If I try to define what we, Armenian people lack, then I would mention the lack of healthy traditions of working, business relations among many other disadvantages. These traditions are not conditioned by nationality, educational status or “western” origin. Here, in a small stall in Yerevan an Aleppo-Armenian cook, who makes snacks, manifests a positive example of that culture just like a professor arrived from Harvard. What is the similarity between them? Perhaps the fact that they are trying to overcome their own “ego” and even if they have some controversy with anyone, in any case, they are able to move relations to a “dry” business field. I suppose that culture is a result of long-term and normal market relations.
Here, it does not work, since the approaches in our country are more “boyish”, and “fuming”. Pashinyan tried to solve his conflict with Geghamyan through such approaches, so did Geghamyan too, and as a result, they will remain not just political adversaries but “enemies” for a long time, if not forever. Is a dialogue between them possible? I highly doubt. It is hampered by many things, including lack of dialogue culture, a culture, which is simply impossible under excessively strongly expressed “ego” conditions.
The term “dialogue” has been often repeated by presidential candidate Armen Sargsyan within the last month. Dialogue between different parties, different layers of society, between Armenia and the Diaspora. If the goal is to make conflicts with each other in a “boyish”, “fuming” manner, then no dialogue will take place. Moreover, if the goal is to prove their rightfulness at any cost and say “the last word” in dispute, then nothing can be done either. According to the new Constitution, one of the President’s main functions, as far as I understand, is to create conditions for such dialogues. The President does not represent any party, any political flow, any external orientation, and due to that, he has the opportunity to “keep the door for communicating to everyone open”, regardless of the fact that many people benefit from “shouting” the door at any second.
I cannot tell whether Armen Sargsyan will manage that or not. But some hope is that he represents the culture on which I was speaking earlier. The style of communicating with MPs yesterday seems to confirm that.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
