Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Pashinyan's call to the Youth and Students

Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի "կոչը" երիտասարդությանը և հատկապես ուսանողությանը

(qbhima.blogspot.com)

Nikol Pashinyan’s Call to the Youth and, especially, the Students

The creation of the Armenian National Congress is the fruit of strategic planning. Of course, during all of this, many people would like to gain immediate victory-- this is very good and important. But, from the strategic point of view, the creation of a strong support system can become the guarantee of victory. Sometimes our thought process is interrupted by the prospect of victory, but it is important to realize that after victory, further victories will be necessary which will not only not disappoint people, but will inspire them – not only the supporters of the Congress, but those who have opposed it. And it is for this prospect that the Armenian Popular Congress is laying down the foundations. And, in general, I think the September stage of the struggle should begin, and not end, before victory. To secure the course of these events, serious preparations are necessary. Of these, I would like to emphasize one in particular: as great a participation as possible on the part of the student body in the processes of September. This, in fact, becomes the decisive factor in the future development of the struggle—the position of the students is important in the ideological sense. That is to say, whether or not in 5, 10, or 15 years there will be a public that guarantees government by the people depends on the position of the students. This is not a tactical issue, but a strategic one. During the years of demoralization under Kocharyan, the group that had become prominent among the students dreamt of becoming state officials and was willing to go to any length and endure humiliation to secure a job in the Internal Revenue Service, in the National Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office , the Customs Office. Now, here’s the question: Is our student body only composed of people who dream about positions, or, are there also those who dream of citizenship and are committed to the realization of that dream. The biggest surprise of the events of February was just that. It turned out that the student body still has the spine, and that spine came to Freedom Square. In September, that spine should demonstrate that not only is it unbreakable, but that it is a decisive political factor. I am convinced that such is the case. But to show it, it is necessary that all student and youth initiatives which support the Congress centralize their strength, replacing the tendency to be the first by the readiness to be the last. My brother and sister students: You remember, don’t you, that we have already announced February 26 as Student Day, and will mark that day every year by an exceptional Rock-Concert to take place on Freedom Square. Let’s complete our work by the end of September so that on next February 26 we can invite such groups to Freedom Square as “Tokio Hotel”, “Linkin Park”, “Evanescence”, “Metallica.” We are the authority in Armenia, and the title of our positions is Citizen of the Republic of Armenia. We are the champions, my friend.

P.S. Many have started drumming that the powers in the Armenian National Congress don’t have ideological commonality. But isn’t the struggle against illegality an ideology? Isn’t the struggle against “bespredel” an ideology? Isn’t the struggle for Freedom an ideology? Or, do you think that ideology should have the name of: The ‘perseverance of the nation’ group of the transcendental engraved fraction of the right-wing centripetal sector of Euro-Nzhtehism.”

Nikol Pashinyan

P.S. 2 You may send suggestions to mobilize the youth can be send to qb.hima@gmail.com.

[Translator’s note: Pashinyan uses the term “bespredel” – Russian terminology which has made its way into the Armenian vernacular meaning something akin to without limits or boundaries, especially in reference to morals or legality]

No comments: