The devastating defeat of 2020 and the loss of Artsakh have exposed not only geopolitical vulnerabilities but also the depth of division within Armenia and the Diaspora, highlighting an urgent crisis of leadership across the Armenian world.
In recent discussions with members of diaspora communities, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he does not hold a mandate to take ownership of the Diaspora. But should he? His remarks, in effect, shifted the responsibility for diasporic direction and leadership back to the Diaspora itself.
This moment demands a rethinking of the traditional Armenia–Diaspora relationship. The old “center-periphery” model has become obsolete. In its place, we need a more inclusive, multi-centered understanding of Armenian identity— a vision that encourages a federal and participatory approach to nationhood and facilitates deeper collaboration between communities across continents. A weak, divided, and leaderless Diaspora will neither be able to support Armenia effectively nor serve its own communities with coherence or vision.
In this spirit, we had the pleasure of organizing a round table discussion on June 23, 2025, at the Armenian Center in Geneva. Our focus:
“How can we take ownership of our communities—especially by empowering our youth to become successful, influential, and committed members of society?”
The meeting engaged DiasporArm—an independent, unaffiliated initiative working to coordinate the actions of the Armenian Diaspora and Armenia—whose vision of connectedness and empowerment set the tone for an inspiring and productive exchange, while highlighting the Swiss-Armenian community’s potential, with its distinguished individuals, its unified associative network, effective leadership, and federated funding model, to play a key role in shaping a renewed diasporic leadership that transcends partisanship and serves the Armenian cause globally.
The meeting brought together over twenty dedicated individuals from fields such as academia, finance, and civic engagement. Among the many encouraging exchanges, we would like to mention particularly the presentation of Vahé Gabrache who explained the history and current structure of Swiss-Armenian community organisations. Moreover, Vahé told us about two encouraging new initiatives, one concerning how to expand Armenian school activities, and the second on ways to transmit Armenian culture to the younger generation, and involve the next generation in community leadership.
It is through such initiatives, practical steps that provide solutions to the needs of the Diaspora, that we can work collectively towards a future vision and leadership.
With sincere appreciation to all who participated, and in hopeful anticipation of what we can build together,
Vicken Cheterian
Hovel Chenorhokian
Geneva – June 2025
