Not a university course nor a vocational training (our 2 areas of focus here), nevertheless an extremely necessary program worth proper coverage and discussion, a seminar targeting minority youth took place last week in Lusakert, Shirak Province.This 5-day intensive program (29 July – 2 August 2008) was organized by World Independent Youth Union (WIYU) and supported by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - Yerevan Office. It intended to develop leadership skills among 25 young individuals selected from Armenia’s various ethnic and religious minorities. Topics covered included human rights principles, citizenship, and the role of nongovernmental organizations in community development.
Information Void
There are 11 recognized ethnic minorities in Armenia: Assyrians, Byelorussians, Georgians, Germans, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Poles, Russians, Ukrainians and Yezidis. Yezidis who account for about 1.3% of Armenia’s population are the largest, one of the oldest, and probably the most improvished minority group.
There have been some studies on Armenia’s ethnic minorities - maybe not on all of them - in recent years. However, I am not aware of any survey done specifically on minority youth. To my knowledge, neither the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) nor the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA) has done any research on the topic.
It would be interesting to know, for instance, the post-secondary participation rate (upper vocational and higher education programs) among the minorities; particularly among Yezidis and Kurds. Based on my personal impressions and taking into account the socially disadvantageous situation that most Yezidis and Kurds have, plus the language problems peculiar to them, I would confidently claim that Yezidis and Kurds have much lower rate of participation than what the national average is. I would even guess that their rate of secondary school completion is much lower than the national average. So I am sure there is a need for programs in support of these groups.
The situation for Russians, Jews and Ukrainians seems very different. But, again, this is based on personal impressions and not on any hard data.
I think a comprehensive study to identify and understand the nature and the scope of problems that minority youth face is highly warranted. After which we can have a debate on appropriate remedies. And I believe the Armenian State, in particular MES and MSYA, must do more for our minority youth; at least as much as they do for the majority youth (isn't this fair to ask?).
Anyway, I think all initiatives that address the problems of the underprivileged ethnic minorities are welcome, especially when they target the new generation. It seems the OSCE and WIYU training was one of such programs. If youth are empowered, they can break the vicious cycle of poverty and ignorance, and integrate better in the Armenian society. This will be much easier done if the majority, the Armenians, cooperate with them in resolving their problems.
Who’s Who of the Program
According to Panorama.am news agency, Mr. Marc Bojanic, Deputy Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office, explained the reason behind their involvement: "The protection of minority rights, and especially the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, has always been a central priority of our Office. This includes activities in the field of legislation, cultural programs and education".
Ms. Tatevik Margarian, the President of WIYU, the organizers, defined the objectives of the program in the following way: “The main goal of the course is to develop leadership skills among the youth of national minorities and create the conditions for their participation in discussions affecting their rights. We believe that this training will help to mobilize participants to better protect their rights and interests”.
Despite its name, WIYU is an Armenian nonprofit nongovernmental youth organization. Founded in 2000, it strives to strengthen the civil society in Armenia, support youth initiatives, and develop political and European awareness among Armenia’s youth.
WIYU has occasionally benefited from the European Commission’s “Youth in Action” program that aims at promoting dialogue, mutual tolerance, intercultural awareness and solidarity beyond the borders of the European Union. It also intends to contribute to the development of civil society in the Eastern Europe and Caucasus.
In addition to OSCE and WIYU speakers, last week’s program included trainers from other organizations such as the Council of Europe – Yerevan Office and the Armenian State Department on Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs.
Recommended Texts on Ethnic Minorities:
> Armenia: Yezidi Identity Battle
> Being Yezidi
> The Ethnic Minorities of Armenia (in PDF)
