon and the small trust radius. These tasks are interrelated to each other. The point is that those who are confident in their strength can think about the distant future. Self-confidence is born from the faith for yourself, those around you, and the world. I think you can teach people to dream, teaching them to trust each other more.” While we are talking about the Russian society, I think that this reasoning is absolutely applicable for us, too.
Routine and everyday level of thinking is approximately as follows: “What international school? What investments for the future? Let me pass this day and see what comes tomorrow. This poor people needed for only this international school. Should he have money, let him pay the gas fee for these people.” Unfortunately, our political forces have not gone away from this type of mindset and this type of “charities”. In the same article, Vardanyan actually offers each of us to be cut off from everyday troubles for a moment and think about what we are dreaming of. I thought too. I wish Armenians come out of this “miserable” and self-pity emotional situation. Therefore, they need (let it not sound high) be infected with the dream for the future. Now, I am writing these things and thinking that someone might suspect me that I’m advertising something in a biased form. As a matter of fact, there is a strong deficit of trust in our society.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
