The new generation will save the world

We have already spoken in our newspaper with politician and human rights defender Arbak Khachatryan about the first events of the youth organisation “New Generation for Peace.” Arbak Khachatryan and Ruben Grigoryan are the intellectual inspirations behind this new international movement.

We have already noted that the new youth organisation’s aims and objectives received support from Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and His Holiness Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia.

To recall, the first event of the new international youth movement “New Generation for Peace” took place in Tbilisi on 1 May. Representatives of Azerbaijani, Georgian and Armenian youth attended a rally under the slogan “Youth for Peace in Transcaucasia.” The event received extensive, positive coverage in leading media in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

A new “New Generation for Peace” forum will take place in Georgia on 14–16 June. In addition to participants from Transcaucasian countries, guests from Russia, France, Germany and Holland have been invited. The forum’s programme includes many visually striking events, such as symbolically crossing the Georgian–Azerbaijani and Georgian–Armenian borders and a meeting of young people from the three countries on Georgian soil.

Our interviewee today is Ruben Grigoryan, founder of the Museum of Moscow and the Culture of Nations, a writer and businessman. A true patriot of both Armenia and Russia, Ruben Grigoryan devotes considerable effort to developing relations between nationalities, closely follows world events and actively writes commentary on pressing issues.

Here is a passage from his moving video essay “Revolution,” written and published in the immediate aftermath of events on 30 April 2018:

“The tyrant has left. A man has left, unable to withstand the sea of human hatred. Have we won? But is it a victory when people defeat ordinary human evil? Evil for everyone—yet why did everyone tolerate it for so long? And you begin to realise that the victory was not only over one person but, above all, over yourself. Over your own cowardice, indecision, tolerance and doubts. Why so long? And that made me sadder and sadder. But the sadness deepened when I remembered the departing day.

The voice of the people, of human beings, and simply of a person cannot be bought, as you have always done. It can only be won in a humane way.

It becomes sad, very sad, that the evil and filth have not yet gone and can still do much harm. And God forbid that, with blind stupidity and their boundless ignorance, they should shed blood. But worse still would be to return or remain and continue ruling. That means the revolution is not over yet. It has only begun. And it seems it will continue as long as this vile filth and evil live in human souls. Will it be possible to win and finish the revolution? But then I raised my head and, seeing the crowd, smiled with joy. Look—here I am, and with me are many people who feel as I do. That means common sense and human reason will prevail. And it means we will win and live.”

We spoke with Ruben Grigoryan by telephone.

— Ruben Tsolakovich, thank you for agreeing to talk. What appealed to you about the idea of creating the “New Generation for Peace” movement?

— The success of any idea depends on its relevance and whether it is needed, and I am certain that this idea—letting young people reach agreement—is relevant and right. This movement also has enormous “snowball” potential: step by step, day by day, year by year, it can acquire tremendous, all-embracing strength and reach. Ultimately this youth organisation will be able to influence decisions at state level, just as Armenia’s young people influenced fundamental changes in their country’s political situation.

Young people were the principal driving force—90%—behind these impressive changes. They wanted to be able to influence their choice of path in life, to have the possibility of creating rather than destroying. Their choice is obvious: peaceful transformation, rather than destructive war. And they are succeeding! So if I were in the position of the states participating in this movement, I would take it very seriously and pay close attention to it.

— Georgia’s top leadership has clearly indicated its interest in this interesting initiative.

— And in my view they are acting wisely. Transcaucasia, and particularly the Middle East, is an explosive region with very many conflicts: Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel–Palestine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Turks and Kurds. And these conflicts have always existed. Recall Western Armenia (Turkey’s Eastern Anatolia—editor’s note), where Kurds now make up 90% of the population. Yet as late as the seventeenth century, Armenians constituted 98% of Western Armenia’s population. But as a result of the Great Crime (the Armenian Genocide—editor’s note), Kurds now live on that land. Therefore the conflict between Kurds and Turks in Syria fits the proverb, “Do not dig a pit for someone else; you will fall into it yourself.” Your leadership, meanwhile, tries to live with its neighbours according to Christian commandments, wisely and peacefully.

— And Georgia’s citizens support their leaders in this.

— That is precisely why the success of the “New Generation for Peace” youth movement has enormous moral significance beyond Transcaucasia. This success can provide valuable support for the cause of peace throughout the world. Today the choice of “war or peace” confronts not only the Middle East but all humanity. And look how difficult it is for “Homo sapiens” to make what is, in general, a simple choice: to live peacefully or die in wars.

Let me repeat the point about the choice of location and the support of the Georgian authorities and church. So far the concept is almost ideal. Azerbaijanis will not go to Armenia; Georgians will be reluctant to go to Russia. But Russia is currently experiencing a tourism boom to Georgia, and ethnically Russia’s young people include Russians, Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Volga Germans. You cannot list them all: Russia is an enormous country, and people in Georgia understand that it is better to live in peace with such a neighbour, establish diplomatic relations and move forward.

Moreover, the Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. This is another bridge towards establishing good-neighbourly relations between Russia and Georgia.

— Thank you very much for finding time for our conversation. I wish you success!