With the critical crisis in Armenia and Artsakh as its back drop, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States held its 56th Regional Convention from January 13 to 15, with the participation of 128 delegates and guests.
As part of its agenda, the convention meticulously addressed the various aspects of the challenges facing the republics of Armenia and Artsakh and the different issues concerning the Diaspora, as well as matters related to the organization itself. With this regard, the Convention adopted measures that chart the course for the ARF and amended its by-laws.
As a general assessment, the Convention affirmed that the past two years were filled with ups and downs and challenges for the organization in the Western U.S. Despite this, the focus of our ranks and leadership continuously has remained tackling the difficulties facing our nation and homeland, as well as the issues that have impacted our reality today, always taking steps to find ways to mitigate or eliminate them. At the same time, however, the Convention concluded that as a pan-national organization, the ARF is far from expending all of its capabilities, and more often it finds itself embroiled in the internal political games of Yerevan, which are exhausting its organizations capabilities and are weakening its ideological foundations.
In addressing the organizational crisis created in the Western U.S. Region as a result of the illogical and unnecessary intervention by the ARF Bureau, the Convention expressed its desires that negotiations between the Central Committee and the Bureau be governed by the principle of eliminating the reasons and the impetus that created the organizational, political and ideological crisis. This will greatly benefit efforts to reinvigorate and renew the ARF and its vast network.
The convention made a lengthy assessment of the current crisis and challenges facing the republics of Armenia and Artsakh. The meeting affirmed that the Republic of Armenia is in danger of losing its independence, sovereignty and even its territorial integrity. Given this dangerous reality that has been imposed on us, the imperative to strengthen the foundations of our statehood must become the most important priority for everyone today.
Therefore, without viable state institutions, our statehood will remain weak and vulnerable. Efforts toward state-building and ensuring the legitimacy of state institutions must not become subject to bargaining that stem from political agendas or expediencies—not by the current leadership nor by opposition forces.
There is no doubt that in the state-building process, the complete comprehension of the significance of state institutions becomes the greatest moral asset. Based on this and by fully accepting the failures and inabilities of Armenia’s current authorities, and similarly by fully acknowledging the imperative for a new government, our efforts today must considerably focus on strengthening our statehood as an ultimate priority for effectively confronting these crises.
Our statehood will remain vulnerable and our territorial integrity will continue to be in danger without the establishment a strong and modern national army. Beyond words and rhetoric, the Convention affirmed its unwavering solidarity with army-building efforts and made a series of decisions to that end.
The dangerous threat facing the Republic of Armenia from the Turkish-Azerbaijan military alliance is absolute. Due to its own geopolitical interests, Russia, which has assumed the responsibility to guarantee Armenia’s security against such threats, seems to be unable to fulfill its obligation under the strategic alliance agreement. On the other hand, there are no guarantees that Western nations are prepared or willing to take practical steps to prevent or contain the impending dangers confounding the Republic of Armenia. Thus, first and foremost, we must affirm the need to rely on our own strengths and the imperative to engage in assisting our armed forces—as a Nation. As a working entity within the United States, the Convention reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to increasing its activism within U.S. political circles to mitigate the dangers threatening Armenia and Artsakh.
It has been more than a month now that Artsakh has been blockaded and its lifeline with Armenia has been cut off. This inhumane act by Azerbaijan’s dictatorial leadership only aims to rid Artsakh of its Armenian population. Within this reality, guaranteeing the physical security of Artsakh Armenians and keeping them on their own soil has become an immediate and urgent imperative. The Convention decided that it will not spare any resources to engage all international bodies—and especially the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government—to ensure that Artsakh Armenians remain in their homeland, to guarantee their security and advance their right to self-determination and will
It is unrealistic to think that the independence and sovereignty of our state can be guaranteed without the active participation of the all Armenians within our state and civic systems, where the principles of social justice must be enshrined. Therefore, we must be diligent that in the process of strengthening democracy in Armenia, both the authorities and the opposition remain equally committed to the responsibilities they have assumed.
In order to overcome the crises facing the Republic of Armenia and the Armenians of Artsakh, the Convention affirmed that it is crucial to bring all the resources of our community together. In the past, during similar crisis, our community has already demonstrated its ability to unite and work together, making that a unique norm.
This tradition of bringing our community forces together also must be put in service of providing for the needs of our ever-growing community.
Our Diasporan structures play a vital role in making our nation strong and realizing our national aspirations and ideals. Through this logic, we must strive to expand and grow the capabilities of our structures by providing and expending resources to advance Armenian schools and, generally, toward efforts to engage Armenian students. Our youth has a historic responsibility in our current reality and we must make the necessary financial and moral contributions to that end.
The Convention, once again, reaffirmed that the strength of the free and wholesome thinking ARF member lies in the merging of active work with ideological principles. Diversity of perspectives, self-criticism and tolerance are the main characteristics of this foundation. To this end, the Convention calls on our ungers who are devoted to the ARF ideology everywhere to come together and unite around our supreme calling of serving our Nation and homeland.
ARF Western U.S. 56th Regional Convention
January 15, 2023
