When did you first hear the expression “multicultural society”?

What did it mean to you then?

What does it mean to you now?

Today’s multicultural societies are, to a great extent, the consequence of political and economic processes.In Europe, the development of multicultural societies became more marked followingthe end of the Second World War. As the East-West ideological divide grew, great movements of people took place within and around the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence. Economic regeneration in the northern and central countries (mainly Great Britain,France, Germany, and the Netherlands) meant that more workers were required.

Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures,, applied to the demographic make -up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g. schools, businesses, cities, nations,in  this sense multiculturalism approximates to respect for ethnic diversity.

In contemporary society, different understandings of multiculturalism has resulted in two different and seemingly inconsistent strategies:

• The first focuses on interaction and communication between different cultures. Interactions of cultures provide opportunities for the cultural differences to communicate and interact to create multiculturalism.
• The second centers on diversity and cultural uniqueness. Cultural isolation can protect the uniqueness of the local culture of a nation or area and also contribute to global cultural diversity. The policy “ Cultural exception” introduced by France in General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations in 1993 was a precise example of protecting one’s own cultural safety.

«Մելիորա» երիտասարդական մշակութային ՀԿ-ն և երգահան Կարեն Գրիգորյանը, Եվրասիա համագործակցություն հիմնադրամի  ֆինանսական աջակցությամբ,  իրականացնում  են բարեգործական համերգ–ակցիա` հայաստանյան մանկատների երեխաների անմիջական մասնակցությամբ:  Համերգը, որը տեղի կունենա ս/թ մայիսի 5-ին Արամ Խաչատրյան համերգասրահում, հանդիսանում է  կամավորական մշակութային «Ձեռք ձեռքի» ծրագրի եզրափակումը: Ծրագիրը սկսվել է 2008թ.,  նպատակ ունենալով խրախուսել երիտասարդական կամավորականության դրսևորումը հայ երիտասարդության շրջանում և արվեստի միջոցով անապահով երեխաների ու մանկատների սաների լիակատար ներգրավումը հասարակության մեջ:

Երգահան Կարեն Գրիգորյանի  անմիջական աջակցությամբ   և  Եվրասիա համագործակցություն հիմնադրամի  ֆինանսական օժանդակության շնորհիվ Գյումրի և Գավառ քաղաքների մանկատների շուրջ 100 սաներ հնարավորություն կստանան լինել Երևանում, մասնակցել Արամ Խաչատրյան համերգասրահում կայանալիք համերգին, իսկ նրանցից ոմանք  անգամ ելույթ կունենան արտիստների հետ: Ավելին, Հիմնադրամը հոգացել է նվերների մասին, որ կհանձնվեն համերգի ընթացքում/օրը:

Համերգի մասնակիցները կարող են իրենց օգնությունը ցուցաբերել նշված մանկատներին` կանխիկ նվիրատվություն կատարելով համերգի օրը դահլիճում դրված դրամահավաք-տուփի միջոցով կամ ավելի ուշ` մանկատների հաշվեհամարներին գումար փոխանցելով:   Ի դեպ, տոմսերի վաճառքից գոյացած հասույթը նույնպես կփոխանցվի այդ մանկատներին:

Նման մշակութային քաղաքականության իրականացումը հասարակական երկխոսության զարգացման լավագույն ուղիներից  է, քանզի օգտագործելով արվեստի` որպես հաղորդակցության յուրօրինակ լեզու լինելու հանգամանքը, հնարավորություն է ընձեռում ստեղծել հասարակական մի պլատֆորմ, որտեղ բոլոր անդամներն ու գործող անձինքհավասար են ու կարող են շփվել միմյանց հետ առանց բարդույթների և պատնեշի:

St. Peter took him to hell first. There the man saw big hall containing a long table, laden with many kinds of food. He also saw rows of people with pale, sad faces. Then looked starved and there was no laughter.

And he observed one more thing: Their hands were tied to four-foot forks and knives and they were trying to get the food from the center of the table to put into their mouths. But they couldn’t.

Then, St. Peter took him to see heaven. There he saw a big hall with a long table, with lots of food. He noticed rows of people on both sides of table with their hands tied to four-foot forks and knives also. But here, people were laughing and were fed and healthy-looking. The people were feeding one another across the table.

The result was happiness, prosperity, enjoyment and gratification because they were not thinking of themselves alone; they were thinking win-win.

The same is true of our lives. When we serve our society, our customers, our families, our employers and employees, we automatically win.

Ancient Indian wisdom teaches us that our first responsibility is to the community, second to our family and third to ourselves. When this hierarchy is reversed, a society starts degenerating.

Social responsibility ought to be the moral obligation of every citizen. Responsibility and freedom go hand to hand. A sign of a good citizen is that he is willing to pull his own weight.

• An inventive inclination;
• Authentic focus;
• Meaningful purposes;
• “Figuring-out” skills;
• Risk-taking effectiveness;
• A strategic, long-term outlook; and
• High spiritual intelligence.

