It
is always inspiring to hear from the people who are the best at what they
do. They can give you a valuable piece
of advice and motivate you to act and make your dreams come true. That is why, over the next several months,
CleverHumanity.net will be conducting interviews with young leaders who have
something to say to our readers.
Today we will talk with
Mr. Vahan Yeghiazaryan –a young public figure from Armenia, the president of
ZARGATSUM (Development) Social Movement — about why he has chosen to become a
social activist in Armenia.
Mr. Yeghiazaryan, how would you
describe yourself in three short sentences?
I am International Relations and Strategic
Governance Specialist. I am Armenian. I am the son, grandson and brother. I am
an optimist and believer.
Have you always lived in Armenia?
So, just like many
other Armenians of my age, I spent my childhood abroad. I was born in Armenia’s
capital Yerevan in 1989, but my family moved to Russia in the early 1990s
because of an economic turmoil in Armenia. I grew up in Ufa city (the southern
part of The Urals). After I finished school at the age of 16, I decided to move
back to Yerevan. I had a lot of difficulties which was mainly due to my
inability to speak Armenian fluently. However, my love to Armenia, my very
strong patriotism helped me not only overcome all the challenges, but also
achieve some of my important goals. I graduated from Russian-Armenian Slavonic
University with the highest GPA and paved my way to the career of a public
figure in Armenia.
When did you realize that you wanted to
become a public figure in Armenia. What was your motivation?
I have always had a
dream to help others. When I was a kid, I wanted to become a doctor and save
people’s lives. When I grew older, it suddenly occurred to me that as a doctor
I would be able to save just a few lives. How about others? Yes, I wanted to
help everyone in my country. That is why I chose to become a “social
doctor.” I would still cure people. I
would cure them from injustice, emigration, low social benefits, inappropriate
taxation, and many other diseases that have been widely spread in Armenia. I
wanted to build a country where citizens would know that their voices were
heard. That’s how I chose the career of a social activist and got involved in politics.
As soon as I earned my Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and
Politics, I started my first NGO –Russian-Armenian Alliance of Youth. Its goal
was to integrate Armenians born in Russia into their motherland, and be active
citizens. Later I set up my second NGO- Armenian Global Entrepreneurs Club
(ArmGlobE) (to assist the youth to meet with entrepreneurs, gain business
knowledge, and build the network of young entrepreneurs). My last “creation” was ZARGATSUM
(DEVELOPMENT). Its goal is to involve
young people in Armenia’s social processes and give them an opportunity to
implement youth projects aimed to enhance patriotism, national unity, and even
to contribute to the economic development of Armenia. Even though different in
specific goals, my organizations have one common vision: to build the united
nation that will be able to develop Armenia.
So, that’s my own vision as well as the vision of the other 50 young and
talented people who work at my NGOs. Together we’re strong. Together we can make
the future we deserve.
You have obviously come a long way.
What challenges did you encounter?
Yes, it seems that I
have been involved in public and social activities my whole life. Of course,
there were a lot of challenges. I had to struggle through them. But I realized
very soon that my main challenge was to win in the struggle with myself. You know, some people want to be social
activists, or public figures, and then something goes wrong, they fail, and
they give up. They lose in the battle
with themselves. They do not wish to work for an idea. When you want to be a
public figure, you need to face the reality. And the reality is that you will
have to work for your idea, which means working for free for quite a while. And
it’s not just working, but working very hard. Are you ready for that? If yes,
then go ahead, prove that your ideas are bright, and eventually people will
follow you. If you are not ready for that, well, then public policy is not your
thing.
Where do you see yourself in a few
years?
I see myself going in
the same direction, but a few steps farther from where I am now! I am ready to
face new challenges.
What
can you say about the young people in Armenia today? What would you advise
them?
The Armenian youth is
changing rapidly. Ten years ago young people were quite conservative, did not
want to change anything. Today the situation is different. Young people want to
follow “healthy” Western values and bring them to Armenia. Young Armenians are educated, active, and
determined to change the country they live in.
There are eight things
I would love to advise them:
Be believers, always, never give up.
Stay positive, the power of positive
thinking works!
Be curious, never stop learning.
Be creative, because only new
initiatives can change the world to the better.
Think outside the box.
Appreciate other cultures, avoid
nationalism, but be a patriot.
Don’t be afraid to communicate your
thoughts.
Don’t try to change the things that you
are unable to change. Learn to treat such things differently.
Actually, I try to follow these eight
rules myself. It helps me, and I hope it will help you too.
If you ever met Genie, what would be
your three wishes to ask?
Dear Genie, I wish to
stop the Karabakh war. I wish to see my fellow Armenians live in a stronger
Armenia. And I wish to see the times when many more Armenians will immigrate to
Armenia, rather than emigrate.
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| Vahan Yeghiazaryan is participating in the public commemoration in front of the home of Komitas in Istanbul on april 24 - The Centennial of The Armenian Genocide. |
CleverHumanity.net
thanks Mr. Yeghiazaryan for the wonderful interview and wishes him best of luck
in his career!