This interview appeared in the October 22, 2005 issue of The Armenian Weekly

Deep Roots:

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Eastern United States

This is the first in a series of interviews with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Central Committee of the Eastern Region of the United States. Professor Hayg Oshagan is the chairperson of the Central Committee.

Armenian Weekly: Could you give us a description of the Armenian communities in the Eastern Region?

Hayg Oshagan: What is unique about this region is that its diasporan roots predate the Genocide. The Eastern Region is also the most geographically widespread area the ARF covers, from Florida in the south, Massachusetts to the north and Wisconsin to the west. There are 17 ARF chapters, known as gomidehs, as well as the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) and all its chapters. The family of organizations includes Hamazkayin, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), and the Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts (Homenetmen).

The first gomideh was established in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1894. The Hairenik, established in 1899, is the oldest, continuously published paper in both the diaspora and Armenia. The Armenian Weekly, our English-language publication, recently celebrated its 70th anniversary.

The region is also unique in that it includes the financial centers of the world, in New York City, as well as the political center, in Washington, D.C.

AW: How does the ARF work within the communities?

HO: There are two aspects to the work that the ARF does—political and community. Politically, the ARF supports Armenia by trying to advance the political institutions and political culture in Armenia, as well as ensuring the viability of the Armenian state. In the diaspora, the effort is aimed towards Genocide recognition efforts, and maintaining communities and giving them the resources to grow and survive. Our political work is focused on a few themes, with Genocide recognition, and issues of financial and territorial reparation, being of paramount concern.

We also lobby the U.S. government for just and equitable military and economic aid to Armenia. We try to advance our efforts in academic circles, given that discussions in academia and academic scholarship often have real world consequences. We also try to present Turkey’s real record in human rights violations, making sure that lawmakers and the public understand both Turkey’s stance in blockading Armenia and in providing assistance to Azerbaijan.

We also spend a great deal of effort trying to maintain political activism in our communities. This represents our grassroots base, the communities that believe in what we do, and this support is essential to the success of all our efforts.

Our political work is pursued by every member of the ARF, and is organized at the local level by our Gomidehs and Armenian National Committee (ANC) chapters. At the regional and national levels, these efforts are conducted through the ANC Eastern Region based in New York, and by the ANCA offices based in Washington, D.C.

As an example, over the last two months, we have held a protest in front of the Azerbaijan Embassy, demonstrating against warmongering by Azerbaijan’s government; we have worked to bring two Genocide resolutions to the house floor for a vote; we organized a rally in front of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert’s office in Illinois, with the participation of System of a Down. We also organized and promoted a talk at Harvard University on the issue of the Genocide.

AW: How does the work of the ARF compare to other organizations that are active in the community?

HO: The ARF is the only organization that has remained committed to these goals, and the only organization that has stayed true to its purpose over the last 100 years. The ARF has withstood external influences and political pressures and has kept the interests of the Armenian nation as paramount in its work. This continuing activism in the ARF is also what attracts increasingly young members to join the ranks. This year, we’ve had dozens of young members join the ARF ranks, and there are many more applicants waiting to go through the educational process.

Beyond its political scope, the ARF is also involved in community work. This is what it means to be a diasporan organization: you have to maintain communities, in fact they have to prosper, while still being able to fight for a cause that’s broader than the geographical area of the communities themselves. The survival of the diaspora depends on well-organized, active and conscious communities that feel part of a greater whole and are engaged in a common purpose.

And this work, of course, doesn’t end with one year or two, but has to continue across generations. This is what only the ARF has been able to maintain in over a century of effort. Now, in turn, the diaspora has become essential for the survival of the state of Armenia itself, not only in terms of politics and lobbying, but also culturally and philanthropically.

You have to realize that simply being in a city doesn’t create a community. Twenty-thousand people in Detroit do not make an Armenian community, unless they have a means of meeting one another, seeing each other, hearing of each other’s work, and feeling a sense of belonging to something. The greater sense of community is not an easy thing to organize or establish.

Community centers, newspapers, radio and TV programs, schools, churches, picnics, scouts, public forums, and the work of affiliate organizations, in having meetings and functions, all play a role in creating a sense of belonging to a community. This is an essential part of our involvement in the diaspora and we spend a great deal of our time on these issues along with our family of organizations.

Currently, as examples, our gomidehs in the communities of Florida, Washington, D.C., and Detroit are looking into improving their community centers or building new ones, in order to better serve the needs of the community.

As I mentioned, our newspapers also play key roles in this regard. They don’t just report on events. By focusing on the everyday life of the community and encouraging local columnists, the newspapers provide not only more interesting stories that reflect what our diasporan communities are about, but also allow readers to feel that they belong to something that is greater than just their own individual lives. The newspaper and our other media allow a person to participate in the broader life of an active community and plays a critical role in maintaining the community itself. And beyond this, the media establish a connection between individuals and the Armenian nation’s political and other struggles.

This is obviously very important to the ARF, and, in fact, in order to expand the reach of the papers to a broader audience, we have established an online radio station and soon both publications will be accessible online. We need to make an effort to reach an audience that may not be used to reading a paper every week.

Anyone interested in joining this effort should be encouraged to contact our editors.

AW: What other efforts are being undertaken to improve the operations of the publications?

HO: The improvements extend into the structures in which our papers operate. We have been collecting funds to improve the Hairenik Building in Watertown, Massachusetts. Construction work has already started, and a great deal has yet to be done. We will not only maintain this building, but also improve it and also make all the necessary technological upgrades as well.

AW: How has the ARF cultivated and encouraged activism among the youth?

