|
Ready, Set, Hai Tahd. . .
Reflections from Washington—by
Rita Astoor
I arrived in Washington, D.C.—the nation’s throbbing
heartbeat and the center of the political world—on Sat.,
June 14. I meekly, but excitedly, dropped my bags off in a
dark and still empty bedroom, and nervously went to meet and
greet my fellow ANCA Leo Sarkisian housemates, as well as
the staff and the dedicated individuals of the ANCA office.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.
Were they going to judge me?
Was I going to get along with them?
Did I fit the part?
Despite these reservations and this inner turmoil, what I
encountered was not frightening bosses and awkward interns,
but rather smiling, friendly, and engaging people who were
happy to talk, interact, and have meaningful discussions and
a good time.
On Monday morning, these same people were also ready to get
to work—and to put the interns to work. From the very first
week, the offices were in overdrive, working fervently to
prepare for two upcoming hearings on Armenia.
So for hours upon hours, we were on the phones making calls
to constituents from all over the country, asking them to
take a minute out of their day to make important calls to
their Senators and Representatives and become activists from
the comforts of their own homes. These phone calls built up
our enthusiasm and anticipation to go to Capitol Hill and
see the hearings—to watch Members of Congress and hear their
speeches live. The people we spoke to on the phone were, for
the most part, very receptive and positive, and it was
inspiring and encouraging to be in contact with so many
individuals who were so eager to lend a hand in moving our
cause forward. (One actually offered their hand in marriage,
but I digress…)
Wednesday came around sooner than we expected, and before we
knew it we were sitting in the House Foreign Affairs
Committee room listening to chairman Howard Berman gavel the
Committee hearing to order. In the hot seat that day was
assistant secretary of state Dan Fried, feeling the pressure
from Representative after Representative about Turkey’s
blockade of Armenia, the administration’s complicity in
Turkey’s genocide denial, U.S. policy on Artsakh, and many
other topics.
Before this experience could fully sink in, the following
day we were back on the Hill—this time on the Senate
side—watching the U.S. ambassador-designate to Armenia Marie
Yovanovitch being grilled by New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez
about the Bush Administration’s policy on the Armenian
Genocide. This is when you realize that the work behind the
scenes—on the phones, sending webfaxes and emails—all pays
off. It is when you see these Members of Congress exacting
accountability from the executive branch and fighting for
change that you realize that all of the small moments of
activism really result in a much larger movement.
But it didn’t just stop with the hearings. The interns are
lucky because we have the opportunity to hear a lecture
series throughout the course of our eight week stay here.
Various individuals, including ANCA executive director Aram
Hamparian, take personal time out of their days to shed some
light on their own experiences and observations in the
community, the work that still needs to be done, and how to
accomplish those tasks. And, being in Washington, D.C., we
have access to the folks who make policy for Armenia and in
Armenia.
Among our first lecturers was Ara Hovsepian, the CEO of the
Millennium Challenge Account for Armenia, who explained to
us the process Armenia had to undergo in order to receive
the MCC funding—the way in which the money is being
apportioned to build a new irrigation infrastructure and
roads, the merit system to which Armenia must adhere to, and
its goals for the future.
It was great to hear Hovsepian speak, and see how such
undertakings inspire and create a growing positive
atmosphere in Armenia. These projects positively affect so
many individuals and create numerous new opportunities. To
hear that the Armenian population is receptive to these
changes and working concurrently with these administrators
in order to learn new farming techniques, water management
skills, and help build Armenia’s infrastructure is a feat we
should all be proud of.
So I ask myself again, what can I possibly accomplish here?
After coming to Washington and seeing for myself all the
work and sweat that gets poured into every undertaking, it
is not hard to answer that question. Any individual, who is
ready to roll up their sleeves, work hard, and put in the
time and effort, can accomplish a great deal.
All that in just two weeks of being in Washington. I can
only imagine what the rest of my time here will bring.
Rita Astoor is in the Class of 2010 at U.C. Berkeley.
|
|
 |