How will we develop youth into adults who are entrepreneurs, who are self-aware, learning- and growth-oriented people? We will need these characteristics within ourselves in order to find creative ways. We will need to be role models for them. We will need to be an empowering organization, and we will need to be empowered individuals.

As youth development professionals, part of our task is to guide youth as they change and grow into adults. Extension agents are called upon to be agents of change, to take what is and make it into what could be. We consciously or unconsciously have a vision of what we want to develop in youth in order for them to become productive citizens. In this time of transition, our youth will need unique qualities in order to be successful in life.

As change agents, we not only guide youth through changes, we work with individuals, groups, and communities to improve the quality of children’s lives. To do this, we must be empowered ourselves. As we look to what qualities we want to develop in youth, we must look at our own selves and ask, “Are we modeling the qualities we want to encourage in them?” We have the multilevel task of being what we want others to be. Thus, the issue of youth development is interwoven with the task of our own development.

The collapse of the USSR (in the late 1980s and the early 1990s), and the resulting conflicts had a negative influence on women in many respects: not only were they one of the main groups affected by conflict, but with the dismantling of Soviet and Communist ideology, achievements such as women having access to all types of education and to traditionally `male` professions were compromised. In their search for new ideologies societies started to look backwards. The upsurge of nationalism and the return of religion reduced the Soviet-style opportunities for women to participate in political life. Moreover, women themselves often supported such negative developments, and played a crucial role in reconstituting nationalist ideologies and religion, depriving themselves of the achievements of the previous era. At all levels of politics and governance, women’s involvement decreased sharply.Soviet-style emancipation and modernisation, inter-twined with the traditional family and social patterns characteristic for communities in the Caucasus resulted in women becoming more involved in `men’s` professions in all areas of life, in the rural as well as urban areas. Although they were represented in the power structures, women were mostly regarded as easily manipulated and the superiority of men was not questioned. Traditional family and social patterns meant that while in principle women had unlimited access to education and career, in the reality of the Caucasus their main role was still restricted to family duties and motherhood. Several conflicts broke out in the Caucasus after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The four main conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and in Nagorno Karabakh and  are still not politically resolved. These conflicts have had a disastrous effect on the socio-economic and psychological state of women. The conflicts were followed by violence and ethnic cleansing of populations where most of the victims were women and girls. Numerous cases of rape, torture and general discrimination have been reported. Hundreds of thousands of families have lost their livelihoods. Huge dislocations took place during the wars and resulted in thousands of people, displaced from normal life. In the displaced communities, contrary to their reduced role as active citizens in the societies in general, women are not only victims but are also agents for change. They have proven to be more flexible to change, seem better able to endure the hardships of displaced life, and are far more mobile than men in similar circumstances.

Overall Statement

We identified several key problems related to gender, peace and security in the Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh  that need to be addressed. These include:

•          the lack of security for both women and men
•          the lack of inclusion in decision-making processes and their non-participation in procedures for good governance
•          their absence from peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction processes

Project Summary and Objectives:

• To raise awareness among the international organisations about the key issues affecting women’s peace and security in the Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh
• To support women in the systematic documentation of their know-how and peace building activities and in the identification of lessons learnt and challenges faced
  • To strengthen the capacity of the NGO’s to engage in dialogue with national, regional and international policy-makers and decision-takers on the following issues:

- inclusion at all levels of peace processes and in the reconciliation and reconstruction processes in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh

- the protection and representation of displaced, refugee and other disadvantaged women

- participation in decision-making and ensuring a gender perspective in processes that affect their peace and security

One person can start an idea but it takes many to implement
the idea and create a true change.

“Coming together is
a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success”

Democracy is much more than who can win an election. It is how a country is governed
between elections. It is government by discussion, not by diktat and decree.

If one feels he deserves power, then yes, for then his
desire for power will never be satisfied and the more he has, all the more will
he desire greater power. It is the same with wealth; actually power and wealth
are one and the same.

There can be no doubt that the only way we can forge ahead into the
Millennium as a successful and developed nation is by removing all those
individuals in power who have no right to be there by any standard or value
system.

The ONLY way in tackling the various problems including
poverty is by changing the system of governance in each and every country that
would create enough space for the POOR TO PARTICIPATE in the governance of the
country.A system of representation and empowerment of different sets
of representatives in different areas elected and empowered by different groups
of people to implement different ‘distinct and defined’ functions of one and
the same parliament  Through this system
“corruption, injustice, discrimination and oppression” in any form and at
any level cannot easily arise. If the above “evils” are eradicated, then the
Rule of Law will prevail making way for peace and good governance in the
country, which is the need of the inhabitants of a country.

My  dream of a country where
freedom exists in all forms. Freedom

- of Speech

- of media

- of movement

- of economics/business/trade

-from corruption

-from fear and oppression

- from brutality & hatred

- from violence/abuse

-from discrimination and injustice

We’re entering a new phase of history–global corporate feudalism
– disguised as “democracy” which has to be strongly resisted by us, to enable
us to survive with dignity.

“We  all are one big family ” this is the  motto of this activity.

We , with cooperation Yerevan Ararat Rotary Club give piano to Mer Doon and together with girls make Christmas sweets.

Marry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!