HO: Since the very beginning, the ARF has paid particular attention to our youth, developing them both politically and as active members of the community itself. The AYF Eastern Region is the oldest youth organization of the ARF. It was established in 1933 by Karekin Nejdeh, and has served all these years, for many generations. Its members strengthen not only the ARF, but also bring their involvement into Homenetmen, Hamazkayin, ARS, and the church.

The AYF recently completed a very successful Olympics, and AYF Camp Haiastan enjoyed an equally successful season. The AYF also has a well-organized internship program in Armenia. Throughout the year, members were able to attend international pan-Armenian events, including a socialist forum in Brazil, and pan-Armenian youth organization gatherings in Argentina and Canada.

The ARF takes great care that the members of the AYF receive adequate training and education in national and local politics, and methods of promoting political and community activism, as well as giving them a social environment in which to gather and meet one another and develop friendships. Our work cannot end with one or another generation, and so we have to make every effort to make sure that there are new faces, energy and imagination to take over and continue.

AW: What is the ARF’s relationship with other Armenian organizations?

HO: The ARF tries to reach out to all Armenian organizations, both local and regional as the need arises. In this respect, there are three organizations we work most closely with and consider to be part of our family of organizations, and they are the ARS, Hamazkayin and Homenetmen. The Central Committee is always in contact with the leaders of these organizations, as well as with the Eastern Prelacy, to ensure that we coordinate our activities and that we serve the various needs of the community.

AW: What are some of the issues presently facing the ARF in this region?

HO: One of the greatest challenges in this region is the geographical distance that separates us from one another. Our communities develop as if they were islands, and this creates difficulties both in the community as well as in maintaining a sense of identity in being part of one region.

We also face serious hurdles in securing the resources we need to maintain the infrastructure of this region. Whether it’s the newspapers, community centers, or schools, these physical structures are anchors to this region and they need to be maintained. If we overlook these needs, we are seriously endangering the very existence of our diaspora.

Another issue is more broadly cultural, in a sense. We are a political organization, and yet we live in the larger, American culture that is often apolitical, especially among the youth. The ARF is not for everyone, and yet we must find ways for those interested in political or community activism to find their way to us. This has always been something to overcome for the ARF, particularly in the United States.

This, of course, is also a concern for our entire family of organizations. Lastly, our political work often pits us against various levels of the U.S. government, especially when we have issues relating to Turkey, a close ally of the United States. Believe me, it is not easy to face such a mighty power, but the ARF has never backed down from any challenge facing the Armenian nation, and it never will.

AW: Have any difficulties arisen within the organization?

HO: Occasionally, one or another of our family of organizations faces a particular difficulty. For example, due to the improprieties of an individual member, the Homenetmen is now facing serious issues. The individual in question was both a member of the Homenetmen and the ARF. As leaders of our community, we have never allowed and cannot allow moral, ethical or legal misdeeds on the part of any of our members. In this case, the ARF has expelled the individual in question from its ranks. The Homenetmen is also pursuing all possible recourse, including legal ones, in order to resolve the matter. We are certain that the Homenetmen will overcome its current difficulties with the support of our family of organizations and our entire community.

AW: What is the role of the Central Committee within the framework of the ARF?

HO: The Eastern Region Central Committee has seven members, and each of us assumes certain responsibilities. As chairperson, I oversee the work of the Central Committee, deal with organizational matters, and maintain formal ties with the Eastern Prelacy and other bodies, as well as national-level leaders. I also serve as liaison with the ARS.
Garo Ketsemanian is the vice chairperson of the Central Committee. His responsibilities include overseeing activities in Armenia and Artsakh, as well as maintaining ties with Hamazkayin. Alex Sarafian is responsible for the finances of the organization.
Antranig Kasbarian is the liaison to our media, and to our political operations.
John Jerikian maintains ties with the Homenetmen and the Armenian Cultural Association of America. Steve Mesrobian is the Central Committee representative to the AYF, and participates in all the youth activities. Angel Manoogian is responsible for the various fundraising efforts in the region. Fundraisers that we organize or oversee include ANC-related fundraisers, Central Committee fundraisers, Hairenik Building fundraisers, as well as fundraisers for activities in Artsakh, Armenia and Javakhk. The Central Committee also maintains an endowment fund for donations to specific projects within the region. As an example, the most request bequest was a $50,000 donation in the will of Gosdan Bozajian for publication projects of the Hairenik Association.

AW: How has the ARF maintained its strong presence in light of other organizations that have formed in the community?

HO: While there have been other organizations, and occasionally individuals who initiate projects, the ARF is the only organization that has continuously been engaged in the community. The presence of the ARF along with its family of organizations and the continuing existence of the community are inextricably tied to one another. As we are strong and effective, so the community is better able to maintain itself.

The ARF is armed with 100 years of experience. Its capacity to always adapt to changing conditions—while keeping the principles and beliefs on which the organization was founded—has given it the ability to play this role within the diasporan communities of our nation.

This relationship and continuity is critical not only in terms of experience, but also in terms of being able to initiate and to follow through, even if the time frame is one of years. And so the ARF not only works to maintain the structure of the community, it also provides the impetus to move the community forward into the future.

I want to emphasize, however, that although I am referring to the ARF, our effort has always been a collaborative one. We have always welcomed the participation of others, because our ultimate aim has been the well-being of the Armenian nation in the homeland and diaspora.

It is only with the help and trust of our community that we have achieved, together, what we have accomplished. I am certain that this essential work will continue, and that together, we will achieve for us here and our nation everywhere, what we all sacrifice and hope for.