“From Armenia 2020 to Armenia 2041”: Outlining the Way to the Future Armenian
Co-Initiators of Armenia 2020 presented about 700 programs implemented in the last twenty years and outlined the way to Armenia 2041
September 20, 2021, Yerevan. On September 19, a meeting-discussion entitled “From Armenia 2020 to Armenia 2041” took place in Yerevan, during which Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan, Co-Initiators of Armenia 2020 and The FUTURE ARMENIAN summarized the programs implemented with their partners in the Armenian world in the last 20 years and outlined their vision for Armenia 2041.
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At the beginning of the event, about 700 programs implemented in Armenia and the Armenian world in the last 20 years (from 2000 to2020) in education, science, technology, humanitarianism, cultural heritage preservation, environment, healthcare, economy, and tourism were presented retrospectively.
“In the last 20 years, we have been trying to achieve changes by setting 2020 as a goal to build a more attractive, prosperous, stable, and self-sufficient country. I think there is a consensus that we really need to find inspiration and energy to do what we need to do. In my opinion, all Armenians should become Armenians by choice and commit themselves to build the future of Armenia. Let us define the Armenian as something we all strive to be. We need to rebuild this network, and we need to believe in our future for the sake of today’s 5-year-old kids”, said Noubar Afeyan, Co-Initiator of The FUTURE ARMENIAN.
Conversations about the future were based on the “Armenia 2041” report prepared in cooperation with McKinsey & Company global management consulting firm.
“We have registered 6% GDP growth in Armenia annually. Unfortunately, this growth is not stable, as it is mostly based on consumer loans and public debt. There has been a productivity improvement, but it is not big enough for us to become an exporting country. In terms of foreign investment, there is also great potential to make improvements. In conclusion, we can be proud of our achievements but, at the same time, there is great potential to move forward,” said Andre Andonian, Managing Partner of McKinsey Korea and Senior Partner at McKinsey Seoul.
The McKinsey and Armenia 2041 teams presented the most noteworthy data on the five priority sectors of the economy (agriculture, high-tech, healthcare, education, tourism) and outlined the prospects for the development of each sector.
“Today we live in a unique moment, and it is time to make serious decisions. That is why we initiated The FUTURE ARMENIAN. I think apathy, not being interested in the future, will kill the Armenian people. At the same time, this crisis provides a good opportunity to achieve change. One of our goals is to bring 50,000 families to Armenia who will say that they want to build a new Armenia with Armenians”, said Ruben Vardanyan, Co-Initiator of The FUTURE ARMENIAN.
The event was summed up with the Q&A session with the participants. The event was attended by members of the RA Government, Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, representatives of the Diaspora, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, donors, partners, and beneficiaries of various programs.
There were also separate pavilions at the entrance, were set up to represent the major projects initiated in the past 20 years: Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Tourism and Urbanism Foundation (Tatev Revival Program, Dilijan Development Program, Gyumri Development Program), UWC Dilijan College, UWC National Committee of Armenia, and Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST).