A Time for Positive Policies and Actions

There is some good news. The recent aggressions against Armenia and territorial occupations are no longer viewed in the same tolerant manner and Azerbaijan is gradually being branded as the pariah that it is, in place of the false tolerant, European democratic image it is trying to project.

Therefore, it is time for Armenian activists to strike back, particularly with the political forces which we can galvanize in the diaspora. The opportunities are there waiting to be used.

The first scenario is developing in Spain, where the lower house of the parliament voted down an agreement with Azerbaijan this week. Indeed, an agreement had been signed in 2021 between Spain and Azerbaijan to exchange confidential information. But the lower house voted against that agreement with a vote of 174 to 132, in protest of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia. Jon Iñárritu, a member of parliament, dismissed that agreement as an “absurdity,” when aggressor Azerbaijan has carried out an attack on Armenia in September, occupying several square kilometers of territory of Armenia. Marta Rosique, another member of the parliament, blamed the Spanish government for its silence in the face of Azerbaijan’s atrocities in Armenia and Karabakh, questioning, in addition, why Spain has not yet recognized the Armenian Genocide.

The French Senate has expressed a more assertive posture. Indeed, a draft motion was filed in the French Senate, calling to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan, asking Baku to immediately withdraw from Armenia, and also calling for the enforcement of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire agreement to establish a “lasting peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The United Kingdom has been the most recalcitrant party when it comes to the issue of the Genocide, except for periodic speeches of Baroness Carolyn Cox in the House of Lords, which are mostly about Karabakh, only tangentially referring to the Genocide. But recently, a Genocide Determination Bill was sponsored by Lord David Alton. A Second Reading was given in the House of Lords and it was referred to a committee for further consideration. Lord Ara Darzi, the only member of the House of Lords of Armenian extraction, delivered a moving speech in support of the bill.

These and other actions which are taking place in European and global political circles, deserve our attention and support. Rather than harassing Armenian government officials during their visits, diasporan Armenians have to rally around these developments. The Armenian presence has been sparse in Spain. Only recently have some 30,000 Armenians, mostly from Armenia, settled there. If the leaders in the community there can politicize the masses, they can officially express their gratitude to the Spanish government and hold rallies in support of those legislators who have been spearheading the vote in Armenia’s favor.

The French-Armenian community is more active politically. Its members will certainly make their voices heard at the higher echelons of the government.

The challenge remains to organize a diaspora-wide movement and head towards all Spanish and French embassies with rallies to express our appreciation.

In the meantime, we have to be watchful for other opportunities, educate our various communities and motivate them politically.

Armenians are used to supporting Armenia financially to soothe their consciences. But most of the time, political activism can bear much better results. In the current state of globalization, motivating the masses is relatively easy, but only if we can generate a political leadership whose members can guide movements and send messages to the halls of power around the world.

Despite its limited activism, the diaspora has demonstrated that it has caught the attention of Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities. That justifies further action and greater coordinated efforts to promote historic and current Armenian issues.