Just think a small Armenian community living in one of the US cities that cannot send a bug assistance to Armenia to organize such a thing. The responsible persons of the community are going to local US newspaper, radio or television editorial and say, “Would you like to send a journalist to Armenia on business for a few days? We will take care of the expenses.” Two weeks ago, I was attending the 8th Pan-Armenian Conference of Journalists organized by the Ministry of Diaspora in Armenia during which Minister Hranush Hakobyan suggested this idea. Indeed, many useful it would be for our homeland if every Diaspora community once a year would be able to send a local journalist to Armenia. Here are the result and consequence of this multiplication.
There are things that can be done with a small budget and get a great result. As long as the possibilities are always limited, we both in the homeland and abroad should think about such ideas that will quickly strengthen our economy and army with small funds and improve the human qualities of the society. This cost of this idea is not big. We are talking about 2000-3000 US dollars (if the journalist arrives from the US) that will cover the travel expense and accommodation. The foreign journalist arrives in Armenia with the financial aid of local community to write down his impressions about our country in the press. A special employee of the Ministry of Diaspora meets him at the airport and spends these few days with him.
In the meantime, this foreign journalist is closely getting acquainted with the Armenian cuisine, sights, and meets with progressive-mind officials and also travels to Artsakh. And all this is confirmed daily with the best achievements of the Armenian cuisine. In short, this journalist is having the breathtaking experienced in the most positive sense of the word. What should he write about our country when he returns and how many tourists and potential investing will these articles bring to our country if more and more Diaspora communities help our homeland in this way?
This journalist will return and most likely will write an article. a. about Armenia, b. about the Armenian cuisine, c. about sightseeing and tourism, d. about Artsakh what he will hear and see, e. about the economy of Armenia. These local newspapers have hundreds of thousands and millions of readers. Imagine how many potential tourists will visit Armenia after reading these articles. Two days ago, in the Armenian community in Atlanta, I was excitedly telling about my recent visit to Armenia and about the great changes taking place in our country. People’s enthusiasm was so great that some people immediately asked to make a group with the community and visits Armenia. “It is my homeland, and I am eager to see it,” said a woman. The other one seeing how our country has advanced in IT industry, a mother and a daughter (from IT industry) said, let’s go to work in Armenia for a few years and later we will see. The average tourist who spends one week in the country is spending more than 1000 USD a week in modest calculations. A thousand tourists will spend at least USD 1 000 000 in our country. These people perhaps will come back to our country. The articles printed in foreign newspapers in foreign languages will also attract the attention of local investors who are always looking for new opportunities for investment. This is just a small business of one community for the homeland. “We will take care of the expenses if you send a journalist to Armenia for 5 days,” the community responsible will say to the local editor. And can you imagine a thousand our communities in Diaspora send one such journalist to Armenia every year from every corner of the world? Can you imagine what effect it will have for our country?
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ARMEN HAREYAN
Very good idea!!!
Another good idea – national tax
Each armenian from diaspora saves 1 dollar ( or one unit of their national currency) every day of the month including children who should learn to support and give to their motherland a small coin saved when they (children) decide instead of buying a sweet that ruins their teeth and their general health – decide to put these small coins into a coca cola tin and by the end of the month when they go to the Church for prayers they should present these tins to one responsible person to be sent to Their Motnerland and to Artsakh as for example children of Artsakh have sweets once a year or so because of the war and poverty in the villages of Artsakh
At the end of the month the responsible person in each town or city or region or suburb should send the coins collected by children and supporting adults to Armenia even there should be a separate account for national tax opened by the Ministry of Diaspora which should publish all the expenses each month so that everyone knows that their sacrifition was not in vain.