YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–An unprecedented event will take place at the Yerevan Cinema House on January 21–2000–the Initiative Council for the organization of the Special Congress of the Armenian Intelligentsia headed by Bakur Karapetian and Simon Kamsarakan told a news conference December 17. The Council presented to journalists its statement entitled "The Homeland is in Danger."
According to the document–"the gradually deepening crisis in Armenia has resulted in serious danger not only to the Armenia’s’ independence–but also to the nation’s existence." The authors of the statement believe that the "short-sighted policy pursued for a few years by the Armenian authorities and social injustice have resulted in mass unemployment and impoverishment–extreme social polarization–unprecedented moral degradation–and increasing emigration."
"The internal and external danger threatening the national security is mounting day by day. The Armenia’s–who gained victory in their centuries-long struggle for existence–are currently forced to follow the way to self-annihilation," the statement says.
The authors of the statement also stress that the task of leading Armenia out to the way of safe existence and prosperity "is a sacred duty of each intellectual who has national thinking–a sense of responsibility–professional knowledge–experience and skills." They believe that "it is the people’s collective idea that will be able to find comprehensive solutions to the current problems and the way-out of the current situation."
With this end in view–the Initiative Council made an appeal to the country’s intelligentsia "to participate in the Special Congress of the Intelligentsia by making proposals on solving pressing and strategic national problems."
The members of the Initiative Council pointed out that they "do not expect the government’s invitation to cooperation with a sinking heart," but pin great hopes on the coming Congress.