The anticipation that had been building on May 8 turned into jubilant pandemonium on May 9. SHOUSHI WAS TRIUMPHANTLY LIBERATED.

The imperative to demonstrate collective strength as a nation to attain international recognition for the Armenian Genocide and advance our demands for reparations was highlighted last year in the editorial published in our annual Genocide Commemorative Issue.

The February 18 presidential elections this year coincided with an important milestone for the Armenian nation. Twenty five years earlier, almost to the day, hundreds of thousands Armenians took to the streets in Yerevan and Stepanakert to demand the reunification of Artsakh with Armenia and set in motion a series of events that can be attributed to the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of our modern-day Republic of Armenia.

Armenia turned 21 in 2012. By American standards, turning 21 is a milestone that signifies adulthood. It is at 21 that we shed our adolescence and take stock of our future.

Armenia marked the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of independence last year with an impressive military parade that showcased Armenia’s defense capabilities, as well as our nation’s Army—the guardians of our homeland.

The anticipation that had been building on May 8 turned into jubilant pandemonium on May 9. SHOUSHI WAS TRIUMPHANTLY LIBERATED.

The three years preceding the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide must be a time for the Armenian nation to redouble its efforts toward the realization of the Armenian Cause and the movement for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide must be equally coupled with the pursuit of justice and demands for reparations and restitution for the Genocide.

Not in a long time have the stakes been so high for Armenians both in Armenia and across key communities of the Diaspora, including the United States.

The 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of Armenia’s independence is an important milestone for the Armenian nation.

The people of Artsakh, on September 2, 1991, declared independence from the Soviet Union and became the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

What the 1918 Independence represents is more than just our nation’s resilience to, in the face of Genocide, liberate the Armenian people after centuries of imperial rule. The Independent Republic of 1918 is also the reason why there is a Republic of Armenia today for if it were not for the heroic determination of Armenians 93 years ago, Armenia could have been swallowed by oppressive forces and could have ceased to exist.

We are still disturbed that when Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze told reporters in Yerevan this fall that Javakhk does not exist, Armenia’s foreign minister Eduard Nalbandian stood idly without countering those dangerous statements.

President Obama, resorting to an 18th Century loophole written into our Constitution to deal with the slow pace of horse-drawn carriages, made this last-minute “recess” appointment while on vacation in Hawaii on December 29th, just days after the Congress left Washington. Bryza’s term will last less than a year, unless he is confirmed by the full U.S. Senate.

The new decade, like no other, will bring significant turning points for Armenians, and our ability to confront the challenges has the promise to elevate our potential as a nation.