InternationalGive generously for Shushi
Published: Friday November 20, 2009
There's electricity and pipes, but many buildings are unoccupied. Victor Konoplev
The Shushi fortress and a restaurant built next to it. Victor Konoplev
Related Articles
Prime Minister speaks of Karabakh's growing economy, and opposes retreat on national issues
Groups join in appeal for support of Shushi through Armenia Fund
Armenia Fund declares 2010 "The Year of Shushi"
Tufenkian reception aids Shushi Museum, Karabagh summer camp
Shushi Revival Fund is set to undertake a fundamental makeover of the city
Third Armenian interscholastic chess tournament concludes in Shushi
Shushi’s revival, like its liberation, will require a united Armenian effort
For many of us in the diaspora, the Karabakh War of the early 90s has become a relatively distant memory and the sense of danger to Artsakh, to Armenians, has largely passed, as our Washington Editor Emil Sanamyan noted in an interview on November 5 with Karabakh's Prime Minister Ara Harutiunian.
Mr. Harutiunian acknowledged that time and distance can erode people's attachments; "but even from far away, you do not stop loving your family or your motherland," he observed. Meanwhile, he encouraged everyone to visit and experience Artsakh. "You will fall in love with Artsakh, live and breath Artsakh."
Indeed, it's hard for any Armenian to visit Artsakh and not shudder with awe at the enormous expanses of green mountains and fertile valleys. It's impossible not to picture in one's mind the unassuming heroes who scaled those forbidding slopes under fire, to defend their homes and homeland, successfully, against impossible odds. It's hard not to be struck by the simple fact that Stepanakert is a strikingly clean capital city - a reflection of its residents' pride in their land and of their self-respect. And it's hard to visit any part of Karabakh without being touched by the warmth and hospitality of the people who live there.
A visit to the fortress city of Shushi generates all these feelings and thoughts, but also a strong sense that something is amiss.
Shushi is a historic Armenian capital, a charming city of stone buildings and cobbled roads. Over the course of the last century, consonant with imperial policy, it became home to many Azerbaijanis. In the course of the Karabakh War, the Azerbaijanis abandoned the city. Some Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan moved to the city, but it is still eerily underpopulated.
Perhaps what's missing is us – those of us who have dreamed of a liberated homeland and have intoned repeatedly the Armenian version of the prayer, "Next year in Jerusalem." Whether we move there or not, we can help make the city flourish – and with it Artsakh as a whole.
Indeed, while some Armenians express outrage about the possible surrender of historic territorial rights elsewhere, Shushi is an Armenian city that's firmly back in Armenian hands. There's no question that all Armenians need to help the city bloom.
The cause of rebuilding Shushi is a matter of national pride. In some parts of Armenia, people take enormous pride in the interior of their homes while neglecting common areas; as noted above, Artsakh is definitely different in this respect, and it can serve as an inspiration to us all. Pride in our collective patrimony should lead us to support our commons, and today that means Shushi.
The cause of rebuilding Shushi is also a matter of national security. Prime Minister Harutiunian put it nicely in his interview: he suggested that Armenians are so entrepreneurial that if the homeland does not offer adequate opportunities, they will find opportunities abroad, and this will lead to a demographic challenge. Let's help create opportunities for entrepreneurial Armenians to build businesses in Artsakh and Armenia; let those businesses grow to create more opportunities domestically and even expand abroad.
Thanksgiving Day is the day to rise to meet this challenge – as Armenians worldwide have done for the better part of the last two decades. The Armenia Fund Telethon is an opportunity for the fund leadership to account for its activities over the past year. It is also a chance for them to make the case for renewed support. Let's tune into the telethon, consider the message, enjoy the entertainment, and then give generously.
Happy Thanksgiving!
