Future Armenian leaders

One year ago we organised the same kind of event in Georgia with the help of the local Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit and we were very satisfied with the results. Our goals, to increase the knowledge about political ideologies and to improve the political skills of the participants, were reached. Besides this we managed to created a safe environment in which opposing political groups came to a certain understanding of each other’s positions and beliefs.

We hesitated about having the same approach in Armenia. On March 1, 2008 10 opposition demonstrators were killed in the streets of Yerevan during protests that had gone on for several days following the presidential elections. More recently outrage over the local elections in Yerevan had led to new protests. Therefore our foundations; Eduardo Frei Stichting, Alfred Mozer Stichting and VVD-International, were not convinced that our approach was realistic enough. Was our main idea, showing through cooperation of three opposing Dutch parties that political differences can still lead to fruitful results, too naïve?

 

We started of by discussing the three main ideologies, Liberalism, Christian Democracy/ Conservatism, Social Democracy/ Socialism. After showing the historical background, the values and the principles we discussed concrete political issues and programmes. From the very start of the training at a marvellous resort at the shores of lake Sevan (a unique and splendid place, situated 1900 meters above sea level) our participants were dedicated and worked together very well. No animosities were visible as long as the parties worked in mixed groups on more theoretical assumptions in hypothetical parties. This changed however after we introduced the principles of political strategy after which we instructed the participants to work in groups of there own parties to analyse the internal strengths & weaknesses and external opportunities & threats.

 

From the very start of the presentations, tensions rose and passionate political discussions followed. Opposition parties on one side and governmental parties on the other side of the table. We were about to loose our control of the group and decided to mix the participants again. This worked out very well and the remainder of the training (communication theory & presentation skills) was again very successful. The final political debate in which a fictional prime minister had to defend a cut in the defence expenditure against three opposition parties was a worthy closure of the training.

 

In the evaluation many of the participants declared to have gained knowledge and improved skills, but most of all they felt to have reached understanding of the positions of the opposing parties. As one participant stated: “We found out in this training that we might have different beliefs and are supporting different parties, but we are one Armenian nation. We, the youth, have to overcome the differences and cooperate to built a better future for all. I hope when our group comes to power we will be friends first and foremost and then opponents.” It was an impressive statement shared by all present which made us believe that we did a good job and that our initiative deserves a follow-up in the near future.

 

Arjen Berkvens, trainer Alfred Mozer Stichting
Titus Frankemölle, trainer Eduardo Frei Stichting
Jeroen de Veth, trainer VVD International