2022-2023 All-ASA Executive Chair Mher Arutyunyan spoke at the National Armenian Youth Forum in Yerevan.
The Forum, organized by the Republic of Armenia’s Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs brought together over 600 worldwide participants from more than 50 countries to contribute to the development of the homeland, create stronger ties between diasporan communities and organizations, and create a strategy for effective youth engagement in Armenia and Artsakh.
Mher participated as a guest speaker on the opening panel discussion of the Forum, entitled “Models of Youth Engagement: Diaspora, Armenia, Artsakh”. Mher shared information about All-ASA and its various programs, recounted major initiatives like #ArtsakhTalks and the Leadership Retreat, and highlighted the critical importance of Artsakh to the Armenian cause.
“When we read about what’s going on in Artsakh, but then we speak to those students and leaders [in Artsakh] and they talk to us about the ongoing situation and they share with us videos of how, for example, they are engaging in Armenian dance in Stepanakert, that for me was very emotional. That even in the most difficult conditions, they were still maintaining their Armenianness. Let us speak about Artsakh’s security. Let us speak about Artsakh remaining Armenian”